Very Inspiring Blogger Award

I was nominated by the lovely Skylar@Life of a Random. Thanks, Sky! You're the best. :)

Apparently I'm inspiring. Very inspiring. Who knew? 

Rules

1. Thank and link back to the amazing person(s) who nominated you.

2. List the rules and display the award. 

3. Share seven facts about yourself.

4. Nominate some other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated.

Okay, I dunno about you, but I've been listing too many facts about myself recently. I may be very inspiring, but I'm not very interesting.

7 Facts About Mwuah

1. I've been going through a stage where I listen to tons of k-pop. 

Not this kind.

Or this kind.

The awesome thing is that k-pop is all the genres of music, just in Korean, with a couple English phrases here and there. 

I happen to like listening to bad boy groups in k-pop, which basically means that they don't emotionally grab their faces or cup their faces with their hands or wear lots of pink. The starting group for my sister and I was BEAST. Or, y'know, B2ST. Their fans are called Beauties, which is cool whether or not you think so.

WHY YOU LEAVE ME ALONE, BABY???!!!!!

Also, Teen Top can dance, okay? Watch "Rocking". They can dance. So can BTS. And GOT7. Another awesome thing about k-pop: ALMOST ALL OF THEM CAN DANCE.

2. I can't catch a ball for the life of me (I'm terrified that I'll get hit in the face), or hardly throw any, but for some reason I'm fairly good at throwing a football. (the American kind, for those of who don't live here) This proves that not all traits are passed down from generation to generation, because my dad is good at every sport he tries. It's maddeningly unfair.

3. It takes at least two nights for me to adjust to a new bed. I've always been super jealous of my dad, who can practically fall asleep on command. 

4. I can't eat very spicey food well, even though I'm half Asian. Sometimes, peoples, stereotypes lie.

5. Apparently, I have a scary angry face. Which I take full advantage of. RUN, little children, RUN.

6. I like glasses better than contacts. 

 

There. You can't say no to the Doctor.

7. I once told my sister that swag was for losers and guys with real swag didn't have swag, they had a sort of lean, and she hasn't stopped teasing me about that since. I regret that statement very, very much.

Nominees

I feel bad because I do this every time but I literally know NO ONE in the blogosphere. Except, y'know, my sister, and she's the one that nominated me, so...

But I'd love to get to know you guys, so please join in if you want! Post the link in the comments and I'll read your post and comment on your overflowing awesome-ness. 

Community Service Day 3

At first I was going to skip. I mean, c'mon, I have a cold and a my sister is just coming back from college for the weekend. I don't want to wake up at seven and go walk until the back of my feet get blisters. No.

Just no.

Anywho, I went and did the exact same thing as last time. I dry-mopped the basketball court, cleaned windows, and then cleaned more windows. I have six hours of community service now, which doesn't feel like a lot. I have so much more to do. Ugh.

I got there at around eight. I walked in and got started. There were five people in the basketball court/indoor arena at one time. It was distracting. 

They were all quite old (over sixty, atleast), and one old guy came in with over-alls and a baseball cap and a pink ponytail.

There was one couple that had walked the track yesterday that was there again today. (read: guy of said couple was the one who said all I needed was to be taller while I was cleaning windows last week) 

Anyways, he's all jokey and jolly, and the lady snorts and makes some dry comment to everything, and he just chuckles and grins and she sort of smiles and they keep on walking.

I make up stories sometimes because it can get really boring. It's usually some twisted version of High School Musical. What team? WILDCATS.

Pink-Hair-Man said that my purse was gonna weigh me down. I said "yeah, I'll probably set it down soon." 

I didn't. 

It's getting easier to converse. Instead of just standing awkwardly until someone takes notice of me, I've worked up the nerve to get the conversation rolling. 

(Making noise works, too. Just set something down near them as hard as possible and act innocent when they jump in surprise.)

I really wanted to listen to music, but sound carries like everything in that building. One lady had earphones on later on in the morning and every time she walked past me while I was cleaning the track windows, I could hear rock/jazz music blasting from her earphones. One time, I heard a really malicious laugh and was worried.

A guy that looked 12/13 came in to the basketball right after she left.

I was super hungry so I ate half of one of my granola bars. 

The bathrooms creep me out because they make weird noises. (for example: I'll think I hear someone walking super quietly but there's no one there. there are occasional clicking noises.)

I watch too many creepy shows.

My sister picked me up and brought my little brother.

I went home and ate lots because I was starving.

Quick Note: I might not be posting next week (except for Saturday) as I am going to be extremely busy with school. I really don't like my English teacher.

Judging Books by Their Covers

Okay, just to start off, I'm gonna be so bad at this.

I take a book that I've never read before, or heard hardly anything about, and I try to guess what the book is about.

You were warned.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Okay. Um. I get the feeling that this is about fallen angels, but I'm not sure. Is she wearing that dress for show of how dark things are or....??? Is it a period novel??? Geez. I'm horrible.

Fallen angel. Sad girl. Girl and guy torn apart by terrible fate because... he can't love? Because he's a fallen angel? Or maybe he thinks he's bad for her. Apocolyptic. Dystopian.

That's as good as it's gonna get.

Real Actual Blurb That Wasn't Read Before Now:

17-year-old Lucinda falls in love with a gorgeous, intelligent boy, Daniel, at her new school, the grim, foreboding Sword & Cross . . . only to find out that Daniel is a fallen angel, and that they have spent lifetimes finding and losing one another as good & evil forces plot to keep them apart. 


*shrieks and points*

I WAS SO CLOSE. SO CLOSE.

Okay, okay. I'm calm now. Next book.

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Her eyes are golden. All I can think about is Teen Wolf. Is she a werewolf? There's a lot of blood.

Yeah, it's gotta be werewolves. (Although stakes don't kill werewolves, wolfsbane does. Trust me.) Does it involve vampires?

I wanna say no. I really wanna say no because that makes me think about Twilight and I couldn't even watch the first movie. (Bella's not funny. At all. I wanna quote Haymitch but Haymitch is mean. Whatever. I'll whisper it. She's got about as much charm as a dead slug. I'm sorry if you loved it!! Please don't take it personally.)

Please be about werewolves.

Book Blurb That Was Not Peeked At

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

YES. IT'S ABOUT WEREWOLVES. HOLLA.

Forbidden love and werewolves are always put together. I should've guessed that.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

I'm sorry. All I can think while looking at this cover is that the girl is probably undergoing the torture of having a small blanket when it's really cold. 

Seriously. Is that supposed to be a dress or...?

Okay. Dark Divine... fairly certain it's about something supernatural. Magical, perhaps? I get that feel. Female protagonist, judging front the purple nail polish. I can't stop thinking about how much the poor girl needs some good pants.

I'm gonna go with the forbidden love thing again. Just 'cause. She's caught up in a war. Maybe paranormal? Set today, though, I think.

Book Blurb That Needs to Tell Me ALLLLLL

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held. 

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes. 

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

Oddly enough, no talk about romancey romance. Just sacrificing souls and hungry eyes (gross, by the way). Huh. Interesting.

I was right about the paranormal part.

That's all I have to say.

Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey

BLOOD. BLOOOOOD. That's it. It's about vampires. Forbidden love and star-crossed lovers. Romeo and Juliet once again. Seperated by something gross. Like demons or something. She sees him and falls in insta-love. She hasn't always been a vampire. Maybe she was bitten? I dunno. Is he the super hot popular dude that takes insta notice of the new girl who is confused and bewildered yet totally hot?

Blood FEUD, though. Are there seperate groups that end up fighting or something? Anyways, big vampire showdown.

Blurby Blurby Blurb. LEGGO.

It's been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks. 

The clans are gathering for Helena's royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha's reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte—a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself—the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy.

This second adventure in the Drake Chronicles—told from both Logan's and Isabeau's perspectives—has all the same butt-kicking action, heart-pounding romances and snarky humor that readers loved in Hearts at Stake, as well as exciting new revelations about the vampire dynasties to keep readers coming back for more.

Hm. Cool. I got lots right, and lots kinda not right.

Anywho. This post might feel rushed, and if it does, that's because it is. I'm literally typing this up last minute because I have to go get my beauty sleep and do tons of school tomorrow AGAIN. (darn you, English teacher, for giving me so many essays to write)

Okayz. Be expecting a post up by Saturday, stating my community service adventures (Day 3) and possibly another Judging Books post because I'm unoriginal like that.

'Til next time.

Community Service Day 2

Community service stinks. Quite literally, when you're standing out in the sun cleaning windows and getting more and more dehydrated by the second.

When you've been homeschooled your whole life up 'til the past two years (and you did online school then) human interaction is a legend of sorts. You hear about it. You know the basics-- you've lived with other humans after all, and think you've got there mechanisms down-- and then you're staring at a real live stranger adult person, and you go mute.

What if I sound stupid? What if I look stupid? What if I start sweating and I get all tomato-faced? 

These are all good examples of what goes through my head when saying in a loud, clear voice that I am very proud of, "I'm here for community service."

Good.

Lord.

I walked everywhere. I sat down for ten minutes, then got up and walked around a track cleaning windows. I'm short. I'm really short. That became painfully obvious, both to me and the passerby, when I was cleaning big windows.

Below the track (it's a little track. it doesn't even look like a real track.) is a basketball court. At first it was just me mopping the floor, then it was me cleaning the track and a guy playing basketball. I was so glad he was playing on the side opposite of me because it was so loud and my nerves were already on edge. I was scared that if I got to close and the ball slammed into the board thingy behind the basket I would leap a foot in the air.

There were like twelve windows.

Who the heck has twelve windows in one darn room?

Too much sunlight for a hermit like myself. If I don't have a good tan at the end of all this, I'm going to be very perturbed.

And then THREE MORE GUYS CAME IN. And it was the stuff of nightmares. My heart was doing some weird bouncy thingy that popcorn does in the microwave. So many basketballs slammed into the board thingy that I was sure I was going to die of a heart attack.

Plus, can I just say awkward eye contact because awkward eye contact.

I was being very judgmental. Can you tell? Guy 1 seemed like a fairly good player but the other three were just lunging at the basket with all they had. Lord. It might've had something to with the fact that one of them was, like, seven, and the other one was thirteen or something. The dad was okay. He threw too hard.

I'm pretty sure that when you throw a basketball you don't throw yourself forward and hurl the ball with one hand. It looks awkward. And painful. I'm pretty sure you could dislocate your shoulder throwing like that.

And then MORE PEOPLE.

And MORE AWKWARD EYE CONTACT.

An old couple was walking the track, and when they came across me, the man chuckled and said, "All you need is to be a little taller, eh?"

My face laughed.

My heart did something else.

I think maybe it died.

Anyways, when I was done, I jogged down the steps with a super ginormous roll of towels that was WAY BIGGER THAN NECESSARY. It was as wide as the distance from my wrist to my elbow. SO HUGE.

I walked out looking as dignified as I could under the circumstances and walked up to the lady at the desk to let her know I was done.

I left and paced outside the building. Just ten minutes. Ten minutes, and then I would be on my way home. Oh, black jeep, where are you?

These are some of the thoughts I had while waiting to be picked up by my dad:

Basketball seems interesting when you're right there. Football does too. Eh.

I need a new cellphone.

It's really hot today.

I'm not sweating. My entire face is crying.

My feet hurt.

My arms are sore.

I'm so short. Why am I so short? Curse you, DNA.

Dude. I can still hear thumping from inside the basketball court.

I'm mad.

I set off across the parking lot because I was getting bored and started to walk around the outdoor track because clearly the solution to the bottoms of your feet burning is to WALK MORE.

I was just about to reach it when my dad drove up.

I was so happy that I giggled and hopped all the way to the jeep.

This was my second day of community service.

I don't like it.

At all.

Sigh.


I have community service once a week every week. If you want me to continue to do updates, let me know the comments. If there are no replies, I'll probably do it anyways because I need to vent.

I drank Gatorade and I think I'm in love.

Liebster Blog Award

Drumroll please.

I have received my second Liebster Blog Award!! Huge thank you to Briana @Reader, Writer, Critic. You are beyond fabulous.

Ahem. Now, before I forget, here are the rules. In my opinion BAH WHO NEEDS 'EM. (Actually, I do, but shhh)

11 Facts About Me

In the words of Hazel Grace Lancaster, I am quite unextraordinary. But here goes...

1. I have a tendency to scream at the TV when something happens that angers me. (I'm She-Hulk. Shh, don't tell.)

2. My current favorite TV show is Teen Wolf, despite the cheesy name. Scott McCall is good incarnate.

3. I finally read my first John Green book recently. And cried. Big, ugly tears. Everywhere.

4. One time I sobbed so hard after watching a particularly emotional episode of The 100 that my mom burst into the room to ask me what was wrong and watched in fascinated confusion as I blubbered helplessly.

5. I have two personalities when meeting new people in real life. a) I'm super friendly and tend to giggle a lot b) I'm quite mean and spout sarcastic retorts to ev-er-y-thing. There is no in between, which is horrible.

6. I want to be a dragon. Badly.

7. One time I tried to draw my own comics. I stopped after four/five pages because a) I had no idea what direction my story was going in and b) drawing people hurts my brain.

8. I need a leather jacket. Badly. Preferably a black one.

9. I wear a lot of black. If you met me in real life, I would probably be wearing at least 90% black.

10. One time I reflex-slapped my sister because she scared me half to death. It was night-time. I was almost asleep. I was pretty sure my heart was going to stop beating.

11. Last one. Whew. My favorite animated character, when it comes right down to it, is Edna Mode from The Incredibles.

Briana's Questions! 

1. What post are you most proud of? (Link us to it please!)

Okay, okay. I'll tell you. But only because you said please. 

Possibly my Top 5 Animated Characters post, because I think I'm funny.

2. If you had to pick two fictional characters to be your parents and raise you from baby to adult who would you pick and why? (They don't have to be from the same books.)

Oh, Lordy. Okay, um... I'm trying to think of characters I love that aren't complete psychos. (It's very hard.)

For the dad, I'm going to say Halt, from Ranger's Apprentice because even though he's ol' Mister-Cranky-Pants, he cares. Plus, he could teach me how to be a boss fighter. *ninja kick* Hyah! 

Um. Mom. Moommmmm. Hm. Penryn from Angelfall? I dunno. There's some creepy age difference going on between my mom and dad here. 

3. If you had to take the place of a character in a book, whose place would you take and why?

Probably Giannine in Heir Apparent because a) people aren't dying left and right and b) she gets to be literally inside the game. INSIDE. That would be beyond cool.

4. Everyone always asks about your favorite part of blogging, but let's be real, there have to be things that you don't like. What is your least favorite part or the part that is the most challenging?

Deadlines. I really just don't like deadlines.

5. What has been your favorite read this month? (Or pick a few if picking one is too hard.)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. It's also the only book I've read this month.... oops?

6. If you were to make a book cover that represented your life and personality what would it look like?

Awesome as heck.

Ahem. A bunch of chaos, but put together in such a way that nothing outshines anything else-- it's all beautiful and meaningful. It would be bold. Dramatic. (Sorry, I'm quoting Edna again.) 

7. Of course you love books and blogging and all that good stuff but if you didn't spend time doing either one of those things, what would you spend all your free time doing?

Writing. Singing. Bothering my sister. Watching TV. Eating. 

All that good stuff.

8. What's your favorite and least favorite genre and why?

Favorite is probably... dystopian.

Least favorite? Romance. Historical romance that just magnifies the romance until it's all that's there. The entire plot. Romance. It physically pains me sometimes.

9. What makes you want to read a book (more than other books)?

Covers. Ehehehe. 

If it's about the supernatural, then I'm all for it. Also, when my sister suggests something. We very rarely disagree about books.

10. How do you feel about book covers? Do you judge books based on them? Is it ok to? Ect.

Book covers should reflect the book itself. And yeah, sometimes I do. I think it's okay, but I don't think it's right to base an opinion of a book on the cover itself. Keep your mind open. *spreads arms*

11. If you were to pick an author to write a book based on you and your life, who would you want to write it?

Oh.

Oh.

Ehm. Probably John Green or Cassandra Clare. Oh! Susan Ee, too. Could there just be one gigantic author collaboration?

The Nominees

Anyone who wants to join! (Which is another way of saying I'm a lazy-butt.) You want to take a swing at the Liebster Blog Award? You are more than welcome. If you should chose to accept, let it be known...

You are the most talented, most interesting, and most extraordinary person in the universe. And you are capable of amazing things. Because you are the Special.

Please tell me you got that. (Lego Movie, peoples. Watch it and laugh.)

11 Questions for the Special...s.

1. What is your current favorite song? (I know I'm evil.)

2. If a book character was to be your best friend, who would you want it to be?

3. Favorite snack while watching a movie?

4. Use one word to describe yourself. It has to be a nice one. ;) (Also, yes, I am aware this is not a question.)

5. What's your biggest pet peeve in books?

6. If you had to be a mythical creature, what would you be?

7. Music genre that best describes your personality?

8. If you were an author, would you use a pen name or your real name? Why?

9. Who is your favorite villain? From a book, movie, etc.

10. Do you put your ketchup all over your french fries, or do you put it on the side?

11. What was the last movie you saw?


Another huge thanks to Briana for nominating me! Also sorry this took me so long, I've just been super busy. :(

Reviewing: Divergent *Movie

I will have a post up sometime tomorrow. I apologize for my absence, but my school starts really soon (in a couple days) and I'm trying to pull everything together because a) it's a completely new school system b) I have to work out a schedule with the people at my local library for volunteering and c) I have to write an introductory paragraph to all the kids and teachers in my classes. Ahem. To the movie review.

Recently I watched the Divergent movie. It'd been a while since I read the book, so of course I wasn't able to scrutinize every single detail, but I did remember the key points.

 Spoilers will either be shown by going

[start spoiler] spoiler [end spoiler]

or [like this] meaning you'll have to highlight the blank area to read it.

Ahem.

Now that we've moved past the Spoiler System, I would like to move on the actual movie.

Divergent is an awesome book. I'd have loved it if the movie included all the details that showed how corrupt the government actually was and not just that the government is evil because they're scared of divergents to the point that they will kill them. Also, the movie lays on the whole "Divergent" theme so thick that it's hard to focus on anything else. Also, I get it. There's a lot going on. Tris and Four's relationship needed time to grow. But while it grew... you didn't really get to read about the friendships or mere acquaintances that really added to Tris's growth as a character. [ Peter stabbing Edward in the eye. Christina and Will's relationship was merely hinted at.... giving Will's death less of an impact. ]

So, while this is a good movie, some things felt out of place and rushed.