Too cute!

My mother-in-law is a prolific sender of chain emails. My inbox is always full of jokes, cute pictures, quizzes and the like. Often I just hit "delete", but every now and then there's something that I want to hold onto!

Quick Update!

Living Dead in Dallas is ready to pick up at my local library. Hooray!

We (as a family) have decided to accept Alana's place at an academically selective high school starting next year.

I absolutely blitzed my last uni assignment for the semester, to the tune of 54.5 out of 60!!! I'm now starting to feel ready to plunge back into it for next semester.

Sookie vs Twilight

Welcome to my fellow reading challenge participants!

Because I don't write regular book reviews, I've decided to post again in regard to Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, to share some more of my thoughts.

I prefer Sookie to Twilight. There, I've said it! (With apologies to my daughter, who is horrified at the thought of "those random, cape-wearing, fanged vampires". She likes the sparkly, gentlemanly ones better!) In fact, I think one of the main reasons that I like Sookie better is because I like the sensual, pleasure-seeking, only-out-at-night vampires in Sookie's world. To me, they're more compatible with vampire lore than Stephenie Meyer's creations.

I also really enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of Dead Until Dark. I enjoy an amateur detective as much as the next person, and love a page-turning thriller! As the body count rose, I really wanted Sookie to use her gift to solve the mystery.

There are some obvious similarities between the Twilight saga and Sookie. Vampires, mind-reading, shape-shifters...and that's just in the first book! While reading Twilight, I felt transported back to my teenage years, but Sookie I can enjoy just as I am!

I'm trying to visit everyone's posts and leave comments. With thanks to Beth at Beth Fish Reads for creating this challenge!

Review - The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

I loved it.

The Sugar Queen is magical, surprising and thoroughly enjoyable.

From the blurb:

" ...Josey has settled into an uneventful life in her mother's house, her one consolation is the stockpile of sugary treats and paperback romances she escapes to each night...Until she finds her closet harbouring none other than local waitress Della Lee Baker...Fleeing a life of bad luck and big mistakes, Della Lee has decided Josey's clandestine closet is the safest place to crash. In return she's going to change Josey's life - because, clearly, it is not the closet of a happy woman..."

I was concerned that The Sugar Queen would be too sweet for me, but its bittersweet themes of regret, and fear of change, hit just the right note for me.

Josey doesn't start out as the most likable heroine, but she grew on me slowly as the story developed and her narrow existence began to expand. As I read, Josey's personality literally unfolded before me, and I think, before her. The whole novel has a very "present" feel to it. The action seems to be literally happening right now, and I became so involved that I didn't even think of trying to guess what was going to happen next. Perhaps that's why I was just as surprised as Josey by the unexpected twist towards the end!

I enjoyed The Sugar Queen so much that I definitely plan to read Sarah Addison Allen's other book Garden Spells.

The Sugar Queen is a quick read, but one that I have a feeling I'm going to want to return to.

Highly recommended.

With thanks to Stephanie at Stephanie's Written Word, who reviewed this book on June 17.

What I'm Reading and Other Assorted Stuff

Currently reading: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen.

You will notice that this book appears on my "Must Read" list on the right hand sidebar of the page, along with a link to the review that inspired me to try it. When I'm finished I intend to write my own review.

So far, I'm really enjoying it. It's had a lot to live up to, reading it as I am directly after Dead Until Dawn by Charlaine Harris. A hard act to follow! It is quite different to Dead Until Dawn, its similarities being the magical elements and the lonely heroine.

Here's a quick snapshot that will warm the heart of any book-loving girl:

"She couldn't believe this was happening. She'd just kicked Jake out after he'd admitted he'd cheated on her.

Dazed, she turned around...and tripped over a book on the floor.

She looked down at it and sighed. She'd half expected this. Whether she liked it or not, books always appeared when she needed them."

Cool, huh?

On the "To Be Read" pile: the host by Stephenie Meyer

This was ready to pick up from my local library on Monday. Again, this is one of the books on my "Must Read" list. You can check out the link to read the review that convinced me to give this a go.

On reserve at my local library: Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris

I can't wait for this one to become available! Dead Until Dark was such rollicking good fun that I'm hanging out to get my teeth into the next instalment!

So...now onto the other assorted stuff...

Alana (my 11 year old daughter) has just been offered a place at a prestigous selective high school for next year. It's a great opportunity for her, but she's not so sure that she wants to accept the place. At the moment a high school is being built within our very own suburb, only a 20 minute walk away from home. It's due to open for the start of next year, and all Alana's friends are looking forward to going there together. They will be the first group from her primary school that will be able to stay together and go to their very own high school, instead of splitting up and travelling to schools further afield. It makes it a tough decision for Alana. Wish us luck!

My last uni assignment for this semester is "in the mail" as they say. After my disastrous result last time, I'm just going to be super happy to pass!

I'm trying to find a vacancy at a caravan park for my family to take a week away over the Christmas/New Year break. Everything is already booked solid! I'll keep trying...

I bought my sister a copy of the Lost in Austen 2 disc DVD for her birthday. I'm very much hoping we can watch it together sometime, then I can count it towards the Everything Austen challenge!