Book Review: Dorothy Must Die

By Kristin Bivens

When I was a kid, I wasn't so sure about the movie, The Wizard of Oz. Something about it always gave me the creeps. I'm guessing it was the Wicked Witch.

But, as I've grown, the classical Wizard of Oz has become more of an interest. A magical land with sparkly red shoes, how could I not like it?

This led me to buying Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige at Barnes and Noble several months back.

Dorothy Must Die is about what happens after Dorothy goes back to Kansas. You think Dorothy is this sweet, innocent, gingham print dressed little girl. But in this book, Dorothy is a power hungry, shall I say, witch?

The book provides an interestingly dark spin on a wholesome story, years and years afterward.

It took a few chapters to get into the book, but as I got used to being in a completely different Oz and learning all these new witches' names, I wanted to find out what it was Dorothy was up to in the Emerald City.

It was almost a tragic story of a good girl gone wrong.

And then it got worse.

Dorothy's three friends? Total jerks. The scarecrow is experimenting on brains and injecting his brain with other people's brains. The Tin Man is a soldier of doom. The Lion sucks fear out of humans and eats them for dessert. It was awful. The cute little cowardly Lion became the exact opposite. And Dorothy. Dorothy, Dorothy, Dorothy. She is just the worst. She's a princess with a sick and twisted mind.

I don't want to give it all away, but reading the last bit of this book just before bed was not a good idea. One of the creepiest/grossest/uncomfortable things I've ever read is contained within this book. Maybe I spook easy but…

I warned you.

Good luck.

Where She Went - Book Review

By Sara E Thompto

SPOILER ALERT -- Right off the bat this blog tells the ending of If I Stay. If you haven't read If I Stay but plan to and you care about spoilers, I don't recommend reading any further.

If I Stay ended with Mia's decision - to stay. 

She stayed for love, she stayed for passion and she stayed for music. But then what happened?

Where She Went answers that question. 

Gayle Forman starts the tale three years later, when Adam and Mia live on opposites sides of the country and are no longer together. Mia is at Juilliard and Adam is now a super-famous rock-star who lives in LA with his Hollywood girlfriend. 

But after a fateful night brings the two together again, in New York City, for the first time since "the split" we start to piece together just what happened to tear these two apart. From flashbacks from Adams point-of-view and a night of walking around NYC, the two start to connect in a way they haven't connected, since the crash. Adam and Mia are then faced with a new choice: to finally fully move forward with their individual lives, or get back together and face their demons.

Although the book started a bit slow, Forman wrote another solid novel with Where She Went. 

Like usual, I did have a couple things that bugged me.

The wording and descriptions were fumbled at times, holding up the flow of reading. Some of the over articulated words seem as though Forman was at a loss and simply pointed to a word in a thesaurus. This was something that also held me up in If I Stay, so I'm starting to think this might just be a trademark of Formans work. 

My other complaint is Adam. He's just a little too.... much. I understand he's hurting and anxious in this book, but some of his stories were painful to read. Not the type of painful that means I felt sad for him, but the type of painful that simply made me want to put the book aside for a while because I couldn't stand him and his complaining anymore. This was very limited though. 

With my minor complaints aside, Forman did a great job at wrapping up this sequel. Especially with the epilogue. 

I'm not a huge fan of how epilogues wrap up books usually, but Forman writes an epilogue that's truly a non-epilogue, epilogue. She uses her magazine journalism experience to write an article about Adam, another three years later, that ties up lose ends and finishes the story of Adam and Mia very nicely. 

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone who liked If I Stay, and wants to know more about Adam and Mia and where they end up. It offers good detail of what they've been up to, and is a nice and easy read that gives more closure to the emotional roller-coaster that was If I Stay.

Book vs Movie: If I Stay

By Sara E Thompto

The Book

If I Stay, written by Gayle Forman, follows the point of view of seventeen-year-old Mia Hall. Mia has always felt a bit out of sorts; she's a cellist in a rock 'n' roll family and isn't quite as outgoing as the people that surround her. She has a close friend, Kim, but even there she's always been in her own world.

She does have one person who fits her just right though, Adam. He may play guitar in a band gaining fame, Shooting Star, and he might be able to rock-talk with her parents, but he also loves Mia more than anything else and loves her deep passion for the cello.

But after her entire family is involved in a horrific car accident, leaving Mia in a coma, she has an out-of-body experience where she learns she has the choice: to stay and live, or to die, leaving her life and Adam behind.

Through flashbacks you learn all that Mia loves and holds dearly - her family, friends, Adam, and the cello. But, as the story continues we learn the decision is not as simple as it seems. What at first appears to be a cut and dry decision soon becomes more difficult than anyone could have ever guessed.

If I Stay is a true tear-jerker and I would highly recommend a box of tissues nearby while reading.

My only true complaint about the book is the wording used from time to time. It didn't really feel as though Mia and Adam were teenagers. I know they are both supposed to be more mature... but sometimes certain wording didn't flow well and it felt as though Forman hit the thesaurus verse working it out for herself.

With that said, I would still definitely recommend If I Stay. The plot was a nice change of pace for a young adult novel. It is well worth the emotional roller-coaster to learn more about the life of Mia Hall and the answer to the question, will she stay and live, or will she leave this world forever?

The Movie

Refreshingly, the movie follows the book quite closely; something that doesn't seem to happen regularly when it comes to turning a book into a movie. The movie kept the small details such as little conversations about coffee and "categories" Mia and her friend Kim are always putting people into, which helped the movie keep the same vibe as the book.

My only offenses with the movie are very small.

Chloë Grace Moretz and Jamie Blackley were well casted as Mia and Adam, making up the main roles of the movie. Leading up to the movie I noticed far more hype over Blackley than Moretz (especially on the movies official instagram) but after seeing the movie I think that hype needs to be switched. Moretz did a beautiful job playing Mia, especially the more emotional scenes when Mia deals with loss. Blackley on the other hand shined during his parts playing music, but seemed a little lackluster during the more emotional scenes. Sometimes he gave off an air of cockiness when he was supposed to be portraying his love for Mia.

Overall though Moretz and Blackley were a fantastic choice for Mia and Adam.

My one other minor complaint dealing with the actual portrayal of the characters was the major amount of kissing. Whether the script called for it, the director took liberties, or perhaps a bit of both... I do surely hope Moretz and Blackley had some attraction towards one another, because it felt as though at least 90% of their scenes together ended in a hefty make-out session.

Other than the fantastic acting and the wonderful story line, the other main reason to watch this movie is the music. The movie kept right on track with most of the music the book discusses, which presents a fabulous soundtrack. Adams music is on par with how it was described in the book as well, and Blackley did a great job, particularly with the last song in the movie.

My only problem with the music is also my only real big problem with the movie: the final song played.

Small spoiler alert ahead!

The last song is the song that helps Mia make her decision to stay or move on. In the movie Adam writes a song for Mia and plays it for her on his guitar, while she is in her coma. In the book Adam puts headphones on Mia while she is in a coma, and the song is done by cellist Yo-Yo Ma who plays Andante con poco e moto rubato. My issue with Adam being the one who plays the last song in the movie is that it makes it feel like Mia should stay for no other reason than to stay with him, where as in the book it makes it feel like Mia should stay because of her own passions for music and her own future. The symbolical differences between the two are huge.

Overall I would highly recommend this movie. The acting was good, the plot stuck close to the book, and the soundtrack is definitely worth a listen.

Just make sure you have some tissues handy. You'll need them.

Book vs. Movie: The Giver

By Sara E Thompto

*Some very minor spoilers may be present in the movie portion of this review if you have never read The Giver.

When I was in seventh grade my English class was assigned The Giver by Lois Lowry and I wasn't thrilled to read it. 

First off, I hated being assigned to read something I didn't want to read, and second, I wasn't a huge fan of dystopian story lines. But, I read it anyway because that is what you're supposed to do when assigned a book in school.

I'm glad I did too because it has stuck with me ever sense as one of my favorite childhood books.   

The Book

The Giver portrays a future world that has given up on individuality and has morphed into a world of sameness.

The world is literally black and white. People are all the same skin color, boys all have one hair style and girls all have the same hair style. Clothes do not vary from person to person. No one is an individual - every person and every thing is the same.

There are also no physical relationships, and there are no career decisions or educational decisions. Each person is assigned a career path, a spouse and two children - one boy and one girl.

On the other hand, there is also no violence and the world is at peace.

But the question becomes, at what expense is this peaceful existence?  What has been giving up? No one knows or understands, because it is not in their mind to know or understand. That is, not until Jonas, a boy of 12, is given the career as The Receiver of Memories.

There is always one receiver - one person who knows the worlds history who can help guide the society from making bad decisions that might lead them into a fitful world again.

But what about the beauty that was lost? What of the joy and love?

These are all questions Jonas not only asks himself but asks The Giver, the person who was previously The Receive.

Although this is a young adult book, I believe the message to be quite powerful. Especially to those who are young adults. The message of individuality, love and culture is a strong message for young people to learn. With the good, comes the bad. But is it worth giving up the good to get rid of the bad?

These types of questions arise in The Giver and I strongly recommend reading this book if you've never done so before.

The Movie

When the movie was announced I wasn't sure what to think. Successful adaptations are rare. This one was no different - it definitely did not follow the book to a T but it was decent representation.

I'll start with my issues first though:

First off, in the book Jonas is a 12 year old boy. In the movie he is written as an 18 year old adult. I think this change made an interesting plot as far as the movie is concerned, but it also changed the entire feel of the story line.

The book is more innocent - to give a 12 year old child the pain of the entire world is a heart wrenching concept to grasp. No person wants to be the one to ruin a child's innocence, let alone spoil their innocence from zero pain to all of the pain the world holds.

Changing Joanas from 12 to 18 lessens that blow in my mind. In our society, an 18 year old is much more likely to know of many of the worlds pains. I understand Jonas doesn't, because he doesn't live in our world, but the age change did make a huge difference in my empathy for the character.

The other issue I had with the movie was how the mother (Katie Holmes) treated Jonas. In the book the mother and father were always nurturing, it seemed. Or, as nurturing as parents could be who lived in that world. It's what made the lies and lack of trust heartbreaking. However, in the movie, Jonas's mother was cold, and followed the rules to a T, which made her not as likable. It's one of the main points of the movie I was extremely disappointed about.

The only other plot change I found more startling was the role of the community leader, acted by Meryl Steep. She seemed blood thirsty and evil, something that was never portrayed in the book. And she definitely seemed to know more of the world than someone in the community should know, other than the Receiver. Her character was a villain which was not needed.

On the other end, there are quite a few things I loved about the movie. I enjoyed all of the acting. And, even though I had some hesitation about the casting of Jeff Bridges as The Giver, I thought the casting was completely well done.

I also loved how they kept the beginning in black and white (true to the book) and had color develop as Jonas began to learn of color. The visual was a nice change of pace and the development visually interesting to see.

Lastly and surprisingly, I love the additive of a love interest for Jonas. I mean, sure, in the book Jonas has an interest in Fiona. But the movie takes it further and a genuine love story develops. When I saw this love interest in the previews I was definitely worried. But, I think it played out well on screen and was written in a way that didn't detract from the main plot points I admire in the book (unlike the changes I mentioned above, which did detract).

Overall I would recommend seeing this movie, however I wouldn't watch it thinking you're going to see a film depicting a beloved childhood book.

If you watch it for what it is: a futuristic dystopian movie, than I think it's worth seeing.

When I Have Nothing to Read... II

By Sara E Thompto

Everyone has their favorite reads - the ones they devour over and over again throughout the years. Especially when they need a solid book after reading something not-so-solid, or when they simply don't know what else to read. 

A few weeks ago Bivie blogged about her "repeat books" or books she enjoys reading over and over again. Well, today I’m going to share with you a few of mine…

Sarah Dessen Novels

Although I've reread all of her books a dozen times, I have three favorite Sarah Dessen novels I’ve turned back to more so than others. The Truth about Forever is a personal favorite, as is Just Listen, and This Lullaby.

Although each of her books have their own twists and turns, the simple math of a Sarah Dessen book is pretty much always the same: family drama + self identity/awareness issues + boy troubles = a really good, well written, easy read. They’re my go to books when I want something quick and pleasant. I know the formula of her work and it’s a comfort to curl up with one of her novels, especially after reading a book I didn’t particularly enjoy. Her books are always just plain good, and The Truth about Forever, Just Listen, and This Lullaby are the best.

The Fountainhead by Ayan Rand

Honestly, I’m not sure it’s the storyline that makes this book worth reading… but the way Rand writers her characters is absolutely brilliant.

The fountainhead follows Howard Roark through decades of his life as he follows his passion for architecture. He will not bend to the will of others. He will not work for anyone he feels is lesser than him. He has an aesthetic and he sticks to it. No questions. End of story. That is Howard Roark.  But that doesn’t mean it’s simple. He goes for periods of time without work, he’s wrongfully sued and must fight everyone, every step of the way to make a name for himself.

Then there is Dominique Francon, (lightly put - Howard Roark's love interest) who could quite possibly be the best written character ever. Dominique Francon makes Ayan Rands long drawn out speeches worth the read, and is the reason why The Fountainhead is a book I re-read often.

The Harry Potter Series

I have easily read each of the Harry Potter books a dozen times each.

Like many, I started reading the Harry Potter series at a young age. I think I started reading the books when the 3rd book was released, and the 4th was being talked about in the news. So, around 2000. Harry Potter was 11, I was around 12. It just worked. I was so excited. I was one of the kids who pre-ordered the book… and then carried it around with me until I was done reading. Which was never long because I stayed up almost all night, skipped meals, and didn’t really do much of anything until every last page of the newest book was consumed.

The best part of the series is I felt like the books kind of grew up, as I grew up. The books start out child-like. There is nothing too harsh about them. No cussing. Harry finds out he is a wizard. You know the base of the story, which is the villain, Voldemort, is a bad guy who did a ton of awful things (to put it very mildly). Harry, as a wee little baby, put a stop to Voldemort. From the start, no one really knows how or why. Many mysteries are set up straight from the beginning book. But, in the grand scheme of the series, the first couple books aren’t overly emotional.

From there, the series kind of propels forward. The characters grow up. A few solid swear words are thrown into the mix. Angsty teen behavior happens. Romances take place. The series grows more dark as Voldemort rises to power once again.  

Trust me when I write this -- the series is brilliant. J.K. Rollings intertwines events from book to book. People who are casually mentioned in one book have greater importance in another. Events, items, and places that are discussed for only a sentence, become greatly significant in later installments. Again, I’ll say it (and mean it) - the Harry Potter series is brilliant. I turn back to this series quite often. Especially to the seventh book, which I feel wraps up the series well.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

This book, quite simply, is dark and twisty, which I like from time to time.

From main character Astrid’s point of view we learn the story of a complicated mother/daughter relationship twisted by murder and control, even after the mother is sentenced to prison. Astrid faces years of abuse and neglect going from one foster home to another. Each time Astrid is able to start to cope with the life she now leads, or even thrive, her mother seems to be able to find a way to rip it out from under her.

In the end White Oleander is a coming of age story about learning to let go in order to know how to move forward.

The book is beautifully written and author Janet Fitch paints an intricate story, laced with beautiful descriptions of art, and the emotions and bond formed through art, which is the main concept that bonds mother and daughter in this novel.

I was once told by someone that a good book is easy to spot because it is well worn.
As you can tell by this photo, I feel these books are definitely worth reading. 

Although there are many books I would recommend - these are my go-to "loves." If you haven't read these books, I strongly suggest going out and picking up a copy next time you're looking for a good read!

Do you have a book you always go back to read over and over again? Leave the name in the comments. Suggestions are always welcome!

Childhood Books Worth a Second (or Third!) Read

By Sara E Thompto

I recently went on a childhood book reading marathon. I had the unfortunate experience of reading a rather awful series and needed to cleanse my “reading pallet” with books I knew were worth reading. What better way than going back to a time when reading meant lessons learned and perfectly put together storylines that just made sense?

After reading through a few of my favorite elementary and middle school reads, I realized just how much I appreciated these books growing up for their strong moral content and solid plot lines. They not only were a good read, but I feel they also added to my developement and in a way helped shape who I am today.

If you haven’t read these books yet (or read them to your kids, if you have kids) I strongly recommend taking an afternoon to read through these stories.

Ella Enchanted (Author: Gail Carson Levine)

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At birth Ella was given a fairy “gift,” the gift of obedience. But, it wasn’t a gift at all… it was a curse. No matter what the command Ella must follow it. Whether it simply is her mother telling her to take her medicine, or worse, having her take someone else’s life.

Through the trials and tribulation, readers follow Ella through her journey to rid herself of the curse once and for all… if it’s even possible.

One of the main motifs of Ella Enchanted is independance. Ella wants her independence of the curse, but even with the curse, she is a very independent person. In many ways, even though the curse makes her do whatever other’s ask of her, it has made her even more strong willed in her own way. I think this is an admirable personality trait for a young adult character and show’s younger kids the importance of thinking for themselves and standing on their own two feet.

Another quality of the storyline is Ella’s ability to care for others and her ability to see past her afflictions to see how her curse affects others as well. It’s a large portion of the book, caring for the well being of others, and I think this is an important less to be learned because too many times people can easily get wrapped up in how something affects them directly and not those around them.

Number the Stars (Author: Lowis Lowry)

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Number the Stars takes place during World War II, in the country of Denmark. A family helps hide a young Jewish girl until they can help carry her, along with her family, to a safe country, away from the Nazi’s who have invaded their home land.

Number the Stars was the first Holocaust story I remember hearing. Although it is fiction, it is still based on history. This book had a huge impact on me growing up; learning of such a huge injustice for others is a strong feeling to remember. The story explains events of that time period in a simple enough way for children to grasp a tiny bit of the horror of it, where they can learn about history but not be overwhelmed, yet, by the massive tragic events that happened.

Another main point that makes this book worthwhile is the friendship portrayed in this short paperback. Simply put, the friendship is beautiful, and I think this type of relationship is important for kids to learn about. It’s important to stand up for what you believe in and if you get to help someone out of it, than that is all the better.

Bridge to Terabithia (Author: Katherine Paterson)

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A pre-teen boy, Jesse, is a little bit of a misfit. He’s the youngest in his family, not to mention the only boy. His dad is a farmer, while Jesse prefers the arts, which he hides. He’s not the most popular person either.

But then he meets his new neighbor, Leslie, and suddenly he has found his place. Leslie is also artistic and has an imagination, which draws Jesse into her world. Together they create their own kingdom, where they can dream and play as much as they want, and be themselves. Their friendship offers news ideas, new thoughts, and a sense of belonging Jesse hadn’t felt before.

When tragedy strikes, we learn a whole new side of Jesse full of grief and heartache, and, with a lump in their throat, readers watch him learn a whole new set of lessons. Lessons they wish he didn’t have to learn.

Bridge to Terabithia is hands down the most influential childhood book I read. As someone who’s always been a bit weird, loves the arts, and has an imagination that runs wild, this book always hit home in some ways.

I would say the number one greatest lesson this book offers is acceptance. Acceptance of others differences, acceptance of yourself, and acceptance of loss. It’s one of those stories that shows you a bully is not just a bully, and an off-beat art kid is not just an off-beat art kid.

This book also touches on grief, which may be hard for kids to understand. But it’s important to know it is something you may have to deal with someday, but that doesn’t mean your world ends too. You grieve, and then you have to move on, at some point.

Book vs. Movie: "Vampire Academy"

By Sara E Thompto

I started off buying "Vampire Academy" on a whim. I saw the trailer for the movie, and quite honestly was not impressed. But, I wanted a quick, easy read and tend to like books that become movies so I thought “why not” and gave it a go.

What happened next? Well, it certainly didn’t fit my expectations and, although it was a fairly easy read, it wasn’t as quick as I had wanted. I fell into the rabbit hole; into the world where magic and vampires live, which author, Richelle Mead, painted quite beautifully. I came out on the other side, seven days later, having consumed all six books in the "Vampire Academy" series stunned at the world I had just experienced.

The Book

The first "Vampire Academy" book follows Rose Hathaway, dhampire (half vampire, half human) who is a novice guardian for the Moroi (magical “good” vampires). Particularly she is the guardian-in-training for her friend, Lissa, otherwise known as Princess Vasilisa Dragomir, the last vampire of her bloodline, which happens to be one of 12 royal bloodlines in their vampire world.

The book starts as they come back to St. Vladimir's Academy, an academy for Vampires, after two years on the run. St. Vladimir's not only trains novice guardians in combat and moroi in honing their magic, but also offers protection from the third type of Vampire, the evil Vampire species known as the Strigoi. Everyone wants to know why the two girls would run off the in first place, since St. Vladimir's is meant to keep them safe from the outside world. But, that’s just one of the mysteries that center around the girls in the first book.

Not to mention, Rose and Lissa have to deal with trying to hide a secret magic no one else seems to possess but Lissa, or the fact Rose can't seem to hold back from any fight, whether vocal or physical. Plus, in the end, these two girls are teenagers, which can be a real struggle in and of itself.

For me personally this was the first storyline I read with a strong female lead where it presented her as completely competent and able to handle herself, both physically and mentally. Rose is another Katniss Everdeen, but in another world where she also gets to be a teenage girl. It’s not all about “trying to get the guy” though there is definitely a romantic storyline in the series that grows as the series continues. This first book, however, mainly focuses on friendship, self control, and Rose learning to become a bad-ass guardian-in-training.

After finishing the entire series I could hardly wait to watch the movie, no matter how unimpressive the movie trailer was.

Unfortunately, the unimpressive trailer was a fairly accurate depiction of what to expect from the movie.

Here is why…

The Movie

The first major flaw in this movie was the awful casting. The only character who was spot on was Rose (Zoey Duetch), while almost every other character in the movie didn’t fit the description in the book what-so-ever. At times the poor acting and bad casting choices were so distracting it took away from the plot, which is disappointing since the intricate plot was not so intricate in the movie.

Yes, the movie did follow the same storyline, for the most part, but not a single storyline was fully explored as it was in the book. This left each of the side stories and even the main mystery needing more substance. It’s almost as though one needs to read the books in order to get the full meaning of what is going on. I understand that sometimes scenes in movies need to be skated over, or that bits and pieces need to be cut out all together so the production can fit into a 2 hour time slot. However, some of the most important scenes in this movie were so rushed, they just became confusing or hard to watch. Or, worse, not memorable enough to help connect the pieces later in the movie.

The one thing the movie did do right was keep Rose as independent and strong, though not quite to the point as the book depicted.  

Although I do wish the best for the "Vampire Academy" franchise and hope the movies continue (and hopefully improve with better acting, better special effects, and perhaps better directing along the way) I can’t say I would recommend this movie to anyone right now. I would suggest waiting for it to appear in redbox, and use the rest of your money to run out and buy the book (or all six). Because the books are definitely worth your time and money. The movie - not so much.

The Goodwill Series: One Fifth Avenue

By Kristin Bivens

I’ve been trying to cut down on the amount of money I spend on books because I can get a little out of control. Books have been my money blowing weakness for a while now. So, in an effort to quell my constant need to buy a new book every time I hit up Barnes and Noble, I’ve taken up shopping at the local Goodwill Store.

Books at our Goodwill here in the South West corner of Michigan, are two dollars for a hard cover book and seventy five cents for a paper back. On half off days, the savings gives you the warm and tinglies.

After finishing my David Sedaris book, I started up on a book that had been sitting on my shelf for some time. I had tried to start it before but couldn’t dedicate myself to it and started another one, knowing someday I’d come back. Well, I did.

So, I’ve been reading One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell. I’ve never read a Candace Bushnell book before, and probably won’t again. Mostly because it reads a lot like a soap opera and the women kind of bother me. But, I’m still reading it and it is holding my attention. I guess, I’d have to say, I’ve gotten slightly drawn into it.

I picked up the book initially because of the New York setting. After my road trip this past May and my visit to NYC, I’ve been really interested in reading books set in New York, simply because I can recognize the territory a little better than I could before.

One Fifth Avenue is focused on a group of characters, all rich and living in one of the icons of NYC life. I can’t relate to them because their homes are worth millions of dollars. But that’s okay, that part doesn’t bother me. What really gets me about this book is the four main female characters: Schiffer Diamond, Mindy Gooch, Lola Fabrikant, and Annalisa Rice.

Schiffer Diamond is probably the least annoying out of the four them. She is an actress who moves back into One Fifth Avenue and focuses on Phillip Oakland, who lives in the building and once upon a time was her boyfriend. She’s the unreachable trophy, but seems to hold her own. The problem with her is her name, honestly. She’s an object. She is a woman that is mostly in the book to be the trophy for the guy, but could have some more depth to her. She’s really the only woman in the book I’d like to see more depth in.

Mindy Gooch is just…She’s a mess. She’s completely jaded by her less than a millionaire lifestyle, and so far, all she’s done is complain incessantly about it. She’s mad that her husband hasn’t become the successful writer he wanted to be, though she gets jealous when finally, he does get his big break. She hates being married, she hates her job, she hates the people that live in her building. She hates everything. She is the stereotypical, sexless wench. And it drives me insane. Then, of course, there is her husband that is obviously emasculated by such a woman. The whole situation just reeks of stereotypes.

Lola Fabrikant is the complete opposite of Mindy Gooch, but no better of a woman. In fact, I think she is the one I despise the most. Lola is a gold digger, who latches on to Phillip Oakland, some twenty years her senior. She’s a ditz, she’s not very smart but, of course, she’s got the beauty and the body. Once again, we have another object. She’s spoiled, used to her money and there’s no person behind her to back it up. It drives me absolutely crazy how she continues to trick the men in the book into staying with her, or doing what she wants them to do, by taking all her clothes off and making them go weak at the knees. Let’s try something new, why don’t we?

Annalisa Rice isn’t completely unlikeable. She comes from simple means, she just got lucky and married an emerging billionaire. She used to be a lawyer, an admirable career woman, which I like. But now she’s just the typical billionaire wife, trying to climb the social ladder and buying ridiculously expensive art. She knows her husband is no good, his money might not be completely legit, but she just keeps her mouth shut and goes on pretending she actually enjoys being married to this guy. Because, why rock the boat?

So, basically, we have all these women and each one of them has something about them that bothers me. Does the woman that is a bit of a bitch have to have the weak husband? Does the working woman have to be the one that is a bitch? Why doesn’t the lawyer go back to work? Why does the young, pretty girl have to be the gold digger and not have much of a brain? One Fifth Avenue, you baffle me.

Women in stories mean a lot to me, but I also want them to be represented in a way that shows real life, not this stereotypical idea of how a woman should be. Let’s get it together here, people. It is 2014.

Coming Soon!

By Kristin Bivens

I wish I could remember how I came up with my book idea. I remember thinking about Sylvia Plath. That’s partially how it came to me. I probably have the “FLASH BOOM BANG I HAVE A BOOK IDEA” written in one of my journals somewhere. I’m not going back to look for it.

I remember that the notebook I started writing it in was red. It was one of those cheapo, back to school deals. On the cover I simply wrote, “The Book.” I started writing it all by hand, but quickly disliked a majority of what I had written. I turned to the computer.

I wrote it all very sporadically. I would get hit with inspiration and write and write and write. Then, consequently, it would sit for months.

When I started dating my boyfriend, Justin, he inspired me to really stick to finishing it. The book had been sitting idle for some time because for the life of me, I could not figure out how to end it.

I racked my brain, talked it over with friends and finally, I had it. I had the most perfect ending I could’ve ever thought up.          

Once again, I was back and writing until I could reach the last word.

After all of that, I printed off copies for a few select people to read. I needed feedback. But I didn’t get much. I decided to change the entire story from first person to third person. 

Smart idea, Kristin. That’ll be super easy. Oh, but it was not so. It was time consuming. When I finally finished the transition, I printed out the book in real book-like form on Blurb. I finally had a title, I had a cover picture. It was like I had published a real life book. Except it was only to get more feedback. I still didn’t get very much. So, I’ve been re-editing the book for over two years now. I’ve gotten just over halfway.

Sometimes it can be so hard to force yourself to write. There’s tv that needs to be watched or houses that need to be cleaned. It is so easy to lose your focus. There’s no discipline with me. I don’t make myself do it if I don’t feel like doing it. That’s a writer’s biggest problem, isn’t it?

But, Die Like You Mean It will be coming soon to Shiny Happy People Publishing. Whether I like it or not! And this year for your Christmas present,  Shiny Happy People brings you a preview of the book! 

Waverley Hathaway always wanted to be a writer, from the time her father said if she worked hard enough, she could be whatever she wanted to be. So when her first published book hit the shelves, she thought all of her dreams had finally come true. However, a year later, everything she worked hard to accomplish is crumbling before her. Her dreams are at a stand still when her publishing company notifies her they will not publish her second book, unless she can some how sell 6,000 copies of her first book, within the next couple months. Desperate to save her dreams, Waverley scrambles for a plan to make people talk... which leads to the death of Waverley.  

Or at least, thats what she wants people to think. 

Putting her plan into motion requires help from a childhood friend, Jack Martin, whose apartment she camps out in for weeks, while people search and wonder "What happened to Waverley Hathaway?" 

However, being dead isn't easy. First there is her loving mom, sister, and best friend and the guilt she has to deal with for putting them through misery while she is missing. Then there is the fact that maybe her and Jack aren't friends; maybe they are something more? Of course it's hard to know when Jack is currently dating someone else, who just happens to be an ex-head cheerleader and overall catch. 

When a wrench gets thrown into Waverley's plan, she thinks it's all over, but she soon finds out it all worked out better than she could have dreamed. 

But, despite her success, Waverley starts to think maybe dreams aren’t everything. Sometimes it is the people that are next to you when your dreams come true that really mean the most. 

Stay tuned for more snippets and talk of Shiny Happy People’s first book (and mine, too!), Die Like You Mean It.”

Merry Christmas to all and to all of you a good night!