September 22nd, 2012.

It's been a while, more precise a week, since this blog was updated. I guess both Liana and I have been very busy with schoolwork, reading, volunteer work and everything else. As for me, I mostly update on the weekends. Yes, I have been reading some books, but the book reviews would come up later since it's a book tour and all. Currently, I'm reading Beautiful Creatures. It's a thick, fat book I bought at the book fair yesterday.

Last week, our school had a book fair as well as a Back to School Night on Thursday. I also bought the two sequels, Beautiful Darkness and Beautiful Chaos. I heard it was pretty good and I really need more fat, thick, new books on my shelf since it had been like that for a while. The beginning isn't boring, but it isn't very "I can't put it down, I have to read!" sort either. So, maybe I should have bought a copy of Divergent by Veronica Roth for myself instead. But it ran out of copies!! Oh well. At least I actually have a to-be-read list. Last time I checked, it had been as empty as ever.

More exciting news here, The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (The Heroes of Olympus #3) comes out next month!!! October!!! I really can't wait. I already have the book order from school!! OMG. $11.99! Can't wait. It's like on the top of my to-be-read list. FOR LIANA; If you want to also pre-order from the book order, you can always tell me. I know book orders are cheaper and I'm not sure if the high school has book orders.

So anyways, I feel like my update is ending. Not much more to say except I'm so glad it's the weekend. Falcon Work and homework and school is so tiring. So have a nice weekend!

Cindy's Book Review: Auraria: A Novel by Tim Westover

Auraria by Tim Westover.
Book Summary: Water spirits, moon maidens, haunted pianos, headless revenants, and an invincible terrapin that lives under the mountains. None of these distract James Holtzclaw from his employer's mission: to turn the fading gold-rush town of Auraria, GA, into a first-class resort and drown its fortunes below a man-made lake. But when Auraria's peculiar people and problematic ghosts collide with his own rival ambitions, Holtzclaw must decide what he will save and what will be washed away. Taking its inspiration from a real Georgia ghost town, Auraria is steeped in the folklore of the Southern Appalachians, where the tensions of natural, supernatural and artificial are still alive.

Cindy's Book Review: To be honest, I didn't find this book that interesting. Maybe because I was a sucker for romance and there is no romance in it. But also maybe I just had more interesting books to read and put this as my last place to read. And since I kinda quit reading it towards the middle of the book, I don't really have much to say in this review. It would be a super short one.

Rate: (1-10): 4.2

So even though I didn't really like this book, maybe someone else will! 
Happy Reading all those fab books!

Cindy's Book Review: Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon (Dead Beautiful#1).
Book Summary: On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.

After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”

It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.

Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life.

Dead Beautiful is both a compelling romance and thought-provoking read, bringing shocking new meaning to life, death, love, and the nature of the soul.


Cindy's Review/ Opinions: This is the kind of book you call paranormal romance. There's the dark, dangerous characters, and there's her, an average girl, called Renee Winters. I like her name! ;) LOL. 
Since her parents died, Renee Winters went to live with her rich grandfather, Brownie Winters. Really, Brownie. His real name is Brownell BTW. But yeah. When her grandfather sent her to Gottfried Academy. Seriously, got fried? OMQ. And I mean omq. She had no choice but to go. The school had a strict dress code, and even worse is that Renee would be away from her best friend, Annie. More importantly, the popular boyfriend, Wes. 

So when Renee gets to Gottfried Academy, she didn't expect anything unusual to happen, just living with stuck-up snobs are enough of an unusual. Renee didn't expect to fall in love with the most beautiful, the most mysterious God of the school, Dante Berlin. I'm all like, what about Wes? Omq!! 

Dante Berlin may be humorous and fun to her, but he doesn't speak with anyone else in the school. Dante Berlin may be handsome and beautiful, but why her of all the girls? Dante Berlin may be a warming person, but why is his skin, his breath, and just being around him is cold? There's many questions Dante wouldn't answer, but Renee still fell in love with him. 

In this thrilling suspense, we're going to find out who or what, should I say, Dante Berlin really is  and how Renee Winters is going to be part of it.

Rate: (1-10): 8.5

Quote Reaction time!! Or just random things I found interesting....
"I didn't know anything about death until I began studying philosophy."
What? How does that work?

"Maybe I was losing my mind."
Maybe you are. LOL.

"A classical education."
What is a classical education? You expect Gottfried Academy, which sounds like got fried? to be a classical education? With classes like that?

" 'Not with you and your stupid butler.' "
LOL. And the butler is like right there.

"Even as a child, I seem to find my way to dead things."
Ugh. Here is a clue for the book if you're dying to read it. LOL.

"Elementary Latin I
 Ancient Civilizations
 Imaginary Arithmetic
 Horticulture
 Philosophy
 The Arts
 Crude Sciences"
What kind of classes are these? For real. Isn't Latin a dead language and no one really knows how to speak it? Ancient Civilizations is sixth grade history. What is Imaginary Arithmetic? Is Arithmetic math or something? Imaginary math? What? Horticulture? Horror culture. OMQ. Philosophy? Confucious anyone? Plato? Um. who else? The Arts. Okaaaaaaaaaayy. Crude Sciences? What in the world is that? OMG. Weird school! Got Fried, anyone? LOL.

"Most people can't decide if they love him, hate him, or are scared of him."
Yep. Yep. Yep. It's Dante Berlin.

"He raised an eyebrow, a beautiful eyebrow..."
Omg. Talking about being obsessed.

"Gray...like the sky. Pretty."
LOL. Last time I checked, the sky was blue.
" 'Aren't you supposed to be a bearded farmer?' "
Yeah. Why? LOL.

Yeah. That's it for now! 
Until next time.

Cindy's Book Review: The Hunter's Moon by O.R. Melling

 The Hunter's Moon by O.R. Melling (The Chronicles of Faerie#1).

Book Summary: A fantasy "shimmering with magic, myth, and romance,"* now available in paperback 
Gwen travels to Ireland to visit her cousin Findabhair, expecting a summer of backpacking, late nights, and the usual road trip adventures. But when Findabhair is kidnapped by the King of Faerie, Gwen must race to save her cousin before the rise of the Hunter's Moon, when the fairies need a human sacrifice. 
This first novel in "The Chronicles of Faerie" was praised for "Melling's taut plotting, with its unexpected turns, that] moves the story quickly to a climax and leaves readers wanting more." ("School Library Journal") 
* from "Booklist" (starred review) 
Praise for "The Hunter's Moon" 
*"A compelling blend of Irish mythology and geography." - "School Library Journal" (starred review) 
..." This] sensation-loaded celebration of Ireland and Faerie will be a powerful draw for many readers." - "The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Cindy's Summary: When I first saw this book, I honestly didn't want to read it. Well, let's just say, when I first saw this book, I was like, "FREE BOOK FROM LIBRARY! WANT! WANT! WANT!" It was like Black Friday when I got it! So our San Leandro Public Library - Main was like having this Teen Party for the Reading Program at the end of each summer, and each summer, they give away free books. There were like very few left when I got there. So yeah. Then, I brought it home and went, "EW. The cover doesn't seem interesting. The teaser doesn't have any romance in it. I'm not reading it!" So I put it on my desk for a while. Then one day, I went like: "I'm so bored. No books to read. Nothing to do. I'm just going to read this."

I did not regret this decision. It's like it's the best book I ever read in my life, but it is not as boring as I thought it would seem. The summary made it seem like those normal fairy books about kidnapping humans and stuff. I really got tired of those books, so I was like "I really don't want to read this." 

Even though it really is about kidnapping humans and stuff, the real criminals are actually not the fairies. That's what is surprising. And not only that, there is actually romance in it. 

To be truthful, the whole 'The Chronicles of Faerie' also discouraged me from reading it. I thought the book was from the middle of a series and I hate starting to read in the middle of a series. So yeah.. 

Oops, this is more like about me and the book instead of a summary. I should really change it to 'Cindy's Opinions" LOL. 

So here's the real summary:

This book starts off having a cousin reunion. Findabhair lives in Ireland while Gwen lives in America. Both girls are sixteen and Ireland is apparently where all the magic is, where there are fairies or faeries in this case. The two girls go to a road trip taken by bus, and that's when Findabhair gets kidnapped by the king of faeries. Wanting to save her cousin, Gwen follows the faeries and tries to save her cousin. While Gwen believes that the faeries are harming and stealing her cousin away from her, Findabhair thinks the opposite. Findabhair thinks she's helping the faeries from a deep, dark enemy. Both are right. A human cannot live in a fairy realm without dying  in the human world, but if a human does not sacrifice herself for the enemy, The Hunter, then the faeries would not live on. 

So in this exciting adventure, both cousins find out things change when you actually go to a real adventure. (Not the ones, they were daydreaming before.)

Rate:(1-10): 8.3

This book is really not as bad as I thought the fairy books would be. 

Quotes!

"Have you forgotten how to sing?"

How can that happen? LOL.

"Dear Findabhair"

I find this name like really unique. Like what kind of name is Findabhair? Not to be mean or anything. LOL.

"Or you  may be remembering the future."

WHAT?! How is that even possible?

"We're hopeless romantics."

It's me and Liana, guys!!! (Don't correct my grammar, I know it's there.)

"....they always give her the heebie-jeebies"

LOL. Heebie-jeebies.

"Mattie O' Shea, at your service."

Why are all elves named O' something, like O' Reilly or something. Oh, really!

"Was she hallucinating?"

Yeah, probably. 

"Kathleen Quirke"

I like your  name. Sounds really perky. (It rhymes! LOL)

"ANCIENT EATING PLACE." 

Oh, please. Ancient Eating Place? LOL. I never knew that existed.

"Yes, she had definitely became a flirt."

Omg. Who admits those things?

"....for they knew The Queen of Faerie had lost her King."

That sounds really sad, but she's like sixteen!

Yeah, that's it for the quotes. Hope you enjoyed the review, LOL. And I hope it wasn't too long!

Sneak Peak for The Mark of Athena!

For the fans of Rick Riordan! Who is excited for the upcoming third, new book for Rick Riordan's The Heroes of Olympus series, The Mark of Athena? Well, I am!

So I went far ahead and hunted for some book previews! And guess what? I found them!

Ready for the link? Here it is:
http://bookboxdaily.scholastic.com/2012/08/01/mark-of-athena-sneak-peek/

If you want the original link, it's right here:
www.scholastic.com/bookboxdaily

Yep! Enjoy! I know. It's like really short but still!

Happy Reading!
~ Cindy

Inevitable - Chapter Two

Hey Cindy. (; omg. So busy with school. I haven't been doing Incend lately. D: Well. I'm gonna work on it now and send it to ya, k? Yeah. So good luck with Inevitable and stuff. omg, Ms. Valdez calling me a cute little girl. whut.

Haha....lol. Yeah, that was Liana. I was a little bit lazy when I made this draft. I was about to post it next week, but yeah, I was too busy doing this, watching shows. And as you know, school started. So I'm like super busy doing Falcon Work and hanging out. No time, like Liana said. I haven't really been writing that much in Inevitable because of school and such, but I'll try really hard to not get distracted and write in it as much as possible. ;)

Since I owe it to you now, omg. Here's Inevitable-Chapter Two!

Inevitable-Chapter Two
The main road that leads to the city was dark and dangerous, espcially at night.

Great. I thought. I came out just in time for my doom facing bandits alone. With a sigh, I look towards the side of the road, where the bushes are which made a great hideaway for both bandits and travelers.

Looking at the dark shadows of the medium-sized bushes, I smacked my forehead. Oh! Why had I forgotten a flashlight? Oh well. I will have to deal with what I have now.

I crept closer to the edge of the road, getting ready in case any bandits come flying out at me.

When I made sure no one was behind the bushes, I patted the soft ground and lied down. I can't be picky in these situations. Falling asleep this early may be hard, but there is nothing to do but to rest.

In the distance, I thought I heard a horse, but I don't care. I already drifted off to sleep.

Minutes later, I've been startled awake by this bright light. Blinking, I quickly sat up.

Bandits! Run! my brain yelled.

"Well, what do we have here?"

"I'm no one special. Go away!" I turned my head towards the direction of the voice.

"Oh, don't scare her like that." a women's voice sounded, surprising me.

I didn't know women also become bandits.

"Oh, dear. You must be shocked that we pried you awake, but we just had to make sure you were not dead." the women continued.

"What is a young lady doing on the road alone?" the man's voice questioned.

"Umm...I'm heading back to the capital to find my father." I lied. In truth, my dad left our family more than 8 years ago, right before Reina was born. We already believe that he's dead.

"We're heading back to the capital, too. We just visited our son, Josh in the nearby village. And by the way, my name is Robert. And this is-" Robert spoke.

"-Mariette." Mariette interrupted.

I then wondered. What would a young child be doing in a village when they live in the magnificent city?  But then I decided it was the cue to introduce myself instead. "My name is Arabelle Sterling, but you can call me Elle."

"Sterling, huh? Any chance related to the high official, Ashton Sterling?" Paul asked.

"Oh, no." I don't know anyone in the government." I hastily replied.

"Hmm..." Paul hmmed while stroking his nonexistent beard. "Do you want to us to take you to the capital? It beats facing bandits and a two week walk alone."

Seeing how nice and kind-faced the couple are, I decided it was safe to ride with them. They won't kidnap me, my mind reassured. "Okay, sure." I said.

"Well, go right on the carriage. Ladies first." Robert said with a twinkle in his eye, just like how my father was when he talked.

"You don't have any belongings?" Mariette questioned, just like my mother would, peering back at the bushes.

I shook my head. Partly because I wanted to get rid of the thought about Robert and Mariette being my parents. "No, they're all in my pockets."

"Well, climb on, dear!" Robert urged.

While I was ascending the carriage, I couldn't help but notice how refined the couple are. Nice, rich clothing. A carriage that probably worth more than the house I live in. Or lived in, in this case.

"Go to sleep, Arabelle. You'll need plenty of energy in the city, trust me." Mariette suggested.

I looked out of the window towards the wonderful night sky. Breathing the fresh air, I realized I couldn't believe my luck. "Oh, I will." I answered Mariette.

With a slap from the reins, the driver of Robert and Mariette, or should I say the horse, took us racing on the road, straight towards the capital city. I can't turn back now, even if I wanted to. Wiht a happy sigh, I drifted off to sleep to the rythm of the horseshoes sounding on the road.

Whatever obstacle or help I get, along the way to the city and in the city, is something kind of similar to fate. It's unavoidable.


Sorry, my writing is so sucky. And boring. Let's hope Liana will help me fix it up and get it more interesting. lol. Don't worry, though. Because in Chapter Three, I will introduce an important character that will certainly brighten things up! Sadly though, Inevitable is a preview, so this is all you get, so if you're interested in reading, wait till I finish writing the book and then buy it and read it well. Yes. So yeah. Bye for now~

Inevitable Edited

I owe you guys this for like a really long time, but i was just too lazy to do this. So my editor, Liana Chau, also known as my book buddy, lol, had a  fun time editing this. And she did like a lot. So yah. Have fun reading the new version~

"Wait! Don't leave yet!" he shouts.

How did he know I was going to leave? I turn on my heel to face the boy I've seen so much in the past two months. I gulped, hard. I knew I had to leave him behind, so why did I feel so reluctant?

"Why won't you take me with you?" he blurts. He's serious. I see it in his expression. He reddens, his tan skin turning a shade of scarlet, which looks quite cute on him, and I realize I've been staring for a second too long.  "I know I'll be helpful!" he continues recklessly, obviously not giving up. " We, uh.." he hesitates. "we can start a life together." he says quietly.

It's now or never, I thought. If I don't leave soon, I fear I won't be able to leave later. Am I really supposed to put my love life before my family? "I'm sorry, Bran." I whispered through the curtain of hair that hung in front of my face, not caring if he heard or not. Then, I ran.


"Elle!"

I heard my name being screamed. Oh, no! I widened my eyes. It has to be Rae. I turned my head to look for my little sister, but the next thing I knew, I was facing the dirt road, having carelessly crashed into a tree.

"Are you alright?" the sweet, little, innocent voice that I'm so familiar with asks, concern full in the tone, reminding me of all the time I spent with her in our small little village, Feyton.

Tears filled my eyes, threatening to spill. 

"Are you seriously crying like a little girl, Elle? Even I don't do that anymore! Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Oh, Arabelle." Rae says, shaking her head with a sigh, her brown hair floating about in the wind.

Rae's acting brings a sad smile to my lips, but reality's harshness instantly goes through my mind again, and the smile disappears.

"Listen, Rae." I look her in the eyes.  "Tell Mom I'm going somewhere and it's going to be a while before I come back home."

"Where are you going? I want to go too!" she whined. She was rarely like this. She hardly ever whined, much less threw tantrums. 

A solemn smile flashes on my face. "Rae, just do what I say, okay? And tell mom I'll send letters explaining."

"But-" she starts to protest. I silence her with my next statement.

"It's getting dark, Reina. Go home before mom worries." 

Before Rae could say anything, I stood, leaving my sister on the road. I sprinted toward the gate that leads to the main road. I have minutes before the gate closes for the night, and I won't get another chance for a whole twenty-four hours if I miss this one.

Quickly, I rummaged in my pockets for all the belongings I planned to take. The stack of cash?

Yep. It will last at least a month in the city, enough time for me to find a job.

Dad's watch?

Yep. Mom's going to hate me for it, but I need a reminder of home, and especially ,Dad.

And lastly, my heart. I knew I couldn't focus with my heart still half at home. With a firm nod to myself, I sprinted past the gate and melted into the darkness of the road that would be the first step to my new life.

Liana's feedback: omg why is it highlighted yellow. Ignore the yellow-ness of my feedback. Anyway, I think that's it's a good beginning and it totally captures readers. Inevitable is the perf name for it. (x yeah. I seriously think it's a bit short for a chapter but it's all good. Try to make your chapters longer later because having 100 chapters isn't cute. Also, divide your story into three or two sections to achieve the desired length of your story. Oh yeah. And when you're writing, you have to use present tense or past tense throughout the whole story, like,  "he shouts," right, so then the next line goes like. "turned around." And it doesn't make sense. You have to do present tense the whole time! Ahhh. It's hard I know. kajfklsdj Oh yes, and here's a tip: LET HER GET ROBBED, AND THEN SOME GUY COMES RESCUE HER. That one guy.. Kendell. Yeah. Don't make the romance too awkward if you know what I mean. :D

Incend stuff: I'm still not done revising Chapter 3, man! Guhh. Well, less work for you. Anyway, yeah. kk!

The yellow part is Liana's editing. And feedback. lool. And it looks like i need to help her edit Incend more. lol

 

Inevitable Characters

I don't have my personal artist like Liana but since it's a chapter book or an young adult book, I doubt it will have pictures. But I have already planned like a lot of characters so I'll just tell you the character names. I won't spoil some character surprises. I'll tell you about the main character though. Only about Arabelle since she appeared already. And maybe her sister Reina, but not anybody else that appears including Chapter Two because they are surprises, even for Arabelle. Liana might have an idea of what I was talking about, but probably not in Chapter Two.....so anyways here are the characters.

Arabelle Sterling
 - main character
 - AKA Elle

Reina Sterling
 - Arabelle's sister.
 - AKA Rae

Kendell Rickwood ;)

Josh Vontaine

Robert (for various reasons, I won't tell his last name.)

Mariette (again, for various reasons, I won't tell her last name.)

Lindsey Hollister

Erin (I'll keep their last names a secret too.)

Larissa  ^

So that's all I planned. There will probably be some more added characters. And to learn the secrets behind the characters, stay in tune!!! Although that might be a while.....

~ Cindy ;)

Inevitable - Chapter One

"Wait! Don't leave yet!" he says.

How did he know I was going to leave? I turned around to face the boy I've seen so much the past two months. I gulped, hard. I know I have to leave him behind.

"Why won't you take me with you? I know I'll be helpful! We can start a life together!"

It's now or never, my brain thought. Am I really supposed to put my love life before my family? "I'm sorry, Bran." I whispered through my hair. Then I turned and ran.


"Elle!"

I heard my name being screamed into the air. Oh, no! I widened my eyes. It has to be Rae. I turned my head to look for Rae, but the next thing I knew, I was facing the dirt road.

"Are you alright?" the sweet, little innocent voice of my younger sister asks, reminding me of all the times I spent with her in our small little village, Feyton.

Tears whelmed into my eyes.

"Are you seriously crying like a little girl, Elle? Even I don't do that anymore! Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Oh, Arabelle." Rae says, shaking her head with a sigh.

Rae's acting brings smiles to my lips, but reality instantly goes through my mind again.

"Listen, Rae. Tell mom I'm going somewhere and it's going to be a while before I go back home."

"Where are you going? I want to go too!"

A solemn smile flashes across my lips. "Rae, just do what I say okay? And tell mom I'll send letters explaining."

"But-"

"It's getting dark, Reina. Go home before mom worries."

Before Rae could say anything, I stood up, leaving my sister on the road and sprinted towards the gate that leads to the main road. I've got minutes before the gate closes for the night.

Quickly, I checked my pockets for all the belongings I'm bringing along. The stack of cash?

Yep. It will last at least a month in the city, enough time for me to find a job. That is, if I don't get robbed along the road.

Dad's watch?

Yep. Mom's going to hate me for it, but I need a reminder of home and especially Dad.

And lastly, my heart. I knew I couldn't focus with my heart still half at home With a firm nod, I sprinted to the gate and slipped out towards the dark road of my new life.


~ So that's it for now!
~ Cindy ;)

August 14th, 2012. (Inevitable)

So here it comes, I written the draft of Inevitable, the book I'm writing. This is straight from the notebook, I haven't really corrected the mistakes that are pretty hard to correct and involves thinking yet. This is just Chapter One because I'm still working on Chapter Two. I need this small part, so yep. I'll post up Chapter Two for later. Also, my book buddy, Liana thought up the title for me. Do you like it? The sad part is that I could barely pronounce my own title. LOL.

And well, I finally posted. I will post up  Chapter One of Inevitable here, but obviously it will also be in the "Inevitable" by Cindy Mai page on the top if you ever want to reread it or look at it for future reference.

~Cindy

Cindy's Book Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon.

Entwined by Heather Dixon.
Book Summary: Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forest every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father’s grief. What they don’t understand—although as time passes they begin to get an inkling of the danger they are in—is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Luckily, Azalea is brave and steadfast. Luckily, a handsome young army captain also has his eye on Azalea. . . . Lush, romantic, and compelling, this debut novel by Heather Dixon will thrill fans of Shannon Hale, Robin McKinley, and Edith Pattou.

Cindy's Summary: This book is based on The Twelfth Dancing Princesses. The oldest princess is called Azalea and she promised her mother to take care of her eleven younger sisters, whose names are in alphabetical order in the names of flowers.When her mother dies, the king doesn't allow the princesses to dance so they found this enchanted place where they can dance in. This enchanted place have this mysterious Keeper who steals stuff. For a while, Azalea actually likes him, but later on, found out that he stole stuff from the princesses. Either way, Azalea loses her trust in him and tries not to go back, but Keeper actually makes her go to the enchanted place to dance the Entwined.

Rate: (1-10): 7.6

Cindy's Opinion's: I really don't have that much opinion about this book. Just that Keeper is a disgusting pervert and Lord Bradford sounds really old. I thought he was an old man. I think that's it.

Now, to the short quotes.. I don't have very much.

" 'Your mother is dead.....she died last night.' "

What kind of person tells you one day after your mother died as in nothing was wrong the night you danced...

"....sisters had been named alphabetically, as the King liked everything very much in order."

For real, alphabetically. Are you kidding me, who gets this crazy.;/

"....umpteenth time."

I don't know why I found this interesting but no one uses the word umpteenth anymore.

" 'Who the devil are you?' "

This sounded like a very interesting phrase to say.

"You know I know where you go, and I know you know I know of it."

So confusing.....

"What a fire poker!"

 I actually like this phrase.

Okay, that's it (Liana's exact words.)

~ Cindy ;) 

Cindy's Book Review: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks.
Book Summary:Seventeen year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father… until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms – first love, the love between parents and children – that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts… and heal them.

Cindy's Opinions/Summary: Liana's gonna hate me for spoiling the ending, but I'm not really spoiling it. I knew about this before I even read the book. So Liana told me that all Nicholas Sparks' s books end with a death. And I was like there has to be death in this book for real. They'll separate but how could there be any deaths? And of course, in the end.........I won't tell you, but I'll tell you this. I cried for like the last hundred pages.....it's so sad, but it's a good book with a good ending.
For some reason, I thought Nicholas Sparks was like an old man or something, but then I saw his author photo and turns out he's quite buff. LOL.
And I have to say, for those who judged the book because movie/movie characters, you should really just read the book first......it's so good. And plus Liam Hemsworth is not that bad. At least he's hotter than Josh Hutcherson. But anyways, I read this like post about judging the book three stars because Miley Cyrus was in the movie and I was like, WHAT!!!! The book deserves five stars!!! For real!!! 

Rate: (1-10): 10
When I started rating books, I have to say, I rarely give tens, but now, I feel like I gave out a lot of tens.

Quote reactions! (Stealing Liana's words LOL.)
Since Liana's quote post-its were still there, I tried hard not to use her quotes.See....she took like all the good quotes...I only took one or  maybe two of hers because it was too good to leave behind.

''....wondered again what she'd be like in bed."
Ewww...he's totally a pervert. Ugh. (This is one of Liana's quotes.)

"Marcus definitely creeps her out."
Marcus creeps me out....

" 'Cause the two of you are acting like they died.' "
LOL. I really like the dad. And no, this is not the death part of the ending either. It's unexpected and sad.

" 'Just stay away from me!' "
Right, Marcus stay away from her! You creep!

" 'Do you ever listen to anything I say?' "
Um...nope.

" 'Shouldn't you be with your friends, staring at yourselves in the mirror.' 
....'Oh, because we're so good-looking, right?' "
LOL. Ronnie's so funny sometimes, despite that she's cross in everything.
And yes, you're good looking. Now what?

" 'And now I'm stuck babysitting turtle eggs while a volleyball player/grease monkey/aquarium volunteer tries to hit on me.' "
LOL. Grease monkey. Isn't he supposed to be hot? And she said it plain as day. Oh. I feel sad for Will. But it's so funny. 

" 'Can I ask you a question?'
'I'm not sure if I can stop you.' "
Good comeback, normally I say this to one of my teachers, Mrs.Philipps.
"I have a question."  And she'd say,
"I have an answer."
Now, I'm so using the 'I'm not sure if I can stop you' quote. LOL. Just hope that person don't think I"m criticizing them.

"One second he was standing three feet away from her, and in the next he had a hand on her hop and was pulling her close."
It's romantic. Continue on....LOL. Thank goodness that wasn't Marcus.(The second one of Liana's quotes.)

" '...you were definitely making out,' Jonah said with conviction."
Her brother is funny... LOL> You were definitely making out.

"His embrace somehow made everything better and worse at the same time."
No comment. Continued reading, looking forward to the ending. The sad, but romantic ending.
Comment: How do you do that?

So, I found some like fun facts on Goodreads...I've posted the most interesting ones, which is most of them. LOL.

Did You Know?---
Miley Cyrus chose the name Ronnie for the main character?
I really did not know that. Interesting....

Nicholas wrote the screenplay before he wrote the novel?
No, but everything makes sense now. It makes sense how the movie came out in 2009 and the book came out in 2010. It confused the heck out of me. I thought there was a typo or something.

The Last Song is the longest novel that Nicholas has written?
So basically, he writes really short books?

That's it, I actually find the first one the most interesting.

~ Cindy ;D

Cindy's Book Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent#2)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent#2).
Book Summary: One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

"New York Times" bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian "Divergent" series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Cindy's Opinions/Summary: So Insurgent is not as good as Divergent but it's still pretty good. Always, in a series or trilogy, the first book is always the best. Like in The Hunger Games, Graceling, Delirium, not sure about Legend since the second book isn't even out yet. I realized  I always like talk about those books when I do a book review LOL. 

Luckily, in Insurgent, Tobias and Tris is more romantic even though they get mad at each other, TWO times, I think. So yep. Anyways, what else is there to say. Um, Erudite is evil. Really, so that means Liana is evil. Liana took the faction quiz and she got Erudite. I got Dauntless from the computer page http://www.facebook.com/DivergentSeries/app_203946119628644. This link is the original quiz from Facebook probably created by either Veronica Roth or  someone who works for the book. When I took the quiz from the book, I got Candor. 

Ummm....I had so much to say and now I have nothing to say....really. *sighs.

Either way, the word Insurgent reminds me of Surgent _________. Those mean retired veterans for some reason.

Officially I have no more to say when I'm supposed to have a lot to say. Oh. Well. I'll add it in if I remember and don't feel too lazy too.

Rate: (1-10): 9

I did tell you guys to look forward to Insurgent from the Divergent book review huh? Too bad it's only this.

OH. And I'm kind of too lazy to do summaries, it's more like my opinions instead so now it's Cindy's Opinions. LOL.

~ Cindy ;)

Cindy's Book Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. (Sounds similar to Veronica Roth. ;)
Book Summary: Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland --- known as The Death Shop --- are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets and Outsider named Perry. He's wild --- a savage --- and her only hope of staying alive.
A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile --- everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too: she alone holds the ke to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Cindy's Opinions: This book is surprisingly similar to Julia Goldings's awesome books, Dragonfly and The Glass Swallow. The only problem is that this book doesn't have the same feel: the same romance, the same sadness, and the same background. So, I'm not going to say so much, because, well, the beginning was so boring I wanted to quit reading. At least the middle got interesting, but the romance is somewhat, choppy. Julia Golding's books is a smooth hill that keeps going up or at least like stairs. This book's romance is like a speed bump. Like they find each other annoying and suddenly they get in bed or something. Either way, I find Julia Golding's books more entertained......I really like Dragonfly and The Glass Swallow. I like Dragonfly more though. You should really read it, Liana.

Rate: (1-10) 6.9
Okay, don't think wrong, but I like decimal numbers during ratings because they confuse me.

Quote Time:
"Peregrine."
Really, books come up with the weirdest names. Peregrine sounds like a girl name. At least his nickname is Perry. I like the name Perry for some reason. Probably because in other books, guys named Perry are actually pretty hot. Either way, weird name like these are actually pretty pretty. Like Taoshira, Day, June, ya know.

" 'How long is this journey?' "
Sounds like she's going to Mars. Really, how long and journey makes the destination sound like Mars. I'm so biased. To her, though, I'm pretty the destination is Mars......or a desert.

"...........worst death in the Death Shop, she decided, was rotting alone."
This sounds every way, horrible.....'worst death', 'Death Shop', 'rotting alone'

"were Marked."
Seems similar to Divergents in Divergent, and Day and June from Legend.

".....crafted Aria's DNA"
So this book obviously takes place in the future....that reminds me of the movie GATTACA I had to watch in science class.

" 'How old do you think I am, Dweller?'
'.....fifty to sixty thousand years.' "
Dang....for real? He's eighteen.

" '.....it's your first blood.' "
Ewww.....that's what they call it when you have your first period and the guy had to tell the girl that.What the heck....?

Whoop. That's it.

- Cindy.....