that one girl emily

The Prince and the Pauper

2010-12-29T16:07:00.002-05:00

Title: The Prince and the Pauper

Author: Mark Twain

Pages: 210

Want it. Like it. Leave it.

(by the way, who doesn't love a good nineteenth century cover!)

I'm usually a lover of the classics, and don't get me wrong this book wasn't bad, but this one did not hook me as much as it should have.

I loved the fairytale element too it and the historical endnotes that Twain threw in at the end. I'm a bit of a historical fiction fanatic and this was a great example of it.

The characters were fantastic, with the way they developed throughout the story into more than just figureheads for the plot.

The introduction by Robert Time said that the book was supposed to really humorous and that Mr. Twain is something of a comedic genius, but I must have missed most of the book because I think I didn't get like 20% of the humor. And that makes me sad.

All in all, it was a good read, but not one that kept me totally hooked.

I need to get back in touch.

2010-12-03T18:53:00.002-05:00

Calling all bloggers!

So guess who is completely out of touch with the entire blogging community?

No, not The Story Siren, I'm pretty sure she's good.

Okay and definitely not Pop Culture Junkie. Seriously?

You guys aren't even trying.

It's ME. Obviously.

The one thing I am desperately asking for is a short list of the newer, up-and-coming blogs that i NEED to be aware of. I've been here since 2008 (which isn't the longest time, but long enough in blog years) and my list is severely dated.

Please&ThankYou!

The Blog Scene is Dead...

2010-11-01T22:48:00.002-04:00

The YA blog scene is desolate.

Yes, while this is rather grim, let's face it, the action is gone. I remember back in 2008 I was SO excited to start blogging and be in the spotlight, but i guess it just never happened.

As far as I can see, no one's active anymore. At least not very many of us are left.

And that makes me so sad.

This is one of the greatest parts of my adolescent life and it's sad to see it drifting away.

Someone please reassure me that it's not completely over...

The Fountainhead

2010-08-14T12:03:00.003-04:00

Title: The Fountainhead

Author: Ayn Rand

Pages: 694

Read it. Skim it. Toss it.

Summary: (I literally could not find a summary of the book that wasn't an entire page long.)

My Two Cents: I don't even know what to think right now.

And let me tell you, that does not happen very often after I read a book. You all know the feeling after you finish a book. You have a clear opinion in your mind of what the message was and whether you agree with it or not.

I have not a damn clue.

The book is mainly a commentary on the human purpose. It is basically stated that if you are doing something for anything other than simply the sake of bringing about an original creation, you are corrupt. I don't think I've ever done something just to create my own idea. Am I corrupt? Am I unworthy?

alsdkfjalsdkflkajdflkjasdflkjasdlkfjasldkfjlaksjdflkajsdf.

Howard Roark, the main character, is ultimately portrayed as the greatest good. Yet he's evil in the eyes of everyone but those with the capacity to see otherwise? Peter Keating, the ambitious young architect who leads a life of passionate success, is the biggest failure in the end?

All I have to say for myself, is that I enjoyed this book more than I can express. I wouldn't say that it was a pleasurable read, but the act of processing what I had just read and thinking about the theories and how they connect to the world I live in was the best part. It is now probably one of my favorite books of all time.

I sit here, trying to come up with a way of explaining this to all of you without confusing the hell out of my audience, but there's just no way! I literally cannot express the depth of this novel.

I'll just leave all of you with this, if you want a thought-provoking classic devoid of, yet filled to the brim with emotion, this book is for you. READ IT.

Warning: The Fountainhead is pretty advanced and not for those looking for a light read.

Netflix for Wii: My New Best Friend

2010-06-18T01:20:00.004-04:00

Books, books, books...

Seems like I'm not really reading these days? Well then you would be absolutely correct. Don't even understand it but I'm just not as enthused by it as I used to be? Oh sighh....

Right now I'm in the process of reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. And let me tell you, that is one long ass book. Beautifully written and emotionally challenging, but praise zeus is that sucker long.

But do you know what I do love these days? Netflix. Netflix and television.

*heart flutters*

Basically, they have this great deal at Netflix where you receive a disc for your Wii (thankfully I made that purchase a while ago) and the disc + an internet connection brings you access to your entire instant Netflix queue.

ALKASJDFLAKSJDFALSKDFJ. Can you say perfection?

HOLY *expletive*. I worship this *additional expletive*.

Do you understand what this gives me access to? I now have the ability to watch my television shows from Netflix on my television. This, opposed to staring at my Macbook screen for hours, is highly beneficial to my well-being. My eyesight has already gone to the dogs. (Not sure that was the correct phrase to use at that time, but what the hell, let's just roll with it).

And the best part about it is that I can watch every episode of a series back to back if I so wished because if it is available instantly through Netflix, it is available instantly to my television screen.

My new addictions you ask?

un) Buffy the Vampire Slayer. OH. MY. GOD. This shit blows my mind. So crazy good. I think I've made it through four seasons in about two weeks or so. Maybe one week...

deux) Doctor Who. Yes, I am officially on the bandwagon. It's nice to finally be here.

trois) All of my other tv shows that I don't have on Hulu or I have had the chance to see. Examples! 30 Rock, South Park, Bones, Skins, Arrested Development, Lie to Me, and Angel.

Lord it's like a dream that I never have to wake up from.

I LOVE Television.

2010-03-27T19:30:00.000-04:00

So i realized that I watch wayyyy too much tv. But not much of it actually on tv...

My favorites are in bold (:

Hulu:

30 Rock
American Dad
The Bachelor
Biggest Loser
Bones
Burn Notice
Castle
Chuck
The Cleveland Show
The Colbert Report
Community
The Daily Show
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Family Guy
Firefly
Fringe
Glee
Greek
House
Human Target
In Plain Sight
Lost
Make It or Break It
Mercy
Modern Family
The Office
Parenthood
Parks and Recreation
Psych
Saturday Night Live
Scrubs
Secret Life of the American Teenager
The Simpsons
Ugly Betty
V
White Collar

On DVD:

Friends
Full House
LOST
Gilmore Girls

Good lord I have an obsession.

I LOVE Television: Friends

2010-03-26T19:17:00.003-04:00

Show: Friends

Famous Names: Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Matthew Perry, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc

Years Running: 1994-2004

I'm pretty sure everyone knows this iconic show. It's one of the most famous television shows in America and even around the world these days. I'd never watched it when it was on tv, but I've randomly seen reruns late at night. Recently, my mom got five seasons for Christmas. I AM OBSESSED.

I think I watch too much tv. I really do...

The best thing about Friends is that the characters really develop and grow. I'm on Season 2 and it's so hilarious and clever. I love it. I really do...

LOST.

2009-12-26T17:28:00.003-05:00

Are there any LOST fans out there? I've been watching the first season on DVD for the past 2 days and I am freaking. out. I didn't know the show was this creepy! But I still love it (:

What do you all think? Anyone else agree?

Movie Night #2

2009-12-25T13:01:00.002-05:00

Title: Avatar

Release Year: 2009

Famous Names: Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Joel David Moore

Buy it. Rent it. Skip it.

Summary: In the future, Jake, a paraplegic war veteran, is brought to another planet, Pandora, which is inhabited by the Na'vi, a humanoid race with their own language and culture. Those from Earth find themselves at odds with each other and the local culture.

My Two Cents: Set in 2154, this is the best futuristic slash alien movie I have ever seen. Most of the movie is made in CGI, which (excuse me if I'm wrong), is a type of high-tech computer animation. I loved this movie so much. I saw it last night with my family and the only thing I can complain about is the length. I'm going to guess and say that this movie is about 2 and a half hours long. That is one longggggg movie.

James Cameron the writer and producer of the film also produced TItanic. And boy, did he live up to expectations.

I'm not going to give anything else away so I'm just going to say: GO SEE THIS MOVIE. Like, now. I'm not kidding.

I have a feeling that Avatar will soon become a classic movie.

Movie Night!

2009-12-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

Title: Chicago

Release Year: 2002

Famous Names: Renee Zellweger, Queen Latifah, Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones

Buy it. Rent it. Skip it.

Summary: Murderesses Velma Kelly (a chanteuse and tease who killed her husband and sister after finding them in bed together) and Roxie Hart (who killed her boyfriend when she discovered he wasn't going to make her a star) find themselves on death row together and fight for the fame that will keep them from the gallows in 1920s Chicago.

My Two Cents: Chicago is the perfect vaudville 1920's film for me. It's dark, sexy, and basically has some of the best jazz numbers I've ever seen in a musical. I am such a fan of musicals! I haven't seen many, but I'm hooked. I actually don't know why I watch so few of them...

Anyway, I thought Chicago would be a bit to raunchy for my taste, but it was totally spot on! Plus Catherine Zeta-Jones absolutely stole the show. John C. Reilly was also great in a role other than fat, lowely single guy. His rendition of Mr. Cellophane was sooooooo brilliant. Richard Gere was awesome too, but I'd always thought of him as an old man, so I guess that took away some of his shine in my eyes.

I definitely would restrict this viewing party to over 13 only. It was fairly graphic in a lot of the scenes, but what else would you expect from a vaudeville?

I've got to say, my absolue favorite part was the Cellblock Tango. 5 girls from my high school performed it for the end of the year solo and ensemble choir show. I watched the movie like 2 hours ago, and it is STILL stuck in my head.

Enjoy my lovelies!

Gone

2009-12-23T15:00:00.002-05:00

Title: Gone

Author: Michael Grant

Pages: 558

Read it. Skim it. Toss it.

Summary: In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE. Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened. Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day. It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

My Two Cents: I have no idea why I liked this book.

That is an understatement. I devoured this book.

This is an over 500 page book. I read it in less than 2 days.

I don't even like Sci-Fi!? What is going on here?

Maybe now I do? Oh what a dilemma this book has put me in...

Gone was absolutely phenomenal. I think if the age limit for the characters was extended to maybe 16 or 18, it would have been a bit more relatable, but that didn't affect the story much. The romance seemed a bit too adult for 14 year olds to comprehend. And I can fully say this, having been 14 a mere 2 years ago.

But the age did bring into perspective the total horror of young kids, 10 years old even, wielding a gun or fighting tooth-and-nail for their lives.

Great. Book.

The Luxe

2009-12-21T21:12:00.005-05:00

Title: The Luxe

Author: Anna Godbersen

Pages: 433

Read it. Skim it. Toss it.

Summary: The beautiful young Holland sisters, Elizabeth and Diana, rule Manhattan society. Or so it appears. When they discover their status is far from secure, everyone—from the ambitious socialite Penelope Hayes, to the debonair bachelor, Henry Schoonmaker, to the Holland's dour maid, Lina Broud—threatens the girls' golden future. When Elizabeth's carriage overturns near the East River, her glittering life, well-known for lighting up the city's gossip pages, is swallowed by the rough current. Then the question on everyone's lips is this: Who will take Elizabeth's enviable place?

My Two Cents: AHHHHH Historical Fiction. I love it! I'm addicted to historical fiction. I'm not going to lie, I totally am. And this time period, while it would have been better set in London, was spot on for me. To me it was very Queen Elizabeth-esque. And promise me, this is a very good thing. Diana was an absolutely fascinating character to say the least. She annoyed me very much in the beginning, but what kept me going was her intensity. Unlike her shriveled plum of a sister.

Don't get me wrong, I wanted to live Elizabeth Holland's life. Decadent gowns, courting boys, what is there to not like. But sometimes, she just seemed so timid! I longed to shake her by the shoulders screaming, "WHY?! GROW A PAIR GIRLFRIEND!"

Grow a pair? Really Emily? Ohh toshh, please forgive my graphic language.

All in all, The Luxe was a fabulous read. If you happen to be a fan of scandals, hot stable boys and flouncy dresses, yeah, you just hit the jackpot.

The Clue of the Broken Locket

2009-12-19T12:56:00.004-05:00

Title: Nancy Drew Mystery: The Clue of the Broken Locket #11

Author: Carolyn Keene

Pages: 178

Read it. Skim it. Toss it.

^ So that's new. But I got the idea from Time magazine, which I get weekly. And I think it's a bit better than an actual rating. Tell me if you like it?

Summary (from good old shelfari): Nancy Drew and her friends are plunged into a network of strange events when they visit Misty Lake. The very night they arrive, they meet pretty, red-haired Cecily Curtis, who seeks Nancy's help in solving two mysteries: one concerning Cecily's fiance, Niko Van Dyke, a popular singer who believes that his record company is cheating him of royalty payments; the other, involving a family treasure hidden before the start of the Civil War - Cecily's only clue being half of a gold locket.

My Two Cents: Nancy Drew books are just so classic! They've been around since what - the 1930's? Goodness I'm such a nostalgic person. I love love love going back and reading these kinds of books. Plus, a girl detective? How cool is that!? If you've read this series, you know you wanted to be Nancy, don't even lie to yourself. She is such a magnificent heroine!

The Clue of the Broken Locket was pretty decent. I adore the cliffhangers at the end of every chapter. It might get a bit predictable at times, but it still keeps me glued to the book. If a book can do that for me, that's a treasure in itself. The setting wasn't my favorite in this mystery and the plotline got strange sometimes. I wasn't particularly impressed by the characters either. Overall, it was a good Nancy Drew, but not a great one.

I did very much enjoy the crazyyyyy conclusion though! I could have never guessed what was actually happening in the inner-workings of the plot. And I LOVE being suprised during mysteries. Predictably isn't bad at all, but sometimes it just doesn't work.

If you want to start reading Nancy Drew books, I wouldn't start with this one. But if you are a fan of the series already, go check it out!

The Best Thing About It:

Classic literature.

ARGHHHH.

2009-12-06T12:49:00.001-05:00

So Blogspot won't let me post?

This is super cool... I don't even think this post will work.

Love Life?

2009-11-08T19:23:00.003-05:00

School and soccer rule my universe. Not that I'm complaining...

But I wish I had more time to read :(

Pen Pals!

2009-10-25T20:36:00.002-04:00

I love the idea of having a pen pal, so if you would like to be my pen pal, please email me at:

thatonegirlemm@aol.com

Basically, I'm just a teenage girl who likes letters.

But who doesn't like letters?

So if you would like a pen pal, email me!

Students: You Need to Watch This.

2009-09-09T19:05:00.001-04:00

This is so important for kids to understand.

Please watch, even if you aren't a student.

I care about my education, and you should too.

101 Great Books!

2009-09-05T08:47:00.002-04:00

Now I'm sorry if you thought this was going to be a post with my favorite 101 books, but it isn't. I love CollegeBoard.com. I am always planning for college, and it's basically my favorite site ever invented. And on College Board, they have a list of 101 Great Books to Read Before You Go to College. So I decided to take on that challenge and I've started it with:

A Death in the Family by James Agee.

Let the fun begin (:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

2009-08-21T21:13:00.004-04:00

Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Author: J.K. Rowling

Pages: 652

Rating: A+

I love Harry Potter.

I'm sorry, but I'm a tad obsessed.

Things I re-realized when re-reading:

-Harry and Ginny are perfect

-Ron and Hermione are perfect

-I WANT TO BE HERMIONE GRANGER.

-How much I despise Snape

-How brilliant Malfoy really is, despite his Death-Eaterness

-I WANT TO BE HERMIONE GRANGER

Donut Days

2009-08-13T00:01:00.000-04:00

Title: Donut Days

Author: Lara Zielin

Pages: 243

Grade: C+

Summary: Emma has a lot going on. Her best friend’s not speaking to her, a boy she's known all her life is suddenly smokin' hot and in love with her, and oh yes, her evangelical minister parents may lose their church, especially if her mother keeps giving sermons saying Adam was a hermaphrodite.

But this weekend Emma’s only focused on Crispy Dream, a hot new donut franchise opening in town, where Harley bikers and Frodo wannabes camp out waiting to be the first ones served. Writing the best feature story on the camp for the local paper might just win Emma a scholarship to attend a non- Christian college. But soon enough Emma finds the donut camp isn’t quite the perfect escape from all her troubles at Living Word Redeemer.

Review:

Donut Days is a Christian book.

A VERY Christian and religious book.

You see, I am not an extraordinarily religious person, so I had some trouble connecting to the story. I was hoping that the story of Emma's parent's church scandal would just be a side note. The rest of the story sounded great, but everything was all ensconsed in Christianity. Even the romance was filled with spiritual revelations and God!

So that part of the book was not my favorite.

Also, the dialogue in some parts was just not good.

An example:

"Hey."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yep, thanks. You?"

AGHHH. That about put me to sleep.

But the book wasn't all bad! I thought the ending was just right for the story. Also, the conniving and thievery was worked in well and I thought it was pretty captivating! But I don't have much else good to say. It could have been better. I probably wouldn't reccomend it to anyone, but for a light read when you have nothing else to do, it's not bad. I guess I just couldn't relate...

How To Buy a Love of Reading

2009-08-11T23:57:00.003-04:00

Title: How To Buy a Love of Reading

Author: Tanya Egan Gibson

Pages: 389

Grade: A-

Summary: To Carley Wells, words are the enemy: the countless SAT lists from her tutor, the “fifty-seven pounds overweight” assessment from her personal trainer, and most of all, the “confidential” Getting To Know You assignment from her insane English teacher (whose literary terminology lessons include “Backstory is Afterbirth” and “Setting is Nobody’s Slut”). When he tells her parents that she’s answered “What is your favorite book?” with “Never met one I liked,” they become determined to fix what he calls her “intellectual impoverishment.” They will commission a book to be written for Carley that she’ll have to love—one that will impress her teacher and the whole town of Fox Glen with their family’s devotion to the arts. They will be patrons—the Medicis of Long Island. They will buy their daughter The Love Of Reading.

Impossible though it is for Carley to imagine ever loving words, she is in love with a young bibliophile who cares about them more than anything. Anything, that is, but a good bottle of scotch. Hunter Cay, Carley’s best friend and Fox Glen’s resident golden boy, is becoming a stranger to her as he drowns himself in F. Scott Fitzgerald, booze, and Vicodin.

When the Wellses move writer Bree McEnroy—author of a failed meta-novel about Odysseus’s voyages through the Internet—into their mansion to write Carley’s book, Carley’s sole interest in the project is its potential to distract Hunter from drinking and give them something to share. Instead, as Hunter’s behavior becomes erratic and dangerous, she finds herself drawn into the fictional world Bree has created and begins to understand for the first time the power of stories—those we read, those we want to believe in, and most of all, those we tell ourselves about ourselves. Stories powerful enough to destroy a person.

Or save her.

Review: How do you buy a love of reading? Well, I think buying this book would be a very nice start.

I was actually very skeptical when I started this book, I'm not going to lie. It took me a long time to get through the first half, just because of how hesitant I was. I had read one bad review on it and thus, I was scared! Now I know that maybe that wasn't my best approach.

Because let me tell you, it was mind-shattering.

I absolutely adore books that are intellectual and make me think for once. I'm all for the mushy romance nonsense, but books that explore my mind are so wonderful. And that was exactly what How To Buy a Love of Reading did. And I'm really not kidding. This book rendered me helpless for nearly 10 minutes just because I was thinking about everything the author was telling me. Or not telling me!

Has that ever even happened to you? A book is just so good that you just fall into it?

And being in Carley and Hunter's world made me feel blessed for everything I have. I think I would have been destroyed if I had to go through everything they endured. At times, I was actually scared for them! I was utterly hypnotized by their lifestyle. All I can say is, thank god for my nonchalant suburban lifestyle.

All I can leave you with is this:

This book is not a story. It is an experience.

West Palm Beach '09

2009-08-09T17:50:00.001-04:00

I kissed a boy and flew above the clouds...

Bookcases!

2009-07-27T16:51:00.004-04:00

So I have been having this problem: I don't have enough space for my books! I have a bookself on my wall that was sufficient, but it's begun to overflow.

As you can see, I am crammming books into the little space I have left.

But alas, I recieved an email from CSN Office Furniture asking me to review a bookcase or other piece of merchandise for them! It is too good to be true.

Yet it is true, and I am hoping to recieve this lovely bookshelf for review:

When I was browsing the store, it was so easy to get to exactly what I wanted. I was looking for a modern, chic bookcase. And thus, there was a section under bookcases labeled: Contemporary Bookcases. Pretty cool huh?

I can't wait to get my bookcase sooon! Thanks so much to csnofficefurniture.com (:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

2009-07-26T19:17:00.003-04:00

Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix

Author: J. K. Rowling

Pages: 870

Rating: A

I have always been a HUGE Harry Potter fan. And re-reading the series is just a way of rekindling my love. While they are some of the longest books I have ever read, I read them faster than most any other book. It's absolutely wonderful (:

And when reading OOTP again, I realized how much I:

- love Luna Lovegood

- hate Grawp

- adore Sirius

...and how much I want to be Hermione.

Tropic Thunder

2009-07-24T00:01:00.000-04:00

Title: Tropic Thunder

Rating: R

Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Ben Stiller

Summary (from official website): Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Robert Downey Jr. lead an all-star cast in the outrageous comedy Tropic Thunder. When three of Hollywood's biggest stars head into the jungles of Vietnam to shoot a war movie, they have no idea how real things can get.

Review: I was kind of watching and kind of not watching this movie, so I was a little bit confused. I think the concept is awesome. Youve got a movie about a movie that really isnt a movie and a white man playing a white man playing a black man. Youve just got to love that.

I think Ben Stiller was the star of this movie. Everyone says that Robert Downey Jr was the best, but seriously, Ben Stiller stole the show. His dialogue was hilarious and he portrayed "Tug Speedman" perfectly. I love him (: And he directed, produced, and wrote the movie.

But still, Robert Downey Jr wasn't bad at all! At times his character was soo racist that it was just funny. On that note, this movie is OFFENSIVE. The language is so bad. I think I probably learned some new cuss words from this. Hhah, so yeah. Don't let your 8 year old watch this.

I think Mattew McCaughnehey (yeah I know the spelling is wrong, but seriously, does anyone actually know how to spell it?) was in this, as Ben Stiller's agent, but I have no clue. It kind of looked like him and sounded like him, but correct me if I'm wrong.

And as a fake war movie, the effects were awesomeeeeee. Like, holy crap. The explosions were so freaking cool, it could have been Saving Private Ryan or something (which is like my fave war movie of ALL time!).

But I was very confused if they actually made the movie or not? The end funny but confusing..

OH! AND BILL HADER WAS IN THIS!

If you don't know who he is, he is from Saturday Night Live, which is basically my favorite thing. So this was a special treat for me (:

ps. Tom Cruise is in this too? I was just watching the credits and it says he is like one of the bigger startes

Youtube.. "My"tube

2009-07-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

I was (and still am) obsessed with John Green and Hank Green [aka. the vlogbrothers] and this led me to fiveawesomegirls. You ask, what is fiveawesomegirls?

FIVE. SPECTACTULAR. AMAZING. AWESOME. GIRLS.

I could have added a few more adjectives, but I think you get the idea.

Fiveawesomegirls is a project like vlogbrothers in which the girls share a week and make a video on a specified day. There are challenges, wacky questions, and guest appearances by other awesome people. It's basically everything you could ask for in a vlog project. And, all of the girls are huge Harry Potter fans and nerdfighters!

So here we go. The fiveawesomegirls:

MONDAY!

Kristina. - the energetic, wizard rock, pokemon, and LOST loving awesomegirl. Okay so yeah, that might encompass most of the awesomegirls, but it is just what i see most from Kristina. She is by far the girl I look to for something that will just cheer me up. She is part of the wizard rock band called the Parselmouths!

TUESDAY!

Lauren. - another wizard rocker. Her band is call the Moaning Myrtles and I absolutely am infatuated with her. She spews adorable. I will just keep with that phrase because it is unbelievably true. What else can I possibly say?

WEDNESDAY!

Kayley. - the smiley, owl-loving, nerdfighting, awesomegirl. Kayley is the girl that I just want to hug for like 10 minutes, she just makes me feel so good! And she wears the cutest outfits everrrr and that scores some major brownie points with me. I love Kayley!

THURSDAY!

Hayley. - the funniest person you shall ever meet [well, maybe except demetri martin]. Seriously, Hayley makes my day. Her personality is so unique and fresh ittttt's basically bottled sunshine. Hayley is the choir and musical theatre awesomegirl (even though I know Kayley is too). I watch all her videos like 6 times when they show up in my subscription box because I just laugh. It's the most wonderful thing in the world.

FRIDAY!

Liane. - the musical awesomegirl. I only describe Liane as musical because it is my favorite thing about her. Her music is what I look forward to week after week. And it doesn't hurt that it is also wizard rock (;

I love all these girls and I really hope everyone looks them up, because they deserve it. They deserve every subscriber they get and I'm so happy for them. I look up to them so much. And you really should too.

Yep. Again.

2009-07-22T11:29:00.002-04:00

I don't think I'm even going to apologize for being a sucky blogger. I say it way too often and I feel that it might be a little annoying. Even though it's probably necessary. Sigh..

I'm re-reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix right now. So that's fun.

I'm also still reading my summer assignment book for history. That one is kind of lagging along..

I'm just not very motivated right now, if you couldn't already tell.

I miss school :(

A Little TidBit

2009-06-14T12:54:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure if I like the white instead of the grey for the background. What do you think?

Also, I think I might make another video. Hmm.

Things to ponder.

List!

2009-06-13T13:00:00.002-04:00

Things I Love About Summer

1. Sunshine. Nothing is better than some authentic sunlight.

2. Time. All the extra time gives me opportunities to do the things I love.

3. Ice cream. It always tastes better in the summer. Always.

4. Vacation. It's a time when my family and I can actually spend time together somewhere beautiful and away from home. This year I get to take my best friend (:

5. Grass. I know it sounds weird, but I'm a soccer player, so it matters to me. The grass is greener, fresher, and softer in the summer. It's so heavenly.

SKYPE!

2009-06-11T11:39:00.003-04:00

Guys, I just got a Skype!

...and I'm totally lost.

Does anyone else have a Skype?

I would love to talk to you!

Please email me at thatonegirlemm@aol.com

or comment,

becuase I have no idea what to do.

Hahaha.

Thanks!

Palace of Mirrors

2009-06-09T18:24:00.004-04:00

Title: Palace of Mirrors

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

Pages: 297

Rating: B

Summary: Cecilia knows that she is not just another peasant girl; she is actually the true princess, in hiding until the evil forces that killed her parents are vanquished. A commoner named Desmia is on the throne as a decoy.

As she gets older, Cecilia finds it harder to study statesmanship and palace protocol secretly at night and then pretend that she has nothing on her mind other than scrubbing the gruel stains out of her best apron by day.

Cecilia knows that it is time to take charge. Along with her best friend, Harper, she flees to the capital city, determined to reclaim her throne and face the danger head on.

When Harper and Cecilia reach the famed Palace of Mirrors, they discover complications: Princess Desmia believes an entirely different version of the story.

Review: Palace of Mirrors kind of suprised me. I know the author, Margaret Peterson Haddix, from her other series that I love called Among the Hidden. We read those books back in 4th grade, so its been a while since I have read any of her writing. Palace of Mirrors was great. I can absolutely say that it lived up to the reputation of Ms. Haddix's former work.

You guys probably already know that I'm a sucker for historical fiction, so this was right up my alley. Now, the book isn't really true historical fiction, because none of the events ever happened, but I count it, because it is set in a more primitive time period. The story is set in a old-timey, feudal state ruled under a monarchy. There are villages surrounding the capital which holds the regal castle, and the serfs live in surrounding poor towns. Beggars populate the city streets and farmlands ring the lowly villages. It is pretty much your average princess story in every way. I guess you could say that is why I liked it so much.

I think I like historical fiction and fantasy so much because it takes you out of this world and into a completely new place. Why would I want to read about something I can experience right now? Realistic fiction has to be GREAT for me to read it, but I can definitely sit through a lukewarm fantasy and still be interested.

I can't tell you very much about this book without spoiling it, but just know, the suspense rocks. So phenomenal.

I think the demographic of Palace of Mirrors is totally towards girls, just with how Cecilia (don' t you love that name!? I loveee that name) deals with her problems and handles her inner perturbed self. So ladies, this is a book you will most likely want to check out if you need a quick, suck-you-into-the-story, interesting read.

Bon appetit!

Sleepless by Terri Clark

2009-06-07T19:03:00.002-04:00

Title: Sleepless

Author: Terri Clark

Pages: 257

Rating: 4.5/5

Summary: Eighteen-year-old Trinity Michaels has the ability to dream walk. It's a power she doesn't want, but it forever alters her life when she's unable to find an abducted teen before she's killed. While Trinity does help police capture the killer, Rafe Stevens, her involvement makes her his next target. Stevens pleads insanity and his convincing performance, aided by his despicable attorney, get him sentenced to a mental institute where a diabolical physician experiments on him. Now Rafe's escaped the sanitarium and he's after Trinity. Like her, he now has a special ability, one that allows him to stalk Trinity through her dreams. If he kills her in her sleep, she'll die for real. To survive she must find him first and the only person willing to help her is Dan Devlin, disillusioned son of the shady lawyer who knowingly aided Rafe in getting away with murder. Can she trust Dan with her safety, not to mention her heart?

Review: The first thing I'm going to say is the cover for this book SUCKS. It has nothing to do with the book. At all. It looks all fluffy and chick-lit-ish right? WRONG. Okay so maybe its pajamas, which sort of has to do with the book, but other than that, totallllyyyy wrong.

This is the darkest book I have ever read. It is so creepy and imaginative, it actually made me afraid. I sincerely did not want to go to sleep after reading this.

I've never heard of lucid dreaming, or have I experienced it, but I think it would be so awesome. Just picture it! You are in the middle of a dream, and you know exactly what is happening and are aware that you are dreaming. You could do anything! The possibilities are endless. And yes, the plot was somewhat RoCom-ish at times, but I could look over the cheesiness.

I loved this book. It was so believable! And taking the concept of a murderer killing victims in their actual dreams, and making it believable, thats tough.

Well done Terri Clark. A round of applause just for you.

On the World Wide Web.

2009-06-06T13:09:00.004-04:00

... you can find me in manyyy places. like here!

also:

twitter!

dailybooth!

youtube!

facebook!

ehh..

or not.

how do i know you aren't going to stalk me, you creepy 50 year old man? so no. no facebook. sorry!

The One by Ed Decter

2009-06-05T14:21:00.002-04:00

Title: The One

Author: Ed Decter

Pages: 336

Rating: 3.5/5

Summary: Chloe Gamble knows three things: she's better than the tiny Texas town she grew up in; there's just one person she can trust; and she wants to be famous.

And what Chloe wants...Chloe gets.

Review: First off, I NEVER want to be a star. I didn't realize how much of a dog-eat-dog world it is in Hollywood! Nika, one of the narrators kept saying, "In Hollywood, no one ever wants to look bad," and I guess it's true. You read all these tabloids about provacative girls showing their goods to everyone in order to get ahead, and that aspect of Hollywood was protrayed perfectly in The One.

As a reader, I loved that both Nika and Chloe told the story. Chloe brought the fierce, power-hungry side, while Nika showed up the reality of the situation. It really made the story come together in a way that I could understand. Coming from Ohio, I don't really think I could have understood everything about the industry if Nika hadn't explained it to me.

On the other hand, Mama and Travis (Chloe's twin brother) annoyed me sometimes. Through Chloe's eyes, he was so perfect and supportive, but in his emails to his friend Coop, he was obnoxious. I understand that he is just a teenage boy (he is the same age as my older brother) but come on! He was very shallow when the situation didn't have to do with Chloe or his Mama. He just bugged me..

Chloe realllly inspired me. She never stopped. And I mean NEVER. For god's sake she was a whirlwind! And pushy too. I would hate to be the executive between her and her dream. I can only hope that when I want something that badly, I will go after it with as much willpower as Chloe did.

I only recommend this to readers who want a taste of that fast-paced Hollywood world. This is definitely NOT a fluff chick-lit book. Noo siree.

And you can be sure I will totally be reading the sequel. Without a doubt.

Mmm. mm. mmm...

2009-06-03T14:57:00.005-04:00

Summer. While it may not be my favorite season, I love that for the most part, its absolutely stress free (:

I have soccer and thats pretty much it. I don't have a job, except for babysitting, which I don't really count as a job because I love it so much. So my priorities are just having fun, and enjoying life. How refreshing is that.

Last summer.. last summer was lame. I mean, I was not social. At all. So I never went to the pool with friends or went to the mall. It was just bad.

I think this summer will be better! Maybe a bit more active now that I'm not in the transition from middle school to high school.

But here comes the lame..

The thing I'm most excited about is..

My AP US History assignment!!!

I am a true nerdfighter when I say this. I'm so excited to read this book. I've already read like 70 pages and I've had it a week or so. It's sooo interestingggg. I love history. Like, you have no idea how much I love it, so this is the icing on the cake for me.

The book is:

A People's History of the United States 1492-Present by Howard Zinn

It's 688 pages of pure awesome.

Best wishes.

Free at last, Free at last!

2009-06-02T09:18:00.002-04:00

Hallelujah!

Its done, its over! Thank god for summer (:

So my exam grades come out to be:

English- A

Science- A (110% in the class baby! I had an 88% before the exam)

French- TBA (I took it this morning)

Photography- A (100%)

History- A (97%)

Honors Algebra II- B (which is very good, I still have an A- in the class)

Food For Fitness- A (95%)

Yayyyy! I did it! I told you I'm a good test taker (;

Kill me now.

2009-05-31T13:18:00.002-04:00

I don't want to study..

I have my science, history, and food for fitness (stupid class..) exams tomorrow and seriously, I DON'T WANT TO STUDY.

I'm a great test taker, so I know I'll ace history (my favorite subject) and food for fitness, but science = yikes.

I. hate. science. We are learning chemistry right now, and I'm in Honor's Physical Science, so our exam is like 19 times harder than the rest of the freshmen tests. Did I mention I hate science? Because I do. Very much so. I despise it.

And guess which exam is first?! Yay science!

Kill me now. Please.

So I guess I should go study now shouldn't I? Boo..

Oh woe is me.

2009-05-30T15:46:00.002-04:00

I had written this whole review on Tropic Thunder, and then my computer decided to HATE me.

I don't know what happened, but hey, its gone.

This is wonderful..

Maybe I'll rewrite it and post it later? Blah.. :p

Ode to freshman year..

2009-05-29T18:55:00.003-04:00

Oh my god, oh my gosh!

I am no longer a frosh!

freshman year's come to an end

and im sure ive made some friends,

read some books, drawn some graphs,

and had just so so many laughs.

but now i think its time to grow

cause i still have 3 years to go..

next year im a sophmore

forgotten in the halls

the "lost class" they say,

just blends with the walls

then comes the year of the junior

so jam-packed with cheer

ill go to more parties

maybe have a little beer? ( just kidding mom ;))

lo and behold,

here comes senior pride

the school seems so small

while the world is open wide.

grad plans will be made

and pranks will be played

tears will be shed

speeches will be read...

but hey, its summer!

lets have some fun!

and if you dont mind,

im gonna go catch some sun

VIDEO!

2009-05-05T21:41:00.000-04:00

go hereeeeeee:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh9xc3MnlD0

Invitation Only by Kate Brian

2009-05-04T10:00:00.001-04:00

Title: Invitation Only

Author: Kate Brian

Pages: 257

Rating: 4.5/5

Summary(from Amazon):Reed Brennan's future is looking as bright as the two-karat diamonds in her new housemates' ears. Being accepted to the most prestigious private boarding school in the country wasn't enough for Reed. She had to break every rule to do it, but she has accomplished the impossible:
Reed is a Billings Girl now.

And with her new status come respect, envy, and, most important, opportunity. Not to mention the parties. Unfortunately, at the next illicit party in the Easton campus woods, her roommate snaps some pictures of Reed in more than one compromising position. She uses the photos to blackmail Reed: Dig up dirt on the most powerful and popular Billings Girls or she will have Reed expelled.

And speaking of parties, the Legacy is coming up. It's the invitation-only Halloween party in NYC and it's rumored that Thomas -- Reed's MIA boyfriend -- will be making an appearance there. Too bad Reed isn't even close to invited.

Life as a Billings Girl is every bit as glamorous as Reed imagined. What she didn't bargain for is the tangled web of private lies these girls weave.

Review:

Dear Glass-Licker,

Thank you.

XOXO,

Emily

Holy crap. Hold on for a second. I need to collect myself.

Okay. *Phew,* all better. All I can say about this book is WOW. You have no idea how absolutely awe-struck. I am right now. This book has taken my breath away. It was just soooo gooooood. Not only was the ending deliciously unepected, the entire plot was just amazing!

Now, if you read my review of Private, you know that it had some flaws. Well, Invitation Only has its share of downsides as well.

First, some of these girls just annoy me. Its just disgustin to me how some of them act. But then again, they are just characters.

Alos, Reed still seems to weak to me I just feel like she should be one of those independent, strong-willed girls if she is going to last in the Billings house.

But Kate Brian, Brava.

This ending was tormentingly exciting. It knocked me on my ass and I loved every second of it.

If you didn't necessarily adore Private, the first book in the series, just bear with me and read Invitation Only. You will be pleasantly suprised.

Private by Kate Brian

2009-05-03T10:51:00.002-04:00

Title: Private

Author: Kate Brian

Pages: 227

Rating: 4/5

Summary(from Amazon): Tradition, Honor, Excellence...and secrets so dark they're almost invisible

Fifteen-year-old Reed Brennan wins a scholarship to Easton Academy -- the golden ticket away from her pill-popping mother and run-of-the-mill suburban life. But when she arrives on the beautiful, tradition-steeped campus of Easton, everyone is just a bit more sophisticated, a bit more gorgeous, and a lot wealthier than she ever thought possible. Reed realizes that even though she has been accepted to Easton, Easton has not accepted her. She feels like she's on the outside, looking in.

Until she meets the Billings Girls.

They are the most beautiful, intelligent, and intensely confident girls on campus. And they know it. They hold all the power in a world where power is fleeting but means everything. Reed vows to do whatever it takes to be accepted into their inner circle.

Reed uses every part of herself -- the good, the bad, the beautiful -- to get closer to the Billings Girls. She quickly discovers that inside their secret parties and mountains of attitude, hanging in their designer clothing-packed closets the Billings Girls have skeletons. And they'll do anything to keep their secrets private.

Review:

Dear Glass-Licker,

Oh Reed Brennan, what am I going to do with you? Why are you so delicate and oblivious? Still, I've got to give you props for sticking to your goal of fitting in at the ever-so prestigious Easton Academy. But what's with all the self-demeaning stunts you've pulled this semester? That is so not cool Reed. I know that you are ashamed of what you used to be (and pretty much still are), but that is no excuse. You have the potential of being much, much more.

XOXO,

Emily

So if all you readers out there put the Private series in the same category as books like The Clique, or A-List, I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. Maybe they aren't exactly the same, but the similarities are definitely present. While the characters were very different, the plot and setting were pretty close. Actually, Private was slightly reminiscent of Ally Carter's I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. And in my mind, that is a HUGE compliment.

When it comes to characters, I felt like Reed was not very complex at all. I mean come on! She was sniveling half the time, and when she wasn't, she was merely trying to get by on what little composure she did possess.

The only people who actually captured my attention were, of course, the Billings girls. What I really loved about them was their individuality. They weren't your obnoxious popular girls. They weren't the overdone stereotypical group of high-status snobs. It always kept me reading as I waited hungrily for their next move.

Absolutely fascinating.

Well done Kate Brian. Well done.

Well excuse me, I need to go. I have an appointment with the next book in the series, Invitation Only, that I simply can not miss.

Hulu.com!

2009-03-28T19:59:00.002-04:00

Have you guys all seen hulu.com? Its so amazing. Its pretty much tv, from your computer. No waiting around for showtimes or being afraid you missed your show! Its all right there! Even my fave SNL clips. Except for Bailout Rollcall, but thats old, so I'll let it slide. I'm sure you've all seen the commercials:

and my fave:

If you don't have cable, this right here=simple solution (:

I love it. Now you should too. Go explore! Theres a whole world of possibilities on the internet just waiting to be discovered.

ps. I didn't intend for that to be cheesy, it was kind of was, on its own. hahaa.

And Again..

2009-03-27T19:22:00.002-04:00

More Friends today. Gosh, I just can't get over how damn good this show is. I want to have friends exactly like Ross, Chandler, Joey, Monica, Pheobe, and Rachel. Ha, fat chance though. But a girl can dream!

So I started The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks today, we'll see how that goes. The Host really put me off of reading and blogging, so I need to get back into the swing of things.

It's an Addiction.

2009-03-26T23:37:00.002-04:00

I've watched 2 seasons of Friends today.

Maybe I need to see a doctor. This has got to be unhealthy.

Come On People.

2009-03-25T22:51:00.003-04:00

Have you looked up Bo Burnham yet!?

Also, would you guys be interested in a segment once a week about awesome Comedians or Youtube Personalities?

Well, if you want it or not, I'm probably going to do it. You will all learn to be as obsessed as I am(:

Bo Burnham!

2009-03-24T21:21:00.003-04:00

If you don't know Bo Burnham, you have been missing out on life.

Seriously. You have been deprived.

Before you do anything else, watch this. Now.

Love it?! Genius. And if you want to know the exact lyrics, just go to youtube and search the video.

I love Bo Burnham. He is so smart with his jokes! Yes, he may be vulgar at times, but seriously, its so clever. Some of my favorite videos are:

New Math

and Bo Fo Sho

His Cd is on iTunes and in stores. Its so great. There are a couple songs on there that aren't on Youtube, which makes it all the better. Also, he has a Comedy Central Special coming up. Its on March 27th! So damnn excited.

Look him up on his Youtube channel! (:

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

2009-03-23T12:07:00.003-04:00

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Pages: 619

Rating: 4/5

Summary (from the author's website):

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

Review: Stephenie Meyer, I am very disappointed in you.

This book was truly not that great. For 100 pages I was just waiting for something remotely interesting happen. And after all the hype that it has gotten, I was expecting so much. Nothing much was explained for a while, so I was very confused. Wanda (I hated the name, becuase that was my grandma's name, and it did not fit Wanderer) and Ian's relationship was weird. I felt like it didn't really fit. He was clingy and acted like a teenage boy for most of the story.

But don't get me wrong, the middle and end of this very breathtakingly unexpected. I loved the imagery it proposed. With all the different planets and the darkness and intricacies of the cave. I wish you all could see the pictures I had in my head when I read this. And I loved Melanie, Jared, and Jamie's triangle of love. So amazing and long-lasting. Also, the selflessness expressed in the book was awesome.

And the conflict! It was great! The action could have been better, but the tension made most of the story flow. I seriously was on my toes for a section of the story, because I was just waiting for something to happen. And when, as a reader, I inferred that something would happen, I was wrong almost all of the time. Something completely out of the blue would come up and slap me in the face. That really was the best part about reading The Host.

I would only recommend this to people who like Science-Fiction and Romance. More Romance I think, than Science-Fiction. Stephenie Meyer was right to call this "sci-fi for people who don't like sci-fi." Don't read this if you are looking for a companion to Meyer's Twilight series. You will just get your hopes crushed.

And you must be thinking, Emily, why did you give it a 4/5 if you didn't LOVE it? Well, the answer to that is that the breathtakingly creative ending made up for the well... shitty beginning. The ending saved this whole book. So don't give up on it. Even though this book made me not want to read for a month... that's besides the point. Read it. You just might like it.

Bore Bore Borefest.

2009-02-10T18:39:00.002-05:00

Blah. Still chugging along with The Host. Its freaking longggg. But good so far I guess. Nothing amazing. But we'll see...

Reading Great Expectations and The Odyssey for wonderful CP English 9. Yeah, that class is pretty much torture to an accelerated reader like myself.

"So we are going to discuss symbols today class"

-Boo.

"What does is a symbol for love?"

-What the hell? Is this third grade?

"Alright, lets move on to setting!"

-You have got to be kidding me. Really..

High School is joy itself.

I'm Back (:

2009-02-08T09:45:00.002-05:00

Wow. So I'm sorry. I know this will sound absolutely cliche, but I'm sorry that I have been leaving my page so vacant these days. I guess I got out of my book cycle. In laymans terms, I go through cycles in which I am OBSESSED with things. Reading is usually one of those cycles. It always comes back, as it is one of my favorite things, but time to time, I just stop. I just stop reading. I don't know why or even how this happens, but thats just me.

I hope I can get back into reading again very soon. But I need to give a very special shoutout!

LIVIANIA!

I got a notification that you had written on one of my posts. So I went to the page and I felt like I kind of rediscovered it! So thank you Liviania for helping me return to my blog. It means a lot to me!

Anyway, I'm going through some changes in my life.
My grandma, or as we called her, "Granny," passed away recently. We finally sold her condo and we were cleaning it out yesterday. In her house I found a ton of old stuff and trust me, I'm crazyyy nostalgic. So I'm going crazy and looking through all this stuff and I get to her jewelry. She has some kind of useless stuff, but also some very beautiful and valuable pieces. I find this pretty sapphire necklace and earrings and my mom points out that I could have them. But me being the teenager that I am says,

"Nahh, I don't wear stuff like that."
My mom replies, well you could wear it to a formal or something. My teenager self says, "No, I wouldn't wear it." It is at this point that my mom says something that totally flips me upside-down. She says,

"Emily, look at all this *sweeping her arms out*. You need to take advantage of the things you have and use them before your time is out. Your grandmother saved things and never had the chance to use them. Don't let what you have go to waste."

Crap.
I'm a selfish, ungrateful brat aren't I? I sit around and watch television all day. I'm putting my family and myself to shame. Well, no more, the new Emily is here!

So I am going to take advantage of my multitudes of resources. And live life like there is no tomorrow (:

It's Okay, It's Not the End of the World.

2009-01-12T19:16:00.003-05:00

If you see something that resembles a mushroom cloud, don't be alarmed, that is just my brain exploding from the extreme amount of knowledge being haphazardly shoved into it.

Oh boy.. :/

I'm so frustrated.

2009-01-10T13:22:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't had anything book-related for a while, but I haven't had time to read becuase of exams coming up. But I wanted to touch on another issue today.

Boys.

Any boy, if you are reading this, I ask you this simple question, "Why do you feel the need to be a perpetual asshole?" Its a very easy question to a very complicated matter. I have two brothers and they aren't like the boys I know! One, the 16 year old, is mature and caring. He has a girlfriend. My little brother is a wise ass and a show-off. He, on the other hand, does not have a girlfriend. Older bro is smart and actually cares about his schoolwork, while little bro is forgetful and never reads or does his homework. Hmm, I see a pattern.

Why do boys feel like they need to act like they are the best thing ever to happen on this planet? Because, obivously they aren't. And they never will be. So whats the huge fuss? The womanly world may never know..

So here is a chart explaining the situations of some of the men of my life. *These are all fake names.*

Situation: Eddie- Funny guy that shows off all the time. Gets straight D's. Treats girls like crap.

Hence: He gets no girls. He has a ton of guy friends! But no girls..

Situation: Frank- Sweet guy. At least respects and is friends with girls. Friendly. Smart. Athletic.

Hence: He gets girls. He could have anyone he wanted.

Wow. How hard is it to understand that? Really? Its simple.

Headache

2009-01-08T22:24:00.001-05:00

Exams are a bitch.

Nuff said.

If You Are Reading This...

2009-01-05T23:29:00.003-05:00

Okay, so this is going to be a quick little post, but I just wanted to say something. We all need to be thankful for what we have. If you are reading this, then you either have a computer, or have access to a computer. That, in itself is a huge blessing. There are people out there that don't even have water. WATER. You know, that stuff that you have half a glass of and then pour down the drain?

If you are reading this, then you have shelter. If you are reading this you probably have family. If you are reading this, I'm guessing you have access to some sort of health care.

Think about all the good things in your life. Do you have food everyday? Do you go to school? Can you hug your friends? Your mom and dad? Can you pick up the telephone and call 911 when you are in trouble? Millions of people can't. Think about that.

I'm absolutely SICK of people taking for granted what they have. You are spoiled compared to a third of the world's population. Absolutely smothered in niceties. And not once, do I hear people just sit back and say, "Thank you." The only sounds I hear are, "more more more more more more." And that makes me so terribly incapacitated with grief and absolute rage.

If you are reading this, I hope you think about the good things in your life and be grateful for them. If you are reading this, I wish that you take some time out of your day and call up a friend, just to talk. If you are reading this, I have faith in you. If you are reading this, just be happy. It is the greatest gift of all.

Ahh.. the classics (:

2009-01-03T15:05:00.003-05:00

I had no idea how much I missed the old Disney movies. I saw Mulan on Disney today and started bawling. Like, all out, runny nose-blubbering-shaking bawling. That is my childhood right there. Is there a better movie out there? Great songs, hilarious characters, amazing hunky captains (; and just a fantastic storyline. So my question is,

WHAT HAPPENED DISNEY!?!?!

Now we have crap like Phineas and Ferb. What the heck!? I need something good. I'm freaking sick of Hannah Montana and High School Musical. And did you notice, they use the same 10 actors in every movie. Like I saw the commercial for Dadnapped, a new Disney Channel movie, and I swear, every. single. actor. is a star on one of the current shows. UGH! BE CREATIVE. PLEASE.

I just watched a ton of videos on Youtube. God, I miss Disney :( My fave movies are (these are kind of in order but kind of not. Mulan is my fave though :))

1. Mulan

2. The Little Mermaid

3. Hercules

4. Beauty and the Beast

5. Pocahontas

6. Anastasia (which really isn't Disney, but i love it so its on the list)

7. Alladin

8. Alice in Wonderland

9. Peter Pan

10. The Lion King

God I LOVE CLASSIC DISNEY. Jesus. (:

What is your favorite Disney movie. Pleaseeee don't say like HSM or a movie like that. CLASSIC Disney. Not Fake crap Disney.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, enjoy this video of the best song ever made for a Disney movie.

Presenting!: Stefan Petrucha

2009-01-02T02:18:00.001-05:00

As you all know, this is my first author bio! I have a few lined up but I thought I would start them off by introducing this wonderful writer. Stefan Petrucha is the author of another series called Wicked Dead, but his fame lies in his up-and-coming book, The Rule of Won. So may I present, Stefan Petrucha!

Q: What are you working on right now?

A: SPLIT, my third hardcover from Walker Books for Young Readers. It's a little tough to describe. It's actually two novels, each about the same person, Wade, if he'd made different choices with his life. In one, he's a wild child - he quit school and plays guitar at a coffee dive. In the other he's incredibly responsible and working on a project he believes will save the world. When he's awake in one life, he's asleep and dreaming the other - but one world begins to intrude on the other and the two Wades have to switch to help each other out. I'm very excited about it - it may be my best yet! It'll be out in late 2009.

Q: What are some of the things you like to do (other than writing)?

A: Spend time with the family (I have two daughters Maia and Margo) hand with my fellow writers at sundry coffee houses, make music (I kind of play piano and guitar) and sometimes waste a day or two playing Sid Meir's Civilizaion, though I really should spend more time reading :).

Q: Do you have any pets?

A: Not personally, but my daughters have a guinea pig (Mercury), a hermit crab (Plankton), and a puffer fish (Bubbles) *reviewer comment: awwe! i was not that creative when I was a child*. Until recently we had a Bearded Dragon (Lizzie) but she didn't adapt well to our move to Western Mass. and passed away recently. I am allergic to most everything else, buy would probably have a dog if I could.

Q: What is on you iPod/music player right now?

A: I just spent a lot of time ripping old CDz to MP3, so the list is a little skewed toward older stuff, but right now, among assorted eclectic stuff, there's Teenagers (My Chemical Romance), Smooth (Santana), Round Here (Counting Crows), All for the Best (Godspell), Passing Afternoon (Iron & Wine), and Ashes to Ashes (Bowie). I'm also a big Beatles fan. *reviewers comment: who isn't?! Gotta love the Beatles.*

Q:What do you love most about writing?

A: It makes me think about how life works, how people work and how I work, and gives me a chance to try and put all that together in some coherent fashion. It's also wonderful when readers appreciate and understand what I'm trying to get at. At its best, for me, writing's like a meditation/prayer. At it's worst it's more a mechanical process, like doing a crossword puzzle, but I enjoy that too.

Rapid Fire Session! (for all you lazy people who skip the long writing and read the short blips about the author. Yes I know you are doing it, becuase I'm the same way :))

Favorites:

Color? Purple or a deep royal blue

Food? Varies. Right now chocolate. I also love breakfast home fries

TV Show? House and Dexter - would love to meet them sometime. *reviewer comment: Oh my god, I worship House. Love. that. show.*

Movie? So many! Loved Heath Ledger in Dark Knight recently. Galaxy Quest comes to mind.

Season? Spring or Fall - the in-between temperatures suit me best.

Memory? My daughters being born, meeting my wife, Sarah, a big party my mother threw for me when I graduated, a cast party for a video I made in college. During that last memory, the cork from the first bottle of champagne we opened hit a light in the ceiling and knocked it out. The cork from the last bottle we opened hit the same light and brought it back on. Nothing like synchronicity to put you in a good mood!

Weather? 60's with a slight breeze and white billowy clouds in a blue sky. Thunderstorms are cool, too, as long as the power stays on

Animal? The Australian Frilled Lizard. When irritated he rises up on his hind legs and this sort of fan surrounds his face. It's very cool-looking.

Clothing Item? Any over-shirt and my bathrobe. I really like being comfortable and don't particularly care what its looks like, much to the chagrin of people looking at me (:

The Rule of Won by Stefan Petrucha

2009-01-01T13:27:00.008-05:00

Title: The Rule of Won

Author: Stefan Petrucha

Pages: 227

Rating: 4/5

Summary (from author website):

The secret of The Rule of Won is simple, yet its power has been suppressed for generations. The universe is one of infinite abundance—ask, and you shall receive. Umm, yeah right. Meet Caleb Dunne, slacker extraordinaire. Caleb prefers to glide through life with the minimal amount of effort, so he isn't too jazzed when his overachieving girlfriend, Vicky, convinces him to join a new school club based on a controversial book, The Rule of Won. Slackers don't join school clubs, do they? As The Rule gains popularity, though, the club members start to gain power within the school. From dark posts on the club's online message board to all-out threats in the hallways, it becomes apparent that the group is getting out of control. For slacker Caleb, though, the only thing worse than doing something is not doing something.

Review: This book made me think. And to be honest, not many books can do that. I kept trying to figure out the puzzle. Could this actually work? Could I just picture something to make it happen? Stefan Petrucha makes you delve deep into the inner workings of our world and makes you ask, "What is my full potential?" With hidden clues and brainwashed teens, The Rule of Won takes an average high school and flips it upside down.

What really made this book hit home for me, was that around page 100, I was trying to imanifest things for myself. I would be reading and then just think, "Hey, I'd really like to get an A on my French exam. If I wish hard enough, I won't have to study!" Yeah. Crazy right. I actually was getting sucked into the ideas in the book. I still have no idea if it is true or not.

So seriously, I'm still shaken up a bit by the ideas presented in The Rule of Won, but I don't regret reading it at all. Actually, I loved it! There could have been a little bit more action, but other than that, this book was solid. It makes you think, which is the best thing a book can do. I highly highly recommend it to high school students. Anyone younger might not be able to grasp it as well.

Look for my interview with Stefan, coming tomorrow (:

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T23:17:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year everyone!

Can you believe its over? With the election, the scandals, and all the amazing books, it couldn't possibly be a better year. So I want to thank everyone for a great year. You authors, bloggers, and readers all impact my world daily. I can't wait for whats to come. My blog is very young, but in this coming year, it will grow (I hope). My goal is to blog every day. I do enough reading, so it should be fairly easy. Instead of my favorite books of 2008, I'm going to tell you my favorite authors. So here are my inspirations of 2008!

1. Sarah Dessen. No one can top her writing. Her books are some of the best in YA!

2. Ally Carter. Her spy books are genius!

3. John Green. The God of Young Adult. Looking for Alaska is truly amazing.

There are so many more, but these are my top three.

Who are your favorites?

My Obsession

2008-12-28T09:29:00.000-05:00

...is shoes. You have no idea. For Christmas, I asked for 3 pairs and received 4. I think I need a shoe rehab. So, I got:

These pretty moccasins (:

These amazing zebra flats

These gorgeous grey Converse!

These spectacular Uggs!

I love them so much (: I think im a little bit obsessed. Just a little bit. What was your fave present?

HO HO HO!

2008-12-25T21:02:00.000-05:00

Ah! We are almost to 2009! Can you believe it?!

To recap my Christmas, my book load consists of:

-The Private Collection by Kate Brian, including:

~Private

~Invitation Only

~Untouchable

~Confessions

-The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

-Paper Towns by John Green

-Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

-The Host by Stephanie Meyer

-Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

-The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

-Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Isn't that AMAZING! Anddddd I still have like, 25 bucks for Barnes&Noble! Gah, I think I'm in heaven. I don't know what to start with! What did you guys get?

I also got:

-a desk chair

-a lamp

-a mattress pad

-a yummy candle

Yeah, so I'm pretty much boring, but I've got another post scheduled telling you about all the other goodies I got.

So guys, I want to hear what you got! I love hearing from you so don't be shy! Merry Christmas (:

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T13:31:00.006-05:00

Merry Christmas!

By the way, thats not me, I just thought the pic was an accurate depiction of my feelings towards Santa when I was a youngster.

So, starting the first of the year, I have scheduled a multitude of book reviews and author reviews! Isn't that wonderful! Coming soon:

-Review for I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone (god, what an amazing book)

-Review for Split By a Kiss (along with author interview)

-Review for The Rule of Won (also with an interview with author extraordinare Stefan Petrucha)

-And much much more (:

Ahh, doesn't it sound like a wonderful car-dealer ad?

Anyway...

Merry Christmas to all you out there! Or Happy Kwanza, Hannukah, or anything else you celebrate. Yes, even Festivus. So may your family bring you joy and a great big laugh (:

I am taking off the rest of the year, so you probably won't hear from me for a while. I have to study for exams. Ha, I need it. Happy Reading!

My Goals for 2009

2008-12-20T10:54:00.003-05:00

Do you guys ever feel like you are just not doing the best that you can do? Thats what I have felt like all year. And, I don't know! I just couldn't ever get motivated. But I'm just so bothered by this that I am going to start off my new year with a bang. I'm make a plan for 2009 and I want to follow it. I'm so sick of slacking off. So some of the things I want are..

1. I want to letter in soccer this year. Some other girls who I have played with lettered. I didn't and I was completely torn up. I put my whole life into that team. So this year, I'm going to letter. No matter what.

2. Get better grades. Well, for me that would have to be straight A's, but I need to prove that to my parents. I have been slacking off in school for a while. Before, it all had been an absolute cakewalk for me, but now, its getting a lot harder. I need better grades

3. Stay organized. That will just help me accomplish everything else.

4. Do one good thing for someone every day. I know that is kind of vague, but I think its a good goal to have.

What are your goals for 2009?

If you recieve this, tag 3 other people and ask them what their goals are for the upcoming year.

I tag:

Alea from Pop Culture Junkie

Liv from Liv's Book Reviews

Chelsea from The Page Flipper

These 3 ladies have the most amazing blogs! I want to see their goals for 2009 (:

And if you just want to tell me your goals, I would be more than happy to hear them. Just post something on your blog and send me a link! Don't forget to tag!

Lateral Thinking Puzzle 3

2008-12-12T16:31:00.002-05:00

Right again! Wow, I love you guys! The people at my school, (mind you, these weren't very smart people) tried these and got mad when they couldn't guess it!! WHAT! Are you joking?! Please don't get mad if you can't figure it out. And please don't tell me its stupid. I love these. I think they are so clever! So please, keep the negative comments to yourself. Thanks (:

So here's todays:

Two men named Slurp and Gulp went into a bar. They ordered the same exact drink. The next day, Slurp was dead and Gulp wasn't. Why?

Lateral Thinking Puzzle 2

2008-12-11T19:45:00.003-05:00

Hah, okay so you guys got that one pretty fast so heres the solution:

The surgeon is the mother!

Oh you smarties (:

Anyway, heres another one!

A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. Five minutes later, however, they both go out and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

You know the drill: comment or email your guesses!

Lateral Thinking Puzzle!

2008-12-10T17:54:00.004-05:00

Okay, so I absolutely love lateral thinking puzzles. They are so great! So I decided that I want to do a weekly lateral thinking puzzle. I'll post the puzzle, and you can email me or comment and tell me your guesses (:

Sound fun? Good. (;

Okayy, so the first one is...

A man and his son are in a car crash. The father is killed and the child is take to the hospital gravely injured. When he gets there, the surgeon says, "I can't operate on this boy - for he is my son!" How can that possibly be?

I'm sooo freaking honored!

2008-12-04T20:06:00.002-05:00

AHHH! You guys blow me away. You have no idea! So today, this amazing day, is my one-month anniversary of this blog. ONE MONTH. And what do you know, I just got nominated for that I Love Your Blog thing, FOUR TIMES. Four times! What the heck! I love you guys! Soooo, thank you like times 29347892374982734872 (: I'm so new at this! Why are you even coming to my blog!? (Just kidding, keep coming, I'm not doubting myself ;)). I just kind of tend to ramble on subjects I bet you guys don't give 3 shakes of a tailfeather about.

I'm so floored right now.

Gahh. Okay, I'm okay now. Breathing has resumed regularity. *Deeeep breath*

So thank you, from like the tip my my little toe, to the tallest hair on my head, to...

LEXI! *whoo! a round of applause* at anotherpageisused.blogspot.com

MEGAN! *yayy for megan!* at wwwsimplymegan.blogspot.com

JUST LISTEN! *cheers!* at justlistenbookreviews.blogspot.com

NADINE-STELLA! *what a kick ass name!* at trublu93.blogspot.com

Soooo, you better get your booties over there and tell them they are amazing. Or, I will come and steal your first-born child. Not really, but hey, never trust anyone on the internet. Unless that person is me (: You can trust me. Maybe. But, no really you can. (;

Stilllll reading Revealers. Slowly. But, whatever, I have school to attend to!

And guys, bad news. Today, at soccer practice, I think I lost my phone. There were hot soccer guys around, and I don't know, I think in the moment, I must have been forgetful and misplaced it. I'm sad...

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini

2008-12-01T20:40:00.002-05:00

Title: Brisingr

Author: Christopher Paolini

Pages: 748

Rating: 5/5

Summary (from www.alagaesia.com): When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands...

Review: WOW. Just, wow. That is pretty much all I can say at this moment. My heart is fluttering and it feels like I just got off a HUGE roller coaster. You know, that feeling when you just get off and your brain is all jumbled and your feet feel like the ground is to close, and you can't put together a completely coherent sentence. You feel like you just fell off a cloud or something and that your stomach hasn't fully returned to the confines of your body. Your nerves are all jumpy and your mind is going a bajillion different directions. Your friends are all around you laughing and planning on the next ride and you are just stunned to the point of non-belief.

That's how I feel, right at this moment, so yeah, you could say it was good.

This book completely blew me away. I'm not going to bore you with, "oh the details were very vivid and the plot line was excellently defined.. yadda yadda yadda." I want you guys to realize the immense thrill of this book. Yeahh, its long, and yes it is hard to just jump into, but if you read the first 2 (which I highly recommend) you will be fine. Eragon and Eldest are the first 2 in this series and there is only one more book after Brisingr. Don't be intimidated by the size or even the covers of these books. Yeah, they look a bit "knight in shining armor meets folklore dragons," but do make for a great visual in the story. So the book...

First of all, the characters in these books are absolutely phenomenal. Unbelievably realistic and just amazing in every single way. Eragon, the main character is my new leading man. Sorry Edward, but come on, you can't beat a Dragon Rider, no matter how much sex appeal you ooze out of every inch of your body. Eragon's connections to everything around him are just outstanding. Ahh, I just love these book so much! I don't know how to express it! Just read them please! The movie sucked, I will tell you that, but I love love love love love Mr. Paolini's ideas and everything about these books.

The author was either 14 or 16 when he wrote the first book, Eragon. That is just unfathomable to me. I was 14 last year and I can not even dream of writing something like this, even when I'm 28! Sure, he was probably a boy genius, but hey, that is an impressive feat! Okay, I'm done ranting and raving about these books but just please please do me the favor and try them out. You won't be disappointed.

Sorry. Seriously.

2008-11-30T14:49:00.002-05:00

Wow. I'm a slacker. So what. I'm 15 years old. But, yet again, noooo review today. Brisingr is taking foreverrrrrr to read. Its like 700 pages! (I would go look to see the exact number, but I am too tired to get up.

This weekend I had a soccer tournament for a college showcase. Seriously, who is crazy enough to have a soccer tournament in almost December, IN OHIO? Ohio! Where it is crappy and raining and blahh. Oh and it wasn't just pitter-patter rain, it was sideways, changing directions, come-and-go, hard as if icicles had taken flight rain. And it was cold. Like 17 degrees Farenheit. So that made the rain cold! And we were wearing shorts and I had no gloves. Yeahh, it was a blast.

To be positive, we won our game today. We went 1 and 3 so thats not great, but whatever. I was cold. And wet. But basically now, I'm still cold, and I'm sore allll over my body from where I got flipped over a girl's back who was charging at me. Soccer is NOT for weaklings, let me tell you that. Noo, we push, punch, occasionally even bite. It is not pretty. But its fun to be competative, am I right?

So my main point, no review today. I'm planning on curling up and reading Brisingr for the remainder of my weekend. Mmm (: Gotta love it. I'm like on page 500 in Brisingr now, so review soon? Maybe!

New Release: Bolt

2008-11-27T20:10:00.005-05:00

Title: Bolt

Rating: PG

Stars: John Travolta (Bolt) and Miley Cyrus (Penny)

Summary (from official website): More than just a man's best friend, BOLT is a modern-day action hero. Raised on the set of a hit television show, Bolt believes he has amazing powers - like a devastating Superbark! But when he's accidentally shipped to New York City, Bolt's daredevil stunts no longer go according to plan. As reality begins to challenge his delusions, Bolt learns his whole life has been a lie. Or has it? Admidst the adversity and hard-knocks, Bolt will discover that a dog's true superpower lies in his loyalty to the owner he loves.

Review: A couple of days ago, me and my momma went to go see the new Disney movie, Bolt. I thought it was going to be terrible. Because nothing with Miley Cyris could possibly be good. But I was so suprised! This movie was actually pretty funny! And definately cute. Towards the end, it got a bit boring but it still kept me pretty entertained.

I would recommend this to younger viewers because, duh, its a Disney movie specifically targeted towards a younger audience! Miley Cyrus is more of a sensation in that age group, so I'm sure that will appeal to them more than it appealed to me. I think John Travolta was in this too, as the voice of Bolt. Personally, I still think he is such a wonderful person. Yeahh, Hairspray kind of ruined his reputation in the movie world, but this movie totally did him justice.

The hamster, Rhino, was hilarious. He was my favorite part of the whole movie! His character just lit up the screen and he absolutely had the best lines. So maybe you just see this movie to get a quick laugh. I don't really think this movie was worth the 9 bucks I spent to see it, but maybe renting it when it comes out on DVD would be the best scenario.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T09:53:00.007-05:00

To all my USians out there, Happy Thanksgiving. If you aren't in the US and you are celebrating it, all the better to you! Whether you are sitting at home watching the Macy's Day Parade in your pajamas, or you are bopping around the kitchen, you can feel the togetherness of the season. I absolutely love this time of year because everyone just feels good! People always tell me that they love summer, but I can not figure out why. Yes, it's hot, but when do you feel like this in the summer. And you pair this feeling with snow and its magical (:

I know I will be watching the parade all this morning, as I am now! My favorite part is probably all the Broadway stars that come out and sing for us. Or it might be the floats, I can't decide! What is your favorite part of this wonderful holiday?

To all those reading this, have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Go be with your family and stuff you face with amazing food. Tell stories around the table and listen patiently to crazy Uncle Steve raving about the football game yet to come. Take a day off and just relax and realize that we all have things to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family (:

Drumroll Please!

2008-11-26T22:35:00.002-05:00

*Drumroll soundssssss*

My friend Alexis has just made a blog. Its in its first day so its not much YET. Yet, being the key word here. Stop on by and say hello! You will be seeing a lot from her soon (: I'm sure of it!

The URL is:

http://alexiswasheree.blogspot.com

Thanks everyone (:

Kissing Doorknobs by Terry Spencer Hesser

2008-11-25T18:38:00.003-05:00

Title: Kissing Doorknobs
Author: Terry Spencer Hesser
Pages: 176
Rating: 3/5

Summary (from Amazon): Fourteen-year-old Tara Sullivan has always been a worrier. On the surface, she has been able to behave like a normal girl. But when she is 11 years old, she hears a phrase that changes her life: Step on a crack, break your mother's back. Now, everywhere she goes, Tara must count every crack in the sidewalk. If she gets interrupted or loses her place, she has to go home and start all over again. As she gets older, her "habits" don't get better--they change and increase. She has to arrange her meals, recite prayers, and chat with her dolls, over and over again.

Tara does not know why she has these habits, she just knows that she has no choice: she has to complete the rituals. Then one day, before leaving the house, she finds herself kissing the fingertips and touching the doorknob...

Review: What a messed up life. Could you picture that? Going throughout your days having to do an action over and over and over and over again? I just can not, for the life of me, picture this situation. Once, I saw a True Life episode where there were a couple teens with OCD, but in this book it is so terrible. Seeing inside her head made me wonder how something like that could happen. All throughout reading this is was questioning myself, "What if one day, I just snap and become like Tara?"

Can that happen? Just one day, BAM, you get OCD? I should have researched this more but until I just actually started thinking about it, I didn't really care much for the concept of this book. That's why it got a meager 3 out of 5 stars. We had to read this over the course of 6 weeks during health and I just finised it today. Most people are like on page 40 but hey, you can't slow me down. Maybe just the stop and go of the reading process made me not get into this book so much but I don't know, it just didn't click for me.

If you want to get a deeper insight on OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), by all means, read this book. Tara was actually a fascinating character, but I felt like the plot had a really slow and gradual pace. Tara's friends, to me, were snooty and eckkkk. I did not like them at alllll. She never really had a support system so that really bugged me. I might recommend this book to a 7th grader but older than that, I'm not sure you could connect.

Here is the video from the True Life episode:

College Frenzy

2008-11-22T20:45:00.009-05:00

Guys, I am FREAKING myself out. I have no idea what I am going to do! Every college I have looked at looks AMAZINGGG. But then I go to a review site and all I see are reviews of drinking, beer, frat party, drinking, drugs, drinking, drinking, more drugs, and more drinking. I don't want to partake in that! I am striving to go to a good college that I can be an active member of and have a life. But, I. Don't. Want. To. Drink. I'm so scared I'm not going to find the right college for me. I've looked at

The Ohio State University (My hometown college)

Penn State

University of Denver (which is absolutely amazing, except the reviews...)

Seriously, on the websites, these all looked so right for me. Like, perfect. And then BAM. DRUGS. DRINKING. ALCHOL. CRAZY PARTIES.

I don't want that to be my college. I want a college that will be environmentally friendly and where I can help the community. I want to go to a good college, and a friendly one. Not a stuck up, snobby one. What am I going to do. I was so hopeful and now.. I have no idea what I think

What college did you go to? What is your advice for me? Did you ever feel this way??

Blahh..

2008-11-22T13:49:00.002-05:00

Sorry I haven't been on in a while, I was at a retreat for my young life branch. It was more than amazing (: But anyway, I'm hoping to finish Brisingr this weekend so hopefully that will be up soon. Anyway, I'm sorry for my laziness. Yahh, I'm a teenager, sue me. I'm lazy. Haha, but I love you guys too, so I'll post maybe later today or tomorrow. Aurevoir! (:

Book Award Meme

2008-11-17T20:50:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Alea from Pop Culture Junkie for nominating me for this awesome meme!

The Rules!: Open the closest book to you-not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment. Turn to page 56 and write out the fifth sentence as well as the next two to five sentences. Pass this on to five blogging friends.

Okayyy. So my book is The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman

"Mr. Crawley is expecting you." He glided up the grand staircase like it was real smooth, like it was a fast escalator and not stairs, then took us through an unused part of the restaurant stacked with dusty old tables and broken chairs. We went down the hallway that lead to the door of Mr. Crawley's private residence.

Love that book. And Neal Shusterman (:

I tag everyone who wants to do this meme. That should include five people right? Sorry, but its late and I'm too lazy to look people up and get links right now. Ha, sorry, tired blogger alert!

Christmas in November!

2008-11-13T20:19:00.009-05:00

Thanks to my fellow reader, The Page Flipper, I have just recieved 6 new books in the mail (: Which, to me, is like Christmas. So in my pile is...

30 Guys in 30 Days by Micol Ostow. I love Simon Pulse Ro-Coms and I've never read this one so im hoping, and expecting it to be good.

Bringing the Boy Home by N. A. Nelson. I read the back of this and it actually sounds reallly interesting. The cover does the story no good. Yes, the cover may kind of suck, but its whats on the inside that counts right?

Class Favorite by Taylor Morris. The review on the back really sucked me into the story so I can NOT wait to read this one!

Dumped by Popular Demand by P.G. Kain. Again, sounds interesting. I'm sorry, but I keep looking at this cover and I'm so disturbed by this girl's eyebrows. Seriously! Its called a tweezer! Why would they let her take the picture for this when she looks like THAT! Sorry if that offended anyone but come on. That is just gross.

Frenemies by Alexa Young. I have been waiting for this book for so long. This is one of the ones I have been dying to read. YAY (:

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST..... *drumroll please*

I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE. AHHHHHH (: (: (: (: (: (: (:

People have been raving about this one for SO freaking long and now I have it! Its all mine! Muahahahahaaa! Just kidding with the evil laugh but I opened up the package and almost had a heart attack. I started jumping around and dancing, good thing I was alone! God, I am the happiest girl in the world right about now. Yep, I'd say so.

My Special Day (:

2008-11-11T18:11:00.007-05:00

Sorry, yesterday I was super busy with important things and such but I have an ENORMOUS announcement....

YESTERDAY WAS MY BIRTHDAY (: (: (:

Yes yess, I, your faithful blogger, am 15 years of age. Only 6 months until I start driving. Scary thought huh? I know my parents are all teary-eyed over it, but hey, I'm so ready. They weren't concerned when my older brother started driving (he's 16). But, hey, their little girl is going out on the road and she's going to be all grown up! Blah blahhh blah. I think they should just lighten up. I am way mature for my age. Seriously, my brothers act like they are 7. No joke. It makes me so mad! But anyway! Rant over! Hahah. I recieved...

This gorgeous waller from Vera Bradley. Isn't it pretty? My aunt got it for me. She is going overseas soon because she is in the navy... :/ I don't want her to leave, but she has to. She is serving our country. Anyway, I love the wallet, it will remind me of her every single time I see it. It is a great way to remember her while she is gone. I'll get to see her at Christmas though! Only a month away...

Anywayyyyyyy... I also recieved...

This work of art (: The new iPod Touch! I can say this now: I am in love. This is the best piece of technology ever invented. No lie. I am in love with it (: Who could ask for a better birthday present? I know I couldn't! I had asked for it, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would actually get it! But, loe and behold, here it is in all its shiny splendor. *Squeals* I love birthdays. So much.

My friends decided to decorate my locker. And when I say decorate, I mean have someone look over my shoulder to get my combo, break in, and mob it with signs, streamers, and glitter. Yes, glitter. Hah, I love them (: One of my friends got me an air popcorn popper which I also am giddy at recieving. What else is better than freshly popped popcorn? I also got a coupon for an Easy Step. Don't know what an Easy Step is?

Please, just go now and educate yourself in pop culture. Now. Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5q5uoEU8RRk

Now that you know what an Easy Step is, you understand why it is so hilarious my friend is making me one. Yes, I didn't stutter. MAKING me one. I love my friends.

Okay so I'm done gloating now, and there is pork chop waiting for me downstairs (yummm :)) but please comment and tell me...

What is the best birthday present you've ever gotten?

Like It or Leave It

2008-11-11T17:48:00.003-05:00

Yeah, I love my music so don't diss me (:

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, Minamp, etc on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

4. Put the artist after a dash following the song name.

5. Put any comments in brackets.

6. Tag some lucky people to spread the disease.

How would you describe yourself?

Hollywood's Not America-Ferras [That makes no sense at all]

How do you feel today?

Vulnerable-Secondhand Serenade [Makes sense but is totally wrong]

What is your life's purpose?

Seven Days of Lonely-I Nine [I'm not lonely....?]

What is your motto?

Walk it out-Unk [HAHAHAA (: now walk it out]

What do you think about very often?

Do It To It-Cherish [What?]

What is your life story?

Do It Well-Jennifer Lopez [I do things well, but I don't do IT well lol. well i don't even know (;]

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Don't Touch Me-Busta Rhymes [hahaaa randommm]

What will you dance to at your wedding?

Dreamer-Chris Brown [Hmmm, could be appropriate]

What will they play at your funeral?

Electropop-Jupiter Rising [Wow great way to remember me haha]

What is your hobby/interest?

Smile-Lily Allen [Very true]

If you could do anything right now, what would it be?

Buttons-Pussycat Dolls [HAHA. yes. not.]

What do you want most of all?

A-Punk-Vampire Weekend [Yep, I want a punk lol]

What is your greatest fear?

American Boy-Estelle [Yes, I fear boys so much. Definately. not]

What is your darkest secret?

Catastophe-Forever the Sickest Kids [Mhmm, it would be a catastrophe if i told it!]

What is your favorite thing in the world?

Taking Chances-Celine Deon [Hmm, interesting]

If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?

Mercy-Duffy [Appropriate, but again, wrong]

What is your theme song?

Run the Show-Kat Deluna [DAMN RIGHT haha (:]

The next time you hear this song (aside from now, that is), you must dance.

Suddenly I See-KT Tunstall [okay?]

What will you post this as?

Like it or Leave it-Aly and AJ [haha perfect (:]

Okayy so I tagggg....

Dominique at thebookvault.blogspot.com and the guys over at Shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com

At First Sight by Nicholas Sparks

2008-11-09T09:34:00.004-05:00

Title: At First Sight

Author: Nicholas Sparks

Pages: 332

Rating: 5/5

Summary (from the nicholassparks.com): There were a few things Jeremy Marsh was sure he'd never do: He'd never leave New York City, never give this heart away after surviving one failed marriage, and never become a parent. Now Jeremy is living in the timy town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, engaged to the love of his life, Lexie Darnell, and anticipating the start of their family. But just as everything seems to be settling into a blissful pattern, a mysterious e-mail sets off a chain of events that will test the strength of Jeremy and Lexie's love. And as they cope with the doubts, fears, and reomance of the newly wed, Jeremy will discover and extraordinary truth: The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it...

Review: I don't think I can say a bad thing about this book. Yet again, Nicholas Sparks gives us a timeless classic to love and cherish forever. Just like The Notebook and A Walk to Remember, I hope this one is made into a movie. I would see it a million times and cry every single viewing. Wow, I'm being totally cheesy, but I can't stop raving about this book!

First off, Jeremy and Lexie are the best couple ever. He is so understanding and loving and she is the perfect match for him. Boone County is the same quirky town we see in many other novels but in At First Sight, Nicholas Sparks made that tiny Boone County feel like home. Throughout the pains and the trouble you are stuck to the page. I read this entire 300 page book in one day. Maybe over the course of a few hours! Alongside Lexis and Jeremy, I cried and I fumed, I rejoiced and I sighed. Seriously, go to the library or the bookstore and GET THIS BOOK. I'm sure you will love it as much as I did.

A Round of Applause!

2008-11-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

For the amazing person who helped me makeover the blog. I love it, but what about you guys? What are your feelings about the new look?

New Release: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa!

2008-11-08T10:31:00.008-05:00

I'm about halfway through At First Sight, by Nicholas Sparks so that review should be coming up soon. But for now, I saw this movie last night with some friends and wanted to share my thoughts with you.

Title: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Rating: PG

Stars: Ben Stiller (Alex), Chris Rock (Marty), David Schwimmer (Melman), Jada Pinkett Smith (Gloria), Sacha Baron Cohen (King Julien), Cedric the Entertainer (Maurice)

Summary (from the official website): All of the loveable characters are back - Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, and Gloria the hippo, King Julien, Maurice and the penguins - in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. They find themselves in the wildest place of all - the vast plains of Africa - where our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. While discovering their roots, they quickly find the differences between the concrete jungle and the heart of Africa. Despite long-lost relatives, romantic rivals and scheming hunters, Africa seems like a great place... but is it better than their Central Park home?

Review: This movie was SO cute. Unbelievably adorable and hilarious. Star-studded and following such a complete blockbuster, this was such a hit. And don't you think it helps to see a film like this in a theater full of laughing 6 year olds? The plot was so light-hearted and still showed some messages. Some were finding your individuality, creativity, and courage. These were displayed in the sneakiest way possible, but still hit you hard. Dreamworks can not go wrong (:

Still, the movie had its faults. Throughout the movie, there were some adult themes. A few times there were hints of homosexuality and raciness. There is a pool scene between two hippos that made my skin crawl. We are showing this to kids? But, it was perfectly innocent from the kid's point of view I'm sure. But to me, a teenager, yikes.

Overall I would recommend this to anyone who just wants to laugh. ages 4 to 400.

And I leave you with this question:

Do you recognize the adult themes hidden in children's films? Do you think they are snuck in for the parent's pleasure? Maybe to make the movies more enjoyable for everyone?

Don't forget!

2008-11-06T06:09:00.003-05:00

...to head on over to elainareads.blogspot.com to enter the contest!

ALSO.

head over to stargirlreads.blogspot.com to enter her contest!

Skinned by Robin Wasserman

2008-11-05T17:51:00.000-05:00

Title: Skinned

Author: Robin Wasserman

Pages: 361

Rating: 3/5

Summary (from Amazon): Lia Kahn was perfect: rich, beautiful, popular -- until the accident that nearly killed her. Now she has been downloaded into a new body that only looks human. Lia will never feel pain again, she will never age, and she can't ever truly die. But she is also rejected by her friends, betrayed by her boyfriend, and alienated from her old life.

Forced from the fringes of society, Lia joins others like her. But they are look at as freaks. They are hated... and feared. They are everything but human, and according to most people, that is the ultimate crime -- for which they must pay the ultimate price.

Review: This book started off really dry and bland for me. Somehow, at the beginning, I didn't connect. For half of the story I was just sick of Lia. She CONSTANTLY complained about her new situation. It really got old after a while! Also, her boyfriend infuriated me.

But don't get the wrong idea. Sure, half of the book was a little bit slow, but after the mid-way point, BAM! You learn a deeper side to Lia and I actually started to really like it! The ending sucked me in so much that I could not tear my eyes from the page! There is no doubt in the world that I will make sure that the sequel to this great read is at the top of my TBR list.

And you wanna hear the best part? It's part of a trilogy (:

I would recommend this book to anyone who liked the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld or just wants an magnificent, slightly Sci-Fi read!

finally! im proud of my country

2008-11-05T05:49:00.000-05:00

Today, I know I speak for more than half of America when i say, YESSSSS (: Is everyone excited that we finally have some change in America? No more stuffy old white men in the White House governing my life. No more laidback decisions. Barack Obama is our new president. I'm proud to be part of this great nation and I hope everyone will welcome him with open arms. Aren't you glad to be part of this great event? The first African-American president is here and I'm loving every second of it. Sorry for the rant, but I love politics (: And I sure do love Barack Obama.

hey everyone (:

2008-11-04T17:35:00.000-05:00

So.. this is my blog. You like it? Haha there isn't much to look at now but it'll kick off soon i hope (: I've been a huge fan of blogs before and now im so excited to have one of my own! I'm your basic average girl, who kind of has this obsession with books. And movies. And television. And sports. And music. So as you can see, I lead a pretty busy lifestyle. Its all good though, because I wouldn't trade my life now for anything. So thats me in a nutshell! My names Emily. Get to know me (:

thatonegirlemily.