About Books Blog 3: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Science Fiction

Summary

Okay I usually try to summarize the story in a sentence or two. However, I find this book impossible to summarize in a sentence. Therefore, I am totally going to copy and paste the actual summary from the book below.

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

Wow that was three paragraphs long. Now you see why I try to summarize in a sentence.

What I Thought Of This Book

The Host is Stephenie Meyer's first novel classified as an adult novel. Meyer is most well known for her young adult book series about vampires Twilight. While you won't find any vampires in this novel, you will find the coolest body-snatching aliens. The Souls, as they are called in the novel, will surprise you with the personalities. Souls are rather kind, but like humans, there is an occasional bad apple in the bunch.

I'm a huge fan of the science fiction genre, but I think even if you don't enjoy sci-fi at all you will still enjoy this novel. Stephenie Meyer has blended classic science fiction themes with romance and action to create something unique.

I just can't tell you how much I adored this novel. It made me laugh. It made me cry about three times. I think loved it more than the Twilight Novels, which believe me is saying something. I read all six hundred plus pages of The Host in two days. Ha-ha. Yes, the book was that good.

Facts I Found Interesting

While there were some things I did find interesting. They are all facts that I think everyone will find a great deal more interesting once they've read the book. Hence, I am giving you a link to The Host on Wikipedia so you can discover the facts for yourself once you've read the book.

The Host (Novel) On Wikipedia

The Movie

There is no movie of this book as of yet. Truthfully, I don't know how you would make this into a film. Since Melanie and Wanderer share the same body, they often hold conversations in their mind. I'm not sure how you could make that happen on screen without it being silly. However, if someone did figure out how to make it work that would be awesome.

Music To Read By

Favorite Albums For The Host

I love Black Holes and Revelations and Absolution by Muse for this novel. Stephenie Meyer and I share a love of this band and their music just works with all her books. Other favorite albums include Hybrid Theory by Linkin' Park, Speak For Yourself by Imogen Heap, Hopes and Fears by Keane, and Finally Woken by Jem.

Before I give you my personal playlist for the book I thought I'd let you know that Stephenie has her own playlist for The Host on her website.

Stephenie Meyer's The Host Playlist

Now on to my playlist...

The Host Playlist

Earth Invasion - Skillet
Body Snatcher - Billy Idol
Invasion - Eisely
They - Jem
Papercut - Linkin' Park
The Seeker - The Who
(Note: This was chosen completely for the title though some of the lyrics do match up. When you read the book, it will make since.)
Walking After You - The Foo Fighters
(Note: Strangely enough, this song is on the 1998 X Files Movie soundtrack. The Host and X files contain aliens. That just amuses me.)
Stromata - Charlotte Martin
(Note: I originally picked this because the music video made me think of the book. Then I looked up the lyrics and the word stromata. That kind of worked with the story too.)
Hopeless - KT Tunstall
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
Just Like You - Three Days Grace
Stockholm Syndrome - Muse
Human Behavior - Bjork
Do No Wrong - Thirteen Senses
How Does It Feel - Avirl Lavigne
Try - Nelly Furtado
My Body Is A Cage - Arcade Fire
Map Of The Problematique - Muse
Soul Meets Body - Death Cab For Cutie
Sunshine - Keane
Original of the Species - U2

About Books Blog 2: The Shipping News

Author: E. Annie Proulx
Genre: General Fiction

Summary

After the death of his two timing wife, Quoyle and his two daughters move to Newfoundland to begin a new life.

I just realized that this summary rhymes. Haha.

What I Thought Of This Book

This novel and I had a love/hate relationship. The beginning of the book was great. The end of the book was great. The middle... well I'm not so sure about the middle. It was a little slow and I couldn't really figure out the purpose of some of the events.

Luckily the characters are so wonderful that it makes up for the lack luster mid section of the book. My two favorite characters, Quoyle and Wavey, are adorably awkward. You can't help but make yourself finish the book just to be sure everything turns out well for them.

Over all I didn't love this book, but I probably would have if E. Annie Proulx had cut about one hundred pages. Don't be detoured from reading this just because it wasn't a favorite of mine. It might be just the thing for you. I mean it did win a Pulitzer Prize after all.

Facts I Found Interesting

Apparently one of E. Annie Proulx's inspirations for the book was Ashley Book of Knots by Clifford W. Ashley. It is quoted at the beginning of each chapter, and even some the characters are named after knots described in the book.

The Movie

I have yet to see the movie. I watched the trailer and the movie looked ten times better than the book. In addition, there are several brilliant actors in it. I guess I'll have to figure out how to watch this film sometime.

The Shipping News Trailer

Update 8/1/10: The Shipping News Movie Review

Music to Read By

Favorite Albums For The Shipping News

My two favorites to listen to were Eye to the Telescope and Drastic Fantastic by Kt Tunstall. If you listen carefully, many of the lyrics on both albums fit the points of view of some of the characters in the novel. My other favorite albums for this book were Blue by Joni Mitchell, the Beowulf Soundtrack, and A Piano: The Collection by Tori Amos.

A reoccurring theme of the novel is the sea, so I often liked to listen to songs that centered around that theme as well. Many of them are on the playlist below.

The Shipping News Playlist

Clocks - Coldplay
Funny Man - KT Tunstall
Siren - Tori Amos
Tears and Rain - James Blunt
Saving My Face - KT Tunstall
Blue - Joni Mitchell
The Dolphin Song - Tori Amos
Silent Sea - KT Tunstall
Into The Ocean - Blue October
Gently As She Goes (Beowulf Soundtrack) - Robin Wright-Penn
Come on, Come out - A Fine Frenzy
Martha's Foolish Ginger - Tori Amos
Answer - Sarah Mclachlan
You Picked Me - A Fine Frenzy
Don't Panic - Coldplay

Next About Books Blog: The Host by Stephenie Meyer

About Books Blog 1: Carrie

Introduction

Hello Readers! Welcome to my first About Books Blog. This is a little project I decided to start to get people interested in reading. I hope you enjoy it.

I'm going to let you know, that the first five blogs I'm putting on here are ones the I had already written on my myspace. Hence, they will go up on this blog rather quickly. I'm only saying this, because I don't want you to think that I read a new book every week. After the first five blogs I'll probably post something new between two to four weeks apart. Now on with the show.



Author: Stephen King
Genre: Horror

Summary
(In case you live in a hole and don't know what Carrie is about.)

The story of a teenage misfit girl (Carrie) who gains telekinetic powers, and wreaks revenge on a small town in Maine during prom night.

What I Thought Of This Book

I've read Carrie about three times, so obviously it is one of my favorites. It is a bit gruesome and the characters are down right cruel, yet for some reason I love this book. This probably won't be the novel for you if you don't like horror and violence. It is, however, an excellent book to read if you are just starting to read Stephen King. Not only will it get you used to his writing style, it is also comparatively shorter than his other literary works.

Facts I Find Hilarious/Interesting

1. There is actually a continuity mistake in this book. Early in the novel, the reader learns that Carrie's father, Ralph, died in an accident before she was born. Later on, however, Carrie's mother recalls that Ralph had stopped her from killing Carrie when she first exhibited telekinetic powers as baby. Here I thought continuity errors only happened on film. I guess King's editor slept through and couple paragraphs and missed this little mistake. Haha.

2. I read on Wikipedia that in 1988 some insane people actually made Carrie into a Broadway musical. It closed after five performances, and considered one of Broadway’s biggest flops. Are we really surprised though? I mean can you see Carrie's mother, Chris Hargenson, or Billy Nolan bursting out into song. Just imagining it makes me giggle.

3. On the television program LOST the character, Juliet states that Carrie is her favorite book.

The Movie(s)

There are few adaptations of Carrie. The original 1976 version is my personal favorite out of them all. It is well written, the actors are very good and most of them look like how the characters are described in the novel. Plus the end will scare you silly. (Insert maniacal laugh here.)

There is also the 2002 television remake. I recently watched this via youtube. I can't say that I liked it that much. I feel that Carrie should be set in the 1970’s so the idea of it being modernized was vaguely ludicrous. I thought the characters were actually played a little too nice and a bit comical. The ending of it was strange. On the bright side, I thought Angela Bettis who played Carrie did a nice job, and they get kudos for using several lines from the book.

As for 1999's Carrie 2: The Rage it wasn't really my cup of tea. I did think the idea of Carrie’s half sister exacting revenge on her schoolmates was somewhat cool. In a fanfiction way of course.

Here are links to the movie trailers. I find the voice-overs on all these to be hilarious.

Carrie (1976)

Carrie (2002)

Carrie 2: The Rage

Music To Read By

I personally enjoy listening to music while I read. Hence, I though it would be fun to tell you what I listen to while reading. I've also made a playlist of songs on my Mp3 player that are like a book soundtrack.

Favorite Albums For Carrie

My favorite albums to listen to while reading Carrie was Meteora by Linkin' Park and Three Cheers are for Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance. I find the title of the second album rather ironic don't you?

Carrie Playist

There is a player below containing most of the songs on the list.

Just Like A Woman-The Byrds originally performed by Bob Dylan
(Note: This Song is quoted near the beginning of the novel. Carrie writes the lyrics. "Everybody's guessed/ that baby can't be blessed/ 'til she finally sees that she's like all the rest..." in her high school notebook. How Carrie would end up hearing this song, considering her mother, is beyond me.)
Crucify - Tori Amos
Sticks and Stones - Aly and AJ
Numb - Linkin' Park
Road House Blues - The Doors
Faint - Linkin' Park
Somebody To Love - Jefferson Airplane
(Note: Sue Snell listens to the Long John Silver album by Jefferson Airplane while staying home from prom. This song is not on the album but I felt like the band should be represented on the playlist. In addition, the lyrics kind of fit.)
Dance Dance - Fall Out Boy
Raining Blood - Tori Amos originally performed by Slayer
(Note: Truthfully, I wouldn't say I loved either version of this song. However, Tori's version is the song I hear behind the infamous pig's blood scene and the lyrics are perfect.)
Kill Caustic - AFI
Battle of One - 30 Seconds to Mars
I Never Told You What I Do For A Living - My Chemical Romance
Road To Dead - Paula Cole
The End - My Chemical Romance
Strange Days - The Doors
Tombstone Blues - Bob Dylan
(Note: This song is quoted near the end of the book as an epitaph to Carrie. "I wish I could write you a melody so plain/ That would save you, dear lady, from going insane/ That would ease you and cool you and cease the pain/ Of your useless and pointless knowledge." I pretty sure Stephen King changed a word in there somewhere but who cares.)

Well that's it folks. Thanks for reading. Keep it shiny!!!


Next About Books Blog: The Shipping News by E. Annie Proulx