Teaser Tuesday #3--Rage

It's teaser Tuesday again.  Today, I'm highlighting RAGE by Jackie Morse Kessler.

Here is how Teaser Tuesday works:

- Grab your current read.

- Open to a random page.

-In the comment section, share a few “teaser” sentences (maybe a short paragraph) from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (That means, make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

- Remember to show the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Story:  (From the back cover.)

Missy didn't mean to cut so deep.  But after the party where she was humiliated in front of practically everyone in school, who could blame her for wanting some comfort? Sure, most people don't find comfort in the touch of a razorblade, but Missy always was...different.

That's why she was chosen to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War.  Now Missy wields a new kind of blade--a big, brutal sword that can cut down anyone and anything in her path. But it's with this weapon in her hand that Missy learns something that could help her triumph over her own pain: control.

The Teaser:

"Be seeing you," Adam said.

Not if she could help it.  Missy fled down the hall, her ears ringing with the Matts' laughter, her stupid body reminding her just how much she missed being with Adam.  And that slowly turned to panic. The familiar feeling of suffocation leeched its way through her, making each breath torture, and her heart screamed behind the prison of her ribs.

She thought desperately of her lockbox, tucked safely away in her closet.

Not again, she told herself. Not again.

Whether she meant Adam or her razorblade, Missy couldn't say.

Your turn! Grab your nearest novel and give us a teaser. 

Teaser Tuesday #2--Ship Breaker

It's Teaser Tuesday again! YIPPIE! I'm very excited about this idea. This week, I've started SHIPBREAKER by Paolo Bacigalupi.

Here is how Teaser Tuesday works:
- Grab your current read.
- Open to a random page.
-In the comment section, share a few “teaser” sentences (maybe a short paragraph) from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (That means, make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Remember to show the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


The story: (From the back cover)

In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being disassembled for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works on the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quote--and hopefully have enough to eat.  But when, by luck or chance, he discovers and exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life:Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life.

The Teaser:


Pima drew her work knife. "Here."


Nailer made a face of disgust.  "You just going to chop her fingers off?"


"No worse than cutting the head off a chicken.  And at least she's not gonna squawk and flap around." Pima set the knife against the girl's finger. "Do it with me?"


"Where do I cut?"


"On the joint," Pima indicated.  "You can't cut through the bone.  This way, they pop right off."


Nailer shrugged and got out his own knife.  He set it against the joint where it would part easily.  He pressed his blade into the girl's flesh.  Blood welled up as he cut. 


The girl's black eyes blinked. 

Teaser Tuesday--Dark Song

Hello all!
Thanks to my friend over at http://literatisliterarylibrary.blogspot.com, I've decided to begin what's called Teaser Tuesday. (Be sure to stop over to her blog, follow, and check out the awesomeness that happens there.)

Here is how Teaser Tuesday works:
- Grab your current read.
- Open to a random page.
-In the comment section, share two (2 or 3) “teaser” sentences (maybe a short paragraph) from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (That means, make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Remember to show the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!




Dark Song-- By Gail Giles
pp.198
{Mark} stood up, no longer leaning.  "But there's something else.  I felt like I was steel and you were a magnet. I had a gut feeling I could tell you my secrets and you wouldn't betray me."  Now his eyes penetrated mine, and I shivered. "There's something dark in you, Ames, that was searching for the dark in me." He turned and left the room.


That's it. Now, go grab your current read and give us a teaser. :)  

Point of View Poll

Hello, all!
So, I've officially started a new book today, and already, I have a problem: POINT OF VIEW.

When the characters first start talking to me, I hear their voices in 1st person.  But when I start to write, I work it out in 3rd person.  I find it's easier to narrate the action that way. I've written the first chapter in both 1st and 3rd, and I still can't decide.

So, help me out here:
Which do you like to read best? 1st person or 3rd person?
Which do you like to write best?
What problems do you have when working with either of those Points of View?

I still love you

Dear Read Between the Lines Blog,
You may have recently heard that I started another blog. Don't worry, I still love you, and I promise, I won't ignore you. My problem is that I have things to say other than discussing books, and, unfortunately, I cannot use you to say them. Please forgive me.

I will still continue to read and use you to discuss these works of art. However, for my daily musings and stories, I must use your sister, "Ramblings of a Rabid Writer" found at therabidwriter.blogspot.com.

For all you followers, I'd love to have you follow me there as well!

Disappointed.

I have high expectations for books, and most of them really live up to at least half of my expectations.  If they reach more than half, they're on my list of freakin awesome books.  However, every once in a while, my expectations are dashed, stomped on and thrown in the trash right along side the rabid possum. (No, really, but that's a whole other story!) What's worse is that I don't want to write about books like these.  I would much rather rave about a fantastic story and tell you all to rush to your nearest indie to buy it. (That's independent bookstore for all of my non-book loving followers and few family members who will have no clue what I mean.)

Unfortunately, this stinkin book won't leave me alone. I finally finished Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. If you notice on my 'What I'm reading" list, I think I started it back in November.  I just finished it. I know most people just give up when they can't get through a book.  Not me. I'm the 'power through to the end no matter how long it takes' type.  I can't help it.  I have to give the author at least that much respect for having a published novel.  But this one was painful most of the way through.

The premise is fantastic. A group of teens create an underground internet to subvert the government after being treated like terrorists. It's hailed as a cyber geek rebellion.  I love this kind of story...most of the time.  Here's the main problem I had with this story:  There was too much description of how this underground internet thing worked.  Pages upon pages of explanations about privacy keys and unlocking someone else's stuff if you had this but not that and only on the third Tuesday of the month if it was raining.  I COULDN'T FOLLOW.

I get that there has to be some amount of explanation for a futuristic novel like this one, but it was way too much. So much it took away from the story. Then all the weird groups these kids organized were just strange and I couldn't fully understand the purpose of them. One was a group dressed like vampires who gathered in the middle of a train station and yelled, "bite, bite, bite,bite,bite" at each other in order to kill one another.  Apparently, it was supposed to be some distraction that went awry, but I didn't catch that.  It just seemed incredibly bizarre.

I can't even describe any more. Let's just say, after months of taking little bite, bite, bite, bite, bites out of this story, I barely survived.

So how about you?  Are you the type to finish a book no matter how difficult, or do you put it down when you lose interest?  What are the books you just couldn't stomach?

Hush Hush--Becca Fitzpatrick

According to Scripture, we all live in a fallen world.  This seems like an obvious statement.One look around shows us the evil humans inflict on one another. But what if there's more to this fallen world than meets the eye? What if, in addition to us, there were other fallen creatures?

The Bible talks about the fallen angels, led my Lucifer, who, though once an arch angel, became the Devil when his jealousy of God got in the way. Our ideas about the fallen angels come more from John Milton's 'Paradise Lost.' While a work of fiction, it's considered to be accurately based in the scriptures and, in my opinion, is a probable description of what may have happened in the beginning. (Thank you Dr. Hurley for making me read it!)

In Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush Hush, fallen angel, Patch, attempts to become human. He didn't follow after Lucifer. Rather, he "fell" for love. It gives new meaning to the phrase "falling in love!" Ah yes, love, the strange, crazy things it makes us do!

And then there's Nora Grey.  She's not interested in a relationship when she has grades to focus on. But there's something about Patch that sucks her in. The problem is she can't decide if she can trust him. Something about him isn't quite right. But let's admit the obvious, there's something about a dangerous side that intrigues even the strongest of us.

After reading some reviews on this book, I've discovered some people find the fact that Nora is attracted to Patch's dangerous side ridiculous. They think having her follow after him after he's thrown her a snide remark or treated her like trash is ludicrous and degrading to any strong young woman. What young girl in her right mind would do such a thing?  Um... Have you been in a local high school lately?  Do you know any teen girls?  Yeah, enough said.

How many movies have you seen where the monster is hiding in the closet and the heroine still reaches for the door nob? How many times have you personally known something might not have been on the up and up, but you still stepped through the door or answered the call or chosen something dangerous?  It's part of our fallen nature to be curious about what we can't control, to test the boundaries of safety, and to be attracted to danger. I wish it weren't the case.

But on the up side, just as in all of us, we have to fight our fallen nature, so does Patch. He has to decide if the  mission he began is the one he wants to finish. Sure it would include personal gain, but sometimes there are times when we need to set aside our own personal gain and come to the aid of others.

Does Patch do this? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Inanimate object POV

I've recently joined the Sinclairville Library's new writer's group, Pen and Quill. Our most recent assignment was to write a short piece from the perspective of an inanimate object. 
Here's mine:

It’s all up to me.  Every day it’s the same thing.  She expects me to do all the work. Why she can’t wake up on her own, I’ll never know.  No, she lays the responsibility on me every time.  I know her expectations, or maybe they’re threats. “Wake me up.” “Warm my hands.” “Clear my throat.” “You better be gratifying, or else!” Of course, she can’t find someone else to do her dirty work.  Oh no. Never. Can’t you feel the weight of this responsibility? If she doesn’t focus well at work, it’s my fault.  If she’s sleepy in the afternoon, my fault! And God forbid she be grouchy in the morning.  That makes my job a thousand times worse. 

And then there’s the issue of that same green thing she likes to use every morning.  Yeah, you know. The one with the pretty leaves, or, even worse, the *gasp* high heeled one! Yes, high heels.  I know.  It’s sickening for someone like me, a robust, full bodied guy, to have to endure that. But I do it anyway because it’s my job, and despite the difficulties, I’m good at my job.

But I have to admit.  I do love the cool of her hands around me.  And the soft hum in her throat as I settle down. It’s the satisfaction she expects from me.  Yes, I complain. But giving her what she wants? It satisfies me too. 

I'm assuming you know what it is.  Leave your answer in the comments. 

Matched--Ally Condie

So, I've become a total freak about dystopian novels. The more I read them, the more I like them.  I'm picky, however.  I'm not as much into the ones that have a heavy sci-fi side, which is why I loved Ally Condie's Matched.

When I was in high school (Come on, it wasn't THAT long ago!),  we had to read 1984.  I don't think  many kids have to read this for English class these days, though I hope I'm wrong in that assumption. I didn't realize it then, but I think that's what started my love for the dystopian novel. It's all about the hope that even when the odds are against you, you still fight. No matter how big the problem is, no matter how insurmountable it may seem, you still have to try. I love to see a character, who at first seems passive and weak, find strength and passion within him or herself.

WARNING--SPOILERS

As the book opens, Cassia Reyes is 17 and headed to her matching ceremony.  It's the time when she'll find out who she is to marry.  In her world, society has figured out how to perfectly match young people so they will have successful marriages and healthy children.  Disease and malformations are rare.  What's even more rare is when she's matched to Xander, her best friend. They grew up together and know each other, unlike the others her age who are matched with people from around the country.

Her life seems absolutely perfect until she's looking through the microchip that gives information about Xander and sees another boy's face.  Another boy she knows.

The problem is Ky Markham isn't allowed to be matched.  He's an Aberration.  Now, in a society where everything is chosen for her, Cassia has to decide if she will choose the life created for her or create one of her own.

If this book, as seen in others like it, creates teams for the love interest, I am totally Team Ky. He's real in a way Xander can't be. Ky is freer to choose his own life because of his status.  Now, that doesn't mean he isn't subdued by society's rules, but Ky is smart enough to manipulate the rules and fly under the radar. Xander is just as smart, discovering Ky's secret of purposely remaining average, but he has no desire to change.  In this world, you take what you're given, and Xander seems content with that.  He doesn't have the history of another, wilder place like Ky does. It's Ky's experiences that make him unique and intriguing to Cassia.

Isn't that true of all of us?  Our pasts, be them good or bad, make us who we are today. They allow us insight into life in ways others can't see.  The things we love, the things we notice and appreciate (Books, poetry, music, etc) all stem from our own personal history and experiences.

 Let me give you a personal example: When I was growing up, we used to make fun of my Dad who would sit at the dinner table spouting Greek, Latin and Hebrew to us.  "Pedantic comes from the Latin root ped, meaning foot," he'd say. "It's the same root we get in the word pedal." This was common practice, and though I don't remember all the roots,--Sorry Dad--I gained his love for language, words and how they're put together. I chose my path based on this. My experiences with language shaped my love for it. Now, I wish I had paid closer attention to my father all those years ago.

So, I ask you, where do you come from?  What past experiences made you who you are? What shaped you to love the things you love? Do you like to listen to swing music or eat black licorice? (Thanks again, Dad!) Are you a person of faith? Do you love poetry? Books? Sports? Coffee? And do you ever wonder who you'd be if that person, that influence hadn't been around? Think about it. What would be missing from your life if one person or experience hadn't happened?