Teaser Tuesdays (27 July, '10)

Another Tuesday brings more teasing teasers!!! :D

This weekly meme is hosted by MizB, who lives in the wild blue yonder at Should Be Reading. You can join, even if you don't have your own book blog, by doing the following:

*Grab your current read.

*Open to a random page.

*Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page.

**BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!!! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give away too much information. You don't want to ruin thew book for others!)**

*Share the book title and author as well, so that other Tuesday participants may add it to their TBR list if they enjoy your teasers!*

This week's teasers can be traced back to Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead:

"He cut himself off and actually bit his lip, as though will alone wasn't enough to stop him from talking."

"He jerked away and broke that intimate space between them, getting as far from her as he could."



(Source: Spirit Bound, page 257.)



Want more Teasers? Okay here you go!:

The next teasers are from ... Kidding! You'll just have to wait till next Tuesday for more! :D



--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Read It With A Buddy #1 - City of Bones

Hello to all you blog readers!!

This is something that our guest today actually came up with for our group blog, and I figured we could post it on here as well.

Let me introduce, the wonderful, almighty Elyssa!!! Elyssa has been blogging longer than me, but she's still somewhat new to the blogging world. Elyssa, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?

I enjoy good writing. Lately I've been diving into fantasy/sci-fi books. Erotica is a guilty pleasure. Shh... don't tell. LOL!

Well we're definitely glad to have you here with us today. Now, down to business: Read It With A Buddy is a spin-off of a feature we started on Goodreads, called the Buddy Read. People who are interested in the same book can decide on a date to start reading it together, and they discuss as they go, answering questions or just talking. Elyssa and I recently finished a Buddy Read for City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. We will provide you with general book info and the product of our combined reviews for the book. Hope you enjoy our united efforts,

--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

___________________________________

City of Bones (Mortal Instruments, #1)
By Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Simon Pulse, 2007
485 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 6/?/2010 (Elyssa) , 6/28/2010 (Zakiya)
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Young Adult, Coming of Age

First Line of Book: " 'You've got to be kidding me,' the bouncer said, folding his arms across his massive chest."

Notice: In this review, the blue writing is Elyssa (aka Twisted Book Junkie), while the green is moi (me).

Review: First off, I think I need to make it clear that this book is full of tons of witty humor, and if you had a highlighter for great quotes, most of the book would be covered in bright yellow!

Clare's first book for The Mortal Instruments Series just pulled me in deep. Her words spun a fantasy world that had me loving the characters, caring about them. I stayed up late New Year's Eve reading this book early into the morning. Yup, this Twisted Book Junkie spent New Year's with Jace, Clary & Simon. (I recently re-read this book for a challenge.)

**I should mention that Elyssa and I had a little difference in our main characters. We both agree, as can anyone else who has read this book, that Clary and Jace are automatically into focus. Twisted decided to close up on Simon, while I focused more on Isabelle and Alec.**

Cassandra Clare did an excellent job of starting the Mortal Instruments series. From the moment Clary saw Jace, Isabelle, and Alec killing that demon in Pandemonium, the book got even more interesting. A great book . . .

Clary Fray's mother disappears, and soon, Clary befriends local Shadowhunters Jace, Isabelle, and her brother Alec. Together, they recover the Mortal Cup (and unfortunately end up giving it to the enemy) and Clary's mother. They fight against vampires, fight with werewolves, and visit a wizard in hiding. Everything Clary thought was just stories is really apart of her world, and she didn't even know it.

This book starts off with normal teenager Clary Fray who grew up in NYC with her mom, who is a painter. Of course, like a normal teenager, Clary got into a fight with her mother. However, when she came back home she did not get grounded. She got the shock of her life! The apartment was torn up, her mother was no where to be seen, and a hideous black thing attacked her.

Jace is introduced into this story. He is the bad boy that just has steamy good looks. Picture that, now toss in a darkly dressed attitude, and add weapons that help the boy kick butt at killing demons. *Drool* He helps Clary learn about the world that Calry's mom tried so hard to keep hidden from her. Soon Clary's geeky-in-a-cute-way best friend Simon camping out at her Uncle Luke's. Here Jace, Clary, and Simon end up breaking in to his apartment... to find out that he knows about the world of demons, Shadowhunters, and downworlders.

This book really was a great start to the series. It was recommended to me by Elyssa, actually. I was glad that this was another action / adventure book; Clare provided us with action around every corner, and Clary was always getting to visit new places in the world she never knew about. It was thrilling to read everything, although I found myself skipping half a page sometimes, trying to find out what was about to happen. Then, of course, I had to go back and read what I skipped :). Sometimes, I didn't even bother going back!

This book was very thrilling. There were so many twists and turns, but Clare definitely wove her words perfectly throughout the whole book. For me there was never ever a down point. Can we say ORIGINAL!?! I Loved this book. IT was such a great start to a series, and I highly recommend this book.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was one of those that I would recommend to anyone who wasn't too picky about what they read.

~WARNING~ There is a big huge twist at the end of the book that will totally floor you! I figured out what was going to happen, but I was still very floored to see it in ink!

Look For:

City of Ashes: The Mortal Instruments #2

City of Glass: The Mortal Instruments #3

City of Fallen Angels: The Mortal Instruments #4 (Not Released Yet)

Clockwork Angel... COMING SOON! (So excited!)

Rating:

Quotes from the Book:

" 'Is this the part where you start tearing off strips of your shirt to bind my wounds?'
'If you wanted me to rip my clothes off, you should have just asked.' "

" 'If you were half as funny as you think you are, you'd be twice as funny as you are now.' "

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

" 'The meek may inherit the earth, but at the moment it belongs to the conceited. Like me.' "

" 'Don't.' Clary raised a warning hand. 'I'm not really in the mood right now.'
'That's got to be the first time a girl's ever said that to me,' Jace mused."

" 'Also, I'm sleeping with your mom. Just thought you should know.' "

" 'You hate the Silent Brothers,' protested Isabelle.
'I dohn't hate them,' Jace said candidly. 'I'm afraid of them. It's not the same thing.'
'I thought you said they were librarians,' said Clary.
'They are librarians.'
Simon whistled. 'Those must be some killer late fees.' "

" 'It's so . . . dark,' she said lamely.
'You want me to hold your hand?'
Clary put both her hands behind her back like a small child. 'Don't talk down to me.'
'Well, I could barely talk up to you. You're too short.' "

" 'You shouldn't remember me,' he said. 'I threw up a glamour as hard as a wall as soon as I saw you. You should have run right into it face-first -- psychically speaking.'
If you run into a psychic wall face-first, do you wind up with psychic bruises?"

" 'I was expecting something . . . you know.' He gestured with his hands, indicating something roughly the size of a house cat.
'It's the Mortal Cup, Jace, not the Mortal Toilet Bowl,' said Isabelle."

" 'I should have guessed you were Jace's sister,' he said. 'You both have the same srtistic talent.'
Clary paused, her foot on the lowest stair. She was taken aback. 'Jace can draw?'
'Nah. I was just kidding. He can't draw a straight line.' "

Friday Memes (23 July, '10)

It's Friday, which means more Blog Hopping and snippets of close reads! Happy Weekend!

Book Blogger Hop
This is hosted by Crazy Jennifer over at Crazy-for-Books. Thanks, CJ, for hosting another book hop!

Another week, another question! This week's question:

TELL US ABOUT THE BOOK YOU ARE CURRENTLY READING!

My answer: I'm actually switching around between 4 books right now:

~Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead: This is the fifth novel in the Vampire Academy series. Right now, Rose, her best friend Lissa, and another new guardian are trying to break their worst enemy out of jail. Don't worry, they want him locked up, but they need him for something even bigger.

~Summer Ball by Mike Lupica: I am just starting this book today, so all I can tell you is that it's about a boy who plays basketball with his travel team. He's short for his age. Fromt he front of the cover, I would think that Danny's -- that's his name -- is at a sumemr b-ball camp.

~Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer: This is the fourth and final book in the phenomenal Twilight Saga. I am at the reception party, right after the wedding :). I've read this before, but I'm rereading with some friends on Goodreads. It's going to be a great read all over again!

~Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: This is one of the classics that I have always wanted to read, and now I am! I haven't really gotten far into it. I'm on chpt 2, but it's a little confusing. I will have to get back to you with how well it's going! :D.

And that's what I'm currently reading!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The Friday 56Tonya from Storytime With Tonya and Friends hosts this fun meme. All you have to do to participate is:

*Grab the closest book.

*Turn to page 56. Find the 5th sentence.

*Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog -- or if you don't have your own blog -- in the comments section of the blog.

*Post a link along with your post back to Tonya's blog.

**Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest or most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.** This week's snippets are from Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer:

"It wasn't nearly as easy to dance with Charlie. He was no better at it than I was, so we moved safely from side to side in a tiny square information. Edward and Esmespun around us like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers."

"It was good to see all my old friends, but I really wanted to be with Edward more than anything else."

Well that's all for me this week! Happy reading and blog hopping everyone! Another week will have come and gone before we know it! :D.

--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Pretty Little Liars (Pretty Little Liars, #1)

By Sara Shepard

Publisher: HarperCollins e-books, 2006

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Date Finished: 7/3/2010

Genres: Chick Literature, Realistic Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Young Adult, Coming of Age

First Line of Book: "Imagine it's a couple of years ago, the summer between seventh and eighth grade."

Review: I started this series at the beginning of July because of the new TV series on ABC Family (check it out, Tuesdays at 7pm CST!). So far, the TV show is great, but back to the book:

Sara Shepard's done an awesome job to start off the series. This book was a good series opener. Thrilling, some action, and a little bit of romance. :).

There are four main characters. Actually five ... if you count the dead girl.

~Aria: She's just come back from Iceland for a year, and she has to get used to Rosewood again. On her first night back, she's started an affair with a surprising figure.

~Emily: She's a swimmer, and that's basically her life. It's what her parents expect her to do. But when the new girl moves into Alison's old house, her parents don't want her hanging out with her at all. If only they knew she was hiding part of who she is.

~Spencer: The smartest female at Rosewood Day. She's always battling it out with her sister, the nefarious Melissa, for the higher seat of honor. But then Melissa brings home her fiance. And the wall goes tumbling down.

~Hanna: She used to be a fat, unwanted dork. Now she and her best friend have changed themselves dramatically, and their the it girls at school. But she can't stay at the top if everyone finds out she's getting busted around every corner.

~Alison: She's dead. The last time any of her BFFs saw her was the last day of school. They were out in Spencer's barn, having their first welcome-summer sleepover. Now, she reappears after having "disappeared," in the backyard of her house ... buried under concrete.

The four still-living girls all have secrets to hide, and let me tell you, they're very juicy. And someone knows everything. Someone named "A." And they're threatening to tell everything to everyone in Rosewood. But who is "A"?

To make a long story short for eager readers, if you're either watching the new TV series, or you're into drama-filled Chick-Lit Mystery books, this is the book (and series) for you. Not only does Shepard keep you intrigued, always trying to figure out who "A" is, but she's made everything happen and everyone say something in such the perfect moments that the storyline isn't off-key at all. Every little word of the book had to have been paid close attention to so that everything would make sense in the end. A great read, and def a good mystery. :). I can't wait to find out who "A" is. Could it be you?

Rating:

Quotes from the Book:

"She tossed the key ring next to the car. It hit the pavement hard, and the alarm started wailing again.

Hanna quickly bent down and hit the deactivate button. The alarm stopped. 'Does it have to be so loud?' she complained.

'Totally.' Mona put her sunglasses back on. 'Sean's dad should really get that fixed.' "

"In tandem, the girls read their texts out loud. Each said the exact same thing:

I'm still here, b--ches. And I know everything. ---A"


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Teaser Tuesday (20 July, '10)

Here's a new weekly meme that I found! Enjoy!:

Teaser Tuesdays is a blog meme that's hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can join; just do the following:

*Grab your current read.

*Open to a random page.

*Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from on that page.

**BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!!! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give away too much information. You don't want to ruin the book for others!)**

*Share the title and author as well, so that other Teaser participants may add it to their TBR list if they enjoy your teasers!*

This week's teasers are from Deception Point by Dan Brown:

"Instinctively, Sexton tried sidestepping."

"The question felt like a boulder landing in Sexton's lap."

(Source: Deception Point, page 140.)



Those are my teasers for this Tuesday! Check back next week for more Teaser fun! :D


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

My First, Very Own Blog Award!!

So I've just received my first, very own Oh My Blog Award!!!!! *crowd goes insane* I'm so elated to have this honour of receiving it! I might explode with sugary goodness, warmth and happiness! LOL!

I was given the OMB Award by my good friend Jen out yonder at In the Closet With a Bibliophile. Like Jen, I never thought in a million years that I would get something like this! So thank you to Jen for handing it over to me, and Congrats to yourself for receiving it!!

Here are the Rules:

1.) Get really excited that you got the coolest award EVER!! (Already done!)

2.) Choose ONE of the following options of accepting the OMB Award:

• Get really drunk and blog for 15 minutes straight, or for as long as you can focus.
• Write about your most embarrassing moment.
• Write a "Soundtrack of your childhood" post.
• Make your next blog a "vlog" (video blog). Basically, you're talking to the camera about whatever.
• Take a picture of yourself first thing in the morning, before you do anything else (hair, make-up, etc.) and post it.

3.) Pass the award on to at least three, but preferably more, awesome bloggers. Don't forget to tell them.

Well, I can tell you right now that my mom is not going to let me drink any wine. Nor will she let me post pictures of myself on here (that also exits out vlogging). I'm not sure I could come up with a soundtrack like Jen wonderfully did, so I'll stick to my most embarrassing moment.

I'm happy to pass this award along to: Cathy at Where You Wish Upon A Star; Heather from Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Books; and Emily at Emily's Reading Room. Congrats to all of the newest OMB Award recipients!

Now, for my most embarrassing moment ever. I actually have two, so enjoy!

(1) I'm in the sixth grade. We're walking down the hall to the bathroom. I'm standing in line, listening to the surrounding gossip, yet minding my own business. Three people in front of me is this guy that's openly obsessed me, but I don't like him. He turns around, breaks between the girls in front of me, and says way too loud, "Got milk?" while looking at my boobs. The girls in front of me turned around with smiles on their faces. I promptly crossed my arms over my chest. If I wasn't so dark, my cheeks would have been blood red. . . .

(2) Seventh grade. (This was a couple of months ago.) I'm at my school's awards night. They have a "red carpet" for us to walk up to the front to receive our awards (plaques, ribbons, etc). My legs are getting a little sore from walking to the front so many times, but every time they call my name, there I am, a huge, victorious grin on my face, walking (and twisting a little) towards the stage. The second-to-last I go up: I'm on the carpet, walking and twisting, and then *POW* I stumble and almost fall flat on my face. Can you spell humilitating? I hope none of the parents got that on video.

So those are my embarrassing moments! The second one wasn't as bad as the first, but my cheeks were glowing red after both :).

--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Reading Status (18 July, '10)

Hello all! I thought it would be cool/neat to update everyone on where I am in my reading. It might end up being posted every two weeks, but I'll try not to keep you all waiting so long! This week's status:

Finished This Week:

• Flawless (Pretty Little Liars, #2) by Sara Shepard (Sun, 7/11/2010)
• Perfect (Pretty Little Liars, #3) by Sara Shepard (Fri, 7/16/2010)
• Betrayed (House of Night, #2) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (Sat, 7/17/2010)

Currently Reading:

• Deception Point by Dan Brown, page 303
• Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy, #5) by Richelle Mead, page 114
• Rebel Angels (Gemma Doyle, #2) by Libba Bray, page 429
• The Forest of Hands and Teeth (TFOHAT, #1) by Carrie Ryan, chpt 19 (on Kindle, so page #'s will not be the same)
• Summer Ball by Mike Lupica, started today!, page 1
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, chpt 1 (again, on Kindle, so page #'s are not the same)

To Be Read Very Soon:

• Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins
• Princess in the Spotlight (the Princess Diaries, #2) by Meg Cabot
• School's Out -- Forever (The Fugitives, #2; Maximum Ride, #2) by James Patterson

~ Tidbit of Info: My rest-of-the-year goal is to finish one book in 3.5 days tops. Not sure how this is going to turn out, but I'll give it a go! Only because I really want to try and read 100 books this year. ~

Well that's all for this week's reading status! Stay tuned to this channel (blog) for more updates next week! In the meantime, what have YOU been reading? (Feel free to leave this in comments.)

--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Friday Memes (16 July, '10)

Hello all! These are a couple of weekly memes that I will be participating in. Enjoy!

Book Blogger Hop

Greetings and Salutations to everyone that hops by! This is the my first time joining the Book Hop. I created this blog for viewers like you and because I love blogging. I'm having a great time reading as much as possible to provide you with some great reviews. Welcome to my blog!

This is hosted by Crazy Jennifer over at Crazy-for-Books. Thanks CJ for hosting the book hop!

Every week, Crazy Jennifer asks a question, and, obviously, I am too elated about the BBH not to answer! This week's question:

RIGHT THIS INSTANT, WHAT BOOK ARE YOU DYING TO GET YOUR HANDS ON (PAST, PRESENT, OR FUTURE)?

My answer: I have a few books that I'm excited about getting.

1.) City of Ashes! Cassandra Clare has gotten me hooked with the Mortal Instruments debut, City of Bones, so I'm trying to race to the nearest store to get the sequel!

2.) Last Sacrifice! The Vampire Academy series finale (by Richelle Mead) is coming out Dec 7th, and I'm excited times 1,000! I'm currently reading the fifth book, Spirit Bound, but close to finishing!! :D

3.) Catching Fire! The Hunger Games 's sequel has been out for a year, but I'm too happy that I'll be getting it soon!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

The Friday 56

Tonya from Storytime With Tonya and Friends hosts this fun meme, and all you have to do is:

*Grab the closest book.

*Turn to page 56. Find the 5th sentence.

*Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or -- if you do not have your own blog -- in the comments section of the blog.

*Post a link along with your post back to Tonya's blog.

**Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest or most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.**

This week's snippets are from Paths of Darkness: Collector's Edition by R.A. Salvatore:

" 'Yes, of course,' Dondon replied, visibly trembling."

"A burning rage welled inside Entreri. He felt as if he would simply explode into a murderous fit that would have him physically shaving the pounds from Dondon's fat hide with his jeweled dagger. Instead, he went at the lock, turning it roughly to scan for any possible traps, then reaching for a small pick."

That's all for this week's memes. Check back next Friday for more!! :D

--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)
By Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press, 2008
374 pages, hardcover
Read: 6/25/2010
Genres: Young Adult, Furturistic, Action, Adventure, Mystery, Science Fiction

First Line of Book: "When I wake, the other side of the bed is cold."

Review: The book's main character, Katniss Evergreen, lives in a futuristic America, and every year, a horrible event happens -- the Hunger Games. Children from across the country of Panem are chosen to go head-to-head against each other in a specialized arena. When Katniss's little sister Prim gets chosen, she puts herself up for danger by taking PRim's place. From that moment on, Katniss's life is changed -- dramatically. In the arena, she makes an ally, only to lose it soon after; then she portrays a "desperate lover" to keep herself and "Lover Boy" alive, only to have the true feelings of her soul questioned in the end. Can Kat get out alive, or will she die trying to get back home?

Suzanne Collins did an extraordinary job starting this trilogy. The book was suspenseful, adventurous, ful of action, and very intriguing. From the moment you get to the reaping (where they choose the people from the District that go to the arena) and Katniss substitutes herself for Prim, to the moment when Peeta and Kat are fighting for their lives, you are stuck with your nose in the pages trying to figure out what's going to happen next.

Katniss Evergreen, as a character, was someone I wouldn't mind being a BFF with. She cares for her family and friends, and isn't afraid to speak the truth when she needs to. Like me, she doesn't really like talking about herself, but she gets on fairly well anyway; her determination to avenge her ally after a tragic parting was something I absolutely loved. Peeta's character was also on eI really liked. He waas fun when he could be, and serious when he had to be. He tells Katniss that he's loved her since he first saw her when they were five. He seems to be truly in love with Katniss, and when she told him about her act in the caves at the end of the story, it broke my heart along with his.

The other thing that I really loved was the plot. It drew me in at every chance tha tI was reading the book. Whether there was a lot of action and Kat was fighting for her life, or none at all and she was momentarily safe and sound, I was all over the pagesreading to see what would happen next, who was the next victim of unwanted death. I have to say, this book was superbly written, and I' glad that it's a series. Unfortunately, it was open-ended. Collins stops The Hunger Games when Katniss and Peeta are about to greet the cameras waiting for them at home. I was so mad and frustrated when I got to this part! I was like, "How can you just stop a book like that, with so much about to happen?!" I'm definitely very anxious to get ahold of the sequel, Catching Fire, sometime soon.

Rating:


Quotes from the Book:

"Just then, Haymitch staggers into the compartment. 'I miss supper?' he says in a slurred voice. Then he vomits all over the expensive carpet and falls in the mess."

"One time, my mother told me that I always eat like I'll never see food again. And I said, 'I won't unless I bring it home.' That shut her up."

"I've left on Peeta's undershorts because they'r enot in bad shape an dI don't want to pull them over the swollen thigh, and, all right, maybe the idea of him being naked makes me uncomfortable."


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse (Twilight, #3)
By Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2007
629 pages, hardcover
Date Finished: 6/29/2010
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Romance, Young Adult

First Line of Book: "All our attempts at subterfuge had been in vain."

Review: I've noticed that I have reread a lot this year. Well, Eclipse was one of those wonderful books; the ones that you read again and againn because they get better and better. I also reread Eclipse in anticipation of the new motion picture (unwanted substitutes for "movie"), which I have yet to see. Don't worry, though, I'm going soon.

The third novel in Stephenie Meyer's worldwide, phenomenal Twilight series had me sympathetic, scared, angry, amused,m and overwhelmed with joy from cover to cover. In my opinion, Eclipse is the best in the series, followed closely by its sequel, Breaking Dawn. More action, fun, and a lot more Jacob than Twilight, but much less sadness than New Moon.

The opening of the story -- after the interesting prologue/preface -- is Bella reading a scribbled, confused, I-don't-know-how-to-say-this note from Jacob. Sad, but not NM sad. From that part, more drama and action. Soon enough, Bella and all her senior friends are graduating (Congrats!); they're finally done with high school. For Bella, this brings serious uncertainty. Carlisle and Edward have promised her that she may be turned into a vampire only after she graduates. However, if she wants Edward to do the changing, he insists that she marry him first. Can you believe that after Bella's done all that begging, the girl doesn't even know if she's ready or not?

The action part of this book came when the Cullens and the wolf pack to defeat newborns -- and Victoria herself. This is the part I'm mostly looking forward to in the movie, besides an ah-mazing exchange between Jacob and Bella. There was fast-moved killing, that Bella didn't even get to see, not that she wanted to in the first place. And, the person I'm overwhelmingly looking forward to seeing? -- Bree Tanner!, the star of the Eclipse novella, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. I've been wanting to see what Bree's character looks like ever since I read the "companion novel."

More ROMANCE!!! ~Edward~ Well, of course, Bella has more epic romance with her boyfriend Edward Cullen. That was obviously obvious. ~Jacob~ Okay, yes! Finally, we get a kiss scene from Jacob and Bella! This is one of the things I'm really looking forward to in this movie. So cuh-yoot! But also, Jacob is still very very against Edward and Bella's relationship, and definitely disagreeing with the fact that Bella will soon be a vampire. Bless his little soul....

Another thing that fans can look forward to in this book: Edward's 'sister,' Rosalie, and his 'brother,' Jasper, finally reveal how they became vamps! An exciting portion of the novel!

To wrap up my supersuperlong review, this is a book that I really don't mind rereading over and over again because it's just that good. For all you people that refuse to read the book: Fine. I'm sure the movie will be better than the book anyway. Yeah, I said it; I actually went against my own books-are-always-better-than-the-movie/s theory. But no matter, because I'm still recommending this awesome book!

I hope that you get to see the movie sometime. Because even if you haven't read any of the books, this is going to be one epic movie!

Rating:


Quotes from the Book:

" 'I told you about that story in the paper -- there's some kind of gang on a killing spree in Seattle, and I want you to steer clear, okay?'
I rolled my eyes. 'Dad, there's a better chance that I'll get struck by lightning than that the one day I'm in Seattle --' "

**Bella and Edward are passing notes in class. Bella = bold, Edward = italicized.**
"I wasn't about to send you off alone. With your luck, not even the black box would survive.
So let's say my bad luck did crash the plane. What exactly were you going to do about it?
Why is the plane crashing?
The pilots are passed out drunk.
Easy. I'd fly the plane.
Both engines have exploded, and we're falling in a death spiral toward the earth.
I'd wait till we were close enough to the ground, get a grip on you, kick out the wall, and jump. Then I'd run you back to the scene of the accident, and we'd stumble around like the two luckiest survivors in history.

I stared at him wordlessly.
'What?' he whispered.
I shook my head in awe. 'Nothing,' I mouthed."

" 'If you ever kiss her again, I will break your jaw for her,' he promised.
'What if she wants me too?' Jacob drawled.
'Hah!' I snorted.
'You might want to wait for her to say it rather than trust your interpretation of body language -- but it's your face.' "

" 'Kiss me, Jacob,' I said." [So few words, so much meaning ... sort of.]


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

P.S., After I see Eclipse the movie, I will be posting a movie review, and will compare it to the book. I will also give you the inside scoop on whether Kristen's charrie, Bella, is any klutzier, and who's hotter: Edward, Jacob, Jasper, or Emmett? Will give you all the details on this "contest" in the movie review. Keep checking in to my blog for the my answer! Happy reading and/or movie-watching!

2010 Reading Challenges

I found a few of these challenges for 2k10, and even though the year's half over, I thought I'd post them anyway. I will be participating in all of them. To see my current status on all of these challenges, go to the 2010 Reading Challenges page!

This reading challenge is for those of you who are always reading book series! Why not take a break and read something that stands alone?? The Stand Alone Book Reading Challenge is being hosted by Wings over at the Story Wings blog. The Challenge started on Jan. 1st, and will abruptly end at 2359:59 on Dec. 31st. (Just a little extra detail there; basically, it says 11:59 pm.)

Here's other info about the Challenge:

- Levels -
SAB-erful -- 5 books

SAB-erific -- 15 books

SAB-tastic --25 books

- Rules -

1.) Well, it's pretty simple: As long as it's stand alone (meaning not belonging to a book series whatsoever) it counts.

2.)Rereads are accepted!

3.) Books must be read in between Jan. 1st/2010 and Dec. 31st/2010

The 2010 A - Z Challenge is being hosted by Becky at the 2010 A to Z Challenge blog. You basically read books that start with letters of the alphabet. I'm not necessarily reading my books in order, and you don't have to have a predetermined list, either. Obviously, this is a year-round challenge so reading limits are 1/1/2010 to 12/31/2010.

Options for challenge:

~ A - Z Authors: Read alphabetically by author. Commit to 26 books.

~ A - Z Titles: Read alphabetically by book title. Commit to 26 books.

~ A - Z Authors & Titles: Commit to reading 52 books.

The eBook challenge was formally hosted by J Kaye's Book Blog, but she kindly passed it on to the hands of Royal Reviews. As with all of these challenges, anyone can join, blogger or non-blogger.

I will be aiming for the Obsessed Level, which is reading 20 eBooks. I recently got my mom's old Kindle, so I'm excited!

This is being hosted by the website of the same name, Read Your Name Challenge. All you have to do is spell out your name. It could be a childhood name, a nickname, your first/middle/last/maiden, etc. Anything. Like my name, Zakiya. I would read something that started with Z. Then A, K, and so forth. If you have repetitive letters, you'll need to read books that start w/that letter more than once, depending. I have two A's. That means I would be reading two books that started with A. Make sense? Hope so! :)

So what are you waiting for? Go sign up for some Challenges!! :D

--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel

**RATED R (maybe X)** This review is terrible, due to overexcessive babbling, and a old outline to writing reviews. Please avert your eyes to another place if you wish to save your time. (Just kidding, of course, but this isn't one of my favorite reviews. :) )

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Silverwing (Silverwing, #1)
By Kenneth Oppel
Publisher: Aladdin, 1999
214 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 5/1/2010
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult

First Line of Book: *Don't own book, borrowed it from teacher*

Synopsis: Shade is a young silverwing bat, the runt of his colony. But he's determined to prove himself on the long, dangerous winter migration to Hibernaculum, millions of wingbeats to the south. During a fierce storm, he loses the others and soon faces the most incredible journey of his young life. Desperately searching for a way to rejoin his flock, Shade meets a remarkable cast of characters: Marina, a Brightwing bat with a strange metal band on her leg; Zephyr, a mystical albino bat with an unusual gift; and Goth, a gigantic, carnivorous vampire bat. But which ones are friends, and which ones are enemies? In this epic story of adventure and suspense, Shade is going to need all the help he can find -- if he hopes to ever see his family again.
(From the back of the book!)

Review: I really liked Silverwing. It was a way to see the world in a different perspective, and an interesting one at that. I wasn't all that surprised that we were to follow the runt, though. I have read a few books prior to this one where the main characters are less popular, lower class, smaller/weaker, etc. to the people they are aiming to become. But, back to the appropriate topic, Silverwing is a book that I would recommend to even my younger cousin, who is only seven years old. Shade demonstrates how overcoming your peers' remarks can be useful. He made quite a few enemies along the way of reaching his colony at Hibernaculum, but he made it with the help of banded Marina. I am rating this book with four stars. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner
By Stephenie Meyer
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2010
178 pages, hardcover
Date Finished: 6/22/2010
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Vampires, Action

First Line of Book: "The newspaper headline glared at me from a little metal vending machine: SEATTLE UNDER SIEGE--DEATH TOLL RISES AGAIN."

Review: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner is, in my opinion, a good companion novel to the Twilight series. Bree is a newborn vampire who gets close to one of the "senior" vamps that she lives with. Together, they try to discover exactly what they creator (known to the coven simply as her) wants them for. Tehy discover the truth about going out into the sunlight, growing an even stronger bond all the while. But when Diego goes ahead of everyone to find a path and doesn't come back, Bree gets worried. Did the creator get to Diego first? She still hasn't figured out what's going on, and they're about to go into battle. . . .

The story of Bree's short vampiric life was thrilling, action-y, and a little adventurous. Being that we only see about 5 minutes of Bree Tanner in Eclipse, this is a great read for people who love the Twilight series or have read Eclipse. It helps us learn how Bree got into that predicament in the first place.

Rating:


Quotes from the Book:

"Riley was going to blow a gasket. I would make sure I wasn't within reach when he saw this paper. Let him rip somebody else's arm off."

" 'Yeah, I'm Bree. But I didn't come in with the last group. I'm almost three months old.'
'Pretty slick for a three-monther,' he said. 'Not many would have been able to leave a scene of the accident like that.' He said it like a compliment, like he was really impressed.
'Didn't wanna mix it up with Raoul's freaks.'
He nodded. 'Amen, sister. Their kind ain't nothing but bad news.' "

"Diego smiled at me. 'I'm really glad you came tonight.'
'Don't get all gooey on me now.'
'What? You don't want to be'--he widened his eyes and his voice went up an octave--'BFFs?' He laughed at the goofy expression."

" 'I see the little girl made it, too,' a new voice said, and I shuddered because it was Raoul. I felt a little bit of relief that he didn't know my name, but mostly I just felt horrified because he'd noticed me at all.
'Yeah, she followed me.' I couldn't see Diego, but I knew he was shrugging.
'Aren't you the savior of the hour?' Raoul said snidely.
'We don't get extra points for being morons.'


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

The Angel Experiment (The Fugitives, #1; Maximum Ride, #1)
By James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2005
422 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 6/19/2010
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Action, Adventure, Coming of Age

First Line of Book: "Congratulations. The fact that you're reading this means you've taken one giant step closer to surviving till your next birthday."

Review: The Angel Experiment was a reread for me, as I'd only read it a month before. This series debut was very intriguing. The characters were different--besides the fact that they were teenage mutants--and we got to see fromt he whole flock's perspective. It was a little choppy, though, as the book's chapters are so short and didn't include a lot of information.

The book starts off sort of fast-paced: Max explains everything as she goes along with the story, so you have ot keep u pwith everything or you get lost in the midst of action. The flock's youngest member has been kidnapped by Erasers--half men, half wolves; also mutants--and taken somewhere that none of them ever wished to see again. Now, Max and her family set out to recuse their beloved sibling, getting beat up, captured, and chased by evil, infamous Erasers along the way. Max is having head troubles, and starts thinking she is going to be the first to die. And Angel discovers some mysterious powers of her own. But, in the end, all is well for the flock, and they set out to find the one thing they have all wondered about--their parents.

This book was absolutely amazing. Let's compare the wonderful book hypothetically: I'm on the road, looking for a rest stop. These motel owners get me interested in their place. I stop and stay the night. Automatically, they have me loving the place, with all their hospitality and politeness, giving me everything I need and want without thinking twice about it. Defined, fascinating, and a great price.

Rating:


Quotes from the book:

" He'd been the Gasman ever since he was a baby. What can I say? The child has something funky with his digestive system."

"Fang is not the huggiest person in the world--he turns into an unbending statue, and you just have to do the best you can."

"In the dictionary, next to the word stress, there is a picture of a midsize mutant stuck inside a dog crate, wondering if her destiny is to be killed or to save the world. Okay, not really. But there should be."

"I clamped my lips together so I wouldn't answer it. When I wanted information, it was silent; when I didn't want to hear from it, it got chatty. It was almost as irritating as Fang."

" 'We're in the Institute,' I said.
'Uhm, is that a good thing?' asked Gazzy.
'Holy [insert a swear word of your choice here], Fang said, stunned.
'No kidding,' I said."

" 'You really hurt me. I wouldn't hurt you. Not like this.' " Ari


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly

Big Honkin' Contest @

The Bodacious Pen - Three Prizes; Three Winners!!

First Prize: ARC Copy of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, and swag: curse worker's gloves (from Holly Black's White Cat), The Hunger Games swag, posters for Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness, Pegasus, and Carrie Jones' books.

Second Prize: A choice of TWO books listed on her page.

Third Prize: A choice of ONE book listed on her page.

Don't wait forever; the contest ends on July 26th!! Contest winners will be announced on the 27th, so click HERE to enter RIGHT NOW!!!!


--Zakiya, the walking butterfly