Top Ten Tuesday (5)

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by the Broke and the Bookish to create a list of your Top Ten!

This weeks list topic is Your Top Ten Favorite Fictional BFF's

My list isn't really a Top Ten it's really a my all time favorite's but I just couldn't put them in an order.  So instead of numbering them I'm just going to use bullet points. 

•               Sodapop from The Outsiders-  I loved Sodapop.  He was such an innocent person.  All of these terrible things were happening to him yet he was still fooling around.  I would love to have someone so upbeat around me all the time.  As they said in the book no one couldn't not love Sodapop.
•               Annika from Just One Wish- Annika would do anything for her brother even seek into a Hollywood set and convince an actor to come see her brother at last minute.  She is so dedicated, and it would be great to know I had some like that as my best friend. 
•               Cassie from Animorphs- I saw this one someone else's list and it felt like a perfect match.  Cassie is a real person in my mind.  She struggled with what she was doing as an animorph, but she was so dedicated at the same time.  Cassie would make me a better person from pure intimidation.  
•               Scottie from It's a Purl Thing-  I can relate some much to her.  We would be best friends laughing, joking, going places in Chicago, knitting, having junkfood- filled sleepovers.  It would be great.  I loved all of her friends as well so I'm sure I'd fit in with their group, but I feel the most connection with Scottie.
•               Dawn from 68 knots- I know this book is not very well known, but I found it amazing.  Although the characters were a bit exgarated I loved every one of them.  Dawn was my favorite because she was so deep, and she knew excatly what she believed in.  I could defintely spend hours upon days and months talking to her about those kinds of things, and the best part would be shouldn't she wouldn't get mad at anything I said.  
•               Hermonie Granger from Harry Potter-  Tons of people put her on their lists because they could relate to her, and she understood things like the need to research, and I agree.  But, she's on my list for a different reason.  In the third book when Hermonie goes against her friends just to keep Harry safe even though they were mad at her forever.  There are few friends who would go to that length to care for me, and I think by the end of the series Ron and Harry saw that too.  
•               Aria from Pretty Little Liars- I almost picked Emily, but she so quiet and I'm so quiet it wouldn't have worked as friends.  Aria is so different, and that's a really interesting thing in a friend.  She would be the friend to go to when you needed a different point of view on something.  It would be great to be friends with her although I don't know if she'd want me as a friend. (I might be too boring).
•               Trixie from the Tenth Circle-  I felt so sorry for this girl in this book.  Her only true friend was her dad.  I don't want to hold myself to it, but I would have been glad to be there and help her out or at least hear her out.  Sometimes one friend is all it takes to prevent a suicide, and I believe that's where Trixie was headed if her dad hadn't stepped in.  
•                Seeker, Morning Star, and Wildman in The Noble Warriors series-  This group would be amazing to go on adventures with.  Each one of them brings a valuable friendship quality to the cirle.  Seeker- Depth, Fate, and Reconclieation/ Morning Star- Kindness, Understanding, Loyalty/ Wildman- Spontanieousness, Adventurousness, Spirit, Humor.  To spend one day with these characters would be an experience.
•               Arran from The Enemy-  This guy is a leader, and I would have wanted him on my side during a zombie apocolapyse.  Yet out of all the characters he knew what the priority was, and that is so important.  Arran was such a great guy, that I don't know who wouldn't have wanted to be his friend.  

Thanks for reading my list.  I put a lot of thought in to this one! 

2011 Debut Author Challenge

I just want to get this over with so I'm going to interrupt Harry Potter week for a moment.  This will be my first year participating in this challenge!   Wish me luck.  This challenge is hosted at Story Siren.  This blog has some much stuff if you haven't been there you should at least check it out. 

            Okay, so here are some books that I am planning to read for this challenge. 

• Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
• Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
• Memento Nora by Angie Smibert
• The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter
• Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
• Breath of Angel by Karyn Henley
• Lost Voices by Sarah Porter
• Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald
• Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Frost by Marianna Baer
• A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
• Dead Rules by Randy Russell

I counted thirteen so that's one more than I need to read.  So now the only question is how am I going to get money to pre-order all of these?  and Should I pre-order them all at once for shipping purposes or wait til I have money?  Descions. descions.

Harry Potter Week

IT'S HARRY POTTER WEEK!  In honor of the new movie (and the holidays)  I'm going to reread the entire Harry Potter series, and do other things with them on my blog.  Today shall be the kick off and it shall last until I finish all seven books (probably skipping the epilouge). 

In my reviews instead of doing the average (since everyone has already read these I'm going to answer these questions.

• How does this book compare to the movie?
• What was the best part of the book?
• Who was your favorite character (besides Harry, Ron, and Hermonie)?
• What was spaz-worthy of this book?
• Please describe the part that popped in your head.
• What parts where forshadowing that you didn't see before?
• What house whould you be in this book, and why?

This should be fun.  I can't wait to see all of your comments for these things. 

I saw the movie and it was amazing!  I've heard some negative things about it, but the movie got everything in it that needed to be in it.  Although there were some things that I would have like to see.  Best of all, it tottally captured the feeling of the book!  By Voldemort's nose!  It was amazing!  sigh.  I'm glad to have that out of my system I've been sitting on that for a week.

Top Ten Tuesday (4)

This is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  Today's topic is Top Ten Books that get you in the Holiday Mood.  This isn't really going to be a list this time, but I'm still going to make the attempt.

Okay, so for novels my "top ten" is pretty short.

1. Harry Potter- I fully realize that this series is more a Halloween thing, but Harry Potter has always been a Chirstmas thing in my family.  I got the books one by one (or something like that) from under the christmas tree in Elementary school.  I started reading the first book on Chirstmas.  That is how the legacy was born.

2. Kringle by Tony Abbott- This is a book about how Santa came to be only with a fantasy twist.  It's not YA but it's so christmasy I loved it.

That was it for novels but I have a few children's books. 

3. Santa Clause- this is kind of like a fake history book about santa and how he gets his job done.  It's very cute and celver.  I like to go through it around christmas time.

4. The puppy who wanted a boy-  I loved this one when I was little.  It's amazing as so heart-warming.  If you haven't read this you really should; it will make you cry.  If you have a child go to the library right now so that you can read it to them. 

I've never read to get in the mood for the holidays.  It's always been movies, and those christmas specials that have gotten me to pul out the construction paper and make the countdown chain.  My favorite christmas movie is hands down The Polar Express.  It's amazing. 

            You'd think after watching those christmas specials a million times I'd be tried of them, but I can't help it.  They are amazing.  Tell me what your favorite is.  My favorite is Jack Frost, it's so sad, and Jack Frost is always the bad guy for some reason, but what is so evil about makeing icicles? 

             Those movies that are on Family and Halmark that are for Christmas.  I LOVE those.  Half of them I make fun of but the other half are really neat and have interesting ideas. 

Will this post has gotten me in the mood to watch one of those so MERRY CHRISTMAS!



WWW Wendesday (2)

This is a meme created by Should be Reading.  It's very simple but since I don't do In My Mailbox (Yet) or have a Currently Reading gadget it's very useful.  Basicly all it is three questions.

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading? I actually just started (excatly, just started) rereading Eldest by Christopher Paolini.  I read it in fifth grade and didn't understand it at all so now I'm finally rereading (I know finally!).  But I'm also reading Mockingjay which is very good so far.  I really want  to dive into it, but I'm really busy right now.

What did you recently finish reading? I just finished a really good book called Flygirl about a colored girl that wants to fly in the US army, but that isn't aloud.  So she has to use her pale skin to pass for white.  It was amazing I really felt like I was in the World War II ara. 

What are you probably going to read next?  I'm not really sure, but I really want to get some of my challenge done, so I'm probably going to read either A Match Made in High School or Sea Change

Top Ten Tuesday (3)

This is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This weeks list is Top Ten Villains/ Criminals/ Other Nasties.  This week I'm counting down from least evil to most evil.

10. Kronos from Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan- Kronos pretty much as half-bloods do all is dirty work for him, but he swallowed all of his children.  Um...that's evil.  Yeah it's evil!  It proves he's a heartless, all-powerful, immortal titan.  Good luck defeating him Percy.

9. Magpie from Inkheart by Cornelia Funke- This lady is crazy.  She's the bad guys right hand person, but she's the brains.  She's the one that knows when Meggie is lying, and she can see through Sliver Tongue's plans.  She turns herself into a bird.  EVIL.

8. Grandma from Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews-  this lady locks her own grandchildren in the attic, and calls them devils spawn.  She's a god fearing, semi-insane old lady that is going straight to hell.  Even though she "loves" God so much that she is willing to kill her own grandchildren because they are "evil".  I think this lady needs to realize who the real evil one is.

7. Taddeus Valentine from Mortal Engines by Paul Reeves- this guy enters the book as the main character's idol.  This young boy finally gets to meet his hero.  Then he is pushed down the garbage shoot that drops him outside the moving London by his hero.  Yeah!  I can just see the admiration in the young boy's eyes.

6. President Snow from Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- Pretty self explanatory.  He kills 24 children each year, and anyone that stands in his way.  I'm glad that I'm not going to meet him.

5. Acheron Hades from Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde- He's the slipperiest guy on the top ten most wanted list, which is occupied only by him.  He can kill people without a second thought.  Magically disguise himself as an old lady (or anything else) and withstand bullets no matter how strong.  All he wants is to be known as the most evil man, even above Hades.  (This guy is number 5!)

4.   Sidorrio from Vampirates by Justin Somper- An evil vampirate (a vampire pirate) two things of evil in one evil package. 

3. Galbatorix from Eragon by Christoper Paolini- He'll live forever and he has an endless supply of magical beings (that are evil) at his disposale.  He can also ride a dragon.  That automatically makes him pretty bad-ass.  Eragon has the entire country after him because of this guy; a country that is starving and wasting away, but still an entire country!

2. Valentine from Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare- Again, self explanatory.  He experimented with is unborn children, turning his only son into a monster.  He can summon all the demons of the world.  But if you think that's not evil, whatever.

1.Voldemort from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling- DUH!!!   I don't need to explain this one to you but the flat nose should be a dead give away.

Flygirl Review

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 271

Genre: Historical Fiction



     All Ida Mae Jones wants to do is fly. Her daddy was a pilot, and years after his death she feels closest to him when she's in the air. But as a young black woman in 1940s Louisiana, she knows the sky is off limits to her, until America enters World War II, and the Army forms the WASP Women Airforce Service Pilots. Ida has a chance to fulfill her dream if she's willing to use her light skin to pass as a white girl. She wants to fly more than anything, but Ida soon learns that denying one's self and family is a heavy burden, and ultimately it's not what you do but who you are that's most important.

       Sherri Smith is an amazing writer.  All books should be written this way.  All YA writing seems to be all suspense and no plot, all romance, and no realism.  Sherri has given a us a book that is written write.  Definitely worth reading. 
          Ida Mae Jones is so real.  Since she's from the 1940's it's like hearing your grandma or great-grandma tell you a story of "when I was was your age" but in a way you can relate to.  All of the other characters were strong as well.  My favorite character was probably Lily or Thomas.  Lily is one of Ida Mae's best friends.  Lily has just been engaged and is planning on marrying her sweet heart after the war.  She reminds me of myself because she has all this teenage energy in the beginning that goes away a bit as the war progresses, but comes back when ever she talks about her fiancee. 
         Thomas is Ida Mae's brother and he is like an African-American Peter Pevensie.  He's studying to be a doctor and goes off to war straight after Pearl Harbor.  Peter Pevensie is my all time favorite character so anything like him is amazing. 
         The plot went right along with WWII.  all Ida Mae wants to do is fly.  She makes me want to go take a piloting class.  Her passion and uncertainty is what drives the plot forward, and it is also what creates conflict.  You know it's real conflict when you can relate to it. 
          Sherri knew how to write suspense.  it wasn't all fluff there was body to it.  I had to keep reading to find out what's going to happen.  What will Ida choose?  The base of all good suspense. Sigh.
          I love the historical fiction part of it; I really learned stuff (wow, I learned!).
          Theme: Base your future off yourself.  If you were born to do something you can't change that.  What would happen if the President quit politics and became an author when he was born to be President?  Nothing good for the country.  The theme was good in a way that it called me to action.  I wanted to go out and follow in Ida's footsteps. 

Characters: 10
Plot: 9
Suspense: 9
Theme: 10
Pace: 10
Mood: 9
Overall: 9.5- life changing

Beautiful Creatures Review

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages:

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she’s struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps, and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town’s oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

             I was expecting a twilight-like book, but I was pleasantly surprised.  The characters seemed a lot more real, and the story plot was amazing!  The small town setting made it comic.
             Ethan was awesome.  I really liked him.  He was real and as stupid and reckless as any teenager in love, but still able to grow as a character.  The entire book was told from his point of view.  Sigh.  That was pretty unusual.  I think that is what sets this book apart from others.  As much as I'm not a fan of first person point of view the authors made it work. 
             Lena was the classic trouble teen.  She has this colorful personality that she keeps inside herself because she is afraid to let others in.  Pretty much how all loners are.  This was so realistic.  I could really connect with her.  But of course there is that other thing that is supposed to make the book interesting.  She has powers.  Lena didn't really go into detail with her powers.  That was more for the other characters in the novel.  This wasn't a bad thing at all because she was trying to keep it bottled up.  Very realistic.  Lena was my favorite character. 
            My other favorite character was Link.  Even though the authors didn't go into much detail with him he was still the likable best friend that is oblivious. 
           The storyline was excellent.  It was so developed I could tell that the authors really sat down and talked about it before they started writing.  Which more authors should do.  It developed at just the right pace...at the beginning.  It kind of slow towards the middle before picking up a bit for the climax.  But compared to crap books like Evermore it was very advanced. 
           I understand that this is there first book.  Even though not obvious I could tell there was room for improvement.  Character could use a little work too.  I really wish that Link would have been more detailed in the beginning.  I'm looking foreward to improvement in the sequel. 
          Theme:  Everyone in Eathan's town including the woman who raised him told him that getting involved with Lena was a bad thing, but by helping her and getting to know her.  He discovered that she was this amazing person so different from everyone he had ever met.  He also did what know one else was able to or willing to do, save her life.  Eathan knew that what he was doing was the right thing.  A bit over used theme, but so well done that all others were blew out of the water.  There were also several other themes.  Leave a comment of what else you think is in this book.

Characters: 9
Plot: 9
Suspence: 8
Theme: 8
Pace: 7
Mood: 9
Overall: 8.5- A well done paranormal romace

Blog Hop Friday (1)

              Hey!  This is my first time being in a blog hop.  I have looked through books in a blog hop before, but I've never had a post.  So this blog hop is hosted by Crazy-for-Books.  Go there for more blogs. 

They have a question that goes along with it and this weeks is,

"If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?"

 

My Answer:  I must start with the first title unless its one of those series that it doesn't matter.  I hate starting with a book from the middle of the series.  I can never understand what's going on.  If I ever tried to review a book like that it would be inaccurate so it would be unfair. 

 

 

Happy Vetran's Day

                 Hey Guys! It's time to drag yourselves out of bed and go pay your respects to soldiers that have fought for us! 
                This morning I went to see a soldier being brought home.  He died in action.  I don't know many details but after he graduated from my high school he went in to the military.  It's kind of like he died so that kids could go to his high school. 
                What is the best part of Vetran's Day?  Reading war books!  I know a bit cheesy, but this is what I do.  My favorite war book is Private Peaceful by Michael Murpurgo.  This is about two brothers that must enter WWI.  It was excellent I read it in a day (It was also pretty short).

                I'm reading something for this right now.  It's called Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith.  This is about a colored girl who wants to become a fighter pilot for WWII, but not only is she a woman she lives in the South with extreme prejudices around her.  She must use her light skin to pass for white.  Pretty good so far.  Sherri is definitely a talented author. 

        

The Enemy Review

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Publisher: Puffin

Pages: 384

Genre: Horror



A sickness has afflicted everyone over the age of 16; anyone who is a “grown-up” has become a decomposing, brainless creature that survives by feeding on children. The children and teens have barricaded themselves in fortified buildings, fighting off attacks from the grown-ups who travel in packs, like hungry dogs. Before long, the young survivors are promised a safe haven in Buckingham Palace and make their way to it, crossing London on a perilous journey that will test them in harrowing ways. But their fight to stay alive is far from over—the threat from within is as real as the one on the outside.

Top Ten Tuesday (2)

          This weeks topic for Top Ten Tuesday, a meme by The Broke and the Brookish, is top ten books that made you cry. 
          I don't cry a lot, except for books.  I will find myself tearing up at even the smallest things, as long as I'm alone.  The only exception to this was once I was reading in a class, and something made me cry.  I brushed the tears away before anyone could see me, but for someone like me who is pretty happy and a bit unemotional.  I am surprised how passionate and emotional I can get over a few words.

1.         The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picolut-  This book is about a girl, Trixie who is raped.  It's so sad because no one believes her.  What really makes this book sad is that she's not the only character going through bad times.  It's everyone.  Jodi creates this web of depression that is very real.  I was crying through a lot in this book. 
2.         Chinese Handcuffs by Chris Crutcher- Like the Tenth Circle there is a lot of sadness in this book, and everyone deals with it.  I loved this book because you almost felt like a friend trying to help the characters but having no idea what to do. 
3.          The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton-  I don't think there was anyone that read this book that didn't cry at the end.  Is there a rule that classics have to have sad endings?
4.          The Enemy by Charlie Higson-  I've been using this book a lot, but I really liked it.  There were some scenes that were really sad.  I cried real tears of heavy emotion. 
5.           Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo- Two brothers are forced to enter WWI, and at the end...I cried.  This is a war book, you really get the war experience.
6.           Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling- so much emotion Rowling poured into the last book.  It was so sad I was tearing up at things that happened in the previous books because of this.
7.           Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews- This book is tragic and sad.  I felt so sorry for these children that were forced to grow up, but didn't know how.
8.           Blue Noon by Scott Westerfield- This is the last book in the trilogy The Midnighters.  Westerfield's ending to the series is tragic, and I cried pretty bad at how things ended up.  This was the only thing that made me dislike the series.  
9.           I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder- What this girl is going through is enough to make you cry, but the fact that her dead boyfriend haunts her and he is the only thing from keeping from spiraling into a depression it's so sad and creepy. 

I know I have cried for a lot more books, but they weren't rememberable.  Any good book can make me cry if there is emotion.