23rd Year as a Book Lover

Finished. I am 24. This past year I have read 74 new books and reread 48 books (not counting rereading bits and pieces, which I do often).

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Today is my birthday (16th June 2013). I am twenty three. The following twelve months will be my twenty-third year as an obsessive lover of books (babies can love books. Especially when they have an awesome mother like mine). To celebrate this milestone, and ignore the creeping feeling of growing up, I've decided to keep a list of every single book I read in the next year, both new discoveries and old friends. I'll try and review most of them as well. Since it is my birthday, and that means guilt-free indulgence in fiction, I can start my list today.

The List:

New:
The Moon and More - Sarah Dessen
Delirium - Lauren Oliver
Lo, Michael - Grace Livingston Hill
Dawn of the Morning - Grace Livingston Hill
The Man of the Desert - Grace Livingston Hill
Marcia Schuyler - Grace Livingston Hill
Phoebe Dean - Grace Livingston Hill
Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
Decline and Fall - Evelyn Waugh
Vile Bodies - Evelyn Waugh
A Handful of Dust - Evelyn Waugh
Put Out More Flags - Evelyn Waugh
The Ordeal of Sir Gilbert Pinfold - Evelyn Waugh
Team Human - Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover - Ally Carter
Only the Good Spy Young - Ally Carter
Out of Sight, Out of Time - Ally Carter
Double Crossed - Ally Carter
United We Spy - Ally Carter
The Book of Blood and Shadow - Robin Wasserman
The Royal Ranger - John Flanagan
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief - Rick Riordan
Somewhere Around the Corner - Jackie French
Sweetly - Jackson Pearce
Reached - Ally Condie
Allegiant - Veronica Roth
The Night Circus - Erin Morganstern
Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson
Cinder - Marissa Meyer
The Dream Thieves - Maggie Stiefvater
The Fairy's Return - Gail Carson Levine
Fate - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
Frostbite - Richelle Mead
Shadow Kiss - Richelle Mead
Blood Promise - Richelle Mead
Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan
White Cat - Holly Black
Pandemonium -Lauren Oliver
Requiem - Lauren Oliver
Alex (1.5) - Lauren Oliver
Ruby Red - Kerstin Gier
Legend  - Maria Lu
Sapphire Blue - Kerstin Gier
Emerald Green - Kerstin Gier
Endlessly  - Kiersten White
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin
Scarlett - Marissa Meyer
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
The Chaos of Stars - Kiersten White
Red Glove - Holly Black
Picture Me Gone - Meg Rosoff
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (0.1) - Sarah J. Mass
The Assassin and the Desert (0.2) - Sarah J. Mass
The Assassin and the Underworld (0.3) - Sarah J. Mass
The Assassin and the Empire (0.4) - Sarah J. Mass
Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Mass
Crown of Embers - Rae Carson
Underworld  - Meg Cabot
Awaken - Meg Cabot
Catching Jordan - Miranda Kenneally
The Fine Art of Truth or Dare - Melissa Jensen
When You Were Mine - Rebecca Serle
Black Heart - Holly Black
Bitter Kingdom - Rae Carson
Unravel Me - Tahereh Mafi
Americanah- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Home - Larissa Behrendt
City of Heavenly Fire - Cassandra Clare
Battle Magic - Tamora Pierce

Reread:
Pistols for Two - Georgette Heyer

The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen

Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins

The Time of the Singing Birds - Grace Livingston Hill

The Patch of Blue - Grace Livingston Hill

The Strange Proposal - Grace Livingston Hill
Just Listen - Sarah Dessen
The Lives of Christopher Chant - Diana Wynne Jones
Conrad's Fate - Diana Wynne Jones
The Magicians of Caprona - Diana Wynne Jones
Mixed Magics - Diana Wynne Jones
The Pinhoe Egg - Diana Wynne Jones
The Power of Three - Diana Wynne Jones
Along For The Ride - Sarah Dessen
Last Chance - Sarah Dessen (now Keeping the Moon)
Someone Like You - Sarah Dessen
Dreamland - Sarah Dessen
That Summer - Sarah Dessen
Brentwood - Grace Livingston Hill
Daphne Dean - Grace Livingston Hill
A Song of Summer - Eva Ibbotson
Detection Unlimited - Georgette Heyer
Matched Pearl - Grace Livingston Hill
Rose Galbraith - Grace Livingston Hill
Footsteps in the Dark - Georgette Heyer
The Unknown Ajax - Georgette Heyer
City of Fire - Grace Livingston Hill
The Girl From Montana - Grace Livingston Hill
The Enchanted Barn - Grace Livingston Hill
The Voice in the Wilderness - Grace Livingston Hill
The Search - Grace Livingston Hill
Exit Betty - Grace Livingston Hill
The Witness - Grace Livingston Hill
The Mystery of Mary - Grace Livingston Hill
What Happened to Goodbye - Sarah Dessen
This Lullaby  - Sarah Dessen
Regency Buck - Georgette Heyer
Rilla of Ingleside - L.M Montgomery
Rapunzel's Revenge - Shannon Hale
Teen Idol - Meg Cabot
The Reluctant Widow - Georgette Heyer
The Black Moth - Georgette Heyer
Cousin Kate - Georgette Heyer
The Mislaid Magician - Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Abandon - Meg Cabot
Charity Girl - Georgette Heyer
The Convenient Marriage - Georgette Heyer
Spring Muslin - Georgette Heyer

Ten Tips for Having the Most Wonderful Wedding

This is written for my best friend Angie who just got engaged. She was the best Maid of Honour anyone could ask for, and I'm going to seriously struggle to live up to the precedent she set. This is my 'I am an english and journalism major' way of starting out my duties. Most of this is drawn from experience at my wedding, things I'm really glad I did. A few are things I wish I'd done differently, and the whole thing is a big irritated reaction to all the ‘Important Dos and Don'ts from REAL* Brides’, ‘12 Things You’ll Regret Not Doing At Your Wedding’ and ‘Pitfalls to Avoid (Advice from REAL Brides)’ articles that are on Pinterest.

1. Do as little as possible. 

Nearly everything in a wedding is entirely dispensable (even the fancy dress), so instead of working out what you don’t need, work out what you do. For example, if you want lots of friends and family you will need a big reception venue. Keeping things to a minimum means you can focus on other things.

The important things in life. x

2. A marriage involves both people, so a wedding should to

This doesn't mean you both need to do everything. Work out what needs to involve both of you, what doesn’t, and who wants to do what. You don't need to subscribe to gender normative stereotypes. Wedding planning is often outlined as extremely gendered actions, which also ends up with the bride having to be the one who is supposed to deeply care about every little detail. There is nothing to say the groom can't have strong opinions about which flowers to have or what the colour scheme should be.

3. Google Docs

Have a spreadsheet you both can access. Update your guest list when you send invites, receive RSVPs and then you can also use it as you open gifts. Also a good place for your budget.

4. Weddings cost money

Accept that you'll have to spend money, and budget. Don't spend more than you can afford and prioritise the important things. My suggestions for what's important money-wise are:

• Making things easy and stress free
• Having a good photographer (memories)
• facilitating an enjoyable time for the people you love (e.g splurging on chairs so your grandparents don't have to stand up at your cocktail reception

5a. Don’t subscribed to the ‘This is MY (or even OUR) Day.’ 

While you can't please everyone and ultimately are the one who has to make decisions you're happy with there are more important things than having the perfect wedding. People are important, and relationships are important. If there is a family tradition that you don't particularly like but will mean a lot to your grandparents, consider doing it for them. If your best friend needs a ballerina bridesmaid dress…

Who wouldn't want to wear this?

5b. A wedding is a community event (but take care of yourself).

Weddings are often described as a celebration of love, which they are in some ways. But love is not just some mushy feeling between the two of you. Enjoy hanging with your friends, talking with relatives you don’t see all that often, and have a good time. You can actually even spend time apart from each other. Spend a good amount of time hugging your parents, they're probably feeling very emotional.

Depending on what kind of person you are, this could actually being really draining. Take a break if you need to. Have a hide in the bathroom, or something. 

Do what you need to do, but don't be surprised if you react in an unexpected way, your own wedding is kind of an uncommon experience.A s someone who finds large groups of people quite exhausting, I was surprised I pretty much powered through the whole day - I can hardly remember any of it though.

6. Invite the people that are important to you.

The guest list is probably the hardest part of planning a wedding. Start with family, sometimes you just have to invite everyone so no-one is hurt, or you have to have a bigger wedding than you wanted because you have a bazillion relatives who all rsvp yes. That's just part of being a family**.

It's pretty normal to categorise people: family, school friends, work friends, university friends... Sometimes it feels like if you invite a few people from one group, you have to invite them all. Go with who you want to invite, even if it's only one school friend but all your work friends and none of your university friends.

7. Don’t do things just because they look like a cool idea on Pinterest. 

Pinterest, and other websites, have lots of great ideas and can be good for brainstorming, but don't get overwhelmed or convinced things are necessary when they're not. I found a idea for favours which I liked and ran with it, realising later that I hadn't even considered if favours were necessary (they weren't).

8. DIY is not always best

Unless you're good at it, then sometimes doing things yourself isn't a great idea. Sometimes it seems like a good way to save money, but it can cause a lot of stress. This goes for everything, not just decorations. I am so, so glad I got my hair done professionally, just in terms of not having to bother about it (if you’re anything like me, don’t even bother thinking about what hairstyle you want - so easy).

I still think they're cool, but they took so much time and effort!

9. Just go with the flow

Trust that the people you've asked to do things will do them, and don't worry if things go wrong. Just enjoy yourself.

10. Be Married

Your wedding day is important because of the moment you made a commitment to each other in front of God and in front your family and friends. Not because you had a beautiful dress or a romantic first dance. yay. married.

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*worst word ever. What even is a 'real' bride anyway?
**Not if your family aren't people you can be emotionally or physically safe around.

Review: The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

So pretty

The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White is a YA novel that ties together contemporary romance with Egyptian mythology. White's usual engaging writing style means it's a quick and easy read. I read it in two hours, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Overall, the first word that came to mind when I finished reading was delightful. The fun and ease of the read is the reasons I gave it 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Physically, the book is beautiful. It is nice having it sitting on my bookshelf. Without the lovely cover and pages, the easy, readable layout, and the pleasant experience of holding the book in my hands, I probably would have just stuck to the library.

The Chaos of Stars is a cute and entertaining story that doesn't over-reach itself. It sets out to tell a contained story, in which a girl whose parents are Egyptian gods must come to terms with her own mortality and, in typical come-of-age style, learn to deal with relationships. The plot was interesting, and followed through well, with nice set up and hints. I particularly enjoyed figuring out about Ry.

The protagonist, Isadora, has some frustrating moments, but this felt realistic given her age. She didn't feel completely relatable but this didn't seem to impact on my enjoyment of the story. She did have endearing moments and is fabulously sarcastic.

Some Thoughts:

• It was nice to have a more diverse range character ethnicities, which felt natural
• The characters who were regular people were beautifully normal and their engagement in the story was refreshing, and helped ease the irritation of the 'impossibly beautiful' trope of YA main characters. In this case it seemed to fit with the mythology interplay.
• I enjoyed the glimpses into what Isadora sees when she is picturing a room (for her interior design hobby), without going overboard on the descriptors. It felt natural.
• The juxtaposition between her dreams, recounting the myths and the narrative worked really well, it was easy to follow what was happening, without totally giving away all plot twists.
• I found Ry somewhat irritating, his persistence bordered on being disrespectful of Isadora's decisions which is not romantic, but it wasn't as bad as a lot of other examples and Isadora held her own reasonable well.
• Well worth reading at some point, if only for Kiersten White's loveable writing style.

Reading Goals in 2014

My TBR pile

• Read every book on my bedside table
• Read at least 100 books from my Goodreads To Read list
• Read a more diverse range of books
• Read more Australian books
• Review at least one book a month

Review: Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan

"Friends don't let friends date vampires" is the best tag line.

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan is a YA paranormal romance novel with a humorous take on just what falling in love with a way old english vampire means for an American teenage girl, and what it means for her friends. I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

I’ve seen this book called satirical however satire is generally more destructive in my experience*. Team Human parodies the conventions of the paranormal romance genre, of romance in general and specific stories we all know well (*cough* Twilight *cough*). However, the characters are people who you care about and relate to, and the plot develops to a satisfactory, if a little surprising, resolution. Team Human is book that makes you laugh nearly every scene, though I also shed a few tears. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA, romance, vampires, literature, laughing….

Doesn’t matter if you hate or love vampire stories, this book is for you. 

Team Human is a hilarious, beautiful book that both celebrates and pokes fun at vampire romance stories. Cathy, Mel and Anna all have different experience (or lack of) and opinions about vampires and everything changes when a male vampire (who was turned at 17 and happens to be a lot older than that) conveniently turns up to attend their high school, ensuring someone (or the whole school) must fall desperately in love with him. 

Told from the perspective of Mel, the story explores friendships, family, love, and the immensely complicated situation of teenage decision-making. While laughingly celebrating vampire traditions, Larbalestier and Brennan create a quirky alternate history, one in which vampires and humans co-exist (mostly) peacefully. The humour is sharp and witty, the plot intriguing and unexpected, and the characters loveable and sometimes a little ridiculous.

A Few Things I Loved:

• I loved the way the text played with its genre(s) and the references to other literary works. This is something I always enjoy in a story, and it was well done - adding to the reader’s experiences but not (I don’t think) detracting from a reader’s experience if they’re not aware of the reference. 
• The authors were clearly intentional in having a diverse representation. This is great to see in YA, clearly demonstrating it is not that hard to have a non-white protagonist, or to more accurately reflect the American demographic. 
• There are a variety of well developed characters in the book, all of whom are different and interesting, rather than stereotypes or stock characters, the minor characters often subverted stereotypes or at least poked fun at them. 
• It’s just so funny. and clever. and funny. just read it

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*This semester I took a class on Evelyn Waugh, so I feel like this experience is reasonably well founded.

Thoughts: Media, Music and Miley Cyrus.

Today the internet is frothing in indignation about Miley Cyrus and Robin Thicke's controversial VMA performance. It's the top story of most news sources, despite occurring at the same time the UN confirmed the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons and various other unarguable more important world events (a great explanation on modern journalism here.) I'm rather proud of Australia's public broadcasting service, ABC, for ignoring the story.

While I don't believe it to be the most important story of the day, or even news worthy at all, I do think there is much to think about. While the majority of media ignores the real issues, there have been (a few) particularly good articles. 

Chelsea Fagan talks about the gleeful and vitriolic hatred of Miley Cyrus that has nothing to do with valid criticism of her choices as an artist, and everthing to do with her as a young woman, trying to move on from her Disney past:

"It would be foolish to pretend, though, that the majority of the people making jokes about the size of her ass or bemoaning how “slutty” she has become are well-versed in the more nuanced reasons as to why her persona might be worthy of criticism."

The valid criticisms have to do with Miley Cyrus' appropriation of aspects of African American culture. While as a white Australian I really don't have the knowledge or experiences to discuss this, I've read some great articles (this is the best).
I have something of soft spot for Miley, dating back to my Disney Channel days. I find her music catchy, and nostalgic. I used to be able to do the entire 'Hoedown, Throwdown'. Liking her doesn't excuse her from critical analysis, doesn't mean her work isn't problematic, doesn't mean she can do what she wants to without consequences. I find her recent, flippant appropriation of aspects of a culture she has no experience of appalling. I hope she realises this one day.

I still think she deserves to be treated like a human being rather than vilified. You can be critical without being cruel. You can dislike someone's work without attacking them as a person.

What bothers me most about the hatred directed towards Miley, the jokes at her expense etc, is that it is disgustingly obvious Robin Thicke, or any other male musician, will never, ever, face this kind of criticism.

As Sarah Ditum explains in her article:

"If you wanted a six-minute guide to the prejudices of the entertainment industry, this performance has it covered: white men run the show, black men play support, all the women get mostly naked, and black women get to hold up the bottom of the objectification pile."

Miley Cyrus' song "We Can't Stop" is extremely problematic,  but so is Thicke's song "Blurred Lines" which is essentially about rape. Thicke himself has said it is degrading to women, and seems to think because he is married with a child that makes it okay:

"Of course it is. What a pleasure it is to degrade a woman. I've never gotten to do that before. I've always respected women."

If that statement doesn't make you feel sick in your stomach, you should probably think seriously about your assumptions about women.

Music is part of our culture, and all aspects of the music industry influence our cultural beliefs and attitudes about gender. Men and women are treated differently. Women are objectified, sexualised and used by men for 'shock factor' and then the responsibility falls on women. Miley Cyrus is being treated horrifically for something that Robin Thicke was also responsible for (given the age difference I'd probably argue more so). 

If you google "Miley Cyrus"(in Australia) the first link is from WA Today, "Miley Cyrus' 'soggy bread bum' gets women talking", and the second is from the Brisbane Times, "Miley Cyrus in control of Operation Kill Hannah Montana." These are followed by various negative articles and blog posts. 

Google "Robin Thicke" and you get "What does Robin Thicke's wife think of the Miley Debacle?" (apparently she doesn't care), you get articles critical about Miley Cyrus and you get articles about Thicke and his family being critical of her. What you don't get is anyone questioning his actions as if he was somehow removed from the performance, as if he was not completely complicit in the nature of the performance.

This incident demonstrates to me the double standard for gender that people are so fond of saying doesn't exist. On Facebook a few friends pointed out the different reactions to Miley Cyrus and to Lady Gaga (quality aside) and a key thing raised is that Miley Cyrus isn't just female. She was Hannah Montana, she's conventionally 'hot' (skinny, white, long legs etc) and she is explicated linked to teenage girls. Of course we all know anything teenage girls do or like is worthy of ridicule. Whether it's The Last Song or gyrating against a teddy bear Miley Cyrus is consistently vilified by a significant portion of people.

Instead of discussion about the quality of performance or about the fact Robin Thicke remained fully clothed while Miley Cyrus stripped (which, rather than being controversial, is completely predictable) or the issues of cultural appropriation in Cyrus' work or rape culture in Thicke's all people can do is call Miley a slut and post photos of her butt on tumblr. 

Author Recommendation: Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen's latest book, it does a great job exploring complex family relationships

Sarah Dessen is an American author who writes contemporary young adult novels. She's published eleven novels. A full list and synopses of which can be found here.

Sarah Dessen's earlier books are emotionally powerful, deal with serious issues and are well written. However, in her later novels her writing style and character development, particularly with background and supporting characters, has developed into something truly special: stories I really love.

I started reading Sarah Dessen in high school, when I read Dreamland. It really grabbed me, especially at the age I was, I totally connected to the character, Caitlin, despite not going through her particular issues. I also saw the movie How to Deal, which is adapted from two of her novels, That Summer and Someone Like You (but I didn't read those until a few years ago). 
A year later I read This Lullaby, fell in love with Dessen's writing and tore through all of her books I could find. Since then I have reread her stories many times, and rushed out to get each new publication.

My favourite Sarah Dessen novel, it has so many great complex characters.

I love how she builds the world the stories take place in, each book is situated in the same fictional area (Lakeview and/or Colby Beach). Characters, places or ideas thread through more than one book. While each novel is a stand alone, there are little bits and pieces for readers to notice and enjoy. For example, Jason, though a minor character, has a personal story that is developed over a few separate novels.

The stories deal complexly with what it means to be in relationships. Not simply romantic relationships but all relationships in life: parents, siblings, friends. Dessen is particularly good at showing how important and difficult communication is.

The novels don't all end the same. While each involves some romance, they are not cut and dry 'boy meets girl', the protagonist doesn't always end up in a romantic relationship and the events of the novels do not always centre on conflict between the protagonist and her love interest. Her protagonsits are often very different from each other. What ties her novels together is her particular style of writing, and her keen exploration of what it means to grow and develop as a young woman and navigate life.

While Sarah Dessen is often categorised as a light read (something I think is more to do with her writing style, which is very easy to read) she tackles many serious issues, sometimes through her main character or through supporting characters. This way she looks at issues from different angles and in varying degrees. What I like about this is the realism. In real life people deal with stuff all the time, and not always in a tightly written plot/character arc. The issues don't go away, they can change and get worse or get better, and after it's over, if there is an after, life is different.

Dreamland centres around an abusive relationship between Caitlin (the protagonist) and her boyfriend.

She touches on such issues multiple times, demonstrating how different the same issue can be in each circumstance. Issues such as divorce, pregnancy, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, bullying and death as well as broader themes of relationships and communities. Dessen manages to explore these issues without offering simplified solutions or turning her characters into Victims. Without peddling a moral to the story, Sarah Dessen's novels are about learning and growing. Being able to trust both yourself and other people. Not being overwhelmed by your own, or other people's failures, but not necessarily accepting them.

Second favourite. Owen is my favourite Sarah Dessen boy.

Overall Dessen's novels are fun, sweet, heart breaking and heart warming. Her characters engaging and relatable, easy to fall in love with. Her writing encourages me to think about my relationships, to think about how I communicate with people, how I react to their failings, how I react to my own.