Christmas Contest

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. I love reading this book during the winter time.
Good luck!

City of Ember book review

The city of Ember is in trouble, but the complacent citizens seem to ignore the food shortages and frequent blackouts. The Builders, when they created the city some 241 years ago, made provisions for its citizens in the form of a note called "The Instructions." Unfortunately, The Instructions were not handed down through the generations as they were supposed to be, and suddenly 12-year old Lina, a city Messenger, has discovered them. After trying to tell her friends and even the Mayor about the discovery of the partially destroyed Instructions, Lina turns to a one-time school friend, Doon, a worker in the underground Pipeworks, whom she believes will understand their importance. But what can two children do with such important information, and who would even believe them?

The City of Ember is a clever novel which tells the unique story of two unintentional heroes who fight the status quo in order to bring hope to their city. The descriptions of the world of Ember are fascinating, leaving the reader to appreciate the incredible imagination of first-time novelist Jeanne DuPrau. The narrator thoughtfully informs us of the setting-the unusual and self-contained world of Ember-slowly throughout the novel, and not all at once in the first chapter. It's only in chapter 8 that we even realize that there are no animals in Ember and the words "heaven" and "boat" have no known meaning. The characters are outstandingly original yet touchingly familiar in their pre-pubescent views of the adult world. The deaths of Lina's parents and then custodial grandmother create a sympathy for her that causes us to, all the more, wish for her triumph. It is the curiosity of Lina and Doon that drive this narrative, and it is the nice balance between primary and secondary characters that keeps the reader on his/her toes. While we expect a happy ending, it's not until the final pages of the novel that we understand what has happened and why. And, as always, we forgive a good author for the blatant suggestions of a sequel.
5 STARS!

Edward, Harry

LMAO, I laughed really hard.

My new reading list.

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here.

Instructions: Copy this into your NOTES. Bold those books you’ve read in their entirety, italicize the ones you started, but have yet to finish or from which you have read an excerpt.

I've read 17/100

1 Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens
11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch – George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis
34 Emma – Jane Austen
35 Persuasion – Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere
39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne
41 Animal Farm – George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving
45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
50 Atonement – Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel
52 Dune – Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens
72 Dracula – Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses – James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal – Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession – AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks
94 Watership Down – Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo

Charlaine Harris

Charlaine Harris’ Cover for her 11th Sookie Stackhouse novel. Book will be released in May, 2011. Where is Eric or even Bill on the cover?
Team Eric.

I'm not quite sure if I'll be purchasing this book, #10 wasn't all that good. Plus I feel the series should be over by now. I swear authors of PNR books never end their series, they just keep going on and on.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

The story is told from Astrid Magnussen's point of view. She is a young girl (story goes from age 12-18), who lives with her mother, Ingrid, who is a smooth, freeminded poet. They live in an apartment in Hollywood, California. They go to museums, read books by Dmitry and Dostoyevsky, and do poetry readings. Ingrid uses her charm to lure in men and have carefree relationships, but she gets too serious in one of these relationships. After the man breaks it off with Ingrid, she kills him. She is then put into prison and sentenced for life.

So begins Astrid's life of foster care and life altering changes. Throughout the story, Astrid is at 6 different homes, including a children's center. Each home is filled with people and experiences that all take their toll on Astrid and her upbringing. These include: getting involved with a MUCH older man, gun shot wounds, starvation, and a death, to name a few. During her time at these homes, she corresponds with her mother with letters, in which Ingrid is still trying to shape her daughter...even through prison. Astrid soon realizes that her mother wants her to remain unhappy in these homes, so she will still be "needed" by her daughter, and so that she can still influence Astrid into becoming like her.This book, while occasionally disturbing, is an important one to read. 4.5 STARS!

I find it offensive.

In almost every book I have ever read (I’ve read a lot) it has always been the girl who screws everything up. Like in this one I’m reading.. Torment by Lauren Kate. I love her books. I love this author. Nothing against either. I mean, if your boyfriend (who is an angel. Named Daniel♥.) tells you to stay where you are because it’s safe and he’s always protected you.. you should be smart and listen to him right? But no, she’s gotta go and be all “My life is my own” and not listen. Gah.
I’m at the part where she’s tricked into going some place so an Outcast (worst kind of angel) can kill her, then someone saves her by killing that angel saying there’s more of them around that area. Well. She wants to go on a yacht trip, knowing she’ll be going back to that place with more Outcasts. When Daniel told her not to. Hello?! Brains. Do you not have a brain? Do you want to get killed?
Or like in Alyson Noel’s Immortal Series. I love Alyson. I love that series. Again, nothing against either. **warning: I don’t think you should read this last part if you have not read all of the books currently out because it will contain spoilers.** If Ever(main character) just did what Roman(bad guy) wanted, she could’ve been with the love of her life: Damen. But no, she had to be all “I don’t want to with Roman it’s wrong!” I know it’s wrong, but would you rather not be able to touch your boyfriend at all? If you two touch fingers or have any contact, Damen dies. Do what Roman wants -> get the antidote -> you being able to hug or do whatever with Damen. Of course Jude(guy who likes Ever) had to go and kill Roman when you were about to do what Roman wanted but then pushed him off. So Roman is dead. The antidote is forever gone because it was in his pocket and Jude smashed the bottle.
Idiots.

Remeber Me, Movie

I love this movie, Remember Me.
Robert Pattinson <3

New Poll

I have a new poll up, "what can I do to improve my blog". Can you please vote, thanks :)
Oh and if the option isn't there, you can just leave it in the comments.
I'm definitely having some more contests soon too.












<---- over there

Me in the not so distant future…

I want this print to be on my new shirt..

Candy by Kevin Brooks

Candy by Kevin Brooks is an entertaining book to read, it keeps you wondering what Joe Beck's, the main character, next move will be. Joe lives in a nice neighborhood near London with his dad and sister and although he has a few problems with his father and mother, this doesn't seem to bother him much. Basically, Joe is like any other regular adolescent. He plays guitar in a band called the Katies and is very talented with music. When he meets this beautiful girl, Candy, everything else doesn't seem to matter but her. It's a scary thought, Joe lets everything around him not matter as much as Candy. After meeting Candy, he really changes. Candy is a young girl with various problems involving drugs and prostitution hence, causing problems for Joe. Of course Joe doesn't see these problems himself, all he cares about is protecting Candy, but the problems keep on piling up.

Kevin Brooks keeps you anticipating in certain scenes where there might be confrontation. This book kept me reading longer in order to find out what's going to happen. In one of the many scenes that kept me reading was when Joe is confronted by Candy's pimp, Iggy. Iggy is a violent man who doesn't care about hurting anyone. Joe risks his life when he enters this area in hope of seeing Candy again, but later Joe finds himself right in front of Iggy. Joe is defenseless against Iggy but fortunately for Joe, Candy helps him escape. Both Candy and Joe care for each other and although Candy is a prostitute, she acts totally different with him. No one seems to realize this and tell Joe he needs to leave her alone, but Joe is convinced he can help her in some way and continues to get in deeper trouble. I like the way the author ends the story, it sure isn't a happy ever after ending, but with all the intense situations Joe gets involved with, it's a satisfactory conclusion.

4.5 stars!

No Going Back book review

A gay teenage Mormon growing up in western Oregon in 2003. His straight best friend. Their parents. A typical LDS ward, a high-school club about tolerance for gays, and a proposed anti-gay-marriage amendment to the state constitution. In NO GOING BACK, these elements combine in a coming-of-age story about faithfulness and friendship, temptation and redemption, tough choices and conflicting loyalties.


Paul, a Mormon teenager, doesn't try to "cure" himself. He feels he needs the support of his mom, his best friend, his Bishop, and others who may be in his same situation, but he doesn't want to be outed to the rest of the ward or his classmates. He knows that being gay in the church means that the ideal of a temple marriage in this life may lie out of reach for him. He knows that gay sex is forbidden. He wants to live a virtuous life, find acceptance for the person he is, and still have the social life that most teens yearn for. This book is not for the faint of heart. It's a hard one to read in the sense that there aren't easy answers for the challenges Paul goes through. I believe that the book encourages virtuous living by teens, whether gay or straight, with a hard look at the possible consequences should one go looking for comfort in places that are not spiritually healthy.

Zan-Gah book review

Book 1: The hero, Zan-Gah seeks his lost twin in a savage prehistoric world, encountering suffering, captivity, conflict, love, and triumph. In three years, Zan-Gah passes from an uncertain boyhood to a tried and proven manhood and a position of leadership among his people. Themes: survival, cultures, gender roles, psychological trauma, nature's wonders and terrors.

Book 2: The sequel to Zan-Gah, In this story, Zan s troubled twin brother, Dael, having suffered greatly during his earlier captivity, receives a ruinous new shock when his wife suddenly dies. Disturbed and traumatized, all of his manic energies explode into acts of hostility and bloodshed. His obsession is the destruction of the wasp men, his first captors, who dwell in the Beautiful Country. When he, Zan-Gah, and a band of adventurers trek to their bountiful home, they find that all of the wasp people have died in war or of disease. The Beautiful Country is empty for the taking, and Zan s people, the Ba-Coro, decide to migrate and resettle there. But the Noi, Dael s cruelest enemies and former tormentors, make the same migration from their desert home, and the possibility develops of contention and war over this rich and lovely new land.

VA fans - Last Sacrifice, Ch 1 - Behind Bars

Last Sacrifice - The sixth and final book to the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. This book comes out Dec. 7th, but for those who can't wait any longer, enjoy chapter 1. And please comment if you read this.



After Abe left the rest of the day seemed to pass by in some sort of haze. I didn't know how long ago the hearing was, or why all of this was happening to me.

Abe's words seemed to keep echoing off the empty cell walls, haunting me every moment of my miserable time in here. 'They execute traitors.' I could die; they could kill me. I had faced what I was certain would be my death plenty of times, luckily always escaping the brink and continuing to live, but I didn't see a way out of this. Out of all the ways I could have died, I never would have imagined this. To die a traitors death for something I didn't do? It was insane.

Did I have a sign on my forehead that said 'I'm Rose Hathaway, my life will never be my own and no matter how good my intentions may seem, someone or something is always out to get me. Please, take a shot yourself.'

I knew that in my eighteen years I had made a lot of enemies, and up until recently I thought Victor was my worst enemy, but here lately it seemed like I was making more enemies then I was friends. The person that was setting me up now had to be my worst enemy, and the truth was anyone could have done it. There were plenty of people that could have wanted the queen dead, and I made for an easy person to frame. The way I made a scene in public, always standing up to her when I thought others were too afraid to, had all been for something, but now they seemed to be coming back and biting me on the ass.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I jumped when I heard the door leading down to the cells being slammed. I sat straight up on my bed, looking to see who the new arrival was.
My breath caught as I saw Dimitri walking down the hall, his beautiful face nearly enough to brighten my day, nearly. He was only being followed by two guardians, who stopped a few cells down from mine. The guardians standing guard at my cell looked surprised to see him, but they didn't question it.

I was surprised to see him, so much so that I didn't speak until he was standing in front of my cell, his eyes searching my face, drinking me in.

"Hey," I said softly, not knowing what else to say.

"Can we have a moment?" Dimitri asked the guardians outside my cells, they exchanged looks and finally nodded. I recognized the look they exchanged, the look on their faces as the moved down the hall, just out of earshot but close enough to monitor my actions, pity. They pitied me, because they knew I was innocent or because they saw me pleading with Dimitri earlier, our situations reversed, I didn't know, but either way I was grateful for the privacy.

"Roza." His brown eyes softened as he spoke my nickname aloud, and I allowed myself to feel a sudden burst of warmth at his words.

"How did you get in here?"

"I had a friend or two working that was willing to help me out." Just like Mikhail he had friends among the guardians. No matter past actions, our kind helped each other, we had to in a world like this
.
"Why?"

"I needed to see you." Him being here, down in the cells visiting me after taking out so many guardians just so they couldn't get to me, spoke volumes of his love for me.

"I didn't do it."

"I know," he said softly, his accent a lovely one that I had missed so, so much. He had said it before, he knew my character. He knew what, and who, I was capable of killing: the undead. I would never kill another Morio or Dhampir, their lives were too precious. He knew me. He didn't offer any blank words to make me feel better or comfort me, and I almost wished he did, but him being here was enough.

The note in my pocket seemed burn, reminding me of it's presence. I needed to help Lissa, but could it wait until after the trial, which could take weeks, or even months? I knew the answer immediately. They come first. It was our mantra, and Lissa had always, and would always, be the first priority in my life. This cell was just an obstacle, one that would be difficult to overcome, but not impossible. Tatiana herself had told me not to waste any time fulfilling this, I had to get out of here.

I looked at Dimitri, the person I used to trust with everything. Could I trust him again? That answer came immediately too, of course I could, but would I be selfish enough to involve him and damage everything he was trying to work for again?

Of course I would.

"Dimitri?" I asked warily, "do you still love me?"

He was silent for several moments, his eyes burning into mine. "I would do anything to protect you," he said, avoiding my question.

That was all I needed, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the note. I looked down the hall, making sure the guardians weren't watching us, luckily they were respecting my privacy still, so I handed the note to Dimitri.

It is a secret you must share with as few as possible. I idly wondered if Tatiana would respect the person I was deciding to share this secret with, and suddenly wished that she had told me specifically what to do. Or at least wrote down who killed her so it would make my job easier.
Dimitri silently read the note, his grim expression changing to one of wonder. "She is helping you from her grave," he breathed, in total awe of the dead queen.

"I need you to help me," I hissed as Dimitri handed me my note back.

"I will." He didn't hesitate.

"No matter how stupid and reckless it may seem?"

This time he did hesitate and I spoke again before he had the chance to answer. "You owe me this."

I hated using that card. This Dimitri didn't owe me anything, except maybe an apology for the horrible words that day in the church, but the Strigoi Dimitri owed me a lot. Everything. Still this Dimitri couldn't forgive himself, so he would pay the debt for the Strigoi Dimitri. I knew it.

"No matter how stupid and reckless," he agreed, but his eyes looked weary.

I looked around, before I leaned into the bars. Dimitri leaned in closer too and I placed my lips just above his ear. "Get me the fuck out of here."

YAspooktacular

What is the YA Spooktacular? Stories! We have compiled TWO spooky YA stories by some of your favorite authors, debut authors and aspiring writers. You will get to trick-or-treat to other blogs and follow the story of your choice--or even both stories! At the end of the stories, you will have a chance to enter to win a grand prize pack! (We will even have a Book Depository gift card for international participants to win!)

THE RULES:
*You must comment on EVERY post in a story to be eligible to win the grand prize pack. *You MAY enter for both stories.
*The forms are a must to be entered.
*Winners will be selected at random.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dHBWa21vTXVfYWc1dWpNamh2X1U3OHc6MQ#gid=0

Part 2, Story 13

A SOUL LAID BARE by Lee Nichols

Our handwriting looked identical. Before I could figure out what it all meant, I was startled by a knocking sound and I turned to the library doors, expecting to see someone locked out.
I woke, my heart pounding in my chest. My arms tingled from the adrenaline running through my veins. Yeesh. Talk about anxiety dreams. I felt like Dorothy back in Kansas. As I came fully awake, I remembered what really happened.
I’d been at a Halloween party with my roommate, Alice. We’d been best friends since we’d started Boston University together and had planned to dress up as matching sexy witches for B.U.’s famous, all-campus Halloween party. But we’d had a terrible fight that afternoon. Alice accused me of coming on to her boyfriend, Dylan, who was in our Colonial History class, taught by Mr. Cooper. We had a paper due on Monday, which is what all that stuff about Mr. Cooper wanting something from me in my dream was about.
“You’ve seriously crossed the line, Sami,” Alice said. I swear I saw her eyes almost burning red with fury, before she finally got herself under control. “Roommates do not steal each other’s boyfriends.”
“I didn’t—“ I started to protest.
“I know exactly what you did,” Alice said, cutting me off. “Don’t even think of dressing up like a witch tonight.”
“Good,” I said, hurt that she’d accuse me of something I’d never do. “It’s not like I wanted to be a slutty witch anyway.”
She screamed in frustration, as she grabbed her costume and went to change in a neighbors’ room down the hall.
After that, I hadn’t felt like going out. But I’d be damned if Alice was going to stop me. Plus, I really needed the break. I been working on my paper all afternoon on the Salem witch trials. That’s how Alice and I had gotten the idea to dress up as witches. I really had checked out the book called Colonial Witchcraft. But Tonya Seller’s name hadn’t been signed out before me. Obviously, the library at B.U. was digital.
No, the Tonya Seller thread from my dream was just an urban legend that had been running around campus lately. A school librarian had disappeared one night and had never been seen or heard from again. Some people said vampires had gotten her. I was pretty sure the story got trotted out every Halloween, the details growing gorier with every retelling.
But Tonya Seller did make a killer Halloween costume. I dressed up in a silk blouse, short black skirt, the fishnets from my witch costume and kitten heels. I pulled my long dark hair into a bun and perched my reading glasses on my nose. Total sexy librarian. I made two fang marks on my neck with dark red lip gloss, grabbed a few library books and headed to the party.
Which is where Jareth comes in. My first hook-up at college. He’d approached me the minute I’d walked into the student union, as I searched for a familiar face, hoping I wouldn’t have another fight with Alice. He didn’t wear a costume, only those weird contacts that make your eyes look like an anime character—he’d chosen pure black—giving him an otherworldly look. His lines were smooth as he handed me a glass of beer. And, I don’t know, there was something so familiar and right about him, that when he leaned me against the wall and started kissing me, I hadn’t even thought of protesting. But it was almost too much, his kisses were releasing strange emotions inside of me and I broke away, making some excuse about finishing a paper.
I’d run into Alice and Dylan on the way out of the party. They’d been sucking up to Professor Cooper who was chaperoning, and had made snide comments about my costume as I’d fled to my room.
I turned on the TV, settled into an old horror film about vampires and must’ve fallen asleep and had that terrible dream.
There was that knocking again, this time for real, at my dorm room door. I crawled from bed and opened it, thinking Alice must’ve forgotten her keys.
But it was Jareth standing there, his eyes still pure black. “You forgot this,” he said. He held out the necklace from my dream. The solid-black obsidian stone, hanging from a gold chain.
I swallowed in confusion. “That’s not mine.”
“Sure it is,” he said. “You’ve just forgotten.”
I don’t know what it was about him, but I trusted him enough to let him clasp the chain around my neck. I grasped the stone firmly in my hand, and images filled my mind. In a matter of seconds, it all came rushing back. Of my training in a military unit, learning to shoot automatic weapons, throw knives, carve wooden stakes, detonate fire-bombs, and of the reprogramming, so I’d forget it all.
“Welcome back Tonya Seller.” Jareth grinned at me. “You did well.”
I was a vampire hunter, part of an elite, covert force. I’d let them strip my memory and identity from me, so I could go underground to find Alice, Dylan and Mr. Cooper. They weren’t warlocks and witches; they were vampires. And I’d been sent to kill them.
“Happy Halloween,” I said, and smiled. "Let's go get them."

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

This is another excellent novel from Nick Hornby who has yet to write anything that I have not enjoyed. It is the story of four very different characters.
Maureen is a downtrodden single parent whose life is dedicated to caring for her severely disabled son. Martin is an obnoxious daytime TV presenter who has been the subject of a high profile sex scandal. JJ is a musician who always wanted to be a rock star but now deliver pizzas. Jess is an impulsive teenage tearaway. It is hard to imagine a group with less in common.
What does bring them together is a tower block - Toppers House - in London on New Years Eve where each arrives intending to leap to their doom. They inevitably discuss what has brought them there. I must say that I feared that they would understand each others pain and then hug each other living happily ever after in a community. But they don't. In fact whenever I thought I knew where it was going it went off in a different direction. Never predictable and never dull.
They are certainly not a likeable bunch. Why else would they be at Toppers House in the first place? But they are a fascinating group of oddballs and their mutual dependency is both touching and amusing. The subject matter is never trivialised even though there are several laugh out loud moments. The writing is always excellent.
Don't be put off by the gloomy subject matter. This is his best to date and should not be missed.

4.5* Stars!

TBR

Meet Mount To Be Read. o.O
I really need to get new book shelves for my books — I own way more than that, those are just the ones I’ve still to read. Oops.

" On Friday night, I was reading my new book, but my brain got tired, so I decided to watch some television instead.
— The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

NaNoWriMo 2010

NaNoWriMo relaunch! Who’s ready for some noveling madness?

In short, Nanowrimo is a world-wide challenge done in November of every year where you (if you choose to accept) write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It might sound hard, but throughout the month, there are people encouraging you—authors who send you pep talk emails, fellow writers on the forums, and other people from your city who you can meet up with at write-ins through the month. It’s totally free, and if you finish your novel by the end of the month, you end up with your very own novel written by you! And even if you don’t finish, that’s okay too, because it’s honestly a lot of fun even if you don’t get to 50,000!

true blood

Watched all of season 3 of True Blood these past three days online. AMAZINGG. Definitely gotta buy the seasons on dvd. Who knows might start a dvd collection next.

http://www.watch-true-blood.net/

Favorite couple: Jessica and Hoyt

What's yours?

Solid by Shelley Workinger

Description: Eighteen years ago, a rogue Army doctor secretly experimented with a chromosomal drug on unknowing pregnant women. When he was killed not long after the children were born, any knowledge and evidence seemed to die with him - except for the living, breathing, human products of his work. Almost two decades later, the newly self-proclaimed "open-book" military unearths the truth about the experiment, bringing Clio Kaid and the other affected teens to a state-of-the-art, isolated campus where they soon discover that C9x did indeed alter their chromosomes, its mutations presenting as super-human abilities. The military kids, who come from across the nation and all walks of life, come into their own as lighter-than-air 'athletes'; 'indies' as solid as stone walls; teens who can make themselves invisible and others who can blind with their brilliance. While exploring her own special ability, forging new friendships and embarking on first love, Clio also stumbles onto information indicating that the military may not have been entirely forthcoming with them and that all may not be as it seems.

My Thoughts: The believable preface of the Army experiment on unborn fetuses sets the stage for the 17-year-olds meeting at Army camp to learn about themselves, each other, and the experiment--notes died with the scientist. The teens are quick to discover that not all those at the camp have the best interests of the teens or of science in mind. Shelley is looking forward to writing a sequel. I give this book a 4 stars.

updates

Hello Everyone :) First, I just want to say I'm fine, still alive. (to those who asked, thanks for your concern) I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, I've just been super busy taking classes, studying, working, etc. I'm getting back into the swing of things now and you can expect more post from me. Last of all, thanks for following and have a good day :)

book/movie

"I started to go to the library, devouring every book I could lay my hands on. Once I began one, I couldn’t put it down. Reading was an addiction, I read while I ate, on the train, in bed till late at night, in school, where I’d keep the book hidden so I could read during class. "
—
Haruki Murakami, South of the Border, West of the Sun

I love how every protagonist of Murakami’s is an avid reader.

Love Alaska!

Rachel Caine Books

RACHEL CAINE
1. Ill Wind 2. Heat Stroke 3. Chill Factor 4. Windfall 5. Firestorm 6. Thin Air

7. Gale Force 8. Cape Storm 9. Undone 10. Unknown 11. Glass Houses 12. The Dead Girls’ Dance

13. Midnight Alley 14. Feast of Fools 15. Lord of Misrule 16. Carpe Corpus 17. Fade Out 18. Kiss of Death

19. Total Eclipse (Picture in own post!)

Upcoming novels: Ghost Town - October 26, 2010, Unseen - 2011, Bite Club - 2011, Untitled Morganville - 2011, Dead Sexy - 2011

"She reads with great concentration. Her eyes rarely move from the pages of her book — a thick hardback. A bookstore wrapper hides the title from us. Judging from her intent expression, the book might contain a challenging subject matter. Far from skimming, she seems to be biting off and chewing it one line at a time."
— Haruki Murakami, After Dark

Blog Fest

Win all three books. International

I should not be allowed in bookstores unaccompanied, or without restraints. I cannot resists books, they are like a drug to me, and I am completely and utterly drawn to everything about them: the fonts, the spines, the covers, the sizes, the order of the rows, the over-sized ones that you want to page through so carefully, the wee ones that can fit in your jacket pocket, the children’s picture books that make you feel five again, the YA aisle that is often miles more interesting than the "fiction" section, the biographies and histories that make you want to know everything, and the feeling that I could literally lose days of my life and never see the outside - happily.

B&N, I love you. But you suck.

I love it when Barnes and Noble has great sales (like the one right now - 3 paperbacks for 9.99) and none of the books on my wishlist fall under that sale.

UF books

Just finished the 6 book Jr Ward boxset. I loved them so much. I'm definitely going to purchase numbers #7 and 8. Also I'm looking into more UF series, so many to read not sure where to start. Just might be my new favourite genre.

Three for the price of One

I shared this morning that I was to spend my day inside a book store. Well, it happened but not actually the whole day which was my original plan. My mom told me that we would be attending a thanks giving party from one of my mom’s close friends and so I had to adjust.
Anyway, when I arrived at the mall, I immediately went to National Bookstore because they were having this HUGE SALE. Yes dude, H-U-G-E. The books are up to 75% less. I found some books but then the prices were still too much for the budget I have. I only had 200 and I wanted to have atleast 3 new books. So, I was just drooling over Palahniuk’s, Albom’s and Coelho’s. Pity me, yes. I wasn’t able to save enough for this weekend. Ugh.

Then I decided to visit Booksale. The books they sell may look old and worn out but somewhere along those shelves I believe, are books which you would never even believe they would sell. And so I patiently scanned, read the synopsis, placed the book back and looked for more interesting plots.
In the end, I found three worthy books at their cheapest prices.

• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
• The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

All these books for just $1.50
That’s why I went home with that BIG SMILE on my face. :D

HoN v.s. VA

House of Night v.s. Vampire Academy
Both awesome series!
Which do you like more?
I'm 100% for VA, gotta love Rose&Dimitri.

Same Kind of Different As Me

I finished this book in less than 3 days. I was taken in by chapter 2 and laughed, cried, pondered, and repented the whole way through. It is well written and easy to digest yet full of hidden treasures. I like that this book challenges those of us who consider ourselves Christian - that we usually aren't as real as we say and certainly rarely have actions that are as revolutionary as Jesus paved the way for. Both authors are honest in their struggles with themselves, their histories, weaknesses and the strength found in their purpose together. I most admire that they consider making a difference in one life, and the difference one life can make, important.

Dr. Seuss

I don’t care how childish is it, Green Eggs and Ham is ALWAYS going to be one of my favorite books. I know it by heart.

I don’t like green eggs and ham, I don’t like that Sam I am.
I don’t like them here or there, I don’t like them anywhere.
I do not like them in a house, I do not like them with a mouse.
Not in a box, not with a fox.

Gosh, this book is amazing. Coolest children story to ever exist.

IMM

For Review:

• My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Won:

• Iron Daughter by Julia Kagawa
• Liinger by Maggie Stiefvater

(Both from Buried in Books, thanks so much)

Bought

• Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
• A Million Little Pieces by James Frey

This is where I leave you

“It’s quite likely that I will never see either one of them again, and the thought saddens me. They were daily fixtures in my life for the last seven years or so, and now they are gone. Or, more accurately, I am. Just like that. That’s the thing about life; everything feels so permanent, but you can disappear in an instant.” — Jonathan Tropper, This Is Where I Leave You

Tropper’s books are the kind of easy, summer books I’d read. Well-written, filled with humour, easy to get through.

Gilmore Girls Library

The library in The Dragonfly Inn in Gilmore Girls is one of my favourite TV libraries. I know it’s small, but it’s so cosy and beautiful.

Matilda

Currently watching Matilda

Looking for Alaska Quote

“When adults say, “Teenagers think they are invincible” with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don’t know how right they are. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born, and we cannot die. Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations. They forget that when they get old. They get scared of losing and failing. But that part of us greater than the sum of our parts cannot begin and cannot end, and so it cannot fail.”
—
Looking for Alaska by John Green

Wave Goodbye to Barnes & Noble?

Barnes & Noble, the largest book store company in the U.S., recently disclosed that sales from Nov. 1, 2009 to Jan. 2, 2010 were down 5% to $1.1 billion. Same-store sales were off 5.1%. Barnes $ Noble is up against a rapid increase in book sales over the internet which is dominated by Amazon and includes large retailers such as Wal-Mart. The rise of the e-reader and e-books is also in the process of undermining “bricks-and-mortar” book buying traffic. BKS peer Borders recently closed 200 of its Waldenbooks outlets and fired 1,500 people. Barnes & Noble has 775 outlets and 636 college bookstore. BKS will have to push online sales, marketing of it Nook e-reader, and close at least 100 stores.

Simply put, in the near future all Barnes and Noble stores could be out of business… Along with Borders.

Quote

"When I get a little money, I buy books. And if there is any left over, I buy food."

- Desiderius Erasmus

Day 1

Day #1 - Best book you read last year?
I loved the Twilight saga. I've only begun to really get into books again at the end of last year. And I started with this series. Glad I read it :)

30 Day Book Challenge

Day 01 - Best book you read last year
Day 02 - A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
Day 03 - Your favorite series
Day 04 - Favorite book of your favorite series
Day 05 - A book that makes you happy
Day 06 - A book that makes you sad
Day 07 - Most underrated book
Day 08 - Most overrated book
Day 09 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 - Favorite classic book
Day 11 - A book you hated
Day 12 - A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 - Your favorite writer
Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer
Day 15 - Favorite male character
Day 16 - Favorite female character
Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book
Day 18 - A book that disappointed you
Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie
Day 20 - Favorite romance book
Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood
Day 22 - Favorite book you own
Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 - Favorite title
Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time

What's your favourite book as a kid?

Out of Curiosity...
As part of this massive cleanout that’s happening, I’ve been going through my bookshelf, especially those from when I was a kid. I thought it’d be neat to a see what other people’s treasures are.
What was your favourite book as a kid?
I loved the Junie B. Jones books, and BabySitters Club. If only I could find them again :(

Contest Winner!

Thanks to the 43 awesome followers who entered my contest for the books Compound by S.A. Bodeen, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Gone by Michael Grant. The lucky winner who gets a brand spankin' new copy of these wonderful books is...
Kristen Larson!
Congrats! I'm emailing you right now and you'll have a week to get back to me before I pick another winner.

The Host cuteness

Aw how cute is that?
I have The Host sitting on my TBR pile, I picked it up once, read a few pages and never got back to it. I heard it's a really awesome book though so I'll try and read this again very soon.

Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

“In a snug New England fishing village, Charlie St. Cloud tends the lawns and monuments of an ancient cemetery where his younger brother, Sam, is buried. After surviving the car accident that claimed his brother’s life, Charlie is graced with an extraordinary gift: He can see, talk to, and even play catch with Sam’s spirit. Into this magical world comes Tess Carroll, a captivating woman training for a solo sailing trip around the globe. Fate steers her boat into a treacherous storm that propels her into Charlie’s life. Their beautiful and uncommon connection leads to a race against time and a choice between death and life, between the past and the future, between holding on and letting go—and the discovery that miracles can happen if we simply open our hearts.”

I just finished this book last night and it was phenomenal. Charlie St. Cloud is a character that I will remember for the rest of my days. Charlie can only be described as devoted and I was a devoted reader until the very last page. This is no book about romance. This is a book about love, romantic and brotherly.

The film adaptation of this book stars Zac Efron and was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia. Before or after seeing the movie, I urge you to read the book. It is more in depth, more captivating and something more tangible than any film could be. Thank you, Ben Sherwood, for writing a novel that has filled my heart with hope.

5 Stars!

The Devouring by Simon Holt

“When dark creeps in and eats the light, bury your fears on Sorry Night. For in the winter’s blackest hours, comes the feassting of the Vours. No one can see it, the life they stole. Your body’s here, but not your soul…”

Reggie has always been a fan of the gothic, the supernatural, the horrific. One day, while working at the local bookstore, she comes across a book called The Devouring and, thinking it’s just another horror novel, takes it home. As Reggie and her best friend, Aaron, peruse the book, they discover the world of the Vours, demonic creatures who possess humans by preying off of fear. For Reggie and Aaron, it’s all just fun and games, until Reggie’s little brother, Henry, starts exhibiting strange behavior. Then, bad things start happening. Henry’s babysitter turns up dead, and Reggie finds Henry’s pet hamster in the toilet with a broken neck. Henry begins lying to their father, getting Reggie in trouble for things she didn’t do. When Reggie starts experiencing fear-induced hallucinations, she begins to wonder if the Vours really are just storybook monsters after all. The Devouring is a compelling young adult thriller that focuses on the element of fear. Even though the Vours are fictional beings, I found it easy to relate to the fear described in the book, mainly because fear is a natural reaction that all of us, as humans, experience at one time or another. In addition, The Devouring doesn’t just focus on supernatural issues, but normal, teenage problems that the characters face as well. The book was very well-written and suspenseful, and kept me turning pages the entire time. Be warned though, it does end with a cliffhanger, leading into Holt’s second book in the series, The Soulstice.
4 Stars!

Gossip Girl Series

secret; my grade 7 year consisted of all these books. i was obsessed, they were so good. every sentence had the work fuck in it, and i thought these books were friggin great for the audience they were for. i watch the show because of my past obsession with the books, and let me say, there is quite a difference and the show somewhat ruined the story line.

The Outsiders Quote

“Sixteen years on the streets and you can learn a lot. But all the wrong things, not the things you want to learn. Sixteen years on the streets and you see a lot. But all the wrong sights, not the sights you want to see.”
—
Ponyboy Curtis, The Outsiders

Slam by Nick Hornby

Here's a very worthy cautionary tale that teenagers will relate to. Sam Jones, skateboarder, knows that you can do the right thing 99.9% of the time--staying in control, playing by the rules and making all the right moves---but then with a momentary loss of concentration or a single wrong turn you can end up eating concrete. Sam's a good kid who generally does the right thing. When a momentary lapse results in an unplanned pregnancy, he experiences a life-jarring, mind-shattering slam far worse than any of the skateboarding accidents he's been through. As he shares his perceptions and reactions, Sam's voice rings true. He shares what he learns without any twinge of preachiness. His lessons are difficult ones--about a condom malfunction, childbirth and diaper changing, as well as evolving relationships with his girlfriend, his parents and his baby boy. Most importantly, Sam shows that good people sometimes get slammed but, when they do, they can recover, reclaim their lives and still be good people. Most people have to learn these hard lessons by making their own mistakes. However, sometimes we're lucky enough to learn things from a well-told story that can help us avoid a catastrophic slam. This one's definitely worth a read. 5 stars!

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

I love this trilogy!
One of my favorites, I honestly didn't expect to like these books as much as I did. I thought they would be about whiny teenagers obsessed with their looks. It's so much more, and really adventurous, whole new world type of books.


“What you do, the way you think, makes you beautiful.”
—
Scott Westerfeld

BDB box set

Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.r. Ward.
I'd choose buying box sets over single books anyday.

Advantages
- They're cheaper when you buy as a whole.
- Can start on next book, once you finish reading previous.
- Quick purchase.

Disadvantages
-If you dislike the series, your screwed outta money.

I just wish more series had box sets. Some that I would by if they did have box sets are the Kate Daniels series, Rachel Morgan, Mercy Thompson, Anita Blake. But unfortunately they are all single books.

Would you rather buy the box set or purchase single books?