G is for Gosh

I'm sorry for not blogging in a while. I've been busy with my other blog.
writer-person.blogspot.com

You can check it out, you might like it.
Okay, so I've decided to remove this blog from the A to Z challenge. It shames me. Anyways, I should be back to my usual blogging in about a week or so. I'm still pretty busy, but I might be able to blog this weekend.
Have a good writing day!

F is for Fallen

This is a book about fallen angels. In my opinion, it's not as good as Hush, hush be Becca Fitzpatrick. I actually like the cover more than the book.
There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.
Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.
Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Review: It was written in third person. So there went one star. I will say that the concept of fallen angels intrigues me. I just wish it described a little bit more on why they were fallen angels. Also, what exactly were Daniel and Cameron fighting about? They were on different sides, but what were the sides? (Here's a thought: they're fallen angels, how could one side be "good" and the other side "bad"?) I could've used a lot more details. Lauren Kate never actually tells you anything. She gives you a clueless protagonist. You don't learn anything. Also, Daniel and Luce are in love. Why? What caused that to happen? Who are they? why have they loved each other for centuries, etc. There was not enough. I'll finish the series. But only because I want to know. Lauren Kate took that from the readers in Fallen. (1.5)
Characters: The characters were okay. I liked Daniel. I guess. I honestly don't remember liking any of them so well. Daniel is the only one I liked. And even then, not a lot. He was too reluctant to share about his fallen angel status. There goes half a star. Luce, for being "smart", is actually not. She is so slow and passive. Things happen, and she's like whatever. Also, the most important part of the book? She wasn't even there! She could hear the fighting and everything, but she wasn't there! *Sigh.* (1/2)
Story: I liked the idea Lauren Kate had. It had potential. I didn't necessarily like how she wrote it. I think she could have written and described a bit better. (1)



Content: kissing
Stars: 3
Quotes: NONE!


Series:
Fallen
Torment
Rapture
TBA

E is for Every Soul a Star

Ahh... Such a nice story. Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass.


Review: Well, this is realistic fiction. I really liked it. It was wonderfully written. I liked, also the point of it. It had a message and I think Wendy Mass did a wonderful job. It was written in first person. So that automatically gave her a two. The other half is for being REALLY good, but not AMAZINGLY good. (2.5)


Characters: Like I said, it was in first person. What I especially liked about it though, was that the point of view switched between the three main characters: Ally, Jack, and Bree. I liked how they were distinct and different. They were all unique. But they were also similar. they were all trying to "find their place in the universe". And I agree with that. My favorite out of these three had to be Jack. There was just something I liked about him, though I can't exactly describe it. I also like the fact that he was able to "fly." I don't know how to explain it exactly, but I wish I could. It's really cool. (1)

Story: This book was about self-discovery. The three main characters are from totally different worlds. They come together to witness one thing: a total solar eclipse. It's this event that causes them to meet and become friends. They learn things about themselves, and each other, that they never knew before. It was a beautiful novel about friendship and growing up. (1)


Content: nothing
Stars: 4.5
Quotes:
"I am not plain, or average or - God forbid - vanilla. I am peanut butter rocky road with multicolored sprinkles, hot fudge and a cherry on top." - I found this quote on Goodreads, so I have no idea who said this. It's most likely Bree.
"So we stand there, part of a crowd a thousand people strong, beaming up at the sky with wonder. I knew with a sudden certainty that wherever I am in the future - up in my treehouse, alone in the school cafeteria, or trying to figure out what my teachers are talking about, a part of me will always be right here, right now, wish that giant eye in the sky shining down on me, telling me it's going to be alright." - Jack
And when he [the author of the universe] had compounded the whole, he divided it up into as many souls as there are stars, and allotted each soul to a star. And mounting them on their stars, as if on chariots, he showed them the nature of the universe and told them the laws of their destiny. - "Timaeus" by Plato 427-347 B.C.
Just as I suspected, my room does look different, post-eclipse. It looks smalled, like it can't contain me anymore.After all, I've got a whole new world to see. - Ally
My eyes are bright, my hair has come loose from its ribbon, and Stella's scarf is waving around my neck. But that's not what I see when I look at the picture. I see three unlikely friends holding hands. And Ryan, Kenny, and Melanie are standing behind us, rapt.And in the sky above us, I see a miracle. - Bree


More By This Author:
Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (currently reading)
A Mango-Shaped Space
Leap Day
Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall
Finally
11 Birthdays

D is for Dead is the New Black

Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez. This is another mysterious fantasy. There are psychics, vampires, werewolves, etc.

Review: I've only actually read the first one, so I'm going to have to get the next two soon. I've never been a big fan of mystery, so I liked the fantasy twist in this one. I mean, I like mysteries, you know, because it makes it interesting, but I don't necessarily like mystery books. It doesn't make sense, but that's me. The first person helped a bit too. So, thank you Marlene Perez. Also, it takes place in California. Yay! (2.5)

Characters: Daisy Giordano. I will admit that I forgot her name and had to look it up on Goodreads (goodreads.com). Okay, I'll admit I forgot all of their names. I do remember what it's about though, so I didn't forget everything. Anyway, the other main characters are Ryan (best friend/boyfriend), Rose and Poppy (her sisters). I do remember that Ryan was pretty cool and that is was obvious that he liked Daisy. I also remember that Daisy is the only one in her family that isn't psychic. I remember the characters at the end, but I don't remember the beginning too well. Oh. I do remember reading this book while I was at the dentist, back in January. Hm. Maybe that's why I don't remember. I did like the characters, though. I just can't tell you why because I don't remember. Why what a helpful review this is, huh? (1)

Story: I do remember the story. It's about a girl (Daisy) in Nightshade, California. She is the only member in her family that is not psychic, except her father who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances a few years ago. I don't think you find out much about him in the first book. Well, in Daisy's junior year, there are attacks against teenage girls all over town. Her mother uses her psychic powers to help in investigations. This time, her mother asks her older sister (don't remember which one) to help with the investigation. Daisy feels left out, and she ends up finding some clues and taking matters into her own hands. It is a mystery, so you have to read it to find out what happens. :0 I did like it though. It's a bit more interesting than I made it sound, I'll assure you. (.5)

Content: kissing

Stars: 4

Quotes:

"She looked pretty lively for a girl obsessed with death. "

Series:

Dead is the New Black

Dead is a State of Mind

Dead is So Last Year

Dead is Just a Rumor - fall 2010

Dead is Not an Option - spring 2011

C is for City of Bones

Now, I love werewolves and vampires and faeries and things like that. Welcome to the perfect mix of everything I love. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.

Review: Okay, so already this book hit my good side. I love vampires, werewolves, you know, the works. So, it was like the book of my dreams. I will say that the third person was a little disappointing. I would have preferred first person, but I could see how third person worked better for this book. So, yeah, I really liked it. (2.5)

Characters: I will say that Clary annoys me. Not too much, though, and only in some parts. So, she's good. I like her, but the characters I really like are Simon and Jace, especially when they're talking to each other. I like Jace because of his sarcasm and overall attitude. If you read some of the quotes, you'll know what I mean. I don't have any quotes with Simon, and that kind of sucks because I like him. He's Clary's best friend and really cares about her. I'll also mention that Jace is in love with her.I prefer Simon, but I don't mind Jace. I also think Maia and Luke (werewolves) are pretty cool. I don't really like the vampires, except for Simon. The faeries freak me out, but then again, all faeries do. (And if you think I'm spelling it wrong, I'm not. I do not read about fairies. I read about faeries. They're scarier and way cooler. ) The book mentions angels, but actual angels, not fallen angels or anything (as far as I know). I can't wait to read the CoFA or ID. There is definitely more in store. (1)

Story: Pretty much all fantasy species are here. Shadowhunters (created by an angel whose name I forgot) kill Downworlds (vamps, wolves, etc.). Well, this one Shadowhunter named Valentine (which I pronounce Valenteen, not Valentine, just because he's evil like that.) decides to go all crzy and he causes a whole mess in the Shadowhunter world. So the whole thing is about to defeat Valentine. Of course, there are many little mysteries here and there. Like: Why is Clary involved? Who's Jace, really? Why did Valentine do what he did? What did he do? So, it's a mysterious fantasy. It is compelling and totally worth reading. (1)

Content: kissing

Stars: 4.5

Quotes:

"...Have you fallen in love with the wrong person yet?" Jace said, "Unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself." ..."At least," she said, "you don't have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland." "Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting."

"Just because you call an electric eel a rubber duck doesn't make it a rubber duck, does it? And God help the poor bastard who decides they want to take a bath with the duckie."

"It wouldn't be my move," Jace agreed. "First the candy and flowers, then the apology letters, then the ravenous demon hordes. In that order."

"Don't order any of the faerie food," said Jace, looking at her over the top of his menu. "It tends to make humans a little crazy. One minute you're munching a faerie plum, the next minute you're running naked down Madison Avenue with antlers on your head. Not," he added hastily, "that this has ever happened to me."

"It's not gray," Clary felt compelled to point out. "It's green." "If there was such a thing as terminal literalism, you'd have died in childhood," said Jace."

"Investigation?" Isabelle laughed. "Now we're detectives? Maybe we should all have code names." "Good idea," said Jace. "I shall be Baron Hotschaft Von Hugenstein."

'I don't want tea,' said Clary, with muffled force. 'I want to find my mother. And then I want to find out who took her in the first place, and I want to kill them.' 'Unfortunately,' said Hodge, 'we're all out of bitter revenge at the moment, so it's either tea or nothing.'

Series:

City of Bones

City of Ashes

City of Glass

City of Fallen Angels 3-31-11 (CoFA)

Prequels: (Infernal Devices, ID)

The Clockwork Angel 8-31-2010

The Clockwork Prince

The Clockwork Princess

B is for Brave New World

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. If you've heard the song This is War by 30 Seconds to Mars, you'll probably hear that one of their lines is: "It's a brave new world from the last to the first." Now, listening to song (many times), I don't think it actually has anything to do with the book, except for that one line.

Review: So, I liked the book. It reminded me of 1984 (George Orwell). It was about a dystopia, which is basically the opposite of a utopia. I don't really know what else to say about it. It's a hard dystopia to explain. That, and I'm not really sure what to think about it. It was strange. I would recommend it to people who like classics. Also, people who've read George Orwell or like dystopias/utopias. I'm also going to say that if you've read books like The Giver (Lois Lowry), The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins), and/or Uglies (Scott Westerfeld), you might like this book or 1984. Just because they're all about dystopias. (2)
Characters: So, the main characters would be Bernard Marx, Lenina Crowne, and John the Savage. I don't really have much to say about them either. I do however, want to say something about John. He was from a Savage reservation. I think he is the one with the most humanity in the story. He believes in things like God and love and things like that. I think he's the only one (besides the others at the savage reservation) who knows what the really important things in life are. (1)
Story: So, this is a dystopian novel. That's really all I have to say. (1/2)

Content:
Stars: 3.5
Quotes:
"The Savage interrupted him. "But isn't it natural to feel there's a God?" "You might as well ask if it's natural to do up one's trousers with zippers," said the Controller sarcastically. "You remind me of another of those old fellows called Bradley. He defined philosophy as the finding of bad reason for what one believes by instinct. As if one believed anything by instinct! One believes things because one has been conditioned to believe them. Finding bad reasons for what one believes for other bad reasons–that's philosophy. People believe in God because they've been conditioned to."

"In a properly organized society like ours, nobody has any oppurtunities for being noble or heroic. Conditions have got to be thouroughly unstable before the occasion can arise. When there are wars, where there are divided allegiances, where there are temptations to be resisted, objects of love to be fought for or defended - there, obviously, nobility and heroism have some sense. But there aren't any wars nowadays. The greatest care is taken to prevent you from loving anyone too much. There's no such thing as a divided allegiance; you're so conditioned that you can't help doing what you ought to do. And what you ought to do is on the whole so pleasant, so many of the natural impulses are allowed free paly, that there really aren't any temptations ro resist. And if ever, by some unlucky chance, anything unpleasant should somehow happen, why, there's always soma to give you a holiday from the facts. And there's always soma to calm your anger, to reconcile you to your enemies, to make you patient and long-suffering. In the past you could only accomplish these things by making a great effort and after years of hard moral training. now, you swallow two or three half-gramme tablets, and there you are. Anybody can be virtous now. You can carry at least half your mortality about in a bottle. Christianity without tears - that's what soma is."

""Pain's a delusion." "Oh, is it?" said the Savage and, picking up a thick hzel switch, strode forward. The man from the The Fordian Science Monitor made a dash for his helicopter."

More By This Author:
The Doors of Perception
Heaven and Hell
Island

He has more than that, but those are the only ones I know.

A is for Animal Farm

So, I've entered both of my blogs in the Blogging From A to Z April Challenge. I'm a little behind, but I'll be catching up. For each entry, I'm going to review a book with the letter for the day. So, to start of, I'm going to review Animal Farm by George Orwell for A.
(The picture is the cover of the version I read.)
Review: Now, this book is more symbolic than anything else. It has a point, a reason for being written. It's literally about an animal farm. The thing is, the animals symbolize humans. In a way, the book is comparing animals to humans. The pigs would symbolize some form of government; the horses (mainly Boxer), would symbolize a sort of working class; the sheep could symbolize how naive some people are; the dogs would symbolize law enforcement, they keep the animals in check and make sure they don't question the pigs; etc. That's how this book works. You have to dig under what the story is literally saying and see what the point of it is. I, personally, thought it was pretty darn good. I loved it and the way he used this symbolism. (3)
Characters: In my review, I mentioned what some of the animals symbolized. I'd like to make a few comments on the pigs and two others, Clover (a horse) and Benjamin (a donkey). The pigs are the ones who hold all the power. After the animals chased the humans off of the farm, they assumed power. The thing I find interesting is how, after the defeat of the humans, the pigs ended up turning into humans. That reminds me of this one quote: "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." (It's Friedrich Nietzsche. I actually got this quote from a music video. It's a long story, so I'll write about it later.) Well, the pigs were like that. They "fought the monsters" and ended up becoming "monsters". The abyss part, well, I don't know how that would play in the story. But if you've read it, I'd want to know what you think. So, onto Clover and Benjamin. Clover, throughout the story, is remembering things that "didn't happen". In the beginning, there were Seven Commandments of Animalism. As the pigs slowly "become monsters", she realizes that the Commandments are changing. Of course, she has no proof and the pigs merely dismiss the idea. Benjamin is quite. He probably knew, the whole time, what was happening to the pigs. He most likely knew everything that was going on. He didn't tell anybody, though. He kept to himself. (1)
Story: Now, I've said many times before, that this story is all about symbolism. But what exactly does it symbolize? In my mind, it symbolizes the human nature. The pigs especially show this. They get the power, and special privileges. By the end of the story, the Seven Commandments are only one phrase: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." (1)





Content: it's an animal farm!
Stars: 5
Quotes: (The last sentence in the book)
"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."


Now, if you don't understand it, this sentence is saying how the pigs turned so much into humans that is was impossible to tell them apart.


More Books By This Author:
1984


I know he has more books, but I'm sorry to say I have no idea what they are. The most famous ones are 1984 and Animal Farm.