Tag Archives: Shatter Me

Finifugal

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Thanks to otherwordly on Tumblr, I introduce to you the finifugal mentality that I’ve been swimming in lately.  Over the past two years I have been accumulating 1,001 Young Adult novels in my virtual library, and I have fallen victim to the end-of-a-series/novel doldrums.

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Sunday night I finished the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver.

Lauren Oliver

I will have a full review of Pandemonium & Requiem, but here is my review from long ago of Delirium.  Thankfully, Ms. Oliver swopped in to save me from the finifugal, vise grip of death that I was suffering from when I completed Unravel Me, the sequel to Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi.

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(Review of Shatter Me)

Last night I scrolled through the pages of my Kindle app, hopefully, desperately seeking the next novel that I simply HAD TO READ.  It was nowhere to be found.  Does that mean that all of the titles represented subpar writing?  Of course not, but in my delusional state of conclusional satisfaction there would be no book that could come next and be given a legit opportunity for me to see past page five.  This has happened to me exactly four other times.  They are listed below in least to greatest sense of “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

4.  The Hunger Games series

3.  Looking for Alaska by John Green

2.  Shatter Me series

1.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The good news is that I am one of the few who can get as much satisfaction from rereading a novel as I do from the first time; scratch that!  I can achieve a consistent 95% satisfaction rate from rereading a novel as I did from the first time.  However, I must allow myself at least a one-novel buffer in between novelcations, the trip that you take into the world of a novel that gives you relief from your own worrisome existence.

Right now, I am not sure where my literature life will take me; I have dozens if not hundreds of titles to choose from to begin.  I am hoping to break freak from my finifugal mopes before the day is over.  This may mean that I cleanse my palette with a little John Green.  Will keep you updated, as I’m sure you wait with breath that is baited.

 

 

Top Three to Five

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Happy Thursday morning to you all!

Now that I’m a celebrity for having met a celebrity, it feels even more rewarding to have read this blog.

“I’ve read the post that was written by the woman who stepped aboard the Time Bandit and shook hands with commercial fishermen who are featured on a Discovery Channel reality show.”

Truth.  But since I’m still in a delusional, elevated state of stature, and this is MY blog, I thought I would give you a glimpse behind the 4th wall into the real Fancy Oatmeal.  Give the people what they want!

Top Five Favorite Fruits:

  1. Strawberries
  2. Blueberries
  3. Grapefruit
  4. Bananas
  5. Pineapple

Top Five Favorite Childhood Memories:

  1. Going to the coffee shop with my grandpa – he ordered us double root beers
  2. Friday breakfasts with my mom at McDonalds – more so the experience than the food
  3. Playing music with my dad – guitar and piano duo on Camp Town Racers that would bring a tear to your eye
  4. WWF and pizza parties with my Uncle Mike
  5. Playing Dress Up with cousins – thanks for the wardrobe loan, Mom

Top Three Strings of “Curses” I Give:

  1. Ugh!  Blast it all to holla!
  2. What the flip are you talkin’ ’bout?
  3. Oh you dirty birdy!

Top Five Books I’ve Read this Year:

  1. The Hunger Games
  2. Shatter Me
  3. Divergent
  4. Rereading my favorite play, “Othello”
  5. The first three chapters of The Game of Thrones

Top Five Favorite TV Shows I DVR:

  1. Grey’s Anatomy
  2. New Girl
  3. Survivor
  4. Dexter
  5. Modern Family

Top Three Questions that Cause Me to  Bang My Head on the Table:

  1. “That was homework?!?!”
  2. “Can I go to the bathroom? Why not? Please? Please? Please?”
  3. “So you want me to put the clothes in the dryer BEFORE I go to bed?”

Top Three Excuses I Give for Not Working Out:

  1. I’m tired
  2. I’m already running behind; I won’t be able to get in my real workout
  3. My stomach is too full from the last night to be bouncing around on a treadmill

Top Five Most Repeated Meals I Make on St. Paul Island:

  1. Steamed Stir Fry vegetables w/Soy Sauce + Chicken Breast
  2. Turkey Sandwich
  3. Hummus, Baby Carrots rolled up in a Whole Wheat Tortilla Shell
  4. Cereal
  5. Sandwich Thin Pizzas under the broiler

Top Three Vacation Destinations I Haven’t Gone to:

  1. Hawaii
  2. England
  3. Vancouver

Top Five Exercise Moves:

1.  Reaching for the bowl of popcorn

  1. Squat
  2. Backward Lunge
  3. Bicep Curl
  4. Crunches on a Balance Ball
  5. Wall Sit

Top Three Running Distances:

  1. Five Miles
  2. 5k
  3. 10 Miles

Top Three Jobs I Would Kick Ass at if I Didn’t Become a Teacher:

  1. Magazine / Book Reader – sort of like a food taster that worked for the king or queen.  Quality control really
  2. Closet Organizer
  3. Efficiency Control for Travel Packing

Top Five Reasons I Will Never Be a Millionaire: 

  1. My parents aren’t millionaires
  2. I don’t play the lottery
  3. I’m bad with money
  4. I’m too lazy to earn it myself
  5. Who needs the pressure?!?!

Top Three Reasons Why I Love Blogging:

  1. As Madonna would say, “Express Yourself”
  2. It’s cheaper than therapy
  3. It keeps me from bugging Dear Hubby when he’s trying to watch sports or play XBOX

Top Three Things I’m Happy About Today:

1.  Killed a 4 mile run

2. Blasted out a Lower Body workout – 3xs through

3. Bering Sea Days – Day Three!

What I’m Reading Thursday – Silence

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Good morning, and welcome to another riveting edition of “What I’m Reading” Thursday.  I’m proud to say that I have actually committed to and executed two consecutive weekly themed postings.  I don’t know if that has ever happened.  It’s the only form of streaking that I can fully support…unless Ryan Reynolds suggests it.

Deal

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Very early on this week, I finished reading the third installment of the “Hush, Hush” series. You can find my review of the first two books here.

When I last left Nora and Patch, she was ready to give into the temptation of a love affair that could end in the eternal damnation of her soul when all dirty thoughts of being a teenage tease crashed around the couple.  Crescendo ended abruptly and readers were held on Pause until the beginning of Silence.  Almost knowing what 30-something women hormonal teenager girls need, Becca Fitzpatrick gives us an amnesia stricken Nora and the setup for her to perhaps fall in love with Patch all over again.  ::Swoon:: Cancel that.  ::Barf::

Ok, so what gives, Fancy Oatmeal?  I thought you loved that mushy crap and that’s why you lurved Divergent and Shatter Me so much.

Well the truth is that I just don’t really care for the character of Nora very much.  She has an explosive and irrational temperament that gets her into predicaments that simply frustrates the reader.  It was this eruption of irrationality that caused a break up in Crescendo, made Nora a victim in order for her big buff boyfriend to save her from.  And this helplessness didn’t end in Silence.   He was even assigned to be her guardian angel.  From moment one of amnesia, she felt Patch’s presence.  She still needed a guy to save her be her salvation.  Nora’s mother was also painted as a love-struck female.  She stayed out of the picture for the majority of the first two novels, but in Silence she was a blinded, love-sick fool for another all-powerful man.  The only strong-willed girl in the novel was Nora’s best friend, Vee Sky.  If only Becca Fitzpatrick could give a little more meat to her main character as she does to the narrative aspect of the novel.

My overall assessment of Silence is that it is an engaging novel and is excellently written, even if the female characters make you want to rip your hair out.  I would give this book 3.5 bookmarks out of 5.

Next on my Reading List

I have started reading the book, Delirium by Lauren Oliver.  Here a short synopsis:

In Delirium, by Lauren Oliver love is forbidden.  Not only is it forbidden but if you show any signs of love you could be put to death.  Lena Holway is terrified of catching the disease.  It has been known to run in families and Lena’s own mother was driven mad and committed suicide because of it.  Counting down the days until she can be cured for good, Lena meets Alex, who makes her heart skip a beat.  Finding out the truth about Love and who Alex is, is only the beginning of Lena’s discoveries.