Memetastic Award in the house! :D

I can't believe I got another award!! Thank you, thank you, thank you to Lazy Girl, who blogs over at Lazy Girl Reads, for granting me with this ahmazing award. Usually, if I'm having a good week, I post 6 (and soon to be 7) memes from other blogs and 4 "memes," which are the ones that I've started and, if readers want to, they can participate and leave a link. The latter aren't really anything I'm trying to get out there just yet.

But anyway, when you've received this award, you're supposed to list 5 facts about yourself, 4 being only half-true, and the other being completely true. Can you guess which one isn't a fib?? (I will make a post Sunday telling you which fact is the complete truth, and explaining why all the others are only semi-true.)

1) I want to go by my middle name in high school because I'm tired of people mispronouncing my first name.

2) I was interviewed by my local newspaper, and was late to the meeting.

3) I'm in seven dances for my school's dance team, and usually have practice everyday except for Sunday and Monday.

4) I'm really tired of getting snow (which leads to getting out of school) every week solely because we are missing dance practice.

5) I have 10 books to read and review for authors, all of them being actual bound books.

Next, we are asked to pass the award on to seven bloggers. (It most likely won't be seven, though, due to all the award-free blogs.)

I - Confessions and Ramblings of a Muse in the Fog
II - Every Little Thing
III - Karissa's Reading Review
IV - Musings From the Slush Pile

Thanks again to Lazy Girl, and congratulations to all the new recepients!! :D

Thursday Interpretation #5

Thursday Interpretations is a "meme," which means that you may participate in this on your blog, but I won't be advertising it nor adding a Linky for links to your post/s.

Anyway, Thursday Interpretation will be a weekly post where I post a motivational quote (and/or a book quote) and tell you my feelings about it. You are more than welcome to post a comment telling how you feel about the quote.

*Remember that these are only my opinions. They are not influenced by anyone else.*

This week's motivational quote:

"Don't get caught up in other people's interpretations of life. You can only be you!" ~MC Lyte, Rap Music Pioneer

My Thoughts: I agree with this so very much. If you are caught up in the way other people think, you start thinking like them, and over time yoiu lose yourself. Follow your dreams! As MC said, you can only be you, and you only have one life to do it. :)

Happy Thursday!

SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson

This book counts toward the following challenges:


___________________________________________________________________

SPEAK (Platinum Edition)
By Laurie Halse Anderson
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2006
198 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 12/1/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age, Serioius Issues

Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis." What could have caused Melinda to suddenly fall mute? Could it be due to the fact that no one at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and got everyone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? Or maybe it's because her parents' only form of communication is Post-It notes written on their way out the door to their nine-to-whenever jobs. While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knows the real reason why she's been struck mute...
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: "It is my first morning of high school."
~Last Line: " 'Let me tell you about it.' "

Review: WOW! I have to start off with that word. I absolutely love this novel, and I'm glad that I spent my birthday money on it. It truly was worth it.

The main character, Melinda, was my favorite; of course, like every favorite character, there's a few things I would change. Although I understand why she stayed quiet about the whole unfortunate deal, I still would have told someone what happened.

I would say no real adventure, some action that terrible night at the party, and one time later in the novel that I won't spoil. The characters were well-written. My least favorite character -- well, not my least favorite, just one I didn't like all that much -- was Heather. In the beginning I loved her; then she tried to get with the Marthas and began using Melinda. NOT a good friend. Not someone I would hang with once I caught on to the fact that she never talks to me until she needs my help.

Overall -- before I start spoiling -- I really LOVED this novel, and for those of you who haven't read it yet, you really need to!



Quotes from the Book:

"She wears black stockings with runs and doesn't shave under her arms. She waves her hand in the air and you find yourself thinking of young chimpanzees."

"The other guys run drills and pass in to him. Brendan reaches up a skinny octopus tentacle and casually drops the ball through the hoop. Our boys are unbeatable as long as they are the only team on the floor."

"[In middle school] To tell someone you liked them, you had to use layers and layers of friends, as in 'Janet told me to tell you that Steven told me that Dougie said Carom was talking to April and she hinted that Sara's brother Mark has a friend named Tony who might like you. What are you going to do?'
It is easier to floss with barbed wire than admit you like someone in middle school."

"When I was in the sixth grade, my mom bought me all these books about puberty and adolescence, so I would appreciate what a 'beautiful' and 'natural' and 'miraculous' transformation I was going through. Crap. That's what it is. She complains all the time about her hair turning gray and her butt sagging and her skin wrinkling, but I'm supposed to be grateful for a face full of zits, hair in embarrassing places, and feet that grow an inch a night. Utter crap."

Teaser Tuesday #17

This meme is hosted weekly by MizB @ Should Be Reading. Anyone can participate, even if you don't have a blog (you can post back in MizB's comments).

*Grab your current read.

*Open to a random page.

*Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page. You can share more if you want!

*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 autor as well, so that Teaser participants may add to their TBR list/s if they enjoy your teasers!

*Leave a link in the comment section of MizB's blog so that others can check out your teasers! You may leave your teasers here with the book title and author if you do not have a blog. (MizB's Blog)

This week's teasers come from page 177 in The Final Warning by James Patterson (GoodReads, Amazon):

It was no use. Her new skill was worth ailch in this situation. They were going to die here. After everything she had been through, all the times Max had saved her, Max couldn't help her now. . . . She had killed herself, in the end. Tears welled up in her eyes but froze around the rims before they fell.
This was it.
This was the end.


Intense, right? Yeah, I am really looking forward to finishing this novel. Suspense kills me :)

Happy Reading to all! (;

Black History Month: Part One

Happy February! February is Black History Month, and I think it's important for me to support and tell/ learn about my heritage so....

Every Monday in February, there will be a post about three famous African American figures. This won't just be the usual Martin Luther King or Rosa Parks. These are twelve people that (some of them) I haven't even heard of. Overall, I believe this will be a wonderful feature that I will possibly be continuing over the future years :).

1) George Washington Carver
Much of Carver's fame is based on his research into and promotion of crops as alternatives to cotton, such as peanuts and sweet potatoes. He wanted poor farmers to grow alternative crops both as a source of their own food and as a source of other products to improve their quality of life. The most popular of his 44 practical bulletins for farmers contained 105 food recipes that used peanuts. He also created or disseminated about 100 products made from peanuts that were useful for the house and farm, including cosmetics, dyes, paints, plastics, gasoline, and nitroglycerin. . . .

One of his most important roles was in undermining, through the fame of his achievements and many talents, the widespread stereotype of the time that the black race was intellectually inferior to the white race. In 1941, Time magazine dubbed him a "Black Leonardo", a reference to the Renaissance Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci. To commemorate his life and inventions, George Washington Carver Recognition Day is celebrated on January 5, the anniversary of Carver's death.
~from wikipedia.org~

To learn more about George Washington Carver, go here.

2) Sojourner Truth
Sojourner Truth was the self-given name, from 1843 onward, of Isabella Baumfree, an African-American abolitionist and women's rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son, she became the first black woman to win such a case against a white man. Her best-known extemporaneous speech on racial inequalities, Ain't I a Woman?, was delivered in 1851 at the Ohio Women's Rights Convention in Akron, Ohio. During the Civil War, Truth helped recruit black troops for the Union Army; after the war, Truth tried unsuccessfully to secure land grants from the federal government for former slaves.
~from wikipedia.org~

To learn more about Sojourner Truth, go here.

3) Hank Aaron
After playing with the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro American League and in the minor leagues, Aaron started his major league career in 1954. (He is the last Negro league baseball player to have played in the major leagues.) He played 21 seasons with the Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves in the National League, and his last two years (1975–76) with the Milwaukee Brewers in the American League.

His most notable achievement was setting the MLB record for most career home runs at 755. During his professional career, Aaron performed at a consistently high level for an extended period of time. He hit 24 or more home runs every year from 1955 through 1973, and is the only player to hit 30 or more home runs in a season at least fifteen times. . . .

Aaron's consistency helped him to establish a number of important hitting records during his 23-year career. Aaron holds the MLB records for the most career runs batted in (2,297) and the most career extra base hits (1,477). Hank Aaron is also in the top five for career hits with 3,771 (third) and runs with 2,174, which is tied for fourth with Babe Ruth. He is one of only four players to have at least seventeen seasons with 150 or more hits. He also is in second place in at-bats (12,364), and in third place in games played (3,298).
~from wikipedia.org~

To learn more about Hank Aaron, go here


Well, that's pretty much it. What do you think of this idea? Please let me know; changes, likes, dislikes, whatever. If you don't feel comfortable with leaving a comment, you can email me: walkingbutterflyfeet{at}gmail{dot}com

Happy Reading, everyone! :D

In My Mailbox #10 & Sunday Confessions #3

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted every week by The Story Siren. To find out how to participate and the "official" details, check out the IMM page.

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.

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

Bought on Kindle:


--A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Again, I only was able to get one book. What were you able to receive?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


This meme was started by Marcie @ To Read or Not To Read. She started it as a way to share a little about herself, but to learn about the rest of us as well. She says, "Sometimes its about books and book related topics and sometimes it's not. This is all in good fun and I would love it if you would participate."

This week's question is

"What do you like to do when you're sick?"

When I'm sick, I love, of course, to lay around and read. It gives me time to catch up in everything; plus, I don't have any dance practice or school work to do, so I can read as long as I want. And who wouldn't love to just lay around, listen to the radio, watch TV. Just have a limited good time. I seem to have much better days when I'm sick, probably because I'm not moving around so much. :)

How do you occupy your time when you're ill?

Leave a link to your IMM &/or SC and I will be sure to come by! :)

What's your status? (5/2/2011)

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This post was inspired by, well, my previous Reading Status posts. I wanted to make it something that everyone could particpate in. Every Saturday (and sometimes Sunday), I will post what I've finished in the past week, what I'm currently reading and where I am in the book/s, what I plan to read next, and possibly what I want to buy/get. I will be trying to do this ever week, so be sure to check back every weekend! Be sure to enter your links to your WYS posts in the Linky Tool below. (The Linky Tools will always be left open on Sundays for those of you who can't post on Saturdays.)

This next portion of the post is an idea that I saw on the wonderful blog Small Review. She posts what reviews and memes she has posted and participated in that last week. Remember, however, that it is not mandatory for you to do this part of the post.

Things you don't wanna miss:
~Cover Love Challenge - Feb's colour is dark blue!

Reviews this week:
~Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports, by James Patterson

Memes this week:
~In My Mailbox
~Sunday Confessions
~Teaser Tuesday
~Current State of the Union

Now, for my status! (Please keep in mind that you do not have to use this exact format. Whatever works for you is what works for me.)

Finished This Week:

• How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford. Finished on 31/1/2011. This novel was recommended to me by Leanne, and she was right, it is an awesome book! I really enjoyed it :). [Yes, there is the mentioning of robot-language, but you don't really learn how to say "goodbye."]
• Wicked (Pretty Little Liars, #5) by Sara Shepard. Finished on 2/2/2011. Loved this novel! The girls think "A" is gone forever, but Mona obviously found someone to take her place.

Currently Reading:

• Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton. On page 140. Got farther last week, then dropped off again..
• Killer by Sara Shepard. Have read 9%. This one's really good so far! :)
• Dorris Bridge by Clive Riddle. On page 42. I am going to try to crunch in a lot of this book this weekend.
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Have read 3%. I think the percent keeps up with the chapters, 'cuz I'm on chapter 3. LOL :). But really liking this book so far. Reading it for a BuddyRead.
• The Final Warning by Jame Patterson. On page 70. Reading this novel for a BuddyRead as well. Have already found lots of funny quotes! :D
• Reasons On My Wrist by Racaneya. On page 39. Reading this on Leanne's iPod Touch, and it's REALLY good so far. :)

Next On My TBR (To Be Read) Pile:

• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
• Untamed by PC & Kristin Cast

What I Would Like To Buy Next:

• Max & Fang by James Patterson
• Fallen by Lauren Kate

Don't Forget to post the link to your WYS post in the Linky Tool below!

For example:

Name: Butterfly Feet Walking on Books
URL: http://walkingbutterflyfeet.blogspot.com/whats-your-status-2011

**Linky Tools is starting to make members pay money. Since I don't have the finances to do so, please let me know of any FREE sites that I could use! Thanks!**

Current State of the Union (Feb 5)

Ever read The Clique series by Lisi Harrison? If you have, you know exactly what this is. If you haven't:

Massie Block's "Current State of the Union" is where she sums up the last few days with what's IN and OUT. It can be people, places, things, whatever. My BFF Leanne (Tales of the Mockingjay) and I have decided to bring this to real life. Ususally, Leanne and I will have different posts, but sometimes we might have the same ones :)

Right now, this is a "meme," meaning that we would luh-v if you would participate, but there won't be a Linky if you do. (You can comment with your link on either of our blogs.)

So, without another moment's wait:

Current State of the Union

IN

1. Horses
2. Slapping faces
3. E-books*
4. Oboes**
5. Forehead***
6. Randomness

OUT

1. Donkeys
2. Slapping knees
3. PDF files*
4. Hobos
5. Neck***
6. Being organized

* Even though we've been reading a bunch of e-books lately, we still luh-v PDF files! :D

** We were talking about wind instruments in Chorus yesterday.

*** Couldn't explain even if I wanted to. :)


So what's your CSOTU?

Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson

This book counts toward te following challenges:


__________________________________________________

Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports (Maximum Ride, #3; The Fugitives, #3)
By James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, 2007
405 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 11/1/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Coming of Age, Romance, Action, Adventure

In MAXIMUM RIDE: SAVING THE WORLD AND OTHER EXTREME SPORTS, the time has arrived for Max and her winged "Flock" to face their ultimate enemy and discover their original purpose: to defeat the takeover of "Re-evolution", a sinister experiment to re-engineer a select population into a scientifically superior master race...and to terminate the rest. Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel have always worked together to defeat the forces working against them--but can they save the world when they are torn apart, living in hiding and captivity, halfway across the globe from one another?
~from goodreads.com~

~First Line: " 'We have meticulously crafted the skeleton of our new world,' the Director proclaimed from the large TV screen in the conference room."
~Last Line: "And if we are, it won't be pretty."

Review: Okay, so this novel was guh-orgeous!! I rushed right through the third installation in the Maximum Ride series. (This is also the third book in the Fugitives mini-series.)

Lots more action, same great amount of adventure (this time they get to go to Europe!), and more evil characters. The best part for me was that we finally figured out who Max's parents are; I already knew, unfortunately, because I read about the series on Wikipedia (what can I say? I'm a sucker for looking things up).

But anyway, the novel really was amazing. Fang and Max finally figure out how they feel about each other. You will SO be surprised! :) Recommending this novel to anyone who has begun this series! Recommending the entire series to anyone who hasn't read it yet!



Quotes from the Book:

" 'She's going to let Ari eat us! But it won't be easy for him!'
Time-out. Okay, now, tell the truth: When's the last time you had to decide to make it hard for someone to eat you?"

" 'Wait, don't tell me,' Total said, trotting after me. 'We're gonna break in, steal some stuff, break some stuff, almost ge caught, and then escape in some dangerous, dramatic way.' "

"Excellent. Just what the world needed: another Angel. Because God knows, one six-year-old mind-controlling flying child just isn't enough."

" 'Tell us about your sense of direction. How does it work?' They all looked at me expectantly.
'Well, it's like I have a GPS inside me,' I told them. 'One of the talking ones. I tell it where I want to go, and it tells me, Go twenty miles, turn left, take Exit Ninety-four, and so on. It can be pretty bossy, frankly.'
Their eyes widened. 'Really?' one said.
'No, you idiot,' I said in disgust."

(This book was HILARIOUS!)

Teaser Tuesday #16

This meme is hosted weekly by MizB @ Should Be Reading. Anyone can participate, even if you don't have a blog (you can post back in MizB's comments).

*Grab your current read.

*Open to a random page.

*Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page. You can share more if you want!

*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 autor as well, so that Teaser participants may add to their TBR list/s if they enjoy your teasers!

*Leave a link in the comment section of MizB's blog so that others can check out your teasers! You may leave your teasers here with the book title and author if you do not have a blog. (MizB's Blog)

This week's teasers come from Kindle Location 3078-84 in Wicked by Sara Shepard (GoodReads, Amazon):

By the time Hanna and Lucas for to the Hastingses' house, the grand living room was packed with people. A string quartet had just finished playing, and a jazz band was setting up. Waitresses offered apetizers, and bartenders poured Scotches, G&Ts, and big glasses of red wine. Hanna could smell alcohol on almost everyone's breath. They were all probably horrified that this Ian thing was even happening.


Happy Tuesday, everyone!
~Zakiya LadyWings