Friend is Not a Verb by Daniel Ehrenhaft

"Remember: When you try to escape from reality, you're only escaping from yourself."


Written by another young adult author who will be attending LeakyCon Lit (along with John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Robin Wasserman among others), I picked up Friend is Not a Verb in order to get a taste of his writing.

Friend is Not a Verb is the story of Henry Birnbaum, a soon-to-be junior in high school whose sister disappeared a year ago without goodbye or explanation and the police on her tail. Now she's back and he has no more explanation than he had before, his girlfriend just broke up with him at the same time she kicked him out of her band, and his parents are (as usual) generally being crazy.

Henry (or Hen, as he is usually referred to) is slowly going crazy under all the stress and secrecy. It isn't until his sister convinces him to start taking bass lessons from her not-a-boyfriend/partner-in-crime, Gabriel, that he hatches a plan. He's going to find out for himself why his sister disappeared. He'll collect all the clues he can, run them over with his best friend, Emma, and solve the mystery himself . . . all while doing his best to chase his dream of becoming a rockstar.

Honestly, this book was only okay. I was initially pretty interested by the summary, but it all seemed to fall short for me. There never seemed to be a real climax in the story. Yes, there were little excitements and resolutions, but no real climax. It was a bit disappointing.

On the other hand, I have to admit that Ehrenhaft did manage to create some interesting characters. Each had their own quirks and passions, weird families and habits. I definitely appreciate that in a writer. His characters were three-dimensional, but there wasn't enough development for anyone other than Hen. That was another bit that was missing.

All in all, it wasn't a waste of time, but I don't see myself reading this book again any time soon. Go ahead and read it if you're interested, but don't get your hopes too high.


Rating: ♥ ♥


That's the wonderful thing about being so miserable: It allows you to see your faults with perfect clarity and still feel detached enough to be okay with them.

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

I think something is art when it is created with intention -- serious intention. Even crazy intention. And I think something is beautiful if it reveals something about what it means to be alive.


When Maureen Johnson wrote 13 Little Blue Envelopes, this book's predecessor, she hadn't intended to make a sequel. It was going to stand alone the way it was. But the outcry of the fans and Johonson's own creative imagination birthed something else: The Last Little Blue Envelope, its sequel.

The Last Little Blue Envelope starts off at the beginning of Ginny's winter break. She's busy worrying about her future, missing Keith, and reminiscing about her summer when she gets an email from a man named Oliver, who has managed to fine the last letter and all its contents.

Ginny soon finds herself back in Europe and things are as crazy as ever. The last letter has a new mission and another surprise at its end. As she seeks closure for herself in this last adventure, she finds herself battling heartbreak, discovering new loves, and generally dealing outside of her comfort zone. It's going to take a great deal of work to keep her from losing her head this time around. She'll have to work even harder if she wants to keep her heart too.

The conclusion to Ginny's tale was everything I had hoped it would be. I liked the first book, but without the sequel it lacked luster and, most especially, closure. The sequel was a great call for Johnson, because it tied up all the loose ends and everything fell neatly into place the way it should by the time it wrapped up. The first just can't quite stand on its own. The addition of a sequel made it a thousand times better.

Once again Johnson's witty humor emerges from the story with each page turned. She's quite a quirky person and has definitely found her voice when it comes to writing. She does a wonderful job at it. It is her, through and through. I couldn't get enough of this story or Johson's cleverness at molding the written word to be exactly what she demands of it.

I would definitely suggest this to anyone who has read the first and simply needs that closure. Even if you weren't sure how you felt about the first book, this one wraps it all up in a neat little package and commands that you enjoy it. So go ahead, go pick it up.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


"People always say they can't do things, that they're impossible. They just haven't been creative enough. This pool is a triumph of imagination. That's how you win at life, Gin. You have to imagine your way through. Never say something can't be done. There's always a solution, even if it's weird."

Crashed by Robin Wasserman

"I can't escape," the train of thought went. "And they can't kill me. They can't hurt me in any way that counts." 
So why think about what's going to happen next?
Why not just stop being afraid?
And then the lights went out.

The sequel to Skinned, Crashed is the continuing story of Lia's life as a mech. When she died, her body was placed into a mechanical body that was meant to simulate the experience of being human. After the incident at the waterfall and a falling out with her sister who doesn't believe she is the real Lia, our protagonist leaves home to live with the other mechs she knows.

It's been six months since the events of the last book and things are steadily growing worse. The world is turning against mechs in a way they haven't before. An uprising is imminent and things are become more and more dangerous for those the humans call "skinners."

In order to protect herself and others like her, Lia must team up with Jude and Riley to figure out how they can win this. But the stakes are higher than they've ever been, the past is coming back to threaten them all,  and the enemy is willing to go to moral depths that Lia's not sure she can follow. How can she be expected to make the right choice when no one seems to be the good guy?

Once again, Wasserman has done a wonderful job in crafting a believable world and tackling moral questions that most novelists wouldn't touch with a stick (or at least, I haven't seen them touch it yet). Her characters are believable and well-rounded (even if some are so irritating that you find yourself ranting at them while you read), while her plot is seamlessly executed and shocking all the same. Every thing about this book was well-done.

I think I enjoyed the sequel even more than the original and I can't wait to see what she does with the final installment of the Cold Awakening Trilogy. It ought to be good.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

"Then we come up with another plan!" I insisted. "I'm not-" I didn't even want to say it out loud. The words would have sounded ludicrous coming out of my mouth. I'm not killing anyone. As if I was the type of person for whom that was even an option. Unrecognizable was one thing. This was alien. This was unthinkable. "Tell him, Riley. Tell him we can't do this."

Top Ten Tuesday: Vivid Worlds

Over at The Broke and the Bookish, they have this thing called Top Ten Tuesday. Each Tuesday they give other bloggers a chance to participate in making a top ten list with them. This week the topic is "Most Vivid Worlds/Settings in Books". 

So here are mine: 

1. Narnia
-I've been a huge Narnia fan since I was a kid and my dad read the books to my brother and I as bedtime stories that I eagerly clung to. Narnia meant Aslan, it meant a magical world where animals could talk and children could win battles. It holds a very special place in my heart and still hasn't stopped taking hold of my imagination.

2. The Magical Version of our World Seen in Harry Potter
-I'm a latecomer to the "Potterhead" grouping, only having discovered the wonder of this universe in the last few years, but I'm hooked. I love everything about the way J.K. Rowling integrated magic into our world and hid it behind closed doors so that when you're reading it, you can almost believe that it's all true. Then again, that would mean I was a Muggle in a magical world, so that's a downside . . .

3. Middle Earth
-Granted, I've only read The Hobbit, but I loved every bit of the world Tolkien created there. Also, I've seen the Lord of the Rings movies so many times I can practically quote the majority of it. Altogether, Middle Earth gets my thumbs-up for being wonderful, yet dangerous; majestic, yet scary. Everything about it simply urges you to find out more.

4. The World in Robin Wasserman's Skinned Trilogy
-This isn't the type of world I would love to be a part of (like the first three), but it's one I found myself engulfed in. It's very believable and realistic, drawing you in and making you ask questions that most novels wouldn't dream of diving into. The way she has formed each dilemma, each evolution of the way our world turned out, is something you can almost see happening. And it's quite a scary thing to observe.

5. Panem
-Despite my dislike of Suzanne Collins' writing style, she did manage to create a rather vivid picture of the futuristic world her book is set in. It's another believable, yet scary place to live. I wouldn't want to set foot in it, but I could most assuredly believe it.

6. Alagaesia
-In Christopher Paolini's fantastically crafted world, I managed to lose myself in a book that took me longer than most to read. Where I tend to get impatient with books that I can't tackle in a few days (which are few, because I read pretty quickly), these ones were a pleasure straight through. Paolini etched every bit of his world in clear contrast and made every bit as real and defined as the world we live in.

7. Amara
-It's been a while since I've read Donita K. Paul's DragonKeeper Chronicles, but I enjoyed them immensely. The different creatures Paul created were interesting and original, her dragons were varied and interesting, the story wonderful. It was entirely well done. 

8. The World in the Dragons in Our Midst Series
-Bryan Davis created an incredibly imaginative and interesting world in his series' detailing the lives of Billy Bannister and Bonnie Silver. There are actually three series within this series, of which I've only read the first two and that was probably four or five years ago. Still, the details and intricacies of the world he created stand out in their excellence.

9. The Worlds in Howl's Moving Castle
-This book is a wonderful journey and one I intend to reread as often as possible in the future. A large part of this is due to the worlds within it (yes there are more than one, but they're all connected). They are worlds of magic and war, of impossible contracts and things that shouldn't come to life but do. It draws you in and invites you to stay for as long as you should choose to remain.

10. Faerie
-I'll finish off with a world I'm not sure whether I would want to live in or away from, but one that takes one's imagination and soars with it. There are so many things I loved about the world Neil Gaiman created in Stardust and I would definitely cite it as a vivid world that I am quite fond of.

Conversations on Writing Fiction by Alexander Neubauer

"I think we can begin from the assumption that storytelling is vital to human health. It gives us workable metaphors for our lives." -Clarence Major


In Conversations On Writing Fiction, Alexander Neubauer gives us thirteen interviews he conducted with thirteen fiction writers that also happen to teach fiction writing. The result is an anthology of teachers who know what they're doing, spilling their tactics on how to encourage those who are trying to do something or achieve more with their writing. Each of these teachers comes from a different background, touts a different writing/teaching style, and comes at the writing of fiction from a completely different angle.

I had a little trouble getting through this book, but not because the material was particular disinteresting or difficult. For the most part, I really enjoyed it. I simply tend to have trouble following through with collections of separate works. For some reason, they always take me much longer than other types of books.

Even still, I feel like this book had a lot to offer on the front of improving my writing. I always enjoy learning from a new perspective, particularly when it comes to a subject I love as much as writing. The different perspectives were extremely helpful and gives the reader the opportunity to see each part of the idea of fiction in a new light.

I would suggest this book to anyone who wants to be a writer/teach writing, particularly anyone who might be thinking about taking classes or workshops in that area of study. It covers different methods of teaching that would be beneficial for particular students and is a good place to start when considering what one must do to improve their own work.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥


"Writing is like working out; you have to build up to your capacity and then go beyond that. And you have to keep doing that, again and again." -John Irving

Skinned by Robin Wasserman

"You many never feel ready. Sometimes we need to just take a risk, have faith in our own strength."


I judge books by their covers. This may not be a good practice at all times, but it generally works as far as I can tell. Let me tell you right now: under normal circumstances, I would have put this book right back on the shelf because of its cover. Sorry, but it's true. Not only is it stereotypically done in exactly the same manner as all paranormal teen lit these days (bright, visually compelling image placed on a dark background -- seriously, take a stroll through that section of the bookstore and you'll think it's an entire section of the store dedicated to a single series), but it just looked uninteresting.

Luckily, looks aren't everything. I was looking for something to read by the author because she is going to be one of the authors at LeakyCon and I want to read at least one work from each before I go this year, if at all possible. It was the synopsis that caught me and I can now inform you that I really enjoyed this book.

Skinned is the story of Lia Kahn after she dies in a car wreck. Yes, you read that right. Lia is killed when the car she is in collides with another after their navigation systems both malfunctioned at the same time (I suspect tampering). When she wakes after the crash, it's to find that her consciousness has basically been downloaded and placed into a mechanical body that looks almost human. And almost really is the key word here.

Because after Lia struggles to teach herself to control this body of hers, she is thrust back into her old life, only to find there there isn't any room for her there anymore. Her younger sister has all but slid into her place, taking over every aspect of what used to be Lia's life. Meanwhile, there is a big stigmatism associated with being a mech-head (or a skinner, as some call them). To the rest of the world, they aren't real people. They're copies, machines, and not worth anything more than a bit of scrap metal or an old computer. And not everyone is passive in their dislike of the skinners. Some take a rather aggressive stance when it comes to their hatred of the new breed.

Set in a future where nearly everything is artificial and the world has come a long way from where it is now, I found this to be a really interesting and original concept. Wasserman creates a future where the idea of a fully artificial body is frowned upon, yet parents consistently go into laborites upon learning that their pregnant, allowing doctors to tweak and alter their unborn children into exactly what they want, as long as they have enough money to pay for it. High IQ, perfect skin, ginger hair, blue eyes? It's up to them. I found the similarity in the two quite interesting when it comes to the perspective of the characters. Why do they see something wrong with a drastically changing the DNA of a person, yet the fact that the body isn't actually flesh and blood is abhorrent to them?

I really enjoyed this book. Like I said, it was very compelling and original. It's not something I've ever seen before. Wasserman does a great job in writing her character and making you sympathize with her. I don't usually identify with characters like Lia. She's not the type of person I would normally befriend, much less understand (at least before the accident), so the fact that Wasserman is able to make the reader sympathize with her is a testament to her creative ability.

The only thing I didn't enjoy about the first novel of this series (a series I will definitely be eager to finish), was her portrayal of Christians/other religious groups as they appear in that time. Believers are looked upon as simple-minded and odd by the masses. The Faithers are fanatics that take Scripture and seem to twist it to meet their own needs. They are the bad guys in this series, or so it looks like they will be, though it is made clear by one main character that believers are not all necessarily Faithers. Some cling to God because they need the certainty while others use him as an excuse to be manipulative and just plain mean. While I clearly don't like this portrayal, I won't say it isn't accurate. By accurate, however, I mean that it is something I could see religious people becoming (yes, even Christians) when they forget the point of what they believe. When Christians forget that love is everything, their faith becomes polluted and corrupted. So I could see it becoming exactly what Wasserman has portrayed.

Otherwise, I loved it. I cannot wait to read the second book in the series and will be doing so in short order. If you've got some time to kill this summer, this series seems like it will be an excellent way to do so.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


[Click here to see my review of Crashed: Book 2 in the Cold Awakening Trilogy]


"I'm sorry for what he said. He shouldn't have treated you like that."
I shrugged. "I'm getting used to it." 
"You shouldn't have to."
True. But there were a lot of things I shouldn't have to get used to, and if I started making a list, I might never stop.

J.K. Rowling: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter by Marc Shapiro

"I was sitting on the train, just staring out the window at some cows. It was not the most inspiring subject. When all of a sudden the idea for Harry just appeared in my mind's eye. I can't tell you why or what triggered it. But I saw the idea of Harry and the wizard school very plainly. I suddenly had this basic idea of a boy who didn't know what he was," [Joanne] said in a School Library Journal conversation.


J.K. Rowling: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter is an unauthorized biography of the woman who created the series that capture the minds of a generation. In 2000, Shapiro gathered together the information garnered from interviews with the press and similar sources, and this was the result of his effort.

This short and sweet biography covers all the basics. From Joanna's early childhood to the point at which this book was published, we get to see a detailed synopsis of what her life was like and what inspired her to write about the Boy Who Lived.

This biography was a little over one hundred pages, a book one could read in a single sitting, and is filled to the brim with the basic information one might want to know about J.K. Rowling. The lives of authors and how they reached success in their lives always enthralls me and I enjoyed reading through the journey.

My only real complaints with this book are these:
1. There is an error on page seven. Shapiro states that the banks in Rowling's tale are run by owls. They are, in fact, run by goblins. Owls are used as messengers, not bank tellers.
2. Shapiro seems to over-romanticize Rowling's life and the stories within it. His use of language leaves you feeling like he is trying to play her up instead of simply giving the truth. He might want to tone it down a bit if he wants people to take his work more seriously.

By now, there is a more complete biography, I believe. This book was written just after Rowling had produced the fourth book in the Harry Potter series and the first movie was simply an idea. Perhaps he has fixed these errors since then. I suppose you can be the judge of that.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥


Every day she would put Jessica in her baby carrier and walk her around town until the child fell asleep. She would then head for one of a number of local cafés, where for the price of a cup of espresso and a glass of water, she could sit and write for a couple of hours while her daughter slept. Years later, Joanne would marvel at how much she had gotten done in those short periods of time.

The Clearing by Heather Davis

"If I could go back in time, Amy, I'd give that gift to you-- and I'd remind you that you're special every time I could. Not just when I showed up with a jar of jam with a bow on top."


When Amy moved out to the country to live with her Aunt Mae, it was an escape. She had needed a change. She had needed to get away from her abusive ex-boyfriend and the mental and physical bruising he had given her. She wanted a new start, something different.

The last thing she could have expected to find was Henry. Though she had all but sworn off boys in an attempt to recover herself and the spirit she thought she had lost, Henry somehow manages to sneak past her defenses. He is everything she needs and so much more than she could have imagined.

But Henry has his own pain. He too is running, running from what the future has in store. In 1944, he prayed that things would go back to the way it had been before everything in his life started deteriorating. And by some miracle, it had worked. His farmhouse, his mother, his grandfather, and Henry are all still in 1944.

When Amy stumbles upon Henry and his home, though, everything starts to change. Amy is a breath of fresh air he could never have imagined. Henry is her safe place. And the two begin to heal each other in ways they never could have anticipated. But things can't always go on the way they have before, sometimes healing means letting go of the hurts that once shackled you and stepping out of your comfort zone.

The Clearing by Heather Davis is a story of healing and dealing with your past. Our first reaction, when something bad happens, is to retreat inside yourself. But that never helps resolve issues. Davis does a wonderful job in portraying how facing your fears can be the best action you could possibly take and that true love can change your life forever.

I found this story both compelling and touching. I was nearly brought to tears on more than one occasion. Davis does a great job at hooking the reader with her tale of fear and love, drawing you in to the point where you must turn the page, you have to know what comes next.

I found Davis's writing technique quite interesting, as well. I don't think I have ever seen an author mix first and third person narrative the way she did and, I might add, she pulled it off quite nicely. The chapters alternate from Amy's first person perspective to Henry's third person perspective and it creates an intriguing dynamic.

This book was well-written and executed wonderfully. I definitely enjoyed the journey and would suggest it to anyone who wants a good and touching story about love and how its healing can transcend even the boundaries of time.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


"All of us live in pain, Henry. That's the human condition. Some pain you can see from the outside, and some is buried deep on the inside. We all have our crosses to bear." 

This Year You Will Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley

Poets know that poems are songs, but few of us realize that novels are too.


This Year You Write Your Novel by Walter Mosley bears a tittle that is pretty self-explanatory. At the time of publication, the author had written twenty-seven books and decided it was about time he put out a guide to writing a novel in one year. So that is exactly what he did.

This book is very much like How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy (which is to be expected, seeing as they have somewhat similar premises), only it was about general fiction and was actually shorter than Card's book.

Still, I found This Year You Write Your Novel to be largely informational and quite helpful. Mosley gives clear advice on things like creating character development as well as setting up routines that will help the writer develop his craft as best he can. His narrative is quick and to the point. He doesn't beat around the bush, but rather fleshes out exactly what it is every novel needs and every author ought to pay attention to.

I am very happy to have read this book and will definitely be trying out many of his tactics for keeping focused and determined in the near future. I would recommend it to anyone who is even thinking of writing a novel, whether their dream is to be a published author or it's just an idea. Some NaNoWriMo writers may want to skim this for a few good tips when November rolls around as well. *wink*

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥


In order to be a writer, you have to set up a daily routine. Put aside an amount of time (not less than an hour and a half) to sit with your computer or notebook.

Loserville by Peter Johnson

As I lay there a year later, I knew I had to make sense of this time or end up like some people believe Derek did-- stealing his parents' car one cool, rainy September night, driving to the highest point of the Mount Hop Bridge, stripping and folding his clothes neatly on the pavement, and swan-diving into Narragansett Bay.


I found this book next to Maureen Johnson's books at the library and almost didn't read it because of the crappy title and worse cover. However, after reading the premise, I thought it might be worth a read and, since it was pretty short, decided to give it a shot.

Was it worth it? Not so much.

Loserville is the story of five friends whose lives spiraled out of control in a matter of months. The story is told from the perspective of Lucas and focuses mainly on how his best friend, Derek, ended up  going off the deep end.

Derek was a good kid at the beginning, even if he did dabble in drugs and alcohol. However, his stepmother convinces his father to put the three of them on a reality TV show with an overbearing host whose sole passion in life is to shape up the "loser" boys that end up on his show. The host tends to demonize the boys on his show and none of the friends are looking forward to seeing Derek subjected to such treatment, but there's nothing they can do.

I really didn't like this book. Each of the chapters felt very disconnected from the last and his characters were flat, never changing or growing in depth. You see everyone at a surface level and it stays that way. No resolution is given at the end and there's not even a real climax. Honestly, I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was definitely disappointed.

If you're thinking of picking up this book, don't even bother. The few witty or laughable moments are drowned in a sea of bad work. I felt like I was reading a first draft of a school project the author hadn't really paid enough attention to and wrote the night before. Just put it back on the shelf and grab something more bearable.

Rating: ♥


"How do we escape this mess, Derek?" he asked.
"We don't," Derek said. "Isn't that what this dumb-ass show is about?"

Crusade in Jeans by Thea Beckman

"No," cried Rudolf. "It can't be true! It is a nightmare. Soon I will wake up. A children's crusade! It is just too ridiculous. It is unthinkable. Crusades are for men; for knights on horseback, in coats of armor. Not for children!" 

Crusade in Jeans is a fictional children's book originally written in Dutch by its author, Thea Beckman. After having seen the movie adaptation a few years ago, I found that it was a book and had been translated to English. Of course, I had to get my hands on it.

In her book, Beckman tells the story of a fifteen-year-old boy named Rudolf (Dolf) who convinces two scientist friends of his father to send him back in time with a time travel machine they have created. Dolf lands near the city of Spiers in the kingdom of Germany.

When his return to his own century goes terribly wrong, Dolf is stranded in the thirteenth century and ends up stumbling upon a children's crusade. Eight thousand children from Germany and its neighboring lands are on a march to conquer the Holy Land after a shepherd boy named Nicolas claims he has been told by God that he will part the sea for them and the Seracens will flee before their innocence.

As he watches the procession move by, though, he sees that the children are in terrible shape. They are malnourished and sick, they are literally dropping dead at the back of the procession or falling behind. Some were being picked off by wild animals, others by slavers and kidnappers. Dolf and his new friend, Leonardo, decide they must act and both join the crusade, quickly calling for a reform in the way things are done. They take responsibility for the welfare of the children and quickly rise in the ranks of the assembled.

Clearly these children believe the call to which Nicolas has urged them, but Dolf doubts he will be able to part the sea and suspects the two monks who are also helping to lead the procession are frauds. There  is something that isn't right about this entire ordeal, both Dolf and Leonardo agree, and they are keeping their eyes peeled in order to discover what is actually going on here.

In the meantime, though, they have other worries to attend to. The journey is long and the path is fraught with perils. Wild animals such as wolves and bears lurk in the darkness about them and not all kidnappers are dissuaded by the sheer number of the pilgrims. Then there is food and shelter to worry about. The question is: can they even make it to the sea at all?

This book was so much better than I could have anticipated it. As much as I enjoyed the movie, much like Eragon, I have to say that is a mockery in comparison to the book. I don't think I would be able to watch it again without being sorely disappointed in how far it deviates from the true story. Not to mention, Dolf is so much better in the text. In the movie, he was irritating and not nearly as smart as he is meant to be.

Honestly, the only problem I have with Crusade in Jeans is its opening. I have a very hard time believing any scientist would honestly be so irresponsible and stupid enough to send a fifteen-year-old back in time in their PROTOTYPE material-transmitter. Yes, they've had success in the past, but that is just ridiculous. Also there was the whole bit where Dolf seemed to keep "finding" things in his pockets that later became useful. It only happened about three times, but I still found myself irritated. He would have known from the beginning that he had those things in his pockets. He wouldn't have forgotten about them for a period of weeks when he was wearing the same pair of jeans the entire time.

Beyond that, though, it was excellently crafted and incredibly believable. Beckman had a firm grasp on the trials and issues that would have come up during such a trek and I found myself on the edge of my seat through the entire thing, eager to find out what would happen next. I would definitely suggest this book for a good read.

Though it is technically children's fiction, I would like to add that there are some dark themes in here. I would say it is good for 10+ would be a better age range. There is a good deal of death that might be scary for a small child and some religious themes that they may be too young to grapple with (Medieval Christianity vs. Modern Atheism).

It is historical fiction as well, however, and these are themes that ought to be considered at an older age. Beyond that, I was surprised at how many people I know had no knowledge of the children's crusades and that they were actually a historical event in the thirteenth century. It is a part of history that we ought not forget, as with most of our world's history, for fear of reoccurrence. I thought it was a good choice for Beckman to choose a historical event that ought to have more light shed upon it and use it as the center of her storyline.

All in all, I adored this book and am glad to have it upon my shelf. I bought it on Amazon after not being able to find it anywhere else and I treasure it fondly.

Rating: ~ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ~

"Now you ask me if I believe in miracles. My friend, I am experiencing nothing else."

How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy by Orson Scott Card

The second thing you should learn from my example is that ideas come from everywhere, provided that you're thinking about everything that happens to you as a potential story.

I picked up How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy because I thought it would be a good book for writing advice and give me a little more insight into what it takes to write that genre. I'm mostly interested in fantasy, though I do like a good sci-fi novel, and I know my writing often sways in that direction as much as YA fiction.

This book covered all of it's bases. Card is very thorough in his teaching, going over everything from the difference between science fiction and fantasy to the technicalities of creating an entire world and the boundaries that must be decided and set for each one. There is an overwhelming amount of information concerning the audience an author in either of these genres would be catering to and how to navigate through the publishing of a book that isn't in one of the most common categories of writing.

Not only does this cover a great deal of information concerning science fiction and fantasy, but there was also a great deal of advice that could easily translate over to any other type of writing. Card coaches the reader concerning what drives your plot and how to make sure you're staying consistent with the story throughout the writing of it. He teaches how to be a better writer in general and even gives advice from one author to another on how to make sure you're keeping your life balanced in the meantime.

I really enjoyed this book and eagerly devoured its contents. It will definitely be one I'll want to leaf through quite often for tips and suggestions. Card really knows what he's talking about and is able to share it in a way that is relatable and in no way overbearing.

Any author/aspiring author who even has the slightest inclination toward science fiction and fantasy should consider reading this book. It was very informative and incredibly useful. I learned so much more than I could have expected.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The novelty and freshness you'll bring to the field won't come from the new ideas you think up. Truly new ideas are rare, and usually turn out to be variations on old themes anyway. No, your freshness will come from the way you think, from the person you are, it will inevitably show up in your writing, provided you don't mask it with heavy-handed formulas or clichés.

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

"Never assume," Mrs. Amberson said. "This city is unique. Every place you go -- everything you do -- you never know who's watching. There's always an opportunity, if you know how to spot it."


After having read the sequel to this book, Scarlett Fever, last month in an ignorant misstep, I was eager to read this book and catch up on exactly what I had missed. Keeping the fact that I knew almost everything about what was going to happen in this storyline (there is a very good reason authors generally point out that sequels are to be read after the original), I still managed to enjoy it immensely. Yes, it took out a lot of the surprises that were meant for the reader, so that was a bummer. Still, the plot was well-written and engaging regardless.

Suite Scarlett is told from the third-person perspective of Scarlett Martin, a fifteen year-old girl who lives in a family-run hotel in New York City. It sounds glamorous, but Scarlett's life has been far from easy. After her little sister was diagnosed with leukemia four years ago, any money the hotel made was funneled into hospital bills. Though Marlene is now in remission, the hotel has been grasping at straws to keep itself going. The Martin family is now the only staff they have and even that may not be enough to keep the business from drowning.

Then enters Mrs. Amberson. An eccentric woman whose roots are in theatre and who is looking for her next big endeavor takes up residence in the room Scarlett has been charged with caring for. Mrs. Amberson offers to make the girl her assistant and Scarlett accepts. She needs the money and, after all, doubts that the woman would take no for an answer.

On top of all this, Scarlett's older brother and closest sibling, Spencer, is desperate to find some way to further his acting career. His parents have given him an ultimatum in which he must find an acting gig by a certain date or go to the culinary school that he has been given a scholarship to attend. When he lands a part in a garage production Hamlet, he and Scarlett have to lie to his parents in order to keep chasing his dream. This adds a whole new level of complexity to Scarlett's problems. Let's not even mention Spencer's cast mate, the Southern boy who has her head spinning from the moment she lays eyes on him.

All in all, Johnson has crafted yet another well-constructed, witty story about dealing with all the curve balls live loves to throw at a person. I love the way she writes her characters and fell even more in love with the Martin family upon seeing where the story began and how they came to reach the point they were at in Scarlett Fever. I think this is a great series and can't wait to see more of it.


Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Actors had other people living inside of them . . . lots of other people, other voices. There was something wonderful about this, this unfolding possibility.

American Nerd by Benjamin Nugent

As of this morning, Wikipedia states that "nerd, as a stereotypical or archetypal designation, refers to somebody who pursues intellectual interests at the expense of skills that are useful in a social setting such as communication, fashion, or physical fitness." That sounds about right, but it's wrong.


I didn't expect to love this book as much as I actually did.

Being a nerd myself (both self-proclaimed and generally well-recognized as such), I burst out laughing when I saw the title. American Nerd: The Story of My People, it's a great title and one that had me hooked from the get-go.

From the moment I started reading this book, I haven't been able to stop talking about it. Every one of my friends has already heard a comprehensive synopsis, so this will likely be one of the most easily written book reviews I've ever typed up.

American Nerd is a quintessentially nerdy book in and of itself. It is, in essence, a comprehensive study of the American nerd, covering everything from the psychology behind typically nerdy people, the history of the "nerd", and even the racism inherently involved in the classification of nerds (most tend to be Jewish or Asian and described as being "hyperwhite" in personality).

This is definitely one of those books that makes you feel like you are basically soaking your brain in information, amassing knowledge like a sponge dipped in a glass of water. This is a feeling I have come to love and thus my experience in reading this book was even better because of it.

Nugent, a nerd himself, litters the narrative with real-life examples of those generally considered nerds -- from childhood friends to Renaissance CosPlayers, including the life experiences that lead them to making the choices they did and becoming the sorts of people that attend anime conventions and conduct meetings of sci-fi enthusiasts.

All in all, this was an extremely informative book that had me enthralled from beginning to end. This was so much more than I had expected and Nugent's take on different aspects of nerd culture were both eye-opening and intriguing. I would definitely recommend it.

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Jack Jenkins and Zack Malitz found in their debate community a way to rebel against what they considered an overly regimented high-school existence. Their nerdy activity was a way out of a cage of false certainties.
Then there are other nerds for whom order is not a cage, but a bright, clean Radisson in the snake-infested wilderness that is their daily life. For them, being a nerd is not a flight from an overly ordered existence; it's a flight from a life of fear and confusion into order.