The Name of This Blog is Secret

Books, April Through June

2011-07-01T21:12:00.002-04:00

Here is the list of all the books I have read April – June.

(I added personal comments about the books on some of these)

Here is a list of all the books I read during April:

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong (pretty good I thought, worth reading at least. see my review here)
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold by John Le Carré (one of the classic spy novels)
It's OK, I'm Wearing Really Big Knickers! by Louise Rennison (Georgia Nicholson books are awesome)
Saphique by Catherine Fisher (sequel to Incarceron, it's good)
Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Ahhhh. I loved it. My review here)
Saved By The Music by Selene Castrovilla* (I read this over and over because I love Axel)
Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice (the classic vampire book (after Dracula of course))
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (I actually really enjoyed it)
The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong (sequel to aforementioned the Summoning)
39 Clues, Book 9: Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park (this series is awesome)
39 Clues, Book 10: Into The Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Chime by Franny Billingsley (interesting and good. see my review here)
A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson (loved it. i love all her stuff)
Where She Went by Gayle Forman (sequel to If I Stay which is a great book, this one's good too!)
The Maze Runner by James Dashner (it was good)

Here's May:

What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook (I seriously enjoyed this. and not only because of the title)
Eli The Good by Silas House (worth reading, not action packed though, it's about a 10-year-old)
39 Clues, Book 11: Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, and Jude Watson
Sovay by Celia Rees (good author. lots by her. this one involves a girl dressing up as a highway man!)
The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge (awesome and steampunk)
Getting The Girl by Markus Zusak ('twas a'ight)
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane (young Sherlock Holmes! it's awesome!)
The Diamond Of Drury Lane: A Cat Royal Adventure by Julia Golding (it's cool. yup. cool)
The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss (sequel to possibly my favorite book ever. it's pretty good. review here)
City Of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (read the first 3. this one is ok. i liked it)
The Ruby In The Smoke by Philip Pullman* (great books those Sally Lockhart books)
The Incorrigible Children Of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood (kids raised by wolves)
Peter And The Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (prequel to Peter Pan! It's cool!)
The Dowser's Son by Kimberly Willis Holt (I really enjoyed this)
The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan ( sequel to The Red Pyramid. Both are cool.)

Here's June:

Academy 7 by Anne Osterland (kind of dumb looking but it's pretty good)
Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (my dad claims the movie is boring but the book was interesting)
Cat Among The Pigeons: A Cat Royal Adventure by Julia Golding (i love this series)
The Shadow In The North by Philip Pullman* (again. the Sally Lockhart books are great)
Beyond The Station Lies The Sea by Jutta Richter (kind of weird. but interesting. and cute)
Den Of Thieves: A Cat Royal Adventure by Julia Golding
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (it was quite good. although sad. see my review here)
What I Saw And How I Lied by Judy Blundell (I didn't actually enjoy this very much but other people did)
Darkwood by M. E. Breen (it was good enough. interesting)
The Incorrigible Children Of Ashton Place: The Hidden Gallery by Maryrose Wood (sequel. both are awesome)
The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter (a book about baseball. and boys. and a softball pitcher. it's cool)
The Tiger In The Well by Philip Pullman* (Sally Lockhart)
Fat Cat by Robin Brande (I seriously loved this. read it)
The Tin Princess by Philip Pullman*
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley (interesting and slightly off beat. i liked it)
Cat 'O NineTails: A Cat Royal Adventure by Julia Golding
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (author of Saving Francesca which I loved. I loved this one very much too!)
All's Fair In Love, War, And Highschool by Janette Rallison (I'm not embarrassed to say that i enjoyed this)
Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff (this was good)

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

2011-06-18T21:48:00.000-04:00

Briar Rose

Everyone knows of Briar Rose. The Sleeping Beauty awoken by her true love's kiss. In a way this book is a retelling of that classic story. In a way it's a completely new story. And it's not a happy one.
Becca's grandmother Gemma has told her and her sisters the story of Briar Rose over and over. She always tells the story like it's her life. Then when Becca is 23 her grandmother dies. On her deathbed she makes Becca swear that she'll find her castle. Becca promises and starts researching her grandmother's life. The only problem is no one really knew Gemma. Even her own daughter didn't know her real name. But Becca keeps looking and digging deeper into the past and what she finds will take her to Poland, a place called Chelmno, and an elderly man with an important story.
This book is by the author of The Devil's Arithmetic and it's another unconventional Holocaust story. It's an interesting look at a lesser known part of the Holocaust and it's definitely worth reading. (Plus there's a little bit of romance, who could resist?)

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

2011-05-24T20:11:00.000-04:00

The Wise Man's Fear

To start I want to say that this is the sequel to one of my favorite books of all time (The Name of the Wind). Also, that it's 994 pages long. It can get a bit slow at parts but it's still very good and there's something in it for everyone.

This is the continuing story of Kvothe as he is telling it to the Chronicler and his apprentice Bast. We pick up when Kvothe is at the University. Soon after, he is forced to leave the University by his archenemy Ambrose and he travels abroad. He goes to Severen to find a powerful Vintan noble, Maer Alveron, who is looking for a skilled musician. He is sent by the Maer, and with four other mercenaries, he must find and stop who—or what—ever is waylaying tax collectors on the King's Road. Along the way he becomes the first man to be lured in by the Fae Felurian and survive. He is also trained and taught by the Adem and much improves his fighting skills (as well as his Ademic). All the while he is searching for stories of the Amyr and the Chandrian.

I highly recommend reading The Name of the Wind before this sequel. Many of the events at the beginning won't make much sense. It will also be hard to understand Kvothe's motivations and desires. The first book explains Kvothe's origins and more about sympathy (magic) and other elements in The Wise Man's Fear.
The end of this book still leaves many questions unanswered and will have readers clamoring for the final book in The Kingkiller's Chronicle.

Chime by Franny Billingsley

2011-05-05T20:55:00.001-04:00

Chime by Franny Billingsley

"I've confessed to everything and I'd like to be hanged.
Now, if you please.
I don't mean to be difficult, but I can't bear to tell my story. I can't relive those memories—the touch of the Dead Hand, the smell of eel, the gulp and swallow of the swamp.
How can you possibly think me innocent? Don't let my face fool you; it tells the worst lies. A girl can have the face of an angel but have a horrid sort of heart.
I know you believe you're giving me a chance—or, rather, it's the Chime Child giving me the chance. She's desperate, of course, not to hang an innocent girl again, but please believe me: Nothing in my story will absolve me of guilt. It will only prove what I've already told you, which is that I'm wicked.
Can't the Chime Child take my word for it?
In any event, where does she expect me to begin? The story of a wicked girl has no true beginning. I'd have to begin with the day I was born.
If Eldric were to tell the story, he'd likely begin with himself, on the day he arrived in the Swampsea. That's where proper stories begin, don't they, when the handsome stranger arrives and everything goes wrong?
But this isn't a proper story, and I'm telling you, I ought to be hanged."

So begins the story of Briony. She's hiding a terrible secret. One that could get her hanged, witches are hanged aren't they?

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

2011-04-14T18:14:00.000-04:00

The Summoning

What would you do if you found out you could talk to the dead? Well, that's what happens to 5 foot nothing 15 year-old Chloe Saunders. One day she sees a ghost at her school. Understandably she freaks, gets diagnosed with schizophrenia, and ends up in a teen group home called Lyle House. Soon she finds out that she's not the only teen there with an unusual power. The group of teens figure that it can't be a coincidence that they're all at Lyle House. Two foster brothers Simon and Derek come up with a plan to find their missing father and Chloe and a girl named Rae join in. What happens to the group? Do they find Simon and Derek's dad? Does Chloe ever get her normal life back? The world may never know. Also don't miss the sequel The Awakening.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

2011-04-08T23:44:00.000-04:00

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Imagine the United States say a hundred years in the future. What do you picture? A perfect society? Well that's what Magdalena thinks she lives in. To us. Not so much. In this world love has been classified as a disease "amor deliria nervosa." Lena can't wait until her procedure just after her eighteenth birthday that will make her "immune" to love. Until she meets Alex. She contracts a serious case of "amor deliria nervosa" and she doesn't even care. Alex helps her learn to think for herself and question the world she lives in. Is love really a bad thing? The Invalids don't think so. They're the people who live in the Wilds where the government can't get them and believe in a time when love was celebrated not feared. Will Lena and Alex make it together in a world where the government executes for sympathizing with Invalids? Or will their ending be as tragic as the old stories? You have to find out on your own.

Books, January Through March

2011-04-08T22:01:00.003-04:00

Here is my list of all the books I have read January – March.

(I added personal comments about the books on some of these)

Here is a list of all the books I read during January:

The Walking Dead Vol 1 by Robert Kirkman* (Good but not for the faint-hearted. Can be quite graphic)

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life Vol 1 by Bryan Lee O'Malley* (Read them. All of them. Now)

A Troubled Peace by L.M. Elliot (Sequel to Under A War Torn Sky, one of my favorite books of all time)

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Victorian Era. Good story)

Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle (Chick Lit. it's eh ok)

Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel (Read Airborn first though. And then Skybreaker)

Graceling by Kristen Cashore (Very good)

Hero by Mike Lupica (Not like his other books but still good)

Scott Pilgrim Vs the World Vol 2 by Bryan Lee O'Malley*

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Fire by Kristen Cashore (Takes place 30 years prior to Graceling)

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (Love this)

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

~The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner~ (Love these books. I read them again and again)

~The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner~

~The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner~

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (Definitely read this. Very good)

The Eternal Ones: What If Love Refused to Die? by Kirsten Miller (sounds stupid but was actually interesting/good)

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (won some award for 2010. Rightly so)

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld (sequel to Leviathan)

Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer

Here's all the February books:

Gimme A Call by Sarah Mlynowski (The plot's good but the main character is so annoying)
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (Read the first 2 first)
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (The main character is very cool. I liked the book a lot)
By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters (Good but a sad topic)
Scott Pilgrim and the Infinite Sadness Vol. 3 by Bryan Lee O'Malley* (Read them.)
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (Pretty good, actually)
So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld (This one was interesting)
Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce**
Paper Towns by John Green (This was good)
Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce
Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer (I love the Artemis Fowl books)
The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier (This was good. But the ending is kind of disturbing)
Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eoin Colfer
Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together Vol. 4 by Bryan Lee O'Malley*
Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe Vol. 5 by Bryan Lee O'Malley*
~Bog Child by Siobhan Dowd~ (I love this book entirely)
I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak (Author of the Book Thief. Need I say more? It's amazing.)
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (Read it.)
Define Normal by Julie Anne Peters (Not a sequel to the other book by her above)
Six Innings: A Game In The Life by James Preller (Book about a Little League Baseball Game.)

Here's March:

Born to Rock by Gordon Korman (Awesome book)

Here Lies Arthur by Phillip Reeve (Interesting take on the King Arthur legend)

Night by Elie Wiesel (Super depressing)

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (A classic)

The Gate of Days: The Book of Time II by Guillaume Prévost (Read the first one first)

Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour Vol 6 by Bryan Lee O'Malley*

The Rivalry by John Feinstein (Fifth installment in a series of YA sports mysteries)

xkcd Volume 0 by Randall Munroe* (A collection of comics from the onling webcomic xkcd.com)

~Grace by Elizabeth Scott~ (Dystopian future. Takes place on a train)

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin (Good chick lit story)

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison (By the author of the Georgia Nicholson books. Definitely worth reading)

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy (Very dark, adult Western novel)

Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford (Pretty good. Worth reading)

Erec Rex: The Dragon's Eye by Kaza Kingsley (My brother finally got me to read this first in a series. I'm glad he did)

Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman (Interesting look at 1940's India. Very frustrating at times because of the societal outlook on women)

Love (And Other Uses For Duct Tape) by Carrie Jones (Takes place in Maine!)

Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn (Good chick lit read)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan (Worth reading definitely)

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (This was very good. It's written in an interesting way too)

* means Graphic Novel
** means an Audio Book
~ means a reread

New Topics

2011-04-08T21:02:00.000-04:00

So I'm taking over this blog and changing it to something specific. I'm going to talk about books. I will be attempting to write reviews. About books. Maybe other stuff too. It all depends.

Alpacas

2010-11-03T20:34:00.004-04:00

Ok so I'm not really sure what to write about on a regular basis. But I thought today I would post a video. It's of alpacas…yup. Enjoy.

8th Grade

2010-11-02T20:24:00.003-04:00

Welcome to 8th Grade. Hooray!

Anyways,

Here are some pictures I've taken.

Coolest Wheelbarrow Ever

2010-06-23T21:48:00.002-04:00

It's the wheelbarrow of the future! No one wants to lug that old classic red 'barrow, when instead u could have a yellow one!

Brian Playing Don't Stop Believin'

2010-06-02T20:52:00.002-04:00

Here is my brother playing Don't Stop Believin' at the Janney talent show.

Birthday

2010-01-26T20:08:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLARA!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmZ2ICOZ8mo&feature=related

What the world is coming to

2009-12-24T13:54:00.002-05:00

Sorry, I just had to post this. I really don't know what to think abouut this, I really don't. The title of the video is How to Peel a Banana Like a Monkey. http://video.yahoo.com/network/100000089?v=5541397&l=6936086

WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO?!?!?!?!?!?!

2009-12-18T19:56:00.002-05:00

HEY ALL!!!!!!!! I just wanted to wish you guys a happy winter break. Its gonna snow so go out and have fun, but be careful! and if you are going somewhere.....well lets hope its not canceled. but where ever you are, take the time to be with family or friends and have a jolly good time doing so.

Stop and Think

2009-12-15T16:45:00.002-05:00

So this month is the holiday seasoN. (Merry ChristmaS and Happy HanukaH) I want anyone who reads this to take a moment to think about this year and what you want to achieve next yeaR. It could be winning a hot dog eating contest or reading 100 books or taking some amazing photoS. WhateveR. Be creativE. Be uniquE. Be yourselF.

Happy Holidays

killer tomatoes?

2009-12-09T17:20:00.002-05:00

So I was reading my facorite blog (kikistrike.com) today and i came across an article on the topic of......Killer Tomatoes. Ya thats right, ur eyes are correct. Apparently the tomato plants have litttle hairs on their stems to catch bugs and stuff. The bugs get caught, can't move and die. After they die, they drop to the ground and fertilize the soil. So ya I guess they aren't relly that killer, but i did find a movie, made in 1978, named Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! Well the movie doesn't seem that interesting, it actually looks relly stupid, I'm serious i saw the trailer. It's about....exactly of what the name suggests. Tomatoes rise out of the trash, or whatever, and kill people. The End. Some more food for thought......potatoes do the same thing. Everyday vegtables never looked so lethal.

I got the image from: http://bryanyounger.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/142722attack-of-the-killer-tomatoes-posters.jpg

GO WOMEN!!!!

2009-12-01T21:14:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite saying that I have heard is "Well behaved women rarely make history". I couldn't agree more.

Maria

2009-11-22T11:28:00.000-05:00

Enjoy the vid I made. The part at the beginning is awesome.

Wodering About Why

2009-11-20T22:14:00.005-05:00

Why? is a very good question. Everything has a why, and also a who, what and a when, but why is the best of them. For example a why question I had yesterday was: Why are there 2 boys looking over my shoulder? i asked them this (the boys being younger boys who live on my block), they, getting slightly embarassed at being caught, asked me a question in return: "Why are you not on your own email?" which then the little bro of the girl's email i was on said "Does ari (his sister, whose house i was at) know about this." Not the best example but as you can see, why is an awsome word. If you don't believe me try this: go out into your big wide world and spend a day with out once asking why. It's hard, and very boring. The next day ask why about everything and use your own imagination to come up with answers. Life is much more interesting this way!

Tree

2009-11-17T16:59:00.004-05:00

I'm really upset. The tree next door to my house got cut down. FOR NO REASON! My brother was so upset/mad/sad/angry/frustrated that he started his own blog (now he just needs to remember to turn his light off…). I'm just venting now.

Quote of the day

2009-11-14T21:44:00.002-05:00

Today the funniest thing I heard today was......"Rex, stop licking the ceiling!" I think only Emma and Nina know what that this, but until one of us tell you or something just laugh at the absurdity of it.

"Is Google Making Us Stupid?"

2009-11-12T18:31:00.003-05:00

The question above is a very good one. The topic is explored in this article which I think you guys should read. I'm afraid what is in the article is true. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google

I <3 CAMPING!!!!!!

2009-11-09T18:02:00.005-05:00

I absolutly love camping, I have decided. I went camping this past weekend and had an awsome time. I guess part of that is that my other two friends came, so it was me, my dad, ari, and her dad, and anna, with her dad. I love it when it's nighttime and all the stars are out, it might be a little cold so we are all around the campfire, talking. I saw about 7 or 8 shooting stars and 1 star that had an awsomely long tail and everything. I believe everyone should go camping at least once a year. People today, are too absorbed in city life nowandays. Next summer I'm going to this camp called Widjiwagon, or Widji for short, or if you're anna, Willy Wonka camp (don't ask). Anyways me and anna want to go there next summer. It's in the middle of nowhere in northern minnesota and you spend a week at camp and another week canoeing and camping all across northern minnesota. My dad went there when he was a kid for alot of summers. I'm getting off topic here aren't I? Anyways I want you all to write back talking about your (if any) camping stories. Please, pretty please, comment.

Christie Road

2009-11-06T20:52:00.001-05:00

here is a vid i made
Enjoy

homestarrunner

2009-11-04T16:28:00.003-05:00

These are some really hilarious cartoons which should be watched. Explore Home Star Runner it is a really cool and funny site.

Teen Girl Squad
Japanese Cartoon
Dragon

Big Question

2009-10-29T15:01:00.000-04:00

If you were going to die in a week what would you do?

Musiv Video

2009-10-29T13:28:00.001-04:00

ok hi guys if you voted in the poll and you want a song thts not there you can comment on this post so have fun with tht

Skits

2009-10-29T13:25:00.006-04:00

ENJOY

HEMLOCK!

2009-10-28T20:53:00.002-04:00

Wow I just realized I haven't talked about hemlock at all. Then again, I doubt you really want to hear about it.... Well I'll just tell you about my team's chant. Fist off our team name was the Awsome Agile Bonobo Crew. so the chant was: (you might have heard me saying it at skool) "A.A.B.C., We're the best in D.C." Awsome rite? Im rite!!!!!!!!! I was shouting it the whole time after we made it up. Also: Isabel and I were tring to get other groups to respond to our shouting at the end of the day, at hemlock. So, if you heard us but just didn't respond, click the coment putton amd make a comment that says yes. If you didn't hear us at all say "I'm a little hard of hearing", or I guess you could do the boring thing and write "No". Your choice.

HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

2009-10-28T20:41:00.002-04:00

So the majority of you guys out there know that halloween is coming up (those of you who don't know that...well...I worry about you). so anyways we wanna know what ur gonna be. ALWAYS REMEMBER: you are never too old to go trick-or-treating. well I guess you are too old when you are like 30 and are still living at your parents house. At that point ur just a bum. A big ole bummer pants.....okay im getting bored. so send stufff. also you can email me things you want on the blog. If it's cool enough or random enough or if I'm just I'm the mood, I'll probaly post it. So clickety-clackety away. Hey! That reminds me of a book.....

2009-10-24T12:05:00.002-04:00

Who here knows Kiki Strike? Fine, kinda a trick question there. Kiki Strike is a character in some of my favorite books. Really Kiki is awsome. I wish she was my best friend, and real for that matter. Anyways the author has this really cool blog at http://kikistrike.com/ if you go to the side and click on "Ananka's Diary" you can see the blog. It has all sorts of cool random stuff. So check it out, oh and read the books they're awsome!!!!

21 Guns

2009-10-24T10:13:00.006-04:00

I kind of adapted Laurens Idea so if u wanna see some really cool music videos go to her blog (extrale.blogspot.com) anyway enjoy

2009-10-23T18:54:00.002-04:00

Just Watch

2009-10-17T13:43:00.000-04:00

Just watch this vide. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jSBW0BOPqM
Be a little more aware. http://freerice.com/

Hey Everyone!!!!

2009-10-16T21:53:00.005-04:00

Hey! Welcome to this blog....yadda, yadda, yadda. So I'm not 100% sure what to write here so I'm just gonna write random things. Like: I absolutley love Pride and Prejudice, which also happens to be what I am watching right this minute. Well actually it just ended, but I love the secene at the very end when she is called "Mrs. Darci" a few times, or the fact that they are hoplessly in love with each other, but are to stubborn to admit it. Also, my sister has just discovered "Family Guy." Please help me. So I don't want to bore you guys to death (and I probably have to go to bed soon) so I guess I will sign off now. See ya.

BTW: this post was written last friday but not published until today.

1st Entry

2009-10-16T21:25:00.000-04:00

HI EVERYONE this is Emma (it's Clara's blog 2 though) we r gonna hav a little bit of everything here so ENJOY!