Books | Amy C. Shaw

The Top Ten Authors I Feel I Should Probably Read

May 19, 2015 • 22 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is a Freebie, so I decided to go with the top 10 authors I feel I should probably read. Some have specific books I have my eye on, some don’t, but either way, I want to read them eventually! Here are my choices, in no particular order.

1. Sarah Addison Allen, author of Garden Spells

I’ve heard good things about her fiction and I want to try to read more adult fiction, so she’s someone I think whose work I’ll have to check out.

2. L.M. Montgomery, author of Anne Of Green Gables

I had no idea how much people loved these books until I had been blogging for a while. I knew of them as a kid but I was just never interested in them (like Harry Potter… clearly my younger self didn’t know anything).

3. Ruta Sepetys, author of Between Shades of Gray

I don’t know why I’m so drawn to read Ruta Sepetys and yet haven’t yet. Too many other books! She was at a writing conference I attended last year, and though I didn’t get to hear much from her she seems really neat. And she lives in Tennessee!

4. Madeleine L’Engle, author of A Wrinkle in Time

Again, late to the game here. Actually, the book of hers I’m most interested in reading is called Walking on Water, which Annie quoted multiple times in a blog post and it really piqued my interest!

5. Shannon Hale, author of Austenland

I’ve heard good things about the Princess Academy books, and I love Jane Austen stories, so I think I’m definitely going to have to check out some Shannon Hale sometime.

6. Charlotte Bronte, author of Jane Eyre

I don’t know if I’ll like Bronte or not, but I feel I ought to at least try. After all, her biggest fan, aka Charlene, gave Star Trek a chance. 🙂

7. Susan Dennard, author of Something Strange and Deadly

I love her writing advice and get her weekly emails, so I feel like I should probably read at least one of her books (but hopefully more!).

8. Neil Gaiman, author of Stardust

He’s so prolific, so I feel ought to read something of his for sure!

9. Victoria Schawb, author of A Darker Shade of Magic

I know, I know. I fail at life.

10. Elizabeth Gaskell, author of North and South

I’ve heard some talk about North and South and after reading the synopsis I became interested in checking it out one day. Might be a hit, might be a miss, but I’ll never know unless I try!

Which authors do you feel you need to read?

Thoughts on The Deathly Hallows & the Harry Potter Series Overall

May 4, 2015 • 30 Comments

In case you are not a frequent visitor of my blog and thus unaware, I spent the latter part of last year and the early part of this year reading all the Harry Potter books and watching all the Harry Potter movies for the first time ever. I have really enjoyed my experience and am so happy that now I understand all HP references and don’t have to worry any more about spoilers!

I wanted to discuss briefly my feelings on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, book and movies, and then give a bit of a recap on my feelings of the series overall.

On the Thursday I intended to start reading The Deathly Hallows, I got some bad news that ended up kind of working out for me. I felt pretty terrible the night before, and woke up feeling not significantly better, so I decided to go to a walk-in clinic. I ended up testing positive for strep throat and was instructed to stay home for the next two days. So while I didn’t feel so great, and would have rather been at work than not feeling good, after taking my first antibiotic and a quick nap, I was feeling well enough to start reading.

And in my time home sick, I devoured this book. A book that would have normally taken two weeks to read over my lunch breaks took me just slightly over 2 days at home (a friend of mine told me recently that he read this book in 4 hours, and I pretty much hate him for that because I don’t even know how that’s humanly possible). So while I wonder if I might have had a problem with all that camping out had I taken my time to read this book, I had no problem with it while reading it in large chunks. In fact, I really never wanted to put the book down. I was completely engaged and wanted to know exactly what was going to happen.

Truly, all the fantastic character moments in this book was what I had been waiting the whole series for. Everyone who’s read Harry Potter talks about how much they love the characters, and while reading this book I completely understood why. I don’t even know how to express in words my strong love for Hermione, Luna, and Neville now, but I think you guys understand. And I had somehow (thankfully) been spared of details of how it all went down between Harry and Voldemort, and all I can say is WOW.

And the movies? They were near flawless. Seriously, again, these were the Harry Potter movies I had been waiting for! I gave them both 4.5 stars, which considering I pretty much only give a movie 5 stars if I know it’s going to be one of my absolute faves, is pretty dang good. There were a lot less changes, and the ones they had didn’t bother me. Like that scene of Harry and Hermione dancing? LOVE. And that cute Neville and Luna thing? Oh yeah, you know the director totally shipped them (me too!).

I will voice one opinion I have that will not be popular. I still don’t really get the Snape thing. I will say, I thought I could never forgive him or find him redeemable and actually found myself doing so (but he was still a bullying jerk to Harry and it was not cool), so that’s not “the Snape thing” I’m referring to. It’s referring mostly to these famous lines…

After all this time?

Always.

When I read those words I was like, “Wait? What?” I was confused as heck. He’s just cast a Patronus and is talking to Dumbledore. This exchange made literally no sense to me. I had a hunch, and it was right, but until it was spelled-out I felt myself frustrated for reading these famous lines and not feeling whatever it was I was supposed to feel. So just that moment being over-hyped kind of made me not care for it much. And really, why does this surprise Dumbledore? It’s clear Snape isn’t Harry’s number one fan, and that his motivation to care about him at all in the first place would still be in tact otherwise he would have pulled the ripcord and gone back to Voldemort the second he had the chance.

All in all though, I was extremely satisfied with the series. The ending was pretty close to perfection. I understand all the love, it’s well deserved. Bravo, J.K., bravo.

Overall assessment…

My ranking of the books:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (5 stars)

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (5 stars)

3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (4.5 stars)

4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (4.5 stars)

5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (4.5 stars)

6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (4 stars)

7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (3.5 stars)

My ranking of the movies:

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 (4.5 stars for both)

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (4 stars)

3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (4 stars)

4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (4 stars)

5/6. (tie) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone/Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (I don’t remember the differences enough to choose one over the other) (3.5 stars for both)

7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (3 stars)

And then of course, like everyone else, I have fantasized about living in Harry’s world, going to Hogwarts, and all that jazz. After I finished the book I signed up for Pottermore solely for to get my official House Sorting. I knew it was between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and I had even taken an “are you a Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff quiz” shortly before and gotten Ravenclaw, but the Sorting Hat spoke and…

Source

Even before I read the series I was aware of the Hufflepuff hate, so this sorting made me a little less excited than I feel it should have. I mean, Hufflepuffs are good people. They are loyal and hardworking. For some reason people don’t like that. Cedric was a good guy. So, whateves. I’ll claim it.

Also: like half the reason why I wanted to be Ravenclaw so I could be BFF’s with Luna, which I think ironically just proves I’m probably more Hufflepuff.

What are your thoughts on The Deathly Hallows book and movies? Who are your favorite characters? Which house do you belong in?

The Top Ten Books Which Feature Characters Who Have More Brains than Brawn

April 28, 2015 • 19 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is Top Ten Books Which Feature Characters Who ___________. Because of my love for smart characters, I decided to go with characters who have more brains than brawn. For most of the books/characters selected, their braininess is an important factor of the book, or I’ve only read the first book but I think it will come in handy in future books. My choices, in no particular order…

1. The Winner’s Curse, Kestrel

My favorite thing about this book was definitely the mind games. Kestrel is not a fighter, but she is a strategist. I still haven’t read the follow-up, but I hear it’s also twisty turny, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Kestrel thinking and planning and acting on her strategies.

2. Harry Potter, Hermione

I loved Hermione from the beginning, as I could completely relate with her studious ways, but I also loved her arc, how she ultimately cared more about her friends than her studies. And let’s just say that Harry would have been completely lost with Hermione’s smarts helping him out along the way.

3. All Fall Down, Megan

Megan is a secondary character that we don’t get a ton of, but we see that she has skills and, like Hermione, values friendship as well. I have a feeling we’ll get to see more of Megan’s smarts saving the day in future Embassy Row books.

4. Mistborn, Elend

OK, this is probably the furthest stretch, but he loves books, and he’s clearly more cerebral and less of a fighter. I still need to read books 2 and 3 (I’m starting to miss the world after a few months away, but I’ve decided I will definitely read them next month!), but I bet he’s going to be helping Vin out in the future.

5. The Hunger Games, Beetee

I think this is pretty obvious. Though Beetee is not in the first book, he is definitely an important character in the second and third books and helps Katniss in her fight against the Capital.

6. Seraphina, Kiggs & Seraphina

Seraphina and Kiggs are both bookish people who love reading the philosophers and frequently use their brains to solve problems to help diffuse the tension between people and dragons.

7. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes

I just love Sherlock Holmes, because he’s just BRILLIANT. Watson’s a smart cookie too, for sure, but Holmes’ powers of observation and deductive reasoning just make his detective work so fascinating to me.

8. Across a Star-Swept Sea, Persis and Justen

Persis is incredibly smart, but she doesn’t act like it to cover up her role as The Wild Poppy. Meanwhile, Justen is a smart scientist seeking a cure for a disease he feels partly responsible for. I love when Persis actually lets a part of her true self shine through to Justen and they speak as equals for just a moment. And I love them individually for how they use their intelligence.

9. Ender’s Game, Ender

So, let’s just say this kid is a pretty big deal. And what he does he does not with brawn, but with his brain, with strategy.

1o. Cress, Cress

Cress might be lacking in the social aptitude department, but make no mistake, this girl is a gifted hacker, and she is a beneficial help to Cinder.

Bonus! Fitz and Simmons from TV’s Agents of SHIELD

If you follow me on Twitter, it’s no secret to you that I am an Agents of SHIELD fangirl. And I love these two and all their science babble. I want book characters like these two!

Who are your favorite smart characters from books?

Discussion: Plot Vs. Character?

April 20, 2015 • 10 Comments

I am always shocked when someone says they care more about the plot of the book than the characters. This boggles my mind to no end, because what’s the point if you don’t connect with the characters? I plan to do another post soon about the hero’s story arc, and to me that arc makes or breaks a story. But of course, I have to wonder…

I mean seriously, if you make me love characters enough, I will devour scenes where they just sit around and talk, but I have to admit, plot is imperative to make the story move forward. Can the character have an arc without a real journey? But what do the journey and the arc matter if you don’t even care about the character in the first place?

When I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows it was just amazing to me how Rowling pulled this off. I had gotten to know these characters and were already attached to them from previous books, but through their circumstances they grow leaps and bounds just in this one book. Their journey felt complete.

Characters help connect me to the story. The plot moves the characters through an arc. And if the arc is successful and I see positive change on the other side (or really well executed negative change), then I am ultimately satisfied with the story.

Do you consider yourself more of a plot person or a character person? What do you think matters most in a story/character arc?

My Top Ten Inspiring Quotes from Books

April 14, 2015 • 19 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today’s topic is Top Ten Inspiring Quotes from Books.

This was a hard one. First off, book quotes. I love awesome book quotes, but I sometimes keep track of them, sometimes don’t, and when I do, I do so in a myriad of ways, so finding them again is always questionable. Secondly, these quotes were supposed to challenge, inspire, make you think. I feel like my favorite fiction quotes deal more with the characters, or the way something is described, rather than inspire me. However, I did come up with 10 quotes, that are probably not my true top 10 (I didn’t want to overrun this TTT with C.S. Lewis), but that do inspire me, both in fiction and non-fiction.

Disclaimer: I have not read 3 of these books. I know you’re thinking, What?! Two of them I have seen movie adaptations, and the quotes were in those as well. For one, the quote is in a book I have read, I just have not read the book it originated from. Onward!

C.S. Lewis is always on the money when he talks about love; he has so many great quotes about it. This one is challenging because it’s the realization that love really can and does hurt, but as he also explains, the only way to avoid it is to give your heart to no one or nothing, at all, period.

As a reader and a writer, I can definitely relate to this, and it challenges me as the latter.

When I first read this in Little Women, I felt as if Marmee was my mom talking to me. I had so many of Jo’s interests and I could see so much of myself in her, and so it really felt personal to read that about having extraordinary gifts. Of course, 10+ years later I have let life get me down at times: my career is no where near what I anticipated or had hoped (though I found contentment with where I am). But, I move forward. I continue to write, and my life is not over. Reading this inspires me to keep working towards that not ordinary life.

So much happened to Louie as a POW in WWII, and I remember when it came to this moment in the book, I mean it just made it really real. I teared up at the thought of Louie going through all the horrible stuff he did, then to come back to his safe, quiet home that had been marred by war, though not the way he had. When he returned he struggled with that sense of normalcy after so much pain. His journey was far from over at this point, but it was a beginning moment in his path to healing.

As a perfectionist, oh I can relate. And perfectionism hurts when you’re trying to write out that first draft (or two or three), which was what Lamott was referring to here. I have to write without fear of getting the words wrong; I just need to write from my heart.

So this is also a line from the musical, and when I heard it for the first time it really struck me. As someone who reads the Bible, I find it Biblical too. When you care and love for others, especially those who are hopeless, you really seeing God through it. It’s so simple but so powerful.

Say whatever you want about Allegiant, but this quote really stood out to me when I read it. It’s easy to allow ourselves to just overlook something we don’t like, but truth is truth.

I can’t imagine not being able to share memories, holding them in like Jonas had to. Sometimes the most fun I have it sitting down and reminiscing with someone.

I think this quote has a similar theme to others I’ve shared; that faith and belief aren’t always going to be appealing, but you have to stay strong through the hard times and hold on to that faith.

I love Sam’s whole speech, about how people in all these stories have all these opportunities to turn back, but instead they face the darkness and push through, and it’s exactly what he and Frodo and the others go through. But this is a powerful moment, the acknowledgment that despite all the bad, there is good, and it’s worth it to keep going it for that.

These lovely pictures are from Unsplash, Gratisography, and Raumrot

Which of my Top 10 quotes is your favorite? What is another favorite inspiring book quote for you?

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