On My Nightstand

TADA! Tis my nightstand in all its glory... There is actually some order here! Shockingly enough, it was cleaned... it was...well it still is. See I'm reading Alice... so its to the side... and I'm gonna read The Garden of Eve and Ink Exchange.... Skip Beat 14 and Eureka 2 I already read! They rocked.

Midnight Brunch and Indigo Skye I have to give back the library, so I better not forget that. I think the cds there, have manga on there too.

And my random fax machine/printer.

So that's my nightstand!



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Huzzah to My Greatness!

Wacha! I did it! 25 books and the ones that I picked for each category! All before April 1st!

I'm pretty great, if I do say so myself.

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100+ Reading Challenge!

I joined up, but I don't really have an idea of exactly what I'd like to read for this.... but I just list what I've read so far this year. Some manga include, though I don't list them by book, I just count a series like a whole book.

READING LIST 2008:

1. Rembrant's Daughter by Lynn Cullen

2. 10 Uses for An Unworn Prom Dress by Lynn Cullen

3. Twisted by Laurie Anderson

4. On Pointe by Lori Ann Grover

5. Kara First Love series by Kaho Miyasaka

6. MARS series by Fuyumi Soryo

7. Tokyo Crazy Paradise series by Yoshiki Nakamura

8. The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin

9. The Devil Does Exist (Akuma de Sourou) series by Mitsuba Takanashi

10. Vampire Game series by JUDAL

11. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

12. All Hallow's Eve: 13 Stories by Vivian Vande Velde

13. Crossroad series by Shioko Mizuki

14. Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes

15. Firegirl by Tony Abbott

16. Absolute Boyfriend series by Yuu Watase

17. Black Mirror by Nancy Werlin

18. You're So Cool series by Lee Young Hee

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

So far so good! I'll edit this as I finish! Join up too! Can you do it?

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TBR Challenge

So... adding my millions of things to do I've enter the...

TBR Challenge!

The basic guideline are:

** Pick 12 books - one for each month of 2008 - that you've been wanting to read (that have been on your "To Be Read" list) for 6 months or longer, but haven't gotten around to.

** OPTIONAL: Create a list of 12 "Alternates" (books you could substitute for your challenge books, given that a particular one doesn't grab you at the time)** Then, starting January 1, 2008, read one of these books from your list each month, ending December 31, 2008. :o)(for more information, please read the challenge FAQs).

So to my list I shall have:

1. Dragon's Keep by Janet Lee Carey

2. Girl Overboard by Justina Headley

3. Vampire Academy by Michelle Read

4. WAKE by Lisa McMann

5. Emma by Jane Austin

6. The Garden of Eve by KL Going

7. Into the Wild by Sarah Durst

8. Honk if You Hate Me by Deborah Halverson

9. Hush by Donna Jo Napoli

10. The Singer of All Songs by Kate Constable

11. Behind the Curtain by Peter Abrahams

12. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Alternatives:

1. the Second Virginity of Suzy Green by Sara Hantz

2. Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

This basically the list of all the books I should be reading now... and I forgot to add some manga. Oh well, that's how it stays.

If you'd like to participate as well click:

http://tbrchallenge.blogspot.com/2007/12/round-2-in-2008-its-here.html

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Avielle of Rhia

Today's Feature:

Avielle of Rhia

by: Dia Calhoun

Rhia is in the midst of terrible times. The threats of the Black Coats have taken hold and the price for that are the lives of the royal family and hundreds of others. And in this all, is a young girl with silver skin and silver hair, Avielle. The only survivor of the royal family, Avielle hides in fear. Shunned and unloved for the entire span of her life, she knows not what it is, love. She only knows the hate and scorn that others bring upon her and that lives within herself, all because of her likeness to her wicked Dredonian great-great grandmother.

Avielle is an amazing child. As you began with her on her journey, Avielle is riddled with hate, upon hate of distain for herself. Now alone, she mourns for the family that she's lost and the fear that has gripped her in its wake. The hate and contempt Avielle holds for herself calls to you with such a Siren song, as she weaves her own brand of magic and battles herself within to uncover the secrets of herself and her aunt.

Truly captivating as it teaches us the reality of bravery and hatred. A world of our own reality disguised in a world of fantasy and characters of fiction, Dia Calhoun shows us all that the ugly side of yourself can sometimes be one of the most beautiful pieces of strength that you can ever hold.

Rating:
**** */2

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The Nature of Jade

Today's Featurette:

The Nature of Jade
by: Deb Caletti


"I don't hold back my tears... Nature is never static, I understand. Change is ever-constant, clouds zipping across a sky. It is dynamic, complicated, tangled, mostly beautiful. A moving forward, something newly gained, means that something is lost, too... But I, like nature itself, am strong and resilient. Over the eons, pieces of me had been brave, and I can be brave too." (287)

Jade DeLuna has Panic Attacks and to survive in them she finds solstace in the things that give her peace, like the elephants at the local zoo. As she watches them through the web cam, she sees a boy in a jacket, a red jacket. She becomes fascinated with him and the boy he carries with him as they visit the zoo; and is drawn to them.

The Nature of Jade shows us the raw emotions of life. The effects of change and the true depths of human emotions. Caletti shows us the world of elephants as a mirror image of some of the deepest emotions, how they can feel what we feel as well. How our emotions all connect, and unwind in a flurry of actions and events.

Caletti once more brings out the raw power of emotion through her writing and pulls you forth to understand the strength in Jade and if you look hard enough, the strength you can find in yourself.

Rating:

*****

[I still... need to find a neat little widget or something to rate!]

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On Pointe

Today's Featurette:

On Pointe

by: Lori Ann Grover

The book was simpy amazing! It is written in verse and narrated by the protagonist, Clare Moller. Her dream is to dance in the City Ballet Company and for years she had strived towards that goal, watching all she does, practicing, waiting for her chance to audition... and finally, soon the day is to arrive. But doubt creeps into her mind, what if she can't? What if she doesn't make it and she can't be a dancer?

Lori Ann has crafted a beautiful novel of pain and beauty and grace as well. Of coming to grips with one-self and learning to accept loss and the new things along the way you learn through it. I recommend it well, not just for dancers or lovers of ballet, but for all those who have lost something. On Pointe teaches you that yes, lost is inevitable and things may never turn out like you want them to be; but along the way you can find something you never knew before and come out better than what you would been.

Rating:
**** */2
[I need to find a neat little widget or something to rate!]


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The Young Adult Literature Contest

So much about not blogging while I figure things out.

I've decided for now to dedicate some bloggin efforts to this challenge posted here: http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/

So let's see what I shall read to fill in that void:

1: Contemporary/Realistic Fiction: The Rules of Survival-- Nancy Werlin
2: Poetry, Drama, Humor: On Pointe-- Lori Ann Grover
3: Sports, Mystery, Supernatural/Paranormal: Ink Exchange-- Melissa Marr
4: Fantasy or Science Fiction: Wintersmith-- Terry Pratchett
5: Historical Fiction: The Luxe-- Anna Godbersen (if I can get a copy after all)
6: Nonfiction: Under the Black Flag-- David Cordingly
7: Classic ''juvenile" fiction: 1984-- George Orwell
8: Graphic Novel: The entire MARS series
9: Audiobook: either Sense and Sensibility-- Jane Austen

For the other 14 I'm thinking of so far reading:

-The Bronx Masquerade-- Nikki Grimes
-All Hallow's Eve-- Vivian van Velde
-Girl Overboard-- Justina Chen Headley
-Into the Wild-- Sarah Durst
-The Garden of Eve-- KL Going
-Firgirl-- Tony Abbott
-The Singer of All Songs-- Kate Constable
-The Perks of Being A Wallflower-- Stephen Chbosky

...and I'll have some more ideas later...

Cha!

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Behold! the Dizzy

I hereby christen the Behold! the Dizzy blog!

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May it do well in its endeavors and such and such...

Hoorah! Hoorah! HOORAH!

Well, this is as far as I'll go for now. See this 'blogging' nonsense is new to me. And I'd like my page to be in tip-top shape before I really get started.

I guess I'm truly just sick of it being blank!

Well, Au Revoir and welcome to Behold! the Dizzy. I'll be your server, how my I help you? ... scratch that.... me! [wink]

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