LOST.

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

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!

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

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

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

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.

So Blogspot won't let me post?

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

Love Life?

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

But I wish I had more time to read :(

Pen Pals!

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.

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!

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

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

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

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

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

Bookcases!

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

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

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

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.

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

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!

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!

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

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

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.

... 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

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...

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!

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.

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.

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..

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!

go hereeeeeee:

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

(:

Invitation Only by Kate Brian

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

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!

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..

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.

I've watched 2 seasons of Friends today.

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

Come On People.

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!

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! (: