Again

Again, we have a new writer coming to my petit blog here–meet Maddie. Unless you want a codename, Maddie, I’m going to call you that…

Maddie’s color is green, as you have noticed from the last post. Thank you for actually writing something…jaion….

Maddie: Feel free to comment on other posts, oh and also put some info on the writer’s information page. Also, I made a widget that says what you’re reading, and what you’re going to review next. Feel free to toy with that too, okay?

Just as a clearer upper for you, when you talk about books, give a little background, then write your opinion. Look at previous posts as an example if you want.

Oh, also, leave your name at the bottom. Like this.

~Butterflys

New Moon

Well there’s a lot of controversy about this series and here’s my opinion. The books are good (maybe not well written) and they tell an interesting story. There, fin.

The saga is about a teenage girl, Bella, who discovers a world of the mythological–vampires and werewolves. While living in Forks, Washington, she falls in love with a 105 year old vampire who lives in a huge family. In New Moon, her lover, Edward, leaves her thinking it is the best for her safety. Totally distraught, Bella pretty much vanishes form society for several months. She lives in a stupor of grief. She is finally awakened when her life-time friend Jacob Black comes into her life. Their bond strengthens and Jacob falls in love, but Bella, still not over Edward, does not return his affections. After some time together, Jacob vanishes and Bella’s wounds of grief reopen. One mysterious night, Jacob visits her desperately trying to explain to her why he left. He pleads with her to remember stories he once told her, stories of vampires and werewolves. The next morning, Bella wakes up from a dream of huge wolves and realizes that Jacob is a werewolf. They talk and their bond deepens. She meets the wolf pack and makes new friends. During those months with Jacob, Bella discovers that an adrenaline rush causes a mirage of Edward to come and speak with her. In one attempt for a rush, Bella goes cliff jumping and nearly drowns, and is saved by Jacob. Alice, Edward’s sister, who can see the future, thinks she sees Bella commit suicide. She tells Rosalie, her beautiful and dour sister who the tells Edward. Edward cannot live in a world without Bella so he goes to the Volturi. The Volturi are an old family who enforce the laws of the vampires. Edward asks them to kill him. Because of his gift of reading minds, the Volturi refuse. In order to get his wish, Edward plans to show himself to the people of Volterra in Italy, where the Volturi live. This would mean breaking the most important rule, leaving the Volturi no choice but to kill him. Alice and Bella race to Italy to save him and they meet the Volturi, against their wishes. The Volturi decide to let them go on the condition that Bella becomes an immortal as well, because she knows far too much about their world. Edward and Bella return to Forks and are together again. Jacob is crushed to loose Bella.

I saw the movie yesterday and it was good. To understand New Moon, you have to read Twilight first. The last two books in the series are Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.

Go Team Jacob!

We are being invaded..

BY SHOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

anyways, if you haven’t noticed already, I’m a little insane. Or I just have too much time on my hands. It’s probably the latter (*giggle* I’ve been waiting to use that word).

So, anyways, like, yeah.

My english teacher doesn’t like it when we start with the above.

I discovered a very cool, very new, very awesome, book a few weeks ago in Books Inc. BLUE. SHOES (that’s the title. Blue Shoes. Sorry if that wasn’t clear before). Not only is the title awesome, the author and illustrator are awesome. Author: author of the Sylvie books. Illustrator: Ilustrator of the….(drumroll) HARRY POTTTER BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know, right? (My english teacher hates that too)

Wait, the best part hasn’t come yet.

T

H

E

T

E

X

T

I

S

.

.

.

.

BLUE.

BLUE I tell you. The text. is. blue.

~!

Nothing.

I’d really love to write a whole big long thing about a book I recently read, but guess what?

 

I don’t feel like it.

 

There you go.

 

~Moving on

If you live in Albuquerque, you can spell anything

It doesn’t count if you live in Mississippi, that one’s just easy.

Anyways (I don’t care if I use the word too much, I’M TIRED), Im gonna type about this book I read yesterday….took me like an hour to read, but I wanna talk bout it.

If the above’s spelling and grammar frightened you readers who are normally awed by my perfectness in writing usually, here’s my excuse: I AM UTTERLY SICK, if you haven’t read my other blog.

Anyways (there I go again, and yes I don’t care), It’s called It’s Only Temporary by Sally Warner. First of all, did any of you readers also stop to think about the author’s name? No offense to Sally, but it is a really common name. For some reason, I’ve always thought and seen that author’s names were exotic and awesome looking and everything (Kristin Cashore, Tamora Pierce, Noel Streatfeild, Madeleine L’Engle, etc.) but no, there are some books out there written by perfectly normal names, if not people.

Anyways (..), I was sick all day yesterday and also today, so I decided not to waste my time and catch up on my reading. So, I read Airman by Eoin Colfer and It’s Only Temporary by Sally Warner. Which one would you guys think would be cooler just by looking at the titles and the authors? Of course Airman by Eoin Colfer! First of all, Eoin Colfer is a sick name, and second of all, Airman suggests SOOO many awesome things.

Buuuuut, I decided to talk about the short, unnoticed book by the normal author, because I thought it was different. And interesting. And definitely refreshing. I really needed a break from all these horrific and dark stories about living in the prison for 3 years, then assassinating the king, and yadayadayada.

So, It’s Only Temporary. It’s a relatively new book. Came out in 2008 about. Skye McPhee is a twelve year old with a seriously problematic life. Her brother is deranged cuz he drove the family car into who knows what, got his brain bashed in, and is now learning to talk and eat all over again. Her parents don’t have time for her, as they’re very busy trying to restore her brother back to normal. And, she has to move from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Sierra Madre, California. (woot! go Cali!) For half a year. With her grandmother who is a little too much of a health nut. Besides brainstorming on how to stay invisible  at her new school and drawing awesome cartoons of everybody in her life in her sketchbook/notebook, Skye admits her feelings down on papers, in list form. Unique, eh?

Eventually, as all sane people, Skye begins to fit in, and make friends in her art class, and her life seems to be pretty stable for a while. Of course it can’t be like that forever, otherwise I’d just chuck the book in the trash can (no i’m sorry book i would never do that it’s just a figure of speech even if you are terrible). So, there’s this group of stupid dumbos who seem to ruin Skye’s tries to start a new life at every corner. You can imagine their unimaginable feats of darkness while I talk a bit more.

Accompanied with comical illustrations by the author herself (she was an illustrator first before she was a writer), this book radiates growing-uppiness, but besides that, it just gives any reader a sense of safeness and comfort, even though it’s about the uncomfortableness of being a teen. It was a considerable break in my line of serious, heavy books and I have to admit I didn’t realize I needed it until I read this book.

Maybe you should guys should consider taking a break from the serious too and read a short book that you can read in an hour. It really makes a difference.

6 stars

~Droopy Eyelids

Krierce

It’s a combination of Kristin Cashore and Tamora Pierce (my favorite author). But you know, it sounds like “fierce” too, and both of these wonderful authors are fierce in their own respective ways.

I (am one lucky dog) got to meet Kristin Cashore two days ago, while she was in Palo Alto on her tour for her new book: FIRE!!!!!!!!!! (omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomg)

Seriously. Once in a lifetime thing. Sure, I had a bunch of homework the next day and I almost killed myself after a cross country meet because I was way too tired, but you know, it was well worth it. She started off introducing herself and telling us (us meaning a couple of grown women, skateboarder/gangster guys who were probably looking for extra credit, a 12-year old boy (wonders never cease) and me.) some background of her new book. Then, she read a passage that she promised would NOT give away anything. It’s a rare pleasure when you get to see the author read his/her own book. Then you can see how the story is meant to be told. And you can also FINALLY find out how names are pronounced…

Then after that, questions. I’m proud to say that I asked one. Not telling. Then, she did the customary signing of books, where every person went up to her and gushed about reading her books over and over and over again. I just went up to her and told her that I thought her books were wonderful, and that I loved Flight of the Conchords. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, click here. It’s the second post down. Funny.

It was a lovely night. Kristin is exactly..and not exactly how I pictured her personality to be, but I will tell you lovely readers that I am satisfied. Isn’t that all we readers ever need?

~Before there was Pokatsa, there was Briganfire

I’ve been having weird dreams lately…NOT about shoes

What is it with the shoes these days?

Converse

Ed Hardy

Uggs ( I personally call them Ughs, they are so hard to walk in!)

Ballet Shoes

Dancing Shoes

Theater Shoes

Skating Shoes (though that one’s out of print)

 

Anyways, I’ve come (come?) to talk about a wonderful little series called..well, I don’t know what the series is called (the shoes series?), but it’s certainly wonderful. I started reading these in…4th grade? maybe 3rd. I still love them with all my heart until now (when I am a glorious teen who likes to eat grapes). They’re one of those childhood books.. like Julie Edward’s (yes the actress) Mandy. Also one of my favorite childhood books, though I will not review it because it feels a bit shallow and I fear people will not completely understand my loving interest in the book.

Actually, it’s a bit complicated. You see, Noel Streatfeild was an “old-timer” author. She was born in 1895, and she died in a nursing home in 1986. So, a lot of her original books are out of print (she wrote other books, yes). Ballet shoes is actually the only book I could find when I researched Noel Streatfeild. It seems to me that Dancing Shoes, Skating Shoes and Theater shoes were merely based on Ballet Shoes, or based on Noel’s other ideas, and not actually written by her. However, you readers (all 7, I added one!) can make your own assumptions. Skating Shoes is actually not out yet, and doesn’t seem to be related very much to the other books when I read the description on Amazon.

 

Even with these complications, I still clearly remember enjoying Ballet Shoes, Dancing Shoes, and Theater Shoes in that order. It’s a wonderful story about children who have difficulty finding their talents in the arts. I hope I’ll still remember these books when I’m old and forgetful. Pauline, Petrova and Posy will always live in my heart. (wow that was sentimental.. for me at least)

 

no star rating for this–too memorable

 

~Gardens Under the Rain (debussy)

So, anyways, Concentrate on Breathing

I’m starting school. *high pitched scream emitted from a zombie*

It may not seem like a lot to you readers (all 6), but it’s actually very important. The fact that my school is (finally) starting means that I won’t have as much time to write (type).  Which means you readers won’t get to see moi as often as you have been seeing me. (seeing as in reading my lovely posts)

Jaion is also starting school. Which means she will barely have time to breathe. I still do hope she finishes her Artemis Fowl post soon. Maybe I’ll further the deadline to 2014

Another reason why I’m going to take more time to create new posts on this blog is because I’m opening up my other blog. I won’t even try to give you the website—

So anyways, I’ll try to make time to post (which means taking that time away from watching movies on youtube) long opinionated reviews on books, and Jaion will try to concentrate on breathing.

I know you people will miss me.

~Andrea (my “school” name)

Kindle the Blaze

Big Surprise: I’m bored.

So, I decided to do a post about something other than a book. Don’t worry, everything on this blog will always be related one way or another (blondie!) to books, but can you blame me if I am suffering from…well, I don’t know what i’m suffering from. I just know I’m bored. So!

The Kindle.

Well, that’s old news. Here’s the new version:

Uh huh. Here’s the comparison:

Guess which one I have.

It’s not my fault that I was so excited for the Kindle to come out (and all that crap about having a cool, awesome digital library)! It’s not my fault that technology is money-sucking annoying and dangerously fast improving. It’s not my fault that 2 weeks after I bought the new “KINDLE!” that the better, sleeker, (whiter?), thinner, squarer, flatter, just plain improved “KINDLE” VERSION FRICKIN’ 2 CAME OUT!

So. You see the cause of my agitation. Well, more like the cause of my agitation for the past 3 something or other months.

Well, it’s not that bad, I guess. That’s just one of the problems:

Bookworm’s List of Problems Concerning the Amazon Kindle:

1. I bought the first version right before the second version came out.

2. There are a lot of boring adult novels, and not a lot of young adult/children/awesome/whatever people call it these days novels that are up for sale.

3. The ones that are up for sale are ABNORMALLY, but not surprisingly, EXPENSIVE!

I can only hold myself responsible for not waiting for everything’s price to go down. But I ask this question in defense for myself.

Does anyone ever wait for the best model of technology?

Answer (I’d put this upside down on the very bottom of the page just like one of those advertisement riddles, but I can’t find the button for that): No. Why not? Because technology is always improving, and if people waited for the latest improvement in the world, they’d be waiting forever.

Conclusion: It is impossible to get the best model forever, so most people are usually disappointed when their model isn’t the latest anymore. Besides those few people who are content with what they have. Which is very few.(not me)

~Off to get a discount on Wicked tickets now that I’ve vented the steam for the day–

 

And if you are infatuated with the new KIIINDDDLLLEEEEEE..then have a look at the page where you can buy it on Amazon…

 

Let’s Have Some Fun this beat is sick. I wanna take a ride..On the London Eye!

Sorry about the wacko title. I just got back from London (!). BTW: The London Eye is a major tourist trap. SNDs (Saturday Night Dates) everrywherreeee….Oooffff. Shake it off, bookworm, shake it off. Ok, I shook London off of me (if you really want to know what happened–There are some awfully good stories in that adventure–then take a look at my other blog “bookpiercer.wordpress.com” for that post), now it’s time to focus on the book that I finished on the airplane ride back. Sovay. oooohhhhhhhhhhh it’s sooooo awesomeeeeee–

 

The U.S. cover for Sovay. Very appealing at first glance.

 

Yeah, not really. I dunno. Celia Rees definitely has potential talent (why am i saying that? I don’t believe in “talent”), but I think that her novel went downhill throughout the very twistifying plot (no, twistifying is not a word, but can you blame me if I’m currently infatuated with Wicked?) (If you don’t know what Wicked is, look it up–its world has its own glossary) about the French Revolution and England. Ugh. That was a very bad sentence. All those parentheses and make-believe words and everything!

Forgive me, my holy old (as in previous teacher, not AGE OLD) english teacher.

Before I complain, as an introduction, Sovay is actually an old traditional ballad that is about  a woman who masquerades as a highwayman to test her lover. Which is basically the opening scene of the book, Sovay.

Sovay is about a headstrong/stubborn girl who masquerades as a highwayman (this is the 1790s, mind you) at first to test her potential husband, but turns into a dangerous secret that gets caught up in a huge overly complicated plot about bringing England down around its ears. There’s also the plot about the French Revolution going on, and all the TINY little romantic plots on the side and BLAHBLAHBLAHBLAHBLAH

You see what I mean? I’m prone to making run-ons just by trying to state the plot!

Let’s start with the good stuff. I have to say, the story started out so well. I loved Celia Rees’s new, unique way of writing and was looking forward to more of that intriguing writing. Unfortunately, this stopped after about the 7th chapter. Not a very high number, now is it, mate? (my god, i’m going to start spouting londonese-no offense to the british) I also very much appreciated that although Celia’s heroine was a natural tomboy/stubborn pig/masquerader/female hero person, Sovay was still a girl. Sometimes, I read books about female heros (heroines), and they act TOO much like men. It’s kind of disturbing after a while. All the stuff about feminism… I agree, just not that much. So it’s nice to see that Sovay worried about her lover and was embarassed by her low-cut dress and all that girly stuff indeed. Guys, this book probably isn’t to most of your liking…

I also have to compliment Rees on some parts of her overly complicated story, at which some things were just genius. Others, were not so genius.

Ok. The bad. Yes, it will be longer. All the talk about “oh! papa’s ill in France! Oh! My brother is joining the french revolution! Oh! Dysart is planning a big thing to take over England!” just makes me head swirly! Oh, I mean MY head swirl. Maybe my brain capacity for complicated plots just isn’t as big as some people’s (Jaion…), but even though…my instinct tells me that it was overdone. Moving on, I also have to say something about Celia Rees’s conception of romance scenes. I’m sorry, but seriously? There were about 2 in the whole book, and both of them were really, short, really weird, and really sudden. So sudden that I almost skipped one of them because I thought it was a boring description. Really. Sovay can’t just fall in love instantly with some Captain soldier guy. If that’s not bad enough, this little relationship was barely mentioned the whole rest of the book. The other one was just a quick kiss, and rather like a dead end that made me a little curious, but disappointed me when nothing else was to come of it. So, work on that Ms. Rees. That brings me to another thing that irritated me. Ok, I will consent to Sovay being really beautiful and everything, but do all of the guys she works with HAVE to fall in love with her one way or another? Geez. It’s just not a good asset for a character to have 3 different suitors. One more thing and I’ll be done with the outburst of respectable disagreements. (what can I say? I was bottled up in London for a week with no internet ) There was this weird little afterword, which I didn’t get at all. I got the part about Sovay and her future life (about her being a public figure in France and where she now lived), but I didn’t even know who was talking. And why did whoever was talking have a portrait of her? I will probably figure this out in a couple of days, but if I don’t get something at first reading, it’s probably too vague. Sorray. I really do have overly strong opinions. Guess you people will have to deal with it. Especially Jaion. Heeheeheeheeheeheehee..

Am I being too harsh on this book? Maybe, maybe not. You people decide. I for one need to complaing about something, but I do have a good reason, so think about it. I think this book is only for some people, meaning I would not recommend it to everybody. Just a warning. Good reading, and cheers! (I am officially londofied)

5.6 stars (oh, don’t look at me like that Jaion. Yes, it’s low, but also Yes, I believe in it. Stop staring at me!)

~I guess I’m a scrooge– I forgot to mention Jaion likes this book. I don’t know how she’ll react when she sees what my opinion is. *GRIN*

 

If anyone is interested in buying Sovay, by Celia Rees, here is the amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/Sovay-Celia-Rees/dp/1599902036/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1250907576&sr=8-1

*You’ll find that people who commented and the main review mostly agree with me.