The Bookling || Inspiring Others

New Song: Yeah Yeah Yeah Song - The Flaming Lips -- Hilarious

2013-04-21T16:30:00.000-04:00

I actually laughed, but it's a serious philosophy under a hilarious title (just had a de ja vu moment).

New Show: Prison Break -- Edgy

2013-04-21T16:15:00.001-04:00

This show is absolutely amazing, and I only finished two episodes. As some of you may know, I am a crazy person when it comes to amazing things like great T.V. shows. And this... this man/character is a genius. I feel like I am watching Sherlock all over again, except this time, it is from the bad guy's (who is trying to good) perspective. I recommend this show to anyone who is human and likes shows with mind games. If you enoyed Inception, Shutter Island (I UNDERSTAND they are De Caprio's movies, okay?) or Requiem, than you will love this.

New Song: Rich Kids - New Medicine -- Puzzled

2013-04-21T16:00:00.000-04:00

I honestly don't know who I am in this.

New Song: Sail - Awolnation -- Absurd

2013-04-21T15:59:00.002-04:00

FYI, I meant absurd in a good way. This is an amazing song by amazing people. See if you could find a deeper meaning to the song (the classification of a good song in the first place).

New Song: Radioactive - Imagine Dragons -- EPIC

2013-04-21T15:56:00.001-04:00

One of those rare songs that are impossible to forget and actually never are able to get out of your head. This is honestly one of the best songs ever made and honestly the best band ever... HANDS DOWN.

P.S.: This song is not new, just a couple of months and millions of hits. This is for all those people who have not found them out yet. I urge you to go and find new songs by them.

New Song: Ceiling Can't Hold Us - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis -- Deep

2013-04-21T15:45:00.000-04:00

This song, is not only entertaining, but absolutely the greatest insight into the genius we know as Macklemore. You could argue that it is just a song, but you forget, this is the result of the passion of this man. He is not influenced by corporations, as we can see by his lack of a record label, so what he speaks is seriously from himself. You could even say that it's "pure" and not refined.

Okay, over with the deep stuff, I swear I am IN LOVE with this song, and more so, the music video. Seriously... It is completely mind-blowingly aweasome. Now excuse me as I go and subject myself to the wrath of this rap (did I try too hard?).

New Song: Hall of Fame - The Script -- Empowering

2013-04-21T15:25:00.002-04:00

- Just Empowering

The Tutor's Daughter: A Giveaway

2013-01-21T19:21:00.001-05:00

Christian Fiction Addiction: Julie Klassen continues to shine: A GIVEAWAY & my ...: about the book... Award-Winning Regency Romance from Bestselling Author Julie Klassen Emma Smallwood, determined to help...

Anyway, the blogger gave it a five out of five... which equals a good book in my mind. Also, the book trailer was cute. As many of you may recall, I am a sucker for period pieces. I have entered the giveaway and suggest you do as well. Until next time... and I leave you with the much credited book trailer.

P.S.: I know I have not been active, and I entirely blame that on school. Exams are coming to an end, and so, I promise you my dear readers, I shall excel once more.

Mortal Instruments: By Cassandra Clare -- Wow!

2012-11-04T16:05:00.000-05:00

Note: **Requested Novel (s)**

"...writing itself was kind of hokey and immature, and didn’t really achieve the same kind of character depth or development that, say, Collins does in The Hunger Games, or even that THG would-be competitors like Divergent (Roth) do. What the characters lack in depth, though, they make up for in sassy quips."
-Charming Wholesomness

~~Summary~~ Intro: "I-I-I am sorry! Please just do not hurt me! I-I did not know that you loved Jace that much, just--" okay, enough of that. Well, anyway, that was just a short inscripture of me apologizing for being ummm... four years late. I know I should have written the review much much earlier, but I did not. Me=sorriez, don't hate :(. Currently, I am reading City of Glass (#COG), and damn gurl (title reference son!), it just sooo good. Rather than me post a long summary I did not write, I have a link here to goodreads. It is the total summary for all three books without any spoilers (something I have clearly failed at in the past).

The Good:

Jace, Jace, Jace! His sweetness, to his muscles, to the hilarious remarks... *sighs*...
Wonderfully planned, so that you are ALWAYS, and I MEAN ALWAYS, are at the edge of your seat and end up getting in trouble during math class because you fell down while secretly reading the novel underneath your desk :p
There is just so much content, when you want more, you will get more!
The voices of the characters clearly differ! What I mean is that when Valentine talks, as opposed to Simon (ahhh Simon), than it feels as if some other author wrote it out because the way they talk is so different, it seems legitimate.
THE MOVIE! Yes folks! Coming next Summer!!!!!

The Bad:

Sickening Romance... like seriously, the fact that they STILL want to be together after finding out... ughhh! **Stopped for awhile because of that!
The Covers. Like seriously... that is just sad.
Barely any depth of the characters. Very straight forward. Like REALLY straightforward. What they think has no meaning, their past is only in a literal sense, barely any personal convictions.

All in All: Wonderfully storyline and plot, keeps you reading. But definitely need some depth on characters, very lacking.

4.4 out of 5

Over 100 Subscribers (and other stuffs) GIVEAWAY!! -- Nordic Faerie's

2012-11-04T13:11:00.002-05:00

This is a special giveaway is for:

over 100 GFC subscribers
3000 twitter followers
over 600 facebook likes
20th blog post
in association with our 6th month anniversary
four and a half years spent on blogger :)

It is being kindly provided to by Saga Berg, who I have yet to review the novel, except it is in stupid kindle format *grrr*. I want you all to know I luvs youzz! :3 My gratitude cannot be spoken in words... so thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY of THE NOTEBOOK!! -- Wicked Romances Blog Hop

2012-10-20T15:43:00.002-04:00

-OFFICIAL PAGE for this BLOGHOP

Yayy! One of the lovely blogs I follow have organized this even lovelier event. I have pledged myself to participate by joining the hop numero uno, and deux (lol first spanish and then french? What`s wrong with me? :p), to visit over half of the already listed blogs and follow them. PLUS I AM HAVING A GIVEAWAY!!! :D Cannot wait! Everyday, during the entire hop, I will visit five blogs. You are welcome to join in the fun!

GIVEAWAY:

starts as of right now, and ends by the end of this hop and
to enter, just subscribe and leave your email at the bottom in the comments!

WIN:

1 copy for one winner of ``The NoteBook`` by Nicholas Sparks
PDF ebook sent to winner by email

--Enjoy my friends! :3

No Ordinary Day: By Deborah Ellis -- Different Perspective

2012-10-12T23:14:00.006-04:00

''...picture Harry Potter as a girl in India with a “family” that hates her but is so poor that they must live together in a space about the size of that cupboard under the stairs.''

-bookfare.blogspot.ca

**Official Article for A Newspaper: South Asian Focus, pasted on Writers-Network

Summary: Even though Valli spends her days picking coal and fighting with her cousins, life in the coal town of Jharia, India, is the only life she knows. The only sight that fills her with terror is the monsters who live on the other side of the train tracks — the lepers. When Valli discovers that that her “aunt” is a stranger who was paid money to take Valli off her own family’s hands, she leaves Jharia and begins a series of adventures that takes her to Kolkata, the city of the gods. Valli finds that she really doesn’t need much to live and is very resourceful. But a chance encounter with a doctor reveals that she has leprosy. Unable to bear the thought that she is one of the monsters she has always feared, Valli rejects help and begins an uncertain life on the street. -Goodreads

The Good:

I LOVEEE THIS AUTHOR. I read her all the way back in grade four, and tremendously enjoyed The BreadWinner Trilogy
The novel consisted of the truths about the background. I am part indian, although definitely not full, maybe like a quarter. But anyway, all my best friends, and friends in general and family friends are of brown descendancy and what you hear is not the truth... it is always different than what you hear, child (I sound so wise when I say child)
A new perspective. What you read in this novel, it is a fresh take on poverty. Most novels showcasing poor people always show them depressed or troubled. That is true, but in this novel, it is different, they show her sometimes generous and sometimes careless. And childish, like me :p
Quick-read, like an hour, tops.
''Some of her life-isms contain few words but great meaning'' this was said by the featured reviewer, and yes, it is totally true. What that genius Ellis, did, was that she put small moments of beautiful poetic writing (which was my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE part of the novel) where she showed such intense wisdom, I was like ''Girl, you damn fine.'' The sayings were of such common context, but the way she put it, it was aweasomeeee.. Read it to find out!

The Bad:

Novel for younger audience. Like it was nominated for Best Grade Six book of the year, but you still get something out of it, even though it is intended for younger kids (I pawmiss :3 )
There is not such a complex plot. This book is for people who like to think over ponder.
Some parts make you sick of the character. Like, I know you're an orphan and you're poor and all that, but you should at least have enough street smarts and/or general knowledge to know that's stupid! Like hello?! Is this getting to you, or am I just ranting to a book?!

All In All: Check out my official review, links in the note after the featured writer. Easy storyline, wonderful things to think about, but intended for kids.

3.5 out of 5

WE GOT TWITTER! @TheBookling

2012-10-09T19:47:00.001-04:00

Haha that's right! TheBookling has no just gotten twitter as a result of feeling lonely, left behind and not wanting to make an entire post every single time they have an announcement. Do you all know how many times I got so mad because I could not make one small status update type of message because I did not wanna drown you in posts to read? Why waste your time, when there's twitter? See, see what I did there? :D

twitter: twitter.com/thebookling (@TheBookling)

Bridge Across the Land: By Yvonne Wang -- BEST PLOT EVER

2012-09-28T22:53:00.002-04:00

I have the privilege of being the first person to review this incredibally amazing novel. For that I am grateful.
--The entire review is here (writers-network.net)

Summary: It is 1241 AD, and the Mongols have just invaded Europe, effecting a giant collision of cultures. Hungarian King B la has already declared a state of emergency, Mongolian troops have killed nearly three hundred thousand people in Moscow, and now everyone fears the troops are headed for Poland. As King Boleslav and his son, Prince Alexander, anxiously await the Mongols' next move, they have no idea that a team of cavalry scouts has already made the decision to assassinate the Great Khan of Mongolia. Now all the scouts must do is capture the one person who can help them execute their plan. Tianyin has been assigned to find a girl with one blue eye and one brown eye, possessing a dagger carved with the Great Khan's name-and he must do so before the army seizes Krakow. Angela Cherreh, however, has grown up in Poland without any clue that she is the Mongolian princess they are seeking. And now she stands at the stake, preparing to be burned alive because everyone believes she is a witch. In this historical tale, an assassin and a princess discover that sometimes things do not turn out as expected, especially in an uncertain and dangerous world. -GoogleBooks

The Good:

Epic awesomeness! (see? I was so influenced by the pureness of it that auto-check had to respell awesomeness)
Amazing plot that baffles your mind to the extent that you shall droop with over- excitement! So great, it is inhumane.
Hugely tragic, amazing adventure and extremely complex and mind-blowing plot (I had to say that twice)
Hyperventilating till the end
Characters are people who, at the same time as you admire them, they are real, and also they are people you would ignore in real life because they can be quite mean
Beautiful romance story with identity and miscalculation
Wonderfully poetic writing.The author wrote this in Chinese (a very deep, metaphorical, complex language), therefore when it was translated, the vocabulary was just so good and the sentence structure was so efficient to the extent that it every passage is a poetic piece in itself

The Bad:

Few Chapters to catch on. But other than that it is one of the best books I have ever read! And also the plot is just so damn good, I think it is one of the best that I have ever read!

All In All: Extremely emotional and huge enlightening and frightening twists that leave you in despair, heartbroken and touched. Amazingly amazing plot that I cannot emphasize enough, no matter how many time I repeat it. Have to read this book and do not forget to read the full review I am writing for some newspapers (that one`s longer and has more quality, because right now, my backs hurting).

5out of 5

Our Name is Changing!

2012-09-25T19:15:00.001-04:00

Okay, I have been trying for days and days to set up my website on an independent domain name purchased via GoDaddy (and they suckk!!!!). Although I have not posted in so damn long, I PROMISE (I promise!) I will! Don't worry, I come online and interact with everyone everyday and then some, so don't hesitate that I won't be available or I would not respond, because I most certainly will (I promise!).

Wayyy back, before school started, I said something about how I will end up posting only once a week. I know that's not a good thing, and I will try to do more, but between volunteering, keeping up with requests and school and homework, that is my average number of postings lately. "I'm shawwy" :(

What do you think of our new name: TheBookling.com? I literally spent two hours making up a name! :]

My Interview With Daniel Dinnie (Through the Crimson Mirror)

2012-09-09T16:39:00.003-04:00

Okay, I am super psyched, because this man is pretty amazing. Like he went through so many things, and I am just flattered by the effort he put into sharing and educating other people to make their lives easier. I am extremely happy to have had the opportunity to interview such an author, and I hope this interview will cause his novel to be on your TBR list.

"Author Daniel Dinnie wrote Through the Crimson Mirror, the inspiration for which is his life’s journey so far, while growing up in dysfunction. He opens up his life in order to help others better understand the human condition, and ultimately prevent other children from growing up the way he did. His aim is to help parents notice the signs of dysfunction. More importantly, to do something about it before it is too late. In addition, to tell others who grew up lonely, or in imperfect circumstances, that they are not alone."

-Dainel Dinnie Official Website

Tell us a bit about the book. How long did it take to complete it? What is some sort of advice that you would give to other authors?

My book is primarily about me and many of the experiences I had growing up. My parents are good people, as are many parents. However something, somewhere has gone wrong in the way children are growing up today. We see it in the papers all the time, “Teenage pregnancy,” “Teenage gangs,” “Drinking out of control,” “Drug use starting at younger and younger ages.” While researching my book I have become more involved in the parenting field, and interviewed counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists and it’s frightening what’s really going on. The sad thing is, often parents don’t know, or don’t want to know. Most parents that I speak to bury their heads in the sand and tell themselves, “It’s not me and my children.” After speaking to the school counsellors, I know this to not be true. Let me give you an example: at one of the posh, private schools near where I live the counsellor told me that he used to counsel the girls who fell pregnant. He doesn’t see them anymore because they get abortions and the parents never even hear about it. I personally know of girls who have had abortions, been raped (and boys) and all the other nasty stuff, and their parents are completely in the dark. Something needs to change in the way that parents are parenting their children.

It took me about nine months to complete. That also includes eighty per cent of the second book and forty per cent of the third book. Originally, I was just going to write one long book. However, I chatted to some parents and they said they wouldn’t even look at a five-hundred plus page book. So I cut it into three books and worked hard on making it easy to read. Many people who have read my book, did so in a night or two.

My advice to other authors is always the same. Carry around a book in which you can write your thoughts. I don’t believe that any human being isn’t capable of creating. Ideas are constantly running through our mind. However, we forget about them when we don’t write them down. Don’t let your creativity go to waste. Write down whatever comes into your head and save it for later.

I am very touched by your effort to produce a book showing the unknown perspective of children into parenting, something most people do not take into account. Some people might claim you as inspiring. Who inspires you?

Thank you for that. That’s sweet J Ordinary people inspire me. People who think and don’t just have children because it’s the thing to do. I’ve met so many people along my journey and I can only think to myself, “Why do you have children?” They don’t want to do anything with their children. They don’t like playing with them or running around outside or building puzzles with them. The people that inspire me are the ones who chooseto not have children. They realized what a challenge it is and how much time, effort and energy is needed and decided to use their brain to over-ride all the internal programming. Of course, the parents who genuinely put a lot of effort into their children also inspire me. The ones who are willing to sit and play Lego and read stories to their children. I think that’s awesome and necessary!

Since I am still a student, I live with my parents, if I were to read your book, which is something I might come to doing in the future, how would I take it into account? How will it affect me, or the "younger generation"?

Well firstly, I have put a warning on there for the “even younger generation.” I’m not talking about the “nice” side of life, so it is a very dark book and I don’t recommend it for children under 13. Certainly in the second book I didn’t hold much back. On the other hand, I did write it with the “younger generation” in mind. I’m not much older than the “young generation.” The second largest group of readers I’ve had are young people who grew up in similar circumstances, of which there are many: families with absent parents, or parents who only worry about the financial side of life (not the emotional, mental, social or spiritual), or alcoholic parents, or parents who work too much, etc. The chapter that I seem to get the most emails about is the chapter on communication. It seem that many who grow up in un-ideal circumstances battle with communication and relate to what I’m saying.

And finally, can you show us a short-preview passage from the novel?

For years now, I’ve wanted to write a book. It’s something I feel I have to do. A fire burns inside me, fuelled by crimson tears and my need to get something out, to share with the world, and I don’t know how else to do it. The topic has changed over the years, because nothing has felt quite right…yet. A strange feeling, as if I was waiting for something; waiting for some big event: my crystal ball.

My personal philosophy on finding one’s purpose goes like this: raise children correctly, which I hope to give some pointers towards throughout this book. Then, grant them the chance to explore themselves fully while growing up, and show them the tools they need to succeed such as how to deal with emotions and communicate. Let them gain experience and make mistakes along the way because experience is vital to finding a purpose. In addition, educate them on life and its possibilities, and they’ll find it much easier to find their true purpose. I hope something in here will help children to find their purpose.

5. What advice would you give to parents?

Parenting is not about money and material goods. Big companies spend billions each year on advertising telling what to like, so we buy the latest gaming consoles or whatever. However, deep-down, when people really open up and tell you what they really want from their parents, most say things like, “I just want my parents to spend time with me, to love and respect me, to talk to me openly and honestly, to be there for me and guide me through life.” The sad thing is, often we only realize this many, many years down the line. By then it may be too late. Often children only want gaming consoles to fill the void in their lives. Observe many of the children who are big gamers. Many stop playing games when they find friends and partners. To me that says that they were only playing games because they didn’t have an active social life. So why not teach people proper communication and relationship building skills so that they may be able to find people in the real world. We all say, “Time is our most precious commodity. It’s the only thing we can never get back.” Now, if we believe that, then isn’t spending time with our children the best gift we can give them?

“The sad thing about growing up in dysfunction is, it’s not what you learn, it’s what you don’t learn…”

– by MeJ

All in All: This man has strode past great troubles in order to inform you what he has learned. His trials and tribulations are worth something, we can all learn from our own troubles, but what about learning something from someone else's troubles? They saved us the pain of learning ourselves; take advantage of that.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: By J.K. Rowling -- Honoured and Loved

2012-09-02T23:27:00.000-04:00

"Harry Potter is a highly likeable protagonist... great novel. Not only did it launch J.K. Rowling's career as an author, it also marked the beginning of an unforgettable phenomenon."
--potter-book1.blogspot.ca (Hassan Ilahi)

Summary: Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy. He lives with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley, who make him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. Then Harry starts receiving mysterious letters and his life is changed for ever. He is whisked away by a beetle-eyed giant of a man and enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The reason: Harry Potter is a wizard! --goodreads.com

The Good:

They totally deserve the praise they are getting already. I know what you are thinking, she is so lame, she is reading the books now! Well I am and I have to say they are incredibly good and kept me up at night reading, and dreaming about wizardry during the day.
Great Plot that is becoming into a complex storyline! Really interesting. Nuff ' said.
You grew up with the books and characters. I do not know much about you, so I do not know if you slept under a rock, but if you indeed lived like most people, you might be aware of the complete sensation these books have come and made. Most definitely I adore growing up with my friends constantly engaging on discussions of the book, or seeing a Harry Potter on your doorstep on Halloween.
THE MOVIES! One of my favourite things about being human in the 21st century is that your favourite books can be developed into great movies that are indeed the best of 2001! Love love love watching the movies based on books (especially after reading the novel), so that you can compare the similarities and make your brother mad by saying "oh oh oh! I read about that in the book!" :p

The Bad:

Harry's family makes me mad! They are obnoxious, rude and fat. I wish I could kick them, or be by Hagrid's side (youtube clip) when he scared them! It is so sad to see my Harry (yes he is mine's... you can't have him! Or else.) rudely treated by such as 'their species'.

All In All: Could not put it down and totally psyched that I finally started the series (after a decade... I know!). Loved every bit, even when Harry gets hurt (my poor darling!).

5 out of 5

The Postly Question!: Today I went grocery shopping... I saw Jelly Beans that were buttered popcorn flavour... how absurd is that?! What is the best flavoured Jelly Bean you ever had? Mine's Strawberry Cheesecake! :)

**Note: Okay, so basically, I have a few announcements. First of all, I am changing the format of my reviewing. I will be posting in jot notes, except for the usual summary from GoodReads. I came to this conclusion because I have been quite busy with school starting the day after tomorrow, and I realized there is no way that I can sit for an hour every other day and write on my blog, previously have spent hours reading the actual book in the first place, so basically, I shall write everything in jot notes. I have done my research, and most people fancy short reviews, so that is what I shall do. Unless you disagree, feel free to comment below. Also, I will be posting a question near the end, of which has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH READING, just to make you laugh.

Reading Romances Blog Hop!

2012-08-21T01:30:00.005-04:00

Here is what the Hop is about:

"Bloggers, authors, reviewers and readers – I have another burning question for you:

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A REVIEW?

Whether you’re writing or reading one, there are certain things you always look for. What are those? What do you think are the most important elements you think the reviewer should include? What would you like see more? Less? What is the role of a review? How important is it?"

--reading-romances.com

What I Include: When I review novels, the first thing I do, is sort out my priorities. What was the thing that most struck me of the story telling of the novel? Figuring out that, I will separate it into two categories, good, and bad (simple, right?). Emotions are like my life, so I try my best to express how I felt when a certain occurrence occurred that caused an episode of my lashing reenactment to occur once again by the occurrence of the occurred episode. I try my best to add humour to my review, because I know that is what people like. Everyone can be serious, but not many can be humourful and charming like me *wink*. Moreover, I include the blurb and cover at the beginning, so that the reader knows what is clearly being reviewed. Like how can you not know what the book is if there is a picture, right? I like my length to be about three-four paragraphs... because you should know... I write a lot! Finally, I like to talk to my audience, not at them. I want to create some intimacy (not that kind though!). Like, I want them to feel they are my friend and we are talkin` books, you know?

Clearing Up Some Issues: Okay, some people are mistaken. When I say ``critical`` reviews, that does not mean I only say bad things! It means I might be tougher on the judgement of the novel and it`s negative points properly affect it`s final score. I do not have to include the bad parts if you do not want to, but let`s admit, that is the fun part! Not for the author though, but if you are an author and do not want bad things to be said about a book you spent blood and tears on, hey, it is alright! We are all friends here... and I normally go quite easy on indie authors because I know of the effort gone into their novels. Unlike big-time millionaire authors, who rightfully deserve their work to be judged harshly... to assume their wealth, I mean.

BlogFest 2012 Giveaway: Mortal Instruments eBooks #1 & #2

2012-08-21T00:44:00.004-04:00

What:

The Mortal Instruments Books one and two, free pdf ebook giveaway! You can participate in this giveaway by going to the post about this giveaway and using the multiple options of a widget submit your entries. There are many different ways to enter, such as following the blog or liking a facebook page, and much more. It is as simple as that! Who would not want this New York Times bestselling series? There will be three winners in the end.

Who:

Think Sincere is hosting this giveaway on celebration of BlogFest 2012 hosted by ajourneyofbooks.com and Melynda's Labour Day Blogfest and BookFair (In honor of Melynda Fleury--who has bravely been fighting diabetes and almost completely lost her eyesight--Wayman Publishing is offering unlimited free downloads of their top ten bestselling books to all entrants during this event!). The three books are City of Bones (Mortal Instruments #1), andCity of Ashes (Mortal Instruments #2).

Where:

This specific giveaway out of many others, will take place on ThinkSincere.blogspot.com. Other blogs are also having giveaways and I happily suggest you check them out! The giveaway is international, so absolutely anyone can join. The three randomly selected winners will get the eBook by emailing me their preferred email in which I will gladly send over the three novels as attachments. They just download and enjoy!

When:

You can sign up for the giveaway any time until today til Friday, September 28th at EST 11:59pm. The draw will take place on Saturday, September 29th at EST 3:30 pm and I will post the results at EST 4:00 pm.

**NOTEEE: IT IS EXTENDED TILL OCT 2nd FOR BLOGFEST 2012

Why:

Because it is fun silly! Also, this is my first giveaway and I am really eager to start! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cross My Heart: By Sasha Gould -- Exciting But Predictable

2012-08-18T00:23:00.000-04:00

"...and though many of the twists were rather predictable, I still liked them."
--667B BakerStreet

Summary: When 16-year-old Laura della Scala learns that her older sister, Beatrice, has drowned, she is given no time to grieve. Instead, Laura's father removes her from the convent where he forcibly sent her years earlier and orders her to marry Beatrice's fiancé, a repulsive old merchant named Vincenzo. Panicked, Laura betrays a powerful man to earn her way into the Segreta, a shadowy society of women who deal in only one currency—secrets. The Segreta seems like the answer to Laura's prayers. The day after she joins their ranks, Vincenzo is publicly humiliated and conveniently exiled. Soon, however, Laura begins to suspect that her sister's death was not a tragic accident but a cold-blooded murder—one that might involve the Segreta and the women she has come to trust. -GoodReads

The Good: This... was so good! Therefore, I wrote that sentence in the "the good" category. But anyway, oh my good gosh (what is gosh? Like a type of shoe *goshes*?) I love love love the characters. You always expect girls in novels from after the middle ages to hate the luxurious life they are living, or be a total snob. But this novel, oh on the nice pair of goshes I am going to buy, it was good (as previously said), and Laura is a very good girl who listens to her father, or at least you would expect *gasp**semi-spoiler*. I thought I would know what would happen throughout the novel, considering Sasha Gould is not a famous writer and this was her first novel, but no! I got butterflies at some parts! The end was incredible (and I apologize in advance if this novel is not your cup of tea and for telling you to read it when you did not like it. But your stupid if you did not like it, and I am not sorry for that.)

The Bad: You know when you start writing a novel or story, especially if your an amateur, there is just this little awkwardness present in your writing. I know that I am just talking plain weirdness right now, but if you read books that are not always on the New York Times BestSeller List, you might know what I mean. If you have read several indie author novels, you sometimes feel as if something is not ''right'' in their writing. Maybe it is because they are just getting their creative juices flowing and such, but it usually clears on when you get to the middle of the novel. But that feeling was present in this book. I don't know how to describe it (but maybe if your an author you would understand). Although I did hesitate when that happened, man did things catch on. When I first started reading this novel, it was really predictable. Like really really predictable. You feel like a fortune teller because you are so good at knowing what was gonna happen. But then... something magical happened! Things you thought that were useless in the telling of the novel became a semi-complex plot that you could have never seen coming. I don't know if Sasha made the beginning predictable to blow me away in the end, or it was just a first-time-novel thing, but holy goshes it is worth giving a try.

All in all: Once you read this... don't put it down because it is boring! It will get better, I promise!

4.5 out of 5

Haunting Violet: By Alyxandra Harvey -- Cute and Entertaining

2012-08-15T14:10:00.006-04:00

**This wonderful book review is dedicated to a very special woman that I regard as Mrs. Roberts. She is an amazing reader (I think she has read a million books... this year alone I mean).

This is another of those books that surprised me, as I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I’m not usually fond of historical fiction, even with the supernatural thrown in, but this definitely kept my interest. It’s very well written, has good characters, enough mystery to keep you guessing and a sweet love story.
--flutteringbutterflies.com (guest post by Carrie from TeaBelly)

Summary: Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.
Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies? -- GoodReads.com

The Good: Okay, I am an intense lover of all fantasy and paranormal books (with the exception of "The Alchemist" and "Witch And Wizard" because those were the stupidest books out of ALL genres). Anyway, this novel, man did it prove itself to be loving! In class, I was troubling the teacher with my constant attention on the book instead of her. I was really looking forward to whatever would happen next. But of course, the big destructive hand of the universe (which I have come to love) had to come down and smash on the events happening in this book (which is not necessarily a bad thing). And then, the complete turn of events which I had not been expecting occur. And I do not want to spoil it for you guys but let me tell you something, it is not mentioned in the summary, so start reading!

The Bad: Okay, since everyone obviously waits for this part like prying lions (yes, I just compared you to a lion), I just have to say I appreciate it that you all enjoy my criticalness (that is not a word since there is a red line underneath it, but it should be a word). Thus, I shall start any rants that I have about this novel. Know that I enjoy novels like this very very much, but I have got to say, it ain't original. Hardly any novel is original. It seems everybody just copies someone else's idea. Like you walk into a store, you see an upside down tomato hangar, and bam! Now you think (conscious or subconscious) that you have an idea, but basically, you just copy someone else's and now they all claim to be from T.V. when they all are actually sitting there and the original went outta business because no one could make sure which is legit. Same with books. Who knows who made up the modern vampire fad? For all you know, the first person (who is the super original and great writer) only sold a thousand copies of her super original book about modern time vampires and then people liked it, so they made their own books about the subject. Not to say that genre isn't enjoyable, I love those novels. But it is always the same... you gotta admit. A girl or a guy is a vampire and then a human of the opposite gender comes along and falls in love with them, and they always have some relationship issue in which they cannot be together. That is the basic thing right? Correct me if I am wrong, I would love to come across a different pace in the vampire novel world. Okay, so that was really long, and I know I steered off track, but that is the only thing that I really did not like about the novel. Oh! Except for the mother. I hated her guts, but I think that was the point. She is a fakie, who likes fakeness? I don't like fake Gucci, why like fake people? Right?

All In All: Really enjoyable, cute romance, but it was not original (save for the twist).

4 out of 5

Lock and Key: By Sarah Dessen -- Can't Grip

2012-08-13T02:20:00.002-04:00

"...it was not a compelling read for me. I don’t think it has much to do with the book as much as it has to do with the genre in general. I just find contemporary audiobooks to be less compelling as a whole than other genres. The plots do not hook me enough to sustain my attention. I never felt the pull to just listen to LOCK AND KEY until I finished." -Muggle-Born.net

Summary: Ruby Cooper is a seventeen year old girl abandoned by her mother. Her mother had never been exactly there for her, due to an unhealthy addiction to drugs and alcohol, but Ruby would rather live with her than move in with her sister that she had not seen for ten years and her five year husband, Jamie, who is the rich founder of a popular social networking site. Now she has to continue senior year with her neighbour Nate, a teenager who seems to be all jolly; totally unnatural. She only has a few months until she is eighteen years old, is settling down really worth it?

The Good: I promised everyone that I will read another Sarah Dessen novel. Well I did. Lock and key was a very conventional novel, which is why I often had a very little interest when coming across Dessen's books. BUT NOW, I guess that it is alright, because the novel was not terrible, but more near the average middle. It is normal life, but more to the reference is the abnormalities or the frustration and hardships people at your own workplace or school may have to have dealt with. In the novel, the main life that Ruby had ever known was trouble. Trouble in school, trouble in trust, trouble in family, trouble with drugs and alcohol and trouble with money. See, what Sarah Dessen described here is something which is unheard of. Especially like the richer societies of Wild Flower Ridge. You acknowledge a new perspective on, not even the world, but your own neighbourhood! I am certain that there are people living like this, and definitely not that far from me either. There is something really interesting about the novel; there is a looking glass perspective that reader will be quite interested in.

The Bad: Okay, some things I definitely did not enjoy about he book, was one, that there was such a slow plot line. IT WAS JUST HORRENDOUS! Like, I know that I said there is definitely a "looking glass", which there is, but honestly, I could not be more bored. It was incredibly sad, and then nothing, she is just living a normal human life. THAT IS WHAT REALLY GETS TO ME ABOUT THESE CONTEMPORARY NOVELS, IT IS JUST EVERYDAY NORMAL LIFE! You will get to know that I enjoy fantasy novels with my entire embrace, but seriously, everyday life after five million years of fantasy and paranormal fast-paced series are just boring. THEREFORE ... I will only read Sarah Dessen novels when they are at my disposal, because I have got to say, from my personal view, they are crap.

All in all: Horrible setting of novel (meaning that her novels are absolutely horrid at when to grasp the reader, and keep them there). But I did like the overall back-story and flashbacks of the novel, therefore it was a fair novel.

2.5out of 5

Before I Fall: By Lauren Oliver -- Nice Meaning

2012-07-29T21:53:00.001-04:00

``The epilogue, although only a page long, really made me smile... It's fair to say that Sam is totally unrelatable throughout the whole book until the end, but even then for me, I still didn't understand or get her and still wanted to throw a shoe at her.`` - Rebecca-Books

Okay, so even before I review this book, I just have to say I hate each and every character in that book. Well, except for Kent (I do not even know why I always fall for the sensitive guys... fantasies). So now, I will tell you what made me want to sit through hours reading a novel where I wanted to punch the guts out of everyone (except Kent!).

This is my first Lauren Oliver book, and I have got to admit. I did not like it. The characters were rude, and impossibly perfect (at least it seems *gasp*almost spoiler*). They have everything and everyone at the tips of their finger. Even people who are popular, they do not act like this, they are just really likeable people, that is why they are popular, not because of the stupid reasons in this book. Yah, the world is mean, but this ain`t popularity. This is why, as Rebecca stated in her review, ``when you hate the main protagonist who is talking in first-person, it definitely decreases your enjoyment.``

Okay, so let me get to the point. Samantha has everything (gag), and the night she is coming home from a party in her friend`s car... she dies in a terrible accident. Now she is stuck in a limbo of time, seven days actually, and she starts to examine life differently due to the never-ending repeating of February 12th; Cupid Day; the day she is no more. At first she thinks it is de ja vu, but she dies again. The second day she tries to avoid the accident, but someone still ends up dying and continuing the limbo, the third day she does what ever she wants. Just like a dream. You could do whatever you want, because no one will ever know what you did; no one will ever remember. This continues on for seven days, all the way she is trying to discover how to get out of the limbo. And guess what? I hated her the whole time.

Okay, so maybe I am being a little but too critical about the novel. I will admit it, near the end, I just loved the message. It made me cry a bit, and I even bookmarked this one line that made me burst in silent tears:

``And I think of all the times I sat in squirming silence, terrified I would say or do the wrong thing... and, above all, learned to stay away from the people who would drag me down, and carry me back to that place. People like Juliet Sykes. People like Kent.``

Man, did my eyes get blurry. That was one of the lines I could most connect with out of any book I have ever read. I could relate that up until every moment, even now. But you might not be affected, maybe it was just me, my past coming to haunt me when she said that. Because crazy enough, the lines before that was, ``--the scariest secret of all, the past we`re trying to forget.`` That just gave me chills. Like Lauren Oliver knew me. That she was spying on my life, learning about me, and then wrote that paragraph just because she knew I would read it.

But I am steering off track now. Anyway, I like the meaning of the story. The whole novel was like a metaphor to me. But I would not go into depth on that because I do not want to spoil anything. You will get it if you read it anyway.

2.5 out of 5

Breaking Point: By Lesley Choyce -- Fast-Paced

2012-07-29T20:51:00.001-04:00

"Like the others in the Orca Soundings imprint, this is a quick-moving, easily read story featuring edgy, non-mainstream characters and chapters that encourage compulsive reading through their cliff-hanger endings." - Youth Services Book Review

Okay, this book, totally loved it! It is very short, around sixty pages so if you are dying for just a quick read of a I-might-not-be-able-to-breath-book, then you have come to the right place! This book is perfect! Took me from a half-hour to and hour to read, and trust me, the story moves along quite fast and has you screaming internally. Very good, one of my favourites actually (hurrah!).

Cameron is a boy that rather then ten-weeks of correction locally, was given the option of staying at a three-week camp off the coast of Nova Scotia in the middle of nowhere. Here, they teach you all kinds of things, whether it is making a survival camp fire, or 'do not try kayaking if you don't know how to'. Cameron meets a girl, named Brianna. They hit it off immediately, as if they have known each other for quite some time. One night when they were camping in the woods, separate from the girls, Brianna came into his tent and asked him if he would run away with her, all the way to Montreal. They could start a new life; an exciting life, and never be bothered with the crap they deal with here. He agreed, dazed by her toughness. They go on a crazy adventure, all the while a hurricane would soon appear amidst.

I really enjoyed the story, but the message was not at all clear. All the kids who were there committed crimes as a minor (which is inexcusable), and yet they felt that the punishment was not fair, that they did not do anything. I thought that was wrong. Moreover, that is the same reason that they both ran away as well. But the author never claimed that this was wrong. That they felt bad about running away from a punishment they knew was there because they did something bad. But the author claimed that they did bad things for the exhilaration of doing bad things. Hmmm... I wonder how Lesley Choyce's teen years were like.

4.5 out of 5

Just Listen: By Sarah Dessen -- Love The Characters

2012-07-26T20:03:00.001-04:00

All in all, Just Listen is a pretty sad Sarah Dessen novel, but at the same time it is heartwarming and beautiful. It's one of those books that make you cry out of sadness and out of joy at the same time...

***Note: Whenever I do a book review, I will always compare my review based on one from a different blogger. Today, it is BookSmartie.

This is so far my fifth novel this summer. I have to say, this is my first Sarah Dessen novel. You should all know, that I am a `deep` person. Meaning, that I do not cut myself, number one, but that I tend to really `think` about some things. This novel was absolutely wonderful when it came to the depth of the theme. I would like to focus on this mostly.

Summary:
The entire novel was about a girl named Annabelle Greene. Annabelle had a fight with her bully of a friend Sophie. Sophie is a girl who gets everything, the boys, the parties, and access to everyone. Without Sophie, Anabelle feels she has no one... until she meets Owen. Owen is a tall, dark boy who is obsessed with music. And not just your everyday ``Baby``. We are talking Mayan chantings and heavy techno. Annabelle could have never guessed that the boy who every thought to be `angry`, would have his own radio show, no matter it is on a Sunday in the early morning. Her middle sister has a severe eating disorder and her mother went through depression, all the while, this one girl had to go through several family problems and one HUGE problem hidden away of her own. With modelling, school, Owen, and family and personal issues, this book is loaded.

Opinion:
Okay, so what I was saying about the `deep` aspect. The books that I read, do not usually tend to really talk about the psychological state of the person. The thoughts are usually directed around what is going on, instead of how I feel. If you read books a lot, you might understand what I mean. Like in Twilight, usually she would have thoughts connecting scenes or in response to what was said or done. But, in New Moon, because she was so isolated, she talked to the reader`s how it `felt`. And it did not feel very good. How she clutched at her chest, talking about the `hole`. Now that is deep. Although if I do say so myself, Stephanie Meyer sort of was repetitive when she used that metaphor.

This story brought out so many wonderful aspects of the past & how to deal with it. Like some of my favourite quotes:

“No matter how much time has passed, these things still affect us and the world we live in. If you don't pay attention to the past, you'll never understand the future. It's all linked together.”
“I wondered which was harder, in the end. The act of telling, or who you told it to. Or maybe if, when you finally got it out, the story was really all that mattered.”
“The past did affect the present and the future, in ways you could see and a million ones you couldn't. Time wasn't a thing you could divide easily; there was no defined middle or beginning or end. I could pretend to leave the past behind, but it would not leave me.”
“There comes a time when the world gets quiet and the only thing left is your own heart. So you'd better learn the sound of it. Otherwise you'll never understand what it's saying.”

The entire concept that she did was so deep. She just blew me away. I started to question some things. See, if you read my bio, I did not have a happy past, though I am still quite young. People said things, I did things. Obviously I would tell you everything, I just state. Nothing I did was ever wrong... it was lack of knowing what to do when something happened. Like when someone is spreading rumours behind my back or my best friend does not want to be my best friend anymore... what do I do? We south Asians have this word called ``politics``. And it seriously rules our lives. That is what we call the sneaky attacks people pull on our lives. And those politics are what I did not know how to do, exactly like Annabelle. I am totally happy right now, but that is exactly why I decided to read this book. Like truly examining ``did I do the right thing after the same thing happened to me?`` & just wanting to know how she dealt with it. So basically what I am saying is that I could relate very well to this novel... well except I am far from a model.

Okay... do not judge me, but I think Anabelle is the stupidest person ever. She could tell so many people about what happened, but she did not!!!!!!! I was just so cheezed off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was like what is wrong with you??!!!! Just say it! But after she questioned herself anyway, saying it was so easy, but she did not... and I was just like ``Girl, I am so happy me and you are on the same page!`` (see what I did there? :p) But seriously, I would die for a serious convo, and I fell in love with two characters while reading this book, so I wanted to shed some light on them.

One, was Owen. Man, who would have guessed that this guy was a sensitive and deep character? He is totally my type of person. When she would have all those ``discussions`` with him, I would be thinking that I would just kill for a person to have a conversation with like that. Everyone knows (or should!) that I live for learning... and music is not my strongest point, but when it comes to educated opinions, I am there! This guy was just so smart and damn sweet!!!!!!

Two, I really like the middle sister, Whitney. She thinks before she speaks (meaning common sense, and who doesn`t love that?). See, I could really relate with her. I have never had a eating disorder, but I know what it is like being misunderstood (even for the wrong reasons), and I also know what it is like recovering from horrible events. She just means well, even if it just for her, because when the world is untrustworthy, why would you ever just keep letting it break your trust?

Anyways, I will definitely read more of Sarah Dessen.

4 out of 5