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The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove CoverDo not get between a princess and her tiara. Natalie Hargrove is a goal-oriented person and she has her sights set on Palmetto Princess. As a senior at Palmetto High in South Carolina, she can be voted on by her classmates to receive this distinguished title. It's what she has been planning on ever since she started dating one of the town's royalty, Mike King. Three years into their relationship, their time has finally come.

Lamentably, Mike is not nearly as worried about his title as his girlfriend. He's not really concerned at all about Justin Balmer (J.B.), but Natalie can't even stand the thought of Mike losing his crown; especially not to someone like J.B. Their history is a secret that Natalie wants desperately to forget, just like a lot of her past.

So in her attempt to guarantee Mike's crown, Natalie convinces Mike to help her play a harmless prank on dear J.B. After a double keg stand at a packed Mardi Gras party, J.B. is blitzed out of his mind and prime for the advantage-taking duo. They take the cross-dressed J.B. to the church for the world to see when they arrive the next morning. What the early morning church-goers observe the next day though is not what was originally planned.

Now trying to hide their involvement in J.B.'s death, Mike and Natalie begin a downward spiral that can only result in a crash. Who will be left standing to view the fallout?

I was hesitant to read this one, as I was not fond of her other novel Fallen. Let me assure you, it was well worth the try. I was hooked from the very beginning and didn't want the roller coaster ride to end. This book was like Dawson's Creek meets a Lifetime made-for-tv-movie. The situations and responses of the characters were spot on for what it really can be like in a competitive high school. Having the book set in Dixieland just helped the storyline along as it provided a perfect backdrop for the larger theme of the "haves versus the have-nots." A truly mesmerizing read, despite the catty nature of the main character. The ending is one that truly surprises and is impeccable. Fantastic!

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

This year for Christmas presents I am knitting a few scarves for special gift giving. My Grandmother taught me to knit when I was 5 and I have continued to knit on and off over the years. I love going into yarn shops and feasting my eyes on all the colors and textures available. On my last trip to the yarn shop I was captivated by this most exquisite shade of teal blue. It is a blend of wool mohair and silk, and knits up as soft and light as a spider's web. I love working with bamboo needles. This scarf is super easy. Cast on as many stitches as you need to make the scarf the width you want and then just knit every row until it is long enough. For this season extra long and very narrow scarves seem to be all the trend.

Happy Knitting If you have any knitting projects on the go please leave a comment [here].
PS I am going on a plane trip...does any one know if knitting needles are allowed through security??

Helpful Videos:
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Knitting 101 The Knit Stitch
Knitting 101
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Knitting 101
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Patricia Gray is an award winning Interior Designer in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada who blogs about
"WHAT'S HOT" in the world of Interior Design: New and Emerging Trends, Contemporary Design, Modern Architecture and Travel,
as well as how your surroundings can enhance the world around you.
© Patricia Gray Interior Design Blog™ 2009

Knitting 101




It only makes sense, being out of town for the Thanksgiving Holiday, that I grow homesick and devote this week's post to my beloved L.A. La Land and another of its great historical landmarks. The Hollywood Heritage Museum sits across the street from the Hollywood Bowl Theater on Highland Avenue, but most people know it as little more than a place to park when a concert is going on. It is a modest building, tucked just under the 101 Freeway, and easily overshadowed by the busy, electric intersection of Hollywood and Highland. Not much to look at from the outside, inside it possesses many interesting artifacts from cinematic history, including a camera used to shoot Gone with the Wind. But the history of the building makes it far more significant than it may at first appear. It is not just some random building, now used for preservational purposes, but is an actual piece of cinematic history, dating all the way back to the very beginning of California's birth as the Kingdom of Movies. At this time, Prospect was the main street running West to East down Harvey Wilcox's new city. It would be years later that it be renamed Hollywood Blvd.


In October of 1911, David Horsley of the Centaur Film Company, which he had formed with Biograph Director Charles Gorman, came to Hollywood with his brother William. (As a side note, Horsley and Gorman got the name for their company by combining their two names: Horse- + -Man = Centaur). The Horsley brothers' mission was to come to the slowly growing movie town, and set up a camp for their new studio. They met up with Murray Steele who took them to "The Blondeau Tavern" at Sunset and Gower, which was closing due to a ban on alcohol. The property, which included the tavern, a corral, several small buildings, a bungalow, and a barn-- was rented by the brothers from Mr. Blondeau for $35/mo. They used it as a center for their production.





Two years later, in 1913, the land would fall into the possession of Cecil B. DeMille (aboveJesse LaskySamuel Goldfish aka Goldwyn, and Arthur Friend. They had just formed the "Jesse K. Lasky Feature Play Company" in New York, and had been looking for terrain in Arizona on which to film a cinematic version of the play The Squaw Man. After finding Flagstaff unsuitable for the shoot, they moved over to Los Angeles, and happened upon the barn that the Horsley's had rented out two years prior. The current owner was Jacob Stern, who agreed to rent the barn out again on a month to month basis... as long as he could leave his horses and carriage there. And so, the boys of the Lasky team set up shop, filming The Squaw Man, which many regard as the first official full-length feature to be filmed in Los Angeles.




Working out of the barn, where DeMille set up his office, was no easy feat. DeMille had to raise his boots whenever a wash of water came running through the barn, usually the result of the horses being cleaned by Stern. The offices had literally been made out of horse stalls, as were the dressing rooms and projection rooms. Another interesting fact about their time there, was that Lasky was the first filmmaker to hire writers and scenarists to work "in house," and so this barn harbored the first studio story department! Amidst the mud and the chaos, they somehow made it work. Filming officially began on December 29, 1913. The resulting movie was a smash success and helped to take filmmaking to a whole new level of creativity and artistry. 



Still from The Squaw Man


The barn was moved from its original site (what is now 1521 Vine Street) to Paramount Studios, where it often served as a set piece on productions, including television's "Bonanza." It remained there for 55 years, until it was set to be demolished. It was saved, thank goodness, and moved to its current location on Highland. Then, in 1996, it suffered through a horrible fire that destroyed much of its precious artifacts. Thankfully, the building was restored and as of 1999 was re-opened to the public.


Inside, curious history buffs will find a replication of Cecil B. DeMille's private office, a large photographic collection of early Hollywood, film props, and other assorted memorabilia. The barn is surprisingly large on the inside, which makes its outer proportions quite deceptive. The staff hosts tours there, as well as many other interesting lectures about cinema and its history. (I myself went to a discussion about Errol Flynn that was very enlightening, for a personal friend of his, author Steven Hayes, was there, and many unseen photos of him were shared). 





If ever you adhere to the lesson, "Don't judge a book by its cover," let it be to see this great, historical landmark-- if not even to see the treasures that lie within its walls, then to physically set your own two feet upon an official piece of Hollywood History. The Hollywood Heritage Museum is open five days a week, Wed-Sun, from noon to 4pm. It is located at 2100 North Highland Avenue. Call (323) 874-2276 for more information.

HOT SPOTS in CA: The Hollywood Heritage Museum

Fallen Cover



I'm still hosting my giveaway of an ARC of Fallen by Lauren Kate. Check out the rules here. And remember, the giveaway ends 12/1!

Don't forget!

Patricia Gray in BC Home Magazine 
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PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
WHAT'S HOT in the world of interior design, architecture, art and travel.
2011 © Patricia Gray | Interior Design Blog™

Interior Design 101

From me to all of you, whether you celebrate it or not, think of something to be thankful for today. Enjoy!
Glitter Graphics

Have a Happy Turkey Day!

This sounds like a fun challenge and one that I can easily accomplish as I already want to read these books. I'm not setting any outlandish goals, but I will be picking up a few more challenges for 2010. The big goal I have is to read (at least) 150 books in 2010. I think I can do it easily as I should have finished 75 by the end of this year without even trying too hard.

My List
  1. 13 to Life by Shannon Delany
  2. 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison (Read review here)
  3. A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler
  4. A Life Revealed by Suzi Katz
  5. A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
  6. Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
  7. All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab
  8. Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia
  9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Read review here)
  10. Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
  11. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson
  12. Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber
  13. Dark Life by Kat Falls
  14. Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu
  15. Feed by Mira Grant
  16. Firespell by Chloe Neill
  17. Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
  18. Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly
  19. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (Read review here)
  20. In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth (Read review here)
  21. Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
  22. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore (Read review here)
  23. Mieradome by Kate Hegarty
  24. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
  25. Of All The Stupid Things by Alexandra Diaz (Read review here)
  26. Other by Karen Kincy
  27. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
  28. Party by Tom Leveen
  29. Restoring Harmony by Joëlle Anthony (Read review here)
  30. Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
  31. Split by Swati Avasthi
  32. Swoon at Your Own Risk by Sydney Salter
  33. Tell Me A Secret by Holly Cupala
  34. The Best and Hardest Thing by Pat Brisson
  35. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
  36. The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
  37. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
  38. The Deathday Letter by Shaun Hutchinson
  39. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger
  40. The Iron King by Julie Kwaga
  41. The Line by Teri Hall (read)
  42. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (Read review here)
  43. The Mark by Jen Nadol (Read review here)
  44. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard (Read review here)
  45. The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (Read review here)
  46. The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride
  47. The Turning Book 1: What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis
  48. Three Rivers Rising by Jame Richards (Read)
  49. Wereling by Steve Feasy
  50. Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis (Read review here)
  51. Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler
Total read so far: 14/52

You can sign up for the challenge here and find the information about the challenge below.

What is the 2010 Debut Author Challenge?
  • The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year.* I'm going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels! I’m hoping to read at least 30! You don’t have to list your choices right away, but if you do feel free to change them throughout the year. I will also be focusing on mostly Young Adult novels.
  • Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate. If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site.
  • The challenge will run from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010. You can join at anytime!
* I would like to limit the novels to those released in 2010.

You’ll have to do all the research to make sure a novel meets the criteria for the challenge. I do have a few sites that can help with your search; 2010: A Book Odyssey, AuthorsNow & The Class of 2k10 (website to be launched).
-From TheStorySiren

So will you be joining the many other participants this year?

2010 YA Debut Author Challenge

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's selection is Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin that will be released January 12, 2010.

Alice I Have Been CoverAlice Liddell Hargreaves’s life has been a richly woven tapestry: As a young woman, wife, mother, and widow, she’s experienced intense passion, great privilege, and greater tragedy. But as she nears her eighty-first birthday, she knows that, to the world around her, she is and will always be only “Alice.” Her life was permanently dog-eared at one fateful moment in her tenth year–the golden summer day she urged a grown-up friend to write down one of his fanciful stories.

That story, a wild tale of rabbits, queens, and a precocious young child, becomes a sensation the world over. Its author, a shy, stuttering Oxford professor, does more than immortalize Alice–he changes her life forever. But even he cannot stop time, as much as he might like to. And as Alice’s childhood slips away, a peacetime of glittering balls and royal romances gives way to the urgent tide of war.

For Alice, the stakes could not be higher, for she is the mother of three grown sons, soldiers all. Yet even as she stands to lose everything she treasures, one part of her will always be the determined, undaunted Alice of the story, who discovered that life beyond the rabbit hole was an astonishing journey.

A love story and a literary mystery, Alice I Have Been brilliantly blends fact and fiction to capture the passionate spirit of a woman who was truly worthy of her fictional alter ego, in a world as captivating as the Wonderland only she could inspire.
From Goodreads

Can I just say how fabulous this book looks? Very intriguing and an interesting new take on the Alice story. I mean, did anyone ever wonder what happened to her? I have fallen in love and can't wait to get my hands on this book!

Waiting on Wednesday

Fallen Cover
Lucinda "Luce" Price doesn't belong at Sword & Cross, the reform school she has been forced to attend. The accident last summer with Trevor was just that, an accident, but nobody believes Luce. Maybe if she hadn't been telling her parents about the shadows all those years, they might have believed her more.

As it is, Luce find herself the new kid in a reform school like no other. Sword & Cross, built on former Confederate soldier land complete with cemetery, is home to a number of strange and interesting characters that Luce befriends and finds herself attracted to. Daniel and Cam are just mesmerizing. Daniel catches Luce's attention because there is something eerily familiar about him. Cam catches her attention because he is sweet and charming.

Soon though, Luce finds that the shadows are not gone, they are not done with her yet, and they are not alone. Something is brewing and Sword & Cross is going to be the battleground again. Only this time, the battle is between the fallen and Luce is the prize.

I have to say, this book didn't do much for me. I found it tedious, jumpy, and quite honestly anti-climactic. Which is quite sad since I really wanted to like it. The back story on Luce was almost non-existent as we don't really know what happened to Trevor, the characters were not consistent in behavior (coming in and out of the story), and I found the ending very anti-climactic. Maybe that's because I was expecting it to be a stand alone novel and didn't find out until the end that it will be a series, therefore changing how I approach a novel. Don't get me wrong, there were parts I enjoyed, like the angelic lore, the typical teen antics and ambiance, and Luce as a character. Overall, I'm glad I read it, but I just don't think this book was for me. I hope you all enjoy it and don't let me review scare you off.

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win an ARC of Fallen!

Fallen by Lauren Kate

This is part of the In My Mailbox series hosted by The Story Siren. I bought one book, but I figured I'd share it anyway.

Bought:

Stray Cover

I bought Stray by Rachel Vincent because I felt bad about having a library copy. There aren't that many of them and since I fully intend on reading the entire series, I figured I would go ahead and invest in it.






I forgot to share it last week, but it is book-related. I am on a Twilight discussion board over on theNest.com. It's a sub-board of the general Book Club board. We decided in honor of New Moon, that came out this week, that we would do a secret gift exchange. There was a $20 spending limit and it had to be shipped out by 11/9/09. Here's what I sent:

Twilight gift box I sent
Homemade notecards, a bookmark, Twilight magnets, homemade necklace and earrings, homemade card, lion & lamb figurines & a hand-painted, apple-shaped pencil holder.

I received:

Twilight gift I receivedMatchbox silver Volvo, pencil pouch, Twilight Woods lotion from Bath & Body Works, candy, bookmark, & a "I Drive Like A Cullen" car cling. (P.S. There were feathers when I opened the box.)

That's what came to me this week. What'd you get?

Bringing in the Loot

So, I am still relatively new to this whole "book trailer" trend, but I do love them. It's kind of like fan art in motion. Here is a cute book trailer for a book that I am sad to say my library probably won't buy. I'm hoping to pick up a copy during the holiday season.


Amy and Tristan were as unlikely to meet as any two random teenagers. When Amy answers a "babysitting" ad, she soon realizes that it's no small child she will be watching, but a cute guy her own age. Tristan recently lost his eyesight, is being stubborn about his disability and is staunchly refusing help from anyone. Amy forces him to face reality and in doing so falls in love. But as with many love stories, there is someone else trying to claim his heart. Who will Tristan chose? (Paraphrased from Goodreads)

Enjoy!

Nifty Book Trailer


In the world of history, all roads intersect. It truly is a small world, but the knowledge that we are all bound together inside of it can be a powerful thing. In studying Hollywood, I am focused on a very particular section of the past, but it is impossible to study the geography of one place without encroaching on other territories. The landscape of human life is forever intertwining, forever overlapping. Sometimes the bridges we forge between worlds is entertaining-- a hysterical bit of trivia-- and sometimes reassuring. Seeing the pieces of a massive puzzle all coming together to form one picture, albeit an ever-evolving one, makes the mystery of life and human connection all the more compelling. Is this not why we burrow into the past? To understand, to learn, to seek a commonality, which gives life a new meaning?

It is interesting to note the strange connections that different celebrities have with each other, outside of well-forged friendships. Chance encounters, life-altering meetings, and brief glimpses of different people from different generations seem to weld together the otherwise disconnected feelings that we have about important historical figures. I admit freely that I tend to think of people as existing within their own time line, so when I research a particular person and am introduced to the peers and acquaintances within their "community," I find it surprising. All of these separate stitches come together to form one large, all-encompassing fabric. It amuses me, and at the same time makes the person I study more tangible. Here are a few random encounters that struck me when I came across them:

~ Rin Tin Tin was one of the most famous, best beloved, and highest paid stars in Hollywood when he died on August 10, 1932. He peacefully met his maker in the arms of a new neighbor who had just moved in with her husband, Paul Bern. The new Hollywood ingenue? Jean Harlow.


~ In 1920, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks were returning from a lengthy, European honeymoon. While aboard the SS Olympic heading for New York, they encountered a charming 16-year-old, English lad who was headed for America for the first time. His name was Archibald Leach. He would later be known as Cary Grant.



~ When Carole Lombard's plain tragically went down in January of 1942, it crashed into the mountains of Nevada. Before her husband, Clark Gable, had even heard the tragic news, 2 famous neighbors from the silent film days saw the flames going up over the mountains beyond their ranch. Rex Bell and Clara Bow were unaware of the gravity of the event when Rex went riding out to the scene, being one of the first to offer help.



~ One night in 1929, struggling actor Boris Karloff was leaving the Universal lot after a hard day of extra work. He was tired, and was thus very grateful when a generous man pulled over and offered to give him a lift. Lon Chaney then gave Boris the best career advice he was ever to receive- "The secret of success in Hollywood lies in being different from anyone else. Find something no one else can or will do-- and they'll begin to take notice of you." Clearly, Boris took the words of wisdom to heart.


~ Back in the 1940s, one of Hollywood's most notorious hot-spots was the Florentine Gardens. Many big-wigs went here to see and be seen, flirt with the pretty girls, and spend money on a strong drink. Young wannabe actresses went there hoping to bump into a producer or director, who would maybe give them a screen test. Two ingenues who met here? Elizabeth "The Black Dahlia" Short and Norma Jean Baker, otherwise known as Marilyn Monroe.


I came across another coincidence lately that went beyond the actor-actor connection. This one actually blew my mind, for although the "6 degrees of Kevin Bacon" law unites us all... this one stretches so far back into history, uniting two unlikely people, that all I could do was shake my head at the craziness of it.

                                                                     Wallace Reid                                                     







~Few people today remember the handsome matinee idol, Wallace Reid, although at one point he was one of Hollywood's biggest stars. Even fewer are familiar with his wife, Dorothy Davenport (left 1), a movie star in her own right, who was descended from a long line of accomplished thespians, including the illustrious Fanny Davenport (left 2), her aunt. [Fanny had, by the way, started an acting company in which the young actor Cunningham Deane aka William Desmond Taylor was performing in 1896]. Dorothy's grandfather, Edward Loomis Davenport (left 3) was a huge theater star in his time. So famous had he become, that his face appeared on etched cigar bands. Abraham Lincoln was a fan of his work, and was excited when E.L. invited him to a performance of Othello at the Grover Theater on April 14, 1864. Unfortunately, Mary Todd had already made plans for them to see Our American Cousin at the Ford's Theater where, the night of the play, actor John Wilkes Booth (left 4) shot Lincoln in his private box. [Ironically, E.L. had made his stage debut with Booth's father Junius Brutus Booth in Providence, RI]. Dorothy Davenport's grandfather very nearly saved Lincoln's life with his invitation, but fate had other plans. So: Wallace Reid- Dorothy Davenport- E.L. Davenport- Abraham Lincoln. Less than 6 degrees! Amazing! 

Hollywood seems to exist as its own separate universe- a galaxy of luminous stars radiating beyond the realm of the general population. Even living in Hollywood, one feels that there are two separate dimensions: the real world, and then the glossy world of fiction and fantasy-- the Olympus hovering somewhere overhead. It is a place that we cannot see nor touch, but that we are somehow constantly aware of. That is why I take such pleasure in the aforementioned instances of historical convergence, where "Hollywood" comes out from hiding and reveals itself as a real populace, filled with real people.


BITS OF COINCIDENCE: Part One

Colorful ShelvesWelcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

Today ISpeak Cover'm featuring Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. This was one of the best books I read for pleasure in middle school. It's hard to believe it has been out for 10 years already. Am I really that old?

Anyway, the story is about quiet high school freshman Melinda and her struggle to face her situation. Her parents pretty much ignore her existence, communicating mostly through notes left behind. She is an outcast at school and doesn't really fit in with anyone. Especially since that night. The night she called the police to the big senior party right before school started was the end of her existence as she knew it. She called about underage drinking, but really it was just to get the party broken up after an upperclassmen took advantage of her while she was inebriated.

Now facing social pariah-hood, Melinda withdraws into herself. She sleeps a lot and avoids any situation that makes her anxious. While she maintains decent grades, her true love lies in art class where she is free to express herself. Eventually the truth of that night comes out when she tries to rescue her former best friend from dating Melinda's rapist. The fiasco that ensues and the ending will break your heart with emotions.

A meaningful and deep read, Speak was the start of Anderson's ability to tackle such difficult, but real subject matter. Date rape is an all-too-frequent occurrence in today's society and Anderson managed to portray, no just the victim's experience, but the way that experience affected the whole community. The characters are real, emotionally charged, and feel like someone you know. Melinda in an amazing character to get to know and as you read the story, you really begin to understand and participate in her rollercoaster ride of emotions and feelings.

Speak sheds light on a sensitive subject with delicate care and helped readers see the many facets of this unspeakable event. While it obviously deals with difficult subject matter, this book is great reading for older middle schoolers and high schoolers alike. If you like this book, be sure to check out her other books like Wintergirls or Twisted.

Nostalgic Friday: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Secret Year CoverWhat do you do when someone you love dies, but no one ever knew you were together? That's where Colt finds himself when Black Mountain debutante Julia winds up dead after a Labor Day party.

Words don't begin to describe how he feels, until Julia's brother gives Colt her journal. It is filled with entries written as letters to Colt throughout their secret affair because for the last year that's what they had. Even though they had lived in the same small town all their lives, Julia belonged to the elite Black Mountain group who never really had to worry about much. Colt lives in the Flats where blue collar workers struggle to make it by while living next to the river. They met by chance one night and started visiting with one another every Friday night that they could get away: from family, from friends, from obligations.

Those night meant everything to Colt as he waited all week to spend Friday nights with Julia. Now that she is gone, and he is left with her journal, Colt tries to reconcile his past with his future. Moving on is hard, especially when your center-of-the-universe brother keeps causing family disturbances, your best female friend suddenly wants to be more, and you just got a job busing tables at the same diner as your mother.

A truly honest story about what happens in the wake of tragedy, The Secret Year really analyzes what happens to those of us left behind when a loved one dies. It is especially hard to imagine someone so young dying so tragically and yet it happens all the time. Colt is a very typical guy that I can actually imagine being someone I know. He doesn't talk a lot, but he thinks deeply, he's full to the brim with testosterone (so much so that his and Julia's relationship is primarily physical), and he just kind of glides by in school like a ghost. I found Julia's letters/journal entries a unique tool to get her side of the story, without her being present. While the ending was underwhelming, I think it was fitting for the overall story arch. Look for it in January 2010!

The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

Waiting on Wednesday recognizes that we as bookies pine for books. This post is about what I am impatiently waiting for right now. It was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's title is Fallen by Lauren Kate being released December 8, 2009.

SeventeFallen Coveren-Year-Old Luce is a new student at Sword & Cross, an unwelcoming boarding/reform school in Savannah, Georgia. Luce’s boyfriend died under suspicious circumstances, and now she carries the guilt over his death with her as she navigates the unfriendly halls at Sword & Cross, where every student seems to have an unpleasant—even evil—history.

It’s only when she sees Daniel, a gorgeous fellow student, that Luce feels there’s a reason to be here—though she doesn’t know what it is. And Daniel’s frosty cold demeanor toward her? It’s really a protective device that he’s used again . . . and again. For Daniel is a fallen angel, doomed to fall in love with the same girl every 17 years . . . and watch her die. And Luce is a fellow immortal, cursed to be reincarnated again and again as a mortal girl who has no idea of who she really is. -From Goodreads

While I am not necessarily a huge fan of romance, there is something about this one that calls to me. I love paranormal things, so fallen angels are definitely up my avenue. But the way that Luce is brought to Sword & Cross is what caught my attention at first. Death is a hard subject matter to broach, especially when it is someone young and close to you. The premise sounds fascinating and I'm excited to have my hands on a copy! I have an extra that is up in my contest. Check it out here!

Waiting on Wednesday

Contest is closed.

Giveaway: ARC of Fallen by Lauren Kate

Lament coverCloverhands must help to control the fey. Too bad Deirdre Monaghan didn't know she was one of them. The gifted harpist meets a dashing young man named Luke at a local music competition and is wooed by his amazing flute talents. Deirdre knows that there is something different about Luke, but she just puts it off until he confesses the truth to her. Luke is a faerie assassin entrapped by the Faerie Queen due to the fact that she possesses his soul in a cage. Lamentably, Deirdre has been targeted as Luke's next victim.

Sixteen year old Deirdre finds herself out of her element as she is truly a realist. She bases her existence around tangible, provable facts. Since Luke entered her life, her certainty of the world has been in question. Naturally she turns to her fellow music geek, and quite hot, best friend James. While he accepts the seriousness of the situation, he is a solid ground to the real world. His pragmatism comes in handy when another faerie assassin named Aodhan takes an interest in Deirdre and tries to complete the job that Luke seems incapable of.

The ultimate showdown between the Faerie Queen herself and Deirdre if Luke is ever to relieved of his duties. This task is not as easy to complete as it sounds when complication arise surrounding Deirdre and she must make choices that could have dire consequences for many, if not all.

While I am very picky about the faerie books I read, this one struck home with me. Maggie Stiefvater's writing is just so captivating to me. I have tried quite a few other faerie series and find that they are either too cruel for my tastes or too innocent. There has to be a balance between mischievous and out right evil. This author have found that harmonic balance and it creates an enjoyable story. I also enjoyed the callbacks to tales told to children as a warning. Many adults forget that as children we were warned, through story and song, about the nature of the faeries. This book brought those stories and song back to life for me in a thoroughly delectable fashion. I can't wait to read Ballad, the next installment!

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

So, if you haven't noticed, I do seem to have a knack for picking great dystopian reads. Something about this genre calls to me. Maybe it is my naturally rebellious nature? Who knows. In honor of my love for the genre, I am taking part in a Dystopian Book Challenge. While I am getting a late start (only a week or two) the event runs through the end of the year. *Update: I think I will continue this challenge even after the end of the year. There is just so much good stuff coming in right now, that I can't put aside for this. Not to fret, I will complete the books and let you know what I think!*

This is my first challenge that I am participating in and I am wondering how well it will go. I may have to go way back in the dystopian pile because I have read many of the present day titles. I really do love this genre and I am glad that I can find other enthusiasts. Here's my list of books that I plan on reading. Mind you, we only have until the end of the year to complete this task.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Ness
The Ask and the Answer by Ness
The Giver by Lowry
The Children of Men by James
We by Zamyatin

It's not a lot, but considering the time restraints and my huge TBR pile, I'll have a tough time. Wish me luck!

Dystopian Book Challenge

This is part of the In My Mailbox series hosted by The Story Siren. This week I decided to try my had at a vlog. I introduced myself (for those who don't know me) at the beginning and then move on to my loot for the week. *Edit: So I am a dork, and didn't know that it wasn't showing up. It should work now. *



Books mentioned:
The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard
The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate
Beautiful Americans by Lucy Silag
Wanderlust by Lucy Silag
Fallen by Lauren Kate
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Hold Still by Nina Lacour
Vampire: The Requiem for Dummies

Blogs metioned:
Princess Bookie's Around the World Tours

Bringing in the Loot

Colorful BookshelfWelcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

The True Confesssions of Charlotte Doyle CoverThe True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi was one of my absolute favorite books in middle school. I loved to peruse my older sister's bookshelf and this book had a well-worn cover from how many times we read it.

Charlotte Doyle is a proper young lady journeying to her new home in America, by herself, after finishing her school year in England. She is to be joining some other families aboard The Seahawk for their travel across the Atlantic. Upon arrival for boarding, none of the other families show up. Even at the insistence of a crew member that she not remain on the ship, Charlotte is determined to make her way to America. This decision makes her the only non-crew member, and the only female, on the ship.

Soon she grows close to the crew, reading them stories, learning about crew life, etc., but it is Captain Jaggery who she finds herself mostly attracted to as he is a "proper gentleman." Little does she realize that the crew thinks otherwise. Charlotte soon finds herself one of the mutinous crew members after the Captain mercifully whips one of her crew member friends until his death. As the voyage continues, the tension-filled situation escalates to the point of boiling over and Charlotte finds herself on trial for the murder of the Captain.

If you know anything about seafarers during this time period, then you know the implications of having a woman, especially a young woman, on board the ship. Many saw them as a curse. I found this little fact very intriguing as I read the book. Just thinking about it made the story much more fascinating.

I really liked Charlotte as a character because she changed as the book moved along. She didn't keep her mindset and manners, she rolled with the punches and adjusted to each individual situation. The other characters are quite boisterous and enjoyable as well. Avi did a great job setting this scene and I believe that it is a story that many can enjoy at many points in their lives. I hope you give it a shot.

Nostalgic Friday: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle



In continuing my exploration of Lon Chaney this month, I thought it appropriate to discuss one of his most notorious films: London After Midnight. However, I will not broach this topic in order to discuss the usual controversy surrounding the movie, which is that it remains the most sought after "lost" silent film in existence-- or, in this case, non-existence. Rather, I want to confront the startling effect the film had on its audiences... And on one audience member in particular. 

I have often said that if you investigate early cinema for the first 20 years of its existence, you will have heard the whole story. Often, situations that occur today are looked upon as new and devastating, when they are really tired, tried, and true stories of recurring human behavior. From film plots to celebrity self-destruction, it's all been done before, because as it turns out: times may change, but people don't. 

So it is with London After Midnight, which planted the seed of blame in the land of celluloid for violence in the real world.  Lon Chaney was already known for his horrifying faces and their powerful affect on the public by the time he starred in Tod Browning's latest feature. During previous screenings of The Phantom of the Opera, ambulances often had to be summoned to attend to the faint of heart, who completely passed out when staring at the gruesome visage of "Erik" for the first time. (Friedkin's The Exorcist repeated this phenomenon in the '70s, but again, Lon was first). It wasn't until London that the line was crossed between exhilarated viewership, high on the adrenaline of a good scare, and the supposed instigation to repeat in life the actions performed on the screen.



Robert Williams was a carpenter living in London when he saw the film in 1928. So profound was his reaction to what he saw that he claimed he was afterward "haunted" by the Vampire Lon had portrayed. Overcome with fear and anxiety, he suffered an "epileptic fit," and killed his Irish housemaid, all while supposedly under the influence of Chaney's villain. In court, he would plead his innocence, citing the temporary insanity induced by his viewing of the film. The courts, thankfully, did not buy his story, and he was found guilty of the murder.






All things begin at the beginning. The controversy surrounding violence in the media is not a new phenomenon, born in the past few decades, but an old dog playing new tricks. The more brutal the stories become and the more graphic the special effects, the more people want to blame film's most macabre moments for instigating horrific actions in reality. The "the movies did it" defense has become an easy fall back for out-of-control, non-fictional villains responding to carefully contrived, fictional worlds.




Most are aware of the infamous story of John Hinckley, and how he became so obsessed with young Jodie Foster (left) after watching Taxi Driver that he tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan (on March 30, 1981). His goal was to "impress her," to make himself as important and historically relevant as she had become through her acting. And this was not his first attempt. He had stalked Jodie, moved to Connecticut when she began her classes at Yale, slipped notes under her door, and originally targeted Jimmy Carter as his victim, only to be foiled by a fortunate firearms charge. Hinckley's (below) defense for the attempted assassination of Reagan was to blame the movies. He claimed that he was so effected by the violence and mania of Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver that he was driven to murder.






There are other stories, of course, but they are so common these days that they usually don't make as many waves. The television show "Dexter" has lately been blamed for inciting the murder of Johnny Brian Altinger by Mark Twitchell, a fan of the show. In Scotland in 2002, Allan Menzies claimed that he murdered a friend when seduced by Akasha, Anne Rice's anti-heroine from the film adaptation Queen of the Damned. Equally, after the Columbine tragedy, many questions were raised as to the influence that violence in the media had had on the two young killers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. 

This is all finger-pointing-- an irrational way to rationalize events that can't be explained away-- but it is an intelligent angle for an unstable culprit to take. Ted Bundy cleverly blamed pornography for his disturbing, sexually charged murders, and the public jumped on the band wagon. Why? It gave them an answer. Bundy was just toying with us of course, and his claims offered no real resolutions. The intangible media cannot serve as a solid antagonist in our endlessly chaotic world. It's like blaming the inventor of the hammer for the person who uses it to bludgeon instead of build.



The ironic thing about arguing the whole "life imitating art" thing is that movies are the result of art imitating life. Films are made to translate in a structured fashion the complexities of human behavior; they are meant to act as mirrors, reflecting our own propensities and emotions back onto us. We go to the theater seeking some truth of ourselves, and whether the image revealed be glorious or ugly, these "truths" were crafted with our own hands, by our own collective history. A movie is not a living creature, enforcing its wrath on us; and if it is, it is our breath that gave it that life.


This creates a confusing and baffling cycle, for movies are thus made interpreting old patterns of human behavior, only to be blamed for inciting new violence. For example, Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Silence of the Lambs, were all partially based upon the true story of Ed Gein and his horror house of death (below). On November 17, 1957, police arrived at Gein's residence in Plainfield, WI to arrest him for shoplifting, only to find the farmhouse full of dead bodies, chairs made of skin, and belts made of nipples (to name only a few monstrosities). The disturbing evil, which Gein had crafted into his own sick artistry-- fashion of the flesh--  was a prime subject for storytelling. Possessing the worst in all things psychological, social, historical, and human, it is no wonder that Hitchcock swooped in to turn Gein's madness into cinematic genius. Psycho shocked, appalled, intrigued... and apparently inspired, for later murders were blamed on the film. But Psycho did not create the monster; Hitch had simply re-told an old story. This raises other questions, however. Had cinema become a way for serial killer Ed Gein to continue his destruction? Had the vessels of truth become tools of evil?



                                                  Hitchcock's Psycho House                                                    


In the end, blaming movies for the actions a person chooses to perform in life seems to be a desperate and feeble attempt at salvation. The movie screen, in its magnitude and power, sits Godlike on its pedestal over our heads. We look up to it for answers, for help, for healing... We hope for it to take us away from our lives and protect us from the big bad world outside, (if only for two hours). We love it... As long as it loves us. But when it disappoints us, all we tiny humans can do is point our fingers at it and say, "This is your fault! I renounce you!" And here, we forget. We are the ones in the driver's seat. We hold the reigns. We make life, we then make life into movies, movies in turn affect our lives... Doesn't it logically follow that we affect our lives?



As in all things, you take from something only what you bring to it. After all, you can't tell a story that did not come from somewhere, that does not have its core in some basic corner of human nature. Otherwise, it would come out as gibberish. But, the wheel goes round and round-- or should I say the film canister-- and so the blame game continues. In the end, it is not the images we see flickering on the screen that terrify us, but the things they make us see within ourselves. Evoking, provoking, enticing, forbidding... Making masochists of us all. Strangely enough, we keep buying tickets, don't we???



*** Update: Indiana teen Andrew Conley was arrested for the murder of his 10-year-old brother in November of 2009. He was an alleged "huge Dexter fan," and many are blaming the show's violence for his horrendous acts.






MENTAL MONTAGE: The Blurring of Violence

In case you all didn't notice, I now have a sidebar with buttons of all the things I am involved in. Today is the day that my guest post is up over on Pure Imagination. Go check it out as I talk about the adult fandom of Twilight.

Twilight Month

30 of the Best Bookshelves

Books are such a wonderful way of personalizing your space. Who doesn't love to be surrounded with all this wonderful inspiration. I think rooms with bookshelves are some of my most memorable spaces. Everyone feels comfortable in these rooms and they are rooms where you want to linger. I have a girlfriend who has a monumental bookshelf in her dining room. I always love to sit at the table across from the bookshelf so I can peruse the shelves between the dinner conversation.

"Five years from now, you’re the same person except for the people you’ve met and the books you’ve read."
John Wooden

I have categorized the following pictures of bookshelves into 7 sections:

1. Bookshelves in Living Rooms

Bookshelves in Living Room
Bookshelves in Living Rooms - Dominio

    Bookshelves in Living Rooms   
Bookshelves in Living Rooms - Poliform

Bookshelves in Living Rooms

Bookshelves in Living Rooms - Homes and Gardens

Bookshelves in Living Rooms
Bookshelves in Living Rooms - Domino Magazine 
Bookshelves in Living Rooms
Bookshelves in Living Rooms -BHG 

2. Bookshelves with Library Ladders

Bookshelves with Ladders Alberto Pinto 
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Interior Design Alberto Pinto

Bookshelves with Ladders Tom Scheerer 
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Interior Design Tom Scheerer

Bookshelves with Ladders Diane von Furstenberg  
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Diane von Furstenberg source unknown

Bookshelves with Ladders
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Ikea

Bookshelves with Library Ladders 
Pierre Chareau's Bookcase from La Maison de Verre by Dominique Vellay
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - photo via Apartment Therapy
Bookshelves with Library Ladders
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Southern Accents

3. Bookshelves in Offices

 Bookshelves in Offices Briger and Briger
Bookshelves in Offices - Interior Design Briger and Briger

Bookshelves in Offices Alberto Pinto 
Bookshelves in Offices / Bookshelves with  Library Ladders - Interior Design Alberto Pinto

 

 Bookshelves in Offices
Bookshelves in Offices - Domino

Bookshelves in Offices Mary McGee 
Bookshelves in Offices - Interior Design Mary McGee

4. Bookshelves in Dining Rooms

Bookshelves in Dining Rooms charlespage co uk Bookshelves in Dining Rooms
Bookshelves in Dining Rooms / Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Charles Page

Bookshelves in Dining Rooms Elle Decor, Photography William Waldron, design Bruce Glickman and Wilson Teng 
Bookshelves in Dining Rooms - Elle Decor, Photography William Waldron, Interior Design Glickman & Teng

Bookshelves in Dining Rooms Antonia Hutt 
Bookshelves in Dining Rooms - Interior Design Antonia Hutt

5. Bookshelves in Kitchens
Bookshelves in Kitchens
Bookshelves in Kitchens -
Vitsoe

Bookshelves in Kitchens Cecconi Simone 
Bookshelves in Kitchens / Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Interior Design Cecconi Simone

Bookshelves in Kitchens
Bookshelves in Kitchens - photo via Purple Area

6. Bookshelves in Bedrooms

Bookshelves in Bedrooms 
Bookshelves in Bedrooms - Interior Design Source Unknown

Bookshelves in Bedrooms 
Bookshelves in Bedrooms / Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Interior Design Source Unknown

Bookshelves in Bedrooms via Girl Meets Glamour 
Bookshelves in Bedrooms - photo via Girl Meets Glamour

7. Bookshelves in Stairs

Bookshelves in Stairwells  
Bookshelves in Stairs - source unknown

Bookshelves in Stairwells Wilson and Associates Architects  
Bookshelves in Stairs - Design by Wilson and Associates Architects 

Bookshelves in Stairs 
Bookshelves in Stairs - Design by Levitate Architects via Home Interiors 
 

Bookshelves in Stairs
These bookshelves line the stairs up the third floor of the Fallingwater house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Bookshelves in Stairs - picture via Flickr

What is your favourite room to display books in?  Please let me know by leaving a comment.

 

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Bookshelves in Interior Design