way behind

Recently Read (no review yet... yeah, working, too busy)
Airhead - Meg Cabot
The Boy Next Door - Meg Cabot
Passion, Betrayal and Killer Highlights - Kyra Davis
Wednesday Night Witches - Lee Nichols
Girl's Guide To Witchcraft - Mindy Klasky
Sorcery and the Single Girl - Mindy Klasky
Confessions of an Ex-Girlfriend - Lynda Curnyn
The Pact - Jennifer Sturman

Currently Reading
Magic and the Modern Girl - Mindy Klasky
Skinny Bitch - Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
The money Book for the Young, Fabulous and Broke - Suze Orman
Girls' Night In - compilation including Meg Cabot

Books I've started at some point and have not finished
Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
Sloppy Firsts - Megan McCafferty

I have 3 full-size bookcases in my room and one small one with only two shelves. One of the full-size bookcases in mostly devoted to dvds but I think there are books on the bottom shelf. Well, I've been working with my books today and the mini-bookcase has a double row of books (well a row and a few piles) and one of the full-size bookcases has doubled rows on all but one shelf. The other full-size bookcase is filled with books too wide to double a row and I still have more books that don't fit anywhere. Umm... I like to read, and own books... I think I have to go through them and find ones to donate or bring to a used bookstore.

Elsewhere

Elsewhere - Gabrielle Zevin
What if dying didn't bring you to heaven or hell or purgatory? What if it brought you somewhere else - somewhere in which they lived a lot like you did in on earth with your family and friends. But that somewhere else, let's call it Elsewhere, wasn't just like your old town. Instead of growing up, you arrived at your age of death and aged backwards until you were a baby and could be sent back to earth.

That is what happens to Liz in this book. She awakens on the S.S.Nile and is soon greeted by her grandmother (whom she had never met) and they begin their trip backwards in time. But she isn't ready to live her death. Instead, she watched her funeral, her prom, her family and friends, all from the Observation Decks around Elsewhere.


I don't think that there are any real questions in this book. Instead of wondering what was going to happen, I felt myself rooting for Liz, wanting her to come out of her funk over dying and start living in her death. It was really strange to think of people aging backwards. For example, if a woman dies when she was 80 but her husband died 30 years earlier at the age of 50, the woman would arrive in Else at the age of 80 and be greeted by her 20 year old husband. Picturing that couple together was something I had difficulty doing. As a teenager, Liz could have met another teen and only to find out that he died when he was 76 and lived another 60 years in Elsewhere. I liked the premise of this book, but I don't know who I would recommend it to.


A-Z Challenge
I think I skipped a couple of book reviews and I've been reading books that I can't fit into the lists because I've already read the letters for the author and title, but my upcoming reviews (should I choose to remember to write them)
Meg Cabot - Airhead; The Boy Next Door
Kyra Davis - Passion, Betrayal and Killer Highlights
Mindy Klasky - Girl's Guide to Witchcraft; Sorcery and the Single Girl
Lee Nichols - Wednesday Night Witches
Currently Reading: TBD

Halloween

I dressed up like a little kid for Halloween at work... I actually had one of my coworkers come over and give me a hug because she thought I looked so cute. She is now officially my favorite ^_^

book reviews

So I have a bunch of books to review, but I have been getting caught up with working 40 hours per week and waking up way too early (I start at 8 and I called a company at 8:45 and was jealous that they didn't open until 9, but it also meant I had to call them back which was annoying... )

current read: Wednesday Night Witches - lots of smiling big moments and reading in the stairwell on my lunch break at work... oh, and some moments where I'm laughing like crazy, but I still haven't figured out the true purpose of the book (there's something going on but I won't read the back of the book to find out what). I've heard that the ending is bad or a let down, but I guess I'll find out soon. And before I review that, I will be reviewing a few Meg Cabot books and Elsewhere (I bawled like a baby)...

brooke taylor's contest week 3

Brooke Taylor's (Undone) third week of her monster month of giveaways began Thursday. To receive a zombie prize pack, enter at her site. She is giving away 2 prize packs that include 2 books apiece as well as a bunch of other cool gifts like candy and the Zombie Survival Guide by Amanda Ashby.

next week is faeries, so get ready!

brooke taylor week 2 contest

Brooke Taylor's (Undone) second week of her monster month of giveaways began Thursday. To receive a ghostly prize pack, enter at her site. She is giving away 2 prize packs that include 2 books apiece as well as a string of ghost lights, Ty ghost bear "sheetsies," fuze magic "haunted" quartz necklace, ghost key chain & more fun ghostly goodies, halloween tattoos and candy, ghost marshmallow peeps, lighted ghost bobble headband, and a haunted magic 8 ball. Check it out!

My Sister's Keeper

In my first memory, I am three years old and I am trying to kill my sister. Sometimes the recollection is so clear I can remember the itch of the pillowcase under my hand, the sharp point of her nose pressing into my palm. She didn't stand a chance against me, of course, but it still didn't work. My father walked by, tucking in the house for the night, and saved her. He led me back to my own bed. "That," he told me, "never happened."

(After typing that up and rereading the rest of the prologue of sorts [pg 3], I just had a realization about that which I am not willing to reveal as it would constitute a spoiler.)

Anna Fitzgerald is 13 going on 30. She is more of an adult than most adults are. Her older sister, Kate, was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia at the age of two. Since her four year old brother, Jesse, was not enough of a match for bone marrow, the doctor suggested the idea of a future sibling being a match. Anna's parents took the idea, ran with it, went to genetic specialists, and had IVF to create Anna as a match for Kate. Thirteen years later, Anna is sick of being poked and prodded and spending so much time admitted to the hospital to give parts of herself to Kate. The most recent idea is for Anna to give up a kidney for Kate, but she has read of the problems that it could cause her, and she wants no part of it. Realizing that her parents will make her "donate" her kidney (parents sign the consents while kids are ignored), Anna decides to take measures into her own hands and hires Campbell Alexander, a high priced attorney, to take her case so that she can get legal emancipation from her parents for medical purposes.

Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper is told over the course of a week and a half and from the points of view of all of the characters, with Sara (the mom) telling what happened in the past that has led to this moment. Jesse, the brother, narrates part of the story, though he is noticeably absent from the rest of the family's narrations for the majority of the book. Kate is mentioned excessively through out the book, but her narrations are also noticeably absent.

This book was heart wrenching. Somehow, a love of characters just snuck up on me. I was curious as to why Campbell needed a service dog, even though he gave joking answers to anyone who asked. I was surprised that Anna could not be swayed from her convictions to receive medical emancipation, even when she told her family differently. I wanted various characters to stop being pigheaded so that they could actually listen to what other characters were saying and I admit that I cried a few times toward the end of the book. I look forward to reading more of Picoult's books, no matter what the format. This book definitely is one that I would recommend to anyone who has a heart.


A-Z Challenge
Currently Reading - *Zevin, Gabrielle - Elsewhere*
Upcoming Reviews - *Airhead - Cabot*
*Cabot, Meg - The Boy Next Door*

The True Meaning of Cleavage

Jess Horvath is about to start high school with her best friend Sari Aaronsohn. Like most kids her age, Jess is both excited and scared about the new year. She has her worst case scenario list (-My college advisor says I am unfit for college. She advises me to get a job at McDonald's instead. -Sari and I have no classes together. -I get Madame Balmain instead of Madame Beauvoir for Intermediate French. Madame Beauvoir est très gentile and shows Truffaut movies in class. Madame Balmain est une vache. -I have gym first period. I have gym any period. -Something really interesting happens to Sari and nothing whatsoever happens to me.), her best case scenario list (None of the above happens.), her enemies (the Prada Mafia), a geeky guy that seems to only have her as a friend (Danny Oriel), the most beautiful friend that has guys checking her out all the time (Sari), and an obsession with the Hollow Planet books (Hollow Planet: The Movie should be coming out next summer!!! but there's no release date yet). All of that, and a prediction for her new year from the Book (an old copy of David Copperfield that she swiped from school last year which she and Sari have decided has the power to tell the future). When Jess reads her predicted future, it does not look good ("Anxious to be gone"), whereas Sari gets a much better reading ("A new one"). As the school year passes, the predictions seem accurate - plus, a few of Jess' worst case scenarios come true; gym first period, Balmain for French, and Sari's life starts to get interesting while Jess' life is unchanging and boring. But what exactly is going on with Sari, and why is she keeping it a secret from Jess? Why do all of the girls like David Cole (the senior) so much when he already has a girlfriend? Can Jess manage to avoid Danny Oriel all year so that she isn't pushed down the social ladder even farther? And what exactly is the true meaning of cleavage?

Mariah Fredericks' first book, The True Meaning of Cleavage surprised me. I have a tendency to not read the back cover of a book or the snippet about a book until after I have finished it, or am at least halfway through since by then I will have read everything that the cover alludes to. This book was no exception. I like to be surprised by what I read. Well, if I had read the cover, I would have known it was about 9th graders, not the 11th or 12th I expected. I thought that this book might have romantic storylines and that the idea of cleavage would be explained in relevance to dating or a boy looking at a girl's chest as opposed to the "true meaning" given in the book. Although the story was ok and a quick read, it did not interest me as much as other stories that I read. If a story is like climbing a mountain in anticipation of reaching the peak followed by a shorter walk down to the summit (yes, I have forgotten the term I am thinking of so instead I am giving the definition and picture from my high school English classes), this story either peaks too early, or lacks in it's peak. There were a few moments of excitement but I don't think there was a real climax (ah ha! that's the word and according to wikipedia, I was talking about rising action and falling action) to help me make a better review of the book. Although I know when the climatic points technically were, there wasn't enough tension or drama to make it feel like a mountain's peak. I do admit that there were some points of the story that I really did like, but they don't cause me enough je ne sais quoi to recommend the book.

A-Z Challenge

Currently Reading - *Zevin, Gabrielle - Elsewhere*

Upcoming Reviews - *Picoult, Jodi - My Sister's Keeper*

*Airhead - Cabot*

*Cabot, Meg - The Boy Next Door*

audiobook

So I just listen to my first audiobook. Well, first is a relative term. How about first audiobook that I had not previously read? Yes, that's it, since I have listened to half of the Harry Potter books after reading them (it's worth it to hear Jim Dale read... plus it was fun to be knitting as they discussed Hagrid knitting). Anyways, I listened to Airhead by Meg Cabot and will soon be reviewing that one. I hope I can find the correct spellings of names since I can only guess spellings as I listen. It will also be weird to not be able to look back at the book as I review it. I also have reviews of The True Meaning of Cleavage by Mariah Fredericks and My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult on the way.

brooke taylor contest week 1

It is week one of Undone author Brooke Taylor's contest and she has two House of Night prize packs that each include 2 House of Night books, a house of night necklace, a vampire beanie bear, nail polish, candy, Halloween stuff, and it all comes in a tote that says "never kill a boy on the first date." Check out her blog here to enter this week's contest!

Eclipse and Breaking Dawn

I already reviewed the first two books in the Twilight series and tried to leave out Spoilers, but I think on these next two, if you read the reviews, it will give information on the first two books so if you don't want to have the first two books spoiled, skip this review.

Eclipse
Bella Swan's life has returned to normal. Her vampire boyfriend Edward Cullen is back in her life and she is constantly spending time with him. Unfortunately, her father, Charlie, still doesn't like Edward, still wants her to spend time with Jacob Black, and still wants her to go to college. Bella is ready to begin her epic romance with Edward and never go to college, but there's a catch. She doesn't want just any vampire to turn her, she wants Edward to do it but he has decided that she must do some things before he would be willing to turn her. Bella also misses her best friend Jacob, a werewolf who doesn't approve of vampires (werewolves and vampires are natural enemies), and does not want to choose between him and Edward. To keep on piling on her troubles, Bella is still being hunted by Victoria (a vampire that wants revenge for the death of her mate), there have been a series of deaths in Seattle that have been caused by newborn vampires, and the Volturi are expecting Bella to be turned and have promised to check up on her to make sure the deed has been done.


Breaking Dawn
Bella Swan is engaged to become Mrs. Edward Cullen as this book begins. She is ready to immerse herself in the world of vampires and to give up her life forever. But there's one little problem. Being engaged means that Bella is going to get married, an event that she has dreaded for years. Then there's another problem, in choosing Edward, she has hurt Jacob so intensely that he has run away from home and is spending his life as a werewolf in Northern Canada. Will Jacob return? What will happen after the wedding? Will Bella become a vampire? And what about the Volturi who are still eager to know if Bella has become a vampire or if she should be killed to keep their secret?


I thoroughly enjoyed these books. In fact, I loved the entire series and want to read Midnight Sun as soon as Stephenie Meyer is up to writing it again after it was illegally posted online by someone that had a manuscript that wasn't prepared to print (though she posted a copy online later realizing that people would search for it more after she commented on it - I downloaded the draft, but I am waiting for the book and plan to compare the book to the draft at a later date out of curiosity). Even with the fantastical aspects of the story, Bella's feelings are real and understandable. When reading from Jacob's point of view, I understood his struggle and felt more fondness for him. I honestly was Team Edward from the start, and may have switched to Team Jacob at some point if I wasn't aware of the teams (well, fan teams for each guy) which told me that Edward had to come back. The thing is, even as Team Edward, I still rooted for Jacob to have a fair shot when he was around. I wanted him to reveal his feelings to Bella, but I also wanted them to remain friends. Even if Breaking Dawn had mixed reviews, I think that it was great. Maybe because I wasn't anticipating it for so long and building the story up in my head (I merely waiting a few hours or a day between finishing Eclipse and beginning Breaking Dawn), I absolutely loved the final chapter to the saga. Whether or not all questions were answered? I don't know. But I do feel that the ending was satisfying and followed in the footsteps of the previous three books without missing a beat.

A-Z Challenge
currently reading *Fredericks, Mariah - The True Meaning of Cleavage*

Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride

Have you ever heard the tale of Thumbelina as told by Hans Christian Andersen? Have you ever seen the cartoon movie Thumbelina released in 1994 by 20th Century Fox? Well, even if you have read the book or seen the movie, you don't know the story. Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride tells the tale very close to Anderson's version which he heard from a passing swallow. We follow Anne Marie as she wants a baby and visits a witch to hear her plea. We follow Thumbelina as she grows up and begins dreaming of adventures. And then we follow Thumbelina as she goes on her adventure, meets the toad, the mouse, the mole. Only in this version, we actually to get to read Thumb's diary entries and letters to her mother (which have been magnified so that we needn't squint to read them). We also find out what really happened at the end of the story. Andersen was wrong. The Epilogue continues the tale as it really happened.

Excerpt from the epilogue:

Exactly at this moment, the original story of Thumbelina ends.

Look.

THE END.

Now you know exactly what happened and can write a book report, if you need to do that, or count this as part of your summer reading list. Nobody will mind if you just close the book and DO NOT READ ANOTHER WORD.

But to tell you the truth, there is something more.

This was a really cute book. I have not read Andersen's version of the story but I absolutely love the cartoon movie and can sing along with all of the songs. I even have Let Me Be Your Wings on my computer by Barry Manilow (which just saying it causes me to need to play it... it's so sweet and soothing). I think that Barbara Ensor must have known little Thumb in order to get this story so accurate. Although there were pictures throughout the book, I couldn't help but imagining the cartoon versions of each character in the scenes instead of the illustrated versions. This book is definitely more appropriate for young readers (I plan to show it to my 7 and 8 year old cousins), but it can be enjoyed by all readers if they can just believe in the magic that brings Thumbelina to life.

A-Z Challenge

completed - *Ensor, Barbara - Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride*

upcoming reviews - *Eclipse - Meyer*

*Breaking Dawn - Meyer*

currently reading *Fredericks, Mariah - The True Meaning of Cleavage*

brooke taylor contest

So Brooke Taylor (Undone) loves halloween and has decided to do a contest in honor of the holiday. Each week she has a different theme and will be giving gift bag giveaways for the theme. On halloween she will have big deal final contest. Check by her blog on Thursdays to enter!

October 2-9th: Vampires!
October 9-16th: Ghosts!
October 16-23rd: Zombies!
October 23rd-30th: Faeries!
October 31st: Paranormal Power Ball!

banned books

So I found a great blog about banned books week. (Gotta love the chick manifesto.) If you don't fall off your seat laughing, then you really don't care about people's right to read whatever they damn well choose. Well, that, or you don't have the same sense of humor as me...

wordle

So on wordle you can type in a blog url and it'll make one out of the feed. Here's one of my blog...



Click on the image to see it larger.

Sex, Murder and a Double Latte

Sophie Katz writes mystery novels. And she writes good mystery novels - complete with people being lynched, burned, drugged and decapitated, killed by use of a hatchet, and beaten with golf clubs. Unfortunately for Sophie, it seems that she is starring in her own mystery, quite literally, in fact. Over the course of a few weeks, she starts to notice that a bunch of things from her book Sex, Drugs and Murder seem to be occurring in her own life. Add this to the fact that JJ Money was murdered in a way quite similar to his song On Top and Alex Tolsky committed suicide in the same way as a character in one of his films Silent Killer (though the suicide was a cover for the murder that had actually occurred), and Sophie is worried - to say the least. Lucky for Sophie, she has her friends (Dena - owner of a sex shop, Mary Ann, and Marcus - her hairstylist) to help her to determine if the random coincidences that match her book are actually coincidences at all. If Sophie is going to solve this mystery, she has to start acting like Alicia Bright, the star of her novels, and do some investigating.

Kyra Davis's debut novel is published by Red Dress Ink, which is the reason that I bought it without reading anything about it except the title. I swear by RDI for all of my chick lit needs, so this book was easy choice (ok - I'm actually in a book club devoted to RDI and this was the pick this month, so I retrieved it off of my shelf to finally read). I've read a couple of mystery novels and my mother is an avid fan that likes to inform me of plots in mystery novels, so this book surprised me. Yes, I've read funny mysteries, but this one had me laughing for pages at a time until my stomach ached. I've also read mysteries where the criminal was obvious from the time he or she was mentioned, and some that kept me guessing. I am happy to say that this novel kept me guessing. There were too many suspects (in a good way) and I frequently switched primary suspects (as I'm sure it was intended). I look forward to reading Passion, Betrayal and Killer Highlights and Obsession, Deceit and Really Dark Chocolate, the two follow ups to this novel that also star Sophie Katz. I don't know if ODR is the last book in the series, but I hope it isn't because I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series so I can follow Sophie's missteps as well as find out where her new relationship (or is it?) will lead.

This book was published by Red Dress Ink which means that it is probably appropriate for 20+ but I would actually think that readers in their late teens might also enjoy it.

A-Z Challenge
completed - *Davis, Kyra - Sex, Murder and a Double Latte*
*Ensor, Barbara - Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride*
currently reading - *Eclipse - Meyer*
*Breaking Dawn - Meyer*

I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Ava Bender is in love with her boyfriend Jackson Montgomery. Pretty much, she has been in love with Jackson since she first saw him. Lucky for her, he is just as enamored. But there is just one problem. Jackson was in some kind of accident and died at the end of the school year. Now Ava has the entire summer to look forward to, alone, without school as a distraction. Actually, Ava's not quite alone. She has her parents, her girlfriends and her ex boyfriend all trying to make sure that she is alright and not falling too deep into depression. Them and, well, Jackson is also around. He may be dead, but he still hangs on to Ava and she can feel his presence when she is alone. She can see him reflected in mirrored surfaces. Ava is so happy to have Jackson with her, but it's hard to love a ghost, someone that can't touch her, can't kiss her. Can Ava move on? Will Jackson let her move on? Why does Ava blame herself for his death? What really happened?

Excerpt from pg 69 - Poem titled "The Next Morning"
What if it was
just
a
dream?

Lisa Schroeder's debut novel is told in prose, or a novel-in-verse, if you will. It took me a few poems to get my head around the idea of it, but this was an interesting way to tell the story. Although the poems were short, the average length was a page, they were descriptive enough to help me picture each scene and allowed my imagination to fill in the blanks. Each time that Lisa mentioned a song, which she often did, I could hear it as I read. The song choices gave the scenes ambiance and allowed for a better understanding of the characters who chose each song. I Heart You, You Haunt Me was another book that I opened and did not close until I had read the entire book (true it was a short book - 226 pages of poems - but I wanted to know how Ava would react to her boyfriend's ghostly presence, if she was going to tell anyone what was happening, if she would be able to start moving on). Ava was a character that I could relate to. After losing someone she loved, she did not want him to completely leave her life. She struggled with living in a world in which he was not alive. I think that is something that everyone can relate to. I may not have lost a boyfriend, but I've struggled to understand and move on when relatives have died. Grief can be tricky and I was interested in how Ava handled hers. I definitely recommend this book, though I don't know if it would be appropriate for someone who has just lost someone.

After typing all of that, I realize that this reminds me of the Kissed By An Angel trilogy by Elizabeth Chandler which I have loved since I first read it 10 years ago. I guess it makes sense that I would like I Heart You, You Haunt Me when it has a similar premise. I also look forward to reading Lisa's newest book Far From You (January 6, 2009), another novel-in-verse that sounds just as good as her debut.

A-Z Challenge
completed - *I Heart You, You Haunt Me - Schroeder*
currently reading - *Davis, Kyra - Sex, Murder and a Double Latte*

someday my prince will come

Last week I went to my cousin Tracie's wedding at Oheka Castle. I have to say that it was really cool. Unfortunately, it was raining (cue: Alanis Morrisette's "Ironic"), but that made it interesting. When we got out of the car near the front doors, there were guys with umbrellas that came over to the car to walk us to the door keeping us dry. My mother looked so cute holding onto one guy's arm as he walked her on the cobblestone path. Inside was beautiful and elegant, but I was more focused on seeing my family than paying attention to the decorations. There were rose petals on the seats to throw after the wedding, but first they needed to get through the ceremony. Tracie had eight (I think) bridesmaids and she allowed the parents to bring their kids up with them so there were a few babies and toddlers.

Between the ceremony and dinner, I received voicemail from my sister urging me not to leave a glass slipper behind. No matter how cute a Prince might be, times have changed. These days, cell phone numbers or email addresses can be exchanged. There is no reason to leave my shoe behind if I met a cute Prince. (I love my sister...) Speaking of my sister, after the Best Man, Maid of Honor, and friend of the couple spoke, I wrote down some ideas of things that I want to talk about next year during my MoH speech. I have a lot of ideas, but the thought of formulating them and making the speech seems so final. Like she'll really be married and no longer share my last name. She already does not share my house, my city, or even my county, but, at least, now we still have the same last name.

Anyways, Saturday we looked into wedding flowers and Sunday we went to another country music concert. Ashlee Page, Cowboy Crush and Andy Griggs were the opening acts for the two headliners - Kellie Pickler and Trace Adkins. Kellie was amazing and hysterical. She has stories for all of her songs and talks about her ex-boyfriends by calling them pigs or other things because they cheated. She has this song "Best Days of Your Life" in which she basically tells the guy that the best days of his life are over and gone since they're no longer together. Another song basically says that the couple whose wedding she crashed won't make it a year so they might as well throw "Rocks Instead of Rice." Trace was also good (though not as good since he didn't have Kellie's personality), but he had this tendency for pelvic thrusts. Apparently, after he made the video for "One Hot Mama," his mother was not happy so he showed her "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" before she could see it on tv and get mad. I had tears streaming down my face when he sang "Arlington" and that was the only song that my dad clapped for.

Other news? hmmm. I got my copies of Eclipse and Breaking Dawn from Amazon so I will be reading them and reviewing them soon.

Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang

Madeleine "Maddy" Wirtz, also known as "Monkey" and "Killer,"explores memories of her teens as she reminisces about January 1, 1953 through June 1956 - the time of Foxfire. It's been many years since those fateful months in 1956, Maddy's now fifty years old, but it's almost like yesterday that she was initiated as one of the original members of Foxfire along with Lana, Goldie and Rita. Legs also joined, but she was the leader. She did the initiating, she picked the girls that would join, she was first-in-command. Maddy was Foxfire's original chronicler. She recorded all of Foxfire's secrets, their rules, their adventures, missions, triumphs. She also recorded the bad times, the injustice and the insults. Thirty-some-odd years later, Maddy now reflects on Foxfire's history and tells their story from the first victory to the final plotted task.

An excerpt - the first paragraph of the book:
Never never tell, Maddy-Monkey, they warned me, it's Death if you tell any of Them but now after so many years I am going to tell, for who's to stop me?

This was the first book that I have read by Joyce Carol Oates and I am not sure that I will be reading any others. Although I enjoyed the book (which I read because I love the movie of the same name - starring Angelina Jolie - Legs, Hedy Burress - Maddy, Jenny Lewis - Rita, Jenny Shimizu - Goldie, Sarah Rosenberg - Violet), it just took so long to read. I had started reading this book a few years ago, but for some reason, I had saved my page, but never finished it. I reread this from the beginning this week and it actually took a full week to read. Seriously, I usually read books straight through or I can read them in a few days, but Foxfire was different. I was interested in the story, but I think that I enjoy books with more dialogue. The characters were reintroduced quite often (i.e. Maddy Wirtz, sometimes called "Monkey" and "Killer"), the story was told by Maddy but the point of view in the writing was confusing (i.e. Yeah we were surprised, nobody more than Maddy... page 217 - if speaking as a member of the group "we" then it should be "I" or "me"), and sentences often ran on to create a long paragraph with a lot of missing punctuation. I can understand that the character might not have good grammar, but it made reading the book difficult.

Looking past the flaws and focusing on the storyline and characters, I might read this book again, but next time I will have been forewarned of its awkward writing style.


A-Z Challenge
completed - *Oates, Joyce Carol - Foxfire*
currently reading - *I Heart You, You Haunt Me - Schroeder*

wedding in a castle?

That's right. My cousin is getting married in a castle. Seriously. It's called Oheka Castle (http://www.oheka.com/default.asp). I technically wasn't actually invited for some reason, but since I went to the bridal shower, my Aunt and Uncle were able to squeeze me in. (Since every single person that hears that a wedding is in a castle wants to go, you know.) Well, that is where I will be on Friday... at a castle, seeing my cousin get married.

Do you know how much I feel like I'm stepping back in time and into a book just talking about the idea? "Oh, yes. I'll be heading to the Island on Friday... Visiting a castle of some sort for the happy union." And the attire is formal so my next thought is Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella - "The Prince is Giving a Ball..."

The Lucky Place

Whew... finished. I have refused to give up on reading a book since A River Runs Through It (possible summer reading choice in high school - chosen for Brad Pitt, but given up for fly-fishing), but this one nearly did me in. It's not that it wasn't interesting, because it really was... interesting. Well, first, a description.

Zu Vincent's The Lucky Place chronicles the life of Cassie, a little girl who is trying to find her place in a grown up world without getting lost... again. As the story begins, Cassie is three years old and at the racetrack with her Daddy and brother. As Daddy wins his bets, he drinks, gives away money to the crowd and eventually, when walking up to the window for a payout, he lets go of Cassie and she is lost. Soon Mama meets a new man and Cassie must learn how to have two daddies, Old Daddy and New Daddy. The book is told from Cassie's perspective as she ages from three to twelve and as she matures in understanding of the world.

An excerpt: a short chapter entitled "A Thought" (page 90 - also in the book cover)
Here's what I think. I think having two daddies is like riding the elephant. You don't know until you get up there what an elephant smells like, or how high you will be on the elephant's back. But then you realize. And the basket tips one way and then the other, like you might fall, every time the elephant steps.

When I enter the classof2k8 second quarter contest, this was one of the books that I learned about and was interested in reading. The first chapter captured my interest. Unfortunately, I was not as thrilled by the book as a whole. I completed reading The Lucky Place because I was interested in Cassie's life and what was happening in her family, but books are told in a variety of ways, and this one was told by explaining the scene and the emotions behind it without much in the way of dialogue. For a story about children (eventually there are four main children in the novel), there should be a lot of dialogue. But for some inane reason, these children just understand each other without speaking or scenes between the children are glossed over to get to the adult scenes that are described to the wallpaper.

I think I would have liked this book better if it had used a different storytelling technique, but the storyline itself was good, the characters were easy to picture through their descriptions (as I cue Kate Voegele's "No Good" to describe Old Daddy), and Cassie was easy to root for. I wish I had liked this book enough to think I will read it again, but as least I am happy to have finished it and gotten to the end which was satisfaction (not the very end - slightly cheeseball - but before that).

A-Z Challenge
completed - *Vincent, Zu - The Lucky Place*
currently reading - *Oates, Joyce Carol - Foxfire*

20 questions - was 40 - I shortened it

When was the last time you had your hair cut? last month, I think... or was it the month before that? whenever it was it was when I finally realized that I should not have layers in my hair now that it has become straight (it was wavy growing up and changed but I don't like to acknowledge that)
What are you doing in two days? ummm... hanging out with Rebecca or CVB maybe? Hopefully getting a call from Dr. Robelee about getting into the school psych program late
What do you do when you're stressed out? nothing productive...
Have you ever kissed someone whose name starts with the letter J? John.... before Erika married him, I dated him for a very short time and yes, we did kiss
Ever been in love? unrequited, so it probably counts as no
Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos? I do want a tattoo at some point... possibly the one from Foxfire... maybe another...
Where's the last place you went shopping? checking online... apparently walmart... in Virginia... I guess when I bought The American Mall (cute MTV musical with Nina from Degrassi, Autumn from the OC, and Neil from SYTYCD)
Who was the last person to hug you? my brother thanking me for making breakfast
Who was the last person to call you cute? probably mom...
How long does it take you to get ready to go out? if I'm just going out, I just throw on clothes... if I want to look cute, longer... if I need to shower, an extra half hour (includes 5-7 minutes to blow dry my hair)... if it's dressing up, probably the same amount of time since I can do makeup in 5 minutes or less unless I lose it like last time
What were you doing at midnight last night? reading, or on the computer - checking my open im from last night? I was reading "The Lucky Place" - Zu Vincent
If you could move somewhere else, would you? yes... into my own place... of course, that would sort of take money and income, and self sufficiency
Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? yes...
If you got married to your best guy friend, would you be happy? I actually have told people that we'd probably get married if he didn't date other people since, aside from my family, he is the person I feel the most comfortable around.
Do you remember what you were like a year ago? scared sh*tless at becoming a counselor
Which girl's house was the last you spent the night at? back when she lived here? my sister's! ::wink::
Where is your best friend at this exact moment? CVB is taking a test
Were you happy when you woke up today? yes... I finally woke (nearly) with my alarm instead of sleeping past it for over an hour. I was able to read for a little bit and then make breakfast! If I can get to bed tonight a little earlier, I might ACTUALLY wake WITH the alarm tomorrow!
What's on your bedroom floor right now? too much... the floor it clean, sort of. It's just that the clean floor means that there are banker's boxes all over and stuff on the boxes and my shoes spilling out of the closet a little, and my purses spilling out of the closet since I don't know where to put them...
Does anyone hate you? In the past, I probably would have said yes, but now I don't think that anyone would bother enough to hate me. It's like me, or feel indifferent about me.

Alive and Well in Prague, New York

I admit it, Alive and Well in Prague, New York is not a book that I would have chosen off of the bookshelf on my own. I'll even admit that the only reason that I chose to read it at this point, is to fulfill a letter in the A-Z Challenge.

BUT

I won the second quarter contest at classof2k8.com and won four autographed hardcover books by first time authors. One such book was Alive and Well in Prague, New York by Daphne Grab. I am actually surprised to say that I enjoyed this book.

Sixteen-year old Matisse Osgood is the new girl in the small town of Prague, New York (cue Miranda Lambert's "Famous in a Small Town" as it happens to be playing as I type this sentence). She hoped it would be more like the Prague, but unfortunately, she's more likely to be attacked by a goose than visit a famed museum. Not only can she not visit a museum, but even her art teacher is clueless about art, recognizing that Matisse was named after an artist but mistaking Matisse for Monet; and seriously? How could anyone confuse the two? Prague is hopeless. It is nothing like New York City, where Matisse grew up. Then again, moving to Prague does have its perks. No one at Milo High knows Matisse's secret. Matisse can walk down the halls without receiving pitying looks from all of her classmates. And that suits her just fine. She is happy to keep her secret. She does not want her classmates to know that her dad has Parkinson's Disease. That her family moved to Prague because his doctor does not want him to build sculptures anymore. That she is hiding all of the hurt deep down so that even she might not be able to see it. How long can she keep her secret without being exposed? Will her friends support her when she is?

I really did enjoy this book. It was a quick read, but I became attached to Matisse and cried a few times. During scenes between Matisse and her parents, Grab did a good job of allowing the audience to view both sides. Although Matisse was quick to point out her opinion, her descriptions of her mother were a little bit too adolescent so I could tell that her mother was more likely acting or feeling differently. Parkinson's Disease was well represented in the book as well. True, Matisse's father may act like a ninny (yes, I did just say ninny) throughout much of the book, but he gets to. It's Parkinson's and it's taking over his life.

If you want to read a book filled with lovey-dovey romance? This isn't it. But if you want to read the story of a girl who is learning to be herself and to accept her family as it is, this is a good choice.

A-Z Challenge
completed - *Alive and Well in Prague, New York - Daphne Grab*
currently reading - *Vincent, Zu - The Lucky Place*

Wake

Imagine falling into a deep restful sleep when suddenly you wake in a nightmare. It's dark, and you can feel your body lying on your bed, but you realize that you forgot to shut the door or the window. Although you open your eyes, all you see is this nightmare. You feel your way to the window to make sure it's closed. The nightmare continues so you know you have to move on. You grasp for the wall, the desk, the chair. Maybe sit for a second to try to catch your breath as trembling you stand and continue to the door. Shutting the door, the nightmare fades away. It takes a minute, maybe two, and you can finally begin to breath normally again. In time, your vision clears, but you still are haunted by the nightmare you just witnessed. The nightmare that is still occurring. The nightmare that is being had by someone in the house. It's not your nightmare, you merely fell into it. This is your curse. It has been your curse since you were eight years old, riding on the train, and fell into the dream of a businessman worried about an upcoming presentation. No one can remember that you visited their dreams, but if they fall asleep nearby, and there are no closed doors to block it? Inevitably, you witness it all.

At 17, this is Janie Hannagan's life. Whether she is asleep or awake, if someone else has a dream, she watches it. Scary monsters, sex dreams, falling, drowning, being naked in a crowd. She's seen it all. It's normal. That is, until the nightmares become too strong and she can not hide her reactions. How can she keep her secret in high school when her classmates are falling asleep in class all the time? Who had the nightmare that scared her so badly, in which she seemed to be the the one the monster was after, and why weren't they in their own nightmare? Will Janie ever learn to control the dreams?

Just as Janie falls into everyone's dreams, I fell into Lisa McMann's debut novel and could not put it down until I had completed it. Truly, there are storylines that I hope to see expanded, or ideas that were not fully explained, but I believe that my questions will be answered in either Wake's followup (Fade - Feb 2009 - I can't wait!!!) or the third book (2010). One of the ideas that I wanted explained is hinted at in the short Fade excerpt that follows Wake. I admit that there were a few scenes in which I had to remind myself that the book was YA (I had begun to think of the novel as older because the teenagers are self-sufficient due to parental neglect) as I thought of things that could happen but were less likely to in this genre. This book was a New York Times Best-Seller. I definitely believe that it deserved it, and I think that it is good for my age group (20s), as well as teens.

A-Z Challenge completed - *Wake - Lisa McMann* <- I didn't need it for the challenge, but I wanted to finally read it since I have time and was awake all night... currently reading - *Alive and Well in Prague, New York - Daphne Grab*

Bloom

Lauren is dating Dave, and he's perfect. Together, they're perfect. Everything's perfect... except that she can't really talk to her best friend about what she is feeling, and she feels like an outsider among Dave's friends, and she can't tell anyone that she actually likes to play the clarinet, and she doesn't tell anyone about how her mother left her family when she was six, and her father is never home - but even when he is home - she can only say what she thinks he wants to hear, and she has her mother's grey eyes and is scared to become just like her but can't tell anyone that either, and, and, and...

Everything's perfect, until Evan Kirkland shows up in her world history class and her entire life is thrown upside down.

A quick paragraph excerpt from page 40:
"He looks at me and a smile blooms across his face. A real honest-to-God smile. I feel like I can't breathe."

Elizabeth Scott's Bloom plays off the idea that even when everything looks perfect, it's not perfect. The hottest guy in school falls for the most average girl, she becomes popular, they begin dating, and the story ends. Usually. This story picks up after that story ends. What happens after the relationship begins? How real is the average girl's new found popularity? Is happily ever after ever really happy? Can a perfect relationship last when an average guy is added to the mix?

I really enjoyed this book. Although I consider myself an observant reader, I actually missed a few things, a few connections, that were later repeated and expanded my understanding of some of the characters. Lauren is average; she's not perfect. And that's what makes this book so enjoyable.

A-Z Challenge completed - *Scott, Elizabeth - Bloom*
currently reading - *Alive and Well in Prague, New York - Daphne Grab*

Prep

Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep reads as a memoir. Although Sittenfeld is from the midwest and attended boarding school like her main character, the book is not completely based on her life, as she not so clearly states in the reader's guide following the story.

Lee Fiora attended Ault School in Massachusetts instead of attending her local high school in South Bend, Indiana. She had the idea that the children in the catalogs, the perfect girls and handsome boys, would become her friends and boyfriends. Of course, upon arriving at Ault for Freshman year, Lee was one of the few children on scholarship, and she would not forget it. She yearned to be more like the rich children, but she also had a fantasy that one of the handsome boys would find her crying in her room and comfort her. By the Winter of her Freshman year, Lee had fallen for Cross Sugarman. He became one of her obsessions throughout her four years at Ault.

Prep chronicles Lee's four years at Ault, as told by Lee in her late 20s. Although parts of the book were more enjoyable than others (i.e. Chapter 3: Assassin - following the game and wondering how it would continue and end seemed as much fun as playing it would have been), the book seemed more suited for a younger audience. The reasons that it is not for a younger audience are both the language (words children would not understand, as well as cursing) and the final chapter (Chapter 8: Kissing and Kissing), which was closer to Judy Bloom's Forever than to Meg Cabot's The Princess Diaries.

A-Z Challenge
completed - *Prep - Curtis Sittenfeld*
currently reading - *Scott, Elizabeth - Bloom*

Twilight and New Moon

Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga is quite addicting. It is a quick read in the sense that I did not want to put it down, but it did take quite a few hours to read each book (the first book was 498 pages and the second was 563 pages). I quickly became immersed in the story and read straight through the first two books in the series. ::edit - my review of the next to books is here::

**I tried to give little in the way of spoilers**

Twilight
In a world where monsters are real, Isabella Swan moves to the small town of Forks in Washington. Her parents have been divorced since she was little and her stepfather travels between minor league baseball teams, trying to make it to the big leagues. Bella has decided that it would be best for her mother if she moved in with her father (whom she "affectionately" calls by his first name and usually only sees in the summers) so that her mother can travel with her stepfather. Forks really is a small town, so small that upon beginning classes in January, everyone knows her name. In the new school, Bella receives attention from most of the male population (an experience which is completely new to her). Bella's only male classmate that seems to resist the allure of the new girl is her lab partner, Edward Cullen. Edward intrigues Bella and she soon observes peculiarities in his nature. At a beach party with some classmates, Bella flirts with young Jacob Black, a boy from a nearby town, and learns the story of the Cullens.


New Moon
When the Cullens leave town, Bella is distraught for months. Her father picks up on her troubles, but Bella decides to prove that everything is okay. She calls up friends that she had abandoned in her distress in order to get out of the house. During a trip to Port Angeles, Bella realizes that if she purposefully puts herself into a dangerous situation, she will hear Edwards voice in her head trying to warn her and keep her safe. In order to make this happen more often, Bella acquires a pair of motorcycles and contacts Jacob so that he can fix them and teach her to ride. He becomes her best friend, but nothing in Forks is ever simple for Bella. The danger is real, and monsters exist in many forms. Who can Bella trust when her safety is on the line? And can she ever make the right choice between love and friendship without breaking someone's heart?

I still have yet to read Eclipse and Breaking Dawn, but I think I've picked my side in the Edward versus Jacob debate that I've heard about. Eclipse will have to say a lot if it has any chance of swaying my vote. And at 640 pages (according to amazon.com, possibly including a Breaking dawn preview, though I'm not sure), it does have a chance, though slight.


A-Z Challenge
completed - *Twilight - Stephenie Meyer*
completed - *New Moon - Stephenie Meyer*

Birthday

So, the day after I saw Bucky Covington and Keith Anderson in concert (which was the day before my birthday), I invited a few friends back to the fair and we went saw Little Big Town. Of course, this time we sat in the back on bleachers instead of paying for better seats. I think that the only reason Chris and Rebecca attended the concert was to appease me and celebrate my birthday (it was the following day). Of course, we did wander around the fair a bit first and Rebecca actually bought tickets for us to go on rides. I never go on rides at the fair. At theme parks? Yes. At the fair? No. Anyways, they wanted to go on the swings, so I joined them (you know, the ride where swings fly around and around high up in the air). We also rode the ferris wheel, hoping to get stuck on the top to get a good view (though Chris wanted to literally get stuck on the top which reminded me of Mighty Joe Young), and we went through one of the funky house things where the floor moves and stuff.

Little Big Town was awesome, even if I didn't know a lot of their songs. I quickly learned a bunch of the choruses and sang along with all of the songs that I didn't know. The best part was when they played Good Lord Willing which is a song off of their extended album to be released in the fall. They had only played it one time in front of other people before that.

After the concert, we stopped by the 4H barn because my friend Anthony was dj-ing their dance. It was nice to see him since it had been so long, but we didn't really get a chance to chat because he suddenly had "fans," well, little kids making song requests.

We got home from the fair, we were upstairs hanging out with my mom, and I saw Rebecca and Chris both holding their cell phones. Suddenly both friends and mom began to sing Happy Birthday. I guess it was midnight.

On Sunday, we went to Albany to eat at the Barnsider restaurant. The filet mignon was so good. As was the surprise birthday cake that my family brought. Last time we went (Michelle had gotten her new job), I had a mudslide that was chock full of alcohol (it tasted too alcohol-y whereas it tasted like ice cream in Barbados). This time, I had an ameretto sour since it was the first drink I liked when I was 21. Now, I turned 24 on the 24th and had a lot of fun with my family and friends. (And yes, I still read YA novels.)

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

So my sister absolutely adores The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. She has read it, like, a thousand times (hyperbole). Anyways, my sister suggested that I read this book and as it is shorter than the other books that I was thinking about reading, I chose to read it first. Also, Avi will be a great author choice for the A-Z Challenge.

Charlotte Doyle is a thirteen year old girl who sets sail on the Seahawk to return to her family in America (she's been at a finishing school in England). During her trip, her father asks her to write a journal describing everything that happens. Upon her arrival in Providence, he will read her journal and check for any spelling errors. When the Seahawk sets sail on June 16, 1832, Charlotte is the only passenger accompanying Captain Jaggery and his crew. Charlotte soon becomes friends with Captain Jaggery, as well as Zachariah, a member of the crew. When the Captain asks Charlotte to be his eyes and ears around the ship in order to learn if and when the crew plans to revolt, Charlotte has to decide where her allegiances lie.

An excerpt - the first two lines of the book:
"Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. But I was such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago."

This book has a great coming of age story. Charlotte becomes a new person aboard the ship, and she also makes for a great heroine. I would recommend this book to all ages.


A-Z Challenge
completed - *Avi - The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle*
currently reading after receiving it for my birthday - *Twilight - Stephenie Meyer*

fair-weather friends

So, last night I saw Blake Shelton in concert at the fair... and well, Miranda Lambert had a few days off so she came to visit him (they're dating). She sang with him on "Home" (as she does on the CD) and "Ol' Red," as well as singing one of her own songs (I think it was "Gunpowder and Lead" - I remember singing along with the chorus but I don't have her album yet so I'm not sure). It was great since she wasn't supposed to be there but, since she was visiting, she was included. Before she came out, Blake said that it was his favorite part of the concert so I though it might happen during the song, then it did and oh my God. Blake and Miranda are so in love. And he is so tall, and she is so short, that when he was playing guitar on a stool and she stood next to him, they were the same height. They are so cute together. A side note - after the first song ("The More I Drink"), Blake threw his pick and no one noticed it go behind the people taking photos and a girl stepped on it. I kept my eye on it and after a few songs, I finally went over and asked the girl to move her foot since I'd "dropped something" and I pocketed the pick.

Here's some links to posted pics from the concert on forums...
http://www.mirandalambert.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=21395
(5th pic - Blake sitting and looking aggravated - he challenged a stagehand to perform after the guy supposedly said it was so easy.Well, the guy rocked the house with Steve Miller Band's "The Joker" fused into Shaggy's "Angel" which eased into Sublime's "Smoke Two Joints" and back to Shaggy. Blake practically kicked him offstage when he finished since he took up so much time and everyone screamed and sang along to The Joker and Angel.)

http://bsersfanclub.com/PHPBB/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14041
(4th pic - a sitting/standing pic so you actually see what I mean about their heights)
Tonight I saw Keith Anderson and Bucky Covington in concert. I may not be as lucky as my sister in how life will just work out, but I'm lucky in some things. Such as, the fact that my mother bought Keith's CD a few days ago since we were coming for Bucky. Such as, she opened it for us to listen on the way to the concert. Such as, I took the insert to read the lyrics as we listened. Such as, I decided to take the insert with me to the concert for the hell of it. Such as, Mom remembered to bring the camera today. Such as, I got there early and was given a pass for a meet and greet with Keith and got his autograph on the CD insert as well as a photo with him. He put on a great concert and was actually quite funny when describing Podunk (re: read his song lyrics and imagine the driving down main street explained...). I LOVED the song "Somebody Needs a Hug" and bought his second CD while there because it's new and that song's on it (it was pre-autographed and only $10).

I swear to you that Bucky Covington is full of Mexican jumping beans. He did not stop moving which made a good picture difficult. I took a lot of pictures as soon as I saw his eyes at one point. I just wanted to take a picture that captured his eyes as piercing blue as I had seen them. When he sang a slow song, he finally stopped moving so much. On "I'll Walk," he actually sat on the edge of the stage directly in front of me (3rd row seats) so I got some good pics, but I was fiddling with the phone and camera so I didn't get a picture showing that he was sitting (I don't think I did anyway). It was also cool on one of the songs because his twin brother Rocky came out from behind his drumset and sang a verse (he's also full of jumping beans). It was funny when Bucky introduced the band and they did their solos because Rocky was given the theme music to, well, Rocky, and came out punching. The last member of the band that Bucky "forgot" to introduce was Keith Anderson who came out to sing on the last song. I ended up buying a Bucky t-shirt for $20.

I may be going to see Little Big Town tomorrow night. I didn't buy tickets, but I can see them in the grandstand free with the price of fair admission. Oh, and Mom and Dad saw the Beach Boys the night before Blake was there. Yes, these people and groups are all performing at our local county fair.

Blake Shelton's pick that he used at the concert; Keith Anderson's autograph, picture with me, and a pre-autographed copy of his second CD; and a Bucky Covington t-shirt... not bad for almost birthday souvenirs!

Wicked and Son of a Witch

Gregory Maguire's Son of a Witch follows the same path as Wicked did before it. They are both set in Oz and take place in the various areas (cities? states?) around the Emerald City. The difference?

Wicked
Wicked follows the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Beginning years before Dorothy comes to Oz, Wicked explains the other side of the story. Though Elphaba travels with a young boy for much of the story, she does not know why he is with her or how exactly he came to be. Her belief is that he may be her son, but she has no memory of a period of her life, no memory of having a child or even being pregnant. (If you know the name of the second book, the idea of the child is not a surprise, so it is not much of a spoiler.)

Son of a Witch
The second book, Son of a Witch, chronicles the life of Elphaba's "son." Liir follows Dorothy as he begins searching for a childhood friend. Although the voice of the story remains constant with the first book, the storyline fails to compare. The first book left few, if any, questions unanswered, but this book left many questions with potential answers. Liir became confused about things towards the end of the book and he gave his opinion on what he thought may have happened, but there was no certainty. Technically, a character in a book will commonly misconceive situations so I don't really know if his idea is what happened. Liir's theory could leave possibility for a third book in the series if not for the final line in the book. (I won't reveal this line, but needless to say, it deserved to be the last line and was a great conclusion for the two books.)

A-Z Challenge
completed - *Macguire, Gregory - Son of a Witch*
currently reading upon Michelle's avid (enthusiastic?) recommendation - *Avi - The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle*

summer haiku

Catching up on a random blog which asked for a summer haiku back on May 26th. Although I'm not telling her my haiku, I thought one up on the spot and decided to post. It's silly, but here it is.

today is too hot
the summer has come at last
gotta love AC

A-Z Challenge

Since I have free time for the first time this summer and I've been reading, I'm going to do the A-Z Challenge... of course, I'm reading book series(es?) so the author part will be limited, but I'm going to try to remember what I've read in last few weeks to put on here, and then add as I continue to read. The only problem is that technically, I don't know if books are supposed to count in both sections or if I'm to read 52 books to finish the challenge... hmmm...

Books
F - Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of of the Sisterhood (Brashares)
G - Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood (Brashares)
S - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Bradshares)
W - Wicked (Maguire)

Authors
B - Brashares (The Second Summer of the Sisterhood)
M - Maguire (*Son of a Witch* - currently reading)

my Art is in the Verse

So I thought to myself "I miss writing poetry" and the lines just sort of came to me after 5 years of not writing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~

I want to be inspired
by a big lump of play-doh

squishing its ooey-gooey blueness
between my fingers

grabbing the yellow
and following the trend

What can I make?
What can I create?
What can I build?

I move on to my crayons and paper
A coloring book, this will be easy

nice and easy... there we go
that'll do it... Damn!
outside the lines

crumple the sheet and start anew

That didn't work
I Need something else
what can I try?

back to the trusty pencil and paper
write it down
the Adventure

I tried something new, but it never changes

pen or pencil
notebook or scrap paper

my Art is in the Verse

I like it and I don't

So, I have this job, an internship. I'm sort of sick of doing it so often even though for the past 2 weeks I've only worked one day each week due to snow days and holidays. I just really want a break. I'm looking forward to Spring break, so much. When Marist goes on break, I'm gonna take off from my internship because I just need time to breathe. Of course, that's not going to happen because we're taking a big deal trip to Canada and I'm going to meet a lot of relatives. I don't know. I hope that there will be some time before it and some time after it when I can just be like "ahhhhh" and let it all out, and maybe read a book or two. I'm so sick of school. I can not wait to get out. Just 3 months and I'll be done with school, 4 and I'll be done with my internship. But then I'll have to look into getting a job. I really should start the search before that but I really don't want to do that. I have spoken to my supervisor about it. I need to convince him that I really want to be a counselor, not a teacher, before we can move onto the part about what I am qualified to do and such. Now he's still talking about working over the summer at a school in order to test to see if I like teaching or counseling better. I need to just do the counseling because I need a job in order to get insurance and then to be able to have the money to eventually move out. I don't know if I'm ready to move out. The only living on my own I've done was a semester of college before transferring home and for a few weeks here and there when I've gone on trips without my parents (Barbados, Australia). It's really scary to think about moving out. I don't know. It's really scary to think about getting a REAL job. I had a job for 2 years, but it was part time and retail. I don't know.