NaNoWriMo!!

Yay, National Novel Writing Month!!!

Needless to say I am indeed going for it again this year.  I have a good feeling that I'll win too!  With two local write-ins to go to, the 'official' write-in that I always try to make, AND the person I'm racing's word count to watch to make sure I do that little bit more just to be ahead of them, I might have just enough fire under me in the last week to cross the 50k.

I'm writing this assuming that you all know what National Novel Writing Month is.  For those who don't go to their website, nanowrimo.org.  It's such a fun challenge!

Anyways, I wanted to do something different on here this time around, especially since I've been away from here for awhile.  What I'll do is post a line from what I wrote that day, everyday.  It can be my first line, last line, favorite, funniest, etc.  I'll also post my word count.

Since today is actually the second day, I'll give you a line I wrote from yesterday and the word count I stopped at.  Today's will come later.  Here goes.

Word count: 701/50000 (Way behind.  It's ok though.  It's only the first day.  Not worried about it at all....  Lol.)

I thought the very first line of this NaNo Novel would be appropriate for the very first post about the very first day.

She would not have noticed if not for the boom.

Simple, yet intriguing I think.  Lol.

Feel free to join me and post a line of your own!  Good luck to those giving it a go and I'll see you on the next one.

Old School Email

There's this thing outside my house.  Kind of like a box on a short pole.  A mailbox, right.  Almost every day someone in a truck drives by to put some paper in it.  What's that stuff called?

Oh yeah.  MAIL.

What happened to the times when someone you actually knew would write you a letter?!  I remember loving to write letters to one of my friends who moved away when we were little because talking on the house phone for a few hours cost too much.  There was just something about knowing that you should be getting something soon or wondering if they got yours yet.  It was like getting a present.

Then we were introduced to cellphones, then social networking, and that was the end of the written word.

Ok, let me be fair.  Cellphones and the Internet are so much easier.  I mean, what do I expect, a formal written invitation every time a friend wants to go shopping?  Nope, a simple text does the trick in a few seconds.  Find a random funny video?  Just copy it to the nearest social network site.  I don't think I even use email anymore unless it's for school or business because I can just message someone on facebook.

It just seemed so special that someone took the time to sit down, write some thoughts out, then go out and mail something so personal.  I guess I'm just nostalgic...  I still have a bunch of those letters.  Lol.

When was the last time you wrote or received a letter from someone? I might go find out how much a postcard cost to send now.

'The Selection'- Kiera Cass (Review)

                                                   

"For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon. 

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. 

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined."

Both the picture and above blurb are from http://www.kieracass.com/books/

One of my first thoughts about this one?  'This is Hunger Games mixed with the Bachelor!'  Strange but true! The best way I can think of to describe this book as a whole is to say that it's almost like Hunger Games except the 'games' is The Bachelor.  There is a drawing that all the girls are put into (the difference here being that they enter only once and have a choice as to whether they're in the running at all).  There are 'caste' numbers that are like the 'districts' except they have more to do with how you live instead of where.  They are also set in a world were there are unconventional rules.  Then you have a group of girls going after the same guy for all the world to see.  Welcome to The Bachelor.  When I first started reading it I wasn't sure that I liked that (probably due to mixed feelings about the TV show...  Lol.).  I didn't think that it was bad but I wasn't in love with it yet either.  Although, I did say YET.

After I kept reading, because it was an interesting story, I found myself wanting to read it more and when I was done I still wanted more!  America seems to both be the typical girl and unexpected at the same time.  She has the same thoughts that most girls could probably relate with at some level along with a kind of boosted confidence, honesty, and bravery that just seems to be normal for her even in some of the situations she found herself in.

Not to mention that it was an excellent balance of humor and suspense.  I probably laughed about as many times as I was worried and I like that in a book.

A highly suggested read!

(Side note: This may be all the classes that I've been analyzing stories in talking here but is there some deeper meaning to her name being America?  Then having someone named Aspen?  Might just be me thinking too much.)

Spoiler Alert!- This post is about Spoilers.

Oh Internet, you know spoilers all too well.

Oh my gosh, how could he do that at the end?!

My favorite character ISN'T DEAD after all!

Finally, they kissed/fought/made up/killed each other in this episode!!!!!
- signed, most show/book fanatics at some point in their lives

All of the books I've been reading lately have been sequels or some part of a series.  It makes me really nervous to post a review on them.  What if I say too much or something that's not revealed till the end of the last one?  Is it normal to do reviews for a following book in a series?  I wouldn't mind it if I knew one thing: HOW DO I KEEP FROM SPOILING EVERYTHING?!?!

Spoilers run rampant in sequels.  Let's name a couple, shall we?

-We know the character is still alive if we know there's a second book.  I mean, I guess it's possible that it would continue from another character's perspective but.... come on now.

- The next one usually starts off where the last one ended.  If not exactly where the last one ended.  Ex. - After the epic battle that they defeated the villain in, they went home.  (OK, maybe not that obvious but close.)

If I really wanted to do a review of a sequel or any kind of continuation how can I avoid feeling like I've ruined it for someone?  Do you do reviews of sequels?  Has anyone ever spoiled something for you?

I'm off to create an automatic spoiler sensor.  See you guys later.

Beautiful Books

I read Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore and I have to say that it is one beautiful book.  I know you're not suppose to judge a book by it's cover, and I'm not, but my goodness look at this thing.



I love the color of this.  Maybe it's just that I'm kind of partial to the colors blue and purple and keys too really.  Lol.  I love how they blend in with eachother and create the different hues.  Come to think of it, that says a lot about the story too!  The keys as well too, but I won't get into that though I might spoil it.

It's not just the outside either, it's the inside too.  There are all sorts of images on the inside.  The end pages (you know, the pages at the very front and back that are usually blank?  I think that's what they're called) have this really cool and weird swirly design on them.  And a map!  There's a map in front and I love it when there are maps.  Then the chapters are sectioned into parts and at the beginning of each part the pages with the title on it are covere with more beautiful art.  Even the chapter numbers are surrounded by a pretty looking key.

It makes me feel like I'm reading a storybook.  You know those storybooks that children would read with all the pictures and art and not to mention the really awesome stories?  Yeah, just like that.  I'm a pretty big nerd about books huh?  Lol.

What is the most beautiful or just plain book that you've ever seen?  Do you judge books by their covers or do you think people really do?

Literature is Important Too

I like the tribute that London did to represent their contribution to Children's Literature in the Opening Ceremonies.  Granted it was a little creepy and confusing, to be honest, but it was still super cool.

If you didn't see it, they actually had J.K. Rowling read a passage from Peter Pan to start them off.  After she was done the announcer had said that Rowling was nervous to do something like that.  Well, yeah, it's the Olympics.  The WORLD IS WATCHING.  I'd be nervous too.  But if someone asks you to do something that's this huge you shouldn't back out for no better reason then you're scared.

So then they had a whole sequence involving Voldemort, Cruella De Vil, the Queen of Hearts, and Mary Poppins.  I'm serious.  This is the confusing part.  It was suppose to be a child's dream/nightmare and Mary Poppins came to save the day.  Lol!  You'll have to see it to make any sense of it further than that.  Aside from Harry Potter though, I had no idea that these stories had connections there.  I don't know that I've even really thought about the orgins of different books before.

I just thought that it was really cool that they're so proud of the people from their country and the works they produced.  It makes me hope to write something that will make people just as proud to live where I'm from.

Another commentator, who was talking about Rowling, said that she made it 'cool to read again'.  I agree.  Reading has become the cliche 'boring and nerdy' thing to do but Harry Potter is one of those books that the majority of people have gotten around to reading.  Even so, you have to remember that there had to be a good amount of avid readers that gave it a try and liked it enough to spread it around before it became a household name.

It's been awhile....

It's been really quiet on my end lately.  It's been a rough couple of months and these past few weeks have been particularly hard on me and my family.  So bear with me.  I'll try to have things up and running again sometime soon.  Thanks guys. :)