50 Random Facts About Me Tag

 

So I got tagged about two days ago by  Fionnuala from Books for Birds. The second I got tagged I was pretty confused (I'm still a newbie blogger, so bare with me), since I really didn't know what to do. I mean, I understood the concept (state 50 random facts about yourself), but I didn't know who to because I still haven't made many blogger friends, and what if, you know, I mess up? I don't know why my mind drew those conclusions, but they did!

Anyways, here I am now, telling you 50 Random Facts about me. And all I have to say is, THIS is probably one of the hardest thing I've ever done!

1. I am a huge Doctor Who fan

2. Fionnuala thinks I stole the Doctor from her

3. My other friend, Marielle, thinks she's the Doctor's companion

4. I'm from Canada, eh?

5. When I was younger, I used to skate, swim and dance (I spent 3 years in ballet class)

6. I am a Science and English tutor, just don't ask me to spell!

7. This is my favourite number 

8. I've seen One Direction & Olly Murs together, and Olly was smiling as I nearly fell off a railing (it's not as bad as it sounds, he just thought I was amusing, which I'm fine with :D)

9. All my friends think they're Beyoncé

10. I nearly died at my first GA (that's general admission, btw) concert

11. I'm missing the Justin Timberlake concert to watch Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters

12. I have interviewed former Argonaut Orlando Bowen

13. I have interviewed Vampire Academy actor/dancer, Nate Shaw

14. I have an undying love for Vampire Academy!

15. I run @VACanadaNews, Canada's Vampire Academy account :D

16. I'm the new Editor-in-Chief of my school's newspaper *happy dances*

17. I am afraid of balloons

18. I am afraid of thunder and lightning, and once walked home in a lightning storm

19. I used to eat fish food when I was younger

20. I've seen Connor Maynard live and even got a hug from him!

21. I play the piano. I started when I was 6 but quit when I moved, and have recently picked it back up again; I've been playing for about 2-3 years

22. I miss drama class, especially my drama fam!

23. I have never won any contests

24. No matter how much I suck at math, I always pass with a nice, average grade :D

25. I can't draw for the life of me. Well, I can draw trees...sorta

26. I'm hopelessly behind on Free! Swim Anime

27. I love Cookie Dough Ice cream 

28. I sing

29. I have been learning French for almost 7-8 years and the only complex thing I can say is 'I'm sorry for my friends behaviour' (I used that line a bunch of times in Quebec) 

30. I once had to sing a song in French in front of the whole school

31. I really want a husky as a pet

32. When I was 11-12 (ish) I almost had my first kiss...ALMOST...(I turned him down)

33. When I go shopping at the mall with my mom, I always try on dresses because I love dresses

34. I love the colour red and am OBSESSED with roses

35. According to everyone that knows my family, I look like my grandmas and great-grandma

36. My mom always tells me stories about her younger years and I love hearing them; who doesn't want to hear what their mom did in France? IT'S FRANCE!

37. I have a brother 5 years younger than me

38. I still haven't gotten my G1 yet

39. I'm in high school 

40. I sing in my church's choir

41. I was born August 12 and because I'm a summer baby, I never get my locker decorated at school :(

42. I read books at Chapters because I usually can't afford to buy them

43. If money didn't matter, I would spend my life travelling the world and helping others figure out who they are

44. I actually don't eat much chocolate

45. My favourite animal is a lion :) (I'm also a Leo)

46. My favourite number is 7

47. If I had the choice, I would be living in London and would travel to France on the weekends

48. I'm currently doing my best to keep my average up so I can become a book publisher

49. I'm also working hard to also become an actress, whether it be in television, film or theatre. Becoming an actress is my goal first and foremost

50. The hardest thing I've ever had to do was tell the truth

Well, that's it for me! 50 Random Facts in a little over 2 1/2 hours! :)

Now that I've endured and survived the pain inflicted about me from Fionnuala, it's my turn! MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Elena @ 4evabookworm0

Matt @ MattCrazy_

Jessica @ ReviewsAbound

So that's it for me, and I'm SOOOOO sorry in advance you three! But, the tag must live on! :D

Blogger Life: The Pros and Cons of Books & Reading

So I just came back from the library again today! As you can see, I still have Clockwork Prince in the pile. It's been almost 2 (maybe 3) weeks since I got Clockwork Prince and I'm only on Chapter 1. I'm NOT done Chapter 1 & neither am I even close to being done Chapter 1. And it's due Monday, and as you can see above, I have 6 more books to read after Clockwork Prince.

Today's post, I'm going all Gallagher Girl and channeling my inner Cammie Morgan as I do a pros and cons list on books and reading. 

PRO: Having a lot of books is good, it can keep you busy for probably a little while

CON: You have due dates to worry about if you borrow books like me!

PRO: You save money :D

CON: Not having the book in hand means you write things on sticky notes on your favourite quotes and chapters for your blog. And those sticky notes pile up fast!

PRO: Having due dates on books actually gets you to organize your time better so you have time to read

CON: When your teachers all suddenly assign tests/quizzes/special lessons/projects the same time

PRO: You can always read at the library or during English (if you have English this semester) like me

CON: If you are in a bunch of in school clubs with responsibilities you can't. And if you have the no eating in class policy like my school you don't wanna miss lunch to read. Seriously, 75 minutes of no food can mess with you

PRO: You can always read at home if you get all your homework done before you start reading

CON: If your like me, the second the book is in your hand you can't stop reading (unless it's dinner) and by the time you finish, your exhausted and homework is irrelevant to your life, no matter how important it is

PRO: It's nice seeing your book shelf full of books :)

CON: Finding space

PRO: You still have a lot of books, so be happy!

Well, that's it for me! Now I have to start my French assignment so I can FINALLY start reading Clockwork Prince!

Saturday Spotlight

Hey guys!

It's Saturday Spotlight! What is Saturday Spotlight? Well, unlike Fangirl Friday where I just gush about my favourite fictional characters, Saturday Spotlight is a day dedicated to authors, their books, and any upcoming books/projects! It's a chance for you guys to get to know them more and get a glimpse into their crazy/ hectic lives!

Unfortunately, I don't have anyone scheduled for this week, but I've got some pretty exciting news!

Next week, I will be featuring one of my favourite authors: Paula Stokes!

Paula Stokes is also known as Fiona Paul, writer of the YA Historical series, Secrets of the Eternal Rose (if you don't know what it is, browse around my blog, I fangirl over the series a lot of times!).

I got a chance to do a mini interview with her about writing YA Contemporary and Historical, having an alter-ego, her new upcoming book The Art of Lainey, and of course, her cats!

Stop by next Saturday, October 12th for my interview!

To my fellow bloggers in the world, SPREAD THE NEWS! Tell everyone you know on Twitter, Goodreads, Blogger, Wordpress, Bloglovin, and Tumblr about my feature! And tell AS MANY authors/ upcoming authors about Saturday Spotlight!

Any interested authors, feel free to visit my Contact Me page for more info if you would like to be featured on Saturday Spotlight!

Fangirl Friday: Jost Bell

I haven't done a Fangirl Friday in a really long time! Wow! Today we Fangirl over Jost Bell from one of my new favourite books, Crewel.

Unfortunately, unlike my other Fangirl Friday post, I can't go into much detail since I don't own a copy of the book (I borrowed it from the library). I'm still trying to convince my mom to take me book shopping, so bare with me!

Jost Bell is a main character from Crewel World series which currently consists of, well, Crewel and Altered (to be released on October 29th, 2013).

The series revolves around Adelice Lewys, a sixteen year old girl living in a world (literally) above ours called Arras. In her world, girls go through an intensive month of tests to see if they have any special abilities to be an Eligible. In her world, Eligibles have the possibility of living a luxurious life as a Spinster, someone that can weave matter to help sustain Arras's existance. Adelice, however, is neither: yes, she can bend time and space but she can do it without having to use a loom-she can just reach out and manipulate her surroundings. She isn't an Eligible Spinster. She is the next Creweler, the person who (literally) keeps the world of Arras from falling appart at the seams (no pun intended).

But the world of the Spinsters isn't as glamorous as the media or the Guild (that's the government in Arras) made it out to be: it's a world full of vicious, competitive, power-hungry and vain women. To help weave her way through the 'privileged', dangerous and secretive world of the Spinsters (again, no pun intended), Adelice allies herself with her mentor Enora, the dutiful assisstant of Maela, Erick, and of course the mysterious servant, Jost Bell.

Together, with Jost and the others, Adelice will find herself in the middle of a conspiracy that will alter (okay, pun intended) her life and the lives of those she loves.

The sequel to Crewel will be released later this month (I'll be doing a Waiting on Wednesday dedicated to Altered, featuring a lot of crazy theories and ideas. And fangirling. Lots and lots of fangirling), and right now, the story and the characters are hanging on a thread.

Although Crewel left us with a very open ending that will lead into a lot of action packed moments in Altered, one thing is for certain: Jost Bell is only going to make the story much more complicated (and hotter).

Chris Mason as Jost Bell

So here are a some facts about Jost Bell:

• He is nineteen years old
• He has shoulder length, wavy dark hair
• He has blue eyes
• He is muscular
• He is from Sussex, South Sector, Arras

What makes Jost worthy of this week's Fangirl Friday? Other than be insanely good-looking and the nicest person (other than Enora) in the book, Jost is his own person. I mean, he works; he doesn't drink, he doesn't kill. He makes a modest living as the head valet/the head of all servants in the Coventry (that's where all the Spinsters live; it's like a palace you can never leave), and he's a good man ready to help those that are loyal and kind-hearted.

I totally ship Adelice and Jost. I like Erick, because he can just banter with Adelice easily, but Jost is the guys for me Adelice. It's too early in the series to see who she'll chose (especially with the way things ended in Crewel) and we haven't really seen much in the romance department for Adelice or any of the guys since they were too busy, you know, trying to survive.

But here's the thing that makes Jost so fangirl worthy/ amazing/ perfect for Adelice: he doesn't care for his own feelings, he cares about how others around him feels. He doesn't care about safety, he cares about the safety of those he loves. And overall, he doesn't live for himself, he lives for those that are important to him.

That's it for Fangirl Friday, and I hope I've persuaded you enough to pick up Crewel! It's really worth the read!

United We Spy by Ally Carter: Review

Before I start my review, I want to say thank you Ally Carter, for making such an amazing series! I have grown up with the Gallagher Girls, and despite the fact that it's now over, I am quite happy for the ending.

Author: Ally Carter

Pages: 296 pages

Release Date: September 17th, 2013

Status: final book in the Gallagher Girls series (cue hysterical sobbing)

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Cammie Morgan has lost her father and her memory, but in the heart-pounding conclusion to the best-selling Gallagher Girls series, she finds her greatest mission yet. Cammie and her friends finally know why the terrorist organization called the Circle of Cavan has been hunting her. Now the spy girls and Zach must track down the Circle’s elite members to stop them before they implement a master plan that will change Cammie—and her country—forever.

So this story starts off during the winter break of their senior year. This means, that Cammie is writing this in the future, after graduation.

Cammie is in London with her mom, visiting Cambridge University. She is later joined Bex whom helps her break into the library. There, they find a Circle member, Mr. Knightly, who is currently in hiding.

He is shocked to see Cammie alive, and refuses to go away with into hiding. He is later murdered by Zach's mom, but before he died, he tells them 'it' has begun.

The girls return to Gallagher where they struggle to readjust to their normal lives and accepting the fact that it's their final semester at Gallagher. However, in the end, the girls band together and save their sisterhood, and finally are able to go on with their lives.

Usually, I would give my own little summary to the book with a bit more detail, but I had to speed through this book because I was reading it at Chapters (I had no money to buy it :$) and because I just don't wanna give out any spoilers.

Like seriously, you need to go out and buy the book and read it. I read the book, but I'm still going to go out and buy a nice hardcover for my collection.

It was two pages longer than Out of Sight, Out of Time and had a lighter tone than books 3-5, probably because Cammie and the gang knew what they were dealing with at the end.

I had a lot of mixed emotions, not in a bad way though; I just really didn't want it to end!

The plot was good, and I was really intrigued at the fact that Ally is still able to put some HUGE plot twists. Like...I see that she hinted it in the earlier books now that I went flipping through them, but seriously, there were some things I just didn't see coming!

While the plot was good and Ally was able to keep us on our toes, I was really pleased with the character development. Cammie, Bex, Liz, and Macey have all grown up and I am just so happy ! Rachel and Joe, I think we all saw that coming, along with Townsend and Abby (although it got a little awkward for me at the end, because for those who read the book should know why). Zach was Zach with his Goode-liness, and I loved how we got to dig a little deeper with his past. (I can die happy now that we got to know a bit more about both Hale and Zach :D)

I was surprised to see Grant and Jonas make a cameo to be honest, and Max Edwards whom we met in book 1 briefly. I felt like he should've been hinted more. And little Amy (despite having a little feature) will be a Chameleon in the making :)

What I wasn't surprise though, was Catherine Goode's presence, whether it be looming in the air making tension or her actually being there. But to be honest with you, I sort of pitied her in the end, and was just a little more sad that we didn't get a full answer as to why she's, you know, crazy.

Now I suppose that I should be rambling off about Zammie right now, or Macey & Preston (do we have a ship name for them or...? I really can't remember), but to be honest with you, I really don't want to. Not because I don't like the ships, but because the story isn't all about them.

Yes, there were a lot of couple moments from both the teens and the adults in this book, but even with all the romance and such, it paled in comparison for their love of each other as a big family.

I literally had to force myself not to cry at the end, especially at Liz's graduation speech. It really made me feel sad and happy and proud and old at the same time.

The final chapter of the book ends six months later, with Cam narrating in present tense and her admiring that she and the girls are no longer together. It's an open ending, and to be honest with you, I'm not really fond of them. But Ally Carter has made her character's lives like that, and it seemed appropriate that it ended like it did, because to be honest with you, what 18 year old would sure of her life? I know I won't when the time comes.

Overall for me, this book was a 5 out of 5 stars. It was a great series, and I hope to see you Gallagher Girls at Embassy Row (or in the next Heist adventure, whichever comes first).

Throwback Thurday

It's Throwback Thurday and today we're throwing back to one of my favourite series, Grim Hill by Linda DeMeulemeester!

The Secrets of Grim Hill

Pages: 187 pages
Release Date: May 25th, 2007
Status: Book 1

Cat Peters just transferred to Darkmont High and is already desperate to get out. When she hears that Grimoire, the private school nearby, is offering scholarships to the winners of a Halloween soccer match, Cat jumps at the chance. Her little sister, Sookie, and their bookworm neighbor, Jasper, try to tell her there's something ... "just not right" about the old school on the hill, and their worries are confirmed when they uncover a mystery about an entire soccer team that disappeared many years ago. Further investigation leads Cat to a book about ancient Celtic myth and fairy lore, and she soon realizes that there is something truly wicked at work inside the walls of Grimoire.


I read this book back in elementary school and just feel in love with it! This was after I read all the Spiderwick books and before I started reading YA books, and just was really into the genre.

The story revolves around Cat and her determination to get into the posh private school. Along the way, however, Cat, her sister Sookie and neighbour Jasper uncover a secret about the old school that will change their lives forever.

I read the first book, the sequel The Secret Deepens, and the third book, The Forgotten Secret before stopping altogether. It wasn't because I got tired of the series, but it was because I just got really into the YA genre by then. There are two more books after that though: The Family Secret and the Forest of Secrets.

What I love about this book is that there is a lot of mystery and a lot of adventure mixed in with the fantasy genre! This book is categorized as a childrens book (I'm pretty sure this is a middle grade book though) but the characters are amazing and the way that the author can combine all the genres together without making it too cheezy or mature is phenomenal!

So parents and elementary school librarians, this book is great chapter book for kids ages 9-12! I guarantee that they will fall in love with the series just like I did in elementary school! And besides, what's better than getting into the Halloween spirit with Fairy folklore, soccer, and some mind blowing secrets?

Happy Throwback Thursday guys!

Shelter by Harlan Coben: Review

Shelter

Author: Harlan Coben

Pages: 304 pages

Release Date: September 6th, 2011

Status: 1st book in the Mickey Bolitar series

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Mickey Bolitar's year can't get much worse. After witnessing his father's death and sending his mom to rehab, he's forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools.

A new school comes with new friends and new enemies, and lucky for Mickey, it also comes with a great new girlfriend, Ashley. For a while, it seems like Mickey's train-wreck of a life is finally improving - until Ashley vanishes without a trace. Unwilling to let another person walk out of his life, Mickey follows Ashley's trail into a seedy underworld that reveals that this seemingly sweet, shy girl isn't who she claimed to be. And neither was Mickey's father. Soon, Mickey learns about a conspiracy so shocking that it makes high school drama seem like a luxury - and leaves him questioning everything about the life he thought he knew.

First introduced to readers in Harlan Coben's latest adult novel, Live Wire, Mickey Bolitar is as quick-witted and clever as his uncle Myron, and eager to go to any length to save the people he cares about. With this new series, Coben introduces an entirely new generation of fans to the masterful plotting and wry humor that have made him an award-winning, internationally bestselling, and beloved author.

Shelter by Harlan Coben can be easily described in four words: worth not doing homework. Or in much simpler terms: perfect.

So Shelter is about a 15 year old boy names Mickey Bolitar, a kid who's dad has just died and who's mom just made a mess of her life. He lives with his dad's older brother, Myron Bolitar, and is having a hard time adjusting to a life of a normal American teenager after spending most of his life as a nomad. 

The book starts off with Mickey talking about all the things going wrong in his life: his dad dying in a car accident, his mom being in rehab and having a hard time coping, and his (sort of) new girlfriend, Ashley, disappearing out of no where. 

While walking to school one day, an old lady nicknames 'Bat Lady' from the town kids steps out of her house and tells him that his dad is alive.

This leads Mickey to believe that there is a chance for his father to be alive (despite the fact that he was in the car at the time of the accident). While dealing with family issues at home, he still has to deal with the sudden disappearance of Ashley. He forms friendships with freshmen and social outcast, Ema, and a nerd called Spoon, who decide to help him solve the mystery of Ashley's disappearance.

However, as Mickey gets closer to the truth, he'll uncover more than his girlfriend's whereabouts.

This book was only 304 pages but was pretty amazing. And awesome. And so totally worth blowing off my math homework and studying for my economics test (until, you know, I get that test back).

Harlan Coben is able to keep you reading and guessing what's going to happen, while keeping the mysteries in Mickey's life alive and plot twisting-there was a couple of plot twists I just didn't see coming!

Let me just say, well done Mr. Coben, well done. I didn't even think I saw what was coming near the end and I'm really glad that I got the sequel, Seconds Away, along with Shelter.

The plot was amazing, and Harlan left many loose ends that I can see just coming together in the future. What I didn't see though, was any backstory information or much world building.

I am used to reading a lot of YA Paranormal, Dystopian, Historical and Fantasy where world building is such a biiiiigggg chunk of the book. Shelter is more YA Action/Thriller/Suspense with a hint of mystery, crime and WWII history thrown into it.

Harlan is able to draw the reader in with witty dialogue (which I LOVE!), and an amazing plot, but for me, I just didn't get that connection to Mickey personally. I understand that he is a nomad and is having a hard time fitting in, his parents are gone, he's estranged with his uncle Myron, but I didn't get a lot of emotion or connection (or maybe because I'm not used to having a guy narrator). He was witty though, and his sarcasm is en pointe so I have to applaud that!

 

I love, love, love, looooooove the dialogue from some of these characters, ESPECIALLY Spoon! I swear, Spoon (aka Arthur) is the bomb dot com!

"Who are some of the oldest guidance counsellors?"

"Oldest? You mean in age?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Humor me."

"Mr. Bertz," Spoon said without hesitation. "He's so old he teaches a class on Shakespeare because he knew him personally."

-page 51, Shelter

Harlan Coben got some amazing characters with some amazing lines in here. And sometimes, I just found them so corny, it was hilarious. Normally, in most books, I would be like "Oh my gosh, why would (insert author's name here) put something like that?!" But for some reason, it just works for the book. Even uncle Myron (whom I always imagined to be a womanizer like Alfie) had a corny part in the book that just got me good.

Myron smiled at us like a game show host. "Do you kids want me to make you popcorn?"

"No thanks," I said quickly.

"How about you, little lady?"

Little lady? I wanted to die.

"I'm fine Mr. Bolitar, thank you."

"You can call me Myron."

He was still standing there, smiling like the most pleased jackass. I stared at him, flaring my eyes a little so that he'd catch the hint. He did. Awkwardly. "Oh right," Myron said. "I'll just leave you two alone then. I'm going to head back upstairs, I guess."

Myron pointed up the stairs with his thumb. Like maybe we didn't know where 'upstairs' was.

"Great," I said, hoping to move him along. 

Uncle Dork took one step and turned back toward us. "Uh, um, if it's okay-and even if it's not-I'm going to leave the basement door open. It's not alike I don't trust you two, but I think Rachel's parents wouldn't approve-"

"Fine! I said, interrupting him. "Leave the door open."

"Not that I feel like I have to check up on you or anything. I'm sure you're both very responsible teenagers."

I wondered if I would ever in my life feel more mortified. "Thanks, Myron. Bye?"

"If you change your mind about the popcorn-"

"You'll be the first to know," I said. "Bye."

Myron finally headed up the stairs. I turned to Rachel, who was smothering a chuckle.

"I'm sorry about my dorky uncle."

-pages 152-153, Shelter

This is like 100% amazing. These characters are just hilarious! I love this book. 

Although, I really wished we got to learn more about Myron and his estranged relationship with Mickey and his parents. It was explained a bit in the book, but I can tell there's something big that I'm missing. Myron is the protagonist of his own series (which consists of 10 books by the way), and in the 10th book, Live Wire, Mickey, his mom Kitty, are introduced. But I feel like I'm missing out on Myron and his Myron-iness and that I really wish we got to know more about him in Shelter. And the same goes for Kitty and Mickey's dad, Brad. There's so much mystery surrounding the family that I just want to fast forward to the part where we get to know what happened (if it isn't already explained in Live Wire or Seconds Away).

Anyway, 3.5 out of 5 stars for Shelter! It's an amazing read, and I really recommended this book! It's amazing, and there isn't any blood or gore, just a teenager with a witty personality, an equally witty uncle, a broken family and broken-yet loyal- friends.