Another Day, Another Book

I just realized how long it's been since I've posted something new on my blog.  Bad, Super Nerd!  In light of that, I decided to start off with another book review.  Go me!

I recently finished The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne, and I rather enjoyed it.  It was written for a younger audience than I usually read, but it was still pretty enjoyable.  Kind of reminded me of my middle school days.  Blech.

Here's what the book says: Hamlet, named for her Shakespeare-obsessed parents’ favorite play, is starting the school year with the goal of fitting in. Not so easy when her parents walk around in Elizabethan garb and her seven-year-old genius sister, Desdemona, will be beginning eighth grade alongside her. Hamlet’s two nemeses immediately befriend her sister and her crush doesn’t notice her (though her male best friend is supposedly crushing on her). The final straw is the Shakespeare festival at school. When selected in class to read from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet proves to be a brilliant reader of the Bard, a skill she quickly tries to hide. Unsurprisingly, she must decide if it’s better to shine as herself, both at school and at home, or to blend in the background. Hamlet’s parents and circumstances feel over the top, but her emotions will resonate with anyone who has been embarrassed by family or confused by boys. Dionne’s (Models Don’t Eat Chocolate Cookies) pacing is a bit slow (the story is structured in three acts), but her voice is relatable and engaging.

Putting horrible middle school memories aside, this book was entertaining, but I wouldn't suggest it to most readers.  If you generally enjoy a good YA book, then give this one a shot.  Keep in mind that it's written for a younger audience.

I'll be posting again relatively soon...and by relatively soon, I mean either later today or tomorrow.

$1 *can* change the world

My wonderful roommate and a bunch of other terrific people have started a fantastic organization called Students for the Family.  Here's their project description:

We all come from families. It is no secret that healthy families generally lead to better life outcomes for all involved, including society. Unhealthy family relationships can lead to a host of issues. To combat these negative outcomes, Students for the Family has developed and is implementing an interdisciplinary symposium, this year called Strengthening the Family: Engaging Issues with Courage and Civility, combining the wisdom of experts, the perspective of professionals, and the innovation and drive of students and community members to discuss how we all can strengthen families through public policy, laws, research, and individual and family efforts. The symposium will feature key note speakers, a reception, breakout sessions, and presentations by individuals ranging from nationally known experts to exceptionally qualified students.

The first $4,000 will be matched 5 to 1. That's right. A $5 donation, if we meet our goal, will result in $30 towards strengthening families, a $10 donation will result in $60 dollars, etc.

One of the primary purposes of Students for the Family is to strengthen families and communities by increasing the reasoned dialogue on family issues in a civil and respectful manner, helping students and young professionals to become well-educated on these issues. As a result, student submissions representing many view points on a variety of family topics will be selected. Student presenters will be chosen based upon the quality of their arguments and tone of civility, not based upon the viewpoints they represent. Plenary session presentations will address topics such as the importance of civility, principles of parenting, and the impacts of pornography.

C'mon!  Donate a dollar.  That's one dollar you won't be spending on various dollar menus at McDonald's, Wendy's, or  Dell Taco.  By donating one dollar, you'll be saving yourself lots of calories and it's one step closer to being healthy.  Not only that, but you're helping to change the world and strengthen something truly important: The Family.  Donate here: http://tippingbucket.org/.  This ends on Tuesday, at 9:30 pm, so donate!

This was a fairly serious post...more hilarity to come!

Happy Friday the 13th!!! More to come but I wanted to post something on one of my favorite days. Ever. :D

Book in Review

I finished reading Eoin Colfer's The Supernaturalist over the weekend, and I loved it.  The characters were engaging, though I did see some of the twists coming, but such is life.  This book wasn't nearly as hard to acquire as Prom Dates from Hell was, for which I'm very grateful.  It was an interesting glimpse into the future, and one that made me rather sad to imagine, especially in the treatment of "parentally challenged youth."

So, here's what the book says:

In the not-too-distant future, in a place call Satellite City, thirteen-year-old Cosmo Hill is unfortunate enough to come into the world unwanted by his parents. And so, as are all orphaned boys his age, Cosmo is dipped in a vaccine vat and sent to the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys. But when Cosmo attempts to escape, he finds himself caught in a web far worse that he could have ever imagined, embroiled with private police, illegal racing gangs, and a corporation cover-up, until he discovers a horrifying secret that will force him to question everything he knows and everything he believes in.

This is a pretty apt summary of the book.  I definitely recommend this little treasure if you have a couple hours to devote to reading.  The only thing that kept me from finishing this quickly was work. *grump*  Not that I don't love my job (insert slight sarcasm here), but it always seems to get in the way of reading.  That, and my love for NCIS: Los Angeles and Chris O'Donnell *dreamy sigh*.

Gotta love the library

Remember that really loooooong (okay, it wasn't really that long) post about the books I was reading?  Well, I forgot to add one and by the time I remembered, I was finished reading it 0.0

I just finished reading Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore.  I love this author!  The first book I ready by her was The Splendor Falls and it hooked me.  I began searching for other books written by her and was finally able to start the Maggie Quinn Girl vs. Evil series (the first is Prom Dates).  She also has a blog, full of hilarity and awesome.

Here's what the book says (i.e. the synopsis): 
Maggie Quinn, Girl reporter. Honors student, newspaper staffer, yearbook photographer. Six weeks from graduation and all she wants to do is get out of Avalon High in one piece. Fate seems to have different plans for her.

High school may be a natural breeding ground for evil, but the scent of fire and brimstone is still a little out of the ordinary. It's the distinct smell of sulfur that makes Maggie suspect that something's a bit off. And when realTwilight Zone stuff starts happening to the school's ruling clique—the athletic elite and the head cheerleader and her minions, all of whom happen to be named Jessica—Maggie realizes it's up to her to get in touch with her inner Nancy Drew and ferret out who unleashed the ancient evil before all hell breaks loose.

Maggie has always suspected that prom is the work of the devil, but it looks like her attendance will be mandatory. Sometimes a girl's got to do some pretty undesirable things if she wants to save her town from soul-crushing demons from hell and the cheerleading squad.

Getting this book took some serious planning.  They didn't have it in my local library *tear* or in the library at my university.  In a moment of groundbreaking genius, I looked it up on the library site of my hometown.  One button click and a string of maniacal laughs later (and some pleading for my mum to mail me the book), I was able to read it.  It was a long process, but so worth it.  I'm definitely adding this book to my shelf, and instead of going through the same convoluted process, I'm just going to purchase the Maggie Quinn series from one of my favorite places.  Ever.  Barnes and Noble.

Yes.  There's nothing like the sweet, sweet scent of new books and Starbucks. *drool*

Anyway.  This is one of my new favorite books.  Maggie is a captivating character and I love how snarky she is.  I felt her pain--especially when her computer melts, in the literal sense.  I had trouble putting this book down (curse you, work!), but I somehow managed to finish this in about a day and a half, despite work getting in my way.  I'm looking forward to reading the next two in this series.

Robot Rock

My lovely friend called--or was it a text?--me yesterday and invited me to go to a movie with her and another friend at the dollar theater.  I was going to say no.  I mean, my room is a wreck (sorry Mum) and my house could also use a little sprucing (my poor roommate).  But, she told me it was Tron: Legacy and I've been wanting to watch it for awhile, now.  I totally have a crush on Garrett Hedlund----------------------------------------------->


Anyway.  I really enjoyed the movie.  It wasn't an edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting thriller.  It was, what I'd call, a pretty feel-good movie.  There was definitely action, but it was something I could watch with my entire family (little niece and slightly older nephew included) which is important.

AND!  Daft Punk made a cameo.  SQUEE!  I love Daft Punk.  They did all of the music for this movie, which was fantastic.  One of my favorite moments in the movie was the Daft Punk cameo (they're always amusing).


This is a movie I'll be purchasing (and SOON!).  It's the type of movie I could pop into the DVD player if I'm having a bummer day and know my mood will improve.  I mean, c'mon.  It's Garrett Hedlund.  And he rides a motorcycle (specifically a Ducati), which drastically ups his hotness *drool*.

Need I say more?  No?  Didn't think so.

P.S.  He was in the movie Four Brothers, which is fantastic!  I loved that movie!  He's also in Country Strong.  I had no desire to see this movie...and now I'm tempted.

Books, books, books! *hummed to the tune of Boys, Boys, Boys*

I'm an avid reader.  And by avid I mean, if I can't read a book I'd keel over.  I love spending time in the library close to my home (it's only a twenty minute walk...and a five minute drive) and the local Barnes and Noble (or Borders if I feel like going for a drive).  During my college career, I've often been faced with a difficult question: To eat or buy a book?  Well, the answer to that question was ALWAYS buy a book.  Sad, but true.  Or, not really sad...but still true.

Moving on.

I went to the library a few days ago and went on manic I-Must-Have-EVERY-Book-Here mode and checked out a grand total of 23 books.  This would've been a huge disaster if I had done this at Barnes and Noble.  They would've been happy but my wallet would have cried.

What books did I check out, you ask?  Well, I'll tell you.  Yeah, I really like adding pictures. 

Melay's Ultra-Special Reading List of AWESOME:

1) I actually checked out a TON of books for research that I'm doing for my novel.  Egads!  I know!  I'm writing a novel which requires research.  But it's happy-fun-time research, so all is currently well.

2) The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
So, I just started reading this book after hearing about it from an author (<--click me!) I really enjoy.  So far, so good.








 3) Misguided Angel by Melissa De la Cruz
I love this series!  Yes, it's a vampire story, but it's so much better!  I love how she treats the vampire theme.  So, go out and check out Blue Bloods which is the first installment.  You're welcome.









4) Queen's Own Fool by Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris
So, a good friend of mine (*wave* hi Hannah!) has suggested this book before and, like a dolt, I haven't taken a look until now.  I'll let you know what I think once it's been consumed by mah mind.







5) The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
I heart this author.  One of my favorite books by him is called The Wish List.  I just finished the second chapter, and I'm enjoying it so far.

6) Tiana's Cookbook: Recipes for Kids
No judging.  I loved The Princess and the Frog and when I found out there was a cookbook that showed you how to make the things she made in the movie (like her man-catching beignets), I had to check it out.  I haven't made anything from the book yet, but it'll come.







7) The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz
Yay!









8) The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne
I snagged this book because the title was intriguing.  So far, it's very light, which is nice (my brain needs a break from heavily involved books from time-to-time).








9) Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Again, I saw this suggestion in another lovely author's blog (she wrote The Splendor Falls which is spectacular!).  I haven't started, but it'll be read and soon.








10) The Ruby Knight by David Eddings
I've read this book so many times, but it never gets old.  It's the book/series I turn to when I'm having a bummer day.












11) The Hollow by Jessica Verday
My little sister was raving about this book.  So, I stole borrowed her copy and started to read.








There are, without a doubt, more books that I've failed to mention in this post because I own some books that I haven't read.  Bad Malia!

Well, that's all for now.  As I finish the books, I'll post reviews here.