My Top Five Part 1

Happy New Year's to all my blogging friends! I am so happy that I got to know all of you! If you haven't noticed, I have been a bit MIA - I got my first sinus infection - man did it suck - and because of that I didn't have much of a head for reading. 

For my wrap up I am going to do this in parts of my top five faves for 2011. This post will include my top five fave books and my top five fave male leads in TV in no particular order.

I was super interested in this series but because I had read Clockwork Angel first and was worried that the Mortal instrument series would ruin it for me. Not the case and super sad I didn't dive in immediately. Hello Jace.









OH MY GOD! If you have not read this... go do it. The world Roth created was awesome. I loved all of her characters. I CANNOT wait for Insurgent to come out. This may be my favorite read of the year.










This was the first ebook of the year for me and after reading it, I immediately bought the other two. I thought it was a great change of pace instead of vampires and werewolves (though I love them). Who knew Trolls could be hott?









Another great paranormal - wait - is this paranormal?  Another great change of pace and a great introduction to me about the Indian culture. Houck create a great world of myth for us to see and also some sizzling scenes.











This book was slow to start for me. In fact, my friend Karen had suggested it to me and I tried but put it down. I read it about mid-May and was instantly sad that I hadn't read it before. What a fantastic dystopia. The unwinding process scene - OMG. And did you know Shusterman is going to be doing a sequel? I know - heaven-sent.







On to my top fave guys on TV.

Sheldon  Cooper -how I love your quirky-ness and your catch phrase - Bazinga

I have been a CSI nut for awhile and nothing takes the place of Nick for me :) SO HOTT

 This was a new find for me this year though - he is not. Anyone remember him from the TV series Angel?

Sexy. (That's all I have to say.)

OK - so there is two of them. I know. But I can't separate the two hottest vamp actors. I can't.  Don't hate.

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

I read this book before Christmas and I stewed on it.  I liked the book. I liked it more at the end. I thought Theia was a two-dimensional character - I never really got to know her. I felt like I was just reading about someone where I wasn't "making her my friend."

I actually liked Haden much more and liked it more when the story was told from his perspective. Hayes does not flip POV often in the book, but she does at key points and it was nicely done. Sometimes I want to know what the other character is thinking. Haden - I like him because he openly admits he is selfish for wanting to be with Theia, but does try and resist. His world is beautifully described. Ok a bit creepy which is good. I am hoping to find out more about it in the next book.

Like I said, the beginning was a bit slow but then the twist happens - which I didn't see coming. I wanted to know more about the "deal" and "mother." My fav scene is at the end when Haden shows up to rescue Theia. I loved his attitude!

I am going to start having a schedule on this blog. 

And Thursdays are going to be video days. I am slowly becoming a Youtube addict. I have no shame. My dog, Fergie, the collie, not a big fan. She keeps "talking" to me as I lay on the floor next to her dying laughing. I don't think she gets it. 

Anyway - Thursdays are OK, but Wednesdays kind of suck so, I am going to spend my Wednesdays searching for happy, funny, or awesomely insane things on Youtube. 

My first video is a music video because when EVER I hear this song it makes me do my happy dance. Yes, this involves me looking like a complete moron, but the song makes me really happy so listen to it - not so much the video - but the song. I dare you not to smile. 

*stops doing the happy dance and plays the song again - continues happy dancing* 

If I don't talk or hear from you - Have a Merry Christmas!! 

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

n the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed. 

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.


A big draw for this book is the cover. As some of you know, I am a huge cover slut. I love a good cover. I get all consumed by it. And this, is one of them. It's beautiful and haunting. Take a moment.

The second big draw for me was the concept about language. As an English teacher, language is a big deal to me and I was curious how it would play a role. I was very pleased when language was the connector for all of society and the division as well. It was underlying throughout the whole book.  Charlie can understand all languages, even ones she is unfamiliar with. You see society mixing speaking their own and the universal, but Charlie gets herself in a position where she doesn't lower head to someone else speaking a "higher" language and she almost was executed for it.

This book is not one that when I finished, I gushed about. Instead I finished it, was satisfied by the book's ending, even if it ended right there forever (WHICH THANK GOD IT DOESN'T), but woke up the next morning thinking about scenes and characters. I continued for a day or two to think about it. The book stays with you.

Charlie carries around the secret that she is different from everyone else and that her sister Angeline is as well and that these differences could result in them being arrested and executed. But what Charlie doesn't realize is how special she is. She gets that her parents are good people (which I have noticed is a running trend that our teen heroes have crappy parents), Brook and Aron are great friends, and her sister though she does not speak, is special. Someone who sees how special she is, is Max. Max was different from everyone in the story. And when it was revealed how special he was - I did the "No Way!"

The ending - I saw coming - but the very, very end - and what Charlie reveals is a little unnerving if you were her.

It was a great read. Kimberly Derting did a fantastic job.

The Big Bang Theory

I want to interrupt this normally schedule book related post to talk about something I find downright hysterical. I give you


The Big Bang Theory -




I want you to know that I sing that every time it comes on TV. No matter my mood. No matter who I am speaking to. I sing, full force, and always shout BANG really loud.




Another favorite part of the series for me: Sheldon knocking.




BAHAHAHAHA

What's your favorite Big Bang character? Mine is Sheldon. I am pretty sure he would aggravate me to death but I am pretty sure I would still be in love. He kills me.

If Big Bang is not your cup of tea, what is? and why?

Cover Reveal - The Owens Legacy: Revelations!!!

Yep - here it is!   


When telepathic twins, Piper and Ryder Owens are dumped at Evermore Academy, they thought that the only thing they’d have to worry about was Piper staying out of trouble long enough for them to graduate. They will not, for any reason, be separated. But someone at Evermore knows about their secret and wants to separate them permanently.

But then Piper’s Achilles Heel shows up: a good lucking guy. Victor Mira is everything Piper is supposed to avoid, yet she feels drawn to him in a way she never imagined. But Victor is hiding a dangerous secret too, and what he knows could be the one thing that could divide the sisters. Forever.














I want to thank my brilliant student Kenzie Mencer for designing, shooting, and editing this cover. She was wonderful through the whole thing and super supportive. Folks, you should see some of her other work. It's awesome.

The other person I want to thank is the beautiful blonde in the picture, Maggie Hammond! Maggs is one of my former students and the inspiration for my twins. Nope, just one of her, not two. Though Maggs and Kenzie are cousins and easily mistaken for sisters.

Last I want to thank Komal at In Which I Write Nonsensically for sitting on facebook with me to come up with the summary for the book. We tossed ideas and sentences back and forth and produced the words you see above.

I cannot thank these ladies enough for making my first cover reveal such a great moment!!

I am going to be sending out copies of my book soon to people through pdf. If you are interested, please let me know and I will send you a copy.

Clockwork Prince - Cassandra Clare BAM!

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

I have been avoiding everyone's posts about this novel. I didn't want any spoilers. I refused to talk to my friend Joe because he had finished it and I didn't want anything spoiled.
One word.

HEARTBREAKING! 


Spoilerish 
Two reasons - One because I have to wait until next December for the third installment. Anyone have the time travel thing down and want to send me the future? Come on! No one?!

Two because of how much heartbreak was in the novel. I must admit, I was pumped and then the book slowed down for me, and then BAM! I was in it again. Poor Jessie. Poor Jem. Poor Charlotte and Henry. Poor Sophie. Poor Magnus. Poor Will.

Will.

My sweet, sweet Will. A lot of people are Team Jem. I get it. He's a hottie. He's a sweetheart. He's kind. He proves to be passionate in this book. He def. has the huge addiction problem which pull the sympathy card. He's the underdog. BUT. Let's take a look at Will and what he has had to deal with in his life only to find out .... and then when he tries to fix everything and goes after what he wants, BAM! the end happens which leaves me furious! I totally think he should win. I also think because of the summary of the book that is on goodreads, he will.

Speaking of the end... Um, hello cliffhanger.

BAM!

OK. I am focusing and will now stop writing the word "BAM". This story takes up right where we left off. We are introduced to some new characters, one being Gideon Lightwood, who is a very noble character, one you hope won't be on the "died at the end" list. He's kind to Sophie. He's loyal to the Law. He knows right from wrong.

Mortmain is a key player in the whole book and we never see him once. He does pit one of the Institute's own against them though, which in the end, was heartbreaking. The scene with the initials at the end? Heartbreaking. We do see that Mortmain is advancing more but his full on plan is not yet revealed. He does however still want Tessa.

Tessa is a character that I like but not as much as the others. She is a driving force in the novel, but I think I have attached myself to the other's personalities, like Will's uncanny ability to make people uncomfortable, Jem's ability to anyone at ease, Charlotte's drive, Jessie's need for marriage, Henry's one track mind. Tess, however, is in the cliche spot of the lover's triangle and what a triangle it is. It's the normal one that you read about, no real deviation from it, and you want to know what? I LOVE IT.

I could go on and on about this, but I fear I will say too much and spoil it all together. My last and parting comment will be about none other than my favorite of favorites, Magnus Bane. Sigh. In this novel I got to see why he fell for Alec, because he has an attachment to Will, and Will is a lot like Alec. Also, we get to see the relationship Magnus had with Camille that made him dislike her so. This novel showed a softer, more reserved side of Magnus.  He's the complete package. So Team Will, but really, I am the captain of Team Magnus.

Looking for people to review my book - blunt enough? haha

Hey reading and writing buddies!

I am sending this short and sweet post to those who would be interested in reading my new, self-e-pubbed novel - The Owens Legacy: Revelations. I am hoping to put it on Amazon and BandN this holiday vacation. I am asking you that you read it, post on your blog about it and put posts on goodreads, Amazon and BandN to help spread the word. Please email me at mf060784 at gmail if you are interested. Thanks for your support.

TGIF

This meme is hosted by GReads!

This Friday's Question:

 

Book to Movie: Which book turn movie do you feel did the best adaptation? What about the worst?

My Answer: 

 

Best - THe Outsiders and The Crucible. I can watch both of these movies constantly. I actually can recite the books and movie lines. I love The Outsiders because it's not all "movie-fake" It's a bunch of teens and I just showed the movie to my 8th grade. THEY LOVED IT. As for The Crucible - I love the drama of the play and the movie - when I hear Daniel Day Lewis say some of his lines, I get chills. 

Worst - He's Just Not That Into You. I read this book with a friend right after I got dumped. The book totally made me laugh. Yes I did find that I was "that girl" in some cases. The movie - holy depressing. It wasn't enjoyable at all.

Know Me Better Hop

Know Me Better 12/8

"Know Me Better"

Each week I am a Reader, Not a Writer will pick 5 questions off of her author interview list to answers. Pop on over there and sign up!

This Week's Questions:

Pet Peeves?
Give us a glimpse into a typical day in your day starting when you wake up till you lie down again.
Pizza or Pasta?
Finish the sentence- one book I wish I had written is....
Favorite sport?

Pet Peeves?

1. Someone else making me late. I like to be early. Coughing *boyfriend* Coughing
2. Things written in blue ink. 
3. People who do not appreciate the movie Dirty Dancing.

Give us a glimpse into a typical day in your day starting when you wake up till you lie down again.

1. Wake up to a mastiff's nose nudging me in the face to tell me she has to go out
2. Let the dogs out 
3. Get ready for work - I'm typically happy to go to work 
4. Go and teach those young minds that test me sanity and teach me new things every day 
5. Come home and play with the pups 
6. Contemplate cleaning 
7. Find anything to do but clean 
8. Read/write/eat
9. Shower 
10. Pester my boyfriend and dogs. 
11. Sleep

Pizza or Pasta?
PASTA  - OMG I LOVE PASTA

Finish the sentence- one book I wish I had written is....
The Crucible

Favorite sport?
I love to play Soccer - I like to hit people :)

Now it's your turn! Share an answer to one or more of these questions as a comment or post your answers on your blog and link up here!

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance---even her closest friends---and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him. 

What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy---all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.

It was the traditional battle of good and evil, over the most precious thing a person has to offer, her soul. That is how I would sum up this book in a sentence. Have you ever done that? Pick up the book you just finished and do it. Go on. I'll wait for you.

*Twenty minutes pass*

OK.

Something that is so no essential to the story - but made me giggle. The fact that all five Cavanaugh girls are named Mary. They go by their middle names but that is something a catholic family would do. I know this because I am Catholic. I think that is also something that I really liked about the book. I was raised Catholic and it is where I get a lot of my morals from, just like Frannie does. I also remember having a lot of questions for my Sunday school teachers. I wonder with other religions, do people question as much as I did? I imagine so, but then again, I was kind of a pain in the beep when I was young.

Luc and Gabe - hello boys. Hello.

Frannie is not this wholesome goody good, but she is super important to the world, much as Moses and Hitler were. - That's a tie in, in case anyone is confused and I loved how it was done.  Back to Frannie - she is essentially a good person but she has a wild side, can't handle drinking, has raging 17 year old hormones, and wants to make the world a better place.  She was great - she knew the world was at stake because of her but she wasn't just going to side with either good or evil just because. She was going to make her own decision.

The devil appears once, but I really wanted to see more of him. The devil appeared in t

The Mephisto Covenant and in Fallen, and only in Fallen does he stay awhile but even then, he's not as much of the "devil" as I imagine him to be. I really want the devil to be in a book and have him be such a #*$&. (fill it in :) ). I have an itch for it just like I am itching for some horror story. 

I recommend this one.

The Gathering by Kelly Armstrong

Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island. 

Until now. 

Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different. Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet. 

In The Gathering, New York Times best-selling author Kelley Armstrong brings all the supernatural thrills from her wildly successful Darkest Powers series to Darkness Rising, her scorching hot new trilogy. 

I read Kelly Armstrong's Darkest Powers series and was sucked in a lot. I loved it. I am always hesitatant when I pick up another book from that author that isn't included in that series. What if it isn't as good? You can only have so many favorites?

The Gathering was solid in all aspects. I read it this past Sunday. It's wasn't that I couldn't put it down. I had a lot of free time and just could spend that much time on reading. Not that this was a bad thing. The story was solid. The characters were different from the Darkest Powers. (You know - sometimes its a new book series with same characters but with different names).  This story is not like that. It's different.

A very cool element is that while they are separate stories they both tie into Project Genesis which is a key "concept" for DP and after finishing the first novel in this series, Project Genesis is still a major "concept." I am curious if any of DP's characters will meet up with some of those from Vancouver Island's.

Maya's a strong character.
Rafe's a strong character.
I like Daniel the best. I found him refreshing to be a "big brother" figure without being romantically interested in Maya. At this point, no love triangle. It's kind of a relief.

Serena was Maya's best friend and in the first chapter - she drowns.  (If you consider that a spoiler - I'm sorry. I figured it was safe because it is in the first three pages.) However, from the description from Maya and clues set up in the book, Serena's death is not an accident. And as Serena's best friend, Maya is determined to find out what happened to her friend.

Overall - I enjoyed it.

Editing Services?

I have noticed on multiple of my writing friend's blogs something that they offer. What is it they offer, you ask? They offer critiquing and editing services to writers.

Recently, I have been delving into my sequel to The Owen Legacy: Revelations.  I have been really pushing my writing. My first rough draft might not even be "dodgy" as Komal says. But for that to happen, I really need to be focusing on my writing and all the rules. I also edited the first twenty pages of two very awesome ladies, Steph and Carrie. I also edit teenage work daily because I am an English teacher.

Is anyone asking what my point is yet?

I think that I would like to start editing. I am not saying I am this super awesome editor. My friend Marie - she's an awesome editor. But I do know that I know the rules of English and I am very good at building stories with others. Again, my experience as an English teacher has really lent to me becoming good at getting people develop full stories.

What I am asking my writing friends is - What makes some creditable in your eyes for editing? What makes you seek out someone's help? What type of services do you look for?  Would testaments from other writers be helpful?

I am really looking for any feedback anyone can give, even if it is: "Michelle, this is a bad idea."


Some cool news in the writing and blogging world.
Komal at In Which I Write Nonsensically, Diana at The Lovely Getaway, and Rachel at Rachel Bateman and I are putting together a group blog. It's in the early planning stages but we are going to be focusing on writing, interviews, and new releases, and the publishing world. We are going to be mostly focusing on the YA genre. Stay tuned for more information.

The second thing, and the one I am super nervous about is, I am going to be ePubbing my novel The Owens Legacy: Revelations this December, probably the last week when I go on break. I hope to reveal to you all the cover within the next week.  So stay tuned for that as well!

Winner of hop

Saba and I just want to say thank you to everyone who hosted and who hopped!

My winner is 

NAT!