1) The title scares me. My first word was ‘dog.’ Actually, that’s a total lie. I don’t know what my first word was (makes a mental note to check), but I do love dogs. And I have issues with dog books. I have never seen or read Old Yeller. This is FORBIDDEN. So emphasized was it’s forbiddeness that even at 28, I still will not break this rule. There’s a good reason it’s forbidden: after I read Where the Red Fern Grows, I didn’t want to go to school for days because I was scared to let my dog out of my sight. I also got in BIG trouble for throwing a fit during 5th grade read aloud when Marty feeds the chocolate-covered graham crackers to Shiloh. Marty may not have known that chocolate was toxic for dogs, but I did – and I made my point that Marty need to find a vet NOW very loudly and clearly. Louder and clearer than the teacher – who promptly asked me to leave the room until I could be a good listener. Do not even ask me how I dealt with Marley and Me. Seeing the movie was not even an option. I need to take a break and go hug Biscotti and Bruschi after even thinking about it. A book that implies 100 dogs have died in its title – I am wary.
2) The cover also scares me. I don’t do scary things. Coraline was the limit to my scariness tolerance – and even then I had to hold a sixth grader’s hand. The cover of the book is visually stunning, but it also makes me want to turn on all the lights in my house and hold St. Matt’s hand.
But I’m working on my wimpiness. Really I am. And I was sick of feeling like the kid at the party who doesn’t know the gossip because everyone else had read it and I hadn’t. So, really it all came down to peer pressure.
On Valentine’s day while I was at the local independent bookstore picking out great books, I took a deep super-brave breath and had them order me a copy of Dust of 100 Dogs.
It came. I picked it up. I stared at if for a few days. I opened it. I read the first page.
And the first paragraph included an eyeball being popped out and rolled in sand. I don’t do blood. Not even a little. Not even papercuts.
I needed to take a break after this scene.
I’m thinking I might be ready to try again. Might take some courage pills tonight and give it a go.
Or maybe I should wait ‘til daylight…
You don't do blood...but you do zombies...zombies who are all about blood and eating brains and all sorts of gory stuff.
ReplyDeleteThat's not real blood. The zombie stuff I've read is: there's-going-to-be-blood-look-away.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I've never seen a single zombie movie (unless the extended version of Thriller counts and that's borderline too scary).
Hail, fellow wimp! I am right there with you. Forget vampire movies and zombies, I haven't even read half the crime/drama books my fellow twitterers write because anything remotely gory or disturbing follows me straight into my dreams. Hate that, cuz I know I'm missing some great stories, but have resigned myself to a life of fluff.
ReplyDeleteHee, really? I do way better with gore in books than in movies. I hear there are pirates in this book. Maybe you should rent all three Pirates of the Caribbean to prepare...*rewind Orland Bloom, rewind Orlando Bloom*? But it's on my list too! And I think the MC ~embodied~ 100 different dogs as I understand it...so even if "the dog dies" it doesn't really, because I doubt she will? This is not helping, huh?
ReplyDeleteKari - I'm glad I'm not the only one! But I really think I can do this... maybe (I'll keep you updated)
ReplyDeleteEmily - you are a nut. How am I supposed to squeeze in Orlando time when I still haven't even had time to watch my 3 disks of Captain Sparkles?
I think I'd rather the girl died than the dogs. Does that make me awful? But when a dog dies.. now I'm thinking about Stonefox and tearing up again - GREAT!
I WILL start reading tonight.