That Hapa Chick

Book Review: Legend

2012-02-23T08:00:00.005-07:00

Legend
by Marie Lu
305 pages
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: November 29th 2011
Source: Library

Once known as the western coast of the United States, the Republic is now a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors, the Colonies.

Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a military prodigy. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country, she is being groomed for success in the Republic's highest circles.

Born into the slums of the Republic's Lake Sector, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered, and Day becomes the prime suspect. Now, caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June tries desperately to avenge Metias's death.

But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together and the sinister lengths to which their country will go to keep it's secret.

Wow. Just wow. Are you looking for an awesome dystopian novel? Then look no further than Legend. Marie Lu, you have garnered yourself a fan in me because I just loved your book! IT IS FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!

Legend tells the story of two very different character's from two very different worlds. June is a military genius who also happens to be from a very privileged family living in a very privileged district. Day on the other hand is a genius of another kind: a criminal genius, who grew up in the slums. He may be poor, but he's also the country's most wanted. And then one fated day June and Days world's collide and nothing will ever be the same again.

Sound awesome? Oh it is. Legend is told in the alternating perspectives of Day and June and Marie Lu does it to perfection. Both character's had unique and distinct voices and I had no trouble following along with their narratives. Day was a wonderfully cocky criminal but he also had a bit of a soft streak. Oh and did I mention he's a hapa? Yeah, he's totally awesome. Then there's June who had this total badass military spy vibe going on. I especially liked that even though Day and June were on different sides of the law I found myself rooting for both of them.

Like I said at the beginning of this review Legend is a great dystopian novel. It's chock-full of action and page turning suspense, and there were multiple moments when I was gasping in shock and also a few "OH MY GOSH THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN" moments. Marie Lu also did a great job at creating a dystopic Los Angeles: One of military prowess and tyrannical rule. It's creepy, totally crazy, and also buyable. In short: The world building was amazing.

Legend is fantastic. I loved everything from the plot to the character's and I can hardly wait for Marie Lu's next installment! I have a feeling this series is going to become one of my favorites.

I give Legend 5 out of 5 cupcakes!

One last fun fact! Marie Lu states in her author bio that she got some of the inspiration for Legend from Les Miserables which is totally AWESOME because not only is the book great but it's also a kickass musical. Pretty cool right?

Julia :)

Kawaii Monday: Dinosaur Candy Molds

2012-02-20T08:00:00.001-07:00

This week's Kawaii Monday features super awesome dinosaur candy molds! So the wonderful Katie of Call Me Crazy YA Reviews (you should go check out her blog because its made of AWESOME) told me about this awesome craft idea where you melt down old crayons in a mold to make new ones. In order to make the crayons you're supposed to use silicone baking trays to cook and mold the crayons in. Unfortunately my mom sold all of the silicone baking trays she used to own so we started looking for some on cool ones on eBay. There were of course the boring old stars and heart ones but then we found these and I totally jumped out of my seat with excitement:

OH MY GOSH DINOSAURS!!!!! DINOSAURS!!!!!

Seriously I just about died of excitement. Aren't they just SO stinkin adorable? I want these trays SO BAD. I would do just about anything to be able to make super awesome dinosaur crayons. :P Not only that but imagine all the other super cute things you could make with these molds! I would so make dinosaur candy. Just saying.

Fortunately these guys are pretty easy to find online but the thing is they only ship from Asian countries. Further proof that Asians always have the cutest things!!! :P The good thing is that they're actually pretty cheap at only $5 each. All I can say is I am so buying one. Everything I've bought off of eBay that's shipped from China has arrived safely in the past so I'm thinking this would too. If you want to buy your own dinosaur candy mold you can find the eBay listing here.

When I finally am able to make dinosaur crayons I will definitely do a post about it!

Julia :)

Scarlet Tour Guest Post: Teenage Garage Sale

2012-02-17T08:00:00.004-07:00

Today I have a HILARIOUS guest post from A.C. Gaughen the author of Scarlet! It's her teenage garage sale complete with pictures of an absolutely wonderful dried prom corsage. You know you want it. ;)

Welcome to the Bizarre Bazaar, the Auction of Adolescence, the Tradepost of Teenage Trials and Tribulations!

What can I interest you in?

First on the auction block is a lovely limited edition Beanie Baby bear. Yes, you may argue, these “collectors items” have become absolutely culturally irrelevant, but just for you, I’ll make a special deal. $20--that’s just fifteen more than I paid for it thirteen years ago (when I sort of hustled the guy at the local mall because I bought them from the store my mom worked at for cheap and resold them to him). Imagine what a bargain this is, considering how incredibly rare they are now!

No? Not for you? Don’t go, we’ll find something. Hmm...how about a lovely, black and white, corset back prom dress from my senior prom? Floor length, A-line, semi-puffy skirt...I’ll take $15 for it. I know! A bargain! Well, yes--that is mold on the hem. But only because I had to bring it to college with me in Scotland (where my closet was quite damp) because they have BALLS there. With actual Princes in attendance. Of countries you recognize. I’m not saying I’ve seen Prince William play the air guitar at a party, but I’m not saying I haven’t. Come on, $15 is a royal steal! Comes with optional dried corsage.

Steve Madden platforms an extra $15. Vintage is cool.

$5 for a riveting travel journal of my high school immersion trip to Spain--where I attended a 15 hour mass with my host family. After being released from the hospital for food poisoning.

$1 a pop for my complete Tamora Pierce collection of books--the TERRIER series is not for sale.

$.10 per bottle of blue, purple, and glitter nail polishes. You know, because I have new ones now and I don’t need THOSE blues and purples anymore.

$2 for a well-played and desperately loved Savage Garden CD. Because unlike EVERY OTHER GIRL IN NEW ENGLAND, I somehow missed the Dave Matthews boat.

Oh! Oh, no, no--those aren’t for sale. These were put out here by some, er, misguided family member. No, THESE are every story I’ve scribbled in a notebook since I was 11. NOT for sale!!

Ah, I see--the desk! You want the desk? $15. Great deal! It’s a huge desk. Very sturdy. Well...yes...those are copies of every poem I liked as a teenager taped to the surface of it. And...yes..those are the tape residues of when I decided I HATED aforementioned poems.

Fine. $5 and it’s yours.

I'm pretty sure my teenage garage sale would be just as junk ridden as this one. Only there would be a lot more stuffed animals....

Thanks for the great post A.C. Gaughen! If you want to find out more about her check out her website here and be sure to add Scarlet to your Goodreads here. You can also read my review of it here!

Julia :)

Help Save My Local Libraries!!!

2012-02-16T08:00:00.001-07:00

Hey guys!

This is a call to arms for everyone who loves and supports their local libraries! I live in Glendale Arizona and for the 2012-2013 year the city is facing a really bad budget deficit. This deficit means that my local libraries are in a HUGE crisis because they're going to be the ones on the chopping block when it comes time for the city council members to vote on who does and doesn't get money. This could mean several things for my local libraries:

Their hours would get cut. The main library branch would only be open 3 days a week and the other branches would be open 2 days a week. That is a HUGE change that would definitely affect me, my family, and anyone else in our town who frequents the library.
All programming gets cut. This would mean no book clubs, no craft events for kids, nothing. Maybe even no summer reading program.
Shutting down all the library branches except for the main branch. This would be devastating for anyone who used those libraries and for the employees who worked there.
Shutting down the libraries altogether and then reopening small "store-front" libraries instead with no events or programming, and minimal staffing and materials.

As you can see none of these options are ideal and most of them are downright scary. I mean CLOSING THE LIBRARY?!?! I don't know about you but that sounds like one of my worst nightmares.

I will be the first to say that The Glendale Public Libraries have been more than just libraries to me. They have been a place for me to learn and grow as an individual, and without them I probably wouldn't have discovered my passion for becoming a librarian.

At this point you're probably asking yourself: What can I do?

First of all me and a bunch of other library loving teens have created the "Save the Glendale Public Libraries" Facebook page. Go and like the page. Even if you don't live in Glendale LIKE IT!

We also have a Twitter account! You can follow us here. Feel free to tweet it to people, tweet the Facebook page to people, etc. Let people know that The Glendale Public Libraries deserve funding!

Lastly if you're reading this and you happen to live in Glendale GREAT! Go to this link here to find your council member and let them know how much you love and support your library.

Don't let the Glendale Public Libraries go down without a fight! HELP KEEP THEM ALIVE!

Julia :)

Hunger Games Valentines!

2012-02-14T21:14:00.001-07:00

Valentines Day is almost over but I thought you guys would want to see the Hunger Games valentines I made! I didn't actually give them to anyone because some of them were my entries into the Hunger Games Trilogy Fansite valentine contest but I think they turned out pretty great and my Peeta entry ended up being one of the contest winners so that's pretty awesome! Anyway here are the 3 designs I drew.

You guys already know I love Gale so I obviously had to make a Gale valentine! Surprisingly this was my sister's favorite design even though she's a Peeta fan. She thought the whole snare thing was really clever.

It took FOREVER to draw Katniss' hair right and even now its a bit iffy looking but overall this one turned out really good! I especially like the way the message could be taken as murderous if it didn't have the valentine part tacked to the end. Bahahahaha. XD

And of course Peeta's is the cutest one of all. I may not like him as a character all that much but he makes dang good valentines cards! :P

You can see the other winner's of the Hunger Games valentine contest here. My personal favorite is the one that says "I'll take TWO Valentines!" Bahahahaha. If you see it you'll get why it's so funny. XD

Anyway happy valentines day guys!

Julia :)

The Top Book Boyfriends I would LOVE to have!

2012-02-14T08:00:00.016-07:00

Happy Valentines Day folks! :D

In honor of Valentines Day I have decided to do a fun little book boyfriends post! I did one of these types of posts last year so I figured it would be fun to do it again. I mean who doesn't love talking about their favorite fictional guys? This list has a lot of new fictional guys that I've discovered in the last year and ff course there are some old ones who I just can't kick to the curb like Gale Hawthorne will NEVER be removed from this post! EVER! Anyway here's a small selection of my top book boyfriends!

Gale Hawthorne - The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

I know everyone else loves Peeta but while reading The Hunger Games Trilogy I just couldn't get enough of Gale. I loved him from the minute Katniss first mentions him. I'm not even kidding, in fact after I finished The Hunger Games I went online and was shocked, I repeat SHOCKED, to discover that everyone else loved Peeta. Peeta?! BUT WHAT ABOUT GALE?!?!?! What can I say, I like my guys more rugged and outdoorsy like Gale not soft and artsy like Peeta. :P However I will say that I'm a HUGE fan of movie Peeta, and by movie Peeta I mean Josh Hutcherson. He's just about the most adorable thing ever. But Liam Hemsworth who is playing Gale? Yeah, unfortunately I'm not a fan. *sob* :/

Hale - The Heist Society Series by Ally C

HALE!!!! Yet another oldie, but goodie. And yes, the first two guys on my book boyfriends list do have names that rhyme. A third and it will start become a pattern.... Another irony is that the girls Gale and Hale both like have names that can be shortened to Kat. Definitely a little strange.... Anyway Hale is the quintessential best guy friend who starts to become more. He knows Kat better than almost anyone and everyone knows that the best boyfriends are the ones who are your best friends in real life! Not that I would know about this since I seem to be eternally single but it's what I've heard...

Augustus Waters - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Here's a new addition to my book boyfriend list! I think it's impossible to read The Fault in Our Stars and not fall in love with Augustus Waters. He's a perfect combination of sarcasm and philosophical wit, plus he's described as being blindingly handsome (anyone whose read TFiOS should get this reference XD). What's not to love? I need to find my own Augustus. HIGHLIGHT FOR SPOILER: But preferably one that doesn't die before we can live happily ever after together.... *sob*

Ron Weasley - The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

This is probably one of my lesser known book crushes but I just adore Ron Weasley. There's just something about him that I love but I can't really put my finger on it. Maybe it's the way he underestimates himself in Quidditch or how he's always so adorably awkward when it comes to his relationship with Hermione. He's just so human and that's what makes him great! Oh and I also love the Weasley twins. And Neville Longbottom too! Dang it who doesn't love Neville Longbottom? He starts out all awkward and insecure and grows into this awesome badass wizard who also happens to be pretty good looking. ;) But yeah I guess my Harry Potter crushes aren't reserved for Ron alone. :)

Percy Jackson - The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan

This may or may not be directly related to the fact that Logan Lerman plays him in the Percy Jackson movie but I still really like this character. His sarcasm is killer and who doesn't love a guy who can trace his lineage back to the Greek gods? Pretty sweet if you ask me. :)

Matt - Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

Okay so I know that Matt is dead and all that *sob* but gosh darn it I love him anyways! Not only was he totally sweet but he also appreciated books and literature in a way that no guy in real life seems to. I'm sure there are guys somewhere out there who love literature as much as I do but they are few and far between. Sure, it bugs me that Matt was keeping his and Anna's relationship a secret (Seriously dude? WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?!) but overall I like him. A LOT.

Noah - The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Two words: British accent. If an author gives her fictional guy a British accent it's nearly impossible for him to go wrong. Top that off with the fact that Noah is a sort of artsy hipster with swagger and bedhead and yeah, he's definitely awesome.

Kenji - Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Awww yes my book boyfriends list always has to have the token Asian! When I read Shatter Me Kenji was hands down my favorite part of the book. He's sarcastic, hilarious, and just a bit douchey but that's what makes him so fun. I don't know if I would really want to date this guy in real life, but be friends with him? Heck yes!

So that's my nice new list of favorite book boyfriends! These guys are by no means replacing my old list (more like just getting added to it) but I figured you guys wouldn't want an entire rehash of last year. :P

If you want to check out last years post you can read it here.

What fictional guy would you choose to be your book boyfriend on Valentines Day? I would definitely pick Gale. If anyone knows of any ethnically ambiguous and swoonworthy guys who also happen to love the great outdoors AND be single send him my way will ya? :P

Julia :)

Kawaii Monday: Did Someone Say Dinosaur Lamp?! :D

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

You guys might already know how much I love dinosaurs (in case you didn't I LOVE DINOSAURS!) and I was shopping at Target the other day and ran into this gem of a dinosaur product:

SO STINKIN CUTE!!!! Who doesn't want a cute little green triceratops night light am I right? :D

Whilst trying to find this guy online (unfortunately I couldn't find him. If you want him check your local target!) I also ran into these super cool "do it yourself" dinosaur lamps!

I mean WHOA totally cool! I guess they come in kits that you have to assemble yourself. Hence the "do it yourself" title. Each kit is $25 though... Yeah I don't have the funds for that even if it is a super adorable triceratops lamp. :/

Which dino lamp is your favorite? Triceratops are my favorite dinosaurs so those are my favorite ones!

You can find the "do it yourself" lamps for sale here.

Julia :)

In My Mailbox [27]

2012-02-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

Time for In My Mailbox which is hosted by Kristi over at the Story Siren! I'm a little late with my IMM this week but better late than never right? Plus I got some super awesome stuff that I just had to show you guys! :D

Won
Original Don't Breathe a Word Art
Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala (Audiobook)

Gifted
Never Enough/Losing Faith swag from Denise Jaden!

Library
Legend by Marie Lu

Bought
Finding a Job You Can Love by Ralph T. Mattson & Arthur F. Miller Jr.
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The Hunger Games Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Kate Egan
The Hunger Games Tribute Guide by Emily Seife

I absolutely LOVE the two new Hunger Games movie companion books. If you are a big Hunger Games fan then they are definitely worth buying! What did you guys get in your mailboxes this week?

Julia :)

Cover Comparisons [24]

2012-02-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

JOHN GREEN TIME!!!! :D

Because I just read Looking for Alaska for the first time a few weeks ago (I know, I'm a little behind everyone else on reading this one. :P) I decided to do a cover comparison for it this week! There are a BAJILLION covers for Looking for Alaska but I definitely like some better than others. Lets compare then shall we?

Original US Cover New US Cover Original UK Cover New UK Cover

Original US Cover: I've never really been a fan of this cover. I think it's supposed to be all metaphorical and deep but it actually kind of scares me. I just don't dig its dark atmosphere.

New US Cover: I don't really like this cover and I know for a fact John Green doesn't either because he says as much in one of his vlogs. I can't remember which one or I would cite it here but he did say it I promise. :P But yeah, why did they have to zoom the picture so much? Talk about invading personal space! It just seems kind of awkward....

Original UK Cover: Now that I've read this book I finally understand the significance of the daisy! FINALLY! There's an element to this cover that seems a little, I don't know tacky and homemade but it's okay I guess. Not quite as creepy as the others which is good. I also like the tagline.

New UK Cover: I'm not a huge fan of covers that are obviously photoshopped and this one definitely falls into that category. However I love the color scheme. It's very pretty.

So who wins? Oh goodness so many options and none of them really stand out to me as great. I guess I'll have to go with the New UK Cover because it's the one I would probably pick up if I saw these on a shelf somewhere.

Which cover of Looking for Alaska is YOUR favorite? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

Have any ideas for future cover comparison? Leave them in the form below!

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Julia :)

Article 5 Guest Post: Character Book Picks

2012-02-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

Today I've got a fun guest post from the author of Article 5 Kristen Simmons all about her main character's favorite book! I'm super excited about sharing this post because Kristen is a Hapa just like me! WOOT!!! Anyway, read on to find out more about Kristen's characters Ember and Chase, and why their favorite book is Mary Shelley's Frankenstein!

First let me just say that I’m so excited to be here because I’m a Hapa chick too (half Japanese)! Thanks for spreading the Hapa love and asking about Ember and Chase’s favorite book, FRANKENSTEIN, which makes several appearances in ARTICLE 5.

So why does Ember reference Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN? For one simple reason: because FRANKENSTEIN is one of the best books ever. Ever ever. Ember has loved it since she had to read it in high school English, before the Federal Bureau of Reformation deemed it Contraband and put it on the Banned Books List. It’s a story that resonated with her from the first read – not because it’s about crazy monsters with bolts sticking out of the sides of their heads (at least, not entirely), but because it’s about how people live with the crap that happens to them.

In Shelley’s novel, Dr. Frankenstein creates a human from scraps of other corpses, believing that he is doing something brilliantly scientific and beautiful (wouldn’t anyone?) when really he’s setting a danger loose on the known world. His creation on the other hand comes to life innocent, and only after constant fear and rejection does he become that which everyone thinks him to be: a monster.

The concepts may have been written two hundred years ago, but for Ember and Chase, they still ring true. FRANKENSTEIN is a book for anyone who screws up given the best intentions, who wrestles shame and fear, who keeps secrets. Anyone who starts to believe the crap other people say about them. But also anyone who finds beauty in human connection, and who longs for peace and the ability to rectify their mistakes, even when things seem hopeless.

Now I will definitely going to go add Frankenstein to the list of classical literature I'm wanting to devour this year! A big thanks to Kristen Simmons for this awesome post and Teen Book Scene for heading up this book tour!

If you want to find out more about Kristen Simmons and her dystopian novel Article 5 check out her website here.

Also be sure to add Article 5 to your Goodreads here!

You can also add Frankenstein to your Goodreads here.

Julia :)

Book Review: Under the Never Sky

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Under the Never Sky
by Veronica Rossi
374 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Source: Purchased
Add this book to your shelf on Goodreads!

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a save - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunger for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Under the Never Sky was a strange, strange, book. Maybe it was because of some late night reading that may or may not have been mildly incoherent, but honestly THIS BOOK CONFUSED ME. I still have no clue what half of the stuff in it meant. But, like I said, this could be blamed on me reading the first few chapters in a half sleeping stupor.

Lately world building has been a biggie for me and how I feel about a dystopian novel. Dystopians are becoming so popular nowadays that it's getting hard to weed out the good stories from the not so good stories. For me one of the distinctive qualities of a good dystopian is the world building. That being said I think that while Under the Never Sky did have some good world building, it was also really hard to follow. This was mostly because of the two completely different societies in the story (the ones living in the pods, and the Outsiders) each with their own systems of life, technology (or lack thereof), and hirearchy and I found it terribly confusing. It seemed like every time I finally started understanding one aspect of a society (like the Smarteyes) Veronica Rossi would throw something new into the mix and I would get confused all over again. >.<

I'm normally a fan of dual narratives but the dual narrative in Under the Never Sky didn't really work for me. Aria and Peregrine just didn't have very distinct voices so there wasn't really anything distinguishing them from each other. On top of that the book was told entirely in the third person which really made it hard for me to connect with the characters. The whole time I was reading I just felt very detached which made me sad. :( I appreciate that Veronica Rossi didn't rush the romance! It was definitely there but it wasn't the focal point of the story which I always think is a plus.

Under the Never Sky also had a very confusing plot. Maybe it was the fact that I sleep-read my way through the first few chapters that I was confused but for some reason I don't think that was the case. I think I've just come to discover that I'm not really into science fiction and as far as dystopians go Under the Never Sky was definitely more on the sci-fi side.

I don't by any means think that Under the Never Sky was a bad book. I just think it wasn't the book for me. The premise sounded quite ingenious but in the end it didn't capture my imagination like I thought it would. I give it 3 out of 5 ice cream cones.

If you like your dystopian novels to be a bit more on the sci-fi side then I would definitely give Under the Never Sky a chance! However if you're like me and sci-fi tends to confuse you then I might pass this one up.

Julia :)

Book Review: Scarlet

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Scarlet
by A.C. Gaughen
304 pages
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Publication Date: February 14, 2012
Source: Teen Book Scene

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance. Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in. It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

I'm a big fan of Robin Hood and have been ever since I was a kid. I used to love watching the old Disney cartoon version and my family even used to have this fisher price Robin Hood playset. I guess you could say that Robin Hood (yes, even fox Robin Hood) was one of my first fictional crushes. So you can imagine that I jumped at the chance to read Scarlet. A new retelling of Robin Hood with a kickass female heroine? HECK YES! And I am happy to say that, despite a few minor flaws, Scarlet proved to be a fairly awesome read.

Scarlet is a bit of a mysterious character with a mysterious past. I found her to be flawed but perfectly so. She was aware of her faults and she didn't brush them off. The supporting cast of characters was also well developed. I particularly enjoyed the evil Gisbourne. He had that perfect old school bad guy quality to him that I just love. The only character I had a gripe with was Robin Hood. He was just so angsty! I've never been a fan of angsty guys and not even the gallant and fictionally attractive Robin Hood could change that. Sad face. :(

The story itself wasn't anything too special. If you've read/seen any sort of Robin Hood story then the formula should be familiar to you. But even with its fairly simple "steal from the rich give to the poor" plot Scarlet is enjoyable. There were also quite a few surprise plot twists that kept me on my toes!

If I were to point out one flaw with Scarlet it would have to be the romance. If you've been following my blog you should know that I'm kind of a romance cynic so this shouldn't come as a surprise to you. :P Anyway the main problem was that the author tried to create this love triangle between Scarlet, John Little, and Robin Hood, and honestly I found it to be completely awkward. When will authors realize that not all books need a love triangle? THEY AREN'T THAT EFFECTIVE!!!!

In conclusion Scarlet is an adventurous and imaginative tale that is sure to win over Robin Hood fans and probably gain some new ones. I found the love triangle to be unnecessary but it didn't detract too much from the overall story. I give Scarlet 4 out of 5 ice cream cones!

Julia :)

Kawaii Monday: Lord of the Rings Legos

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

I cannot contain my excitement AT ALL! I've dreamed of Lord of the Rings Legos since forever and NOW THEY ARE MAKING THEM!!!! They haven't released pictures of the full sets yet but I was able to find images of the minifigures and they are beyond awesome. Check it out:

Just look at the adorable little hobbits! AND FRODO HAS THE RING!!! Seriously I can't get over how cool these guys are. The detail is great!

And of course you have to have your bad guys too. Not cute, but cool nonetheless.

I wish that Lego would sell minifigure sets separately because honestly I just want a set of the fellowship. But if they makeBag End I am SO buying it! What sets do you hope they will make for the Lord of the Rings Legos?

Which minifigure is your favorite? I just love the hobbits and Gimli is pretty badass too.

Apparently the first sets will be hitting stores in June and then more will be coming out in winter to coincide with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hitting theatres.

Julia :)

Cover Comparison [23]

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

I got a suggestion to do a cover comparison for Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi AGES ago but I'm only just getting around to it now because I was finally able to read the book! If you want to know my thoughts on it the review will be up later this week, but now lets get back to what you're actually here for: the cover comparison! Behold the two covers of Under the Never Sky:

US Cover UK Cover

US Cover: So you can't tell from just looking at the jpeg image but this cover is absolutely GORGEOUS in real life. It's both shiny and matte plus the title is extra shiny and you know how I love shiny! The only thing I don't really like about this cover is the girl. Not really her but her outfit. Why oh why is she wearing pleather pants? And that belt? And just the full black ensemble in the first place? I'm no fashion expert but I do know that this outfit is downright terrible. And why do her feet (or lack thereof) just fade into nothing? It's actually pretty creepy.... But other than that I am definitely a fan of this cover!

UK Cover: This cover is.... interesting. At first glance I thought it was cool but now that I'm examining it's a bit strange. The whole super pale girl with the shirtless tan guy comes off weird. Plus the fact that the girl is staring out at you creepily is not really helping. I do like the color scheme though!

So who wins? I've gotta give it to the US cover! I may not be a big fan of the girl floating out of nowhere or her outfit but the shininess is just too awesome for words. The UK cover just sort of scares me...

Which cover of Under the Never Sky is YOUR favorite? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

If you have any suggestions for future cover comparisons feel free to leave them in the form below!

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Julia :)

The single "flaw" of The Fault in Our Stars....

2012-02-03T08:00:00.030-07:00

I had to blog about this. I just couldn't resist. I loved The Fault in Our Stars. You probably already know this since I've talked about it non-stop for the past two weeks in the form of a review, my Tour de Nerdfighting experience, and then my favorite quotes and I've basically praised this book to high heaven. But the one thing I haven't yet talked about is the flaw of this book. The one flaw, that is not so much a flaw as it is a sad yet hilarious reality. And that sad yet hilarious reality is:

Augustus Waters.

Okay right about now you're probably scratching your head thinking "What the heck? I LOVED AUGUSTUS WATERS HOW IS HE A FLAW?!?!" Oh but it's not him. I loved Augustus Waters too. It's his name that just.... well cracks me up. I was so tempted to ask John Green why he picked the name Augustus when I was at the Tour de Nerdfighting in Phoenix because the name to me is just hilarious. Either you've realized by now why I find his name funny or you're still confused so allow me to explain.

It's not that I don't like the name Augustus. It's the fact that out of all the books I've read in my life there are only two with characters named Augustus:

1. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

and

2. Charlie and Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Now you can probably see where I'm going with this! Honestly when I first found out that the swoonworthy guy in TFiOS was named Augustus I laughed out loud because the first image to pop into my head was not some terribly attractive and dashing gent like the book describes ala Drew Roy:

Note: I picked this guy because he was one of the first images to pop up when I Googled Augustus Waters and I didn't have time to find the "perfect" Augustus. That's not to say he isn't actually really cute though... >.<

No instead the first image to pop into my head was this:

Yep. Unfortunate but true. :P

You would think that Augustus' nickname Gus would have helped the situation but instead whenever they called him that I would picture this:

Not that Gus Gus from Disney's Cinderella isn't cute and all, but he's certainly no swoonworthy teen boy!

Anyway this post has been random, and fun, and 100% true and I hope you got a laugh out of it!

I feel like this whole Augustus Gloop/Augustus Waters thing needs to be remedied by me searching high and low on the internet for my a picture of a guy who fits my perfect Augustus.... Too creepy and obsessive? Probably. >.<

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought of Augustus Gloop at least once! XD

Julia :)

Book Review: Don't Breathe A Word

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Don't Breathe a Word
by Holly Cupala
299 pages
Publisher: HarpeerTeen
Publication Date: January 3, 2012
Source: Teen Book Scene book tour
Add this book to your shelf on Goodreads!

Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words - tender words, cruel words - until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

In a Nutshell: Don't Breathe a Word is a beautiful novel that doesn't back down, even when it comes to tough issues like abuse, and life on the streets.

Putdownability Factor: This book was SO GOOD. And once you got past the halfway point? Yeah, almost impossible to put down.

Cover Love: Gorgeous. It feels very ethereal and doesn't quite match with what the story is actually about but the cover is too awesome for that to really matter.

My Thoughts

After reading Tell Me a Secret I just knew that Holly Cupala was going to become one of my favorite authors. Don't Breathe a Word totally cemented that fact and it further proved the fact that Holly Cupala can write "issue" books like nobodies business! Seriously, I am such a fan. :P

The thing I love most about Don't Breathe a Word is that it is so honest. Abuse and homelessness are both really difficult subjects to tackle but Holly Cupala does it beautifully. She paints a portrait of friends, family, loyalty, forgiveness, and healing that is truly moving. There were countless moments when my heart would just break for the characters. It was raw, and real, and I loved every minute of it.

Joy, Creed, Santos, May, I just loved each and every one of them. I felt a real connection with each character, and what they were struggling with. The character development was some of the best I've ever read.

Don't Breathe a Word has definitely caused me to change my attitude toward homeless teenagers. I have a lot more compassion and understanding for what they're going through. This book taught me that you can't just judge people by their circumstances. You never know what kinds of demons they might be running from.

Overall I give Don't Breathe a Word 4 and a half out of 5 ice cream cones.

Who would I recommend this to? Older/more mature teens who enjoy books with edgier topics. Anyone who enjoys Ellen Hopkins would enjoy this book.

Julia :)

Words Wednesday: The Fault in Our Stars Edition [29]

2012-02-01T08:00:00.027-07:00

A chance for me to highlight some of my favorite book quotes! This week it's all about The Fault in Our Stars by John Green because I just can't stress how much I LOVE THIS BOOK. So here are all of my favorite quotes from TFioS! Well, not all my favorite quotes since some of them are spoilery. :P But have no fear the ones I chose are spoil free! So below you have all my (spoil free) favorite quotes from The Fault in Our Stars.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Augustus half smiled. "Because you're beautiful. I enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence."

As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once.

That's the thing about pain... it demands to be felt.

My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations

What a slut time is. She screws everybody.

“I'm in love with you," he said quietly.

"Augustus," I said.

"I am," he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.”

Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.

Hint: That last quote? Yeah that was aimed at you guys. Namely: THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD DEPENDS ON YOU READING THIS BOOK!

Oh and could some awesome guy come along and use that love speech on me please? If a guy did, I would probably marry him on the spot. And yes, I do realize that the speech is epically cheesy and way overdramatic but coming out of a teen guys mouth it would probably be rendered irresistibly adorable. >.<

Anyway if I haven't convinced you by now that this book is a masterpiece and you need to read it then go check out my review. If I have convinced you add this sucker to your shelf on Goodreads here.

Julia :)

What makes YOU read a book review?

2012-01-31T08:00:00.002-07:00

When I was going through my blog reader this past week I started to notice that there were many different reasons for why I would or wouldn't read a book review. I know what most of you are probably thinking right now:

"What are you talking about Julia? People will read a book review to find out if the book is any good or not! THAT'S why they read reviews!"

Don't worry guys! I know that. But that isn't the only reason I read book reviews. In fact there are a TON of different reason I read book reviews! Here (in no particular order) are the ones that come to mind:

1. The book cover catches my eye.

Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down.

I have a confession to make: I judge books by their covers. If a book has a bad cover I will probably try to avoid it like the plague unless some really great book review comes along and convinces me otherwise. I know, I'm a terrible bookish person. This is probably why I overlooked Where Things Come Back by Corey Whaley which recently won the Printz award AND the William C. Morris Debut Award. The cover of that book just looked dead boring so I never read any reviews for it. Ever. In fact for some strange reason I thought it was about zombies. Probably because it mentions things coming back in the title and I thought it was referring to "back from the dead". Yep, this is embarrassing.... But on the other side of the spectrum is books like Entwined by Heather Dixon where the gorgeous (albiet overly romanticized) cover got me to read review after review. Even so I still haven't read the book nor do I think I ever will. The whole 12 dancing princesses thing just doesn't appeal to me... but at least I know what this book is about as compared to me throwing Where Things Come Back to the wayside just because of it's unfortunate woodpecker cover. :/

2. I really like the book reviewer

There are some book bloggers that write reviews that I always love to read. Even if it's a book I know I probably won't be interested in I will still read their review. Also, I've noticed that I tend to overlook reviews for books I've never heard of before (unless of course the cover is gorgeous :P) but I will click into these types of reviews if their from my favorite reviewers. I of course will read reviews from any blog I follow not just my favorites but I am more likely to read the ones from my favorite blogs.

3. BOOK HYPE

This is probably the biggest reason of all. If a book has a lot of hype in the blogosphere you can bet I'll be reading a lot of reviews for it. Probably any review I can find. Like Shatter Me? I read at least a dozen reviews for that book. Same with The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Another thing about book hype is I always like to read a good objective negative review before I actually read the book. This always helps me realize that the book isn't perfect and I shouldn't have unattainable ideals about it. But yeah, book hype will get me to read a review every time.

4. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the book!

If I really love a book I will read a ton of reviews for it just so I can gush in the comments about how amazing it was and how glad I am that the reviewer loved it too. Reading the reviews also reminds me of all the reasons I loved the book, and sometimes it will even open my eyes to new reasons to love the book even more! The most recent book to win my heart like this is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Haven't read it yet? DO IT. NOW.

5. I didn't enjoy the book.

If there's a book I didn't really like oftentimes I will read other reviews of it so I can understand why people loved it. Like The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith. I didn't care for that book but other people adored it so after I finished reading it I was sure to go around and look for people's reviews. I love to compare and contrast my views with other peoples views, especially when it comes to literature.

And last but certainly not least I read book reviews because:

6. I want to find out if I should read a book or not.

I'm one of those types of people who always likes to finish what they start. Because of that I never really give up on a book. That being said I don't like to read a book on a whim. If I'm on the fence about a book I will normally go search out some reviews by people who tend to have the same interests as me and that helps me decide on whether or not I should read the book. An example for this is The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. A romance? Normally not my thing. But at the same time it looked and sounded intriguing. I've read a few reviews and I have now decided that I will definitely be reading this book! A few other books that I've decided to read because of reviews are Amy and Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson and Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman. Notice how they're all contemporary romance types? Yeah, I definitely need some extra convincing in that department. :P

So those are my main reasons for why I will read a book review. Not so straight forward ehhh? There definitely isn't a simple cut and dry formula, at least not for me!

Now comes the fun part. You get to tell me why YOU read book reviews! Is it for some of the same reasons as me? Or reasons that are entirely different? I'm super curious to read all your answers!

Julia :)

Kawaii Monday: Adorable Laptop Decals

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Kawaii Monday is all about super cute laptop decals! Laptop decals is one of those things I definitely don't need, but also definitely want. Shopping on Etsy for them is really dangerous for me.... Here are some of my favorites!

Awwww its Yoshi! I love how this design incorporates the Apple logo. Super clever right?

While this isn't my favorite I couldn't make this post without including it. I mean it's Hello Kitty!

OCTOPUS!!! THIS ONE IS MADE OF AWESOME!!!!! :D

WINNIE THE POOH!!! This one is so adorable. Like my childhood on a laptop. <3

My favoritest one of all! TOTORO!!!!! So stinkin cute. :)

So those were my favorites that I ran across! Super adorable right?

I couldn't end this post without talking about one last decal. I just thought it was.... well interesting.

Okay I get that it's Snow White which is great and all, and it really is clever the way they use the apple logo, but who would actually want the evil hag on their laptop? Who?! I just thought it was hilarious. And totally creepy....

Which laptop decal is your favorite? Totoro all the way for me! <3

Julia :)

Cover Comparison [22]

2012-01-28T08:00:00.002-07:00

Cover Comparison is back!!! This week we're examining the two different covers of The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Macker. Lets get this thing started!

US Cover UK Cover

US Cover: It's actually pretty interesting because the US and UK covers are similar but at the same time polar opposites of each other. The US cover has a darker color scheme and it just seems like it's aimed at an older audience. It's an intriguing cover, but at the same time I think it could easily get glanced over in a bookstore because of the dark color scheme and lack of clarity in the images.

UK Cover: Wow this cover is so much brighter than the US one! I can definitely sense the younger vibe here from all the doodles and what not. I love the way the title just pops out at you and the color scheme is really eye catching! Plus the tagline is great. I wonder why they didn't they put that tagline on the US cover too? I think it's fascinating that they chose to use the same boy/girl image for both covers. I think it was used a bit better in the US cover just because its easier to notice the fuzziness of the image on the UK cover.

So who wins? This is a tough decision because I really like both covers! They're both great but for different reasons and I think it's pretty obvious that the two covers are going after a different audience the US one being an older audience and the UK one being a younger audience. That being said I have to call this one a tie! I like the maturity of the US cover but at the same time I love the "fun" quality of the UK cover. It just can't choose.

Which cover of The Future of Us is YOUR favorite? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

If you have any suggestions for future cover comparisons leave them in the form below! :D

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One last thing: It has come to my attention that some people have taken the liberty of doing their own Cover Comparisons. This is fantastic but if you do decide to do a Cover Comparison PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CREDIT ME. I know this might sound selfish and what not but I created this idea and the name and I just don't want people to steal it. It's like my baby. <3 So if you want to do your own Cover Comparison by all means do a Cover Comparison! Just PLEASE say something like "Cover Comparison was originated by Julia @ That Hapa Chick!" Thanks guys!

Julia :)

Adventures from the Tour de Nerdfighting! :D

2012-01-27T08:00:00.039-07:00

So yesterday night the Tour de Nerdfightering (also known as the Fault in Our Stars tour) came to Phoenix Arizona! I was super psyched as you might imagine. We're talking John Green here guys: JOHN GREEN. You know, the guy who wrote Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, Paper Towns, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and now the absolutely genius book The Fault in Our Stars? Yeah, that guy.

But it wasn't JUST John Green guys. It was also his awesome brother Hank. I don't know if you watch The Vlogbrothers on YouTube (if you don't you totally should by the way) but if you do then you know who Hank is. He plays the guitar, he writes songs, he founded VidCon and he's just as awesome as his brother John.

So what does Awesome + Awesome equal? That's right MORE AWESOME. Okay so that was a lame and totally non-mathematical equation but what I'm trying to say is that the vlogbrothers are some of the awesomest people on the planet. No question about it.

The evening started out pretty crazy because as amazing as John Green's books are they actually aren't as well known as his Vlobrothers YouTube channel he runs with Hank. John and Hank have created this entire community called the Nerdfighters. What's that you say? What's a Nerdfighter? Allow me to tell you the description from the official The Fault in Our Stars Phoenix Program:

Nerdfighter: Someone who, instead of being made of bones and organs and stuff, is actually made of awesome. Nerdfighters are bound by a common belief that understanding the world and other people is important. More important, for example, than understanding the details of Brad Pitt's betrayal of Jennifer Aniston. Nerdfighters don't fight nerds, they are nerds who fight.

I don't know about you but that pretty much sums me up. If you're reading this blog post then you are probably a Nerdfighter to and just don't realize it. Don't worry, being a Nerdfighter really just makes you cool and more intellectual than the average human being. We care more about books and learning about the world than we do Snooki. And that is a beautiful thing.

As I was saying as awesome as John Green's books are most people were there because this was the Tour de Nerdfighting and therefore a Nerdfighter gathering. The people who were first in line for the event had arrived at ten in the morning and had been camping out all day. Now that's dedication! I on the other hand arrived at around 5:30 PM so I was not at the front of the line.

As you can see the line was quite long. It was also quite scream-y. And by scream-y I mean Hank popped up for all of 30 seconds and the crowd went crazy. People were screeching like lunatics and waving their hands in the air and gosh darn it if I were Hank I would have been freaked out of my mind thinking that the crowd was gonna run and crush me to a pulp.... >.<

Here's me and my friend Cristian waiting in line with our John Green books:

Anyways I may not have been at the front of the line but I was close enough to the front to get a good view of their presentation! I was in row 9. Sweet right?

Even after getting seated I had to wait a good hour till the show started. I know you think I'm kidding but I'm not. Fortunately there was also a merch line to wait in (if you wanted to buy merch that is) and so I waited in that and bought some fun stuff. I got a Nerdfighter shirt (DFTBA!) and a poster for them to sign. $30 I probably should have saved, but alas I am a sucker for nerdy but awesome shirts and posters. Especially when it involves them getting signed by one of my favorite authors. :P

One of the weirdest/funniest things of the night actually happened while I was purchasing my merch. An employee of either Changing Hands Bookstore or The Phoenix Library (I don't remember which) was adding up my total when suddenly she stopped and stared at me kind of strangely. I was a little bit awkwarded out to say the least because I had never met this woman before in my life and so I was thinking "did I do something wrong? What's going on...." Then she proceeded to say:

Woman: "You cried didn't you?"
Me: "At The Fault in Our Stars?"
Woman: "Yes."
Me: "OF COURSE! How could you not cry?"
Woman: (turning to the woman next to her) "See, it makes everyone cry."
Other Woman: "Oh well I get emotional at everything."
Me: "I don't! I hardly cry at anything."
First Woman: "I knew it! I could tell by looking at you that you weren't a cryer."

I'm not gonna lie I'm totally impressed with this woman's "cryer" and "non-cryer" discerning abilites. I mean all she did was look at me she and knew I wasn't the crying type. Not only that but she knew I had read the book even though I wasn't carrying it or anything. She was a creepily perceptive woman she was. I'm beginning to wonder if she had super powers or something....

Now back to what you guys really want to hear about: The presentation. It took awhile but it eventually started (cue more screaming) and Hank Sock came on to introduce John.

Then John came out and read us an excerpt from The Fault in Our Stars! I got video footage of it which you can watch below which is pretty sweet. Don't worry no spoilers! John Green is very anti-spoilers.

After John read from his book Hank came out and a sang a song about The Fault in Our Stars called Video Game Books. It's really quite hilarious especially if you've read the book. XD

Hank then proceeded to play several more songs (you can hear all his stuff here) and then John and him came out for some fun Q & A that also involved electrocution. Believe me, it was all in good fun.

Then of course it was time for us to get our stuff signed! There were about 600+ people at this event (not even joking) so you can imagine this took awhile especially when I was in signing group "I" and had to wait through groups "A", "B", "C", etc. I think I waited a good 2 hours to get my stuff signed but fortunately everything was very well organized. Mad props to The Pheonix Public Library and Changing Hands Bookstore! I finally got my stuff signed and hanklerfished (big thanks to Merideth for getting my poster and shirt signed for me!) and unfortunately we weren't allowed to take pictures with Hank and John (because then everyone would want one and we would have been there all night. :P) but I did get a shot of me right when I was at the front of the line!

LOOK THERE THEY ARE!!!!! RIGHT THERE!!!! I was beyond excited. Ecstatic to say the least. Here's all my signed stuff!

Then before we left the event I took a picture in front of the TFioS van! I had seen it driving in and had started fangirling out ("OH MY GOSH IT'S THE VAN! IT'S THE VAN!!!!") but they were loading stuff out of it so I wasn't about to take a picture with it then. But I did get a picture afterwards and I am happy with it despite the poor lighting.

Overall this was definitely my favorite signing I have ever been to. John and Hank Green are such amazingly talented individuals and getting to watch them perform and hear their stories was such a privilege! On top of that the people there were all awesome because they were pretty much all Nerdfighters. Being a rather bookish person (I do want to be a Librarian after all) it can be hard to find people who understand and appreciate you, despite your nerdy tendencies. Nerdfighters are those people. People who like nerdy things like books, Sherlock, and The Lord of the Rings as much as I do. People who appreciate learning and philosophy, and deep thoughts about dinosaurs and the meaning of the universe. Going to this event has made me realize how awesome Nerdfighters are and that I definitely am one and proudly so!

If you were unable to go to the Fault in Our Stars Tour/Tour de Nerdfighting then fortunately you can watch a full stream of their Austin Texas show below!

And finally here are some lovely shots I got of John and Hank performing. Let's count the number of outfit changes between the two of them shall we?

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

(yes I do realize all he did was put a black vest over his Great Gatsby shirt but it still counts....)

And last but certainly not least....

FIVE

That's all folks! DFTBA (Don't Forget to be Awesome)!

Julia :)

Book Review: Pandemonium + Giveaway

2012-01-26T08:00:00.004-07:00

Pandemonium
by Lauren Oliver
375 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 28th 2012
Source: An ARC copy won from EpicReads
Add Pandemonium to your bookshelf on Goodreads!

The old Lena is dead. The old Lena remains with Alex in Portland, Main, behind a wall of smoke and flame, but the new Lena was born in the Wilds, transformed by hardship, deprivation, and loss.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena fights for a world in which love will no longer be considered a dangerous disease. Her inner life is as turbulent as the world around her... Although consumed with grief for Alex, might she be falling in love with someone else?

Delirium is a book that had a huge impact on my life. It completely changed my view on love and the importance of it in my life. When a book affects a person as much as Delirium affected me then it's hard for the sequel to measure up. That being said Pandemonium did a pretty good job. While it might not have had as much of an emotional impact as Delirium had it still proved to be an unputdownable dystopian and it's ending has me dying for the final book.

In Pandemonium we are introduced to a much different Lena than the Lena of Delirium. This Lena has just lost the boy who was everything to her. Sure, she successfully escaped to the Wilds but what's the point without Alex by her side? This Lena is hard and yet undetermined. But as the book progresses we see Lena really come out of her shell. It's like she's being reborn as a character and I found this fascinating. Those who loved Lena in Delirium shouldn't be worried though. Lauren Oliver hasn't reinvented Lena so much as she's developed her character even more.

The plot of Pandemonium was a real departure from Delirium. Delirium was definitely a character driven love story but Pandemonium was a lot more plot driven. It's like a survivalist story and a love story with some bombings, kidnappings, and secret identities thrown in for good measure. The structure of Pandemonium was also super unique in that instead of it being chronological the chapters alternated from "Then" (directly after Delirium ended) to "Now" (about a year after Delirium ended). It was a bit confusing at first but overall I really liked it. Plus it made the book super unputdownable! Cliffhanger's are twice as bad when you have to read a whole extra chapter just to find out what happens. I can't tell you how many times I told myself "Just one more chapter!" only to end up reading four more instead. :P

I know that some people have been disappointed in Pandemonium because they felt like it was a huge departure from Delirium and in some ways they are right. Let me say this right now: If you go into Pandemonium thinking it's going to be exactly like Delirium you're going to be disappointed. Delirium was a book about love: about discovering it, about it's importance in our lives, and about standing up for it's existence. Pandemonium on the other hand is more a book about healing. It's about moving past the pain and sadness and coming to a new place and it's also about opening yourself up to new possibilities. When you crack the cover of Pandemonium remember to go into it with an open mind. It may be different from Delirium, but its still an amazing book and definitely worth reading! It possesses Lauren Oliver's beautiful prose and imagery and has a great mix of action and suspense along with some quieter character driven moments. On top of that the ending is jaw dropping. The final book in the trilogy Requiem doesn't come out till 2013 and my goodness it's gonna be a long wait!

I give Pandemonium 4.5 out of 5 ice cream cones!

Awesome Quote: "In approved places, every story serves a purpose. But forbidden books are so much more. Some of them are webs; you can feel your way along their threads, but just barely, into strange and dark corners. Some of them are balloons bobbing up through the sky: totally self-contained, and unreachable, but beautiful to watch."

Now for the giveaway. I was lucky enough to win an ARC copy of Pandemonium and now that I've finished it I want someone else to have a chance to enjoy it.

Just fill out your name and email in the Rafflecopter form below and you'll be entered to win! Sorry international peeps but this is just for those in the United States. :(

BEFORE YOU ENTER: Rafflecopter has gotten a little confusing of late and so I'm gonna clear up some things. The form below is gonna give you three options before you can enter:

1. You could be signed in to Rafflecopter already (because you have an account) and you won't have to put in any of your information. If that's the case all you have to do is choose the "Name and Email" option and then press "Enter Me".

2. You can sign in with Facebook and then Rafflecopter gets your information from there and you can just press "Enter Me"

3. You can sign in outside of Facebook or Rafflecopter by clicking "use your name and email" Once you enter your name and email you can just press the "Enter Me" button for the "Name and Email" option and you will be entered!

That being said PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE YOUR EMAIL IN THE COMMENTS! I know it might be nervewrecking thinking "What if I win and she can't contact me?!" but I assure you that your name and email has been saved by Rafflecopter and will be available to me if you end up winning! Have no fears!

Because Rafflecopter has been getting so confusing of late I may just switch back to Google Docs. What do you guys think about that?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

May the odds be ever in your favor!

Julia :)

Hunger Games Recipe Contest Voting!

2012-01-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted about my District 4 Bread recipe for the Mercury News Hunger Games recipe contest. Well voting is now open for the recipes! If you could take the time to head on over there and look at the recipes (and vote for mine?) then I WOULD LOVE YOU FOREVER!

So head on over and check out all the awesome entries and be sure to vote for your favorites! If you want to vote for mine all you have to do is search "Julia Christy" and then click "vote for this entry". If you do end up voting thank you so much! You guys rock.

Julia :)

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

2012-01-24T08:00:00.003-07:00

The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
313 pages
Publisher:
Publication Date:
Source: Purchased
Add The Fault in Our Stars to your shelf on Goodreads!

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Every once in awhile you read a book that changes you. Really changes you. It changes the way you think, changes the way you live, changes the way you love, and all you know is that now that you've read this book, your life will never be the same. Before reading The Fault in Our Stars I had only read about 4 of those books in my life. Now I've read 5. I finished The Fault in Our Stars this morning but it is still haunting me. It's invaded my mind and gripped my soul and that is why I'm sitting here in front of my computer typing up this review at 1 o'clock in the morning when I really should be sleeping. Sometimes reason just can't hold a candle to ones thoughts on literary genius.

The Fault in Our Stars is a beautiful tragedy. There's no other way to describe it. This book may be about cancer but it isn't just a cancer story. It's a story about love, life, death, and the legacy we all leave behind. It's brutal and honest but also absolutely hilarious. One minute you'll be laughing at the perfect humor and the next you'll be sobbing because the story is so incredibly heartbreaking. You've probably heard this before but I'm saying it again: The Fault in Our Stars will make you cry. There is no escaping it. Though I'm not sure "cry" is the right word for the all encompassing full body weeping that I experienced while reading this book. Just make sure that when you read The Fault in Our Stars (and you better read it!) that you're prepared with a box of Kleenex.

Before The Fault in Our Stars even begins John Green reminds the reader in an authors note that the book is a work of fiction. He knows all too well that the story and characters he has created are so honest and achingly real that people will want to believe that they existed. That Hazel and Augustus' story is real. I know I did. But instead I was like a girl peering into a glass aquarium: A bystander who could look into that beautiful world but could never become apart of it. Even so John Green's story of Hazel and Augustus and their life and struggles and love and adventure was so amazing that I didn't care. I felt privileged just to have been able to partake of it, fictional or not. There's a lot we can learn from fiction, and sometimes we forget that.

My absolute favorite quote from The Fault in Our Stars is this:

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Augustus half smiled. "Because you're beautiful. I enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence."

This is one of those moments when I am just in awe of John Green. He is able to capture in words what people feel but are not always able to fully express, and that's a beautiful thing.

The Fault in Our Stars is not just a book. It is a masterpiece. It is life changing. It will remind you that life is not always about being remembered, but about loving, getting loved in return, and making a difference no matter how small. Leaving a scar. And that's what The Fault in Our Stars has done for me; It's left an interminable scar on my heart and soul and I am happy to never be able to forget this beautifully tragic and melancholy masterpiece.

The Fault in Our Stars gets 5 out of 5 ice cream cones!

This is one of those cases when a "rating" does not do the book justice. Quite frankly, The Fault in Our Stars is one of the best books I have ever had the pleasure of reading in my entire life. Please read this book, and if you do I hope it affects you the same way it affected me.

Julia :)

Kawaii Monday: So So Happy!

2012-01-23T08:00:00.014-07:00

This week's Kawaii Monday feature's super cute products from So So Happy. I discovered this company a few days ago and it was like all my dreams came true! Their designs are the perfect mixture of kawaii and edginess. Just looking at their website makes me want to drop all my money on just about everything. :P Especially the super cute pin set they sell:

I WANT ALL THE PINS!!!!! I can't tell you how hard it is to restrain myself from buying a bajillion of these to put on my purse.

I also absolutely LOVE their set of monster socks:

$14 isn't that bad of a deal for 6 pairs of awesomely designed socks but unfortunately I am a poor college student who doesn't have room in the budget for monster socks.

But what's their most wonderful product of all? Their hoodies. Their hoodies are my dream come true. They have dino spines on the back of them. DINO SPINES. Unfortunately none of the designs with the dino spines really strike my fancy. However I do really love this one:

You can't see it but the hood has black spikes on the top of it which is cute. I'm totally gonna buy this hoodie. Eventually....

You can find all these super kawaii products and more on the So So Happy website! They have TONS more awesome stuff so if you like these items you should really look at the rest of their site.

All I can say is that if I were rich and famous I would not spend my money on Jimmy Choos and Dolce and Gabana sunglasses. I would buy this stuff instead.

Julia :)