Taylor's Rambles

In My Mailbox

2009-11-15T08:27:00.000-08:00

Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster

Jen Lancaster was living the sweet life-until real life kicked her to the curb.

She had the perfect man, the perfect job-hell, she had the perfect life-and there was no reason to think it wouldn't last. Or maybe there was, but Jen Lancaster was too busy being manicured, pedicured, highlighted, and generally adored to notice.

This is the smart-mouthed, soul-searching story of a woman trying to figure out what happens next when she's gone from six figures to unemployment checks and she stops to reconsider some of the less-than-rosy attitudes and values she thought she'd never have to answer for when times were good.

Filled with caustic wit and unusual insight, it's a rollicking read as speedy and unpredictable as the trajectory of a burst balloon.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

The tale of Heathcliff's and Cathy's ungovernable love and suffering, and the havoc that their passion wreaks on the families of the Earnshaws and the Lintons, shocked the book's first readers, with even Emily's sister Charlotte claiming Whether it is right or advisable to create beings like Heathcliff, I do not know. I scarcely think it is.

Book Meme

2009-11-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

Lol

Use the titles of books you've read this year to answer these questions.

Describe Yourself: Wicked
How do you feel: Beastly
Describe where you currently live: City Of Glass
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Night World
Your favorite form of transportation: Old Magic
Your best friend is: Midnight Predator
You and your friends are: Blood and Chocolate
What's the weather like: Bliss
Favorite time of day: Sunlight and Shadow
What is life to you: An Abundance Of Katherine
Your fear: The Devouring
What is the best advice you have to give: Freeze Frame
Thought for the Day: Revelations
How I would like to die: War Of The Witches
My soul's present condition: Stardust

I've been stressing my way through the past two days. NaNoWriMo is killer. o.o

In My Mailbox

2009-10-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Screwed Up Life of Charlie the Second by Drew Ferguson

Sometimes, it's just easier to think I'm not the freak. I'm just in an alien world.
Being Charles James Stewart, Jr., AKA Charlie the Second, means never "fitting in." Tall, gangly and big-eared, he could be a poster boy for teenage geeks. An embarrassment to his parents (he's not too crazy about them, either), Charlie is a virtual untouchable at his high school, where humiliation is practically an extracurricular activity. Charlie has tried to fit in, but all of his efforts fail on a glorious, monumental scale. He plays soccer-mainly to escape his home life-but isn't accepted by his teammates who basically ignore him on the field. He still confuses the accelerator with the brake pedal and as a result, has not only failed his driving exam six times, but also almost killed himself and his driving instructor. He can't work on his college essay without writing a searing tell-all. But what's freaking Charlie out the most is that while his hormones are raging and his peers are pairing off, he remains alone with his fantasies.
But all of this is about to change when a new guy at school begins to liven things up on the soccer team-and in Charlie's life. For the first time in his seventeen years, Charlie will learn how it feels to be a star, well, at least off the field. But Charlie discovers that even cool guys have problems as he embarks on a deliciously sexy, risk-filled journey from which there is no turning back.

The Vampire Chronicles Collection: Volume I by Anne Rice

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE

Witness the confessions of a vampire. A novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force, it is a story of danger and flight, love and loss, suspense and resolution, and the extraordinary power of the senses.

THE VAMPIRE LESTAT

Once an aristocrat from pre-revolutionary France, now a rock star in the decadent 1980s, Lestat rushes through the centuries seeking to fathom the mystery of his existence. His is a mesmerizing story–passionate and thrilling.
QUEEN OF THE DAMNED

Akasha, the queen of the damned, has risen from a six-thousand-year sleep to let loose the powers of the night. She has a marvelously devious plan to “save” mankind–in this vivid novel of the erotic, electrifying world of the undead.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.
Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.
Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.
With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

In My Mailbox

2009-09-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

Though to be fair, I'm a few minutes late.

Memoirs Of A Geisha by Arthur Golden
An epic on an intimate scale, Memoirs of a Geisha takes the reader behind the rice-paper screens of the geisha house to a vanished floating world of beauty and cruelty, from a poor fishing village in 1929 to the decadence of 1940s Kyoto, through the chaos of World War II to the towers of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, where the gray-eyed geisha Sayuri unfolds the remarkable story of her life.

Classic Books from the Library of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: Quidditch through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling, (Kennilworthy Whisp), (Newt Scamander)

When first released to Muggles in March 2001, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages further enlightened Harry Potter fans about the dangers and delights of the wizarding world. Now these two charming works of non-fiction are available in hardcover -- in a special keepsake slipcase edition!

Tay-Toe

Waiting On Wednesday

2009-09-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield

It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet.

Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way...taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

2009-09-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

(WARNING!: Summary and Review WILL most likely contain spoilers. Venture on at your own risk.)

It all comes down to this - a final face off between good and evil. You plan to pull out all the stops, but every time you solve one mystery, three more evolve. Do you stay the course you started, despite your lack of progress? Do you detour and follow a new lead that may not help? Do you listen to your instincts, or your friends?
Lord Voldemort is preparing for battle and so must Harry. With Ron and Hermione at his side, he's trying to hunt down Voldemort's Horcruxes, escape danger at every turn, and find a way to defeat evil once and for all.
How does it all end?

Originality- 10/10
Characters- 20/20
Remembrance- 10/10
Setting- 20/20
Plot- 20/20
Ending- 9/10
Recommend To Read- 10/10
Total- 99/100
Grade- A

I feel that this is probably the first review where I've felt so antsy about spoilers.

God, I read this book the Christmas after the Hardcover edition came out and it was freaking brilliant.

I could honestly rant on about the series, this book actually but I doubt anyone has the time or want of that.

All I know is, is that this book is amazing. I can't pick my favorite out of the series - they all seem to mesh into this huge superbook that you can just drown in and never return if you didn't want to.

The originality is there, and practically screaming at you. The basic plot points are there, but just because you've seen them before you can't take away from them. There will always be an antagonist, there will always be the hero, and the people in between. Rowling just somehow knew how to make these factors into something we've never seen before.

Harry is the hero that we all want. He has his faults, but I could never hate him for anything he does because he is just too good for that. I feel his struggles, and how he feels the need to save people from this vile monster who's trying to destroy everything he considered to be his home.
And on the downside, I can see Voldemort as who he really is and the person he's trying not to be: Tom Riddle Jr. Once you get through to this layer of him, I don't think it's possible you can hate him as much as before. I just believe he is like Harry, only he never found happiness or someone to care for him - sure there were people like Bellatrix and all of his Death Eaters, but because of that he sees power as the best thing as opposed to love, the thing he never knew.

The Deathly Hallows was full of action. The prequels before Deathly Hallows had action as well, but they were limited to Hogwarts and they were never as dangerous or breathtaking as before. This was all over - in the forests, in the streets, in Malfoy Manor, man, and it isn't just about surviving school anymore. It's about living and fighting against these adult wizards and witches who have every reason to kill you just because they can and they're more experienced.

I love Rowling's style, because I feel in the moment and like I'm in danger through every step. You never know what will happen. She isn't afraid to kill her characters or bend the story in a certain way to make it all the more fantastic. When I got to the Final Battle, I wasn't sure that Harry would win because I was clinging to my last hope because I'd never seen the main character die before. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or disappointed, but in the end, I think that it's obvious good has to conquer evil in these books or there would be no point to it.

The search for the Horcruxes was phenomenal. It wasn't just about the Horcruxes to me, though, it was about what they struggled through to get it and then finding the courage to destroy them.

I was sad about the deaths, but then equally happy about those who survived and the information that Rowling put out about the future made me all the more satisfied, seeing what Harry was up to afterward. The only way I was disappointed about the epilogue is that it wasn't long enough for me. I know that I am but one of many who wish for another Potter book. I seriously want to see how Luna, James, and Albus are living through Hogwarts, no matter how boring the book may be with everything ending perfectly.

Tay-Toe

In My Mailbox

2009-09-13T14:12:00.000-07:00

Beastly by Alex Flinn
I am a beast.
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Harry's back for his second year at Hogwarts, where the infamous Chamber of Secrets has been opened for the first time in 50 years. The monster that is unleashed is literally petrifying Hogwarts students (turning them into stone, that is), and who is the primary suspect? Harry Potter himself. Add to this some enormous spiders, a Deathday Party, a ghost named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and lots and lots of suspense, and you'll soon find yourself engrossed in another terrific tale in which magic does exist and good eventually triumphs over evil.

Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder
As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers--particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade--require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance--including her own--Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed...powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead

How far will Rose go to keep her promise?
The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir's Academy was the deadliest ever in the school's history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them. . . including Dimitri.
He'd rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa—the one she has sworn to protect no matter what—and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

Dark Visions by L.J. Smith
GIFTED AND CURSED
Kaitlyn Fairchild has always felt like an outsider in her small hometown. Her haunting eyes and prophetic drawings have earned her a reputation as a witch. But Kait's not a witch: She's a psychic. Tired of being shunned, Kait accepts an invitation to attend the Zetes Institute, where she can have a fresh start and study with other psychic teens.
Learning to hone her abilities with four other gifted students, Kait discovers the intensity of her power — and the joy of having true friends. But those friendships quickly become complicated when Kait finds herself torn between two irresistible guys. Rob is kind and athletic, and heals people with his good energy. Gabriel is aggressive and mysterious, a telepath concealing his true nature as a psychic vampire, feeding off of others' life energy. Together, Rob and Gabriel's opposing forces threaten the group's stability.
Then one of the experiments traps the five teens in a psychic link. A link that threatens their sanity and their lives. And Kaitlyn must decide whom to trust...and whom to love.

Tay-Toe

In My Mailbox

2009-09-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

Milestones by Samira Armin Hodges

One day. That’s how long it took for fourteen year-old Faye Martin’s ordinary life to take a dramatic and unexpected turn. First, she gets struck by lightning. Second, Benjamin Parker, the object of her obsession, witnessed her near-death experience. Finally, her parents force her to leave her hometown of Seattle to attend a summer camp, aptly named ‘Camp Milestone’. Only, Camp Milestone is no ordinary camp. Before she knows it, Faye finds herself caught in a whirlwind of uncertainty, torture, calamine lotion and romance….All in the name of summer camp. But as the summer unfolds, she realizes there is much more to Camp Milestone than meets the eye. Will she be able to unravel the mystery that surrounds this unusual camp? And more importantly, will she be able to survive the madness long enough to put the pieces together?

Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner

When the girl who’s foresworn men meets the boy who’s devoted himself to picking up women, there’s bound to be drama—perfect for a sixweek summer program devoted to the arts. Olivia’s summer goal: to write a musical that censures men with wandering eyes. Max’s summer goal: to hone his acting skills, along with his talent for attracting the ladies. Before camp is over, they’ll perform Olivia’s musical onstage and in real life—though the ending may turn out differently than either expects.

Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was Faerie royalty, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved New York City from a rampaging Faerie war band. When a terrifying encounter in Central Park sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful—but cut short. For they’ve been plunged into a game of Faerie deception and wavering allegiances in which the next move could topple a kingdom…or part them forever.

The Eternal Kiss 12 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire edited by Trisha Telep

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Pretty girls in pretty dresses, partying until dawn.Irresistible boys with mischievous smiles and dangerous intentions.White lies, dark secrets, and scandalous hookups.This is Manhattan, 1899.

Beautiful sisters Elizabeth and Diana Holland rule Manhattan's social scene. Or so it appears. When the girls discover their status among New York City's elite is far from secure, suddenly everyone—from the backstabbing socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor Henry Schoonmaker, to the spiteful maid Lina Broud—threatens Elizabeth's and Diana's golden future.

With the fate of the Hollands resting on her shoulders, Elizabeth must choose between family duty and true love. But when her carriage overturns near the East River, the girl whose glittering life lit up the city's gossip pages is swallowed by the rough current. As all of New York grieves, some begin to wonder whether life at the top proved too much for this ethereal beauty, or if, perhaps, someone wanted to see Manhattan's most celebrated daughter disappear...
In a world of luxury and deception, where appearance matters above everything and breaking the social code means running the risk of being ostracized forever, five teenagers lead dangerously scandalous lives. This thrilling trip to the age of innocence is anything but innocent.

Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Orphaned as a baby, Harry Potter has spent 11 awful years living with his mean aunt, uncle, and cousin Dudley. But everything changes for Harry when an owl delivers a mysterious letter inviting him to attend a school for wizards. At this special school, Harry finds friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, as well as a great destiny that's been waiting for him...if Harry can survive the encounter.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

In his fifth year at Hogwart's, Harry faces challenges at every turn, from the dark threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named and the unreliability of the government of the magical world to the rise of Ron Weasley as the keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Along the way he learns about the strength of his friends, the fierceness of his enemies, and the meaning of sacrifice.

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

In the land of Ingary, such things as spells, invisible cloaks, and seven-league boots were everyday things. The Witch of the Waste was another matter.

After fifty years of quiet, it was rumored that the Witch was about to terrorize the country again. So when a moving black castle, blowing dark smoke from its four thin turrets, appeared on the horizon, everyone thought it was the Witch. The castle, however, belonged to Wizard Howl, who, it was said, liked to suck the souls of young girls.

The Hatter sisters—Sophie, Lettie, and Martha—and all the other girls were warned not to venture into the streets alone. But that was only the beginning.

In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?

I've already read Harry Potter #1 tons of times and I just finished reading #5 not too long ago. I watched Howl's Moving Castle and it was so wonderful that I was determined to read it. And now I do. =]

Tay-Toe

Create A Cover

2009-08-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

I admit, I cheated a bit. I went to Deviant Art instead. *bashful*

CREATE YOUR DEBUT YA COVER

1 – Go to “Fake Name Generator” or click http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/

The name that appears is your author name.

2 – Go to “Random Word Generator” or clickhttp://www.websitestyle.com/parser/randomword.shtml

The word listed under “Random Verb” is your title.

3 – Go to “FlickrCC” or click http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/index.php

Type your title into the search box. The first photo that contains a person is your cover.

4 – Use Photoshop, Picnik, or similar to put it all together. Be sure to crop and/or zoom in.

5 – Post it to your site along with this text.

Tay-Toe

Evermore by Alyson Noel

2009-08-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

Since the accident that claimed her family, 16-year-old Ever can see auras,
hear
people's thoughts, and know a person's entire history through one
touch.
She's
been branded a freak at her new high school, but everything
changes when Ever
meets the mysterious Damen August.

Originality- 6/10
Characters- 9/20
Remembrance- 6/10
Setting- 10/20
Plot- 15/20
Ending- 6/10
Recommend To Read- 7/10
Total- 59/100
Grade- (unfortunately) F

I'm not going to sugar-coat this.

Just like how I said on my livejournal, this book was like Twilight's bastard child.

And, no, I'm not one of those people who see Twilight in every book -or complain when Twilight is not readily detailed in every book. It's just - you must see the signs.

Sure, as my friend says, the similarities that Twilight and Evermore share, a lot of other books have those similarities as well.

Well, I have never seen so many common details displayed so blatantly.

Disregarding those (because I don't want you to believe I rated it so badly on the resemblance between it and Twilight) I must explain the rating.

I gave it a 6 in Originality, and I was being generous. The whole Immortal concept - while seeming like a tweaked description of a vampire (including their dietary habits) - in itself was Original. Other than that, nothing really jumped out at me.

The characters got a 9 out of 20 because I can't say that I liked any one character. Honestly, if you gave them different names and put them in a different book I wouldn't be able to tell. The characters were too ordinary for me - too blah, too cliche. I just didn't like them. Especially not the leading characters. I understood that Ever had trouble with her powers but her overly selfish ways and her annoying pride made me instantly dislike her. Damen had odd and idiotic methods with courting Ever for a 617-year old boy, and his arrogance and secrecy made me dislike him nearly as instant as Ever, as well. It seemed that these books only showed the negative side of their personality, and never properly let the characters shine.

I wouldn't be able to remember this book well, just because of the Originality of the book. Like I said, the Immortal concept seems like the only redeeming quality.

The setting? Come on. It's California. The author barely did anything to describe the setting, other than mentioning it once or twice. I never felt like Ever was where she was. She never felt the breeze, the sun never glared down into her face, there was never a rustle in the leaves. The only things mentioned were the beaches, and that was only when it was convenient.

The plot was a boring forever love-story that I've read tons of. I didn't impress me, and only made me want to go back and read the originals where the villains were actually frightening instead of bitchy stalker-ish ex-wives. I wanted the friends to be real, not the "Omigod! Ever!" we got in this book. It seemed like that was the only dialogue, actually.

I recommend that you read it solely to see if it reminds you guys of other books.

For me? It was Soulmate by L.J. Smith.

It's almost crazy how much alike these two are.

Check that out to see the proper telling of love gone sour through the ages.

Tay-Toe

New Look

2009-08-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

I decided to get rid of the horribly bright yellow profile of mine - the only thing is that I can't find where to change the color of the text. Not too huge of a thing, but still.

It's been a really long time since I've posted - I get that - but I still don't get how I have more followers since the last time I checked. Anywho, I can't guarantee that I'm going to be updating as diligently as the other bloggers but I can promise updates.

I don't get as many books as often, but I'll update whenever the urge comes and I have something ready.

Cheers.

Tay-Toe

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

2009-02-26T13:42:00.001-08:00

Hi, all! Here's another review for ya...

Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Originality- 9/10
Characters- 19/20
Remembrance- 9/10
Setting- 18/20
Plot- 16/20
Ending- 8/10
Recommend To Read- 10/10
Total- 89/100
Grade- A

Another great book with a tough and leading heroine, a fantasy world, a really hot prince, and super-powers! (Sort of.) I mean, out of all of that, what would you want to take out? None of it. Of course, this is just the basis. When I actually read the book, the emotions and plotline really took over my senses and I felt like someone just hovering over Katsa as she acts like her goddess-like self.

The beginning of the book really hooked me in--the situation they were in, with that reconnaissance mission, and all. I felt like Katsa really is trying to be a good person--that she's trying her hardest to do all the kindness she can, how she's trying to seperate herself from her uncle. It just happens that you'll meet a major character in this very part of the book. But we'll get back to that.

Disregarding the ridiculous names, the characters really did have emotional struggles and I just felt so proud of Katsa when she becomes more of the person she wants to be instead of her uncle's tool.

And Po. Oh, Po. (Hehe.) It figures that he'd rename himself because his original one is pretty ridiculous, but I'm not so sure that I'd choose Po as a good alternative to the original. At first, I thought that Po would just be Katsa's shoulder to cry on, but I'm happy/depressed that I was wrong. I didn't like his problems. They made me feel bad. Like, I thought that his Grace sounded amazing, but it was so strange and terrifying to him, that I couldn't help but feel guilty. Especially at the end. I know that I didn't give the ending a very good score, but it isn't because it isn't good. I just feel sad about it.

Po and Katsa are odd friends--and an even odder couple, though they make sense. Apparently, Katsa is beautiful--though scary...--and Po is hot-stuff, too, so if they just made an effort to look better... No, I'm kidding. That's not why they work. It's just...more of that emotional stuff, y'know? It's hard to explain it--I wish I could. It's just one of those inexplicable things that feels so real. I didn't want the book to end. Even if it was long. I wanted to stay in that wonderful world forever! But, alas, I could not.

So, watch out, people with complete heterochromia! Steer clear of me, of else I'll be bombarding you with questions about how it is to have a Grace. Oh...I wish I had heterochromia. Just one of those urges to have something different about you, y'know?

Eh, anywho, bye-bye!
Tay-Toe

City Of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

2009-02-24T16:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, apparently it's my one-month anniversary since I've last blogged. Hurrah!...um, wait, that's wrong, right? *Scratches head bashfully and nudges ground with toe* Soooorry, guys. I've been all in my fanfiction stage--which I still am in, thankyouverymuch, and have 5 stories complete, two still in the workings--and other stuff, so, blahblahblahexcusesramblingsblah. You get the jist of it.

City Of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

Originality- 10/10

Characters- 20/20

Remembrance- 9/10

Setting- 18/20

Plot- 19/20

Ending- 7/10

Recommend To Read- 10/10

Total- 93/100

Grade- A

I remember, looking back, seeing these books on the shelves and thinking they kind of looked...macho. So, I wonder if it's strange, that these books are probably my second favorite series of all time? ...Maybe.

The one problem in this book that surrounds my brain like a crazed little fairie trying to stab my brains out is how Clary is so, how I like to put it, "Bella-Retarded". She isn't as tactless and innocent as Bella is--or was, but now is not the time nor place--but she still does stupid things, and I mean stupid, to help out. Unlike Bella, though, it actually works sometimes. What can I say? It must run in the Morgenstern blood, because Jace can be as much of an idiot.

Another thing that bothers like a tiny dull ache instead of a full blown mythological-creature's assault on my cranium is how I feel about Jace and Clary's relationship. I'm...okay with it. Maybe it's because I've been increasingly accepting of relationships of all types lately, or maybe it's because Jace and Clary are so good together. I mean, it would be better if they weren't (sorry, spoiler-alert, but you should know this information already as this is the review for the second book), y'know, siblings with both parents. It would screw up the plotline and angst hugely, but wouldn't it be better is they were only half-siblings or something? I dunno. Just my opinion. Either way, they should just get over being so "Bella-Retarded" and go suck face or whatever Shadowhunter couples do. A passionate demon killing pree with a view? Um...yes...?

This series continues to blow my mind in the most awesome of ways. Also, there was a quote in there that I am in love with--and I don't mean a character quote, sorry--that was, I think, the quote for the first part of the book, "I believe I am in Hell, therefore I am"? Yeah, I think. I don't know if there are deeper meaning for that but it sort of reminds me of, "You are what you eat".

Sorry, off topic. What I was trying to say is that I truly don't think that I have read any books as creative as this series. It never ceases to amaze me how real everything is, and whoever the POV is in, I feel like I'm a part of them and I understand most things they say or do, though I know that I could never be that smooth or cool. Darn Shadowhunters and Downworlders get all the fun.

If you love fantasy and/or romances with a tad of incest--though that makes it sound dirty, when it's not...--then I guarentee that no matter how much you resist or hide away in a cave, this book will follow after you and you'll fall head over heels in love with it.

Love you all!

Tay-Toe (a.k.a. on fanfiction.net, the mighty Balandria!)

The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall Excerpt!

2009-01-24T13:31:00.000-08:00

I regularly check out my favorite authors' sites, say, for instance: blue-succubus.livejournal.com for all that is Richelle Mead. Well, I also go on sites like ttales.net which is not only an awesome L.J. Smith fanfic site but also a very good--yet somewhat lazy--supplier of Smith's book news. And, today, I went on there and found this LINK for an excerpt of the new Vampire Diaries book. I, myself, was both exhilarated and excited. I read the excerpt and it was fantastic--just a small taste of what is to come next month!

Enjoy! Enjoy!

Tay-Toe

No, I'm still alive, guys.

2009-01-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not posting all that much. I know that book reviewers like to review nearly every book they read... yeah, I'm not like that. And hey, I'm not strictly running a book blog. I just like to hear myself talk.
Anyway, I've been sick, reading, and writing. And doing various other things like trying to find out what site Amanda's Argyle Socks buddies are at. I've also been brushing up on my video gaming since reading all the time has gotten me out of the swing of things. Like I can, FINALLY, try once more on beginning a new file for Final Fantasy VII and see why every FF fan loves the game so much. I'll never really get the hang of FF 8, though. They might as well name the plot pretty good, but put the gaming part of it in the CRAP bin.
Yeah, so I'll just be talking about random things from now on. Possibly about books, but maybe not. Who knows? I do...

Tay-Toe

BRING IT!

2009-01-14T16:11:00.000-08:00

Even though I have been dedicating a certain amount of my time to writing lately, I have the urge to kick my reading in to gear. And the best way to do that? To challenge someone, of course. And who better than That Teen? We have always been just a bit competitive with each other--which translates to hugely competitive. And since, hey, we like reading, we have challenged each other to see who can read the most books for 2009. For January, our goal is 15 books minimum, more if we want to win. Yeah, yeah, she's in the lead so far. Only by two or three though. I'll catch up. So, bring it on, Amanda. BRING IT!

I SHALL WIN!

Tay-Toe

In My Mailbox

2009-01-11T12:51:00.000-08:00

Ah, I was worried that I wouldn't have any books to show today, but my mailbox (ooh, nice joke) proved me wrong.

Just typical. No love life to speak of for months, then all at once, every horny creature in the Otherworld wants to get in your pants.
Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy-one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.
Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her.

Yes, yes. It is an adult book. Well, it doesn't matter much to me. I am determined to try to read all books from the author that is Richelle Mead. Besides, I read the first chapter of the book on her site and found it...cute...? Yeah. So, I don't think my mind will shrivel away from bad words and suggestive situations.

LAURA DELACROIX BELL—this dazzling trust fund girl’s size 14 figure doesn’t stop her from attracting the sexiest scoundrel in town, or the admiring eye of the Glass Slipper Club. However, a salacious secret could take her out of the running.

Michelle “Mac” Mackenzie—brainy, cynical, and maybe a tad judgmental, Mac would rather bury her nose in a good book than embrace her deb destiny. But being a debutante was her late mother’s dream.

Ginger Fore—this adorable tree-hugger wants to wear her grandmother’s vintage ball gown instead of splurging on an expensive dress. Yet when she gets tangled up with an older guy, Ginger will have plenty more to think about.

Jo-Lynn Bidwill—a former child beauty queen, Jo-Lynn is a bitchy vamp who makes it her mission in life to take out the debu-trash. And Jo-Lynn’s sights are set on Laura Bell.

Well, this week has just been full of books Tay-Toe usually dosn't buy and long summaries, eh? This book isn't my usual cup of tea--whereas fantasy and supernatural books are--I think that I can manage reading a normal book of snotty chicks and actually enjoy myself. I've read good things about this book and I'm excited for when it is it's turn in my TBR pile.

Oh, and ha-ha-ha Debs. They made a funny. Right, call that Jo-Lynn chick a bitchy vamp because--what?--does she suck the life out of everything, maybe? Cute.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Mmm. What was awesome in December.

2009-01-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

Okay! So, we--hopefully--all know that last month was my super vampire month, right? Yeah, every (well, almost) day I (tried) to do something about vampires. Well, you can't expect that I didn't do some major reading during that month. And I did. I just...can't remember every book I read. I really need to write things down sometime. Anywho, I do have a small few books that I read during December that proves that I didn't slack. And they are awesome books. I'd buy them if I had the money. =)

A few nights after Jessica Day arrives in Bixby, Oklahoma, she wakes up at midnight to find the entire world frozen, except for her and a few others who call themselves 'midnighters'. Dark things haunt this midnight hour – dark things with a mysterious interest in Jessica. The question is why.

I had no idea what I was getting myself in to when I got this book from the library. I was desperate for some good reads. I continuously scour the library YA section for some good stuff. I always ignored Westerfield, though. I think that I seriously disliked him because I read the first chapter of Uglies and thought that it was some superficial crap. That explains my reluctance to read Midnighters. But I did and it is so original and cool and I love it. I cannot wait until my actual reading list had diminished so I can once again make the trip to my library to get the second book.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival.

Just like Midnighters and the other book I'm going to list, I seriously have never read anything like this. This book came to my attention when I visited Stephenie Meyer's site and saw a post where it said that she liked the book. I looked it up and after a while decided that it wasn't for me. Regardless, I checked it out from the library and read it. It was great. Katniss was great, a true heroine to me and even though it was a life or death situation she still held compassion for one of her rivals in the Games and I respected her for that. And, I loved Peeta. He was, honestly, one of the greatest things in the Games for me. He was clever and protective for Katniss. I believed him instantly when he said that he loved her. I didn't believe that it was a ploy or strategy thing, like Katniss did. The ending broke my heart and I cannot wait until the sequal. I do say, though, that someone with a weak stomach shouldn't read this book. It gets pretty violent and bloody at times.

A modern girl's comedic odyssey in a school filled with the descendants of Greek gods.
When Phoebe's mom returns from Greece with a new husband and moves them to an island in the Aegean, Phoebe's plans for her senior year and track season are ancient history. Now she must attend the uberexclusive academy, where admission depends on pedigree, namely, ancestry from Zeus, Hera, and other Greek gods. That's right, they're real, not myth, and their teen descendants are like the classical heroes-supersmart and superbeautiful with a few superpowers. And now they're on her track team! Armed only with her Nikes and the will to win, Phoebe races to find her place among the gods.

I love mythology and this book was just a little treat for me--books? mythology? put them together for me and you've got one huge catagory that I love best. Almost more than my love for reading fantasy books. I loved each and every character. I couldn't relate to Phobe's love for running, but I could understand the determination she felt and the hostility towards people who didn't believe in her. I'm glad how she handles things and the ending was fantastic. I'd read it again, buy it, and read it once more. It's that good.

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

That's Awesome

2009-01-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

I was searching iconator.com to find a new avatar for a new account I just made on fanfiction.net (yes, i'm that weird) and lookie what I found. (search: vampire)

Ohhhhh!!! Oh, that is rich. I feel better about the world, now. Thank you whoever made this. I'd steal from a leprechaun for you. Yeah, it's that big a deal. Leprechauns are vicious little buggers. Mmm. Irony. I love it.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

In My Mailbox

2009-01-04T17:35:00.000-08:00

As if the name doesn't imply it, "In My Mailbox" is where book bloggers talk about all the fandangled books they got in the mail. Though...if one day I am so inclined to, I might just list bills, magazines, adds...but maybe not. And, though it's name is "In My Mailbox" that doesn't mean what we got came in our mailbox. Does anyone do a "In My Shopping Bag"? Because they should.

Da da da dahhhh. Books that came in to Borders that I ordered! Yay! Just got them today!

The Secret Circle: The Captive Part II and The Power by L.J. Smith
City Of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

I was so excited when my mom told me that Borders called! I ordered these on Monday since I was getting tired of waiting for Borders to re-stock since they were in post-Christmas frenzy. So, I called (first time I had done that (Actually I made my mom talk to them for the most of the ordeal.) and, honestly, talking to strangers on the phone to order books (an odd thing to do) is in the uncomfortable and awkward zone for me) and ordered the books, insisting that, yes, The Secret Circle were getting re-issued in an omnibus. Seriously, she wouldn't believe me but once she checked the computer it was all cool. Odd thing was was that the employee lady said that the Secret Circle actually came out on the 8th but they never had them in stock. Really? I know that Barnes and Noble and Borders aren't the same thing but shouldn't all books come out at the same time? B&N's site said it came out on the 26th... Oh, well. Point is, is that I got it! And City Of Ashes. God I love this series even though I just started (well, duh. City of Ashes is the second out of a three-book series.) but I am feeling some major hostility towards Cassandra Clare due to that last plot twist at the end of City Of Bones. *sigh* Jace is awesome. Funniest and coolest and hottest character I have encountered in a book so far. And I usually don't feel attatched to the fair and cocky ones. Dark haired and cocky sort of work sometimes, but...well, blond hair with guys is usually associated with the horrid jock and jerk-ness. I'm glad to say that doesn't apply with Jace. Yay. Simon is cool, too.

Anywho.

Gah! School is back on tomorrow! Nooooo...but break was going so good for me... *shrugs* had to happen eventually. But, still...frick.

Well, I have to go work on an art project. I hate perspective drawing. Bleh. Night, all!

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

2008-12-31T13:18:00.000-08:00

Oh, god. I am soooo glad that I am done with this month. Sorry, but I am lazy and having to work was excruciating. I'm tuckered out. But I think I have a few more posts left in me. Let's see how I do. And if I don't do well? Um...then, this never happened. And if you tell anyone, some unknown branch from the government that protects book reviewers will HUNT YOU DOWN. Okay, I'll play down the drama for a moment. =)

~*~Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer~*~

Originality- 10/10
Characters- 20/20
Remembrance- 9/10
Setting- 20/20
Plot- 20/20
Ending- 10/10
Recommend To Read- 9/10
Total- 98/100 (oh, my)
Grade- A

(from the magical kingdom of B&N)

"Don't be afraid," I murmured. "We belong together."

I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words. This moment was so perfect, so right, there was no way to doubt it.

His arms wrapped around me, holding me against him... It felt like every nerve ending in my body was a live wire.

"Forever," he agreed.

Sorry if that summary (or lack thereof) wasn't efficient enough, but hey, that's the only thing the rest of the world had to look at while waiting for it to come out. This book has one thing in it that the others wanted but did not: SEX. Sexual innuendos, hints at sex, Bella vaguely remembering how much she likes it... Well, you get it. And, guess what happens with sex??? BABIES!!! Hmm, that'll teach Bella to think about what she sleeps with. So, the result of this wonderful wonderful sexual experience of Bella and Edward? Renesmee! Yayyy. Bella got herself knocked up! Wheeee. Well, this is an interesting development. It seems like when she was saying that she wasn't "that girl" she was really a closet "that girl". Bella is "THAT GIRL"!!! She is the one that gets a bun in the oven! Oh, and I thought that nothing else could make Bella seem more idiotic. You'd think that a man who's been alive for more than a century could remember to bring the condoms. I know that Edward is supposedly a virgin when he meets Bella, but honestly, he could have little bronze-haired/green-eyed children running all around the globe. Edward, you fiend! Hehehe. And I've heard of parents saying metaphorically that their child was killing them, but I'd never thought that a child in the womb could make that literal. Well, Bella didn't hold a grudge (or maybe she couldn't remember her baby murdering her) after the fact. But the cool part of this book was when Bella gets "vampi-fied". It was sweet! She makes me want to go out and find a vampire and make him/her change me into one of them. Honestly, she makes it seem like being a human is so dull. And she isn't being specific. It makes every single human boring! Oh, that was a punch in the gut to the ego of the world. Bella made an oopsy. But it's cool. I liked the story and my favorite character was Garrett (?). He is frickin awesome and him and Kate are perfect. Irena (?) pissed me off too much to care what happened at the end. And I'm cool with what happened to Jacob and Nessie. It isn't like he's trying to get into her diapers for any other reason than hygiene. Chill with the child molestation accusations, people. He's only cleaning her poo.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

2008-12-31T12:56:00.000-08:00

~*~Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer~*~
Originality- 8/10
Characters- 18/20
Remembrance- 9/10
Setting- 19/20
Plot- 18/20
Ending- 7/10
Recommend To Read- 9/10
Total- 88/100 (bwah-ha-ha! no more 93s!)
Grade- B

(from the lovely and semi-consistent Barnes and Noble)
As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob–knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?

As (oh my god. it happened AGAIN! hehehe. weiiird.) much as I adore this series, does anyone ever stop to think: Wow. Even without the supernatural crap, this is so not believable. Anyone? Did you ever think this? No? Well, whatever, then. I thought it. Aren't vampires and werewolves supposed to be badasses or something? How could they let Victoria get away from them for almost three frickin books, man? How?! I mean, jeez. And I cannot believe how reluctant Edward is to change Bella. He is all, "we have this under control" macho man, when obviously they do NOT have it under control, because, as I said, they didn't catch her until the end of this fricker. I know that the whole drawing the thing out was necessary for some plot twists and whatnot, but it got a bit irritating once you re-read it. The first time around, you eat the whole thing up. But the second time around? And the third? And after that? Not so much. But! I think that I enjoyed this one the most, much to the shock of fellow Twilighters. It was honestly the best one (maybe Breaking Dawn was, but it is close) and I don't care what anyone says because the Jacob and Bella kissing situations were awesome. Some people are in the background whining, "No! It was sexual harassment! It was mouth rape(?)! Jacob is a bastard!" Yeah, well, shut up. Because Jacob is not a bastard. Okay. Just think about it. Don't girls force kisses on guys a whole bunch? Well? Yes. Yes they do. Does that make them mouth rapers/sexual predators/bastards? Not in particular, no. It just means they want some lovin. And the second time around, Bella enjoyed it. Therefore, the majority of Team Edward is just making a low blow because Bella happened to forget about their precious Edward for a moment. *sigh* Okay, I'll quit rambling now. Though it is in my name to ramble, but whatever. Eclipse rocks.

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. Oh, gosh.

2008-12-29T17:32:00.000-08:00

I feel the need to point out to people that I'm not sure enough in my "reviews" to call them "reviews" because I haven't been schooled in "reviewing". I feel that when I "discuss" the books on my site I am either: A. Gushing the whole time about how much I love it. or B. Rambling/slamming (about) the books faults. And I'm cool with that. At least it's easier. =)

~*~New Moon by Stephenie Meyer~*~
Originality- 8/10
Characters- 19/20
Remembrance- 8/10
Setting- 19/20
Plot- 17/20
Ending- 9/10
Recommend To Read- 7/10
Total- 88/100
Grade- B

(From B&N, naturally. Oh how I love B&N even if we don't have one.)
For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is even more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of one evil vampire, but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realize their troubles may be just beginning. . . .

I find it funny that even Team Jacob-ers, like I, can still dislike New Moon the most. It was the starting point for Jacob and Bella! Why don't I like it as much?! Honestly? I have no clue. I regretfully admit it, but maybe it is because there was no Edward. Are there no full-on Team Jacobs? Because, hate to break it to my fellow Jacob-lovers but there are a lot of Team Edward-ians (don't you love my terms?) who hate Jacob. So why are there no Team Jacob-ers who hate Edward? Oh, maybe it is because he is perfect. There is no person who loves Jacob and doesn't love Edward. And if there is then they are a very miniscule minority (is that an oxymoron?). So, that is why I disliked New Moon a little. And, honesty still standing, Jacob is kind of a jerk. Kind of? Okay, he is a full on jerk sometimes but it isn't like he is completely horrible. Just a normal teenage guy in a twenty-five year old's body. He can't help himself. Something I did like about this book was seeing Bella freak out. In the back of my mind I couldn't help thinking that this was karma in the works. It's like, that was what she got for being all fearless-sounding around Edward. And I agree with Meyer. It is fun to torture characters. She probably didn't say it in that exact context, but it was implied. So, yeah. This was the torture book of the series and it was fun. Not nearly as fun as Eclipse is, but still fun nevertheless. And this is my opinion on New Moon. If you didn't like it, then read the book yourself. Yep.

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe (a.k.a. the girl who thinks it is funny to torture characters.)

In My Mailbox

2008-12-28T12:45:00.000-08:00

Actually... there was nothing in my mailbox but there is a lot that I bought. (wow, it rhymes. my bad.)

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead
Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz
Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link

Must Love Black by Kelley McClymer
Immortal edited by P.C. Cast
Vampire Kisses 5: The Coffin Club by Ellen Schreiber

Demon In My View by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Sweep: Book Of Shadows by Cate Tiernan
Midnight Predator by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

2008-12-28T12:14:00.000-08:00

~*~Twilight by Stephenie Meyer~*~

Originality- 9/10
Characters- 19/20
Remembrance- 9/10
Setting- 19/20
Plot- 18/20
Ending- 9/10
Recommend To Read- 10/10
Total- 93/100 (this whole 93 thing is getting weird)
Grade- A

(from B&N. really and truly!)
When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret. What Bella doesn’t realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back. . . .

When (haha. weird. sorry for double "when"s) I first read this book I am pretty sure I thought that it was the best thing I ever read. I still love it, but I think that multiple re-readings and discovering new books dulled my fascination with Twilight. Honestly, after reading many more vampire books, I see that Twilight is a major cliche. There is always that ridiculous intrigue with vampires and Bella has got it bad. I don't want to question Stephenie Meyer, but this story largely reminds me of The Vampire Diaries. I'm not saying that it is word for word, but it is pretty obvious that the only thing that she dreamed was the meadow. But she hadn't known much about vampires, so I'm fairly sure she hadn't read any of L.J. Smith's work so it is probably a huge coincidence. I like the characters, the setting, basically everything, but as I said, reading more vampire books made me re-think Twilight. Bella, however relatable she is, is an idiot. There, I've said it. She must be an idiot to flounce around screaming "I'm not afraid of vampires!". Well, she didn't actually do that, but you get the point. Other girls in vampire books have some sense of fear. If Bella was a naturally fearless person then I would understand. I would accept that. But Bella is afraid of dancing and embarrassment but she isn't afraid of getting her blood drained and ultimately dieing. See, those are the mannerisms of an idiot. I like Edward, though. Not as much as other fans probably, but he is okay. And, unlike Bella, he isn't as much of an idiot. He is an idiot for staying around when he is tempted so much to kill this girl. He should have stayed with the Denali clan in the beginning of the book. What did he think that he could achieve by coming back? Healing his wounded pride, maybe? He saw Alice's visions. He knew that Bella and him would most likely get together. And he most definitely knew that he wanted to drink her blood. So with his fascination in her because he couldn't read her mind, along with the blood thing, and the visions, he should have known to cut out soon before he could really hurt her. But noooo. Still, he isn't as idiotic as Bella and I congradulate him on that. So, this is what I think of Twilight. It is an awesome romancy book for vamp lovers and for love lovers. You'll swoon, want to cry, laugh till your throat hurts, and wish you were Bella. It is a sexy sexy book with sexy sexy vampires. But something about this sexy sexy book makes it a favorite with everyone. From tweens to teens to mothers to grannies. Everyone loves it.

The movie was very good. I've seen it two times and it just keeps getting better. I know that some people didn't like it. Some thought that it was horrible. These people, in my opinion, have high frickin standards. I'm sure they expected it to be like the book, word-for-word, even if they deny it. It was wonderful and the thing that you need to do is push the book from your mind. Just forget it and the movie will be a fantastic experience for you. The only thing you achieve by reading the book before seeing the movie is getting how difficult it is for the vampires and a couple of inside jokes. Seriously, I think that you should see the movie before the book so you don't have as many expectations. I thought that the movie was as good as the book. And with the movie, you get to see Bella and Edward's chemistry firsthand. And I loved it--it's my favorite movie. Sure, I wasn't all that certain about Robert Pattinson and a little apprehensive about Kristin Stewart, but they pulled it off. They may not be the way I pictured the characters from the books but they did a great job and made the movie like the book--magical. I can't imagine how they could have made the movie better...well, except for the how "sparkle" thing because if that is how Meyer's vampires really look in the sunlight, then I could become one without having to wait those three days. The movie had a huge cliffhanger at the end and I think they made it perfect with Victoria at the prom. It just showed how she could get past the vampires boundaries and showed how truly lethal she is. I swear, some people who are criticizing it seriously need to think. Sorry they didn't appeal the movie to you, but it is supposed to be appealing to the masses. Entertaining them, making them think. I'm disappointed in the people who didn't get all the non-Twilight jokes in the movie. You people who didn't like it, as I've said before, expect too much. But I am ecstatic about New Moon and even if they replace Taylor Lautner, it'll still be great. I'm down for having Edward leave for a bit to have Bella and Jacob get to know each other better. I admit that Lautner and Stewart did look a bit uncomfortable around each other in the movie so if they find a Jacob with more chemistry with Stewart, that would be great. Don't forget! The movie comes out in two formats on DVD: the normal version and the special edition on Valentine's Day!

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Night World: Soulmate by L.J. Smith

2008-12-27T20:49:00.000-08:00

Book-wise, I feel like I've won the not-as-good-as-a-million-dollars-but-one-hundred-thousand-dollars-is-good-enough lottery. Honestly? I'm ecstatic. I'll elaborate in a few hours probably. *winks*

~*~Night World: Soulmate by L.J. Smith~*~

Originality- 10/10 (is that always a good thing?) (eh, probably)
Characters- 18/20
Remembrance- 9/10
Setting- 18/20
Plot- 19/20
Ending- 9/10
Recommend To Read- 10/10
Total- 93/100 (if I didn't know any better, I'd swear that this is yesterday's score...)
Grade- A

(if it's the same then this is pretty ominous)

(sorry for so many parenthesis)

(from ljanesmith.net)

Sixteen-year-old Hannah goes to a psychologist to understand the meaning of her the notes she keeps finding—in her own handwriting. “Dead before 17,” “He’s coming,” “Watch out.” Only under hypnosis is their cryptic meaning revealed. Hannah is actually an Old Soul, a girl who has been reincarnated many times and can remember her past lives. And in every one of them, the fair-haired stranger appears—and Hannah loves him—and Hannah dies at age 16. Meanwhile, the leader of all the vampires of Circle Daybreak, all those who have human soulmates, Lord Thierry, is searching. He’s looking for her—the girl he loved and accidentally killed thousands of year ago. Who will find Hannah first—her vampire soulmate, or Maya, the first of all the vampires who has murdered Hannah a thousand times to keep her from Thierry. And who will Hannah believe when they do find her?

Okay, I admit, this is probably the strangest Night World story I've read--excluding Dark Angel which really wasn't all that strange compared to this one. Reincarnation has intrigued me alot before, but I haven't read, y'know, fiction or any type of book about it so this was very new. This story had many traces of mistrust and deceit in it. More than usual in Smith's books that I know of. Which isn't much. Just the first six Night Worlds, the first four Vampire Diaries, and one and a half of The Secret Circle. There isn't too much deceit in there. Maybe for Secret Circle, but what else can you expect from a bunch of rambunctious teenage witches with hormones and ego issues? Not much, my readers, not much. So Hannah's trust in anyone she somewhat recognizes in a somewhat positive light annoys me. What happened to Smith's characters where they always have some sense of right and wrong and aren't so absolutely innocent? Well, she broke the mold--or rather, finally used the mold--with Hannah. But, I like her anyway and her trust issues is really her only problem, not that she is perfect. I can't imagine an author making a completely perfect character. *cringe* Well, elaborating (second time I've used that today) on what I said earlier, I don't understand why Hannah is so trusting of Maya just because she'd seen her in her "visions" and Maya had apparently "helped" her. I'm sorry, but I would have my reservations about trusting a chick who ominously (second time) shows up at night on my back porch with floor-length black hair who ultimately looks evil without the hair because of her swirly color-changing eyes and tells me to stay away from the guy whom I'd loved in all my past lives and am attracted to in my current life. Frankly, I'd tell her to get off my f***in' property just because it would amuse me. But, whatever, creepy first vampire in the history of ever aside, I'm just glad how things turned out. And this story has a moral! It is: never trust chicks who show up on your porch. And also, never trust the first vampire because they are always scheming. Always.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Night World: The Chosen by L.J. Smith

2008-12-26T16:31:00.000-08:00

Hello, once again people who do not visit my site. If you think that I am fishing for comments then you might be right. =)

~*~The Chosen by L.J. Smith~*~

Originality- 9/10

Characters- 18/20

Remembrance- 9/10

Setting- 19/20

Plot- 18/20

Ending- 10/10

Recommend To Read- 10/10

Total- 93/100

Grade- A

(from ljanesmith.net)

Rashel Jordan lost her mother to a golden-eyed vampire at the age of five—and just barely saved herself by her wits. She’s grown up to the age of seventeen as a vampire hunter—the best. But when a group of hunters captures Quinn and decides to torture him, Rashel feels something in her soul twist. Left alone with Quinn, she goes along with her mad impulse and allows him to escape. But Quinn, a vampire with one of the darkest reputations in the Night World warns her not to expect him to return the favor. Nevertheless, when Rashel gets herself chosen for a bloodfeast and finds that Quinn is in charge of gathering girls for the dark ceremony! Enemies—and soulmates—what will happen during their final fight?

This one is my current favorite out of the Night World series at current. I love the main character, Rashel, for who she is and what she's been through. We know that there are numerous vampire hunter books, and some of them are what they are meant to be: stories of people who are strong, courageous, hunting vampires to save people, and people with a passion for whatever they do. But then, there are some stories that are obnoxious, and I am happy to say that this story fits in the first catagory. It was like I knew--really knew--Rashel and understood everything she was going through. She isn't an animal. She knows that it is wrong to torture vampires when you kill them--she has common sense unlike some of the other grief-stricken vampire hunters. And that is what I like about Rashel. She is witty, strong, and has a good head on her shoulders. She has a purpose. But I think that is what made her let Quinn go. She knew better than the other hunters--and it didn't hurt that he was her soulmate. So, I couldn't possibly think about shunning her for falling in love with a vampire. Especially when it is Quinn. I absolutely adore Quinn. This story really shows the plot of the Night World: forbidden love, really. A vampire and a human shows something so wrong. Unknown to the world. And it just makes it more weird and outrageous when these two people are natural enemies. It just shows you that love can--as much as it is cliche--overcome anything.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T11:50:00.000-08:00

Oh, my. Chriiiistmas. Yeah... Gosh, I love Christmas. I didn't get any gifts this time around because we decided that just giving money to each other was quicker and we didn't really have the patience to put up with tradition. So, so far I have a nice chunk of change that I'll be spending on books or miscellaneous things like: a twilight sweatjacket, or Edwards cool wrist thingy-ma-jigger. I have no idea what it's called. A cuff? Eh, maybe. I might be seeing Twilight for the second time today, so that's cool. Please, tell me what cool plans are going on in everyone else's neck of the woods.
And remember, Merry Christmas and if it is snowy then stay off the roads!

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

Waiting On Wednesday + Blue Bloods

2008-12-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

Might as well start doing this, too. *smiles*

The Secret Circle: The Captive Part II and The Power by L.J. Smith

(courtesy of the author's site: ljanesmith.net)

Adam and Cassie have sworn not to love each other for the sake of their beloved leader Diana. But Faye has caught them in their one embrace. Now she uses it to blackmail Cassie, forcing Cassie to lie to Diana and to dig up the strange crystal skull that gives them all such dangerous visions. Meanwhile, students are being murdered, and the witches are under suspicion. And Faye wants from Cassie the ultimate betrayal: her vote for Faye as coven leader.

And then....Faye rules the Circle, while Diana reels from Cassie’s apparent treachery. Cassie and Adam are drawn more strongly together than ever. A new principal appears who seems to know all the Circle’s secrets and is dedicated to persecuting them. Cassie, no longer the shy girl she was only a few months ago, takes charge in solving the murders, the mystery of the crystal skull, and the true meaning of the Secret Circle. Her reward is her dream come true. (which, I assume is Adam. If so, then wooot!)

So, I can assume from reading the second summary that Faye becomes the Circle's leader. Well. This book comes out relatively soon. Ranging from two days to a couple weeks. I loved The Initiation and The Captive Part I!!! I love all of L.J. Smith's books actually. She's my favorite author, after all. I think that this book would be perfect for witch lovers, or for those who aren't huge fans of hugely supernatural monsters. No vamps. No weres/shifters. Just witches. And maybe a few ghosts, but still. I have a feeling that Adam will choose Cassie, because, well, she's the main character, but I still can't wait to read more about them! If Diana wasn't around, then they would be the most absolutely perfect couple. I don't have anything against Diana, though. AND, if any of you have read Spellbinder from the Night World series, and liked Blaise, then you will be pleased to find that Faye is almost exactly like Blaise. Congrats. OMG, I am going to get this the day it comes out. That means that I'll have to go to Borders on multiple days, but it is so worth it.

~*~Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz~*~

Originality- 9/10
Characters- 18/20
Remembrance- 8/10
Setting- 19/20
Plot- 18/20
Ending- 8/10
Recommend To Read- 9/10
Total- 89/100
Grade- B

(from B&N)

Schuyler Van Alen is confused about what is happening to her. Her veins are starting to turn blue, and she's starting to crave raw meat. Soon, her world is thrust into an intricate maze of secret societies and bitter intrigue. Schuyler has never been a part of the trendy crowd at her prestigious New York private school. Now, all of a sudden, Jack Force, the most popular guy in school, is showing an interest in her. And when one of the popular girls is found dead, Schuyler and Jack are determined to get to the bottom of it.
Schuyler wants to find out the secrets of the mysterious Blue Bloods. But is she putting herself in danger?

I haven't been a fan of, y'know, "clique-y" books. Ones that are snobby, and are set in New York and crap. But this one is very good. I didn't read it at first because I expected Schuyler to change from the weird and cool person she is. Get "Mimi-fied", if you will. Well, she did change but I think it was for the better. I love how the book wasn't all in Schuyler's POV. I loved hearing from Oliver's POV, because I love him and I think he is good competition for Jack. Oh, Jack. I love him, too. I wonder how Schuyler will ever choose... Oh, well. Not my problem. This book (and plot) is a huge frickin mystery to me. It's like, WHO IS THE CULPRIT??? Who turned Schuyler's friend to a Silver Blood? Is he alive??? Why are there deaths going on??? Oh, it is SO confusing. But I love it. And you will, too. Just remember, if you are apprehensive of this book, it isn't snotty. Yay no snot!

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Vampire Kisses 2, 3, and 4 by Ellen Schreiber

2008-12-23T16:26:00.000-08:00

Well, haha to those who did check in because I warned youuuu! Reverse psychology my arse. Oh, I'm kidding. I just thought that I wanted to take a teensy break from talking about books, even if I love them and they are about vampires. Even book lovers need breaks. Not saying that I exactly NEED one, because I've only been seriously (or, rather, more commonly) posting for about two months. So, yeah, anywho. Sorry to those who did, in fact, check in yesterday. I'm rather inconsistent if I do say so myself.

~*~Vampire Kisses 2: Kissing Coffins by Ellen Schreiber~*~

Originality- 6/10

Characters- 17/20

Remembrance- 7/10

Setting- 17/20

Plot- 16/20

Ending- 7/10

Recommend To Read- 7/10

Total- 77/100

Grade- C

(from B&N, as always. maybe I should spice it up.)

Not far from Dullsville, someone's lurking in the dark. . . .
After meeting the handsome and shadowy Alexander Sterling, goth-girl Raven's dark world has a bright, new glow. But as in her favorite movie, Kissing Coffins, Raven knows that love always has its complications, especially when Alexander has a big secret to guard.
When Alexander suddenly disappears, Raven leaves Dullsville to begin a dangerous search to find him. Can she stay safe, no matter who—or what—she encounters on the way?

It is sort of hard to grade each and every single one of these books because they start to run together. Okay. Today's problem is a psychopathic dude named Jagger. That is a cliche and craptastic name, isn't it? What's next? Luna? Yes. Yes it is. Anyway! Well, maybe not... Sort of anyway, these books are sort of annoying in the sense that EVERY DANG BOOK HAS A FRICKIN PROBLEM. You'd think that after small stuff, everything might go back to normal. Well, as normal as life can get when you have a vampire beau. But things just keep on happening, and it is too much of a coincidence. Yes, I know. It is a book. The author has control, and it isn't like this is real life or anything. But, even in books things can feel too orchestrated. One thing happens. Well, once that is over, let's throw THIS in and see what happens. It's like that. There isn't any hinting to things that might happen. They just happen. And that is so not cool. Really, it isn't. And another thing. Jagger and his siblings have that stupid vampire crap going on, all: I'm a vampire! I know things! Watch while I pretend to know crap like I'm a psychic! *creepy hand movement like they have a crystal ball or something then they lean back then start speaking in a weird voice. cue the sound effects! then they grin an evil--and toothy--grin, then they say "You don't want Alexander. You want give in to the darkness, don't you? I can give you something that Alexander will never be able to give you. I can give you eternity." or "You aren't ready to be with Alexander. You pretend to feel perfectly fine with him--but in truth, you are afraid of what he is and what you might become." something that is supposed to be deep, but turns out to be annoying or stupid assumptions* That kind of stuff. And, no, I wasn't quoting. I had to actually think that time around. But seriously. That is what you have to look forward to in the next couple books. No joke. But I really wish that if things don't work with Alexander, that Raven goes out with Trevor because he is awesome in a really weird way. I hate the fact that he's a jock, but everything else about him--aside from being a jerk--is slightly charming if you have the patience for it. Seriously, congrats to Becky for getting a boyfriend. Matt is a cool guy. And, YES, I realize that this review had almost no bearing on the book at all. Well, it did. And if not, then here you go: This series continues to be stereotypical. Bats and all. Raven gets to go to another town where individuality reigns supreme and she meets some goths who treat her like the Prom Queen of Darkness. Plainly put, they think she is pretty hot. She meets some dude--yes, Jagger--who is all interested in the reason why she came to this town. Oh, I wonder why. Maybe it has something to do with Alexander? Anyway, this dude turns out to be the trouble that everyone expected in the second book of the non-peaceful series that is Vampire Kisses.

~*~Vampire Kisses 3: Vampireville by Ellen Screiber~*~

Originality- 6/10
Characters- 18/20
Remembrance- 7/10
Setting- 17/20
Plot- 17/20
Ending- 7/10
Recommend To Read- 7/10
Total- 77/100
Grade- C

(from the crazy little gnome whom I told I would steal his hat unless he told me the summary. his name was Barnes and Noble.)

Can Raven stop Dullsville from becoming Vampireville?
For goth-girl Raven, dating her dream boyfriend is complicated, especially because Alexander's secret means they can only meet at night. And now they must be extra wary, with Alexander's archrival, Jagger, creeping around town. Then Jagger's exquisitely pale sister Luna also surfaces—and seems to have her sights on Raven's own longtime nemesis.
Raven and Alexander must begin a terrifying hunt for Jagger and Luna's secret hideout. Can they drive them away before Dullsville is eternally threatened by these menaces from the Underworld?

Well, I'd say it's about time Raven had some competition. Though, I'm sure Alexander would never choose Luna over Raven (he actually didn't even choose Luna before he knew Raven) it is still fun to think of Luna as competition. Instead of stalking Alexander, she clung to the increasingly popular character Trevor. The funny thing is that Trevor was really only doing that to: A. Have a goth chick substitute for Raven. or B. To make Raven jealous. Of course, as it turns out, in the end he ends up with neither of these points to cling to. Raven wasn't jealous (well maybe a little) and he wasn't able to hold on to Luna for long. Awww, no goth girl for Trevvie after all. Boo-hoo. But the most horrible thing is that it isn't the end of appearances from this family. Honestly, I wish they would just go back to Romania (yes, Romania) where they belong. But, nooooo, Valentine is up next then. I liked Luna, by the way. Even though she was really just a conniving bitch, she was nice enough while she was pretending. And I give that an A for effort.

~*~Vampire Kisses 4: Dance With A Vampire by Ellen Schreiber~*~

Originality- 7/10
Characters- 15/20
Remembrance- 6/10
Setting- 16/20
Plot- 16/20
Ending- 6/10
Recommend To Read- 6/10
Total- 72/100
Grade- C

(from the troll under the bridge who's name happens to also be B&N)

There's a new vampire in town. His name is Valentine Maxwell. Goth-girl Raven knows this latest intruder can only mean trouble—he's the younger sibling of two vampires she fought to drive out of Dullsville. But when her brother, Billy, befriends this dangerous tween night prowler, the stakes are suddenly higher. Though torn by the excitement of every teen girl's fantasy—attending the prom with her boyfriend—Raven must do everything she can to protect Billy.
Valentine's appearance may pose even further threats. Could he somehow know Raven's innermost feelings about becoming immortal for her true love, Alexander?

Gosh, I am getting tired of the Maxwells. I wish they would just quit it. Did the mother not have the good grace to just quit after two? Did she have to give birth to this scrawny a-hole? Apparently. *sigh* I didn't like this book much--though I loved Raven's dress! Yeah, yeah? Look at the cover, people, it's beautiful. Valentine pretty much ruined it for me in this book. He was in a completely different league of his own. Is he retarded? Taking on another vampire double his size and his clever, but human, girlfriend? He must be. Everything about this book irked me to shreds. Trevor, Billy, sometimes Alexander, definitely Valentine, practically everyone. And why must such a cool name as Valentine be given to the worst people? It is a great name. I'm just not sure if people get that quite yet. Oh, and what I said about vamps trying to play mind games? Valentine is quite good at that. I hated the ending by the way. And the weirdest thing is that I still like this series. It's quaint.

Now I am off to read! I am reading for at the same time, currently. Still need to finish City Of Bones. I am a good fraction in Wondrous Strange. And--the ultimate irony of ironies--remember how I said that I pretty much hated Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast? Well, guess what my sister gave me for Christmas? Yes, that's right. Betrayed and Chosen. Of course, she had no idea of my hating the House Of Night series, and she said that she would have given me the first book, also but they were all out. Well. *shrugs* I'm gonna read them anyway. I'm almost a fourth in to it. And, I am in the second chapter of Stake That! I will get done. Eventually!!!

Procrastination Nation!

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

In My Mailbox!

2008-12-21T17:40:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh, my first "In My Mailbox"! I'm blanching from the stress as we speak *grins*.

Tithe by Holly Black

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Stake That! by Mari Mancusi

The Devouring by Simon Holt

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
`

Seriously, the only book that literally came in the mail was The Devouring. Oh, technicalities. I had one friend (*cough**cough* You know who you are.) buy me City Of Bones and she gave me Stake That! as a sort of consolation prize. (I'm kidding. I'm kidding.) Nah, I just traded her for it. What I traded, though, is a secret and will be kept confidential unless she says so which she might just to make my secrecy look completely stupid, which I'm sure it already does. My other friend, who is completely ignorant to the obsession of books and the facts that there are many many book blogs, bought me Wondrous Strange which I knew that I needed to read after reading The Story Siren's review of it. I'm saving it for last, out of all of the books in my TBR pile. Why not save the hardback for last (I'm done with The Devouring, so my words are true.), after all? And lastly, I bought Tithe for myself because I had the money and you can never have too many fairie/fairy/faerie/faery books on your bookshelf. Now will someone decide the official spelling for those frickin' little creature, please? Or rather, the creatures who are believed to be frickin little winged creatures. Nevertheless, it's buggin' me, and I'm just glad they don't change fey to fay or feye or faye OR fiya. Why fiya? Because it is close enough.
`
I will be doing a triple review tomorrow, so make sure not to check in. Haha, I hope that you guys have learned that I am an obsessive user of reverse-psychology. If not, now you know.
`
Hearts&Circles&Cheese&Crackers,
Tay-Toe

Anyone in the mood for cheese?

2008-12-19T18:44:00.000-08:00

Haha! Today is an awesome day! Haha! And tomorrow.... dun dun dun duhhh.... I go shopping. It's awesome. Oh, Borders with books galore. How I love thee. Moving on.

~*~Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber~*~

Originality- 5/10
Characters- 17/20
Remembrance- 8/10
Setting- 18/20
Plot- 16/20
Ending- 6/10
Recommend To Read- 8/10
Total- 78/100
Grade- C

(froooooom B&NNNNNNNN~!)

The mansion on top of Benson Hill has been empty and boarded up for years. But a new family has moved in. A family that never ventures out during the day. Who are these creepy people –– especially the handsome, dark, and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town gossip actually be true? Are they vampires?
Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at the risk of her own mortality and Alexander's loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth.

This book compares no where to Schreibers other books, Teenage Mermaid and Comedy Girl--in a good way. When I read the other books, I could not believe that they were from the same author! I absolutely loved Vampire Kisses, so don't let it's grade fool you. Sure, it was majorly cliche and sure the plot sort of sucked, and maybe the characters reacted unrealistically and used many !!! again. It figures, really. Alexander is cute, but predictable. Becky (?) was cute, also, the perfect bff, I guess, but predictable. The sidekick, y'know? The one who has to rebel at some point, but not harshly, not too big a deal. The only unpredictable people, to me, was Trevor and Raven. For some reason, I love Trevor. He is an asshole, but he made it totally interesting. Favorite part: when Trevor and Raven go out to the woods. That shouldn't be too much of a spoiler, but it should tell you too look out for it. You'll love it, too. Promise. (Oh, Trevor! Is this your underwear?) Hehehe. Alexander is nice, though, and just because I haven't talked about him much doesn't make him less of a gentleman/artist/(maybe)vampire/hot goth guy who Raven drools over. Cause he is cool. And somewhat significant. Just not to me. Old Creepy Dude is sweet. Sure, that may not be his real nickname word for word, but you get the gist of it. He is old, creepy, and a dude. 'Nuff said. So! Enjoy Raven's shenanigans as I have.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

The Eighteenth (?) Day. Wow.

2008-12-18T19:24:00.000-08:00

I had a fit of obsession over a word just a second ago. I was travelling travelling travelling through the blogs leaving comments in my wake or just reading, when I came across Keri Mikulski's blog and found a word that I have used more than once it my life, but it was just a bit forgettable. Anyone remember "hoopla"? It's a wonderful word, I know. Hoopla! And the sad thing is, is that this fantastic word is generally used in the negative sense. But that is just a bunch of hoopla! In my opinion, that is.

Well, if anyone remembered my first post of the month, you may remember that this month I shall be talking about vampires. I said nothing to make you think that this would be my hard-core book reviewing month. Sure I reviewed enough to probably make you think that this month is soley for book reviews that are about vampires, but my interview with Amanda from That Teen Can Blog! disproved that.

Okay, well, before my fine days of worshipping books (which is still ongoing, I might add) I used to be an otaku. If anyone doesn't know what that is, it means someone is is pretty much obsessed with anime/manga/generally, japanese drawing. animated or not. I used to stay up late every night to watch Full Metal Alchemist and Inuyasha (which I have seen all of the episodes about 10 or 20 times. yeah, that bad.) and stuff. Of course, I still have my favorites, but I don't watch them much anymore. I stayed around long enough to complete Death Note, though, which is an accomplishment, though I did not have the patience to watch every single episode of Bleach and Naruto (it's not that bad. i know people think Naruto is pretty much the eptiome of stupid anime/manga, but they are so wrong). Which brings me to my point. Sort of.

My favorite anime series was Blood+. I love Blood+. Anyone who likes anime needs to watch Blood+. I think that it is for both boys and girls. It's got the romance, the main character is a chick in high school, but then it's got the blood and sword fighting. And then it had the chiropterans.

Here are all the (good. nice. not evil) main characters. From left to right is: Lewis, Julia Silverstein, David, Hagi, Saya Otonashi, Kai Miyagusuku, Mao Jahana, and Akihiro Okamura.

(wikipedia.org)

Under the care of her adoptive family, Saya Otonashi has been living the life of an anemic and amnesiac, but otherwise ordinary schoolgirl. Saya’s happy life is shattered when she is attacked by a chiropteran, learning that she is the only one who can defeat them.
Armed with her katana, Saya embarks on a journey with her family, allies, and her chevalier, Hagi, to rid the world of chiropteran and rediscover her identity. The course of the journey reveals the background history of the chiropterans and Saya's very deep past, which extends into the mid-19th century.
The series is initially set in present day (September 2005) Okinawa City (Koza), on Okinawa Island, near the US Kadena Air Base. In the course of the series, Saya visits locations across the world, fighting enemy chiropteran and searching for her origins.

This series has warnings and disclaimers, though. It really isn't meant for those who can't handle it. It has a bunch of violence and death, and there is one case of rape even though it doesn't show it happening. And god, that was the saddest episode because one of my favorite characters died because of that. And it was a guy being raped, not a girl. Gosh that was depressing.

I remember when I first saw this show. I saw it, but then I didn't. I was sleeping on my dad's couch but I woke up to noise on the television even though I had put the volume low. I sat up a bit drowsily, donned my glasses and saw some mysterious man on the floor, arms wrapped around a girl (so she couldn't run. and he was on the floor, she was lying with her back against his chest) kissing her and a little trickle of blood ran from the corner of her mouth. Little did I know! This is what I didn't know: What I was watching was the ending of the premiere of the new show Blood+ and it was the first show, appropriately titled First Kiss. The mysterious man (and my favorite character. swoon.) was Hagi, Saya's chevalier (which I will explain later) and the girl was Saya. Saya had no frickin clue who Hagi was. The school was being attacked at night by a chiropteran, Saya had gone to the school to get her sneakers that she had forgotten, saw her dead teacher and another dead girl and was ultimately attacked. Hagi found her in the classroom and tried to help her (in his own way, of course) but she ran and ran and finally she just held her down. Wanna know why she was held down? He was trying to get her to drink his blood, but she refused and her finally just put some in his mouth and transfered it to her via kiss so she could kick some major chiropteran ass. I was so glad that it was only the first showing and I could watch the later episode around 3 or 4 a.m.

Just so you guys know that I'm being true to vampire month, this is what a Chiropteran is: Chiropterans are hematophagous bat-like creatures that live by feeding on human blood. They generally possess extraordinary speed, strength, and supernatural healing abilities. They are also capable of contorting and transforming various body parts in order to fly or have longer limbs and higher level chiropterans have the ability to disguise themselves as ordinary humans. Chiropterans are created from the blood of a queen and, ironically, it is also the primary method of killing them. When the blood of another queen is introduced into a chiropteran's bloodstream, it starts a crystallizing chain-reaction that destroys them. Thus, chiropterans created from Diva's blood can be killed by Saya's blood, and vice versa.

Chevaliers: Chevaliers are the second highest level of chiropterans in terms of strength and ability. They are created when a human drinks the blood of a queen. A powerful bond exists between each chevalier and the Queen that sired them, compelling the chevaliers to serve and protect her at all costs.

So, yeah, Saya is basically a chiropteran. It needed to be said. Specifically, she is one of the chiropteran queens, the other being her twin sister, Diva.

And to those who think that, gosh, maybe chiropterans are pretty because most vamps are, well here you go. ---> You're welcome. Mwah-ha-ha.

There is one character whom I love almost as much as Hagi, and his name is Solomon. He is one of Diva's chevaliers, and hopelessly in love with Saya. He even leaves Diva and his chevalier brothers in hopes that Saya will let him become her metaphorical chevalier. But, alas, she rejects him, but I could tell that she had some feelings for him. It's just hard to like someone when a guy like Hagi is around.

And now for the most important question of all.

Hagi or Solomon?

For more vampire hoopla, I suggest you people go on mangafox.com and check out Vampire Knight. It is the best vamp manga ever.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Super Long Post!

2008-12-17T18:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to what is to be my longest post so far! Woo-hoo!

Well, Christmas is like, 8 (?) days away. Somewhere along those lines. And I'm sure that many of you will be expecting, hoping for, and/or buying some wonderful books in the next couple days. Actually, I'm sure everyone will. Who on a book blog hates books? That's like a foreign language to me.

Hereee are some books that I am looking forward to:

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Un Lun Dun by China Mieville

The Last Days by Scott Westerfield

Gothic Lolita by Dakota Lane

Love Is Hell by Marr, Westerfield, Larbalestier, Zevin, Stolarz

Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link

Immortal edited by P.C. Cast

Must Love Black by Kelly McClymer

City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Tithe by Holly Black

Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz

The Secret Circle: The Captive Part 2 and The Power by L.J. Smith

Those are the books that I'm probably going to be getting (well, some of them, at least) after scrounging up some money. Why don't you guys tell me what you're hoping Ol' Nicholas will be leaving under the tree for you?

~*~Evernight by Claudia Gray~*~

Originality- 9/10

Characters- 15/20

Remembrance- 8/10

Setting- 18/20

Plot- 18/20

Ending- 8/10

Recommend To Read- 7/10

Total- 83/100

Grade- B

(B&N once again)

Bianca wants to escape.
She's been uprooted from her small hometown and enrolled at Evernight Academy, an eerie Gothic boarding school where the students are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek, and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in.
Then she meets Lucas. He's not the "Evernight type" either, and he likes it that way. Lucas ignores the rules, stands up to the snobs, and warns Bianca to be careful—even when it comes to caring about him.
"I couldn't stand it if they took it out on you," he tells Bianca, "and eventually they would."
But the connection between Bianca and Lucas can't be denied. Bianca will risk anything to be with Lucas, but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart . . . and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed.

Even after months of owning this book, I have no idea what to think of it! It was cute! It was funny! It was... well, slightly irritable! But I liked it. At least I think that I did... No, I did, I'm sure. But this is one of those books where the main character is completely off her nut but it's in first-person and you don't know whether to agree with her or throw the book down. She is completely ludicrous, and her inexperience with boys doesn't help that fact. But she is actually a bit sane when Lucas isn't around and/or she isn't thinking about Lucas. Which is a rare thing, because Lucas is a very thinkable creature and I'm sure that if I were Bianca I'd be spending most of my time thinking about him. The characters in this book annoyed me a bit but they were undeniably real. You could actually imagine someone acting that way, you know? And Gray's writing and whole plot was fantastic. She was wonderful at putting in plot twists that I never would have expected in a million years. It isn't completely out of no where, though. There are tiny hints and clues that seems rather insignificant at times but they WILL come important. But I liked the twists. They threw me through a loop, and that's a pretty rare occasion. That might be why I have such a good opinion about this book. Lucas and Bianca act like a pretty normal couple, but I love their caring for each other. The love that they have is great and it made my heart skip a beat a couple of times. And Vic... Ahhh, Vic. You'll love you some Vic, I promise. Vic, Vic, Vic. *sigh* Viccccccc. I'd say that he's my favorite character, and will not be ashamed to say it. Everyone should read this just for the Vic Experience if not for any other reason. Hahaha. Vic. I love this book, and it shall stay on my bookshelf until either: A. My hair starts graying. or B. It starts to look creepy that an adult is reading about teen romance. Either one.

~*~Peeps by Scott Westerfield~*~

Originality- 10/10

Characters- 19/20

Remembrance- 8/10

Setting- 19/20

Plot- 19/20

Ending- 8/10

Recommend To Read- 8/10

Total- 91/100

Grade- A

(lalala B&N lalala)

A year ago, Cal Thompson was a college freshman more interested in meeting girls and partying than in attending biology class. Now, after a fateful encounter with a mysterious woman named Morgan, biology has become, literally, Cal's life.
Cal was infected by a parasite that has a truly horrifying effect on its host. Cal himself is a carrier, unchanged by the parasite, but he's infected the girlfriends he's had since Morgan. All three have turned into the ravening ghouls Cal calls Peeps. The rest of us know them as vampires. It's Cal's job to hunt them down before they can create more of their kind. . . .

I think that I love this book. We book reviewers say that we love almost every single book that we thought was okay. But I think that I truly loved this book. Not to the point of marriage, of course, and I'm not sure that I'd buy it, but I think that it makes my top ten, which is pretty difficult in my opinion. This is (and I'm not kidding) the most original vampire book that I have ever read. The screwy thing is that it barely counts as a vampire book, but it is, nevertheless. Cal is a weird and remarkable character. Apparently he is hot, funny, and has an almost endless knowledge of parasites. Sure, that last fact might be entering the creepy zone, but it's still cool. At least he knows his stuff, and he'd be able to protect himself from parasites if not for the fact that he basically is a parasite (sort of) and he probably only learned this crap after he became a character. What I thought was really funny is how you get the parasite. You pretty much get it from doing the nasty (wink, wink), but you could get it just from sharing the same air/oxygen (creepy) or kissing (which I can understand). And I wonder how Cal got it? Hmmm...... I wonder..... Hmmmmm........ I WONDER! Hahaha. (Cal and Morgan got dirty with each other)(mwah-ha-ha). This book's details are disturbingly real, and I was a bit scared once I found out what was under the streets of New York (or the vicinity of New York. who cares?) and I REALLY would never want something like that to be real. Even if I'm far from New York, it is just too creepy and I'd leave the country if it were true. My fav character was either Cal, Lace, or Cal's cat. Lace is an oddly tomboyish chick who doesn't match her name at all (which is short for Lacey) and says dude one too many times, but she's pretty cool, I guess. Nah, Cal's my favorite. No doubt. And this book is cool because half of it is like a mini fictional science lesson about Peeps and their parasites. And even if that sounds a tad bit too boring, just trust me! It's a good read and it changed my views on Scott Westerfield's writing.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Isn't the number 15 tantalizing?

2008-12-15T15:15:00.000-08:00

Don't you wish we lived in a pun-less world where Taylors wouldn't go around making horrible jokes? I sure don't. I'd be out of a job.

~*~Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith~*~
Originality- 7/10
Characters- 16/20
Remembrance- 7/10
Setting- 17/20
Plot- 15/20
Ending- 8/10
Recommend To Read- 7/10
Total- 77/100
Grade- C

(from B&N, naturally)
Are you predator or prey?
CLASSIFIED ADS: RESTAURANTS
SANGUINI'S: A VERY RARE RESTAURANT IS HIRING A CHEF DE CUISINE. DINNERS ONLY.
APPLY IN PERSON BETWEEN 2:00 AND 4:00 PM.
Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her parents are dead, and her hybrid-werewolf first love is threatening to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. Then, as she and her uncle are about to unveil their hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef. Can Quincie transform their new hire into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Can he wow the crowd in his fake fangs, cheap cape, and red contact lenses - or is there more to this earnest face than meets the eye? As human and preternatural forces clash, a deadly love triangle forms, and the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Who's playing whom? And how long can Quincie play along before she loses everything?
`
I tried so very had to avoid this book. The fight lasted for a few months until--all of a sudden, of course--I had to do vampire reviews for this little site of mine... Anywho, I finally caved, and I'm sorta glad that I did. Naturally, I think that I hated the Dark Lord dude (whatshisface) from the start. And I was SO relieved when I found that I had reason to. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him *jabs him with a fire poker*. Hate him. I loved, gosh, his name is either Kieren or Kierlan. Let's go with Kieren. It sounds a bit more normal. Heck, lets just call him Joe. And the Dark Lord dude is Francis and Quincie is Mary-Sue. ...? No, let's go back to the original stuff. Kieren had reason to be all aloof and mysterious and the "I don't wanna kiss you cause I'll hurt you" crap. Heh, heh. I just loved the parts when there was a wereopossum and werearmadillo. It was ridiculous. I mean, who is going to be afraid of a were who just plays dead or curls up into a ball? Seriously? Whatever, it's your book. *shrugs* But they seemed to be hanging with a mighty tough crowd, being the opossum and 'dillo that they are. I disliked Quincie alot through the book. She's cuckoo, I swear. And so is that friggin uncle of hers. Screwed up family much? Yeah, that isn't much of an understatement. But the thing that really grinded my gears was the fact that this book was another one of those "THE ALMIGHTY VAMPIRE DUDE WANTS YOU! HE MUST HAVE YOU!" So he pulls tricks that you won't get till later, and it's stupid, man, it's STUPID. But for some reason, I still liked the book... Seriously, though, can't the vampire just charm his way to the girl? Not trick her and strap her to a cot down in the basement of some house/manor/mansion/thingamabob. Not that that happens of course... this was in the hypothetical sense. Hey, what can I say? I have an overreactive imagination. Sorrrryyyy~! For tricking you into thinking that is what happens, because it is so not! Moving on. So, if you are the slightest bit of crazy (admit it. all book reviewers/readers are.) then you need to read this book. Especially if you want to get into a new series.
`
Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

Interview With That Teen!

2008-12-14T16:32:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of my favorite genre for one month, I decided to interview a friend and fellow blogger. Get to know Amanda from That Teen Can Blog! in this interview/conversation.

When did you start reading seriously?

Probably in 7th grade. Please don't kick me.

What got you reviewing?

Kelsey from Reading Keeps You Sane *waves hi*.

Why did you want to review?

Because I liked the idea of being able to suggest (force) people to read some books that I like, and spread my opinion. Or be able to direct someone away (push) from certain books as well.

If you were stuck alone on a god awful field trip with nothing to do, what books would you bring to entertain yourself? (limit of three)

OMG OMG. Too hard. *bites nails* If I must choose I would go with Twilight by Stephenie Meyer due to it's length and action, This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen due to Dexter and its ability to make me smile. And last but not least Fly On the Wall by E. Lockhart due to the fact that I can re-read it MANY times and not get bored.

Do you plan to continue reviewing when you're done with high school?

Most likely. It's something I really enjoy doing, so I don't know why not. Unless i somehow get really busy with Law School, nursing school, or some other random thing.

What are some of your favorite books? Authors?

Oh my. Okay, not counting the ones i've metioned before I would have to say (including but not limited to) Anything Sarah Dessen, Ellen Hopkins, E. Lockhart, or Rachel Vail. The Key to the Golden Firebird, King Dork, The Pretty Little Liars Series, Nick and Norah's Infinate Playlist, and definately Thirteen Reasons Why.

What are your favorite genres?

Besides YA? Do I need to be more specific?

Yes.

Okay. Family issues, or any "problem books" like abuse, drugs, or suicide. Love stories, mysteries, or just plain self realization.

Why?

I like books that make me think. Think about problems that are possible I might eventually have. I like books that make me smile, which would be love stories or something funny. And I like books with a "whodunnit".

Why do you love books? Why do you think that everyone needs to read?

For me books are like my own personal adventure. I can go, see or go through anything that i want to. It's like an escape from the real world. Everyone needs to read because there is so much to learn. Not just vocab words, but how NOT to treat people, or maybe just a new joke. Everyone can get SOMETHING out of reading a good book.

Why do you think that people avoid reading? And not just because they're lazy, because we're lazy.

Oh of course we are. Lots of people find reading "boring" which is just absurd. I think they're just not reading the right books for them. Because most school library books are very outdated and "clean". And let's face it, most people we know like it Dirty.

Would you ever like to write a book for teens like us?

What? Of COURSE!!

Okay, if you could jump into the world of any fantasy book, what would it be? And don't just say Twilight because you're afraid that the fans will kill you, please.

Any FANTASY book? Umm okay. I would choose Evernight cause I LAUGH in the face of danger fwahaha! (notice the Lion King reference?)

Yes, Amanda, we all get it. Now, do you need to be talked down from that creepy cliff you're on?

What do you think of the stereotypical vampire?

I think it's needed. Without it no authors would have a base to begin with. You need that stereotypical so when people read a different idea, the author can believe they gasp and think "That's not what I thought 5 minutes ago! This is creative!".

If you could create your own perfect vampire, what would they be like?

Oh no. How could i answer this? I guess i would make them bad and kind of perverted. He (yes he) would drink human blood. I'd practically throw myself at him, and he'd kill me. Now I'm dead. Thanks Tay.

You're welcome. At least you had fun before he killed you.

Yeah. His cold body was SOOO comforting.

Not all vamps are cold.

Not all humans (me) have this knowledge. I've only read like 4 different vampire books. Sheesh.

If you were ever confronted by a vampire would you run? Attack? Let him (yes, HIM) drink you like a slurpee? Or other? And if other, then what?

Hmm. I'd try to talk to him first but if he gave me thirsty eyes, then I'd call on Jacob. Haha, just kidding. I'd run after the thirsty eyes most likely.

Too bad you'd die anyway, yeah? If you had the choice to either become a vampire or die what would you do?

Vampire!!! Fo sho!

Wouldn't it be weird if vampires layed eggs?

Aren't they already weird?

If you were stuck on an island with a vampire and he (Yes, HE) was the type who was working on not killing you, what would you do?

I'd do the dirty with him. Heh OR better yet, make him turn me into a vampire! Wait up here though. Why are we stuck on an island? Can't he like swim really fast to a vastly populated area?

He was the nice kind, so he couldn't just leave you. You were on a ship and were shipwrecked while you were asleep. He saved you, since you were the only one who had a chance at living. Work with that.

Okay then. he makes me one of "them".

God, doesn't that sound like such a romance novel, though?

Too bad.

Why do you think that such a vast majority of people in these past decades are so obsessed with vampires?

Ummm...because they're hot? Not literally of course.

Maybe they are. But shouldn't there be deeper reasons than superficial crap?

Not that I know of dearie.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

13th day, yeah!?

2008-12-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

People who actually read this stuff are very much so appreciated by the Tay and hope you'll stick with me through the rest of the month!

So, remember how in Marked I said that I most likely wouldn't do another hate review? Heh, I was wrong. Sorry, guys. Now, if you are a super Anne Rice fan, then you might not want to read this. Thanks.

~*~Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice~*~

Originality- 8/10
Characters- 12/20
Remembrance- 5/10
Setting- 16/20
Plot- 12/20
Ending- 6/10
Recommend To Read- 3/10
Total- 62/100
Grade- D

(B&C)

Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force–a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses.

Sure, sure. So, it is the confessions of a vampire. So it is "hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic". But I cannot agree that this is a good story. Sure, it isn't flat. There is a plot, there, but it sucks. First of all, I cannot, for the life of me, remember the leads name. Louis? Let's go with that. Second of all, Louis has this freaky lolita thing going for his fledgling Claudia. If you guys don't know how freaky that is, it means that he is in his mid-twenties and he's with a child who is under ten. Imagine Jacob and Renesmee though not quite as innocent... *cringe*. The only good part for me in this book was Lestat. Gosh, I love Lestat. He isn't a bumbling idiotic excuse for a vampire, not one of those cliched ones who tries to deny his nature. He embraces it with open arms actually. He's brutal, sophistacated, and truly a vampire. Louis is just sad. Claudia is just plain nuts. She scares the crap out of me the older she gets. She's one of those "ones" who asks questions and disregards her supposed love for Louis. It's really just stupid. I wish that I had started out with The Vampire Lestat instead of Interview With The Vampire, because I know that Lestat is kick-ass and isn't like Louis. He's cooler. So, if you want to read this series, I suggest The Vampire Lestat because nothing can get worse than this. I realize that maybe this story needed to be told, but I thought that maybe Rice had enough sense to realize that this certainly isn't a good opener to a series. Even if it's a cult-classic, it sucks.

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

Daughters Of Darkness by L.J. Smith

2008-12-12T13:58:00.000-08:00

Hey, guys, if you haven't gone yet, CLICK HERE to read Secret Vampire for free! And it's legal!
`

~*~Daughters Of Darkness by L.J. Smith~*~

Originality- 9/10

Characters- 20/20

Remembrance- 10/10

Setting- 20/20

Plot- 20/20

Ending- 9/10

Recommend To Read- 10/10

Total- 98/100

Grade- A

`
(ljanesmith.net)

Mary-Lynnette, seventeen, loves to watch the stars from her Oregon backyard. Then one day, she thinks she’s witnessed a murder through her telescope. She’s wrong: it’s only three vampire sisters burying their mysteriously-killed aunt. Mary-Lynnette, by the laws of the Night World, must become kin to the sisters or be sentenced to death: a sentence that seems to be sealed when their brother Ash appears. Gorgeous, lazy Ash has never dreamed that he could fall in love with a human, but it seems that Mary-Lynnette doesn’t want him on any terms because of his lurid vampire past. Can a now-repentant Ash convince Mary-Lynnette to let him atone for his former sins and be his soulmate?
`

If you guys haven't yet, read my review for Secret Vampire where I quoted some of the first few moments they were around each other. I love this pair together. They are absolutely, and insanely, good together. So I hate that Mary-Lynnette won't take him as he is. It makes me angry really, and it also makes it seem like she's so high and mighty. It's funny that she kicks him in the shin and yells at him so much, when he could kill her in a heartbeat if he wanted to. But he doesn't, and it doesn't seem like the thought had even occured to him to retaliate. Ash is the perfect vampire. When I say "perfect vampire" I don't mean someone who pretends that he is human and drinks frickin animal blood. He's lanky, elegant, ruthless, a typical predator. But Mary-Lynnette says that he looks just like a big blond cat. He's no wimp (except to and for Mary-Lynnette whom he affectionately calles in this book: Mare, Mary, Marylin, M'lin, and M.L.). I guess, if you thought about it, these stories are a mystery somewhat. Like in this book they try to figure out who's been killing around, and who killed Ash's aunt.

Moving on the other part of the story. You must be wondering why it's called Daughters of Darkness. It isn't like this whole story is devoted to Mary-Lynnette and Ash. If you read the summary, it'll mention three vampire sisters. They are pretty important, and not only are they each other's sisters, but they are also Ash's sisters. From youngest to oldest is: Jade, Kestral, and Rowan. Don't you love those names? Well, to be a vampire, you have to have a rockin nature name, yeah? *huge but not monumental spoiler alert* I loved Mark, Mary-Lynnette's bro, when he met Jade. My favorite line of his is:

Okay, so she is crazy. I don't care. I think I love her.

And he has reason to say that, because the sisters are very sheltered. They don't even know how to pretend to be human to stop raising suspicion. If they had that talent, then maybe Mare wouldn't have gotten on their case. But I like Mark and Jade together. They aren't super-important but important enough. Jade is sort of stupid, though, too. She puts kittens in a suitcase and expects them all to live. *sigh* Weird chick. I have no problem with Rowan, and Kestral is a tad scary. So is Jeremy. Very much so. But maybe I'm biased. *shrugs**grins* And when you see a character named Quinn in there? Remember him because he'll be back to my site in a jiffy.

For all your needs Night World, go HERE. Seriously. And yes, I did just say jiffy.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Omigosh! This is like a Vampire Party now.

2008-12-11T18:18:00.000-08:00

I am so so so so sorry that I didn't post earlier because if I did then you guys could see what a razzmatazz book I'm reviewing today. And I am not kidding! It's from my absolutely favorite book series! And you guys thought that I gushed about The Vampire Diaries. Hah.

~*~Secret Vampire by L.J. Smith (from Night World No.1)~*~

Originality- 9/10

Characters- 20/20

Remembrance- 10/10

Setting- 20/20

Plot- 20/20

Ending- 10/10

Recommend To Read- 10/10

Total- 99/100

Grade- A

(ljanesmith.net)

The Night World isn’t a place. It’s the world of vampires, witches, and shapeshifters who live in the human world—by their own rules. And the first two rules of the Night World are simple: 1) Never tell any human about its existence, and 2) Never fall in love with a human.

Spunky, sassy Poppy has always been in the best of health. Until today, when she discovers that she has a rare disease, and only weeks to live. James, her best friend, and the coolest boy at school, is confronted with a frightening decision. He can make Poppy a vampire like him, or he can let her die. But telling Poppy about the Night World is almost as dangerous as letting her die of a human disease, for he’s broken both of the Night World’s rules, and fallen in love with her.

I put the two covers there to show you that, yes, it used to be just one book, but you can buy it in a big volume now. But I've chosen to review them all seperately. After reading this story, I fell in love. Poppy and James are perfect for each other in most ways (except for being entirely different species. technicalities...). I love their story, though. I hadn't read a vampire story like this, and it was completely original. The Soulmate Principal was completely new to me, too, and it made things seem more romantic, more for forever. It seemed more serious and loving than Edward and Bella's relationship. I know, I know. You guys all probably think I'm nuts for suggesting such a radical concept, but it's true! And, somehow, Smith didn't make it seem in the least bit cheesy. I'll show you guys. Oh, gosh. There isn't a very good example in this one. Sigh... Well, I don't think anyone will mind if I use one from another book... And even if you do, it's been done.

And, okay, this part is long and from the second story, but I need you guys to fully understand the soulmate thing.

It happened like this: Mary-Lynnette had her eyes on the carpet as she came in, which gave her a good view of his Nike tennis shoes and the ripped knees of his jeans. When he stood up she looked at his T-shirt, which had an obscure design--a black flower on a white background. Probably the emblem of some rock group. And then when his hand entered her field of vision, she reached for it automatically, muttering a greeting and looking up at his face just as she touched it. And--

This was the part that was hard to describe.

Contact.

Something happened.

Hey, don't I know you?

She didn't. That was the thing. She didn't know him--but she felt that she should. She also felt as if somebody had reached inside of her and touched her spine with a live electric wire. It was extremely not-enjoyable. The room turned vaguely pink. Her throat swelled and she could feel her heart beating there. Also not-enjoyable. But somehow when you put it all together, it made a kind of trembly dizziness like...

Like what she felt when she looked at the Lagoon Nebula. Or imagined galaxies gathered into clusters and superclusters, bigger and bigger, until size lost any meaning and she felt herself falling.

She was falling now. She couldn't see anything except his eyes. And those eyes were strange, prismlike, changing color like a star seen through heavy atmosphere. Now blue, now gold, now violet.

Oh, take it away. Please, I don't want it.

And before you think that it is something horrible...

"I like a girl with spirit," Ash offered, as if he'd worked hard on finding the most obnoxious thing possible to say. Then, with a sort of determined bravado, he winked, reached out, and chucked Mary-Lynnette under the chin.

Fzzz! Sparks. Mary-Lynnette sprang back. So did Ash, looking at his own hand as if it had betrayed him.

Mary-Lynnette had an inexplicable impulse to knock Ash flat and fall down on top of him. She'd never felt that for any boy before.

She ignored the impulse and kicked him in the shin.

And yes, the boy feels it too. With a soulmate, you'll never get them saying that they don't feel that way about you! Haha. I mean, in these stories, people always try to act like they don't feel that way about their soulmate, but it's a love at first sight type of business. You'll recognize them if you happen to see a silver cord binding you and some guy/or girl together. And only you two can see it. It wasn't very obvious in Secret Vampire that they were soulmates. Sure, I knew that they definitely felt that strongly for each other (I sometimes skip ahead to have something to compare to) but I didn't see any tell-tale signs they were soulmates. No pink haze, no silver cord, no intense description whatsoever. But I still loved it all the same. I actually had a friend read this and he said that Poppy and James' story alot in the First Volume and kept asking about them. It makes sense really. Poppy and James are interesting. I understand why I didn't see all the signs though, because they grew up with each other so Poppy was probably so used to it that she felt that it didn't need mentioned or something. I dunno. But I don't want to give away all the stuff about it because...

CLICK HERE and you'll find out why. I don't mind thank-you's. Just tell me what you think.

Wanna see what Poppy looks like after the big moment? CLICK HERE! And please don't click here unless you've clicked the first link.

If you guys haven't realized yet, that first link is the complete Secret Vampire story for free! For FREE! Until the 21st that is. So get a move on it! I'm pretty sure it's print-able. And, hey, if you love the story, I recommend you getting the whole volume. It has to be an awesome book to get a 99/100 after all.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Frostbite: A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead

2008-12-10T17:14:00.002-08:00

I've finally gotten organized! But don't ask... *sigh* It, like, took me, like, five whole minutes! Omigosh, time for a review!

~*~Frostbite by Richelle Mead~*~
Originality- 8/10
Characters- 20/20
Remembrance- 9/10
Setting- 20/20
Plot- 18/20
Ending- 9/10
Recommend To Read- 9/10
Total- 93/100
Grade- A

(B&N)
Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose...
It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians--including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks....This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.
But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

It just keeps getting better *grins*. I feel bad for Rose, sure, since what happened at the end of the last book. I mean, I can extremely sympathize because if I were her I'd be sad also. Sigh, sigh, sigh... Dimitri... Well, that's what you get for falling for guy you can never have. I loved Mason in this one. In the last book, he was noticeable and it was obvious he had a crush on Rose, but I looked past him. But he had extreme charm in this book, even if he acts more like an adolescent boy than the man that Rose wants (*cough**cough* Dimitri! *cough**cough*). I still think that Mason is worth any girl's time. Oh, gosh, I feel bad to say that this book had an awesome ending, but all things considered, it was. Despite the reason why this book nearly broke my heart, the ending was dramatic and somewhat fulfilling except for... *sigh* Read it on your own time. I'm just so happy that Christian and Lissa are a couple! Do the happy dance. I hope they still are in Shadow Kiss. Speaking of Shadow Kiss, I'm a bit afraid to read it. I think it's description is enough to make any die-hard fan a bit apprehensive. So... sorry, I didn't have much to say about it but saying more than I should gives away major plot spoilers! Sorry, again! And seriously. Read it.

Haha. I'm so demanding. :D

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

Take a left, and then a right, and then a left. If you've hit a pity party, you've gone too far.

2008-12-09T16:22:00.000-08:00

I wish that there were more vampire books out. More of a selection. I hate the fact that I have to see if I can go unearth it from the living dead of decades ago. First off, it's kind of cool reading books that isn't common. Secondly, that fact makes it harder for the people who do want to read it. Still, it irks me a bit seeing a whole bunch of reviews for books that I love. But it isn't like I'm the only person on this earth who likes books and uses their eyes. Obviously.

~*~Shattered Mirror by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes~*~
Originality- 7/10
Characters- 17/20
Remembrance- 8/10
Setting- 17/20
Plot- 17/20
Ending- 8/10
Recommend To Read- 7/10
Total- 81/100
Grade- B

(B&N Yep, yep)
Sarah Vida is a witch and a vampire hunter — and a loner. Christopher Ravena is a vampire trying to pass as a normal high school student who wants to know Sarah better.

Oh, I'm glad it made an A. I wasn't sure; I thought it might make the high B's but I guess I was wrong. *shrugs* When I read this, it didn't have this cover. In fact, neither did In The Forests Of The Night. This cover looks more encouraging, but if you happen to see a cover with two guys and a hole in some glass with the same title and author, DO NOT FEAR! Despite the cover, don't judge it by how it looks. It's actually a good book, predictable maybe, but still good. I actually wish I read the one with this cover... Anywho, don't blame me for not remembering names because I had read this one a few weeks back and I'd gotten it from the library. The characters were pretty cool except for their faults which effected them all a hell of a lot. *spoiler* I like/dislike Nikolas (although I wish he'd go back to the original spelling, dammit) because he is a pretty nice guy, per se, but he also has a thing for carving his name into the lucky *snickers* lady he happens to feed from. As if they didn't loose enough blood when he drank their blood. Kid is living in a wickedly violent dream world. And, um, I hate to say it but... this book was a bit skanky. But it wasn't awfully skanky. And you'll love it if you like the vampire version of a three-way (not sex, hons, just lots of blood and necking. hah.) and homemade tattoo's minus the ink or the needle replaced with knives. Yeah, it's pretty violent in my book. It made me feel like I didn't know whether I was going to throw up or like the book. Well, I guess we all know which option I took. I absolutely loved Christopher in the beginning of the book. You knew that he was a vampire, but he was also wonderfully sweet and... *swoon* so you get my point. The book was pretty fast paced and I liked things from Sarah's POV because she's a cool girl and pretty relatable. Well, aside from the fact that she's a vamp hunter and a witch. Technicalities, technicalities. I did like the ending though, even if it didn't end the way I want. But, then, endings usually don't go my way. I'm not the author, after all. I have to give my props to Atwater-Rhodes. She's a pretty darned good writer.

Wait, wait. I am SO sorry if anyone is or is a fan of Amelia Atwater-Rhodes and I don't want to offend but I just figured out (yes, i'm that slow) her name says At water roads? Yeah? Weird...

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

What day is it? Hmm...

2008-12-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

Okey, okey. I really should post earlier but at least I post :D. ...ok, that was weak. But no one will mind (no amanda, you don't count because i know that you will say that you mind) if this is posted just a few after midnight, right? Eh? Eh? Well, since no one is answering, I'll assume that it's a-ok.

~*~Look For Me By Moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn~*~
Originality- 5/10
Characters- 16/20
Remembrance- 6/10
Setting- 19/20
Plot- 16/20
Ending- 7/10
Recommend To Read- 6/10
Total- 75/100
Grade- C

(B&N. I promise.)
When sixteen-year-old Cynda goes to stay with her father and his second wife, Susan, at their remote bed-and-breakfast inn in Maine, everything starts off well despite legends about ghosts and a murder at the inn. But Cynda feels like a visitor in Dad's new life, an outsider. Then intense, handsome stranger Vincent Morthanos arrives at the inn and seems to return Cynda's interest. At first she is blind to the subtle, insistent signs that Vincent is not what he seems-that he is, in fact, a vampire. Can Cynda free herself-and her family-from Vincent's power before it's too late?

This book confuses me more than the concept of dragons being compared to puppies (not really (if they are, tell me. it'd be funny)). I have no idea what to make of this book. Looking at how I graded it, you'd assume it was awesome. Looking at the cover of the book makes you think that though the difference between vampire and human is wide, love conquers all, right? Well, as much as I hate to say it, you are utterly wrong. If you love vampires--and by this, I mean, like me, love sappy human and vampire relationships that are pure. and these vampires we love have an ounce of good in them at the very least--then I'm not so sure you should read this. Though, if you hate vampires or have one tailing you, then you should read this. You get the happiness of vamp death and how-to's rolled up in one. Now, I'm not saying that Vincent dies because he isn't the only vampire in fictional worlds and because that would be a major spoiler. I'm not even saying that someone dies. Who knows what I'll say? Next, I could tell you that the vampire is secretly a woman. Maybe she loves cotton candy. And maybe the main character is a male. It is highly possible, especially since vampire authors love plot twists. I'm not sure if everyone will like this book. I absolutely hated the characters but I couldn't rate them too low. Where they were horrible people, they were also believable. That counts for something, I guess. I rated the setting so high, because it is placed in Maine. Now who doesn't love Maine (although I've never been there before, but ,whatev)? That's the end of my review because I'm done torturing minds with possible spoilers.

Ciao.

Hearts&Circles (and back to reading Need!),
Tay-Toe

Please don't shoot me.

2008-12-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

'Cause I don't think I'd survive. And if I don't survive then I cannot function. And if I do not function, then how can I ever blog??? So, no. The shooting would be a bad decision on your part, readers. Assuming that you all want me to keep blogging, which I do. On that note, I'm going to make excuses like I'd been caught cheating.

Okay, okay. I've failed! Yeah. So, my excuses are:

1. I was watching with deja vu when Harry Potter had another movie weekend on television. I could not peel my eyes away, okay? The wizards and witches were callin to me!

2. I enjoyed remembering the first time I saw the first Harry Potter movie. And did anyone notice that the dude who plays Harry is actually quite the horrible actor? Did you see his "crying scenes"? Pitiful.

3. I was reading. Well, re-reading to be exact, as is the life of a naturally-born reader with nothing new to read. And once I checked for the time, I noticed that the sky had darkened and that it was 1:30 A.M. It was horrible. I had no idea where the time flew, because it obviously was not in my favor.

4. I would have posted earlier but I was, once again, caught transfixed to the tv screen, waiting for Rob Pattinson as Cedric Diggory. And when I did... well, I instantly took back ever saying that he isn't hot. He isn't as hot as he was before, but can you blame me? In Twilight, he lookes nothing like seventeen but in Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire he retains that youth. Gotta love him.

5. I'm making a number five, because it is so weird to end at four.

But, to make up for it, I'm going to do a double review. Sure, technically, the archives will say that I did only one, but you guys should know otherwise. I'm unpredictable that way! Haha.

~*~In The Forests Of The Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes~*~

Originality- 16/20

Characters- 17/20

Remembrance- 7/10

Setting- 7/10

Plot- 15/20

Ending- 7/10

Recommend To Read- 7/10

Total- 76/100

Grade- C

(B&N~!)

I was born to the name of Rachel Weatere in the year 1684, more than three hundred years ago.
The one who changed me named me Risika, and Risika I became, though I never asked what it meant. I continue to call myself Risika, even though I was transformed into what I am against my will.
By day, Risika sleeps in a shaded room in Concord, Massachusettts. By night, she hunts the streets of New York City. She is used to being alone.
But now someone is following Risika. Someone has left her a black rose, the same sort of rose that sealed her fate three hundred years ago.
Three hundred years ago Risika had a family — a brother and a sister who loved her. Three hundred years ago she was human.
Now she is a vampire, a powerful one. And her past has come back to torment her.

For once, I can read a vampire story that has not an ounce of love other than of the friend or family persuasion. The story, though it was something I was used to, was original. To me, at least. This story is a story more bent on anger and revenge. I really didn't like any character in this book other than Risika/Rachel and maybe Tora. Er, Tora is a tiger, by the way. So maybe she isn't a character... Ah, well, I'll count her as one, anyway. This story was short but it was not in any way fast paced. It was like, what?, one-fifty pages? Well, with nearly every one of those one-fifty pages, it all built up to her revenge and ultimately frustrated me and wished she'd get it the hell over with. But when she did, I thought that maybe it was worth the wait. Sorta. Actually, yes, it was. But the ending both surprised me and made me angry. Well, the part that made me angry wasn't directly the end, so maybe I shouldn't say that. It was close to the end. But the end itself made me a little happy, because in the end Risika found herself and let go of the guilt and some of the anger that she'd felt for centuries. It's a good and short read. The author was impressing, especially considering she was about fourteen when she wrote this. We need more teenager YA authors. Though, preferably, ones with less lengthy names.

~*~Bite Me by Parker Blue~*~

Originality- 18/20

Characters- 19/20

Remembrance- 8/10

Setting- 8/20

Plot- 18/20

Ending- 8/10

Recommend To Read- 8/10

Total- 87/100

Grade- B

(From That Teen a.k.a. the chick who doesn't pardon.)

Val Shapiro just happens to be part demon. To keep her lust urges under control she hunts vampires who are threatening human life. Untill her parents decide that she is a bad influence on her younger sister, and choose to kick her out. But Val is determined to make it on her own. With the help of her newly found part hellhound dog Fang, she believes she can do anything. Val even gets a job where her vampire hunting skills come in handy. But what will happen when the death rates from vampires goes up, and her sister is in danger? Will Val be able to use her demon powers for once in her life with no regrets?

I absolutely hated Val's mom. Her mom's bitchiness was overdone, but I cannot find it in me to blame the author. Because, when things supernatural appear in life, almost anything is believable. And though the main character isn't a vampire, she technically sucks life out of humans and she stakes vamps for a living. So vampires are a large part of this story. I LOVED Fang. He was absolutely, and adorably awesome! Just as funny as Val with a sharp tongue and also a half-breed--like Val, as I've said before. The cop dude (who I cannot remember) is hot and all, but I hated his reaction when he found out Val's secret. This dude is so fickle! One moment you like this girl and you want to make out with her and all that, then the next moment he looks at her like she's the devil's spawn. The guy needs to get over himself. Val reminded me of one person and of one person only. Rose Hathaway from Vampire Academy. I swear, you need to read these books and you'll see. They both have a sharp tongue, they both enjoy witty banter, they both have the hots for older men, they both pretty much hate their mothers, and I guess you could compare Val's little sis to Lissa. VA has so much in common with Bite Me. While the whole vampire staking thing was lacking a bit in excitement, I liked the mystery even when the answer was unknowingly there ALL FRICKIN ALONG. But I was cool with it, 'cause vamp met stake. Heh heh heh. So read it. If you don't like it then my name isn't Tay-Toe. Which it isn't. Wouldn't you hate your parents if they named you that?

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

I'm Lame.

2008-12-05T19:28:00.000-08:00

And I'm cool with it. Being lame saves me valuable time, which, as you can see, I need as much as I can get. That is what you get when you are a semi-fast reader, though. You read relatively quickly, but not quickly enough and you just don't wanna put the book down. Therefore, I try as hard as I can and post before midnight so I keep that little personal bet.

So, down to business.

Recently, Tay-Toe was nominated for the I Love Your Blog award from TruBlu (click the pic) and I must say: wow. I've been blogging for, what, like a month?! That is awesome! It's a bit of a shocker, because she could've chosen any random seven (well, maybe she did) and if she did then I'm just grateful to be random. Oh, I never knew that random-ness was a gift... Anyway, this is where I'm lame.

I am doing two out of five requirements for this, so yeah... I really have no one to choose from! I am a noob! So, following in The Story Siren's footsteps, I nominate everyone! If you are a blogger and you read my blog, I automatically love your blog! So give yourself a pat on the back for accidently stumbling across my miniscule blog and earning yourself an award. Not an actual, factual award that you can place on your mantle (?) but it is just as valuable, maybe even more! I'm turning into a hippie, but whatever! Share the love! Even if I sound so frickin generic that you want to claw my eyes out!

Moving on.

~*~Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead~*~
Originality- 19/20
Characters- 19/20
Remembrance- 9/10
Setting- 9/10
Plot- 18/20
Ending- 8/10
Recommend To Read- 10/10
Total- 92/100
Grade- A

(B&N)
St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Gosh, gosh, gosh, I could gush over this book for hours. (sorry for so many g*sh words) In fact, if I don't watch myself, I just might. Vampire Academy, meet my readers. Readers, meet my Twilight withdrawl book. Yes, you heard right. This was the first book to lead me into recovery from Twilight. Though I was not unscathed... I loved vampires more than ever from that point on! And I didn't care much either. I absolutely loved this book, characters, plot, everything! Rose was a huge shock for me. I'd never read a book with the POV of a girl with so much... spunk. Yeah, that describes her enough. Rose has an extreme amount of spunk. And she's dangerous and has a sarcastic sense of humor. And if anyone didn't know, dhampirs are vampires with both a human or dhampir parent and a full blooded strigoi parent. Though, most dhampirs are results from sex-capades with blood-whores but whatever. Some are dignified, I suppose. But not them blood-whores. Heh heh. And no I am not being offensive. One: this is the term from the book. Two: I'm sure there are no vampires reading my blog because that is the ultimate irony during Bloody December. And Three: If you don't approve of semi-cussing like that, then what are you doing here? This is Taylor after all.
Lissa was pretty cool, though I hate how sometimes she's petty and I don't blame Rose for not telling Lissa everything. And HOTTIE LOOKOUT!!! Dimitri and Christian... *swoon*. Mason isn't half bad either... *another swoon* but seriously, I love the boys in this series. They are so... well, everyone for that matter is ridiculously funny for no reason at all. Richelle Mead is just that good, I guess. Gosh, I think that this could last forever... Okay, I thought that though Rose and Lissa's friendship was a bit tense when they re-appeared at the Academy but I loved the concern that they held for each other otherwise. Everyone is pretty concerned of everyone, truth be told. But honestly? Dimitri and Christian are the best guys ever... Oh, you'll know if you read it. You'll know. And if I could choose one person from literature to become, it would be Rose. Who wouldn't want to be a hot, kicking-ass dhampir, with a sharp tongue and a wicked sense of humor? Not this chick. In fact, if you ever see an opening for this job, sign me up.

I tried to keep from rambling too much. I tried, probably didn't succeed but it's the thought that counts, yeah?

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll see ya tomorrow or maybe another day away~! (I am so sorry.)

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

Day Four! Gosh, I make it sound like Survivor...

2008-12-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

Don't I, though? Reviewing is fun, and I love sharing my thoughts about books so I think that it is really funny that I'm making this month sound like torture. It isn't. It's fun, actually. Although, I've come to realize that my reviews are going a bit wacky. See, it seems that now when I talk about a book that I really love, everyone else is all iffy about it. When I say that I hate a book, everyone wants to read it. I'm considering using reverse-psychology, but I don't have the patience for that. And thank you to TruBlu! I will get around to doing that tomorrow and I'm so happy that you nominated me!

I'm hanging on to Day Four by the skin of my teeth. Anyone notice that it's almost midnight?

~*~Suck It Up by Brian Meehl~*~
Originality- 18/20
Characters- 14/20
Remembrance- 6/10
Setting- 7/10
Plot- 14/20
Ending- 7/10
Recommend To Read- 6/10
Total- 72/100
Grade- C

(from B&N)
ARE YOU UP to your neck in bloodsucking vampire stories?

Tired of those tales about dentally enhanced dark lords?

Before I wrote this book I thought all vampires were night-stalking, fangpopping, bloodsucking fiends. Then I met Morning McCobb. He’s a vegan vampire who drinks a soy-blood substitute called Blood Lite. He believes staking should be a hate crime. And someday he hopes to march in a Vampire Pride Parade. He was also the first vampire to out himself and try to show people of mortality, like you and me, that vampires are just another minority with special needs. Trust me—this is like no other vampire book you’ll ever feed on.

So, as my buddy Morning says, “Pop the lid, and suck it up.”

Now for the review, Taylor says. Heh heh. Wow. Anywho, I think that a C is an appropriate grade for Suck It Up. It was definitely humourous, and definitely original. I'll give it that. But aren't there stories where you just want the stories to end up badly so that the characters don't have a chance anymore? Well, I thought that at times. Seriously, I hate books where there are parts that are so embarrassing that I have to close the book and turn away. In Suck It Up, vampires have different powers. They can CD which is short for something that I don't care about which basically mean shape-shift. There is one embarrassing part of the book where Morning McCobb (quite the name, btw) is being pressured to turn into a wolf but accidently turns into a dalmation and starts getting pelted by objects from the audience of a concert. There is also a point (big spoiler) where Morning and Portia (whatsherface. hope thats her name.) kiss and he achieves "maximus dentus eruptus (or eruptis, whatev)". That was on the back of the book and that is what sold me. Anyone read King Dork and/or Fanboy and Goth Girl? Well, put Chi-Mo and Fanboy together, sprinkle in some fangs and you've got yourself Morning McCobb. I don't care much for Portia or her mom, but you can't always love all of the characters of a story. This story is funny and a nice break from more serious vampire books. And it's a stand-alone! You need this if you are trying to get away from series like I am!

Tomorrow, what shall I do tomorrow? Hrmm...

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe (haha! I still have six minutes to spare!)

Day Three Of Bloody December!

2008-12-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

Ooohh... day three. That is, like, so impressive Taylor. How do you do it? Heh heh, sarcasm aside. (and yes, that was sarcasm. weak sarcasm, but sarcasm nonetheless. besides, i save the real sarcasm for when i'm offline.) So, back to where I was. Apologies for so many parenthesis, by the way. Aside from my horribly used sarcasm, today is Day Three of my Bloody December. Now, to decide which book I'll use. I have made a handy dandy folder containing all the information I need. I just haven't... er, organized it. So I'm sorta winging it here. It happens. Especially with Tay-Toe.

Oh, my. Let's see... Okay, me choose, (gosh, I suppose) Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast.

Okay, before I get started on this, on the review and the grading and such, if you like this book then DO NOT READ THIS. You've been warned, because, in fact, I do not want to hurt anyone's feelings. Alrighty, then.

~*~Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast~*~
Originality- 16/20
Characters- 12/20
Remembrance- 8/10
Setting- 7/10
Plot- 16/20
Ending- 6/10
Recommend To Read- 3/10
Total- 68/100
Grade- D

(from B&N, obviously)
Enter the dark, magical world of The House of Night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre and joins the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is, if she makes it through the Change--and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to Imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers: When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

I, in no way, have anything to do with that summary. In fact, if I could, I would rewrite the whole dang thing. But alas, I cannot. One thing you need to know about my feelings with this book: I have dubbed this book the skankiest book I have ever read. When I read this, I felt like I had been transported to the popular table back two or three years ago. Some might be like, "Omigosh, I can relate!" or "Omigosh, that must be so awesome! I wanna be popular, too! Gimme that book!". Well, it wasn't! If you knew, you would know that a few years back everyone was using a brain-numbing and mindless lingo that hurt my eardrums even when spoken in whispers. It's like P.C. Cast went back in time to my school to record this and considered it "how the kids talk nowadays". No, wait, she consulted her daughter. My bad. It is so horribly astounding how shallow these people are. Even when they don't realize it. And stereotypical. Enter: Stevie Rae Johnson, Damien Maslin, and Aphrodite. These are very stereotypical characters. Exhibit A: Stevie Rae Johnson described as a "okie" cowgirl. Does that not explain enough? She uses "y'all" and "ohmygosh" for christ's sake! Exhibit B: Damien Maslin. Usually when you think the name Damien, you think either gay or vampire. Well, ding-ding, this one is both. Why can't they have a nice homosexual dude named Jake or Eric (because we all know the name Erik is gay enough)? 'Nuff said. And Exhibit C: Aprodite. Seriously? Are you kidding me? She is probably the one or the majority of the reason why this is a seriously skanky book. She is a slut! I don't have a problem with people who want to express themselves sexually, but, please, in private. Aphrodite has no such inhibitions and pretty much masturbates right in front of her friends and thinks nothing of it. Why should she? She is the "Queen Bee". Well, that is, until Zoey Redbird (the heroine. she is also a slut. a closet slut.). But the dethroning of Aphrodite does not condone for her idiotic demeanor and I cannot stand her. Another reason why this is a skanky skanky book is when the heroine meets the hero. Ugh! I cringe at the thought of it but I must tell you the horrible-ness so you can spare yourself having to read it in detail. Oh, and look! The hero's name is Erik Night. My, my, isn't that ironic? Anywho, Zoey is walking through the halls of the House of Night, she happens upon a boy against the wall with a girl on her knees in front of him. And yes she is begging him, but not in a publically accepted way. Okay, at first all she did was cut his leg (jeans zipped up) and lick the blood while he protests (see, they've been going out but he doesn't want her anymore. well, obviously she wants him and then some) but she doesn't listen and proceeds to unzip his pants. It's around this time when Erik notices Zoey in the halls and tries to push away the clinging arms of (who would have guessed???) Aphrodite, screaming out "No!" which was intended for Zoey who was trying to make her escape. And it makes me wonder. "No!"--what? What is no, Erik? What, do you want Zoey to be the one on her knees? In a flash, did you notice her as your true love and you didn't want her to get the wrong idea and/or see you like this? Or were you concerned that she'd be a gossip and, as I've said before, get the wrong idea? Did you happen to forget about the girl in front of you trying to give you a bj and just push her aside once you saw this girl? Apparently, yes. And did you also forget that there is a 50% chance that your member is hanging out? Probably, so. The disgusting fact is that while Zoey is scurrying away she wants to drink the blood from his leg. Apparently she does want to be the girl on her knees. Despite all this shit, I think that I might despise Erik the least out of all of them. I cannot begin to describe the horror having to read all the ridiculous shinanigans of these people, and I do not want to, either. And the most stupid thing is that, while reading it, I was somewhat enjoying the fact that there were never slow points. That is something I guess. Seriously, if this book's characters were less cheesy and they replaced that irritating y off and tack an i on vampire like it's supposed to be like (even though in some cultures they do spell it with a y, but i digress) then this book might have been maybe enjoyable and I would not glare at it whenever I looked at my bookshelf. But, hey, if you likes yourself some skanky reads, then go right ahead. Just remember: This book took a fraction of the innocence I believe that I have away. Yes, I knew about bj's and all the frickin stuff that involves Aphrodite. Doesn't mean that I like to read about it and act like it's so really normal. And I knew that it was possible for people to be so like teenagers but I also thought that most adult YA writers liked to retain some dignity. Guess not.

That was exhausting, *sigh*. I doubt that there will be another hate review this month. Vampires aren't to be hated, but vampyres are.

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith

2008-12-02T18:14:00.000-08:00

I realize that it is late and I sincerely (yet, somehow not very much) apologize for that. But, seriously, it's still the same day, and I had to wait till I was done reading The Hunger Games (which shall go into my rainy day folder, of course). So what if you didn't read this the day I posted? At least I am keeping the trend of posting everyday this month up. Oh, mark my words, I will totally use up every day of this month till everyone who isn't bored of vampires yet, is. This isn't my goal, of course. I want people to enjoy vampire books. I guess what I'm saying is that I have an ego problem. Anywho, on with the show.

~*~The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion~*~
Originality- 19/20
Characters- 19/20
Remembrance- 10/10
Setting- 9/10
Plot- 20/20
Ending- 10/10
Recommend To Read- 9/10
Total- 96/100
Grade- A

(my summaries as always come from B&N)
Elena: transformed, the golden girl has become what she once feared and desired.

Stefan: tormented by losing Elena, he's determined to end his feud with Damon once and for all—whatever the cost. But slowly he begins to realize that his brother is not his only enemy.

Damon: at last, he possesses Elena. But will his thirst for revenge against Stefan poison his triumph? Or can they come together to face one final battle?

I don't know how, but somehow L.J. Smith just kicked it up another notch (for those of you who do not know, these books were made in the 90's) (i also apologize for saying "kicked it up another notch") I'd say that out of all of the VD books so far (i can't judge Nightfall as it has not come out yet) The Fury was my favorite. This was the moment I'd been waiting for in the serious. Where all of the clues fall together, when... things... happen. And I LOVED every moment of it. I loved Damon much much more during these next two books. Like, somehow, he shows tiny peeks of his vulnerable side. The thing that irritated me, and I could tell it irritated Elena also, was that during a very weak moment, there was a huge brother moment and it seemed like they'd forgotten Elena was there. I know that families can be extremely close knit and that the bond between brothers can be almost (notice i said ALMOST) unbreakable. I get that. But the bond had been broken centuries ago. And now they were fighting over a new girl (Elena). So they had to choose this moment to get somewhat chummy. Another odd thing with Smith's vampires is that they have such odd personalities. Is there not a through and through sensitive one in the bunch? Sure they can wallow and sulk and be emo vamps all they'd like, but they usually hide their emotions behind an extremely sexy and extremely closed off mask. What the hell? When did vampires get so macho? They didn't. They are boys! When did that happen? I feel that Smith's vampires are the jocks of the vampire world, and I have NO IDEA WHY I THINK THAT! But I do. Can't be helped. *shrugs* Notice how I've been getting off task? That's my way of driving you off track of the spoilers and hopefully it's been working (probably not). I don't know when I became so secretive about spoilers. I guess it's because I don't want to ruin the experience. Anyway, The Fury switches things up a LOT and I am not kidding. Dark Reunion was depressing in a way, but I still loved it. You get to hear a lot from Bonnie's POV, which is cool because she's one of my fav characters. And look forward to a happy ending!

I support Bonnie and Damon! They should totally get together! Done with the series, maybe? Well, there is an extra story that you should read HERE if you're finished. And I'm serious. I go there a lot. I am also a fan of fanfics! That was an odd sentence.

I sense that I am getting too fangirlish for my usually indifferent tastes, so I think this shall be it. Tomorrow will be a new one! As will the next day, and the next day, and the next day, and the next... You get the point.

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

I call it: Bloody December.

2008-12-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

If there is anything (band, movie, song, etc.) out there also named Bloody December, I apologize. I just don't think that Violent December or Bloodsucking December would have the same ring to it. And if you haven't realized it yet, this month is vampire month! I changed my layout because, well, these are creatures of the night, after all.

I realized that (like yesterday) some people will not like this genre, but that's cool, because some might. And some might learn to love vampires as much as I do. And I don't mean the vampires from The Lost Boys, or Angel. When the fangs come out, these vampires are still hot, and for that I am glad. I don't think I'd like vampires as much if they really looked like pugs. Anywho, just sit back and relax as this month I will discuss vamp books, or vamps in general. Enjoy!

My first post of the month is about a book that I LOVE! It is from my favorite author, so of course it'll be awesome.

(Oh, and I forgot to say something. My best buddy Amanda a.k.a. That Teen has strongly suggested (told me to) that I use her grading system, so I shall. It's more efficient, after all.)

~*~The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle by L.J. Smith~*~
Originality- 18/20
Characters- 19/20
Remembrance- 9/10
Setting- 8/10
Plot- 19/20
Ending- 9/10
Recommend To Read- 9/10
Total- 90/100
Grade- A

(from B&N. thanks!)
Elena: the golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants.

Stefan: brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, even as he struggles to protect her from the horrors that haunt his past.

Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. Determined to have Elena, he'd kill to possess her.

I like to refer to this story as the Original Twilight. I swear, if you read this, you'll get why I say this. But, in many ways, it is NOT like Twilight. I loved, this book, but not as much as Twilight. I'll get to that another day, though. I disagree with what the summary says, well, sort of. It says Stefan can resist Elena, and maybe he can, but just barely. I think that Stefan might be my favorite brother, even in the beginning when he snubbed Elena. I like Stefan, he's sensitive, brooding, a good guy at heart, basically like Edward! (im sorry...) (i really need to stop with the twilight remarks...) And Damon is good if you get to know him, which you kind of do during the story. All of the characters were awesome... well, except for Caroline and Tyler, but whatev. This story was awesome at hiding little details that'll become much more important later. Like when Damon gets scratched by a white kitten? Important. When Vickie gets attacked in the church? Also important, but the importance for these events will most likely only come up in the third book. This book isn't just vampire and human romance and no plot at all. In fact, it seems like the romance between Stefan and Elena is small compared to what is actually going down in Fell's Church. The vampires in this book are different than what we're used to, also. At first, I thought it was a little weird but cool and over time it just became cool and scary. I love this book very much and I suggest that everyone else reads it. Especially if you want a book that you won't be able to put down till you're done, and keeps you up thinking at night.

Watch out for tomorrow's review, where I'll be continuing the Vampire Diaries.

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

I'm really bad at keeping secrets...

2008-11-30T11:51:00.000-08:00

Well, during the past month or two I have been planning something. No, not a contest, dearies, I don't have the money for that. The books maybe but not the money. Now don't leave my site after seeing that there will be no giveaway because that highly offends me. =) Anyway, I'm just telling everyone to check in tomorrow for something special! Some may like it, but if there is a person out there with my exact tastes then they will. That's all I shall say.

Hearts&Circles (and don't forget tomorrow!),
Tay-Toe

It's Crazy Day!

2008-11-29T12:47:00.000-08:00

I think Saturdays are always going to be dubbed crazy days. 'Cause on Saturday you are usually alone and when you're alone you start freaking. Like making sound effects and laughing hysterically about nothing. (I have one example on the phone right now.) So, um, if you're having a crazy day either take a deep breath or stay away from the public because you might scare them.

I'm having one of those days... CRAZY! But not really... I don't sniff paint, people.

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

Is anybody there? echoes. echoes.

2008-11-26T17:45:00.000-08:00

Haha. Well... I am not so subtly asking for comments. Yeah, I know that I'm a newb, somewhat, but isn't part of the thrill of being a book reviewer knowing that people are reading your reviews and maybe taking what you said to heart? I sure think so. And as much as I love having my best friend following me, she is the one and only person commenting. Apparently my blog is a huge dedication to her. *Sigh. Being dramatic.* So, if you happen to be reading my stuff, tell me what you think. Even if I suck, go ahead and tell me! Show your love, people! Or hate! Whichever!

Hearts & Circles,
Tay-Toe

Destination: Elsewhere

2008-11-24T14:35:00.000-08:00

I am truly sorry for not posting in a while. I took a trip to Procrastination Nation, and I hadn't come back since now. Well, today, that is, since I was sick and had a day off school, basically. That was a lot of commas. Whoa. Anyway, I'm done giving excuses so we can move on to....

~*~Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin~*~

Is it possible to grow up while getting younger?

This story is about a girl named Liz who died because she didn't look both ways while crossing the street. She wakes up the next day on the (i think) S.S. Nile with another girl her age. What she doesn't realize--and won't accept--is that she is dead and this cruise ship is taking her to the afterlife, named Elsewhere. Elsewhere is a place that is basically like Earth. You can have jobs, friends, a spouse, a house, a car, it's all the same really. Except, in Elsewhere, instead of growing up, you get younger. From the age that you die, you slowly revert back and back until you are a baby and they take you back to Earth. Liz goes to Elsewhere and meets her grandmother who died before they could ever meet. Liz also meets many others, like the lead singer of one of her favorite bands, and a dog who wants an owner. In the beginning, Liz refuses to believe that she is dead, and once she does, she doesn't want to give up her old life. She observes her family almost everyday, and doesn't care about anything else. When she remembers that her dad's birthday is coming up, she commits a crime and goes to a place called the Well. It is forbidden to go there because you can mess with Earth people's lives there and create trouble. When there, Liz tells her brother to retrieve a present Liz had bought for her father from her room, but in the end it doesn't turn out well. After this, she meets a guy named Owen (he is also the officer dude who busted Liz at the Well, but whatev). They fall in love, all howdy-doo, but then Owen's wife comes along... Well, eventually Liz and Owen get back together, but it isn't clear if they are "together" or not. My favorite part of the book was near the end when it focuses on Liz getting younger. Especially the ending page... *sigh* But, gosh, I loved this book so much. Liz really annoyed me how she wouldn't get over her Earth life, and Owen annoyed me how when his wife died and came to Elsewhere, he chose her over Liz. It was ridiculous! But otherwise, I really can't complain much, and I do love a happy ending after all. You people need to read this! Read it! The whole Elsewhere situation was cool. Like, I'd never really thought about the different possibilities of an afterlife, not like this anyway. I practically cried at the end, which is amazing, because I supposedly have a heart of stone.

Read Elsewhere! It's enough to melt a heart of stone! *_*

Since the whole blog and picture thing is very time consuming (insert picture, backspace, backspace, backspace, sigh...), I shall only give it a letter grade since I cannot think of something better and I'm sure that if I didn't tell you that those icons were piles of bacon, you never would have gotten it.

I give Elsewhere an A for it's awesome-ness. It's well deserved.

Hasta manana (pretend that first n has a little worm over it to sybolize en-yay. kay?),

Tay-Toe

M.I.A.? Mayyyybe. Nope, not really.

2008-11-17T17:57:00.000-08:00

I am not missing in action. That wouldn't even make any sense. ....? No, I'm just lazy. I have Elsewhere to review, but gosh not today. Sorry, people, sorry. BUT I am happy to say that this weekend was awesome. Amanda and I went to the Twilight Borders party, and I won a keychain as a door prize. Sure, a keychain isn't much but the point is: I GOT MORE THAN SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T WIN. (unless they went shopping, then, okay) Aaaaand, at this party, I was scouring the aisles of the YA section as usual and--BAM! The second volume of my favorite series has been released! Omigosh! So, I had to get it. And I did. I'll go into detail later. And when I say later, I don't mean today as later. And finally, I show up at school and my friend Jessica bought me the Twilight Soundtrack! The only person who I'm friends with that could top my weekend is probably Amanda and her smug but awesome new books. I want your books Amanda!

But, it's cool, 'cause I already own Evernight and I've already read The Summoning. You'll have to let me borrow your books someday.

So, I need to clean my room. Then tomorrow, I hope to review Elsewhere, and believe me, you guys deserve it. It's an awesome book.
Oh, my, it's getting a tad late if I still want to clean my room.

Must run, cupcakes.
Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe.

Ew. Scheduling.

2008-11-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

Okaaay. Recently I've promised to review oodles of books that I'd borrowed from the library a week or two ago, yeah? Well, that sounded okay at first. But the thing is, is that I go to the library regularly and read--well, I usually read--a book a day. If I wanna go back and review, then I would have to stop reading so I wouldn't post a lot. So that's where it gets complicated. Soooo, I've concocted a plan of some sorts. It isn't very genius but neither am I. I've just decided to hold back on these review I have in store for you, and if I forget about the book then it isn't worth reviewing. I'm just gonna keep reviewing the books I've read that day and save the others for a rainy day. Speaking of catching up, here is another two-book-er.

~*~Ghostgirl~*~

(summary frooom B&N, of course. For that is the only book site my computer can support that is recent. Gotta love outdated computers, no?)

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

And if I should die before I awake,

I pray the popular attend my wake.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she's dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal.

This book was DEFINITELY out of the ordinary for me. And the majority of my books are out of the ordinary, so that's saying something. I guess I had never gravitated towards the ghost books, but this one is a keeper. Definitely. And, as much as it hurts to say, I guess most books sold from Walmart are worth a shot. (ouch, i just died a little inside) Ghostgirl absolutely is gruesome in it's ways. I am almost tempted to leave a sarcastic message to the author--"Thank you for the detail! I definitely needed to know that there was a gaping whole in the side of Kim's head and it was scabby." Or, "I love that you tell me that there are bugs crawling out of the pores of someone's skin." Isn't that delicious. I sure thought so. But Charlotte--Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte. Exasperated sigh.--definitely has some problems. Aside from being dead that is. She had problems way before she died. And she failed to realize that one of the main reasons she died is because of a guy's lack of attention toward her. Gosh, Charlotte, what do you expect? He has a girlfriend, he's popular, and what are you? A wallflower who just happens to show up one day dressed as a prep poseur? Did you really expect him to fawn over you in your not so original style and stalkerish attitude? As if. Charlotte is a stalker. A stalker in life and death. Her problem is that she won't let go of some guy who doesn't even realize--and never will--that she's alive. Or dead. Oh, and her other problem is some psycho bitch named Prue, a.k.a. Prudence, who apparently thinks she's queen of the Dead Kids. Prue is a serious headcase. She bitched throughout the whole story and causes one catastrophy after another. Almost killing people, and then in a snap she has a change of heart and everyone forgives her. I was like, WHAT? ARE YOU PEOPLE CRAZY? But of course they are, they're dead. Dead peoples' brains aren;t supposed to work after death, stupid. But the people I did like, however, were Scarlet and Sam. No they do not get together, but I believed they were the ones with the most personality. Although I seriously did not need to know how Sam's ass looks--somewhere along the lines of huge, hairy, and pimpy--he has a funny personality in the way that he acts like he has a mental disorder because he thinks it's an easier way to get through high school. Heh. And Scarlet, well she's the cool goth who get's the guy in the end. Nuff said. And if you don't think it's worth reading so far, go pick it up and appreciate it anyway. 'Cause this is the prettiest book I have ever seen. Seriously, go check it out just for the pictures. Well, if you are a psychopathic teenage stalker with raging hormones then go read this. And if not, if you're just some regular Jane or Joe who likes a good plot and laughs, then I recommend it to YOU, yes YOU. Enjoyyyy!!!

I give it aaaaa...... *what will she do next? dot, dot, dot... pause...* 4 outta five piles of bacon, if not for the story than for the kick-ass looking pages. Heh-heh.

~*~Princess Ben~*~

(summary 'cause of the lovely B&N. yeppers.)

Benevolence is not your typical princess and Princess Ben is certainly not your typical fairy tale. With her parents lost to unknown assassins, Princess Ben ends up under the thumb of the conniving Queen Sophia, who is intent on marrying her off to the first available "specimen of imbecilic manhood." Starved and miserable, locked in the castle's highest tower, Ben stumbles upon a mysterious enchanted room. So begins her secret education in the magical arts: mastering an obstinate flying broomstick, furtively emptying the castle pantries, setting her hair on fire... But Ben's private adventures are soon overwhelmed by a mortal threat facing the castle and indeed the entire country. Can Princess Ben save her kingdom from annihilation and herself from permanent enslavement?

Okay, all of you lovely readers will get a better take on this book than I did at first. While walking through my library and glancing at the names of the books, I abruptly said the name of this one and paused. I thought, Oh, god. Is this books about a drag queen? I couldn't help it. I usually associate the name Ben with Benjamin, so I just thought Benjamin? Princess? Whaaat? But luckily, when I opened up the cover it said Benevolence. Ohhh. Okay, then. And reading the description, I saw that it would definitely not be a boring read so I picked it up without a second thought. I just read and completed it today, and lemme tell you. As much as I think Ben is cool and all, I hate that in the end she has to conform and bend to everyone's will to be the Princess everyone wants her to be and to save her country. And the crazier thing is that it actually works. This book was mingled with a lot of fairy tales, and this book was somewhat a fairy tale of its own. Most people think of fairy tales as childrens' stories, but fairy tales actually deal with adult issues with a touch of fantasy in the mix. That's basically what this book is. And the author was excellent at capturing the essense of the old times. The grammar, the descriptions, everything was sounding right and realistic and I doubt many could pull that off. The only thing that I didn't like was her relationship with Prince Florian. (sorry for spoilers, chickies) But, the ACTUAL relationship was established much too quickly and said that they loved each other although the only time they could talk remotely heart-to-heart was when Ben was mistaken as a boy and taken into captivity as a prisoner from the Drachensbett army. It was crazy, to be honest. But they work well together, I guess. I also grew to like Sophia after a while, she may have been like a dictator but she was just doing what was right for her country. That pretty much summarizes my thoughts on the book and if you wanna know more then go check it out. I saw it at my Borders, so it should be somewhere near you where they sell books. Good luck.

It also got a 4 out of 5 piles of bacon. Books I enjoy get tons of my fav breakfast food. Yumm.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Ellen Schreiber Attacks!

2008-11-10T18:21:00.000-08:00

Heh-heh. Confused by my title? I am, too. But that name, my dears, is the name of the author of Comedy Girl, Teenage Mermaid, and the popular Vampire Kisses series. She may be over the top but the books are enjoyable to say the least. I must have a point to all this rambling, right? Well... I do.

~*~Comedy Girl~*~

(summary borrowed from B&N)

Trixie Shapiro may be one of the shyest students at Mason High, but she's also the funniest. When her best friend, Jazzy, signs her up to perform stand-up at Senior Talent Night, Trixie's terrified she'll absolutely choke. And as if a seemingly disastrous debut isn't enough, Trixie's drama teacher encourages her to try again—this time at the local comedy club, Chaplin's.
To her surprise, Trixie's confidence begins to swell, and a surefire comedy act is born. Trixie finds herself on a fast track, winning contests and earning a job as the opening comic at the comedy club. It's a dream come true. Then Trixie lands a boyfriend—her longtime crush, hipster Gavin Baldwin. Now caught between the increasing demands of two worlds, Trixie faces a difficult choice between a romantic, inviting path and a risky shot at comedic stardom.

Well, as I've said before, Ellen Schreiber is very OVER THE TOP with her books. Everything seems a tad fake. Well, really fake, actually. With the so-not-so-real reactions and tons of !!! and ??? and ?!?!?!, I think that that is a tad fake, eh? Agree with me? Of course, of course. But, otherwise, I luv the plot even if it is as extremely unrealistic as the reactions. Really? This girl becomes a hit comedian? Are you sure? Because, she isn't very funny at all... Snarky maybe, but not funny. I didn't like Gavin's disguised neediness either. Dude, I thought you were supposed to be COOL, not a mind-game playing d-bag. S'cuse my slight language. Anyway, this book was cute. That is definitely how I can describe it. It is very CUTE! Really cute. And if you want a cute read, then here ya go! Enjoy Comedy Girl where shy-girl Trixie becomes outgoing with laughter. Looove it.

I give it a *ponders for a second* *ah* 2.5 out of 5 piles of bacon. Even if there aren't many piles of bacon, it is still bacon. Gotta love bacon.

~*~Teenage Mermaid~*~

(summary courtesy of B&N)

Spencer almost drowns in a surfing accident when a sparkling, golden girl saves him with a kiss of life before she suddenly disappears. Where did this dream girl come from, and will she return?
Lilly rescues a boy from nearly drowning and dangerously steps out of her own watery world. Curious to explore this forbidden land, she's gotta find her handsome Earthdude.
A silver heart locket is their only clue.

It is easy to say that I liked this book much more than Comedy Girl. Like, this is the first book I've ever read where a mermaid is the main character. I was like--"Wow, this is different." And it totally is, but in some ways, it is not. In Lilly's world there is still the same ol' high school, where status matters. If you don't fit in, then you are given a label that others think makes you an untouchable or something. I really did hate Lilly's best friend. I was completely confused by her behavior! Aren't best friends supposed to support their best friend's wants and happiness? Obviously, Lilly's friend didn't get that memo. But whatever, because the coolest part of this story was the relationship between Spencer and Lilly. Spencer is like the all around under-appreciated guy who is extremely cool at heart. Spencer stands out from the rest and so does Lilly. With that one fateful meeting, it is the beginning of something else. I love their relationship, and I cannot wait for the sequel which I hope shall be coming out soon.

I give this wonderful book 3 out of 5 piles of bacon. Bacon, bacon bacon.

Okay, then. Two reviews in one! Chyeah! That is a LOT of bacon. Mmm, now I'm hungry.

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

Before The Trojan War

2008-11-09T09:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, I just really want to review books and after almost 24 hours, I couldn't wait any longer. So here we go.

~*~Nobody's Princess~*~

(summary thanks to B&N)

She is beautiful, she is a princess, and Aphrodite is her favorite goddess, but something in Helen of Sparta just itches for more out of life. Not one to count on the gods—or her looks—to take care of her, Helen sets out to get what she wants with steely determination and a sassy attitude. That same attitude makes Helen a few enemies—such as the self-proclaimed "son of Zeus" Theseus—but it also intrigues, charms, and amuses those who become her friends, from the famed huntress Atalanta to the young priestess who is the Oracle of Delphi.

I'm in Mythology at school, so it was pretty much inevitable that I would absolutely love this book. And it's true, I did fall for it. It gives me a completely new look at Helen of Sparta--soon to be Helen of Troy. I love how Helen is so independent and so unlike her sister, Clytemnestra. Where Clytemnestra loves sewing and embroidery, Helen is determined to become strong and learn how to fight. She relates more to her brothers Castor and Polydeuces more than her sister. Helen is a innocent and naive child in the beginning, and you still see that innocence as she grows up. She is a good judge of character and gives people trust, even if they do not deserve it. I liked seeing her make friends with Atalanta and the Oracle of Delphi, a.k.a. Eunike the Pythia. While this story was slightly childish, it dealt with situations such as love, death, and proving yourself. Helen is a truly nice person and she shows this when she frees the slave Milo and takes him with her just as a friend. I really do want that to turn into something but that's just because I'm used to teenage angst books and this is centuries upon centuries ago where there weren't many situations like that. But it's nice to see her be nice to Milo although it is so obvious he likes her. Anywho, the only thing I could say that I didn't like was that the story was slightly inconsistent and became a little boring at the end. Overall, even with that tiny fault, I loved this book. It was cool to see Helen in a new light before Paris, Menelaus, and Troy, and I recommend it completely to those who love a good story. Especially if you love mythology, like I do.

This book get's four out of five piles of bacon. Mmm, bacon.

I can't wait to read the sequal, Nobody's Prize, which I'll be reading right after Ghostgirl. Look forward to it!

Hearts&Circles,

Tay-Toe

New contests rolling by!

2008-11-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

No, not from me. From this awesome site: http://www.chicklitteens.blogspot.com/ The books are great--Squad Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe, The Debs by Susan McBride--so if you pass up the chance of winning one of them then you are n.u.t.s. NUTS! So go over there and enter. Cross your fingers cause I know I am.

And...and...and...*another drumroll for the heck of it* is a very very very lovely HOLIDAY GIVEWAY. Anywho, go to this site CLICK ME and enter for a chance to win these prizes: Let It Snow: Three Holiday Stories by Lauren Myracle, Maureen Johnson, and John Green and I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert. If you aren't convinced yet (though I know you are!) the contest also includes a DOUBLE-SIDED TWILIGHT POSTER!!! Which, of course, made a crazed fan-girl shriek escape my mouth. So enter it! Do all the requirements and enter your little hearts out!

Don't forget to mention me, the generous Tay-Toe, for refering you, and if I see any contests from your blogs, I shall do the same.

Hearts&Circles,
Tay-Toe

Blogger? It's confusing.

2008-11-08T13:50:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I haven't been writing (sorry to myself, that is. no one is coming here and i don't blame em). I haven't because the template I had was complete and udder crap. No offense. So I gots me a new one and I shall start reviewing and rambling as my description says I do. Don't wanna disappoint.

So, books to review:

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

King Dork by Frank Portman

The Adoration Of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Walk Of The Spirits by Richie Tankersley Cusick

And so much more.... all thanks to the convenience of my friendly, neighborhood library.
That's a lot of writing. *sigh* Okay, time to get down to business.

~*~Wicked Lovely~*~

(summary borrowed from B&N)

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.
Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.
Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.
But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

I've got to say, this book is much different than one I've ever read before. Faeries. I've never read about faeries. Not directly, anyway. And these faeries? They aren't the small, kind, winged creatures we all know and love. Some are scary, and some do horrible things. The faerie world is seperated into four courts--The Summer Court, The Winter Court, The Dark Court, and The High Court. Keenan is the son of the late Summer King. His mother, Beira, who is also the Winter Queen, killed his father and had the Dark King seal away Keenan's powers until he finds his Summer Queen. I see this book as a sort of Sleeping Beauty, or some other fairy-tale. Sleeping Beauty is the first that came to mind... He finds his Summer Queen, she takes the Winter Queen's staff, and with that she passes the test and they can live happily ever after... But there is one problem with Keenan's fairy tale ending. He finds the girl he thinks is his Summer Queen. Her name is Aislinn, she's in love with someone else and she won't give up without a fight. I loved this book, and I truly recommend it to fantasy lovers, or just anyone who loves a good story that'll keep you up at night, thinking.

I give this book a rating of....*drum roll*....three-point-five outta five piles of bacon!

Hearts and Circles,

Tay-Toe

Ha ha ha ha! Now I'm official!

2008-08-10T13:54:00.000-07:00

On this site, I shall do book reviews and other stuff. Rambling is what I'm good for. A hidden talent, if you will. Reading and reviewing I'm good at. Balancing a book on my head? Not so much. Penguin Bowling? Haven't tried that one yet. So once I actually find a list of books I can review I will get back to you.

Taylor's Rambles

In My Mailbox

Book Meme

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox

Waiting On Wednesday

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox

Create A Cover

Evermore by Alyson Noel

New Look

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

City Of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall Excerpt!

No, I'm still alive, guys.

BRING IT!

In My Mailbox

Mmm. What was awesome in December.

That's Awesome

In My Mailbox

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

New Moon by Stephenie Meyer. Oh, gosh.

In My Mailbox

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Night World: Soulmate by L.J. Smith

Night World: The Chosen by L.J. Smith

Merry Christmas!

Waiting On Wednesday + Blue Bloods

Vampire Kisses 2, 3, and 4 by Ellen Schreiber

In My Mailbox!

Anyone in the mood for cheese?

The Eighteenth (?) Day. Wow.

Super Long Post!

Isn't the number 15 tantalizing?

Interview With That Teen!

13th day, yeah!?

Daughters Of Darkness by L.J. Smith

Omigosh! This is like a Vampire Party now.

Frostbite: A Vampire Academy Novel by Richelle Mead

Take a left, and then a right, and then a left. If you've hit a pity party, you've gone too far.

What day is it? Hmm...

Please don't shoot me.

I'm Lame.

Day Four! Gosh, I make it sound like Survivor...

Day Three Of Bloody December!

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith

I call it: Bloody December.

I'm really bad at keeping secrets...

It's Crazy Day!

Is anybody there? *echoes. echoes.*

Destination: Elsewhere

M.I.A.? Mayyyybe. Nope, not really.

Ew. Scheduling.

Ellen Schreiber Attacks!

Before The Trojan War

New contests rolling by!

Blogger? It's confusing.

Ha ha ha ha! Now I'm official!

Is anybody there? echoes. echoes.