Failure at it's Finest

So it's still Saturday the 8th, right?  Because that's when I was supposed to post.  Fail...

Day 03:  The best book you've read in the last 12 months.

Basic Wills, Trusts, and Estates for Paralegals by Jeffrey A. Helewitz.

*snork*  No, no, that's just my smart-ass way of saying that I haven't had much time for "fun" reading throughout the past year because I've been in school.  In all seriousness, the best book I've read in the past year or so is The Diviners by Libba Bray (thanks, Anne!).  This book is set in the 1920s, the premise being that there is a series of murders occurring in New York City, and the main character, Evangeline (or Evi, as most call her), helps to solve them with a neat little gift she's had for the past few years.  Turns out that there are young people all across NYC with little gifts, and no two are alike (i.e., diviners).  So far the characters have not all come across one another; some still don't know about others, and it'll be interesting to see how they meet each other throughout the series.  This book is creepy as all get-out and hella interesting and I am very excited for the rest of the series.

Day 12:  A book or series of books you've read more than five times.

The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.  Enough said.

Day 13:  My favorite children's book.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.  I was *hooked* on this book as a kid.  When I was in preschool, we had story time every day, and every day, I would walk up to my teacher and request that this book be read.  I didn't care that it had been read to us every day of the week already.  I wanted to hear it again.

Day 25:  Any five books from my to-be-read stack.

So thanks to Anne, I have a number of book series started, but none of them have gotten past the first novel.  Here are all of the "book twos" I plan on reading at some point:

1.) Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas, the sequel to her Throne of Glass.
2.) Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman (released in March of 2015), the sequel to her Seraphina.
3.) Insurgent by Veronica Roth, the sequel to her Divergent.
4.) Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, the sequel to her Cinder.
5.) Dark Triumph by Robin LeFevers, the sequel to her Grave Mercy.

Okay, so maybe five wasn't enough...

6.) The Secret Prince by Violet Haberdasher, the sequel to her Knightley Academy.

And one more, that Anne *didn't* recommend to me =P

7.) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, the final book of The Hunger Games series.

There are others, but I should probably stop there, but I will mention that I've written down almost all the of the books that you guys have recommended in past posts =D

Day 27:  If a book contains __________, you will always read it (and books or series of books that contain it).

Dragons, dragons, dragons!  If dragons exist in a book, I am more likely to want to read it.  I think dragons are the most fascinating and widely interpreted mythical creatures in the world, and I love them.  Maybe it's because I was born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon, or maybe it's because I have a fascination with all animals, real or mythical, but dragons have always captured and kept my imagination and interest.  Dragons are a huge part of the Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini (damn good books), and the Seraphina series by Rachel Hartman.  Not to mention The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.  The only exception so far is Game of Thrones...probably not gonna happen...

Day 50:  The most intimidating book you've ever read?  The most intimidating book you're too nervous to begin?

Emma by Jane Austen.  Have you seen the size of that book?!  It's huge!

Day 55:  Your favorite and your most disappointing film adaptation.

My favorite film adaptation to a novel is probably Northanger Abbey, original work by Jane Austen, starring J.J. Feild as Henry Tilney and Felicity Jones as Catherine Morland.  The film-makers did an amazing job of portraying Tilney and his teasing, playful personality as well as the contrast between Tilney and the anti-heroes around him (namely John Thorpe, Austen's obligatory sleazebag, and General Tilney, Henry's father).  In a big city where innocent little Catherine is easily taken by people with questionable morals, she finds the gem of Henry Tilney, who shows her that trust can still be found, even in the most unlikely of places.  And she reads way too many novels, by the way.

My least-favorite film adaptation is Eragon, original work by Christopher Paolini and the first book in his Inheritance series.  Gracious, how Fox f***ed this up...there are missing characters, plot holes, inaccuracies galore, and why oh why does Saphina have wings like a bird?!  The book specifically talks about the membranes of her wings and how they are punctured and broken at various points during altercations, and the way they warm Eragon when she protectively drapes them over him at night.  Plus, it's just a stupid idea!  Dragons are reptiles!  They don't have feathers!  I realize it's a fantasy novel, but there is still such a thing as biological accuracy.  And I hear they're trying to make an Eldest movie, after the second book in the series.  How?!  There are so many missing characters and plot holes to the first one that they've buried themselves into a hole that they can't possibly expect to climb out of!

So yes, terribly sorry for posting late.  Life has been a bit insane.  As an aside, I was offered a job today.  It's for the local Municipal Court as a file clerk.  I don't know if I want the job, honestly, but I'm starting to think that maybe I should just go for it and see if something better pops up down the road.  It'll at least be a stepping stone, right?  What makes me feel guilty about doing that is that, from what I hear, everyone working there right now has been there for at least two years.  Jobs there don't have a high turnover rate.  They're a family, and they've thought enough of me to be a part of that family, so I feel bad thinking that I'll just keep the job for a few months and then find something "better."  I won't unload my entire thinking process here.  Suffice it to say I have a lot to ponder.

I love you guys!