Are You a Gifted Child (or Teen) Looking for Special Opportunities?

Well, you don't have to go to 777 Maiden Avenue, or even set foot in Stonetown Harbor, for that matter. You have come to the right place!  One of the right places, to be correct.  You see, I give the information, then you go on to the next location to find what you are looking for.

No, its not gold.

Not a diamond in sight.

Not even a ruby slipper!

But, its definitely what I would call a treasure.  Follow these instructions closely (for there are many treasures where you are going, some more valuable than others), and I'm sure you will make it there:

1. Ask your parent/guardian where the closest book store or library is.
2. Run, walk, bike, Pogo-stick, swim, (or, you know, drive) there.
3. Go in through the back window to evade detection.
4. Make sure you find the right section.  This is a non-Non-Fiction mission.
5. Walk quietly (as to not be heard by Mr. Curtain) down the cavernous isles until you find the letters STE.
6. You are looking for a volume with an unusually long title.  One with the word 'mysterious' in it.
7. Escape without being caught.
8. Bring it back to your place of residence and read it.

Trust me. You will love it.

The Mysterious Benedict Society- 10

Confessions

1.  I am sorry about the recent neglect of this blog.  Between my birthday party, my actual birthday, and getting my permit, I have been quite busy lately.

2.  I have some really awesome friends that I will miss dearly.  They are the best, and if you disagree with that, you can talk to me.

3.  This is probably one of the coolest inventions for visually challenged people.

4.  This is another one of those desperately random posts.  I apologize.  Kind of.

A Completely Random Post That's Not So Random

Yes, the title of this post is pretty odd, but I didn't really know what else to call it.  I just gotta tell it like it is.

This whole blog thing is fun, but sometimes I just want to talk about things I am excited about and want to vent to the internet about.  You won't get too much detail (I don't want to bore you), but enough to hopefully keep you interested or even make you chuckle.

For instance...MY BIRTHDAY IS IN 5 DAYS!  No biggie.  I am being extremely mature about the fact that I am also getting my permit by trying not to scream in excitement every 5 minutes.  That is called self-control, people.  I have been getting cards from relatives in the mail for the past few days, and its really tempting to just ignore the "DON'T OPEN UNTIL JULY 22, 2013" on my Grandma's card and rip it open right this second.  Again, self-control.

Now to go read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn".  Now that I have finished my Harry Potter marathon, I don't have any more excuses to throw at it.  Wish me luck.

The Little Mouse with a Big Heart

When people want New York Style pizza, they go to New York. When they want a Philly Cheese Steak, they go to Philadelphia.  And when they want soup, they go to the Kingdom of Dor.

Their soup supplies the happiness for the whole kingdom.  So, when the Queen dies on their beloved day celebrating soup, the entire kingdom basically dies.  The sun doesn't come out anymore, none of the crops are growing, and the two royals left are in a state of despair.

Little did they know, a mouse being born in the depths of the castle would change things for the better.  Despereaux is an unusual mouse.  Instead of running away, he investigates.  Swords don't scare him, he wants to brandish one.  In the mouse society, all of this is frowned upon.  Once Despereaux's behavior spreads to the leaders, they decided to banish him to the dungeon- rat territory.  Despereaux encounters everything from cats to beautiful princesses on his quest to bring back soup.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo- 10

The Gallagher Girls

Cammie Morgan is just a regular girl with regular abilities going to a regular school.

Ok, maybe that's a lie.  But, that's what spies do, isn't it?

Cammie is actually a student at the all-girl spy school, The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women.  Her normal day consists of breaking CIA codes, speaking in 14 different languages, and going on covert missions.  So when she meets an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl, she can't decide what to do.  She could hack his computer, break into his house, or tail him for a week straight, but just talking to him is something that definitely doesn't come to mind.

Oh yeah, and her Mom is the Headmistress, so sneaking out is completely out of the question.

Or is it?

I'd Tell You I love You, But I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter- 9

The Many Faces of Dystopian Fiction

Let me first start out by saying that dystopian fiction is probably the coolest and most interesting genre EVER and my objective is to make you agree by the end of this post.

Eh hem.  Well, if you are to appreciate this AMAZING genre, then you must understand what it is.  In dystopian fiction, the character(s) live in a world that is striving to become a utopia: a community or society possessing highly desirable or perfect qualities.  There is usually a person or group of people in power that put rules in place to help the society reach the desired utopia.  By doing this, it ultimately restricts the people's freedom, making it the opposite of a utopia- a dystopia.  But what makes these more than just stories is the fact that everyone has a different dystopia and utopia.  For example, I love books (what a shock!), so my dystopia would be a world without books or where possessing a book could be fatal.  Because of this, the book "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, was very jarring.  On the other hand, for someone who could care less about books, this novel would grab their attention in the very least. Dystopian fiction can connect to you quite personally, because it deals with your deepest desires and fears.

So, does that make sense?  Have I won you over?


Dystopian Must-Reads:

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
"Uglies", "Pretties", and "Specials" by Scott Westerfeld
"Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury
"Matched", "Crossed", and "Reached" by Ally Condie
"Divergent", *"Insurgent", and *"Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
*"Delirium, *"Pandemonium", and *"Requiem" by Lauren Oliver

*I haven't read this one yet, but it is at the top of my To Read list :)

The "Fairest" of Them All

No, I'm not talking about Snow White.  I know you have heard of "Ella Enchanted", seen the movie, and maybe even read the book.  But, I could argue that one of Gail Carson Levine's other novels, "Fairest", has what it takes to rival this well-known story.  Aza has a beautiful singing voice that is second-to-none, but this is overlooked because she does not possess the other treasure quality in her land-beauty.  After hiding in the shadows of her parent's inn for most of her life, becoming the new queen's lady-in-waiting is definitely a big change for her.  On her journey, she encounters a prince, a magic mirror, and many obstacles that get in her way.  Definitely a have-to read! Gail Carson Levine is known for her stories of royals, beauty, and love, and did not disappoint with this book.

"Fairest" by Gail Carson Levine- 9

I'm Exempt

Ok, well I am going on a little trip for today and most of tomorrow, and since I won't be anywhere near a computer, I think that I am allowed these two days without posting.  I will be back Thursday with a brand new review!

The New Heroes of Olympus

Everybody has at least heard of Percy Jackson.  The first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, was turned into a movie, and The Sea of Monsters is slated to come out August 7th of this year.  But, instead of leaving the demigods to rest with The Last Olympian, Rick Riordan decided to take it one step further.  He wrote the Heroes of Olympus series.  My first impression of this book was: Who in the world is Jason??  As I read further, I was intrigued.  Why couldn't he remember any of his past life?  What was his story?  Overall, I was completely impressed with the many layers that he created with each person's story and how they were all intertwined.  I am currently searching for the next two books in the series, The Son of Neptune and The Mark of Athena.  The other day, I almost fell out of my chair when I discovered that he has also released book number four- The House of Hades.  I highly recommend this series and anything else written by Rick Riordan, for that matter.

"The Lost Hero" by Rick Riordan- 10

Executive Decision

So, as you've probably figured out, I've made an executive decision.  You know that plan saying that I was going to post about books within a genre in the span of a week?  Well, lets scratch that.  I want to put the best content out there, and that won't be possible if the book I'm speaking on is something I read a year ago.  I will post about the books I am reading currently and, since I am not a superhuman reader, the books that I remember the most or have read in the recent past.

For example, I'm thinking that tomorrow's post might involve some demigods and a metal dragon, but its just a hunch.

Sunshine and Dark Wizards

Good news- the sun has returned to Middle Georgia!  There are many clouds in the sky, but still- sun!!  Its nice to be able to go into a store without having to take a quick shower on the way, isn't it?  I might have spoke too soon, though...

Now, lets get down to business.  I think it is quite appropriate to be talking about Harry Potter for my first official review post.  Through elementary school and most of middle school, I had always known this series as just some big, scary books that I would never be able to read.  Until my Dad brought the first one home.  Since then, I have blown through books 1-7 and seen each of the movies at least three times.  This summer, I have made it one of my (many) missions to read all of the books again, as the movies make you forget some of the more interesting details that J.K. Rowling has added to this already magnificent world.  For all of you who think you are a "Harry Potter expert" because you have watched all of the movies time and time again, I challenge you to read the books.  I am on the sixth book right now, and can say that even though it is my second time reading all of them, I am enjoying them as much, if not more than I did the first time.  The fun comes from discovering things that I didn't remember before.  Of course I remembered Peeves the Poltergeist, but was pleasantly surprised when I read the first chapter of the Half-Blood Prince with Fudge, Scrimgeour, and the Muggle Prime Minister.  It is the details that help your mind delve deeper into this (literally, magical) world that she created.

Coincidentally...Second Post

First of all, I would like to say Happy 4th of July!  Whether you do some sort of family get together/party on this holiday, or just have a nice quiet dinner, I hope its a great one!  Where I live, it has been pretty rainy for the last few weeks, and there were no exceptions today, so my family and I went to the movies.  Not a tradition yet, but it was really fun.  Of course, the rest of the population was there as well, but, I couldn't blame them.  Despicable Me 2 was hilariously funny.

Anyways, I've been thinking about how I am going to get this blog to work- or at least get my message out.  I really want to post about a different book each day, staying in the same genre in the span of a week.  I deserve weekends off, but you might see the occasional life story pop up on the weekend.  This arrangement will probably work, as I have read (and enjoyed) over 200 books, and have a pretty crazy life that is about to get a little crazier.  Not to mention books that I am bound to encounter within my crazy life.  I promise that the reviews, recommendations, ramblings, etc are coming soon!

First Post

Well, here I go!  This is my first post for this new blog, and I am excited for what is to come!  Soon, it will be chocked full of ratings and recommendations for the new and old of today's literature.

I realized just how many books I have when I recently completed my inventory list of books.  Every year, my family and I go to Texas, and while we are there, my dad and I (the book hounds in the family) hit almost every Half-Price Book Store that we can get to without having to drive too far.  After we come home from our vacation, I update my bookshelf "inventory" as I call it.  This year, my collection has reached more than 200 books! A pic is yet to come :)  It consists of anything from books I read in the 3rd Grade that I remember after all these years, to New York Times Bestsellers that most people haven't heard of yet.  I hope my bookshelf grows to twice its current size in the coming years and that I will find many worthy stories to occupy its shelves.