I've Signed up for The Steampunk Challenge!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

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I really like a challenge. So I joined the Steampunk Challenge on the Bookkeeper.

I heard the phrase Steampunk a few months ago in response to Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel, and had no idea what that meant so today I looked it up and found this challenge.

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary the sub-genre Steampunk is "a genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery rather than advanced technology."

Which sounds so cool. There are no obligations to this challenge but to have fun and share your opinions with other readers!

I'm thinking of reading at least two of the recommended steampunk readings, but all of them look so good so I may do more!

Check it out and consider joining, it runs from October of this year to October of next year!

~Read More,
Talk Less,
Rory!

Review: Elixir by Hilary Duff

Sunday, November 28, 2010

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Hi!

Hilary Duff? THE Hilary Duff? Why yes, that Hilary Duff.

Title: Elixir
Author: Hilary Duff

Summary (B&N.com): Clea Raymond lives an extraordinary life. The daughter of renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC figure, she has been in the spotlight her entire life. Followed by the paparazzi, she resents the attention that is lavished on her for her looks alone because she has so much more to offer Clea Raymond has a unique gift. A proficient photographer, in all her pictures, there is little something extra, and it's not just a result of her talented eye. There is always an extra photo that she didn't take. And, as she discovered at a young age, those photos always lead to a place where some tragedy is about to occur that Clea can prevent. Two years ago, her father disappeared while on a humanitarian mission and is presumed dead, but that doesn't stop Clea and her mother from continuing to do good throughout the world. On one such trip to Columbia, she meets Race, the guide for the trip. She feels a connection to him but cannot explain why. Was it something in their past or possibly in their past lives? Whatever has brought them together is threatening to tear them apart forever. As the mystery of her father's disappearance unravels, Clea discover that she has powers that are bigger than anything she could have anticipated.


My Review: I’ve loved Hilary Duff since she was Lizzie Maguire on Disney (laugh if you will, I don’t care). I love her music, her movies and I LOVE her book! I wasn’t sure I would like this book because I was afraid that if it sucked I would think differently of her, but no worries, it was great! I would classify this book as a mystery because that’s what surrounds Clea’s life; mysteries about her father and the guy who somehow ends up in every pictures taken/has been in since she was born. It's also got a supernatural aspect which is where the title comes from! I’ve never read a book that had to do with the fabled elixir of life (other than Harry Potter of course) and I found this super interesting. I have got to say that the only thing I didn’t like about this was the ending. If this isn’t going to be a series the ending was downright awful because it didn’t tie up any of the loose ends. But if it is a series…whoa way to go Hilary! It had a great cliff hanger ending. I liked all the characters, settings, and the plot lines especially if it’s a series. I want to know more about these people and their lives. I really hope so because I know Hilary Duff will do a good job if this one is any indication!



I'm Signing Up for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge!

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Just thought you should know that:

The super cool Kristi from The Story Siren is hosting the 2011 Debut Author Challenge and I'm entering it!

I've always wanted to do one of these, but I never thought I'd manage. 2011 will be the year I'm going to be able to read those 12 (or More) debut authors' books!

If you want to learn more about the 2011 Debut Author Challenge, you can click HERE and if you want to sign up (you don't have to have a blog) click HERE!

I'm not sure if I'm going to stick to this list. Everything depends on whether or not I can actually GET the books in question. Also there are so many amazing books to choose from I haven't had a chance to look at them all, so I'm only going to list the twelve that really jumped out at me.
So here's the list of books I might read (in no particular order):

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Clarity by Kim Harrington
Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey
The Demon Trapper’s Daughter by Jana Oliver
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton
How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain
OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy
Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
The Visconti House by Elsbeth Edgar

~Read More,
Talk Less,
Rory!

HARRY POTTER WEEK, DAY 5! HP7 IS HERE!

Friday, November 19, 2010

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‘Ello!

It's HERE the day we've all been waiting for! NOVEMBER 19th 2010 aka the day Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One is finally in theaters!

I am so ridiculously excited its scary.

I’m not going to post two things today but merge them into one!

First, how completely wrong is Top Ten Hottest Harry Potter Guys list?

It should go:
10) Stanislav Ianevski (Viktor Krum)
9) Robert Pattinson (Cedric Diggory)
8) Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)
7) Oliver and James Phelp (Fred and George Weasley)
6) Christian Coulson (1st Tom Riddle)
5) Mathew Lewis (Neville Longbottom)
4) Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)
3) Freddie Stroma (Cormac McLaggen)
2) Sean Biggerstaff (Oliver Wood)
1) Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)

(Yes that’s right Robert Pattinson is NUMBER 9 barely even worth mentioning!)

What’s the order of YOUR HP list?

Second, I’m going to see the movie at 9:30 tonight (which is in 2 hours)

Here’s a picture of me all dressed up yesterday in anticipation

yes. i am holding harry potters wand. yes i do have a gryffindor tie wrapped around my head. yes i am sitting in front of a deathly hallows poster and yes if you look closely in the top corner there is a signed cast picture (wand and picture are from my uncle, mom made tie, poster from borders book 7 premiere) :D :D

ANYWAY! I hope you go see the movie soon and when you do I hope you’ll love it!

~Read More,
Talk Less,
Rory!

HARRY POTTER WEEK, DAY 4!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

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‘Ello!

Today’s post is not what I originally planned because that one will take a lot longer and I had/have tons of homework to do tonight. But since tomorrow is FRIDAY AKA HP7 RELEASE DAY! I will have tons of time before I actually see the movie to do Harry Potter related things, so tomorrow there will be two posts!

Today’s post is going to be centered around that lovable red headed family we all know and love the WEASLEYS!

(I love how Harry and Hermione are in this picture! this by the way is fan art i found ages ago on google.)

Which is basically my way of saying I’m going to share my favorite quotes/excerpts from them because lets face it every single one of them are hysterical in there own ways. (mostly Ron, Fred and George though)

I won't post any Deathly Hallows stuff though as to not spoil anything for non readers.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone.

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy? You should have said something, we had no idea."
"Hang on I think I remember him saying something about it, once..."
"Or twice-"
"A minute-"
"All summer-"

~~~~~~~~~~~

"You haven't got a letter on yours", George observed. "I suppose she [Mrs.Weasley] thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid - we know we're called Gred and Forge."

~~~~~~~~~~

"And what if I wave my wand and nothing happens?" [Harry]
"Throw it away and punch him in the nose," suggested Ron.


Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Fred and George, however, found all this very funny. They went out of their way to march ahead of Harry down the corridors, shouting, "Make way for the Heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through..."

~~~~~~~

"A Study of Hogwarts' Prefects and Their Later Careers," Ron read aloud off the back cover. "That sounds fascinating."

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Percy had what were possibly the least helpful words of comfort.
"They make a fuss about Hogsmeade, but I assure you, Harry, it's not all it's cracked up to be," he said seriously. "All right, the sweetshop's rather good, and Zonko's Joke Shop's frankly dangerous, and yes, the Shrieking Shack is always worth a visit, but really, Harry, apart from that, you're not missing anything."

~~~~~~~~~~

Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion.
"I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.

~~~~~~~~

"Well...when we were in our first year, Harry-young, carefree, and innocent-"
Harry snorted. He doubted whether Fred and George had ever been innocent.

~~~~~

(Harry, just being greeted by Percy) "Harry!" said Fred, elbowing Percy out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old boy-"
"Marvelous," said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Harry's hand in turn. "Absolutely spiffing." Percy scowled.
"That's enough, now," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Mum!" said Fred as though he'd only just spotted her and seized her hand too. "How really corking to see you-"

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" said Fred.
"That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!" said Percy, going very red in the face. "It was nothing personal!"
"It was," Fred whispered to Harry as they got up from the table. "We sent it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mad-Eye Moody?" said George thoughtfully, spreading marmalade on his toast. "Isn't he that nutter-"
"Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody," said Mrs. Weasley sternly.
"Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?" said Fred quietly as Mrs. Weasley left the room. "Birds of a feather..."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Don't be prat, Neville, that's illegal," said George. "They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing... maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Harry."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I've got two Neptunes here," said Harry after a while, frowning down at his piece of parchment, "that can't be right, can it?"
"Aaaaah," said Ron, imitating Professor Trelawney's mystical whisper, "when two Neptunes appear in the sky, it is a sure sign that a midget in glasses is being born, Harry..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mr. Weasley, it's Harry.. the fireplace has been blocked up. You won't be able to get through there."
"Damn!" said Mr. Weasley's voice. "What on earth did they want to block the fireplace for?"
"They've got an electric fire," Harry explained.
"Really?" said Mr. Weasley's voice excitedly. "Eclectic, you say? With a plug? Gracious, I must see that... Let's think...ouch, Ron!"
Ron's voice now joined the others'.
"What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?"
"Oh no, Ron," came Fred's voice, very sarcastically. "No, this is exactly where we want to end up."
"Yeah, we're having the time of our lives here," said George, whose voice sounded muffled, as though he was squashed against the wall.

(NOTE: this is one of my favorite passages of ALL time)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

"Well, we were always going to fail that one," said Ron gloomily as they ascended the marble staircase. He had just made Harry feel rather better by telling him how he told the examiner in detail about the ugly man with a wart on his nose in the crystal ball, only to look up an realize he had been describing the examiner's reflection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Who's Kreacher?"
"The house-elf who lives here," said Ron. "Nutter. Never met one like him."
"He is not a nutter," said Hermione.
"His life's ambition is to have his head cut off and stuck up on a plaque like his mother," said Ron. "Is that normal, Hermione?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" said Zacharias Smith.
"Here's an idea," said Ron loudly, "why don't you shut your mouth?"
"Well, we've all turned up to learn from him and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it," he said.
"That's not what he said," said Fred Weasley.
"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" inquired George, pulling a long and lethal-looking metal instrument from inside one of the Zonko's bags.
"Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we stick this," said Fred.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Has Ron saved a goal yet?" asked Hermione.
"Well, he can do it if he thinks no one is watching him," said Fred, rolling his eyes. "So all we have to do is ask the crowd to turn their backs and talk among themselves every time the Quaffle goes up on his end Saturday."

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

"You'd think people had better things to gossip about," said Ginny as she sat on the common room floor, leaning against Harry's legs and reading the Daily Prophet. "Three Dementor attacks in a week, and all Romilda Vane does is ask me if it's true you've got a Hippogriff tattooed across your chest."
Ron and Hermione both roared with laughter. Harry ignored them.
"What did you tell her?"
"I told her it's a Hungarian Horntail," said Ginny, turning a page of the newspaper idly. "Much more macho."
"Thanks," said Harry, grinning. "And what did you tell her Ron's got?"
"A Pygmy Puff, but I didn't say where."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why Are You Worrying about You-Know-Who?
You SHOULD Be Worrying About
U-NO-POO -
the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Aaah, George, look at this. They're using knives and everything. Bless them."
"I'll be seventeen in two and a bit months' time," said Ron grumpily,"and then I'll be able to do it by magic!"
"But meanwhile," said George, sitting down at the kitchen table and putting his feet up on it, "We can enjoy watching you demonstrate the correct use of a - whoops-a-daisy."
"You made me do that!' said Ron angrily, sucking his cut thumb. "You wait, when I'm seventeen-"
"I'm sure you'll dazzle us with hitherto unsuspected magical skills," yawned Fred.

*****************************************

Anyway! I hope you don’t mind how long this is. Its just that once I get started I can't stop!
Happy Day before the Day Harry Potter 7 releases!

~Read More,
Talk Less,
Rory Weasley!
(because in my mind, I'm married to Fred)

HARRY POTTER WEEK, DAY 3!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

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‘Ello!

I can’t remember how I found this, but I found it about a month ago.

Undesirableno1.com is a site where you can make your own version of Harry Potter’s famous Poster!

Here’s mine next to Harry’s!


Make your own to celebrate Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows!
Watch for tomorrows Harry Potter post (it will be the longest and the coolest in my opinion but probably not yours)!

~Read More,
Talk Less,
Rory!

HARRY POTTER WEEK, DAY 2!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

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‘Ello!

Today’s post will be all about the actor who plays Draco Malfoy, Tom Felton!

Tom Felton’s attributes:
1) He’s British (well, so are the rest of the HP stars but still)
2) He’s Adorable
3) He’s Super Sweet (follow him on Twitter @tomfelton)
4) He’s Funny! (seriously, twitter!)
5) He plays the guitar
6) He plays the Harmonica
7) HE SINGS!

If You Could Be Anywhere. This is my favorite song of his. I love how even singing he sounds British!


Oh and how pretty is his close up Deathly Hallows Poster?


Anyway! I hope you like Tom’s singing as much as I do!
Watch for tomorrow's Harry Potter post!

~Read More,
Talk Less,
Rory!

HARRY POTTER WEEK DAY 1!

Monday, November 15, 2010

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‘Ello!

Since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out this Friday, I’ve decided to do a little post on his general awesomeness every day this week.

Today is a little teaser on the movie as well as a look at my favorite Harry Potter Website, Mugglenet.com

Here is a link to all the official Harry Potter videos released by Warner Brothers!

My favorites are the TV Spots.
I love Number 7 because of Fred and George, they make my life. Oliver and James Phelps are so funny! And Number 8 because of the Seven Potters scene. I cant wait to see more of BILL WEASLEY! I am SO glad they finally added him to the movies! I think they got the perfect actor to play him, he looks so much like the rest of them, he really fits in well. Oh I also like this one because of Dobby! I love Dobby, he’s so cute (I actually have his bobble head)!

And for your viewing pleasure here is the first DH Poster that was released. This is ridiculously depressing. It made me tear up the first time I saw it, but it is sorta pretty if you don’t think about the fact that its Hogwarts and its burning.

Anyway! I hope you like Mugglenet as much as I do!
Watch for tomorrow's Harry Potter post!

~Read More,
Talk Less,
Rory Weasley! :D

Review: Reckless by Cornelia Funke

Thursday, November 11, 2010

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Hi!

Another great title from Cornelia Funke, famed author of Inkheart.

Title: Reckless
Author: Cornelia Funke

Summary (B&N.com): Beyond the mirror, the darkest fairy tales come alive. . . .

For years, Jacob Reckless has enjoyed the Mirrorworld’s secrets and treasures.
Not anymore.
His younger brother has followed him.
Now dark magic will turn the boy to beast, break the heart of the girl he loves, and destroy everything Jacob holds most dear. . . .
Unless he can find a way to stop it.

My Review: I love this book, more than Cornelia Funke’s other books besides Inkheart. At the beginning I was a little skeptical and the concept kind of confused me at first but a few chapters in I fell in love and couldn’t put it down. Funke has created another amazing world. The goyls behind the mirror are fascinating creatures that have a skin of stone. From reading Reckless I can definitely detect Funke’s German heritage. The Brothers Grimm’s Fairy tales are deeply fused within this book and I love it! Jacob Reckless is a sort of fairy tale awesome stuff treasure hunter type of person. I think that’s pretty much the coolest thing ever. I think everyone should read this book because its such a good read. Its also a really quick read, it’s a lot smaller than Funke’s other books which was nice. Also Cornelia Funke drew all the pictures so between her words and her drawings this book just comes out of the page. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Check out the Reckless site too, I really liked all the individual videos on each of the characters.




Review: Twilight- The Graphic Novel, Volume One by Stephenie Meyer and Young Kim (illustrator)

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

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Hi!

I really don’t like Graphic Novels, but because this one is on Twilight I had to check it out.

Title: Twilight- The Graphic Novel Volume One
Author: Stephenie Meyer/ Young Kim (illustrator)

Summary (B&N.com): When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret...


My Review: I have this thing against graphic novels. I only read ones that were actual novels first (ex. Meg Cabot’s Avalon High, JRR Tolkien‘s The Hobbit) or ones based on a tv show or something (ex. That one based on John Winchester from Supernatural). That’s because in traditional graphic novels, I find the drawings just plain sad. I think that’s because my dad’s an artist so I know quality work when I see it. The drawings in Twilight are not bad even though there are seriously random sweat drops on Bella that make absolutely no sense what so ever at all that bugged the heck out of me. I really liked the meadow scene drawings because Edward sparkled right. I was curious about how the illustrator may have done this so I asked my dad. He said she probably erased the sparkle parts to create that effect (I don’t know if this is true but it certainly sounds good). Anyway I would not buy this book, but if your library does have it check it out. I was disappointed though because I didn’t realize this was Volume One until it ended and I was like…um? that’s really not where it ended. Also there are HUGE chunks of the plot taken out. I think that if I hadn’t read Twilight (the novel) first I would have been a little confused.


Review: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

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Hi!

I read this for the simple reason that I read The Twilight Saga. I originally wasn’t going to review it, but figured I would just in case (also because I know my cousin will read it sooner or later).

Title: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
Author: Stephenie Meyer

Summary (B&N.com): Fans of The Twilight Saga will be enthralled by this riveting story of Bree Tanner, a character first introduced in Eclipse, and the darker side of the newborn vampire world she inhabits. In another irresistible combination of danger, mystery, and romance, Stephenie Meyer tells the devastating story of Bree and the newborn army as they prepare to close in on Bella Swan and the Cullens, following their encounter to its unforgettable conclusion.


My Review: I really thought I wasn’t going to like this book. I was surprised that I actually liked it a lot more than some of the books in the Twilight Saga. I really liked reading about the bad vampires with no huge involvement of Bella and Edward, it was surprisingly refreshing! Even though the end of Bree’s story is known to all who read Eclipse it still surprised me. A part of me was really hoping that the ending would change miraculously. The whole story just worked, everything fell perfectly into place with Eclipse! The end was interesting because it was fun to see the Cullens from someone else’s point of view (other than Bella’s and Jacob‘s). Anyone who read and liked the Twilight Saga should really read this one as well.



Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

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Hello!

(!!!!) That pretty much sums it up!

Title: Crescendo
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

Summary (B&N.com): The sequel to the New York Times Best selling phenomenon, Hush, Hush!
Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.
The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?


My Review: Patch, Patch, Patch! I love Patch! However, there just wasn’t enough of Patch and Nora together in this book. I thought that once they were together we’d get a little more of them being you know together! As in all books that have a good plot there’s always a wrench thrown in to make their relationship complicated and interesting. And oh boy was this book interesting! I love books that make me aggravated, it means the author really knows what they’re doing. I loved the storyline that involved Nora’s dad, I won't say anymore about it because I think I’ve already said too much. But Holy Freak Show was this good!

PS. how pretty is this cover? *love*


New Background!

Saturday, November 6, 2010

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Hello there!

You probably noticed that my background looks different!

You’re not going crazy…I DID change it!





I was sick of THIS:



Because it was so…well…black.

So I changed it to THIS:


Because it is amazing and full of COLOR!

If you want to see these awesome templates and cool ones like it go to PYZAM.COM where I got both of these from.

Originally, I was going to make a template from scratch using Laina’s way. I scrapped this idea because I thought my head would explode from all the letters, numbers and symbols!

I hope you like the changes!

~Read More,
Talk Less,
Rory!

Review: Jessica's Guide to Dating the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Friday, November 5, 2010

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Hi!

This seemed really interesting…

Title: Jessica’s Guide to Dating the Dark Side
Author: Beth Fantaskey

Summary (B&N.com): The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .
Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood s senior year get-a-life plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth and he s her long-lost fiancĂ©. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war and save Lucius's soul from eternal destruction.


My Review: This book annoyed me. Generally, there’s something about vampires that irks me but there are certain things that in my mind make a vampire a vampire. A diet of blood alone is at the very top of that list. Lucius, the vampire in this particular tale, eats FOOD, as well as drinks blood, that annoyed me. I also really think the book should have just ENDED in the middle. It just went on and on. But when it did end I liked the ending. Lucius was a very funny character though, his views on America in his letters back home made me like this book.



Review: The Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King

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Hi!

I’ve wanted to read this book for soooo long!!!

Title: The Dust of 100 Dogs
Author: A.S. King

Summary (B&N.com): In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with "the dust of one hundred dogs," dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body-with her memories intact.
Now she's a contemporary American teenager and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica.


My Review: I have never read a pirate book so I have nothing to compare this to (other than POTC which I’m not counting) but I really enjoyed this. I really liked reading about how a poor Irish girl became the fiercest pirate for her time. Then to see how after she served her life as 100 dogs she became a human again and search for the treasure she found in her first life. Everything in the story had a purpose no matter how small and that always amazes me. The way Emer and Saffron’s lives intertwined between the time differences fascinated me. Even though they were the same person with lives that were so different they are both very different from my own. Even after finishing this book, I still think about it.

If anyone has any other pirate books they liked…tell me about them.


Review: Zombies Vs. Unicorn edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

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Hi!

Which side are YOU on?

Title: Zombies Vs. Unicorns
Author(s): Since this is an Anthology there are many authors, but Team Unicorn was edited by Holly Black and Team Zombie was edited by Justine Larbalestier

Summary (B&N.com): It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?


My Review: I am Team….UNICORN!

I’m Biased, so sue me. I have always loved unicorns. There are unicorns hidden all over my room. I’m also team unicorn because I thought that Justine Larbalestier of team zombie was rude. She was always putting Holly Black and team unicorn down (it was more than just a competition because Holly didn’t retort as harshly). It just bugged me. Another reason I am team unicorn is because the only story I really laughed at was a unicorn story (“Purity Test“ by Noami Novik).

Because this is my first review of an Anthology, I’m going to rate the book by each story.

Team Unicorn Edited by Holly Black:
“The Highest Justice” by Garth Nix- 3 Hearts
“Purity Test“ by Noami Novik- 5 Hearts
“A Thousand Flowers” by Margo Lanagan- 4 Hearts
“The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn” by Diana Peterfreund- 5 Hearts
“Princess Prettypants” by Meg Cabot- 4 Hearts
“The Third Virgin” by Kathleen Duey- 3 Hearts
OVERALL UNICORN: 4 Hearts

Team Zombie Edited by Justine Larbalestier:
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Alaya Dawn Johnson- 2 Hearts
“Bougainvillea” by Carrie Ryan- 4 Hearts
“The Children of the Revolution” by Maureen Johnson- 4 Hearts
“Inoculata” by Scott Westerfeld- 2 Hearts
“Cold Hands” by Cassandra Clare- 4 Hearts
“Prom Night” by Libba Bray- 2 Hearts
OVERALL ZOMBIE: 3 Hearts

Hearts never lie! TEAM UNICORN WINS in my mind!



I really liked the book overall, it’s a great read (and as a bonus people will look at you weird when you tell them what your reading).