Community Service Day 5

(Sorry for being a day late.)

Okay, so, I showed up a little before 8, as per usual, and got busy doing the exact same thing. I said "Good morning," to the lady who sits at the desk, then dry-mopped the basketball court. Pink-Ponytail-In-Overalls asked me how I could tell where I'd been, and I told him I followed the lines. It requires a lot of focus, actually. 

After I was done dry-mopping (the old lady who uses the track every Saturday wasn't there for some reason), I cleaned the windows by the exit and entrance. 

Then I took a small break and cleaned the track windows. No one came in until a red-haired dude who was dribbling a basketball and staring at his phone while wearing headphones.

It turns out you can do a lot of people watching through the track windows. Call me a creeper, but nothing gets me bored like cleaning windows for one hour.

Welcome to my hometown, where every guy over the age of eighteen wears a baseball cap and grown men race their golf carts.

It's very amusing.

I ate chocolate while waiting for my mom to pick me up. It was delicious. 

When I got home, I danced in my room for a while (around 30 minutes, which is pretty short compared to how much I've been dancing recently) then ate. And then I watched Youtube for a few hours. And then I danced some more. And then I wrote for one of my WIPs for a little while. And then I danced. And then I ate and watched Captain America: The Winter Soldier with my dad and sister. 

IT WAS PERFECTION. I swear, Marvel keeps getting better.

Before I end this post, I want to apologize for not talking about books in a really, really, really long time. I've been super busy with school and such. My only free time is on the weekend, and those are usually spent chilling with the fam. I'll try to put up something book-related soon, but I make no promises.

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.

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. :(

5 Minute Plot-Maker

I am, quite obviously, blogging about a five minute plot maker. I'm also here to tell you that this may take longer. Like, maybe ten minutes. I know, I know. False advertising. But, seriously, who's counting?

Now, I am a pantser when it comes to writing. Plotting. Is. Exhausting. Usually the realization that plotting might be necessary happens to me when I'm 70% done with the book and still don't know how it's going to end.

I came up with this idea when my sister was bemoaning to me about how she couldn't for the life of her figure out the plot of her book. Well, future book.

Basically, you go through five steps.

1. Pick a genre.
2. Pick a word that describes the feeling you want your book to have.
3. World-build, using the genre and word choice.
4. As Pacific Rim says, make sure your character and world are "drift compatible".
5. Give your character a kaiju.

I am totally aware that it might take more than five minutes. But the whole meaning of this thingy is to learn not to over think. When you answer the questions, you only have the backbone of what your story can become. Now, I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure the human anatomy has a bunch more bones that all come together to make one, big, massive skeleton. Bad analogy, I know, but it sort've works.

You should already have a story and character in mind when you start. Just use whatever pops into your head first. And an arch-enemy? Make it whatever the heck you want. What if ninja pops into your head first? Okay, then. Make it a ninja with whatever twists you come up with. What if creepy twins is the first thing you think? Creepy twins it is.

The point is not to get every detail right the first time. It's to learn that everything your story will become will start with two simple words-- Chapter One. Or just one. Like Prologue or something.

Also really quick, um, sorry for not posting in eons. I have no excuse other than I'm lazy and over-stressed and those two things don't really go hand-in-hand.

Like, at all.

Later,

Tansie G.

Reviewing: Girl v. Boy by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout

All’s not fair in love, war, and high school journalism.

Sixteen-year-old Luisa Perez is not looking to win any awards for school spirit. In fact, she and her friends make it a point to avoid all activities considered “extra-curricular.” So when her English teacher volunteers her to be an anonymous columnist for the school paper, Luisa’s first impulse is to run. But, unlike her high-school dropout sister, Luisa does want to go to college—it may be her only ticket out of a life spent working at the cowboy-themed diner where she waitresses part time—and it would be nice to have something on her applications.

Her first assignment is to cover her high school's latest fundraiser, which pits the girls against the boys. Luisa will cover the events from the female POV, while another anonymous writer provides the male perspective—or, at least, that’s how it begins. The two columnists soon find themselves engaged in an epic battle of the sexes—a battle that Luisa is determined to win. Just who does this guy think he is, encouraging his peers to act like Neanderthals with their girlfriends? And why can’t Luisa shake the very sinking feeling that her new unidentified nemesis might also be her new boyfriend?

Please note; I am not judging the entire male population within this review. I'm judging the guys in this particular book. If there happen to be guys exactly like or almost exactly like those portrayed (which is very likely), then yes. I'm judging them.

I know next to nothing about how a guy's brain works. I'm kind of glad I don't. I've heard it's mentally scarring. In Girl v. Boy, the boys mentioned gave me migraines. The girls did too. In fact, I kind of felt like flinging the book across the room a few times. Not because I loved it so much I hated it, but, because of the characters, I was feeling particularly violent.

Lets start with Mac Landis. (I wrote this a few minutes after finishing the book, so the anger is still fresh.) I don't have a sever disliking for him because he's a bad person as in evil bad. I have a severe disliking for him, because he is a severely unlikable person. He's a pervert without a mouth filter, a first-class prick with no shame, and quite honestly, a potatoe with eyes.

Just kidding. That was Joey I-Can't-for-the-Life-of-Me-Remember-His-Last-Name on Holloween. About Joey. He was sweet. Like, put him in the rain and he'll melt, sweet. But, just like all boys in this book, I got mad at him.

Like, really mad.

Like, madder than I was at Mac, mad. I was ready to slap the bajeebers out of him.

That brings us to Russ and Tyler. Russ seemed like, at first, a distracted puppy. But puppies are already distracted!, you say. Well, yes, they are. But take that puppy, take away all it's focus ever, make it obsessed with sports of all kind, and give it something that doesn't enjoy sports and wants atleast a teaspoon of attention, and what do you get?

Tyler was nice. I kind of felt like Lu should've chosen him, because he tried -- and so many others didn't.

Now it's the girls' turn.

Mariah was evil incarnate. The only reason she was popular was because she wore next to nothing. Her insults were... well, they were immature and, quite honestly, ridiculous. She called Lu Coconut. Yeah. Coconut. That's just embarrassing. I was kind of disappointed that she was just your typical mean girl, but what was I expecting?

Rachel and Izzy are Luisa's two best friends, and they are awesome. Grace is Lu's older sister that dropped out of school and has a little girl named Keira, whose dad is Paz, who works at a factory and has a gang of friends (including Joey) that are hilarious and often drop by the diner than Lu and Grace work at.

Grace is tough, edgy, and has a seriously bad temper. She searches every single sentence for an insult, and if she finds one, Lord help you because you will be aching for the next week or so. She loves Keira with all her heart. I feel like she's been attacked by her peers for so long that she automatically fights back-- even if certain ones aren't fighting back and never meant to offend her.

Now, down to Luisa. There are a lot of things that happened in this book that just isn't believable. Lu goes from being shy, unnoticed by any guys ever, to never not having a guy have his eyes on her. Why? Well, it all started because she finally attended school dances and got involved in school things. I have no experience with these things (they sound horrible in my opinion) but I'm pretty sure getting in on the school spirit is not the one and only way to get a guy's attention.

She was smart, sarcastic, and opinionated, but jumped to conclusions a lot and sometimes didn't think things all the way through.

The plot was pretty simple. The plot twist was well delivered-- I was not expecting "Scoop" (the dude's penname) to be who he was. It just clashed so hugely with who I thought he was that I was just like

I am going to tell you that after everything sort of smoothed over I was almost/sorta/kinda/not really able to forgive Scoop completely. I was still angry that he said certain things he did. Playing a part or not, it doesn't matter.

Anyways, it was a good book that I might read again just for fun, but it's not one of my favorites or something I'd force my friends to read. But don't let me rain on your parade. If it sounds like something you'd like, try it out!

Liebster Blog Award

I, peoples, have received a Liebster Award. *cue ridiculous dancing*

Ahem. Sorry about that. Anyways, I got nominated by the fabulous Skylar @ Life of a Random. (Thank you Skylar. You're awesome.)

11 Facts About Myself

1. I started writing and blogging because of my sister.

2. I can very easily get tired of pizza. In my family, that is weird. Like, in-need-of-medical-attention weird.

3. I have a dog named Dora whom I love.

4. I almost never cry when watching movies or reading books but I cry fairly easily otherwise.

5. I go through music-phases. Sometimes I listen to only classical for a week or more, then only metal, then only pop, then only rock, then only dubstep. Rap has yet to be on the list.

6. I can come up with hundreds of papers of research on a single topic, but I can't for the life of me write a good research essay.

7. I remember details about people crazy well. I'm serious. I remember birthdays, hobbies, favorite fast-food restaurants, goals, full names, etc. after hearing them once.

8. I enjoy blasting rock/country (nothing else) music and slamming an air guitar/line dancing by myself when I'm supposed to be cleaning my room.

9. I sang in the shower until I heard my sister doing the same thing and was aghast to realize literally everyone in the house could hear.

10. I started writing in journals when I was seven.

11. My favorite genre of movies is action.

Skylar's Questions

1. How did you come up with your blog's name?

My sister and I came up with the name Tansie for a pen-name, then I went "Oh, Totally Tansie sounds slightly okay!" and so it was Totally Tansie. But now when I look at it all I think is that is totally sounds like a cheesy TV series where the intro consists of me flipping my hair, making an exaggerated happy face, and gushing/bordering on squealing: "I'm totally Tansie!"

2. Given the choice between having blue hair forever or a dragon tattoo on your arm forever (duh), which would you choose?

Probably blue hair forever. #fabulous

3. Do you like reading book blogs or watching booktuber videos better?

Book blogs. I don't really know why.

4. Do you have a bucket list?

Nope.

5. I couldn't live without my computer... or books, obviously. BUT, excluding your computer, books, cellphone/phone (you know, the essentials), what's one thing you couldn't live without?

Food and water, obviously. And clothes. That would be embarrassing.

6. What's your least favorite food?

Tomatoes and some ungodly concoction called millet.

7. Do you make up new endings in your head for books or movies that stunk because they were so sad?

Yes. Tears. (Ex: War Horse. The Book Thief. Hachi. I could go on but I think I might start bawling.)

8. What does your handwriting look like? Picture please. 

"Hello, peoples, I am handwriting. Sometimes I look nice and sometimes
I just spazz out really bad oops."

Taken with a terribly low-quality camera. Oops.

9. What do you want to accomplish in five years?

I want to graduate from high school, publish a book, and get into a good college.

10. Hardcover or paperback?

Either one is good for smacking faces.

Sorry, that was mean.

Okay, umm... probably hardcover. I love just sitting there and stroking the cover like a completely normal person.

11. What is your favorite sound?

Leaves rustling (like, in a non-creepy way), rain, and all of the noises you hear at the ocean excluding people.

Nominations

Anyone who wants to join in! Comment with a link to the post and I'll check it out :) I honestly have no idea who to nominate. It's not just because I'm a severely lazy person with no ambition.

My Questions

1. What's your favorite movie genre?

2. What's your favorite food?

3. Tattoos, piercings, or neither?

4. What's your favorite quality for a person to have?

5. Book that most effected your view of life and/or people?

6. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

7. Have you ever read a book because of the hype for it, then realized that it was just not for you? If so, name it!

8. Opinion on book-to-movie adaptions? Do they ruin the book for you, or make it come to life?

9. What's the last song you listened to?

10. What's the last movie to make you cry?

11. If you had to choose between being an elf or a dwarf, which would you prefer?

Beautiful People Tag

This awesome tag is hosted by the even more awesome blogs/bloggers; Sky and Cait. You can join in at either one's blog. It lasts all month (which is pure awesomesauce) and starts on the 5th of every month. So basically it is always happening. The character I've chosen is the main character of Shadows Dancing, a futuristic/dystopian novel.

1. What is their full name and is there a story behind why they got it?

Robyn Anise West. There is no story other than the fact that I saw the name Robin with a y and I liked it. (Also, I only just figured out what her middle name is--shhh don't tell anyone.)

2. How old are they, and when were they born?

She's fifteen, and she was born January 4, 2062. (Date is subject to change. Since I also just came up with it. *facepalm*)

3. Describe their physical appearance. (Bonus questions: 1. What is their race/nationality/ethnicity? 2. Do you have a picture of them? If so, include it.)

Robyn is blonde. Her hair is long and wavy. It's a pale blonde--there are only a few darker highlights. I don't really know how else to describe it. She has a button nose, wide blue eyes, pale skin, and she's the epitome of petite. When you look at her, the first word to pop in your head would probably be innocent.

This isn't pefect, but it's really close.

4. Describe your character's personality first in one word, and then elaborate with a few sentences.

Everything about Robyn is quiet. She blends in, she doesn't talk much, and she likes making herself disappear. It's a hobby. She can, however, be brave. It usually happens when she gets angry-- either at herself, or, more likely, Caster. She is very sympathetic and kind, always trying to see the best in people. She is also naïve. 

5. What song fits their personality and story arc?

This one fits okay...

go to 0:22 to skip intro

6. Which of the seven deadly sins describes your character?

A little bit of envy.

7. If they were an element (fire, water, earth, air), which would they be?

Air.

8. What is their favorite word?

Probably "alive" or "life" or something. 

9. Who's one person they really miss? (It could be someone who's passed away, or someone they're not close to anymore, or someone who's moved away.)

One person? Umm... I guess her mom. 

10. What sights, sounds, and smells remind them of that person?

Wildflowers. Her mom loved wildflowers. Also rain.


Later,

Tansie G.

Reviewing: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

I read Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor and immediately wondered how they were going to find people beautiful enough to play the characters. Because I watched Catching Fire and The Book Thief before I read the book (in fact, I still haven't read them. I'm a bit terrified to read The Book Thief. I think my tears will contribute greatly to the Pacific Ocean.) I was able to judge them as movies, not how they compared to the book-- but it's awesome when you've read/watched both and can compare.

Like with The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. Comparing the characters to my mental image was pure awesome. (Jace and Clary were nothing like how I imagined them. Neither was Alec. Or Valentine. Or a lot of other people.) I watched Rubinrot (ahem. German movie of Ruby Red.) and loved it, even though there were a few changes. 

Anyways. I am going terribly off-topic. 

I figured I should review DoSaB (I'm calling it that because I'm lazy) before I forgot everything about it. The below notes are my attempts at remembering/organizing my thoughts. 

Apparently I think very little.

The beginning I liked. It was to the point, introducing the characters and the drama and the love interest. You get to know the main character fairly quickly. (She has blue hair. Naturally. Well. Not naturally, but naturally.) She's kick-butt. She's smart. She's drop-dead gorgeous. She speaks a mind-boggling amount of languages.

The love interest is fierce and intimidating in the eye of his beholders, but once I read in his POV (point of view), I felt like he was an awkward puppy. Weird I know, but very true. Instead of thinking of him as mysteriously hot, all I could think was: this guy's adorable. He gets more adorable as time goes on. Be warned. He's kind of obsessed, though. Like, seriously, dude. Stop stalking. It's weird.

(Also, they're apparently the two most attractive non-peoples to exist. One thing I didn't get is: angel girls are beautiful, right? Just as beautiful as the angel-dudes are. So why is Akiva so taken with Karou's beauty? Shouldn't he be used to it?)

The plot twist (well, the main one) was a bit hard to grasp at first. At least, it was for me. A few chapters were dedicated to explaining how it all went down, which felt a little weird. Yeah, it all made sense after I read them, but if your plot twist has to be that twisted then maybe it should be spread out more, not just all in one huge chunk that leaves you leaping between worlds. Worlds that also would need a few chapters to explain.

The characters were well-thought out, even though I felt like a couple had no purpose whatsoever. DoSaB does a good job of showing the good and bad in each side. The angels are awesome-- unlike most angel books, where they have no reason to be swooping down to earth to conquer and destroy, this one did. I was so relieved. I thought I was just going to be sitting there like... wait. Why are they leaving handprints everywhere again? (obviously, because their hands are fabulous and the world needs to admire them.)

I have one tiny complaint about the angels. Their names. I don't know if Laini Taylor was going for biblical renditions (which, actually, is the only rendition.) but angels don't get named Akiva. It sounds epic, but angel names always end in El. Raphael. Michael. Gabriel. Zaphael. (I could go on, but I won't, because I blanked.)

*After checking out angel names because of reasons I realized that some names didn't end in El. My bad.

Mid-book gets a bit... slow. Well, as slow as you can get with a potential war brewing. And then everything speeds waaay up, and I, for one, was a bit confused.

The ending leaves the possibilities open, and Karou mad as heck.

I need the second book.

Later,

Tansie G.

2014 Goodreads Reading Challenge

It has been a loooong time since I did a book count thingy on the Goodreads challenge. I've read 13 books in that time.

Halflings by Heather Burch (Rated 3 stars. Reviewed here)

Marked (House of Night #1) by P.C. Cast (Rated 2 stars.)

Cloaked by Alex Finn (Rated 4 stars.)

Torn (Trylle #2) by Amanda Hocking (Rated 3 stars.)

Ascend (Trylle #3) by Amanda Hocking (Rated 4 stars.)

Fire and Flood by Victoria Scott (Rated 4 stars. Reviewed here)

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater (Rated 5 stars. Skylar Finn {from Life of a Random} and I did a vlog. most of it is her gushing and me being sarcastic. you have been warned.)

Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu (Rated 4 stars. Reviewed here)

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu (Rated 5 stars.)

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead (Rated 2 stars. Reviewed here)

The Runaway King (The Ascendance Trilogy #2) by Jennifer A. Nielson (Rated 4 stars.)

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2) by Tahereh Mafi (Rated 4 stars.)

Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee (Rated 5 stars.)

• A review of Prodigy by Marie Lu.
• A review of The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielson.
• Possibly a review of Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi.
• A review of Angelfall by Susan Ee.

Later,

Tansie G.

Reviewing: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Things I Loved:

• Rose's loyalty to Lissa. 
• The world building. It was really cool learning about the Strogoi and the elemental magic.
• The darkness that seemed to be right around the corner every single page. It kept me reading.

Things I Thought Could be Better:

• The climax. I felt it was over too soon compared to the drawn out lead up. 
• I get that Rose is supposed to be a wild-child. I get that she sacrificed a lot for Lissa. I get that she is tough. But I don't get why she broke down over the things she did, or made the enemies she did without knowing the whole story. She was too impulsive. So ready for a fight that she caused them to happen.
• Rose could be a bit harsh. Like I mentioned above, she would lash out at people she knew next to nothing about, ruining their potential popularity/friendships/relationships. She seemed really selfish at times.
• Rose and Dimitri. Their almost-relationship just didn't feel right.

I guess the short answer for Things I Thought Could be Better is Rose. I had heard so much about how she was so awesome, that I guess my expectations were a bit high. But that doesn't change how I feel about her. Things I usually like in a protagonist (for example: rebellious-ness, sarcasm, attitude, and loyalty) was so maxed that it got irritating. Rose broke rules for the heck of it. She sassed out anyone that dared get too close.

The short answer for Things I Loved is the world that the author created. Magic? Elemental magic? Yes, please. Two kinds of vampires? At war with each other? Loving it.

The world was great. The characters could've been better.

My Rating:

• A review of Prodigy by Marie Lu

Later, 

Tansie G.

Reviewing: Legend by Marie Lu

Legend by Marie Lu

Things I Loved:

• June and Day. Not just together, either. They were just as awesome apart. At first, I was worried they would blend because they seemed so much alike, but after a few chapters it became quite obvious that they were very different people.
• The aspect that neither side is safe, but they're not completely evil either.
• The lack of a love triangle. So. Much. Relief. 
• The introduction into the book. Yeah, it starts out a little slow and with a bit of background, but it's never boring or overwhelming. It helps you understand the setting and the characters better than if you'd just been dropped in.

Things I Thought Could be Better:

• The plot twist, or rather, the big reveal, and June's reaction to it. In my opinion, it could've been laid out differently to make a bigger impact. As it was, it wasn't that shocking.
• How Day's and June's reactions shifted. What I mean by this is... Sometimes I felt Day and June reacted differently than seemed characteristic. Something big would happen, and their reactions would feel a little off to me. It didn't happen often.

Rated:

• A review of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Later,

Tansie G.

Hug All the Books

I went to the library yesterday for the first time in forever. Recently it's acquired a lot of new, popular books, opposed to when it had almost none. I nearly had a stroke when I saw some of them.

Also, this is random, but just look at how HUGE Clockwork Princess is.

I have a month to read all of these-- I've already read Legend, and I started Vampire Academy. I'm not sure which one I'll tackle next, but I'm leaning towards The Runaway King, since I read the first book in the trilogy and loved it.

I almost borrowed An Abundance of Katherines by John Green and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, but the librarians were already eyeing my stack with muted surprise, so I figured I'd leave them for next time. (My sister borrowed more than I did and actually got a comment from another person there. It resulted in awkward laughing for her part.)

...to DVD and Blu-ray.

• A review of Legend by Marie Lu.
• A review of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Later,

Tansie G.

Reviewing: Mind Games by Kiersten White

I don't like rating books badly. It makes me feel cruel, sad and guilty. I mean, what if the author reads my rating and review? They worked really hard on it-- poured time and energy into all the details. So, yeah... you probably guessed it already, but I didn't really like Mind Games.

I was really pumped for this book. The cover was awesome, the synopsis was awesome, and from what it said, I was expecting a lot of awesomeness. Clearly. I did think it sounded a bit like What's Left of Me, simply because they're sisters on the run from evil government people who want to control them and possibly kill them. 

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

Things I was expecting:

1. An awesome sister relationship. Incredible loyalty, love, and trust.
2. Action scenes. A lot of action scenes.
3. Not a lot of romance. A little on the side, perhaps, but there seems to be more going on. Like trying not to die.

I'm not sure how to describe how I feel about this book, so I'll break it down.

1. Reading from Fia's point of view was like reading from a lunatic's point of view.

That's a bit harsh, so I'll try to explain why. 

The writing style. It's so hard to stay involved in the story when all she does is talk about James (her love interest), her hands (she can't stand them), and her fingers tap-tap-tapping on whatever surface she can find. I get the feeling it was supposed to be haunting, but all I could think was that Fia is obsessive over certain things that I just don't understand. Also, her emotions come on so strongly. She doesn't get bothered, she gets furious. Her feelings aren't hurt, she's absolutely devastated. I understand that her life has been horrible. She's been tortured and tricked and treated like trash, so it's normal that's she's gone a little insane. But I just couldn't feel sympathy for her.

Here's an example of her narration:

"I have no idea. My plans changed about five minutes ago." I look over my shoulder to see the men, three (tap tap tap - I hate the number three), thick shoulders, one gun between them based on the way the guy in the middle is walking (that was a mistake, they should all have guns - guess they'll find out) matching our pace and getting closer.

She just cuts off and completely leaves the topic for a split second. The style was like it was trying to copy Shatter Me (which I loved), but I just didn't get the same feeling.

2. The love interest.

James. The object of my wrath. The guy is a jerk. And Fia is completely in love with him. I thought she had fabulous gut instincts? Apparently they don't work around James because she is suddenly goo whenever she sees him. I get it, he's good looking. She's attracted to him.What I don't get is her obsession with him.

3. The ending.

The ending left me completely furious.

At Fia.

I'm sorry, but the girl had issues. I was mad at Annie a lot, don't get me wrong. She was clingy and deceptive. But Fia was angry at Annie for something she had no control over. She ignored one of Annie's visions because she was mad at her. And then she did something that contradicted every single thing ever said about their relationship as sisters.

And I was left seething long after I finished reading the book.

So, Will I read this again?

No.

Will I read the sequel?

Probably not. It depends on whether or not my sister borrows it. 

Rated 1 star.

Later,

Tansie G.

Childhood Obsessions: Books

There were a few books that really stuck out to me when I was little. Not all of them were kid's books-- in fact, few were, and when I look back and re-read the synopsis and think about the plot I had memorized when I was little, I'm proud of the books I fell in love with. They weren't empty, or meaningless... They had depth.

Book #1: Cages by Peg Kehret

My copy of this book is really old. The corner are torn and the pages are yellow. There's tape holding the spine together. I bought it at the library where I used to live-- they sold loads of books for 25 cents each (which was heaven)--so, yeah, it was already a little worn.

Kit never means to steal the bracelet; it is just a dumb mistake. But when she is caught Kit is sentenced to twenty hours of volunteer work at the humane society. Kit knows how it feels to be stuck in a cage like those animals and soon she begins to learn that the key to her own cage is right in front of her.

The ending nearly brought me to tears. I wanted Kit to make it in whatever she tried so bad because I felt like she deserved it. She was angry... wanting to prove something when she stole the bracelet. And she instantly regrets it. Her step-dad is an alcoholic jerk, and her mom is spineless. Even though she loves Kit, she would never stand up for her when her step-dad was being cruel.

I wanted Kit to make it, but I didn't always agree with what she did. Lie upon lie upon lie was told-- no one ever knew the whole story until the very end-- not even her best friend. But Kit pulled through, and became a better person.

Book #2:

This second one I was absolutely obsessed with-- and the book holds the marks to prove it. Tape on the spine, worn cover, yellow, stained pages, and pages that aren't even glued to the spine anymore. 

Joelle hates her new filly...

Joelle has a very special relationship with her Thoroughbred mare, Dance Away. Then Dancer dies giving birth to her first foal, and Joelle swears that no horse, not even Dancer's filly, will ever replace Dancer in her heart. But Joelle's parents insist she take care if the orphaned filly--it needs her help to survive.

Joelle does as little as she can to groom and train the foal. All she can think about is Dancer--that they won't be riding together in the big fall show where Joelle was sure they'd win a trophy. Joelle's convinced that Dancer's filly will never be a winner like her mother.

Then something happens that will make Joelle change her mind forever...

I couldn't find a picture of the same version I had, so I took my own.

I read this one so many times that I wrote a paper on it-- complete with exact quotes and character development-- without even glancing inside of it during writing. And it was graded an A. Again, Joelle makes a lot of mistakes; everyone does, so it's only realistic. She hates the filly because she believes she caused her beloved mare's death. Of course, it's not really the foal's fault, but Joelle misses her horse so much that she doesn't care. She becomes more distant, more angry. The ending left me breathless and pumped up.

I skimmed both books while writing this, just to try to see if I loved them as much as I did back then. It's both yes and no. No, both books could use some editing-- in completely different areas. Yes, they still have that awesome message, and, of course, they hold a special place in my heart. These books inspired me. 

Later,

Tansie G.

Reviewing: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I'd been wanting to read Shatter Me for ages, mainly because all I'd read about it was mostly good stuff. So I checked it out on Goodreads-- it sounded pretty good, and the cover was absolutely gorgeous. So my sister borrowed it from the library, and I read it in a day.

(here's my review from Goodreads.)

Wow, um... that was intense. Juliette's way of describing things is... haunting, almost. Her words become a chant sometimes and it's just-- wow. It's kind of creepy, but it draws you in-- gives the words a bigger impact than if she'd just said the sentence flat out. And sometimes the sentences cut off halfway and then start back up a small while later. I had read snippets of Shatter Me with bits like that, thinking it was kind of weird. I never thought that this kind of writing style could be so awesome. 

Okay. Obviously, I liked the writing style. I also liked Juliette. (Okay, who am I kidding-- I loved her.) She was constantly having a battle within herself. Is she insane? Is she a monster? She desperately wants to be told that she isn't-- know that she isn't-- but she can't. You can feel it tearing her apart. It keeps her from getting close to anyone.

Until Love Interest. He entered the story seeming smug, confident, and someone I wanted to just slap. Really hard. But then he got better. And then PLOT TWIST and he got worse. It was a roller coaster ride. I really wanted to like him-- mainly because Juliette really liked him, and she deserved awesomeness after what she'd been through. Someone to hold her and protect her-- and stand by her when she was ready to fight. (I also like how she saved him a couple times. She's got all her powers-- I almost felt like she should've saved him more. But that's just me.)

And I'm sure a bunch of people enjoyed the scenes I'm about to bring up, so don't be offended if I disagree. Juliette and Adam (aforementioned love interest). Are. Always. Kissing.

ALWAYS.

Oh, hey! I just saved your life and we're being hunted and we should probably go, but before we do, can you kiss me for a whole page?

I asked Evil Guy to remove the cameras in my room so we could smooch. So let's.

Sorry. But it was just constantly happening. Almost die. Kiss. All better. It's like true love's kiss a billion times over and completely unnecessary because no one's fallen under a sleeping spell and needs to be made out with until they wake up. 

And every guy in the book (except for three and one is a 10 year old) was constantly gawking at Juliette. THE GIRL. HAS BEEN STARVING. FOR THREE YEARS. SHE TAKES. TWO MINUTE SHOWERS. SHE IS NOT. GOING TO LOOK. LIKE A MODEL.

Again, sorry. Rant over, I promise. It just got to the point whenever she met a guy I would just be like: Oh, please, not you too.

Don't get me wrong. Juliette is beautiful and she deserves to be loved, I just felt like it was a bit much.

And the ending threw me off, but I'm not going to say why because of spoilers.

All-in-all, Shatter Me was awesome, but had a few things that I just didn't like. Thus the four stars.

Later,

Tansie G.