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Lips Touch
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Lips touch: three times by Lani Taylor
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I've had this on my shelf for a while, great pick! I can't wait to start reading =)
You can get it from Amazon for 3.99 right now. That's one of the reasons I picked it. It used to be like $8, and before that higher. It's been on my shelf for a while too :)amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lips-Touch-Thre...
google: http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=nzB...
And then, the UGLY and more expensive cover for Nook:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lips-...
I can't buy it from where I am. So can you send me a copy?
I really enjoyed this book...Laini Taylor is awesome! Lips Touch is a lyrical, beautifully written collection of three short stories of supernatural, fairy tale, and fantasy elements that all three involve a kiss. I listened to the audio book and later checked the book out from the library and viewed the artwork. I heard that the author's husband did the art for the book and it's so interesting! The audio book narrator Cassandra Campbell did amazing accents for some of the characters as well.
What a great selection, Alyssia! Especially after our group read of Daughter of Smoke & Bone last month, I am definitely interested in reading more by this author.It doesn't look like I will be able to start reading this until the middle of May, but I will be sure to post my thoughts once I start reading!
Michael wrote: "What a great selection, Alyssia! Especially after our group read of Daughter of Smoke & Bone last month, I am definitely interested in reading more by this author.It doesn't look like I will be ..."
Thanks Michael! Make sure that you get a version that lets you take in the breathtaking illustrations.
They're really something :)
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Alyssia wrote: "Thanks Michael! Make sure that you get a version that lets you take in the breathtaking illustrations.They're really something :) "
Good to know. Thanks!
Michael wrote: "What a great selection, Alyssia! Especially after our group read of Daughter of Smoke & Bone last month, I am definitely interested in reading more by this author."
I agree, but for it's because I LIKED Daughter of Smoke and Bone. But I was disappointed with the sequel. I wasn't sure if the first was a fluke or the author just dropped the ball on the second.
But I'm 2/3 of the way done with Lips Touch and I'm enjoying it.
Of course, I'm not a huge fan of poetry and Goblin Market happens to be one of my favorites. The first story was a bit of a sequel to Christina Rossetti's poem and it made me smile.
And then, the UGLY and more expensive cover for Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lips-... "
um sorry, the cover the rest of you have is utterly horrid, I think my nook version is mildly better.
Jenelle wrote: "And then, the UGLY and more expensive cover for Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lips-... "
um sorry, the cover the rest of you have is utterly horrid, I think my nook version is mildly better."
Haha! Sorry. *not-at-all-chagrined*
Jenelle wrote: "Michael wrote: "What a great selection, Alyssia! Especially after our group read of Daughter of Smoke & Bone last month, I am definitely interested in reading more by this author."
I agree, but f..."
I thought the sequel was much worse than the first one as well.
But I liked this. The first story is my favorite. I love Rossetti's Goblin Market.
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Just a quick question. The first story is clearly based on Rossetti's Goblin Market. Are the second and third stories also based on older works? If so, what?
Okay, I've finally gotten started on this one. I've finished Goblin Fruit and have some thoughts (with spoilers tagged):The pictures at the beginning are lovely (Rebecca, I'm reading the hardcover so can't tell you if ebook or paperback have the illustrations, too). I find it very interesting that these pictures are basically the chimera from Daughter of Smoke & Bone. (view spoiler)
At first I was put off by the negative stereotyping of her "Old Country" family, but the story was redeemed by the author's comments on how her traits are actually beautiful. We need more stories that convey this: beauty comes from our uniqueness, not our sameness. (view spoiler)
I loved the background narration, the comments about "if she makes it to adulthood", etc.!
She and her friends are a riot, loved this: "mouth baby". Wow, what an image!
Does anyone else think it is ironic that (view spoiler)
Neeeeeext...Spicy Little Curses
This story was more interesting than Goblin Fruit, there was more plot, and more action, and more supporting characters, but for some reason I didn't find it as rich as the first one. We got to spend more time just getting to know Kizzy, and perhaps I just related to her more. I think part of it was the two main characters in Spicy Little Curses were not fleshed out, they had parts missing. We knew the "facts" of Estella's loss, but we don't know how she feels about it all; I thought the repetition of her nickname, the old b*tch, was a bit much, (she loves children, for gods' sake, why would people call her that??), and took away from understanding her fundamental nature, which was sacrifice and fighting the good fight. And as for Anamique, we do come to know her inner thoughts, but none of them explained her decision to me (view spoiler).
I continue to love the art, though, and it was still a good story, I was just surprised that when I thought about it, I missed Kizzy's voice from the first one. I've just started the third story and already I am liking the main characters better so there was just something about the portrayal of Estella and Anamique that rubbed me wrong.
All done!I definitely liked the last one best, appropriately dark, lots of character development, and the last paragraph definitely brought a tear to my eye. It felt like it might be 5 stars. In any case, the book averaged out to 4 stars for me. Very much enjoyed it!
I'm also curious if the second two are related to other works at all. This last one seemed pretty unique, but the second one, the prequel about the woman going to Hell to negotiate for her husband, seems very familiar. In the afterword, she says it is based on general ideas and religions that she was researching, so that may be all there is to it. If anyone knows anything else, though, please chime in!
i enjoyed all three stories. Spicy Little Curses was my favorite.
Really like this so far. I am going to have to get Daughter of Smoke and Bone too.I like the characters whit a lot.
My favorite was the first one. They are all supposedly based on myths, the first one draws heavily from Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market poem. The second one might feel familiar if you have taken courses in Eastern religion or philosophy. The "feel" of it was something I knew, just from my religious studies concentration. It also gave me vague impressions of Orpheus - it was like the Indian Orpheus. The last one was less familiar, but there were still recognizable archetypes.I'm pasting this from my buddy read chat:
I love #1. I love that it is all about the danger that young ladies face when they yearn to be more than they are. It's about trading life for beauty. It's about not respecting or even acknowledging the beauty that exists inside (and out).
I think it's interesting that the peacocks (who I've heard are really stupid, although gorgeous birds) yell "rape". And that Kizzy's name is "butterfly rape", because a butterfly is so beautiful and fragile, and the rape happens just as it is coming out of its cocoon - just as it is beginning to see the potential of the new world. I didn't feel that there was too much "rape" - unlike a lot of YA thanatophile heroines, I felt for Kizzy because she had a level of consciousness and reflection that is often absent. When she didn't care if she died, it wasn't for the boy , it was, in some way, for her .
I love that Kizzy sees the world as flawed but beautiful. I hurt for her, but I also love her for not wanting to wait for the future. She will have this thing, now , pre-emergence. If it means that she never has another thing, well ... that's ok too.
#2
I don't feel for Ana the way I do for Kizzy, but I think I am in the minority on this one.
Ana and Kizzy both willfully do something they know is harmful. It's very clear about Ana *believing* as she does this. But Ana is hurting other people, while Kizzy is hurting herself. No one comes along to sacrifice him or herself to help Kizzy (that we know of) the way her grandmother did for her (g's) sister, but Ana doesn't have that of course.
And then even the "curse" is a blessing to her new station.
I mean, don't get me wrong, I liked the second story, and it was VERY fairy tale, but I kinda felt like Ana, who is the princess in every way with only one tragic flaw and one sad wanting, had an easier life than Kizzy. (And thousands of girls everywhere).
Maybe not though. I mean, I felt bad for her until the end. I didn't like the end much. Even if haggling in Hell would have been more difficult, I could have accepted it.
I just can't take that much HEA I guess. :)
One other complaint I had was the overuse of certain words - the pearl, egg and butterfly metaphors were getting a little old. Kisses hardly seemed to be the central theme by the time one finished the third story.
Alyssia wrote: "I don't feel for Ana the way I do for Kizzy, but I think I am in the minority on this one."I'm totally with you. I understood Kizzy's decision, even though I was sad and horrified. I didn't get Ana's decision at all. Why would you test your curse out on every single person you care about all at once?? And she did not get much in the way of consequences. Estella was the one with the consequence for what Ana did! Supposedly this soul bartering is a pain, but it didn't seem that bad and there is no personal risk for Ana that I could see.
I thought the demon's story was actually more interesting. Always trying to one-up the humans, and then creating a curse that eventually backfired and caused him misery. That was poetic!
I do think that Kizzy's story was probably the most perfect, not a word wasted, the theme echoing in myriad ways. I only like 3 better because it was longer really, and I have a soft spot for complicated plots!
Agree about the kisses. She really had to bend over backwards to make it fit in the third story. If the souls were transferred back to the original body by kissing, that might have been a more powerful image.
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