A New Game & Update

So I'm trying to find of things to add to my blog so that I can post everyday. That way people can follow my blog for a reason. So I kind of thought of something. Every week on Wednesday, I'll put up a quote. And your job is to comment with who said it and what novel it's from. The first person to get it correct will get a mention in next week's quote. There's no actual prizes of course but who knows. Maybe in the future I can create a contest out of it.

Oh and I'm back! Haha, so yea, on Wednesday I'll put up a quote and you have to comment with who said it and what novel it's from. If you want to go ahead and tell more about it the page number or who the person was talking to or referring to go ahead. It'll earn you bragging rights on how epic you are. But anyway, make sure to check back on Wednesday to see the first quote.

Oh and for some reason I picked up Incarceron instead of my other two picks I was reading and started reading it. I must say I'm really liking it so far, it's interesting so be sure to look for a review of it soon.

A "little" Update

Hello fellow bloggers. I'm kind of in a rush so excuse me if this has any errors or something. But I kind of have 2 hours to get ready and stuff before I go away. You see I dance this thing called Rancho, which is Portuguese Folklore Dancing.

Want to see what we wear and look like as we dance? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2vbSyYzXqQ BAM! That's not us, and we don't dance that exact song (no matter how many times I ask to do it) but we're from the same place.

It's like this Rancho is done all over Portugal. And American and other places where there is Portuguese people. But they all differ from one another, depending where you're from in Portugal. I dance in a group from Ribatejo, Portugal. So as you can see in that video up top, groups from Ribatejo dance faster and we use our feet to make noise. At times stopping the song to make beats with them. There's these two medal pieces under our shoes, pretty thick and it makes the banging louder.

But now if you watch a group from Minho, Portugal they have these clam type things on their hands to make the noise. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2v7jsDRvP94&feature=related That right there is actually this group who practices like a block away from us.

And Rancho is pretty cool. Like in our group Ribatejo, there's this whole story like. There's different outfits like a fisherman and a hunter. Or a bullfighter. And there's stories and rules. Like, A hunter dance with a fisherman's wife. But a hunter's wife can't dance with a fisherman. It's all fascinating once you learn all of it.

But anyway, you must be wondering why I'm writing about dancing in a blog about novels. Good point, I'm wondering that myself until I remembered. It's all to say that I won't be here this weekend.

We usually go out to dance in other states, and hopefully in the future, other countries like others do. So yea, we'll be in Connecticut today and get back around two or three in the morning. Only to be up again around seven to go to Pennsylvania at eight.

But the way this relates to novels is that going to Connecticut is almost a 3 hours ride going and another 3 coming. So I'll be reading and hopefully I'll finish a book and try to write a review for it.

So yea, if you don't see me post, don't think it's because I've abandoned my blog. NEVER! It's getting to epic to let go now.

So I will surely miss going on and seeing how many followers I have. Haha, look at me I'm going away for two days and it seems as if I'm going to be gone for a month or so. But so far I have 22 followers and hopefully when I return I can have like 23+ =D

So yea thank you guys for reading this and just seeing as I ramble about Rancho haha. So see you guys on Monday. =D

PS. That picture up there is one of me and this other guy dancing this dance called Fandango do Pau. It's another story and yes I am swinging at his feet. So when I come back I'll tell you the short story of it and I'll put a link to a video so you guys can see =D

Sno-Cone Summer Meltdown Contest

So my friend Ky over at Can't Find a Bookmark is holding a contest that's pretty awesome. She's known for having unique contests. So the contest is mainly for girls because of the way it's being treated. But if you're a guy you can also tag along in a pretty different way.

Every time Ky eats a sno-cone, and she loves sno-cones, she'll choose a male character from a novel who she can "melt" for. Get it summer, heat, melt. Yea haha =D In the end us the contest enterer's have to vote for that guy. But this is where the gender differences come in. When Ky told me about the contest I responded with a, hello I'm kinda not able to vote for my favorite "hunk" on the count that I don't do hunks. I do hunkettes. Or babes for another word. So I asked if I could just vote depending on the NOVEL the guy is from. So yea. Girls can vote on their hunks. Guys can vote on the novel the guy is from. Unless you also like men then please, go right ahead.

So yea, in the end, the 3 novels with the most votes will be given to 3 winners. 1 book per winner. So GO CHECK OUT THE CONTEST! If you don't then you are crazy because books are epic!

Plus she's eaten her first sno-cone and chose this one dude called Valek from a novel by Maria V. Snyder that she never mentioned. (She should put up the book titles also haha. Just saying Ky!)

And my eyes kind of glazed over the whole, her wooing over Valek, until she said "The most dangerous and feared man in both Ixia and Sitia...stealth/spying outfits...kickass fighter...puddle...put up a fight.) Yea my eyes glazed a bunch =D

So check that out and until then. =D

New Rating System

So I don't really like giving out the ___ out of 5 stars. It's just blah so I think I'm going to take a leaf out of J.K. Rowling's book and use her grading system as seen in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Passing Grades: I recommend

Outstanding (O)

Exceeds Expectations (E)

Acceptable (A)

Failing Grades: I don't recommend

Poor (P)

Dreadful (D)

Troll (T)

I kind of like this new rating system since I'm in love with the Potter series. And there's more choices to use. Hopefully I won't have to give a D or a T to anyone. So to give grades to the previous 3 novels I reviewed, I would have to give all three an O for Outstanding.

Don't worry you guys will see other grades around in reviews not just O's =D but, until then.

Coming Soon: Book Review 3

Hey guys, I'm expecting another novel to arrive for me to review. This one is called The Prophecy by Gill James.

Now there's a very short synopsis so I figured that I'd give some information about the book. This is from amazon.co.uk because the book is from the UK.

Pages: 368

Published: February 26, 2008

Average Customer Review: 4 out of 5 Stars

Synopsis: Kaleem Malkendy is different – and, on Terrestra, different is no way to be.

Everything about Kaleem marks him out from the rest: the blond hair and dark skin, the humble cave where he lives and the fact that he doesn’t know his father. He’s used to unwelcome attention, but even so, he’d feel better if some strange old man didn’t keep following him around.

Then the man introduces himself and begins to explain the Babel Prophecy – and everything in Kaleem’s life changes forever.

So be sure to look out for the book review when I get it and finish it. So, until then.

Book Review: The Golden Compass

So this review as you guys have already guessed by the cover and title of this post is The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. Let me tell you, if you haven't read this yet or haven't seen the movie, do both NOW! This is just beyond epic and beyond words. But lucky for you guys, I can go past that beyond and I have written a review.

~~~~~

Title: The Golden Compass

Author: Philip Pullman

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: Grab a handful of witches, a pinch of armored polar bears and a table spoon of Gobblers. Next mix it all with a Golden Compass and you have yourself an amazing novel that is hard to put down and will keep you turning the pages until you’re done.

Lyra is a young girl who lives in Oxford, England. Well not our Oxford but her Oxford. You see, her world is parallel to ours. It’s almost the same thing except it’s both behind of our times but yet ahead with its “technology”. In Lyra’s world, spirits live outside of our bodies, as an animal called a dæmon. Each person has an animal that represents who they are. An they are only able to change forms when you are young. Perfectly matches the way a child is always changing their mind.

But moving on, Lyra lives in this Oxford where suddenly children are gone missing, by these kidnappers called Gobblers. And when her friend Roger is taken, she immediately wants to save him. But she also wants to travel the world and she does so with the beautiful Mrs. Coulter. Who holds more secrets than safe to handle. Once Lyra is on her journey, she discovers a terrible secret, involving the people she trusted, Gobblers and something that everyone keeps talking about. Dust.

Without getting too much ahead, Lyra ends up with a polar bear called Iorek and an aeronaut and a bunch of gypsies. And in the end, she must face not only her biggest fear, but the fears of everyone else.

This novel holds so much more that’ll make you actually be in it. As I read it, I felt myself fearing for lives, being happy at their safety and crying at the deaths. I felt myself being shocked at the disloyalty and in the end I felt myself wanting to know more about Dust.

Being only part one, this novels holds many open subjects that I can’t even begin to talk about. And the only way you can find out is by reading this masterpiece. A masterpiece where religion and science come together. A masterpiece that makes you question everything you know and everything you thought you knew.

Philip Pullman has set us all up for a ride that will take you beyond your imagination.

~~~~~

And that my friends is The Golden Compass for you. Make sure to leave your thoughts and comments if you have read the book, seen the movie or want to check it out. I'll be looking out for your comments to reply in discussion. So, until then.

Short -very- update

So for some reason I have not been updating and I do not know why. Shame on me I know. But just letting you all know that I have received my first novel for review. It's the one below called Lodestone Book One: The Sea of Storms. (Every time I write Lodestone I forget the e. -___-) Anyway, I'll be reading it as soon as I finish The Pillars of Creation which I have around 100 pages or so left. So I'll probably finish it tonight when I get to reading it.

But that's mostly it. Being sick has kept me really tired and just plain lazy. So here's this really short update and I'll try to put a review up today to make up for it. So, until then.

Coming Soon: Book Review 2

So I love to read and I love to review. What better way to read and review than by also helping out authors in return. After getting in contact with an author, I was given the chance to be able to read and review a novel called, Lodestone Book One: The Sea of Storms by Mark Whiteway.

Now there's no synopsis on BarnesandNoble.com (which. by the way, if you click the link, it'll take you to the book page.) And when the author talked about the book, he gave a descriptive and long summary to help us understand better. So all I will say is, it involves, a Prophet, much confusion about this Prophet from what I hear. Is he good or evil? And it involves a quest and many epic things.

It's pretty hard to explain, when you don't want to give away too much, but, this novel looks promising. And I will put up my review for it as soon as I am doing reading it, and sending the review to the author first. And then you guys have to check it out.

Actually just go and check it out because it's probably ultra epic.

So, until then, check it out, read it, love it, tell me what you guys thought.

Update: I have found a synopsis on amazon. I have no idea why I didn't look there in the first place.

Alli-Kar, a white-hole portal from another universe, rains meteoroids onto the surface of the planet Kelanni. But the so-called "lodestones" behave according to different physical laws, transforming Kelanni's society. With the aid of the fearsome Keltar in their flying cloaks, the Kelanni are being put to forced labor to mine the lodestones. Shann, an orphan with a fiery disposition, witnesses a battle between a Keltar and a stranger bearing a similar flying cloak. She tracks down the stranger, and learns of the technology behind the Keltars' power, joining him on a mission to free the slaves and cut off their supply of lodestones. Meanwhile Keris, a Keltar, is sent on a mission to track down the rebels. She is attacked by a flying creature and saved by the enigmatic Chandara. At their Great Tree, she learns that a mysterious "Prophet" is out to destroy the Kelanni people. Their only hope is a powerful instrument hidden in the distant past. Pursued by Keltar, the party will encounter bizarre creatures, ancient technologies and terrifying dangers. Finally, they must seek to cross a massive storm barrier in order to reach the other side of their world, where a world-shaking revelation awaits.

Coming Soon: Book Review

Hello fellow followers! Well not really fellow since I'm not following myself but who cares! I'm getting better from the sickness. Just a stuffy nose and a really deep voice due to the sickness and screaming from all of the coasters! Quick story, I went to six flags and went on like every coaster except Kingda Ka (been on it before didn't want to go again since I had eaten) and Superman due to it was closed for the day. Bummer! But anyway, hours later I'm sitting on my bed and I still feel the motions of El Toro and Nitro and w.e else I went on. Damn motions!

Anyway I got incredible news! I'm receiving a book to review. It's called Spirit and it is written by Andrew Feder.

So I would tell you what it was about but I have not read it yet therefor I will give you its synopsis from amazon.com

Randall Lender was a Wanted Man. He was wanted by the Clergy of the Major Organized Religions, the Governments and the New World Order, but that was the least of his problems. After going out of body (astral projection) Randall Lender suddenly found himself in such a paradox where the surrealism meets dilemma. Within this phenomenon of Looking Through the Hour Glass he unfortunately after leaving his physical body ended up into another's. This was his paradox. This was his dilemma. This was his surrealism. And regrettably for Lender this was the real quantum problem. Randall Lender found himself on an unexpected journey with its twists and turns until he realizes that he must die to live for his return to his former body. And now the elixir of questions remains: What? How? And Why? Then you'll ask why me? Why him? And What If?

It sounds pretty good, still don't know what to expect from it. But yea I get to write a review and then send it in so hopefully it'll be a good review. =D

So yea make sure you look out for it and until then.

Sick Update

This is possibly exactly what I look like right now. I'm super sick! And it's on the wrong time too weird. I was going to go to a friends prom but chose not too because I'm not rich yet so it would've sucked because it's tomorrow and I'm sick haha. And Thursday is Six Flags Day =D I hope I'm better though.

But yea, sorry I haven't been updating, blame this sickness. But I promise that I'll have something up probably tonight, tomorrow or Friday. I can't promise but I might have an author interview and I'll be introducing you guys to his novels.

He's this author from Jersey (woot woot) and he deserves to be known. And I also want to put up another review. AND! I want to do a contest but I need more members so join join join. Please and thank you.

But yea here goes my little update on why I haven't been updating. Until later.

Legend of the Seeker

What has a hot mother confessor, a sexy mord'sith, a six packed seeker, and a cock-blocking wizard?

Well only the best Fantasy Show to ever appear since Xena and Hercules left.

Now many people probably haven't heard of this show. This show is based on the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. As all movies/shows based off of books, it is a bit different from the original work but epic and amazing nonetheless. The show got two seasons, next saturday being season 2 finale, and very little promotion. Hence, people not knowing what this show was.

Well, now they're trying to cancel the show, even though it has a bigger fandom and gets more ratings than some crap out there. I mean seriously, how many shows can you have about teenagers drinking, partying, doing drugs and have sex scandals? Just leave it to two or three and bring on the fantasy shows!

Well now that it's getting cancelled us fans are not happy. We set up a campaign at www.saveourseeker.com where we are making sure we get more seasons. With the help of fans and the author of the novel series himself, we have raised over $10,000. Allowing us fans to be the one who promotes the show itself.

Proof being in the Legend of the Seeker facebook group. Before we did any promotion and advertising online by various things I will talk about, we had less than 50,000 members. I would say around 30,000-40,000. In two weeks of us talking about it and taking over the internet with it, we got up to 105,000+ and counting.

We took over Twitter, having #SaveOurSeeker and #LegendOfTheSeeker a Trending Topic for over 2 hours each weekend. We're donating dvd's to the libraries and making it so that people will know about the show. We're sending mass letters to various companies and studios and emailing everyone we can to have them pick up for Season 3.

In other words, if this series stops at Season 2, there will be a very unhappy fandom in the face of this earth. Even if it cancelled we won't stop until we have more.

So check it out on Hulu.com, just search Legend of the Seeker and click an episode and you won't be disappointed. But do make sure you start from Season 1, and keep watching because every episode gets better and better. If not Hulu, and if you have Netflix do it there. And if you've been watching and catching up, tune into the Second Season Finale and help bring those ratings up.

Check http://dadt.com/lots/ the official site for local listings and other bonus materials.

So I hope you guys really check this out because this is one of the best shows out there and it has good quality of everything.

Below are some links you guys should check out.

Official LotS Site: http://dadt.com/lots/

Official Campaign Site: http://www.saveourseeker.com/

Official Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/#!/LegendoftheSeeker?ref=ts

Official IMDB Page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844653/ (Check it out for much more info)

Season 1 DVD: http://video.barnesandnoble.com/DVD/Legend-of-the-Seeker-Season-1/Craig-Horner/e/786936793505/?itm=1&USRI=legend+of+the+seeker+season+1(Cheapest price you will find online)

And to top it off, check out the

Ten Reasons You Should Watch Legend of the Seeker: http://twitpic.com/1ntrmm

Book Review: Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: The Hunger Games - A series of games that happens every year where 12 boys and 12 girls are put into an arena where they must fight to the death.

Quarter Quell - An event that happens every 25 years during the Hunger Games where a special rule is introduced.

Rebellion - The moment when every district notices that the Capitol will go down and begins to revolt.

Deaths will be inevitable.

Katniss and Peeta did everything they could to survive the Hunger Games. They flipped the rules and made it so that either both survive or none of them do. Either way, the Capitol loses and they are furious. Now that they are out, people are seeing their move as an act of rebellion. And this is where everything starts.

Panem is in chaos.

Districts are revolting, going against the Capitol and being punished with mass murder. New Peacekeepers are being assigned by the hundreds, equipped with machineguns and other various weapons. And it isn’t much of a surprise when President Snow finds a way to put both Katniss and Peeta in the Hunger Games again, thinking they will both die off while facing 22 other previous victors.

But the joke is on them.

Catching Fire begins to show us that people are starting to take action for themselves. How the Capitol are ruthless people who do anything they want. And how those who find previous events entertaining are forced to take sides. People we have learned to love are being attacked. People we finally meet are being killed. And those who we already knew, are forced into a life or death situation.

From the very beginning to the shocking and unforgettable ending, you are taken on a ride that will leave you breathless and begging for more. Suzanne Collins brings forth her ideas and imagination to create something that we have never seen before. Making us fear for the characters lives and thanking our own government that this is not happening here.

But either way.

Catching Fire forces Panem to change. And that change is not good for any of us.

A -Before Bed- Post

It's about 2:50 AM almost 3 AM and here I am trying to think of something to type. So I thought maybe I'll give a quick hello, here's some stuff, goodnight.

I'm currently reading The Pillars of Creation by Terry Goodkind. It's part of the Sword of Truth series. They also have a show called Legend of the Seeker which I will make a post about for you guys because it's pure epicness. Anyway, I'm currently reading that and I have about 9 other books to read before I get to buy any new books -__-.

But anyway, I want to do a contest but I will need more members. (Shoutout to the member that just followed me steph4182). I want to do a hardcover, idk which book, maybe signed cover if I can get it signed. I'll just need more members so that the author knows this is serious. It could be a book everyone has head of or a book that's not new but the author is. We'll see.

But many contests are in the future. =D

I was going to say more things but I forgot, O.o

Ah yes now I remember. I'm going to put up a review of Catching Fire. I'm still thinking if I should just put my review because it tells you what I thought about it and a little about it and not spoil it. Or if I should put the synopsis before and also the review. But then I was like "the synopsis is a bit eh". But I still might put it.

So expect the review for Catching Fire tomorrow afternoon and another post about Legend of the Seeker also tomorrow afternoon.

But for now I'm going to bed because I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow. -__- haha right, I'm going to bed and read a bit.

So, for now, so long, farewell. Goodnight.

Cinda Williams Chima + An Updateish

Attention all Cinda Williams Chima fans!

So a day or two ago I was on Twitter when an epic person I was following (Holly =D) posted this epic news about Cinda Williams Chima.

It comes down that she got a contract deal for 3 more novels. One of them being for the Seven Realms Series, which include The Demon King, The (awaited) Exiled Queen, and now two untitled novels.

But wait what about the other two? Well let's just say that The Heir Trilogy will become The Heir Series as she introduces two more novels to it.

Excitement! I know!

Now the titles aren't set in stone yet, but there's a chance they could be The Sorcerer Heir and The Enchanter Heir. And I'm really excited for these two because The Heir Trilogy/Series is the only novels that actually got me excited like Harry Potter did.

She plans to write a book per year meaning by the year of 2014 we shall of all of these new novels from her. So we have enough years to continue being stoked about her work.

http://cindachima.blogspot.com/

Check out the news for yourselves at that link which is her blog.

Also, I figured that I should of had a schedule on what to post up on what days but then I figured that some days wouldn't work out because I might run out of books before I buy new books so I'll probably do a post or two per day. Things like Reviews, Announcements, Book Introductions (Introducing novels to people), and some other things. But for now I'll see you all later.

Book Review: The Hunger Games

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: As a child, it is safe to assume, we all loved games. And even today we still do. But every child in Panem fears the very word games. They fear The Hunger Games.

Panem is what North America was. What were the 50 states are now 13 Districts. That is, until District 13 decided to turn against the Capitol and was destroyed. As a result The Hunger Games was created to show the remaining 12 how the Capitol is no one who should be taken lightly.

Every year, one boy and one girl from each District from the ages of twelve to eighteen are chosen to participate in the game. They are put into an arena that varies each year and are forced to fight to the death until only one person is left standing. The winner brings eternal glory, fame and fortune to their District. That is, until next year when it begins all over again.

The whole process it takes to get into the games when chosen is so ridiculous. First they give you a whole make-over as if you are going to enter a beauty contest. They then parade you down in outfits that represent your district for the country to see. They next interview you and make it seem as if it normal. To them it is, but to us, all we can think is that the Capitol are sick bastards who need to die.

Most people might think that this is just a book and that it can’t really phase someone. But if you have the imagination that I have, you can see, smell and hear everything that happens. You can see the sadness and panic that lay on these kids faces. The chaos that they go through in the beginning, seeing someone die right in front of you. Sometimes just that one moment where they freeze can be their last.

And it might seem a bit childish, but nightmares also came. Imagining myself and a friend in the game, both of us dying and waking up thankful that it’s just, after all, a story and nothing else. But reading about a girl getting stabbed through her stomach by a spear does things to your mind. It makes you feel pity and sorrow for everyone.

The novel goes through many things, survival, love, action, drama, life and death. You get to experience it as if you were also in there. Some might find this book too much to read, but it is safe to say that this novel will teach you many things. One of them being that people are smart and will try to control you.

Only thing you need to do, is outsmart them.

Welcome to the seventy-fourth hunger game, kids.

A New Beginning

So I had a previous post up and it was my old cliché version of asking questions myself. It sucked. So I'm just going to tell you straight up what this is about.

I like to write reviews for books that I read. And I used to put them up on barnesandnoble.com but Shelfari started catching my interest. But not many people see it there and everyone kept telling me to get a blog. So I did.

This blog is for the purpose of putting up my reviews. Talking about books that will be released, covers and other tidbits. Once in a while hold contests for people and other fun stuff we all love to do with books.

I'm kind of running out of things to say here so I'll probably just end it right here and go ahead with my first review.

Signed,
The Subtle Chronicler