topic: dresses on covers (brief)

2012-02-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

I cannot even begin to attempt to count the number of dresses on covers of all the books published in say, the past two years. It's mental.

Here are some famous examples:

Related to the book?
I don't remember Nora (Hush, Hush) wearing a dress, or Luce wearing various dresses. For those who have read Unearthly, does Clara wear long flowing dresses? I mean, in books like Luxe where the time period fits the style of clothing, it's fine!

Purpose?
A marketing strategy must be to put pretty dresses on covers and make the girls look gorgeous so that readers will want to read it. I do read based on a cover, and these covers are no doubt gorgeous, but the pages is what matters. Get it, pages? Anyway, I did not like Fallen by Lauren Kate. I hated it. (check out my other post on why) And Luce wearing dresses like those are completely unrelated to the book. The cover has to mean something! Not just hot girls in dresses!

I Have a Brain:
Don't read a book just because the girl on the cover is wearing a cool dress. I am not a brainless teenager. It bothers me how the girls are posed like they hear someone and turn their torso around like "huh, what was that?" or just like "Oh I'm so sexy, let me pose" or "I'm moody and sad, let me stare off into the distance meaningfully"

This conversation is turning into a different "whole other topic" that I will address later. Haha

twilight fun! (with a dash of harry potter)

2012-02-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

I once enjoyed Twilight, say over all the superficialness, the crap arse characters and all. The writing is well done, but the story doesn't do it for me. I don't HATE twilight, I just didn't enjoy it. And well, I thought I'd dedicate this post and poking fun at twilight and make people laugh.

Have you ever watched the Alex Reads Twilight videos? They're AMAZING! I'm a huge fan! And the Twilight videos are some of my favourites. I even noted down some favourite moments:
Chapter 8-9--> 1:50
Chapter 7--> 2:23
Chapter 16--> 1:08
Chapter 5-6--> :44 and 2:57

Here's Chapter 7 ^_^ I love the eating breakfast cheerily act, and the f*cking Lauren comments. they're my favourite those Lauren comments.

Now here are some funny pictures, a few of them ARE Harry Potter related

Haha, the last one is so true! I love the Vernon one as well, I just burst out laughing every time I glance at it!

And for those of you who are wondering when I'll get on with the real book blogging stuff, like reviews, I promise they're on their way!

I hope I've made you laugh today :)

five hundred follower contest

2012-02-03T15:04:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

I've been sitting at four hundred and eighty two (cuatro cientos ochenta dos) (482) followers for a while now. At once, I was bothered by it, but then I learned to be grateful for the followers I already have, and wanted to make your experience the best it can be without pesky giveaways with annoying extra points like "post to twitter" "post to your blog" "post to sidebar" Grr. But I'm sad to say that I'm offering those pesky add ons.
I'd also love discovering new blogs, young readers just joining and looking for support. Yet now many senior blogs aren't helping the freshie ones and I'm sad; I was once a fresh book blogger with 8 followers for nearly half a year.

However, now that I'm looking at it, the old annoyance is back, I really want to reach that plus twenty. I'd appreciate your help in doing the following for me:

recommending new blogs for me to support ^_^
recommending my blog to others
if I'm not following your blog (gasp!), send me your blog URL
posting about this giveaway in any form of media

But what will one lucky winner win?

A choice of an ARC of the following books:

Rules:

For every 50 followers, another winner will be chosen. The first winner will get first pick, and then the second winner will get the second. I might stop the +50 once I run out of shipping money.

Gotta post about my blog or this contest somewhere at least once.

Ends whenever Pages reaches it's goal

Fill out this form

Thank you so much for all your support!

---happy reading
Kirthi

revenge

2012-01-29T10:12:00.000-08:00

Ever read those books where a b*tchy girl gets hurt by someone and decides to "get revenge"? Or even those simple desires of revenge?
Revenge is stupid.
Trying to get it only brings one down to the lowest levels of character and self.
I don't care whether it makes for an interesting plot, unless you want to destroy a really good character.

Phew, hope that didn't sound too horrid of me to say.

review: city of fallen angels

2012-01-18T15:38:00.000-08:00

book info:
ages: 13 and up
grades: 7 and up
on sale: now!
copy from: library
pages: 424

title: City of Fallen Angels (The Mortal Instruments 4)
author: Cassandra Clare
stars: 4

{The Mortal War is over, and Clary Fray is back home in New York, excited about all the possibilities before her. She's training to become a Shadowhunter and to use her unique power. Her mother is getting married to the love of her life. Downworlders and Shadowhunters are at peace at last. And—most important of all—Clary can finally call Jace her boyfriend.

But nothing comes without a price.

Someone is murdering the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle, provoking tensions between Downworlders and Shadowhunters that could lead to a second bloody war. Clary’s best friend, Simon, can’t help her. His mother just found out he’s a vampire and now he’s homeless. Everywhere he turns, someone wants him on their side—along with the power of the curse wrecking his life. And they’re willing to do anything to get what they want. At the same time he’s dating two beautiful, dangerous girls—neither of whom knows about the other.

When Jace begins to pull away from Clary without explaining why, she is forced to delve into the heart of a mystery whose solution reveals her worst nightmare: She herself has set in motion a terrible chain of events that could lead to her losing everything she loves. Even Jace.}

my thoughts:

First time in a while that I stayed up to read a book. As you know it's been a while, hehe. First off, it's been such a long time since I read City of Glass and I like how I started reading right into where it left off.

Lots of Simon. I like Simon's humble character, his sensitive and confused character. However I have to admit, I. love. Jace. I got really disappointed when I heard there was more Simon, however there was Jace. Cassandra Clare seems to surprise me SO much! After each majour shocking event, she out do's herself with another. I thought things couldn't get worse! But they did. I'm really shocked and sad.

characters: everyone seemed a bit detached from before, but otherwise the characters and written beautifully. Each seeming so real and though the whole back story is crazy, I can somehow relate (put myself in their shoes kind of thing) I love the near tangible chemistry between them.

plot: F*cking hell. Of all stories, Cassandra Clare's seem to always have a lovely fast paced plot that I love. Well done! It alternates between Simon and Clary with a bit of Jace as well. Alec and Magnus are mentioned too! Cute sweet Alec ^_^

style: unique.

overall: Not a MUST READ, I guess you can leave off at City of Glass, but I really liked this book and how it continues the story. I would recommend reading it ^_^

harry harry potter! don't kill me

2012-01-14T08:24:00.000-08:00

Julie has made me aware of even MORE harry potter comics that I must share. This is a book blog, honestly.

(as a fan of The Office with Michael as manager, I loved this picture)

Honestly, book Ron is so much better, and I have to say...movie Hermione

I love this one: amazing. I'd totally buy this painting!

harry potter: I couldn't resist

2012-01-11T16:40:00.000-08:00

more more!

(not funny, but cool)
(look at the one below and watch their mouths!)

AND THIS ONE is what I was yelling at the screen when they played it:

Seriously. Is he an idiot?

series or sequels in 2012

2012-01-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

Looking through goodreads I have discovered that a fat lot of all the books being released are books belonging to a series or the sequel of a previous book published.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH STAND ALONES?!

My god, honestly. Why do authors continue their stories for sooo long?! Too little butter over too much bread. For instance, Delirium is a great stand-alone. Yeah, the ending was a bit abrupt and I imagine what happens after, but I do not want a sequel.

Thus, here are some books I do not want to read:

Ohmygod, but they look so good! Let me explain:

Delirium: fudging awesome as a stand alone

The Body Finder: didn't really enjoy, so why would I read the others?

Fallen: Seriously, I got so tired after it and after the third, I didn't really care. It's like, the books only exist because of the pretty cover

Hex Hall: was good at first, nice light read, but got SO boring and typical after the second.

Perhaps they're fine to get young girls interested in reading, but for an avid reader like me, I need an author who's willing to break the mold and come out with something thought provoking and deep. Because most of the books I read are so shallow, I wonder why I even read them!

How To Know A Good Stand Alone:

A solid ending including epilogue
You don't want to know what happens because the ending is perfect
You feel complete understanding of the story

Yet, most authors purposefully stretch their story out with cliffhanger endings and make them longer than would be great. It's like authors are more eager to please the readers than they are about writing a brilliant novel to portray the story effectively. If you're an author reading this, I'm sure your novels are great, but please don't write just for the readers!

Why I believe there are so many sequels (I may be wrong) and series

Authors signed contracts promising sequels
Publishing companies are joining the bandwagon and want more books after the first huge hit book
Authors just feed into popular demand from fans and readers and write more books for them
Money?

Don't ruin a good story for these reasons. Be strong! Do what you believe in!

Case Studies:

J.K. Rowling

"I understand the temptation to revisit old triumphs. It feels dangerous to step away from ground where you know you've been successful. Imagine if you wrote something that wasn't quite as good! Or something that didn't capture the imagination in quite the same way. Well, what then? Creators all know that the most dangerous thing isn't to try and fail, it's to stagnate. Maybe not every new world or new set of stories you make will enjoy the huge success of Harry Potter – but a worse fate would be to keep on ploughing the same old furrow, not able to try anything new."

Enya

Though she isn't a novelist, Enya made sure to tell Warner Bros and put it in the contract to have as much time as she wanted to make her music, thus the huge intervals between albums. Unlike many artists who are forced to write songs quickly to achieve their contracts, to make more money, and toget more fans, Enya takes her own time creating lovely masterpieces. She's left alone in her private life, not indulging too much like many artists do. For those reading this, do you even know Enya? No! Do you know Katy Perry? Lady Gaga? Of course!
"When I go to the studio, I try not to think of the sales aspect, on how the albums have done previously, to actually just focus on the music"

What I'm trying to say is that I think everyone (authors, readers, publishers etc...) should make an effort to making books better, including knowing when to stop reading a book in a series, or deciding whether or not to read a sequel, trying to decide if you should or not. Follow your instincts as a good reader!

What books do you believe are great stand alones despite their series or sequels? Do you argue with my not-to-read book choices? What do you think? (answer answer answer! haha)

they cannot take it

2012-01-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

"I love you. Remember. They cannot take it"
-Delirium by Lauren Oliver

new years

2011-12-31T14:55:00.000-08:00

This new years, my resolution for reading is to read more classics, and to be more active in the blogging community (rather than to super long absences I've logged in this year) more interviews, giveaways, etc...

I hope that you've got awesome reading resolutions (unless you don't believe in resolutions)! can't wait to see what a great year it'll be!

creatures of harry potter part 2: comparisons

2011-12-29T15:52:00.000-08:00

As you've enjoyed the last segment, I'm pleased to welcome you to: creatures of harry potter part 2: comparisons. Please! Hold the applause, I know I'm awesome. Haha.

Here comes the fun part!

1. The Werewolves

Do you see the difference? Up top you've got a Harry Potter and the bottom you've got Twilight. I'm just comparing these two. See, other movies do werewolves properly as well, but they're always buff and ripped. Poor Lupin werewolf is bare and skeletal, and really makes you want to pity him. There's chubby Jacob wolf you looks like you want to cuddle and pet him. Seriously.

2. The Centaurs

Centaur on the right looks hotter and more dreamy and lovable, but centaur on the left looks real. Centaur on the left, let's call him Firenze, is a beast. Literally too, haha! But I'm trying to say that creatures in Harry Potter and meant to portray the story properly, have a strange feel to them. Firenze is strong and magestic and very in touch with his beast. Whoever this guy on the right is, he just doesn't look right.

3. The mermaids

Typical mermaid vs. Harry Potter mermaid

I love how the HP one is more creature like, more muscles like a swimmer and has a nose that are like African Americans, our ancestral root. It's stunning. You've got the normal mermaids you have super model upper bodies and flimsy fish tails. They're not real mermaids, because you can't have that short tail and a long body, it's not dynamic.

4. The Inferi (concept)

On the left, we have a dead corpse in The Dead Marshes from Lord of the Rings. On the right we have Harry Potter inferi. I just notice a similarity.

Gollum vs. Dobby

See! They look alike! Of course, Gollum came first and looks a whole lot better than Dobby. No offense to you Dobby lovers.

Well that's it. Hope you enjoyed this week's special. ^_^

creatures of harry potter part 1: favourites

2011-12-29T14:37:00.000-08:00

We interrupt this blog fest of end of the year celebrations, holiday giveaways and the usual book reviews to present: creatures of harry potter part 1: favourites. Enjoy. don't get toooo excited.

(nothing like a good harry potter post to liven up this dead-looking blog)

warning: graphic images!

I was watching this programme on this channel (bio something I think) and it was explaining in brief the creations of the creatures in Harry Potter. I'll be using a lot of what they said to describe why. I picked some favourites.
1. Thestrals

The most brilliant creature ever done on film. J.K. Rowling's original creation.
You'll know that only people who have seen death can see these thestrals. So these beasts are like an interpretation of Death. They've got to be deathly and grotesque, but also sad and heart-wrenching.
They
are
beautiful!
Look at the adorable baby one. Admit that when you saw it, you fell a bit in love with them. You didn't fear thestrals but grew fond instead.

2. The Inferi (Living Dead)

These are amazing. Dead skeletons reanimated by a dark wizard (these are by Voldemort created during The First Wizarding War) They're animated against their will, of course.
Why?

They are tragic, in a sense
They're eerily beautiful. No, I'm not a creep like that! They're sketched in a haunting way, and how can something so grotesque inspire pity? That's why.
They way the film has down it, so they're crawling and groping about, climbing on top of each other in such a manner. It's brilliant

3. Werewolf

You'll see that Lupin, in my opinion, is a true werewolf. He's got the long spine and human qualities that as J.K. Rowling said, was what made his scarier, more than a monster.

It's amazing:

You'll see that Rowling's werewolf is much more scary than just a giant angry dog. I love how the artists didn't just use the typical werewolf, but created a much more well done one.

4. Mermaids

Again, not the typical mermaid like Ariel, but something more believable and haunting. Just amazing.

5. Centaurs

Unlike being perfectly half human and half horse, the movie adaptation of Harry Potter made the centaurs human half obtain more horse-ish qualities. It's perfect.

6. Hippogriff

F*cking brilliant. Need I say more?

I'm afraid to actually list all my favourite creatures because there are so many. I hope these will do.

In Part 2, I will discuss comparisons with the "Accepted" and the "Harry Potter" versions of creatures. It'll be a bit more entertaining hopefully.

Until next time!

memorable books I've read in 2011

2011-12-29T09:13:00.000-08:00

In no particular order:

Eden by Keary Taylor

Why I loved it: Amazing writing and brilliant story. Well written and addictive: loved it until the very end and lingered in my head long afterwards.
published: June 6th 2011
note: it's being made into a movie!
summary:

Eve knew the stories of the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. She's seen the aftermath of the technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn't just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve's reality.

In their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has always been there for her, but is seven years her senior.

The technology wants to spread and it won't stop until there is no new flesh to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen.

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Why I loved it: The incest topic was brilliantly written. It was just as emotional as it should've been and the characters and the whole story was heart-wrenching and emotional and touching. It's unforgettable and one of my favourite books of all time. I still go back and flip through the beautiful words. Mind blowing.

published: June 28th 2011 Simon Pulse

summary:

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Why I loved it: Intriguing. One has to read in between the lines, discover double meanings and think a whole lot while reading this book. It was disturbing but memorable and well thought out and written.

first published: September 17th 1954

summary (not really a summary because the true summary gave away everything)
William Golding's classic tale about a group of English schoolboys who are plane-wrecked on a deserted island is just as chilling and relevant today as when it was first published in 1954

The Count on Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
why I loved it: What I call a "perfect story" The tragic romance, the betrayal, the twists and turns and surprises and heart tugging adventure all adds up to The Count of Monte Cristo. If Alexandre were alive, I'd congratulate him.

first published: 1844

summary:

Falsely accused of treason, the young sailor Edmond Dantes is arrested on his wedding day and imprisoned in the island fortress of the Château d'If. Having endured years of incarceration, he stages a daring and dramatic escape and sets out to discover the fabulous treasure of Monte Cristo, and to catch up with his enemies.

Why only four? This year, I didn't really read as much as I did, therefore, less books. I hope I can get back on track this new year and make it up!

I know many of you are posting similar posts, and you're welcome to link in the comments. I'd love to visit your blogs and hear about the great books you've read ^_^

review: cinder

2011-12-22T15:32:00.000-08:00

book info:
ages: 13 and up
grades: 7 and up
on sale: January 3rd 2012
copy from: Feiwal and Friends
pages: 387

title: Cinder
author: Marissa Meyers
stars: 3.999

{Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. }

my thoughts:

Wow, I was really interested that the main character would be half robotic. Now that's something you don't see often. It reminded me of one of my favourite books, Eden by Keary Taylor, where the main character Eve is mechanical as well. Contrary to the allusion I just made, Cinder is different in aspects. It takes place in China and the people are Chinese (not Caucasian!) and Cinder isn't a perfect girl with a perfect life. She grows in the "slums" working as a freaking mechanic. Her foot is taken from her! I mean, this is a great start to the Lunar Chronicles!

characters: Cinder is amazing. I can relate to her, and she makes sense. Unlike lots of teen fiction where the females are all confused and everything. Similar characters to Cinder are Eve from Eden and Lena from Delirium: female heroines whom I loved.

plot: It takes a while for one to get to the actual meaning of the book, but once the plot kicks off, it goes great. I was patient enough to understand who the heck Lunars were and what situation they were in with "Earthlings" And once I got that, I learned that the plot was pretty good.

style: I love the simplistic, but still detailed enough style of writing Meyer writes in. It's not gushy like, his dark set eyes were deep and beautiful, so much that she lost herself in them. Her heart was beating like a hummingbird's wings, and she was so nervous....yeah, not like that. It's concise and to the point, like the character Cinder. Great style ^_^

overall: Wonderful! I de-rated it due to the fact that near the ending, it clipped off into the second book. It would've done great as a stand-alone. Also, the story seemed a little strange and far-off, not what I'm used to. Too much techy stuff as well. Other than that, it's recommended!

review: if i tell

2011-12-22T15:19:00.000-08:00

book info:
ages: 13 and up
grades: 7 and up
on sale: NOW
copy from: Sourcebooks
pages: 244

title: If I Tell
author: Janet Gurtler
stars: 5

"Instead, I ran. Again" (Gurtler)

Jasmine Evans knows one thing for sure... people make mistakes. After all, she is one. Jaz is the result of a onenight stand between a black football player and a blonde princess. Having a young mother who didn't raise her, a father who wants nothing to do with her and living in a small-minded town where she's never fit in hasn't been easy. But she's been surviving. Until she sees her mom's new boyfriend making out with her own best friend. When do you forgive people for being human or give up on them forever?

my thoughts:

After reading I'm Not Her, I had high expectations for this book. AND IT WAS MET! I was so thrilled to read yet another amazing Janet Gurtler list, however it felt like she (Janet) was trying to tackle too many problems, very real problems, and smash it together. BUT, it was subtle. I liked it.

Because I'm too lazy to write exactly how much I liked this, i'll just tell you to read it. read it!

news news, read all about it!

2011-12-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

Right, well this as happened quite often on this blog in the recent past. I suddenly disappear for months and then come back and then leave again. I am bipolar when it comes to blogging. As I've said before, it's my first semester as a freshman in high school and I've been with that. I've got finals in two weeks, so now is the PERFECT time to blog, huh?

You might find it surprising BUT I have my first laptop! It was from the Black Friday sales and it's a Lenovo. I've never heard of it, but my Dad insisted it was a good brand. At least I've got a laptop. I've also had a room makeover, a much larger and roomier desk and freshly painted walls. I'm kind of a loser because I painted my walls the same colour as before: it just looks newer now.

above you'll see my entire bedroom. Isn't it so cute and lovely and warm?

above is my night stand. I have a cold so you'll see the Vicks Vapour Rub and the cold medicine. There's my thyroid pills too. I'm having terrible hair-loss because of my thyriod and I'm depressed because of it. Loss of hair is the worst symptom. My hair gave me confidence. It used to be thick and heavy and envy-inspiring. Now it's thin and delicate and I'm always afraid when I take a shower to look at the hair clumping in the drainage. ANYWAYS! There's my Harry Potter bed-time book (and The Secret Garden)

Above is my quartet music for the quartet I'm in called Nimakisea. This is the song we played at the Winter Chamber Music Concert. It was a VERY difficult song to play, but I had a super skilled All-state 1st violinist, another All-state second violinist and a Sinfonia orchestra cellist. I'm in freshman orchestra, but many of the other orchestra members agree that I should've ranked higher. Mwhaha, 'cause I'm a freaking amazing violist.

This is my brand new laptop. I've named him Voldemort. Honestly, it asked for my computer name and I made it Voldemort. I'll prove it to you with a picture later, but haha, isn't it a beauty? Black glory!

BOOK RELATED

I've been reading this physics book. It's very organised and makes the content easier to understand, however purely because of the subject, I would not recommend this one.

Above is the two books I'm reading for class. Cyrano de Bergerac, as many of you are familiar with, and Why Geography Matters. The second one is the parallel reading I have to do for my AP Human Geography class that we have to read over the course of the entire school year. Oh, I've just reminded myself that I have a chapter reading to do. GREAT! >_<

Speaking of Human Geography: here's my textbook lying on the ground. It's the prettiest textbook I've ever seen.

Of course you have to see my bookshelf! Due to my painting of the room, I had to take down the bookshelf temporarily and re-organise it. It looks slightly different, but not that much.

This is the classically messy top of my bookshelf. It makes me so much more a book nerd. Gorgeous isn't it?

Last but not least is me, taking a picture in my bedroom window. You'll see the whole bedroom is flipped over. My desk is supposed to be on the left, and my night table is supposed to be on the right. ^_^

I hoped you enjoyed the tour of my bedroom and current book-life! I'll be posting more often! Come back again!

review: catching jordan

2011-11-28T17:16:00.000-08:00

book info:
ages: 13 and up
grades: 7 and up
on sale: NOW
copy from: Sourcebooks
pages: 281

title: Chatching Jordan
author: Miranda Kenneally
stars: 3.9

What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

"Ugh" Ty says, "Are you really a girl?" (Kenneally 87)

my thoughts:

It's not a very common idea for a story, and I like how Miranda chose such an idea and worked on it. However, I recognise this idea from another book by one of my favourite middle-grade authors (I was still an avid reader when I was younger and read higher level books, so she might be considered a young adult author) Catherine Gilbert Murdock. Yes, I actually memorised her name! I have a habit of doing that with titles and authors: but to the point. Catherine wrote a novel called Dairy Queen, about a teenage girl joining the small town's football team with a father who was cold-heartily against it. It's uncannily familiar to this one...a little too familiar. HOWEVER!

All ideas for fiction come from some where and more often than not, it's from another novel (nowadays) and as an aspiring author myself I understand that if one likes an idea, and REALLY likes it, than it's bound to be similar. So I'm not marking down on that (purely because this is such a rare idea for a story in YA lit)

Back to the actual novel itself. Yeah, a football team is large so there's got to be a load of people to introduce. Maybe it's just me, but there was a lot of characters introduced too fast and I hadn't a clue who was who. JJ, Carter, Lacey Henry, Mike, Kristen, Ty AHHH!

characters: Jordan herself is a nice character and I understand her decisions, but it wasn't the epitome of epic characterisation. Still, it was pretty good.

plot: Quite unexpected and well written out. Great job on that!

style: Not evident, but I did enjoy the poems slapped inside every chapter or so. That was stylish ^_6

overall: A great read!

review: Ember by Carol Oates

2011-10-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

book info:
ages: 13 and up
grades: 7 and up
on sale: NOW
copy from: Omnific
pages: 236

title: Ember
author: Carol Oates
stars: 2.99

When Candra Ember wakes up in hospital after a dangerous encounter with a red-haired woman, she is shocked to discover that seeing a winged boy wasn’t her imagination. Candra is exposed to a world of rivalry and sacrifice she never knew existed, and the aftermath of a war to save humanity thousands of years ago. Soon she finds herself relentlessly stalked by Sebastian, a beautiful and arrogant Watcher Angel and romantically pursued by his darkly seductive rival, Draven. Ultimately, dubious about her own goodness, Candra’s very existence compromises a tentative peace in the city of Acheron.

"She was utterly alone" (Oates, 73)

my thoughts:

I liked Shades of Atlantis, and I liked Ember. Oates is skilled in the way that she can delve deep into her characters, and bring them out. I just don't think that the fantasy premise really works for her obvious talent. The story was to me, quite dead. The plot the...the everything really. The actual writing was good, stylish. There's no doubt that Oates is a great writer, but I think she needs to work for a perfect story.

review: i'm not her

2011-10-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

book info:
ages: 12 and up
grades: 6 and up
on sale: NOW!
copy from: Sourcebooks
pages: 288

title: I'm Not Her
author: Janet Gurtler
stars: 5

“For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…”

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?

"Is Kristina sick?" (48, Gurtler)

My thoughts:
I love this book so much. It struck a chord inside me. Lately you've seen me hate on the YA genre (I am sincerley sorry about that!) but this book just proved me wrong (and the new one coming out this month! Shhh). I swear, my heart was pounding (cliche, but true) and I was like "Oh no!" Characters have always been the most important thing in a novel, because it's the characters that get you connected to the story. I could actually connect to Tess and even her sister Kristina. It sounds cliche, younger not popular and nerdy sister and older popular cute cheerleader sister? Well.....I'm Not Her delves more deeply than just that gap between the sisters and into the troubles the family deals, how the cancer affects everyone in the family.

characters: Brilliant. Best. Amazing. Nothing more to say ^_^
theme: Family relationships are complex, and are strained under the introduction of cancer.

plot: There was no vampires, magic, witches or anything like that. It was a realistic, sweet and simple yet complex story that followed a simple series of events that are just perfect.

style: Gurtler weaves her own style into that of the lyrical paced story so that it's almost unnoticeable, but there. The writing was flawless, and the style was unique.

overall: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! YOU MUST READ IT!

the danger of a SINGLE STORY

2011-09-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy my AP Human Geography class. It's enriching and eye opening about many of the global issues in the world and is the one class I look forward to every day.

What is Human Geography?
The study of the physical landscape and human interaction. It's mainly to do with human society. Or a more pro definition: Human geography is the study of the many cultural aspects found throughout the world and how they relate to the spaces and places where they originate and then travel as people continually move across various areas.

a single story on Isreal

The Danger of A Single Story:
I had to watch this video for AP Human about a speech by Chimamanda Adichie on "The Danger of A Single Story" and answer: "Why do you think I wanted you to watch it?" and/or "Have you ever been a victim of a single story?" We'll continue that later, but right now, you must have one big question.

What does this have to do with reading?
Allow a section of my essay on this to explain and some more later.

"It was a good choice to make the class watch this video because it’s a very eye-opening, important video that talks about “The dangerous of a single story” as what Chimamanda Adichie describes as to “Show a people as one thing, only one thing over and over again, and that is what they become” (Adichie) It shows that what we hear on the news, the stories that we hear are only one side of the story, and the other, less publicised It’s a significant video because it makes one become aware of their mistakes, and the mistakes of others, and makes one think about their way of thinking, the way one can automatically assume that one story about a person or group of people defines them, and is the only story, the single story."-----Kirthi Rao

What the heck am I talking about?

How does this apply to YA?

Now that you've read and understand what I had been talking about, we can discuss how it applies to YA Lit. Fiction and nonfiction shape the way the world see's certain things. Media is very important, and feeds our minds. I have gained nearly no valuable knowledge by reading YA, except for the occasional book or two that gives me food for thought. Even historical fiction is 75% fiction and 25% historical fact. I mean, I actually kind of want to read non fiction (not biographies on stupid "stars" and their boring, not important lives) but cultural books. I mean, is there even such thing as YA Non-Fiction

more harry potter love

2011-09-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Right, so I went crazy during that little free time I had during the week. So every day, I uploaded more funny Harry Potter pictures to my "Harry Potter Humour" Album on my Facebook, and I go crazy laughing at it every time. So I decided, why not share it with my literary bunch of awesome people who will surely enjoy this as much as I did? Any

Oh, here's some favourites:

Some more funny ones:

Oh, I should introduce some Ron and Hermione, right?

vampires

2011-09-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

warning: this post contains harsh content against vampires in YA Lit, and I mean no offense to anyone who likes reading vampire-setting YA books. Seriously, this is a strongly biased and highly opinionated post, so beware and approach with caution.

You, like me, must be so sick of vampires. I thought it was a pretty cool idea at first. You know, vampires had been pretty much gone from being a great idea to write about, with hell and horror and danger and all that, until it got turned into a romantic.

Some examples:

Common themes:

human girl falling instantly in love with a hot bad boy dangerous vampire
a vampire school where a human goes to with a bunch of hot dangerous vampires
a new girl moves in and enter vampire
bad vampires hunting good vampires who like humans
vampires vs. werewolves
hot dangerous cliche vampires with testosterone issues
weak flimsy girls who submit to hot vampire guys
hot vampire guys that are super overprotective of ordinary, weak, random girl
hot vampire guy loves ordinary human girl

Some might overlap, and the list continues on and on. I'm so sad that teens these days, who don't like reading, start reading because of these sad, poorly written books. At least read something deep and beautiful with meaning, something that actually amounts to a message and meaning in life. Not these crappy books with the generic setting and the rip-offs of other novels.

Notice, how the stories that are original are most famous. Twilight was written in 2005. There were only a few vampire books back then, but after experiencing success, thousands of readers wanted vampires, and so, in order to fit demand, lots of good writers saw opportunity and wrote crappy rip-offs to feed to teens. We are not dumb and we are the future, and we deserve better.

To just give readers easy, mindless books to devour mindlessly is complete ________ (I was going to use the b word, but I am trying to tone this down a bit) Writers are smart, good people, and they have tons of brilliant, great ideas so please, writers, don't sink so low as to write about vampires. I would say, if you've got an original idea about vampires, write about it. But as of this point, I don't want anything to do with vampires.

And that brings me to talk about supernatural in general. It's all becoming one giant mush of crap. All the same. I can't even tell the difference anymore. My god, please just come up with original ideas!

Now, vampires do not exist. As much as you may argue, they do not. I used to love the fact of vampires being alive. A predator above the human on the food chain. Keeping population under control (Yeah, I have a sick mind right now), showing humans (the arrogant ones) that they aren't the greatest things in the whole world. But nowadays, vampires aren't vampires. They're bloodthirsty, hot, immortal humans.

I must be repeating myself because I cannot stress the amount of hatred I have for bad books. It ruins the image that centuries of writers have worked so hard to build.

"Oh, yeah I love reading"

"Really, what book? I love Vampire Academy, it's soo good! I love reading too"

"Beowulf. Oh yeah....Vampire Academy, sure..."

"What's Beowulf? Sounds weird. Anyways, I'm reading Pretty Little Liars too! Have you read it?"

"The first couple, but it just prolonged forever and I hated it. The show's.....ugh"

"What?! You hate Pretty Little Liars?! How could you! It's AMAZING!"

The rest of the conversation is too horrid. I can't bring myself to type it. But I rant on how gorgeous Beowulf is (I read it a while ago and decided to re-read it, inspired by my Count of Monte Cristo success) and how awesome the battles were, the almost lyrical style it was written in and how...beautiful the epic poem was. And then she was like "Ohmygosh, Dimitri!!" I mean, I can't believe how....deprived these teens are, my fellow classmates, and that they don't know what real stories are, what a real book is. It makes me angry that is deemed acceptable by the general population. Free speech blah blah blah.

I ask you, however, to really think about the books you're reading right now, or the ones you have on your bookshelf, and consider whether it's pointless or not.

review: a beautiful dark

2011-09-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

book info:
ages: 12 and up
grades: 6 and up
on sale: 27.9.11
copy from: HarperTeen (ARC)
pages: 391

title: A Beautiful Dark
author: Jocelyn Davies
stars: 2.9

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.
In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

my thoughts:
This is a debut novel, so I'll go easy. This is one of those epic, ancient heaven w/good angel and bad angel, both of them are hot guys, and there's one girl that they both protect etc... It's a good plot if it's written nicely, but this wasn't. This was just...nothing. I don't know how to describe it...it's just pointless. There were a few scenes that were important, but lasted a few pages long and then it was over. The ending would have been dramatic if it were written well, but to me, the whole thing was a flop. Oh gosh, I just sound so mean, don't I? As a writer, I understand that taking harsh criticism is like, horribly painful. It's like a random stranger cursing and yelling at your newborn baby, but I just can't say that I love this story.

characters: Skye, Devin, and Asher are the main characters. Skye is boring. Devin is nice. Asher is "dangerous" They're all bland. Not even one character I can enjoy.

theme:......um.....hang on, I've got one....You're not normal. Angels fight over mortal girl. Heaven depends on the fate of a girl. Hot guys are angels.

plot: There wasn't a plot. Just a straight line with no bumps. Maybe like, a few the size of thumbnails, but nothing more.

style: No style at all. The actual technical part of the writing was good. Different tags, good diction, good paragraph transitions etc... But nothing really special that stands out.

overall: A good quick read, but not very recommended from me. Some people may like it, so I guess you could give it a try.

random: The Legend of Korra

2011-09-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, I admit that Avatar: The Last Airbender is, has, and always will be my favourite show. I've posted about it before, but I can't express how much I love this show. It's perfect combination of humour and wit, adventure, plot, and meaning is the recipe for a kid-friendly yet also teen and adult friendly show. It's heavily based off of Buddhist and Hindustan cultures and the religions themselves. Each episode relates to the next, not like the cut off ones like Spongebob, and each bit has meaning, teaches a lesson. It is by far the best thing that has ever happened children's television since the free fun silly Spongebob.

And now, The Legend of Korra is coming out! It takes place about a hundred years after Aang brought about an era of peace between the Nations. I watched the trailer and I felt this sense of sadness, that Aang is dead in this new show, that a whole hundred years passed since the time of Aang and all that fun. Now there's a new character, who doesn't possess Airbender qualities like humour and air-like-tactics (if you watched the show, you'd know what I mean) She's muscled, different, and a water bender Avatar so...it's weird. But the video is freaking amazing. You can hear the similar soundtrack from the previous show, that in this trailer, possesses an eerie, sad and mysterious quality to it. Only Avatar can amass fans of all ages including the younger generations by still being true to the meaning of the show. It's a greatly admired act, and well, let's just admit that Mike and Bryan (creators) are like, gods of like....TV.

Here, look at the trailer:

From my good site, Avatar Wiki: (click to read more)

After the conclusion of the War, Aang andZuko brought people from the four nations together and founded the United Republic, creating Republic City, a large "metropolis powered by steampunk-type technology" such as cars and motorcycles.[3] Aang and Katara had three children, the youngest (and only Airbender) of which is Tenzin. Meanwhile, Toph Bei Fong traveled extensively to teach Metalbending. After Aang's death, the next Avatar, Korra, was born to the Southern Water Tribe.

At the present time 70 years after the end of the War, Korra is a rebellious 17-year-old girl.[2][1] As the Avatar, she has already mastered Waterbending, Earthbending and Firebending. She will learn Airbending from Aang and Katara's son Tenzin.[3][4] Tenzin himself is married; Pema is his wife. Jinora, a "bookworm", and Ikki, a "motor-mouth", are his daughters while Meelo, his youngest child, is his son.[5]

The primary and only confirmed setting is Republic City. Anti-benders called "Equalists", who oppose the art ofbending, utilize techniques such as chi-blocking to further their goals of revolution, led by Amon.[3] Korra must fight rampant crime and the anti-bender revolt, assisted by two brothers, Mako, a Firebender, and Bolin, an Earthbender. She is also joined by her animal guide, Naga, and the Metalbending police force of Republic City, who are led by Toph's daughter.[5]

review: The Count of Monte Cristo

2011-09-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

book info:
ages: 15 and up (maybe 16)
grades: 10 and up
on sale: It's ancient.
copy from: Barnes and Noble (Barnes and Noble classic, abridged version)
introduction and notes by Luc Sante
pages: 640

title: The Count of Monte Cristo
author: Alexandre Dumas
stars: 5+

Dashing young Edmond Dantès has everything. He is engaged to a beautiful woman, is about to become the captain of a ship, and is well liked by almost everyone. But his perfect life is shattered when he is framed by a jealous rival and thrown into a dark prison cell for 14 years.

"But sadness is not banished so easily. Like the wounded hero of Virgil he carried the arrow in his wound" (Dumas, 63)

my thoughts:
I read this in 8th grade, and I loved it, even though I didn't understand 75% of it, so that itself is amazing. But recently I re-read it thoroughly, taking notes and damaging the poor worn old book to shreds. I soaked in every detail and absorbed more than I could take sometimes. I was utterly entranced. It was like no book I had ever read, and I mean this. I. Loved. This. Book. Love. Enchanted. Amor. Encanta. I mean.....wow.

characters: Edmond Dantes is my hero. He plays the role of a son, a lover, a father, a god, a hero, a Count, and of friend. Edmond is as complex and as complicated as a dozen spiderwebs woven together. He has a true past, a terrible past, and he becomes amazing.
Mercedes is like a goddess. She and Edmond are to be married, they are in love and it's so pure and blissful until everything goes wrong. Later in the book, one discovers how Edmond almost resents her, almost...blames her, when he is betrayed.
Morrel's withstanding influence and meaning in the Count's life is commendable. There are so many characters, I don't think I can list them all!

theme: When one does a misdeed, it will always backfire. True love must face the test of time. Friendship in the setting of post-Napoleonic France is far stronger and deeper than that of the modern world. Revenge may be just. etc....so many...!

plot: The best, most twisted plot, with dozens of peoples stories interwoven and somehow making sense in the end. A tale of romance, revenge, adventure, and a masterpiece of storytelling....were you alive, Alexandre Dumas, I would be a screaming fan.

style: Alexandre Dumas is the master writer. He is what a true writer should be, and what every writer should strive for. He created a volume of such....such brilliance. I watched this book as if it were a movie, and read it like the book it is at the same time. The small little subtle hints of foreshadowing and indirect characterization Dumas uses, the abrupt switching of parts (instead of being labeled Part 1 and Part 2, he just keeps going) the perfect recipe for the perfect book. Dumas's style engaged the reader (moi) and made me never want to stop.

overall: The best old-time classic I have ever read, The Count of Monte Cristo is the best writing can bring. Equivalent to the modern day fanaticism and epitome of Harry Potter. I love this book. I love it, truly enjoy it and I recommend it to those who are willing to delve deeper than the words and who are willing to read hundreds of pages to walk into Marseilles and follow The Count through the his life.

topic: reincarnation and fate in modern YA Lit

2011-09-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

I think this might become a weekly or a monthly thing, but these topics are usually going to be on cliches in Lit, controversial topics, etc.... You know, to keep my blog interesting. ^_^. Today's topic:

reincarnation and date in modern YA Lit:
Let's start with some common examples.

Reincarnation is the belief that a the soul is always shifting from one form to another after every lifetime, so that there is no heaven or hell, just a continuous cycle of life and death.

Some religions, like mine (Hinduism) and Buddhism strongly believe in reincarnation (it's a religious belief) in which the only way to break the cycle is to reach Nirvana, spiritual enlightenment. Now, mind you, in Hinduism, you can be reincarnated into anything based on your karma. Like, if you were a human and a mass murderer in your life, you will be born an ant in your next left, or a rock or a blade of grass. You can be re-born into anything.

It's apparently a very popular YA topic to write about, and very overused. There are several ways reincarnation is used, like punishment for doing something wrong in a past life or love.

Love is most common. Love triangles, eternal love, immortal enemies. Eternalness is something a lot of people love. I do too. I like the idea of something like love lasting, literally, forever.

And in many of these novels, when the person someone loves dies, they can't live with out them, and somehow, miracualously, they lover returns in physical form, because we teens are very physical. Is it so wrong for the man or woman you love to die, and you not being able to live with their prescense? It happens in real life, and it bothers me when in fiction, they always come back. ALWAYS. COME. BACK. Seriously! I mean, think of Need by Carrie Jones. Nick dies. Oh no! He's already dead but there must be some way to bring him back. In countless other stories, bless them, it's a very clear fact that you cannot bring someone back from the dead (and I mean dead dead, no coma dead, or a few hours come-back-to-live-been-to-heaven-and-back dead, I mean dead dead). Yet for some reason, it's become such a big thing to bring 'em back from the dead. No. Just, please, no. If you're gonna kill them, leave them dead.

As a reader:

I get tired of reading so many reincarnation-plot-based novels, the idea has lost its luster, if you know what I mean. It's very predictable. The plot line. First, there's a new girl or guy. Meet another girl or guy and feel like they know them. Turns out they knew each other in a past life, they learn that they knew each other in a past life, and embark on a journey against the forces of nature. I mean, really! It's really unreasonable. First of all, say the person (character) knows what they did in a past life, and they apparently, oh I don't know, figure out about a curse that makes them repeat the same thing no matter what, because oh hey, it's fate. Well lets see. I'd be smart enough not to make the same mistake and change fate because fate is not set in stone. Fate is something you control. I mean, I'm getting enough of these weak, idiotic heroines "falling in love" (more like lust, but that'll be for another day) and knowing their mistakes, but being stupid enough to repeat it.

As a writer:

This is a cheap way to get out of really writing. It's a short-cut. Since this has turned into reincarnation as a form of "love" in YA, let's talk about that. What ever happened to getting to know a person, having conversations, hanging out, and falling in love in the process? No, writers think it's okay to have "instant love" NO! That's a BIG no no! Different people, different life, different interests, and different love. First of all, was it really love in the first place? Second of all, the character is in a new life, he (or she) isn't exactly like he or she was in the past life. They're not the same person! They may have the same soul, but not the same person. This is a...a very lazy way to tell a story. The characters are usually very weak, because you don't have the indirect characterization, or even the direct characterization, that writers use to build a strong, round character. Because of instant love, you lose the character. The plot is weak because you don't know the character, and you're using reincarnation as an easy-way-out-of-it plot. I'm not saying it's a bad plot overall, I'm just saying that if you want to write about it, make it well formed, clear and somewhat realistic and detailed and thorough. It's fiction, I get it, but it can only go so far.

Case In Point: Reincarnation is being overused and sullied. It's going to be a laughing stock soon. That needs to change.

To my readers: How do you feel about reincarnation in modern day YA-Lit? Do you like it or love it? Do you find paranormal reincarnation stories more interesting than normal girl-meets-boy YA stories.

first and the second

2011-09-11T12:53:00.000-07:00

"If you love two people at the same time, choose the second one, because if you really loved the first one you wouldn't have fallen for the second" ---Johnny Depp

why do you read?

2011-09-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

It's such a simple question. How did I answer? Well short and simple "Because it's amazing" That feeling you get, like many people have said it was like going into a different world. The sweet stories, the lessons, the wisdom shared across the world. The amazing feeling, almost like a trance, you get after finishing a book. Especially the long stories, the finality of the ending that leaves you thinking about it all for so long. The sense that everything will be okay with a happy ending and that life isn't fair with the tragic ones. The feeling that you have been there and back again in another life. I mean, how can you explain it to someone who doesn't enjoy reading like I do?

Why do you read?

review: after obsession

2011-09-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

book info:
ages: 12 and up
grades: 7 and up
on sale: September 13th
copy from: bloomsbury

title: after obsession
author(s): Carrie Jones and Steven Wedel
stars: 3

Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other, in a cold Maine town, they can't stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel that something-or someone- is haunting them. They're wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it's neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It's Alan's cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life-and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney but everything around her.

my thoughts:

This is kind of a easy, quick read. It was enjoyable but not memorable and lasting.

characters: Aimee....I didn't like her. She was just...average.Boring. (what is up with boring female heroines, huh??) Alan was the one who rocked the character charts. He wasn't Christian (like the mainstream religion of the U.S. that every character is in almost every mainstream YA book I read) but Native American, believing in the Great Spirit. I loved this idea, and I loved him. He was different.

theme: Only you can solve your own problems. Everyone has inner strength, he or she just has to use it.

plot: Interesting. Yeah, okay. Average. Not heart-stopping or much of a page-turner.

style: mainstream. Need I say more?

overall: A quick, easy read. Recommended for...people who don't like reading and just want a practice book, I think.

i have a good reason for why I was gone

2011-09-02T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ohmygosh, I have missed blogging like anything! I've still been reading guys, so don't worry! And please don't kill me, I have a good reason for why I was gone. I've just survived the first few weeks of high school.

"What? High school?" you ask. Yeah, I'm just so cool and mature that I've been mistaken for an older high school-er. Haha, no I'm kidding. Yes, I'm now a 9th grader! I'm surprised that a lot of you haven't un-followed me! I was expected like, everyone to leave me all alone. I'm so thankful to have such great readers like you! From now on, I'm going back to blogging and I'll be sure to show you how much I love you all! (and reading!)

So, how was my first week of high school, one may ask. And so I answer: It was bad. For the most part, I had no friends at this totally different high school. Everyone from my middle school, except me and a couple of others, had gone to another high school. So it was just me, and my two girl friends. The worst thing was that neither of them had classes with me. So I was the shy kid, not speaking to anyone when really I wanted to scream and laugh and talk. I'm in the third week, I still feel kind of like a loser, but I have a couple of friends in each class, a hot guy to crush on, and interesting lessons, so high school isn't a total flop. What about you guys? Any advice? How's school going for you (if you're still in school, that is)?

review: The Quicksilver Faire

2011-08-21T15:43:00.001-07:00

title: The Quicksilver Faire (The Scion of Shadow Trilogy)
author: Gillian Summers
stars: 2
ages: 11 and up
grades: 6 and up
copy from: Flux

Keelie Heartwood believes that her mission in Canada is to resolve a conflict between the elves and the fae. But at the dazzling Fairy High Court — fraught with enchantments and trickery — she soon learns otherwise. An imbalance in magic has created a colossal rift that can destroy the world. Keelie's mixed blood (elf, human, and fae) makes her powerful, but this sixteen-year-old L.A. girl can't fix things alone.
In this strange, magical place where time is unruly, nasty goblins run amok, and an ancient (and handsome) forest god is pursuing her, Keelie isn't sure just whom to trust.

""Was that a dragon?" Duh." (156)

my thoughts:
I didn't know that this book was part of a series, and it wasn't that good of a book. I had a feeling that the story crammed too much fantasy into one, giant, condensed work, and therefore, it wasn't an enjoyable read. The ideas were brilliant and fun, and so was the dialogue, but the overall story wasn't that good. And now I don't know what to write about, because I don't want to trash the author or the book. I don't highly recommend this book, is the point.

I found Lupin!

2011-08-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

David Wenham: (here he's playing Faramir in Lord of the Rings)

What do you think?!

the whole world is magical

2011-08-02T13:42:00.001-07:00

Borders Is Closing Down! All of them!

2011-07-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

Ohmygosh, my most favourite book store in the entire world is closing down!!! Borders has always had low prices, cheap delicious chocolate at the register, so many good stuff! I'm horrified. Borders is like the younger sibling, the kind sweet one always looking up to her older brother, Barnes and Noble, the mean and expensive of the siblings.

Here's the full article on it.

I've got a plan to go out and buy as many of the books I've always wanted to own once Borders starts all their sales. It's going to be the best book spree ever. But then....after that....my favourite store won't exist anymore....>_< I'm going to buy a gift card, a plain one, and put it in my diary to record it. (Sob)

review: forever

2011-07-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

book info:
pages: 400
ages: 13-18
grades: 8-12
on sale: now
copy from: Scholastic (review copy)

title: Forever
author: Maggie Stiefvater
stars: 2.5

then.

When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their love moved from a curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.

now.

That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.

forever.

Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.

"I'm always sure of what I do" he said. "Sometimes I was just never sure there was supposed to be a happy ending" ----page 177

my thoughts:
Shiver was amazing. Linger was okay. But Forever? It was just...bad. I didn't enjoy it much at all. The story line was boring, and I didn't feel the same type of thrill as I did in Shiver, you know?

characters: Grace is boring. She's gotten boring. Sam is boring. But cute. Isabelle is boring. And infuriating. Cole is interesting. And funny. So yeah, Cole has more character than any other in this book. He's pretty sly, and tricky, and humourous. He was most interesting.

theme: the theme is pretty difficult to deduce from this book. It's so unique.....and complicated.

plot: Not interesting at all.

style: Unbelievably evident. I love how Maggie Stiefvater has this beautiful, lyrical way of writing. Sadly, she didn't quite get that awesome plot line that she achieved in Shiver (sorry I'm comparing all this to her first book!)

overall: Not really recommended...sadly.

the best moments

2011-07-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which you had thought special and particular to you. And now, here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out, and taken yours. Alan Bennett

reivew: haunting violet

2011-07-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

book info:
pages: 352
ages: 12 and up
grades: 7 and up
on sale: now
copy from: Walker & Company (Bloomsbury) Thank you!

title: Haunting Violet
author: Alyxandra Harvey
stars: 2.5

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.
Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together.

"I was 9 years old when my mother decided it was time I took part in the family business"

my thoughts:

Don't you just love Alyxandra Harvey's Drake Chronicles? I do. So obviously, Haunting Violet has to be just as good! Well....it wasn't nearly as amazing as My Love Lies Bleeding, but it was fun.

characters: Violet, I guess, was okay. She was...normal. Her mother had more character than she did. Colin is sweet and has character as well (I love Irish guys!) All in all, the characters were a 'no' for me. Sadly.

theme: A girl in London whose mother is a medium discovers her own power to see and communicate with ghosts and uses it to solve a murder.

plot: Not very interesting.

style: Alyxandra's usually evident and creative style of writing wasn't present in this novel.

overall: A library read, I'd say. Not highly recommended. I would, however, recommend the Drake Chronicles for you.

for you

2011-06-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

review: tiger's curse

2011-06-30T07:14:00.001-07:00

book info:
pages: 400
ages: 13 and up
grades: 7 and up
on sale: now
copy from: Sterling Children's Books

title: Tiger's Curse
author: Colleen Houck
stars: 4

The last thing 17-year old Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.

my thoughts:

"Ren scowled at me. 'I lived in zoos and circuses for centuries, remember? And I don't...eat...monkeys!"

YAY! A book about Indians! They're the least heard of nowadays in YA books, so this is like, heaven for me. I got a real kick out of reading it, especially all the myths and cultural stuff, because I'm Indian myself and it all makes sense. To the normal reader, this book is amazing. But because I'm Indian I have to point out some...irregularities. First, well, a god appears in the book to help Kelsey on her quest. The god (Durga) makes a physical appearance. I kind of found that insulting. It's like Allah making a physical, body appearance or Christ making a physical body appearance to help on breaking a measly human curse. Yeah, so that part kind of put off. At least she didn't speak. Oh that would've been like "what?!" But you know, in the myths and legends on India back in the day, the gods did come down to Earth to give boons to deserving people etc... but still. Those are simple, folk tales. Oh gosh, I sound like a blubbering fool. Let's get on with the review, shall we?

characters: Kelsey was really unique, and hilarious, and well, realllly sarcastic and practical. She wasn't shy and afraid of guys, and she wasn't afraid to get dirt on her pants. She's a tough, awesome heroine that should be a model for other characters! Ren was, well he was human. I loved how he had flaws just like everyone else, and that his flaw was that he had a bad temper. He was really cute too, and old-fashioned and polite, and a regular, confused man in love. His relationship with Kelsey is really entertaining, almost like bickering siblings, but I think it's a perfect example of a lover's quarrel.

theme: A regular girl from Oregon is thrust into a series of quests in order to lift an ancient Indian cursed placed on the man/tiger she loves.

plot: interesting.

style: definitely style. There's this humorous, sarcastic, and detailed way of writing that makes the story much more thrilling than a normal thriller. I totally loved it!

overall: Wow! Tiger's Curse is an amazing book that I really enjoyed. Read it, guys, because I recommend it! ^_^

books

2011-06-30T07:14:00.000-07:00

“ You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, or who had ever been alive. James Baldwin

book release: Forbidden

2011-06-28T17:03:00.000-07:00

Ohmygosh, I've waited MONTH'S for this book to come out. I tried ordering it from the U.K on Book Depository, but for some reason, it was NEVER in stock! I read as many reviews as I can, read the first two chapters online and the excerpt on Tabitha's website! I finally bought this literally: right now. Just got back from Borders.

Okay, I wrote that paragraph a couple of hours ago. As of now, I finished reading and I'm stunned. I'm so absolutely happy (about as happy as after reading Eden) that I read such a brilliant book. All this waiting was worth it.
Everything was perfect! The emotions, the lyrical writing.... but the ending. I thought I could handle the ending. That it couldn't be that bad, right? But it was. It was awful and just hit me. Reality. I'll give you a hint, it's what happen in Delirium. I'm just....devastated. okay this is all going to have to wait till I get calmed down enough to write a coherent review ^_^

Meanwhile, read this summary:

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.

Here are links:
Borders: Forbidden (click on the cover to read the first 2 chapters)
Excerpt from Tabitha Suzuma's website (scroll down a little)
Book Depository (great discount! 41% off!)

interview: Keary Taylor

2011-06-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

After I read and totally LOVED her book, Eden (my review here) I was so excited to do the interview with Eden's author, Keary Taylor. She's so kind and a wonderful, hardworking person. I hope you'll eat up the interview like I did (maybe if you read the book first.....^_^)

Meet: Keary Taylor!

On EDEN:
1. What inspired you to write Eden? What gave you the idea of creating cybernetic human-creatures?

I always feel like such a geek answering this question, lol! I was watching Star Wars III with my husband and there was this shot with Anakin after he gets his new mechanical hand and I just had the thought of “wouldn’t it be cool if he’d grown that himself?”. I guess I just have a really overactive imagination because things just kept evolving from there!

(me: hahaha! That's probably the best answer I've heard to this question!)

2. Because I love him so much: what inspired the character Avian? Why make him 7 years Eve’s senior? (note: I think that’s so romantic!)

Avian’s character came from the seriousness of the world of Eden. I wanted to have a character who had experienced a lot of what the world had been like before it Fell but had lived a huge part of his life in the aftermath of everything. And I have to make a confession, the actor who I imagined as Avian is Wentworth Miller from Prison Break and his character of Michael was a lot of who Avian came to be. I drool whenever I watch that show now, lol!

(me: he's the perfect Avian! I'm drooling right now too!)

3. What message were you hoping to give your readers through Eden?

It might not seem like it at first, but Eden is entirely a book about love. It’s about learning to love those around you, about what you are willing to do for the people you love, about learning to love yourself. And it’s also about discovering what it really means to love someone and defining lust and passion from actual love.

(I kind of got that, it was evident. And I love it. In paranormal YA, the heroines can't tell the difference between love and lust, right?)

4. Is there going to be a sequel? What are your current projects now, if you have any?
As of right now I am not planning a sequel. I am toying with the idea of writing a short prequel, revolving around West and Avian’s lives as the Fall is happening but we will see if that happens. I am currently working on Vindicated, the third and last book in my Fall of Angels series. I also have a YA contemporary that I hope to start working on the beginning of next year.

(a prequel!? Squeeeeel!!)

On Publishing:

1. How did you decide on self-publishing instead of getting an agent?

The publishing industry is extremely competitive and I actually did try and get an agent for my book Branded. I got a lot of interest but in the end everyone decided to pass. I still believed in the project and loved it and I’d heard about self-publishing and decided to give it a shot. It took a while but then Branded all of the sudden boomed! I was starting to make it on my own. And so I thought “I’m doing this already, why change what seems to be working?”

2. Do you think it was the right choice?

I will admit, what I can do on my own is more limited than what a publisher can do. But I have no regrets. It has been an amazing journey. I have full control over everything I do, I don’t have anyone breathing down my neck. I have met so many amazing people. So yes, I do think I made the right choice!

3. You said you design your own covers. First. Wow! Second: how do you think designing your covers are working for you?

Cover design is something that I LOVE! I made up a mock cover for Eden before I even typed a single word. I am not an illustrator or photographer so there are lots of times when I need help. I had a good friend’s family member create the eye image for Eden’s cover and loved it! Playing with fonts and different elements is so fun for me!

(me: I love the cover. Ohmygosh, it's amazing!)

Do you have anything else you’d like to say (to your readers and such)?

Really all I can say is THANK YOU! I really couldn’t do what I do without all of you! Being an author is something I’ve dreamed about doing since I was in grade school. If you have a dream don’t give up on it! If you work hard enough you can make it happen!

Thanks so much Keary, for the interview and the advice (I'm sure to follow it!)

review: Eden

2011-06-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

book info:

pages: 408

ages: 13 and up

Grades: 7 and up

on sale: now

title: Eden

author: Keary Taylor

stars: 5+

Eve knew the stories of the Fall, of a time before she wandered into the colony of Eden, unable to recall anything but her name. She's seen the aftermath of the technology that infused human DNA with cybernetic matter, able to grow new organs and limbs, how it evolved out of control. The machine took over and the soul vanished. A world quickly losing its humanity isn't just a story to her though. At eighteen, this world is Eve's reality.
In their Fallen world, love feels like a selfish luxury, but not understanding what it is makes it difficult to choose between West, who makes her feel alive but keeps too many secrets, and Avian, who has always been there for her, but is seven years her senior.
The technology wants to spread and it won't stop until there is no new flesh to assimilate. With only two percent of the human population left, mankind is on the brink of extinction. While fighting to keep Eden alive, Eve will discover that being human is about what you will do for those you love, not what your insides may be made of. And even if it gets you killed, love is always what separates them from the Fallen.

my thoughts:

Okay first, I'm so deliriously happy because I read this. It was the best book I have read in a long time, since I read Delirium I think. Why is it that these apocalyptic, dystopian novels get to me the most? I am just. So. Happy. ^_^

the characters: Besides the main character, Eve, my favourite is Avian. He's the equivalent of "the good guy" in YA paranormal and West is the equivalent of "the bad boy". Avian was amazing, and I love how he's 7 years older than Eve and how much he loves her. He's a doctor too, how sweet, and a soldier. An well, he's beautiful (my image of him with short dark hair and burning blue eyes ~swoon~) and besides that, Avian's character was just great. He was complex and well formed and he earned a lot of respect from me. He was always there for Eve, the reasonable and wise person that anyone could depend on. Eve was torn between the two, and the fire I could feel between Avian and West was practically tangible. And Eve, she's forgotten most of her life, and all the emotions she feels are so new. It was wonderful watching her grow and develop into what she is now. The characters were just. plain. awesome.

theme: The themes.....were of survival and love. It's a theme that's evident in dystopian novels, but it was uniquely different in Eden. Refreshingly new and enjoyable!

plot: Situated around life and death and emotion. Let's just say I was constantly at edge while reading and I couldn't put the book down. The plot was engaging and brilliantly worked through. The constant threat of danger, the tragic deaths, the severity of the situations.....after reading the book, I felt joyous and I felt as if I were still part of the story, as if I were there....that kind of feeling is hard to write!

style: Holy shiz was there style! What else can I say?

overall: If you don't read this, I'm going to kill you. (haha, no I'm kidding, but you get what I'm trying to tell you) I recommend this to EVERYONE!!!! GET OUT OF YOUR SEAT, BUY EDEN AND READ IT!!!!!!!!! I swear, I have never felt so happy after reading such a great book before! READ IT!

book news! Pottermore and The Hunger Games Music Project

2011-06-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

As all of you know, a mysterious site called Pottermore has been set up by J.K. Rowling. Mugglenet has made numerous speculations, including one of a massive online game based off of the Harry Potter series. I was hoping for more stories on James and Lily Potter. They are like...my favourite couple (along with Ron and Hermione)
What are your guesses on Pottermore?

And also, the Hunger Games Music Project. It's a mock soundtrack set up by composer Edward Underhill and and Mike Bukaty. On their website, you'll find the music and you'll find that it is absolutely stunning and beautiful. I have the entire book running through my head and I listen to it now.

Even more, don't forget to enter my Back On The Map ARC Giveaway

P.S. the weather down here in Georgia is crazy. The storms, the heat, I mean, seriously!

review: LIfe, After

2011-06-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

book info:
pages: 278
ages: 12 and up
grades: 6 and up
on sale: now
copy from: Scholastic

title: Life, After
author: Sarah Darer Littman
stars: 3.9

After a terrorist attack kills Dani’s aunt and unborn cousin, life in Argentina—private school, a boyfriend, a loving family—crumbles quickly. In order to escape a country that is sinking under their feet, Dani and her family move to the United States. It’s supposed to be a fresh start, but when you’re living in a cramped apartment and going to high school where all the classes are in another language—and not everyone is friendly—life in America is not all it’s cracked up to be. Dani misses her old friends, her life, Before.

But then Dani meets a boy named Jon, who isn’t like all the other students. Through him, she becomes friends with Jessica, one of the popular girls, who is harboring a secret of her own. And then there’s Brian, the boy who makes Dani’s pulse race. In her new life, the one After, Dani learns how to heal and forgive. She finds the courage to say goodbye and allows herself to love and be loved again.
goodreads

my thoughts:

"People say that Argentina is a country that lives with ghosts. But it was my home"- Dani, Life, After

Characters: Dani was 50% generic and 50% uniquely Dani. Instead of crying or hiding when things got touch, she got angry and wanted to fight back. It's a wonderful change from mainstream YA Lit. Another significant character is Dani's papa, who is a round developed character (a tortured soul) that made me continue reading.

Theme: There was one, main big-picture theme. A young Argentinian girl and her family, spurned by the death of a close family member during a time of political turmoil, must make the heart-wrenching decision to move to America. It's a familiar theme, because there are other books where the main characters have to leave to America, but it was also new, because it differed from the other books. (Dani's papa's subplot)

Plot: The elements of plot were evenly spaced out, but it wasn't evident (like, ohmygosh, this is it! The climax! The moment of truth!) There was a subplot that I mentioned, between Dani, her sister and her mother, and her father.

Style: A kind of harmony was sensed through the writing from the voice of Dani, a voice that was very real. So yes, Sarah Darer Littman has a, though not very potent, style.

To the general reader: Life, After is a wonderful cultural read that I loved, and I'm sure you'll love it to!

Overall: The book over-all was emotional and touched me. Yet if only there were more to it! It was so short! And I couldn't help but to feel this book was geared mainly for the younger age group. If it were more young adult, possibly even adult, I'm sure it would've been amazing. So I do recommend this book! A library read, I'd call it.

Blog Button Exchange!

2011-06-08T11:44:00.000-07:00

Bloggers used to do these a while back, where if you post my button on your blog, I post your button on my blog. What say you? Just comment on my blog preferably with your blog button code and I'll add them to my blog scroll!

List so far:
Shalena from Writer Quirk
Ham1239 from Proud Book Nerd

Back on the Map ARC Giveaway (huge giveaway!)

2011-06-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

As you have heard, I'm trying my best to be back on the map of blogging again. To thank my faithful followers for dealing with all of this, I've put together a fairly big giveaway of ARC's. Why?

I have a babysitting job so I can afford shipping
I love you all dearly
I have too many ARC's clogging up my bookshelf
I love you all dearly
I love you all dearly

Did I mention that I love you all dearly? ^_^
Rules:
Ends July 8th 2011
Must be a follower
U.S. Only!
Fill out this form

Box 1:
Darklight by Lesley Livingston (ARC)
Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein (ARC)
Ghost Town by Rachel Caine

Box 2:
Entice by Carrie Jones (ARC)
Hush by Eishes Chayil (ARC)
Runaway by Meg Cabot (ARC)

Box 3:
Percival's Angel by Anne Crompton
The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher (ARC)
Haunted by Joy Preble

All you have to do is fill out this form

Weekly Wrap-Up (11)

2011-06-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

This week on my blog:

Thursday: Beautiful Book Covers
Saturday: MY harry potter cast
Sunday:

Monday: Harry Potter Comics!

You can see that I've been obsessed with Harry Potter, right? I guess I'm reliving the old days where I breathed Harry Potter and exhaled love. ^_^

On my affiliates blogs:
Liz from Cleverly Inked posted one of my favourite memes: Treasure Trove Tuesday
Precious from Fragments of Life is having a cool Dystopian Domination Prize Pack Giveaway

harry potter comics!

2011-06-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

As you know, I have a great love of harry potter comics. I found this artist on DeviantArt who made hilarious comics and who is an amazing cartoonist. Seriously, look at these!

and then this:

Here, scroll down and there's a list of the rest ^_^

Darkness Too Visible: An Article Attacking YA Literature

2011-06-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

(to the left- an image from the article depicting topic)

Recently, this article was published on the Wall Street Journal titled "Darkness Too Visible", part of many articles published over the years to ruin the name of young adult lit. Not only does the author, a 46 year old mother, condemn YA in general, but also the teen audience saying "adolescents spend their time immersed in ugliness" "The article is an attack on progress above all."

Narrow-mind-ness is the problem. It's understandable, this viewpoint these people have, but it's not understandable, however, that they have to attack young adult literature and question the intelligence of it's readers. The era where teens read only cute, fluffy and restricting teen books, mostly on educating kids about puberty, is long gone. Since then, teenagers have gotten smarter and more aware of all the trouble and wrong in the world. Parents like this author want their kids to be safe and protected forever, but that's really difficult to do in today's world, with violence and abuse right next door. To look down upon teen literature for reporting reality isn't very wise. We teens learn a lot through reading our books, so why be so against it?

"How dark is contemporary fiction for teens? Darker than when you were a child" (Meghan Cox Gurdon, author of the article) So why is it darker? Because this generation has been exposed to a lot more at a faster pace than other generations before us, because this generation is exposed to the newest technologies that allow more information to reach us faster. In other words, progress. That word brings to mind a quote from Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix from Umbridge "Progress for the sake of progress must be prohibited"

"As it happens, 40 years ago, no one had to contend with young-adult literature because there was no such thing" As stated before, this is evidence that this is an attack on progress. A new genre has emerged and evolved since many adults were children, and this unfamiliar setting had made them upset.

Of course, the good news is, is that this article isn't being ignored or fought against. Like Steph from Steph Su Reads says about the online YA community "we're probably one of the most well organized informational armies out there." and we're fighting back. Libba Bray made a series of tweets against the WSJ article on her twitter and many bloggers are talking about the unjust accusations against YA Lit.

Conclusion "I hate willful ignorance, and closemindedness, and the determined denial to see things as black and white and dismiss even the possibility that things might be gray."

Works Cited:
The Only Thing I Really Hate- Steph Su Reads
Darkness Too Visible- Wall Street Journal

New Look!

2011-06-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have been following my blog for a long time might know how many times I changed my design, but this one is staying for a long time. It was done by the wonderful blog designer Gracie from Spring Flowers Blog Design.

Gracie was incredibly patient with me and all my little nit-picky OCD attitude towards the design. She doesn't charge at all for designs, and that's an amazing thing about her. Gracie actually loves to design just for the fun of it and doesn't care much at all about the money.

There are still a few little changes to be made.

Also, from now on, I'm going to try to focus more on the books and reviews and less on the design. The blogging friends I had have all got a ton more followers than I do and have so many cool posts and content and I'm....well I'm behind. I PROMISE I WILL BE A BETTER BOOK BLOGGER!!!

MY Harry Potter Cast part ll

2011-06-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

In my previous post, I casted:
James Potter
Lily Potter
Sirius Black
Remus Lupin
Harry Potter
Ginny Potter

Today I cast three more characters (technically only one more)

Ronald Weasley (Rupert Grint) ----he was already casted perfectly

Tonks (photograph by Aliera Stone, model: Lora)

Hermione Granger (Emma Watson)---casted perfectly

MY Harry Potter Cast

2011-06-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

When I was reading the Harry Potter books, I made totally different images of the characters. They were wiped away when I saw the movies. So instead, I've decided to put new faces to the old characters.

James Potter and Lily Evans (models unknown)

Remus Lupin and Sirius Black (Chris Martin and Johnny Depp)

Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley (deviantArt image) and model unknown)

What do you think? I'll have another post with the rest of the characters! ^_^

beautiful book covers

2011-06-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Remember earlier, when I showed you a picture of who I thought would look like Jem?
Hideko Takarai to the left. I pictured Jem to be more....girly? The guy on the cover looks too rugged. He's slender and the suit looks amazing, but his face. ~sigh~

And now, The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

Ash....looks...hot. And perfect. And oh my gosh...................I can't stop staring at his face. His beautiful eyes and perfect cheekbones and puffed, full lips. And that slight, arrogant smile (so confident) and oh my gosh. He's so HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 5 stars!!!

Summer Blog Design Giveaway!

2011-05-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, guess what? SUMMER IS HERE? To me, that means more time to spend with my family, and more time to do what I love, like reading ^_^ However, it also means killer hot weather and bugss and sweat and......oh nevermind!

Spring Flowers Blog Design is a blog design studio made possible by all the designers that are part of it, including Libby. Her designs are sweet, simple and modern. And thanks to Libby, I have a full blog makeover to giveaway. Including:

blog background
header
button
post signature
post divider
tabs menu

Entering is easy:

Open internationally
You must fill out this form
Giveaway ends June 15th

Have a great summer everyone!

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

2011-05-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

i'm so happy! i watched Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides yesterday night!

I know Jack I know!!!!!!!!

As you can see, he has this "x" on his cheek. I noticed it right away (having watched all the other movies at least a dozen times, it gave me a lot of time to stare at Jack's face) and pointed it out. My friend and her Dad thought it had been there the entire time.

Now, friends: examine this photo:

Remember in one of the movies, where Jack asks to his brother "So how's Mum?" and his brother shoves a shriveled head in his face. Look on Jack's hip, you'll see a shriveled head. I thought it was so SWEET how he carries his mother around with him. You know when someone dies, that they "will always be with you"? Jack takes it seriously ^_^

REVIEW:
I missed Will and Elizabeth and the old crew of the Black Pearl. After three whole movies, I came to love them. Cutler Beckett, Davvy Jones, Gibbs, Elizabeth, Will, Norrginton, Tia Dalma, and all the crewman. ~sigh~ Now we have Jack, Barbossa, Gibbs, Blackbeard, Angelica (his daughter) and the Spanish fleet. They're all on a race to get to Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth.

The main story line seemed....different. In all the movies, everything Jack did ended up to one big "OHHH!! I get it!!!!" but there wasn't that much in this movie. I was more interested in the side story of Phillip and Syrena.

They make such a cute couple! British actor Sam Claflin and French actor Astrid Berges-Frisbey. Sam plays Phliip, described as a youthful Christian and Astrid plays Syrena, an alluring young mermaid. Doesn't it already sound sexy and romantic? Because it is. You will :LOVE this little side-story. It was my favourite part.

Of course the rest of it was funny, Jack and his moments. The entire theater laughed and it was great.

Note: if you watch the movie in theaters, STAY TILL AFTER THE CREDITS. After ALL the credits, because there's this one last scene you have to see ^_^

Review: instructions for a broken heart

2011-05-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

title: instructions for a broken heart
author: kim culbertson
stars:2.9
summary from goodreads
review by kirthi
pages: 292

Three days before her drama club's trip to Italy, Jessa Gardner discovers her boyfriend in the costume barn with another girl. Jessa is left with a care package from her best friend titled "Top Twenty Reasons He's a Slimy Jerk Bastard," instructing her to do one un-Jessa-like thing each day of the trip. At turns hilarious and heartwrenching, Instructions for a Broken Heart paints a magical Italy in which Jessa learns she must figure out life-and romance-for herself.

my thoughts:

The idea of this kind of reminds me of Maureen Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes, but I enjoyed this a little bit more. The beginning was abrupt, without a decent introduction. It's one of those beginnings where the names of people (characters) are mentioned and you have no idea who they are. But as the story progressed, I got a good idea of what was happening and who everyone was, though it was a bit hazy at first. The events were abrupt as well, and to me, I just thought a whole lot of the book was rushed, and not very enjoyed because.

Also, as you can tell from the summary, the story starts off with boyfriend trouble, and the entire time Jessa's in Italy, it's about romance. Well, I mean, what do you expect from a young adult novel, but what I meant was: Jessa and the whole story was over-dramatic in aspects and focused a lot over a boy. Having never dated, I wouldn't know, so this may just be hypocritical of me.

All in all, I don't highly recommend this, but it's a good light read.

review: Flawless

2011-05-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

title: Flawless
author: Laura Chapman
stars: 3
summary by goodreads
review by Kirthi
pages: 272

Sarah Burke is just about perfect. She's got killer blue eyes, gorgeous blond hair, and impeccable grades. There's just one tiny-all right, enormous-flaw: her nose. But even that's not so bad. Sarah's got the best best friend and big goals for print journalism fame.

On the first day of senior year, Rock Conway walks into her journalism class and, well, rocks her world. Problem is, her best friend, Kristen, falls for him too. And when Rock and Kristen stand together, it's like Barbie and Ken come to life. So when Kristen begs Sarah to help her nab Rock, Sarah does the only thing a best friend can do-she agrees. For someone so smart, what was she thinking?

thoughts:

Hmm. I'll say that the entire time, I was horrified at Rock and Sarah and their misguided relationship. I kept yelling at them "No, you idiot!!! Don't do that!!!" "Ohmygosh, are you bloody serious?!" That sort of thing, and there are both positives and negatives on that. Positive: It keeps me reading. Negative: It's so hard to read mistakes! Positive: It's true. Negative: Mistakes on paper! Positive: The characters aren't perfect.

Now what bothered me was that Sarah thought her only flaw was her nose. A physical trait. I mean, the fact that she felt so bad about that and made a big deal out of it. I understand a teen in that position, but then again, I don't worry so much on my looks as I do on myself. But then again, I guess a lot of my classmates would think this way.

Now, the story. It made a wonderful point at the end, that left me smiling and thinking a lot, and that type of ending was worth reading some flaws in the book. Okay, now I know I can't write in paragraphs. Time for the old pros and cons list.

pros:

complete and wonderful ending moral
short, sweet situation with not too many complications
well put together story, whole and rounded

cons:

Sarah's best friends with her mom. Too many stories where that's happened.
Sarah thinks her only flaw is her nose. Seriously....
She has that super popular best friend who (in my opinion knowingly) took advantage of her

So the question is: would I recommend this? Yeah, as a good light reading book. Is it a book you should buy? I'd say you should check it out at the library.

An Explanation from my Absence

2011-05-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

I thought I needed a break from blogging. I know I've stopped the amount of posts I've made but I am going to make it up to you, somehow.

How about with these awesome Harry Potter pictures.

review: Girl in Translation

2011-04-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

title: Girl in Translation
author: Jean Kwok
stars: 5+
summary from goodreads
review by Kirthi

When Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrate from Hong Kong to Brooklyn squalor, she quickly begins a secret double life: exceptional schoolgirl during the day, Chinatown sweatshop worker in the evenings. Disguising the more difficult truths of her life--like the staggering degree of her poverty, the weight of her family's future resting on her shoulders, or her secret love for a factory boy who shares none of her talent or ambition-Kimberly learns to constantly translate not just her language but herself back and forth between the worlds she straddles.

Through Kimberly's story, author Jean Kwok, who also emigrated from Hong Kong as a young girl, brings to the page the lives of countless immigrants who are caught between the pressure to succeed in America, their duty to their family, and their own personal desires, exposing a world that we rarely hear about. Written in an indelible voice that dramatizes the tensions of an immigrant girl growing up between two cultures, surrounded by a language and world only half understood, Girl in Translation is an unforgettable and classic novel of an American immigrant--a moving tale of hardship and triumph, heartbreak and love, and all that gets lost in translation.

thoughts:

I was thrilled to learn about this book. One of my most favourite books that I love to read are cultural books on Asian and South American culture, and historical fiction. I especially love books on immigration, that show struggle, endurance, and success. It's truly inspiring, but it's been such a long time since I've read such a book. Michelle Moran's Egyptian books showed as much impact (and you know how I rant on her books!)

Kimberly is a genius. She's those kids to whom math and science are as easy as breathing. She's a genius that can balance horribly hard work, terrible living conditions, and struggle to live, and yet still gets the best grades in her school and fully paid scholarships. She is a strong willed girl who I now strive to be like.

Of course, the story touches on the bullying of kids on her. Kimberly barely knows English and is very poor, both gives her classmates reasons to punish her. I connected with Kimberly's situation through my parents. Kimberly once asked her teacher for an eraser which she called "rubber" and the teacher ignored her and her classmates laughed. I remember when my Dad was working on something and he called to me and said "Do you have a rubber?" And I, who was about 10 at the time, laughed and said, "Really, Dad? It's called an eraser"
I know, I was cruel back then, but I stopped picking on my Dad. In Asian families, you must always respect your elders and teachers. Kimberly shared those beliefs, so you can imagine the connection I felt.

The entire story as a whole made a huge impact. It taught of the time period, the habits and behavior of the people, and more on Chinese family and religion (Buddhism)

I thought that this was a young adult book, but I think it's more mature for adults. Maybe.....15 to 16 and older?

All in all, I thought Girl in Translation was one of the best books I have ever read. And I highly recommend it!

Awesome Giveaway!

2011-04-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

This is the hugest giveaway I have ever seen. My affiliate, Liz, from Cleverly Inked, is hosting her 2nd Annual Birthday Phenomenon giveaway!

Here's the massive list of all the stuff:

Katherine ErksineThe Absolute Value of Mike- 1 Copy ARCMockingbird- 1 Copy
Cyn Balog
Sleepless- 1 Copy (signed)
Bookmarks

Becca Fitzpatrick
Hush Hush- 2 copies (1 copy signed)
Crescendo- 2 copies
Crescendo Bookcover Posters

Josephine Angelini
Starcrossed- 1 Copy ARC (signed)
Bookmarks

Lindsey Leavitt
Sean Griswold's Head- 1 Copy
Bookmarks (signed)

Maria V. Snyder
Inside Out - 1 Copy (signed)
Outside In - 1 Copy (signed) These will go as a set

Jannie Lee Simner
Faerie Winter - 1 Copy

Gwendolyn Heasley
Where I Belong- 2 Copies (signed)

Beth Revis
Across the Universe- 1 Copy (signed)

Holly Schindler
Playing Hurt-
Book Mark (signed)
Book Plate (signed)

Holly Nicole Hoxter
The Snowball Effect- 1 Copy
Bookmarks
(US)

Christine Brodien-Jones
Owl Keeper-2 Copies (signed)
Bookmarks (signed)
Business cards

Susane Colasanti
So Much Closer- 5 Copies

Lynn Messina
Little Vampire Women- 3 copies (signed)

Joy Preble
Haunted- 1 Copy (signed)
(US)

Caren Lissner
Carrie Pilby- 1 Copy (signed)
Post-It Notes

Holly Thompson
Orchards- 1 Copy (signed)
Bookmarks (signed)
Postcards (signed)
Cell Phone Strap
Mikan Orange Stickers

Jana Oliver
Demon Trapper's Daughter- 1 Copy (signed & personalized)
Demon Trapper Decals
Atlanta Demon Trapper's Guild Iron-On patch

Postcard (signed)

1 entry card to Jana's "Year of the Demon Trappers" contest

Kody Keplinger

The Duff- 1 AUDIO Copy (signed)

Kelley Armstrong

The Gathering-

Bookmarks

Pens

Emma Michaels

Thirteenth Chime-1 Copy (signed)

Kami Garcia

Beautiful Darkness- 1 Copy (signed)

Bookmarks

Buttons

Lisa Cach
Wake Unto Me- 1 Copy ARC

Lynn Viehl
After Midnight- 1 Copy

Alissa Grosso
Popular- 1 Copy

C.C. Hunter
Born After Midnight- 1 Copy
Bookmarks
Pen
Note pad
Comb
Mirror compact

(US)

J.L Powers

The Thing Called The Future- 2 Copies

The Confessional- 2 Copies

Postcards

Bettina Restrepo
Moose and Magpie- 1 Copy
Prize Purse
Bookmarks

Ann Aguirre
Enclave- 1 Copy
(US)

Ty Roth
So Shelly- 1 Copy

Lauren Destefano
Wither- 1 Copy ARC

Michelle Cooper
A Brief History of Montmaray- 1 Copy & 1 Audio Copy

Nora Raleigh Baskin

The Summer Before Boys- 1 Copy

Kristen Hubbard
Like Manadrin-
Bookmarks (signed)
Postcards (signed)

Eilis O'Neal
The False Princess- 1 Copy ARC (signed)

Emily Franklin
Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance- 1 Copy

Suzanne Selfors
Mad Love- 1 Copy

Amy Holder
The Lipstick Laws- 1 Copy (signed)
E.L.F Lipsticks
Taffy Lip Lollipop
Magnets
Bookmarks (signed)
Tattoos
Stickers
Buttons
Lipgloss keychain
Lipstick Pen

Danette Vigilante
Trouble With Half a Moon- 1 Copy (signed)
Bookmarks (signed)

Sophie Jordan
Firelight- 1 Copy (signed)
Stickers
Bookmarks

Jennifer Brown
Bitter End- 2 Copies ARC (signed)
Hate List- 2 Copies (signed)
(US)

Ruta Sepetys
Between Shades of Gray- 1 Copy ARC (signed)
Keychain
Bookmarks

Julie Kagawa
Iron Queen-
Bookmarks
Buttons

Melissa Walker
Small Town Sinners- 1 Copy ARC (signed)

Lee Nichols
Deception- 1 Copy
Betrayal- 1 Copy (these will go as a set)

Jeri Smith-Ready
Shade-
Bookmarks

Carrie Jones
Need- 1 Copy
Captivate-1 Copy
Entice- 4 Copies ARC
Bookmarks

Carol Lynch Williams
Miles From Ordinary- 1 Copy ARC

Moira Young
Blood Red Road- 1 Copy ARC

Lara Chapman
Flawless- 2 Copies ARC
Bookmarks
Pens

Christina Mandelski
The Sweetest Thing- TO BE ANNOUNCED

Alyson Noel
Shimmer- 1 Copy

Sherrilyn Kenyon
Invincible-1 Copy

I know, it's unbelievable! Enter here

Casting for The Hunger Games

2011-04-09T15:16:00.000-07:00

Josh plays Peeta. COME ON!!! Look at him! He's the worst Peeta anyone could have picked!!! WHY ALEX?!
First: note his eyebrows: horrible
Second: note his squinty little eyes
Third- fat neck
Fourth- ugly smile
Fifth- facial structure. His cheekbones aren't good, and it's all about the bone structure. If you haven't got it, then you're doomed. So here's Josh.

And Liam plays Gale. He's not a good Gale either, but better than Josh.

HE looks better in that picture, right? Now look at this one:

I don't even know where to go with this.........it's awful.

Review: Percival's Angel

2011-04-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

title: Percival's Angel
author: Anne Eliot Crompton
stars: 3
summary: goodreads
pages:
227
age group: unsure

Lili, an apprentice of the Lady of the Lake, is the childhood friend of Percy, the boy who will become one of Arthur's greatest knights. But as they grow older, Lili begins to see their differences. She has otherworldly magic while he has the magic that lives within the Human Heart. Lili dreams of knowing human love while Percy dreams of finding the Holy Grail. Neither can succeed without the other.

my review:

The writing was unique, I knew this. And it didn't occur in modern times, but rather when the actual story happened: not an incarnation, or rebirth or the olde characters: the actual story (well, it's fictional, but you know what I mean)
And unlike most stories, the POV was from the faErie, who was kind of like a sidekick to PerCival. I thought at first this was kind of a child's book, with you know, the faerie on the cover and the gold circle and all the leaves, but there are some bits that are more mature (like, sex and all) so that's why I was unsure of what aGe group to recommend this to.

I enjoyed the perspective of Lily, and her honest confusion about human nature, it was a very new look onto our behavior, or those of the people back then.

However, it was a very filtered book, and short in my opinion. It filtered only what I thought was the necessary parts of a good story, and nothing extra, and for that reason, it may that I didn't like this book very much. But the triumphs are remarkable, and the idea of the Human Heart really intrigued me. I don't know where I stand on this book, really.

Review: CSN Products

2011-04-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

I've been on vacation! My cousins came over and I took a long expected break (phew!) and now I'm back. I know it's been forever since I posted my "Upcoming Review" for CSN (I am so sorry!) but (finally) here's my review.
I'd also like to mention how wonderful CSN is. Most of you bloggers have gotten the chance to work with them and you know what I'm talking about. The shipping is always fast, the people in CSN are very flexible and kind, and the whole experience is quick and easy and rewarding. And so, without further ado:

Hemp Yoga Mat Sling:
4.5 stars
price: $12.05

Although a mat sling offers less protection than a mat bag, it's far much cuter. I love how efficient and stylish it is. I can sling my mat on my shoulder, show off my mat's awesome green colour, and take the mat off the sling easily. The sling itself is scratchy and made totally of hemp fibres, and it has velcro to stick on to.
The sling just barely fit on to my fat mat (haha, fat mat. say that five times faster. it sounds almost as cool as buttmunch) However, I'm sure it'll be able to fit most mat sizes.
The sling is very affordable, and is easier to handle than a full on mat bag, so it's highly recommended.

Next up is a Tai Chi training DVD. Now, I've bought another DVD in the past and it was alright, but I really reccomend going to an actual class with a teacher that can help. There are all types of yoga out there now, like Power Yoga and Mind Yoga and all that. There's so much commercial stuff out there where yoga is a rigourous activity that's going to make you lose weight soon. Really, yoga is an ancient lifestyle practice that isn't about losing the weight. The DVD was a good guide, but some moves felt awkward and since it was a DVD, I couldn't really ask questions and get advice. I can recommend this, but I would also recommend a good teacher.

Interview with Bettina Restrepo (and giveaway)

2011-03-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

Today I have with me, the wonderfully introspective author who kindly answered my questions relating to her novel, Illegal.

A promise.
Quinceañera.
A promise that we would be together on my fifteenth birthday . . .

Instead, Nora is on a desperate journey far away from home. When her father leaves their beloved Mexico in search of work, Nora stays behind. She fights to make sense of her loss while living in poverty—waiting for her father's return and a better day. When the letters and money stop coming, Nora decides that she and her mother must look for him in Texas. After a frightening experience crossing the border, the two are all alone in a strange place. Now, Nora must find the strength to survive while aching for small comforts: friends, a new school, and her precious quinceañera.
Bettina Restrepo's gripping, deeply hopeful debut novel captures the challenges of one girl's unique yet universal immigrant experience

1.How was your experience at McDonalds ^_^?
McDonald's taught me that I wanted to pursue my education because standing on my feet all day smelling like grease would not be fun. For a while, I was obsessed with marketing. I wanted to design the toys that went inside the Happy Meals!

2. How do you feel about immigration?
My mother is German and my father is Colombian. They immigrated to the US back in the sixties. I have spent my entire life traveling back and forth and feeling like a fish out of water. I remembered getting so upset one day when I was filling out a scantron and they asked my ethnicity – I didn’t know what box to fill in.
I used those emotions to guide Nora into her foreign world - Houston.

The US, as most countries, have a convuluted system in need of reform. The US system, through it's complexity, almost encourages immigrants to go off the radar.

3. How or what did you do to research about Illegal?
I used to be an auditor at a chain of ethnic grocery stores, Fiesta Mart, Inc, headquartered in Houston, Texas. I drove around the city visiting the stores on a daily basis. I came to know the clientele and their financial life cycle very well.

Many immigrant customers would arrive with their weekly paychecks. After paying their utilities bills (overdue), a bag of bus tokens, and sending a few hundred dollars abroad (via Western Union), I would watch them walk into the grocery store and carefully pick out their groceries. When they went through the checkouts, they only had enough money left in their pockets to exchange for quarters (for the laundry mat). It was a vicious cycle of survival.

I found Nora at Fiesta Mart on Quitman Avenue. A girl standing on the side of the road staring at the grocery store. Her face haunted me. I wanted to know her story. How did she come to stand on that corner? Where was her family? Was she hungry?

4. Why did you decide to write Illegal? What was your motivation?
My motivation was to tell one story of hope. Perhaps people might think differently about immigrants, but the focus was really on Nora and her struggle and how she finds her voice.

5. Do you like the smell of old books or new books?
An old book. Specifically the way my mother's old hymnals smell and the way the pages crackle when you turn them.

6. When did you consider becoming an author and why?
I couldn't stop myself. If I were a much more reasonable person, I would go back to accounting. Be a writer is a terrible way to make a real salary. But - someone must write the stories, so I volunteered!

Thanks Mrs. Restrepo for the interview! And, in addition to this, Mrs. Restrepo is also giving away signed bookmarks to two lucky winners.

Rules:
U.S. Only
Ends 4/6/11
Fill out form below!

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Inheritance Cover Reveal

2011-03-23T16:35:00.000-07:00

feast your eyes on this. it reminds me of Glaedr (the golden dragon on Brisngr). I mean, take a look at this incredible cover:

do you like the cover?! I mean, it means that the book is closer, the book is real!!!!!!

Review: The Clockwork Angel

2011-03-23T16:27:00.000-07:00

title: The Clockwork Angel
author: Cassandra Clare
stars: 5
summary from goodreads
pages: 476

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

my thoughts:
I know I read this long ago, but I realized just recently that I didn't post a review.
At first, I kind of didn't like the story, because I wanted it to be like The Mortal Instruments (and not matter what, The Mortal Instruments will always be my favourite) but as I got deeper, I started to like it. I re-read it several times over, and finally understood it all, then slapped my face and said "OH!!!!! I get it now!!! I love this book!"
Will is like the Jace of the past. Haughty, arrogant, and hot. Jem is like, this gorgeous, silvery Asian guy with silver eyes and a gentle character that I love so much. Unfortunatley, he's doomed to die. And Will is an arse. Why is it so hard to choose?
But Cassandra Clare, like always, gave all her characters so much....character. They were real, which is hard to do considering all the fake-like characters in other teen literature these days. Clare's work is a rare, and very wonderful, exception.
The machine-work topic was creative, but not so much my favourite. The only things I really enjoyed were the complex characters and their habits, and their speech and their personality. Everything about the characters, mostly Jem and Will.

Review and Giveaway: Dreadfully Ever After

2011-03-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and its prequel, Dawn of the Dreadfuls, were both New York Times best sellers, with a combined 1.3 million copies in print. Now the PPZ trilogy comes to a thrilling conclusion with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After.

The story opens with our newly married protagonists, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, defending their village from an army of flesh-eating “unmentionables.” But the honeymoon has barely begun when poor Mr. Darcy is nipped by a rampaging dreadful. Elizabeth knows the proper course of action is to promptly behead her husband (and then burn the corpse, just to be safe). But when she learns of a miracle antidote under development in London, she realizes there may be one last chance to save her true love—and for everyone to live happily ever after.

Mini Review:
Once again, this book was written in old English (but not that old) and I found it hilarious at certain scenes. I would rate this 3 stars, there were lacking chunks, but overall, it was enjoyable.

Giveaway:
Comment with your name and e-mail to be entered.
Ends: March 30th
Extra Entry: link anywhere.

Review: Madame Tussaud

2011-03-08T15:13:00.000-08:00

title: Madame Tussaud
author: Michelle Moran
stars: 4
review: by kirthi
summary: goodreads
pages: 426

In this deft historical novel, Madame Tussaud (1761-1850) escapes the pages of trivia quizzes to become a real person far more arresting than even her waxwork sculptures. Who among us knew, for instance, that she moved freely through the royal court of Louis XVI, only to become a prisoner of the Reign of Terror? Her head was shaven for guillotining, but she escaped execution, though she was forced to make death masks for prominent victims. Novelist Michelle Moran covers this breathtaking period without losing the thread of its subject's singular story.

My thoughts:

   Once again, Michelle Moran has written a wonderful historical fiction that is surprisingly straying away from her specialty of Ancient Egypt and moving to the French Revolution! It was historically accurate and very historical, leaving no detail behind. It's amazing because Michelle is the only author I've read that does this, whereas there is more fiction than history in other historical fiction books, in her books, there's more history than fiction.
    There were some parts where I felt the romance was lacking, even though this wasn't supposed to be a romance, it just made me scream.
   What I found amazing was that extremely important figures in (modern) history were included, and said things that they, in real life, would have actually said!

   However, there were few bad points like, there were so many people to remember, and the events were too close to each other, and the ending was not satisfying. But besides that, Madame Tussaud's a keeper.

Review: after the kiss

2011-03-04T17:56:00.000-08:00

title: after the kiss
author: Terra Elan McVoy
stars: 3.999
review: kirthi
summary: goodreads
pages: 382
recommended for: 13+

This moment changes everything. Becca has been head-over-heels for Alec from the instant they met. He's a brainy jock with a poet's heart—in other words, perfect for her.
Camille is careful with her words and protective of her heart, especially since Chicago. Then a new boy in her new town catches her off guard with a surprise kiss.
Too bad that new boy is Becca's boyfriend, Alec.
Camille and Becca have never met, but their lives will unravel and intertwine in surprising ways as they deal with what happens after the kiss.

My thoughts:
What a pretty cover, and what an affect all those candy hearts have, to mirror the story and to show the kind of atmosphere this book is in. I was more compassionate towards Becca, and though Camille was fine, I kind of still sided with Becca. I mean, what if some new girl came in and took your long time boyfriend that you loved so much that you thought it was impossible for you to be separated with him.
This book was unique and was written in verse. The impact was stronger than if it had been written like a novel. The fewer words, the stronger it is (in some cases)
However, there was a lot more lacking than what I wanted. I do like some detail, you know?
The down-point for me was how long it was, and how some bits repeated a bit.

CSN Review

2011-02-25T18:27:00.000-08:00

I know that this review is much delayed, as is a lot of stuff I was supposed to post, but hey, I'm catching up! ^_^
Remember that I reviewed yoga stuff? Apparently I haven't stopped. CSN has SO much yoga stuff, it's pretty much settled that all I'll review will be yoga related.

Recently, my parents started going to yoga classes at my temple so I asked them to help me review toga mats for them. Theirs seemed so old and worn (they wanted to start a long time ago but hadn't started) And so I bought them these.

The quality was kind of lacking, because when it was unrolled, it had this deformed shape for a while that later straightened out (way later). The size is larger than I expected and it's great.
Mom: It's so big and comfy........wow! Thanks, I love it!
Dad: Hmm......(examining it critically).....it'll do.

And if my dad approves, than it's OK.

Interupption!

2011-02-15T19:25:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not posting my Romance in YA Posts as I scheduled, I've encountered some family issues and I won't be able to post for a few days. I'll post all the posts I haven't been posting pronto! I'm soooo sorry!!!!

Review: The Iron Witch

2011-02-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

title: The Iron Witch
author: Karen Mahoney
stars: 3.999
review: by kirthi
summary: goodreads
pages: 289
ages: 13 and up

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

My thoughts:

First off: INDIAN CHARACTER!!! Woooooooo! I was so surprised when I noticed that: Navin Sharma. See, it's always Caucasians and then maybe an African or Asian, but never an Indian! Ohmygosh, I'm grateful for that part ^_^
And so now to the story. I still don't understand what's going on, but maybe that's because The Iron Witch is the first book in a series (trilogy?). The whole book seemed kind of slow to me, but the topic was very interesting (thus the good rating) I was really curious about the tattoo part, the alchemists and machinery. It's a curious combination.
What I did notice that was lacking, and seemingly insignificant, was a character description, based on physical appearance. There were a few tidbits, but not so much to get a clear image. You know, something like, "And his dark tumbling hair flew like a hurricane in the treacherous winds, and his dark lean body tossed like a rag doll" (yes, I made that up purely from my artistic talent ^_^) Basically, The Iron Witch was a bone with small bits of meat on it, a whimsy skeleton. The topic was one that made me keep reading. The Iron Witch is a promising, if somewhat lacking, start to what I hope will be an amazing series (trilogy?)

RiYA: YA Romance Cliches

2011-02-11T14:18:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been dissatisfied with the YA novels I read. You probably noticed all my reviews reflect that! So I'm here to discuss (list) the common cliches on YA!

Teens who are vegetarian
Parents you are teachers, writers, or historians
the words "coffee" "cafe" "cappuccino" pop up
shy, withdraw characters taking refuge with kind compassionate teachers in the art room
Fingernail biting
Characters who chew on their lip or tongue in times of stress – usually until they taste blood
The popular boy dating the dorky heroine
the heroine describes her looks by examining herself in the mirror
Younger siblings who are geniuses, adored by everyone
The mean-spirited cheerleader (and her gang) as the story’s antagonist
The best friend who gets all the guys but doesn't want them
hero or heroine is a tortured artist, usually plays guitars
Vampires
the mean hot guy who's never been interested in a girl until he meets the heroine
The girl moves to a new school and finds a crush on the first day
he saves her life once, and she's forever obliged to love him
insecure heroines who tell themselves they're not good enough
tortured bad boys who don't think they're good enough
heroine falling in love with her older sister's boyfriend or older brother's best friend
a dead mother or father or sibling

I could keep compiling to the list, but I feel it's unnecessary. I looked up some of these from other blogs that I thank very much (unfortunately, I closed the tabs with their URL's so I can't link them for credit)

I really hate those books that are focused on just romance. A girl's life doesn't revolve around a guy. And stories like that bug me.

And what do you think? What are some cliches you hate?

Opposites Attract or Similiars Mesh

2011-02-11T13:21:00.000-08:00

Ah! I was supposed to post this yesterday, but I had family matters to resolve. So I apologize for the wait! Today's question issss:

Opposites Attract or Similars Mesh?

Storywings:
Opposites attract definitely. Being the same as someone else in anything that I do personally is just boring. My boyfriend tells me that I disagree with him just to disagree and although I usually would disagree with that - it's probably true (please don't tell him that though ;) ). I can't stand to read about two people that love reading all about cars and playing car video games and who also both love mint and cherry ice cream...its boring. Like some of the same stuff but how are you ever going to expand your horizons if you hang around with carbon copies of yourself?

The Golden Eagle:
Both. It really depends on the people. It's always kind of romantic when someone finds a soul mate in their opposite or something like that, but I do think, for example, that two quiet people can fit together and that two outspoken people can have a good relationship.

Liz

Both? answer a question with a question. People and characters are so complex.

RiYA :Giveaway: Swoon at your Own Risk

2011-02-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm giving away an ARC of Swoon At Your Own Risk by Sydney Salter.

You’d think Polly Martin would have all the answers when it comes to love—after all, her grandmother is the famous syndicated advice columnist Miss Swoon. But after a junior year full of dating disasters, Polly has sworn off boys. This summer, she’s going to focus on herself for once. So Polly is happy when she finds out Grandma is moving in—think of all the great advice she’ll get.
But Miss Swoon turns out to be a man-crazy sexagenarian! How can Polly stop herself from falling for Xander Cooper, the suddenly-hot skateboarder who keeps showing up while she’s working at Wild Waves water park, when Grandma is picking up guys at the bookstore and flirting with the dishwasher repairman?
No advice column can prepare Polly for what happens when she goes on a group camping trip with three too many ex-boyfriends and the tempting Xander. Polly is forced to face her feelings and figure out if she can be in love—and still be herself.

Rules:
Be a follower.of Pages
Ends on February 28, 2011! Open to US and Canada (if you have a US address or you have a friend in the US who can receive it for you, you can join.)
Please fill out the form below!

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RiYA: Ideal YA Couple Relationship (bloggers responses)

2011-02-08T15:43:00.000-08:00

As part of the Romance in YA Blog Event, I've asked bloggers to respond to this question:

For you, what is the ideal YA couple relationship?
And so, my blogger friends have responded thus:

Storywings

YA relationships for me are a tricky combination. Most of the time a young girl seems to believe she is in love with her soul mate and would die if he ever left her...although this may be true in most cases of teenage girls in real life, reading about it constantly starts to really grate on my nerves because of the obvious lack of maturity. For me a YA relationship has to based around a friendship first an foremost. Yeah if they fall in love thats really sweet but sixteen year olds finding their soul mates is a bit too far-fetched for me.

The Golden Eagle from The Eagle's Aerial Perspective

A couple who understands each other. One person shouldn't be overprotective, the other shouldn't need to hang on to the other desperately to survive, and they should be able to have a lot of fun when they're around each other. The occasional argument is fine, too, since it's pretty impossible for two people to get along all the time.

Liz from Cleverly Inked

I have not read one yet. One Day I am sure I will. That doesn't mean I don't fall in love with the characters. As for what I think is Ideal well I'm not a writer so I couldn't even imagine. I do have my own Ideal romance. :) It's my hubby

And you, what is your ideal YA relationship?

RiYA: Review of Mad Love

2011-02-07T16:00:00.000-08:00

My affiliate, Precious and I, are hosting the Romance in YA Blog Event full of giveaways, blogger and author interviews and reviews and fun discussions. I hope you all enjoy participating!

title: Mad Love

author: Suzanne Seflors

stars: 4.5

review by kirthi

summary from goodreads

pages: 323

recommended: 12 +

When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother—and she needs one fast.
That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth—that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.

My thoughts:

The beginning was a little slow and...ordinary. But as I read deeper, I was just like Alice, who wanted more than anything to hear (in my case, read) more of the story. If, at first, it was lacking, then Suzanne made up for it in the unforgettable ending. Really, I'm glad that I could read such a good book after the disappointments I've encountered. My hero SUZANNE SELFORS!!! Her other two books, Coffeehouse Angel and Saving Juliet were amazing as well and they're all very unique, picking topics that are far from being cliche.

Pros:

gripping story (the one that Errol tells)
the feeling of "what's going to happen?" and the feeling of wonder
distinct characters that leave an impact
not the boring, same romance story
so sad while staying...childishly good

Cons:

Slow beggening
a sort of hanging ending that makes me wish for a sequel even though the book would be ideal as a singular book without a sequel.

I highly recommend this book ^_^

Review: Fallen Grace

2011-02-06T07:07:00.000-08:00

title: Fallen Grace
author: Mary Hooper
stars: 3
review by kirthi (ARC)
summary from Goodreads
pages: 320

Grace Parkes has just had to do a terrible thing. Having given birth to an illegitimate child, she has travelled to the famed Brookwood Cemetery to place her small infant's body in a rich lady's coffin. Following the advice of a kindly midwife, this is the only way that Grace can think of to give something at least to the little baby who died at birth, and to avoid the ignominy of a pauper's grave. Distraught and weeping, Grace meets two people at the cemetery: Mrs Emmeline Unwin and Mr James Solent. These two characters will have a profound affect upon Grace's life. But Grace doesn't know that yet. For now, she has to suppress her grief and get on with the business of living: scraping together enough pennies selling watercress for rent and food; looking after her older sister, who is incapable of caring for herself; thwarting the manipulative and conscience-free Unwin family, who are as capable of running a lucrative funeral business as they are of defrauding a young woman of her fortune. A stunning evocation of life in Victorian London, with vivid and accurate depictions, ranging from the deprivation that the truly poor suffered to the unthinking luxuries enjoyed by the rich: all bound up with a pacy and thrilling plot, as Grace races to unravel the fraud about to be perpetrated against her and her sister

My thoughts:
This book was...a good past-time read. I didn't find it as entertaining as I had hoped. The story could've been more developed and the characters were obscure and disappointing. In the end, I didn't really enjoy this book.

Pros:

very evil fraud that kept me reading

Cons:

undeveloped characters
novel is overall short and lacking in details
a little confusing in the order of events.

Upcoming CSN Review!

2011-01-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

I just love CSN! I'm doing another review for all of you guys!
Now, when I was little, I never had an outdoor playset in my backyard. I always played in the school's playset or the one in the park. When I think back, I thought of all the fun I would have had on one of these.
CSN has a variety of colourful and affordable outdoor playsets . CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need. I mean everything. Maybe, except, for food, but other than that, everything. Plus, there's a massive sale on the playsets, with up to 70% off and free shipping. ~sigh~

You can see some of my previous reviews:
CSN Yoga Review
CSN Stationary Review

3 day ARC giveaway! Out for Blood by Alyxandra Harvey!

2011-01-18T15:10:00.000-08:00

I understand that all my giveaways are realllly long, so here's a three day giveaway! I'm asking for your mailing address up front so the ARC can get mailed to you right away!

Hunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything. Thanks to her friendship with Kieran Black, Hunter receives a special invitation to attend the coronation of Helena Drake, and for the first time, she sees the difference between vampires that must be hunted and vampires that can become friends—or even more. When students at the academy fall victim to a mysterious illness, Hunter suspects they are under attack from within. She will need someone she can trust to help her save the future of Helios-Ra . . . help that shockingly comes in the form of Quinn Drake, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire. Who said senior year would be easy?

Here's my review
Visit the fun online:

Giveaway

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Quick Question...

2011-01-09T15:51:00.000-08:00

For those who read Maggie Stiefvater's Lament and Ballad, do you remember what the group of Faeries who were completely dedicated to music were called? The one that Luke and Diedre joined?

The Clockwork Angel Casti

2011-01-09T09:50:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. Thanks to Erica from The Book Cellar for the signed poster and journal that came along with it ^_^
And, of course, I'm in love.
With both of the hot guys. Jem and Will. Will is strong, hot and gorgeous with blue eyes and dark hair. He's kind of like an old fashioned Jace. Jem is a white Asian with white hair, silver eyes, bony delicate structure and hands...oh Jem. I like him. But I think Will is better for Tessa. Jem is mine....mwhahaha!

If you don't know what I'm talking about, you must read The Clockwork Angel!!!
And because I couldn't resisit....I had to make a character cast. I used Tynga's Character Cast for help, and Cassandra's website too.
(to the left is Tom Welling, if only he weren't so tan)

Nicholas Hoult as Will
He's flirtatious and beautiful, and he knows it and uses it well. He's cocky and arrogant on the outside, but I think he's someone better on the inside.
Nicholas is British, so can nail the British accent part. I kind of wanted Tom Welling to be Will, but I think he was too tan. But otherwise, I wish TOM WELLING by Nicholas will just have to go.

“He had the most beautiful face she had ever seen. Tangled black hair and eyes like blue glass. Elegant cheekbones, a full mouth, and long, thick lashes. Even the curve of his throat was perfect. He looked like every fictional hero she’d ever conjured up in her head.”

Hideko Takarai as Jem
I first saw Tynga's casting before reading the book, so automatically, Hideko popped up. He looks sweet and beautiful and perfect for Jem! He has that thoughtful look and that slender frame. However, he's supposed to be completely white and silver. Maybe like this guy

“(his hair) It was an odd bright silver color, like untarnished shilling. His eyes were the same silver, and his fine-boned face was angular, the slight curve of his eyes the only to his heritage.”

Sarah Bolger as Tess

Tessa is a sweet, innocent and trusting girl (like most girls back in that time period) but she can be stubborn and strong and tough when she needs to. She asks a lot of questions and she really cares. Sarah Bolger has that innocent nice-girl look with the perfect gray eyes (no need for contacts!) and the exact shade of brown hair that I imagined when reading!
She also played in the Tudors, so she's familiar with the dresses and all that.

(…) Tessa had been perfectly content with her own smooth brown hair and steady gray eyes. (…) taller than most of the boys her own age”

Amanda Seyfried as Jessamine

Jessamine really just wants to be a proper lady and nothing else. She's so tough, even though she may not like it. Amanda just strikes me as a the perfect role!

“She was almost ridiculously pretty, what one of Tessa’s novels would have called an English rose- all silvery fair hair, soft brown eyes, and creamy complexion.”

And I couldn't find the rest of the characters. Sigh.
So what do you think?

Review: Out for Blood

2011-01-04T15:55:00.000-08:00

(I'm such a bad person!!! I totally forgot that I was supposed to post my review for this on the 29th! Please forgive me!

--------------------------------------
title: Out for Blood
author: Alyxandra Harvey
stars: 3.5
summary from: Goodreads
review by Kirthi
pages: 304 (tentative)

Hunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything. Thanks to her friendship with Kieran Black, Hunter receives a special invitation to attend the coronation of Helena Drake, and for the first time, she sees the difference between vampires that must be hunted and vampires that can become friends—or even more. When students at the academy fall victim to a mysterious illness, Hunter suspects they are under attack from within. She will need someone she can trust to help her save the future of Helios-Ra . . . help that shockingly comes in the form of Quinn Drake, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire. Who said senior year would be easy?

My thoughts:
Out for Blood wasn't as good as the other two books. However:
Pros

great sense of humour incorporated
detailed imagry
unique writing style
love the romance between Quinn and Hunter- their characters where perfect!

Cons:

Lacking....somehow very lacking....
Not the same as before
Uninteresting "problem" (I was really confused through-out it)

It's not really a "Must read" It's a fun read for those who have read the previous books. A nice continuation ^_^

Only one reading challenge for 2011

2011-01-02T18:09:00.000-08:00

As I've said before, I'm not good at committing to stuff. Like memes and all.
I've so abysmally failed at my Reading Challenges last year. Not even completing one! So I'll focus all my efforts on one challenge ^_^

Read a 100 books in 2011. I thought setting myself to 111 would be ideal. Now, I KNOW I can do this. ^_^ What a wonderful year this will be!

Happy New Year! 2011

2011-01-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

i wish you a happy new year.

Top Nine (10!) Bloggers of 2010

2011-01-01T07:56:00.000-08:00

2010 has been such an amazing year! It's flown by so fast, and I've made so many more blogging friends. They're here to support me, always, and I love my friends and their blogs.

 There are a ton of "favourite" books out there, but there are only so few "favourite" bloggers out there. I love all of you to death, really I do, but I'd like to point out these lovely bloggers of whom I appreciate.
 This also ties in with my other blog, Barefoot, which they all inspire me to continue.

(In no particular order)

Quinn from seeing, dreaming...writing
Quinn is an amazing writer, and he inspires me to write, and gives me feedback on my own writing. He's very nice and picks a bunch of great subjects to post about. Seriously, I love reading his blog.
<-------Go Quinn!

Julia from iridescence
Julia is a really lovely and sweet blogging friend that makes me so eager to check my inbox. She gives some of the best advice (she's wise ^_^)and she also inspires me to write! Her writing, and I'm proud to admit this, is far better than mine. She's the highest standard on my bar, and I always think "If Julia can do it, why can't I?"

Milli from Home

Milli is a talented book blogger that I very much admire. She's also one of my oldest blogging friends as well. Back when I just started, I discovered Milli. I've watched her change her designs and make new blogs and it was a wonder reading her blog. And whenever I feel like nobody reads or likes my blog, Milli's always there to support me. She's the best kind of back-up and insecure blogger could possibly want!

LTM (Leigh T. Moore) from That's Wright ------------------------>
Leigh's a fabulous writer, and she's also inspired me. She blogs about books and writing, and her posts are always fun and informative. She, like Milli, makes me feel like I'm not alone in my blog and that someone's actually reading.

Amelia from The Autheress
I love her blog. It's one of my favourites! Amelia's another really sweet and cute blogging friend that I love. She's a serious book reader, and knowing that, it's easy to connect. I'm happy she's a blogging friend of mine ^_^
<------(nice glasses)

The Golden Eagle from The Eagle's Aerial Perspective
The Golden Eagle is friendly and has a unique perspective on a lot of things. She makes me see things like I don't usually see them, and that is another form of inspiration. I love you, Golden!!

Brent from The Naughty Book Kitties
Brent is one of my favourite
bloggers. I first met him when he was a fairly new blogger, blogging for about one month. His posts were amazing and I loved his blog immediatly. So I interviewed him. And his answers only made me admire him more! He's like a spunky, sassy bottle filled with inspiration. I mean, you don't see many gay people so open about their gayness, and I think it's wonderful that Brent is proud of it. He's such a good friend! <---------------(I love his glasses)

Awel from My Designer Girl

Awel is a sweet, hardworking designer who is the best designer ever. She answers so many questions about designs for everyone without charging, she's so patient with everything, and very very strong. I love her to death!

Deniz from Best Manga's and Their Reviews
Deniz is one of the only manga bloggers out there that I've found. Her reviews are concise, and are enough for me to decide if I want to read a certain manga. She also keeps blogging, even if she has 11 followers. I remember when I had 11, and I felt like I should stop blogging because not many people followed. Deniz is also hilarious, animated and expressive. I love her as well.

------
And the last blogger? She recently shut down her blog, so I'm sorry!

Honerable Mention:
Precious from Fragments of Life
She's my international (Filipino) affiliate that I enjoy talking to sooo much. She's caring and loving and incredibly sweet and I enjoy talking about and to her. It's interesting talking to someone who lives in another country, you know? Plus she's just a great person. And she's beautiful ^_^

Anyways! Just know I appreciate all of you, even if you're not on this post. Imagine if I tried to fit all 456 of you on here ^_^

Interview and Giveaway with Carol Oates

2010-12-28T16:30:00.000-08:00

About Carol:
Carol Oates has never been one to remain still for long. After her mother’s mad dash to the hospital through the empty city streets of Dublin, Ireland, Carol made her debut into the world in the early hours of Christmas morning. Since then her pace has not slowed down in the least.
Carol was introduced to the world of supernatural books when, as a child, her family moved to a coastal suburb of the north Dublin known as Clontarf; famous as the birthplace of Bram Stoker, the prolific author responsible for breathing life into the legendary story of “Dracula.” This stirred in Carol an early passion for reading about all things supernatural. When that passion was combined with a deep interest in the history and folklore of Ireland, as well as an active and vivid imagination, Carol Oates, the author, was born. Carol’s love of writing about anything not entirely “human" emerged, and the premise for her debut novel, “Shades of Atlantis,” came to life.
Carol still lives in Dublin, but spends a great deal of time traveling though the counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland with her partner and her son. When not traveling through the countryside, Carol spends her days at the office and her evenings immersed in the world of legends and mythical creatures

Interview:

1. What was your inspiration for Shades of Atlantis?

The main inspiration for Shades of Atlantis comes from my love of Ireland and the heritage. I do a lot of traveling around the country and spent a lot of time driving by the hill of Tara, one of the main locations. It’s one of my favourite places in the country. We learned about the legends of old Ireland in school and it was when I was revisiting these legends that the idea for Shades of Atlantis was born.

2. What motivated you to finish and publish your novel?

I’ve been writing all of my life in one form or another. I love to write. I’ve finished several novel length stories. Some people write for their own pleasure. I write a journal for that, the fiction I write is meant to be shared and publishing is a way to take it to a larger audience. My ultimate goal is to be able to write full time. It hasn’t been an easy road and I do get frustrated. I’m been rejected. Being a writer means having a thick skin and having respect for people in the industry as well as readers and their opinion while keeping faith in your work. Above all keep writing.

3. Is there a message you want to get out to your readers through your book?

Shades of Atlantis isn’t meant to preach, it’s a piece of fiction and it’s meant for enjoyment. There is the Romeo and Juliette element with Triona’s parents. So obviously there is the underlying theme of people being the same all over and everyone should try to respect others and show tolerance. We are all born, we all die, we all have the capacity for love, forgiveness and hate but it’s up to us to choose what we do with that ability.

4. What’s your favourite place to think?

My favourite place to think is anywhere I’m alone, the fewer distractions the better. I love long journeys in the car alone. Sometimes when the weather is mild I go to the hill of Tara, bring a coffee with me and go for a walk.

5. Chocolate? ^_^

Yes, I love chocolate. At the moment I have a passion for White Mochas.

6. Do you like the scent of old book pages or new pages?

I have to say I’m a new book girl. Although I do have a couple of old books, normally they are because of sentimental value. For me, there is nothing like the sound of the spine on a book cracking for the first time to discover if the pages have that silky satin feel to them or slightly rougher, heavier pages then being hit by the scent of clean paper and ink. Can’t be beat.

Since Carol's from Ireland, and Ireland is the setting of my current novel, I was thrilled! She patiently answered all my questions with detail, and I've learned a lot. And for that, I love her ^_^

And Carol also generously offered an e-book of Shades of Atlantis of her debut novel, Shades of Atlantis for a lucky winner!

Giveaway:

Rules:

Must be a follower

Ends January 6th 2011

This giveaway is: International

(the code will need to accessed at SoA, an "omnific" site)

Please fill out the form below!

Review: Entice and cool giveaway!

2010-12-16T20:18:00.000-08:00

title: Entice
author: Carrie Jones
stars: 3
summary: goodreads
review: Kirthi
pages: 288
recommended for: ages 13+

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever. But that's not quite how things have worked out.

For starters, well, Nick is dead. Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla?

And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't just turned. She's Astley's queen.

My thoughts:
Need and Captivate were both tense, active, magical, and captivating, so that I needed more. I was ever pleased when Bloomsbury asked me if I wanted to review this. Of course I said yes!

Pros:

good setting
elaboration on Astley and his life and family
Zara's consistent character
detailed writing

Cons:

seems as if the story is being stretched out; very long
not much "action"
kind of...boring? This ties in with the first Con bullet...

It seems like just a few, but it basically sums up the book. I believe that Entice would've been a good book, had it not been so long. Entice wasn't as good a book as I hoped it to be, but it was still enjoyable!

And thanks to Bloomsbury I have:

a copy of Entice
Entice bookmarks (I'll try to upload the picture of how they look like, but my computer is having problems. Thanks

Rules:

Must be a follower of Pages
Ends January 1st 2011
U.S. Residents only

Holiday Giveaway!

2010-12-12T17:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Eric Smith from Quirk Books for sending me a charming e-mail with offering a copy of Pride Prejudice and Zombies to giveaway. It was mailed to me with a letter from Elizabeth (complete with yellow paper and twine). I read it and loved it, and now I'm mailing a copy to you!

Rules:

Ends 12/20/10
Must be a follower
U.S./ Canadian residents only
Extra entry for linking (on Twitter or anything else)

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Review: Shades of Atlantis

2010-12-12T13:11:00.000-08:00

title: Shades of Atlantis
author: Carol Oates
stars: 2
score:
summary: goodreads
review: Kirthi
pages: 307
recommended for: 14+

Since the death of their parents, Triona Pryor and her brother, Ben, have lived with their aunt and uncle in Camden, Maine. Now in her senior year of high school, Triona loves her family and friends, but she has always felt that she didn't quite fit in...in Camden, or anywhere else.

Enter Caleb Wallace, the devilishly handsome man who has recently moved to Triona's small town. While their attraction to each other is instantaneous, it also proves to be dangerous...and deadly.

When tragedy strikes, Triona flees to London for solace and to start her life anew. It's there she discovers from an unlikely source that her family has been keeping secrets from her - secrets about not only her birthright, but her ultimate destiny as well. Armed with this knowledge, Triona finds herself thrown into a whole new world and into a battle to save the lives of everyone she loves.

My thoughts:
A supernatural romance. Sounds good, right? I really wanted to read and review this book, so I requested a copy of devoured immediately upon its arrival.
I read through it once, then twice to see if I was right. And I was. Shades of Atlantis is a cousin of the Twilight Saga. Oh don't groan! I don't compare everything to Twilight, really I don't. But I have to say it was nearly identical! Look, look:

bossy, overprotective hot supernatural guy
needy, clingy "heroine" who's intoxicated by the guy
the guy has a totally gorgeous supernatural family
the guy leaves the girl for her own good
a nice funny guy friend wants to girl and hates the guy
the good funny guy gets rejected
the hot guy and his family embark on a mission
the girl becomes supernatural like her boyfriend
the hot guy wants to marry the girl....

AND I'M GIVING AWAY TOO MUCH! But what I'm saying is that Shades of Atlantis is a combo of almost all the events in the Twilight Saga.
The Pros were:

good romantic scenes
detailed characters
nice writing, detailed and well formed structure.

I think it was disappointing. I was disappointed, really. So why didn't this get a 1? I'm not that mean. It was an 'okay' book, but not a total failure. I enjoyed it, really. Some scenes were amazing and are so quotable. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to quote though, since it hasn't been published.

Should I get a new URL?

2010-12-02T05:31:00.000-08:00

I wanted to change my URL, because I've been getting complaints about my URL. But if I do change it, anyone who clicks on the 1bookblog URL won't be able to come to my blog.

What do you say?

Review: Delirium

2010-11-30T14:20:00.000-08:00

title: Delirium
author: Lauren Oliver
stars: 5+
score: 100%+
summary: my ARC
review: Kirthi
pages: 441
recommended for: 14 and up (grade level 9 and up)

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn't understand that once love--the deliria--blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold.
Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

my thoughts:
I can honestly say that Delirium is the best book of 2011, even though I haven't read all the 2011 books ^_^ It may be the best in a century! I didn't enjoy Before I Fall, but Delirium had be yearning for more! Lauren Oliver has written an eloquent, "astounding contemporary told of Romeo and Juliet"

I
Love
This
Book
So
Much!!!!!

Pros:

Detailed and realistic characters
The most thought-provoking "perfect" dialouge
Written in present-tense
Very odd and interesting subject, which proved to be the best
Ending that leaves me so emotional
Concessions and details woven so beautifully....
Good Setting

Cons:
......................................um...................................????

Yes, it really was that good.
I don't think I can describe it in any other way, you just MUST read it! Too bad it comes out February 1st

Some books...^_^

2010-11-28T11:17:00.001-08:00

I totally abandoned the only meme I had participated in: In My Mailbox by Kristi from the Story Siren.
So I thought I'd just post some books I've got:
The last 6 I received from Melissa at Spellbound by Books for her Once Upon A Time project. Thanks, I've enjoyed them! I already read The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran (who is a very wonderful lady!) but I wanted my own copy. I also read The Secret Garden (the movie for it is my favourite) and again, I wanted my own copy. I read the poem versions of the Iliad and the Odyssey, so I bought the "story" version in Barnes and Noble Classic Leatherbound version. I knew I'd be seeing a lot of Edgar Allen Poe in my high school future, so I picked the Edgar Allen Poe book. Y pues....Emily Dickinson, enough said.

I also got an ARC of Shades of Atlantis, of which I will need to review soon:
So yes. ^_^

CSN Review: Yoga!

2010-11-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you Jocelyn from the CSN Promo Team for offering me a chance to review products from CSN. From over 200 stores online, I had a wide variety of things I could choose from. There were a TON of stuff in the Yoga section, I was pleasantly surprised.
Now:
For the review:

I got several packages on this day, so I opened this one without reading who it was from. But upon opening it, I realized it was for CSN! They ship really fast, it's great. Kind of makes me feel important ^_^

I plucked all my stuff from the white wrapping-peanut and fittingly laid it on my yoga mat:
The Review Part
----------------------------------------------------
The Organic Cotton 8 inch Yoga Straps from Gaiam

The yoga straps were soft and strong, and really helped with stretching. A sad part was that I had to look up how to use it on the internet. I really think a "how to" on this product would've been nice.
I give this product a 3
------------------------------------------------------------------
Next, the Gaiam Super Yoga Mat Wash
So I spread out my mat in the bathroom:
And then I took an old white T-shirt and scrubbed the mat with the wash. It said for deep cleaning to spray freely and wait till white foam to emerge. I tried as hard as I could to make white foam, but only a few little clusters popped up, after a good 15 minutes of vigorous cleaning. I didn't get these dark lines of stain out of my mat, but I did clean off a lot of brown-dust and gunk off of it. Plus, there was this lingering, fresh scent that came from the fragrant oils in the spray. How nice ^_^ I'd give this product a 4
------------------------------------------------------
And finally, the AM/PM Stretch DVD from Gaiam.

Madeline Lewis is a skilled instructor that taught me a better routine exercise than the one I was doing before. The AM part took place on this giant rocky disk in the mountains with sunlight pouring through. The sunlight was kind of distracting, but it didn't really affect me that much.
The morning routine was relaxing, yet still gave me this boost of energy that I needed to start my day. Very helpful!
What I like about this product is that it includes both AM and PM Yoga exercises, whereas all the others are either AM or PM or Power or Fat Burning, and all that.
The night time routine was calm and brought down my energy and had be ready for bed.
The only problem was that I have my mat set up in the privacy of my bedroom, and the room is really crowded. With my bookshelf, desk, vanity, bed, and night-stand and all of my furniture. Some of the exercise I couldn't do because of space, but it's a mistake on my part.
Otherwise, the DVD was amazing! Informative, easy, and incredibly helpful.
I give this product a 5
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I hope all the excessive pictures didn't bother you. ^_^ And I hope you enjoyed the review!

Vacation!

2010-11-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

I'm going on vacation to Florida!!! My family, including about....5 others will all be going to our Aunt and Uncle's house. It's pretty big, and yeah, it'll fit more than 20 people. It's going to be a massive family reunion. There's even the dog I left behind.
Last time, I traveled the house with an "invisible fence" disk, and every time Shiba came close to me, I'd wave the fence around. And then, on the LAST DAY of my staying there, I finally got to love her. Then I had to leave. Sad, right? But now we "shall be reunited once more!" quote Trelawny (spelled it wrong) from Harry Potter.
With a pool, a tennis court, a home-theater, a pool-table, and a couple of television sets scattered around the house, no one will ever be bored. Whopee!

Anyways. I'll be gone for a good 4-5 days, so I'm sorry I won't be able to post all the wonderful, and amazing things I had planned. You wish ^_^

Adios! I'll miss you all!

Water Shaper Re-Create Winner!

2010-11-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

Here's the winning cover! Unfortunately, I lost the e-mail and info of all the covers, so I don't know the creator of this cover! I checked back at the entries, and one of the covers had been removed from the link, so I think that person may be the winner. Please contact me at raokiki6@gmail.com!

So congratulations!

Change: The cover was international, so it couldn't recieve the prize. It was all my fault. The winner is actually Amelia!
By the way, I don't usually post the winners for contests here at Pages. I usually just directly e-mail the winner and get things going. Just curious, would you like me to post winners or not?

Harry Potter: Giving Shape ot My Life

2010-11-18T05:22:00.000-08:00

I've always dreamed I could go to Hogwarts. I always dreamed of getting my Hogwarts letter! The closest I've ever gotten, though, was this weird dream that I went to "Wizard Camp".

Since elementary school, I've read the Harry Potter books so many times over that it's hard to count. Always, at home in my bed, I'd have a thick chocolate bar, maybe some Indian chai, and a Harry Potter book. My parents always scolded me, threatening to get rid of my Harry Potter books because I read too much. I think that's how I got glasses...
Anyways. Harry Potter has always been my constant bed-side companion and the books that brought me into the wonderful world of reading and magic.
Harry Potter shaped who I am, with his wonderful humour and the writing. I became a writer after being inspired my the awful talent of J.K. Rowling.

In the 4th grade, I did a biography on J.K. Rowling.
I attended the Midnight premeire of the Deathly Hallows Release
I attended all movies (except the first two) in the theatre
I still, to this day, quote Harry Potter
When asked what I like better, Twilight or Harry Potter, I scream "HARRY POTTER!"
I cried so much when Dumbledore died, I really did. I was depressed the whole day.
After coming out of the theatre after watching the Half-Blood Prince, it was raining and I said "The sky is crying for Dumbledore"
The password to my computer and e-mail is a Harry Potter term
I went to Orlando to the Harry Potter park and drank Butterbeer and bought my own owl and wand at Olivanders after standing in line for the entire day.

I'll continue, but I've got to go to my crummy, non-magical, purely academic public school. Hogwarts, WHY?

I do so honestly believe that Hogwarts exists. Or at least some magic school. It's still my dream to go there........

Top Favourite Covers!

2010-11-15T15:08:00.000-08:00

After reading Smitten With Book's post on her top 5 favourite book covers, I decided to do my own. Expect with 4.
They are not ranked in any particular order ^_^

____________________________

Fragile Eternity- Melissa Marr: The lovely shades of violet and the delicate, perfect butterfly fits so well with the title "Fragile Eternity" Something so beautiful as eternity, yet so inhuman, can be symbolized through a crystalline butterfly. Plus the characteristic cheekbones seen in faeries from Melissa Marr's book in the background is really reflecting the inside of the book, which is not seen in several books.

Hush by Donna Jo Napoli (one of my favourite authors)

The grim, darkened shades of the cover and the half smile-frown on the models face reflects the grim severity of the book. The girl is enigmatic and sooo mysterious. And the cover itself. There isn't a million swirls or flowers. It's simple and loud in the best way.

A Map of the Known World- Lisa Ann Sandell

Notice how the heart is built of mechanical parts. It gives the impression that the heart is work of art, pieced together by so many things. It's beautiful. And if you can see, there's a dark black backdrop with black bricks. It's gives a textural, and more hard-core story. I read the book and it's...amazing. The cover reflects the book perfectly. Simple, raw and emotional. Hey, I should write a review....

The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher: The cover is one of the most beautiful covers of 2011. There's no sparkles, or gold, or flowers or pretty supermodels. There's a mysterious young girl with chapped lips, dry skin and that is bursting with tears (of hope?) of water.