Poll #2...again

Hi everyone,

Since updating my blog to this new theme, my latest poll has been acting strange. I've been receiving tons of error messages, saying that "this poll cannot be found of this server", and other things like that. So, I'm not very happy right now. I will be republishing the poll, with the same question and same answer options. I have recorded the previous votes/percentages, so you can vote again if you wish, but you don't have to (but if you vote again, it makes my blog look more popular :P).

The poll is located on the right side of the blog, under the "about me" section.

I am very sorry for this inconvenience, and will make sure that it will never happen again. Thank you for your understanding on this subject.

*sigh* technology...

- Jacob

Vacation Reads

It's always good to bring reading material with you on a vacation. But, it's especially good when you're vacationing in a foreign country, where all the bookstores sell books that appear to be in gibberish. For my trip, I'm bringing two books: 1 long (600+ pgs.), 1 short (just shy of 200 pgs.).

The long one, Android Karenina, is a mash-up of the original Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, but with added robots. It's from the same series with the mashed-up Jane Austen books. Here's the publisher's synopsis:

As in the original novel, our story follows two relationships: the tragic adulterous romance of Anna Karenina and Count Alexei Vronsky, and the much more hopeful marriage of Konstantin Levin and Kitty Shcherbatskaya. These four, yearning for true love, live in a steampunk-inspired 19th century of mechanical butlers, extraterrestrial-worshiping cults, and airborne debutante balls. Their passions alone would be enough to consume them-but when a secret cabal of radical scientific revolutionaries launches an attack on Russian high society's high-tech lifestyle, our heroes must fight back with all their courage, all their gadgets, and all the power of a sleek new cyborg model like nothing the world has ever seen.

The short one, The Prince of Mist, is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning book. This book was originally published in 1993 by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. However, it was not published in the U.S. until this past May, due to many legal issues between the author and publisher. Publisher's synopsis:

It's war time, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital where they live and move to a small coastal village where they've recently bought a home. But from the minute they cross the threshold, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house still lurks the spirit of Jacob, the previous owners' son, who died by drowning.

With the help of their new friend Roland, Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the strange circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called the Prince of Mist--a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. Soon the three friends find themselves caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and an enchanted stone garden--an adventure that will change their lives forever.

When I get back from my trip (28th), I will write reviews/recommendations for these two books (If I get a chance to read them-I don't know how much reading time I will have.).

This will probably be last post before I leave for my vacation to France and Spain. So, au revoir and adios!

Poll #2: Reading in the Skies

In less than one week I'll be aboard an airplane, traveling to Paris. It's going to be a long flight (depart at 7pm, arrive at 8:30am), and for the few hours when I'm not asleep, I'll need something to do. Usually when going on an airplane, I bring my ipod, magazines, and, of course, books. However, despite my love for books, I sometimes find it difficult to read on an airplane. Maybe it's the loud, roar of the engine, or the distracting view outside the window. Or maybe, it's the movie playing during the flight. The movie, while silent to those with no headphones, can still be distracting. The last time I was on a plane, Spider Man was playing, and I couldn't help but look up at the screen every 2 or 3 minutes.

All this talk of airplanes leads to my poll question: Do you read on an airplane? The question is followed by four answer options. Like last time, you can find the poll under the "about me" section. Please vote; I enjoy seeing how my readers' opinions differ from my own.

As I said earlier, I'll be vacationing in Paris. I'll also be going to Provence, France and Barcelona, Spain. I'll be going with my French teacher, and some of her other students. Unfortunately, I'll be gone from the 19th to the 28th, so there will be ten days with no posts! I promise to publish double my usual amount of posts when I return! :)

A Passion for Poison

I'm currently deep into the book, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. It's book one in the Flavia de Luce series, a series about an eleven-year-old chemist. Flavia, the main character, is one of three daughters to a widower, in the year 1950. Upon moving into their current house, Flavia discovered chemistry books in the house's library, and an abandoned laboratory near her bedroom. Since then, she has realized her excellence in chemistry, performing many tasks that would be difficult for even a beginning chemist.

Flavia is a very curious, adventurous, intelligent girl, so when a strange string of events occur, she can't help but judge the situation herself. The strange events start with a dead bird arriving on the de luce's doorstep. This would not be odd, except for the fact that a postage stamp was through the beak of the bird. Next, Flavia overhears her father talking to a strange man about murders, possibly committed by her father. And lastly, she finds a dead man in their cucumber patch, the same man that that was talking to her father.

Flavia begins to use her chemistry skills to solve the puzzle, while possibly changing her thoughts of her family at the same time. Flavia is introduced to a part of her life that she never knew existed.

While I have yet to finish this book, I'm writing a recommendation for it, because I can tell it's going to be (and is) great. This witty, intriguing mystery is intended for adults, but can be read by people of all ages. This book, published by a Canadian author, has also won the Canadian Dagger award.

Also...be on the lookout for another poll coming soon!

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter: A Fictional Bio

A fictional biography. It's not often that you hear that, but that's exactly what Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is. This book acts as a biography of our 16th President's life. However, it's not the story you've learned in school. This bio is about Abe's life as a vampire hunter. This bio tells his life exactly how it originally happened, but with added vampires.
***SPOILERS BELOW***

In the introduction, there is a narrative piece from the author. He claims to have received ten journals, all written by Abe. He then uncovers the truth about Lincoln's life, and begins to write a book about it. From that point on in the book, the reader is reading the finished book that the author wrote. The book tells about how Abe's mom was killed by a vampire. How he swore to kill every vampire in America, subsequently becoming a vampire hunter. He kills every vampire that comes his way, until one day something changed in his life; his first child is born. He then realizes that his life is too important, and if he were to be killed by a vampire, he would leave a child fatherless. So, he fights vampires another way: with words and politics. He becomes a phenomenal public speaker, which helps him win the presidential race. Using his great power, he helps the Union win the war. This is excellent, because the vampires play a huge part on the Confederate side (I won't tell you how). Lastly, the book talks of his murder, and his murderer: John Wilkes Booth, a vampire.

I found this book very well rounded, and actually thought provoking. There's a lot of talk about good and evil, and right and wrong. This book is more than just a supernatural mash-up, it's a book that leaves you smiling, laughing, and wanting more.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars (that's how good it was!)