Month: November 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Least favorite characters

/ kaitlinbevis / Leave a comment

Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the Broke and the Bookish:

This week, my least favorite characters.

1) Bella Swan. I like the Twilight books, I do. But I HATE Bella Swan with a passion. It’s no reflection on the author. She’s a very realistic character. So realistic that I knew someone just like her. She’s SO passive and needy. I wrote an article on truu about how Twilight would be a great way to talk to teens about co-dependent relationships.

2) Sturm Brightblade from Dragonlance. He’s such a kill joy.

3) The adults in the Percy Jackson books. I know the humor in the stories is what makes it relatable to the middle grade audience, but I feel like every time the book is getting really interesting some adult character says or does something so off the wall and weird that it pulls me right out of the story. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that book series, and it an amazing example of great writing. I think it’s just a consequence of not being the intended audience.

4) Shay from Uglies. Ugh, I can’t even get into it. Uglies is one of my favorite series, I just hate Shay.

5) Faye from Secret Circle. I reread these books recently and could not believe how much this character annoyed me. I mean seriously, Cassie’s house is actively burning down with her mother trapped inside and Faye decides that’s a great time to shout out that Cassie kissed Diana’s boyfriend? How self involved do you have to be? Furthermore, really? The rest of the group bothered to listen to anything she was saying at that moment?

Everyone should read that book series though, it’s fantastic.

6) The main character from The Forest of Hands and Teeth, I don’t remember her name, but I remember actively hating her. She pretty much gets everyone in the book killed so she can swim in the ocean.

7) The dog from Parker Blue’s “Bite me” series. I might have actually liked the dog had it’s telepathic mind link dialogue format not be SET TO ALL CAPS. It’s a talkative character and I was so distracted by it SCREAMING at me throughout the second book that I couldn’t finish it. Love the first book in the series though.

8) The principal from Matilda. There are certain books and movies I’ll never again be able to watch because I’m a mother. Matilda is one of them.

9) Mr. Darling from Peter Pan.

10) Caroline from Vampire Diaries, the book version, not the show.

Character Interview with Hades and Persephone

/ kaitlinbevis / 2 Comments
These fun interview questions were written by Martha. It was my first “live” interview and it was a blast! You can see the interview where it was originally posted, here:
Character Interview with Hades & Persephone!

 

Welcome Persephone and Hades to booksbooks&morebooks! I am very stoked to have you both here with me to answer a few questions. I loved your story of love, coming into your own and life in the Underworld.
Now Hades lets start with you. When you figured out that Persephone was in danger from those very evil souls, what was the first thing that crossed your mind?
Hades (souls): The very first thing? I had to save her. I was worried she’d get hurt and I was afraid I wouldn’t get there in time. I don’t get scared very often. Pretty much never until I net her. And as weird as it is, that made me mad. I knew I had to save her of course, but she had the whole Underworld to roam safely and she ends up in Tartarus? It’s literally the only place in the entire Underworld that she could get hurt.
That makes sense. It’s hard keeping a stubborn person out of danger. *cough cough* Persephone!
Now Hades, why did you think that making Persephone your wife would be the best way to keep her away from Boreas’ reach? Was that really the only reason at the moment or was there another reason? *Quizzical face*
I don’t know. I think about that a lot. On the one hand I didn’t exactly have a lot of time. Boreas’ last victim nearly drowned herself in the Lethe trying to escape the memories of what he did to her. Persephone wouldn’t have had the luxury of dying. Cassandra told me what was happening and taking her to the Underworld was the easiest way to make sure she was out of harms way. My “plan” was just to pop up to the surface and evaluate the situation. Had it not been her… I don’t know, I might have tried harder to find another way.
Persephone: but even in retrospect, there wasn’t another way. I’m not exactly complaining about the arrangement.

 

Hehehehe I wouldn’t mind either Persephone. *blushes*
So Persephone how does it feel to be married to the Hades? I mean he’s the master of the Underworld. And at so young an age?
Hades: Marriage with the gods is mostly political. It’s not like–
Persephone: We’re not– I mean we haven’t– Erm what I mean is–
Hades: there’s a pretty significant age difference–
Persephone: I guess you could say its weird. It’s really really weird. We’re kind of figuring this out as we go.

 

*trying not to laugh* Ohhk.
Persephone describe Hades.

 

He’s not what I expected…
Hades: *groans* thank the gods, what was it you said? Something about expecting me to be all disfigured and twisted like my dark and evil soul?
Persephone: you were supposed to have flaming blue hair too. But I don’t just mean the way he looks, which incidentally… Wow!
Hades: *grins*
Persephone: he’s also really full of himself. Its pretty annoying. But He’s nice. He cares about people. He works really hard to make the underworld nice for the souls and he cares about his friends…. He’s gone above and beyond for me, and he’s honest. I mean beyond the not being able to lie thing. I trust him. Absolutely.
Trust is very important! Especially when two people are married. Now Hades it’s your turn. Describe Persephone. Be honest now.
Well she’s blonde, about five foot, has green eyes, and wears lots of skirts.
-.- very descriptive Hades. No really what is Peraephone like?
She’s… I don’t know, good. Better than the lot of us anyhow. She cares about people, not how she can best use them, and I don’t have to try to interpret everything she says. She’s like… light or air or something necessary. I can’t imagine– anyway, you get the idea.

 

Hades and Persephone. This question is for the both of you: what is next? What is going on with you two at the moment?
Hades: We’re going to be pretty busy dealing with… Something we’ve just discovered
Persephone: *under her breath* you have no idea…
Hades: I don’t want to go into too many details, but that… Project is going to take precedence over anything else.
O.O ahhhh I’m so excited! And very intrigued!
Thank you Hades and Persephone for answering my questions! I hope to read more from you two soon.
Thanks! 🙂

Thursday Review: Walking the Dog

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Walking the Dog, by Linda Benson captured my attention this morning and kept me reading until I finished the last page. I finished it in one sitting, which is no easy feat when you have a three year old wanting crazy things, like breakfast.

Walking the Dog is intended for a middle grade audience, though I think the story could be enjoyed by a much older audience. Jared Westen is an average sixth grade boy who struggles in math and is really annoyed by his little brother (I was with him there). Everything is going great for him until he notices Sophie Best.

She’s beautiful, even with the scar on her face, but his parents don’t want him to hang around her because she has a troubled past. Jared finds a way around this by volunteering to walk dogs with her at the animal shelter.

I enjoyed the book, and I was really surprised at how riled up I got reading it. I hated his parents. Hated them. His mom expects Jared to watch his little brother all the time, and at one point in the book says something about how it’s his responsibility not to let anything happen to him. You know whose responsibility it is to make sure nothing happens to a child? The parents. Period. When his little brother goes missing later in the book, I was kind of hoping Jared would say something to his mother like “you lost track of him? But he’s your son. He’s your responsibility, how could you have let this happen.” Which if you’re wondering is verbatim what his mother said to him at a point in the book. Their stance regarding Sophie was ridiculously selfish and unfair. And had their actions been presented in a favorable light, I wouldn’t have enjoyed this book. But they weren’t, so they put me strongly in Jared’s camp.

I think this was a great read, and Linda Benson is definitely an author to keep an eye out for. I think her name is going to get pretty well known if she keeps releasing books like Walking the Dog, The Girl Who Remembered Horses, and Six Degrees of Lost.