Poetry Corner: To Be A Painting

I have mentioned a couple of times that I was accepting submissions for short stories and poetry to post here on EP Book Nerd.  I didn't get any.  But!  I did get inspired to write one of my own while having a conversation with my little girl.  She asked, "I wonder what it's like to be a painting."  So I told her that we should write a poem about it.

This is what we came up with.

To be a painting on a wall,
To be a painting so big so small,
To be a painting with colors so bright,
To be a painting so black and so white,
To be a painting old and new,
To be a painting just like you

Hope you enjoyed our little poem!  Just for funnsies (<--- not an actual word), write a poem of what it would be like to be a painting.  Send your submissions to submit@epbooknerd.com.  My daughter (she's seven by the way) and I will pick our top five faves and I will post them (with full credit to the author) here.  Please make sure to use the subject Poem Submission and include your name, poem, website (if you have one), and your favorite book and author in the body.

Happy Reading!

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Inspired By... Poison Fruit

Welcome to my first "Inspired By..." post!  These posts will be dedicated to anything inspired by a book I have read.  It could be a craft project, fashion, playlist, or (in this case) a recipe.

In Poison Fruit, Daisy makes some homemade hot cocoa with a little something extra for her and her friends to drink while watching the tree lighting in their town.  Well I decided to create a little hot cocoa recipe myself (without the something extra).

WARNING:  If you follow the recipe exactly the way it is written, you will be subjecting yourself to a whole lot of sugar.  More than any one person should ingest.  I believe I saw Food.com calculate it at 99% the suggested daily value in one serving.  For that reason, I suggest lowering the sugar content to 1/3 cup instead of 1/2 cup and add about 1/3 cup water to increase the servings made to 5 small servings.

The above mentioned changes have not yet been tried.  Please leave a comment below if the changes suck or if they rock.  I will test the changes this weekend and update the recipe on Food.com.

ALTERED RECIPE:

Replace 1/2 cup sugar with 1/3 cup sugar.
In addition to the milk, add 1/3 cup water in step 2.
Change the servings from 4 to 5.

So there you have it.  You can be brave and try the sugar filled original recipe or you can be extra brave and try the untested altered recipe.  Either way, feel free to leave a comment to share your thoughts, tips, or recipes of your own.

Happy Reading!

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Poison Fruit

Title:  Poison Fruit
Author:  Jacqueline Carey

Here it is fellow book nerds!  My opinion post on the third and final installment of the Agent of Hel series.

Where to begin?  From the beginning of course.

[SPOILER ALERT]

This book opens up with Cody (werewolf guy) basically telling Daisy that he is falling for her but can't be with her because he has to procreate with his own kind.  (Ouch right?)  After a night of drink therapy, Jen, Daisy's bestie, drunk texts the hot ghoul (Stefan) from Daisy's phone telling him he's "hawt."  Yeah.  Enter mortified morning after realization of drunken text.  Daisy talks to Stefan in person to discuss some unrelated subject and learns that he is going out of town for a while and may ask her for a professional favor as Hel's liaison.

So just to recap.  Wolf boy - No.  Hot ghoul (outcast) - Not now.  What is a girl to do?

Distract herself with a side case of finding and capturing a Night Hag of course.  What else?  She learns that the Night Hag only feeds on people who have nightmares so she asks Sinclaire to take a walk on the dark side and whammy her with her worst nightmare.  She sleeps over at Cody's house (strictly business *wink wink*) to have her nightmare and bind the Night Hag to do her bidding.  For example, get the hell out of town.

After her major nightmare / Night Hag adventure she has a *ahem* different kind of adventure with wolf boy only to discover that he was chatting with a fellow wolfette (and possible mate).  Did I mention that Cody's clan wants Daisy (as Hel's liaison) to go to the wolf mixer?  Talk about torture.

So Stefan returns from his trip and makes true to asking for that professional favor.  What is this favor (you may ask)?  To put down a friend of Stefan's with dauda dagur (the only weapon that can kill the undead permanently).  Daisy has an inner battle but does it anyway.  She is a little freaked out by the whole thing and asks for some time to process.  So we're back to "not now" status for the hot ghoul outcast.

I could go on a play by play commentary here but I'm not going to.  Lets double-time it.

Eventually Daisy and Stefan hook up in an extremely intense way.  Seriously.  Wow.  All the while Pemkowet is under attack by the mysterious hell-spawn lawyer (remember him?) and his even more mysterious employer.  With Pemkowet under the fire of a lawsuit, Daisy gets her scooby gang together to see if they can save the judge and jury from the hell-spawn's power of persuasion.

After losing the lawsuit, the big cards are dealt and we finally see who exactly is behind the lawsuit and purchases of land - Hades' wife Persephone.  Hel, not wanting to give up her territory so easily, accepts the challenge and bids Daisy to put an army of the Eldritch kind together and get ready for war.  Oh snap!

[MY OPINIONS]

Okay so I really enjoyed this book.  I felt that it was just genius how Daisy saves everyone, Eldritch and Mundane alike, by claiming her birthright and then gives her dad (a demon) a big "F*ck you" by bargaining with God for the Outcast to have a chance to die (it makes sense if you read the book - better if you read all three) and to help end the current battle in exchange for her renouncing her birthright forever.  Apparently that's allowed since she didn't technically use the power she claimed.

For this being the last book I have to admit that I would have liked to see an Epilogue portraying a "five years later" scenario but I'll settle for what I got.  Daisy saved her community and got the guy she wanted all along.  She also gave all the Outcasts a second chance to die and earned more street cred as Hel's liaison.  That's a happy ending all around.

One thing I would have done if I was in the book and possessed the magic killing dagger was kill that sneaky lawyer before he even had a chance to persuade the judge and jury in the lawsuit case.  Then there would have been no need for Persephone to have bailed the town out of the financial mess which led to her taking legal claim over Hel's demesne. But then that would have made for a very very short book.  So on second thought - I wouldn't do anything differently.

[EXTRAS]

So I'm a person who gets easily distracted.  My mind tends to hop from one subject to another with little provocation.  My point?  I'm sure I had one.  Ah yes.  While I was looking up the word eldritch to make sure I was spelling it correctly (I didn't want to skim through the book), I found the word in the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Eldritch (adj.) - weird, eerie.(Merriam-Webster)
Possibly came from the Middle English word elfriche meaning fairyland.(Merriam-Webster, 2008)

First known use was in 1508.(Merriam-Webster)

I also found out that there are people with the last name Eldritch.  Now from what little I know about last names (also referred to as surnames), having the last name Eldritch means that, back when surnames started being used (around 1200 A.D.), the head of the family had a weird or eerie personality.  Or if the name evolved from Elfriche then it could have meant the head of the family lived in or came from a magical place (fairyland).  Of course it could have also meant that they had fairy or elf-like physical features or looked otherworldly.  In those times people believed in fairies and/or magical creatures more so than now.

This is all speculation of course.  Pure fun speculation.

[YOUR TURN]

Have you had the pleasure (or displeasure) of reading Poison Fruit?  Feel free to share your thoughts on the book in the comments section below.

Also, if you take a look to the right you will see a widget for the book club I participate in.  And by participate I mean I read one of the books (most of the time) and watch the Hangout every last Tuesday of every month (unless otherwise specified).  I have officially checked out Wolfsbane and Mistletoe from my public library but will not actually read it until I'm done with my current read - Bronze Gods by A. A. Aguirre.

[CREDITS]

Merriam-Webster. (2008, October 28). Word of the Day: Eldritch. Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Online: http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?10.28.2008

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Definition: Eldritch. Retrieved from Merriam-Webster Online: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eldritch

And that, fellow readers, concludes my opinion post on Poison Fruit.



My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Happy Reading!

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Wicked As They Come

Title:  Wicked As They Come
Author:  Delilah S. Dawson

What would you do if you went to bed in your comfortable bed with your lovable cat awaiting to wake to your safe predictable life but instead you wake up naked in front of a stranger who's natural instinct is to drink you dry?  And in this terrifying new world, you are the stranger - and you are being hunted.

That is exactly what happens to our main character Tish (Letitia).

[SPOILER ALERT]

Tish is a 26 year old Hospice nurse getting over a controlling and abusive relationship.  She finds a locket at an estate sale one day and is drawn to it immediately.  Later when Tish opens the locket, she is stained with a red liquid.  She goes to bed that night thinking everything is normal.  When she wakes up, she is in a different world (Sang) full of Bludmen and Bludcreatures who will drink your blood.  (Seriously, the Bludbunnies are a little twisted.)  It is there that she meets Criminy - a Bludman who runs and travels with a caravan of peculiar performers.

While in Sang, Letitia (Criminy likes calling her by her given name) learns that she is a glancer (someone who can see a person's past actions and future outcomes by touching them).  This causes Criminy to take her on, against her initial will, as the caravan's fortune teller.

When Letitia falls asleep in Sang, still wearing the locket, she wakes up as Tish in her ordinary world.  She is once again a Hospice nurse.  And when she falls asleep in her ordinary world, still with the locket, she wakes up in Sang.  Doing this makes her exhausted.

In Sang, Letitia meets Casper.  Like her, he exists in both worlds.  In her world he is a Hospice patient under the care of Tish.  In Sang he is a member of Criminy's caravan.  Letitia immediately feels a pull towards him.

One night, while asleep in Sang, Letitia's locket is stolen causing her to wake up and remain in Sang.  Devastated, she and Criminy set out on a tough journey to find her stolen locket and put an end to a tyrant disguised as a savior.

Alright.  As adventurous as all that sounds you have to admit that it also sounds pretty frightening.  Imagine not knowing if you will be able to see your family or friends ever again...  While being trapped in a land you are unfamiliar with...  With people you don't know.  While I would love to think that I would take the bull by the horns, put on my brave face, and find my way home (or embrace the adventure of a new life).... in reality I would probably just curl up in a ball and cry while letting cute little Bludbunnies eat me alive.

To be honest, although totally understandable, Letitia got on my nerves every time she would bring up her controlled past and use that as an excuse not to trust Criminy and let him in.  No matter how many times he proved himself to her and protected her.  I guess it wouldn't have been so annoying if she didn't swoon right away for Casper.  She trusted him instantly just because (and I'm just speculating here) he was from her world...  He could have been a serial killer for all she knew.  (He wasn't.  But she didn't know that at the time.)

One more little bone to pick with Letitia.  After an encounter with a witch and a moment of "I just want to keep my options open." Letitia has five years taken from her.  Yup... she aged five years in a matter of five seconds.  She then proceeds to tell Criminy, "But I don't want to be thirty-one."  She seriously complains about being 31 years old to someone who is like four times her new age (or older - I can't quite remember).... please.

I know I seem to be a bit harsh on Letitia.  So here is some good stuff about her.  She comes out of a controlling and abusive relationship and lives an ordinary life trying to find herself again.  She finds adventure in a terrifying new place when all she wants is to live her life and do her job back home.  She manages to pull herself together (for the most part) and go on this dangerous journey with a man she really just met and who is in love with her.  In the end she gains back control of her life and finds a way to live in both worlds.  She also opens up her heart again.  She has her cake and eats it too.  For now at least...

So.  All in all... I really enjoyed this book.  For me, it incorporated my favorite ingredients.  Part Alice in Wonderland, part "Vampire" romance, and a pinch of Steampunkery (not exactly a word but it works for me).  I would love to see what Tim Burton would do with a story like this!

YOUR TURN

Have you had the pleasure (or misfortune) of reading Wicked As They Come?  What are some of your thoughts on it?  Would you ever try to own a Bludbunny as a pet?  Let me know in the comments section!



My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Happy Reading!

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Visual Updates

Greetings fellow book nerds!

I am currently in the middle of updating EP Book Nerd's look.  There may be some funky stuff going on until it is 99.9% complete (design is always changing so it will never be at 100%).  I hope you like the new look.

Do you have a suggestion of what you would like to see incorporated?  Leave a comment and I will consider it!

Happy Reading!

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Autumn Bones

Hello fellow book nerds!  I did not, in fact, fall off the face of the earth.  I am still here.

Now on with the show!

Title:  Autumn Bones
Author:  Jaqueline Carey

Autumn Bones is the second book in the Agent of Hel series.  I read the first book, Dark Currents, last year and loved it so much that I just had to read the second book.  Little did I know that the third book in the series came out the same day I started reading this one.  I found that to be a little funny.

Anyway...

Daisy Johanssen, our main character, is a hell-spawn raised by her mortal mother.  She is also Hel's liaison and works with Pemkowet Police Department as a part-time file clerk.  She keeps the order between the mundane authorities (a.k.a. humans) and the eldritch community (fairies, ghouls, vampires, etc.).

This book starts just after the first book.  Reading the first book isn't necessarily a must but would help a lot in character and environment profiles.  For a taste of the first book, go here.  I highly recommend reading it!

[SPOILER ALERT]

In Autumn Bones, Daisy is dating Sinclair (who was introduced at the end of the first book) and looking forward to a normal-ish relationship.  That is nothing but wishful thinking for this poor girl.  Her dreams of a normal-ish existence with Sinclair are destroyed when his twin sister, Emmy, drops in for a visit and basically tells Daisy to f*ck off and let Sinclair take his place in the "family business" back home.  Problem is Sinclair doesn't want to go.  He's happy in Pemkowet and happy with Daisy.  Of course Daisy ends things with him anyway to make dealing with his sister a bit easier.  You see, Daisy might have to get all Buffy on Emmy's ass.

Sinclair is given one month to make a final decision about whether he is going to stay in Pemkowet or go back home to Jamaica with his sister.  So why exactly is Hel's liaison getting involved in a family matter?  Well Sinclair's family isn't just an ordinary family.  They come from a long line of obeah sorcerers.  And Emmy has threatened a member of the eldritch community - Daisy.  As Hel's enforcer, she has to put a stop to anyone who threatens her community - mundane and eldritch alike.

While preparing for Emmy's return, Jen's sister is turned into a vampire.  Okay rewinding a bit.  Jen is Daisy's BFF.  Her sister, Bethany, has been a "blood slut" for eight years with the promise of being turned into a vampire herself.  Well, that day has finally come to fruition and I have to say that I was happy for her.  And I think Jen and their younger brother, Brandon, were cool with it in the long run too.

Alright let's skip forward to the part where Emmy returns to claim her brother.  She's back and she's not alone.  She brought reinforcements of her own.  Her mother.  Everyone involved meets in a cemetery.  (Creepy right?)  And, after some words, mama obeah lady sets a duppy on the town of Pemkowet.  After some more words, and a kick-ass tough girl move on Daisy's part, mama obeah lady and Emmy are escorted out of Pemkowet and everybody is left feeling a little defeated.

As for the rest... I'm going to let you find out on your own.  I really suggest you do.

Now for my opinion:

I loved the book.  Jacqueline Carey really created a world that seemed far fetched and real at the same time.  Like I could hop in a car and take a road trip to Pemkowet to get a glimpse of a fairy or two with their pretty smiles (and hidden sharp teeth) while taking the paranormal bus tour.

I have to say, though, that I was a bit put off with Daisy's constant self-doubt.  But to be honest... who could blame her?  I mean she's a young woman trying to live a normal-ish life dealing with men, friendships, and work all while keeping the peace between two different worlds.  Not to mention the fact that she has to stay away from the seven deadly sins as much as she can so that she doesn't get tempted to claim her birthright and bring on Armageddon.  (You know.  The whole hell-spawn thing she has going on...)

My life seems like an easy breeze compared to Daisy's.

As far as the romance part - I can't decide who I want her to end up with (if she ends up with anyone at all).  In some chapters I was Team Cody all the way.  Then in others I was Team Stefan.  I was never really on Team Sinclair.  I mean he seemed cool and all and Daisy could really be herself (tail and all) with him but... I just wasn't feelin' it.  To be honest, I'm not even sure Team Cody is an option.  He's a werewolf and is only allowed to breed with his own kind for the sake of making more little werewolves blah blah blah.  (Such an a-hole.)

And one more thing... there is another mysterious hell-spawn lurking around Pemkowet.  This one doesn't seem as good-intentioned as Daisy.  Hmmm.

Random Musing:

I was washing dishes the other night thinking about Autumn Bones when I thought of the most amazing thing!  It is totally going to blow your mind!  Ready?  They (whoever "they" are) should create a TV series for the SyFy channel based on the Agent of Hel book series.  It could be called Agent of Hel or The Pemkowet Files.  Something like that...  Who's with me?  Anyone?

Interaction time!

Have you read Dark Currents or Autumn Bones?  Leave a comment about your thoughts.  Did you love it?  Did you hate it?  Do you not care either way?  Would you invest an hour of your time watching a TV series based off of these books?

If you have read Dark Currents but haven't read Autumn Bones and would like a little taste, click here.

If you have read the first two books in the Agent of Hel series and are yearning for more, click here for a taste of the third installment - Poison Fruit.

Call for submissions!

I am still looking for Short Stories and Poems to showcase here at EP Book Nerd!  If you have a short story or poem you would like to showcase, submit them to submit@epbooknerd.com!  Put "Submit Short Story" or "Submit Poem" in the subject line and include your name, a short bio, and link to your website or blog in the body.  Oh and don't forget the actual content!  Make sure that all content belongs to you.  If you worked on a team, please submit their names too (make sure to get permission first).

My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
Happy Reading!

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Short Story Find

I was searching the web for short stories and came across a rather interesting and disturbing one.  It takes the belief that a photograph can steal your soul and adds our modern-day obsession with taking a selfie every five seconds.  I have to admit that reading this one at night while alone in my room was maybe not the best idea I've had.  The story is titled "Selfies" by Lavie Tidhar and can be found on Tor.com.

Here is a little snippet:

"In one of the last pictures I am running. I am running down the street and it is dark, the street lamps are dim and the light oozes down sickly and yellow. I can feel my heart almost bursting in my chest, the taste of something sour and unpleasant in my mouth. I’m running as fast as I can. I have to get away."

To read the full story, follow this link.  I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Reading!

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