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Book Review: Lockwood and Co.: The Screaming Staircase
The world that we know and are familiar with no longer exists. The street lights come on well before night fall and continue shining until the day breaks again. Adults stay afraid and the children of the world become the only hope for survival. You see, something has happened in the world, and the dead don’t stay dead for long, at least the bodies stay dead. The spirits, however, can’t seem to stay away.
The Problem began and now children everywhere are the front line, the ones fighting ghosts, specters, and scary things in general. Even though the kids are doing all the intensive, frightening, labor intensive type things that involve the dispelling of the more sinister apparitions, the adults still try to control them. That’s where Lockwood and Co comes in, the only adult free psychic investigations unit in London.
Lucy Carlyle shows up on the Lockwood and Co. doorstep for her seventh interview in seven days. Her last job, thanks to the adult who chose not to listen and to Lucy’s own mistake of not listening to her own instincts, did not end well, so she’s in London trying to start fresh. Anthony Lockwood, young and determined to prove himself in this adult driven worlds, hires Lucy on the spot because of her special talents.
Lucy, who can truly hear, Lockwood, who can truly see, and George, a disgusting slob with the inclinations of a scientist, are the three individuals who might just be able to make a name for themselves. Through a series of mis-adventures, Lockwood, George, and Lucy end up on a daring mission in one of the most severely haunted homes in all of England. Where others have failed, how will three kids be successful against such foes?
This book was a bit of a slow starter for me, mainly because of a few time jumps that I wasn’t quite ready for. In the end, I’m glad I stuck it out. George was smart and sloppy, Lucy clever, and Lockwood was a character, let’s just leave it at that. The story was so original that I loved the storyline almost as much as I loved the characters. There was a lot of time spent on background knowledge, which worked out nicely because there will definitely be a sequel. Too many loose ends were left and I have a feeling that Lucy has a few talents up her sleeve that even she doesn’t understand.
So, go check this book out. I loved it!
The House at the End of Hope Street: A Review
I love books that have a little bit of that magical flair. More than a little bit and I feel as if I’ve hit the reading jack pot. The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna Van Praag is full of magic, from a house that seems to pop up just as you need it, ghosts and portraits that give, sometimes unwanted, advice, and a 99 day chance for a young woman to get her life back on track, this novel keeps the reader enchanted.
When Alba, an extraordinary genius with unbelievable sight, experiences the worst event of her life (she’s not exaggerating either), she wanders the streets with no idea what should happen next. That’s when the house pops up out of nowhere, big and Victorian with vines of wisteria and the smells of calm hovering in the air, and reaches to her like a mother reaches for a hurting child. As you read on, you learn that the house has been rescuing women, especially soon to be famous women like Agatha Christie and Virginia Woolf, for 200 years.
Alba’s story quickly becomes entwined with the three other women in the house, one hiding from her past, one scared of her future, and the wonderful woman, Peggy, who keeps the house and helps the young women who cross the threshold. One of my favorite parts of this book was the way that the characters stories became so connected. Originally, I was concerned that this was going to be a story of stories, instead of a fluid whole, but Van Praag didn’t disappoint.
Even though the pages are full of heartbreaking life events, you learn, along with the women experiencing them, that one “must be allowed to feel her grief, must dive headlong into despair, before she can emerge again, her spirit richer and deeper than before” (46). While trying to find herself in all of the madness of her life, Alba is also on the search, rather reluctantly sometimes, for her father, who makes the story even more rich.
Although I loved the book, the characters, the story, the mysteries that unravel one tiny strand at a time, I didn’t love the number of perspectives that the story was told from. Almost every character gets his or her say, which made me feel like my favorites didn’t get enough time with the spotlight. I also had a hard time, whether because of the different circumstances or perspective, relating with Greer, one of the women living in the house.
I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I think it was exactly the book that I needed to read! Follow the link and get your own copy! You won’t be disappointed.
A New Year
A new year is once again here. When I was young, it seemed like time would not move fast enough. I spent my summers wishing for school and my school years wishing for summer. IN the past couple of years, even when school has been horrible or the heat has been unbearable, I’ve tried to focus on living in the now. As a planner, that is no easy task.
2013 was amazing. IMy friends and family are good and healthy, my marriage is thriving, my home is beautiful, my puppies are happy, and I’ve been writing almost everyday. I wrote another novel in 2013, read a lot of books, and enjoyed my life.
For the last two years, my resolutions have been writing centered, and this year will be no different. Well, maybe a little different. This year, for the next 364 days, I want to succeed at writing everyday. I’m going to go through the novel One Year to a Writing Life by Tiberghien. I want to push myself in more directions than just fiction. I want to try my hand at some fiction that is short, write some creative nonfiction, and journal without feeling like I’m not writing “what I should be writing.”
So, my writing and reading resolutions for the new year.
1. Read 52 books.
- 52 books means reading one book a week. In summer I can do more, but during school I feel this is an admirable goal.
2. Review the books here!
- This serves a dual purpose. I want to blog more, therefor if I am reviewing the 52 books that I read, that will be at minimum one post a week. That’s a win.
3. Write everyday- for fun!
- I write a lot, but I sometimes forget that I love to write. I make this crazy difficult deadlines for myself and forget to enjoy the process. Whether fun means a journal entry, a blog post, or words on my WIP, I want my writing to be fun.
So, there you have it. If you are interested in following what I’m reading, add me as a friend on GoodReads! Happy New Year people!
Day 21-26: Catch UP
I know, I know. I’m behind. Luckily for you all, I’m very good at catching up. This will be a whirlwind of information that will leave you feeling like you’ve only seen snapshots of my life instead of reading my autobiography. It is what it is.
Day 21: Write about your most embarrassing moments.
In the same way that it is difficult to make me angry, it is also difficult to embarrass me. I think I am most embarrassed when I think that I am right, only to be proven wrong. When I was young, I was always right. Now that I’m a little bit older, I rarely ever take a side on anything because I realize that right and wrong aren’t always exclusive.
Day 22: What is your style?
If you had asked me this question in high school, I would have had to answer punk/goth. It’s kind of funny that I thought I was so “hardcore” when now I’m just normal. I really love the hipster look, so I would probably associate myself with that.
Day 23: Write about one of your guilty pleasures.
Chips and Salsa. Hands down. I could almost eat chips and salsa for breakfast. You all know that I am fairly healthy. I eat clean most of the time (excluding holidays, I am from the South remember). I love salty chips paired with super hot salsa. It is what it is. Another guilty pleasure is the movie Legally Blonde, but we’ve already talked about that.
Day 24: Write about your day.
Christmas Eve was a whirlwind of packing to go to Orlando. For Christmas this year my mother and father-in-law purchased the entire family a trip to Universal Studios in Florida. That’s right, I got to go to Harry Potter Land.
I almost cried when I walked into HP Land. It was like coming home. I know you think I’m being dramatic, but I cannot explain to you how much Harry Potter meant to me growing up and how much it means to me now as an adult. We had butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks and rode a couple of dragons. I decided that Slytherin should be my house, even though I don’t like my house’s bad name. I got a Slytherin mug and Nathan got a Ravenclaw mug, we both got scarves for our house, and we got a Hogwart’s crest blanket. It was amazing and I loved every minute of it.
Day 25: If you could meet one fictional character, whom would it be?
This is the post that will be most difficult for me, mainly because I have no idea how to choose just one. If I said Dumbledore, I would want to say McGonagall; if I said Harry, I would need to include Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. So I’m going to exclude Harry Potter from my list of characters. Doing that makes it a smaller list, but still huge. Would I meet Tom Sawyer and ask him about growing up? Or Kendra and Seth in the Fablehaven Series? There are all the characters in The Great Tree of Avalon series that I fell in love with growing up, as well as Ben and Sorrel and Firedrake in Dragon Rider by Funke. Most recently, there is Alba in The House at the End of Hope Street, so much like me and so different all at once. I just can’t decide. I have read too many books and had too many characters help me find my way to choose just one.
Day 26:Explain why you chose your username.
When I become a published author, I will still teach. I am Mrs. Bazyk at school and as an author I will be C.C. Riley.
This is where I will stop for today. Tomorrow I will catch up the rest of the way. Again, I’m sorry for all the posts all at once, but a family emergency caused me to need to leave town unexpectedly. I will happily tell you all that all is well. Happy Christmas, and any other holiday that you may find yourself celebrating.
Day 20: What are your hobbies and why do you like them?
For people who work only 40 hours per week (and who still gets to do that anyway?), that person will work 30% of his life. Another 30% is spent sleeping. What we do with that other 40% is completely up to us.
For December Challenge day 20, you get to hear all about mine and Madi’s hobbies, and if you are my student reading this, prepare to see how boring I actually am.
So my number one hobby is writing. I would like this hobby to eventually become a source of income for myself. Eve if it doesn’t, it wouldn’t matter. One day my children will inherit all of my journals and they can read all about me and whom I was and whom I wanted to be.
I also count exercise as a hobby, mainly because I really enjoy it. I’m happy that I have met my weight loss goals and how I exercise (running and yoga are my favorites) because it makes me happy. It really isn’t something that I struggle with anymore.
Remodeling and redecorating the house ranks in the top five because that is something that Nathan and I can do together. We get to spend time together and make our home more beautiful. Right now we’re in the middle of planning a kitchen remodel.
Reading is another “hobby” but like writing I could never give it up. Ever. I love the feeling of being transported to another place and time, of meeting new people and being inspired. Experience equals wisdom, but reading helps you get ahead of the game.
So, a few hobbies from me should equal a few hobbies from you! What are your hobbies?
Day 18: Who is your idol?
Here we go on Day 18 of December. The challenges are getting a little harder to write because, and I bet Madi can attest to this, I’m getting tired of writing to a prompt. There is a free day coming up soon thankfully! How is your writing going? Are you following along? Let us know in the comments! We would love to check it out.
Here I go looking up words in the dictionary again. An idol is “a person or thing that is greatly admired, loved, or revered.” With this topic, I could write about so many different people in my life. My family, both those that are stuck with me and those that have willingly adopted me, are inspiring on so many different levels. Because there are so many, and because that post would be several miles long and full of very sappy, but very sincere, thank yous, I have decided to write about my writing idol.
I bet you can even guess who that is.
Are you read? Do you have your idea?
If you guessed J.K. Rowling, you guessed correctly. There are so many reasons why I admire this woman, and many of them go well beyond her writing career. But, let’s start with her writing career. She hasn’t stopped. She could have made her millions and given up the writing game, because guess what? It’s HARD! She wrote HP and kept writing, but she writes bravely. She’s not scared to try new projects; The Casual Vacancy
was fiction, and The Cuckoo’s Calling, which was amazing, was a brilliantly written mystery.
She is strong and independent and she wasn’t afraid to keep chasing her dreams. Rejection letters never stopped her, and I am so thankful, as are millions of others.
She’s also selfless and generous. She helped start Lumos , a charity for disadvantaged children in Europe. When the truth that she has written The Cuckoo’s Calling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, she gave her winnings to charity.
As you can see, I want to be just like J.K. when I grow up because she is not only a successful writer, but she is also a caring human being and a fighter for those who cannot fight for themselves.
Who is your idol?
Day 18: A List of Likes
Day 18 is a day of favorites, but the problem is that I have a lot of favorites, especially in these categories. For example, if you were to ask me what my favorite animal was, I would ask you, “domestic or wild?” See, there are a lot of different components of favorites to consider. I will do my best, as I am sure Madi will also, but know that in no way is this list exhaustive, nor will it be true tomorrow.
Book: This will be the hardest. I am an avid reader I read usually four-five books a month, and that is a slow month, during the school year. During summer I don’t know how many books I read because there are so many. Right now, I’m asking myself if I should start with my favorite of all time or choose a classic. I can tell you that one of my favorite themes in literature is “things aren’t always what they seem.” My favorite YA book would be Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban which is all about the way things appear versus what they actually are. I also loved The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia. I believe in magic because of books like these. Jane Austen inspires me as a woman, and Sarah Addison Allen helps me to keep my belief in magic, even as an adult. John Green and Sarah Dessen help me stay in touch with my inner teenager so that I can more easily relate to my learners. I’m stopping here now, or I won’t have room for the rest of my favorites.
Movies: So, I’m not a huge movie buff. I want to be, but I get al fidgety. It’s weird, but I can sit and read for hours, but try to get me to sit for an extended period of time for anything else and I start to get all antsy in my pantsy. So, I loved The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and I’ve loved both Hobbit movies so far. I loved all the HP movies. My secret, which is about to no longer be a secret, movie guilty pleasure is Legally Blonde. I watch that movie when I need a girl power or motivation. That’s a pretty huge secret, so don’t tell anyone.
Song: Right now, my favorite song is easily “Begging You Not To Go” by Tired Pony. First of all, the lyrics are beautiful. I can just imagine these two people who are at the cusp of being in love; it’s the time when moments are both shorter and longer, when every word is poetry and love has never felt so close. There is this line, and it took me a while to interpret it. He says, “We’re the last to fall all around us sleeping bodies Drunken satellites in the orbit of our earth,” and I remember this feeling with Nathan. Your surrounded by people but the gravity between you and the person is so strong it seems to disrupt everything else. The satellites look drunk because of the pull between the two of you. This song, in only eight lines, captures so much about love.
Food: Easy. Chips and Salsa. Love.
Color: Depends on my mood and the weather. In the winter my color is typically black because I’m solar powered and I start feeling a little bit melancholy. In the summer my favorite color is the color of sunflowers.
Animal: Domestically speaking it would have to be dogs. I mean, look at these two. They are precious.
Wild, I don’t know. Wolves are cool. Nathan likes bears, so I think that’s pretty awesome. Owls are cool, too. And Ravens. I like birds for all the things that they can symbolize, but I would never keep one. Otters are cute. Obviously, I don’t know.
There you go. What are your favorites?
Day 17: Write about someone or something that you miss…
I’ve been teaching at Rogers New Tech for about five months now. In that time, I have learned that ninth graders can in fact do their own research and think their own thoughts. I’ve learned that they can, most of the time, be trusted to do their work, even when I am not hovering over them. I have learned to use my own judgement and to trust my own instincts because they are typically dead on. The most important thing I have learned is to value a Growth Mindset.
Mr. Morley, one of the most brilliant men that I have ever worked with, talks a lot about “failing up,” the idea that if you fail, just like Edison said, you have learned a new way not to do something. At our school, the emphasis is, or at least we facilitators are trying our hardest to place the value on the learning, not on the grade.
At New Tech, we are going against a lot of societal norms, especially in the school system, because we are saying NO to teaching to the test. We are saying that we value learning. We’re saying that there is a different way to learn for every child and it is our job as teachers to figure that way out. We’re saying that sometimes a kid is going to have to fall down to realize the value of working hard, and that they should be allowed to fall down as long as we are there to give them a hand up when they are ready to get back up again. That is the shift in thinking that America as a country must make before we will be able to “catch up” with our European and Asian competition in the education field.
Something that I miss is college; not college the way that I did it, but college where learning and experience took precedence over a grade. I miss learning about new things. I hate that I dropped my math major because I got a high B so I thought I wasn’t going to be successful in the other math classes. I hate that I didn’t take anthropology and philosophy classes because I would have loved them. I hate that I was so focused on that GPA, the one that no one has ever looked at, that I missed out on a chance to learn something new and become a better person.
I miss learning more than anything else. Luckily, that is something that I have control over. What do you miss?
P.S. Remember to go check out what Madi has to say on the topic and follow along with us in this December Writing Challenge!
Day 16: What is your biggest fear?
So, I skipped yesterday. I didn’t like the prompt and I couldn’t find a substitute, so I just skipped. Sorry if you waited for my post and found yourself disappointed. I just wasn’t that into it yesterday. I had a new kitchen on the brain because Nathan and I are finally talking to kitchen planners for the remodel that we’ve been planning since we moved into the house. I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but it is a beautiful design. Today in the December Challenge, Madi and I are letting you in on our fears.
At one point in my life, I would have had a hard time choosing a fear because I had so many, and I’m not referring to being afraid of spiders or being afraid of snakes. I’m talking about fear, “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat.” Now, those fears are mostly gone, but two remain.
The first fear that I have, and it isn’t one that I lose sleep over or anything, it is just something that when I think about it I get nervous, is that something could happen to Nathan and I would be alone. Just writing that statement caused a twitch in the pit of my stomach and an ache in my heart. I combat that fear by living as much as I can, by spending as much time together as possible.
The second fear that I struggle with is one that I would assume most over-achievers and type A personalities struggle with. I don’t want to be a failure. The problem is that I can’t seem to settle on a definition of failure. I think it is me giving up on what I want or what I love. If I ever stopped writing just because I wasn’t getting published would be a failure in my eyes. I would feel like a failure if I didn’t do what I loved because I was afraid of failing.
Failure has morphed as I’ve gotten older into this idea of not trying. I think that this opinion on failure is much healthier. Trying new things is something that helps me to become a better person. Keep trying, I will.
What are you afraid of?
C.C. Riley 