Hello, so this week the second week or so of NanoWrimo and a lot of us are starting to get up there word count wise and plot out our stories, which is nothing less than AWESOME. If you have not reached a certain point yet or, are not on track, do not worry. There is still plenty of time to get in some serious word count. The first week of Nanowrimo I couldn't really get into my story, and kept switching Ideas so I would be typing one story about a hundred words in and then switch to the next. So my only advice for this week is stick with it. I can guarantee you it will be worth it in the end. And after, or in case you have already finished a manuscript (edited and all) you can sign up and submit it here: http://www.swoonreads.com/submit-a-manuscript For a chance to win a 15,000 dollar book deal. http://www.swoonreads.com/ is an official sponsor of nanwrimo. So big thank you to them. :)
This week we are doing top ten books, movies, or songs that can hopefully inspire some creativity.
Books:
1. The House on Mango Street-Sandra Cisneros
2. Fight Club-Chuck Palahnuik
3. The Catcher in the Rye-J.D. Salinger
4. Shatter Me-Tahereh Mafi
(All of these were chosen for there unique writing styles and original story lines)
Music:
1. Hideaway-Karen O. and the Kids
2. Over the Love-Florence and the Machine
3. Buzzcut Season-Lorde
4. Back to Black-Amy Winehouse
Movies:
1. E.T. (Stephen Spielberg. Universal Pictures.)
2. Coraline (Laika, Focus Features, Henry Selick, Universal pictures. Originally based on the novel of the same name by Neil Gaiman.))
Showing posts with label Book Talk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Talk. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Top Nine Saturday: Books, Music, and More
So it is approaching the second week of Nanowrimo and since, unfortunately we've missed top ten Tuesday. I've decided to do Top nine Saturday. About the top seven songs, television shows, and possibly books that could get you in the writing mood. :) Really I should just encourage you to get down and just write, even if what you write is terrible and you want to throw it out, or delete it. Don't. Just do it. You can revise and edit after you've finished. And you will finish. :0)
1. Daughter-Run
2. Hey Jude-The Beatles
3. Skin and Bones-David J. Roch
In Television:
1. Dexter (Showtime)
2. Sherlock (BBC)
3. American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
In Books:
1. Anna and The French Kiss-Stephanie Perkins
2. Eleanor and Park-Rainbow Rowell
3. The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer-Michelle Hodkin
1. Daughter-Run
2. Hey Jude-The Beatles
3. Skin and Bones-David J. Roch
In Television:
1. Dexter (Showtime)
2. Sherlock (BBC)
3. American Horror Story: Coven (FX)
In Books:
1. Anna and The French Kiss-Stephanie Perkins
2. Eleanor and Park-Rainbow Rowell
3. The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer-Michelle Hodkin
Saturday, November 2, 2013
NaNoWriMo and Word Counts....
So NanoWrimo has just begun and people are already starting to get busy with writing. I just wanted to share a couple of things that may help distress or encourage those who are doing NanoWrimo this month.
1. Quick and dirty:
The first draft is not necessarily meant to be good. It is something that is meant for improvement and that will sort of give you a baseline fore your story. So that other better drafts can come from your first draft.
2. Quality not quantity.
It's true that the goal is to write about fifty thousand words or more by the end of November. And I suppose this relates to the bit above. But in the end it doesn't really matter about the word count if your novel sucks. It is better to have fewer words and have your novel be incredible than to have less words and have it suck.
3.Notes.
I was unable to really get a baseline for my novel going because I had signed up so late, but also because I had not taken note or allowed myself the time to really brainstorm and write down my ideas. So it is always a great idea to take a break, to take some notes gets your thoughts together before continuing.
4. Music.
It is always good to get inspired and be creative while writing. I find that music really, helps with this. Here are some songs that may be good for a boost of inspiration.
Born to Die-Lana Del Rey
Digital Rot-Tan Vampires
Wishing Well-The Airborne Toxic Event
Until We Bleed-Lykke Li
Armistice-Phoenix
Shake Me Down-Cage The Elephant
Oblivion-Bastille
Pompeii-Bastille
Dog Days Are Over- Florence+The Machine
Blue Jeans-Lana Del Rey
Fluorescent Adolescent-Arctic Monkeys
Peaches-In The Valley Below
Cough Syrup-Young The Giant
5. Books.
Each and every author has their own writing style. And voice. So it may be a good idea to grab some inspiration from other books. Do not copy or plagiarize. But practice writing with their style. See how you like it and see if it may be possible to incorporate a mixture of styles within your story.
6. Tweaks.
It may be necessary while writing to go back and read or fix paragraphs or word choices every once in while. In order to make the story continuously better. I find that I often have to stop and read through the sentences and paragraphs I've just written before going back and tweaking it. Sentence structures and wording are also vital to the story-line. Often times a couple of words have the power to make the story better or worse. Which in a way I suppose is why writing can be so hard most of the time.
7. Dictionary's.
I have said it before and I will say it again. Sometimes it is vital to have a dictionary lying around. Not only because of the diversity of words that could be used to make your story more interesting. But also, if there ever comes a time when spelling or grammar needs to be checked than it's good to have around.
8. Avoid the use of cliches while writing. It is often refreshing to see new or unused story ideas and back grounds. So be creative!
9.Avoid repeating sentences and wording.
10. Try not to over explain things. It is good to appeal to the five senses. Taste, Touch, Sight, Smell, and sound. Often times it is easy to over explain or examine things which can lead to a boring story structure. However appealing to the readers five senses is something that is vital. "How did it feel, smell, look, sound, taste, etc."
11. And finally if what your writing seems boring to you it is probably going to be boring to the reader as well. So it may be necessary to try and change up your writing every once in a while. Remember falling action, climax, falling action, and major plot points.
1. Quick and dirty:
The first draft is not necessarily meant to be good. It is something that is meant for improvement and that will sort of give you a baseline fore your story. So that other better drafts can come from your first draft.
2. Quality not quantity.
It's true that the goal is to write about fifty thousand words or more by the end of November. And I suppose this relates to the bit above. But in the end it doesn't really matter about the word count if your novel sucks. It is better to have fewer words and have your novel be incredible than to have less words and have it suck.
3.Notes.
I was unable to really get a baseline for my novel going because I had signed up so late, but also because I had not taken note or allowed myself the time to really brainstorm and write down my ideas. So it is always a great idea to take a break, to take some notes gets your thoughts together before continuing.
4. Music.
It is always good to get inspired and be creative while writing. I find that music really, helps with this. Here are some songs that may be good for a boost of inspiration.
Born to Die-Lana Del Rey
Digital Rot-Tan Vampires
Wishing Well-The Airborne Toxic Event
Until We Bleed-Lykke Li
Armistice-Phoenix
Shake Me Down-Cage The Elephant
Oblivion-Bastille
Pompeii-Bastille
Dog Days Are Over- Florence+The Machine
Blue Jeans-Lana Del Rey
Fluorescent Adolescent-Arctic Monkeys
Peaches-In The Valley Below
Cough Syrup-Young The Giant
5. Books.
Each and every author has their own writing style. And voice. So it may be a good idea to grab some inspiration from other books. Do not copy or plagiarize. But practice writing with their style. See how you like it and see if it may be possible to incorporate a mixture of styles within your story.
6. Tweaks.
It may be necessary while writing to go back and read or fix paragraphs or word choices every once in while. In order to make the story continuously better. I find that I often have to stop and read through the sentences and paragraphs I've just written before going back and tweaking it. Sentence structures and wording are also vital to the story-line. Often times a couple of words have the power to make the story better or worse. Which in a way I suppose is why writing can be so hard most of the time.
7. Dictionary's.
I have said it before and I will say it again. Sometimes it is vital to have a dictionary lying around. Not only because of the diversity of words that could be used to make your story more interesting. But also, if there ever comes a time when spelling or grammar needs to be checked than it's good to have around.
8. Avoid the use of cliches while writing. It is often refreshing to see new or unused story ideas and back grounds. So be creative!
9.Avoid repeating sentences and wording.
10. Try not to over explain things. It is good to appeal to the five senses. Taste, Touch, Sight, Smell, and sound. Often times it is easy to over explain or examine things which can lead to a boring story structure. However appealing to the readers five senses is something that is vital. "How did it feel, smell, look, sound, taste, etc."
11. And finally if what your writing seems boring to you it is probably going to be boring to the reader as well. So it may be necessary to try and change up your writing every once in a while. Remember falling action, climax, falling action, and major plot points.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Themed Novels
So this week, is Halloween and in honor of that I though it would, be cool to list the top ten books, movies, or music that either are the best Halloween themed or that may have a scene or two, in correspondence with the spooky 'Holiday.' :)
10. The Portrait of Dorian Grey-Oscar Wilde
The novel is primarily centered around Dorian Grey a young, handsome and successful man who's vain and arrogant ways lead to his eventual downfall. Throughout the a painting created for him begins to grow more and more grotesque depending on his sins of that day. Which leads the reader to believe that the paintings is in fact a reflection of his soul.
9. Frankenstein-Mary Shelly.
This book is one perfectly themed for Halloween.
It's creepy, mysterious, and even grotesque.
A portion of this book is dedicated to the workings of fictional scientists:Victor Frankenstein who has always been a bit unorthodox in his methods of madness.
8. The Phantom of the Opera-Gaston Leurox.
This book has been adapted numerous times, in the form of Movies, Opera, Ballets and even its music.
Like Mary Shelly's Frankenstein it is a Gothic novel centered around a Haunted French Opera house. It incorporates elements of terror, spookiness, and genuine curiosity.
7. Carrie-Stephen King.
Carrie, is centered around a young teenage outcast, who uses her powers, such as telekinesis against those who regularly torment and bully her at school. Which leads to an eventual disaster during prom night that results, in the loss of hundreds of lives.
6. The Shinning-Stephen Kind.
This novel also by Stephen King. Revolves primarily around Protagonist Jack Torrance who travels with his family to a hotel in order to be a caretaker there. There son Danny is able to see the terrible things that happened in the hotels past. Soon after, a terrible storm cuts off the power and isolates the hotel. Which is then haunted by terrible forces of evil. That leaves everyone in danger. The Shining was adapted into a successful film By Stanley Kubrick and released in 1980.
5. Dracula-Bram Stoker.
Dracula, is a Gothic novel centered around the fictional vampire of the same name. Throughout the book Dracula fights against a small band of men, in his attempt to move from Transylvania to England.
4. The legends of sleepy hollow-Washington Irving.
The Legends of Sleepy Hollow is actually a collection of short stories written by Irving.
The novel centers around the small haunted town of Sleepy Hollow (believed to be base off of Terry Town, New York)That becomes 'haunted' by a headless horsemen.
3. Sherlock Holmes- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Sherlock Holmes is based on two primary characters:Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. A spunky, yet brilliant, detective and strict but caring doctor. This is on the list because of its Gothic attributes and spunky, yet almost unreal humor and investigations.
Here's an interesting fact. Arthur Conan Doyle wanted to kill off Mr. Holmes for real in the series but fans of the book expressed such outrage that he decided to add on more installments. There have been numerous book, to film and book to television adaptions. Perhaps some of the most famous, is the U.K. BBC series staring, primarily Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman staring as Sherlock Holmes, and John Watson. Another film adaption made before the popular series stars, Robert Downy Jr. As Sherlock, Jude Law as Watson and Rachel McAdam's as Irene Adler.
2.The Horror at Red Hook-H.P. Lovecraft.
This is a short story published in January of 1927. It's on the list for obvious reasons.
1. The Tell Tale Heart-Edgar Allen Poe
This comes in at number one on the list. Due to its ability to convince the reader that the narrator (who commits a murder) is in fact not insane. Even though he kills someone, chops them up into little pieces and then hides the dismembered body underneath the floor boards of his house. The narrator then begins to 'hear' the heart beating of the man he murdered possibly due to guilt. This story is utterly macabre as was Mr. Poe'specialty.
10. The Portrait of Dorian Grey-Oscar Wilde
The novel is primarily centered around Dorian Grey a young, handsome and successful man who's vain and arrogant ways lead to his eventual downfall. Throughout the a painting created for him begins to grow more and more grotesque depending on his sins of that day. Which leads the reader to believe that the paintings is in fact a reflection of his soul.
9. Frankenstein-Mary Shelly.
This book is one perfectly themed for Halloween.
It's creepy, mysterious, and even grotesque.
A portion of this book is dedicated to the workings of fictional scientists:Victor Frankenstein who has always been a bit unorthodox in his methods of madness.
8. The Phantom of the Opera-Gaston Leurox.
This book has been adapted numerous times, in the form of Movies, Opera, Ballets and even its music.
Like Mary Shelly's Frankenstein it is a Gothic novel centered around a Haunted French Opera house. It incorporates elements of terror, spookiness, and genuine curiosity.
7. Carrie-Stephen King.
Carrie, is centered around a young teenage outcast, who uses her powers, such as telekinesis against those who regularly torment and bully her at school. Which leads to an eventual disaster during prom night that results, in the loss of hundreds of lives.
6. The Shinning-Stephen Kind.
This novel also by Stephen King. Revolves primarily around Protagonist Jack Torrance who travels with his family to a hotel in order to be a caretaker there. There son Danny is able to see the terrible things that happened in the hotels past. Soon after, a terrible storm cuts off the power and isolates the hotel. Which is then haunted by terrible forces of evil. That leaves everyone in danger. The Shining was adapted into a successful film By Stanley Kubrick and released in 1980.
5. Dracula-Bram Stoker.
Dracula, is a Gothic novel centered around the fictional vampire of the same name. Throughout the book Dracula fights against a small band of men, in his attempt to move from Transylvania to England.
4. The legends of sleepy hollow-Washington Irving.
The Legends of Sleepy Hollow is actually a collection of short stories written by Irving.
The novel centers around the small haunted town of Sleepy Hollow (believed to be base off of Terry Town, New York)That becomes 'haunted' by a headless horsemen.
3. Sherlock Holmes- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Sherlock Holmes is based on two primary characters:Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. A spunky, yet brilliant, detective and strict but caring doctor. This is on the list because of its Gothic attributes and spunky, yet almost unreal humor and investigations.
Here's an interesting fact. Arthur Conan Doyle wanted to kill off Mr. Holmes for real in the series but fans of the book expressed such outrage that he decided to add on more installments. There have been numerous book, to film and book to television adaptions. Perhaps some of the most famous, is the U.K. BBC series staring, primarily Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman staring as Sherlock Holmes, and John Watson. Another film adaption made before the popular series stars, Robert Downy Jr. As Sherlock, Jude Law as Watson and Rachel McAdam's as Irene Adler.
2.The Horror at Red Hook-H.P. Lovecraft.
This is a short story published in January of 1927. It's on the list for obvious reasons.
1. The Tell Tale Heart-Edgar Allen Poe
This comes in at number one on the list. Due to its ability to convince the reader that the narrator (who commits a murder) is in fact not insane. Even though he kills someone, chops them up into little pieces and then hides the dismembered body underneath the floor boards of his house. The narrator then begins to 'hear' the heart beating of the man he murdered possibly due to guilt. This story is utterly macabre as was Mr. Poe'specialty.
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Playlist: Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout
*The cover looks WAY better in person*
This is my playlist for Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout
- Counting Stars by OneRepublic
- Brave by Sara Bareilles
- Six Degrees of Separation by The Script
- Royals by Lorde
- Blue Jeans by Lana Del Rey
- Never Let Me Go by Florence & the Machine
- Big Jet Plane by Angus and Julia Stone
- When the Darkness Comes by Colbie Caillat
- My Friends by Paper Lions
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Top Ten Tuesday: Book Boyfriends
Sorry I didn't have this up yesterday, my internet was crapping out.
1) Daemon Black (Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout)
1) Daemon Black (Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout)
He is awesome. He is snarky and sarcastic and thoughtful and sweet and so so beautiful. When we first met him, he was shirtless, so bonus points for him there. He was rude to Katy at first because he was trying to protect her, because he liked "ever since you first flipped me off" (the first time they met on his front porch)(shirtless, I may add). I'm pretty sure that he has won over the hearts of all the people that have read about him, and I'm sure that he will continue to woo the hearts of all the people who have yet to meet him.
2) Po (Graceling by Kristin Cashore)
We first met Po in the court yard of a king that had kidnapped his grandfather; Po was looking for him. Katsa first ran into him while she was trying to clear the courtyard of the guards so that she and her secret team called The Council could save him. He then realizes that Katsa had taken his grandfather back to her Uncle's castle. He kind of reminds me of Jace from The Mortal Instruments because of the way that he acts. Po is snarky-ish and seems very laid-back for a Prince. He is very loyal, and I think that's why I like him so much.
3)Jace Wayland/Lightwood/Morgenstern/Herondale (The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare)
Ok, I'm pretty sure that this list would nit be complete without mention of Jace Wayland/Lightwood/Morgenstern/ Herondale. If you have ever met him you know why he is on this list. What is his last name, anyway? Even if he is Herondale, is he a Lightwood because he was raised with Alec and Izzy? Or is he still a Herondale? Anyway, Jace is pretty freaking awesome, not to mention a badass fighter! And he looks good in black clothes, so there's that. He has a very big ego, much like Daemon Black listed above. Jace is sarcastic, and I LOVE the amount of one-liners that he comes up with.
4) Sky (One Night With a Rock Star by Chana Keefer)
Sky seems like he would be really fun to be around. We first met Sky when Esther sunk backstage at one of his concerts. Later on in the story, we get to see how much fun they have together, and I think that it would be cool to experience (most of) what she experienced. Sky is funny, very witty, romantic, sarcastic, and he seems very experienced with the world. I think that it would be fun to read from his point of view, just to see what he sees, and what he feels about Esther. Even though I'm rooting for Esther and Sky, I'm happy that she did what she did, because it made her seem strong.
5) Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
Ok, I know that this is a list about book boyfriends, but I'm making an exception with Dean. If ou've watched Supernatural, you would know why. I feel so bad for Den because he never gets a break. I'm on the fourth season on Netflix, and even already, Dean has had so many bad things happen to him. I think that it's really funny when he tries to hit on somebody, then they shoot him down. It's also kinda sad because he gets this really sad look on his face. Jensen Ackles is such a good actor! He is really good at crying! He is really funny, but then again he is also really serious. And I pretty much hate Sam at the moment.
6) Caleb (The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher)
This one is kind of strange. I hate him and love him at the same time. Hate him because of what he put Olivia through, but I love him for what he did with Olivia, if that makes any sense. I hate him because he cheated on her, them got pissed at her for doing the same thing. He was all like, "You're gonna die regretting what you did today," and I'm all like, "YOU ARE TOO!!!!!!!!!" I hate it when book characters are so moody (that statement was kind hypocritical, because this is pretty much a list of moody people, but he is more moody than all of them). I love him, also, because the fact that he faked what happened to him, just so that he could fix things with Olivia, and I thought that was really cute.
7) Akiva (Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor)
Ok, again this one is kinda strange. I love him because of how mysterious and dark he is, then again I hate him because of what he did to Karou's family and to Karou. And, I love him because he went into the human world, found her, and kept her close. But then again, I hate him because he just dropped to his knees and started crying without giving us an explanation until way later (it probably wasn't that much later, but still). I just, I, I don't know.
8) Maxon (The Selection by Kiera Cass)
I didn't like him that much in The Elite, but in The Selection, he was really sweet and caring and just plain out awesome. In The Elite, I didn't like him as much, because of the way that he changed from how he was in the first book compared to the second. In The Selection, he was really sweet, and cared about how America (the girl) was feeling, and cared about why she was sad, but in The Elite, is seemed like he kind of just pushed that part of him away, and wasn't as caring as he was in the first book.
9) Four (Divergent by Veronica Roth)
I like Four, not Tobias. Four is way more badass and pushes Tris way more than Tobias does, and think that that is really something special, because in a lot of books, you tend to see more of the man always protecting his girl, and I think in this, Four treats Tris more as an equal, then a damsal, where as, Tobias treats Tris as a damsal. Four seems very male, and protective yet, at the same time, he treats her like she can hold her own, and I think that is important.
10) Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)
I'm pretty sure that Percy Jackson is on everybody's list, if you have read the PJO books. He actually was my first book boyfriend, and PJO was the series that got me into reading. Percy is really witty, and it's just really fun to read from his POV because he realizes things that I wouldn't necessarily see and he makes a lot of funny remarks about those things that are pointed out. It's also really funny the amount of snide comments that he makes, and the amount of one-liners that just come out of his mouth, and you don't really see them coming. I think that it's just really fun.
That's all for my list today. (=
3)Jace Wayland/Lightwood/Morgenstern/Herondale (The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare)
Ok, I'm pretty sure that this list would nit be complete without mention of Jace Wayland/Lightwood/Morgenstern/ Herondale. If you have ever met him you know why he is on this list. What is his last name, anyway? Even if he is Herondale, is he a Lightwood because he was raised with Alec and Izzy? Or is he still a Herondale? Anyway, Jace is pretty freaking awesome, not to mention a badass fighter! And he looks good in black clothes, so there's that. He has a very big ego, much like Daemon Black listed above. Jace is sarcastic, and I LOVE the amount of one-liners that he comes up with.
4) Sky (One Night With a Rock Star by Chana Keefer)
Sky seems like he would be really fun to be around. We first met Sky when Esther sunk backstage at one of his concerts. Later on in the story, we get to see how much fun they have together, and I think that it would be cool to experience (most of) what she experienced. Sky is funny, very witty, romantic, sarcastic, and he seems very experienced with the world. I think that it would be fun to read from his point of view, just to see what he sees, and what he feels about Esther. Even though I'm rooting for Esther and Sky, I'm happy that she did what she did, because it made her seem strong.
5) Dean Winchester (Supernatural)
Ok, I know that this is a list about book boyfriends, but I'm making an exception with Dean. If ou've watched Supernatural, you would know why. I feel so bad for Den because he never gets a break. I'm on the fourth season on Netflix, and even already, Dean has had so many bad things happen to him. I think that it's really funny when he tries to hit on somebody, then they shoot him down. It's also kinda sad because he gets this really sad look on his face. Jensen Ackles is such a good actor! He is really good at crying! He is really funny, but then again he is also really serious. And I pretty much hate Sam at the moment.
6) Caleb (The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher)
This one is kind of strange. I hate him and love him at the same time. Hate him because of what he put Olivia through, but I love him for what he did with Olivia, if that makes any sense. I hate him because he cheated on her, them got pissed at her for doing the same thing. He was all like, "You're gonna die regretting what you did today," and I'm all like, "YOU ARE TOO!!!!!!!!!" I hate it when book characters are so moody (that statement was kind hypocritical, because this is pretty much a list of moody people, but he is more moody than all of them). I love him, also, because the fact that he faked what happened to him, just so that he could fix things with Olivia, and I thought that was really cute.
7) Akiva (Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor)
Ok, again this one is kinda strange. I love him because of how mysterious and dark he is, then again I hate him because of what he did to Karou's family and to Karou. And, I love him because he went into the human world, found her, and kept her close. But then again, I hate him because he just dropped to his knees and started crying without giving us an explanation until way later (it probably wasn't that much later, but still). I just, I, I don't know.
8) Maxon (The Selection by Kiera Cass)
I didn't like him that much in The Elite, but in The Selection, he was really sweet and caring and just plain out awesome. In The Elite, I didn't like him as much, because of the way that he changed from how he was in the first book compared to the second. In The Selection, he was really sweet, and cared about how America (the girl) was feeling, and cared about why she was sad, but in The Elite, is seemed like he kind of just pushed that part of him away, and wasn't as caring as he was in the first book.
9) Four (Divergent by Veronica Roth)
I like Four, not Tobias. Four is way more badass and pushes Tris way more than Tobias does, and think that that is really something special, because in a lot of books, you tend to see more of the man always protecting his girl, and I think in this, Four treats Tris more as an equal, then a damsal, where as, Tobias treats Tris as a damsal. Four seems very male, and protective yet, at the same time, he treats her like she can hold her own, and I think that is important.
10) Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)
I'm pretty sure that Percy Jackson is on everybody's list, if you have read the PJO books. He actually was my first book boyfriend, and PJO was the series that got me into reading. Percy is really witty, and it's just really fun to read from his POV because he realizes things that I wouldn't necessarily see and he makes a lot of funny remarks about those things that are pointed out. It's also really funny the amount of snide comments that he makes, and the amount of one-liners that just come out of his mouth, and you don't really see them coming. I think that it's just really fun.
That's all for my list today. (=
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Top Ten Tuesday: Beginnings/Endings in Books
I just saw YA Sisterhood do this post and I thought I'd do it too. Here is the link to YA Sisterhood' s post: http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/2013/07/top-ten-tuesday-beginningsendings-in.html
1) Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
This had probably one of the worst cliffhanger endings in the world. I love how Daemon realized what was happening, and what he said. *internally swoons*
2) The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
I loved how, at the end, it all raps up nicely, but Rachel still says the prophecy, leaving a window open for The Lost Hero.
3) One Night With a Rock Star by Chana Keefer
I love the beginning-ish part were she meets Sky, because what happens in the beginning leads to what happens in the limo, and at her house. I love how she was not afraid to voice her opinions and voice what she stands for. And I LOVE how Sky acted towards her, and what happened on the stage both before and during the concert.
4) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
I loved, at the end, how we are told by Akiva about what he did, and how I didn't see it coming. You may have seen it coming, but I didn't. And I loved the world building, and how we got to see her in her past life.
5) Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
I like how at the beginning how we learn about what the Dark Sisters are doing to Tessa and how there is so much excitement in the house, and how we met Will.
6) Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
I like right at the beginning, there is excitement. In some books that I've read, there is excitement from the end of the beginning of the book, if that makes sense. I like how the first chapter of Perry is spoken like he is a man, and how Veronica actually makes him sound like a protective man in a man's body, and not like a women in a man's body.
7) Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Shirtless Daemon. 'Nough said.
8) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I like at the end how she rebelled against the Capitol with the berries, and how knows that she is rebelling and stupid about what she is doing, like how some female leads act stupid, when I know the author can make them smarter than they act.
9) Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
OMFG, THE END! "Katniss, there is no more Distric 12." End of Book Two.
And OMFG, THE CAPITOL! POOR PEETA!!!!! Stupid Capitol!!
And and OMFG, FINNICK ODAR!!!!! Sexy, sexy Odar!! I love you, Finnick!!
10) The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
Poor Ash! He loves her so much, and her stupid destiny got in the way! I loved how he took the risk of letting his heart get hurt again, and gave it his best! I also loved how he was so willing to go with her into the Iron Relm, knowing the risk to himself. And, the ending was so sad, it broke my heart for both of them! She was so brave to do that for him!
1) Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
This had probably one of the worst cliffhanger endings in the world. I love how Daemon realized what was happening, and what he said. *internally swoons*
2) The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
I loved how, at the end, it all raps up nicely, but Rachel still says the prophecy, leaving a window open for The Lost Hero.
3) One Night With a Rock Star by Chana Keefer
I love the beginning-ish part were she meets Sky, because what happens in the beginning leads to what happens in the limo, and at her house. I love how she was not afraid to voice her opinions and voice what she stands for. And I LOVE how Sky acted towards her, and what happened on the stage both before and during the concert.
4) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
I loved, at the end, how we are told by Akiva about what he did, and how I didn't see it coming. You may have seen it coming, but I didn't. And I loved the world building, and how we got to see her in her past life.
5) Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
I like how at the beginning how we learn about what the Dark Sisters are doing to Tessa and how there is so much excitement in the house, and how we met Will.
6) Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
I like right at the beginning, there is excitement. In some books that I've read, there is excitement from the end of the beginning of the book, if that makes sense. I like how the first chapter of Perry is spoken like he is a man, and how Veronica actually makes him sound like a protective man in a man's body, and not like a women in a man's body.
7) Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Shirtless Daemon. 'Nough said.
8) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I like at the end how she rebelled against the Capitol with the berries, and how knows that she is rebelling and stupid about what she is doing, like how some female leads act stupid, when I know the author can make them smarter than they act.
9) Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
OMFG, THE END! "Katniss, there is no more Distric 12." End of Book Two.
And OMFG, THE CAPITOL! POOR PEETA!!!!! Stupid Capitol!!
And and OMFG, FINNICK ODAR!!!!! Sexy, sexy Odar!! I love you, Finnick!!
10) The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
Poor Ash! He loves her so much, and her stupid destiny got in the way! I loved how he took the risk of letting his heart get hurt again, and gave it his best! I also loved how he was so willing to go with her into the Iron Relm, knowing the risk to himself. And, the ending was so sad, it broke my heart for both of them! She was so brave to do that for him!
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Judging a Book By Its Cover
They say not to judge a book by it's cover, but, in my experience, judging a book by it's cover has proven to be a good thing for me. I bought One Night With a Rock Star BECAUSE of the cover.
I hadn't heard anything about it, and I hadn't even read the reviews about it on Goodreads. I just bought it and started reading it. And it was REALLY good.
I had heard a little bit about Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but not that much. I saw the cover and decided that I wanted to read it.
In my opinion, you should judge a book by it's cover, because the cover is what interests the reader first. If you're a publisher, make an interesting book cover, and it will attract more readers.
I hadn't heard anything about it, and I hadn't even read the reviews about it on Goodreads. I just bought it and started reading it. And it was REALLY good.
I had heard a little bit about Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but not that much. I saw the cover and decided that I wanted to read it.
I usually decide to read a book based on their COVERS. All that stuff about judging a book by it's cover is total BS. It's the publisher's job to create the covers, and when the covers are appealing to me, I usually buy them, just to see how good the book is.
I had read ONE SHORT review of The Oppurtunist and decided to read it AFTER I saw the cover.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Trailer!!
http://movies.yahoo.com/video/hunger-games-catching-fire-trailer-211105191.html
OMG, THE CATCHING FIRE TRAILER IS HERE, AND HAS WAY BETTER EFFECTS THAN THE HUNGER GAMES! GO WATCH IT, OMG, IT LOOKS SO COOL!!! IT IS AWESOME!
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is such an amazing trailer! I thought that they were gonna screw up, and make the special effects look fake (like in The Hunger Games), but the effects are way better! It looks so cool! If I hadn't read the book, and hadn't planned on seeing it anyway, after seeing the trailer, I would have planned on seeing it, it's that good! Of course, I planned on seeing it, anyway. It comes out two days before my birthday, which is pretty much an early birthday present from the creators of the movie, to me! It looks so cool, you should go watch it, and plan on seeing it! It looks fantastic, and OMG THE WEDDING DRESS! IT WAS SUCH A COOL TRANSFORMATION, AND IT LOOKED REAL! GO WATCH THE TRAILER!
OMG, THE CATCHING FIRE TRAILER IS HERE, AND HAS WAY BETTER EFFECTS THAN THE HUNGER GAMES! GO WATCH IT, OMG, IT LOOKS SO COOL!!! IT IS AWESOME!
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is such an amazing trailer! I thought that they were gonna screw up, and make the special effects look fake (like in The Hunger Games), but the effects are way better! It looks so cool! If I hadn't read the book, and hadn't planned on seeing it anyway, after seeing the trailer, I would have planned on seeing it, it's that good! Of course, I planned on seeing it, anyway. It comes out two days before my birthday, which is pretty much an early birthday present from the creators of the movie, to me! It looks so cool, you should go watch it, and plan on seeing it! It looks fantastic, and OMG THE WEDDING DRESS! IT WAS SUCH A COOL TRANSFORMATION, AND IT LOOKED REAL! GO WATCH THE TRAILER!
Friday, July 19, 2013
Friday Favorites: July 13-July 19, 2013
My favorite things from the third week of July, 2013.
Music:
Timeless- The Airborne Toxic Event
Changing- The Airborne Toxic Event
Digital Rot- Tan Vampires
State of Grace- Taylor Swift
State of Grace(acoustic) - Taylor Swift
Bleeding Out - Imagine Dragons
Get Your Guns - Jamie Campbell Bower
Waiting - Jamie Campbell Bower
Food:
Nectarines
Homemade Potato Salad
Waffles
Homemade Apple Pie
Cookies-N-Creame Ice Cream
Dutch Bros. White Chocolate Creame to Mint Freeze
Book
One Night With a Rock Rock by Chana Keefer
Netflix:
The Lorax
Bones
Fringe
Supernatural
Items:
The music on my phone
The airport
My couch
My bed (I'm a lazy person)
Talking to my youth leaders
Reading comments about books I've read
Sleeping (again with the lazy)
People:
Jamie Campbell Bower
Agent Booth
My Youth Leaders Matt and Julie
My Mom
Sky from One Night With a Rock Star
Chana Keefer
Those are my favorites from this week!
Music:
Timeless- The Airborne Toxic Event
Changing- The Airborne Toxic Event
Digital Rot- Tan Vampires
State of Grace- Taylor Swift
State of Grace(acoustic) - Taylor Swift
Bleeding Out - Imagine Dragons
Get Your Guns - Jamie Campbell Bower
Waiting - Jamie Campbell Bower
Food:
Nectarines
Homemade Potato Salad
Waffles
Homemade Apple Pie
Cookies-N-Creame Ice Cream
Dutch Bros. White Chocolate Creame to Mint Freeze
Book
One Night With a Rock Rock by Chana Keefer
Netflix:
The Lorax
Bones
Fringe
Supernatural
Items:
The music on my phone
The airport
My couch
My bed (I'm a lazy person)
Talking to my youth leaders
Reading comments about books I've read
Sleeping (again with the lazy)
People:
Jamie Campbell Bower
Agent Booth
My Youth Leaders Matt and Julie
My Mom
Sky from One Night With a Rock Star
Chana Keefer
Those are my favorites from this week!
Monday, July 15, 2013
BOOKTUBE-A-THON 2013
BOOKTUBE-A-THON starts today and these are the categories for BOOKTUBE-A-THON:
1) Read a classic
I'm going to read The Giver
2)Finish a Series
I'm going to try to finish the Iron Fey series. I've read every one except The Iron Knight
3)Read a book with over 500 pages
I'm going to read Insurgent
4)Read a book that has been on your shelf the longest
I'm going to read The 5th Wave
5)Read 300 pages a day
6) Listen to an Audio-book
I don't listen to audio books, so I'll just count this as a loss.
7)Re-read a book
I have already read the Giver and Insurgent, so I'm counting this one for number sixes loss.
BOOKTUBE-A-THON starts today, July 15th and ends July 21st, 2013
These are my books for BOOKTUBE-A-THON! Are you participating, and if so what are you going to read?
1) Read a classic
I'm going to read The Giver
2)Finish a Series
I'm going to try to finish the Iron Fey series. I've read every one except The Iron Knight
3)Read a book with over 500 pages
I'm going to read Insurgent
4)Read a book that has been on your shelf the longest
I'm going to read The 5th Wave
5)Read 300 pages a day
6) Listen to an Audio-book
I don't listen to audio books, so I'll just count this as a loss.
7)Re-read a book
I have already read the Giver and Insurgent, so I'm counting this one for number sixes loss.
BOOKTUBE-A-THON starts today, July 15th and ends July 21st, 2013
These are my books for BOOKTUBE-A-THON! Are you participating, and if so what are you going to read?
Vote for Daemon
http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/2013/07/match-25-daemon-1-vs-dimitri-4.html?showComment=1373877058845#c4208607516166805892
GO VOTE FOR DAEMON BLACK SO THAT WE CAN GET A TEASER OF ORIGIN!!!!!!!
If Daemon wins the entire crush tourney, then we get the last few scenes of Opal in Daemon's POV!! HE NEEDS TO WIN THIS!!
GO VOTE FOR DAEMON BLACK SO THAT WE CAN GET A TEASER OF ORIGIN!!!!!!!
If Daemon wins the entire crush tourney, then we get the last few scenes of Opal in Daemon's POV!! HE NEEDS TO WIN THIS!!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
The Mortal Instruments Runes
I was drawing runes on my sister, and I wanted to draw real ones, which I didn't, but I thought I'd look them up. Here they are
ALL CREDITS TO WHOM THEY BELONG
Friday, July 5, 2013
Friday Favorites: June 30-July 6
These are my favorite things for the first week of July 2013.
Music
(album) A Book Like This - Angus and Julia Stone
National Anthem - Lana Del Rey
Diet Mtn Dew - Lana Del Rey
(album) Every Kingdom - Ben Howard
The One That Got Away - Katy Perry
(album) Some Nights* - fun.
*especially One Foot and Some Nights (both the intro and song)
Taylor - Jack Johnson
Food/Drink
French Onion Sun Chips
Peach Tea Snapple
Pineapple
Strawberries
Diet Mtn Dew
Salt and Vinager Chips
Grapes
Lemonade mixed with Sprite
Places
Foster Lake
My Aunt and Uncle's House
Youth Group
Objects
Red Nail Polish
Crackle Nail Polish
Netflix
The Mortal Instruments Runes
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
My Kindle
Tumblr
The Mortal Instruments German Trailer
Mike and Ike's
My bed
Swimming
Fourth of July fireworks
The sound of fireworks
Rue 21 perfume
The Sunshine (we don't get a lot of sun during the other seasons in Oregon)
polandbananaBOOKS (Xtine May) YouTube channel
National Anthem - Lana Del Rey
Diet Mtn Dew - Lana Del Rey
(album) Every Kingdom - Ben Howard
The One That Got Away - Katy Perry
(album) Some Nights* - fun.
*especially One Foot and Some Nights (both the intro and song)
Taylor - Jack Johnson
Food/Drink
French Onion Sun Chips
Peach Tea Snapple
Pineapple
Strawberries
Diet Mtn Dew
Salt and Vinager Chips
Grapes
Lemonade mixed with Sprite
Places
Foster Lake
My Aunt and Uncle's House
Youth Group
Objects
Red Nail Polish
Crackle Nail Polish
Netflix
The Mortal Instruments Runes
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
My Kindle
Tumblr
The Mortal Instruments German Trailer
Mike and Ike's
My bed
Swimming
Fourth of July fireworks
The sound of fireworks
Rue 21 perfume
The Sunshine (we don't get a lot of sun during the other seasons in Oregon)
polandbananaBOOKS (Xtine May) YouTube channel
Monday, July 1, 2013
Things I Like About Book Reviews
One thing that I like to read when I read about book reviews, is that I like to see why the person likes or dislikes the book, like if the reviewer TELLS me what they liked and disliked about that book. Example with Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout: d the entire book, except for the character Blake and all his faulty actions. If they give an example like I just did (and that was legit), then they make me want to know what those actions are. Another thing that I like about book reviews is if the reviewer uses pictures or gifs to add emphasis on what they are trying to get across to you. Another thing with the gifs is that if they are of something that I know of, like a Supernatural gif, with Sam and Dean. It just makes more sense to me, because I know what was going on at the time of that episode, or what was happening in that moment. The minor things that I look for in a review is if they gives examples of w they can relate to the story. I know that sometimes I do that, and, to me, it shows that the story was relatable, rather than just saying that it. I know that sometimes it's hard to relate to characters that are, say, aliens, but if they act like they are humans, like Daemon and Dee Black do, it easy to relate to their emotions. Those are some of the things that I look for in a book review.
Picture of CassJayTuck
Top 5 Favorite Covers of Books I've Read
Insurgent
Thursday, June 27, 2013
YA Book Series That I Want To/Have Read
These are the series that I have read up to the either last book in the series, or up to the latest book that is out.
1. Divergent Trilogy (Divergent and Insurgent)
2. The Lux Series (Shadows(0.5), Obsidian, Onyx, and Opal)
3. Percy Jackson & the Olympians
4. The Hunger Games Trilogy
5. The Mortal Instruments (CoB, CoA, CoG, CoFA, CoLS)
6. The Selection Trilogy (The Prince(0.5), The Selection, The Elite)
7. The Iron Fey (The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen, The Iron Knight, Iron's Prophecy)
8. Hush, Hush Series
Book Series That I Want To Read
1. Matched Trilogy
2. The Infernal Devices
3. Under The Never Sky Trilogy
4. Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy (I've read the first one)
5. Vampire Academy (I want to finish the last three books)
6. Shatter Me Trilogy
7. Graceling Realm
8. Uglies Trilogy
9. The Wolves of Mercy Falls
10. Chaos Walking
11. Ender's Saga
12. Unearthly
13. The Chemical Garden Series
14. Across the Universe Trilogy
15. Legend Series
16. Delirium Trilogy
17. Summer Trilogy
18. The Maze Runner Trilogy
19. Mara Dyer Series
20. Castor Chronicles
1. Divergent Trilogy (Divergent and Insurgent)
2. The Lux Series (Shadows(0.5), Obsidian, Onyx, and Opal)
3. Percy Jackson & the Olympians
4. The Hunger Games Trilogy
5. The Mortal Instruments (CoB, CoA, CoG, CoFA, CoLS)
6. The Selection Trilogy (The Prince(0.5), The Selection, The Elite)
7. The Iron Fey (The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen, The Iron Knight, Iron's Prophecy)
8. Hush, Hush Series
Book Series That I Want To Read
1. Matched Trilogy
2. The Infernal Devices
3. Under The Never Sky Trilogy
4. Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy (I've read the first one)
5. Vampire Academy (I want to finish the last three books)
6. Shatter Me Trilogy
7. Graceling Realm
8. Uglies Trilogy
9. The Wolves of Mercy Falls
10. Chaos Walking
11. Ender's Saga
12. Unearthly
13. The Chemical Garden Series
14. Across the Universe Trilogy
15. Legend Series
16. Delirium Trilogy
17. Summer Trilogy
18. The Maze Runner Trilogy
19. Mara Dyer Series
20. Castor Chronicles
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Books Become Thought
When you read a book, sometimes you read it, then when you put the book down, you forget about what you just read. But sometimes you read a book, then when you put it down, you think about it for months after you finish reading it, like how I read Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout in November, and I'm still thinking about it in June, and I think that those are my favorite kind of books to read. Sometimes you can pick up a book that is a fun read, but you still think about that book a week after you finish it, and I think that once you think about it for more than a week, it becomes a thought that is constantly in your mind even if it's pushed to the back of your mind. Once it is in your head, it is there forever, and you can't get it out, and I think that the booms that are amazing and keep you thinking about it are the ones that deserve to be read, and in the present we become so focused on things like work, and school, that sometimes we forget to look at those good, amazing books, and read them, and I think that the real loss isn't for the book, it's for you. I think that every once in a while, people need to take time out of their busy schedual, and sit down, and crack open a book, even if it's a picture book. People need to realize how important booms are, and cherish them while you can. That's one of the reasons I like reading.
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