Friday, August 30, 2013

The power of being quiet...

I just finished this book and it's very different then what I normally recommend to you! It's the winner of the Goodreads 2012 reader's choice awards. That means many people liked it! :D It's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain-


Did you know that at least one-third of the people we know are introverts? They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer. Susan Cain did a whole bunch of research for this book! she offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a "pretend extrovert." This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves. 

I found Quiet fascinating! Truly Susan Cain dove into her research! She dove into the world of introverts and a bit into extroverts in a way that is relatable and awesome. I felt as though I needed to read this. I took one of the tests that the author suggests and got the results of being 58% introverted while also relying a lot on the emotions and feeling of others around me. I wasn't shocked by these results. Sometimes I have found myself having a battle against myself because I would rather stay home instead of go to parties. I like to curl up and read a book instead of going to a sports game. I tend to squirm when a teacher uses the phrase, "We're going to get into groups now!" Small talk in a large group isn't number one on my list. Get me in a small group however and I am absolutely fine! I feel extremely charged and in my element when things around me aren't so chaotic. Bookstores are like my heaven! Susan Cain helps introverts understand that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this. We have been raised in an extroverted nation ever since books like How to Win Friends and Influence People became a social norm in our society in the early 1900's. (Susan talks about this history in her book). She goes in depth on different famous people who were introverts such as: Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Dr. Seuss. I loved how she talked about how sometimes introverts have to fake it till they make it. In other words, sometimes introverts have to put on a cloak of courage for awhile and attempt things that will most likely make them squirm a bit! I understand this concept when I have to speak publicly. She talked about the importance of finding quiet and how we as a society need to embrace our quiet people because often they are the peace keepers and the inventors. All in all a FANTASTIC read if you would like to learn more about society and our need to dazzle or reflect! :)

Susan Cain also gave one of my all time favorite TED talks! Super fascinating! I was watching it while cleaning my kitchen and found that my roommate was even drawn in to her talk! STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT! :D "Solitude matters!" 


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

TEEN GIRL MUST READS...part 1

Hello all! Today I would like to tell you all about one of my favorite authors! O and just because the title says teen reads I'm a firm believer that young adult fiction is for EVERYBODY!! So-Ladies and gents-MEG CABOT!!! She was my main teen go-to author when I was in high school and I loved every second of reading her books! I love her because she writes crazy situations and inspiring, quirky heros! She is best known for her series the Princess Diaries! She has written a ton of books so I made this into a blog series! Welcome to part one! But today I want to tell you about my favorite stand alone books that she has written! I promise you'll love them if you are in the mood for love and laughter!

#1 Avalon High


Do you love the story of King Arthur and Camelot?! For some reason I find stories of knights and kings and damsels in distress enchanting! I love them! In this story-Avalon High seems like a typical high school, attended by typical students: There's Lance, the jock. Jennifer, the cheerleader. And Will, senior class president, quarterback, and all-around good guy. But not everybody at Avalon High is who they appear to be ... not even, as new student Ellie is about to discover, herself. What part does she play in the drama that is unfolding? What if the bizarre chain of events and coincidences she has pieced together means -- as with the court of King Arthur -- tragedy is fast approaching Avalon High? Unique and awesome! 







#2 Jinx

Perfect for fall and Halloween time! Do you love a good witch story?! I sure do! This one has a bit of a scary element to it! It's not easy being Jinx. The only thing Jean Honeychurch hates more than her boring name (not Jean Marie, or Jeanette, just...Jean) is her all-too-appropriate nickname, Jinx. Misfortune seems to follow her everywhere she goes—which is why she's thrilled to be moving in with her aunt and uncle in New York City. Maybe when she's halfway across the country, Jinx can finally outrun her bad luck. Or at least escape the havoc she's caused back in her small hometown. But trouble has definitely followed Jinx to New York. And it's causing big problems for her cousin Tory, who is not happy to have the family black sheep around. Beautiful, glamorous Tory is hiding a dangerous secret—one that she's sure Jinx is going to reveal. Jinx is beginning to realize it isn't just bad luck she's been running from. It's something far more sinister...and the curse Jinx has lived under since the day she was born might just be the only thing that can save her life.





#3 Teen Idol

This was one of my absolute favorites in high school! It's because the main character is a good girl! She is a peace keeper. She is a problem solver. She can help anybody...she just can't seem to figure out her own life! Introducing Jenny Greenley! High school junior Jenny Greenley is so good at keeping secrets that she's the school newspaper's anonymous advice columnist. She's so good at it that, when hotter-than-hot Hollywood star Luke Striker comes to her small town to research a role, Jenny is the one in charge of keeping his identity under wraps. But Luke doesn't make it easy, and soon everyone—the town, the paparazzi, and the tabloids alike—know his secret...and Jenny is caught right in the middle of all the chaos. Fabulous! 








#4 How to Be Popular

This book is FABULOUS if you want a read about doing what is popular versus doing what is right! Everyone wants to be popular - or at least, Stephanie Landry does. Steph's been the least popular girl in her class since a certain cherry Super Big Gulp catastrophe five years earlier. Does being popular matter? It matters very much - to Steph. That's why this year, she has a plan to get in with the It Crowd in no time flat. She's got a secret weapon: an old book called - what else? - How to Be PopularWhat does it take to be popular? All Steph has to do is follow the instructions in The Book, and soon she'll be partying with the It Crowd (including school quarterback Mark Finley) instead of sitting on The Hill Saturday nights, stargazing with her nerdy best pal Becca, and even nerdier Jason (now kind of hot, but still), whose passion for astronomy Steph once shared. But don't forget the most important thing about popularity! It's easy to become popular. What isn't so easy? Staying that way. 





Now my last one is not a stand alone BUT I strongly DISLIKED the sequel so I pretend that it doesn't exist! :D Ignorance is bliss! The reason I love this one I'm going to tell you about is because it reminds me of this...


Dear 90's kids-please tell me you still remember My Date With the President's Daughter! What a classic! Which brings me to-

#5 All-American Girl

Samantha Madison is an average, cool Washington, D.C., teen: She loves Gwen Stefani (who doesn't?), can draw like nobody's business, and enjoys being opposite to her sister's annoying ultra-social personality. But when she ditches art class one day, she doesn't expect to be jumping on the back of a wannabe presidential assassin. Soon the young hero is receiving worldwide acclaim for her bravery, having dinner with her family at the White House, and is even being named teen ambassador to the UN. As if this weren't enough, she and David, the president's son, strike up a friendship that everyone wants the dirt on, which starts to give her romantic "frisson" feelings. Unfortunately, Sam thinks her sister's boyfriend, Jack, is the true love of her life, and she makes a few wrong turns that could screw up what she's developing with David. Will she ever stop following what she knows and start following what she sees? Told you the situations that Meg Cabot comes up with are crazy! :D 







That's it for today! Love to you all! Also I now have a Facebook page! Link is on the right!!!
Go like it! Kisses! 

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Hooray it's here!

The trailer for Divergent is finally out! Huzzah!!! Enjoy! Soak it all in! So excited!


Thursday, August 22, 2013

Yep...I'm talking about fairies!

This is how I feel-




Yes! I have found it! I have found the series that is full of romance, adventure, irony robots things, and fairies. Okay so you might hear the word fairy and think of this...


Am I right?! Well the series I'm talking about today is about hardcore fairies! Like the kick butt killer fairies that have not one ounce of pixie dust! It is a series that is good from start to finish! Sometime I find in a series that sometimes in the middle the story lags a bit but not this series folks! You ready for this!? Okay the series that you need to read is The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa! Here's the basic story line! The Faery realms have always weathered the clash of Summer and Winter fey, the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Now a new breed of faery has emerged to challenge both... to their peril. Forged by Man's insatiable pursuit of technological superiority, the terrifying Iron fey are massing...and the fate of all faeries hangs in the balance. The greatest weapon in this epic magical war? A half-human teenage girl. Here name is Meghan Chase and every side wants to use her for their own purposes. The main person who you will like in the fairy chess game is the villain/hero Ash.  
Let's list the books!

#1 The Iron King


#2 The Iron Daughter 


#3 The Iron Queen


#4 The Iron Knight


At first when i started this series I thought it was a little crazy because it has a strong fantasy theme! But the futher I got into it I loved how crazy and imaginative it is! Usually I wouldn't read a book about faery people but I actually really liked this and how it incorporated a Midnight Summer's Dream into it! I also really liked how the author portrayed Ash and Meghan's relationship. He is bound to kill her as a duty to his people yet he finds himself loving her. It  is kind of the ultimate doomed relationship. It's really intense! SO MANY EMOTIONS!!! I felt heartbroken-literally heartbroken...at one point of the series but I kept on going! I totally cried! Read it you won't be disappointed!! I will say this though-reading Julie Kagawa is a genius because her books are very fun because if you have an over active imagination like mine you picture the story in your mind like a movie and she writes them with such description it's super engrossing! :) Go and get them!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

It's time to Lighten Up!

Today I taught a lesson in church which was partly about loving yourself for who you are. I've been going through all of my books that talk about self worth and confidence all week long in preparation and thought I'd share one with you today! Because the world would have you think one thing about beauty but that thought or expectation is wrong! I have always wanted a shirt that says Zero is Not a Size! Curvy, skinny, pale, tan, tall, short, whatever you are I assure you that you are one beautiful person! Because beauty is an inside thing! :D So this book that I want to review today is Lighten Up! By Chieko N. Okazaki! 



I loved this book! I sincerely believe that Chieko Okazaki is probably the coolest and most tuned into women woman that I've ever read. She exhorts women to let the Savior carry their burdens or even just let other women help you on your journey because we all need each other to "lighten up". Fabulous! She has such fun and beautiful insights about the world AND she grew up in Hawaii which is just so magical to me and I loved her stories about her youth on the island.
Now these are my two favorite quotes from the book!

"Let's stop competing with other women and stop criticizing them, too. Let's stop competing with ourselves and stop picking at ourselves. Let's relax and enjoy who we are. Who we are is enough. We need to love ourselves. Remember that in a gospel sense love means an unconditional desire for the eternal well-being of a soul. Do we feel that we're worthy of such an unconditional regard? Not just someday. Not just if we do everything on the list. But right now? I love myself. I know I'm imperfect, but I also know that I don't have to judge myself harshly. The Lord is my helper. I can go to him. He loves me and wants an eternity of good things for me. But he also wants to give me seconds, and minutes, and hours of good things right now. This is true for you, too. He's not waiting for us to become perfect before we can be happy. We can take our time. We can enjoy ourselves. We can consult our own needs and wants. We can forgive ourselves for what we can't do, and we can be patient about the things we can't do yet. We can lighten up and stop punishing ourselves by thinking we have to do it all. Who we are is all right. God loves us now! And what we're doing is an acceptable gift to Him."

"Someday we will all know who we are, because the Savior, who truly knows us, will look at us and we will see ourselves through His eyes-pure, eternal, and all-knowing-rather than through our own mortal, shortsighted, dim perspective. And when we see ourselves as He sees us, we will recognize our glory. Trust in the Lord's love for you. I do. He is my rock and my salvation, my wings, and my roots."



Dang you just look so good today!!! XOXOXOXO


Saturday, August 17, 2013

I thought of you today...

Holy heavens above! My last few days have been CRAY CRAY! I've worked...I've been preparing to teach a lesson in church. My best friend decided to abandon me and go and live with a boy for time and all eternity! I've been fighting my strange addiction to go and buy a bunch of school supplies. (Failed...I do love the crayons I bought though!) My escape from reality is usually found in the crisp pages of my dearest book friends. But even they failed me. I have read a couple of books the past two days but I wouldn't recommend them to you because they were simple not ones that I would come up to you and beg you to read. I have very high standards for you all and wouldn't spoil/waste your time! I went and bought a bookshelf finally because mine is ridiculously full and sadly assembled it backwards! The whole time I was putting it together, hammer in hand, I was laughing on the inside thinking, "Who needs a man!? I can do this! All the single ladies...all the single ladies!" Then I flipped it upright and NOOOO!!! (I actually used a lot stronger language but I don't want you to think less of me so let's stick with NOOO!!) My girl instincts really kicked in when I tried to fix said mistake by painting the wrong sides with white nail polish...FAIL! Life is like a black diamond trail. Take off my skis and wait for my family in the lodge I'm done! I do have a few posts on reserve for you but I'm saving them to BAM blow your mind later! I had this moment of feeling like I failed you...and then I started thinking about all of the people who support me in this book addiction of mine! So today this post is for you...because instead of whining and being sad about my ability to assemble a bookshelf...I want to count my blessings! AND tomorrow I will post about books which I always love but TODAY I need gratitude. Today I'm grateful for...
1. Mackenzie Munns and Katie Veil and Michelle Bernston for being my amazing friends that like my blog posts and share my stuff! LOVE YOU guys! Kenz I often think of sending you a big box of books as a thank you!! :D
2. My Deseret Book peeps-especially Shauna, Jen, Courtney, Monica, and Heather! They talk blog and books with me and I love them for it!
3. My sister-in-law Camille for sending me super nice and encouraging emails telling me that my blog is good! Love her for that!
4. Austin Maughn-I always get excited when he sends me these pins on Pinterest. This is true friendship! Here's one of my favorites!
5. Cody Lowery for being like the best photographer I know! She took all the picture of me on the main page of this here bloggy blog! She's also a bomb.com friend-Because she puts these pictures on my Facebook wall and it makes me happy!

Coolest cupcakes ever! 


6. I thank the people who want to be my friends on Goodreads and Twitter! I thank all of you for being amazing lights in my life! I thank you for recommending books to me! I do actually listen and check them out! BIG FAT KISSES!

7. AND FINALLY I thank Matt Palmer for sending me this video...because as a book lover I was on the floor laughing and I want to be her for Halloween! Enjoy! I hope you have a very grateful and happy day!


Thursday, August 15, 2013

In the words of OneRepublic...

In the words of OneRepublic..."I'm gonna give all my secrets away!!!" That's right ladies and gents! I'm revealing it all! (That sounds so scandalous!) This post is for all of my peeps out there that have a tablet or kindle or some sort of e-reader device! I'm going to let you in on all of my favorite ebook websites that offer either free ebooks or ebook deals! I use a good majority of them daily! I especially like the ones that search out deals for me! My life is busy and I'm a college student aka poor so if the ebook is expense or I have to go and search out the deal-I say-



Just click on the names to be taken to the website! Here are my-

TOP 6 EBOOK WEBSITES

#1  Bookyards

bookyards.com is a good website if you want to read classics and also has the cool service of providing you with biographies and facts about the author. I keep my eye on this one because as an English major I like to be able to have that information on hand!



#2 Project Gutenberg

I love Project Gutenberg! The soul purpose of this website is provide you with all books printed before that thing that we call copyright OR if their copyright has expired! :D I LOVE this website! They offer over 42,000 free books! That is an insane amount of books so to save you time I provided you with the link to their top 100!

Top 100 Link


#3 Amazon Daily Deals

Amazon has provided this lovely service of their daily deals! You have the option of going in and selecting the genres that you like and then they send you a daily email that tells you about their hottest deals! I've gotten quite a few good deals out of this such as the entire Lemony Snicket collection for $1.00! Sold!

#4 Lendle

Lendle is a you-give-you-get website! Think of it as trading books with friends but you are trading ebooks! If you are like me you have some ebooks that you haven't read in awhile that are just sitting there-so why not put them to good use! The idea of this website is you list books that you'd be willing to lend and in return you get a certain amount of credits. These credits can be used to select available books on the website and someone will lend it to you for two weeks! It's a good ebook library!

#5 Bookbub

Bookbub is a great service that offers you 8-10 ebook options via email a day that are either free or dirt cheap! You have to once again list your preference of genre so they can provide you with books that you actually want. This one is nice if you don't have a lot of time and just want a quick list of books that you might like! For me this one is just a tad hit and miss but like I said-it's nice when you don't have the time! :)

#6 Bookgorilla

I saved my absolute favorite for last! I love bookgorilla.com! We have a great relationship! They are like Bookbub but I like them ten times more! Bookbub just has an overview while Bookgorilla goes in depth! Bookgorilla takes your preferences and delivers you an email daily that has the promise of the books always being under $5 dollars! I'd say the majority are free to $2.99. Rarely have I seen it be higher unless it's a really popular book that's usually more expensive and they want you to get the deal because it's so good! Trust me out of all my suggestions this is the one I MOST recommend!

I hope that you found this helpful! I hope that this provides you with some free reads that you will fall in love with! Sending you big fat kisses and a thousand happy read wishes! :D (totally just made that up...high five for me!)



Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Trying to hold in the excitement...

Okay so it's no secret that I love Markus Zusak! I could probably write a thesis on his books and love every minute of it! I've already done a post about his book The Book Thief. If you would like to read that you can find it...

HERE

So-in my love for Markus Zusak I follow him on all of his social media outlets and yesterday he posted something that has got me all sorts of excited! They are making a movie of The Book Thief! If you are like me you probably don't every like the movie as much as the book but I think this one is going to be really good because they are trying to stay very true to the story! FINGERS CROSSED!!  Plus I'm excited to see who will play Death! It doesn't have a trailer yet but Markus graciously provided some photo stills from the shoot. I will post them below! I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it! :D :D Enjoy! Much love!

I LOVE THIS ONE!!!! 



THIS ONE IS MY FAVORITE!!! 


Monday, August 12, 2013

You deserve a medal...TOP 10

While I was cleaning out some old nostalgic items today I found a box FULL of trophies! I felt so cool until I realized they were all for being on the Honor Roll my entire life! I love my nerdiness! We are a competitive people! We love medals! They are shiny and make people know you're number 1!!! So it is with books! Have you ever wondered what those medals on books even stand for? Well my darlings you are in luck because today I will reveal one to you! 


It's called a Newbery Medal! What is a Newbery Medal? Well let me tell you! The Newbery Medal was first offered in 1921 as an incentive for better quality in children's books. Named after John Newbery, the famous 18th-century publisher and seller of children's books, it is now donated annually. It is awarded to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children published during the preceding year. Runner-up books for the Newbery Medal can be chosen for the Newbery Honor instead. That's a list I'll make later! 

Newbery is the big leagues for children's literature! SO I am going to present you with my top Newbery winners (that I've read so far!) 

#1 The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (winner 1959)

Still one of my favorites! I read this book in the fifth grade and then I reread it in college for a children's literature class I took! When I read it for my class it shot up in my book loving bracket! It's amazing! It's the perfect read for fall when we love witches and all things macabre. Orphaned Kit Tyler knows, as she gazes for the first time at the cold, bleak shores of Connecticut Colony, that her new home will never be like the shimmering Caribbean island she left behind. In her relatives' stern Puritan community, she feels like a tropical bird that has flown to the wrong part of the world, a bird that is now caged and lonely. The only place where Kit feels completely free is in the meadows, where she enjoys the company of the old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, and on occasion, her young sailor friend Nat. But when Kit's friendship with the "witch" is discovered, Kit is faced with suspicion, fear, and anger. She herself is accused of witchcraft!






#2 Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (winner 1998)


Written in free verse, this story is set in the heart of the Great Depression. It chronicles Oklahoma's staggering dust storms, and the environmental--and emotional--turmoil they leave in their path from the perspective of a little girl. This book is unforgettable because it's heartfelt and it's poetry! 













#3 The Giver by Lois Lowry (winner 1994)


Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back. I have read this a couple of times over the years and it is still a beautiful book! To carry the past when no one else does makes this book so unique! It'll make you appreciate humanity and all of it's wonderful and terrifying experiences! 









#4 Holes by Louis Sachar (winner 1999)


Stanley Yelnats is a good boy. He just has terrible luck due to his families curse. When he ends up at Camp Green Lake for trouble boys he has to dig holes all day. But things are not as they seem at the camp and as Stanley digs he also digs up the past. This book is BRILLIANT!!!! It entertains you and draws you in to the last page! 













#5 The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (winner 2004)


Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out. This book is an amazing message of light and love and you'll be a better person for reading it! 








#6 A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (winner 2002)


When Min the master pot maker takes Tree-ear on as his helper, Tree-ear is elated–until he finds obstacles in his path: the backbreaking labor of digging and hauling clay, Min’s irascible temper, and his own ignorance. But Tree-ear is determined to prove himself–even if it means taking a long, solitary journey on foot to present Min’s work in the hope of a royal commission . . . even if it means arriving at the royal court with nothing to show but a single celadon shard. This book is a must read for kids! It has the best message of giving your all and doing your best! 









#7 A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (winner 2001)


Mary Alice's childhood summers in Grandma Dowdel's sleepy Illinois town were packed with enough drama to fill the double bill of any picture show. But now she is fifteen, and faces a whole long year with Grandma, a woman well known for shaking up her neighbors-and everyone else! All Mary Alice can know for certain is this: when trying to predict how life with Grandma might turn out . . . better not. This is a sequel but it is HILARIOUS! Like laugh out loud funny! You will actually LOL not just say you LOL'd! 











#8 Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (winner 1961)


In the Pacific, there is an island that looks like a big fish sunning itself in the sea. Around it blue dolphins swim, otters play, and sea birds abound. Karana is the Indian girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual adventure of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery. Karana is the original castaway! This story I remember fascinated me as a kid because it's kind of an intense book! But good intense! 











#9 The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (winner 2013)


"I flop onto my back. The cement is always cold, but tonight it hurts. Bob leaps onto my belly. "You are the One and Only Ivan," he says. "Mighty Silverback." He licks my chin, and he's not even checking for leftovers. "Say it," Bob commands. I look away. "Say it, Ivan." I don't answer, so Bob licks my nose until I can't stand it any longer. "I am the One and Only Ivan," I mutter. "And don't you ever forget it," he says." -pg. 119
Ivan is a gorilla. He's been in a cage for a really really long time. But he does have some friends. He has two elephants and a spunky little dog to keep him company. But sometimes cages are too small and stories have deeper meanings. Also we need to realize who we are and realize we are the one and only us. And there is an artist or a mighty silverback in us all.







Finally #10!!!!

#10 The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (winner 2009)

First you should know that Neil Gaiman is an evil genius of a writer! There aren't many writers out there quite like him! He's BRILLIANT! He's like the Tim Burton of writers! But a bit more enchanting!  After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own. Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family . . . My favorite quote from the book...

"“You're alive, Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, make anything, dream anything. If you can change the world, the world will change. Potential. Once you're dead, it's gone. Over. You've made what you've made, dreamed your dream, written your name. You may be buried here, you may even walk. But that potential is finished.” 

Well my friends there you have it! My top ten Newbery award books! You literally can't go wrong! Just let the shiny medal draw you in and embrace the awesome! Kisses! 

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Well I'm excited!

Well...I found a new series that I'm super excited about! It's got everything! Mystery, romance, good vs. evil-the whole SHABANG!!! The heroine is KICK BUTT and you can't help but like her and sort of fear her at the same time! It literally makes me feel like this-



The first book in the series is...

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.  Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Chaol Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.  Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another.  Celaena has to figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim...





Book #2 is Crown of Midnight and is set to be released by the end of August 2013. She looks a lot more hard core on this cover then the first! :D 


Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes. Keeping up the deadly charade of assassin—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. I read it all in one setting until the wee hours of the morning because it was one of those books that I just HAD to finish it and see what happens! I loved it! It builds the perfect amount of tension that makes you just keep on reading without stopping! It has an interesting aspect of doing one's duty versus following one's heart! The main character is a trained to be a cold blooded assassin but she often finds she questions the commands that she is given. 






HUZZAH!! I loved it and I think ya'll will too!!