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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Scarlet theories!

Hey guys! Today I am over at Books: A True Story talking about what I predict will happen in Scarlet, the sequel to Cinder, and answering a few interview questions. Come on over and say hi! There are cookies and punch. Well, maybe not, but it's still pretty awesome. Plus, if you've ever wondered what Idaho kids do for fun, here's your chance to find out.

But don't read my theories unless you've read Cinder. I don't want you all to blame me for spoiling it for you. :]

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Knock knock

Okay, I thought this was just the funniest thing ever. Say it out loud to get the full effect:

***
Knock knock.

Who's there?

Little old lady.

Little old lady who?

I didn't know you could yodel!

***

Ha! Okay, so maybe I spend too much time babysitting children. But kids are pretty cool, you know? I love how seriously they take things. Last week the 6-year-old and I were watching an old fairy tale show while the others were taking a nap. At first I was kind of creeped out by the show - it was photography animation like Wallace and Gromit is, but the characters were all carved out of wood and the animation was not very smooth. After a while I decided it had a certain charm, and we settled in to watch.


One of the stories was King Midas. The 6-year-old was asking a million questions about how he was turning the food to gold, and what would happen if he couldn't eat, and so on. And then we get to the part where the king is going to put his arm around his daughter, and the 6-year-old gets this look on his face. His mouth falls open and he's staring transfixed at the screen, and I know that he can tell what's going to happen. He stops asking me questions and just watches. After the king touches his daughter the 6-year-old turns to me and whispers, in awe,  "He turned her into gold."

And the entire time I was thinking; I want to write a story like that.

That's pretty much the feeling I had the entire time I was reading Insurgent. It was the first book I read post-finals and I was craving something made-up after my grueling science tests. I was all curled up on the sofa, and I hadn't moved an inch since coming home. There were many parts that made me bite my lip or smile. And then there was this one part - it kills me that I can't be specific, but it would spoil it for you - I totally wasn't expecting, and I gasped. And then I kind of sat there staring at the page in shock for a moment.

Until I realized that my brother was laughing at me. "You're really tense," he commented. I tried to ignore him watching me and continue reading, but then it happened again a few pages later. This time I yelped.

After that my brother kept an eye on me, so he could laugh at my expressions. I'm so very glad I could amuse you, brother-o-mine.



What was the last book you read (or movie you watched) that made you gasp, yelp, laugh, cry, insert-emotion-here? Does your reading ever provide your friends and family with free entertainment? I'd love to hear your stories. :]

Friday, May 25, 2012

Books for Summer

Summer is my favorite part of the year. I'm pretty certain that unless you're a ski or snowboard enthusiast you'll agree with me; there's just something so wonderful about days so hot you sweat the moment you step outside, the smell of barbecue in the evenings, and laying around outside reading. I love books that embody the feeling of summer, so I thought I'd recommend my favorite summer reads.


The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight


"Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. She’s stuck at JFK, late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s in seat 18C. Hadley’s in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver’s story will make you believe that true love finds you when you’re least expecting it." - From Goodreads


My thoughts:
This book was so cute. It's a short read, just a bit over two hundred pages, and it's a pretty perfect way to spend an afternoon. I thought Hadley's relationship with her dad was very well done- the conclusion felt real and believable. And the romance with Oliver was adorable. I was smiling like a fool when I finished.


Because of Winn-Dixie


 "The summer Opal and her father, the preacher, move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket--and comes out with a dog. A big, ugly, suffering dog with a sterling sense of humor. A dog she dubs Winn-Dixie. Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher tells Opal ten things about her absent mother, one for each year Opal has been alive. Winn-Dixie is better at making friends than anyone Opal has ever known, and together they meet the local librarian, Miss Franny Block, who once fought off a bear with a copy of WAR AND PEACE. They meet Gloria Dump, who is nearly blind but sees with her heart, and Otis, an ex-con who sets the animals in his pet shop loose after hours, then lulls them with his guitar.Opal spends all that sweet summer collecting stories about her new friends and thinking about her mother. But because of Winn-Dixie or perhaps because she has grown, Opal learns to let go, just a little, and that friendship--and forgiveness--can sneak up on you like a sudden summer storm." - From Goodreads

My Thoughts:
Because of Winn-Dixie is one of those rare cases where I think the movie actually does the book justice. I love Opal's voice and how sweet she is as a character, and it's so much fun watching her make friends in a new town. This is a classic I revisit each summer.

Shadowed Summer


"Iris is ready for another hot, routine summer in her small Louisiana town, hanging around the Red Stripe grocery with her best friend, Collette, and traipsing through the cemetery telling each other spooky stories and pretending to cast spells. Except this summer, Iris doesn’t have to make up a story. This summer, one falls right in her lap.

Years ago, before Iris was born, a local boy named Elijah Landry disappeared. All that remained of him were whispers and hushed gossip in the church pews. Until this summer. A ghost begins to haunt Iris, and she’s certain it’s the ghost of Elijah. What really happened to him? And why, of all people, has he chosen Iris to come back to?" - From Goodreads


My Thoguhts:
I love, love, love the voice and atmosphere of this one. It feels like summer - the heat, the humidity, the cicadas, the aimless feeling that comes when there's no school. The relationships between the characters is spot on for their age. This story is just so much fun to read.

Holes



"Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnats. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the warden makes the boys "build character" by spending all day, every day, digging holes: five feet wide and five feet deep. It doesn't take long for Stanley to realize there's more than character improvement going on at Camp Green Lake. The boys are digging holes because the warden is looking for something. Stanley tries to dig up the truth in this inventive and darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment—and redemption."- From Amazon

My Thoughts:
Like Winn-Dixie, Holes is an amazing book that became an amazing movie. I love the absurdity of it, and how the absurdity is used to tell a story with a lot of truth. Also, while you're dying in the hot summer sun, it will make you appreciate the fact that you're not at Camp Green Lake digging holes.



What books would you add to this list?

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

All grown up

There is a story here, and it doesn't need a single word to be told.








Unless you are that dog, in which case the story is: "I want that ball!"