Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Okay at the risk of sounding like an obsessed fan I might have to tone down my absolute love for Brandon Sanderson's style. . . . Or not! He is so great at creating life like characters in worlds that exceed my imagination. He infuses real-world issues into fantasy worlds that make me never want to put the book down.

In this book, we follow the main characters (Sarene, Raoden, and Hrathen) on journey of love, power, and religious beliefs. Each character struggles to overcome personal issues and find their true selves. In the end, each is left better for it. I marvel at Sanderson's ability to humanize all his characters even the "evil" ones. His abiltiy to blur the line between good and evil creates an intense plot line that keeps you guessing until the very end. I can never figure out where he is taking his plot, and I love his books all the more for it. Everyone please pick up this book and start reading like yesterday.

Pretties, Uglies, That's where I stopped.

Pretties and Uglies belongs to a four book series. I lost interest after Uglies. They're quick reads and decent plot lines. It is a young adult series, and it is quit apparent that it's targeted toward teens and tweens. The plot is easy to guess, but an enjoyable way to loose yourself in teenage drama for a couple of hours. I recommend it if you're looking for a quick beach/lake/camping read. But don't get your hopes up for any super revelation; the message of the book sticks right on the surface. If you like digging for meaning I'd probably pick up some Shakespeare or Hardy.

Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy

I recently read this book, and I though the review below described it better than I ever could.

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. What does sexy mean today? Levy, smartly expanding on reporting for an article in New York magazine, argues that the term is defined by a pervasive raunch culture wherein women make sex objects of other women and of ourselves. The voracious search for what's sexy, she writes, has reincarnated a day when Playboy Bunnies (and airbrushed and surgically altered nudity) epitomized female beauty. It has elevated porn above sexual pleasure. Most insidiously, it has usurped the keywords of the women's movement (liberation, empowerment) to serve as buzzwords for a female sexuality that denies passion (in all its forms) and embraces consumerism. To understand how this happened, Levy examines the women's movement, identifying the residue of divisive, unresolved issues about women's relationship to men and sex. The resulting raunch feminism, she writes, is a garbled attempt at continuing the work of the women's movement and asks, how is resurrecting every stereotype of female sexuality that feminism endeavored to banish good for women? Why is laboring to look like Pamela Anderson empowering? Levy's insightful reporting and analysis chill the hype of what's hot. It will create many aha! moments for readers who have been wondering how porn got to be pop and why feminism is such a dirty word.

This book did just that. There were so many times when I would look up from the book and say out loud "OMG she is right!" or "Ah, I see!" or something like that. It was an eyeopener. I didn't realize there were so many contradictions in today's idea of Feminism. Before reading it, I had not been able to decide if exhibitionism can really be empowering, even if some women feel empowered, and this book really helped me sort out how I feel about it (objectification!). It also made me realize more and more that it is not okay for men to call someone a pussy, or tell a woman to "man up" and the like. It is demeaning! This book will enlighten you, and I strongly suggest everyone of every gender read it!

The Gathering Storm, Brandon Sanderson & Robert Jordan

I thought I would continue on the Brandon Sanderson theme. I recently re-read the Wheel of Time series when the 12th book was released, so I was primed and ready to take Brandon Sanderson for a test drive, to see if his writing style held up the the great Robert Jordan. OMG did it ever. Don't get me wrong, I love Jordan's style, but books 8 & 9 were slower and even boring at points. 10 & 11 were much better, but Sanderson's voice was a breath of fresh air. He brought the focus back to the characters we love, he rounded out their personalities more, and brought more humor to the book. It was non-stop enjoyment. Actually I could not stop reading it. When I wasn't, it was all I was thinking about. Haha. Creepy? Whatever. I love book. This book had some great turns and great action; thank goodness Mrs.Jordan chose Sanderson to complete one of the best series of all time. I have complete faith the remaining 3 books will be fantastic. Go read them!!