Basically swearing and romantic elements. Thanks!

So I got my hands on a copy of "The Princess Spy"(Thanks online catalog of area libraries and inter library loan options!) and I too thought it was...ok. But for different reasons.

The romance didn't bother me. It was tame and I knew it was romance going in.

The biggest thing that kept me from really enjoying it was the lack of direction. I'm on a Narnian fansite. I'm a Christian. Yet I dislike things that shoehorn in Christianity where it doesn't make sense to the plot. Had the plot decided to focus on one or two themes and stick with them, that would have worked great. Want to make it about how vengeance isn't something that humans should peruse? Great. Focus on that. Want to make it about finding safety in dangerous places because it's God's will? Make it about that. If you want your story to have a moral, make it part of the plot, don't just awkwardly fit it in.

Another issue that I found awkward with it being Christian lit was the um...the time frame. So the author is clearly of the evangelical type. Cool cool. The problem is that it's set during the time of King Richard. Which means that if you're a noble, you're Catholic. So it's really,really odd having your characters espouse a modern form of protestant Christianity when characters in that time period that were actually that devout would be doing a lot more....Catholic-y things. I know it's nitpicky, but I think that's why authors like Levine and Hale really sucseed with their fairy tale retellings, they set them outside of history/the real world so that someone who knows a bit about history isn't going "So...um...why aren't there a lot more Hail Marys in here? Like I'm not Catholic, but I do understand that at this time you were either Catholic or you were in hiding."

*Sigh* OK, that was some historical nitpicking.

I'm currently listening to "Victoria" by Daisy Goodwin. It's the novel that the BBC Victoria was based on. It's really,really good so far. Daisy Goodwin obviously did her research, it's a biography that's written like a novel. It's good. For those who are concerned about content, I haven't run into any, but it is written for adults and it strives to follow history pretty closely and I do know from the show that there are some scandals that happen latter on (Which were pivotal to the stability of Victoria's reign in how she handled them). So basically it's a historical novel. It doesn't sugar coat history, tells it like it was. Take from that what you will for content.

Lately, I've read a series-that-shall-not-be-named (if you get that reference and want to chat about it, that's cool) and really enjoyed it and it is now a favorite. Also reread The Hobbit and read The Silmarillion, which was amazing, especially for someone who enjoys histories and mythos. I listenened to the audiobook As You Wish, a sort of "behind the scenes" narrative of The Princess Bride, narrated by Cary Elwes himself and a few of the castmates. Brilliant piece of work and hilarious! I don't believe there is anything of note, except for a few lines of dialogue in the film itself that one may find problematic. I have been assigned a few books for my medieval religion and culture history course, both of which are very intriguing but due to the nature of the particulars we discuss in the course, there are more than a few references to subject matter that may not be appropriate for younger readers.

Lately, I've read a series-that-shall-not-be-named (if you get that reference and want to chat about it, that's cool) and really enjoyed it and it is now a favorite. Also reread The Hobbit and read The Silmarillion, which was amazing, especially for someone who enjoys histories and mythos. I listenened to the audiobook As You Wish, a sort of "behind the scenes" narrative of The Princess Bride, narrated by Cary Elwes himself and a few of the castmates. Brilliant piece of work and hilarious! I don't believe there is anything of note, except for a few lines of dialogue in the film itself that one may find problematic. I have been assigned a few books for my medieval religion and culture history course, both of which are very intriguing but due to the nature of the particulars we discuss in the course, there are more than a few references to subject matter that may not be appropriate for younger readers.

OKAY FRIEND DM ME ABOUT THE SERIES
And I LOVE the Silmarillion. Random fact: A christian camp I went to in another state, one of my cabinmates said that was also his favourite book. And I have "Beleg Cuthalion" on a set of dog tags I have printed.
I have heard many great things about "As You Wish" tho I shall not read it myself.

Ohhhhhhhhkay so there is a sale I work twice a year, and I get basically almost first pick of anything I buy becuse of it. And soooo I checked the book section, and bought the first three Michael Vey books to read.
Anyone like those, or want to know about them?
I also bought the first of "A Series Of Unfortunate Events"

And I have "Beleg Cuthalion" on a set of dog tags I have printed.

😯 ......YES.

😯 ......YES.

😀 Thanks. I forgot what year I put up there but it's something I made up. BUt the other tag says Jack Sparrow.
I need to get them reprinted with more accurate information.

Anyhow the Michael Vey series is AMAZING. I have read most of the secnd book as well as the first and I admit that they are slightly...... disturbing in some parts, as the imagination fills in. And a few less appropriate ideas, but I have high standards.

I'm currently reading The Case for Christ...and The Silver Chair...and Hamlet...and maybe some other things. But mainly the first two.

Case for Christ is good stuff, isn't it? I read it earlier this year. 😀

Yes!

Btw, I finished Narnia yesterday and started Mere Christianity. I love it so far!

Mere Christianity is also good! Though I found it best if I read no more than two chapters at a time. Just had to give myself time to mull it over.

I (finally!) finished a book a friend had lent me a while ago called The Way They Learn, which is about learning styles. It's geared toward parents and teachers (neither of which I am) to help them learn about and adapt to children's learning needs. Quite good and I really, really appreciate the fact that the book acknowledges many times that no one will ever be fit into a single category, all nice and neatly and topped with a bow: everyone has elements of every learning style.

I'm so glad to have someone recognize that the learning styles aren't clear cut! I tend to be an audio learner who has to keep my hands busy while listening to things, but I'm also in a visual field. Which has worked out great for me because I'll do the visual work while listening to educational podcasts.

I've been reading a lot of "junk food" books lately. Mostly from the YA section. I'm not going to grad school until fall, but I'm binging on drivel before I have to go back to reading stuff with actual depth. A little Doctor Who novel here, a Jane Austen official fanfic there (Death Comes to Pemberly. The book's OK, I actually would recommend the miniseries before I recommended the book. the BBC miniseries is pretty much unchanged from the book and the book's a tad on the dry side, though well researched. It captures the characters well, just not that "spark", but the miniseries acting brings in the spark) and I started reading the Percy Jackson series, which is a fun little diversion for a mythology geek given that the author clearly did some research.

@Lucy
YA "junk food"? What about the Ranger's Apprentice series? I loved them but they certainly fit in that category 😀

THE PERCY JACKSON DFHSLFHLEHF hehehe I ove those so much Xd

I've actually not read Ranger's Apprentice, but it seems like something I probably eventually will read.

Junk Food would be pretty much anything that isn't required for me to analyze for a class or isn't non-fiction. 😛 Though I would probably exclude things that actually are meant to prove a point and/or take some time and thoughtfulness to read, like most classics.

I guess I'm just saying I'm doing some fun reading.

Ranger's Apprentice are certainly very good stories, although not high quality writing. But very very very enjoyable 😛

Yeah that makes sense. it's a good description for it. 😀

Spent three hours on the couch today since I'm crazy sore from yesterday's 1.5-to-2-hour workout (the couch was the most comfortable place to be; ordinarily, I would have been on the computer), so I put it to good use and finished American Sniper. (Warning: This book has a lot of foul language and several anecdotes that are not TLC-friendly! As much as I enjoyed the book overall, I do not recommend it.)

I intend on starting The Boy in the Striped Pajamas tomorrow.

And, since I decided I was going to join in on my library's winter reading program, I hope to do a lot of reading before the end of February. Which will hopefully mean that the number of unread items on my now-rendered-inadequate bookself will dwindle. 🙄

Jan 8 edit: Finished The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Starting The Book Thief tomorrow.