Hallow's Eve

Hey, guys!

Today is Halloween and, although I cannot give you a book review today, I thought I would at least tell you about my costume.

This year I am dressing as Red Riding Hood.

I'm sure you're all familiar with the story: little girl in a red hood goes to her sickly grandmother's house to bring her goodies in a basket.

A wolf stops the little girl along the way and leads her to the scenic route to granny's. Meanwhile, the wolf finds granny, eats her up, and dresses like her to fool Red. Little girl finds granny in bed with unusually large ears, eyes, and teeth and is also eaten up. Out of the blue, a woodcutter finds the wolf, chops him open, and saves Little Red Riding Hood and her granny.

Everyone lives happily ever after, except for the wolf.

Since I am taking a children's literature course next semester, I'll be the first to say that this is a rather gruesome story that gave me the creeps as a little kid (that and "The Boy Who Cried Wolf").

So I figure what better costume for Halloween than a character from a terrifying kid's story?

My costume is mostly my normal clothes: leggings, boots, shorts, and tank top. New additions include fishnet fingerless gloves, mascara, a wolf necklace, and a red hooded cape.

Pretty cool, huh? If you like, all you trick-or-treaters can post in the comment section about what your Halloween costume is and why you chose it. Next week, you guys shall get two book reviews as promised. Until next time.

Happy Halloween!

Update

Hey, guys!

Sorry, but no review today. I should be prepared, but I'm not. You guys are all probably sick of this, but as I always say, school comes first.

But to make it up to you guys, I will have a review up next Thursday AND next Friday. Not to mention the writing exercises during the rest of the week.

Thanks for understanding. You guys rock!

Happy reading!!

Writing Exercise: Words

Hey, guys!

For this exercise, I'm going to list a bunch of words. Pick one from the list below and incorporate all of the words into a story/scene/dialogue/monologue or else they'll be lonely.

Also, have fun.

1) Shoe, work, sidewalk, light

2) Desk, window, cold, breath

3) Book, shelf, carpet, shiver

4) Soil, shoot, ache, sun

5) Dark, dust, swirl, musty

6) Floorboard, silence, goosebumps, creak

7) Scream, blue, veins, duck

8) Trousers, hat, hair, undercover

9) Disguise, newspaper, pipe, suspicious

10) Incandescent, cloud, message, world

Happy writing!!

Advice for Writers: Editing

Hey, guys!

I'm sure that all you writers out there know that editing is an important part of being a writer, whether it be creative or academic writing. I just figured that I would list a few tips about effective editing for writers of all kinds.

1) Get it all down first.

First of all, you need to write what you need to write. It does not have to be perfect. It's a rough draft; it can be as horrible as you want it to be. Editing and revising is when you go back and fix what you wrote to make it all nice and pretty.

2) Give it some time.

After you write, take a break from it. And I don't mean take five. I mean take at least a few days to a week and probably even longer before you so much as look at it again. This is necessary for you to be able to read your work with new eyes. After spending some time away from it, you'll see it for what it really is, and if it is a rough draft, then most of the time it's a piece of crap. Now you're ready to start editing!

3) Mark it up.

When you go back and read your work, do it with a red or blue (or purple or orange or green) pen in hand so that you can note some problem areas and fix grammatical/spelling errors. Maybe you decide that one paragraph in particular would flow better in a different place - draw an arrow. Maybe you decide that this character isn't really important - goodbye!

4) Make the changes.

After you mark up the hard copy of your rough draft, get back on the computer (or use a fresh piece of paper) to fix what you  want to fix (or rewrite it).

5) Lather, rinse, repeat.

Repeat steps 2-4 several times as needed. You're not going to fix every little detail the first time around and your work is not going to be perfect after only one revision. Remember: writing is fun, but it's also a lot of hard work, so keep it up!

Hope this was helpful, guys. Until next time.

Happy writing!!

Writing Exercise: First Sentences

Hey, guys!

You know the drill.

1) The leaves that had already fallen crunched underfoot on a day that I really wanted to be quiet.

2) I told myself that I would raise my standards this year, but not much has changed so far.

3) The dog didn't look rabid.

4) A group of geese is a flock; a group of crows is a murder.

5) I haven't eaten vanilla ice cream since I was two.

6) I'm not the same person I was a year ago.

7) I remember the last time I saw a mirror.

8) The pen shook in my hand, making ink blots on the page before me.

9) Mom always said that pepper spray is a girl's best friend.

10) I never before comprehended the complexity of the life of a pet fish.

Enjoy!

Happy writing!!

Politics

Hey, guys!

The book I just finished for school is actually very political, and a lot of the political nuances went right over my head. Unfortunately, I don't really keep track of current events or politics. A lack of interest is part of the problem, but the other issue is a lack of free time.

Anyway, I needed something to review, and even though this book was a little too much for me to grasp, I still found it funny.

I won't hold you in suspense any longer.

Mohammed Hanif's novel, A Case of Exploding Mangoes, is told from multiple perspectives. Half of the book is told from the perspective of a pilot and commander from the Pakistani Air Force Academy. This pilot, Ali, is the son of the late Colonel Shigri, who was found hanging from the ceiling fan by a bed sheet. Although Ali's father's death was written off as suicide, Ali has his own suspicions.

The rest of the book is told in third person perspective from very political characters, primarily President Zia ul-Haq, Major Kiyani, General Akhtar, the First Lady, the U.S. Ambassador Arnold Raphel, Blind Zainab and so on.

Now, the first thing the reader finds out is that there was a plane crash, which actually happened in real life. Hanif based his novel on this historical event. The novel is a fictional account of how and why the plane crash occurred.

President Zia (Pakistan's dictator), General Akhtar (the second most powerful man in Pakistan), and Arnold Raphel all died on that plane. Foul play is suspected, but who set this plan into motion and why would they want any one of these men dead?

That's what the novel sets out to uncover.

Before the crash occurs, however, Ali is approached about one of his cadets, Obaid (a.k.a. "Baby O") going missing after having used Ali's call sign to hijack a large aircraft.

Ali knew nothing of this plan nor why Obaid would want to do something like that, but investigators bring in Ali for questioning anyway.

What happened to Baby O? Why is Ali implicated as an accessory? And what is the story behind that plane crash?

As I said, this book is very political and I was unable to grasp a lot of its content. If any of you guys are knowledgeable in this particular conflict and keep up with current events, or if you really like army stories, I would definitely recommend it for you. Otherwise, this novel might be a little too much to handle, kind of like it was for me.

Otherwise, the book is humorous, due to Hanif's craft and the way he portrays his characters.

Hope you guys will enjoy. Until next time.

Happy reading!!

Writing Exercise: Romance Continued

Hey, guys!

I'm on a roll here, so I thought I'd continue the romance theme this week (which will be disrupted by tomorrow's book review).

If you remember Monday's post, I recommended writing about how a couple would meet at a given setting.

But not everybody lives happily ever after with a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a dog. So what could have happened to prevent your particular couple's happy ending? I have listed below multiple ways in which a relationship could end. Pick one and write about how your happy couple ended up with a not-so-happy ending.

1) Accidental death

2) Infidelity

3) Murder

4) Job-related

5) Lack of communication

6) Conflict of interests

7) Love triangle

8) Unwanted changes in character

9) Inability to change

10) Fear of commitment

How did each of your characters deal with the ending to his/her relationship? Will they ever move on? You decide!

Writers love conflict, so have fun!

Happy writing!!

List: Favorite Shows

Hey, guys!

Like many book nerds, I also have my obsessions with TV shows. Especially now that I've discovered the wonders of Netflix.

So, I thought I'd make a list of my favorite TV shows that I am currently obsessing over. Plus a little blurb about what the show is about.

1) "Dexter"

A serial killer who kills murderers. An interesting concept. Dexter has this darkness inside him that demands to be satisfied, so rather than kill innocent people, he follows a code set forth by his adopted father to only kill those who deserve it.

It's addictive, but take it from someone who watches this show with her mom and brother, think long and hard before introducing this to a member of your family because if you start watching it together, it could get awkward.

2) "Ed, Edd, n' Eddy"

Ah, this show was my childhood. And thanks to Netflix, I can watch two seasons of this show whenever I want. It's basically about three boys, Ed (the muscle), Edd "Double D" (the brains), and Eddy (the driving force) who live in a cul-de-sac and spend their days trying to scam the rest of the kids of their hard-earned money so that the three Eds can buy the coveted jaw-breakers from the candy store.

Although these three boys balance each other out, they also cause tons of trouble. It's a pretty amusing show, if you ask me.

3) "The Big Bang Theory"

Two physicists, an astrophysicist, and an engineer, along with all their wives/girlfriends and their friends. These guys get up to all sorts of hi-jinx. If you are a nerd and proud of it, this is the show for you.

Fun fact: I'm writing about "TBBT" while wearing my "Bazinga!" sweatshirt.

Hope you guys enjoyed this list.

Happy reading/Netflixing!!

Writing Exercise: Romance

Hey, guys!

I usually try to avoid novels that are all about romance and about the attraction between the perfect hero and the clumsy, clueless female counterpart, but it does make one heck of a subplot when the characters are flawed and believable.

So for this writing exercise I'm going to list a bunch of settings where couples could meet. I want you guys to keep certain things in mind. For example, what kind of people would normally hang out in these places and why? What common goals or interests would they share? Who approached whom? What did they do to cement their romantic intentions?

Based off of these meeting places, write about how the couple met. And keep in mind that these could be couples of any age, so a party could mean a kid's birthday party, a high school party, or a party among coworkers.. Just saying.

1) Beach

2) Cafe

3) Fair/Carnival

4) School

5) Job (open-ended)

6) Library

7) Aquarium

8) Campground

9) Party

10) Park

Go get 'em!

Happy writing!!

Dragons

Hey, guys!

It's going to be a long day tomorrow, but I promised you guys a book review. It might not be as long as usual since I haven't read the book in a while, but I hope you still like it.

The first hard-core fantasy book I've ever read would probably be Eragon by Christopher Paolini. I'm pretty sure I was either in eighth grade or my freshman year of high school when I read it.

Eragon is a young man from the village of Carvahall in the Empire's kingdom lead by King Galbatorix. Galbatorix's kingdom is separate from the kingdoms of dwarves and elves in far-off lands that Eragon has only heard about in stories told by the local bard, Brom. His only family are his uncle Garrow and his cousin, Roran.

One day while hunting in the Spine, Galbatorix comes across a strange stone in the meadow. Having been unable to hunt any substantial game, Eragon takes the stone in hopes that its precious appearance could be worth something.

After a few days of sitting in his room, the stone - or should I say egg - hatches and a small blue dragon is born.

Eragon raises his dragon, Seraphina, in secret until she's too big to hide. That's when Galbatorix's men come for Eragon, murdering his uncle in the process.

With Brom as an ally, Eragon manages to escape the village (which is left in turmoil).

The truth comes out that the stories that Brom had been telling all those years turned out to be more than just stories; they're really legends.

There was a time hundreds of years ago when dragons and elves were at war with each other. Dragons were seen as barbaric animals and elves as cruel abusers. That is until a bond was formed between an elf and a dragon. The dragons were recognized as intelligent creatures and elves as capable of kindness.

The war was over, a treaty created, and dragons and their Riders enjoyed a time of peace. That is until Galbatorix, at the time a Dragon Rider, lost his dragon in battle and stole a new dragon. He was punished, but that didn't stop him from starting a campaign to extinguish the race of dragons.

He almost succeeded, but aside from the dragons of Galbatorix's men, only three dragon eggs remained in existence. Two of them were with the elves for safe-keeping. One went missing.

The one that went missing was Seraphina's egg, and she found her rider.

Now Eragon must travel to the city of Farthen Dur, where a resistance is laying in wait to overthrow Galbatorix. But with a bounty on his head and a dragon still too young to ride, will Eragon, a mere farmer from a small village, be able to meet these expectations?

I'll have to be honest with you, guys: when I first read this, I wasn't very into it. Maybe I just wasn't mature enough for such heavy reading, but I was bored. I will say, however, that I have since read the second and third installments of the series, and I was enthralled.

I have yet to read the final book, so no spoilers! I do plan on reading Inheritance eventually when I have time to do so. Don't blame me, it's a really big book. Have you seen the size of that thing?

If you would like to read reviews for the second and third installments of The Inheritance Cycle, I will post those in the following weeks. For those of you who don't know, the second book is Eldest, the third book is Brisingr.

Hope you enjoyed the review and that you'll check back for Monday's writing exercise.

Happy reading!!

Writing Exercise: First Sentences

Hey, guys!

Time for a new writing exercise. I haven't done any new first sentences in a while, so that's what this one's going to be.

The following list is of sentences that could potentially be the first sentence in a scene, story, or dialogue. Pick one, and write that scene, story, or dialogue.

1) There is nothing more unbearable than poor circulation.

2) "Speak only when spoken to."

3) The snow that fell muffled every sound and blanketed the world in a clean white marred only by a crimson stain.

4) "You ever have one of those days when you just can't keep your eyes open?"

5) The best way to make a scene is to let the world know how you really feel and break some glass.

6) "Do tigers eat people?"

7) There are certain things you should never, under any circumstances, say to your wife out loud.

8) "You don't deserve cupcakes."

9) Nobody ever told me that the first rule to getting your dream job was to get a good night's sleep

10) "You have pumpkin breath."

As always, think outside the box and have fun.

Happy writing!!

List: Classics

Hey, guys!

As you all know, I'm a nerd. A nerd who loves to read. So I try to make my reading list as diverse as I can, which is why I have so many classics sitting on my bookshelf and downloaded on my Kindle just waiting for me to pick them up and start reading.

Unfortunately, being the busy bee that I am, I often don't have time to read for fun except for when I'm on break. Therefore, there are plenty of classic novels on my reading list.

Here is a sneak peak at my to read list, just so you know what may be up and coming during winter break.

1) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

2) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

3) Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

4) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

4) The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

5) Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

6) Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

7) Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

8) Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews

9) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

10) Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

11) The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

12) 1984 by George Orwell

13) Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

14) Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee

15) Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Hopefully, I'll get to all of these (and stick with them!) at some point.

Happy reading!

Writing Prompt: Animals

Hey, guys!

Time for a new writing prompt.

Imagine you have the power to talk to animals. I know that this has been done before, but create an original character. How do they use this power? For good or evil?

What kinds of animals does your character interact with the most? The least? What do they tell your character?

In what kinds of situations would this be helpful? How could this ability be a hindrance?

Do the animals like having a human with whom to communicate? Do they shun your character for being a human because the animals may have preconceived notions about humans (neglectful, careless, abusive)?

If you're looking for an even more specific writing prompt, write a scene in which a human and an animal both demand the attention of your character and are trying to speak with him or her. How does your character handle this situation?

Finally, give your character a pet. What is this pet's name? What kind of an animal is it? Create a character profile for the pet and the human that can communicate with animals. How do the characters interact?

Have fun and be original.

Happy writing!!

Satire and Tigers

Hey, guys!

It's about time I wrote a new book review. Sorry for the wait. I actually just finished this book in my World Literature class and it's called The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.

First a little background: this is a contemporary novel that takes place in India. And I mean modern India, with all the polluted streets, poverty, call centers, you name it. This is a satire, meaning that the author uses humor to make fun of the subject, which is modern Indian culture.

It's also an epistolary novel, which means that it's written in the form of a letter or a series of letters. The main character, Balram, is writing to the Premier of China, who will soon visit India following elections.

Within these letters, is advice about how to be an entrepreneur and how to see the country of India for what it really is now.

The letters also serve as a confession for murder.

Balram was taken out of school as a child and put to work. Despite the fact that his parents hadn't noted the date of his birth nor given him a proper name ("Balram" means "boy"), his father still wanted him to get an education so that he could grow up to be a man.

Both of Balram's parents had died before Balram reached adulthood. The last image he has of his mother is her corpse burning on a funeral pyre. His father, a rickshaw-puller, died of tuberculosis in a hospital with no doctors on duty.

The rest of Balram's large family now must rely on him for money, which is why his Granny bullies him out of his paycheck like she did his father and the rest of the men in his family.

But Balram has a different idea for his life. Having grown up looking up to a local bus driver (who did pretty well for himself, in comparison to the rest of the village). That's when Balram, wanting to be an entrepreneur, decides to learn how to be a driver.

Despite Granny's protestations, she allows him so long as she still gets his paycheck. After learning how to drive, Balram goes door-to-door asking for a job from a rich man. He gets lucky when he stumbles on a man who is from his village. Balram now has his master.

Balram's master, Ashok, is an Americanized Indian who is in the family business. But compared to his brother and father, Ashok is a total pushover. But when you're the one running around bribing politicians and thinking of sixty different ways to kiss up to said politicians, there isn't much room for self-respect.

The relationship between master and slave is portrayed as very fake: Balram is treated like a slave, but is told that he is like family.

The hypocrisy is only one reason why Balram murders Ashok. That's right, Balram kills his own boss. Can anybody relate?

It's because Balram is so easy to relate to - not to mention the humor and irony that is so cleverly used throughout the novel - that this novel became a bestseller. But give it a try for yourself and see what you think.

I know I enjoyed it. It's an entertaining read and makes for interesting academic discussion. If you are  a high school or college student, I would definitely consider putting this on your reading list.

That's it for this review. Check back in next week for more writing exercises and a brand-spanking-new book review. Until next time.

Happy reading!!

Writing Exercise: Six Word Story

Hey, guys!

Time for a new writing exercise. Recently, I learned of a super super short story known as a six word story. This is basically just a sentence or two composed only of six words that still conveys a story.

A famous six word story is by Ernest Hemingway: "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

Isn't that the saddest thing you've ever read? Well, fortunately they aren't all sad. We recently started a creative writing club on campus and wrote six word stories as a writing exercise. Basically, we would pick a word and see what we come up with.

As an example, one of my words was "haunted."

My story: Exhalation on back of the neck.

Creepy, right? So, I'm just going to list a bunch of words for you guys to pick from. See if you can make a six word story using the word or just basing the story off of the word. And it doesn't have to be sad or creepy.

1) Fall

2) Pie

3) Salt

4) Wave

5) Plant

If you already have one in mind that doesn't relate to anything I just listed, don't let me tell you what to do. This is just to give you guys some ideas.

And since this is such a short exercise, why not post some of your six word stories in the comments? I'd love to see them and I'm sure everybody else would.

Happy writing!!

List: If I didn't have to sleep

Hey, guys!

So sorry this post is late. I wish I weren't so in love with sleep. I'd get so much more done. But I'd also feel horrible. Which is why I go to bed relatively early (well, I go to bed early in comparison to my brother's bedtime).

This is part of the reason why I've had to make another tough decision about my blog. From now on, there's only going to be one book review a week on Thursdays. Tuesdays I will have a new list posted.

If I had time to read for fun, things would be different, but as of right now, I have no free time. Five classes and two jobs doesn't leave much time to read for fun when I also have to read novels for a literature class.

Really sorry about this, guys. Hopefully you'll find the lists entertaining if nothing else. When I'm on break, I'll get cracking on reading some of those books I mentioned in last week's list.

In the meantime, here's this week's list. The theme is Things I Would Do If I Didn't Have to Sleep. Has a nice ring to it, huh?

1) Read for fun (so that I can review more books).

2) Write a novel (or at least finish writing a few short stories I've been working on).

3) Blog (so I wouldn't have any more late posts).

4) Last minute homework assignments (I don't think I need to explain this one).

5) Netflix (my family just got this and it is a beautiful thing).

If I could do all of these things during the time I would normally spend sleeping, I'd get a lot more done and could spend more time with family and friends during the day.

Alas, I must sleep because I love sleep. It's more of a love-hate relationship though. So much time spent sleeping. Oh, well.

Sorry again about the late post and the change in plans but I hope you guys understand and that I'm still your favorite :)

Until next time.

Happy reading!!

Writing Exercise: Super Heroes

Hey, guys!

It's about time I did this kind of writing exercise. Below are listed a bunch of super powers.

1) Invisibility

2) Strength

3) Flight

4) Telekinesis

5) Breathe underwater

6) Speed

7) Flexibility

8) Hypnosis

9) Talk to animals

10) Shape-shift

Pick two (one for a hero and one for a villain). Create your characters and a plot based on your characters' super powers.

Also, keep in mind that your super heroes (or super villains) need not be costume-clad crime-fighters. They could be just average people with average lives who just happen to have extraordinary abilities. Or you could deck them out in tights. It's up to you.

If there are some powers not listed that you really want to use, be my guest. If you want to share a little bit about your hero and villain, feel free to post it in the comments. If you have suggestions for another writing exercise, also feel free to post it in the comments. Until next time.

Happy writing!!

List

Hey, guys!

Sorry, but I don't have anything to review today. I will on Tuesday, though, I promise!

I can't leave you with nothing though, so here's a list of books I would read and review if I had time.

Enjoy! And I hope I eventually have time to read these.


1) Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

2) The Rule of Thoughts by James Dashner

3) A Series of Unfortunate Events Lemony Snicket (reread)

4) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (reread)

5) Fire by Kristin Cashore (reread)

6) The Host by Stephenie Meyer (reread)

7) Graceling by Kristin Cashore

8) Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

9) Specials by Scott Westerfield (reread)

10) Extras by Scott Westerfield (reread)

Let's see if I eventually get to them.

Happy reading!!

Writing Exercise: Names and Magic Objects

Hey, guys!

Here's another writing exercise. More names. But this time, I'm giving you a list of names and a separate list of ordinary objects that have magic abilities in the context of a story. Pick a name and pick an object, then decide what the magical ability is that those objects possess.

In your narrative/story/dialogue, you must include whether your character is good or evil and how they use the magical object. Include a scene in which your character fights one of their foes.

Also take into consideration the setting of your story. What time (past, present, future)? Where (city, country, rural, secluded)? What context (historical, contemporary, fantastical)?

Oh, and one more thing: consider making two characters with two magical objects. Are they partners? Or enemies?

Here you go.


Names:

1) Lark

2) Cady

3) Samuel

4) Avariella

5) Jacob

6) Caroline

7) Richard

8) Arabella

9) Mark

10) Dove


Objects:

1) Book

2) Pocket watch

3) Glasses

4) Cup

5) Fur hat

6) Pen

Enjoy!

Happy writing!!