Sunnykimmy loving life

TV Talk: Castle's Caskett Baby names, Because Why Not?

2013-05-30T17:02:00.003-03:00

So since I've been thinking that Beckett (from the TV Show Castle, for those of you who've just joined the party) might be pregnant, it made me wonder about good Caskett baby names. Even if Beckett isn't pregnant now, she'll probably get pregnant at some point on the show. So I figure why not speculate.

I decided that the names had to have some significance, because everything this couple says or does on this show means something. So I thought, which names would mean something to Caskett?

This is what I came up with:

For a boy: - Roy Alexander Castle or Alexander Roy Castle
For a girl: - Nikki Johanna Castle
- A name that means "Always"

The first name I came up with was Roy. It seems fitting that they would name their son after captain Montgomery, since he brought them together by pretty much forcing Beckett to work with Castle. He was also Beckett's protector behind the scenes, until he sort of passed that torch to Castle. Though Castle was already protecting Beckett on a daily basis, Montgomery (and Jim) calling on Castle to protect Beckett made it official in a way.

I chose Alexander because I feel like Beckett finding out that Castle's middle name was actually Alexander was a significant moment for her and maybe even for her relationship with Castle. I think it's the first time she realized that there might be a possible future for them in the cards.

The problem with the combination of "Roy Alexander" is that having Roy as a first name, it wouldn't be a stretch to think that people would figure out that they named their kid after the former captain. It could raise questions as to why, from people not part of "the immediate family."

The problem with Alexander Roy is that Castle's daughter is Alexis, which makes me wonder if her name was derived from his middle name. But that wasn't the point I was trying to make. The point is, can you imagine having two kids, Alexander and Alexis or Alex and Alexis? So weird.

For a girl I came up with Nikki, just because of what Special Agent Shaw said about Nikki in season 2. That Nikki was part Beckett, part Castle. It just made sense.

And Johanna, I think Kate would want to honor her mother that way. Also because Johanna's murder is part of what connected Castle and Beckett, what both stunted and furthered their relationship at separate moments throughout the years.

And do I even have to explain why I would want Caskett to give their daughter a name that means "Always"? I think not. I honestly think this would be the perfect choice of a name or rather a name meaning for a girl. The ones I could find that I liked were Aina (pronounced Aheenah) and Zaniyah.

So what do you think? What would you name a future Caskett baby if mr. Marlowe asked the fans to pick the name?

TV Talk: The Season 5 Finale of Castle and Expectations For Season 6

2013-05-25T18:33:00.002-03:00

Edited

So sunshines,

I know I haven't been on here in a long time, but I have something to discuss that has been bugging me for weeks. So let me bring you up to speed. Recently I've started watching Castle. In case you haven't heard of it, it's a TV show that focuses on a mystery writer named Richard Castle, who is questioned by the NYPD when a murderer kills his victims the same way Castle does in his books. Castle then decides to help with the case, working alongside homicide detectives Beckett, Ryan and Esposito. From the moment he meets Beckett, Kate Beckett that is, the detective who picks him up for questioning, it's obvious that he likes her. He proceeds to try and charm the pants off her, which he fails in miserably. But he doesn't give up and when the murderer is caught, he uses his connections to the mayor to get the NYPD to take him on as an unpaid consultant. This is the start of the amazing adventures of Castle and Beckett.

I think I started watching the show because I liked the idea of a cop and a writer working together to solve murder cases. But then I really started enjoying it when I realized that the combination of Castle and Beckett is hilarious, their constantly clashing personalities, the witty banter, the looks between them, the amazing chemistry, the quiet affection, these two are basically gold. They reminded me a little of Benson and Stabler on Law & Order SVU. So I basically started out watching this show for the humor and ended up watching it for the relationships, and not just the unlikely relationship between Castle and Beckett. Something that this show is good at that Law & Order SVU wasn't, is making every main character equally important. The chemistry between Castle and Beckett may have been the foundation that this show was built on, but the bromance between Ryan and Esposito, the relationship between Castle and his daughter and Castle and his mom, the relationship between Lanie (the awesome Medical Examiner) and Esposito and the friendship between Beckett and Lanie, even the relationships between Ryan and Castle and Esposito and Castle, all of it is good. This show's main thing might be humor, but it does realistic situations, relationships and drama just as well.

The writing is amazing, bringing the use of subtext and foreshadowing to a whole new level. And the actors bring all of it to life so well. But all of this brings me to what I really want to talk about when it comes to this show. I'm invested, in this show. I've recently watched the season 5 finale and I need to talk about it. Especially since I won't be getting any answers to the multitude of questions, thoughts and ideas I have until September. If you haven't seen the show or the latest episode for that matter and you want to, I urge you to stop reading now, because things are about to get spoilery.

-------------------POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK--------------------

So everyone who's seen the latest Castle episode knows that the Caskett relationship has been rocky recently. The "happy" couple exchanged "I love you's and where many of the Caskett fans thought that that would be the beginning of the Caskett fairytale, we (and yes, I was one of them) were sadly mistaken.

1. The relationship insecurities
It turned out that Caskett was as insecure as ever about their relationship, or at least Beckett was. And while a lot of people think that this is absurd, I kind of get it. This couple has firmly left the honeymoon phase in their relationship and questions are starting to arise. Questions like "Where is this relationship going?", "Are we going to make it?", "Have we just been kidding ourselves this whole time?" Questions that have been asked before, but that were either ignored or nipped in the bud with "we'll figure it out as we go along" remarks.

But anyone that has seen these two together knows that they truly love each other and are amazing together. They've been through so much together and the reason that they've made it this far is because they've always had each other's backs, so much so that it has become second nature. They trust each other with their lives, they're willing to die for each other or die trying to save the other person if they're in trouble. A lot of the time they're in synch, both in thought and action, they're very good at reading each other (athough there seems to be a decline in that) and they're usually not afraid to speak their minds. But the truth is that even though all of the above is true, they are on new territory.

Despite all that has been mentioned above, they, and this is mostly due to Beckett, have used their work relationship as an excuse to stay formal, and look the other way when they weren't. They're notorious for ignoring the elephant in the room, namely their feelings for each other and they're terrified, even now that they're actually a couple, of defining those feelings, of talking about what those feelings mean, for their future, for a life together.

In the end, loving each other and being willing to die for each other isn't enough. Because they still don't know if they're on the same page, they don't know what the other person is thinking, if there actually is a future to be had. Neither of them knows what the other person wants or expects of the relationship.

Right now, their relationship is based on split-second decisions made when the stakes are high, when they stand to lose everything. But admitting out loud that you love someone, that you want a future with them, that you believe in them enough, believe in the relationship enough to actually commit to a future with them, letting them see or rather hear what's in your heart, and not just when the stakes are high, that takes courage, it takes trust, making yourself vulnerable, vulnerable for ridicule, for rejection. But it's necessary.

Sometimes it's just easier to show then tell. Because if you get scared you can always deny or redefine with your words what you meant with your actions. But once you use your words to define your actions, you put yourself out there. And you can't take it back. So it's true that actions speak louder than words and words alone are not enough, but sometimes words are necessary, to accompany the actions, to strengthen them. Because sometimes assumptions made based on actions performed can be wrong. And I think the possibilty of that is what caused Caskett's relationship insecurities.

2.The job
Now Kate has been offered a job and again, I get her considering it. As she said, it's a great opportunity to do more. But I think it's more to her than that. It's a way of getting back the life she was supposed to have. I think she still hasn't let go of the girl she was before her mother's death. The truth is that her mom's death was a game-changer, a big one. She went from the girl who was set for big things, great accomplishments, an amazing education, career and financial status to the girl willing to do anything to solve her mom's murder, even give up her dreams, her parents' dreams for her. And maybe somewhere she still wants those dreams, that life, maybe she feels like she's let her parents down. Like she's let herself down by not being the best she could be. So she might not be able to be the lawyer she was supposed to be, but maybe she can do the next best thing, advance in her own field.

And I don't think she even considered how Castle would play into all of that when she was thinking about the job, of how he would react to this job offer, of her even considering moving to another city. I have no doubt that she loves him and that she had no intention of ending the relationship, which means she definitely didn't want to think about the possibility of actually getting this job and that that would most likely mean the end of their relationship. Maybe not at first, but eventually. Or she did consider all of it and it terrified her, so she buried it. She knew it would hurt him and if there's anything we've learned, it's that Beckett hates hurting Castle. I know people think she lied to Castle because she's selfish, but history has taught us that when Beckett thinks something will hurt Castle, whether it be something she said, did or is going to do, she keeps it from him. Which is exactly what she did with this job offer, she kept it from him and then proceeded to lie about it. Because what you don't know can't hurt you, right? This episode proves how wrong that saying can actually be.

3. The proposal
Then there's the proposal, Castle's solution to all of their problems. On the surface it comes off either as desperate, romantic or just confirmation of Castle's devotion and commitment to Beckett, depending on who you are. And as a fan, your reaction to this proposal probably ranges from confused, surprised, excited to just plain angry and/or underwhelmed. Personally, at first I belonged in the "desperate proposal, therefore angry and underwhelmed" fan category. But the more I think about it, the less I believe the proposal was just out of desperation. I've been trying to figure out why Castle proposed despite the attitude of doom he displayed from the moment he found out about that job offer throughout the rest of the episode, even during the proposal, and what what he said to Alexis about seeing things how they really are meant. This is what I came up with.

Anyone who has been watching the show knows that Beckett's the one who sets the pace in the relationship, the one who usually ends up making the big decisions. Because Castle lets her. It's the reason he's come so far with her throughout the years, part of how he got her to let him in. And I think this is the exact reason why Castle hasn't tried to define the relationship before. Beckett coming to him for a change (in the season 4 finale), instead of the other way around, was progress. Progress I think he wasn't willing to ruin with too much relationship talk. Because every time he did, every time he tried to push for more when she wasn't ready (granted, he's the master of bad timing, but still) she pushed back harder, pushing him out of her life. Of course, the fact that he probably hasn't gotten over his failed marriages and talking about his relationship with Beckett would most likely bring up questions and issues regarding those marriages and why they didn't work out probably didn't help matters. But even so, his issues pale compared to Beckett's.

And I think Castle really did see a future with Beckett, that he has seen a future with her for a while. Even before they became a couple. A future that would eventually come to pass. That it was coming to pass, they were making progress, she'd stopped attacking and pushing him away and instead slowly but surely started to let him in. I think he knew they weren't there yet, but he thought that things were going well.

And then here comes this job offer and Beckett's considering it, which in his mind must mean that she's ready to leave. Without him. I think Castle feels like he's been kidding himself, that the future he thought they were going to have, when they were both ready to move forward, was nothing more than a dream. That all the time and effort he's put in this relationship, all the progress he'd thought he'd made taking down her walls, didn't do much.She had made entirely different future plans. Plans that apparently didn't include him. Not even planning for those plans included him. I think he feels cheated and hurt. But mostly I think he just feels disillusioned. Hence the attitude of doom.

But seriously, the entire proposal scene made me queasy. Right before Castle proposed, Beckett looked on the verge of tears. And Castle looked like he was mourning the loss of a loved one throughout the entire thing, which he probably was. A girl really shouldn't think a guy is trying to break up with her when he's actually trying to propose and a guy really shouldn't propose with the expectation that the girl will almost certainly say no. Leave it to Caskett to make even a proposal scene unique in a completely Caskett way. Given their track record when it comes to all the important milestones, I really shouldn't be surprised.

So why did Castle propose? I think it's because he loves her, because giving her everything he has is what he does. But I think the main reason for it is desperation. He can't imagine a life that doesn't have her in it and he doesn't want to lose her. And Castle has a history of proposing because "it seems like the right thing to do at the time", not because the other person is "the one". And I think that history is repeating itself. It's a shame, because in this case I think Beckett really is "the one", that Castle really loves her, but he wasn't capable of basing his decision to propose to her on that, because he's weighed down by the pain caused by her deceit and the fear of losing her. I also think that him telling her " That's who you are" as a response to her apologizing for keeping secrets wasn't him accepting her. I feel like it was more him resigning to her behavior. He said that he wanted more, but I think he's willing to settle for less if that means he gets to have her. He literally just wants her. Whatever part of herself she's willing to give. And that makes me sad, for both of them. Because as Castle said, they both deserve more. And a proposal won't necessarily give them that (not if they don't talk, really talk), even though Castle thinks it might.

So what do I expect to see in season 6?

- A time jump. I watched the Billboard Music Awards and it looks like Stana cut her hair. It would be hard to pick up right where they left off, if Beckett has shorter hair, unless they put in extensions, which I don't think they'll do. As always, I think they'll do a time jump of a couple of months.

- Beckett won't take the job. Based on her almost content expression towards the end of the episode, while talking to Ryan and Espo and when walking towards the swings, I think Beckett was planning on telling Castle that she wasn't taking the job. I'm a girl and I don't think I'd be even close to smiling if I had decided to crush my boyfriend's heart by breaking up with him, unless the guy was horrible and/or it was clear that he didn't love me. None of which applies to Castle. So I think Beckett would have looked somewhere along the lines of tense if she had decided to take the job and break up with Castle. The "jaw clenched, on the verge of tears, staring in the distance" look she gets when it seemed like Castle was going to break up with her, confirms that breaking up with Castle was not her plan.

- Beckett will say no/ not yet to the proposal. Despite the fact that Beckett wanted to know where their relationship was going, I don't think this is what she meant. I honestly don't think Beckett is ready to get married. And I also think that she'll jump to the same conclusions I did at first. That Castle isn't proposing just because he loves her, but because he's afraid of losing her. And I know that people think that him saying that whatever she decided, he wanted to marry her meant that he would follow her to D.C. if that's what it took. And I truly believe that as well, but honestly, her going after this job might be a way of letting Castle down easy for all he knows. She might not want him to follow. So him losing her is still on the table. It's still a reason for him to propose.

- A Caskett engagement. Not immediately but at some point throughout the season.

- A Caskett pregnancy. And I don't mean somewhere in the distant future, near the end of season 6.

*Dramatic pause

I mean now. Beckett might be pregnant. Now hear me out. Fans have been speculating about a possible proposal or pregnancy for...~~ages~~ a while. And while I noticed all that, I never jumped on that train before. Because while I knew all of it was a possibility, I didn't think the writers would go there, at least not yet. But now they have very clearly gone the proposal route. And now I think they might go the pregnancy route as well. What they'll do with that pregnancy, how they'll make it work, I don't know, but that's not the point.

So why do I think she's pregnant? You know that content expression Beckett had on her face near the end of the episode? It took me forever to come up with what it could mean. I later settled on her deciding to stay, but originally one of the first things, if not the first thing, that came to mind when I saw it, was that she was pregnant. There is just something about that expression.

Then there was Ryan's remark that maybe Beckett was pregnant and especially Espo's response that she wasn't, that she couldn't be. I saw that as a message, either the writers were trying to tell us that it's absurd that we could possibly believe that Beckett was pregnant right now, or it was foreshadowng combined with trying to throw us off the scent. And this show is just so good at foreshadowing. A lot of what is said and done on this show usually has a double meaning, it comes back, is used later in some way, almost like a prophecy coming true.

Then there's what Beckett said in that interrogation room. Up to that point I think Beckett was planning to take the job. But something changed in that moment. She called the precinct her home. She also asked the suspect "How many years of your life are you willing to sacrifice for someone else's future? Or are you ready to deal?" I think there was a lot that was meant by what was said by Beckett in that interrogation scene. I'm still not sure what all of it means, but there might be a baby hint somewhere in there.

So in true Caskett-fashion, I decided to investigate. Let's just call it research into human behavior and the minds of the writers, actors and characters. First, I went through the entire finale again to look for any physical indication that Beckett might be pregnant, her absently rubbing over her stomach, a bulge, anything. And I came up empty.

Then I looked up why other people thought Beckett was pregnant and that's when I found something. It turns out that Beckett seems to have developed an aversion to coffee. In episode 11(5X11) Castle brings her coffee and she takes it eagerly despite the fact that she has a steaming cup of it on her desk. She then takes a sip of Castle's coffee and makes a face, like she doesn't like the taste of it. In 5X12, Castle brings her coffee, but she doesn't drink it, not even a sip. Instead she sets it down on her desk, frowns a little and proceeds to stare at it for a couple of seconds until she gets up from her desk. In the season 5 finale, Castle, once again, brings her coffee, but she's not at all happy to see it. Again, she doesn't even take a sip.When Castle hands it to her, she even looks at him warily, like she's expecting him to say something about her not drinking it. The next morning she throws it out and based on how the episode went, I'm pretty sure it's the same coffee and that she just didn't drink it.There are other instances. In "The Squab and the Quail", Castle hands her a cup of coffee and while she's happy with the gesture, again, she doesn't drink it. She even gets up without it. (This is actually also something that happened in 1X09 when Sorenson handed her a cup of coffee. She took it, but she didn't drink it, just stared at it and then got up without it. She wasn't pregnant then, but she was sort of angry with Sorenson at the time so I attributed it to that.) In "Still", she ignores the coffee completely, under the guise that she's late. Separately, all these instances can be explained away, but if you put them together? Something's up. Because we all know how Beckett loves her coffee. And she usually drinks the coffee Castle brings her.

Then there's the wine. This is me reaching a little, but I remembered watching 5X19 and seeing how Beckett took a sip of her red wine near the end of the episode, frowned at it and then gave her glass to Castle, who set it down. They then rolled (in Castle's wheelchair) to his room, leaving the wine behind altogether. I remember thinking at the time that it was a shame that the writers/ producers gave the actors bad tasting wine if they were supposed to be enjoying it. But then I realized, what if it had been part of the script? And then I also realized that I haven't seen Beckett drinking more than a sip or two of her wine when she has been drinking.

And here's me reaching even more. When Ryan and Espo ask Beckett what's wrong, she sighs and looks down. But it's weird, she doesn't just avert her eyes, like she doesn't want to talk about it, she looks down. At first I thought that it was her way of averting her eyes, but the angles are weird. Then I thought she was looking at papers/ reports, while talking as she often does, but she gave all of that to Espo or Ryan a second before and her answer has nothing to do with the case. All she has left is the folder. Then I thought it was Stana taking a peek at her lines in her folder because I can hear papers rustling, which makes sense, but it could also have been written into the script and at the same time given Stana that opportunity . It just seems like too much of a coincidence that she looks in the direction of her stomach after Ryan and Espo's question. But I'm definitely reaching here.

The truth is, I don't know if Beckett's pregnant. If she is, I don't know how the writers will make it work, because I definitely thought this was something they'd do at the end of the series. All I know is that there is enough there that if she is pregnant, it won't be out of the blue. As always, the writers laced subtle hints throughout the episodes to tip us off to...something. It's something they always do and do well. Now, what that means exactly is anyone's guess. But putting everything together, a pregnancy makes the most sense. If Beckett is pregnant and has been since 5X11, she would be between 4 and 5 months in the finale, which wouldn't necessarily mean she'd be showing, which she clearly isn't. But if Beckett isn't pregnant, even though I truly believe that she is or could be, all that I've mentioned can be explained away. That's the beauty and brilliance of the writing of this show.

So in the end, I'm either one of the most paranoid people ever when it comes to this show, which given the record this show has in both subtext and foreshadowing I think I have a right to be...or I'm right and the writers are even more brilliant then I thought. Not because of the pregnancy, but because if I'm right and it's true then they have found a brilliant and extremely subtle way to both show and hide a pregnancy in a string of episodes. And a pregnancy isn't easy to hide.

Edit: I'm editing this post as I'm rewatching season 5 and discovering new proof, maybe, of a ~~possible~~ ~~probable~~ ~~definite~~ Beckett pregnancy. I found two other possible hints that could point to a Beckett pregnancy. In 5X14 Beckett puts honey in her coffee! Honey! With the utmost attention and precision. I've never known Beckett to put honey in her coffee, let alone with so much care. The whole thing just screams: The "Oh please God let this work" experiment to making "my", as in Beckett's, coffee taste better. Add that to everything else I've mentioned, you have to admit, it's weird. If she is pregnant, it's clear that by this episode she still has no idea. She must think it's some kind of fluke that her coffee suddenly doesn't taste as good.

Oh, and I realized when the first possible hint of a pregnancy is dropped. It's in 5X11 before the double coffee weirdness. It isn't really a hint, but if she's pregnant, it could be meant as one. When they interview the rapper Darius aka MC Thug, Beckett calls him Darius and he says: "Nobody calls me Darius unless you’re my Mama. And by the looks of that body, you ain’t." I loved the character of MC Thug by the way. He was hilarious. I think I loved him just as much as I loved Random and the wordsmith that Castle liked so much. I just love funny criminals. But back to Beckett, or rather the hint that isn't really a hint, but could be. I didn't think much of it at first, just like I didn't think much of any of these instances, which I think is the point. They're all just subtle enough that they can be easily overlooked, that they almost don't register or don't register as weird, but they're there enough to be noticed if you look hard enough.

Oh, there's also 5X06 which could possibly be seen as the first hint of a future Caskett pregnancy, Castle establishing that he would like the option of having more kids and Beckett reacting to that with a frown followed up with a smile.

There are more possible hints but I'll leave it at this.

So what do you think?

Will Beckett take the job?
What will Beckett's response to the proposal be?
Will Beckett break up with Castle?
Is Beckett pregnant?
If Beckett's not pregnant, is there something else going on and if so, what exactly?
Do you expect a Caskett wedding this coming season?

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries Obsession Channeled into...Something

2013-03-13T17:55:00.001-03:00

Hi, sunshine!

I know I haven't been around a lot, but all that's going to change. I'm going to start reviewing books again, something I haven't done in a while, but really want to do again. There are so many great books out there and a lot of them deserve to be gushed about. But I also realized that I miss thinking on paper...or in this case, thinking in HTML? Anyway, you get the point. There is so much awesomeness I come across every day, sometimes I even create awesomeness and I like sharing all of it.

So I'm starting with some videos I put together not too long ago. Of course, I had epic source material. I am obsessed with The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, so much so that I created 2 videos using some of the show's clips. I actually created 3 videos, but the second is a polished and re-uploaded version of the first so I won't post the first. Who knows, I might even end up doing some fan art as well.

Contest Entry for an ARC of The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett: Meet Liz Drake

2013-01-24T01:07:00.002-03:00

The author of The Nightmare Affair, Mindee Arnett, is having a really great contest. We’re supposed to show her our visual interpretation of Magickind. Up for grabs is an ARC of The Nightmare Affair. It’s about a Nightmare, a mythical creature who feeds on the dreams/ nightmares of others.

You can check it out here: Goodreads

I first came in contact with nightmares through the Soul Screamers series and I think the idea is extremely cool. I’m intrigued. When I think about Magickind, the first thing that comes to mind is dragons.

So for this contest I decided to interview a friend of mine and show a drawing I did of her.

Me: Meet Lizette Drake. She’s a dragon shifter.

Liz: Hey, don’t tell everyone that! No human knows, you know. And I prefer Liz.

Kal: Heey, dragongirl.

Liz: Well, except for Kal. That would be him. He’s my best friend.

Me: But what did you think we were going to talk about when I asked you to do a video with me?

Liz: I don’t know, vampires, werewolves or that yummy alien from the Lux series. Daemon, I think his name was?

Me: Sorry about that, I thought you knew. Is it okay? We can stop, if you want.

Liz: No, that's okay.

Me: I hope you don’t mind that I drew a picture of you.

Liz: No, it’s fine. It’s actually pretty good. I like that you drew me half human, half dragon.

Me: Thanks. It's actually not finished yet. I still need to color it. It's a shame that in this one your fiery red hair and that beautiful blue crystal around your neck haven't been done justice. But anyway, Liz, tell us someting about yourself.

Liz: Well, since you’ve already pretty much told everyone... My name is Liz and I’m a dragon shifter. Kal likes to call me dragongirl. He says no one will believe I’m an actual dragon girl. I guess he’s right. Stories have been told for centuries about my kind, but no one really believes them. Kal wouldn’t have believed hem either if it wasn’t for...

Me: If it wasn’t for what?

Liz: Well..., there was the incident that happened when I was 5. But what really brought the whole thing home was the accident that happened when I was 13. *sigh I was really lucky no one else found out what I am.

Me: Do tell.

Liz: Well, you see, Kal and I have known each other since we were really little. We pretty much grew up together. We’re neighbors and I didn’t listen when my parents told me to stay away from the human boy next door. I was curious, so I would go over to his house and play with him whenever my parents weren’t looking. Now, we turn for the first time when we’re about five. We’re actually born human, or at least looking like humans. Our eyes start out yellowish-gold when we’re born but the color fades to some shade of brown within the first few hours. Something about the heat in the womb supposedly causes the golden color of our eyes. Anyway, when we’re about 5 we turn for the first time. We heat up, start running a fever, which makes our eyes turn golden and once our body stops fighting the transformation, we turn. It just so happens that when that happened to me, Kal was with me. He actually saw my eyes flash golden, but my family convinced him that he was seeing things.

Then, when we were thirteen, I accidentally set my tent on fire on a camping trip. I was trying to light a fire with two rocks, but it didn’t work. Kal came over to help, but I was already so frustrated, sweat was dripping down my face, and I wanted to light the fire so badly that I sort of lost control of my body and lit the fire the only way I apparently knew how, with my breath. It wasn’t pretty. The tent caught fire and Kal helped me put it out and then covered for me. He told our guide that he’d brought matches to light the fire because it was easier and that he’d thrown the lit match he’d used over his shoulder without thinking afterwards.

Me: So, how did Kal react to you being a firebreather?

Liz: Well, he thinks it’s cool, has from the moment he found out.

Me: Do you have any special powers?

Liz: Well, I can breathe fire, shoot it from my eyes, manipulate it, create it with my hands in the shape of fire balls (in human form) and throw them. I can also sear/burn things with my hands. But my powers aren’t at full strength yet. That’ll happen when I turn 18. And myunique power will kick in then, too.

Me: Your unique power?

Liz: Yeah, each of us gets a power that’s specific to us when they turn 18, sometimes they’re passed on from our ancestors, sometimes we get an entirely new power, but that’s rare.

Me: So, you can possibly get your mother or father’s power?

Liz: Usually it would be my great grandmother or great great grandfather’s power or something like that.

Me: Well, what about your parents? What power do they think you’ll get?

Liz: Well, my parents died when I was 7, so it would be hard for them to have an opinion about it now.

Me: O gee, what happened?

Liz: Hunters happened. You see, the dragon state is our natural state. When we first turn, our body fights the transition, but after that it’s pretty easy. But when we get old, the term natural state gets a little more serious meaning. We’re pulled to stay dragon and if we stay in our natural state for too long we become more animal than human. Our predatory nature takes over, we can basically lose our minds, lose ourselves. Our human side just fades away and we become a firebreathing monster. Some of us retreat into a cave. It’s like Alzheimer’s but only it happens to dragon shifters. And once we cross that line, there’s no getting back from that. That’s what happened to a distant uncle of mine. My parents went to help but my uncle had already killed a human and was hunted and killed because of it. His entire family was killed, too, including my parents, because they were there.

Me: That’s horrible.

Liz: It is. But it's okay. It was a long time ago.

*The interview you’ve read is completely fictional. Liz Drake and her friend Kalil, Kal for short, merely exist in my head. ;)

Daily Discovery: Darcybot in love

2013-01-17T03:16:00.001-03:00

I can't help it. I have to post this video right now. I'm all about The Lizzie Bennet Diaries right now. I'm dying to see the next episode and this is what I found in the meantime.

If you're also going through LBD withdrawals, check out the Vlogbrothers You Tube Channel's latest video where Ashley Clements and Daniel Vincent Gordh do a really sweet reading of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green at Carnegie Hall.

Daily Discovery: Dizzie -otherwise known as Darcy and Lizzie!

2013-01-11T03:21:00.001-03:00

Hi, sunshines!

So I've been fangirling over this video for most of the day and I finally decided to write a post about it before I break the replay button for it on You Tube. It's about The Lizzie Bennet Diaries!!!
Those of you who've seen the last video for this webshow know exactly what I'm talking about.
*winks If you haven't checked this show out yet, I strongly, STRONGLY suggest that you do, because it's awesome!

It's basically a modern day video interpretation of the book Pride and Prejudice and it's produced by Hank Green, John Green's brother. I love those two by the way. We get to follow Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bennet's life through a video diary and we meet all the key characters either personally or through role plays Lizzie does with the characters who do show up. And to make it all even more awesome, we can follow the characters on Twitter, where we get real updates and real live twitter conversations between the characters and even a picture now and then. This show just blows my mind. I love all the characters, I love the way it's put together, I just love everything about it! And I haven't even read the actual book it's based on yet. It's actually sitting right next to me at this very moment, probably secretly staring at me when I'm not looking.

And now to the point.

SPOILER for those who've never seen The Lizzie Bennet Diaries!!!

I'm fangirling!!!! That last video (Ep: 78) was...unbelievable. Everything about it was perfect. There was so much cute awkwardness, it almost leaked through my screen. There was staring deeply into each other's eyes. There was leaning in and almost-smiles. There was even a "Thank you" and an awkward arm pat-touch. Really, love was in the air. It's finally happening!
*Bounces off the walls

Rejoicing over The Vampire Diaries Developments

2012-11-18T19:43:00.001-03:00

Hi, sunshine!!!

So, I watched the new promo for the next The Vampire Diaries episode and even thinking about it now, I'm extremely excited. It seems all my Delena dreams will be coming true in the near future! I'm so excited!. Well, that future could have been nearer if this episode would just air next week! But I won't let it keep me down. I can wait 2 weeks for "something more" Delena to happen. * she says bravely

I'm sad thatCaroline and Tyler seem to have broken up, though. I love them together. But I'm guessing Klaus will sweep in and try to be the knight in shining amour? I like him, but I don't like him for Caroline. I'm pretty sure he'd be an abusive boyfriend. But seeing Caroline deal with him will definitely make for interesting tv.

See, Forwood, this is why we don't pretend to be and do things that we're not actually being and doing, like being broken up! There's a little thing called the law of attraction, you know. Don't mess with it.

I'm also guessing that Bonnie and that professor will get into a relationship at some point.

I'm also wndering whether the professor needs the cure himself. When he talked about Silas, who was cursed...or something, he looked like he was refering to himself. And maybe the cure can help.

Either way, I can't wait for the next episode. What about you?

Pondering...stuff

2012-11-02T18:24:00.002-03:00

I was just watching The Vow, a movie about a girl or actually a woman who gets into a car accident and forgets the last five years of her life. This includes the fact that she's married, has made art her job and is living in the city. And it made me wonder who I would be, if I wasn't influenced by my memories. I believe in reincarnation and it made me wonder, if we are really reincarnated into a new life repeatedly, if that's why we forget our past lives. Because, when you think about it, it takes away the baggage that memories, a past, can create. Taking that away, means not being weighed down by our past decisions, our past experiences, experiences we do not always perceive as good. It means broader horizons, the belief that we have choices and the ability to be whoever we want, something that's true with or without past life memories, but that we usually don't believe. It means being who you are at the core without anything else to define you.

Think of a murderer who decides he wants to change his life. If being a murderer is all he remembers, all he believes he can be and do, do you think he'll choose a different path, even if he wants to? And even if he does, do you think those who know him as a murderer will believe he's changed even when he doesn't kill anyone else for the rest of his life? I think it's more likely that those around him will think that he's gotten better at hiding the bodies.

But take ths same murderer and take away his memories. Take away the memories of those around him. If this person, who was peviously a murderer wants to choose a different path, then his choice, his life has just gotten a whole lot easier. He doesn't have to deal with judgments, with prejudice, because they're simply not there.

So I think that life is not about finding yourself, but about creating yourself. Having no idea of who you are when you are born means you get to decide who you are, you get to create who you are, define who you are, without letting yourself be influenced by the opinions of others or memories or insecurities, because you can be and do anything you want to be and do. When you were born, you didn't come with instructions, like clothes can come with the label "not machine washable". The only label we come with is "miracle" since science still hasn't managed to figure out how every part of our development manages to happen right on time from the point of conception to birth, without the help of mankind.

What this means for us as a species is that we are limitless. Well, our body might not be, but our mind and soul are, which is basically the same thing, since the mind is able to call into existence whatever it chooses to. And I think that's pretty cool.

X-Men Discoveries

2012-10-14T00:56:00.001-03:00

I just finished watching all 4 X-Men movies. Here's what I thought going into the 4th movie.

The humans started the war with the mutants out of fear for the unknown and very likely dangerous powers of the mutants
Wolverine was probably in his thirties in the first through third movie, even though his age was undeterminable.
Xavier is awesome, but sort of an innocent bystander who did everything he could to prevent World War 3 from happening at the hands of the mutants.
Xavier lost his legs somewhere in the time period when he was training Jean, Storm and Scott or shortly before he started training them.

What I discovered:

Wolverine is at least the same age as Xavier and Magneto and most likely much older, not younger than them as I originally thought. I really should have taken his cell regenerative powers more seriously. People should start bottling that. It's also funny that Magneto and Xavier actually met him when they were young, way before Stryker got his hands on him. And when I say way before, I mean waaaaay before, because apparently Stryker was still a little boy.
Magneto would never have become everything he became without Xavier. Xavier taught Magneto to use and control his powers to his full potential, something he would never have learnt on his own, seeing as he based his power on anger, which was an unreliable and unstable source. Xavier also provided Magneto with the best, power-wise, and most loyal mutant sidekick he could have ever dreamed of. Too bad he discarded her like yesterday's trash the moment she was cured, which leads me to number 3.
Xavier and Beast might not have accepted the mutant side/ mutant appearance of Raven/Mystique, but in X- Men 3 it's clear that Magneto doesn't accept Raven's human side. He loved Raven because of her mutant gene, while Xavier and Beast loved her for her personality and seemingly human appearance. Either way, Raven was never loved for all of who she was, only for parts of it. That's a really sad realization, one I'm sure Raven ultimately came to herself. Which makes me think about Wolverine and how he accepted Jean completely. He could care less that she had a split personality. I'm pretty sure that if she wasn't so uncontrollably lethal to herself and others he wouldn't have had a problem.
Xavier lost the use of his legs twice? According to the 4th movie, a prequel, Xavier lost his legs then, when he was young, but then years later he manages to walk into Jean's house alongside Magneto, when they're recruiting Jean. First I thought that it was the same recruiting period shown in the 4th movie, but that's not the case, because in the 4th movie they recruited Alex Summers, who I'm guessing is Scott Summers' dad, and Jean is of Scott's and therefore a later generation. So basically, Xavier manages to lose the use of his legs when he's young, then walk into Jean's house years later, only to be back in a wheelchair even more years later. Yeah.
It's unbelievable how much the choices of the mutants affected their future, both separately and as a whole. In my opinion, the war was started by a small group of mutants with an agenda that I probably won't understand until I re-watch the last X-Men movie. But I think it had something to do with their idea that they are a superior race, afraid of being discovered and hunted out of fear for their abilities. The sad part is that they were the ones that gave the humans a reason to fear and hunt them. (Also, Xavier recruiting mutants for the government was a really, really bad move. He should have recruited and trained them in secret from the start.) Then there was Magneto who only saltened the wound, declaring war on humanity, because one human mistreated him. That's the problem with all species, we tend to generalize. If one of a certain species hurts us, then naturally, automatically, they are all bad, all dangerous and therefore all deserve to die. That mistake was made by both sides, the mutants as well as the humans. We fear what we are not and what we don't understand, don't we? Then there's the separate mutants in the last movie. Mystique/ Raven could have chosen a future with Beast. I think he loved her, even if he could not accept her. He also became what he couldn't accept and in time I think he woud have learnt to accept himself and by extension, Raven. It's apparent in the third X-Men movie, since Beast doesn't opt to receive the cure. Yet Mystique chose Magneto over the love she clearly lacks and misses in all the other X-Men movies. She thought she was choosing acceptance, but in the end it was proven that she chose the wrong person to receive that acceptance from. There's also Xavier, who could have chosen a life of love, a partner to rule his school with. Granted, she was human, but still. He didn't trust her, though, which I kind of understand, since he couldn't risk putting the future of his school and its students in danger in the event that she turned on him. But I can't help but think that she wouldn't. She seemed as loyal as Mystique and there seemed to be more than loyalty there, too.
Xavier is still awesome, but not an innocent bystander, on the contrary. He meant well, but he's basically part of the catalyst that set everything in motion, both the good and the bad.
None of this changes the fact that I do not agree with a lot of things that happened in the third X-Men movie, although it was a decent movie. But if I have to elaborate on that, I'll need another post so I'll leave it at this.

Hello Sunshine + The Vampire Diaries returns tomorrow!

2012-10-11T01:24:00.000-03:00

Hello sunshine!

I know it's been a long time no...write, but guess what? I'm back!!! Or at least I think I am. And I just finished THE most amazing book, which I will tell you about ~~after the break~~ in my next post. First, I just wanted to write a proper hello and tell you to make yourself at home. I've just dusted the place off after a long vacation away from it, so really, make yourself comfortable.

And of course I need to tell you that I am freaking out! The Vampire Diaries returns tomorrow!!!!! Or later today actually since it's already morning in my country. Nobody in my house understands my infatuation with TVD. So I'm hoping to find some kindred spirits online. Man, I can't wait for this show to be back. It should be illegal for it to take such a long break between seasons.

I'm dying to know what's going to happen! The season finale was epic and left me wondering how I was going to survive without the show, which seems to have become an annual thing since I discovered it.

Anyway, so much went down last season. But the big question is, what will happen now? We were left with Elena on the verge of being a vampire, Rebecca and Elijah all but ready to kill everyone who had anything to do with Klaus' supposed death and last but not least, Klaus in Tyler's body. I hope I didn't forget anything, which is entirely possible with the amount of information crammed into one episode. Not that I'm complaining, you wonderful and amazingly talented writers.

There's so much to contemplate.

Let's start with Tyler-Klaus-Caroline
By the looks of the season 4 promo, Klaus (in Tyler's body) and Caroline ~~will~~ might sleep together. That is so epically wrong and sort of shamefully right at the same time. I love Klaus, well, we've sort of got a love-hate relationship going on. He's just so good at being bad. But you can see that he likes Caroline. He's completely wrong for her, but at the same time I'm wondering whether it could work. I feel like they'd blow up if they were together. I'm not sure yet if that would be a good thing or a bad thing, though

So question one: How will Tyler react if something happens between Klaus and Caroline?
I'm thinking that Caroline will kill Klaus, unless Tyler gets to him first, of course. Or at least they'll try...until they realize that if he dies, so will they, so there goes that plan. So any other ideas?

Now what about Eena's future vampirism and choice between the Salvatore's?
We all know she never wanted to be a vampire and we also know that she chose Stefan before the big change. But what will happen now?

So question 2 (and yes, I can count): Will Elena turn?
I think we all know that Elena will turn, especially with Damon around. Elena already died, because she wanted to make her own choice and Stefan let her. I doubt Damon will let her choose to die. He'll probably make her turn and then apologize for it later.

Question 3: Who will Elena choose (and will she choose this season)?
*Me: DAMONDAMONDAMONDAMONDAMONDAMONDAMONDAMONDAMONAMONONONONONONONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!

Let's look at the facts (which might also be defined as the truth being stretched), shall we?
When Damon and Elena first met, which was before she even met Stefan, he compelled her to "find what she was looking for." Then Elena's parents died. Elena's world was turned upside down. She was ~~looking for~~ fighting to regain some stability, some security in her life. Enter Stefan. Can you see where I'm going with this? Then she meets Damon. He likes her, she likes him, but she doesn't want to like him. Stefan goes ballistic, turning into a ripper (granted, for a very noble cause). Elena feels "compelled" to search for him, despite the fact that he's turned ino a heartless killer. I could go on and on. The point is...what is the point?

All I know is that soon, Elena will remember all the awesomeness that is Damon that he compelled her to forget and I'm hoping that her infatuation with Stefan was just a by-product of Damon compelling her to go after what she was looking for, which at the time was security and stability, which are basically the definition you will find when you look Stefan up in the dictionary. Maybe turning into a vampire will heighten her senses in such a way that she'll realize that what she was looking for, Stefan, is no longer what she needs and maybe never was. That what she actually needs is Damon. With that said, dear God, if Elena has to sleep with someone, please let it be Damon. I'll even take Elijah. But not Stefan. Just not Stefan. Don't worry Stelena shippers, you're welcome to convince me otherwise.

Waiting on Wednesday #11

2012-06-13T02:03:00.000-03:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

It gives us the chance to talk about not-yet-released books that we're dying to read.

This week I'm waiting on...

The Syndicate by Shelena Shorts

Release Date: July 9th 2012

For centuries, the Petrescu family has been protecting society from a danger that moves among the population undetected. Eighteen-year-old Vasi Petrescu has never had a problem carrying out his duty, but, when ordered to eliminate an eighteen-year-old girl, he is immediately taken out of his comfort zone.

The Syndicate has never targeted a female before, yet somehow this one has ended up on more than one hit list. Vasi would like to find out why, but there may not be time.

Now, he'll have to decide whether or not to keep her alive even if it means going against his own family.

The action, mystery, and conspiracy in The Syndicate will take readers on an immersing journey in which decisions are not only life changing, but irreversible.

First of all, when I read the synopsis of this book, I felt like going "ooh" and "aah". I'm just dying to know what the "danger" is the Petrescu family protects society from. Please let it be some type of creature I've never, or at least rarely, heard of. Oh and that cover! Isn't it gorgeous? The guy on it kind of reminds me of Alex Pettyfer. And I like the tagline, very catchy. I've definitely got my eye on this one.

The Dark Light by Sara Walsh

Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she’s concerned, that’s about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town.

That is, until Sol arrives. Mia’s not one to fall for just any guy, but she can’t get intense Sol—or the brilliant tattoo on his back—out of her mind.

Then Mia’s brother goes missing, and Mia’s convinced that Sol knows more than he’s sharing. But getting closer to Sol means reevaluating everything she once believed to be true. Because Sol’s not who Mia thought he was—and neither is she.

Doesn't this one sound interesting? OK, I'll admit, the first thing I noticed was the cover and I thought "Adult Romance Book". I mean LOOK at that cover. It just screams sensuality. But I love it. And I like the synopsis. There's a lot of mystery. And I like mystery.

Here's to Us!

2012-06-11T23:41:00.004-03:00

Hi sunshines, I know I've been MIA for almost a month and it's because I've been really busy with school, tests (midterms I think is the correct term) and the rest of the time I've been lazy for some reason. I just wanted to say that I'm thankful to have such amazing followers who stuck with me despite the fact that they haven't heard much of me for what's probably a century in the blogger world.

I also wanted to share that today is my 20th birthday!!!!! I'm actually cutting it pretty close because it's about 11:45 at night here, but I wanted to share it with you just a little. Not all bloggers do that, but your my followers, so I just wanted you to know.

Oooh, fun fact: I think today is ms. Jennifer Armentrout's birthday as well! And Daemon Black's (the hottie-and jerk- of the Lux series by this author)! I just think that's really cool. And guess what? The Before I Wake blog tour started off today as well! For those of you who don't know, Before I Wake is the 6th book in the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent, which happens to be one of my favorite Young Adult series.

So yeah, today's a pretty awesome day to turn 20.

I just wanted to thank all my followers again for sticking with me, for making me want to keep coming back to blogging even when life gets busy. I'll also do my best to blog on a regular basis, because blogging is awesome, you, my followers, are awesome and books (and movies/ TV shows) are awesome.

Talking about TV shows, have any of you seen Revenge? I love that TV show! It's very addictive.

Anyway, I also wanted to say, Here's to us! Here's to me, to you, to this blog and hopefully to many, many more months, maybe even years of faithful reading, blogging and an eternal love of books.

And what better way to say it then with a song!

Oh, and, cake anyone?

Waiting on Wednesday #10

2012-05-16T03:08:00.000-03:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

It gives us the chance to talk about not-yet-released books that we're dying to read.

This week I'm waiting on...

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Release Date: June 12th 2012

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot’s estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she’s lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

What stand out most to me from this book are the mystery and feeling of lost love in the synopsis and the absolutely breathtaking cover and title. I know this is supposed to be inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, which I have been wanting to read for the longest time. I remember watching The Lake House and Persuasion was mentioned in it, how it's about waiting, waiting for love, not really being sure if the time is right or if the time, the chance to have that love has past. It just sounded so beautiful that I really wanted to read it then. And like I said, the synopsis of this book does hint at lost love and everything, the mystery, the lost love, the genetic experiment gone wrong, the cover and title, all of it just makes me want to read this book.

What to Expect When You're Expecting
Release Date: May 18th 2012

I know this post is supposed to be about books we're waiting on, but I couldn't help myself.

I'm dying to see this movie and I just realized that it comes out on May 18th!!! That's in two days!

I think I have already featured this trailer a few months ago, but hey, I'm sure a lot of you haven't seen it yet :)

And for those who have here's the second trailer...

So what do you think of my picks and what are you waiting on this week?

Leave me your link and I'll do my best to check it out :)

Shelf Candy Saturday #6

2012-05-12T20:29:00.001-03:00

Shelf Candy Saturday is a seriously awesome weekly meme hosted by Steph over at

Five Alarm Book Reviews

I love this meme, because I love art and it allows us to look closely at the stunning book cover art we adore and talk about the amazing designers behind these book covers.

Today I'm especially excited about doing this post, because I'm featuring the designer(s) of a few of my absolute favorite book covers.

So my picks for this week are...

Die For Me (Revenants #1) by Amy Plum

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.

When Kate Mercier’s parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life—and memories—behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate’s guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he’s a revenant—an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

In this incandescent debut, newcomer Amy Plum has created a powerful paranormal mythology with immortal revenants. The Paris setting comes enchantingly alive as a relentless struggle between good and evil takes place in its streets. Rich with romance, atmosphere, and thrills, Die for Me will leave readers breathlessly awaiting its sequel.

I decided to feature the UK covers because I love them just a little bit more. The difference is especially apparent if you compare the UK cover of Die For Me to the US one. The colors of the UK cover of Die For Me are more vibrant compared to the US cover and the text is elegant.

US cover on the left, UK cover on the right

I just love the concept of both covers. You can see that they’re part of the same series, yet they are different. A girl on the cover seems to have become a trend when it comes to YA books, especially a girl with her back to the camera dressed in a gorgeous dress. I can’t say I’m complaining about this. In this cover the trend is put to good use, with a girl standing on what looks like a rooftop gazing at…the beautiful view perhaps? What I think is cool is that in the distance, you can make out the Eiffel Tower, which leads me to believe that this book or at least part of it takes place in Paris. And that is actually the case. But my favorite part of the cover is the inky art, which I adore. I also think it’s strategically placed, crawling up the girl’s dress, making it even prettier, up her arms and then further up the cover, finally ending up framing the title. I also really love the tagline. I love a good tagline. I think it functions to make a person curious about the content of a book, from the moment they lay their eyes on it and I think this one succeeds.

Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum

Like on the first cover, this one has a girl with her back turned to the camera. But in contrast to the first cover, where the girl looks like she’s having a tranquil moment enjoying the view (*well, it looks like it, but for all I know she’s actually being held at gunpoint and the perpetrator is out of the picture), the girl on the second cover looks like she’s in a hurry, with the bottom part of her dress blowing in the breeze behind her. Or maybe it’s just windy? Anyway, I love the purple-bluish tones in this cover, which is completed by the white inky art, again very pretty. I’ve actually seen a different cover around, where the inky art is actually done in a light purple color which I like as well, although I don’t think it stands out as much.

The Artist

The artist is Johanna Basford

(From the artist's website)

Tumble down the rabbit hole and find yourself in my inky black and white Wonderland...

I'm an illustrator and ink evangelist who prefers pens and pencils to pixels.

I create intricate, hand drawn illustrations predominately, although not exclusively, in black and white.

My creativity is cultivated by a curious imagination and a delight in the fantastic. Much of my work has roots in the flora and fauna that surrounded me growing up on my parent's fish farm in rural Scotland.

I graduated in 2005 from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee with my degree in Printed Textiles and a portfolio stuffed with monochrome silk screen prints and drawings. Following that, I set-up my little studio and began on my mission to vanquish the vector and champion the (wobbly) hand drawn line.

Every piece I create starts life as a simple pencil sketch, evolving into a rambling pen and ink drawing usually spanning several sheets of paper. I love the tactile nature of the materials I use and the joy of smudgy fingerprints. My delicate hand inked designs intend to charm and delight, inviting you to peer closer and discover the hidden intricacies.

For me, computer generated graphics can feel cold and soulless whereas hand drawing captures a sense of energy and character which no pixel can ever replicate.

I like sugar mice, Alice in Wonderland, peonies and 0.05 Staedtler pigment liners.

There's lots more inky information about my work on my FAQ blog.

Follow my inky adventures on Twitter

And take a peek inside my studio via www.mydesktoday.com

Ms. Basford wrote an interesting blog post about her and Mark Ecob's work on the cover for Die For Me. It also let's you get up close and personal with the cover. So if you want to know more about how the cover of Die For Me came to be, click here

The Designer

(From the designer's website)

My name is Mark Ecob.

I am a graphic designer specialising in book cover design, illustration and art-direction.

I’ve worked for some of the biggest names in the UK book industry, including Hodder & Stoughton,

The Orion Publishing Group and most recently as Art Director for Canongate Books, one of the

most successful independent book publishers in the world. During my time there we were

named Publisher of the Year in 2009, and nominated In-Book for the D&AD Book Design

Category 2010 and 2011.

I work independently or with other creatives. With an ear to the ground and a rich

contacts book, I’ll guarantee a creative and cost-effective solution to deadline.

Encouraging new talent wherever possible, I’ve taught in various colleges since 2005, including

Glasgow School of Art, The Nottingham Trent University and Edinburgh College of Art.

I also take an active role in industry events, including two talks at The Bookseller Cover Design

seminars in 2007 and 2010. I will also be judging the D&AD Book Design category in 2012.

If you have a project you’d like my help with, book or not, give me a call.

You can find the designer here:

His website

Twitter
Facebook

You might remember that I featured this designer a few weeks ago. The covers of the Revenants series were the ones I was planning on featuring originally, but I realized when I'd finished this post for the coming week that the cover and artist had just been featured by a fellow blogger. I kind of stopped writing my SCS posts in advance after that.
But since I hadn't featured the artist before and I think her work is awesome AND the fact that these covers are amazing hasn't changed, I decided to feature the covers anyway.
Plus, I think a finished post should be published and I'm exhausted after a long day of school and shopping for Mother's Day gifts, so I think this is the perfect time for that.
(To Maria: I told you I'd post it at some point :D.)

So what do you think? Do you love the covers as much as I do? And have you read the books?

Waiting on Wednesday #9

2012-05-09T00:54:00.000-03:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

It gives us the chance to talk about not-yet-released books that we're dying to read.

This week I'm waiting on...
Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent
Release Date: June 26th 2012

I died on a Thursday-killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul. The good news? He didn't get it. The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school... Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent "recovering," she's back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend. But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won't keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn't just gambling with her own life....

I have been dying to read this book since last year, which is when I read the previous book in the series, If I Die. Now people, that is a LONG time to wait for a book to come out. Especially with the complete awesomeness that was If I Die. You know how people would wait in line to be the first to get their hands on a copy of a Harry Potter book? Well, I would totally stand in line for this book, you know, if they actually had it in stores in my country on its release date and there was a line. This series is that awesome. So if you haven't read it yet, pick it up.

So what do you think of my pick and what are you waiting on this week?

Leave me your link and I'll do my best to check it out :)

Shelf Candy Saturday #5

2012-05-05T17:49:00.000-03:00

Shelf Candy Saturday is a seriously awesome weekly meme hosted by Steph over at

Five Alarm Book Reviews

I love this meme, because I love art and it allows us to look closely at the stunning book cover art we adore and talk about the amazing designers behind these book covers.

So my pick for this week is...

The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer

Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairytales.

The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

I love this cover. I think it's so magical and reminds me of being a kid and believing that somewhere out there, there is a secret magical world just waiting to be discovered. It also brings back memories of the times I watched Out of the Box and wanted my own cardboard house. But all that aside, I just like all the classic fairy tales represented on the cover. I think it's so cool that on the left side there is Snow White, complete with a witch's cauldron, a couple of apples of which one even has a bite taken out of it! And then on the right side there's Sleeping Beauty complete with a spindle. I also like that the kids are floating in the air. I feel like they've just discovered this world and are falling out of the sky from their world. I just love the thought and detail put into the cover. (I also like the combination of green and gold on the cover, although I'm not so sure it works for my post. :)

The Designer

The illustrator is Brandon Dorman.

He's done cover art for the #1 New York Times bestselling picture book, The Wizard, the bestselling series, Fablehaven, and the extremely popular series, Goosebumps. ( That is so awesome! I love Goosebumps! I own some of them in Dutch, although he's not the illustrator for the Dutch versions.)

You can find the designer here:

His Website

I actually checked out mr. Dorman's website and I really like his work.

It's funny because I found this book on Goodreads yesterday through the author. I've recently gotten addicted to watching the TVshow Glee and Kurt Hummel is my favorite character. And the actor who plays Kurt, Chris Colfer, also happens to be the author of this book.

I think it's great that Chris is trying his hand at writing, which is interesting since I don't think I've ever been excited about a celebrity getting a book out there before.

Anyway, so I've decided that I'll be getting this after it comes out, which is on July 17 2012, because:

I love fairy tales.
I think Chris Colfer is an amazing ~~actor~~ .
I've decided to completely ignore the fact that this book is not directed at my age group, because ~~in my opinion while you can be too young to read certain material, you're never too old to read it, especially when it comes to fairy tales~~ I'm cool like that *cough.

Wait, I think I went off topic.

What I was trying to say is that I started out liking this book because of the author, but ended up liking it even more because of the synopsis and the amazing cover.

So instead of featuring it on Waiting on Wednesday, I decided to feature it here.

So what do you think? Do you love the cover as much as I do?

Waiting on Wednesday #8

2012-05-02T00:01:00.000-03:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

It gives us the chance to talk about not-yet-released books that we're dying to read.

This week I'm waiting on...

Slated by Teri Terry
Release Date: May 3rd 2012

Kyla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?

I feel like everyone and their dog knows about this book, but it's coming out tomorrow and I am dying to read it. So naturally I had to feature it. I think it sounds awesome. A girl who's memory gets wiped, because supposedly she was a terrorist? And there's even more going on? So mystery and intrigue? I am so there! This book screams " I am epic!". I really really hope that's the case. I LOVE the cover by the way, so dark and the girl's eyes are striking.

Every Day by David Levithan

Release Date: August 28th 2012

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.
Every morning, A wakes in a different person’s body, a different person’s life. There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.

With his new novel, David Levithan has pushed himself to new creative heights. He has written a captivating story that will fascinate readers as they begin to comprehend the complexities of life and love in A’s world, as A and Rhiannon seek to discover if you can truly love someone who is destined to change every day.

Now, this is something else. A guy who wakes up in a different person's body EVERY SINGLE DAY? This sounds both really cool and absolutely terrifying. I'm dying to know how it works. I hope it's explained well and that it's mindblowingly (is this even a word?) interesting. Right now all I can think about is that movie Down to Earth, time travel and the cover of Tempest, since this cover reminds me of that one and that book is about time travel. ( I haven't read it yet, so don't quote me on that.)

So what do you think of my picks and what are you waiting on this week?

Leave me your link and I'll do my best to check it out :)

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

2012-04-29T03:36:00.002-03:00

Synopsis

She is pretty and talented - sweet sixteen and never been kissed. He is seventeen; gorgeous and on the brink of a bright future. And now they have fallen in love. But... they are brother and sister.

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending.

What I think
I'll start by stating that this book is not for everyone. In fact, some will probably hate it. But I loved it.
It's definitely a book that causes mixed feelings. It tackles an issue (actually more than one) that's almost never addressed, almost never discussed, not in books and not in real life, and when it is, it's usually done in hushed tones.

I'd heard about this book before I read it and I went in expecting it to be a lot like books by Virginia Andrews. And while in some ways it was, it also wasn't. V.C. Andrews' books always had this air of despair. It's hard to explain, but it felt like the characters could never catch a break and even if they did, it would be like there was and would always be a cloud hanging over them, just waiting to start raining on them again. Don't get me wrong, this book had a thread of pain, sadness and desperation throughout as well, but there was also the hope, the never ending hope, the promise of love, unconditional love, and the possibility of happiness. And that's what made all the difference.

The characters
The characters, or no, the character of Lochan, is one of the most messed up I have ever seen. From the start I had a feeling the book would end as it did, it was always there in my mind, right beneath the surface. But Lochan isn't just one of the most screwed up characters I've ever come across, he's also one of the most amazing. He has been taking care of his family, his brothers and sisters, ever since he was about 12, having to make up for a father who left and a mother who couldn't care less, leaving her children to their own devices. Imagine how hard that must be, how terrifying, how mind-boggling, yet it happens more than we can possibly comprehend. Lochan carries the weight of his family like he's carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. And in a way he is, because they are his world. But while he often thinks he's carrying the weight alone, there is Maya, his one year younger sister, who started carrying the weight right along with him. They form a team in everything, it's them against the world. Maya is Lochan's strength and all throughout the book I feel like he'll fall apart without her. He depends on her more then he knows. Even so, he tries to shield her from the responsibility, his responsibility as much as he can, trying to be strong for her, trying not to need her. And all of it, having to be the responsible adult, often thinking he's doing it alone, has taken its toll on him. He's anti-social, just completely turned into himself, only coming alive when he's with his family.

Maya is the strong, calm, reasonable character, the peacemaker. She's Lochan's anchor and the reason he doesn't completely unravel.

The story
The story alternates between the point of view of Lochan and Maya and in my opinion is beautifully told.
It's simple, but raw and honest. It's about the love between a brother and sister, developing into something more than what's accepted in our society,resulting in incest, or in this case, consensual incest. And the author managed to make it work. She found a way to make the characters live, to make me sympathize with them, to make me understand them and want to make it all alright and I applaud her for that. And the ending, the ending! I knew it wouldn't end well, these things never do. Do I think things would have gone very differently if the circumstances had been different? Yes, I really, really do. I think there's a reason why not more brothers and sisters fall in love, although there are probably more cases than ever see the light of day. Anyway, so while I expected the ending, I was also kind of scared, scared of how everything would go down and my fear reached a maximum because of what almost happened at the very end of the book. And while the ending was far from happy, it was satisfying. I'm happy about the choice made in the very end and I think everything will be alright. Some might disagree and ask me what my definition of alright is. To me, it's the sun breaking through when you're in a place where you never thought that was possible. And that is what this book delivers.

The gist
This is a book that tugs at the heartstrings. It challenges you and it makes you think. It's a book about hope, love, despair and sacrifice. It's about actions and the consequences that go along with them. It is not a light read and it's a little disturbing. But I'll tell you something. I was very much in a reading rut when I started this book. I can't even remember the last book I read at the moment. And this book managed to pull me out of that rut. So it is without a doubt a good read.

5 Smileys

Shelf Candy Saturday #4

2012-04-28T20:10:00.001-03:00

Shelf Candy Saturday is a seriously awesome weekly meme hosted by Steph over at

Five Alarm Book Reviews

I love this meme, because I love art and it allows us to look closely at the stunning book cover art we adore and talk about the amazing designers behind these book covers.

So my pick for this week is...

Scent of a White Rose by Tish Thawer

A vampire's love...

An innocent's guilt...

A secret no one could've imagined...

A paranormal romance that entices with a heroine that isn't quite what she seems, a vampire whose love story is filled with dark surprises, and a vampire clan whose Sire has lost the ability to inflict "the change".

~ ROSE ~

I'm Rose Reynolds. I have recently lost my Mom in a "freak accident".

Now everyone sees me as an innocent girl...a “white Rose”.

But I have a secret that no one can imagine.

I'm not as innocent as everyone thinks…

~ CHRISTIAN ~

I'm Christian and I’m in love with Rose. I also have a secret as old as time. I’m a vampire.

No, she doesn’t know…yet.

But when our new Sire is revealed, I'll petition them to change her.

Because truly, I can't live without her...

*Please note: This book was previous labeled YA, but due to the age of the characters and content it has been relabeled PNR, but could still be considered MATURE YA.*

I love this cover. I think it's just so breathtakingly beautiful. The perfect balance of light and dark. The way the girl's eyes look silvery, almost like they're lit up from within. But my favorite part is the white rose and what I think is the scent wafting up from it, which is perfectly in keeping with the title and the synopsis. The rose is so big and beautiful. It almost looks like it's shining, standing out on the cover like a light in the dark. It's so simple yet absolutely beautiful. I also really like the tagline. It definitely makes me curious and excited to read this book. And I love the title. I adore uniquely beautiful titles (think "For Darkness Shows the Stars" and "The Art of Hearing Heartbeats) and I think this is one of them. Really, what's not to love?

The Designer

The cover designer is Regina Wamba of Mae I Design and Photography.

Regina Wamba is a professional graphic designer, web developer and photographer serving the Twin Cities of Minnesota. She lives in Farmington, MN, but her clients come from all over the state, including Minneapolis, St. Paul, the South Metro, and surrounding areas. She also has clients nationally and according to her website she can accommodate any project.

Now, based on what I've seen on her website, I completely believe her. This woman does everything! She does Web Design, Logo Design, Graphic Design and photography ranging from family portraits to head shots and Glamour shots. And don't even get me started on her book cover art, which I am absolutely in love with. As she writes on her website, she loves what she does, and I think her passion really does shine through in her work. I will definitely feature this designer again as I started out wanting to do the cover above, but when I saw all the cover art I almost posted each and every one of the ones I love. But I contained my excitement and kept it at one, because let's face it, a lot of her covers deserve their own spotlight, plus this would've been an insanely long post, because you know I'd have something to say about each and every one of the covers I'd posted.

You can find the designer here:

Her Website

I also found this really cool video of photo manipulation by Regina Wamba

I couldn't help myself. I love each and every one of the covers of this series. Yes it's a series! Isn't that just awesome? Anyway so I decided to post all the covers, because they are amazing!

See what I mean? I love all of them and I like how the covers match. They are all rose-themed and dark with hints of red and white. Also, the ones on the left and in the middle really kind of say "vampire" in my opinion. The rose on the cover on the right is really beautiful and unique, too. Ugh, I just can't get over the beauty of these covers.

But what do you think? Do you like the covers as much as I do? Have you heard of this trilogy? Have you read book 1 and 1.5?

I haven't read these books yet, but I plan on starting Scent of a White Rose soon.

Leave your SCS link in the comments and I'll do my best to drop by your blog :)

Waiting on Wednesday #7

2012-04-25T00:36:00.000-03:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

It gives us the chance to talk about not-yet-released books that we're dying to read.

This week I'm waiting on...

Love Sucks by Sage Collins

Release Date: April 27th 2012

Mailee Jones is about to answer the age old question: "How much love would a love sucker suck if a love sucker fell in love?"

Mailee is a Haustrix, an otherwise normal girl with a demon gene that causes her to consume love from any human she touches. Afraid of draining anyone completely, she's been leading an isolated life, relying on Eric, a hunky lust-draining Haustor and the only person she can safely touch. She's content to avoid humans for all but the quickest possible hand-brushes with the dreaded cheerleaders to keep from starving.

Until she meets Logan, a diabetic who is the first human to understand Mailee's anguish over her diet. But growing close to him means risking his love for her. Mailee's convinced it's time to do something--anything--to become human. But the only antidote requires her to release and be systematically infected by demons representing each of the Seven Deadly Sins. Sloth and Pride? Okay, fine, but sins like Wrath and Envy aren't so easy, as proven when possessed-Mailee punches the cheerleader who's making eyes at Eric. Can she honestly get through all the sins?

Not to mention this new issue--is she interested in Eric instead? Because if she turns human, she'll lose him. Forever.

A girl with a demon gene that makes her suck the love from everyone she touches? Um, yes, please! And, hahaha, she chooses to suck the love from the not-so-nice cheerleaders!
OK, so my guess is that Mailee will realize that she actually loves Eric and that he's loved her all her life. And I'm hoping that the lust infection will at least cause a kiss to happen between Mailee and Eric :D. I have got to read this book. It comes out in two days! *Does the cabbage patch

Thomas & January by Fisher Amelie

Release Date: ? 2012

Thomas Eriksson thinks he has it all figured out.

"People crossed the street when they saw me. I’m not really sure why that was. I mean, okay, I might have looked a bit intimidating if I was being truthful with you. I’d changed since New York. New York represented a life that wasn’t real, not truthfully anyway. No, New York was the young, immature, in love, idiot side of Tom. The ‘Tie-Dye Tom of New York City’ didn’t exist anymore. Tie-Dye Tom was dead."

January Mac Lochlainn thinks she’s her own worst enemy.

"I quit Berkeley. Threw away a full scholarship. Plans, you ask? What plans?"

But they’re both wrong.

***

Tom approached me slowly and met me under the light on the stone walkway. He leaned over me so closely, my neck craned to see his face. His expression was one of confusion as he studied my own.

“What is it about you?” He asked me.

“What do you mean?” I whispered, closing my eyes and swallowing, my breaths becoming labored.

He lifted his hand and dragged the backs of his fingers across the line of my jaw so lightly I barely felt them but they made me feel dizzy all the same.

“How can you be this extraordinary, January Mac Lochlainn?” He leaned closer, a look of pure frustration and anger lit his eyes. He pressed his lips together. “And why couldn’t I have met you before I realized I didn’t want anyone...ever?”

Life for Thomas and January will never be the same again...whether they like it or not.

OK, so you might have noticed that this doesn't actually have a release date yet. The author promised that it will come out 'soonish' and according to Goodreads it'll come out in 2012. But I just couldn't help myself, I'm dying to read this! Who cares if it doesn't have a release date yet. It's coming out! That's what matters. Now, this is the sequel to Callum & Harper. And let let me just say, I loved that book! It was such a sweet love story, with a little tragedy, sadness and suspense thrown in. It was just so beautiful. (Which reminds me, I still have to post my review. So watch out for that.) I didn't even know this was going to be a series, when I read Callum & Harper. And Thomas & January is about Tie-Dye Tom! He was one of Callum and Harper's friends. But I wonder what happened to him. It sounds like he hit rock bottom. I could've sworn he was in love with someone in the first one or am I thinking about someone else? Man, I need to re-read Callum & Harper before this one comes out. Oh and isn't that cover just absolutely, wonderfully, amazingly, breathtakingly stunning? It's even more beautiful than the first one. I just love the colors. And the cute polaroid picture. And the tree in the suitcase. And the hea-*sigh...I just love everything about it. I think it's so colorful because Thomas is/ was Tie-Dye Tom.

If you want to read the first chapter of Thomas & January you can find it here

What do you think of my picks and what are you waiting on this week?

Leave me your link and I'll do my best to check it out :)

Seeing Multiple #2

2012-04-23T01:33:00.003-03:00

I created "Seeing Multiple" to shed some light on covers that are similar to each other, for instance because they feature the same model, clothing or setting. Whenever I come across these covers, I'll post them here, simply because I think they're fascinating.

Some of my favorites are those that feature the same model.

And for this post, I actually found three covers with the same model.

The first one is the cover for Smokeless Fire by Samantha Young. It came out last year and the subject matter sounds fascinating. It's actually about Jinn (think Aladdin's genie)! I have read and loved books by Samantha Young before and I think I'll like this one. Now, out of the three covers, I think this one is my favorite. I think it's absolutely magical and breathtaking. But, then again, I'm also obsessed with the work of the cover designer known as Phatpuppyart.

The second cover is for Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway. I actually came across this cover when I was looking for new books to drool over. And let me tell you, this one sounds drool worthy. It's definitely one that I'll be featuring in my Waiting on Wednesday post. The main character is a necromancer! Can you see me jumping up and down in my chair?! Well, I'm excited! I first came across necromancers in The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong of which the main character, Chloe was also a necromancer. and while creepy I think it's awesome. For those who don't know, necromancers can control the dead, which includes bringing them back to life. Now apparently the main character of Touch of Death can not only bring the dead back to life, she can also kill the living! You see why I'm looking forward to this?
Wait, wasn't this post supposed to be about book covers? Um, so back to that. I love the cover for Touch of Death! I think it has the perfect balance between dark and light. I also love the pose of the model and the way her hair blows around her face. But I think my favorite part is the lacy, frilly collar of her blouse. I could have sworn I've seen the picture somewhere before, though...

The third cover is for The Fate of Destiny by Danielle Bourdon. This is also one that sounds awesome, although I don't have a clear idea of what it's about. The synopsis hints at the paranormal and possibly the Fates, those who control the fate of mortals. I have never read a book about the Fates so this'll definitely be interesting. The cover for this book looks very similar to the first one, with the exception that they are edited in different ways. The first one seems to focus more on fire, light and magic, while the third seems to focus more on darkness, storms and bad weather or if I look at the synopsis, natural disasters, namely tornadoes.

So what do you think, am I seeing multiple? Have you noticed the similarities between these three covers before? What do you think of the covers separately? Have you read the books or are you excited to read them?

Daily (or not-so-daily) Discovery #3

2012-04-22T03:32:00.004-03:00

Saving Hope!!!
I've been waiting for this series forever! Well, actually I've been preaching to the masses that Erica Durance should have her own TV show ever since Smallville ended and someone must've finally heard me. Cause it's here! Well, almost. And I'm dying to see it! You just know it's gonna be awesome. Because, come on, Lois, Hawkman and Elijah, the heart ~~breaking~~ ripping vampire, must make a formidable team.

The Raven!
This...this...if the rest of the movie is anything like the trailer, I will love it! Doesn't it look like it'll just be riveting? Now, I haven't read anything by Edgar Allen Poe, but I've heard of him. I mean, who hasn't. And now I have every intention of reading something by him.

And I just had to do this. I've been rediscovering the music from some of the Indian movies I remember
loving. So I give you some of Bollywood's best (in no particular order).

Dhoom 2
I loved this movie! I think I've seen it two times. It's about a thief and kind of a con artist who...wait. OK, so all I know is that he steals valuable artifacts from heavily guarded places requested by clients who pay him well. The con artist part was my favorite. It's amazing how he worked. After watching this movie and Heartbreakers I was seriously considering conning as a career path. In case you don't know what a con artist is click here. Oh, and that sexy dude in the video, that's Hritik Roshan. *cough That is all ;).

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
This is a really nice, sweet and a little bit sad movie. I grew up with this movie. I've seen it so many times, to me, it's practically a classic. It's about a guy, Rahul and a girl, Anjali who have been best friends forever. And Anjali is secretly in love with Rahul, but she's kind of a tomboy and I'm not sure he knows. And he's kind of a player. But then a new girl, Tina, I think her name is, transfers to their school and Rahul falls deeply in love with her. But that's just the beginning. All I can say is, it's romantic. I secretly think this is the movie that made running in fields famous and romantic and basically a standard in every Indian movie, but that's just my opinion. I think Kuch Kuch Hota Hai means "Something Happens". This video stars Kajol (Anjali), Shah Rukh Khan (Rahul) and Rani Mukherji (Tina) who is actually Kajol's cousin in real life.

Salaam Namaste
This is a movie about two successful people, at least the girl is a successful talk show host, I think. Anyway, they start dating and kind of fall in love with each other, but then the girl, Ambar, gets pregnant. And that's when the trouble starts. They end up living together but things don't go as planned. This video is of Ambar's pregnancy cravings kicking in, so she leaves the house and the guy follows her and asks her what's going on. I love her ducky and his superman pajamas, totally cute and appropriate for the song in my opinion :D.

Neal 'N' Nikki
This one's about Neal, a guy who's supposed to get married in a month, to a girl his parents picked out. But before he does that he wants to have some fun and asks his parents for permission, basically. So he meets different girls and then he somehow comes across Nikki. And they can't stand each other...or can they?
The videos star Tanisha (Nikki), Kajol's little sister. (Yes, the Kajol from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai).

There's at least one other song from this movie I love, but I decided to keep it at two.

You'll notice that the same faces return in the different movies and that a lot of them are related to each other. For instance, the guy at the end of the clip, asking the girl to leave with him, is Abishek Bachchan, a popular Bollywood actor, who is the son of Amitabh Bachchan, also a very popular Bollywood actor. Abishek also happens to be married to Aishwarya Rai, a Bollywood beauty and actress, who you can see before you click play on the Dhoom 2 video. She isn't actually in the clip, but she is in the movie.
Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherji and Kajol are also very popular Bollywood actors, at least, they were, when I was into Bollywood movies. There's also Kareena Kapoor and Rekha, a (now) older but also popular Bollywood actress.

Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham

Once again, Hritik Roshan and ah, there's Kareena Kapoor. I was wondering when she'd turn up. You can't miss her, clad in red.

When I was young, one of our TV stations would have a mini playback show (I'm not sure if they still do), which I would watch every year. The judges would be dressed as music icons and act like it for the night and the contestants (under 13) would dance and "sing" to a song they (or their parents) picked out. One year, a boy and a girl did this song. It was amazing and they won! I loved this song even more after that.

Shelf Candy Saturday #3

2012-04-21T14:11:00.001-03:00

Shelf Candy Saturday is a seriously awesome weekly meme hosted by Steph over at

Five Alarm Book Reviews

I love this meme, because I love art and it allows us to look closely at the stunning book cover art we adore and talk about the amazing designers behind these book covers.

So my pick for this week is...

Poison Heart by S.B. Hayes

An idle glance through the window of a bus changes everything for Katy Rivers.

A mysterious girl, with luminous green eyes, stares back and from that moment on she haunts Katy and appears to know her every move, even what she is thinking. What is the strange connection between them? And what is the power of the emerald pendant which the girl bestows on her?

‘I’m everything you’re not and I’m going to take over your life… I’m your worst nightmare.’

These chilling words mean that Katy is gradually backed into a corner, alienated from everyone she holds dear, even her own mother. Only her best friend Luke, keeps faith and together they must find a way to defeat the girl who is determined that she will be with Katy...even until death.

POISON HEART combines psychological suspense with teen romance and makes for a thoroughly chilling read.

I found the second image above on the designer’s website. It’s missing the tagline and I’m 99% sure that because of this, the distance between the top of the girl’s head and the title is smaller. I honestly love this version more because the colors are somehow brighter and everything’s sharper. But I miss the tagline, because I think it’s catchy. All of that aside, I absolutely love the cover! I like that the cover is a combination of what I think is an image with illustrations. And not just any illustrations. It looks like branches are moving towards the girl, up her arms and wrapping themselves around her body. They even wrap around the title! I think this makes the cover kind of creepy and haunting, but also fairy tale-ish (think Sleeping Beauty). It might imply that something is coming for the girl, trapping her slowly but surely. And reading the synopsis I feel that’s it. But on the other hand I also want to believe that the girl can actually control plant life. I keep thinking about that Movie Sky High. And in the left bottom corner there’s something that suspiciously resembles a ring. I wonder if I’m imagining it and if I’m not, what it means. I like that the girl's hair is red and that the tagline is red as well. It makes both stand out on a mostly blue cover. I also like the background of trees in front of the girl. I also get the feeling that the girl is looking up, not just in front of her, but I'm not sure. Either way, I love it!

The Designer

(From the designer's website)

My name is Mark Ecob.

I am a graphic designer specialising in book cover design, illustration and art-direction.

I’ve worked for some of the biggest names in the UK book industry, including Hodder & Stoughton,

The Orion Publishing Group and most recently as Art Director for Canongate Books, one of the

most successful independent book publishers in the world. During my time there we were

named Publisher of the Year in 2009, and nominated In-Book for the D&AD Book Design

Category 2010 and 2011.

I work independently or with other creatives. With an ear to the ground and a rich

contacts book, I’ll guarantee a creative and cost-effective solution to deadline.

Encouraging new talent wherever possible, I’ve taught in various colleges since 2005, including

Glasgow School of Art, The Nottingham Trent University and Edinburgh College of Art.

I also take an active role in industry events, including two talks at The Bookseller Cover Design

seminars in 2007 and 2010. I will also be judging the D&AD Book Design category in 2012.

If you have a project you’d like my help with, book or not, give me a call.

You can find the designer here:
His website

Twitter
Facebook

The Artist

Neal Murren is a resident of the Scottish Highlands, as well as the world of fairytale and fantasy, it's perhaps unsurprising that Neal's work draw inspiration from the environment he inhabits.

Since graduating from Salford University, Neal's diverse approach to materials and techniques - including pen, pencil, paint or Photoshop - has attracted a range of clients including: Universal Music, Harrods, New York Times, Smirnoff Vodka, DDB Paris/Nike, DDB London/Volkswagen and Pop magazine.

Other projects include the illustrative artwork and animations for James Palumbo's (founder of Ministry of Sound) book 'Tomas' and creating the new single and album artwork for Detroit Social Club, through Polydor Records and more recently projects with Saatchi & Saatchi, Asos and Ted Baker.

You can check out the artist's work here.

What do you think of this cover? Have you read the book yet? What did you pick this week?
Personally, I haven't read the book yet, but I own it and I'm planning to read it some time soon.

Daily (or not-so-daily) Discovery #2

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Look what I found! Aren't they just the cutest?

Waiting on Wednesday #6

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

It gives us the chance to talk about not-yet-released books that we're dying to read.

This week I'm waiting on...

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
Release Date: November 13th 2012

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

*sigh Doesn't this just sound romantic? I've already got theories about who's sending Julia the texts and I haven't even started the book yet. That's a new record for me. I think this will be really sweet and fun. I can't wait to read it.

Wrecked by Anna Davies

Release Date: May 1st 2012

Secrets of the sea have never been sexier than this. Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control. But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guilt from the accident, she finds refuge in late-night swims—and meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but who is full of mystery: He won’t tell her where he is from, or why they can only meet at the beach. But Miranda falls for him anyway…and discovers that Christian’s secrets, though meant to protect her, may bring her nothing but harm. Seductive and compelling, Wrecked brings a contemporary, paranormal twist to a classic enchanting tale.

I love any story having to do with merfolk. Well, actually I love the idea of merfolk but I haven't actually read any books about them after The Little Mermaid. I'm looking for that awesome story about them and this one sounds romantic and mysterious, providing it's actually about merpeople. I'm kind of jumping to conclusions here. Either way, this sounds like it will be a great, sweet, sexy and mysterious read :).

What do you think of my picks and what are you waiting on this week?

Leave me your link and I'll do my best to check it out :)