Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Caution, spoilers.

I read this for one of my English courses, and I loved it! I highly recommend this, both as an English major and purely for pleasure reading.

What I Liked:

• The language! It's so beautiful, really. Beautiful and terrible, but so eloquent and poignant. I find it especially interesting as English was apparently Conrad's third language. 
• Kurtz! I found Kurtz a fascinating character, really, something about the self and the darkness and his soul. I cannot even explain myself. 
• The message! I don't know what it is, but works with happy take-aways do not do it for me. Nothing like good old-fashioned "inherent darkness of humanity" to really get me going. 
• The resonance! I feel like this is one of those things to transcend time, you know? This message, of nightmares and darkness will always be relevant, and I feel like Conrad has so eloquently expressed it that his work will be read long after everyone has forgotten about places like the Congo and England and we all live on the moon or something. 

Final Thoughts:

• I loved reading this. It's so literary, and I feel like so much analysis can be done, but I also really enjoyed the plot and the language on a personal, pleasurable level. 
• Fair warning, I revel in the macabre, but if you are faint-hearted, be warned, this piece does contain graphic scenes. 
• Apocalypse Now does not do this work justice, in my opinion. Not to say that it was a bad movie, just that I feel like it doesn't capture the many layers of Conrad's piece. Basically, don't think that you don't need to read Heart of Darkness because you've seen the movie, and don't think that if you disliked that movie that you will necessarily dislike Conrad's original. 

Unthinkable by Nancy Werlin

Caution, this review may contain spoilers for this book and any others in its series.

As you know, this is the third book I've recently read by Nancy Werlin, the previous two being Impossible and Extraordinary.  I definitely liked this more than Impossible, and I believe I even liked it more than Extraordinary.

What I Liked:

• Faerie! There was a lot of time spent in their realm, and lots of instances of faerie lore were present! I loved that!
• Ryland as a cat! Ryland was adorable as a cat. I was kind of iffy about him after Extraordinary, since he kind of came off like a bad guy there, but I really felt for him here. He made me laugh, and, personally, the jealousy of his sister really endeared him to me. 
• Fenella telling Walker that Ryland was a manticore...that actually made me laugh. I didn't laugh out loud and any other instance in all of these books, but I did for this.
• Fenella in the modern era. Usually people from the past in the modern era frustrate me, as I don't believe they can truly imagine the scope of the modern world, and it just gets me. However,  I really like the way Nancy Werlin chose to portray Fenella, as a quick learner with some previous background information who grasped the mechanics of the future world. 
• The tree fey. I love trees. I really, really love the idea of trees being sentient and communicated and naming people as part of them. That gets me. 
• Padraig's back story. I do this all the time, and I know it's wrong, but I felt for him. Yes, he's a kidnapper and sadistic and cruel; however, when Fenella learned that his mother abandoned him, and he was only seventeen or eighteen, and everyone scorned him, and someone said he had a lonely life...I felt bad for him. It just breaks my heart. I have NO idea why I feel visceral pity for him, I just do. I don't know why, I just have the urge to comfort people who feel abandoned and unloved and lash out against others because of their pain; I also believe that I could fix them with my love. I've always done this; I wanted Christine to be with the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera, I read so much Dramione fanfiction, I always, always, ship Mina and Dracula instead of Mina and Jonathon...I'm one of those women who believe that they can fix tortured bad boys' with their love. Well, not really, not in real life, but it's my favorite kind of fictional story. Plus, you know, I'm glad he wasn't a one dimensional villain, there are enough of those around.
• Walker...I'm not sure how I feel about Fenella and Walker, but he's gentle with animals, warm, sweet, loving, forgiving and considers himself one with the trees...what more do you want in a man? (Besides the whole tortured soul thing, of course.)

What I Didn't Like: 

• Fenella's life choices. Come on girl, really? Kethalia warned you that the tasks would be painful, and you just rush into them? Not really a smart move. 

Final Thoughts:

• I enjoyed this book, but I don't think I will be rereading it. 
• I'm not certain what I will be reading next, though I have quite the stack. 

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

Caution, this review may contain spoilers for this books and any others in its series.

As you know, this is the companion novel to the book I previously reviewed, Impossible, and to the one I'm going to read next, Unthinkable, all by Nancy Werlin. You might remember that, while I enjoyed the author's style very much, Impossible wasn't really what I personally was looking for at the time I read it. However, Extraordinary was, well, extraordinary, if you'll pardon the pun.

What I Liked:

• Faeries! YES!!!! I was a bit nervous, since, like I said, I found there to be way less fae-related stuff in Impossible than I though there would be. This book seriously delivered in that respect. There were bargains being struck, faeries of all sorts being depicted, notations being made of the significance of dancing with the faeries, etc. etc. AND I LOVED IT! I love traditional folk faeries so very very much, and it is always wonderful to see them included in YA fiction, especially when it is clear that the author has done their research, which is completely the case with Nancy Werlin. (The edition I have, published by SPEAK in 2010, even has a cool flower/clover type design on the pages in which the faerie queen is speaking. I thought that was a really nice touch.)
• Literary references. At one point, Phoebe mentions Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice, which made me so exceedingly happy. On the one hand, I am an English major, so those two works are pretty close to my heart (the latter infinitely more so than the former). On the other, I find it so odd that book heroines live in a vacuum, sometimes. I live my life according to the principles of my fictional favorites all of the time, I draw inspiration from them, I try to anticipate what may happen from what I have learned about human behavior from them. So, when I see a heroine like Phoebe (or like Katy, from the Lux series) reference other literary characters, it just warms the cockles of my heart. 
• Subtle characterization. Phoebe and Ryland, together, man. Nancy Werlin is just so incredibly deft at letting the relationship between two characters open up before you. The same with Mallory and Mrs. Tolliver. There was never one moment where I realized Ryland was simply using Phoebe or that Mallory really cared about Mrs. Tolliver, it just gradually grew and grew until I couldn't imagine having ever not know it. It was amazing. Seriously, Nancy Werlin is an author to watch; something about her style just really fits with my psyche or something...it's hard to explain. 
• Ambiguity. As Phoebe went deeper and deeper into Faerie and learned everything about Mayer and all that, I really did find myself hoping that the fae world would be okay. I really, really liked that she didn't play it as solidly the faeries' fault or wholly Mayer's fault. That was a nice twist. 
• History. I'd heard of the Rothschild family before this, but I didn't know too much about them, however, I always love when an author references traditional history in their fantasy work. 

What I Didn't Like:

• Lack of romance. Obviously, there was Ryland, who was bad news, but then the relationship with Benjamin was simply characterized as in the cards, not really fully realized. I need my romance. Then again, I didn't care for Zach and Lucy of Impossible, so maybe Nancy Werlin's style of romance simply isn't really my cup of tea, generally. (Again, not a criticism, you might love it.)

Final Thoughts:

• The next book returns to the Scarborough girls, so I'm not uber-psyched, but I'm hoping I will love it as much as I did this one. 
• I highly recommend this book, it was an engaging, quick read, and faeries!

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Caution, this may contain spoilers.

So, Impossible by Nancy Werlin. I saw the book Unthinkable in the bookstore, and it looked so intriguing, and I really wanted that, but I read it was part of a series, and so I read this first. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't really what I was expecting.

What I Didn't Like:

• (Major spoiler ahead.) Rape and teenage pregnancy. These are not things I like to see in my YA novels. I hate reading about things like that, serious, "issue" type things. It's why I avoid contemporary novels, because I assume they'll all be like Go Ask Alice or something. I just don't enjoy this type of reading. I like to identify with my heroines at the beginning, and have the person they are by the end be someone I can emulate. This is not the case with Lucy. 
• Lack of folklore. The inclusion of a seventeenth century ballad about elves at the beginning got me all excited. I was expected a level of "faerie" presence on par with Ballad and Lament by Maggie Stiefvater, and I did NOT get that. The "elfin knight" from the ballad, Padraig Seeley, has very little back story, and seems to function as a dark shadow in the back of the character's minds, as opposed to having a solid story arc. Little mention of the extent of his powers or motivations are present. He's just "the evil guy". Other than his character, there are no other aspects of the fae world in this book. (I've purchased the major works of Katherine Briggs, renowned folklorist, literally wrote the book on faeries etc. etc., so I kind of look out for those sorts of things.)
• Unrealistic attitudes. I'm sorry, I really am, but I cannot wrap my head around a twentysomething guy wanting to marry a girl who is pregnant with another man's child. Maybe I'm cynical, but I just can't see that happening. (Frankly, no one should have to take on all of someone else's baggage like that.) And he proposed to her out of the blue, and everyone's all happy about the baby...hello! High school, college, career? You know, the life you're supposed to be living? Both of their lives (all, really, considering the implications for the parents) have been derailed and their all sunshine and rainbows about it? I can't buy that.
• Pacing. The end felt rushed to me. A bit anti-climatic as well, when Padraig just sort of whooshes away. I wanted a little more about that. 

What I Did Like:

• I like that Pierre, their dog, immediately disliked Padraig. Always a good idea to avoid people the dog doesn't like in a supernatural environment. Also, that his last name was "Seeley," which looks a lot like "Seelie" and "Unseelie" (the two different fae "courts," which I'm sure you can look up)...that immediately let me know he was the "knight" from the ballad. I like things like that, little clues. 

Final Thoughts:

• I've purchased the other two companion books to this one, Extraordinary and Unthinkable, already. If I hadn't, I probably would not buy them after having read this one. 
• I suggest you give this a try, as it wasn't so much the book was bad as it was not what I expected and not something I would have picked up had I known what it was really about. 
• I'm trying to read the next one with an open mind, as I really, really wanted to like this series. 

Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Caution, this review may contain spoilers for this book and any previous installments in this series. Particularly heavy spoilers in this review. What has been read cannot be unread. You have been warned.

As I'm sure you are aware, this is the fourth book in the Lux series, and the most recent one (as of January 2014). I was really nervous about this book, as I strongly dislike it when the leading lady and her love interest are forcibly kept apart (since Katy's situation at the end of Opal) and I'm also not keen on the captured-by-enemies-and-tortured scenario either. However, those bits didn't last very long, and, I have to say, I enjoyed this book the most out of the four in this series so far.

What I Liked:

• Dual POV. This literally saved the beginning of the novel. I honestly cannot get through the separation of the couple in most of my books. Having Daemon's POV literally allowed me to read this book. I always looked forward to his chapters at the end of the book more than any other part, so having his perspective in such large quantities was awesome. 
• Blake's death. He had it coming. The scene where he shoves Katy in the bathtub and soaks her to be a dick? Oh, he had it coming. No moral conundrum whatsoever over Blake's death. 
• JLA's willingness to hand out the death card. I really liked when Dawson killed Matthew. It was swift, it was immediate, and it was not lingered upon. And, I mean, Paris, Andrew, Ash...this isn't like some YA novels, where only the bad guys die, and they die off-screen, and the character mopes about it for the rest of the book. I feel like JLA was really brave with this, and it made the final confrontation scene in Vegas so much more palpable and heart-pounding for me, since death really was on the table for significant characters. 
• The back story on Daedalus. I adore world-building, and JLA does it so well. Everything about the origins, and, okay, I'm not going to like, the fact that male Luxen and female hybrids can make origin babies...I want to see mini-Daemons. I just do. I said it, and I will not take it back. 
• Daemon's description of Katy when he first saw her inside Daedalus. That melted my heart. That is why I read YA fiction. It's like JLA has a magnifying glass into my soul or something. What I wouldn't give to have a guy think something like that while looking at me. I'd implode on the spot, so it's good I don't, haha. 
• DB. The little alien plushie thing Daemon bought Katy and how cute he thought she looked with it also melted my heart. I was pretty much a puddle of heart goop during this whole book. It was just so sweet and vulnerable a thing amidst the chaos, and I loved it so much.  
• Going to the chapel, and we're gonna get maaa-aaa-rrr-ied! (That's a song, btw.) I genuinely teared up when Daemon thought about proposing and then did it. Words cannot express how much my heart melted with joy and love and asdfghjkl at that moment. I honestly cried. It was so sweet and so perfect and so wonderful and nothing, nothing, so great has ever been done in the world of YA fiction. Seriously, JLA has broken a frontier, blazed a trail, whatever. It was just the most romantic scene I've ever read in my whole (very long) reading life. I'm still tearing up right freaking now. Having both of their perspectives, and just the love, the feelings, the romance...it was so poignant and touching and it never, ever came close to melodramatic or sappy or anything negative. Gaah!
• Daemon and Katy. They were beyond belief in this book. Their love scenes, their relationship, their marriage, their thoughts on each other. God almighty, it was perfect. Truly. This is the kind of love people dream about. Everything I ever want in a YA relationship was right here. 
• Dawson and Beth. They're so sweet. They just are so adorable! Awwww!
• The ending. I feel like this was an excellently executed ending. There was enough resolution, and Katy and Daemon were in a good place, but there were also lots of open ends, like Dawson and Beth's baby, and the whole cavalcade of random Luxen...so excited for the next one!

What I Didn't Like: 

• Again, not a criticism, but I wanted more on Archer. I feel like his relationship with Luc is deeper than we know, and I want his perspective on the outside world and if anything is really going on with Dee. 

Final Thoughts:

• I really feel like Origin is my favorite book in the series so far! 
• Daemon and Katy are officially my favorite couple in YA fiction. They are the best written, the most romantic, and the one that evokes the most feeling from me. 
• I CANNOT wait for the next installments in this series, Opposition, which is apparently also the last. 
• AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Seriously, I was so into this book in the last hundred or so pages... this reminds me why I love reading so much!

Marmoreal Monday: My Favorite Products

What do you know, it's Monday! That means another post of random ramblings from yours truly!

I don't know what to talk about, and I've rewritten this sentence a dozen times.

I have a kind of peculiar beauty regimen, as I refuse to put any kind of chemicals on my body, i.e. no shampoo, toothpaste, etc. I also really love alternative, natural approaches to health. So, I'm going to share with you my can't live without products/supplements etc.

Disclaimer: I'm some random person on the internet. Don't take my life advice. This is the stuff I do, and that does not mean you should do it. If something here piques your interest, research it on your own or talk to a professional before you do anything. Once again, I have no qualifications to be giving out advice to anybody about anything. I also have no affiliation with any of the following companies/brand names.

Beauty/Personal Care Products without which I Cannot Function:

1. Organic, All-Natural Honey. Preferably clover honey. It tastes really good, and it's also got all sorts of anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory properties, so I use it on any cuts I may have. It also draws out infection, which is great as well. Additionally, honey is incredibly moisturizing as well as cleansing. I put it on my face when I first go into the bathroom to shower, so it sets while I'm gathering my things, turning on the water, etc., and use it to wash as well as moisturize my face. I do the same for my hair; honey basically replaces shampoo for me. 
2. Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. I use this for everything. It replaces lotion, conditioner. etc. etc. for me. I put it on my hair for moisture as well as to protect my hair in the event I want to lighten a lock or two (I have dirty blonde hair, so I can use lemon or other natural substances to lighten a few shades). I use it on my entire body instead of a chemical-laden lotion, and I shave my legs with it (though I don't do it right, apparently, as it hurts quite a lot). I also use it for the practice of oil pulling, which involves swirling a teaspoon to a tablespoon of oil around in my mouth for twenty minutes. This detoxifies the body, and I've noticed my teeth are whiter. My favorite brand is Tropical Traditions, as I find that they are simply the best I've ever used.
3. Turmeric. I use this to brush my teeth with after oil pulling, as it also whitens the teeth and is good for the gums. I also mix it with milk and put it on my skin, as it lightens skin a bit to get rid of dark spots, and generally brightens my complexion. 
4. Sea Buckthorn Oil. This stuff is the best. It's bright orange and I get it imported from Siberia. It fixes all my skin problems, from acne to redness to stretch marks. It is a miracle in a bottle for me. 
5. Boar Bristle Brush. It distributes the natural oils from my scalp to my ends and is the best brush I've ever had. 
6. Horn comb. (Yes, animal horn. Usually ox, sheep or yak.) It's made of keratin, which is the same substance from which hair is made. The first time I used one of these I did not lose a single hair on my head. 

Supplements without which I cannot Function:

1. Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Purified Fish Oil. Yes, there are cheaper brands out there, but I use this brand because it's just so pure, and you don't get any nasty environmental toxins like mercury with it. Plus, it has EPA and DHA, which is what I want, instead of the cheaper ALA type Omega-3 I don't really want. I get the 180 count and take two a day (the recommend amount).
2. Nature's Way Alive! Max Potency MultiVitamin. This stuff is great because it has so many herbs in it, as well as food-based sources of all the good vitamins that I want. It's phenomenal, really, and it's so natural and chemical-free and I love it! I buy the 180 count, and usually only take one or two a day (less than the recommended amount), as I feel I get a lot of nutrients from my food. 

There you have it! I'm still reading Origin, by the way, so look forward to a review of that! 

Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Caution, this review may contain spoilers for this book and any previous books in the series.

This is a sequel in the series, so I don't feel the need to tell you to read this or tell you what it is about, as, by the third book, I'm sure you know. I powered through this in a little less than two days (like,  two calendar days, not two solid days' worth of reading time), and I really enjoyed reading this book. I have lots of thoughts, and they're kind of jumbled, but that's basically why I write this blog, to sort out my feels over books!

What I Liked:

• The developing relationship between Daemon and Dawson. When we first saw him in Opal, I had fears that this was going to end up like The Vampire Diaries, i.e. brother fighting with brother over girl. However, Katy really seemed to enhance their relationship as opposed to put them at odds. (Props to Jennifer L. Armentrout, hereafter abbreviated JLA, for that breath of fresh air in YA fiction.) I also found their marathons of ghost hunting programming incredibly heartwarming, as well as Dawson's feelings over Beth and how he expressed them to Daemon. It fuzzies all around. 
• Dee's righteous anger with Katy in the beginning. I was still annoyed with Katy, so I was very pleased that Dee still blamed her, and the whole thing wasn't swept under the rug. 
• That said, I also enjoyed the girly shopping trip. I'm conflicted, because I'm still simmering with frustration for Katy's poor decision making, but I also liked the forgiveness themed scenes. I don't know how I feel here, other than that JLA has written a very nuanced relationship between Dee and Katy. 
• The almost sex scene after their plan was foiled by the onyx. That was nicely written. I much prefer it when books leave some to the imagination, and sort of dance around the obvious and vulgar. I want my love scenes to be about a magical connection, not bodily fluids. It was sweet and heartwarming, and I just got all warm and fuzzy. 
• In that vein, I also really, really adored their actual sex scene. It was basically what I look for in my love scenes; the connection between Katy and Daemon was depicted really vividly, and it made me smile, you know? I just liked it a lot, and I think that JLA has a real talent for writing these scenes in such a way as to remain true to the characters, yet still emphasize the change that Katy feels she has undergone. 
• Likewise, Daemon's after-prom surprise for Katy (Are you sensing a pattern here?). Also well-written, also charming, and also why I prefer fiction to reality every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
• The surprising/shocking appearances of Carissa and Will. I remember thinking something was up when Carissa got the flu, but I didn't remember it at the forefront of my mind for the whole rest of the book, and I certainly didn't expect her to be unstable or anything that actually went down, so, props again to JLA for the shocker. I certainly did expect Will to return, but I definitely didn't expect him when he did show up. I thought the cliffhanger was going to be Will showing up and shooting/killing someone after the successful mission, and we'd have to wait to see if they pulled through when the next book came out, so I was surprised there, too. I think I was just off my game in terms of suspicion with this book. 

What I Didn't Like:

• Katy. This isn't really a critique of the book, as, like I said, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I was very frustrated with Katy during this installment. She continually argues with Daemon about how strong and competent she is when a) she trusted Blake and got Adam killed last book and b) she trusted Blake and got herself captured and their only piece of opal stolen this book. I just think she's not as good at being an alien super spy as she thinks she is, so it really annoys me when she gets on her high horse and claims that. Also, she just doesn't learn. She lies to Daemon about Blake (again), by not telling Daemon about his feelings for her and the fact that he is sleeping in her bed, and, lo and behold, Blake's not to be trusted (again), and the sh*t has hit the fan because of him and Katy's trust in him (AGAIN). 
• Blake. Someone could have killed Blake so many times. (I'm fairly ruthless when it comes to fictional deaths, btw)

Final Thoughts:

• The Daemon and Katy in this book was out of this world, it really was. I did miss the chapter from Daemon's perspective in the back of this book, but the scenes in the text really made up for it. Once Katy quit being difficult, they were sweet and charming and fun and everything a YA romance should have. 
• I enjoyed the arcs of secondary characters like Dee, Ash, Andrew, etc. It's easy to lose sight of people like that when something like Mouth Weather happens, but JLA did a wonderful job fitting those sorts of things in with the rest of the plot. 
• I highly recommend this installment in the Lux series to anyone! I've got Origin on my end table right now, and I'm so excited for it!