About Books Blog

My Epic Reading Adventures - Go Ask Alyss and Other Random Thoughts

2012-01-25T16:35:00.000-08:00

Ok. I planned to write this post last Thursday. I actually typed the whole thing up and everything. Then I had to run and teach hip hop class. I ended up saving it on Blogger and totally forgetting about it. I re-read it and didn't like anything that I wrote. I decided to start all over today. Gosh, I was all over the place writing wise last week. I didn't read my short story when I should have (at least I posted the review on time). I didn't post three times. I spent my weekend reading fanfic, going to movies (I just had to see Beauty and the Beast in 3D), and watching stuff on Netfix. In short not a lot writing happened but I did get some good book reading in so not all was lost. I'm definitely striving for writing improvement this week. I'm on the right track considering actually did everything I planned to do so far.

As you know was reading the Looking Glass Wars Trilogy. To get some perspective I thought it might be good to read Alice in Wonderland again. I wanted a refresher on some of the elements of the story. I found a graphic novel version of Alice in Wonderland in the nook store. I figured it would be a good way to brush up on the story and a great start on the graphic novel challenge that I sign up for. Be prepared for Alice (or Alyss as she is called in Looking Glass Wars) themed reviews. I'm going to work on the Alice in Wonderland review to post by this weekend. The week after I will review the entire Looking Glass Wars Trilogy in one post.

I have now started reading The Girl Who Played With Fire. I bought it on my Kindle application way before I got my Nook Color, so I have to read it on my phone instead of on my e-reader. The good news is that for Christmas I got a new phone with a bigger screen so it's actually been pretty easy reading. I'm enjoying the story so far. I might have to read some graphic novels this week to finish my two book minimum for this week though. This is for two reasons. One is that The Girl Who Played With Fire is I believe over 500 pages long. The second is because the books in the Millennium series don't seem to be fast reads. I don't mean that in a bad way. It just that they are good crime novels which means there is a lot of quality set up. I don't know what I will read in addition to The Girl Who Played With Fire. I'm thinking I might try the From Hell graphic novel. At the same time that would mean I'd be reading two stories with dark themes at the same time. Hmm...I'll keep thinking on it.

Oh, by the way, in case you were wondering I did get idea for the title of this post from the lyrics of the song White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. Gosh, that is a creepy little song. Great instrumentally lyrically disturbing.

Short Story of The Week (58) - Water's Edge

2012-01-23T21:23:00.000-08:00

Story Title: Water's Edge

From: Half-Human

Author: Janni Lee Simner

Summary

Laura discovers a family secret which explains why the sea calls to her.

Favorite Line

"There was so much she had to learn, if she really wanted to live in both worlds."

My Thoughts

Water's Edge centers around the folk legend of Selkies. Mythological creatures that are seals that can shed their skin and become human. I've always found this folklore interesting, so I was very drawn to the story. You just don't see that many modern tales about this creature. From what I've read most Selkie tales are on the sad side, but this one was fairly heart warming. Maybe it was because Water's Edge was about self discovery instead of romantic tragedy. I thought I was just a generally enjoyable read. I only wish I could have read it on a sandy beach. That would have made the experience extra perfect.

Short Story of The Week (57) - Good Boys Deserve Favors

2012-01-17T10:31:00.000-08:00

Story Title: Good Boys Deserve Favors

From: Fragile Things

Author: Neil Gaiman

Summary

Young boy attempts learn to play the double bass.

Favorite Line

"Good double bass players, he told me, were men who made poor husbands."

My Thoughts

We all know that Neil Gaiman more often than not writes fantasy or science fiction tales. This story is neither of those things, but equally as magical. It is a simple tale about a small boy and his sort of lazy interest in playing an instrument. I think the simplicity of it was what I liked it about it. I mean I love a crazy story too. Yet, sometimes when it's late at night, and you're chilling in front of the TV you want a reflective story like this to read. It was pretty adorable and smile worthy. I thought it was very clever that the title came from one of the many mnemonics for the line notes in bass clef: Good Boys Deserve Favors Always.

About Books Blog 55 - The Wolves of Willoughby Chase

2012-01-14T18:28:00.000-08:00

Author: Joan Aiken

Genre: Children’s/Young Adult/Alternate History/Adventure

Summary (from Goodreads)

Wicked wolves and a grim governess threaten Bonnie and her cousin Sylvia when Bonnie's parents leave Willoughby Chase for a sea voyage. Left in the care of the cruel Miss Slighcarp, the girls can hardly believe what is happening to their once happy home. The servants are dismissed, the furniture is sold, and Bonnie and Sylvia are sent to a prison-like orphan school. It seems as if the endless hours of drudgery will never cease.

With the help of Simon the gooseboy and his flock, they escape. But how will they ever get Willoughby Chase free from the clutches of the evil Miss Slighcarp?

My Thoughts

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase had been gathering dust on my book shelf since I was in grade school. For some reason I never got around to reading it. I have to admit that I initially picked it up off the shelf because it was short and I was short on time. I didn’t have any notions of greatness from such a slim volume, but as it has been said the best things come in small packages. This book proves that point.

I loved how charming the children characters were in this book. Bonnie, Syliva, and Simon were such lovely children. Each noble in their own way. Reading their adventure was more fun, because I really cared about them. I thought it a little strange that the wolves were not more involved in the tale considering the title. Then I thought that perhaps the author was trying to be metaphorical. The villains in the book, Miss Slighcarp (awesome villainous name by the way) and her nasty companions, could be considered wolf like in their plot to steal the Green family fortune.

The book stands out because of it’s unique mixture of genres. It combines the excitement of mystery with the endearing qualities of a children’s book. Interestingly it is also an alternate history novel. Though I learned by reading this that I know too little of British and European history to really know the difference. Commentary on Wikipedia and Goodreads has since given me more insight where that is concerned. The novel’s ability to be both adorable and gothic made me fall in love. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase is going to be a favorite of mine from now on.

Interesting Facts

This book is the first in The Wolves Chronicles series. I wonder if I can find the books on Amazon. I am very interested in reading them. What am I saying? You can find almost anything on Amazon.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase was written over several years with a seven year gap due to Joan Aiken’s full time job.

The book has in recent years been adapted into a stage play.

The Movie

The film has a cohesive story and is fairly entertaining. I couldn’t help feeling underwhelmed. The first half of the movie is semi close to the book, while the last half is nothing like it at all. I think it was right to make a few changes to make it more exciting visually. However, some of the changes were so silly. The entire thing was far too melodramatic in both acting and scene choices. I disliked what was done with the child characters. Sylvia so tightly wound and a little snooty about it. In the books she is shy and sensitive. Bonnie was an adventurous yet caring child in the book. Yet in the film I felt that she was a brat. When I was watching the film I couldn’t believe that they would want to be around each other, much less be friendly cousins. To add to all this Simon’s character (which is so prominent and the novel) was basically used and then forgotten about. Overall, the movie okay. I would probably watch it again if not for my qualms with the character depictions. The book is definitely better than the movie, but it is rare that that statement doesn’t apply to an adaptation. Maybe I’m being too picky. My gosh, the trailer for the movie is hilarious! I laughed so hard. It's so bad it's good. It actually makes the movie look so much worse than it was. Ha ha!

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase Trailer

Music To Read By

I only got around to listening to one album. Tori Amos’ album Night Of The Hunters. The album uses a lot of influences from classical music. It has a very orchestral sound that went very nicely with the book. Though I wouldn’t say the lyrics fit very well with it. I think it’s a good album for reading in general since it has lyrics, but they don’t cause you to become distracted. Since I was inclined toward classical sounds for this book I made a playlist of mostly classical music and instrumentals. The some of the titles were quite long so I just posted the player instead of typing them out.

Book Playlist: The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Jazz Johnson on Grooveshark

That is all my darlings. I typed this review instead of dictating it, because of my cough. I hope there aren't too many mistakes, but if there are I apologize. Happy reading and keep it shiny!

My Epic Reading Adventures - Insanity Ensues

2012-01-12T15:17:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. This is more of an update than anything else. I didn't want you guys to think I disappeared on you. It's the first week back at work. Which wouldn't usually mess with my reading/writing, but I am sick for the second time in the last four weeks. In a nut shell insanity has ensued. Being sick makes me even more dyslexic than usual so my reading in print wasn't very epic. However, I did rock on listening to my audio book. I'm almost half way though. Shiny! Luckily I was ahead on writing this week's book review for The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. I just have to polish it and add on the extras. I'm going to say it will be up Saturday night. I am really excited about the review for some reason. Next week I'm thinking about adding a new blog segment, so that is something cool to look forward to. Happy reading and keep it shiny!

Short Story of The Week (56) - A Difference In Temperament

2012-01-09T22:04:00.000-08:00

Story Title: A Difference In Temperament

From: The Doll

Author: Daphne du Maurier

Summary

A couple struggles to cope with each others difference of temperaments.

Favorite Line

"They were on two different planes. In the universe that were two stars, she far higher, burning with a steady light, but he flickering, unsteadily, always a little ahead-and in the end falling to earth, a momentary streak in the sky."

My Thoughts

This was an intriguing story about a relationship. It studies a couple who love each other but can't figure out how to really be together. One of the them wants to share everything, and the other just wants to have some time to themselves once in a while. They often interpret each other's actions in the wrong way. Even though it's a relationship story it still has a nice build that keeps you reading. It is so thoughtful and poignant that I couldn't help but enjoy it. I thought it was an excellent and striking character study.

Read Your Name Challenge 2012

2012-01-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hosted by: 2012 Read Your Name Challenge

This might be a real challenge for me because my name (Jazz) has two Zs in it. I'm still going to try anyway. I did find one book that starts with a Z in my library already.

Details:

the challenge is to read your name in book title first letters, ultimately spelling out your name. That means:

Using your first name, or blogger name, or your pets name, or even your favorite literary character's name; whichever you like, choose books with first title letters that spell out your name. Such as my name: Victoria. the first book's title would start with the letter V, then the next book title begins with I, etc. Make sense? (I hope so!)

Rules/Guidelines:

Whenever you have finished a book for this challenge: If you have a blog, come back here and leave your review link in the Mr. Linky that will be up; for the book you've read & reviewed. If you do not have a blog, please just leave your progress in a comment. :)
The challenge runs from Jan. 1st 2012, to Dec. 31st 2012. You may join at any time between Jan 1st and Nov 30th.
Last but not least, be sure to sign up using Mister Linky Below! & If you want to, leave a comment with what name you're going to use and where it came from. :) Oh, and don't forget to link back (with the above button, top of this post) to the challenge from your blog to show you're participating! (If Mr. Linky does not appear to be working, then please just leave a comment with your info!)

Other (minor) Details:

NAMES ONLY PLEASE! You DO NOT have to use your whole name; just your first name if you want, & initials are okay. No words like: water, book, blue, etc. please, just regular old official NAMES.
Books read before 1/1/12 do not count. Audio books and eBooks are okay. & Crossovers with other challenges are also okay.
You could read the books in any order you wish, I certainly can't show up at your door threatening to banish you from the challenge if you don't! But then what is the point of READING YOUR NAME out in book title first-letters if you're not going to do it in order? You're basically just re-arranging a bunch of letters to spell out your name, and that's not really the point of this challenge, lol. :)

Serial Killer Reading Challenge 2012

2012-01-06T23:39:00.000-08:00

Hosted by Tea Time With Marce

I thought I was weird for liking to read books about serial killers, but this challenge proves that I'm not the only one. I'm going to let my inner criminal profiler run wild this year.

Serial Killers Reading Challenge 2012:

When you read a book about a serial killer, are you fascinated, scared, intrigued, paranoid........ then join the Serial Killers Reading Challenge and share the best of the best. It may be the detectives, profilers or the serial killer that keep you up reading long into the night.

This Challenge is not about how many you read but finding the best of the best and 'remembering' to link your review.

TGIF!

2012-01-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

Yay! Time of TGIF over at GReads. Can't wait to visit your blogs. Hope you enjoy visiting mine too. Keep it shiny!

This Friday's question: What are some of your reading goals for the new year?

Great question. Ironically already listed my blogging and reading goals on my Epic Reading Adventures segment this week. You can pop over to that post to see what my goals are. Most of it boiled down to posting more and reading more. Ha ha! I suppose it doesn't hurt to make your goals really specific.

About Books Blog 54 - On Writing

2012-01-04T13:20:00.000-08:00

Author: Stephen King

Genre: Non Fiction, Memoir, How To

Favorite Line

“Life isn’t the support system for art. It’s the other way around.”

Summary (from Goodreads)

The subtitle to Stephen King's On Writing, his missive on the art and craft that have made him rich and famous, is "A Memoir of the Craft." And that's just what this book is. Beginning with his earliest childhood, when his mother was struggling to raise Stephen and his older brother on her own, King takes readers through his life, culminating with the 1999 tragedy that almost ended it. Interspersed with King's memories are details that highlight his burgeoning career, all of it told in King's uniquely folksy but slightly twisted style.

My Thoughts

On Writing: Memoir of the Craft is part memoir and part educational. The beginning and the end concerned Stephen tales are what shaped him as a person and as a writer. The midsection of the novel takes the reader through tips and tools you can use to improve your writing skills. I found both sections insightful. It was interesting to hear his point of view on the events in his life. It was nice that he kept everything short and to the point, choosing to focus on the key points of his life. Stephen King added his own witty flare went to the book. A factor which made reading it a fun and amusing experience. I must have laughed for days after reading the phrase: “the road to hell is paved with adverbs.” A hilarious yet effective statement. I’ve since tried to keep my use of adverbs to minimum.

Though I did love the memoir sections. What I took away from the book had more to do with the writing process. A large portion of the suggestions apply to writing fiction. Things like the use of dialogue, description, characters, and even a short section on getting published. However, the book offers many helpful ideas that you can apply to any kind writing. Everyone can use tips on editing and simple grammar tools.

Here are a few examples of things from the book that helped me:

1. If you want to be a writer “read a lot and write a lot.” I think I’m pretty set where this is concerned. Actually I think most of the book bloggers out there are all budding writers waiting to bloom.

2. Write because you want to, not because you have to.

3. Good advice and examples of how to edit. Reading this book made it easier for me to ask myself important questions when it came to the editing process. Do I need this paragraph to get my point across? Is this word necessary? Etc.

In addition to the great stuff that I learned from reading this, the novel includes suggestions for other writing books, and finishes off with a book list. Pretty cool right? There were a few titles on there that I definitely want to check out. If you are a writer, are thinking about writing, or simply enjoy reading about writers, Stephan King’s On Writing is the book for you.

You will notice that I’m not including all the normal bells a whistles that I usually put on my review. Partly because of the type of book this is. The book itself is the “interesting fact.” They are not likely to make a movie of this, and I can’t really do a playlist for it. I did listen to my playlist for The Stand while writing the rough draft of this review and posting this, so the writing process wasn’t totally music-less. Happy reading. Keep it shiny!

My Epic Reading Adventures 2.0

2012-01-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone. Hope everyone is having a great first week of the new year. Last year I started this segment to keep track of my progress with my reading and set goals to improve my blogging skills. I liked it so much that I've decided to keep going. To get the ball rolling I would like to state all my blogging and reading goals for this year.

Resolutions

I Will:

Read at 105 books
Join reading challenges. I went on the Novel Challenge blog site of discover all the cool challenge for 2012. I've joined 5 so far this year. I think it's a good way to have fun and make your reading goals clear. I might consider joining a couple more I just that I want to make sure I can really commit to them.
Join Goodreads. I've actually already done this. I think I was the only book blogger in the universe that didn't have a goodreads. Which is hilarious because I use the summaries from that site all the time. I'm kind of addicted to rating books and making reading lists now. Plus, they have a nifty widget to record your reading progress for the year. Shiny!
Do my best to read at least two books a week.
Post Short Story of the Week on Monday or Tuesday. No more of this later in the week stuff I've been doing. It's getting ridiculous. I makes more since to post earlier in the week when I actually have time.
Read Short Story on Sunday.
Post at least 3 times a week.
Post a book review every week or every two weeks.
Catch up on books sent to me for review.
Read longer books.

I Will Not:

Read more than two books at a time. I like to read more than one book at a time but last year I tried to read like 4 books at at time. That lead me to starting a lot of books that I never finished. So only two book at time from now on.
Get overly involved in fan fiction. I actually did really well at not doing this last year, but I'm just putting it down now to keep me on track. Fan fiction is fun and I will still read it, but I'm not going to spend hours reading fan fic that is over 30 chapters when I could be reading a book.
Waste my rare moments of time off. I so often waste my time off work by sleeping it away or just laying on the couch. Not smart when you're short on time during the rest of the week. I will now promise to read or write at least a little bit on my time off of work.

Closing Statements

I started reading The Looking Glass Wars this week. I've had the whole trilogy for a while but haven't gotten around to reading it until now. I'll probably read all three books and then start The Girl Who Played With Fire. I also started listening to Tarzan over again on audio book today. This is on my list of books that I started but never finished. I discovered the perfect way to listen to audio books for me is to listen while I'm cleaning. It makes me relaxed enough that cleaning don't become stressful, but the cleaning keeps me from falling asleep while listening. I think I'm going to not only finish the book, but have a cleaner living space as well. Shiny! Book review coming tomorrow. I just have to edit it and it's ready for public viewing. See you then.

Short Story of The Week (55) - The House On Maple Street

2012-01-02T17:58:00.000-08:00

Story Title: The House On Maple Street

From: Nightmares & Dreamscapes

Author: Stephen King

Summary

The Bradbury children make a very strange discovery on the third floor of their home.

My Thoughts

This story seemed to be kind of on the long side, but it was worth taking the time to read. It's a science fiction story. I haven't read a sci-fi short story in a while. That made it extra fun. I loved the development of the main characters. There was a lot of intrigue and a great build up in the plot. I always like how Stephen King writes children. He always seem to capture childhood so well. I loved that it had something close to a happy ending. That just made me smile.

2012 Books I Started But Didn't Finish Challenge

2012-01-01T22:07:00.000-08:00

Hosted by: A Room of One's Own

The goal:

Commit to finish some or all of the books you began to read in 2011 (or before) and never completed.

Prizes:

I will not give away prizes or otherwise motivate people to complete their goals for this challenge.
Instead, I encourage you to self-motivate.
Keep your list central on your blog (or elsewhere) and commit to buy yourself some sort of reward when you finish the task. (A book? A bookmark? Whatever you know will inspire YOU.)

The rules:

Post a list of the books you began reading in 2011 (or at some point in your life) and never finished reading. (Maybe even say why you stopped reading!)
You can list as few or as many titles as you intend to complete in 2012. One or twenty or a hundred – it’s YOUR challenge.
You can include whatever genres you please in this challenge.
It doesn’t matter how you go about finishing these books. You can combine them with any other challenges.
You do not need a blog to participate. You can simply list the books you want to finish in the comments below.
List the prize you will gift yourself when you complete this challenge in your challenge post (to make it official.)
Write yourself a little manifesto about how you intend to approach these left-over books.
Commit to finish your list by the end of 2012.
You are NOT allowed to stress if it takes longer than 2012 to finish your list! Just commit again in 2013!!
Leave a link to your post in the comments below.

My List

North and South: Started this way back in January of last year. I really liked it, but for some reason got distracted by other books and before I knew it had stopped reading. I really want to give it another go this year.

Hamlet: Pretty much the same thing that happened with the book above. The thing is that once you put Shakespeare down for awhile you can't back into it without starting over. That's okay. It's a really good play (or at least the half that I read was). I'm willing to start again.

Anne of Green Gables: I really wanted to re-read this last year, but only read two chapters. This should be no big deal to finish since I already know that I love it.

~~Tarzan of The Apes~~ (Completed): Started this on audio book. Then I couldn't sit still and listen for some reason. I guess my ADD kicked in. I loved the few chapters that I got in though.

The Girl Who Played With Fire: I read one chapter then realized that if I wanted to read 85 books in 6 months this book was probably a few pages too long for my slow reading. I read faster now so I'm set. I really have to read this one since my parents keep wanting to talk about the book or the film but I don't want to be exposed to spoilers.

Books I Started Before 2011

To add on to the challenge I thought I would list a few books I started but never finished in years before.

Fear Nothing: I keep starting this and never getting past the first two chapters. I don't understand why I keep doing this. The beginning of the book is pretty exciting I just need to keep going. I'm actually very frustrated that I haven't finished it.

The Dead Zone: I only read half of this a long long time ago. I think I was in high school. Don't know why I stopped. I think I got distracted by some other book. Every now and then I think about finishing it. I figure there is no time like the new year.

The Bell Jar: It was just one of those moments where you start a book you like it but you realize your just not in the mood for it at the moment. It's not that you won't ever be in the mood for it. Just that you want to wait for the perfect time to read it. I think the time for The Bell Jar is approaching.

My Prize: I'm not sure how to reward myself. Usually the since of accomplishment is enough. However, if I finish Fear Nothing I might reward myself with buying the graphic novel version that I saw in the Nook store.

My Manifesto: Plan to take my time reading these and just enjoy the experience.

2012 Graphic Novel Challenge

2012-01-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

Hosted at Graphic Novel Challenge

Goal is to read 12 graphic novels this year. Right up my alley. Wacky fun!

1. Complete Alice in Wonderland by John Reppion and Leah Moore

2012 Twilight Series Challenge

2012-01-01T21:08:00.000-08:00

Hosted by: Pages of Forbidden Love

Yay! Perfect challenge for me this year. I was going to read the Twilight series again this year anyway, so why not join a challenge to keep me on track. I haven't read them in a while so this should be fun.

What Would Jane Do Reading Challenge

2011-12-31T20:06:00.000-08:00

Hosted by: Oh, The Places You'll Go

Details: The challenge will run from January 1st-December 31st 2012.The books you read count for other challenges.You can count ebooks in addition to regular ones.Just Austen-Books only written by Jane Austen

Levels:

A Touch of Pride: Read 1-3 books

Learning Sense: Read 4+ books

Jane Austen and Beyond-Books written by Jane and books that include variation of one of her works, sequels and/or books that use her as a fictional character.

Levels:

Expanding Emmagination: Read 1-3 books by Jane Austen and 1-3 books that fall into one or all of the other categories.

Jane's Persuasion: Read 4+ books by Jane Austen and 4+ books from the other categories.

Signing up for the Expanding Emmagination Level.

Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2012

2011-12-31T19:55:00.000-08:00

I'm going to see if I can outdo my book numbers of last year this new year. I'm going to start with the first level "Getting my heart rate up." I can't wait to get started!

Details:

Runs January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012 (books read prior to 1/1/12 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.

The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2012 than you did in 2011. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you.

Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).

Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.

Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too.

You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you could track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels: Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books

Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books

Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books

I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

Books Completed In 2012

1. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
2. Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor
3. Tarzan of The Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs
4. The Complete Alice and Wonderland by John Reppion and Leah Moore
5. Arch Enemy by Frank Beddor

My Epic Reading Adventures: Happy New Year!!! And By The Way... I Met My Goal!!!

2011-12-31T13:39:00.000-08:00

Chapter 30: Happy New Year!!! And By The Way... I Met My Goal!!

Happy New Year All! Guess what...I did it! I read 100 books this year as part of the 100 + Book Challenge by My Overstuffed Book Shelf. Oh, and did I mention that I read 85 of those books in six months. That's pretty shiny right? Surprisingly some of them were actually over 200 pages. I totally went from someone who read maybe 20 books a year, to someone that read 100. It proves you can do anything you put your mind to. I also completed the e-book challenge earlier in the year, so I'm two for two on meeting challenges. I think that's pretty neat considering that until this year I'd never done challenges before. Thanks to all of my followers who kept reading and commented with such great encouragement. Thanks to all the people who suggested books to me. It really helped.

Did I Do Everything On My List Of Goals?

At the beginning of the Epic Reading blog segments I listed some goals I would have to do to not only read 100 books, but to be a better book blogger. I did do most of them, but some of them need work. I did manage to not get overly involved I reading fan fiction. Ha ha! I didn't get around to my audio book as much as I would have liked. I did read at least 2 books a week if not more, except for the weeks where I read 300 pagers. I didn't review as many books as I wanted, because life kind of threw me for a loop this year (I started a dance company. Then I un-started a dance company. Very long story but sort of entertaining after the fact.) Life still does that sometimes. Like yesterday I wanted to do this weeks short story review, and I got involved with work and family so it didn't happen. I'm still trying to figure out how to keep my blogger promises when life happens. However, I did discover a better process to go about reviewing, so next year I hope to improve. I also figured out the time of day in which I write best. I very valuable tool if you ask me. I actually posted by more blog posts this year that I think I ever have. There is hope for me after all.

What I Learned

You get what you want if you put effort into it.

Reading more makes you read faster. You know how I said practice makes permanent. Totally applies to reading too. I love reading, but I've always been sort of a slow reader. Now I can read 100 pages like BAM! Practice totally works even when it comes to words. Plus, good brain exercise. You can't go wrong with that. It was just fun to make new discoveries about history, how to write better, facing your fears, and mythology.

Reading more than one genre is beneficial. I always knew this that is why I read a lot of different stuff. However, this year I really tried to read at least one book in almost every genre. (Even though I'm sure that there was a lot of fantasy, horror, and general supernatural stuff in there.) I found it amazing how they all fit together even if there not the same. For example the vocabulary used in a classic book might help you better understand a modern book. The mythology used in a graphic novel might help you better understand another story. An historical fact that you learned in one novel can always help you in one way or another. It's very cool how that works.

Humor is important to me. The more I read the more I realized that my favorite books are usually the ones that can make me laugh a little. Also the more sarcastic, witty, or dark the humor is the better. No wonder I like comic books so much.

Reading makes you feel better. I mean sure I knew that reading helps you brain. This year I learned that it really helps your nervous systems. I have a nervous systems disorder, so all this reading kept me more in balance and pretty calm. I have a surprisingly stressful job and I'm a perfectionist, so calm is good.

Like I said Happy New Year. I will have to look around for some challenges to sign up for in the coming new year. Now I have a full proof method to meet read goals why waste it. Ha ha. Plus, I was just fun. Maybe I'll try to read over 100 books next year. See you soon. Keep it shiny!

My Epic Reading Adventures: The Final Five

2011-12-28T22:50:00.000-08:00

Chapter 29: The Final Five

That right. You read it. Five more books and I will have read one-hundred books this year. Strangely (I never thought I would say this) I haven't wanted to buy new books. Gasp... I'm just in the mood to read what I've already got I guess. Thus, I have turning my house upside down to find any books that I can realistically complete in my three day time limit. I've discovered that I'm a big fan of the long novel, but I did find some stuff. By some twist of glorious fate I found my lost copy of Breakfast at Tiffany's while cleaning. I breezed though that in a few hours. I also discovered a book called Dancing Though Fire in my library which I hadn't read yet (obviously I have now). I dug up my long forgotten graphic novel Death: The Time of Your Life. Now I just have to find five more books. The candidates that I found for Thursday are Number The Stars and The Outsiders. I also randomly found a graphic novel called The Furies hidden in my book case. I vaguely remember buying it, but I don't remember actually reading it. Hmm...I'm sure I did. Then again maybe I didn't. I suppose I'll give it a go and see if anything seems familiar.

I'm still going to read and review a short story this week. Book review work depends on how ahead I get with my reading. Plus, I'm not sure what book I'm inspired to review. I'm playing with the idea of reviewing Shopgirl or On Writing. However, I've been reading so many cool graphic novels maybe I should review one of those. Curse my indecisiveness! I guess the problem is that I have too many ideas. At this moment I'm leaning towards On Writing, because some ideas just appeared in my brain while writing this. We shall see...

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed This Year: 95

Number of Books Left To Complete: 5

My Epic Reading Adventures - Let The Readathon Commence and How The Nook Update Saved Me

2011-12-26T14:28:00.000-08:00

Chapter 27: Let The Readathon Commence! And How the Nook Update Saved Me...

I'm doing surprisingly well at completely books. Only ten books to go. Luckily I am on break from work which means I totally have time for a readathon. All I have to do is read two books a day and I'll make it. I can't tell you how much the Nook update has helped me make leaps and bounds toward reaching my goal. Thank you Nook for updating and adding so many graphic novels to your store. Plus allowing me to watch movies on Netflix. You rock!

I've been enjoying The Ultimates, X-Men and comic book adaptations of Twilight and Dracula. By the way Dracula is so much better as a graphic novel. I also read a Frog and Toad book. I know it's a children's book but it's so cute. To make it even more cute I got the enhanced version that reads to you as you follow along. The way the guy does the voices is awesome. All this short book reading has left me time to read longer things in print. I'm re-reading my favorite book Speak which I hope to finish tonight. Sadly the book has started to fall apart. Bummer! Oh well, I guess I can always buy it again on e-book later, or I could just see if I can glue it back together. I'm very excited that I'm so close to meeting my goal. Yay!

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed This Year: 90

Number of Books Left To Complete: 10

About Books Blog 53: A Christmas Carol

2011-12-24T11:55:00.000-08:00

Author: Charles Dickens
Genre: Classic

Favorite Line

“...It was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that be truly said of us, and all of us!”

Summary (from Goodreads)

Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge has never met a shilling he doesn't like. . .and hardly a man he does. And he hates Christmas most of all. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill.

My Thoughts

To tell you the truth I wasn’t sure if I would like A Christmas Carol. In the past I’ve had some trouble reading works by Charles Dickens. I think that he created excellent plots, but his writing sometimes borders on rhetoric for me. In previous attempts at reading his books I had never actually finished a single one. However, I wasn’t ready to give up on reading Dickens yet so I decided to take a crack at A Christmas Carol.

I was assured by others that I would like it and I did. How could you not like a short heart warming tale with a great message? I enjoyed the little details that were added in to show Scrooge's transformation as a character. The fact that it’s a novella eliminated the potential for Charles Dickens to get overly wordy, and allowed me to see that he was quite an amusing writer. I can’t tell you how many surprisingly humorous moments I discovered in the book. I’m so glad to gave the book a chance. I definitely liked A Christmas Carol and will certainly read it again.

Interesting Facts

Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 1843. Following it he capitalized on it’s success by publishing similar Christmas tales annually between 1844 and 1848.

During the time of the books release and many years following the book was said to cause a rise in charitable giving.

The Movie

It wasn’t until I completed the book that I realized the only adaptation of this classic I have actually watched is The Muppet Christmas Carol. A movie which to me is awesomeness upon awesomeness. Surprisingly it doesn’t stray too far from the book in terms of plot despite the Muppet comedy. My mom, dad, and I watch it almost every year at this time. My dad and I can pretty much quote it verbatim. If you haven’t seen it go and get it now. I’m a little surprised that I haven’t seen more movies since there are so many of them. I will have to watch at least one version that I haven't seen this year.

Music To Read By

I usually read this when I was out to lunch or dinner. So what ever the restaurant was playing over their sound system I listened to while reading this book. It's a shame I read it before Thanksgiving. I could have been listening to Christmas music while sitting in those restaurants. When I think of music for this book all I can think of is instrumental Christmas music by The O’Neill Brothers. They have several Christmas albums and I use them quite a bit for Christmas dances. I also think they are a perfect soundtrack for this book. Below is a playlist of songs from some of their Christmas songs.

O'Neill Brothers Christmas Music by Jazz Johnson on Grooveshark

As Tiny Tim said "God bless us every one". Have A Merry Christmas!

Short Story of The Week (54) - The Fir Tree

2011-12-21T13:31:00.000-08:00

Story Title: The Fir Tree

Author: Hans Christian Anderson

Summary

A young fir tree wishes to grow up quickly and understand the meaning of his life.

Favorite Line

"Had I but rejoiced when I had reason to do so! But now 'tis past, 'tis past!"

My Thoughts

It's almost Christmas. Hence I wanted to read a holiday type short story. I didn't know of many though. Except for The Gift of The Magi which I reviewed last year. Thankfully there is such a thing as the computer search engine. Haha! I found this little fairy tale on a website and you can read it for free. You can't beat free and you also can't beat cute. This story was most certainly cute and a little bitter sweet as well. I find that the few Hans Christian Anderson stories I've read are often like that. Partly because that are often very allegorical. I think the message of The Fir Tree is that we rarely realize how happy we are until we get older or the moment is long past. Sometimes we forget to take time to enjoy our youth or our happiness while it is happening. Sometimes it's best not to want to grow up to fast. It's a really wonderful message. I also simply enjoyed the fact that Hans humanized trees, sun beams, various animals. Very adorable. If you think you might like this story check it out. Here is the link: The Fir Tree.

On a side note. Thanks to everyone for putting up with my drop off the face of the earth last week. I was working on the holiday dance show and of course insanity ensued. In a surprisingly good way of course. Then I got sick and all I could do was read and watch TV on Monday and Tuesday. I'm better now and hope to have at least one holiday book review up by Christmas Eve. Going to start working on that today after I read a few more pages of my book. Keep it shiny my loves!

My Epic Reading Adventures: 25 Books Away From Glory and Amazon Rocks

2011-12-06T22:19:00.001-08:00

Chapter 26: 25 Books Away From Glory and Amazon Rocks

I can't believe it I am merely 25 books away from finishing 100 books this year. So close and yet so far. I'm too close to the finish line now to give up now. I just have to make it even though I don't know how I'm going to read that many books in 23 days. If graphic novels and manga didn't count I'd be screwed. Fortunately they do so I'm ok. Yay! However, I want to enjoy some normal books as well. I asked my friend Katrina (who is also an epic reader) if she knew of any short books and she offered a lot of great ideas. Cirque Du Freak, Vladimir Tod, Ghostgirl, The Sisters Grimm, and Winnie The Pooh. I decided to start the first Sisters Grimm book. It just sounded cute.

Sadly I've left a lot of my Secondary Reads in the dust for shorter reads. I just don't have a lot of time on my hands. I'm kind of disappointed about that, but I will definitely make all those book a priority in the new year. I fact the only long book that I've finished is Along Came A Spider. Oh did I tell you that I read Wolves of Willoughby Chase last week. I don't mean to give half my review of it away ahead of time, but I will anyway. It was flipping awesome!

This week I finally got around to reading The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. I completed it in one day. Don't know what took me so long to get around to reading it. The book has been sitting on my shelf since...well I guess since around the time the book came out. I guess all the Breaking Dawn hype reminded me that I should read it. Which subsequently reminded me that I still have not reviewed all the Twilight books even though I promised to like four years ago. Opps! I'll have to get to that sometime even though I'm pretty sure most of the known world has read or made an opinion of them by now. I figure my point of view might still be worth reading, but mostly I just want to show off my playlists. Ha ha. Perhaps I should warn you now that I'm not a fan of the films. I'm going re-read the books next year anyway for a project my mom and I are putting together. I'm not going to tell you guys about it yet. It's still in the thinking box stage.

Speaking of reviews I've got to get to work on some, because I have so many ideas. I lucked out and got to watch the movie version of The Christmas Box on Sunday, so that will help me out with the book review. However, I want to review The Christmas Carol and The Christmas Box closer to the actual holiday, so I decided I might review Shiver next because it's getting cold outside. I'm really into doing seasonal reviews this year. I don't know why. Just a mood that struck me I suppose.

Oh yes, I almost forgot to tell you why Amazon rocks. It's because they have almost everything of course. I've been wanting to re-read Cycle of The Werewolf for at least a month now, but sadly don't own it. This is why I prefer to buy books instead of checking them out a the library. They're always there when you need them that way. I ordered it on Monday. I am so excited! I also ordered the 6th Sandman volume which I'm very excited about as well. I might get them tomorrow...or I guess today since it's past 1 in the morning. How confusing. Why can't I write at normal times of the day? Well, I'm going to sign off. I'm going to go read some more. Book number 76 here I come.

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed This Year: 75

Number of Books Left To Complete: 25

Follow Friday and TGIF!

2011-12-02T01:07:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone. I hope you enjoy visiting my blog. Have a great weekend and keep it shiny!

Writing Reviews 101: What's your process for writing book reviews? Any tips or suggestions you would recommend to other bloggers?

I've had this blog since late 2008 and I have just now discovered a method of review writing that works for me. It took me awhile to find new coping skills to get past of my brain blocks created by my learning differences, but I think I finally found a writing technique. Be prepared though it's a kind of long process in writing. Ha ha!

To start off I pick the book I want to review. I read several books to get ahead so I have lots of options on what to review. I like to wait a long while before I write a review. I know most book bloggers probably like to review right after they finish a book, but I like to write anywhere from a week or even longer to compose a review if I can. The reason for this is that it takes my dyspraxic/ADD mind a long time to order thoughts and impressions into a form that will make since to others.

After I get a decent idea of what I want to say in my mind I make a new document on Google Docs. I type up the titles for all the sections of my review: Favorite Line, Summary, My Thoughts (aka the review), Interesting Facts, The Movie, Music To Read By, Book Playlist. I usually type out what I want to say on every section except the book review part. I usually start with the Interesting Facts part because that takes a little bit of research. While doing this I often multitask by creating and listening to the books playlist on Grooveshark. The music often helps me remember my first impressions of the book.

I like to save the book review section for last. On a rare occasion I end up doing my movie review last too, but only if I have a lot to say about the film. I dictate the book review section into the computer with Dragon Voice Recognition Software. The voice recognition software keeps little things from stopping my writing flow. Without it I can sometimes get overly frustrated with spelling or word order, and by the time I figure it out I've forgotten what I wanted to write. It's much easier for me to dictate, and worry about the little things later. However, if I don't have anything written before in dictate I end up just saying umm... into the microphone. So before I sit and speak it all down I take a blank sheet of paper (it has to be plain white computer paper lined paper distracts me), and I hand write a general idea of what I want to say.

After the whole rough draft of the post is finished I read it a bunch of times and try to catch as many mistakes as I can. I still miss some because I'm a little dyslexic as well but I'm getting a lot better at seeing my writing mistakes. Then I copy and paste my writing into the word processor Open Office to run spelling a grammar check. I don't always use all the grammar corrections, because I still want the writing to sound conversational first and foremost. I then copy and paste the newly revised blog post back into Google Docs. That way I can access it from any computer in case I want to post from my dance studio instead of at home.

When I feel that the post is ready to see the public. I turn on my pre-made book playlist on Grooveshark. This my last chance to check that the songs I've picked fit the book a flow well. It's also a great soundtrack for putting a blog post together. Then I open up photobucket for the book's picture. I copy and paste the entire review into blogger. Then I get the font sizes and colors looking the way I want. I wait until I'm blogger to type in the song titles and artists for the playlist, because you know how word processors are about unusual words and names. I post the playlist player, so you can all have a listen. Then I write a closing statement. After all if that I read it over again a few times to see if I can catch anymore writing problems. There are usually a few more fixes. I finally post the book review blog post for you all to see. Then I read it one more time. Believe it or not I still find some really hilarious typos even with all the re-reading I've done, and I end up editing the post right away. Then I'm done with the whole thing. I feeling very accomplished and I'm recommending you an awesome (hopefully) book at the same time. Wow! I never realized how much work this all was until now. I guess it's because it doesn't seem like work it only seems like entertaining fun at the time.

The best advice I would give to a blogger is keep writing and experimenting until you find what works for you. Practice makes permanent, but the practice should always be rewarding and fun. In addition, don't try to write like anyone else just write like you.

Question: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don't like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

Hmm... Let me think...

1. When authors focus so much on minute details that they forget the big picture. This is what I like to call pointless rhetoric. The writer often forgets the scale of the plot or forgets to tell you how a character got from one place to another, because they're making a personal statement or really into describing a flower. So annoying. Stick to the important stuff in the story and just let the rest embellish it.

2. The author sets up a whole plot direction and then deviates from it or never complete it at the very end of the novel for no reason. Why?

3. When a writer becomes obsessed with a particular word and uses it excessively, as if the invention of the thesaurus never occurred. I can only guess that this pet peeve came from when I read Lord of The Flies in high school (horrible book...great symbolism but horrible horrible book.) William Golding is absolutely overly obsessed with the word creepers. It's always creepers this and creepers that. In the immortal words of the Peanuts I say: "Good grief!"

Now every time I notice an author just do this a little bit it bugs me. I love the Twilight books but Stephanie is quite fond of the word "chagrin". I loved Maggie Stiefvater's book Shiver, but she seemed to be a little too in love with the word "pragmatic." Not that there is anything wrong with these words. I love them in moderation. I think it just reminds me of the "creepers" experience. A couple days ago my mother explained to me that the over use of the words in the last two examples is almost okay because they are kind of written in diary format. Often when journal we find words that we love and use them over and over. I have to admit she is right, so they are forgiven (can't forgive the creeper thing though). I know even when blog I fall in love with certain words. On the other hand this considering this is published fiction we are talking about I don't see what is wrong with mixing things up and using words like: vines/ivy/leaves (creepers), vexed/humiliation/disappointment (chagrin), and practical/logical/commonsensical (pragmatic) once in awhile.

4. This is a minor issue that only bothers me in a few books. I kind of don't like when characters don't learn anything from their previous bad experiences. Yet again this only bugs me sometimes. On certain characters not learning anything can be quite endearing.

Short Story of The Week (53) - The Corsage

2011-12-01T22:22:00.001-08:00

Story Title: The Corsage

From: Prom Nights From Hell

Author: Lauren Myracle

Summary

A teenage girl gains possession of a corsage which is said to be able to grant three wishes, but every wish come with a great price.

My Thoughts

I knew that I would like The Corsage as soon as I read the note from the author at the beginning. The note stated that she based this story on the 1902 story The Monkey's Paw, which apparently scared her silly. I didn't only enjoy the actually story Lauren Myracle created. I loved the personalities of the characters. I thought it was wonderful that she addes some teen culture details into the story to make them behave young people and like things that "real" teens like. This made the characters believable even the the circumstances were certainly supernatural. This was a lovely read indeed.

About Books Blog 52 - My Year With Eleanor

2011-11-26T19:26:00.001-08:00

Author: Noelle Hancock

Genre: Memoir

Favorite Line

I had so many favorites I can’t put them all down. Here are just few that I loved. The last one is my favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quote mentioned in the book.

“Fear can paralyze our lives. Fear of making that wrong decision keeps us from making any decision.”

“Perfectionism is the fear of making mistakes.”

“Fear is just excitement without breath.”

“You have to do things now... even if you don’t feel ready.”

“You must do the thing you think you cannot do” - Eleanor Roosevelt

Summary (from Goodreads)

After losing her high-octane job as an entertainment blogger, Noelle Hancock was lost. About to turn twenty-nine, she'd spent her career writing about celebrities' lives and had forgotten how to live her own. Unemployed and full of self-doubt, she had no idea what she wanted out of life. She feared change—in fact, she feared almost everything. Once confident and ambitious, she had become crippled by anxiety, lacking the courage required even to attend a dinner party—until inspiration struck one day in the form of a quote on a chalkboard in a coffee shop:"Do one thing every day that scares you."—Eleanor Roosevelt

Painfully timid as a child, Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated herself to facing her fears, a commitment that shaped the rest of her life. With Eleanor as her guide, Noelle spends the months leading up to her thirtieth birthday pursuing a "Year of Fear." From shark diving to fighter pilot lessons, from tap dancing and stand-up comedy to confronting old boyfriends, her hilarious and harrowing adventures teach her about who she is, and what she can become—lessons she makes vital for all of us.

My Thoughts

I’ve never reviewed a memoir for this blog, so I was very excited read one to give it a try. My Year With Eleanor was highly recommended by my mother. She was completely right. This book was awesome!

My Year With Eleanor is not only memoir. It also offered elements history and self-help. You get to gain a great deal of knowledge about the life of Eleanor Roosevelt without having to read a bunch of boring textbooks. Noelle Hancock tells you all the important highlights of Eleanor’s life, and adds a few juicy details in to boot. Which I found very cool.

The reason I stated that it is a bit of a self-help novel is because Noelle’s journey through her “year of fear” teaches her many ways to cope with fear. Thus, I inadvertently learned ways to cope with fear as well. It was also intriguing to me that I shared fears with her. I’m not just talking about the big things like a fear of heights, but smaller things as well. I thought I was the only one that had a slight fear of talking to people on the phone but apparently I’m not. Ha ha! Reading about Noelle facing and conquering her fears was inspiring and empowering.

To add to all the meaningful things I learned from My Year With Eleanor, the book just happens to be utterly hilarious. Her descriptions of the situations she gets into are deeply amusing, and the interactions between her and the people in her life just cracked me up. Basically, I just loved this book immensely. My Year With Eleanor will definitely be placed amongst my favorite books.

Facts I Found Interesting

Gosh, I think the book itself is all the fact finding you need. Like I said it gives a short overview of Eleanor Roosevelt life and I found that very interesting.

The Movie

There’s not a movie, but I think it would make a great one. Movie based on true stories are always interesting. Plus, I can just see all the enjoyable hilarity in the book working on film.

Music To Read By

I don’t remember what music I listened to while reading this. I know that I did though. I’m betting that it was something on Pandora radio. You know it might have been my Glee Cast channel on Pandora. Yes, that was definitely my music of choice now that I think about it. I strived to make a playist comprised completely out of songs mentioned in the book. However, I left off the Divinyls' song “I Touch Myself” even though it is mentioned in the book. Frankly that song grates my nerves. To make up for it I added Madonna’s song “Jump” to the mix instead. It fits the theme of the book. Madonna was kind of mentioned in the novel, so I’m not totally deviating from my all songs from the book playlist goal.

My Year With Eleanor Playlist

Some People - Gypsy Cast

I Would Do Anything For Love - Meatloaf

Creep (Radio Edit) - Radiohead

( I put this on my Catcher in the Rye playlist not long ago. Ironically it is in this book, so I’m using it again.)

Shoop - Salt-N-Pepa

Proud Mary - Ike and Tina Turner

The Way You Look Tonight - Micheal Buble

Highway To The Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins

I Just Called To Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder

Jump - Madonna

Book Playlist: My Year With Eleanor by Jazz Johnson on Grooveshark

That's all folks. Hope you enjoyed this review. Happy reading and keep it shiny!

Short Story of The Week (52) - The Doll

2011-11-24T21:23:00.001-08:00

Story Title: The Doll

From: The Doll: The Lost Short Stories

Author: Daphne du Maurier

Summary

Man discovers that the woman that is the object of his obsession has an object of obsession of her own.

Favorite Line

"You fill me with a kind of horror, a devastating hate that is akin to love -- a hunger that is nausea."

My Thoughts

I found The Doll a very compelling story. I also found it very unsettling. The story is written as if a doctor (can only assume that he is a psychologist) is publishing the faded journal of a nameless man on the verge of a breakdown. Since the journal is fade in places it often leaves out parts of the narrative where it writing is claimed to be illegible. This only severed to be more unsettling to the reader. It left you feeling a little lost, but in a good way because the narrator is a little lost as well. In fact there is quite a bit of confusion written in to the story. It made you feel like you were going crazy along with this nameless guy who has become deeply obsessive over this woman (who is ironically named Rebecca, though I don't think this story has any relation to Daphne du Maurier's novel of the same title.)

I found Rebecca herself quite troubling. Her description gives you that terrifyingly beautiful vibe. She definitely draws this guy to her in a very strange almost mystical manner that was kind of creepy. It the end I think what I think when the parts that involved the actual "doll" that gave me the wiggins the most. I won't tell you much about it, because it would ruin the story for you. Most of it is implied which of course makes you imagine that everything is much worse that it is. I always think it's great when authors do that. Daphne did an awesome job at creating a mood and making the feelings in the story very tangible. Even though I did find The Doll disturbing is was almost deliciously so. Thus, I have to say that I kind of liked it despite it's weirdness.

My Epic Reading Adventures: A Much Needed Update

2011-11-23T15:35:00.001-08:00

Chapter 25: A Much Needed Update

Hello all! Wow! The days just slipped away from me. The time for hand making tutus came upon me. They're no sew but still a lot of work. I was worth it though. I tried them on my little dancers and they looked darn cute. I wish I had a picture of them to show you, but I got a new phone this weekend for a early Christmas present. I haven't gotten all my pictures sorted out yet. Maybe next time.

I got the week off work this week and totally got lazy. I was in the mood for a crime thriller this week, so I'm reading Along Came A Spider by James Patterson. That book is surprisingly relaxing for a thriller. I keep falling asleep on my couch while reading it. Today my mom was like, "you need to post something on your book blog." She reads my blog when she wants to wind down during a work break or before bed. Apparently I was totally messing with her day plan by not posting. Ha ha! I'm going to read a short story tonight. I'll probably post the review of it on Friday though because tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I also want to get my book review up this weekend. My computer flipped out when it came you my voice recognition software. Hence the hold up, but I think the problem is fixed. I'm going to work on the review more after writing this.

As for what I've been reading while I was gone I might have gone a little comic book crazy. That's okay because they were all fun. I did read some normal books in the form of The Mist, The Christmas Box, and The Christmas Carol. Can you believe it? I actually completed a Charles Dickens book for the first time in my life. I'm so happy!!! I've always wanted to and I finally did. However, I believe if all his books were as short as The Christmas Carol I would have had success much sooner. I'm going to review both Christmas books near the holiday to put you all in the holiday spirit. That's all folks. See you soon. Happy Thanksgiving!

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed This Year: 67

Number of Books Left To Complete: 33

Short Story of The Week (51) - Price of Desire

2011-11-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

Story Title: Price of Desire

From: White Swan, Black Swan

Author: Adrienne Sharp

Summary

James considers the conflicts of his life and his dancing, and wonders if he should join the New York City Ballet where his sister dances.

My Thoughts

I know this is a very belated short story this week. I had a rather sleepless night and I had my private ballet class today. Then I had to go a buy props for the upcoming Christmas show. I found the perfect stuff. Anyway, it's been a dancing type of week so I read a dancing type of story. Prince of Desire was very thought provoking. I like seeing the way that Adrienne wrote male characters since the stories I've read in this book previously have had lead characters that were women. Overall, I really enjoyed this.

My Epic Reading Adventures: Actually Productive

2011-11-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

Chapter 24: Actually Productive

For the first time in a long time I've felt like I've accomplished a few things that were actually productive this week. In terms of my job I finished some dances, found some great songs for dances, and did all the costume orders I needed. In terms of blogging I've actually managed to post on both this blog and my song blog a reasonable hours instead of in the wee hours of the morning. I also got a book review out on the exact day that I wanted instead of a week passed the day I planed.

I'm on track with my reading. I suddenly got in the mood for non-fiction in the early parts of the week, so I picked up Stephen King's book "On Writing." I finished it yesterday. I'm very temped to review it right away, but I think I've put the "My Year With Eleanor" review on the back burner for way too long. Then it was in the mood for a bit of horror and zombies. It just so happens that nook color has an application for the comic "Walking Dead." I got volume 1 and burned rubber though that book as well yesterday. The way it's going I see no problems with finishing at least four books this week. Yay! I want to at least pass book sixty by Sunday. Well, I'm off to get ready to teach dance class. I'm going to try to post this weeks short story tonight or in the afternoon tomorrow. I'm not sure what to read this time hmm... I'll think on it.

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed So Far This Week: 2

Number of Books Completed This Year: 59

Number of Book Left To Complete: 41

About Books Blog 51 - The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

2011-10-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

Author: Robert Louis Stevenson

Genre: Classic/Mystery/Horror

Favorite Line

“With every day, and from both sides of my intelligence, the moral and the intellectual, I thus drew steadily nearer to that truth, by whose partial discovery I have been doomed to such a dreadful shipwreck: that man is not truly one, but truly two.”

Summary

London lawyer Gabriel Utterson investigates the strange incidents that occur between his old friend Dr. Jekyll and a man of ambiguous nature Mr. Hyde.

My Thoughts

It’s Halloween! I thought I’d review something with a little classic horror for the occasion. I decided to reread The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a few weeks ago. As usual I made several new observations. I’d forgotten that Dr. Jekyll and his alter ego Mr. Hyde are so rarely seen in the novella. The story focuses primarily on the lawyer Mr. Utterson’s study of the case and is for the most part told from his point of view. This adds a feeling of mystery to the tale. It also add a unique style to the writing. Another cool mysterious element is that Stephen then only eludes to what Mr. Hyde dastardly deeds could be. Thus, the readers imagination is allowed to run wild. I greatly appreciate that fact that the story mixes more than one genre into it’s telling. It part mystery/horror but on the other hand it is a bit of an allegorical tale as well. If you like a good mystery with a hint of horror Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a great novella to spend your day with. I think I liked it even better on the second read though than I did the first.

Facts I Found Interesting

. Not unlike many popular writers Stevenson was inspired to write the book by a dream.

. The author’s wife often read his manuscripts and offered her notes to him. For this book in particular she encouraged him to approach it with more of a allegory angle.

. In 1990 author Valerie Martin published a the parallel novel Mary Reilly. A story which centers on the life of a maid who works in the Dr. Jekyll’s home. I’m very curious about what this book is like. I’m thinking I might have to buy it and take it for a spin.

The Movie

There are of a ridiculous amount of adaptations of this book. Yet, I haven’t watched a single one of them. It’s really a shame. I’m really surprised I haven’t watch at least the ones that are classic black and white films. I guess I have a lot of DVDs to put in my Netflix queue. I’ll let you know what I think when I watch some of them. I’ve been dying to see the musical adaptation Jekyll and Hyde for a long time. I’ve listened to the music and it is awesome. I think there is a recording of the musical out there somewhere. I just have to get my hands on it. I have also seen the movie version of the parallel novel Mary Reilly many times. I really like it. I think the look of the film and the actors are really wonderful. I suppose that Julia Roberts’ accent is a little debatable, but the movie is so interesting that I can look past it.

Music To Read By

Yet again I ended up reading this in front of the TV instead of listening to music. I finished it in a day so not much time to find my musical niche with this book. I’m going to do something I rarely do a pass on the playlist for this one. I simply could not think of enough songs for this book. However, like I said before check out the soundtrack for the musical if you can. There really are some lovely songs.That’s all folks. This was kind of a short review. Well, at least for me anyway. It’s a short book so thus the short review. Ha ha. Happy reading! Happy Halloween!

Short Story of The Week (50) - Linnea

2011-10-26T23:04:00.000-07:00

Story Title: Linnea

From: Half-Human

Author: D.J. Malcolm

Summary

Linnea finds herself kidnapped by a half man half shark sea god, and in thus makes many discoveries about herself. Firstly is a mermaid and secondly her father was once a sea god.

My Thoughts

Well, it's seems like all my young dance students can talk about is mermaids. Somehow I think that made me want to read a mermaid story. This one is different from any one that I have read. It was also very action packed for a short story. There were so many surprise reveals, chases, and even a tiny bit of fighting. I have to say that I enjoyed it immensely.

My Epic Reading Adventures: Distracted by Music

2011-10-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Chapter 23: Distracted by Music

Hello all. Long time no see. The strange fact is that I haven't been reading as much as usual lately or even blogging much. What I've really been into is writing songs and playing music. It just an area I'm very inspired in right now. Which is great but it's distracted me from blogging. However, I have not forgotten you my fabulous readers. I do have upcoming short story reviews and book reviews. I was going to review My Year With Eleanor next, but I'm thinking since it's kind of close to Halloween maybe I should review Dr. Jekyel and Mr, Hyde instead.

As for what I been reading well. I had a bit of a back slide one week and only read one book. I just didn't know what I felt like reading that week. I know I have a lot of secondary reads I could pick up, but I was in the mood for something new. My mom suggested that I should read a comic or a manga, and that helped me get back on track last week. Right now I'm reading Shiver. It is certainly not novella length, but my mom kept talking about how great it was so I had to read it right after her. I think I'll finish it quickly. Hope to see you all tomorrow with my short story review. Keep it shiny!

Progress Report

Number of Books Read This Year: 56

Number of Book Left to Complete: 44

About Books Blog 50: The Catcher in the Rye

2011-10-12T23:49:00.000-07:00

Author: J.D. Salinger

Genre: General Fiction

Favorite Line

“I’m quite illiterate, but I read a lot.”

Summary

Holden Caulfield relates the tale of the two days after he gets expelled from yet another “phony” prep school.

My Thoughts

The Catcher in the Rye is a book where everything happens, and yet nothing exactly happens. This is because the actual events in the plot a fairly simplistic. I felt the fact that the events were simple worked in the book’s favor. It allowed the reader to really focus on the thoughts to the main character, Holden Caulfield.

He’s quite a likeable character despite his flaws. He’s immature, socially inept, perhaps a little overly fond of using vulgar language, and finds almost everything depressing. With most characters these traits would probably annoy me. However, with Holden they are oddly endearing, and occasionally hilarious. I think the fact that he is a flawed character is what makes him so relate-able to so many people.

The best thing about the novel is that Salinger wrote it with a style that is similar to how everyone in real life thinks, very free-flowing and impromptu. I had to be careful about getting too into the writing style though. When I was in a good mood I could just enjoy the story. When I was in a bad mood I started writing my blog posts with an attitude very close to the book’s protagonist. For example I wrote this on my song blog one night: “I’m in a weird mood lately. Not a bad mood just weird. I can’t really explain it.” If that doesn’t sound a little like Holden I don’t know what does. Ha ha! Overall, I had great fun reading this book. It’s kind of wacky, but extremely awesome.

Facts I Found Interesting

. In 1981 The Catcher in the Rye was both the most censored novel and the second most studied novel in public schools.

. The character Holden and some of his family members are featured in several of Salinger’s short works. A couple of where actually adapted to be chapters in The Catcher in the Rye.

. There is fan fiction for this book. I haven’t actually read any of it, but I just found it interesting that it exists.

. The book is associated with many assassinations. I can’t say that I truly understand why. I can only think of one instance where the main character imagines committing an act of violence, and by then I was so used to the way he thinks that I didn't take it seriously. I wrote it off as a strong bout of teenage angst. I have to admit that Holden is perhaps a bit emotionally disturbed. A problem which I think stems from the death of his brother and other experiences. Yes he does need therapy, but he’s not a complete psycho. The more I analyzed it the more I came to the conclusion that you would have to be really nuts to see anything in the novel that would lead you to kill people. Thankfully most of us are not that crazy.

The Movie

There have been many attempts at adapting The Catcher in the Rye into a film, but nothing successful. There are a variety of logistical reasons for the lack of a film or stage production. However, it all boils down to the fact that the author never wished to sell the rights to the novel to anyone. I'm not sure how it would work as a film anyway. I mean you’d have to adapt it in just the right way to make a movie about a boy wondering aimlessly around New York truly interesting. If you didn't get the perfect script and the perfect actors it just wouldn't work. I when I was checking out Netflix I found a few films and documentaries inspired by the novel or J.D Salinger himself. Of course, the book has been incorporated into the plot of several shows and movies. If you want a to watch film actually based on a literary work by J.D. Salinger you can watch “My Foolish Heart,” which is based on his story “Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut.” I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I'm thinking about watching it soon. I haven’t read the story either. I will possibly look it up for Short Story of the Week sometime, and then I can tell you what I think of both of them.

Music To Read By

I didn’t listen to music for this one. It did make me think of a lot of songs though which I would hum in my head while reading. Interestingly enough The Catcher in the Rye has inspired or been mentioned in several songs. I included a few of these songs on my playlist.

The Catcher in the Rye Playlist

Outsider - The Ramones

Runaway - Linkin' Park

Who Wrote Holden Caulfield - Green Day
Tin Man - Landon Pigg

No Sunlight - Death Cab For Cutie

Oscillate Wildly - The Smiths
I'm Not Talkin' - The Yardbirds
Creep (Radio Edit) - Radiohead

What's My Age Again - Blink-182
God Put A Smile On Your Face - Coldplay

Mad World - Gary Jules

Catcher in the Rye - Gun 'n' Roses

Walking Disaster - Sum 41

Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Radio Edit) - Green Day

Dream On - Aerosmith

The Hard Way - Fort Minor

Catcher in the Rye - Datarock

Unwell - Matchbox 20

Map of The Problematique - Muse

Summer-Tempo Impettuoso d'estate - Atonio Vivaldi

American Tune - Paul Simon

Lost! - Coldplay

Well that's all folks. Happy reading and keep it shiny!

My Epic Reading Adventures: The Half Way Point

2011-10-06T14:06:00.000-07:00

Chapter 22: The Half Way Point

Great news! I can't believe it but I've finally passed the half way point in the 100+ Books Challenge. So exciting! I figure if I can try to read 20 books this month and 20 the next I might actually be ahead of my goal of 100 books by December 31. Maybe I'll even pass the 100 book goal. You never know.

The only glass half empty moment I'm having is that I've in no way reviewed as many books as I've read. The reason for that is that I kind of jumped the gun on getting back to blogging after my hiatus because I missed it so much. I really thought all the issues I was having would be tied up in a week, but they weren't really resolved until just now. Oh well at least things are looking up. Another reason for my reviewlessness is that I kind of got addicted to the Roswell High series at the beginning of the week. I unexpectedly had a free Monday morning so I read the whole 3rd book that day. It ended with a semi-cliffhanger, so then I kind of wanted the read the 4th book on my Tuesday morning off. Then the 4th of course ended with a cliffhanger, so I'm now reading the 5th. Ha ha! I'm sure all you readers out there know how that is. I'm probably going to take a break after the 5th book in the series, because there are 10 books and I will need to read something else eventually.

Speaking of series books I've had a new revelation on how to review these long series books. I'm thinking if a series is over 4 or 5 books I'm just going to read the whole thing and then review the whole series. The books are usually so short and series like Fearless have like 36 books. I'm pretty sure I would run out of things to say. I might bend my own rules if I have something really interesting to say about a certain book, or if I've already started reviewing the series one book at a time. I'm not going to review a series book for a while though. I'm going to review The Catcher in the Rye next. I'm really excited about it. I think I'm going to start writing it tonight since I've been brain storming all week. Yes, I will start writing right after I watch my recording of Vampire Diaries tonight.

Gosh, I have just started to babble. I think I'm just so glad that I'm inspired again. I can't leave without thanking Lori for the novella suggestions. I've put Harvest Moon on my nook wish list. I looks like a great story. Hilariously this week I got suggestions for short books from a guy at the grocery store. His first suggestion was The Box Car Children which I haven't read since I was a child, so it might be a great deal of fun to read them again. His second suggestion was Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. I've never read them before but I keep meaning to. I'm glad he suggested it so that I can remember this time to put it on my wish list. Okay, my babble fest is ending now. See you all later when I post my book review. Keep it shiny!

Progress Report

Number of Book Read So Far This Week: 2 (I want to read 5 by Sunday. That would be awesome.)

Number of Books Completed This Year: 51

Number of Books Left To Complete: 49

Short Story of The Week (49) - Hell on Earth

2011-10-05T23:16:00.000-07:00

Story Title: Hell on Earth

From: Prom Nights From Hell

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Summary

Low level demoness seeks to single-handedly destroy high school prom. However, an angelic spirited boy may throw a wrench in her plans.

Favorite Line

"Was there no way to avoid the horrible wonder of love? That wasn't very likely when you were in an angel's arms."

My Thoughts

The time had come for me to get a new short story book. I was in need of something fresh to sink my imagination into. The title and theme of this short story collection intrigued me, so I thought it would take a look at it. Of course, I had to read Stephenie Meyer's contribution to this collection of tales about supernatural hellish proms first. I thought Hell on Earth was very creative with it's wacky spin on biblical mythology. The story transitions to different view points of major and minor characters throughout. I like it when authors do this especially in short stories. I think it not only makes the story interesting, but it builds the story quickly. I also think using this technique helped demonstrate the havoc that was being caused during the prom. I really enjoyed the dialogue as well. The story is on the long side but totally worth taking the time to read. Overall, I thought Hell on Earth was pretty darn awesome. Aside from the fact that Stephanie Meyer still could not steer away from using her favorite word "chagrin" at least a couple times. Is it just me, or did she or did she not use that word billions of times in the Twilight series? Seriously, she is addicted to the word chagrin.

See you all later when I do my reading update. By the way, I do have several ideas for actual book reviews. I'm thinking I'm going to review The Catcher in the Rye next. I just have to be able to sit still or put a book down long enough to actually write a review. Ha ha! Keep it shiny darlings.

Short Story of The Week (48) - Bones

2011-09-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Story Title: Bones

From: The Rose and The Beast

Author: Francesca Lia Block

Summary

Run away party girl has a run in with a not so nice semi-psychotic guy at a party.

Favorite Line

"I tried to speak but the enchantment had seeped into my mouth like choking electric blue frosting from a cake."

My Thoughts

I kind of just grabbed the first short story book I saw on my way out the door this week. It worked out though because I was kind of in the mood for a fairy tale or a fairy tale re-told this week. Bones is actually based on the folktale Bluebeard. Admittedly it was a tale I didn't know much about until reading this short story. Thank goodness for Wikipedia. I looked it up right away. It's quite the little horror story. Which meant there was a horror twist to Bones when Francesca Block modernized the original tale. The good part of both tales is that they both surprisingly end well. Everybody likes it when the main character wins. I loved that Bones was written with such sensory language. It added to the connection with the narrator. I think it was possibly my favorite story out of this book that I've read so far. I keep forgetting to check some more of Francesca's books out. Hmm...maybe I'll write myself a note to look for some tonight.

My Epic Reading Adventures: In Need of Novellas

2011-09-25T23:45:00.000-07:00

Chapter 21: In Need of Novellas

Hello all. I'm back. Thanks for being so great and understanding. Also thanks to those of you who left sweet uplifting comments. I really needed that. Many hugs!

I've realized through doing some semi-accurate math, that I will probably have to read four or five books a week if I want to complete a hundred books by the end of the year. Hence, I'm resorting to really short books and novellas more than ever. I'm going from reading things that are no more than 250 pages to books only a little over hundred pages. It's worked out so far this week. Most young adult book are that length, but it's taking me awhile to find a variety of genres that are short. Any ideas? I've found some ideas on the internet, but what are some of your favorite novellas.

Well the great thing about having life trials and tribulations is that is makes you want to curl up with a book even more that you did before. So I've read quite a few things since we last saw each other. Of course I finished book 4 of Sandman which means I'm going to have to order more online soon. Then I went novella mode and decided to start with Steve Martin's book Shop Girl. That made me curious about other fiction written by actors so I decide to read Hilary Duff's book Elixir. Then I was in the mood for something more youthful and multicultural so I read Bindi Babes by Narindar Dhami. For something different I read I Can't Keep My Own Secrets a collection of six word memoirs by teens. It was interesting and it was only 34 pages. I put the rest of the series on my wish list. Lastly I spent today reading Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde. I had read it before but really had forgotten everything but the general plot. I was fun to revisit it again.

In other book news, I'm going to pick a new realistic re-read book. I did want to read The Usual Rules, but I'm not it the mood now. Plus, it's way too long and I need to get it on e-book so I can have larger print. I'm playing with the idea of re-reading Anne of Green Gables or maybe I'll read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Hmm...not sure which. Leaning toward Anne though. I miss her character so much. I haven't read the Anne books in a long time. Anne it is then. I think it's around 200 pages. I'll read something really short at the same time to balance it out.

Progress Report

Number of Books Read This Week: 4

Number of Books Completed This Year: 46

Number of Book Left To Complete: 54

Brief Hiatus

2011-09-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

Hello all. I've been gone almost all week. I'm going through a lot in life personally and professionally. It's all left me very drained and uninspired. Hence, I'm officially going on a brief hiatus for this. Not for long. I'm thinking I'll only be gone for the duration of a couple days or one week at the most. I'm going to try to keep writing on my song journal blog, but I don't want to spread myself to thin right now. I just need a little time to recharge and figure some life things out, then I'll be back to my wacky fun book reading self. I hope you guys understand. Many hugs. Keep it shiny!

About Books Blog 49: Glass

2011-09-12T23:21:00.000-07:00

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Genre: Young Adult

Related Reviews In The Crank Trilogy

Book 1: Crank

Favorite Line

“How do you tell your heart, no, don’t swell with magic, you’ll only burst? How do you tell it to clamp itself off from possibilities?”

Summary (from Goodreads)

Crank. Glass. Ice. Crystal. Whatever you call it, it's all the same: a monster. And once it's got hold of you, this monster will never let you go.Kristina thinks she can control it. Now with a baby to care for, she's determined to be the one deciding when and how much, the one calling the shots. But the monster is too strong, and before she knows it, Kristina is back in its grips. She needs the monster to keep going, to face the pressures of day-to-day life. She needs it to feel alive.Once again the monster takes over Kristina's life and she will do anything for it, including giving up the one person who gives her the unconditional love she craves -- her baby.

My Thoughts

Glass is the sequel to Ellen Hopkins’ book Crank. The subject matter in Glass more adult than in Crank, so I would suggest it for the older teens. I had some major mixed feelings about this book. I still loved to Ellen Hopkins writing style. I still loved that she wrote the book in verse. However, this book made so flipping angery. It was clear within the first few pages but the main character Kristina had learned absolutely nothing from her experiences in the first the book. By nothing I mean absolutely zero learning here. I guess I should have expected this would happen. The protagonist in this novel is after all a drug addict. This book proves that addicts are very good at lying to themselves. It also proves that drugs can make you make some really wacky choices. Other than taking the drugs which is a loopy choice in itself. The more I read Glass the more Kristina’s decisions started to make me want to lose my mind. I wanted to reach into the Kindle app on my phone and shake some sense into that girl. In the end it was an excellent book, but it was not a relaxing read. Hence, the mixed feelings. I’m still going to read the third book, but it might take me a while to get around to it.

Music to Read By

My favorite album to listen to while reading Glass was When the Pawn… by Fiona Apple. Something about Fiona’s attitude in her songs just made me think of Kristina. I also liked listening to the Whip It soundtrack. A cool element about Glass is that in the book we get to learn more about Kristina’s musical taste. She is quite fond of classic rock, metal, and surprisingly some Beethoven. As usual I tried to include some of the songs and artists mentioned in the book on my playlist below. A short warning for the playlist the Fiona Apple songs have curse words in them. I usually try to avoid picking songs that do, but they really fit the book. However, if you have a problem with profanity you might defiantly want to skip reading Glass anyway. In addition couldn’t find the version of Imogen Heap’s “Bad Body Double” with the lyrics on Grooveshark. I could only find the instrumental. I posted a link to Youtube if you want to listen to one with singing. I think the lyrics fit with the idea of Kristina’s alter ego Bree. Wow! I really like this playlist. Weirdly the books I’m most conflicted about get the best playlists.

Glass Playlist

Monster - Vitamin String Quartet

Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk - Rufus Wainwright

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard

Mistake - Fiona Apple

I Can’t Quit You Baby - Led Zeppelin

Jaded - Aerosmith

Boys Wanna Be Her - Peaches

On The Bound - Fiona Apple

Bad Body Double - Imogen Heap

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Tori Amos

Under the Sheets - Ellie Goulding

Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin

Fur Elise (Techno Remix) - Beethoven (I don’t know who remixed it.)

Harvester of Sorrow - Metallica

Dream On - Aerosmith

That's it darlings. I actually managed to keep the review short and not succumb to comma epilepsy for once. Which is hilarious because I dictated almost the entire thing into a microphone. You would think that I would babble incessantly, but it's the opposite. Ha ha! See you later friends and followers. Keep it shiny!

My Epic Reading Adventures: I Read That...No Wait I Didn't

2011-09-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

Chapter 20: I Read That...No Wait I Didn't

Have you ever seen a book on your shelf and thought that you had read it, only to realize a couple pages in that you hadn't read it at all? This totally happened to me last night when I started volume 3 of the Sandman series. I don't know what happened. I totally thought I had read it. I mean it's been sitting on my shelf for years. What makes it even more funny is that I went through all this effort to get volume 4 online thinking I read volume 3. I am the worst at remembering the order books

online so I really took some doing to get book 4 in my hands. Oh well, I'm really excited to read the book that I didn't know that I hadn't read. It's always nice to read something new to you.

By the way, I'm writing this on my new Dragon voice recognition software. It is so fun and so much easier for me to get my ideas out in writing. I'm excited to try writing my next review with it. I haven't had as much time to write this week as I though I would, but I'm hoping to get part of a review written tonight. Then tomorrow I'm going try to film a vlog again. Hopefully I'll do better than last time and you'll actually get to see it. Ha ha! Oh my gosh! I'm sitting by the bookcase in my library and I just found the first three books in my Vampire Game manga series. I thought I'd lost those. It turns out they were in my bookcase the entire time. Sorry I had a moment of randomness there. I'm just really happy I found those books. See you all later. Keep it shiny!

Progress Report

New Primary Read Chosen: the Sandman: dream country.

Number of Books Read so Far This Week: 1

Number of Books Read This Year: 39

Number of Books Left to Read: 61

Short Story of The Week (47) - Sorry, Right Number

2011-09-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

Story Title: Sorry, Right Number

From: Nightmares & Dreamscapes.

Author: Stephen King

Summary

Author's wife gets a mysterious call.

Favorite line

"Bad to buy trouble before you know it's on sale."

My Thoughts

"Sorry, Right Number" differs from other short stories in the way that is written in screenplay format. It's unusual format to find in a short story book, but nonetheless it is quite fun to read. The screenplay format made the imagery seem more prevalent. The story leans more towards being a time warp story than a Stephen King's normally creepy tales. Not that it doesn't have a certain level scare factor involved. As usual I enjoyed that and it came around to where this story started from. I really love the directions the tale took the reader in. I would definitely read it again. A great story for easy late night reading.

My Epic Reading Adventures: Great Gifts

2011-09-05T23:40:00.000-07:00

Chapter 19: Great Gifts

Hey everyone. How was your holiday? Mine was interesting and yet fun. I'm one of those people that decided to work on during my holiday, well except for Sunday which I spent sleeping on the couch and watching movies. That was fun. Working today was fun too. I got to spend today with people who are great to work with.

I had an awesome B-day last Friday. I called my party sushi and superheros. My mom, my friends, and I all went to eat great fresh sushi and had cheese cake. We all had to wear a t-shirt with some kind of comic book character on it. I'm sure we looked wacky but in a good way. My dad joined us later we went to a late night viewing of Fight Club at the Franklin Theater. Didn't quite fit my superhero theme, but it's still a great movie and it was cheaper than going to the normal movie theater.

I got wonderful and useful gifts. My friends gave me a scarf and jewelry. What girl doesn't need that? My parents gave lots of great stuff as well. I got Zumba Toning sticks for zumba class. They are these fun colored weights with sand in them so they make a shaking sound like maracas when you dance. So fun! I also received a new super hero T-shirt. I am obsessed with super hero shirts right now. The new one I got has Spider-man on it. My other two gifts were quite blog and bookish. I finally found a copy of The Catcher in the Rye that was in a font size and had spacing that my little learning difference brain could read. So I added that to my gift pile. Believe it of not I found it at Target and not at the book store as I expected. I am so excited to read it. I felt rather silly that I hadn't read it when it seems like almost everyone has read it for school or something. Last but not least my parents gave me the voice recognition software I've been wanting. I haven't gotten around to setting up the system on my computer, but I can't wait to try it out. I'm sure you guys can't wait either. I've been talking about getting that software for months.

Now on to the book news. I didn't quite finish three books like I wanted last week. However, I still read my required two books and I read half of a new book, so I came really close. I started the second Sandman book right after I finished the first. Of course, I'm reading The Catcher in the Rye. My re-reading of The Usual Rules has be put on a bit of a stand still. I do want to read it, but my reading road has taken my in a slightly different direction. I'll just read The Usual Rules slowly like I do with Hamlet and North and South. Gosh, I just realized I haven't read Hamlet in awhile. I hope I haven't lost track of what's going on.

Wow! I really started to babble this time. Ha ha! I'll see you all soon for Short Story of The Week. I'm going to try to do two reviews this week. One is going to be for the first two Roswell High books since a couple of you asked about them. for my second review I can't decided if I want to review Glass or The Gift of Illusion. Maybe I'll start both and see where it takes me. By the way thanks to all the people who stopped by and followed on the Friday Blog Hops. Many hugs. Keep it shiny!

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed This Year: 38

Number of Book Left To Complete: 62

Friday Hops Birthday Fun!

2011-09-01T23:02:00.000-07:00

Hello every one. Hope you enjoy stopping by. Keep it shiny!

Hosted by Greads

Making a Difference: Which book(s) would you put in the hands of today's teenagers in hopes of making a difference in their lives?

I'm going to go with The Bible. If you want a book to change you life that's the one to read.

Hosted by Parajunkee's View and Allison Can Read

If you could change the ending of any book (or series), which book would you choose? And, why?

Hmm...Maybe the end of Pet Sematary. It was clear by the end that the main character had learned absolutely nothing from the previous crazy events. Another one I might change is Blood and Chocolate. (Spoiler Alert!) The author spends the whole novel setting up the relationship between the werewolf girl and the human and the wolf girl goes and chooses to be with another werewolf. I don't know why that bothered me so much but it did.

Hosted by Crazy-for-Books

“What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season – A particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation? (If your next season is other than fall/autumn, tell us about it and what you are most looking forward to in your part of the world!)”

Well first of all my birthday is Sept. 2. Today! So I look forward to celebrating and eating cheese cake. Other wise I'm looking forward to finishing dances and performing with my dance company and hip hop crew. I am kind of looking forward to cooler weather, because I still have no air conditioning except for the one space AC in the living room. I would like to leave the living room when I am at home once and awhile.

Short Story of The Week (46) - Other People

2011-08-30T23:06:00.000-07:00

Story Title: Other People

From: Fragile Things

Author: Neil Gaiman

Summary

In a nutshell...what happens in Hell.

Favorite Line

"Time is fluid here."

My Thoughts

As you can guess this is an off the wall story. Though surprisingly not as creepy as you might think when you read the summary. It's really about a man facing the consequences of his actions in life. The story comes full circle in this really interesting way. I always like when short stories come full circle. I think it's so poetic for some reason. Overall it's a short yet intriguing read. I may have to read it again some time so I can figure out why it's called Other People. Not that the reason for the title really matters, it's just a little bit of a puzzlement for me at the moment.

My Epic Reading Adventures: E-book Challenge Completed!!! Shiny!!!

2011-08-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

Chapter 18: E-book Challenge Completed!!! Shiny!!!

Yay! I finally completed the E-book Challenge on Saturday. This very exciting. Not only that but I actually read one book extra. I feel very accomplished right now.

In other news I discovered something over the weekend. I my goals this weekend (other than teaching 5-7 year-olds and Hip Hop Crew rehearsal on Saturday) were to edit my vlog post and remix a song for a lyrical hip hop dance I'm trying to choreograph. In my efforts I discovered two things. 1. I am surprisingly good at remixing music beats. 2. My vlogging needs work. That's okay though I've never tried it before so it makes since that I would need some practice. I'm still going to work on perfecting my vlog skills this week. I still had fun vlogging even though I'm not posting anything until I can stop saying ummm... repeatedly. That might not bother you but I bugs the heck out of me, so why take the risk that it might bother you too.

Oh! I am now at that point where I've been reading books faster than I can tell you about them. I finished The Ghost and The Goth in like a day and a half. Yay! Guess all that reading practice is making me a fast reader. Yes! The goal to past the half way point with the 100 book challenge by the end of September. I would love it if I could finish 3 books this week too. Speaking of this week my birthday is on Friday. Shiny!!! I didn't forget it this year like I have every year since I was 19. Ha ha! You may think I'm too young to forget my birthday, but trust me I'm not. I'll be back later tonight with this week's short story. See you then.

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed Last Week: 2

Number of Books Completed So Far This Week: 1

Number of Books Completed This Year: 37

Number of Books Left To Complete: 63

About Books Blog 48: Marvel 1602

2011-08-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

Author: Neil Gaiman

Genre: Graphic Novel, Mystery, Science Fiction

Favorite Line

“But hope, like heroes, can prove hard to kill.”

Summary (from Goodreads)
All's not well in the Marvel Universe in the year 1602 as strange storms are brewing and strange new powers are emerging! Spider-Man, the X-Men, Nick Fury, Dr. Strange, Daredevil, Dr. Doom, Black Widow, Captain America, and more appear in the waning days of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. As the world begins to change and enter into a new age, Gaiman weaves a thrilling mystery. How and why are these Marvel stars appearing nearly 400 years before they're supposed to?

My Thoughts

If you like comics at all you are sure to love Marvel 1602 as much as I did. This graphic is an extreme what if story asking: “what would happen if you took well know Marvel Comic characters and set them back in Elizabethan times?” It is a very creative story indeed. I loved the new interpretations of the characters, and seeing how their stories inter-weaved.

The great thing about Marvel 1602 is that you don’t have to read every Marvel Comic in the universe to understand it. If it turns out that you don’t know who one or two of the characters were in the original comics it doesn’t effect the enjoyments of the story. Though I’d be surprised if everyone didn’t know more than a few of the characters in the Marvel Universe due to the amount of films made about them in recent years.

Even though I had read this before, I soon realized that I had forgotten the whole entire book. The reason I forgot it is that 1602 is a serious mystery and espionage story. The plot is enjoyably intricate. I liked that the tale brings in so many historical elements about was going on in the government in the time period. I felt that really grounded the story in realism while the not totally human characters were flying around. I personally think Marvel 1602 is awesome. It’s serious drama with a lighthearted quality, which is a pretty good mix if you ask me. Of course, it also has beautiful art by Andy Kubert and Richard Isanove which makes it all the more fun.

Facts I Found Interesting

Due to the success of 1602 Marvel has release three sequels, 1602: New World, 1602: Fantastic Four, and Spider Man: 1602. I totally did not know about the sequels. I need to get my hands on them soon.

For the art in Marvel 1602 a technique called “enhanced pencils.” In this technique the penciled pages are sent to the colorist instead of the inker first, this results in cleaner more elaborate lines. Click here to see the art from 1602.

As with most books you can find more facts on the inspiration behind the novel in the afterword of the book. Don’t you just love an afterword?

The Movie

Obviously there is no movie. Which is really sad because I would probably do a wacky happy dance if there was one. The story is so elaborate it would probably be difficult to do in a really nice way. Therefore I will just enjoy the fabulous art for now.

Music To Read By

As I did with American Gods I found myself drawn to Sun and Moon by The Bravery. I don’t know what it is about Neil Gaiman and The Bravery, but hey it works for me. I also listened to the album System by Seal. It’s a semi-dance album so that might seem weird. However, Seal dance music is different I suppose. It has more of a mood and deeper lyrics. For the playlist I decided to use not only songs from the albums I listened to, but songs from the soundtracks of the films that have been made about the Marvel characters in this book. It actually turned out to be a pretty shiny playlist.

Marvel 1602 Playlist

Believe(Moon Version) - The Bravery

System - Seal

Come On, Come In - Velvet Revolver

Chasing The Storm - Patrick Doyle

Bleed for Me - Saliva

Playing With Fire - John Ottman

Hero - Chad Kroeger and Josey Scott

Passage of Time - Alan Slivestri

That's all folks. See you all later. Keep it shiny!

My Epic Reading Adventures: A New Order

2011-08-25T22:50:00.000-07:00

Chapter 17: A New Order

Hello all. Yes, I am alive. This is my first week with my new work schedule, so I'm still figuring out which days are best to post. Believe it or not I do have two book reviews due to appear this weekend. I'm going to do one as a vlog and one written.

Speaking of writing reviews I'm trying something different. I've always in a written my reviews in the order in which I finished the books. I don't know why I did this, but I was actually quite O.C.D about it. However, I realized that I sometimes had writers block on I was supposed to be reviewing, and tons of ideas for a book review that was two or three books ahead. I started thinking that it made a lot more since to just write the reviews I had ideas for. That way the words would flow naturally and I'm having more fun. Hence, I'm going the throw my compulsive behavior out the window and right the reviews out order and fancy free. It's a plan that I've already tried this week and it was so pleasant.

As for reading I read the second Fearless book. I think I've come up with a plan on how to review the Fearless books. Since the series is so long I'm think I will review them in groups of four or five books at a time. I'm kind of playing it by ear. In the end it might be best to do one review for the whole series once I finish it.

Anyway, I am now in a comic book mood, so I'm going to read more Vampire Hunter D and re-read the first Sandman novel. I know I already have a re-read book but I really really want to read Sandman. You see I finally got the fourth novel Season of Mists. I'm very excited to read it. However, when it comes to The Sandman graphic novels I always forget what happens in the previous books by the time I get a new book. Thus, I have to read it over from the beginning every time. So I'm doing just that. I can't wait to read book four.

Before I go a note to Lori. No, I hadn't heard of the Vlog Brothers until you mentioned them. I found their channel but haven't watched the videos yet. Sounds like good fun though. I like the name Vlog Brothers. I makes me think of the Frog Brothers in the movie Lost Boys. By the way, I'm going to see that movie at a late night show in the theater Friday night. I guess that's tonight really, because it 12:47am right now. I am so excited. I love that movie! Well that's it darlings. Keep it shiny!

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed so Far This Week: 1

Number of Books Completed This Year: 35

Number of Books Left To Complete: 65

New Primary Reads Chosen: Vampire Hunter D Vol.1 part 2, The Sandman Vol.1: Preludes and Nocturnes

Short Story of The Week (45) - The Red Shoes

2011-08-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

Story Title: The Red Shoes

Author: Hans Christian Andersen

Summary

A young orphan girl, Karen, wishes only to have a pair of beautiful red shoes. However, due to her obsession with them they become cursed to make her dance forever.

My Thoughts

I guess I'm still in the mood for dancing type stories. I am a dancer after all. I promised I would review this awhile back anyway, so I figured there is no time like the present. While The Red Shoes is considered a fairy tale, it is actually more of a morality tale. It makes the point that if you think of only your own vanity you end up paying a heavy price. Not unlike most of the old versions of fairy tales The Red Shoes has some slightly creepy elements. In fact if you read it to a child with a wild imagination it I think parts of it would freak them out. Case in point the only way Karen can get the red shoes off her feet is too...well...have her feet cut off. Yuck! Kind of crazy stuff for a fairy tale. I still think it's an interesting story regardless. As a send off I leave you with the ballet of The Red Shoes from one of my favorite movies The Red Shoes. Enjoy!

My Epic Reading Adventures: Vlog It

2011-08-20T23:38:00.000-07:00

Chapter 16: Vlog It

I've finally admitted something to myself that I should have a long time ago. I am a totally slow writer. Yep. That voice recognition software I said I should get to help me with the learning difference issues I talked about in the first installment of this segment. Yeah...I still haven't gotten that. So the it takes an hour to write a paragraph or two thing...Yeah...That's still going on. I came to the conclusion that if I want to review 100 books by the end of the year I'm going to have to do something new and different. However, I couldn't figure out what until Friday.

You see on Friday I was talking to my mom about the book I recently finished Slice of Cherry. By the way, it was the weirdest book I've ever read. I'll tell you all about it in the review. Anyway, she said I should vlog the review for the book instead of writing it, because apparently I was deeply amusing her with my commentary. I thought it was a good idea. Then I though hey I could vlog some of my other upcoming reviews. I want to write most of them, but I think videoing a few will help me pick up the pace with my reviewing. Maybe I could get two or three reviews out a week instead of just one. I'm not sure exactly which books to pick for vloging yet. I'm thinking for sure I will do some of the series books. If you guys want to look at the list of the books I've read so far, and tell me which ones you would like to see me vlog I'm definitely open to suggestions. Nervous but excited to try this. The only down side is that I will actually have to hear the sound of my voice on camera. I sound like a little kid on camera, which so weird to me. However, I've asked others if I sound that way and they disagree. Apparently I don't sound like that to anybody else, but it sure sounds like that to me.

In other news, I am two books away from completing the e-book challenge. Yes! I'm so close to glory I can taste it. Oh, another neat random fact is that this is my 200th post on this blog. Shiny!

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed This Week: 2

Number of Books Completed This Year: 34

Number of Books Left to Complete: 66

Miscellaneous Comments: I don't know what to pick for my next primary read. I'm leaning toward something in the paranormal romance genre. However, maybe I should read something about normal human beings. Hmm...

Follow Friday, Blog Hop, and TGIF! Shiny!

2011-08-18T23:59:00.000-07:00

Hello all. Hope you have fun stopping by this week. Have a rocking Friday and Keep it shiny!

Hosted by Parajunkiee's View & Alison Can Read

Q. If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?

At first this question stumped me because I've been reading paranormal thrillers and horror books recently. While they can be fun to read I don't think I'd like to be in one. However, once I got past that I thought of a lot of great books to be in. I think I'd like to be a character in The Hunger Games. I mean who wouldn't want to hang with Katniss, Peta, and the rest of the gang. Plus, lots of action. I think I'd prefer to be character in the third book though. I'm fine with protesting and fighting the good fight, not so much into actually being in the Hunger Games fight to the death thing. I'm thinking Neverwhere and Stardust would be good books to be part of too. Being a fantasy creature would be awesome. Perhaps something with wings. Of course, I'm always open to being in anything with superheroes.

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The Reviews We Don't Write:

Have you ever read a book and not wanted to review it? Are some books too personal that we want to keep our thoughts our own?

I have to say this hasn't happened to me yet. At least not with a book. There was a comic I read not long ago that I didn't want to review. That was because it wasn't that good and it was only 22 pages long. I figured why waste the time on it.

For me the more personal the book is the the more I want to review it so some else can know how wonderful it is. Though I do admit that sometimes the words might not come as easily to be if I found it so deeply wonderful. I always find the words eventually though. Series books can be a tough nut to crack as well, but so far I've found a way to weave around spoilers. We'll see if I can keep it up. I usually don't broadcast that I'm reading a book unless I intend to finish it. That eliminates the not wanting to review something I didn't finish problem. I actually don't mind reviewing books that I re-read either. Though consider those posts more like me telling my new experience with something that I already enjoyed. Isn't it cool how when you read something again you see something new in the material. Well I think it's cool anyway.

Hosted by Crazy For Books

“What’s the LONGEST book you’ve ever read?”

It's a toss up between Gone with the Wind and The Stand. Wait I think The Stand is longer by a few pages.

About Books Blog 47: A Wrinkle in Time

2011-08-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

Author: Madeleine L’Engle

Genre: Children’s/Young Adult/Science Fiction/Fantasy

Favorite Line

“We look not at the things which are what you would call see, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal. But the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Summary (Scholastic.com)

Everything is wrong in Meg Murray's life. In school, she's been dropped down to the lowest section of her grade. She's teased about her five-year-old brother, Charles Wallace, who everyone mistakenly thinks is dumb. Not to mention that Meg wears braces and glasses and has mouse-brown hair.

Much will be better in her miserable life when her father gets back. But gets back from where? Meg's physicist father had been experimenting with the fifth dimension of time travel when he mysteriously disappeared. One dark and stormy night, the family is visited by a disheveled heap of a woman named Mrs. Whatsit. Eccentric and brilliant, she will turn out to be the force who spurs on Meg, Charles Wallace, and their new friend, Calvin O'Keefe, to embark on a dangerous quest through space to find their father. In doing so, they must travel behind the shadow of an evil power that is darkening the cosmos.

My Thoughts

I will never forget one of my grade school teachers reading A Wrinkle in Time to us in class. It was not only an introduction to a great story, but for me it was an introduction to science fiction. I was so inspired back then I read the rest of the books in the series. However, I hadn’t looked at them in a long time since, and I missed having the story in my life. In re-reading this, I realized that the real beauty of A Wrinkle in Time is that you can appreciate it at any age. A young person can enjoy the excitement of reading about kids who travel into the unknown and face great evil. An adult can choose to enjoy not only the story, but also the novel’s many complexities.

A Wrinkle in Time centers such wonderful themes such as loyalty, finding family connections, celebrating our differences, and many more. The book uses a lot of religious symbolism, which I found quite interesting. I think it is amazing the way the author balanced the scientific and the emotional elements in the book. She was also brave enough to use a huge vocabulary in book for young people, which I really appreciated. I just love learning new big words.

The words beautiful and awesome come to mind when I think of the characters in the novel. They are so easy to relate to. I think everyone can see parts of themselves in Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace. However, I think most of us can identify with Meg the most. She often feels like she doesn’t fit in her own skin, and rarely sees how lovely and important she is to others. I mean who hasn’t felt like that occasionally. I love the bond that is created between the three main characters. They always seek ways to care for and protect one another. The reader can really sense their bond by the way it is written. I have to mention that Meg and Calvin are so adorable. Though their relationship is only just developing in this book, they share one of those one of those immediate emotional connections. It is so cute. To add to this already fabulous bunch of characters, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which are great eccentric fun. They always have great wisdom to offer. They also know when to lighten the mood in the story when the need calls for it.

I have to say I loved A Wrinkle in Time as a kid, but I think I loved it more as an adult. It is a wonderful adventure with so many facets.

Facts I Found Interesting

My copy of the book has a question and answer section with the author in the back. If you want to know what inspired Madeleine L’Engle and other shiny facts about her personally, you should give it a read. Even after reading that I couldn’t get off the fact-finding train. Here are a few more facts I found interesting.

1. Much of L’Engle’s interest in quantum physics is infiltrated into the novel. Though she claimed she was never very interested in science in school, she found she very much understood particle science when she read it on her own.

2. A Wrinkle in Time is listed as number 22 on the American Library Association’s list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books 1990 - 2000.

3. Twenty-six publishers rejected the book before it was finally published in 1963.

4. Graphic novelist Hope Larson is said to be working on adapting the novel into a graphic novel. That would be so shiny!

5.A Wrinkle in Time was adapted into a play in 2010 by John Glore. The play is written for six actors with twelve parts. This sounds kind of wacky in a cool way.

The Movie

The movie is certainly not for the A Wrinkle in Time purest. It’s not bad though. I had a few qualms with it, but there were things I liked too. I liked how well they interpreted the imagery. It has to be difficult to re-create things like time and space travel (a.k.a the tesseract), and the various alien creatures in the book. I think they did that part well. I liked the actors they cast for Meg, Calvin, and Charles Wallace. I felt they captured the essence of what the characters were like in the book. This was a factor that was important to me going into watching this adaptation, so I’m glad that that worked out. I would have been happier if they had put some glasses and braces on Meg. However, I think they were trying to modernize the piece so I’m going to give them that one. I didn’t care for the placement of the events, and the beginning was a little slow. I think there were a lot of things that were added to the story in the movie that it could've done without. Sometimes I didn't agree with their interpretation of the supporting characters, and Charles Wallace's gifts. Of course, Disney made it so they had some of those...Disney-ified moments. You know those moments in the Disney TV movies that make you want to roll your eyes. You do know what I am talking about right?

Overall it was okay. Weirdly the things I disliked and the things I liked balanced each other out. I wasn’t overly satisfied with it. Still I was at least entertained and they didn’t do anything too crazy to the story. It’s not something I would want to watch a bunch of times, but nothing in it bothered me so badly that I wouldn’t watch it if it was on TV. I saw on Wikipedia that last year Disney announced that they plan to re-make the movie. Yay! Please let the remake lean more toward the direction of awesomeness. By the way, do rent the DVD for the interview with Madeleine L’Engle in the special features. It’s interesting and worth watching.

A Wrinkle in Time On IMDb

Music To Read By

This was the first book I completed on my Nook Color, which happened to come with the Pandora Radio application already installed. Thus, I discovered the beauty of Pandora and I love it. My favorite thing to do while reading this was listening to my Fireflight radio station. To me the music really fit what I was reading. I think the playlist became more of a representation of my favorite songs and bands that I listened to while reading the book, rather than songs that actually fit the story. I did try to pick songs that share similar themes to the story even if they don't fit the story exactly.

A Wrinkle In Time Playlist

For Those Who Wait - Fireflight

Never Alone - Barlow Girl

Anticonformity - Krystal Meyers

There for You - Flyleaf

Hallelujah - Paramore

Collide - Skillet

Fight Inside - Red

Breathe - Superchick

Always - Plumb

Brand New Day (Acoustic) - Fireflight

That's all my loves. Happy reading and keep it shiny!!!

My Epic Read Adventures: From Writer's Block to Writing Overflow

2011-08-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

Chapter 15: From Writers Block to Writing Overflow

Hey loves. I wanted to post my book review for A Wrinkle In Time this morning, but something crazy happened. I totally started having writer's block on the actual book review section. I know, the most important section right? I had finished almost the whole review except for that part. I finally cleared my mind to write it then something crazy happened again. I had what I can only term writing overflow. All these words just started appearing. It was kind of awesome. Then I realized I would have to edit all I had written to make it not be the eternal review. Opps! I'm going to try to post the edited review in the wee hours of the morning if I can. If not I'll just shoot for the afternoon, because I'll probably be sleeping in the morning. I hope this multitude of words continues for tomorrow when I start work on my review of Knocked Out By My Nunga-Nungas. That would be flipping awesome.

Now I want to reply to some of my followers who commented on the last installment. Lori, I totally understand what you mean about reading being a visceral experience. I totally agree that's why I don't listen to a great many modern works audio books. However, I do like to listen to classic books, because sometimes those storys just need acting out for them to come across to me. Plus, it's sort of like experiencing the memory of being read to as a child. You do have to be careful with audio books before bed though. It's really easy to space out or fall asleep. Unless you're listening to the book in order to fall asleep, in that case don't worry about it.

Sara, I totally did not know that you were into the show Roswell too! Yay! I have all three seasons on DVD. Nice to hear that I'm not the only fan. As for Nina, I don't want to give to much away on what I think of the Roswell High books because I'm obviously going to review them soon. I'm going to do the first and second book in one post, because I just think it would be easier that way. I have to admit that the first time I read the series I never actually read past book 4 for some reason. I'm just as curious as anyone on what happens after that book. I will tell you that the Roswell High books are the ones you pick up for good fun and easy reading.

See you all later. Sorry I'm such a loopy reviewer. Occasionally I lose my mind, but in good way. Ha ha! Keep it shiny!

Progress Report

Number of Books Finished So Far This Week: 1

Number of Books Completed This Year: 33

Number of Book Left To Complete: 67

New Primary Read Chosen: Slice of Cherry

Miscellaneous Comments: Judging from the first chapter Slice of Cherry seems like it's going to be the most creepifying YA novel I've read in a long time. That's definitely interesting.

Short Story of The Week (44) - The Brahmins

2011-08-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

Story Title: The Brahmins

From: White Swan, Black Swan

Author: Adrienne Sharp

Summary

Katie's feelings of failure lead her to quit her job dancing in the corps of the American Ballet Theater. She moves to L.A. to film a documentary about ballet dancers, but soon discovers her dancing dreams may not be a dead as she believed they were.

Favorite Line

"To study the art, to enter the temple, was already to be a Brahmin, and the art -- I came to understand -- needed us all, corps members, soloists, and stars."

My Thoughts

I finally found my copy of White Swan, Black Swan. I thought I had lost it, but it was right in front of my face the whole time. I'm glad I found it, because I was really in the mood for a good ballet dancer story. The Brahmins is perhaps my favorite story in the whole book. I don't know why it sticks out to me more the the others, because they are all beautiful stories. I guess something in the story is easy for me to connect to. I also love the journey Katie goes through, and her revelations at the end of the story. It has a lot of engaging scenes as well. I LOVE this story! I definately could read it over and over.

My Epic Reading Adventure: Audio Book Drama

2011-08-14T14:08:00.000-07:00

Chapter 14: Audio Book Drama

This journal entry actually ended up being more of a end of the week wrap up. The reason for this is that I read unusually slow this week, and I couldn't bring myself to write about my reading progress until I had actually made progress. I finally finished my normal two books for this week on Saturday, so now I'm back to writing to my heart's content.

I really enjoyed my Saturday afternoon completing the second Roswell High book and the Manga version of Vampire Hunter D. However, in the early hours of Saturday morning I was all up in arms about my audio book. I've been trying to listen to Great Expectations on audio book for the longest time. The key word here is trying. I don't know what my problem is but I just can not get past chapter nine. Then I didn't get around to listening to it for a long time. I realized I had lost track of the story and I was going to have to start the whole thing from the beginning. Grrr! It was starting to make me mad. I don't know why I was surprised. Charles Dickens and I have never been friends. While I enjoy adaptations of his work and think he has good stories in general, I have never actually been able to complete one of his books, no matter how much I want to. I really really want to. I seriously thought I could do it by going with the audio book route. On Friday night/Saturday morning I was to tired to read, but not tired enough to sleep. I really wanted to listen to my audio book. I realized that it was Great Expectations and I just wasn't in the mood for that. I finally just had to admit that it was time to let go and listen to something else. I'm kind of disappointed in myself for not going though with it. I'm not quite ready to give up on Charles Dickens forever. I'm definitely going to come back to it later.

Since I wasn't listening to Great Expectations I had an opening in the audio book department. I started scanning my LibiriVox phone application for something new to read. LibiriVox supplies free recordings of books in the public domain. Which is great because I find that I like to listen to classic novels the best, and of course you can't beat free. I finally zeroed in on Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I've found it very enjoyable so far and more importantly I want to listen to it.

Speaking of audio books. My plan to listen to some of North and South on audio book is working quite well. I prefer reading it with my eyes, but on those rare occasions of tiredness that I mentioned before the audio book is quite handy. Plus, It's fun to hear it read in the English accent once in awhile. I'm so happy that all my audio book plans are now working out. Shiny!

Progress Report

Number of Books Finished This Week: 2

Number of Books Completed This Year: 32

Number of Books Left to Complete: 68

New Primary Read Chosen: The Usual Rules

Miscellaneous Comments: I have the week off work this week. My goal is to post my A Wrinkle in Time review Monday or Tuesday, and write a bunch of drafts of book reviews in the future. Since I will hopefully have more reading time I'm picking a slightly longer re-read book this week. I've been wanting to re-read The Usual Rules for a long time.

Blog Hops! Yay!!!

2011-08-11T23:57:00.000-07:00

Hello all. I'm so happy all of you old and new friends are stopping by my blog on the blog hop. Hope you have fun looking around. On to the questions and answers. Keep it shiny!

Hosted by Crazy for Books

“Let’s talk crazy book titles! Highlight one or two (or as many as you like!) titles in your personal collection that have the most interesting titles! If you can’t find any, feel free to find one on the internet!”

I found a crazy title in my book case tonight. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore. I haven't read it, but if it is as amusing as the title I think I'll give it a try sometime. If you want more crazy titles all one needs to do is look up one of the books in the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series.

Hosted by Parajunkee's View and Allison Can Read

How have your reading habits changed since you were a teen?

In terms of the genres I like to read nothing much has changed. I still like YA, Classics, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Crime, Thriller, and just plain fiction. I think I read more classics and Shakespeare as a teen than do now. Well I still read that genre, but it seems like I read it slower than before. My love for graphic novels, comic books, and manga didn't appear until my late teens and adult years. Right now I'm trying to get into more memoirs and non-fiction. Even though I've only read one memoir this year I want to read more.

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If you could gather a handful of authors to hang out with,

who would you choose?

Gosh, this is a hard question? I would probably like to hang with Neil Gaiman. I follow him on Twitter and it is always endless fun, so I can imagine meeting him in person would be equally as amusing. Stephan King because who does want to know how he writes all those words for all those books. Wait he wrote a book about that. Well still he seems like he be cool to hang with for awhile. Then I'd have to say Laurie Halse Anderson and Gail Carson Levine because they've written some of my favorite YA books. Maybe Stephanie Meyer, not just because she started the Twilight craze, but because she seems like a fun personality in her interviews. Oh, and Scott Nicholson. I've emailed with him because he's sent me some books for review and did a guest post on the my blog, and he seems so nice. I'm sure I'll think of more later, but these are the ones that came to me off the top of my head. I'm not sure I'd have them all over for the same dinner party though. It might be a bit of a strange mix if I did.

About Books Blog 46: Ella Enchanted

2011-08-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

Author: Gail Carson Levine

Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy

Favorite Line

“Love shouldn’t be dictated.”

Summary (from Goodreads)

At birth, Ella is inadvertently cursed by an imprudent young fairy named Lucinda, who bestows on her the "gift" of obedience. Anything anyone tells her to do, Ella must obey. Another girl might have been cowed by this affliction, but not feisty Ella: "Instead of making me docile, Lucinda's curse made a rebel of me. Or perhaps I was that way naturally." When her beloved mother dies, leaving her in the care of a mostly absent and avaricious father, and later, a loathsome stepmother and two treacherous stepsisters, Ella's life and well-being seem to be in grave peril. But her intelligence and saucy nature keep her in good stead as she sets out on a quest for freedom and self-discovery as she tries to track down Lucinda to undo the curse, fending off ogres, befriending elves, and falling in love with a prince along the way. Yes, there is a pumpkin coach, a glass slipper, and a happily ever after, but this is the most remarkable, delightful, and profound version of Cinderella you'll ever read.

My Thoughts

Ella Enchanted is my favorite book of all time. I’ve loved it since I read it for the first time as a child. I actually read my first copy so many times that I had to get a new one. Then I read the new copy so many times I decided to get it in hard back. When that wares out I guess I’ll have to get it on e-book. Ha ha!

The author created a totally new world in which to set her re-telling of Cinderella. It’s fun to discover the various creatures, giants, and fairies that the book has to ofter, and how the author put her own spin on the mythology. In many ways Ella Enchanted mixes genres by mixing fantasy, adventure, and romance so that there is always something interesting for the reader to enjoy. The book explores thoroughly what I would be like if someone had to always do what ever they were told. The idea sounds amusing at first, but the book makes you see how potentially disastrous it can be. I love the spirit of the protagonist Ella. She always finds entertaining ways to work around her “gift” of obedience. She doesn’t take things lying down, and always takes action. This means that she’s the one the saves the day more often than the prince instead of the other way around.

It’s quite obvious that I love this book to pieces. It’s a wonderful tale about discovering who you are, and learning new ways to work with what you’re given. If you chose to read Ella Enchanted I hope you enjoy it as much as I have over the years.

Facts I Found Interesting

Author Gail Lavine wrote a book entitled Fairest in 2006. It is a re-telling of Snow White set in the same world as Ella Enchanted. Gosh, I just realized I’ve owned Fairest for years and haven’t read it yet. I must get on that A.S.A.P.

The Movie

I’ve been reading this book since I was about ten or eleven years of age. You can imagine that after reading the book for that many years I had a excellent picture in my head of what the movie of Ella Enchanted should be like. This movie is not it in the slightest. I can sum up all the reasons why I think this movie is so wrong in one sentence. The film’s story and happenings are so unbelievably silly (not in a good way) that want to roll my eyes just thinking about it. Despite my impression of strong dislike on my first viewing of the film I decided to give it a second chance. It’s one of those adaptations that is loosely based on the book. In other words very little of what is actually in the novel ended up in the movie. That approach to adaptation is not always a bad thing. I thought perhaps if I viewed it as a separate entity from the novel maybe I could like it. Unfortunately, I still found it too ridiculous to enjoy. Apparently my dislike had nothing to do with the fact that it is nothing like the book, and everything to do with it being a overly wacky movie in general.

I do have to commend the film for a few things though. The film makers did create a cohesive story. Each scene does propel from one to the next no matter how incredibly daft the elements of the scenes are. They picked a vision and followed through with it. I might not personally like the vision, but at least it had one. Lastly they casted some very good actors, who managed to save this mess of a film from being a total mess. The actors at least make the movie engaging on an emotional level. Bottom line the movie version of Ella Enchanted is mildly entertaining, but I don’t think it’s good. It left me thinking: What were they thinking?! I doesn’t help that it’s based on my favorite book ever. Sigh...So disappointing.

Ella Enchanted on IMDb

Music To Read By

The albums I enjoyed listening to the most were Kaleidoscope Heart by Sara Bareilles and Be OK by Ingrid Michaelson. Two artist that are kind of calming and a little bit girl power at the same time, very Ella if you ask me. Gosh, I feel like the playlist is missing something. Yet I couldn't figure out what the missing songs could possibly be. Oh well, I like what I've got so far. I'll just add on later when I discover what the missing element is. I just know that the music that is missing going to occur to me tomorrow long after this has been posted. Ha ha!

Ella Enchanted Playlist

Fairytale - Sara Bareilles

Be OK - Ingrid Michaelson

Enchanted - Taylor Swift

New Heights - A Fine Frenzy

Uncharted - Sara Bareilles

Can't Help Falling In Love - Ingrid Michaelson

Darling I Do - Lucy Schwartz and Landon Pigg

A Movie Script Ending - Vitamin String Quartet

Real Life Fairy Tale - Plumb

That's all my darlings. Between this review and the last you're probably thinking I'm a movie hater. I guess I'm just really picky about movies. I promise there are some adaptations that I like out there. Ha ha! See you all later. Keep it shiny!

Short Story of The Week (43) - Fear

2011-08-08T23:25:00.000-07:00

Story Title: Fear

Author: Sammi Strasser

Summary

A girl comes upon a deserted house, and discover that the house holds dark secrets.

My Thoughts

I was entertained by Fear, but it didn't knock my socks off. It's good for your average scary story. That was it though it was just average, with a side of blood a gore. There wasn't any different twist or a unique concept. The writing style was nice I suppose. In fact there really isn't a lot I have to say about this story. Hmm...I guess it just didn't wow me. Well I got for free in the nook store. Sometimes you get what you pay for.

I usually post my book review in the wee hours of the morning and the short story review afternoon. However, this week I'm switching it up. After finishing up the book review rough draft and writing on my song blog my brain is fried. I'll be back in the afternoon with the book review. I think I need to sleep or at least curl up with a book. See you later.

My Epic Reading Adventures: Belated Ideas, Short Chapters, and Small Victories

2011-08-08T00:08:00.000-07:00

Chapter 13: Belated Ideas, Short Chapters, and Small Victories

Hello all. Last installment my follow blogger Nina commented that she too gets what I will now call blogger block. You know that crazy moment I had yesterday where I wanted to blog, but had no ideas. Thanks for commenting Nina. I'm glad I'm not alone. I was surprised to find that not long after I posted my non-eventful post# last time, I actually came up with more than a few ideas for things to talk about. I narrowed it down to just a couple ideas for today. I guess this proves that patience is a virtue. By the way, if you haven't already you guys should check out Nina's awesome blog, J'adorehappyendings. I always have a good read when I stop by her blog.

On to my subject today which is the fact that I've noticed that I read faster when a book has short chapters. I can't explain why I do though. I mean the book has the same amount of pages whether it has short chapters or not. Hmm...Perhaps the gratification of finishing a chapter inspires me to read more quickly. My other theory is that I feel like I can read something short during work breaks without being left hanging. I am so obsessed with finishing a chapter before doing anything else. If I don't I wonder about how the section was going to end while I'm doing other things. Well no matter what the reason behind the short chapter mystery, I think the extra reading speed is pretty shiny.

I realized something else yesterday. I'm five e-books away from completing the 2011 E-Book Challenge. Very cool. I guess I shouldn't get too excited since I haven't totally completed it yet, but gosh I am so close. I'm all about small victories. The way I read e-books I should be finished in no time. Yay!

Oh, Thanks to Lori for the reading suggestion. I haven't read The Umbrella Academy, but it sounds like something I would like. I'll look into getting my hands on it.

Okay it's time for the progress report. Before I go I'll let you know that my Ella Enchanted review is coming either late Monday night or Tuesday morning. I hope to review much faster after that. Well maybe not too fast. I kind of want to watch the movie of A Wrinkle In Time before doing my review. I have to wait to get it from Netflix. However, next week I have the week off work so I'm hoping to get ahead in the review department. Keep it shiny darlings!

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed So Far This Week: 1

Number of Books Read This Year: 30 (v.g)

Number of Books Left to Complete: 70

New Primary Books Chosen: The Gift of Illusion, Roswell #2: The Wild One

My Epic Reading Adventures: Just...Thinking

2011-08-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

Chapter 12: Just...Thinking

Hello everyone. Got this feeling that I really wanted to blog, but I had zero blogging ideas. Does that ever happen to you? Well any way thought I would at least give you a reading update and say hello. I finished A Wind In The Door today. I already have ideas on how I want to write the review, even though there are many books ahead of it on the review list. I'm still excited about writing it in the future. I have to pick a new book to re-read now. Hmm...I'm thinking a series book. However, I think I'll surprise myself and you with what I end up picking tomorrow. Hopefully I'll actually have something fun to talk about later on. Everything has just been so uneventful today. Which was really relaxing, but not particularly exciting to talk about. Ha ha. Keep it shiny all!

Progress Report

Number of Books Finished This Week: 2

Number of Books Finished This Year: 29

Number of Books Left to Complete: 71

My Epic Reading Adventures: Downloaded

2011-08-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

Chapter 11: Downloaded

I finally got around to downloading all the books that generous authors have sent me to review on my nook. Yay! I'm also getting to test out my EZ PDF Reader application on my nook for the books that were sent to me in that format. I thought the application was awesome on my phone, but it is pretty awesome on the nook as well, because it's bigger obviously. I was quite pleased that at least a few of the books were short enough that I can read them as primary reads in the future. Two of them were a little longer so I'll have to wait until I finish either Hamlet or North and South before I can read them.

Speaking of North and South it is taking me forever to finish that book. I mean I don't mind reading it slow, but I'm been reading since the beginning of the year and I'm not even half way through. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to be patient with my reading speed on that one. I might try to listen to some of it on audio book from time to time. Maybe that will make me move along faster.

In other reading news I finished another book before I could even tell you about it. It was a manga called Pandora: End of Days. I read it in like 45 minutes. Haha. Comic books come in handy when you have a busy schedule and a reading quota to meet. They're action packed too. After scanning several books I finally decided to pick The Dangerous Days of Daniel X for my second primary read. It turned out I was in the mood for something with a bit of action. That book seems to fit the bill.

On a side note I must thank Lori and Bonnie for commenting on last weeks installment. Thank you for the well wishes. You guys always take the time to drop me a line and I really appreciate it. Many hugs. See you all later my lovely followers. Keep it shiny!

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed So Far This Week: 1

Total Books Completed This Year: 28

Number of Books Left to Complete: 72

Rough Drafts of Reviews Started: 1

Short Story of The Week (42) - Wolf

2011-08-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

Story Title: Wolf

From: The Rose and the Beast

Author: Francesca Lia Black

Summary

Young teen runs away from her bad home situation to her grandmother's house.

Favorite Line

"When you are born it is like a long, long dream."

My Thoughts

I always enjoy the stories in The Rose and the Beast. I picked this story for this week because I didn't remember ever reading it. Even though I'm sure I have read all the stories in the book at least once. Hmm...I guess it's just been a long time since I've read it. "Wolf" is a modernized retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood." It reminded me of a less crazy version of the movie Freeway with a little of White Oleander thrown in there for good measure. I like modernized retellings of "Little Red Riding Hood." It's an interesting way to make commentary on tough subjects. In this case "Wolf" deal with the effects of molestation on a young girl. It's sad of course, but it is written beautifully. I should see about reading a novel by Francesca Block. I love her writing so much already.

About Books Blog 45: Water for Elephants

2011-08-01T22:41:00.000-07:00

Author: Sara Gruen

Genre: Historical Fiction/General Fiction

Favorite Line

“I wanted to absorb her and walk around for the rest of my days with her encased in my skin.”

Summary (from Goodreads)

Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its own way of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.

Jacob was there because his luck had run out - orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive 'ship of fools'. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act - in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

My Thoughts

I read this way back in April. (Yes, I am that behind in my reviews.) I thought I would go ahead and try to finish this book a couple weeks before the movie came out on April 22. I did in fact finish it very quickly. It helped that it was an awesome book. There was so much to love about Water for Elephants. It is a perfect mixture of drama, action, love story, comedy, and historical insight.

The author had the innate ability to make you feel a closeness with the three primary characters. Jacob’s character was so wonderful to read. In his old age he is just hilarious, in his younger years he is simply endearing. I loved Marlena for having a personality that was so opposite of what you think a circus performer is going to be like. Of course, who wouldn’t love the elephant, Rosie. You have to love animals in books, it’s a requirement. Now that I think about it something I enjoyed most about the book was the relationship dynamics in general. Not just between Jacob and Marlena, but between the other friends and foes in the circus.

The plot was exciting which made this book hard to put down. I wanted know what would happen next. I wanted to know how certain characters were going to get out of the quagmires they had created for themselves. The historical element was as always interesting to me, and enriched the story. I liked that the story went back a forth from modern day to the past. It gave you a new experience once and awhile.

Water for Elephants was certainly a great read. It’s heartbreaking and funny at the same time. I would definitely suggest it to my friends and followers alike.

Facts I Found Interesting

In the back of my copy of Water for Elephants there is an interview with author Sara Gruen. If you want interesting facts you should check it out. One amusing fact is that until she started research for the book Sara Gruen has never actually been to a circus. Another fun fact I found on Wikipedia was that she originally started the novel for National Novel Writing Month.

The Movie

In comparison with the awesomeness that was the book the movie was disappointing. I’ve noticed a new trend in book to film adaptations. It’s almost as if the film makers just piece together stand alone scenes for two hours, as opposed to creating a cohesive story with scenes that propel from one event to the next. I noticed that this happened with Water for Elephants and several other recent books made into film. I can’t say that I like it. No matter how well acted or written these individual scenes may be, it still makes the film very hard to relate to. I think it’s even more difficult for movie viewers who have not read the book to identify with the material. In addition, the fact that the film doesn’t propel itself makes the entire movie lay there like a wet noodle. You start to get the feeling that nothing exciting is going to happen, and when something finally does it's not very satisfying.

In my opinion the film version of Water for Elephants was not helped by the many completely inane changes they made from the book. I was particularly incensed that they altered Marlena’s entire back story. This was not only unnecessary, but made her character unrelatable, and effected the her relationship with Jacob in a negative way. I hated was that they combined Marlena’s abusive husband, August, and the circus owner Uncle Al in to one character. This distorted the dynamic and build up of the story. It would be different if these changes actually benefited the film, but I felt like they actually hurt the movie in the big scheme of things. To add to all of this they pretty much sucked the humor out of the story. Why must film makers now in days suck all the humor in the book out and make it clinically depressed? I don’t get it. Isn’t the point to imitate life. Real people have sarcasm when things go wrong and laugh once in awhile for pity’s sake. The book had so many great naturally funny moments. It would have been great if some of that had ended up in the film. Instead it end up with a lot of forced attempts at hilarity and attempts at jokes that weren't funny at all. Even some of the hair and costuming choices got on my nerves. Sigh...I sound like I really hated the movie, when in fact it was really okay. Not great but okay. It had some good points. The acting was good. It had some nice cinematography. However, at the end of the day the things that bothered me out weighed the good things. I just couldn’t enjoy it the way I wanted to.

Water for Elephants on IMDb

Music To Read By

Well the only album I remember listening to was Lights by Ellie Goulding. I think I liked it because the effects on the songs sound very circus-ish. Other that I usually read this during breaks at work. Which in short means I listened to what ever music was playing while another dance teacher was teacher was teaching, so usually ballet music.

Water for Elephants Playlist

Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying - Belle and Sebastian

Water for the Elephants - Dan Zanes & Friends ft. Donald Saaf

Upside Down - Paloma Faith

Rosie - James Newton Howard

Stardust - Ian Brown

Little Drop of Poison - Tom Waits

Starry Eyed - Ellie Goulding

Blue Sunday - The Doors

If I'm Saying Nothing - Landon Pigg

Embers of Love - Imogen Heap

That's it darlings. I'll see you later with the short story of the week. Keep it shiny!

My Epic Reading Adventures: Missing In Action and Youtube beautiful-evil

2011-07-30T23:39:00.000-07:00

Chapter 10: Missing In Action and Youtube is Beautiful-evil

I was totally M.I.A this week. Sorry loves. I was having some nervous system issues and thought it best to just relax and put my focus on reading this week. I have some new vitamin supplements now so I'm feeling much better today. Plus, I made a cool discovery. Reading actually helps your nervous system heath. How cool is that? Doing puzzles helps too. Which is great because I love reading and doing puzzles. I also got intrigued with other non-writing things this week. I don't know if I told you guys this but I'm teaching myself how to play the banjo. I got surprisingly involved with practicing that and my guitar this week. Playing music really helped me relax.

Oh, I should have made a new blogging I will not rule. I should not get overly involved with watching stuff on Youtube. Youtube is so beautiful and yet so evil. It sucks you in until you just keep watching one video after the other. I must admit I got sucked into it a lot this week instead of writing. Bad me. My friend and I did enjoy watching some quite hilarious Hunger Games parody videos this week. My personal favorite being the song I've posted below. Ha ha!

Even thought I didn't write a lot this week I still read. I actually read the graphic novel Death: The Cost of Living in one day and didn't get to post that I was reading it. I finished The Gunslinger too. Very exciting. I'm fully aware I still need to post my book review. As you can see time got away from me. I'm almost done with it. I should have it up by Monday night or Tuesday morning, if not earlier. I'm glad that I'm back in the writing game. I missed you guys.

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed This Week: 2

Total Book Completed This Year: 27

Number of Books Left to Complete: 73

New Primary Book Chosen: A Wind In The Door

Miscellaneous Comments: I still need to pick one more primary read. I actually got too many choices and I can't decide which one I want. On one hand I kind of want to read The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle on the other hand I'm thinking I want to read one of the books I've been sent to review. Hmm...I'm not sure. So many books so little time.

Short Story of The Week (41) - Hot Chocolate

2011-07-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Story Title: Hot Chocolate

From: Short Stories For Older, and Not Quite So Old Children

Author: Dandi Palmer

Summary

A group of futuristic children enter a holographic program. Insanity ensues.

My Thoughts

I don't know if me and the short stories in this book are quite gelling. It's not that they are bad. It's just that I don't read them and think: "Wow! That was great." "Hot Chocolate" was kind of hard for me to get into. It took me awhile to figure out what was really going on. On the bright side once I did start to understand it I found it rather amusing. I will say that it would be a good read to teach children new vocabulary words. Still I had mixed feelings about "Hot Chocolate" and the story I read in this book a couple weeks ago "Queenie." I don't know if I want to read more from this book or not.

My Epic Reading Adventures: Losing Myself In A Book

2011-07-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

Chapter 9: Losing Myself In A Book

This week was just one of THOSE weeks. It wasn't depressing, but it wasn't great. I had a lot of physical issues, minor injuries, and you know those little annoying life events. Needless to say I haven't been feeling so hot. Well maybe I should say I haven't been well, since I am quite warm. I think my air-conditioning is broken. Like I said it just been one of THOSE weeks. However, I didn't find myself having the blues, because I could always lose myself in a good book. That always cheered me up. You just forget about your problems when you are caught up in a good story. Since I was reading a couple of fantasy books it made it particularly fun to escape to a world different that mine. Even though I didn't finish as many books this week, I think the fact that I enjoyed the experience was more important than numbers.

Progress Report

Total of Books Completed This Week: 2

Total of Books Read This Year: 25

Number of Books Left To Complete: 75

Miscellaneous Comments: Yay! I've reached the quarter mark of my 100 books challenge. It's a small victory, but a victory none the less. Shiny! I'm also excited that I got more reading done on my secondary reads Hamlet and North and South. Hmm...I need to pick a new re-read book. I'll let you know what I pick soon.

My Epic Reading Adventures: Movie Screens and Dancing Dreams

2011-07-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

Chapter 8: Movie Screens and Dancing Dreams

Last weekend I got to see one of my favorite book adaptations, and classic films Breakfast at Tiffany's on the big screen at a local movie theater. I've seen it tons of times before, because classic films are awesome and Audrey Hepburn classic films are even better. It was even more fun to see it in the theater though. I really enjoyed sharing the experience with other audience members. Hearing their laughter at the funny parts and their reactions to the dramatic sections made it seem like a new movie to me. It made me want to re-read the novella too. However, I'm going to wait for a bit to read it. I guess it just feels like it's almost the right time to re-read it but not the right time yet.

I want to thank Lyssa, Bonnie, Lori for commenting on the last installment. Lori I'm glad I'm not the only one in the insomnia sucks club. I too got my night owl tendencies from my mother. Unfortunately after last week I went back to being up until 3 and 4 o'clock in the morning. Oh well, at least I'm getting a lot of reading done. Lyssa that's for the encouragement though I still feel like I'm pretty far from my goal.

To answer your question Bonnie I do in fact own a dance school. When I started my business at age 19 the idea was always to have a dance company and a school that branched off of that. However, back then I didn't know any other dancers with either the skill or the like mindedness for my dance company venture, so I just put my focus into the dance school part of my job. 5 years passed, but last year I met my friend and co-teacher Natalie. We are what Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables would call kindred spirits. We work, dance, and choreograph well together. Thus, I decided that it was finally time to take my dance company idea off the back burner. We only just started working, but we already have some beautiful dances in the works. I'm still going to be running my dance school, but I'm going to rehearse during the afternoons when I'm not teaching.

Oh speaking of Anne of Green Gables here's a random fact. Their is a dance technique called Brain Dance. The woman who developed it is name Anne Green Gilbert. Can you believe it? I never forget her name. There is my random fact for the day. Gosh, now I want to re-read the Anne books too. Ha ha!

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed So Far This Week: 1

Number of Books Left to Complete: 76

New Primary Books Chosen: The Gunslinger, The Magician's Nephew

Miscellaneous Comments: I'm not as ahead as I usually am this week, but that's okay. As long as I read at least 1 more book this week I'll still be on track. I guess I'm in a fantasy mood because both my picks this time are fantasy stories. Keep it shiny all!

Short Story of The Week (40) - Sneakers

2011-07-19T14:53:00.000-07:00

Story Title: Sneakers

From: Nightmares & Dreamscapes

Author: Stephen King

Favorite Line

"Sometimes you could get rid of the ghosts that were haunting your life if you could only work up the enough courage to face them."

Summary

A down and out music producer stumbles upon on a ghoulish discovery in the restrooms of a recording studio.

My Thoughts

I realized that I really enjoy choosing Stephen King short stories for this weekly segment. I think it's because he manages to get so much character development into his short tales. Today I decided to download a new short story book of his. I mean I couldn't go on only choosing excerpts from Night Shift forever now could I? The first story I picked out of Nightmares and Dreamscapes was Sneakers, because the title sounded interesting. I wonder if I pick stories referring to shoes because I'm a dancer. Hmm...

Anyhow, I felt like King built a lot of great tension in Sneakers. I got that wicked lovely feeling of wanting to know the outcome but being afraid of it at the same time. I have to admit in the end I was quite relieved that it didn't turn out the way I thought it was going to. I think I might have sighed with relief, which shows how involved I got in the story. I quite enjoyed this despite the crazy imagery. It's a bit of a long short short story, so you might want to curl up with some coffee, or lounge on a lounge chair in the sun while reading it. I went with the coffee option. Ha ha. I'll see you all soon. Have a shiny day all!

My Epic Reading Adventures: Sleeping Myself Silly

2011-07-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

Chapter 7: Sleeping Myself Silly

Gosh guys! I can't believe so much time has passed since my last post. I meant to post more journal entries but one thing got in my way. Sleep. You know how I like to write in the wee hours of the morning. However, for the last couple of days I've been going to sleep early. Well, early for me which mean 12:30 a.m. That is early for me considering I usually go to sleep a 3:00 a.m. I've had insomnia all my life so I'm really quite shocked. Ha ha! I've started a dance company. I guess the extra work is making it easier to get my nightly rest in. I suppose that's actually a good thing. I'll just have to plan to write a little earlier for now on. Luckily I still managed to finish my normal amount of books this week despite my almost too excellent sleeping schedule. Awesome!

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed This Week: 3

Number of Book Left to Complete: 77

Miscellaneous Comments: I think I'm going to focus on reading Lucy J. and my secondary reads for the first part of next week. After that I'll pick a new Re-read. I don't know what yet. Hmm...

My Epic Reading Adventures: I Am Reader Hear Me Roar

2011-07-12T23:57:00.000-07:00

Chapter 6: I Am Reader Hear Me Roar

I feel like I am really breezing though the books lately. Frankly I'm doing better than I thought I would. So far it's been 3 books a week which more than my 2 book a week minimum that I must read to complete the challenge. Although my epic reading numbers might have had something to do with the fact that my dish DVR is busted, so I really have to go out of my way to watch TV. Thus, I have limitless reading time during my relaxing time. Though I have to admit that yesterday I gave in to the temptation to watch something akin to TV, and watched a couple hours of Highlander on Netflix. Considering I've finished two books already and it's only Tuesday I don't think it hurt my reading at all. I mean some times you just need to watch immortal beings battle to the death with swords once in a while.

Ever noticed that when you read a lot and quickly you automatically feel smarter. Every book feeds you information or vocabulary. You then can use that knowledge for the next book. Plus, you just end up knowing really cool things in general. It might sound funny but this challenge is proving to be a real confidence booster. Not just with the gaining intelligence factor (that part does rock though). Every time I get closer to meeting my goal I get a new zing of accomplishment. I'm having great fun. Even if I don't meet my goal at least I had fun trying.

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed So Far This Week: 2

Number of Books Left To Complete: 78 (I'm out of the 80s! Super Shiny!)

Rough Drafts of Reviews Started: 1

New Primary Books Choosen: Roswell High: The Outsider, Lucy J.

Miscellaneous Comments: I just finished My Year With Eleanor a few hours ago and I can't wait to review it. Keep it shiny all!

Short Story of The Week (39) - Coryanna

2011-07-12T13:43:00.000-07:00

Story Title: Coryanna

Author: Joshua Scribner

Favorite Line

"She felt as if the girl were becoming part of her. She never wanted to lose her."

Summary

A strange haunting occurs in the hospital maternity ward.

My Thoughts

I'm totally into getting my short stories in the Nook store lately. This one caught my eye last night. I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay away from the ghost stories for very long. However, this story didn't end up being a creepy ghost story at all. It was actually kind of sweet. The ending was a little weird, but I think it was in a good way. I liked the progression of the story from one moment to the next. All in all it was very good and worth reading.

See you all later. I think I'm going to come back and do a journal entry tonight. I haven't posted one yet this a week and I'm starting to miss it. Know that when I say tonight I usually mean in the wee hours of the morning. Heck it's still dark, so it's still night right? Ha ha! Keep it shiny!

About Books Blog 44: Mockingjay

2011-07-10T00:57:00.000-07:00

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopia/Science Fiction

Related Reviews In The Hunger Games Series

Book 1: The Hunger Games

Book 2: Catching Fire

Favorite Line

"You love me. Real or not real?"

Summary (from Goodreads)

Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.

My Thoughts

This is an abbreviated version of my normal review set up. I’ve already discussed the interesting facts about the series and the movie in the reviews for the first two books. It seemed pointless to reiterate things I have already said.

I loved the first two books in the series, but Mockingjay really knocked my socks off. This book had the exciting war type action going for it. One of the many things I loved about all the books is that I believe that both girls and guys could enjoy it. It has a great balance of action and emotional pull.

Speaking of emotions Mockingjay was a serious emotional roller coaster. In this novel you get more a since of what the bonds are between the old and new characters. Not just the family and friends bond, but something akin to the bond of warriors in battle. In addition I couldn't wait to see how the love triangle turned out. What like about these books is that the author implemented a love triangle without it becoming the usual tale of jealously, crazy love drama, etc. You know I’m a big fan of a good love triangle, but it was just refreshing to see it done in different way. In the Hunger Games books survival always wins out over trivial things like jealousy, since it is usually a choice between working together or dying.

There were so many unexpected surprises in this novel. I know I’ve said something similar to this for every book in this series, but it’s true every time. I couldn't possibly guess what was going to happen next. This was fun because I'm usually pretty good at figuring out where a story is going early on. I think some of the events and scenes in Mockingjay literally took my breath away. It was definitely the type of book where you find yourself bursting to talk about every insane event. It was a good thing that I got a friend and my mom into reading the series so we could talk about it. I might have gone crazy trying to keep it all to myself.

Overall, I totally loved this series. I have found a new obsession. To prove that statement I actually bought this series on e-book twice. Once for the Kindle application on my phone, and once for my Nook Color. That way I can always carry a copy with me. Obsessed I tell you. If you haven’t read these books already you should.

Music To Read By

I didn’t have any favorite albums in particular for this one, but I did listen to a lot of music. I was reading this during my phase of obsessively watching Later...With Jools Holland on the Ovation channel. This show features a variety of awesome musicians playing live. I would read Mockingjay when this show was running. The next day I would read while listening to the albums of new artists I had discovered. A couple of songs I heard on the show ended up on this playlist or the playlist for Catching Fire. I did listen to one album not related to Later...With Jools Holland, the Sucker Punch Soundtrack. A very good album for young girls going into a fight when you think about it.

I must give credit to my friend and fellow Hunger Games fan, Natalie, who helped me add a couple songs to the Mockingjay playlist. I thank her in particular for finding the song Melon by Home Video, which is not only an awesome song but also an awesome Mockingjay song. As promised I included the player with the full playlist for the entire Hunger Games Trilogy. Wow! There are fifty songs on it. Lots of great reading music for when I re-read the books.

Mockingjay Playlist

Uprising - Muse

Superstar - Tegan and Sara

Redemption Day - Sheryl Crow

Numb - Linkin' Park

Fragile - Kerli

We Are One - 12 Stones

Know Your Enemy - Green Day

Stand Up (Acoustic Version) - Fireflight

Zombie (Acoustic Version) - The Cranberries

I Never Told You - Colbie Caillat

Speaking A Dead Language - Joy Williams

Sink or Swim - Tyrone Wells
Violet Hill - Coldplay

Army of Me (Sucker Punch Remix) - Bjork

Melon - Home Video

You Know My Name - Chris Cornell

Assassin - Muse

21 Guns - Green Day ft. American Idiot Cast

The Banjo Song - Seasick Steve

Marching On - One Republic

The Hunger Games Trilogy Playlist

Yay! My first whole series reviewed. Very exciting! Hope you had fun reading the review. See you all later. Keep it shiny!

My Epic Reading Adventures: Ch-Ch-Changes

2011-07-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

Chapter 5: Ch-Ch-Changes

I decided to change around some of my primary and secondary reading choices. I realized that while I'm enjoying Hamlet that I'm only interested in reading it during 10% of my reading time. I love Shakespeare, but you have to be in the right frame of mind to read his work with accuracy. I'm not always in that frame of mind. I also came to the realization I was definitely more intrigued with reading My Year With Eleanor 90% of my reading time. Thus, I'm switching Hamlet my secondary read and My Year With Eleanor to my Primary read. Other than this little switch up there really isn't much news, other than the fact that I'm going to try to post my Mockingjay review tomorrow. Yay!

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed this Week: 3 (v.g)

Number of Books Left to Complete: 80

New Primary Book Choice: The Pocket DJ

Miscellaneous Comments: My new book choice is sort of an instructional guide. I'm really trying to mix things up by not just reading fiction. I just thought The Pocked DJ would be really fun to review. Keep it shiny all!

My Epic Reading Adventures: Pandora's Music Box

2011-07-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

Chapter 4: Pandora's Music Box

My Nook Color came with the Pandora Radio application. My friend uses Pandora. It sounded kind of cool so I decided to sign up. It was so awesome that I got the application for my phone as well. In in case you don't know what Pandora is here's the run down. You type in a musical artist that you like and Pandora creates a radio station that plays not only that artist but musicians that are similar. It's a great way to hear music you love and find new artists.

What does all this have to do with reading? As you can tell from my reviews, I love to listen to music while I read. Hence, I adore Pandora. If I want a certain musical genre for a book I'm reading I can just pick that radio station that fits and have unlimited listening. Pandora is also handy for writing. Words come easier to me when I have music in my ears. Hey my post title sounds like a good short story title doesn't it? I'll have to think on that. The progress report below is a little different because I just started the new books so I obviously haven't finished anything yet.

Progress Report

New Primary Book Choice: Tuck Everlasting

New Secondary Book Choice: My Year With Eleanor

Rough Drafts of Reviews Started: 1

Book Playlists Completed: 1

Miscellaneous Comments: My mom suggested My Year With Eleanor. She thought it was good. Plus, it's a memoir, and I've never reviewed a memoir on the blog before. It's nice to try something new a different. Keep it shiny!

My Epic Reading Adventures: Practice Makes Permanent and Fanfiction Tips

2011-07-06T00:04:00.000-07:00

Chapter 3: Practice Makes Permanent and Fanfiction Tips

I've already noticed so much improvement with my writing since I started this journal. When I wrote the rough daft of my last book review it only took me an hour. Which for me is saying something. When I checked my work I was actually able to notice a couple of my mistakes right away. There were only a few that I ended up missing, but nobody's perfect right? I guess this just proves that practice makes permanent even when it comes to writing. Why permanent instead of perfect you may ask? Well I always tell my dance students that practice doesn't necessarily make perfect. You can practice something incorrectly and then it's permanently incorrect. Thus, only perfect practice makes perfect. Anyhow, I must keep trying to write something every day so I can continue to improve my skills.

I've decided that I can also use this journal as a way to easily communicate with those of you who have commented. First of all I would like to thank Lori and Rachel for commenting on the last post. If you guys would like to check out their blogs here are the links:Sleepless eReader and Under A Star Studded Sky.

So glad you can relate to my fanfiction plight Lori. Good to know I'm not alone in my addiction. Ha ha! Rachel you asked for fanfiction some fanfic suggestions. To tell you the truth I'd really have to think on it. I've been though so many phases with my fanfiction reading since I was 12 I don't know if would remember all the ones I liked. I'm reading quite a few now so it would take forever to put them all down. I will give you my tips to finding a decent well written fanfic.

Step 1: Find one under a fandom you know well. The whole point of fanfiction is that it is continuation or a different take on something you already love. Thus, the authors of fanfic aren't always going to explain back story. So don't pick a fandom you don't know anything about.

Step 2: Completed is best. Try to look for completed works first. The fact is that sometimes fanfiction is written by people who are unpredictable. Thus, they start a story (or several) and never get around to finishing them. Often this leaves you with an unending cliff hanger. So if you can find some thing that is finished go for that first.

Step 3: Look at update dates. This is a follow up to step 2. If your going to read incomplete fanfic look at the update dates before reading. For example if the story hasn't been updated since 2008 it's unlikely the author is ever going to finish it. If the story looks like it is being updated every week or every few weeks it is usually safe to start without fear of being left hanging.

Step 4: Pick something with a good summary. I always like to pick something with a decent summary or tag line. Not just to make sure the story sounds interesting to me, though that is a good reason. The main reason is because I can't tell you how many times I've seen this phrase written in a summary section on fanfiction.net: "I suck at summaries. Just read." I feel like if you can't summarize your own story then you probably can't write it either. I'm not saying that's always the case, but believe me sometimes it definitely is. Another thing a good summery can keep you from is entering a story with atrocious grammar. I mean I'm not the queen of grammar by any means. However, I at least take the time to capitalize the first word of my sentence, and make paragraphs. Some people don't even know how to spell character names correctly. Which is weird right? Your a fan enough to write a story, but not enough to check that you spell major character's names right. Often if someone doesn't take the time to fix minor grammar and basic character names in the summary, they probably didn't take the time to do it in their story.

I hope this helps you Rachel. If not I'll try to think up some good suggestions later. Though I'm not sure I should be spreading my addiction to the masses. Oh well, it's a fun way to spend a rainy day or a sleepless night. I have insomnia if you guys couldn't tell by my late night posts.

Progress Report

Number of Books Completed so Far This Week: 2 (v.g)

Number of Books Left to Complete: 81

Number of Book Reviews Completed: 1 (must improve)

Miscellaneous Comments: I'm rocking it on the reading front. I finished both 1602 and Glass today. Yay! This means I have to pick and new primary read and a new secondary read. Hmm... I don't know what I want to pick yet. One of them has to be a re-read. I'll let you guys know tomorrow what I've picked. Keep it shiny all!

Short Story of The Week (38) - The Red Shoes

2011-07-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

Story Title: The Red Shoes

Author: Bea Turvey

Summary

After argument with a love one, Jane must face her regret when he dies before she can make amends.

Favorite Line

"I dropped the box as though it burned, and it did. It burned the very heart of me."

My Thoughts

Well I found this in the nook store, and knew I had to read it. Not only because it had a interesting mysterious tag line, but because it carried the title of my favorite movie The Red Shoes (1948). Not that I thought it would be in anyway related to the film, but I my eye was just drawn to the title. Oh, by the way, The Red Shoes is also a very creepy little fairy tale by Has Christian Anderson. I'll have to review it some week.

Anyway, Bea Turvey's The Red Shoes was a pleasant yet heart stinging short story. Heart stinging because it speaks of how angry words can sometimes come to pass, and how occasionally once they are said you can't take them back. I loved the author's writing style. It had a very poetic feel. I love that type of writing style in general, but I really like it when it's used in a short story. Overall, this was a lovely and quick read.

About Books Blog 43: Catching Fire

2011-07-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopia/Science Fiction

Related Reviews In The Hunger Games Series

Book 1: The Hunger Games

Book 3: Mockingjay

Favorite Line

“At some point, you have to stop running and turn around to face whoever wants you dead”

Summary (from Goodreads)

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol.

My Thoughts

Usually the second book in a trilogy ends up being just a really big lead up to the third book in the series. However, I didn’t feel like that at all while reading the second book in the Hunger Games Trilogy, Catching Fire. While this novel did lay down important plot lines for the third book, it was still as full of action and twists as the first book. Some of the plot twists literally made my jaw drop. As I predicted Catching Fire is where the series gets a little bit more into politics. However, it was done in a way that I liked, and didn’t overwhelm my not so political brain. I think this was because the book never strays from the emotions and goals of the characters.

The book returns with all the great characters I enjoyed in Hunger Games, along with some wonderful new characters to create a new experience. This was both lovely but a little bittersweet as well, considering one can not have an epic political dystopian novel without some character sacrificing themselves for the greater good. Suzanne Collins really knows how to write characters you can get attached to. She also knows how to write characters that you love to hate a.k.a President Snow. I really disliked that man (the subject of him being human being is still a subject of debate for me). I love when authors write great villains.

Catching Fire was a great ride. I felt like the story just got better and better. Of course, Catching Fire ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I had to read Mockingjay right away. My review for that will be coming up next. I almost put the two reviews together, but decided against it at the last minute. I just got the feeling that I wanted to say entirely different things about the last novel.

The Movie

I suppose this is just an update on what’s going on with the Hunger Games film. If you haven’t already checked out the casting choices you should. I have to say I’m pretty pleased with them so far. I can only assume that if Hunger Games is received well they will make film adaptations of the other books as well.

Hunger Games on IMDb

Music To Read By

Strangely the same albums I loved for the first book also worked for the second. Though the general events of Catching Fire were different the situations the characters found themselves in were similar. Thus, even the songs I picked for the Hunger Games playlist still worked. I listened to that playlist and continued to rock out to Muse, My Chemical Romance, and Metric. I did however add Riot by Paramore to the mix this time around. I consider the playlist below more like addtions to the original Hunger Games playlist. When I post the review for the final novel I post a player with the songs for the entire trilogy.

Catching Fire Playlist

Never Going Back to OK - The Afters

It Starts With One - Shiny Toy Guns

Crossfire - Brendan Flowers

Unnatural Selection - Muse

Bulletproof Heart - My Chemical Romance

Ready, Set, Go - Tokio Hotel

Fire With Fire - The Black Letter

Do it or Die - Die Mannequin

Half-Trusium - The Offspring

Run - Snow Patrol

24 Hours - Tom Jones

Let The Flames Begin - Paramore

That's all folks. Hope you had fun reading. Can't wait to review the last book in the series. I can't wait to put the playlist together. Keep it shiny my darlings.