Unofficial Hiatus

So let me start off by saying sorry.
I haven't posted in a few weeks.
And now I'm posting on a Friday.
I took an unofficial hiatus, but I hope to be back now.
I also created a new rule: I will be posting from time to time. So it won't definitely be Sunday, but I hope it will be at least once a week!

Also, I hope everyone had a very yummy Thanksgiving! I sure did! I think pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce is my favorite part. mmmmm. :]

And yet again I have to tell you that I have not been reading a book.
I finished Dracula a few weeks ago, I have had family coming down and staying with us, so I've kinda been taking it easy.
For instance, this whole week I've been waking up at 10:30am and it's been basically the best thing ever.

But today I did go to work so of course now I'm a little obsessed with books and I have some books that I want to share with you!

1. The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

• I just saw this today, it came out Nov. 9 apparently? Looks SO good, combines three of my favorite things; Romans, Britain, and mystery! It's the first of a trilogy and I'm definitely hitting up my library for this. BTW, the story itself is not true, it's an interpretation based on two different age-old mysteries.

2. Claim to Fame by Margaret Peterson Haddix

• When I was younger, all of my friends obsessed over Haddix's books. I, myself, never read them and I have no clue why. This book is about a child star who discovers she has a supernatural power and she hides from the world for 6 or 7 years before she is forced back into society. Ooooooooooooh! The cover doesn't intrigue all that much I have to say, but the story definitely does.

3. How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford

• Okay this looks adorable. One of those fun, light, "chick-lit" reads. Two outsiders become unexpected friends and they spend all their time together and fall in love! That sentence makes it sound cheesy, but the character development is supposed to be very deep. Never judge a book by it's cover, and never judge a person by their appearance. You can know a person just by looking at them.

4. Love and Summer by William Trevor

• THIS LOOKS SO CUTE AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO READ IT. Okay now that I got that out... The cover is adorable. The story is awesome. I'm just waiting for it to be made into a movie with unknown adorable Irish actors. This book is not a young adult book just so that's clear, but I don't imagine it being too bad for ages 16+ depending on what you read. It's about an orphan girl who is married, but a new man comes to town that basically everyone, including her, falls for. This book has so much praise. The New York Times calls it "a thrilling work of art." Check out their two page review: here.

Just a reminder, I haven't read any of these books, I just REALLY want to! Along with the other million books I really want to read...

Also ★★★★★

Don't forget that Ally Condie's book Matched comes out Nov. 30, 2010... TUESDAY!!

I really liked this book, so you should go check it out or put it on your Holiday wishlist! (:

So there's a post for today. I hope to post next week as well. I also really need to choose a book to read. I'm leaning towards Edward Rutherford's New York but it's a large book so it's not a light read and I need to psych myself up for those books. 

Till next time!

(:

All images in this post are from amazon.com.

BOO!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

I didn't post last week, I know. :( I had just gotten back from a super fun and busy trip from NYC! It was amazing!
But I'm sorry for not posting!
I've also been very busy with Dracula rehearsals lately (fitting for Halloween, hm?)...
Here is the Halloween post! I sort of did a little self-made Halloween survey! Feel free to fill it out yourself and comment below!


My favorite scary books!:

• Any Goosebumps book by R.L. Stine
• Also any books in the Point Horror Series by R.L. Stine
• Or Fear Street Series books by R.L. Stine, especially Double Date and Bad Dreams.

I really don't like scary things... so to sum it up, R.L. Stine is your man for scary stories! Not saying there aren't other really scary books out there... Oh! The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket were always a little haunting for me. If you have a favorite scary book, share it in the comments below! (:

My favorite Halloween candy:

Candy corn, hands down. No questions, comments, or suggestions. 

Best costume I ever had:

When I was 2...(?), I was an apple. Yes I had a green little spherical body suit, a green hat with a leaf on it, and I carried around a big long worm (a.k.a my mom carried it around).

It's probably the scariest costume you'll ever see.

Scariest movie?:

Tremors, or Scream. I didn't finish either of them. 

Best Halloween experience?:

A Halloween party with all my friends before I moved.

Favorite Supernatural/Scary person?:

Witches, they rock! 

As for books that I've been reading...
I haven't been reading ANYTHING! I've been so busy with rehearsals, school, and life. I have no free time. However, I was working today, and no one came in, so I started reading I am Legend by Richard Matheson. Yes it was a movie with Will Smith (love him), but it was originally a 1954 novel. In this book I was reading, it was one of the many stories included all by Richard Matheson.

No you can't look inside, that's Amazon. haha. So I only read the first story from this book, I am Legend. It is really different from the movie, so I really recommend reading it! I really enjoyed it. It really fits for Halloween doesn't it?
Anyways, if you loved the movie, you'll really like this; just don't be surprised at how many differences there are.

Anyways, I have homework and errands and this and that.
I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween!

If you need me,
I'll be in a pumpkin patch somewhere waiting for the Great Pumpkin!

Till next week!

Photo Credit:
Photobucket #1
Photobucket #2
Amazon
Photobucket #3

New post! :D

Okay so as I said last week I wouldn't have enough time to read unless I cut out eating, breathing, and sleeping which would be okay if I was vampire. However, I'm not, so I didn't read.

But! I want to talk about something special that I want to do when it gets closer to the Holidays.
That includes Halloween too.

Photo Credit : Photobucket

*cutest icon ever~

Probably next week, I'll do a Halloween-themed post and list my favorite scary novels so you can be prepared to incredibly spook yourself out! *Important Note* I really hate scary movies and being scared, but for some odd reason I love scary and thrilling books. Weird.

So look forward to the next week's Halloween post! (:

And when we get closer to Dec. Holidays I want to make a list of books that should be on your wish list or list of gifts to buy for others and maybe I throw in some of my favorite wintry reads. (:

So yes this is a short post.

And yes I did it on a Tuesday, because Blogger was having some troubles and I couldn't sign in.

Next week's post will be on Mon. or Tues. 

I'm going away for the weekend again and I have really intense Dracula rehearsals coming up. Very fitting for my Halloween post! (:

Anyways, till next time!

Photo Credit : Photobucket

Review: The Hunger Games, Hurt List

I really have so much I want to say this week that I really am not sure how to fit it all in so this post isn't 5 billion pages long. (That might be an exaggeration).

SO! I joined every other reader on the Earth and finally read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Best. Book. Ever. In order to make this post shorter, I will only do five top points, so a ftp?

Photo Credit : Wikipedia

FTP: The Hunger Games

1. This book (series) also takes place in a futuristic society that I am guessing is our society in a few hundred or thousand years or maybe our modern society never really existed and it just jumped to "Panem". 
2. This book is not for the weak-stomached, I mean it's not extremely gory with awful descriptions that make you want to turn away, but it makes sure you get the point.
3. This book has action, romance, and comedy. An "all-in-one" in a non-cheesy way.
4. I won earrings in a contest by iHeart Daily and they say "District 12" on them, you'll know what that means if you read the book! I feel special because I have them. And no I didn't wear them while reading. :)
5. I really felt like I was right there with Katniss (the main character) while she was experiencing all of these horrible events and it was thrilling and scary at the same time! 

This book is available in hardcover & paperback. If you haven't read it yet, READ IT.

It's a perfect book for pretty much anyone who likes action, adventure, and a teensy-weensy bit of science fiction. It's a very thrilling book and much to my happiness the second book Catching Fire came in the mail today! WOO!

So the second book I read this week (cause apparently all I do is read) is The Hate List by Jennifer Brown. This is Jennifer Brown's debut novel that I mentioned last week. I gave in and went to the library right before we left to go to Maine for the weekend and I finished the book that night. It was so good and so addicting. I literally could not put it down.

Photo Credits : Jennifer Brown's Website

FTP: The Hate List

1. This book deals with very emotional topics and brought me to tears at least once while reading.
2. While reading and after I felt like I had a better understanding of how people feel who are bullied everyday. I think everyone has been bullied at least once in their life, but not many know what it feels like to go through it everyday and this book really opens up that view into their life.
3. The characters are mostly juniors and the book chronicles their junior and senior year of high school, so if you like to read more toward your age there you go.
4. One of the things I really liked about this book was how the chapters switched between the present time and the day of the shooting, the transitions were done very nicely and it wasn't too confusing.
5. One of the things I didn't like as much, and this could just be because I'm weird, was how the main character kept flashing back and retelling stories as she thought of them as the book progressed. I just, I don't know, I guess I was impatient, because I really wanted to keep reading the book. But these flashbacks are crucial to the character development of the story and the back story so I'm not really sure why they sort of bothered me, because they need to be there...

This book was very powerful. 

It delivered strong messages about bullying. A subject that I feel strongly on.

We've all seen in the news recently that their have been many suicides because of people being bullied.

I think everyone was been a bully at least once and been bullied at least once in their lives. 

Bullying doesn't need to happen.

Just think about this: Everyone has feelings. Everyone's feelings can be hurt. Everyone's feelings can be uplifted. 

So coming up, I am having a very busy week so I can't promise that I will be reading a book, hopefully I'll choose something, but right now my book is:

Photo Credit : Amazon

Oh! But I do want to add a book to my reading list.

Hilary Duff (one of my life role models) came out with her debut novel, Elixir. It actually officially comes out tomorrow, but you can read the first 5 chapters on Simon & Schuster. I'm liking it so far!

Photo Credit : Amazon

Even if I don't end up reading a book this week, I'll definitely be excited next week to talk about some upcoming plans for my blog and hopefully upcoming books that I will read!

Till next time! (:

Review: Matched

SO! I sort of started a mini-review on Matched by Ally Condie in the last post, but now I have it finished!
I'm going to write a new type of review for this, called Top Ten Points. TTP. I'm going to write down the 10 Ten points I think you should know about this book. I'm testing this style, so comment if you like this condensed version more than paragraphs! So! Here we go! (:

TTP: Matched by Ally Condie 

1. Matched takes place in a futuristic society that is very different from ours today, but maybe a suggestion as of what our society could someday turn in to?
2. The main character/narrator is a teenage girl named Cassia.
3. Even though it's in the future Cassia still has the same emotions and thought processes as modern day teenagers have; the characters are very relateable! 
4. I'm still puzzled that no one in the Society as gone against the society, most likely because they are afraid of the consequences... but still. I kept thinking while reading, how did they switch from modern times to this? Food for thought.
5. Ally Condie has a beautiful writing style that is very poetic, once the book comes out I'll post my favorite part of the whole book on here. 
6. You will be really confused when you start this book, don't let it discourage you. Or maybe it's just me who was confused. I'm not sure.... but keep reading, it will start to make more sense the more you read!
7. Reading this book and reading about the restrictions of their Society really made me appreciate our society even though I feel sometimes people go too far with their opinions... (rant). I'm really glad for our freedoms in America. I'm really grateful.
8. I just realized since my cat was sitting on my lap, there was not one animal or pet in the new Society. Oh my goodness, what a realization. Don't let this affect whether you read it or not if you love animals. It's still really good.
9. Put this book on your Christmas wish list right now, or just go out and buy it when it comes out.
10. This book better have a sequel!!!!!!! (:

So there you have it! 

Matched comes out Nov. 30, 2010. 

I really like this book and I hope all of you will too! (:

So since I finished Matched I was really uncertain what to read next! So I haven't read anything for the past two or three days! Crazy, right? Sometimes you just need a little book break in between reading tons of books diligently. Although I really love getting lost in another world! 

So today at work (I work in a bookstore, of course) I started to read Hate List by Jennifer Brown. It's definitely a change of pace for me. It's about a girl who once made a "hate list" with her boyfriend and one day at school her boyfriend decides to try and shoot everyone on the list. It's a very twisted story but is nevertheless very interesting. The main character is very confused because she loved her boyfriend and some blame her because she helped with the list, but she never meant harm to anyone. It's very interesting. I might have to go check it out at the library.

              

                                         Photo Credit : Heartland Writers                             Photo Credit : Fantastic Fiction

ALSO!!!!!!!!!

I discovered Tatiana DeRosnay has a NEW BOOK OUT. Who knew?! Not me!

In case you didn't know she wrote Sarah's Key which is one of my FAVORITE books.

I'm going to have to read this too.

So right now I can't exactly tell you what I'll be reading this week... you'll just have to find out next Sunday.

WAIT

Oh my goodness!

I didn't think of this before.

I'll be on vacation next Sunday... so I will either post this Friday night, next Monday night, or sometime later next week.

Oh wow.

So I'll see you sometime next week-ish.

Have a happy Columbus Day weekend! (:

Animation Credit : Artie

Happiness & Matching

Well! One week & 3 tons of homework later, I finished one book and am now halfway through another.

I finished Hector and the Search for Happiness by François Lelord.

Photo Credit : Steph the Bookworm

Okay, I loved this book. It tells the story of Hector, an unhappy psychiatrist who goes on a journey around the world to try to understand what makes people happy and how happiness can be defined. He experiences a range of events contributing to his list of what makes people happy. This short and sweet book combines heartbreak, comedy, love, happiness (of course), and a very realistic factor that gives you an insight to human nature. I found myself questioning how Hector's list could apply to different people, but it does! His observations are based on his specific experiences, but they are observations that can be applied to people internationally. 

This book is a modern-day fairytale that will definitely leave you happy once you finish it (at least it did for me (: ). 

The only con I can see people pointing out is the simplistic sentence structure. This is originally a French book, so it has been translated and the style of the book is very simple and general. I personally really enjoyed this author's style, it was very refreshing and original! 

This book would make a great gift for a friend, be a great topic for a book club, or just be a good book to read yourself and enjoy.

Now my next book is Matched by Ally Condie.

Photo Credit : Amazon

This book will be released in hardcover November 30, 2010. I'm halfway through it, and I honestly think this book should be on your pre-order list. I'm reading the book earlier, because I have an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) of it. The ARC actually didn't have the cover on it, it had this cover:

Photo Credit : Me (:

It's basically quotes from other authors and publishing companies about how good the book is. I agree.

So far, I'll just set the book up for you.

The reader is transported to a futuristic society and can almost be described as communistic, basically everyone is the same. There are very strict rules (not too bad) that everyone lives by and everyone lives for the exact same length of time. Even though it's futuristic and the society plays by different rules, it's still somewhat relatable (the main character is a teenager), I just think it's a really neat idea for a future society. This book has a really interesting perspective and at first I was completely lost! However, I'm on Chapter 12 and now I'm really into it. BTW, I started this book Friday night. Yeah, I read a lot.

So! This book is released a month before Christmas, *wink to the parents*, it would be a very good gift for a kid who likes futuristic books and books about teenagers, *wink to the kids*, put it on your wishlist. Or just buy it  yourself. 

So far my opinion of this book is very high, that could change, although I hope it doesn't.

For now, I'm just really enjoying it. 

Till next week!

Untitled

So I guess I'm going to be limited to weekly posting with my busy schedule, but I've kept it up for three weeks in a row! Let's see how long I can last!

So I was supposed to be reading Hector and the Search for Happiness, which I sort of am... Last week I got an order from Doubleday Book Club or Quality Paperbacks club or something and it was filled with books that I really want to read! So I temporarily got distracted by 'Dead By Day' a book composing the 4th and 5th books in the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris. I absolutely loved the 4th book which is normally called Dead to the World.

Photo Credit : Amazon

What I really liked about this book was the focus was primarily on Eric for a change instead of Bill. The plot line was also very thrilling and I literally could not put it down! I really don't want to give away too much in case you have read the series (in which case you should) or if you aren't at the 4th book yet. I can honestly say, though, it is my favorite book in the series so far!

Now redirecting the attention to Hector. I am reading that full time now, because I really want to read it! haha. So far it's succeeded in being very interesting and providing interesting insights on what it means to be happy. Something a teenage girl questions often. Probably all teenagers. Probably every living human being. So I really like the point of view of this character.
The only thing I could see lots of people not liking is that the sentences are not very complex...you could almost describe it as plain, but it really isn't plain, because it's still descriptive, original, and interesting, so maybe simple? It is this way because it was originally French and it has been translated. I'm very glad it was too, but I probably still would have tried to get through it in French. I'm a bit of a francophile. Which is part of the reason I chose the book in the first place, besides the adorable cover.
You aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover, how about it's language?

So hopefully next week I'll have this book finished and will be able to tell you more about and hopefully praise it a lot more!

And just as a preview, here are some books that I hope to read after this and review for you:

• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Matched by Allie Condie (come out Nov. 30) <-- I actually will probably do this next, or definitely before it comes out.
• Wicked Company by Ciji Ware
• Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett (I think I'm the last person on Earth to read this)

And I should stop there otherwise I'll think of twenty books that I want to read.
Which reminds me!
If you want to keep up with what books I'm reading, read, and will read... add me on shelfari.com! If you haven't joined, join! It's a great reading community!
Here's the link to my profile:
http://www.shelfari.com/timelessradiance

Since this post has been a lot of text, I'll add a cute little animation :D

Till next week!