August Wrap-Up

Books I Read

Mercy Mode by Em Garner

4/5


Recommended to fans of The Program and Divergent, zombie-lovers (though it will appeal to those who don't like our rotting friends so much), and both paranormal-newbies and paranormal-junkies. You can read my review of it HERE.


The Program by Suzanne Young

5/5

Recommended to anyone who likes books that make you cry, romance, Divergent, and dystopian books.

Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth

5/5

Divergent, quick reads, a chance to get into another character's head, short stories, anthologies, and anyone who is in desperate need of more Fourtris.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

5/5

Recommended to anyone who likes fluffy reads, terrible writing but a fun story, a cast of characters that you'll instantly love, a typical romance, and happy and predictable endings. I lied.

The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

DNF

Blech. This whole book (or what I managed to force myself to read) seemed like a Harry Potter ripoff to me. I had so much more hope for these two authors, but it didn't really work out.

Movies I Watched

"Dead Poets Society"

5/5

Recommended to anyone who likes simple movies, inspirational messages, and a good cry.

"Aladdin"

4/5 

Recommended to anyone who likes a classic Disney movie and likes to laugh.

"What If"

5/5 

Recommended to anyone who likes Indie movies, likes to laugh, and a best-friends-first-couple-later kind of romance.

"The Hundred-Foot Journey"

5/5 

Recommended to anyone who likes Indie movies, likes to laugh, and loves good food. Similar to "Julie & Julia," this is not a movie to watch on an empty stomach!

Quotes I Wrote

I grinned. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise.” And I could imagine the eyebrow wiggle that would accompany his mysterious tone. “But make sure you get all gussied up.”
I snorted. “Gussied up? Are we going square dancing?”
--Beneath the Moon and Stars

“Becca told me she thinks your mother is borderline.”
“Becca thinks everyone is borderline.”
“You know, she’s probably right. She is a psychology major.”
And when I didn’t answer, she laughed.
“I win!”
“What? How did you ‘win?’”
“Any time you can’t think of a response to something I say, I win.”
--Beneath the Moon and Stars

I laughed. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It doesn’t have to.”
“Why not?”
“Because life doesn’t make sense, so why should we?”
“I have a theory,” I said, ignoring her, “Oh boy, here we go.” I sat up. “Maybe we do make sense, and it’s everyone else that doesn’t. What if all the weirdos and freaks of the world are actually the normal ones, and the normal ones are actually the weirdos and freaks of the world?”
“You make my brain hurt.”
“The feeling’s reciprocal.”
--Beneath the Moon and Stars

"I need you to do me a favor. Marcus is having a party tonight and I couldn’t find the movies. Can you go to Wal-Mart and see if they have the movies? Quickly?"
"Yeah, ‘course. What’s your apartment number?"
"Two-twenty-one."
"As in B Baker Street?"
"Lane."
"All right, I'm going."
--Beneath the Moon and Stars

“That looks bad.” Lane sat down next to me and dragged my hand away from my mouth.
“Nothing you can do about it,” I mumbled.
“I can kill him. That’s always an option.”
The corners of my mouth twitched, but even that hurt. “That’s not an option.”
Lane’s eyes still burned with a fiery rage. “Why not?”
I pushed his hair out of his eyes. “Because you’d be arrested as a convicted murderer and I’d never see you again.”
“I’m sure there are visiting days.”
“Not an option, Lane.”
--Beneath the Moon and Stars

Obsessions I Acquired

Synthesia. I found a few piano tutorials on YouTube by accident, and now I'm hooked. It's a great way to learn a song before printing out the sheet music. I'm working on the "Doomsday" theme from "Doctor Who" and the "Sherlock" theme song.

My job at the Renaissance Faire. Technically I've been working there since June, but I only started working costumed weekends at the beginning of this month. It's so much fun! :) I'm actually leaving to go in a couple of hours as I'm writing this.

My YA contemporary romance novel, Beneath the Moon and Stars. I wrote over 15,000 words this week alone, and it's almost finished! I had no idea I would have this much fun writing a romance novel.

Picture of the Month

I went a little photoshop crazy.

How was your August?

The Bookshelf Tag

I was tagged by nevillegirl and Karoline for this meme! :) Thanks, guys!

1. Is there a book that you really want to read but you haven't because you know that it'll make you cry?

I don't tend to avoid books because I know they're going to make me cry. In fact, sometimes that's a big plus for me. I love getting so emotionally invested in a book that the author could pull tears from me like that. It means I've really connected with the characters.

2. Pick a book that helped introduce you to a new genre.

The Host, These Broken Stars, and the Lunar Chronicles, along with "Doctor Who," all helped me to discover that maybe sci-fi isn't so bad. At least, not all of it.

3. Find a book that you want to re-read.

Harry Potter, forever and always. But other than that, I like to reread books before going to see the movie, so I'll probably read Mockingjay again soon.

 4. Is there a book series you read that you wished you hadn't?

No, I don't really have a lot of reading regrets, or regrets in general. And if I don't like the first book in a series, or I'm satisfied with the ending of the first and don't want to screw it up (like with If I Stay and Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, for example), I won't read the sequel(s).

5. If your house were burning down and your pets and family were safe, which book would you run back inside to save?

One book?! I'd probably end up throwing my Harry Potter books out the window before I had to choose one.

6. Is there one book on your book shelf which brings back fond memories?

Aside from Harry Potter (because duh), the Calvin and Hobbes treasury always makes me smile when I look at it. I used to read the books under my blanket by the light of a flashlight, giggling at the crazy stunts they pulled. (Sometimes I still do this.)

7. Find a book that has inspired you the most.

Different books inspire me in different ways, though I'm always influence by any book I read, whether it's because I learn what not to do or I mimic the style of the author subconsciously. Harry Potter has always given me the extra push I've needed--and is quite possible the book series that started it all--but most recently, I was blown away by the beautiful writing and descriptions in We Were Liars by E. Lockhart.

8. Do you have any autographed books?

Yes! I have Eleanor & Park signed by Rainbow Rowell herself (thanks, Mom and Dad!), Princess Academy by Shannon Hale, most of our Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems, the Spiderwick chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, and several others.

9. Find the book that you have owned the longest.

That would be my very well-worn Harry Potter set. The bindings are so beat up, you can't even read the titles, and the first copy of the Sorcerer's Stone I owned ripped in half, so we had to get a new one.

10. Is there a book by any author which you never imagined you would read or enjoy?

Definitely The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I'd avoided it for so long because of the whole Twilight series that my bookish friends couldn't stand, but then I saw a preview for the movie and it looked really good. Soon afterwards, my best friend recommended that I read it, and she's usually right about that stuff, so I picked it up. Boy, am I glad that I did!

I tag anyone who wants to complete it!

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Thank you, Robyn LaRue, so much for nominating me! :)

Rules

• Thank and link the amazing person(s) who nominated you.
• List the rules and display the award.
• Share seven facts about yourself.
• Nominate some other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated.

Facts

1. I've eaten--and liked--raw baby octopus.
2. I am a well-known klutz and space cadet.
3. I've ridden in a stretch limo.
4. I am a pantser and a procrastinator.
5. I dogear and deface write in my books, much to the horror of my other bookish friends. (Hi, Cait!)
6. I avoided "Doctor Who" for the longest time because, to be frank, I thought it looked stupid. I am now a proud Whovian and ship Ten/Rose more than any other couple (on TV).
7. Most of my characters have at least one trait from a person I know (including myself!).

I nominate . . .

Mom and Dad at "Sushi and Pizza."
nevillegirl at "Musings From Neville's Navel."
Cait and Mime at "The Notebook Sisters."
Skylar Finn at "Life of a Random."
storytellergirlgrace at "Storytellergirl."
Karoline at "As a Teen Writer."
MorningTime4 at "The Ups and Downs of My Not-So-Average Life."

Half-Blood (a Book Review)

by Skylar Finn

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Pages: 281

Amazon
Goodreads

This is the first Jennifer L. Armentrout book that I’ve ever read. And I have to say I’m impressed but...not blown away.

First, I want to make a quick note about the romance. If you take the blurb at face value, then it’s easy to assume that the whole entire book is all about a forbidden romance which is a very big turn-off for me. It’s not all about the romance though. Yeah, it’s a big part of it but not the whole story. So if you saw that and thought Meh this doesn’t sound like something I’d like, don’t let the blurb convince you to pass up this read.

Of course I’m going to talk about the characters first. ;) Alexandria (or Alex, as she would insist on you calling her) is our main character. She’s a risk-taker, super confident. But half the time she was putting her foot in her mouth, talking smack, not thinking of the consequences. She was a flirt, yeah, but she was loyal, determined, caring, and had the most epic humor and sarcasm ever.

Her personality was a contradiction and that’s what won me over and made me like her. She wasn’t always the nicest person, and she admitted it. This kind of character doesn’t usually work for me, but Alex was different.

Alex is a half-blood, daughter of a Hematoi or pureblood and a human. The Greek gods and all the new terms were so interesting to me! Half-bloods are super skilled fighters (or they have the potential to be) and they live to protect the purebloods.

Most of the purebloods completely disregard this fact and treat the half-bloods badly. Really badly. If you don’t become a Sentinel which is a daimon hunter or a Guard who protects the homes of the pures, then you become a servant in one of the pures’ homes. Which means, you’ll serve them all the days of your life made senseless by some potion.

These completely new society dynamics were very interesting to read about. The politics were there. The tension was there. And the history was also something I loved and would love to learn more about.

The ultimate enemy, though, was the daimons. The crazy, aether-sucking things that crave the Hematoi’s blood. I believe the daimons completely fulfilled the creepy, animalistic factor. And although they weren’t the most intelligent, with them running around (getting better at what they do) and the general sense of “danger” lurking around every corner, I don’t think the villain part was under-written.

The plot was a little slow to be honest, not slow as in nothing happened but slow as in all that happened was Alex training and figuring out her feelings for Aiden. While I was entertained, it wasn’t my favorite plot of a book ever. I did like how I learned a lot about the other characters through these seemingly inconsequential scenes though.

The romance, like I said before, isn’t as hardcore as it seems. I thought that, Alex being an accomplished flirt and wild child, the romance would be all about teasing each other (sexually, for lack of a better word) and the two of them kind of playing with each other’s hearts. But it wasn’t like that at all.

It felt real. Like when Alex talked about what she loved about Aiden it wasn’t his abs or his face (or yeah...she talked about those a lot too). It was about how kind and patient he was with her. I think he was the first person besides her mom to ever treat her that way no matter what and he was a pure. That’s HUGE. Those were the things Alex talked about when she talked about him to her friends and I feel like that was something totally new for her and it was adorable.

A quick note: If you’re not comfortable with more the more mature side of a couple that’s “in love” or “in serious like”, for example heated making out or almost getting really serious then you might want to skip this read, or just skip those parts. Just a heads up. :)

This book was a great, fast read that I would recommend to readers who love paranormal, all-things-Greek, headstrong main characters, and the ups and downs of dirty (“friendship”) politics. Oh, and I can’t forget the kick-butt fighting. Lots of that too. 

Actual rating: 3.75


About Skylar Finn:

Skylar Finn is the pen name of a recent high school graduate (who never gets tired of saying she's graduated). Her real name is top secret because she's secretly a spy. That does spy stuff. Secretly. When she's not spying, she blogs about books, life, and chocolate at Life of a Random. Skylar loves talking with bookworms about everything, so don't be shy. She's probably weirder than you anyways.

Mercy Mode (a book review)

Mercy Mode by Em Garner

Released: August 26th, 2014

Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 352

Seventeen-year-old Velvet has managed to patch together a new family for herself and her eleven-year-old sister after the raves of the Contamination--the epidemic caused by a wildly popular diet drink. They now live in their old house, in their empty neighborhood, with Velvet's boyfriend, Dillon; old Mrs. Holly, their elderly neighbor; and one of the Contaminated, the woman who was once their vibrant mother. But the Contamination seems to have returned, more people are falling victim, and the government begins to test people to see if they have the disease.

And Velvet has some symptoms . . . 

Amazon
Goodreads

I bought a copy of Contaminated last year and ate it up, so I was overjoyed when Em Garner sent me an ARC of Mercy Mode to read and review. And I definitely liked it as much--if not more--than its predecessor. Plus, it's set in PA, and reading a book that's set in someplace familiar is always a huge plus for me! But let's go into detail.

I've said it before: I'm not a huge zombie girl. In fact, I'm not even a huge fan of paranormal. But the Contaminated series has a way of making these zombie-like victims seem fresh and unique, while still keeping things familiar. This, I think, will make the book appeal to both undead junkies and paranormal newbies, like me.

As far as plot goes, I was actually very impressed. Often times, the sequel to a dystopian novel lacks in action and excitement (as shown by the first halves of Catching Fire and Insurgent). While it may not have been as riveting as I would've liked, I wasn't yanked around. Mercy Mode managed to keep things at a steady pace, and the final third of the book was successful in keeping me up far past my bedtime.

Now for my favorite part. Characters.

Mercy Mode doesn't have a large cast of characters, which I appreciate, because it gives me a better chance to connect with each of them in ways that wouldn't be possible if there had been more. Yes, Mrs. Holly did seem a little unnecessary to the story, but she was still strong and sassy for an old woman living in harsh conditions. Velvet's mother triggered a lot of sympathy from me, and Opal was the bright spot in a crappy situation. Cute, spunky, and, to quote Velvet, "sometimes a bit of a brat," Opal provided a lot of entertainment.

There was a character that did seem a little off to me. Dillon. He was sweet and tried his best to provide for his and Velvet's makeshift family, but he always seemed a little distant, something he hadn't been in Contaminated. But it's possible that he was written that way on purpose. He and Velvet were forced to have a somewhat rushed relationship, marrying solely for the purpose of benefits and more food, rather than love. Velvet herself often remarked that she and Dillon had been awkward with each other recently, and I don't blame them, under the circumstances.

My favorite character was Velvet. She was great. She appealed to me in ways that Katniss and Tris do, but without being a copycat, dystopian heroine. She's original and very much her own person. She's strong and feisty and would do anything for her family. She's fiercely protective of her little sister and puts herself through life-threatening danger to make things better for her.

So all in all, Mercy Mode is a fantastic and entertaining read that will appeal to paranormal and dystopian lovers alike, especially for fans of The Program and Divergent. I definitely recommend reading the series, and sincerely hope there is a sequel very soon!

Meet the author:

Em Garner writes books.

She began writing at a very young age, always preferring the stories about what goes bump in the night. An avid reader of horror, science-fiction and fantasy, she first turned her hand to short stories about the sorts of things that hide under the bed…and she kept right on going.

Now Em spends most of her time in front of her computer, writing away at all the ideas she has swirling around in her head and hoping she can get them into a story before she forgets them.

She loves zombies, unicorns, and rainbows, the color purple and the smell of roses. She hates the smell of lilies, the feeling of corduroy and biting sandpaper. (Well. Who doesn’t?)

She lives at the beach with her family, where she spends a lot of time reading and sticking her feet in the sand. She is afraid of sharks, but that doesn’t stop her from going in the water.

Connect with Em Garner:

Website: http://emgarner.com/

Twitter: @EmGarnerBooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emgarnerbooks1

Beautiful People Linkup--August

The "Notebook Sisters" are co-hosting a linkup called "Beautiful People." Each month they announce a new set of questions to answer about your character so you can learn more about them.

This month, I'll be interviewing Anya Perriwinkle, the protagonist of my YA medieval fantasy The Sorceress. I actually completed The Sorceress last year, but am taking this opportunity to learn a little more about what happened during the two year gap in between the end of The Sorceress and the beginning of the sequel (which is not yet titled).


1. What does your character regret the most in their life?

Letting her friends come with her when she went to steal the magic emerald. Every day she kicks herself for it.

2. What is your character's happiest memory? Most sorrowful memory? 

When the king let Anya and her friends join the army, of which she later became the leader.

3. What majorly gets on your character’s nerves? 

Misogynistic men who doubt her simply for being a girl.

4. Do they act differently when they're around people as opposed to being alone? If so, how? 

Anya tends to let her guard down when she's alone, lets herself cry more. She doesn't want to worry her friends, despite Ronald (her best friend) insisting that they worry about her anyway.

5. What are their beliefs and superstitions? (Examples: their religion or lack of one, conspiracy theories, throwing salt, fear of black cats.)

Anya nearly died once, and was stuck in between life and death, so she knows what comes after. But she refuses to tell anyone what happened. She doesn't believe anyone should know what's waiting for them after life on earth, and wishes she could forget herself.

6. What are their catchphrases, or things they say frequently?

"James, get off (insert name here)!" "James, don't swing your sword around like that, you're going to chop somebody's head off!" "James, pay attention when you're shooting your bow. Do you want Edward to lose an eye?"

7. Would they be more prone to facing fears or running from them?

Facing them, for sure. Anya's a perfectionist, so she never stops trying to make herself stronger, less afraid, better at a certain skill, etc.

8. Do they have a good self image?

She's appropriately confident in her abilities, though sometimes a little encouragement from her friends is necessary to make her see just how capable she is.

9. Do they turn to people when they're upset, or do they isolate themselves?

She mostly isolates herself, but she knows Ronald is always there if she needs a shoulder to cry on. And James is insistent on knowing more about what's happening in her life. He tries his best to break down the walls she puts up.

10. If they were standing next to you would it make you laugh or cry?

Um, neither, I guess. We'd probably be good friends. :)

Nutty's Letter to the Humans

Many of you requested to see the letter that Nutty the squirrel wrote to the humans about installing electricity in his tree. Well, I finally got around to posting it. Enjoy!

Dear Mr. Human,

         

I’m writing you because I would like your help with a project. I’m attempting to install electricity in my friend Chippy’s tree, as well as my own. We would love to have heat—especially in the winter—and air conditioning—especially in the summer—as well as cable for the TVs we’re saving up for.

         

As you can see, I can’t do this on my own. While I may have opposable thumbs, I’ve never been to school—for some reason, most of the animals I know find school unnecessary, though I highly disagree—and don’t know a lot about installing electricity. I know it has something to do with wires and tools, but I have no idea how to actually make it work.

         

So could you please, please help me? I would greatly appreciate it.

         

Thank you for your time and I hope to see you at my tree very soon.

         

Sincerely,

Nutty the Squirrel

         

PS: I almost forgot to give you directions! If you walk outside—through the front door—and turn left, all you have to do is keep on walking until you reach the first cluster of trees. Look for the tallest redwood. That’s my house. If you still can’t find it, look for a small weeping willow. That’s Chippy’s house. See you soon!

PPS: I'm sorry for the messy handwriting. I would've sent you an e-mail, but I don't have a computer. Or internet. Or electricity. Do you see my problem now?

PPPS: Could you bring some peanuts with you?

The Bookshelf Tag

I was tagged by nevillegirl and Karoline for this meme! :) Thanks, guys!

1. Is there a book that you really want to read but you haven't because you know that it'll make you cry?

 

I don't tend to avoid books because I know they're going to make me cry. In fact, sometimes that's a big plus for me. I love getting so emotionally invested in a book that the author could pull tears from me like that. It means I've really connected with the characters.

2. Pick a book that helped introduce you to a new genre.

 

The Host, These Broken Stars, and the Lunar Chronicles, along with "Doctor Who," all helped me to discover that maybe sci-fi isn't so bad. At least, not all of it.

 

3. Find a book that you want to re-read.

 

Harry Potter, forever and always. But other than that, I like to reread books before going to see the movie, so I'll probably read Mockingjay again soon.

 

4. Is there a book series you read that you wished you hadn't?

 

No, I don't really have a lot of reading regrets, or regrets in general. And if I don't like the first book in a series, or I'm satisfied with the ending of the first and don't want to screw it up (like with If I Stay and Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, for example), I won't read the sequel(s).

 

5. If your house was burning down and your pets and family were safe, which book would you run back inside to save?

 

One book?! I'd probably end up throwing my Harry Potter books out the window before I had to choose one.

6. Is there one book on your book shelf which brings back fond memories?

 

Aside from Harry Potter (because duh), the Calvin and Hobbes treasury always makes me smile when I look at it. I used to read the books under my blanket by the light of a flashlight, giggling at the crazy stunts they pulled. (Sometimes I still do this.)

 

7. Find a book that has inspired you the most.

 

Different books inspire me in different ways, though I'm always influence by any book I read, whether it's because I learn what not to do or I mimic the style of the author subconsciously. Harry Potter has always given me the extra push I've needed--and is quite possible the book series that started it all--but most recently, I was blown away by the beautiful writing and descriptions in We Were Liars by E. Lockheart.

 

8. Do you have any autographed books?

 

Yes! I have Eleanor & Park signed by Rainbow Rowell herself (thanks, Mom and Dad!), Princess Academy by Shannon Hale, most of our Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems, the Spiderwick chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, and several others.

 

9. Find the book that you have owned the longest.

 

That would be my very well-worn Harry Potter set. The bindings are so beat up, you can't even read the titles, and the first copy of the Sorcerer's Stone I owned ripped in half, so we had to get a new one.

10. Is there a book by any author which you never imagined you would read or enjoy?

 

Definitely The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I'd avoided it for so long because of the whole Twilight series that my bookish friends couldn't stand, but then I saw a preview for the movie and it looked really good. Soon afterwards, my best friend recommended that I read it, and she's usually right about that stuff, so I picked it up. Boy, am I glad that I did!

I tag anyone who wants to complete it!

The Bookshelf Tag

I was tagged by nevillegirl and Karoline for this meme! :) Thanks, guys!

1. Is there a book that you really want to read but you haven't because you know that it'll make you cry?

 

I don't tend to avoid books because I know they're going to make me cry. In fact, sometimes that's a big plus for me. I love getting so emotionally invested in a book that the author could pull tears from me like that. It means I've really connected with the characters.

2. Pick a book that helped introduce you to a new genre.

 

The Host, These Broken Stars, and the Lunar Chronicles, along with "Doctor Who," all helped me to discover that maybe sci-fi isn't so bad. At least, not all of it.

3. Find a book that you want to re-read.

 

Harry Potter, forever and always. But other than that, I like to reread books before going to see the movie, so I'll probably read Mockingjay again soon.

4. Is there a book series you read that you wished you hadn't?

 

No, I don't really have a lot of reading regrets, or regrets in general. And if I don't like the first book in a series, or I'm satisfied with the ending of the first and don't want to screw it up (like with If I Stay and Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes, for example), I won't read the sequel(s).

5. If your house was burning down and your pets and family were safe, which book would you run back inside to save?

 

One book?! I'd probably end up throwing my Harry Potter books out the window before I had to choose one.

6. Is there one book on your book shelf which brings back fond memories?

 

Aside from Harry Potter (because duh), the Calvin and Hobbes treasury always makes me smile when I look at it. I used to read the books under my blanket by the light of a flashlight, giggling at the crazy stunts they pulled. (Sometimes I still do this.)

7. Find a book that has inspired you the most.

 

Different books inspire me in different ways, though I'm always influence by any book I read, whether it's because I learn what not to do or I mimic the style of the author subconsciously. Harry Potter has always given me the extra push I've needed--and is quite possible the book series that started it all--but most recently, I was blown away by the beautiful writing and descriptions in We Were Liars by E. Lockheart.

8. Do you have any autographed books?

 

Yes! I have Eleanor & Park signed by Rainbow Rowell herself (thanks, Mom and Dad!), Princess Academy by Shannon Hale, most of our Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems, the Spiderwick chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, and several others.

9. Find the book that you have owned the longest.

 

That would be my very well-worn Harry Potter set. The bindings are so beat up, you can't even read the titles, and the first copy of the Sorcerer's Stone I owned ripped in half, so we had to get a new one.

10. Is there a book by any author which you never imagined you would read or enjoy?

 

Definitely The Host by Stephenie Meyer. I'd avoided it for so long because of the whole Twilight series that my bookish friends couldn't stand, but then I saw a preview for the movie and it looked really good. Soon afterwards, my best friend recommended that I read it, and she's usually right about that stuff, so I picked it up. Boy, am I glad that I did!

I tag anyone who wants to complete it!