The Literary Lair

Guess What?

2009-10-02T12:35:00.005-04:00

The hiatus is over. I finally found a balance between school work and the things I do at home so now I do have time to read and review. I apologize for being gone so long. I don't have a book review yet but I do have a contest suggestion for all of you.

"In celebration of the "Read Beyond Reality" theme of Teen Read Week, which is scheduled for Oct. 18 to Oct. 24, and the spooky season now upon us, I'm offering the biggest, winner-take-all Cynsational giveaway ever, with an emphasis on my latest release, Eternal (Candlewick, 2009), and several spooktacular read-alikes!"-Cynthia Leitich Smith

In order to enter, e-mail Cynthia(or click the envelop) with your name and snail/street mail address and type "Read Beyond Reality" in the subject line (Facebook, JacketFlap, and MySpace readers are welcome to just message her with the name in the header; She'll contact you if you win).

You can enter to win:

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

"At last, Miranda is the life of the party: all she had to do was die. Elevated and adopted by none other than the reigning King of the Mantle of Dracul, Miranda goes from high-school theater wannabe to glamorous royal fiend overnight.

"Meanwhile, her reckless and adoring guardian angel, Zachary, demoted to human guise as the princess's personal assistant, has his work cut out for him trying to save his girl’s soul and plan the Master's fast-approaching Death Day gala.

"In alternating points of view, Miranda and Zachary navigate a cut-throat eternal aristocracy as they play out a dangerous and darkly hilarious love story for the ages."

Read an excerpt. See trailer by Shayne Leighton.

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors (Walker, 2009). Peek: "When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother's coffee shop, she decides to leave him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over.

"Little does she know that this random act of kindness is about to turn her life upside down. Because this adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is really a guardian angel on a break between missions, and now he won't leave until he can reward Katrina's selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire.

"Fame and fortune seem like the obvious requests, but after two botched wishes, Malcolm knows Katrina is hiding something from him. How can she tell him the truth, when her heart's desire has become Malcolm himself?

"Fans of romantic comedies will be clamoring for this heartfelt novel that is good to the last drop."

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder (Simon Pulse, 2009). From the promotional copy: "Years have passed since Alice lost her mother to cancer, but time hasn't quite healed the wound. Alice copes the best she can be writing her music, losing herself in her love for her boyfriend, and distancing herself from her father and his new wife.

"But when a deadly snowstorm traps Alice with her stepmother and newborn half sister, she'll face issues she's been avoiding for too long. As Alice looks to the heavens for guidance, she discovers something wonderful.

"Perhaps she's not so alone after all..."

How to Be a Vampire: A Fangs-On Guide for the Newly Undead by Amy Gray

How to Be a Vampire: A Fangs-On Guide for the Newly Undead by Amy Gray (Candlewick, November 2009). From the promotional copy: "Here the secrets of the undead are revealed, from how to be turned to how to fill eternity once you've been bitten, including: telling your family that you're a child of the night; dressing like the mysterious creature you are; and dos and don'ts of dating a mortal."

Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler

Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler (Simon Pulse, 2008); "In a romantic and suspenseful collection of the New York Times bestselling trilogy (Kissed by an Angel; The Power of Love; Soulmates), love's unbreakable bonds are put to the test.

"When her boyfriend, Tristan, died, Ivy thought she'd lost everything, even her faith in angels. But now she's discovered that he's her guardian angel--his presence so strong that she can feel the touch of his hand, the beat of his heart. Ivy needs Tristan now more than ever because he knows she's in terrible danger. Only Ivy's guardian angel can save her now that his killer is after her.

"But if Tristan rescues Ivy, his mission on earth will be finished, and he must leave her behind forever. Will saving Ivy mean losing her just when he's finally reached her again?"

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (Harcourt, 2009). From the promotional copy: "Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit into Jessica Packwood's senior year 'get-a-life' plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth, and he's her long-lost fiance. Armed with new-found confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess.

"But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war, and save Lucius's soul from eternal destruction."

p.s.- You can also find my review for this story here.

Vamped by Lucienne Diver

Vamped by Lucienne Diver (Flux, 2009). From the promotional copy: "Vampire vixen Mellisande has taken an interest in my boyfriend, and is now transforming the entire high school into her own personal vampire army. If anyone's going to start their own undead entourage it should be me.

"I guess I'll just have to save everyone from fashion disasters and other fates worse than death."I wish everyone good luck in the contest!-Syn

A Hiatus?

2009-06-16T05:48:00.003-04:00

I feel so horrible about not posting in the past several weeks. I've been going through school work, exams, writing, and so much drama within the family and friends departments. I haven't had the time to even cast my eyes at any books. So, since I already know I'm going to be busy the next few weeks/months, I'm taking a hiatus from The Literary Lair. I'll still be taking suggestions through my email.

If you have any questions you can also email me with those.

-Syn

Author Interview: Kevin Krohn

2009-04-21T19:40:00.005-04:00

I know I haven't posted in a while and I figured I could make it up to you guys by posting an author interview with Kevin Krohn (the amazing author of Severed Ties Vol. 1 and soon to be Severed Ties Vol. 2.) You can find my review for Severed Ties Vol. 1 here. Enjoy!

1. When were you first interested in writing?
I enjoyed writing at an early age. My mom still has a book I wrote, probably in first grade, that was laminated and bound. It was a school project, and I thought it was so cool that we laminated and bound them so it seemed like a big deal at the time. It was about G.I Joe!

2. How did you come up with your protagonist, Nyne?
I just wanted the main character to be someone completely different from who'd you expect to be commiting these greusome murders, and to make people think about the murderers that are out there. Most of them grew up basically the same as all of us did, so why not tell the story from that time in their life. Besides that, female assassins are probably one of the most fascinating types of people I can think of.

3. Did you find writing in the point of view in a different gender difficult at any point of your writing?
I really thought it would make the story that much more intriguing to make the character a female. It is not as shocking to write about a male killing people. One of the complaints I have read in some reviews is that Nyne isn't believable because she jumps from emotion to emotion so frequently and is constantly changing moods, but I guess those reviewers haven't run into the same females I have...because I thought those moodswings gave a realistic perspective into an unsure female questioning her surroundings.

4. Which of your characters would you say you're most like personality-wise?
People that know me can find my personality in each of the characters, but the one that is the most like me would be Nyne's love interest, Eric.

5. How did you come up with the story line for "Severed Ties?"
I love stories with big twists, crazy situations involving normal people. I am a big fan of movies like Old Boy and Memento that turn the story upside down with shocking surprises.

6. Was any research involved while writing "Severed Ties?"
No research. I let the story kind of piece itself together as I wrote it. I grew up in Portland, OR, so I had the story take place there since I was familiar with the locations I wanted to use. I did a little research for some perspective towards explaining the end of Volume II, though.

7. Do you have any specific habits for when you write?
I have made it a habit to not go back and try to rewrite while I am writing. When I started I spent so much time reworking paragraphs that the story would never move along. I make sure I just keep moving forward and will go back at a later date to rework it.

8. Do you write by typing, by hand, or both?
I have to write by hand. I can't keep a fluid flow of thoughts if I type, most likely becuase of my hunt-and-peck skills. The reason I named my publishing company SpiralBound Publishing is because I write in a good ol' spiralbound notebook.

9. Do you have a favorite spot for writing?
There is a small coffee shop up the street from my house that sits at the base of the mountain. I like to sit in there and write...plus the people watching can trigger some good ideas from time-to-time.

10. Any words for other aspiring authors?
I refuse to let people tell me what they think my story should be. I am pretty selfish in that sense. Just write what you feel and let it stand on it's own merit.

Thanks so much Kevin for taking the time and answering these questions for us.

Kevin Krohn's Myspace

This is a Severed Ties Vol. 2 Promo. Please note: I did not create this thus I do not take any credit for this promo video.

-Syn

Good News!

2009-04-04T09:08:00.005-04:00

I have found Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith and Go Ask Alice by Anonymous! It's funny, though, where they ended up being found; my chair. I could swear I looked everywhere in my room and that there was no way they would've been in my chair; I, evidently, was wrong.

Anyway, Eternal and Go Ask Alice have been placed back on my reading list but they'll be read after I finish Evernight by Claudia Gray, Old Magic by Marianne Curley, and In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.

-Syn

Jessica's Guide to Dating On the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

2009-03-29T19:34:00.003-04:00

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

I have to be honest; when I first heard the title and read the description I didn't exactly see myself liking the book too much. The title seemed really corny and I thought I had heard this plot line for a story several times before. But, in the end, I was very, very wrong. When I first started reading the story, I was hesitant about how quickly you found out who Jessica was supposed to be and what Lucius was. Then I kept reading and found that if I hadn't have known from the start what/who they were, there would've been a lot of bland space between the beginning and when the twists start coming in. Lucius's letters to his uncle were a good add-on, I thought, which helped me think more on Lucius's level than if I was just an outsider. This book made me go through several emotions; happiness, sadness, and, definitely, anger. That's one of the reasons, though, why I love the book so much now; it made me feel exactly what Jessica/Antanasia was feeling. Beth Fantaskey has now become one of my new favorite authors as Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side has become my new favorite book.

5/5

Missing Books!

2009-03-23T22:48:00.004-04:00

The last two books I was going to review this month have gone missing -plays dramatic music-. I've looked all over my house for them but they don't seem to pop up anywhere. As you all know(and if you don't well, surprise!) my books are practically like children/family to me so if I can't find them soon, I'll be very upset. But, since I am determined to have three book reviews this month, I'm going ahead and starting what I had set up for April's list and reading "Evernight" by Claudia Gray and finishing with "In the Forests of the Night" by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes.

I really hope I can find my books soon, wish me luck!

-Syn

Note: I will be posting the "Jessica's Guide to Dating On the Dark Side" review soon!

Realization?

2009-03-15T22:07:00.003-04:00

So, I've come to the conclusion that I've never realized how much of a book worm I was up until today. I always thought of myself as a book-lover but as I was going through these different review sites, I realized how much I love reading about new books, old books, blue books, rainbow books; name it and I most likely love to hear of it.

I also noticed this as I was laying down in my bed (reading of course) and I happened to glance at one corner of my room; there was a large stack of books there. I shrugged and took a small glance inside my open closet; more books there. Again I shrugged and started to look around the room. I have stacks of books on my dressers, next to my bed (on both sides, mind you), all over my bookshelf (where else?) and more inside of my bag. I sighed heavily and took in the fact that I only had about three inches of space left on my bookshelf and that I had about a yards worth of books to fit into it.

Which leads me to asking a favor as well: Would anyone happen to know where I could find a good bookshelf for a just as good price? If you do, let me know in a comment or email; it's very much appreciated.

So, I figured I'd share this revelation with you all and let you all know just how much of a book worm I've become (definitely not a bad thing ^_^.)

-Syn

Contest!: Aye Captain Reviews

2009-03-15T18:25:00.002-04:00

Aye Captain Reviews is having a giveaway. Up for grabs is a Bonechiller ARC(MacNamee) and Ice(Myers.) Just follow the link below and follow the directions given to enter the contest.

Aye Captain Reviews Contest.

I wish you all the best of luck!

-EmiLie

Another New Contest: The Story Siren

2009-03-15T12:06:00.003-04:00

The Story Siren has a contest that gives you the chance to win Ten ARCs! Just follow the link below and follow the directions given.

Link to Contest by The Story Siren

I wish you all the best of luck!

-Syn

Contest from Reading Keeps You Sane!

2009-03-14T14:06:00.004-04:00

Reading Keeps You Sane has a contest to win a signed copy of "Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side" by Beth Fantaskey. Just follow the link below and read the rules to enter the contest.

"Jessica's Guide..." Contest!

I wish you all the best of luck!

-Syn

Reading List for March of 2009

2009-03-01T21:44:00.004-05:00

This is the reading list for March of 2009. I hopy you enjoy!

NOTE: If you could not hear me or read the titles/authors names at the credits, the list of books is at the left of this video.

Severed Ties Vol. I by Kevin Krohn

2009-02-28T22:43:00.003-05:00

Severed Ties tells the story of Nyne Harper, a college freshman living with her widowed father. At the tender age of two, she lost her mother tragically in a house fire, believed to have been retaliation against her father for blowing the whistle on a large corporate cover-up. The two have been on the run since, trying to piece together some semblence of a normal life while constantly looking over their shoulders.

Now an adult, Nyne is ready to quench her thirst for revenge and protect the only family she has left. The question will be, is she prepared for what her life is about to become?

The story immediately starts out with an action which I loved; it immediately caught my interest in the story. Within a few chapters of the book, I was completely hooked in finding out Nyne's life and story. I'm glad Kevin put in some humor with the dialogue which also kept me interested; how can it be a good story if there's not a little bit of humor? I'm sure the thing that stuck out to me the most(humor-wise) was when Eric called his and Nyne's teacher a pinecone. That sent me into hysterics. The descriptions were so detailed it was like I was there with Nyne and the suspense was so built I was anxious to read each page to find out what would happen next. I was very surprised about Nyne's past and all of the twists Kevin Krohn had so deviously thrown in there. I absolutely cannot wait for Severed Ties: Volume II!

4/5

Evermore by Alyson Noel

2009-02-24T06:36:00.004-05:00

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is.

There are very few books that will keep me reading into the late hours of the night and this is one of them. Even now after I've read the story I'm listening to music and thinking of ways the songs could fit with the story. At first I was so agitated with this book, annoyed with Haven mostly then frustrated by Ever's decisions but eventually the story worked itself out and now I'm left wanting more. Through the whole book I was so tied into the emotion that I actually almost growled at one of my teachers for interrupting me and there could possibly be some tear stains on the pages. Alyson did an incredible job with the descriptions and her wit shines through in some of the dialogue throughout the book. I, too, give this book a 5/5 review and can't wait until August of 2009 when Blue Moon is published!

5/5

Venomous by Christopher Krovatin

2009-02-15T14:40:00.005-05:00

Locke Vinetti is a high school junior, disenchanted and more than a little hostile. In fact, for years he's had a lousy social life because of a problem he has with his anger--a force he calls "the venom." Ever since he was eight years old and bit off a piece of a classmate's nose, he's been something of a loner. But all that is about to change when he goes out with his one friend, Randall, to meet some of Randall's crew hanging out at Riverside Park. Because in addition to meeting his kindred spirit, Casey--who has his own problems with his own kind of venom--Locke meets the spikey blue fairy-haircut Goth girl of his dreams. And if their relationship is going to work, he knows he has to rid himself of the venom once and for all.

Wow, this book has blown me away. I admit, I did get sidetracked from it for a while, but everytime I started reading the story again I just got sucked right back in. And when I wasn't reading it, the story haunted my dreams, filling my head with visions of Locke trying to fight off The Venom and others where he was taken over by it. The drawings and the second story where Locke was the hero within the story set this book apart from any I had ever read before. At first I didn't completely understand why they were in there, the story and drawings, but after a few reads I understood and now see that it was a necessity in order for you to understand where Locke was coming from and how it kept the story going. I really felt like I was Locke through most of the book, the rest of the time I could see myself as one of his friends. I could understand where he was coming from with The Venom to an extent, after all I am a teenager. But The Venom was so much more than mere tantrums. Christopher made this black thing that ran through Locke's veins a whole new being and made it have it's own character through most of the book. Out of the entire story I saw one very miniscule grammar issue where he accidentally wrote "Locke" instead of "Lon" but other than that it was grammar-issue-free. This book has sky-rocketed from just a random pick at my local Books-A-Million to one of the books I'll most likely cherish for a long time, if not, my whole life. I give "Venomous" by Chris Krovatin a 5/5 points review.

5/5

Reading List for February of 2009

2009-02-02T19:22:00.004-05:00

This is my reading list for the month of February(09.) I can't wait to read all of these books! I'll get these reviews up as soon as I possibly can ^_^.

P.S.-If I mispronounce a name, please correct me(in a nice way) by either commenting this blog, the youtube account, or messaging me at twilight_freak_emma@yahoo.com. I'd appreciate it :).

Enjoy!
-Syn

UPDATE!
I've decided not to read "The Silver Kiss" by Annette Curtis Klause and "Night World: Secret Vampire" by L.J. Smith this month because I know I won't have the time this month to finish those two. I will however have the time to finish "Evermore" by Alyson Noel and read "Severed Ties" by Kevin Krohn.

Nocturnal Reviews Contest

2009-01-21T14:43:00.002-05:00

Yay! It's finally here! Nocturnal Reviews if FINALLY having a contest. You have the chance to win books by Tom Tancin. Just follow the link below and sign up. Hurry! Contests don't last forever.

Nocturnal Reviews Contest

Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde

2009-01-18T05:21:00.004-05:00

The Nowicki house looked not only totally dark but almost intimidating.

Kerry got her key out of the poket of the backpack and started up the walk, Ethan's headlights lighting her way.

Kerry put her hand on the doorknob, but before she even got the key in, the door swung open. Odd for her father not to lock up, but maybe he was at one of the neighbors' and had left thinking he'd only be away a few minutes, maybe he hadn't counted on being away after dark.

Kerry groped for the light switch.

The living room was a wreck.

Not WRECK as in it-hadn't-been-cleaned-in-a-week. WRECK as in pictures askew, furniture tossed around, cushions slit.

Kerry whirled around just in time to see Ethan pulling away from the curb. "Wait!" she cried. She dropped her backpack and raced across the lawn.

He turned the car around and pulled up in front of the house. The light from the open door spilled brightly on the front stoop. No sign of movement. "Wait here," he told her. He left the car door open and didn't turn off the engine.

Kerry watched apprehensively as Ethan walked up the driveway.

When she got to the house, Ethan hadn't moved beyond the living room. She had tried to be quiet, just in case the intruders were still in there, but when she saw what he was looking at—the red writing on the wall—she gasped.

VAMPIRE, the writing said, WE HAVE YOUR FAMILY.

***THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS! READ WITH CAUTION!

Oh. My. God. This book has me completely BLOWN away. At first I was a bit skeptical, as I normally am of any story that's written in 3rd person point of view. But my God this book has proved me wrong. At several points in the story I forgot it was even in 3rd person and kept reminding myself each time i saw the words "she," "he," etc. Vivian had me hooked pretty much from the beginning line "When Ian came into Kerry's room to ask for a favor, it never occured to her that her four-year-old brother could ask her to do something that might get her killed." On several occasions I wanted to leap into the story and yell at Ethan to stop lying to Kerry and, toward the end, to yell at Kerry for betraying Ethan the way she did. Anyway, this story had so many twists I almost couldn't keep up and the way you felt like you were Kerry the ENTIRE time the story was told was absolutely wonderful. I give Vivian mad props for such an amazing story.

5/5

Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood

2009-01-10T14:03:00.007-05:00

Being sent to your room is one thing. But being sent to another country?

Morgan's boyfriend dumped her on the last day of school-it seemed the only thing to do was to hack off her hair and dye the stubble orange. Unfortunately, Morgan's parents freaked and decided a change of scenery would do her good. So they're sending her off on a bike tour of Ireland.

But Morgan gets more than she bargained for on the Emerald Isle-including a strange journey into some crazy, once upon a time corner of the past. There, she meets fairies, weefolk, and a hunky warrior-dude named Fergus, and figures out that she's got some growing to do-and she doesn't just mean her hair.

The story flows amazingly and I like that within the first few chapters Maryrose gives you an exciting action to keep you hooked. Morgan is such a funny character and could be one of those friends you'd kill to have. The fantasy and enchantment in this book will keep your own imagination flowing and make you wonder about Lucky on the Lucky Charms cereal box.

4/5

Beastly by Alex Flinn

2008-10-11T22:58:00.005-04:00

A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell.
Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly.

Wow. Just honestly; wow. So, I was in Booksamillion(the greatest store on the face of the planet. That is, when you can actually find a book.) and I happened to see this book sitting on the bottom shelf. I thought the cover was very interesting, not to mention the title(especially since my friends and I use that word all of the time to describe something.) Now, I already had like 4 other books at home that I needed to read but I figured, why not? Anyway, I bought the book, figuring I'd just wait until after I finished "Ghost Girl" to read it. But, temptation struck and I cracked open the first page. Lord knows how many times I tried putting it down to get my eyes refocused(they tend to blurr after I read for a long time) and to start doing something else. The only actually times I stopped reading was when I needed to refocus my vision or because I had to sleep; just ask my friend Amanda. Anyway, back to the book; I thought Alex did an impeccably fantastic job at redoing the Beauty and the Beast story to fit our time and changing it so we knew how it was from the Beast's point of view. If you're into disney movies or just fairytales in general, then this would be the perfect book for you :).

4/5

The Coffin Club-Book # 5 in Vampire Kisses Series

2008-08-22T16:17:00.008-04:00

It's tough for love-struck Raven to imagine what's keeping her nocturnal boyfriend from returning to Dullsville. So there's only one thing to do—find Alexander. Along the way, Raven can't resist the spot where she feels most at home, the Coffin Club. But when she stumbles upon a secret door in the club, she descends into a dim catacomb—to a hidden hangout, where the house drink happens to be type A or B. Drawn to one of its shadowy members, Raven suspects she's in over her head. But exploring the covert club is too tempting, even after coming facte-to-face with Alexander's trouble-stirring enemy.

Can Raven delve further into the Underworld unbeknownst to Alexander—and also solve the mystery of her true love's own secrecy? Ellen Schreiber's sizzling Vampire Kisses series continue's with its darkest installment yet.

Yay! I am so excited that I finished this :3 I actually started this book in July, I think, but got distracted by the Breaking Dawn excitement, the book I had to read for English(Alas, Babylon), and writing my newest story. I must say that Raven had started to frustrate me a few times in this latest installment but, still, she's my favorite character(Alexander Sterling running second.) I absolutely adore this story of Ellen's and, no joke, you will be very surprised when you come to the ending.

5/5

Alas, Babylon

2008-08-20T20:25:00.008-04:00

"Alas, Babylon." Those fateful words heralded the end. When a nuclear holocaust ravages the United States, a thousand years of civilization are stripped away overnight, and tens of millions of people are killed instantly. but for one small town in Florida, miraculously spared, the struggle is just beginning, as men and women of all backgrounds join together to confront the darkness.

Despite the fact that I had to read this for my English II class, I actually liked this story. I have to admit, though, that it took a few chapters for me to get hooked into the story. But when I did get hooked I couldn't even put the book back down. Pat Frank did an amazing job with his descriptions for every scene, all so vivid that it was almost like I was there. This story shocked me several times and sent fear-filled chills up and down my spine, though I think that's what made it an even better story; to be able to give me that reaction.

4/5

To Catch A Pirate Review

2008-08-10T05:17:00.002-04:00

When Annalisa Townsend’s ship is set upon by pirates in search of her father’s treasure, one of the crew, James Sterling, discovers her in the hold. When he moves to take her necklace, she begs him not to, as it is all she has left of her mother. He accepts a kiss in exchange for the necklace. “A fair trade, m’lady,” he tells her afterward, before disappearing. A year later, with a forged letter of marque, Annalisa is intent on hunting down the wretched James Sterling and reclaiming her father’s treasure from him. But now she’s in danger of him stealing something far more vulnerable this time: her heart.

I found this book absolutely wonderful. It had me hooked up until the very last words were read. Jade Parker gives such great detail and great suspense to her story, and there's always a twist to be uncovered.

5/5

Breaking Dawn(what we've ALL been waiting for.)

2008-08-04T10:29:00.008-04:00

"Don't be afraid," I murmured. "We belong together."

I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words.

This moment was so perfect, so right, there was no way to doubt it.

His arms wrapped around me holding me against him.... It felt like every nerve ending in my body was a live wire.

"Forever," he agreed.

Hehe, I'm so very happy, yet sad at the same time, that I've finally finished this. This book, this final installation of the Twilight Saga, has floored me so many different times while I was reading it, that I should be burned by the heat of the Earth's core by now. It seemed to last forever, which I'm happy it did. It was funny how I truly felt like I was two different vampires from this story, both seperately and together at the same moments. I felt like Jasper Hale, in the sense that I could feel everything Stephenie was sending my way through written words. I felt like Edward Cullen in the sense that it was as if my mind had taken such a serious direction, that certain large words didn't bother me(hehe) and that despite everything, there was still something worth living for, or in my case, something worth reading for, to want to know the ending no matter how much the pessimism in some parts of the book was getting to me. That's when I felt like both of them at the same time.

And even then, I felt envious of them. I wanted so badly to have vampire-like powers so I could easily speed through the book and know the outcome so I could put the aching in my stomach to rest.

I'm going to share a story, though it might not seem that important, it proves my point. So, today is Monday. I hadn't eaten since Thursday night, due to excitement of the Release Party, and the sickness I felt on Saturday. But on Sunday, when I felt relatively normal, I had to rip myself from the book, figuring I should start thinking smarter and actually try to eat some type of breakfast. But as I approached the kitchen, I realized something. Absolutely nothing seemed more appetizing to me than sticking my nose back in that book. So, I kept myself locked in my room and read, and read, and read, until I finished. Also, so many of the things that struck me, just shocked me so much I thought I was going to literally fall off of the couch, seemed to open different doors for me. My once solid thoughts of everything going on in this story, soon changed into indescribable pieces that I couldn't put together up until the very end. I. Loved. It.

Now, about the split views in the book; I know some don't like it. At first I wasn't very happy with the idea either, but after getting used to it, I was able to realize why it needed to be in there. Think about it, if none of that had been in Jake's point of view, most of the things we officially know now, would have been way more confusing if it had only been in Bella's POV.

I also know there are plenty of people that now bring up that Stephenie "had to be in it for the money." Are you really serious? I might not know her personally, but really? Think for a moment, how could you be in it for the money if you had a dream about it and only meant to write the scene? Then, when your own curiosity started conjuring up different scenes that were connected to your dream, how could you resist writing those down, too? Also, once said scenes were piled together in a story, how could you be in it for the money when your own loved ones gave you enough confidence to say "Hey, I have a story, I have my truths, I want them out there!" You wouldn't pass it up. You couldn't pass it up to share your thoughts, your opinions, your truths with the world when you knew you could. Tell me, how is any of that in it for the money? That's all writing should be about; sharing your knowledge, your imagination, your talent, pretty much your everything, with the world so they can get even a small view of it with their curiosity burning in their minds.

Ahem, now that that has been said, I'd like to make another point with a less hostile tone. A side note I guess. It seems that, through reading this series, I've come to feel that I personally know and care for these characters as if they were true people I had known since forever ago. No pun intended. As if they were apart of me, despite pages and space. I was brought into their world, thanks to Stephenie. I thank her so much for sharing her truths with the world, and making me rethink so many things that, I'm very sure I wouldn't have been able to figure out alone without her or these books.

I know this is a very long review, but it's everything I wanted and needed to get out there, to show you exactly what I thought. That's the purpose of a review, right?

Thanks again, Stephenie Meyer. For creating the best books I have/will ever have read.

-EmiLIE 5/5 stars

To any authors out there;

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Want to promote your book, published or not, by having someone review it? This is the perfect place ^_^. Just send me an email (found on the front page) and tell me about it(i.e. summary, genre, how I'd read it, etc.) Preferred genres are fantasy/teen but I don't mind "expanding my horizons," if you will, and reading something from a different genre. Again just email me and I'll try to get back to you!

*** If you happen to email me your story, it may take a while for me to read; I'm more easily distracted online than off.

The Literary Lair?

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The Literary Lair is a place where book lovers can come and either read a review of their favorite book or discover new books to add to their lists. T.L.L. is also for authors(published or not) to send in their stories and have them reviewed for either promotional or personal reasons.

T.L.L. started in the late summer of 2008 when one of my best friends, Amanda(of Nocturnal Reviews), told me about her own review site and that I should get into it, too. Well, I've started and now here's The Literary Lair.

-Emilie

Who's Emilie?
Hello! My name's Emilie and I'm the owner and creator of The Literary Lair. I'm an avid reader and also an aspiring writer. Some other things I'm into include singing, listening to music, being with my friends, and dancing(so long as it's in one spot.) That's right, I'm so clumsy it's amazing I haven't been to the hospital yet. One of my favorite books is Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and before you start questioning, I was a fan of the series before it became a fad. I'm also into vampires(I, too, was addicted to them before Twilight came around.) I'm a major fan of anything to do with magic and fantasy and that's mainly what I write about. I'm very nice when I first meet you so don't be afraid to email me. And Welcome to The Literary Lair!

-Syn

Suggestions?

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Have a suggestion of a book I should read/review? Either comment here with the title of the book(along with the author's name) or email it to me(my email is located to the right of this post.) I mostly prefer teen/fantasy stories but I'm willing to "expand my horizons" so to speak. Just let me know the title, author's name, genre, and, if possible, a mini summary of the story.

Thank you!
-Syn

What Am I Reading?(Archive)

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-February 2009-

-March 2009-