Fun or None? Trilogy Thursday!

Day 5 of Fun or None hosted by Nikki @ Fiction Freak !

Participating bloggers:
Jessica @ Just a Booklover
Paulina @ Kissed/Bitten by books
Karis Jacobstein @ YA Litwit
Ria @ The Beaucoup Review

Dana @ DanaSquare

Trilogy Thursday ~ I pick three trilogies to rate and write about three things I love about each of them.

1. The Hunger Games trilogy

I can't help it--this was the first one I think of when I hear "trilogy." These books are well written, have strong, well developed characters, and just enough romance and heartache without going over the top. :)

2. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Dawn of the Dreadfuls, and Dreadfully Ever After

These three books were so kick ass! I love these "mash up" books, where the classics are given a dose of zombies, or sea monsters, or vampires, or werewolves. My favorite character was Elizabeth--she was fearless and killed zombies left and right like she was born just for that purpose! Best of all? They refer to zombies as "dreadfuls." How hilarious is that?? :)

3. The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Dark and Hollow Places

I must admit, I haven't read the third book, and I'm not even sure if there's only going to be three of these books. I loved the first two books, though, and am definitely going to read the third. They give a fresh perspective on the zombie/dystopian/apocalyptic genres, the plotting was well thought out, and the suspense was awesome. I had no idea what was going to happen next. I love that!! :)

What three trilogies would you choose and what do you love about them?

Fun or None? ~ What?! Wednesday

Day 4 of Fun or None hosted by Nikki @ Fiction Freak !

Participating bloggers:
Jessica @ Just a Booklover
Paulina @ Kissed/Bitten by books
Karis Jacobstein @ YA Litwit
Ria @ The Beaucoup Review

Dana @ DanaSquare

What?! Wednesday = 3 books that shocked you to the core! (Spoiler Post!!)

These probably aren't going to spoil anything for anyone because I'm guessing most people have already read these, but here's my three anyhow. :)

1. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Basically, I could not have been any more shocked--and not in a good way--when Bella became pregnant with Edward's baby on their honeymoon AND the baby rips out of her like a scene from Alien. Not cool.

2. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Ummm...yeah...I'm pretty sure my heart stopped beating when I read Katniss had to go back into the arena. I was devastated, appalled, completely shocked. I was lucky to know nothing about this series when I read it, so I had no idea that was going to happen. It was too much!

3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

I could not believe the ending! But it really couldn't have ended any other way. And I could not stop thinking about it for days--it followed me everywhere I went, and as surprised as I was by how much the entire book affected me, I also was pleased. Awesome, awesome writing. :D

Weigh in Wednesday ~ Poetry vs. Prose

This is a new weekly meme hosted by Lauren from Epilogue Review. Each week there will be a something vs. something topic for you to post your thoughts about. Make sure to visit Lauren at her blog, Epilogue Review, and she has a link if you'd like to use her picture (shown above) as well as the blog hop code. Comments below with your thoughts are always appreciated! :)

The topic this week: Poetry vs. Prose

OK, so since I'm a total nerd :D, I decided to look up the words "poetry" and "prose" on the Merriam-Webster dictionary app on my iPod to help kick start my thoughts. I was really surprised to see a definition for "prose poem." (It's been a really long time since I've been in an actual English class.) In case, like me, you haven't heard of this or remember what it is, I've got you covered! 

prose poem = a composition in prose that has some of the qualities of a poem

Does anyone have any examples of a prose poem? I'd like to check them out. :)



Poetry tends to intimidate me unless I'm the one writing it. Sometimes I feel like I'm missing what the writer is communicating to me and find myself floundering around trying to grasp the poem's meaning, although, in my opinion, it's a form of writing that can be open to interpretation. Maybe that's what is hard for me to grasp.

The more I thought about poetry in writing this post, the more I thought about my favorite songs. There are so many songs that have perfectly described emotions I've felt that I didn't have the words myself at the time to express them. There's something really beautiful about well written lyrics, and I really like to read the lyrics to an entire album I love in one sitting.

I do read much more prose than poetry though. It seems there is so much more prose readily available out there than poetry. When I get emails from Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc. giving out information on new releases, I rarely see any new poetry books coming out. There is so much writing in prose that is just as beautiful as poetry to me. Ninety-five percent of my favorite pieces of writing are in prose. Does it seem to you that there is more prose out there than poetry?

Since I read more prose and am more comfortable reading this form of writing, then I'm going to go with prose. :)

What are your thoughts? Is it prose or poetry for you?

Fun or None? Top Tuesday

Day 3 of Fun or None hosted by Nikki @ Fiction Freak !

Participating bloggers:
Jessica @ Just a Booklover
Paulina @ Kissed/Bitten by books
Karis Jacobstein @ YA Litwit
Ria @ The Beaucoup Review

Dana @ DanaSquare


Top Tuesday = I pick my top 5 in any topic! :)

My Top Five Favorite Concerts

1. Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
     There's no way I could not list the very first "real" concert I went to!! My friend's dad took us and two of our other friends (we weren't even old enough to drive yet!), and he fell asleep while sitting next to us!! I'll never forget how the show started--the lights were turned off, and in the darkness, you could hear "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" playing, the first song of the entire album. At the end of the song, suddenly, the band was lit up, already on stage, and went right into "Tonight, Tonight." One of my best memories ever.

2. Alanis Morissette ~ So-Called Chaos
     For my sister's birthday in 2004, I took her to see Alanis in concert when Alanis was promoting her album, So-Called Chaos. I was 14 when I first saw the music video "You Oughta Know" on MTV, and from then on, I was obsessed! ;) I had long hair like hers, I knew every song, I had her moves down, and my friends nicknamed me "alanis" (we never capitalized the "a" for some reason).  My sister loved her music, too, thanks in part to me, and while we love all of Alanis's albums, So-Called Chaos had us as excited as Jagged Little Pill did back when that album came out in 1995. Most of the material she played was from those two albums, and that concert more than made up for the fact that I didn't get to see her when she toured for Jagged Little Pill. I loved her primal ferociousness and edginess--Alanis made a huge impact on alternative rock of the 90's for women, and she continues to make a major impact on me! :D

3. U2 ~ All That You Can't Leave Behind
     When I finally got to go see U2 in concert with one of my best friends (and partner in U2 lovin' crime), they were on their Elevation tour with a stage shaped like a heart. What I wouldn't have given to have been inside that heart!! But to see Bono, the Edge, Adam, and Larry dancing, playing, and performing their show with such energy, and completely infusing us, the audience, with that energy--what can be better than that?  Just to be in the same room with them was enough to make my day! Nothing is better than when a band comes together to bring their music to life, and you happen to be in their presence.

4. Green Day ~ American Idiot
     Green Day is one of the hardest rockin' bands out there and inspires me with their lyrics of social justice and peace. My husband and I went to this concert together, and my sister went separately with her friends. This was an album that many fans of Green Day's earlier albums did not like, but American Idiot was like a salve for those of  us who were shocked and appalled that George W. Bush had been "re-elected" and spoke to me in a way that gave me hope when, at that time, I had none for this country. Billie Joe, Mike, and Tre Cool played their hearts out, and we were right there with them. They give a high energy show, and they're one of the best known bands for their awesome performances.

5. The Beastie Boys ~ Hello Nasty
     I had tickets to this concert along with a few of my friends, and Rage Against the Machine was also headlining. We had been dying to see both bands, especially the Beastie Boys. The entire tour was canceled when the drummer Mike D suffered serious injury from a bicycle accident (he needed surgery and rehabilitation afterwards), and there were a group of friends here in Ohio positively devastated! By the time Mike D was well enough to perform again, Rage Against the Machine had disbanded, and the tour was not rescheduled (this happened back in 2000). I know if we had been able to go to that concert, it would've definitely been the craziest, most memorable time any of us could've had.
     On May 4th of this year, Adam "MCA" Yauch died after battling throat cancer for three years. His positive energy and crazy talent will be missed.

~ Rest in Peace Adam Yauch ~

August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012

Book Review ~ Elemental Magic

(Image from goodreads.com
See link below)

Title: Elemental Magic (Elemental Magic #1)
Author: Angela Wallace
Published: November 19, 2011
Pages: 250 (Paperback)
My copy: Kindle Edition
Genre: Paranormal, Mystery
Average Rating: 4.41
My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars
Read from April 27 to May 12, 2012

Goodreads summary:

Aileen Donovan is an oceanographer with magical control over the element of water. While her normal focus is on research and fighting poachers, she’s about to go up against the stuff of legends—and that’s saying something for a supernatural.

A transport ship is missing and everyone’s eager to get their hands on the cargo. No one knows what exactly it is, but when fragments resembling coral begin to drive local residents insane, Aileen suspects a preternatural source. Whatever is at the bottom of the ocean, a power-hungry alchemist wants it, and releases a sea dragon to eat the competition—literally.

Aileen sees this as an opportunity to win the professional recognition she desires, but keeping secrets is complicated when she’s working with local Coast Guard officer Colin Benson. Her sense of love and duty will be put to the test, and when the tide washes out, it might have been better if that lost ship had stayed lost.


My Review:

The author graciously gave me a free copy of her book for my Kindle for review. I was pleasantly surprised by the story--after so many books have come out lately where the main character possesses some type of supernatural power, I was excited to read about a girl who can control the element of water. This was something different and fresh for me to read.

The main character, Aileen Donovan, is an elemental with control over water. There are other people who also can control water as well as people who have control over earth, wind, or fire. This story pulled me in right away, and there are so many twists and turns throughout that I couldn't guess what was going to happen next. Just when I thought of a potential direction the story was going to head in, I'd find out I was wrong, which is a good thing! I love a story that keeps me guessing!

Kudos to the author for weaving a suspenseful, intricate supernatural mystery! I will definitely be reading the sequel, and as a matter of fact, I already have it downloaded to my Kindle!

For more information on this book, the author, and her other works, click on this link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13086324-elemental-magic

Fun or None? Mash up Monday!

Day two of Fun Or None hosted by Nikki @ Fiction Freak !

Participating bloggers:
Jessica @ Just a Booklover
Paulina @ Kissed/Bitten by books
Karis Jacobstein @ YA Litwit                   
Ria @ The Beaucoup Review

Dana @ DanaSquare

Today is Mash up Monday, where I'll pick out characters from two different books that I'd love to see in the same book.

I'd like Sookie Stackhouse (from the books by Charlaine Harris that the HBO show True Blood is based on) and Evie Tremain from the novel Fated (Fated #1) by Sarah Alderson.

Image from goodreads.com

Image from goodreads.com

When I began reading Fated, I couldn't help but think there are some things Sookie and Evie have in common--they're both waitresses with concerned bosses and are surrounded by the supernatural, sometimes with their lives in danger.  And they're also more than waitresses--Sookie can read other people's thoughts, and Evie is a demon slayer.   

I always felt that Sookie could've used an awesomely cool female friend she could trust when she needed to just vent. There weren't too many female characters that got along with her throughout the series of books, and anyone she did think was her friend ended up betraying her. Maybe with Evie to hang out with, Sookie would have more to do on her days off than laundry and going outside to tan. :P

Together, they could kick a lot of ass! Sookie ended up in hand-to-hand combat with different "supes" from time to time, and Evie entered into training once she found out she was a demon slayer. (How's that for a revelation???) The two of them together would give "supes" everywhere nightmares. Yep, this needs to happen. ;)

Fun or None? Salutation Sunday!

This is a week long blog hop hosted and created by Nikki Wang @ Fiction Freak  for May 27 - June 2. She has chosen a topic for each day that all of us will post along with our thoughts. Make sure to come back everyday to see the new day's topic! :)  Thanks so much for the invite, Nikki! Any comments or thoughts about the day's post? Please share them below. They're always appreciated! :D

Participating bloggers:
Jessica @ Just a Booklover
Paulina @ Kissed/Bitten by books
Karis Jacobstein @ YA Litwit
Ria @ The Beaucoup Review

Dana @ DanaSquare

 

Today's Topic: Salutation Sunday

Almost 31 years ago I was born (my birthday's coming up in July!!), and....wait, I won't make you go through my entire life so far in flashbacks! That would just be mean, and I'll spare you the boring moments of which there have been many--I live in a tiny town--basically a cornfield to people from anywhere else. :P

 

In sixth grade, I decided I wanted to become a counselor, and in junior high, I narrowed it down to grief therapy. I hurried through high school to get out of there! I went to college and earned my B.A. in Psychology by the skin of my teeth (I should've gone for a B.S. for all the good my degree is; that would be more accurate, hahaha). I plan on going back to college and getting my Master's in Mental Health Counseling.

 

Literally from kindergarten, I knew I wanted to become a writer. I'm working on that, too. Any free time I have is spent reading and writing, just about anything and everything.

 

I'm married (we've been together for almost eleven years!), and we have two children--a 9 year old girl and a 2 year old boy, two cats, and a puppy. Our family keeps on growing! :) I'm currently a full-time parent and feel super lucky I can be the primary person taking care of my kids.

 

Plus, my sister will be having a girl the beginning of August, and I can't wait to be around a tiny baby again. Only this time, when the baby starts crying, I can hand her back to her momma, except when I'm niece-sitting of course. :D 

 

That's it for me for today! Come back tomorrow to see what the next topic will be! Don't forget to visit all of the blog sites listed above! :D

Memorial Day weekend

It's Memorial Day weekend, and for me, that means it's time for my family's annual trip "down home," a very rural area in Southern Ohio where my mom was raised by my grandparents along with her brothers and sisters until she was in high school.  Everyone on my mom's side of the family call that area "down home," especially my grandma, and I grew up calling the area home myself.

Some of the best Memorial Day weekends were when I was young, and my mother's entire, and I mean entire, family would gather at Fort Hill, one of our state parks here in Ohio. We'd eat grilled hamburgers or hot dogs, visit with each other, and enjoy how beautiful it is down there. I'd get to see all of my aunts, uncles, cousins; my grandpa's siblings, their spouses, and their kids...there were so many relatives to see and catch up with that it was hard to believe how big my family was!

My sister and I barely ate anything so we could go play with all of our cousins. :D There were creeks to wade in, trails to hike, a giant open field to play baseball, and a little museum with the history of the area. One of my favorite memories about the museum before they renovated it was the statue of a Native American standing next to a deer.

After the reunion at the park, we would then go to the cemetery. Back then, I only remember placing flowers on the graves of my grandpa's parents and my grandparent's twin babies, Jackie and Judy. I liked looking at all of the flags decorating the veterans' graves--each flag was brand-new and some families had a special holder specifically for the flag.

Several years ago, my family stopped going to the reunions. Now, when I take my own family down home, we stay in a cabin about a half hour drive from the cemetery. No Internet, not many cable channels, no cell phone service...I like getting away from all of it for a couple of days. :) I'm obviously addicted to technology, but it's nice to take a break from it, too. I need to pay some attention to the beautiful outdoors, too! :D

Now I place the flowers on the graves of my grandpa, grandma, and mom. My grandpa gets his own flag for his service in World War II. Since it's a bit of a trip to the cemetery, this is the only time of year we visit the graves there. Once we start to see the hills, I feel closer to my mom and grandparents--it's where they lived for a long time before I was ever thought about.

It isn't all sad, though. Every year we stay at the cabins, and I realize we're creating memories my two children will look back on and cherish just as much as I relish my own childhood memories. And that is what will keep me going on this bittersweet trip we're about to take.

Weigh in Wednesday ~ Novellas vs. Anthologies

This is a new weekly meme hosted by Lauren from Epilogue. Each week there will be a something vs. something topic for you to post your thoughts about. Make sure to visit Epilogue, and she has a link if you'd like to use her picture (shown above) as well as the blog hop code. Comments below with your thoughts are always appreciated! :)

The topic this week: Novellas vs. Anthologies

My thoughts: I haven't read too many novellas or anthologies yet in my life. When  I read a short story, I'm usually disappointed that it's ended (which is a good thing) and left wanting more! It's nice to read a novella if I want a quick read, but not too quick--something to read that's shorter than a novel but longer than a short story. I think it's a nice option, and one day when I attempt to write fiction for real, I think I'll start out with a novella. :)

I'm with the Band ~ Part 3

I'm hoping my daughter will want to be in the band. She's about reached the end of her third grade year, and here where we live, students have the option of choosing to be in the band and picking out an instrument at the end of fourth grade. At this time, she says she doesn't plan on being in the band, but I have a feeling she may change her mind once they bust out those instruments. :)

She says she'd rather be a cheerleader, which her dad and I totally support. Any school activity she'd like to participate in, we're all for it. If she chooses not to be in band, I'll be a bit sad, but I've never made her join in any school activities that she did not want to be a part of. I won't force her to be in band either, obviously. :)  Besides, I always wanted to be a cheerleader when I was in junior high and high school, but I never had the guts to try out. I'd be ecstatic to see my outgoing daughter try out for something she really wants to do!

If she does end up wanting to be in band, I'm really curious as to what instrument she'll want to play. I'm not even going to say anything about any instrument because I want to make sure the decision is totally hers. :)   I have a feeling she won't want to play the cornet--she'll want to play something different from me. I'd be excited no matter what she wants to play! Her dad may pass out from sticker shock like my dad did, but it isn't like they make you pay the entire amount all at once. I'll have to remind him of that once I revive him with some cold water!

Weigh in Wednesday

This is a new weekly meme hosted by Lauren from Epilogue. Each week there will be a something vs. something topic for you to post your thoughts about. Make sure to visit Epilogue, and she has a link if you'd like to use her picture (shown above) as well as the blog hop code. Comments below with your thoughts are always appreciated! :)

The topic this week: Love Triangles Vs. Insta-love

My thoughts: I go with insta-love, and here's why: the movie Donnie Darko. (Haha, big surprise I'd mention that movie, right?) There wasn't a triangle, but the two main characters--Jake Gyllenhaal's Donnie Darko and Jena Malone's Gretchen Ross--were so great together. Their relationship wasn't exactly instant, but it was natural and not forced at all. They fit together like two pieces of a puzzle, and they're one of my favorite couples ever. :)

Which Direction?

A year or two ago, my husband suggested I start up a blog when I told him I needed some motivation to achieve my dream of becoming a writer. I wanted something that would get my writing out there and help me feel more proactive. I write in a journal, which I love to do, but it isn't quite the same as blogging for me. My journal is not for the world to read, hahaha!

I guess I must not have been ready to begin yet back then, but once I began working on my blog at the end of January this year, my nervousness at opening up began to lessen. I'm happy to have a forum where many others can read my writing, and I can work on it and improve it.

My only question lately has been if my blog should be targeted more specifically to a certain topic. Right now, I'm writing about anything that comes to mind--stories about my children, reviews on books I've recently read and enjoyed (I want to help out indie authors as much as possible), stories from my childhood, and just about any other topic.

Would it be more beneficial to stick with one subject? I don't really know for sure, but it seems it would limit me in what I want to accomplish here. I think I'll continue with what I've been doing and just hope people are enjoying what they're reading. :)

Review ~ Intuition by J. Meyers

(Image from goodreads.com)

Title: Intuition

Author: J. Meyers

Published: October 17, 2011
Pages: 18 (Kindle edition)
Genre: YA, Paranormal
My Rating:     
Read: March 12, 2012

Goodreads Summary:  Intuition: A Bonus INTANGIBLE Short Story

Luke and his twin sister Sera have unusual abilities. Hers is a gift—she can heal with a touch of her hand. His is a curse—he can see the future but he can’t do anything about it.

On a hike up the mountain, Luke has a vision unlike any other—one that leaves him terrified. Knowing that it will come true—and that he must do everything in his power to stop it—leaves his own future uncertain.
My Review: I read this story before and after I read the book Intangible--before because the events of this story take place before Intangible, and after to refresh my take on the characters. I recommend you read this story before and after also!

I enjoyed the story more the second time I read it because I had more insight into Luke and Sera's personalities as well as their relationship as twins. I was left wanting more!

It's funny because I had downloaded this story shortly after I received my Kindle for Christmas this year. I entered the giveaway here on Goodreads for a copy of Intangible, not realizing the two went together. I hadn't had a chance to read Intuition yet.

I didn't end up winning the giveaway for Intangible, but the author emailed me and so graciously offered to give me a copy of the book for my Kindle to review. I follow her blog, and I love the topics she writes about. Check out her profile and follow her blog! She really seems to love her readers and is completely friendly and approachable--my favorite qualities in an author. :)

Don't forget there's still time to enter to win J. Meyers's book. Here's the link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12677691-intangible . The giveaway ends on May 7th!

For more information on this author, here's the link to her Goodreads profile: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3224031.J_Meyers .