The Mistress of Rome

Can you tell yet that the books I like have a theme (hint, hint: ancient history)? Anywhoo...

The Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn is a novel of ancient Rome during the last of the Flavian Dyansty. The current emperor, Domitian, is quickly going insane becoming increasingly paranoid and taking his insanity out on any poor woman who shares his bed. Though Domitian plays a fairly central role in this novel it is mostly a novel of the women (both fictional and real) of Imperial Rome.

I love a good villain, Sue Sylvester from Glee and Batman's Joker come to mind (though they are different types of villains); but what makes a villain is how believable their evil-ness is. It has been a long time since I have read a book where I have hated the villain so much that I want to reach through the pages and off her myself.

The book was well-researched as I remember reading about some of Domitian and Trajan's more, er, memorable qualities in Suetonius' Twelve Caesars (historical account of the first twelve emperors of Rome) and there are remarks as to certain past events of Imperial Rome, as well.

The best kind of novel is one that incorporates true characters and true events-and this is that kind of novel. The book is the first in a series on Imperial Rome.

The Hunger Games-The Trilogy

I just finished the last book in The Hunger Games trilogy. The three books, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, written by Suzanne Collins, are excellently written and are perfect reads for when you're sitting in the park on a sunny day or being lazy in bed on a rainy day. While the books are categorized as being "young adult" I've found that adults can read them and be satisfied, too. Collins writes simplistically and yet the ideas in the book are so complex and world-changing that it really makes you think: what are we doing to our earth and to ourselves? Are we going to learn from our mistakes? What's really scary is that the events in these books could actually happen; this could be a future for our world--and it is terrifying.

I highly recommend this trilogy; these books show a raw side of human emotion that many of us rarely face and a heroine who unwillingly decides the fate of her world.

Juliet

Last night I dreamed of Siena, and here's why:

Everyone knows Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers whose lives end in tragedy. But what people don't know is where the story came from. The novel Juliet, while fiction, incorporates truth. Most people probably don't know that Romeo and Juliet is, somewhat, based on events that happened in the middle ages; family fueds and blood spilt in old Siena (Italy). This addition of the long-ago past adds integrity to the book and a connection to the characters' past as well as introducing non-literary scholars to a different take on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

There are two plots in the book: present day and the mid 14th century. I LOVE LOVE LOVE books that alternate between past and present, especially if the authors entwines them perfectly, as Anne Fortier has done in this novel. Fortier also does not add extraordinary events that are nearly humanly impossible but instead has our heroine overcoming obstacles that modern day women can relate to (though unfortunately we are not all modern-day Juliets).

Fortier also develops characters in a smart way; her characters actually develop, instead of changing in an instant overnight. The most dramatic development in the story is of the heroine's sister and the dichotomy of the two sisters develops, as well, with each sister shedding layers and showing her true colors.

All in all, this book was excellent. I read it in two days and still want more. For anyone who loves romance, adventure, and deception surrounded by ancient truths, this book is for you. What's more is that the author uses real places in the setting; places that I intend on visiting when I go to Siena!

Read-A-Palooza 2011

A friend of mine here decided to start doing book reviews of all the books she reads-fiction and nonfiction. While copying her idea I've decided to make my own rules.

Rule 1- EVERY book I read will have a book review-even if I feel silly. These will include plot, character development, and flow of the story.

Rule 2- I will try to read at least one book bimonthly by an author I have not heard of. I'm usually pretty good about this but I sometimes get into ruts where I read ALL of the books by one author first instead of switching out authors.

Rule 3- I will read books that are outside of the fiction genre (ie-academic, nonfiction, poetry, essays). I have a TON of academic and poetry books that have not been read yet.

Rule 4-I will always always ALWAYS read the book BEFORE the movie

Rule 5- I will alternate between reading my own books and reading books from the library. Lately I've been obsessed with new arrivals and have left the library with around 10 or 12 books each visit.

I've just started Juliet by Anne Fortier so look forward for a book review coming soon!

Moving...

Since I've moved to Virginia I've had the pleasure of working for and with several families who have a child with a disability. Sometimes I wonder if their experiences are more alike or more different to my own. I have never thought that life with a sibling with Down syndrome was hard-different, but never hard. I have no idea what the "typical" siblings think or what they even understand about their brother or sister and I wonder if they'll ever have a moment where they fully understand how different their life is going to be. I think as the older sibling, whereas all the non-disabled siblings in these situations are younger, I never had an "a-ha" moment. I always knew I was responsible for him, I knew it was my job to take care of him and protect him.

One of the women I recently met who has a child with Down syndrome posted that she could not both keep her son and keep him safe (regarding age expectancy). This has been one of my greatest fears since I turned 18 and became next in line to be guardian for J should something ever happen to our parents. It was sobering and the responsibility became almost suffocating. I had just started to learn how to take care of myself, how could I take care of another human? As I get older I worry more about this. I want J to live a long, long life because I know that if he went before me I could never live through it; the pain would be too terrible. But at the same time, how could I ensure his safety and happiness if I wasn't around? Since I moved away to college I have moved progressively farther away from home and him. I am nearly terrified every couple of days that something will happen and I won't be able to make it back in time, that I will lose him before I can say goodbye. It is a little silly and I have no idea if most people would even understand it. There is a much different bond between siblings when one of them has a disability-there is a type of unconditional love that I think is rare.

As I watch these families grow and experience pain and joy I am reminded of my own family's journey with a child with a disability. I don't remember much of our early years, most of my memories are not memories I actually remember, they are memories of stories my parents told me. While these families might have more hard days than easy days, more tantrums and meltdowns than peace and quiet, and more time spent on more simple things, I hope they realize how lucky they are. Weare so lucky that weget to see the world through different eyes, yes, we might see more injustice and prejudice than most people, but we feel more love, we get more satisfaction after accomplishing milestones, and most of all, we have more hope.

Stuck

I hate facebook. It lets me know what everyone is doing, what jobs they have, wedding pictures, etc which inevitably shows me that I am stuck. I haven't finished my thesis, I haven't gotten married, I haven't gotten a job, I haven't had any sort of adventure. I don't know what happened in the past few months but I don't feel that I'm where I should be. I don't feel happy anymore, I don't laugh like I used to and I don't feel like I've accomplished what I should have. I don't even know what Trey thinks about this. Is he happy that we're moving in together? Does he care? Is he happy? Does he care if I'm happy? Am I as important to him as I once was? I feel very alone and very sad and very worthless. That's a horrible word. Worthless. But I think I am.

My Mantra

I like butterscotch flavored candy.
I'll eat anything that is orange flavored.
I constantly crave dark chocolate.
I'm a recent coffee addict.
I still watch cartoons.
Rock soothes my soul.
I love guys that play guitar.
Starry nights awaken my curiosity.
I'm learning how to deal with criticism.
I enjoy dancing in the rain.
Night thunderstorms pacify my fears.
Butterflies inspire my adventurous side.
My brother is my MIRACLE.
Sunrises invigorate me.
I'm only comfy in my pajamas.
Pizza is my comfort food.
I want to see the world.
Finesse conditioner is the ONLY conditioner that untangles my hair.
I want to paint the colors of my life.
I'm comfortable being me.
I won't settle for anything less than extraordinary.
I would walk a thousand miles to see a loved one for ten minutes.
I will die with honor and live at peace.
When I marry it will be for keeps.
And when I love, it's with all of my heart.