Friday, November 19, 2010

Birthday Adventure!

Hello world! I just had myself the time of my life for my birthday! My birthday is on the 16th of November... so I'm a bit late with this... but that's okay! Here's the video to my adventure! I hope you all enjoy and look forward to more reviews that will be posted throughout the weekend and an update video at the end of it all! Enjoy the adventure!

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Book Haul 11/14/2010

Hello! I have a book haul for all of you. Excuse my apperance in this video... I didn't feel like getting dress... and the choppy editing... I went over the time limit. XD Anywho, enjoy!



 Wal-Mart Books:
The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins


eBay Books:
Vows And Honor Book I: The Oathbound by Mercedes Lackey
Vows And Honor Book II: Oathbreakers by Mercedes Lackey
Oathblood by Mercedes Lackey
Learn Japanese New College Text Volume I, II, and III
Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days Official Strategy Guide
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings Official Strategy Guide


Barnes & Noble Books:
The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley
The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
Rurouni Kenshin Volume 7-10 by Nobuhiro Watsuki


Library Books:
Blue Moon by Alyson Noël
Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Book Review: Wolf-Woman by Sherryl Jordan

Yay! I am back and with me, another review! WARNING!!! This review contains some spoilers. I tried to keep it spoiler-free but some details did get in so I advise that you stop reading now if you hate spoilers!

Front Cover
Title: Wolf-Woman
Author: Sherryl Jordan
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Release Date: October 24, 1994
Synopsis: Her earliest memories are of the wolves. And of the hunters who kill them and reclaim her to human society—as a slave. Tanith grows up part of a savage, plundering clan, in a world ruled by brute strength, superstition, and animal cunning. Hated and shunned, Tanith flees human society for the more humane company of wolves. The chief's son of a neighboring farming clan offers Tanith the chance to join once again with her own kind, but what will be the stronger—the wavering cry of the human or the steady beating call of the wolf?



This book… PISSED ME OFF TO NO END!!! Argh! I can’t even BEGIN to tell you how much this book made me angry! It was like getting a pair a’scissors and jabbing them into my eyes whilst dipping my lower body into boiling hot lava, having my skin melt off the bone then having someone stab me multiple times in my torso whilst pouring salt into each cut! Actually, no. IT’S WORSE THAN THAT! But enough about me ranting about how much this book made me angry. Let’s dive straight into the review!

Since this book is so short, there was not a lot I could have said without getting some spoilers into the mix. So, from this point out, you might not want to read if spoilers aren’t your thing. I did my best to keeping it to a minimum but I still feel I gave some of it away so stop now if you don’t want to have ANY type of spoilers. You have been warned…

This book is written in the perspective of Tanith, a girl who was raised by wolves. As an infant, she was born into a clan of humans who believed if they leave their child with the wolves for a few days, they would grow up with the knowledge of the wolves. Be it their ways or their language, those children will know it all. Tanith was chosen in her clan to be that child. However, an enemy clan that is run by the chieftain Ahearn, a mean prick who acts as if he’s caring but is really a douche, attacks the wolves Tanith was staying with. He kills them off and, feeling remorse towards the child, for he lost his own daughter when she drowned earlier on, takes the baby in as his “adopted daughter.”

Fast forward to present times, Tanith is shunned from the clan she was adopted into for not only once being from an enemy clan, but of being raised by the wolves. In fact, they mock her constantly by referring to her as “wolf woman.” Tanith doesn’t mind, though. She yearns to be by the wolves for they are the only ones to truly show her compassion. She learns this later on when a life-changing incident occurs. Want to know that incident? Then read the book!

In Ahearn’s clan, there is only one person who treated her as one of the tribe. Her name was Nolwynn, wife and supposedly “only love” of Ahearn. However, she was gravely ill. She tried to rescue her daughter from drowning and injured herself in the process. In short, Tanith did everything to please her, and the rest of the clan, in order to live in peace. Unfortunately, that was an impossible task.

One day, a woman by the name of Morag, Ahearn’s mistress (Little bastard saying that he loves Nolwynn more! What a load of bull!), sends Tanith to go find some fish for dinner, despite it being very late. Tanith does as she’s told so as to not upset the bitch, but little does she know that Morag tells Ahearn that she ran away from home. He goes out searching for her, getting severely injured in the process. What gets on my nerves is that once Tanith returns home and explains to everyone that it wasn’t her fault but Morag’s, nobody believes her and Ahearn casts her away from the village.

There was only one place left for her…

The wolves. They welcomed her with open arms… er… fangs… POINT IS THEY WERE HAPPY TO HAVE HER IN THEIR PACK! Ashok is the alpha wolf, Shula his mate, Zaal and Zeki their cubs, and Kalasin is like the cubs’ caretaker. His mate, Raida, comes along later in the book but I’ll let you read it for yourselves. They weren’t as critical or condescending as the humans. They loved her for her, and for a long time, Tanith lived happily with them.

Until Gibran came along. He’s her so-called “love interest” (Notice how I keep using quotation marks to emphasize certain things. That’s because this book is so full of contradictions you just want to kill someone! Or, at least, I do!) and he came to take her back to his own clan. Originally, Gibran is from a clan different from Ahearn. They are a much more peaceful lot and in order to preserve that peace they and Ahearn exchanged their sons as a treaty between them.

Anyway, he wants to leave and go to his tribe so that Tanith and he could live happily together! Sounds cute, right? WRONG! He’s a two-bit, no good, cheating asswipe that deserves to be shot! Seriously, he claims he loves her but as soon as she’s not around, he’s getting laid by some other chick who wears green (Hey, slut! That’s MY favorite color! Don’t go defiling it by having it wrapped around your body!!!). Her name was Sabra, by the way… retarded name… Anyway, Tanith calls him a liar and… I could say more about their relationship but I feel that if I keep ranting that I might give certain things away. I will say this, however. He blames his infidelity on being drunk… and Tanith seems to be okay with that. Stupid girl…

Well, from here on out the story goes through hell. I mean straight up hell! So many things happen and your mind is left whirling. There’s this huge fight and so much bloodshed… let’s just say I hate the ending of the book. It really was awful! It just leaves you… hurt. I never want to read something this depressing ever again (Watch me pick up some sad, messed up book next.).

I swear there was nothing that amazing about this book. The plot was decent… could have been more. However, all of the characters suck! Well, except the wolves. In fact, the wolves were the only good part of the book.

Jordan knows her wolves! I was completely amazed with how well she knew the actions and the actual living conditions and, one could even say, the rituals of the wolves. That amazed me! I was so fascinated to read those parts of the book that contained new things about wolves that I never knew before. Her writing style is awkward, though. Sometimes you would have to reread a line before you got what was being said. Though, that is only a minor setback. You still are able to see Jordan’s immense knowledge of the wolves.

Ashok is the sweetest of the wolves. He is so calm and gentle that you can’t help but want to put your arms around his fluffy neck! Shula is a kind she-wolf. She watches everyone in the pack as one really would their family. The two alpha wolves are so loyal to one another and affectionate that you wish humans really were like wolves. Zaal and Zeki are a bundle of joy. Raida is a bit on the mean side but she’s also strong and caring when she wants to be. And my favorite wolf is Kalasin. He’s adorable! So playful yet serious… so calm yet upbeat. He’s the perfect balance you could ever want in a mate… Man, I wish I was a wolf!!! *Ahem* Anyway, these are the only characters in the book worth your time.

Unfortunately, that’s about as good as it gets. The rest of the characters… ARGH!!!!! YOU JUST WANT TO MURDER THEM!!! Ahearn is a bastard that lets his bitch, Morag, do whatever she likes. Tallil, the exorcist of the group, is a hypocritical schmuck that forces everyone to believe the wolves are evil. Hrothi, the healer, is another douche.

There's this one character that goes by the name of Camelin. He's a bard that sings stories of every place he has traveled. He is one of the few human characters I like. He's very sweet to Tanith and I think that's awesome. He does have a flw though. When Tanith asks him to sings songs of how the wolves are really kind creatures, he says he can't because he fears them and he can't sing songs about something he doesn't believe in. It's really disappointing because I really did like him.

Gibran… okay… granted, he’s not as bad as the others but he’s still a jerk when it comes to loving women. His reasoning for being in love with Tanith is ridiculous as well. He says that he loves her for she pleases him, has a nice face, and is a good kisser. Now, if that isn’t fickle then I don’t know what is.

Tanith as well, gets on my nerves. She’s not a horrible heroine but neither is she epic. She takes all the crap the clan throws at her and does absolutely nothing! Okay. I get the fact that she is trying to prove to them that she is not evil but still! Throw a punch! Kick them in the nads! Do SOMETHING!!! Another thing that pisses me off about her is that she gives in to Gibran most of the time. I can’t tell you how many times I screamed at the book for her to stop being an idiot. Well, towards the end of the book she gets wiser, so that’s good.

My biggest problem, aside from everything else, is how they treat women in this book—as if they are objects merely meant for pleasing the man in bed. I’m not a feminist or anything but that’s just really annoying! I know that’s how things used to be but damn it! I don’t want to read a book about it! It’s just nerve-wracking! ACK!

I really… really didn’t like this book. It made me very upset and the ending just turned me off to the entire thing. I appreciate the parts with the wolves and how educational it could be but it is so overshadowed with everything else that happens that you kind of forget it’s even there. It’s a decent read but not one I would recommend to take with you everywhere you go.

If you like wolves and want to know a great deal more about it then this book is for you. If you like women being treated like dirt then this book is for you. If you like stupid endings and screwed up logic then this book is for you! However, if all these are a turn off, then STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THIS BOOK!!! I give it a three out of five, if only in recognition of the wolves.

Hope you enjoyed! Till my next review!




Just to give you guys an idea of what the text looks like.


Monday, November 8, 2010

Book Review: The Black Book of Secrets by F.E. Higgins

Second review! Finally! I really need more time to do this. I can't just keep you people waiting and waiting... or maybe I can... who knows? Anyway, enjoy this next review about a pretty cool book!

Front Cover


 Title: The Black Book of Secrets
Author: F.E. Higgins
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: October 2, 2007
Synopsis: A boy arrives at a remote village in the dead of night. His name is Ludlow Fitch—and he is running from a most terrible past. What he is about to learn is that in this village is the life he has dreamed of—a safe place to live, and a job, as the assistant to the mysterious pawnbroker who trades people's deepest, darkest, secret for cash. Ludlow's job is to neatly transcribe the confessions in an ancient leather-bound tome: The Black Book of Secrets.
               Ludlow yearns to trust his mentor, who refuses to disclose any information on his past experience or future intentions. What the pawnbroker does not know is, in a town brimming with secrets, the most troubling may be held by his new apprentice.


What can one say about this book? Well, let us start from the beginning. F.E. Higgins’ book, The Black Book of Secrets, takes place in two distinct locations—one being a gruesome city literally called the City (I wonder where Higgins found such a creative name for her town) and a smaller, more collective town called Pagus Parvus. The two cities are polar opposites in which one brings forth chaos and destruction, whilst the other takes a more subtle approach… though still evil incarnate.

Enter Ludlow Fitch, a young boy born and raised in the City who is terrorized by his parents every second of the day. Being raised since birth to be a low-class citizen, he takes up the business of thievery for the sole purpose of getting his parents off his back long enough for him to breathe. What else could he have done? If he did otherwise, all that would await him at home was a killer beating from his father, with the cheers of his mother in the background. His only escape was to do what he was told whilst staying away from home as much as possible. You know, like any other teenager! Usually the place he ran to was a pawnbroker’s shop inhabited by Lembart Jellico, who plays a minor yet key role in this horror.

One day Fitch’s parents come up with the brilliant idea to sell their son’s teeth. Why? Because teeth back then were worth lots of money. So, for such petty reasons, they call in Dr. Barton Gumbroot (I'm not too fond of the pun either), a psychotic dentist who deals in shady business, like ripping out the teeth from the poor so they could have a decent buck in their pockets. I swear, I don’t care how poor I am. I will never stoop so low as to sell my own teeth for money. Besides that, since there was no novocaine back then, I would be in extreme pain… and I don’t do well with pain.

Apparently, neither do Fitch’s parents since they tell the dentist to yank his teeth out without giving two chickens about it! Dr. Gumbroot then takes his place over the child, drooling as if he was having some sort of arousal out of this, and the father of the child holding down his kid. What kind of parents does this kid have? Not to mention his parents are laughing at every wince he makes. Sickos… Anyway, the poor boy is then in excruciating pain whilst having metal pliers, that’ve been most likely in a drunkard’s mouth, pull hard on his shiny teeth. With blood pouring down his mouth, he gets a stunning realization: He’s going to die right there and then if he doesn't do something!

To make a long story short, he kicks the father, steals the pliers away from the dentist, hits the dentist with said pliers over the head, ignores his mother cowering like a wimp in the corner, and manages to escape from the City to a much gentler, quieter, though equally as vicious, place called Pagus Parvus. It is at this location where he meets Joe Zabbidou, a man shrouded in mystery who carries immense knowledge about frogs… and other stuff, I’m sure. He, too, is a pawnbroker but not like what you have in mind. Sure he buys worthless items from the villagers looking to find some money. However, he also buys secrets!

Every detail of a person’s past and dirty deed they partook in is then written in the Black Book of Secrets. Zabbidou, being an aging man who can no longer handle the hardship of writing stuff down in the book (I’m guessing) hires Ludlow Fitch to do the new data entering. Naturally, coming from a life of poverty, Fitch accepts his new job since it will keep a roof over his head and his belly full. Anybody with a brain would have done so.

Much of the same thing happens afterwards in the story. Joe Zabbidou goes up to a person claiming he could help them be at peace with themselves, that person goes to see him at the dead of night, they tell their story, Fitch writes it in the book, Zabbidou pays them for their secret, and then they go home happy. Simple enough, no? Wrong! Here comes the story’s antagonist, Jeremiah Ratchet, the man who basically owns everything in Pagus Parvus and rules the place with an iron fist! Got to love dictators!

He can’t take the fact that the townsfolk see hope in the form of Zabbidou. He wants them to quake in their boots and tremble in fear with just the mere mention of the name Ratchet. Nearly everyone was in debt with his outrageous prices on rent. This pile of evil nothing even thought up ways to have everyone doing dirty deeds in order to pay him the rent they owed. So, of course, with the new pawnbroker in town buying up the town’s secrets, everyone was paying off their debts. Naturally, this made Ratchet a very unhappy person. He formulates schemes to get revenge and what not which all seems to end in failure. I’m not going to give away any of it but let me just say that the story does make you want to start yelling at the book just so that pathetic excuse of a business man could get it! He was so deliciously evil… I couldn’t get enough of it!

The story is rather unique and it did make me want to continue reading till the end. The plot was a bit sketchy but it makes up for it with detailed characters that have dark pasts and worries that plague their minds. In fact, because of this, it makes you believe that the characters are that much more alive and not just some fictional people who came out of a person’s head, even though they are.

For this to be Higgins’ first book, I am truly impressed. I love how she described each event in great detail and how well she thought out her characters. Such thinking made it out to be a very entertaining book. I also love how she had the book written in two different perspectives. One was of Ludlow Fitch and it was written in first person. During this time of the story, he was saying the story as if he was writing down his thoughts in a diary. The other was written in third person just like any other novel. I thought that this writing style was very unique and it drew me even closer to the book.

However, there are some areas of the book where I felt it was lacking. For example, the character of Joe Zabbidou. She never went into great detail about him. I mean, where did he come from? Why does he buy secrets? How come no matter what happens, he always seems to know the outcome? What? Is he like some fortune teller that can read minds? Is he a seer that has a dream of helping those with horrible pasts? Did he injure his leg because of his former dancing career? I don’t know. Although I love how throughout the entire book he’s nothing but a mystery, I feel that there should have been a bit more explaining about where he came from. He’s still a loveable character. I just find it a bit difficult to fall completely in love with him since I know nothing about him… but that’s just me.

Another problem I saw with this book was its ending. It was more bitter sweet than anything. I was expecting more of an impact than it left me. It really left a lot of questions out in the air which I never did like in stories such as this. You know, like the ending of “Avatar: the Last Airbender.” It’s good, but because of so many questions left unanswered, it leaves a lot of us disappointed.

With all that, however, it is still a very entertaining book and worth the read. Though not the best book ever made, this book still contains a pretty decent storyline with well-developed characters and lots of twisted evil that drags in any person with a taste for excitement... or mental issues. I forget which. I read it in a single day and I was pretty satisfied with the outcome, despite its minor fallbacks. Hey, at least it didn’t make me want to pull my hair out or jump out of a window (Like some books which shall remain nameless for peace’s sake).

All-in-all, I recommend this book to both children and adults alike! Well, young adults. The older ones might not like it too much. Actually, with its sinister opening, I’m sure there are lots of older adults who would find this book appealing! I give this book a four out of five for keeping me happy all the way up to the bitter end! Good job Higgins!



Just look at the black side!
Don't mind the fading... it's a library book...