Luna by Julie Anne Peters

I was most excited about this section of our class, about LGBT issues in teen literature. My sixteen year old brother came out first as bisexual, then as gay last year and I’m always looking for books to recommend to him to help him identify with his sexuality. This book will definitely not be one that I would recommend to him. I had so many issues with the story and how the characters were portrayed that I could hardly finish it.

Copy purchased from Barnes and Noble 

As I was reading this, I couldn’t understand how Regan put up with Luna’s constant using of her. Regan is a great sister to Luna, always keeping her secret and so patient. Luna took advantage of Regan so many times. If one of my siblings came in to my room every night and woke me up, I would be having none of that. I don’t care if you’re struggling with your identity, do it in your own room if it’s in the middle of the night. And when Luna/Liam wouldn’t drop Regan off at school, I was furious with him. How could he treat her so terribly when all she’d done is be kind to him? Luna was so insufferable, and I understand that she was struggling, but that doesn’t make her behavior acceptable. The final straw was how Luna was trying on clothes while she was babysitting. That was just so selfish and unrealistic to me. She couldn’t help herself? No, she is selfish and wanted someone to catch her and see her as a woman. Luna could have gotten Regan in huge trouble for that, but all she can think about is herself and her problems. I was also irritated with Regan’s inability to stand up for herself and not let her brother/sister walk all over her life.

I was also incredibly frustrated with the ending. Luna just being able to leave and fly off to be with another trans girl who would teach her the ways was just so unrealistic and is basically a fantasy. Normal transgender teens wouldn’t be able to just up and leave and solve all of their problems like that. There was no resolution with Luna’s family, or with all of the problems she had caused Regan. Luna was just able to forget all of that and leave everything behind. Normal LGBT teens have to deal with their problems on a daily basis, and this solution just isn’t an acceptable one. It’s just Luna running away from her problems to what she thinks is a better life. Also, stranger danger. Don’t just meet up with any trans person you find on the internet, kids.

Another problem I had was with the portrayal of Luna and Regan’s parents. I actually thought their father was incredibly realistic. Parents often push their children into doing things that they don’t want, and that was something that I think a lot of teens can relate to, not just transgender teens. Obviously, I would have liked him to not be so set in the heteronormative standards, but Luna had never told her father about any of her thoughts or feelings. All he sees is a son who is smart but skips school that he would like to get more involved. I have a feeling my thoughts on his dad won’t be the norm, but I understood him as a character. And we’ll never get to know how he would have dealt with Luna being a girl because she runs away after she tells him. Their mother, on the other hand, was hardly even their and the idea that she would know this about her son and do nothing to help him, or even just have no emotions about it, was just unfathomable to me. She had to feel something about knowing he wanted to be a girl. But she just ignored it and refused to acknowledge anything about it, which just seemed so odd.

Liam's friend Aly was the most sympathetic character for me. She really loved Liam, even though she didn't know who exactly he was. I think her first being upset, and then coming to terms with his coming out was realistic and an accurate portrayal of what can happen when someone comes out. I think that's why Luna leaving at the end was so hard for me to grasp, because she did have people who cared about her and supported her. Aly and Regan were always there for Luna/Liam and she just left them both to deal with the repercussions of her actions.

I didn't really care much about the relationship between Chris and Regan. I finished the book a couple days ago, and have basically forgotten about their interactions. There's just nothing there that is meaningful. They were just lab partners who liked to flirt and make fun of their teacher. I also found Regan's nonchalant use of the word "retarded" to be odd considering she was so sensitive about her brother/sister. I would assume if someone used the word "gay" or "fag" to describe him, she would be offended, so I'm not sure why the use of the word "retarded" was okay to her.

I think LGBT books are so important in our culture right now, with the marriage and sexuality rights being in the forefront of the political movements. Books about these issues should help not just LGBT teens, but society as a whole better understand the gender and sexual identity. However, this book would not be one that I would recommend to any teenager struggling with sexuality issues because Luna is such a jerk. . A book from the perspective of a sister of a transgender person is great, but if I were a transgender teen, that wouldn’t be what I would want to read. We don’t get to learn much about Luna/Liam’s feelings, besides what Regan is interpreting from her actions. However, I can see how it would be useful to recommend to someone who has a trans person in their life, so they can relate with how Regan dealt with it, or to someone who wants to know more about gender issues

I also think it’s great how easily the language of the trans community is integrated into the literature (FTM, MTF, pre-op, post-op, no-op, t-girl, etc). For those unfamiliar with the community, the terms are explained simply and effectively without detracting from the story. Liam/Luna’s discovery of the community is important, because it shows teens how that even if they are alone, there are other people out there that they can reach out to.

Overall though, I was just so disappointed in this book. I thought the story, of a girl struggling with a sibling with gender identity issues, could have been so good. Luna basically ruined the book for me, even though it was supposed to be a book about her. Regan submits her whole life to protecting Luna, from not having friends to suffering in school, to even her health from losing sleep. This isn’t the type of thing I would want to recommend to teenagers. Having Regan be stronger, or Luna be less narcissistic could have saved this story for me. As it is, it was just an unsatisfactory story with flat characters who didn’t grow or change that just happened to be about a teenage girl who has a trans sister.

Book Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

The section was the LGBTQ genre and this was the book I selected to read. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is probably the longest title ever, but it's totally worth it in the end. Be warned: there are some spoilers ahead.

Copy checked out from my local library

It took me forever to read this book. I got about halfway through the first section, before the car accident, and was just so bored that I put it down and couldn't get motivated to pick it back up. However, once I did (but only because I had to for class), I quickly finished the rest of it and ended up loving the story.

I really related to Ari and his need for introspection and alone time. I loved how he explained his thoughts and how the author wrote them. I really felt like a lot of what was written was how a teenager would write or think. A lot of teens can relate to how Ari felt trying to find himself, even if they aren't trying to find their sexual orientation. I loved the quote from page 189 from Ari: "I was strange to feel like the Ari I used to be. Except that wasn't totally true. The Ari I used to be didn't exist anymore. And the Ari I was becoming? He didn't exist yet". That period of transition and unknowing is universal to almost all teens (and some 20-somethings still) and I think a lot of people could relate to his introspection and ideas.


I also think it's important that Ari was also attracted to women, such as Ileana, because to me that made him more of a bisexual character on the sexuality spectrum. I think many times in LBGTW lit, characters are completely one way or another. The representation of all aspects of sexuality is important, so I loved that his attraction to Ileana was included.

I really appreciated that the families went to counseling, or that counseling was even recommended. Even today, going to therapy can be seen as a weakness, when really it is so important to so many people. My younger brother has a therapist who specializes in helping teens understand and accept their sexuality, which has really helped his transition a lot. It can also be really helpful for families that have members that are exploring their sexuality. It's a safe place to talk about things, and I really commend the author for including that in a teen book to make it seem more acceptable to teens.

I also think it is so, so important that the book dealt with how, even with supportive family and friends, coming out is still hard. It can be hard to give up on those expectations of hetersexuality that so many people impose on you, and it's basically saying that because of your sexuality, your life is going to be harder from now on. Even though Dante's parents clearly loved and adored him, he still had a hard time telling them because he knows that every parent thinks about their child's future, and he's taking that future away from them and completely changing it.

I appreciated that the book had so many normal details about school and work, because I think it helped emphasize that even teenagers who have a different sexuality still have the same friends and school problems that regular teens do, as well as struggling with trying to figure out such a key part of their life. 

If I hadn't known that this books was about LBGTQ (or as I like to call it, the alphabet genre), then I never would have suspected. Even after Dante came out to Ari, I still didn't expect them to end up together. I thought it would have still been a great story even if they hadn't. I almost think it may have been a better story (sorry to those of you who loved it!). I thought it would have been so realistic and special to just be a friend story where one of those friends happen to be gay and has a crush on the other, and their method of accepting and dealing with that.

I did find it incredibly odd that Ari's parents told him that he loved Dante. It made me so uncomfortable, and my family is pretty open about things like that. Coming out and sexuality is such a personal, hard thing to deal with that it really took away from the story for me to have his parents tell him that.


I think this book will be great to recommend to really anyone. Great for teens struggling with their sexuality, teens who have friends who are comign out, parents of gay or bisexual teens, or really just anyone who wants a good story. 

A Step From Heaven Review

The second book in our contemporary realistic fiction genre was one that we could choose from a list. I read A Step From Heaven by An Na. It's about a young girl who immigrates from Korea and her transition to living in America.

Copy checked out from my local library

This book was not my favorite. I opened it, and saw the first few pages were divided into their own chapters, and thought "I instantly regret my decision in choosing this book". I understand the literary significance of how An Na was trying to write as a young child would think, but I didn't enjoy the structure at all. I was entirely lost for the first section of the book because of both the structure and the words I didn't know. I would think that an adolescent who was reading it who didn't have that heritage would feel the same. If I didn't have to read this book, that would have made me put it down instantly.

I also couldn't connect to the family situation, because I’m lucky enough to have really great parents. Granted, I may not have thought that during my teen years, but looking back now I realize that it’s true. My family situation was nothing like Young Ju’s. Mentally, I understand that this is often how Korean families are set up, with a dominant (while not necessarily abusive) father and a submissive mother. However, even knowing that it was hard for me to relate to how her family functioned.

I do remember being fairly young, around 8 or 9, and having my family move and having no idea what moving meant. But she moved when she was so young that I can’t really believe she would remember it. I barely remember anything prior to my late childhood years. Just a few random memories and very little emotions. I definitely wouldn't have remembered going to a hair salon to get my hair curled, even if I had hated it. At the age of 4, I don’t even think I knew what pretty or ugly hair was.

I thought that the most relatable part for me was her father forbidding her from seeing a friend, because most young people have at least one friend that their parents don't particularly like. That kind of parental imposition resonates across multiple cultures, no matter what the reasoning behind it is. I think it’s important that these types of books exist for the culture that they represent. 

I left the book not hating it, but it definitely wouldn't be one that I would read again, or recommend to someone not from the Korean culture or background. It's also very female oriented and wouldn't be something I would recommend for many males to read. It was just too hard for me to relate to the story and share feelings with the characters, not having any knowledge base to draw upon about the culture. 

The Fault in Our Stars Review

For my one of classes this semester, I am taking a teenager literature course. So get ready for 19 reviews on teen books coming your way. Our first book genre was contemporary teenage literature, and the require book was John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. 

I purchased my copy from Amazon.com.

I cried during this book, of course. Surprisingly, not as much as I thought for a book about teens with cancer. It took me awhile to make a connection to Hazel. I haven’t gone through any of the life experiences she had. I haven’t had much experience with death or mortality, which I think is why it took me awhile. I didn’t relate to her experience of facing down your death and accepting it. I could, however, relate to her love to America’s Next Top Model marathons. I used to watch that show whenever the marathons were on, often with my mom. It was that experience that made it easier to get in her head. Thinking about what a parent would do if you died would be incredibly hard, particularly when dying is certain as it was with Hazel. Imagining my mom, after I died, coming across a Next Top Model marathon, was just terrible to think about. I have a tendency to be morbid and think about what would happen if I died, or a close family member died, and I almost always end up crying. I don’t know if I would be nearly as mature or stoic about it as Hazel often was. I have a lot of emotions, and I feel them intensely and then get over them. I think it would be so incredibly hard to have a family member, especially one so young, be ill like that. To be constantly thinking that this could be your last day, or your last Next Top Model marathon, would be so hard. The part where Hazel’s mom said that she wouldn’t be a parent anymore really got to me.Having to imagine when your daughter will die, knowing that it will happen would be so painful. The book and the situation was just so different from my life and my experiences, but I still felt along with the characters and empathized with their situation.

The instances with Augustus’s friend, Isaac, were not my favorite parts. I understand that there needed to be a character that had cancer and didn’t die, but still had something crucial taken from him. His and Hazel’s friendship just seemed contrived to me, because I wouldn’t go hang out with my husband’s friends by myself, even though I’m friendly with them. Also, his girlfriend leaving him was incredibly realistic to me, and it sucked for him but I understood. As a teenager, I don’t think I could have committed to just dating someone who was blind, and he was already talking about forever. Her leaving seemed harsh to the reader, but was absolutely true to what a teenage girl would do.

Also, who names their child Augustus? I thought this every time I read his  name, because it was just so ridiculous. I actually looked it up because I thought the name was so absurd. Apparently, it’s ranked #696 out of baby names in the United States.  Which is actually higher than I thought it would be, but not high enough to warrant being a  name of a major character in a book.

I absolutely expected and dreaded the book ending in the middle of a sentence when Hazel dies, as her favorite book does. Thank goodness John Green didn’t do this, because I probably would have thrown the book against the wall. I appreciated not knowing exactly when, or how Hazel dies. As a reader, I know she’s going to, but I don’t have to experience that heartbreak so soon after Augustus.

The author, John Green is well known for his talent to write incredible young adult fiction. His ability to link common words together to create beautiful, meaningful sentences that resonate with so many people is what makes him a great author. The line that stuck out to me the most, as well as the many other people on the internet that have it tattooed on their body, was this: “I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly and then all at once”. It’s just such a good line, and such a meaningful metaphor, because that is how you fall in love. Slowly you grow more attached to another person and one day you just realize it: you’re in love.  His willingness to write about characters that aren’t the norm is to be celebrated, and it can be celebrated because so many people can relate to them, even though the characters are so different. To me, this is what makes his books stand out.

I also related to a quote about knowing what you believe when you grow up  Gus said, "I thought being an adult meant knowing what you believe, but that has not been my experience.". My beliefs and ideas are constantly changing still, probably even more so than when I was a teenager just because I've been exposed to so much more after high school. Telling young adults that it's ok to change your beliefs and that doubting yourself is perfectly normal is a great message to give.

Now, there were some aspects of the book that I didn't like. I think lots of teenagers think that they talk like John Green writes his dialog, or wish that they talked like that to their friends. But I remember as a teenager thinking that people who actually tried to talk like that were weird. It's an idealization of the way that teenagers actually are, and can seem kind of insincere to me at times. It kind of takes away from how pretty the words sound when I realize that there's no way I could ever make them sound that good in real life. That kind of dialog is what happens in my head when I rehearse fake conversations to myself, not what actually comes out of my mouth. His sentences are the perfect thing to say, which normal teenagers think of hours after they actually want to say them. I think this is why people like his books so much, but it almost detracts from them a little for me. The characters, while clearly flawed, have the perfect flaws and fall in this perfect love, and that's not how real life is.

Overall, I would still highly recommend this book to teenagers, as well as most John Green books. If you had told me that I should read a book about a girl with terminal cancer who falls in love with another cancer patient, there’s no way I would think that I could enjoy it. Writing about a topic like that should be depressing, which his book is, but it’s also so full of joy and appreciation for life and experiences. Hazel’s parents keep pushing her to experience and do more, even though she is going to die. Getting a college education and never getting to work is incredibly depressing, but so much less depressing than just giving up and doing nothing. For them, there’s always a little bit of hope. This is what to me the book was about: the idea that life is always worth living. I think as more teens these days struggle with depression, bullying and pressure, this message is so important.

Book Review: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg  

 

I checked this book out to listen to on my ride back home to see my brother in a play (which he was fabulous in) and have been listening to it ever since. I have been finding it incredibly interesting. I honestly don’t know if I would have made it through reading it though. It gets boring and repetitive at times, as non-fiction can do. It also jumps back and forth between examples a lot, which I find annoying. Just finish one story at a time. Seriously. 

However, the perspective of looking at business through the lens of habits is a stimulating exercise. I will never shop at Target the same after listening to this. They’re a bunch of data-collecting creepers. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and is incredibly helpful for their business, but the idea of how much they know is a little disturbing. I'd actually heard the story of the pregnant teenager before, but listening to it from this perspective was new and insightful.

The insight into history is fascinating and definitely makes the book worth a read. I'm currently at the section about the civil rights movement, and how to change the habits of societies. And while I'm not a church goer, the idea of the habits of weak-ties that is discussed in a section about religion makes a lot of sense to me. It's like a lesser version of peer pressure, without any actual pressure attached. Just the idea of it is enough to make people change their wants and habits.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who has any sort of business backround. Hearing about Target made me think about all of the case studies I did during business school and made me look at them from a different perspective. The insight into changing habits and the human brain is also appealing to anyone looking to change something about themselves. To really change, the book says you have to overwrite one habit with another that fulfills the same need. I found a lot of the book really thought provoking and think that it would appeal to a lot of people once it gets going.

What I've Been Reading

I haven't been really keeping up with my lovely blog lately. I think it's because I follow so many blogs that post every day, and then I get really intimidated by how little I post. But I'm back at it now, mostly because I've been reading some great books that I wanted to share. 

1 & 2. In The Woods by Tana French and The Likeness by Tana French 

I liked both of these books, although I much preferred The Likeness. I kind of hated the main character in In The Woods, which made it hard to like the book even though I appreciated the writing style. I also didn't love the ending to In The Woods, but I'm not sure how else I would have ended it. It didn't wrap up nicely like a normal story does, which was unsettling. I would still recommend both of these books to anyone who enjoys mystery books.

3. The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To by DC Pierson

This book was surprisingly captivating to me, even though it's set in a high school and is very male oriented. It's a great example of science fiction without being too isolating or out there. I'm always able to identify and empathize with an outsider, which is exactly who Darren and Eric were. The ending was a point of contention in a lot of reviews that I read, but I think it's exactly where the book needed to go. What else were they going to do with a boy who never sleeps? This does seem like much more of a teen book, which a lot of science fiction these days is. That isn't to say I didn't enjoy it, just that I felt a little old while I was reading it.

4. Splintered by A.G. Howard

Splintered was a quick read, and had an interesting idea, but was very teen oriented, which drew me out of the story at times. I'm sorry, but I really don't need a description of what kind of striped leggings Alyssa was wearing. But I always love a revamped fairy tale, and the new take on the Alice in Wonderland world was entertaining. The darker side of Wonderland really drew me in, but the awkward love triangle between Morpheus, Jeb, and Alyssa was very teen-angsty and kind of expected. There would have been enough conflict in the story without having to bring that aspect in. I still liked the book, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who has roots in the Alice world, but it's probably not something I would read again.

5. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

This story is a great example of a teen book that doesn't isolate it's older readers. John Green is basically amazing at that, and I would really recommend any of his books. Will Grayson, Will Grayson is set in high school and deals with teenage homosexuality in a funny and musical way. I even laughed out loud at some of the songs in the book, and that's rare when I read. Usually only funny dog pictures or stupid autocorrects can make me do that. I read this book to see if I should get it as a present for someone, and I pretty much went straight to Amazon and purchased it as soon as I finished.

Book Review: Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

I had this book checked out from the library for about 4 months. It took me that long to read it. I read the first 300 pages in about a week, and then left it for 3 months. The book was interesting, but I just couldn't convince myself to get back into it. The only reason I did was because of a friend who insisted that I had to read it with her. I am really glad I picked it back up though. I'm also really happy to be done with it. It's really long! Like, forever long. But worth it, I think.

This book cover is stupid.

 

The book isn't what I normally read, which I think is why I had such a hard time getting into it. But once I started it again, I was hooked. The characters were just so well developed and appealing. I wanted to know what happened in their life and how their story ended. After going through so many struggles, the story ended up being beautiful. I will say that one of the reasons that I had such a hard time reading it was because of the character of William. He was just so repugnant, and I had such a hard time reading about how he enjoyed raping Aliena. That was difficult for me to get over, and was so repulsive to me. It was at first hard for me to grasp that he never got nicer, and never really grew up. But I realized that would be incredibly true to his character and that there really are people like that in the world.

The architectural and historical aspects were incredibly interesting to me, and I greatly enjoyed reading about them. I do like a good historical fiction, which I think is why I may have liked this book. Overall, I would recommend this book to someone who would be dedicated enough to finish it. The story spans over so many different characters and generations that a reader really has to get into the story and relate to the ideas in order to enjoy it. I'm glad that I read it, but I don't think it will be one that I read again.

Book Review: Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

I actually started reading a different book this week and ended up just returning it to the library without finishing it. It was The Midwife: A memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times. I just couldn't identify with the writer and didn't like her writing style at all. Some of her stories were interesting, but her complaints about her work just got repetitive. I was disappointed in the book, so I decided to read one that I knew I would like.

I read Jenny Lawson's blog over at http://thebloggess.com/ and have for awhile. I love how honest she is about her anxiety and struggles, as well as her dry sense of humor. Also, her haunted dollhouse is seriously my favorite and you should look at it if you haven't. It's incredible. I also really enjoy memoirs and short stories, such as those by David Sedaris. I like reading those little moments in someone's life that they find important enough to write about, particularly when they're funny. Which is why I knew I would probably love Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson.

Purchase her book here.

I knew that I would like her book after reading about it on her blog, and it didn't disappoint. Her stories even made me laugh out loud at times, and usually when I read something funny I just do that weird thing where you snort extra air out instead of actually laughing. I will say that her footnotes and prefaces got a little repetitive just because there were so many of them. Her chapter on her pregnancy and miscarriage were poignant will still being amusing, which is hard to do. I also liked that it gave me a little more insight on one of my favorite bloggers.
I would say that if you read her blog, and like the way she writes there, then you'll probably like this book. If you don't  like a more casual writing style and prefer your writing more structured, then this is definitely not the book for you. This story about a Beyoncé the Metal Chicken is in the book, and I'd say if you find this story amusing, you'll probably like the rest of the book.

Book Review: The Borgia Series by Sara Poole

In keeping with my New Year's goals, this will be the first of many book reviews that I post. I'm not really sure how to write these, because I don't want to give away the plot, but I will do my best to give my reaction to the book as well as including the parts that I liked best. This week I read the Borgia Series by Sara Poole. I had read the first two books awhile ago, and requested the third one at the library. I reread the first two and ended with the third one yesterday.

Purchase the book here

I loved the first one when I originally read it, and still liked it the second time around. It was a new spin on the usual historical fiction genre. The story of the Borgia rise to power is told from the viewpoint of his poisoner, which lent a dark and interesting twist to the story. The character interactions show depth, and the darkness of Francesca's mind gives an intriguing look to such a turmoil filled time in history.

Purchase the book here

The second book continues the storyline of the first by bringing back the antagonist and introducing the new challenges for Francesca as the poisoner to the pope. I would say spoilers, but since it's historical fiction, that part isn't really spoiled. The story goes further into depth on Rome and the pope, which was a great touch and introduced the Lux as a side storyline. I enjoyed this book as well, and didn't find it too predictable.

Purchase to book here

The third book was my least favorite, and was kind of a disappointment, The story took the Borgias out of Rome and the storyline just became too expected, A problem that comes with too having read too many books is that it can be very hard to surprise me an I often guess the surprise twist before it happens. That was the case with this book, as I had anticipated who the assassin was and the mother's death way before they were announced. If you've seen the TV show, Dexter, then the mother's death and the impact that it had on Francesca are completely expected. I did really like the development in Cesar and Francesca's relationship, which was a healthy way for the book to move along. It's not necessarily a bad book, but it was definitely not one that I would rave about to anyone.

On a side tangent or rant, I'm really tired of all of the new books coming out that are a part of the series. Nothing is more irritating to me than reading a great book, getting to the end, and realizing that I'm going to have to way until May to get the next part.  My best example of this is the Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer. I started collecting those when I was in high school, and loved them. 10 books later, I've outgrown the series and really just wish it would end. It's frustrating to see more and more books coming out and being tied to the series that I don't even really connect with anymore. But I still want to know how it ends! The same goes for more famous authors, who have series with 17 or 18 books in them. There's absolutely no way I'm starting those series. I don't have time to catch up on them, and I don't want to have to commit to reading more. What happened to just writing one really great book? It's annoying to me, and I'm irritated by it.
This series is one of those that needs to end. The first book was great, but I can just tell that the more it gets dragged out, the worse the books are going to be. In the second book, in the questions with the author section, she said she could easily see Francesca starring in twelve books. I'm pretty sure I groaned out loud.

Ok. Deep breath.


Rant over.

Overall, I would still recommend the series. I still love the first book, and even enjoyed the second one. The third book, while predictable, was a nice change away from the first two by taking the characters out of Rome and seeing how the interact in a different environment. The characters are appealing and charismatic, and the stories keep your interest. They were a fairly quick read, as I finished each of them in a night, which makes them great for a fast escape to a historical world.