Insurgent

Source: deviantart.com
Note: This is not the book's cover

Having just finished Divergent (comparable to the Hunger Games), I read Insurgent as soon as I could get my hands on a copy. And once I had it, I read it in two days - that is alongside working, my kids, previously scheduled activities, and some sleep! Otherwise, it would've been done in a day easy. I really enjoyed Divergent, so I felt compelled to see what happened next!

Following the theme of dystopian trilogies, Insurgent plays the role a second novel usually does: development of the characters and the push of revolution that the first novel established as needed. In the Hunger Games trilogy, we see the second novel, Catching Fire, as the way in which rebels push their revolution into action. Insurgent spends the entire story on the revolution that began at the end of Divergent. Of course, with a third book in the series, it doesn't end with all the loose ends tied up. There's still the idea of "what now?" So, the revolution is far from over.

It is hard to discuss a book where most actions are important pieces to the story without spoiling something somewhere. But assuming you've read Divergent, I can say that Insurgent calls into question the relationships of which Divergent made the reader seem so sure. Uncertainty reigns in whom a person can trust and the mystery of some important information that only a few know and yet seems worth killing half the community over.

Insurgent is a whirlwind of uncertainty that ends with a shocking revelation about the existence of the five faction society and the purpose for which none of them realize they are to live.

Are you a fan of dystopian lit or does it all sound the same to you?

Divergent

Source: xxtayce.deviantart.com
Note: This is not the book's cover

I finally read Divergent, by Veronica Roth. I've always intended to, but wanted to wait until the whole series was published. Plus, the movie comes out in March and you better believe I'm going to read the book before I see the movie! At this point, I'm thinking Divergent's premise is pretty well known...read here for Amazon's summary if you need a refresher. Or, you can hop on over to Book-alicious Mama to check out her Divergent read-a-long discussions! Chapters 1-12 and Chapters 13-25. End of the book discussion at Book-alicious Mama will post later this week.

Knowing Divergent was dystopian lit made it easy for the parallels to the Hunger Games to snag my attention. Expected because they are both dystopian novels, but still very cool to notice. Both books are post apocalyptic and, as a result, society has divided itself into groups. The Hunger Games has 12 districts divided by the materials they produce; Divergent has five factions, divided by virtues. Each society is governed by one of the groups and the books focus on the remaining groups revolting.

In both books, the main character/heroine is a strong, independent girl who doesn't know she is strong nor does she feel independent. Simply wanting to eke out an existence of their own and nothing more, it is only through the eyes of others that Katniss (Hunger Games) and Tris (Divergent) realize they are truly strong and brave despite how they feel. Both girls unintentionally become the face of justice/rebellion in their societies, righting the numerous wrongs against humanity.

Oh, and romance. Both heroines have romantic interests throughout their journeys. Like Collins did in the Hunger Games, I think Roth handles the romantic aspect of Divergent well. It's not too much nor too little.

One difference did stand out. In the Hunger Games, the major occurrences of death in the main characters were mostly in the revolution of the last book of the trilogy, Mockingjay. I can't speak for the other two books of the Divergent series yet, but Divergent itself (the first book) has a number of important characters die. The likeness between the last Hunger Games and first Divergent's death of characters is that both contain a revolution. The Hunger Games trilogy ended with a revolution from the good guys, while Divergent's trilogy begins with a revolution from the bad guys. I am very interested to see where this revolution from the start could possibly go!

Since I loved the Hunger Games, it is safe to say I love Divergent. I would even venture to say I like Divergent more so far. The characters and setting seem a little deeper to me. And Roth has quite a few quotable lines as well.

Have you read Divergent? Are you going to see the movie?

Begin the Week with Words

Two for one deal this week! The two quotes below were from the same scene in the book and seemed like they should stay together for Sunday Sentence!

"Sorry, am I being rude?" she asks. "I'm used to saying what's on my mind. Mom used to say that politeness is deception in pretty packaging." 

AND

"Those who seek peace above all else, they say, will always deceive to keep the water calm." 

Divergent, Veronica Roth

Wake, in More Ways Than One

Source: NetGalley.com

Wake, by Anna Hope
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: February 11, 2014
Category: Fiction
Source: I received a free e-galley from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Wake: 
1) Emerge or cause to emerge from sleep. 
2) Ritual for the dead. 
3) Consequence or aftermath.

So reads the opening page to Wake, by Anna Hope. The book lives up to its title on all three counts. The story takes place over five days in London, November 7 - 11, 1920, with a few flashes of events in France. An unknown soldier's grave is dug up in France and the remains are sent to America to be buried as the "the Unknown Warrior" in remembrance of all of the MIA/unidentified soldiers from WWI and Armistice Day two years before. It is against this background, the five days of preparation for the burial, that the rest of the story takes place.

Hettie is nineteen and working as a dance instructress in order to support her mother and shell shocked brother. One night she meets a wealthy man who seems to hold promise for her future, until she finds the war's consequences have no limit on who or what they impact.

For Evelyn, working for the Pensions Exchange means daily reminders of the broken men and, by extension, families the war has left in its wake...as if she needs the reminder. Evelyn's life, personally impacted by the war, goes by a day at a time without much thought to actual living.

Ada is living the nightmare of every mother - the loss of her child. Not even sure that her son is really dead, Ada lives in a dream state, ignoring her husband and often lapsing into memories. Until one day a stranger comes by and reignites Ada's search for her son.

We watch these three women pass through life in the wake of a war that has forever changed their lives in ways they cannot seem to overcome. As with the last book I reviewed, Paris, Rue des Martyrs, Anna Hope's Wake is a "six degrees of separation" book, by which I mean, the author takes multiple characters' stories and unites them at various points, even though the characters don't always realize it. Also, the main and secondary characters experience the various definitions of wake, as listed on the first page (and above), making the title truly perfect for every happening in the book.

My only beef with the book really is the ending. You pretty much know what is going to happen with the remaining character and yet the book ends in an annoying fashion...won't say it straight out for anyone who hates too much detail being given away. I was still able to enjoy the story despite the ending, but still, totally unnecessary way in which to end the book, I think. (Unless there's a sequel coming, but I didn't get that vibe.)

What are your favorite or hated plot points or tricks an author uses?

Paris, Rue des Martyrs

Paris, Rue des Martyrs, by Adria J. Cimino
Publisher: Agency Editions
Publication Date: February 10, 2014
Categories: Fiction
Source: I received this ebook from the author in exchange for my honest review.
Also, see Author Website, where you will find links to other blogs for a cover reveal, author guest post, author spotlight, more reviews, and an upcoming author interview and book tour.

I recently had the opportunity to read Paris, Rue des Martyrs by Adria Cimino. Any book with a setting in Paris sets certain expectations by nature. Romance, the Eiffel Tower, berets, long loaves of crisp French bread...okay, okay, all very stereotypical. And not what you will find in the pages of Paris, Rue des Martyrs. True, the title of this book is an actual street set in an actual neighborhood in Paris, but the story is not a mini tourist attraction, so to speak. You can read more about the author's intentions for the setting here, but the story stands on its own, regardless of the stereotyped expectations of the setting.

Amazon's short summary starts: "Four strangers in Paris. Each one is on a quest: to uncover a family secret, to grasp a new chance at love, to repair mistakes of the past. Four stories entwine, four quests become one, as their paths cross amid the beauty, squalor, animation and desolation of a street in Paris, the Rue des Martyrs." One of my favorite plot points in a story is seemingly unconnected characters whose paths cross. It puts me on the edge of my seat to see how the author can possibly bring all of these people together.

Raphael is on the search for answers to questions that haven't been asked yet, revealing secrets he didn't know he had been sent to find, his parents' sudden death the catalyst.

Cecile, housewife and mother, can remember a time when life was exciting and she was part of it. Now she finds herself with the temptation and opportunity to claim that life once again.

Andre, after suffering an accident, finds his acting career waning. Loss of work reveals gaps in his life he never thought were important...gaps like the son he abandoned years ago.

Mira runs from betrayed love, only to find herself in Paris, running toward love. But not without a few complications.

With most stories, the cool part is the main characters themselves. In Paris, Rue des Martyrs, the secondary characters the reader meets through these main four are what makes the story. The host of secondary characters that entwine the main characters and tie the storylines together as well was my favorite part.

Guest Post: 5 Tricks to Remember What You Read

Hello Fellow Readers! Today we have a guest post from Brenda at the Daily Mayo. As a book lover, she has some ideas about how to better remember what you read while you read it! Take it away Brenda.

If you’re reading this blog, you probably love books- a lot. So do I! I probably read nearly 100 books a year for my blog, Daily Mayo (and just for fun). Reading so many books and remembering what each one is all about can be a challenge. Today, I’m sharing 5 tips that I use to keep track of what I read- whether it is fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, or whatever!

Read in a Quiet Place

This is the most important tip for remembering what you read. If you are distracted by other people, sounds, and activities, then you will not be able to give your reading the full attention that you need to really absorb the information. You may be able to get away with this when reading just for fun, but for school reading or something you really want to remember- you will have a much easier time if you read in a quiet place.

Always Read First and Last (And Dialogue)

When I was in high school, I took a speed reading course. One of the main tips the teacher stated was that the most important information in a paragraph is usually contained in the first and last sentence. The same thing is true for fiction as well. Usually the first chapters and the last chapters contain a lot of the information you need to get the gist of the story. In a story, the dialogue often contains the important plot elements that move the story along.

If you pay more attention to these parts of the story, you are more likely to remember what is going on.

Summarize

It helps to remember what you read if you can summarize the chapter. Imagine that you are going to be quizzed about the book, or that you have to teach someone what you just read without looking at the book. This will help you look for key points that you can use later to remember what the book was about.

Write Down Important Points

This is something I always do for book reviews. If there was a passage in the book that I particularly liked, I write it down; or if there are any important plot points that I want to be sure and remember.

For textbooks the same rules apply. Of course, they usually help you by bolding information that will be on a test!

Read it Out Loud

If you are an auditory learner (and sometimes even if you aren’t), reading something out loud makes it easier to remember what you read. You may feel a little silly doing it, but hearing something often helps it stick firmly in your brain. I find reading out loud particularly helpful when I am tired.

Those are the tips that I use to keep track of what I read. And as Marcel Proust would say, “remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were,” so don’t forget that!

What tricks do you use for remembering what you read?

Bio: My name is Brenda and I am a bookaholic. I devote most of my free time to reading books, reviewing books, talking about books, and thinking about books! Follow along in my reading adventures on Daily Mayo, and connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+! 

Begin the Week with Words

All the context you need is with this one.

"...all she could hear was tango music, which she hated for its reminder of the days when she was free. When she was 18. When she went to clubs and danced the tango with a different man every night. Before she became this woman who witnessed life rather than experienced it." Paris, Rue des Martyrs by Adria J. Cimino (emphasis mine)

Isn't that he truth? Sometimes we feel like we are watching life go by instead of actually participating. I will be posting a review of this book Wednesday!

Once Upon A Timepiece

Once Upon a Timepiece, by Starr Wood
Publisher: Bo Tree Books
Publication date: November 29, 2013
Category: Fiction
Source: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Once Upon a Timepiece, by Starr Wood chronicles the journey of a 1940s watch, that in the present day is extremely valuable and desirable. The watch's journey begins with a case of mistaken identity. At age 21, Conrad Sands' girlfriend of sorts, Mariana, gave him her grandfather's watch and soon after they went their own ways (by her choice) and hadn't been in contact since (also her choice). Now, twenty years later, they are reconnecting and Conrad wants to return the watch in the process. But when he enters the bar and sees a beautiful and accomplished looking woman sitting with her coat on the stool next to her, he knows he cannot measure up to all she appears to be. He leaves the watch and a note with the waiter to give her. As the woman is considering the watch, another woman with grey hair and an aged and accident damaged face enters the bar, asking if a man happened to be waiting for someone, mentioning that his name would be Conrad and hers is Mariana. The beautiful woman says she hopes Mariana isn't being stood up and leaves the bar still wondering who sent her the watch. It's a case of mistaken identity (or Conrad's assumption - you know what they say about assuming right?) that sends the watch on a crazy journey during the next year.

The next eleven chapters of the book - one for each month of the year - find the watch being lost, left behind, stolen, sold, etc. Each chapter begins with the watch in the hands of a new person and ends with the watch leaving that person in a twist of fate...and so the chapters connect as the watch travels. It journeys through people from all walks of life, involved in all sorts of life situations. Every time the watch seems to quietly reveal something about a person or situation in which it is present.

After passing through a banker, journalist, accountant, manager, mother, maid, entrepreneur, reverend's apprentice, professor, art collector, and a jack of all trades, the watch finally comes full circle, back to Conrad and Marianna. What I liked about this book is that although the chapters are all connected through the watch's presence, they can be read like individual short stories. Each chapter has a twist ending, which I soon caught onto and began trying to guess how any given situation would play out. Once Upon a Timepiece is not a long or difficult read, simply enjoyable. Not only am I a sucker for a twist ending (and technically this book gives you 11 twist endings), but also because I like to see the connectedness of things that we may never know about.

Do you like twist endings? What's your favorite book with a twist ending?

Guest Post: Multilingual Reading from Wensend

Today I have a guest post from Wendy at Wensend. She is located in the Netherlands and reads in a couple of languages, and I only read English, so I thought it would be really cool to hear her take on what it is like to read something in a secondary language. Here's Wendy.

Hi everyone! My name is Wendy and I blog at Wensend. Jennine has guest posted on my blog about a month ago on teaching books. Today she has given me the opportunity to guest post on her blog and I'd like to use this chance to tell you something about reading. Of course you all know a lot about reading from personal experience already, otherwise you wouldn't be reading Jennine's blog. But I suspect most of the American readers only read books in English, am I right? As opposed to that I read books in three languages (namely English, Dutch (my native language) and German) and I'd love to tell you something about that.
 
 I read a lot of books in English. While most of you would ask me "why don't you just read works translated into Dutch?", I have to say I'm sort of against reading translated work. While I admit you don't have another choice if you want to read the work and don't know the original language (which is why I sometimes do read translations), I always strongly advice people to read novels in the language they were written in.

Impact of language

While plot and characters are important aspects of a novel I think language is even more important. You can't be a good writer without knowing how to play with language. This is why I prefer writing fiction in Dutch instead of English: I can play with words and sentences more easily in my native language. With this idea in mind there are two options for reading. While reading in your native language is easier than in your second or third language, I think it's worth trying to read novels in the language they are written in, because that's the way the author has meant the work to be. By doing this you're reading the 'pure' writings of the author and you'll be able to do your own interpreting without the 'barrier' of a translator.

Impact of translation

I think translating is a craft. Being able to translate works in a meaningful way is a job, but it's also a talent: not everyone can do it. That being said I think reading translations next to the original work is interesting, because you can see how the translator manipulated the text from one language into another. Translating is not just saying the same thing in another language, because language isn't something that stands by itself: language is a coherent set of utterances that influence each other and the world around them and that have different connotations in different languages. Therefore literally translating something isn't possible. You're always adding meaning to the things you're saying or writing. I'm not saying translations aren't useful, because they are (especially if you don't know the original language), but I don't think they can substitute the original work. So if you're able to read the original, please do so. A lot of meaning in a text can be added, distracted and manipulated while being translated. Do you read translated work? You should check out who the translator is and what he or she has translated besides the novel you're reading.

Multilingual reading

Besides reading original works for the sake of the works, you can also benefit from multilingual reading yourself. Do you know you're training your cognitive abilities by using different languages in your daily life? Research has shown us that using more than one language can delay the onset of Alzheimer symptoms by a few years, which is something I think is amazing. So delete that Braintrainer app from your mobile phone or tablet and start reading in another language. ;) If you want to read more about multilingual reading theories, you can go to this theoretical article by Jill Fitzgerald. And if you want to know more about translation and why translating isn't saying the same thing in another language, you should read Is that a fish in your ear? The amazing adventure of translation by David Bellos. I hope you enjoyed reading this post and don't forget to leave a comment, because I'd love to get involved in discussion!

Begin the Week with Words

Here is a song that has been on repeat in my mind as I see people around me go through trials and new beginnings in life...especially that of someone so very close and dear to me that her trial is also mine.

Here is a video as well, the song is beautiful.

"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United

You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown where feet may fail

And there I find You in the mystery

In oceans deep

My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand

Will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You've never failed and You won't start now

So I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

[x6]

I will call upon Your Name

Keep my eyes above the waves

My soul will rest in Your embrace

I am Yours and You are mine.

Real Fairy Tales - Happily Ever After, the Hard Way

Source: noteablebiographies.com
The Grimm Brothers

Yesterday I posted about my student book club, the Reading Warriors, and our newest adventure in reading. We've been looking at the real fairy tales from the Grimm brothers and Hans Christian Andersen. Yesterday's post discussed The Little Mermaid and Sleeping Beauty. Today I have prepared Cinderella and Snow White!

Grimm's Cinderella starts out differently than Disney's in that Cinderella's father is alive throughout the story! I can't fathom why he allows the stepmother and sisters treat her so horribly - no explanation is given. Also, the ball is three nights long and each time Cinderella goes, she asks for a dress of silver and gold from the tree and birds at her mother's grave. A fairy-god mother does not appear other than the idea of the mother watching over her from above. Each night of the ball, Cinderella runs away from the prince; however, unlike the Disney version where everything will turn back into usual at midnight, Cinderella has no reason to run away. The third night is the night when she loses the gold slipper and the prince declares he will marry the lady who fits the slipper.

This is where the Grimm version gets grim. The stepsisters' feet won't quite fit, so the stepmother tells the first one to cut off her toe, she won't need it to walk as a queen anyway. The shoe then fits and the prince almost falls for it until he sees the blood flowing from the shoe. The second sister is told to cut off her heel to make the shoe fit and once again the prince catches on just in time. Like in the Disney version, Cinderella has many animal helpers in Grimm's story, mostly birds who bring the dresses and warn the prince that he has the wrong girl, making him take notice of the bloody shoes. The birds also play a part in the last scene, when Cinderella is married and the sisters walk with her during the festivities, the birds come and peck out the stepsisters' eyes, making them go blind for their wrongdoings. Seven pages makes for quick reading and it may seem morbid, but that would be a good one to watch!

Much like Sleeping Beauty in yesterday's post, Disney's version of Snow White is pretty close to the original Grimm story. One small difference is Snow White's age. In the Grimm tale she is seven, while the Disney version implies she's at least mid-teens. Another difference is that in the Grimm tale, the evil queen disguises herself three times and tries to kill Snow White: once with tightly tied lace, once with a poison comb in her hair, and last with the poison apple, which is the only one we see in Disney's version. The only big difference is the way in which Snow White awakes after the poison apple - and for some it may be a deal breaker! At seven pages, this one is also a quick read to find out the slight and yet important change at the end.

So, even the original stories have some happily ever afters...just has to be figured out the hard way. Which original fairy tales do you wonder about?

Real Fairy Tales - Where You May Not Want Your Dreams to Come True

My copies of Grimm's and Andersen's fairy tales.

I am home on a snow day once again. In fact, my entire family is home on snow day, even my husband who is neither a teacher nor a student and does not work in a school. Winter has been more winter than usual this year. We haven't attended a full week of school since before Christmas! (That's including two hour delays.)

Between snow days and other events at my school, we've not had a normal Wednesday schedule for the entire month of January. This stands out to me because there is a 22 minute "activity period" on Wednesday mornings when my student book club, Reading Warriors, meets. We haven't met since two weeks before Christmas! However, it looks like despite not having school today, our administration is going to have activity period in tomorrow's schedule.

What will we be discussing? Fairy tales. The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Snow White to be exact. I know, I know. The first thing that pops into your mind is the pretty Disney Princess motif. Yea, well, ain't nobody got time for that! (Except for The Little Mermaid - I love the songs in that one!) Our fairy tale reads are the real thing. Ummm...well, let's say, they're closer to the original fairy tales. Fairy tales in general have been around for so long that there are multiple versions based on different cultures and it may be that we don't know which versions are the originals, but it should be clear that Disney is not the original. My students and I are reading Andersen and Grimm's fairy tales, some written and some simply compiled by these men in the 1800s.

Illustration of the sea witch and
 little mermaid in the Andersen collection

Of course, I am going start with my favorite Disney story first - The Little Mermaid, which is also the only Hans Christian Andersen story of the bunch. I was happy to see how much of the original story Disney kept! The little mermaid is the youngest of a gaggle of sisters. She has a marble statue of a handsome prince and does save a prince who looks like it on a sinking ship. She wants nothing more than to be human and roam the earth. When the little mermaid (who is never given a name) goes to see the sea witch, the little green grabby plant things from Disney are in the original story, but they are trying to eat her instead of warn her.

There are a few other interesting pieces that Disney changed, and for good reason since their intended audience is small children. The sea witch cuts out the mermaid's tongue to take her voice and she suffers horrendous pain with every movement on her new legs. But it's all for love. And is that the moral of the story? You'll have to read the end, where the little mermaid can choose her life back by sacrificing that of the prince. Let's just say Disney has been giving us happily ever afters that weren't originally imagined. The whole story is only about 20 pages long, so check it out!

On the other hand, if you liked Disney's Sleeping Beauty, then you should thank Disney because they spiced it up, making it a bit more exciting than the original Grimm story. In the original story there are 12 wise women who play the part of the three fairies and Maleficent in Disney's version. And in the original story, Rosamund (aka Rose) is never taken to live in the secluded woods. Everyone lives in the castle as always, Rosamund is tricked into pricking her finger, the entire kingdom falls asleep, and thorns grow up everywhere. Some kings' sons die in the thorns trying to break in over the years. And when 100 years of sleep is up, one king's son walks right in and wakes her with a kiss. They live happily ever after. I'd say Disney improved this one with a dragon battle - make that prince work for his love! Three pages for this one, so at least it wasn't time consuming.

Stay tuned tomorrow, where I'll pick up with Cinderella and Snow White, both of which promise a twist or two from the Disney versions! Are you a fan of Disney or the original fairy tales?

Middlesex

Source: amazon.com

Where to start with Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides? I bought this book years ago because it was an Oprah Book Club pick (which can be hit or miss, but typically I like her picks). I picked it up this year because it fits both of my 2014 challenges - the Chunkster Challenge and the TBR Pile Challenge. Two birds with one stone - can't beat that reasoning.

Middlesex is the story of Calliope/Cal Stephanides, American born citizen of Greek immigrant grandparents. Cal highlights the past long before his birth...or her birth. The his and her pronouns are hard to keep straight because Calliope was born a girl, but later discovered to be a boy, then using the nickname Cal as his first name. (This is not a spoiler, it's on the book jacket and in opening of the story, I promise.) The first 200 pages of Cal's narrated ancestry read slowly for me. The ancestry is crucial to Cal's story and interesting enough, but for some reason just doesn't pick up in speed. However, once the story of Cal's grandparents' immigration and his parents' establishing a family passes, Calliope is born and the story takes off from there.

Cal narrates his childhood growing up as a girl, questioning if certain things happened because of the unknown genetic difference or just because. From the adored young daughter, to the preteen getting her lip waxed, to the teenager trying to figure out why puberty is treating her differently than other girls, Cal spells out the memories good and bad that have brought him to where he is - a man living a lonely life because he holds a secret that very few will understand and accept.

The book contains somewhat explicit scenes, but takes on a topic I've not read before in a book - hermaphroditism. Actually, I did not read any reviews, synopses, or the book cover before I began, so I was in for a surprise right away. Explicit scenes are one of those things I just don't know how some people will react, so I always give the disclaimer as a fair warning. Besides the explicit scenes, the slow 200 page opening is another thing that makes me a little hesitant to recommend Middlesex. Some people couldn't or wouldn't push through 200 pages to enjoy the last 344 pages, but overall the story was intriguing.

What's the most intriguing topic you've ever read in a book?

Begin the Week with Words

Source: meetville.com via Google

"She thought I was crazy. But I wasn't crazy. Being aware of a deep hurting inside all of us isn't crazy." Why Are You So Sad? by Jason Porter

I think this quote has a bit of truth to it really.