The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

So, I have been getting much more into reading books, lately.  I've just had the time and the mental energy to get back into reading heavily. I can't quite remember all that I have been reading lately, but one that has seriously stood out to me was Gregory Macguire's Wicked. My dad is actually reading it now; because my reviews were so raving, so I am doing my best to write without the actual text in front of me (i.e. bear with me).
     The book was amazing. I have never honestly wondered about the background of the Wicked Witch: I don't tend to question the history of villains; because, I do not identify with them, or even the hero in archetypal stories, specifically.  I did, though, find the idea of the musical to be interesting. I have been trying to go see it ever since I sang the song "Popular" for my 7th grade choir recital. When I realized there was a book to read, I was intrigued, even if I didn't care enough to go out and get it right away.
     Which brings us to a few weeks ago. It was Barnes and Nobles customer appreciation weekend/week/whatever and I was walking the aisles, looking for something fun to read; because, I was getting 30% off. I locked onto the beautiful illustrations of Gregory Macguire's cover pages and spent a good five to ten minutes going through the collection of his works, deciding which I would most like to begin with. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister looked like a good place to start, but not quite my style, so I chose Wicked instead.
     Immediately, I loved the book. The background of Oz was rich and enticing, and made me love a story I didn't even know existed. I could have done without the more obscene scenes, but I am the type of person that will put down a book in the store if I read any sort of romance on the back cover. There was also a point of contention for me in the irresolution of some of the plot points from the film: I can't say whether it matched the original story; because, I have never read it. The overall story, however, had so many twists and interesting points that caught me - not off guard but - up.
     I have already bought the next book in the series and I plan to read it, hopefully, sometime next week. Once, I have finished it, I will definitely let you guys know how it is.

P.S. I am looking at a new, more structured way of posting to the blog. I am trying to post three times a week, with Monday being my "talk about anything" day, Wednesday being a review day, and Saturday being a News-discussion day.