WordAlert

Review: No Time for Goodbye

2012-03-02T19:51:00.001-08:00

Genre: thriller

Title: No Time for Goodbye

Author: Linwood Barclay

Rating: 2.9/3

ISBN: 978-0-553-80555-0

Publisher: Random House

Number of pages: 338

Plotline:

Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Bigge woke one morning to discover that her entire family–mother, father,brother–had vanished. No note, no trace, no return. Ever. Now, twenty-five years later, she’ll learn the devastating truth.

Sometimes it’s better not to know. . . .
Cynthia is happily married with a young daughter, a new family. But the story of her old family isn’t over. A strange car in the neighborhood, untraceable phone calls, ominous “gifts”–someone has returned to her hometown to finish what was started twenty-five years ago. And no one’s innocence is guaranteed, not even her own. By the time Cynthia discovers her killer’s shocking identity, it will again be too late . . . even for goodbye.

My take:

Yo. This book made me so scared. Sooo scared.

The whole story is told from the husband's point of view, with an inkling of itilicized scary-stuff sprinkled over it. The result is a scary-ass story you should never attempt to read before bed. (Yes, I'm speaking from experience.)

In a way, it almost reminds me of those can-you-solve-it mysteries. All through the book, I kept guessing at the culprit, with really no rhyme or reason. My one and only rule: the one least suspected is usually the one who did it. They don't have to have a motive; you'll find out the complicated backstory later. Unfortunately, my rule doesn't usually produce any results simply because there are too many innocent people who could be ultimate-mastermind-extraordinaires in the story. This time though, I'm proud to announce that I was kind of right. (Still an emphasis on the "kind of", but not as much as usual =)

SpoilerAlert!

I haven't decided if I like or dislike the plotline style so many novels emply. You know, where the mystery/conflict seems to be solved and a brief happiness ensues before another killer/scary-person appears out of nowhere and there's another intense moment you totally weren't expecting. And since you weren't expecting it, you haven't prepared yourself for the mental assault that blows you away.

I was extremely impressed by the husband (Walter? Forgot his name already... early amnesia developing argh) ability to just... just withstand it all, you know? Those romance books I love always have lovey-dovey scenes, but at the first sight of conflict between them the man usually takes of with all his manly pride. IN those types of books it's all well and good because it adds to the drama all romantic readers love, but sometimes male insensitivity can be slightly tiring. So the husband's tenderness and understanding in this book really touched me. When you really think about it, this is the kind of husband you would really want to have. One who would stay with their wife and support her through al this mess. One who would risk his own life to save that of his wife. Even when he realized it was possibly Cynthia who was crazy and messing everything up herself, he never gave the option of divorce a though. This type of relationship is really heartwarming, and its reiterance of true family values is one of the reasons I loved this book.

SOPA and PIPA

2012-01-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

Hopefully you guys already know about SOPA and PIPA. If not, you'd better get to know it, and soon. If these bills are passed, the Internet as we know it will be GONE. I'm not over-dramatizing here.

Stop
Online
Piracy
Act

Protect
I
P
Act

The two are different bills but really mean a lot of the same consequences to us. Here's a video on PIPA and how it will essentially ruin our lives:

Hopefully now you're all convinced that these bill NEED TO BE STOPPED.

Luckily, there are many huge businesses on our side. Technology giants like Google and Mozilla have openly opposed PIPA and SOPA, and have clambered together to join in an initiative that'll protest against these bills. On January 18th (a.k.a. TOMORROW) there will be an internet blackout in protest of the SOPA and PIPA bills. Major sites like Wikipedia will be taking their sites offline temporarily in order to protest SOPA and PIPA.

I just wanted to help spread the word. If SOPA and PIPA are passed... we are going to find ourselves knee-deep in Uh-Oh.

Oh, and if you're an American? Please help the rest of the world out :)

The Color of Evil

2012-01-03T06:48:00.000-08:00

^Author Connie Wilson

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Title: The Color of Evil

Author: Connie (Corcoran) Wilson

Not everyone wants to be a hero. But not everyone gets a choice.

Tad McGreevy had known he was different ever since he was small. He could see coloured auras around people, indicating their true nature. But it wasn’t until third grade that he realized just how dangerous his power could be. Third grade was when the killer was on the loose. Third grade was when Tad almost lost himself to his power. From then on, he decided he would never tell anyone about what he could see ever again.

Eight years later, Tad has developed into a normal healthy teenager. His main focus now is to protect those he loves. But the horror isn’t over, and the evil hasn’t stopped. When the ones he cares about get involved, what can he do but dive into the colours of evil once again?

How much do the people around you really hide? The Color of Evil opens the doors wide to this question and shows you just how many dark secrets a small town can hold.

This book is both exciting and compelling, filled with young romance and riveting danger. Some graphic scenes keep this book suitable for those above thirteen only, but add to the sense of foreboding and horror. My one complaint would be that there is some confusion with the characters throughout particular chapters, and the abundance of characters causes the reader to sometimes lose track of who is doing what.

This book is Intense with a capital I; the first of a trilogy, I sincerely hope it sets an example for the two other books to come. The Color of Evil is highly recommended by Boyu Huang, Allbooks Review.

Number of pages: 290

*this is an e-book

Review: A Gift Called Mother

2011-12-29T07:25:00.000-08:00

I wrote this review back in November but forgot to post it. Here it is!

Genre: Non-Fiction

Title: A Gift Called Mother: The Stages and Fantasies of Motherhood

Author: Sherlyn Powell

“Life gets difficult at times, but who else on this earth but family has your back when you are down?” Pg. 51

This heartfelt testimonial brings together a love of God and an attachment to family values. From the birth of her children to the rocky roads all families must go through to the final happiness as a grandparent, Sherlyn Powell opens the door to her world as a guardian, a protector, and a mother. Her personal story will make you shed tears of compassion and empathy, but also thank the Lord with true humility.

Sherlyn Powell is many things: a businesswoman, a writer, but most importantly a mother. We are used to thinking that our everyday lives is not something that is interesting to write about, but A Gift Called Mother proves us wrong. Sherlyn Powell took simple life experiences and made us connect to them, showing us how special each of these personal experiences really are. This book is full of unrestrained emotion, and by the end you will have truly understood the meaning of the eight words on the first page:

“It is a blessing to be called Mother.”

This book is highly recommended by Boyu Huang, Allbooks Review.

ISBN number: 978-1-60264-704-6

Publisher: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing

Number of pages: 72

Price: CDN $12.41

Review: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

2011-12-25T19:04:00.000-08:00

Genre: Classic
Title: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Author: Mark Twain
Rating: 2/3
Read online here

Plotline: Of all the contenders for the title of The Great American Novel, none has a better claim than The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Intended at first as a simple story of a boy's adventures in the Mississippi Valley-a sequel to Tom Sawyer-the book grew and matured under Twain's hand into a work of immeasurable richness and complexity. More than a century after its publication, the critical debate over the symbolic significance of Huck's and Jim's voyage is still fresh, and it remains a major work that can be enjoyed at many levels: as an incomparable adventure story and as a classic of American humor.

My take:

The way Jim talks makes me want to hit something.

The book is actually quite good in all other aspects. But when one of the main character's dialogue requires you to re-read at least twice before you figure out what they're trying to say, the value of the book in the end greatly diminishes. The plot was good, the characters were good, but Jim's vocabulary -- aaargh!!! I mean, I understand that you're trying to show that he's uneducated, but do you really have to so severely misspell every single word that they're barely recognizable anymore? You've got to draw the line somewhere!

SpoilerAlert!

What. The. F***. What is with the ending. It totally blew my mind, and definitely not in the good way.

Really. Did Mr. Mark Twain really just troll us like that. We spend weeks trying to understand what Jim is trying to freaking say and another weak analysing all their freaking stupid-ass decisions, and this is what you give us. It was all for nothing. Just a joke. Don't mind us, he was free all along! Really. You would really just do that to us.

Sorry for the excessive almost swearing in this review ^^ I rarely get so worked up, but when I do... the spittle flies. *wipes mouth self-consciously*

Book Review: Twelfth Night

2011-12-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

Genre: Play
Title: Twelfth Night
Author: William Shakespeare
Rating: 1/3
Read online here

Plotline: It's pretty confusing, and I can't seem to tell it without giving away the ending. It's one of Shakespeare's comedies; let's just leave it at that.

My take:

I already watched the movie She's the Man (which for those of you that don't know is a hilarious movie based on Twelfth Night), so the storyline was not new to me. I already had the basics of what was going on and what would happen. So I guess you could say that I treated this play like a job that needed to be finished. That coupled with the fact that this genre wasn't what I usually go for (a.k.a young adult or just fantasy in general) and you get an extremely bored me flipping through the pages just to find decent quotes for that english essay I have to write.

I guess it takes a lot to enjoy Shakespeare's humour because first you need to understand what they're talking about. I was lucky I had my english teacher in the room most of the time to translate for me, but even then the jokes were hard to even understand, let alone laugh at. I gave this the rating it did because of my own personal preference. So let's end this review on a positive note: this is a true classic, so english lovers are sure to adore this! :D

Review: The Age of Innocence

2011-11-15T19:51:00.000-08:00

Genre: Classic
Title: The Age of Innocence
Author: Edit Wharton
Rating: 1.9/3
ISBN-13: 978-1-59722-728-5
ISBN-10: 1-59722-728-5
Publisher: Gale, Cengage Learning
Number of pages: 503

Plotline (from Goodreads): Winner of the 1921 Pulitzer Prize, The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton’s masterful portrait of desire and betrayal during the sumptuous Golden Age of Old New York, a time when society people “dreaded scandal more than disease.”

This is Newland Archer’s world as he prepares to marry the beautiful but conventional May Welland. But when the mysterious Countess Ellen Olenska returns to New York after a disastrous marriage, Archer falls deeply in love with her. Torn between duty and passion, Archer struggles to make a decision that will either courageously define his life—or mercilessly destroy it.

My take: The pace at the beginning is quite slow, and I really don't see a lot of action, especially around the beginning, which is the most important part. Once you get started though, it goes by quite quickly and you start connecting with the storyline a bit. Unfortunately, at this time and age, this book just doesn't seem to capture the readers' attention enough. There is a lesson to be learned and a story to be told, but it's too buried underneath a thick layer of passiveness to be recommended.

Laurie is back with a Sequel!

2011-10-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here's for another guest post with author Laurie Bowler! *cheers*

Death Bite 2 continues the story for Jessica Hargreaves

I’m Laurie Bowler from the United Kingdom, the author of many paranormal, horror and romance
stories. I wanted to tell you a little about my latest stories that I’ve released. Not only has Death Bite been a successful hit but it also spurred me towards writing the second instalment to this flesh eating series. Death Bite 2 follows through the story of the survivors of the apocalypse that turned all humans into flesh eating grotesque monsters that wander the planet in search of fresh meat. The survivors rummage through small towns and major cities, finding the necessary supplies they need to survive, and offer assistance to others who are hiding in safe places so they too can survive. There is no cure, there is only hope they may survive one more day, and that the government who has gone into hiding in a secret location will realise there are survivors amongst the apocalypse they have caused.

I have written Death Bite 2 to be as gripping and gory as possible, the journey for the survivors is long and arduous but in the storyline there is hope in all of them. True comrades who look out for one and other, a real show of friendship for each other along with finding sinister humans who are supposed to be surviving but have different plans in mind. Together they dodge the planes that drop the drastic and volatile chemicals that reduce the flesh eaters to goo, unfortunately in the government’s haste it wasn’t designed to be gentle to humans.

Also, I have published Locum 2 where Latina Horror comes to terms with her new immortal life, the vampires in Locum 1 and 2 are not the kind gentle and handsome breed that have been written about before.

In Locum, I wanted to take the vampires back to how they used to be. Dark, mysterious and dangerous. Locum is a fun and humorous tale of Latina and how she has followed the tales her grandmother told her about before she died and how Latina has stumbled and walked into the vampire public house.

Quick witted, dark and mysterious, Latina gets more than she bargained for when she meets Trick. Her smart mouth and wits are humorous and her adventures and own story telling have truly just begun in Locum 2.

I love writing more to the point, especially when I get to gain the opportunity to team up with another author and write a collaboration story with them, its so much fun. I am actually in the process of teaming up with two different authors and writing collaborations with them, I am having the time of my life doing this.

One story is science fiction whereas the other is horror, two completely different genres of writing that are certainly putting me through my paces.

Here are the links to my books over at amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=laurie+bowler
www.facebook.com/authorlauriebowler
http://www.officialblogofauthorlauriebowler.blogspot.com/

Book Review: The Quillan Games

2011-10-09T19:21:00.000-07:00

GENRE: Fantasy
TITLE: The Quillan Games
AUTHOR: D.J. MacHale
SERIES: Pendragon
RATING: 2/3
ISBN-13: 978-0-689-86913-6
ISBN-10: 0-689-86913-4
PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster

PLOTLINE (FROM GOODREADS):
Each new episode seems to raise the stakes of this action adventure series. In the seventh installment, Bobby Pendragon realizes that the Quillan Territory can be saved only by defeating game masters Veego and LaBerge in a fateful competition: Winning the Quillan Games could bring him a giant step closer to understanding the meaning of being a Traveler. Losing brings instant extinction.

MY TAKE:

I'm really glad Loor wasn't in this book. I know I already said I was going to stop criticizing Courtney, but this Bobby-love fight has to end somewhere. I'm just glad it won't happen in this book; I think we all need a break from that particular drama.

This book is not very well-written, and is basically just being driven along by the plot on which some faithful readers are still hooked.

If you've already started the series and are feeling pretty good about it, this book provides another satisfying adventure. If you haven't read the Pendragon series yet, then my advice? Don't bother.

SPOILERALERT!

... I wrote that word down before planning what I was going to say. Now that I'm writing, I realize there really aren't any spoilers in this book that I want to rant about. So... um...

The Traveler mystery is really getting complex huh? Although I myself am beginning to lose interest in the storyline, I think I can predict what's going to happen at the end. The Merging or whatever it's called is going to be inevitable, and Bobby is going to realize that Saint Dane is actually trying to help Halla, but is going about it the wrong way. Who knows, maybe Saint Dane even has a sad story to share with us? The whole story will definitely have a happy ending though.

How far off was I? Anyone who has read the series, please comment below to tell me. Add SpoilerAlert! to the beginning of your comment so that other readers won't accidentally spoil it for themselves. Please and thank you.

Happy reading guys!

Book Review: The Rivers of Zadaa

2011-09-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

GENRE: Fantasy

TITLE: The Rivers of Zadaa

AUTHOR: D.J. MacHale

SERIES: Pendragon

RATING: 2/3

PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster

NUMBER OF PAGES: 405

ISBN-13: 978-0-689-86912-9

ISBN-10: 0-689-86912-6

PLOTLINE (from Goodreads): Bobby Pendragon's pursuit of the evil Saint Dane leads him into the dangerous territory of Zadaa, which is locked in a civil war between two rival tribes. As Bobby and Traveler Loor attempt to pacify the region, he begins to realize that he has been transformed by his quest. An exciting fantasy series for readers 12 and up.

MY TAKE:

Unlike the ones before it in the series, I started this book with a touch of apprehension. After all, the last few books have shown that the books don't always have a happily-ever-after, and Zadaa was a rather important territory since it was home to the traveler Loor, who's already established her importance in Bobby's life. It was my biggest concern that the adventure on Zadaa would put some major spotlight on the relationship between those two... and that the relationship wouldn't hold up.

The first part of my concern was definitely on target; Bobby and Loor are the stars of this book. As for the second part; well, you'll just have to see for yourself on that one.

SPOILERALERT!

Courtney. As soon as she started fliriting with Spader in the last book, I've had some doubts about her. When she found another guy in this book though, I was positively livid. Who does she think she is, parading around with some guy when her almost-boyfriend is trying to save the worlds?

Once I calmed down though (and by calmed down I mean stopped using the book for a punching bag to vent out my frustration), I realized I wasn't really being fair about my assessment. After all, Bobby was practically being just as unfaithful with his feelings for Loor. And could we really blame either Bobby or Courtney? They had been miles... er, territories (or flumes?) apart from each other for years, and face it: destined to save the world or not, in the end, they're still just a bunch of hormonal teenagers. You can't really expect them to find their soulmate on the first try.

So I guess it's time for me to abandon my hate for Courtney. She really did what she thought was best, and got pretty beat up for it already without us having to pile on some more damage.

What is freaking me out a little bit is that Andy Mitchel kid. D.J. MacHale threw us a total curveball and the end and nailed me right in the head with it. Considering I had found his author skills only satisfactory up to this point, I was totally not expecting this... this stroke of genius? This literary mistake? I'm not quite sure what to call it.

Your thoughts?

Horror+Romance=Win

2011-09-09T15:44:00.000-07:00

You guys all know I love romance novels. (And if you don't... well I love romance novels.) What you might not know is that my next-to-favourite genre is... drumroll please... horror. So imagine when I discovered an author of both genres rolled into one!

But enough about me. (Yeah, the famous line in all speeches where everyone goes, "FINALLY. Now they get to the point.") Laurie Bowler, aforementioned author-extraordinaire, is going to explain a bit about two of her books.

Order of Blood by Laurie Bowler

When I first thought of writing Order of Blood the idea stemmed from Moon Rising which is where the character Hervidor was first written and created. It was due to his cruelty in Moon Rising that I then chose to produce his own story, and in his own words exactly what happened. I feel it covers a lot of information to Nessy’s (the lead character in Moon Rising) capture and how she came to be imprisoned in the first place.

Order of Blood covers the entire Tellis family, their sinister intentions and the revenge they lust for towards the Gulon race, in particular Abram, who is Nessy’s father and the leader of the Gulon.

The Gulons themselves are a Scandinavian legend and I stumbled across them while I was trying to research on a new refreshing idea to add into my story, I knew from the start of Moon Rising leading into Order of blood that I didn’t want to have werewolves. So, the Gulons appeared on a Google page I was looking at, and I found them fascinating, not all of their traits they are known for have been written into Order of Blood or the Moon Rising series, they have been adapted to fit the theme and to create a brand new race. The book itself is fast paced, with some romance elements attached but it’s part of a horrible plan to ensnare Nessy and to make a believer out of Abram. Hervidor is the most powerful of his own kind, he is the King with many talents that the Gulons aren’t aware of! He is by
far the cruellest, most sinister and detestable character I have ever written but the storyline has been an impressive build to see how it all turns out for both races, the fight for survival begins. The plan is executed and many lives are at stake, along with the reputations of the most notorious leaders any race has ever come across.

I enjoyed writing this thrilling novel, and it has inspired me to write more on the Gulons, I think they deserve their own series after being featured in so many before. So far, they have been featured in Moon Rising, Sunrise to Sunset and Golden Horizons, and now Order of Blood. They are amazing creatures to write about, and are so different compared to the werewolves clan that are often written about.

Here is the synopsis for this novel:

Hervidor Tellis is intent on the revenge and humiliation of the Gulons, one in particular; Abram. For centuries, the Gulons have patrolled and ruled the lands around his home, taking the lives and the food from the vampire race and leaving them without choice. Nessy aka Marinette, Abram’s daughter holds Hervidor’s attentions as he makes the daring plan a reality, taking her heart and enforcing the vampire race and the strength of his race, being the king the survival lay heavily upon him and so did their survival against the Gulons.

The Gulons ruled by Abram, the greatest pack leader that ever existed, holds the chance to diminish the vampire race to nothing but dust, but then finds his daughter the sole captivating feature in the vampire kings world. Racing to head him off before he can humiliate and kill his daughter for his own revengeful sinister lust, will he find Nessy in time to be able to save her life and the save the future of the Gulon race?

All of my novels are only $0.99 and will remain the same price. I wish I could give them away for free, but amazon won’t let me!!!! Sorry!!

Death Bite is my new horror story, and is incredibly graphic in the details of the storyline, and I have had immense fun writing these.

With Death Bite, I had an idea that writing something with Zombies as the featuring storyline would be a bit like an icebreaker to start my writing getting into the right direction in the horror scene, and so it began. I will admit at first I thought I was going to puke, I put that much detail I gave myself nightmares and my stomach turned over with every chapter that I wrote.

Normally I only write paranormal stories but I felt like having a change, I will be publishing plenty of new paranormal stories in the next few weeks but I need to get over my newly acquired horror bug first.

Here is the synopsis:

Jessica Hargreaves knows a thing or two about being a strong woman. But as a deadly epidemic sweeps across the world, she is put to the test as the flesh eaters rise from the dead and begin to consume the living flesh of the people they encounter. Can Jessica and her small band of survivors escape the evil that is rising across the land or will she be consumed by the unholy hunger of the damned?

And the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Death-Bite-ebook/dp/B005LW4GR0/ref=sr_1_35?
ie=UTF8&qid=1315557700&sr=8-35

Please also follow my blog:
http://www.officialblogofauthorlauriebowler.blogspot.com/

And coincidently I am looking for reviewers and hosts for guest posts, interviews and giveaways. If you are interested and you have a blog or a website please email me laurie.bowler@hotmail.com

This blog rocks!! Thank you so much for posting this.

Thanks Laurie for guest-posting!

I also got my hands on Laurie's Bloody thirsty gruesome tales. Look out for a review on it coming soon!

Failed Nanowrimo and Paris Hilton

2011-09-01T06:47:00.000-07:00

Continuing on my Youtube rampage, I soon discovered to my horror that I had exhausted the archive of all of the Nigahiga/Kevjumba/the like videos. The summer being not quite over yet, I started doing the only thing there was left to do: studying.

That's right. I started studying. In the summer. If that's not a mark of true boredom, I don't know what is.

Well, I'm happy to say the small bout of summer-studying didn't last very long. (Goes to prove that I haven't completely lost my mind... yet.) I soon went back to perusing the Youtube selection, hoping to find something else that would entertain me for the remaining days until school started up again. The comedian section had a wide selection, but I couldn't seem to find any that were quite as satisfying as the ones I had watched before.

(I find it funny how most of them are Asians.)

I started doing that "identify-your-needs before looking" kind of thing (hey, I was beyond just normally bored now). I needed something to entertain me. Anything really. It could be brainless, I didn't care.

But wait! you're saying. How can you have nothing to do? You're supposed to be working on Nanowrimo! Which conveniently ends today! *points petulantly at my pitiful Challenges page* Well yes, you're right, I probably should be. The problem is, I've kind of been slacking off on Nanowrimo, and the progress hasn't been going so well. Instead of the two thousand or so words I should have been writing a day, I've been lucky to get a hundred down. The result? A Nanowrimo page too pitiful to even look at.

I did make a last ditch effort to catch up, but it's pretty hard to get down enough words in a day to make up for more than half a month.

So I'm ready to "drown my sorrows", if you would. But since I'm still underage, this drowning of sorrows is going to have to involve filmed brainwash instead of highly concentrated alcohol.

And that's when it hit me. Mindless filmed brainwash. How about a reality show? And I knew just the one: Paris Hilton's BFF. I had read about it somewhere on the news awhile ago, but had dismissed it as superficial and a waste of time. The exact type of thing I needed right now.

I didn't know much about Paris Hilton, and what I did know was mostly bad, so I couldn't see why anyone would want to be her BFF in the first place except maybe to get famous. So instead of jumping right into the first episode, I decided to watch some interview on Ms. Hilton.

They were absolutely horrible. but not in the way you'd expect. It turns out Paris is considered a rich airhead even though she's actually a businesswoman with an empire of millions of dollars... in perfume only. Most of the interviewers were making obvious jabs at her intelligence and all the comments to the videos were calling her nasty things. I though Paris actually handled herself really well give the situation, although i couldn't bring myself to do more than tolerate her voice.

Other than that though, I just thought Paris was a smart businesswoman who had fallen prey to stereotypes of blond heiresses.

Next it was the BFF reality show. Although it might be just the producers who were playing Paris' rich-spoiled-brat persona up for more views, the show still made me seriously reconsider my view of her personality. Click here to see what I mean.

Now as I was watching I was also wondering about the "contestants", or Paris'-BFF-wannabes. Participating in a contest just to win someone's friendship? Aren't they sort of missing the point of friendship here? A true friendship means to give and take. The point of this show is that all the contestants need to give all they have, and in return they get... a hard time from Paris. In her commentaries, the heiress is flippant and even cruel when criticizing her potential new BFFs. This type of hostile environment just begs for a catfight (and there are plenty of those) and will definitely not produce a true best friend.

The world has been videolized!

2011-08-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

So I've been hanging around on Youtube a lot recently, having discovered the hilarious Kevjumba and rediscovered the equally hilarious Nigahiga (which one do you guys like better? I'm leaning more towards Ryan Higa at the moment...) And Wong Fu Productions. And all those other random featured videos that you see on the homepage.

My point is, Youtube -- and all its videos have really been revolutionized. Nowadays, practically everything can be found video-style. Book reviews, tutorials, stories, blogs (or Vlogs, if you really want to speak with the new hip Youtube-slang), you name it! I even found this guy named Kahn (Kahn Academy... pretty cool stuff) that wants to put the world's education into videos! Now that's ambitious.

I know everyone says technology's practically taken over the world, but this is the first time I can truly believe what I thought before was just a big exaggeration. The world hasn't just changed; it's completely videolized!

Book Review: The Secret of the Red Stone

2011-08-19T06:02:00.000-07:00

This review's format is slightly different from my normal ones because it was originally written for another website. The plotline and my take are all mashed together. No SpoilerAlert for this one either!

GENRE: Mystery
TITLE: The Secret of the Red Stone
AUTHOR: Sydney Addae
RATING: 2.8/3
ISBN: 9780983228790
PUBLISHER: Sitting Bull Publishing
NUMBER OF PAGES: 82
PRICE: $2.99

MY REVIEW:

Being handicapped is never something to rejoice about. Maybe that’s why Austin Gray removed himself from all human contact to dwell a lonely existence with only his widowed mother as company. Or maybe it’s because he also has to live with frightening visions of some horrible crimes being committed. How could a scarred cripple, who has daily meltdowns and blackouts ever function normally in society?

After losing everything in life he held dear in a car accident – his looks, his confidence and his father – Austin inevitably spiralled from a handsome high school sports star to a cynical man who never went outdoors. His visions bother and drain him constantly, and his only relief is his website, MidnightStreaming.com, where he sends what he learns of the world’s darkest secrets off into cyberspace. It’s his only way of feeling that he’s done something to help.

When agent Persia Cullens comes knocking at Austin’s door with an offer to collaborate with the FBI, Austin downright refuses. But the possibility of finally making a difference for the victims in the visions he sees pulls at him. As the The Secret of the Red Stone unfolds, Austin will dive into the world of crime, cults and love; only one thing is for sure – his gift of sight is becoming more dangerous than he’d ever imagined.

Sydney Addae has made The Secret of the Red Stone (e-Book) a true page-turner. This reviewer was caught by the very intro, and couldn’t put it down. While some adult language makes it not completely appropriate for younger children under the age of 13, it is highly recommended to all others by Boyu Huang, www.allbooksreviewint.com

Book Review: The Old Man and the Sea

2011-08-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

Genre: Tragedy
Title: The Old Man and the Sea
Author: Ernest Hemingway
Rating: 1.7/3
Read online here

Plotline (from Goodreads):

Ernest Hemingway took great pride in using an economy of carefully measured words and tightly wrought phrases in his writing. Nominated for Grammy, this recording of The Old Man and Sea is perfect example of Hemingway's precision and is read here in its entirety by Oscar-winning actor Charlton Heston.

A novella, The Old Man and Sea tells the story of an old fisherman, Santiago, and his long lusty struggle isn't so much over one fish, but the act of living—living fully, actively, robustly. Charlton Heston is marvelous in this recording with his voice adding a quality and texture to Hemingway's words that will engage listeners completely.

My take:

I'm starting to make a trend with all these classic novels, eh? I'm actually trying to increase my vocabulary and all that other super-cool stuff. Not sure if it's working; I tend to skip over the words more than actually read and learn them.

Have you guys ever read those books where you were sure you would be able to predict the ending? I had that kind of feeling with this book (It's safe to note that I'm usually wrong though...) I was so sure that at the end the old man was going to die, and that dreadful apprehension ruined the whole book for me. (Not that I'm going to tell you how the book actually ends... that would be just horribly inconsiderate of me.)

Just as a personal preference, I don't usually like books about elderly people or poor people, because I'm always constantly worried about their health and paranoid that they'll suddenly drop dead or run into some stupid-but-scary financial difficulty. And coincidentally, most of the old people books I have read have always had a sad ending.

Or maybe old people books are just like that.

The reason I rated the book so low is because I really hated the content. People read books for different reasons. I read them to help me escape from real life. So books about real life don't work for me so well. I much prefer those action-packed books (or romance-packed books hehe) where everyone is rich, good-looking and has bad-ass powers. So the realistic genre is a major put-off from the start. Add in the fact that there's old people (it's starring an old person for heaven's sake) and my rating for this book falls considerably.

There are probably going to be people who do enjoy this genre and find my rating hard to believe. Please keep in mind that this is the opinion of one person only.

Happy reading!

Book Review: The Great Gatsby

2011-08-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

Genre: Modernist novel
Title: The Great Gatsby
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Rating: 1.5/3
Read online here

Plotline (from Goodreads):

In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald announced his decision to write "something new--something extraordinary and beautiful and simple and intricately patterned." That extraordinary, beautiful, intricately patterned, and above all, simple novel became The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald's finest work and certainly the book for which he is best known. A portrait of the Jazz Age in all of its decadence and excess, Gatsby captured the spirit of the author's generation and earned itself a permanent place in American mythology. Self-made, self-invented millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald's--and his country's--most abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning--" Gatsby's rise to glory and eventual fall from grace becomes a kind of cautionary tale about the American Dream.

It's also a love story, of sorts, the narrative of Gatsby's quixotic passion for Daisy Buchanan. The pair meet five years before the novel begins, when Daisy is a legendary young Louisville beauty and Gatsby an impoverished officer. They fall in love, but while Gatsby serves overseas, Daisy marries the brutal, bullying, but extremely rich Tom Buchanan. After the war, Gatsby devotes himself blindly to the pursuit of wealth by whatever means--and to the pursuit of Daisy, which amounts to the same thing. "Her voice is full of money," Gatsby says admiringly, in one of the novel's more famous descriptions. His millions made, Gatsby buys a mansion across Long Island Sound from Daisy's patrician East Egg address, throws lavish parties, and waits for her to appear. When she does, events unfold with all the tragic inevitability of a Greek drama, with detached, cynical neighbor Nick Carraway acting as chorus throughout. Spare, elegantly plotted, and written in crystalline prose, The Great Gatsby is as perfectly satisfying as the best kind of poem.

My take:

The truth is, I found this book quite dull. The plot didn't move sluggishly, but when coupled with a vocabulary that didn't quite point to any action, it failed to capture my attention very effectively. (But then again, maybe it's just because our attention spans aren't as long as they used to be. Ruined by TV and other fast-paced technology...)

This book isn't for any young adult readers or adventure/thriller seekers. If you like classic books however, or are just feeling very serene and calm and think you can go through it all, by all means, go ahead. The book is pretty interesting; just not the interesting most people are looking for.

SpoilerAlert!

After I finished, I felt like hitting something. I had suddenly developed this vehement hatred for Daisy through the course of two chapters, starting from when she ran Myrtle over. Gatsby matter-of-factly said that he would say he was driving, and was even killed becoause of it! And after all he had done for her -- waited while she married, taken the blame for her mistake, and getting killed because she was too much of a coward to man up to what she did and tell her husband -- in the end, she didn't even have the decency of going to his funeral! Tom I can at least somehow understand; he didn't know the whole truth, so everything seemed justified to him. But Daisy! Oh, how could she!

I completely share Nick's point of view at the end of the book. Perhaps this indicates that I get sucked into the emotional train of things too much, but so be it. After all, that's what a good book's for, right?

Book Review: Black Water

2011-08-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

Genre: Fantasy
Title: Black Water
Author: D.J. MacHale
Rating: 2.5/3
ISBN-13: 978-0-689-86911-2
ISBN-10: 0-689-86911-8
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Number of pages: 427

Plotline (from book jacket): Just when fifteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon thinks he understands his purpose as a Traveler -- to protect the territories of Halla from the evil Saint Dane -- he is faced with an impossible choice. The inhabitants of Eelong are in danger of being wiped out by a mysterious plague. The only way Bobby can stop it is to bring the antidote from another territory. Since moving items between territories is forbidden by the Traveler rules, if Bobby chooses to save Eelong he could endanger himself, his friends, and the future of every other being in Halla.

My take:

Sometimes I hate the fact that reviews shouldn't include spoilers. I really really really want to rant about what happens in this book. So I'm oging to include a SpoilerAlert at the end of this review to satisfy my ranting needs.

This book is pretty good; while reading it, I was surprised to find the familiar almost-can't-put-it-down feeling come back to me. It still somewhat lacks the major gripping appeal of some major hits, such as The Hunger Games or Harry Potter, but this book does pack a punch.

SpoilerAlert:

Aaaaargh! Why. Courtney and Spader! No! It's supposed to be Courtney and Bobby!

Don't even bother trying to persuade me with that "but Bobby likes Loor" argument. Even if Bobby did like Loor, at least he's showing some respect to Courtney by not acting on it! Courtney on the other hand, doesn't even seem to feel guilty for brazenly flirting with Spader while fully aware of her relationship with Bobby! And Spader! Ugh! Why would Spader do something like that?! He's just proving he's not trustworthy enough again! Argh Courtney and Spader (but especially Courtney) just piss me off so much! I was almost glad when Spader got sealed into Eelong (though not Gunny... that man has done nothing but try to save Halla and all he's gotten in return is one less hand :(). Only now who knows how Courtney is going to react? Lots more drama to come, that's for sure.

Your thoughts?

USA Trip: Grand Canyon

2011-07-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

*note: Yeah, these blogs don't exactly recount my journey in order. I've kind of lost track of when I went where...*

So. Grand Canyon:

First reaction: o_o... 0_0... O_O wow... that's... that's pretty.

Second reaction: *fiddles with camera* UGH IT'S NOT CAPTURING THE EFFECT RIGHT.

Few minutes later...

*smirk* There. I got it.

(I just took a picture of the postcard hanging on the wall of this gift shop)

Third reaction: Maybe it's just me that doesn't get true beauty or something, but... c'mon it's three hours past dinnertime! CAN WE PLEASE GO NOW.

USA Trip: Las Vegas Again

2011-07-21T12:33:00.000-07:00

So after the Hoover Dam, we went back to Las Vegas since our fellow travelers insisted we hadn't seen enough of that place. This time we stayed at one of the hotels on the famous Strip (which we were going to explore later that night), Desert Rose Resort.

On the outside it's not much. When we entered, I plopped down on the seat and noticed their library:

Our rooms, however; completely different. If there was ever love at first sight, this was it:

They even included cutlery and silverware and everything! <3

So we ate dinner then proceeded to explore the Strip. It was pretty amazing, although all the bright lights started making me dizzy after a while.

USA trip: Hoover Dam

2011-07-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

Next stop, Hoover Dam!

First off, I gotta say... don't go to the washroom in those restrooms over there. They stink to high heaven. (Wow, way to start off on a pessimistic note again. Sorry. I guess I'm just a depressing person)

The sun was pretty hot when we were there and we had to go back to the car for some water refills pretty soon, but the view was pretty nice... unless you're afraid of heights of course. (Guess what? I'm afraid of heights...)

Not much else at Hoover Dam. Another day gone by...

P.S. I did figure one thing out there; what PED XING meant. PED XING=pedestrian crossing! Ha! I'm so smart ;)

USA trip: Las Vegas

2011-07-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

*none of the pictures in this blog are ones taken by me. Rather, they were taken off the Internet because 1. they look better than mine (still need to perfect my photography skills) and 2... I can't find my own. Yes, I know, what an utterly miserable fail. Oh well*

So I recently went on a trip to California, Nevada and a bit of Arizona. It was... it was special.
This blog entry is dedicated to my time in Las Vegas.

So first we took a plane to Vegas, the city that never sleeps. (Still suffering from jetlag, I hate to admit it but I fell asleep at around 9PM). Before we even left the airport, guess what we saw?

That's right. Casinos. Over-advertising much?

Man, I hated that place. The city was built in the middle of the desert, so there was not much green. Just desert. And buildings. Now, I'm not an intense tree-lover or anything, but can we just say: ew.
So I was frantically looking around for any semblance of green, and believe it or not, I found it. But not on the ground, no. On the rooftops. I guess even the builders got tired of such a barren place and decided to add some of that colour of life to it.

(See all that green there? It's all a lie. When you actually go there, they all somehow seem to pale in colour until they're not actually there. Or maybe they're just too dry-looking? Anyways, glad to be back in Canada :)

The hotel wasn't much better. We went to South Point
(You might not be able to tell from the picture, but it's this massive five-star hotel; YAY LOVELY BEDS AND SHOWERS AND EVERYTHING<3)

First thing to notice after walking through the doors?

The dazzlingness. (This picture doesn't really show it well since the lighting's blah...)

Next thing I noticed?

The smoke. Gah, the whole hotel reeked of it! (Except for our rooms, since there was a no-smoking policy there... thank God for that. Really wouldn't want to die in my sleep of second-hand smoking)
So the next morning, as we were getting ready for a day out, I noticed the most amazing sight ever:

Grass! Grass! It was lucious green grass!

Then when I touched it, I realized the sad truth: it was fake. Synthetic lawn grass. Wow. Should've know it was too good to be true

Sorry if y'all think this blog is too negative. Truth is, I really really really disliked Vegas. Simply not my kind of place. Trust me, keep reading my other entries; they should be more positive :)

But no promises.

Book Review: The Reality Bug

2011-07-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

Genre: Fantasy
Title: The Reality Bug
Author: D.J. MacHale
Recommendation: 2.5
ISBN: 0-7434-3734-9
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks (Simon & Schuster)
Number of pages: 375

Synopsis (from book jacket):

The territory of Veelox has achieved perfect harmony. Fifteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon arrives on this territory in pursuit of the evil Saint Dane, but all is peaceful on Veelox -- because it is deserted. The inhabitants have discovered a way to enter their own personal dream world where they can be whomever they want, wherever they want. Their bodies lie in satatis while their minds escape to this dream realm.

Fresh from his battle with Saint Dane on 1937 Earth, Bobby is confident that he can defeat whatever Saint Dane has planned for this world. But once Bobby enters the virtual world, will he be able to resist the lure of the ultimate in escapism?

My take:

I guess I need to escape my ideals on what literature should be. I used to believe books could only end a certain way; namely, a happy ending. This ideal worked well for a few years, but as soon as I began hitting the YA bookshelves, it seems I've been proven wrong time and time again. The last Pendragon book ended not-so-happily, and... well you'll have to read to find out what'll happen in this one.

I have to admit though, I'm astounded by the number of imaginative worlds D.J. MacHale has been able to come up with. How does his (or is it a her? I've never tried to find out, not that it should matter anyway) thought process work? Does it just randomly come to him? Because if it did, man oh man, I wish I had that brain!

The story definitely seems to have picked up the pace since the last installment, and for that I'm glad. My recommendation for the series had been rolling downhill but now it just might be clawing its way back to the top again!

Book Review: Lit

2011-06-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

Genre: Biography
Title: Lit
Author: Mary Karr
Recommendation: 2
ISBN: 978-0-06-059698-9
Publisher: HarperCollins
Number of pages: 386

Synopsis (from book jacket):
Karr's longing for a solid family seems secure when her marriage to a handsome, Shakespear-quoting blueblood poet produces a son they adore. But she can't outrun her apocalyptic past. She drinks herself into the same numbness that nearly devoured her charismatc but troubled mother, reaching the brink of suicide. A hair-raising stint in "The Mental Marriott" with an oddball tribe of gurus and saviors, awakens her to the possibility of joy and leads her to an unlikely faith. Not since Saint Augustine cried, "Give me chastity, Lore -- but not yet!" has a conversion story rung with such dark hilarity.

My take:

First reaction: Wow, I feel bad for her.

Second reaction: Damn she's messed up quite a bit.

Third reaction: About time she cleaned up her act!

Final reaction: Wow.

Throughout the whole reading process, I just couldn't shake off the feeing that this story's not like any other; this story's real. And by the end of the book, you're bewildered, frightened, wound up... and thirsty for what she had.

Lit explores Christianity in a way of a young child exploring the living room for the first time. A believer myself, I felt like falling to my knees and praying constantly for weeks on end during the process of reading.

The book was a little confusing at the beginning for me because it got hardcore too fast. And by hardcore, I mean intense emotional statements, gory details and all the like. Maybe reading her other two books first would have helped in that aspect.

What to do?

2011-06-29T19:23:00.001-07:00

Since summer has started, people have been getting a lot more time on their hands. And while kids usually have more things than they can handle, we now find ourselves lazying a way a hot summer day with nothing much in mind. The question most dominant in everyone's minds: what to do?

There are only so many times you can go over to a friends house. Only so many movies available to watch. Only so many books you can read before you want to rip the pages out of it in sheer utter... boredom.

What happened to everything we had to do? What happened to the pressing activities that were supposed to happen everyday? Gone.

Summer break, it's called. Time for a rest. Time to wind down. So why are we still so bored? Has our body wound itself up so tight it doesn't know how to relax anymore?

What to do?

If you're posing that question, you could be in trouble. Asking this question might mean you've been too involved with activities, to busy just being busy that you've lot your focus. Because really, summer's a productive time, and if you have a focus, there should never be a time where you just have no idea on what to do.

What are your hobbies? What's your goal in life? Take the time to work towards it this goal this summer. There's nothing worse than losing your sense of purpose. If there's nothing to do, find something to do. Get a job. Do some volunteer work. Start a blog *hint hint*. Make your summer have some meaning, so you can have the satisfaction of looking back and realizing you weren't just hanging around like a useless bum as soon as school stopped giving you homework. Summer's your time, unlike weeknights where your parents won't even let you out of the house, and you can spend it however you want. So think about it: do you really want to spend all summer asking yourself "what to do?"

The three golden rules to a good start in high school

2011-06-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

Well guys, the horrid six-letter word is finally over and another, much more fun six-letter word is about to begin!

S-C-H-O-O-L
has turned into...
S-U-M-M-E-R

Yay! Everyone's going on vacation, chasing the ice cream truck around the block, and hanging out with friends.

So I'm probably going to ruin everybody's mood right now by saying I've got something to say about school.

Before anybody tries to crucify me, wait wait wait I actually have a reason for this. You see, I recently came out of my first year of... *here comes the drumroll*... high school. And I gotta say, it was a pretty harrowing experience. For the first few weeks I felt like I was going to barf, everything was so overwhelming.

So if there's anybody reading that's going to start high school after the summer ends, I've got a message for you: be afraid. Be very afraid. (Now your parents are going to tell you to stop reading and that this is just the ramblings of someone who's likely an eighty-year old man sitting in front of the computer trying to scare little kids. I'm not. An eighty-year-old man. Or trying to scare you.)

Since the first few days of high school was such hell for me, I've decided to save all the rest of you from the same torture by compiling a list of tips to help you survive.

The orientation/barbecue most schools put on a few days/weeks before school starts is all good and fun. Make lots of friends. It'll help somewhat when school begins.

Maybe it's just me, but I thought the first day of school was comparable to gym class with a substitute. Namely, chaos. Luckily, our school didn't have an initiation process going on, so no casualties on the first day. There were, however, many other things you need to beware of.

1. Lockers. In some schools you get to pick your lockers, some schools you're assigned. Either way, there's a not-very-slim chance that you might not even end up with a locker on your first day. So don't bring all your school materials unless you want to be lugging around a suitcase of a backpack all day long. (I would suggest bringing a folder with lined paper and some pens. The folder to keep any handouts your teacher might give you, and the paper and pen to make any notes of what the teacher expects. Leave the big clunky binders at home.) If you're assigned your lockers, look around for any identifiable markers; your locker number won't mean anything after you leave that place.

2. Classes. The first few days, teachers won't really care if you get to class a few minutes late. So don't panic if you can't find your class; the office usually has copies of the school map. Take your time and make sure it's the right classroom before barging in and sitting down. And if the door's locked because you're late, don't bang on it until you've checked the other door.

3. Friends. Make lots, even if they aren't in all/most/any of your classes; a lot of people's schedules change drastically the first day, so you never know when that person in the hallway will sit down next to you in english class. Plus, that way you'll have a crowd to sit with at lunch. And make friends fast, because it's only during the first week or so that you'll be allowed to make them before the unspoken rules of high school come down and you'll only be able to hang out with your group or risk seeming wierd.

Now, all those things are important to do if you want to have a successful first week at school, but the most important thing is...
...
...
What did you think I would say, have fun? Well I guess that's a part of it. Okay, maybe all of it. High school is pretty fun once you've gotten adjusted to it.

Book Review: The Never War

2011-06-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

Genre: Fantasy
Title: The Never War
Author: D.J. MacHale
ISBN-13: 978-0-7434-3733-2
ISBN-10: 0-7434-3733-0
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
Number of pages: 336
Recommendation: 1

Synopsis (from book jacket):

Fifteen-year-old Bobby Pendragon is a loyal friend, sports star, devoted pet owner -- and Traveler. Along with his uncle Press, Bobby has visited the alternate dimension od Denduron and participated in a civil ward. He's also waded through the endangered underwater territory of Cloral. Now Bobby once again finds himself thrust beyond the boundaries of time and space into a place that seems somewhat familiar: First Earth.

Bobby and the Traveler from Cloral -- Spader -- have flumed to New York City, 1937. Against a backdrop of gangsters, swing music, and the distant sound of a brewing war, the two must uncover the evil Saint Dane's newest plot. But is Bobby ready for the difficult choices ahead?

My take:

The story has started to slow down and tire, it seems. This sequel really can't even compare to the first book. Although the traveling between the two earths makes things kind of interesting, none of the other elements of the story seem to provide anything new.

The alternate dimension has also begun to grow restless. The two main characters there have started to lose their grip on their own lives, which really can't be good for the story. After all, the inner reader in all of us wants to focus on Bobby's story, not Mark and/or Courtney's. So even reading about their impeding problems will make most readers automatically think, "Aw man, this is gonna be a real pain in the behind..."

Your thoughts?

Giveaway! (Yes another one)

2011-06-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

Slice of the Blog Pie is holding a giveaway!!!! Please go check it out:
http://aliciagregoire.blogspot.com/2011/06/five-summer-reads-one-contest.html?showComment=1307890210117#c5097925231779270666

Giveaway!

2011-06-12T07:44:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Y(A) Cuz We Write! is holding a giveaway, to celebrate, among other things, the weekend! Go on, go check it out! Just click on the link below!
http://seepamwrite.blogspot.com/2011/06/friday-fives-light-readingand-contest.html

Book Review: Kiss Me While I Sleep

2011-06-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

Genre: Romance/Crime
Title: Kiss Me While I Sleep
Author: Linda Howard
Recommendation: 2
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0-345-45343-3
Number of pages: 375

Plotline: Lily Mansfield began working as an assassin since the age of 18, and she's very good at it. Each hit, however, seems to cut away a part of her own soul, and when the death of her two best friends and neice occurs, she gets tipped over the edge and ensnares herself in a dangerous game of crime and murder, where every move could be her last.

Lily knows she has defied the CIA's orders, and must now be on the run not only from her true enemies but also from her old friends. No one is trustworthy, and the ultimate betrayal is right under her nose...

My take: First off, don't get scared away by the cover. Most authors don't get to choose how their covers look, so this is probably just a strategy to get the book off shelves. It's the story inside that matters! And boy, is there a story!

Have you ever gotten your breath taken away by the sheer intensity of a relationship in a novel? This is one of those books that'll do that to you. Intense is pretty much the only way to describe it. Your heart gets pulled around with all the twists and turns that happens, and you'll close the book weary from all the emotional stress it has put you under. But it would've been worth it.

Book Review: The Lost City of Faar

2011-06-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Genre: Fantasy
Title: The Lost City of Faar
Author: D.J. MacHale
Recommendation: 2
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
ISBN-13: 978-0-7434-3732-5
ISBN-10: 0-7434-3732-2
Number of pages: 384
Plotline: The second book of the Pendragon series. Bobby and his uncle travel to the watery world of Cloral, where Saint Dane is supposed to make the first dominoe fall. Upon arriving, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong, but Cloral is in fact edging towards catastrophe -- and fast. Will Bobby and his Uncle Press be able to save this world by bringing back something that was rumoured to have been only a myth?
My take: This is the first time in FOREVER that I've actually bothered to read a series in order. And it's GOOD. Totally teen novel though. Think twice before picking it up.

Review: The Second Trial

2011-05-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

Genre: Young Adult
Title: The Second Trial
Author: Rosemarie Boll
Recommendation: 2
ISBN: 978-1-897187-72-2
Publisher: Second Story Press
Number of pages: 319

Plotline: Danny McMillan lived the perfect life of a perfect American family; a wealthy family, a younger sister that didn't get in the way too much, and a mother and father who loved him.
But what if they didn't love each other?

After witnessing for the first time the abusive relationship between his parents, Danny is forced to watch in court as his father is sentenced for beating his mother. As he sees his parents standing on opposite sides of the courtroom, Danny is no longer sure which side to take.

To make matters worse, Danny's mother is convinced that the only way to get protection is to go into a victim protection program; in other words, change identities. In a matter of days, Danny's whole life is flipped upside down - he doesn't even know if he's living his own life anymore.

My take: In my experience, these books nominated for the Silver Birch / Red Maple / White Pine are worth reading. Usually not outstanding, but they always contain a quirk that makes you think people nominated it for a reason. Unfortunately, over the years, the books have become rather the same; most of them are about teenagers with issues. Maybe it's a trend, or a genre that gets published more easily? I'm not sure, but as a youth, it can kind of suck to read about just how many ways your life could go wrong.

Book Review: Divergent

2011-05-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

Genre: Dystopia
Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Recommendation: 3
Publisher: HarperCollins
Number of pages: 487
Plotline: Faction before blood. Young Beatrice "Tris" must decide if she's really going to follow this rule. She has given up her family in favour of another faction, one that values courage over the selflessness her family worships. As her new faction teaches her things she has never imagined, and new relationships are opened up at every step, Tris must learn when the line must be drawn.
My take: I've been trying this new regime thing where I never stay up to finish a book no matter how good it is. The day I started this book was the day I broke my own rules. Darnit! But seriously, I was in awe of this book. It's really amazing. I did find some similarities with the Hunger Games series, but maybe it's just because they're the same genre. Anyhoo, that didn't stop me from completely devouring this book. Is there going to be a sequel to this? Hope so! Fingers crossed.

Book Review: The Merchant of Death

2011-05-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

Genre: Fantasy
Title: The Merchant of Death
Author: D.J. MacHale
Recommendation: 2
ISBN: 0-7434-3731-4
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
Number of pages: 374

Plotline: Bobby Pendragon is a fourteen-year-old boy with all he could want in life. One of the most popular guys in school, amazing parents, amazing dog, amazing uncle who pops in every now and then to give him something amazing, and he just got an amazing kiss from Courtney Chetwynde, who he's only had a crush on since forever.

But that's when the amazingness ends. When Bobby's Uncle Press takes him to go "help some people", strange things start to happen. And it'll lead to an adventure he'll never forget.

The Mechant of Death is the first book in the series Pendragon.

My take: I'm beginning to hate love triangles. That is all.

Book Review: To Kill a Mockingbird

2011-05-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

Genre: Fiction
Title: To Kill a Mockingbird
Author: Harper Lee
Rated: K+
ISBN: Can't see it 'cause my book's too old D:
Publisher: Warner Books
Number of pages: 281

Plotline: Scout and Jem Finch are the motherless children of one of Maycounty's most respected lawyers. As children, they do everything curious children would do; play all day, despise school, and bother Boo Radley, their neighbour who never comes out in the light of day.

When Atticus Finch becomes the defense lawyer for a Negro who is accused of raping a woman, Scout and Jem are pulled into an adult world of confusion and unfairness. But with the help of some friends and strangers, they just might be able to make it through it all unscathed.

Or not.

My take: Okay, okay, I admit it. I only read this book because of English class. It was so relieving to read normal English for a change after all that Charles Dickensian and Shakesperian stuff! I really enjoyed the book, and unlike most of the other things we have to read for English, can actually understand why this is a classic!

It's a typical white-against-black, Depression era book. Which makes you kind of depressed. So if you like those types of books, read it! And if you're not in high school yet, read it before so you don't have to do it during school time!

Translation Makes the World Go Round

2011-05-11T16:49:00.000-07:00

Howdy! :)

So I was looking on a blog today (theblackcat1236, if you want to check her out), and... well it was ingenious. She's been translating fanfiction (among other things) for users to read! I've always thought it was so extremely frustrating that you couldn't read fanfiction in different languages, but now you can! Amazing :)

This isn't the first time language-skills have come into good use. Being bilingual (or trilingual, or whatever term you use for four languages --- quadrilingual???) actually gives you so much more opportunities. I was recently volunteering at the Tulip Festival, and BAM! French people come! And speak french! Safe to say that it would've been really awkward had I not known the language...

Therefore don't be surprised if some of my posts turn out to be nothing but translated versions of fanfics/songs/other-things... and feel free to comment if you want something translated!

Response: Did Tom Clancy Predict Raid?

2011-05-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

Original article
Response:

... it's these types of things that make people go crazy thinking about the human mind and the otherworldly forces that affect us. Did something plant the prediction in Tom Clancy's head and pull the strings so that it would be published? Perhaps his book even gave a clue to the people chasing Bin Laden! His celebrated death could be due to the publication of a simple book!

It's not the first time someone has come up with a prediction that's uncanningly accurate, and creeps the hell out of everyone else when it comes true. But when you think about it, there's really nothing to be creeped out about. So many people predict so many different things every day; it's almost certain someone will get it right at some point in time. So maybe we should all just calm down and not look for our own shadows all the time...

... or maybe we really will all die in 2012.

Book Review: Open Season

2011-05-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Genre: Fiction
Title: Open Season
Rated: M
ISBN: 0-671-02758-1
Publisher: Pocket Books
Number of pages: 337

That's right. Another Linda Howard book. I seem to like them very much, don't I? Die-hard romance fans are just that way :)

Plotline: Daisy Minor is a woman who wakes up on her 34th birthday realizing she's well on her way to becoming an old maid. Suddenly alarmed at her bland hair, bland clothes, and bland lifestyle, Daisy vows to become a more attractive woman in order to catch herself a husband. Unfortunately, instead of a husband, she manages to catch herself a whole deal of trouble. Will she make it through the ordeal in time to walk down the aisle?

Of course, there's hot romance involved. Daisy finds herself a nice cop... why is it always a cop, police officer or detective who's the alpha male in these types of stories? They're all super tan, fit, muscled, and trained in this like complex SWAT team or other arduous course so that they come out better than other people. It's ALWAYS like that. What happened to uniqueness, people? I mean, of course, it's easier to write about romances with the typical awesome male and a mentally equal female who's physically inferior, but the alpha male is so possessive of her that nothing could happen anyways... after reading countless books like that, it really becomes quite boring. Maybe that's why no one reads romantic novels anymore... they're always the same :/

So shout-out to romantic novelists! If you want your books to continue to sell, make the plotlines better! Right now they're way too predictable. How about adding a kick-ass girl who saves the guy, huh? Us readers would all appreciate it!

Response: The High Cost of Low Teacher Salaries

2011-05-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

Original article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/opinion/01eggers.html?_r=1

... I can't believe I used to want to be a teacher. I guess it's true when people say you should do your research before picking a career, huh? I never knew until I read this piece how horrible a teacher's job was! :O

Maybe the article is overexaggerating, but the facts are still pretty scary. I had always thought teachers had it made, with vacation time the same as students and everything. It turns out they really do need a life out of school. That in itself is pretty scary, but once you add in the fact of disrespect and things, everything just gets blown out of proportion.

... the point is... I've decided I'm never going to be a teacher when I grow up.

Book Review: The Supernaturalist

2011-04-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Genre: Mystery/Supernatural
Title: The Supernaturalist
Author: Eoin Colfer
Rated: T
ISBN: 078685148-1
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Number of pages 267
April 2011

Who said your life would flash in front of your eyes before you die? According to Eoin Colfer, little blue monsters that no one can see come and suck the remaining life out of you.

And that's where they come in. The Supernaturalists. Out hunting the little blue monsters every night. Killing them off one by one.

Until a simple truth destroys their mission forever.

A crappy summary, I know. It's not easy perfecting the art of giving enough details to make you want to read the book but no enough so you already know what's going to happen. You have to give off that "all is not what it seems" feel.

Ah shoot, I just gave it away, didn't I? Let's just drop the summary idea before I accidentally give the ending away as well.

Sorry if this post sounds wishy washy / iffy / not that great; my creative juices aren't flowing as well as I'd like them to today. Bottom line: Good book. Please read :)

Happy reading!
-- WordAlert

Interview: Thom Rogers

2011-04-25T14:04:00.001-07:00

I recently got a chance for an interview with Thom Rogers, the published author for the Baby Grape novels. For more information go to his official website.

“Mr. Rogers, thank you being available for this interview, and I’d like to ask you some questions regarding your writing.”
“Good Morning, it would be my pleasure to answer any questions you have.”

Where are you from?
“I’ve spent most of my life in Western Pennsylvania, except for five years I lived in the Midwest, serving in the United States Air Force, and going to Wichita State University. There was also two years that I traveled Europe, working in Munich, to serve an apprenticeship in restoring artwork and antique statues.

Tell us your latest news.
I have been outlining the fourth novel for the Babygrape book series. I still have some research to do on one town that I plan to add in the adventure. And I need to go there and see how its development occurred during the 1845 era. Beyond that I have the story simmering in my head. I just need the right ‘spices’ to add for flavor.

When and why did you start writing?
My earliest writings were in high school. I remember one particular story I wrote was read aloud, and I remember the laughter and response from the others made me realize that I could add a twist that entertained others. Unfortunately, life had its demands, and I was drawn into the service, and ended up far from any writing environment. It was perhaps ten years later that I was dating a woman that had inspirations to write, that I returned to an attempt to write again. With her editing, I finished a story that was well received, when we’d submitted it to publishers. I think there were seven hand written replies with the rejections, encouraging me to continue writing. But, once again, life had its demands and I was off to chase the elusive dollar.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I suppose it came to me when a friend of mine had read my draft of “Baby Grape and Huskey”, on her computer, and had read it straight thru the night. She gave me a five star rating which we have joked about since then, but it had its effect on me. I think that one incident gave me the courage to self-publish the story and upon receipt of the first printed copy the reality of it all sunk in. The subsequent books of the series developed when one evening soon after I’d sent out the first book to be published, I was pacing the floor and I had to stop and analyze why I was so upset. I realized that I’d left this story untold. My characters were left in yet another peril and there was much left to tell of the characters and events of their lives. Thus came the next two books.

What inspired you to write your first book?
Not counting the books I struggled through years ago, I was given an opportunity to “see” into a period of our history and a story began to strongly invent itself. I had acquired an Antique Whiskey Still (part of one) and began to research what it would take to restore the still to its complete state. After MANY hours of research in historical records I found the information on the original manufacturer of the still in Pittsburgh. And through the patent office I was able to find the correct type of top needed for the still’s restoration. This led to obtaining the necessary materials needed and I proceeded to build it. During the many hours I spent hammering rivets and fabricating the copper, I began to wonder what it would have been like to work in the shop where this Still was originally made. That’s when my imagination took over, and soon I had a character in mind. All I needed then was his purpose and a plot to get him to pursue it.

How did you come up with the title?
I’m not sure that I should tell you that. (laughs) It would ruin it for new readers. I will say this, it became rather an insulting moniker for a teenager trying to grow up and fill an adult’s role that he’d so recently been thrust into. But the name stuck to Toby, as it did for me throughout the series.

Are experiences in the series based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
My characters are based on a compilation of people I’ve known and people I see every day. A smile can come from the little girl at the convenience store counter, a wry look from a waitress that’s heard it all, or a look of contempt from an annoyed driver in a car next to you. And yes, there is a little of me in Toby and some of the events that he is exposed to. I’d like to think that he gets his stubborn attitude to see things through to the end from me. Although you may get some resistance to that statement from others. (laughter) To be more direct, I think all authors draw on their own lives to create characters, be it by conscience or sub-conscience means.

What are some of your favorite books?
Wow! That one would fill a few shelves with books. I like books where the main character is put into a situation that requires him or her to use their wits to survive. I would say that the early stories of Wilbur Smith are my favorite. He’s written about thirty books and I’ve collected and read them all. The Aztec, The Egyptian, The Journeyer, some of Clive Cussler’s books are the first that come to mind. Of course, I have to add the Harry Potter series and the Hobbit series

Who are some of your favorite Authors?
Again, that is such a vast list. I read so many of different genres that it’s hard to say. I truly admire J.K. Rowling for what she’s been able to do to get younger readers involved in reading. Wilbur Smith, Janet Evanovich, Koonzt, Gary Jennings are some of the first that come to mind. But again, remember I read many of the YA books for pacing and plots for my own work.

What books are you reading now?
I had just received a replacement copy of Gary Jenning’s book that I was able to find on Amazon. It is an epic book that the nephew of Marco Polo attempts to retrace his uncle’s travels. I will also have to reread parts of my own first three books before I start book four of the series to reacquaint myself with a few motives of my characters.

What are your current projects?
(Eruptive laugh) Are you asking me of my ‘real life’ or my writing life? I’ve been so interrupted in my personal live that I’ve had several months that I’ve not been able to dedicate much time to starting book four, but I KNOW that when all the parts of the story are solid in my mind, it will happen. When I start to see the story in my dreams, and ‘see’ things happen in daydreams, it will force me to sit down and write. I generally don’t push, or force the story. There are times I truly miss the characters, the scenery, life on the river, and the action that revolves in the Baby Grape adventures.

Who do you feel supported you the most during your writing career?
The greatest, but not only, support I get comes from the readers of the series. I get this most when I go to festivals and summer events. Women come up and give me hugs and thank me for writing the series. Retired people will timidly approach my table and mention that they too remember an event similar to something that happened in the stories. A place that they lived near when they were growing up would bring a long forgotten smile to them. I get a vast response from the readers. Sometimes, I’ll kid with them and ask them who their favorite character was. When they tell me I reply: “Oh good, I’ll kill them in the next story!” After the initial shock and they realize I’m kidding, they enjoy the banter with the Author. So, yes, I think they are the most inspiration I get.

Do you see writing as a career?
As I’m in my retirement years I doubt that I’ve got too long a career to consider! But, truthfully, it would have been nice to have gotten an earlier start on this endeavor. That’s a hint to people that are out there reading this and delaying in starting on their first novel. There’s certainly many easier ways to make a living, but I would encourage anyone that feels the need to write to pursue that urge, even if it isn’t for their livelihood.

If you had it to do otherwise would you change anything in your latest book?
.., that’s a tough call. I generally write it with my first impressions. I don’t do well with rewrites, as I just second guess my truest way to tell the story. I am more of a story teller than a writer with qualifications through a dedicated education to writing, but I do have an ability to clearly see the characters, scenery, and motives that move the story along. My first book of the series was the most difficult, and I did have some areas that moved too slowly, but I felt that the character development needed to evolve the way it did. I have hesitated to think too much about trying to change much in the way I write my stories. In classes I’ve taken, I probably break more rules than allowed and make a few good technical writers chew their lower lip into a frayed mass of pulp, but I think cult writing has its place. (laughter) I’ve given editors ulcers, (besides a lot of money) and it seems like they want me to write ‘their’ version of my story. So, I’ve relied on my own instincts, and the feedback I get from my readers to write the stories as I do. As a last mention, my hardest struggle is to make the stories as exciting as I can for the Baby Grape fans. I’ve been the cause of many burned dinners, and lost sleep, and ignored pets, from the page-turning fans.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Only in the fact that one of the starting book four is that the only way start it with a letter Toby is writing starting with some action that the series major hesitations in I can think of is to to his mother verses is famous for.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Many things! The largest hurdle I have is trying to make the mundane existences that people in the 1840’s lived, interesting to today’s readers. I can lose readers by taking too much of their time trying to provide a meal to the characters. So I make mere mentions of things, and hope the reader will follow through on what hardships our ancestors had to endure. Also, the life spans are probably hard for younger readers to realize, and I have to run with the odds of the high incidents of death to children during that time period. So there will be some hard-to-deal-with realities in the upcoming “Baby Grape and Tip Toe’s Revenge”

Do you have to travel much concerning your books?
Not so far, as I’ve kept the story within a hundred mile radius of my home. Many of the places in the story I’ve seen firsthand and require only my description(s) of them. Although I’ve not traveled the rivers mentioned in the stories, I’ve seen enough of them to write about their characteristics for the readers. I also have many memories of fishing on the river with my father and some of the stillness, and solitude of that shows up in the stories. When tying the history of the development along the rivers to a personal story like Toby’s I think the readers get a glimpse of our nation’s developing firsthand.

Did you learn anything from writing your books? And if so, what was it?
I did learn a lot! I learned to appreciate what we have today, and how things got to be the way they are. I am a little bit ashamed that I didn’t pay closer attention to teachers that were trying to ‘clue’ us in to the sacrifices our ancestors made. I believe they struggled so hard with a day-to-day existence that they probably weren’t given the pride to realize that they were part of a role- something bigger in the development of our country.

Who designed your book covers?
Emily Zuzack. I spent quite a bit of time searching for an artist that could do something in a fashion that fit the genre. Emily has also done the interior drawing for the stories and I hope she will also do them for book four. Emily has a drawing degree and used the drawings for her final thesis to graduate. She’s a great person to deal with and does offer her talents to other writers.

What is your view on others writing Fan Fiction on your stories?
I guess that would be a form of flattery and I hope a tribute to Toby and the gang. I’ve seen so much knockoff done on the Harry Potter theme- but it just isn’t the same as the original. In some ways it’s disappointing to see the originator not reap some of the rewards, but things are that way.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
For what it’s worth, yes; follow your inner self. If you truly want to write, and can discipline yourself to see it through to write a novel- please do it. The reward is, in itself, worth the sacrifice(s). It can be a long lonely road to complete, but only you can make the difference. If it isn’t an immediate success, the next one will be. My characters don’t give up in my stories, and neither should you as a creator. You control everything in your books, you are the authority of the story and the characters AND its success.

Thank you for doing this interview. Do you have anything to say to your readers?
Only to thank them for allowing me the chance to entertain them with my stories. I promise that I will continue to provide them with more page-turning adventures of Toby, Gina, Jayne, lil’ Robin, and the others. Enjoy God’s blessings and stay well.

Giveaway!

2011-04-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

Pass the Chiclets is doing a giveaway for the ARC of The Girl in the Steel Corset! Visit her site to enter!

Book Review: Life on the Refrigerator Door

2011-04-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

GENRE: Family/Romance
TITLE: Life on the Refrigerator Door
AUTHOR: Alice Kupers
RATED: K+
ISBN: 978-0-00-200679-8
PUBLISHER: Harper Collins
NUMBER OF PAGES: 220

Being a single mother doesn't leave a lot of time to spare. Neither does being a high school sophomore. As a result, Claire and her mother hardly see each other, and their main source of communication has resorted to being notes on the refrigerator door.

What Claire and her mother don't realize is, the number of notes they have left are limited. When Claire's mom makes a shocking discovery, both mother and daughter must change their way of life in order to support each other for the heart-wrenching experiences to come.

Although this is Alice Kuiper's first book, it has more impact that some authors' second or third novels. I sincerely hope you will take the time to read this amazing book by Alice Kuipers. the format is really interesting, as the story is written all in notes posted on the refrigerator door.

Alice Kuipers has written more books after this one. If you like this one, you'll love the others.
Good luck and happy reading!

-- WordAlert

Book Review: Fang

2011-04-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

GENRE: Science Fiction
TITLE: Fang
AUTHOR: James Patterson
RATED: T
ISBN: 978-0-31619-1
PUBLISHER: Hachette Book Group
NUMBER OF PAGES: 309

Max and Fang have always been together. They grew up together, supported each other, and against all odds managed to be happy together. But that is all about to change.
One of them is about to die. And his replacement has already been prepared.
I used to consider this book the epitome of perfection itself, but it wasn't until later that I discovered its major flaw.

The plotline. It's very exciting and all, but throughout the book you'll keep getting a feeling of deja vu. Remember Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)? This is the exact same, except they're 2% birds instead of 100% vampire. It doesn't help that the book starrs a guy named Fang.

Aside from being a Twilight on wings though, Fans is up to standards to all of James Patterson's other books: witty, suspenseful and abolutely mind-blowing.

Before you read this book, you may want to try the ones before it in the series:
The Angel Experiment
School's Out -- Forever
Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports
The Final Warning
MAX

Happy reading!
-- WordAlert

Book Review: Kill and Tell

2011-04-23T08:22:00.000-07:00

GENRE: Mystery
TITLE: Kill and Tell
AUTHOR: Linda Howard
RATED: M
ISBN: 0-7434-5392-1
PUBLISHER: Pocket Books
NUMBER OF PAGES: 310
April 2011

Why does something always seem to get in the way of a good love story? I guess it's probably all due to people's short attention spans these days. With so many things pulling at our attention, it's no wonder nobody every reads straightforward hardcore romance novels anymore.

Some of you are probably wondering what the heck I'm talking about. "What does any of this have to do with mystery novels? Because that's what this book is, right? A mystery novel? Right? ... right??" Well, sorry to disappoint you, but despite the label on the spine, Kill and Tell is really more or a romance novel.

The story's about a woman named Karen who becomes entangled in the crime life her father led after he died. While coming to terms with the fact that a killer is coming after her, she also finds herself running away from the charming Marc Chastain, a police officer who will stop at nothing to claim the woman he loves.

To some, this story will seem like a hot mash of mystery and romance, but to me it's really more like a romance novel the a "mystery" label on it to attract more customers. The plot seems to focus on Karen and Marc's romance, and the crime/murder aspect is only brought in to further their relationship.
So basically it all boils down to this: if you're looking for a true mystery novel, don't read this book; you'll be severely disappointed with the lack of... well mystery, for lack of a better word. If you're just raring to read a full-blown romance novel (complete with some sexual scenes, which is why I rated this M), this is definitely the book for you. (In fact, if you fall into the above category, Linda Howard is definitely the author for you).

Now, about those M-rated scenes. In my personal opinion (which you can, of course, completely disregard), Linda Howard didn't write those scenes with the intention of creating literary porn in mind. The sex scenes simply lend more to the romance, and shows readers how far it has really progressed. (It also creates some problematic misunderstandings, which you'll find more about if you read the book). So (this is again, of course, in my completely personal opinion again) really, any age group can read this book regardless of the rating. If they find the sex scenes offensive, they can simply not read them. Those scenes are not necessary to read in order to understand the story as a whole.

I am a stickler for cheesy romance novels, which is why I enjoyed this book immensely. If any of you reading right now are the same, I'm positive you'll enjoy it too.

Hapy reading!
-- WordAlert