When I saw this I just had to repost - I thought it was pretty funny.
Make sure you have your speakers on. ;)
- Don't Bother
8th Grade Bites
1 hour ago
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Last Stage by Jim Cherry
Have you ever dreamed of becoming a rock star?
Synopsis:
Michael Gray is an aging professional student looking for a way out of a small town and away from a girlfriend who increasingly wants more from him. Inspired by friends who tell him he looks like Jim Morrison of the rock group The Doors, he sidetracks a band on their way to fame, and together they experience the exhilaration of being a Rock ‘n’ Roll band on the road as they experience the long hours, the agents, the travel, the groupies, record company executives, and the growing ego of Michael Gray, until they’re offered the gig of their Rock ‘n’ Roll dreams.
Michael Gray is an aging professional student looking for a way out of a small town and away from a girlfriend who increasingly wants more from him. Inspired by friends who tell him he looks like Jim Morrison of the rock group The Doors, he sidetracks a band on their way to fame, and together they experience the exhilaration of being a Rock ‘n’ Roll band on the road as they experience the long hours, the agents, the travel, the groupies, record company executives, and the growing ego of Michael Gray, until they’re offered the gig of their Rock ‘n’ Roll dreams.
The Last Stage follows Michael Gray on the road to making all of his dreams come true. He’s a lover of music but he’s not a gifted musician; as a matter of fact, the only thing he has going for him—the one thing he clings tightly to—is his resemblance to Jim Morrison. Michael knows everything there is to know about The Doors; then inspiration hits: he wants to give the audience the gift of experiencing a real Doors show. He finds a talented band and convinces them that a Doors tribute band will be beneficial to everyone involved. With Michael playing the part of Jim Morrison, their tribute band—The Unknown Soldiers—gets noticed with their unique ability to give the audience more than just a cookie-cutter performance—when on stage, they are The Doors. Unfortunately, Michael is lured by the fame from the very beginning and falls into the rut that many musicians fall into; not only does he begin to set himself on a pedestal he doesn’t deserve, but he begins to blur the lines between himself and Morrison until he’s no longer sure who he is.
The story plays out with Michael recalling his moments of fame—detailing his rise and fall. Throughout the story, Michael has the likeable quality of being so ambitious that he won’t let anything get in the way of his dreams no matter how far-fetched they may seem. But overall, Michael isn’t a very likeable character until he shows a deeper side of himself in the end. In other words, Michael Gray is flawed and complex—he comes across so realistically that I had to keep reminding myself that it was fiction—he becomes easily entangled in the promises of fame and fortune that he comes across as the bad guy in the story. Needless to say, Michael’s character kept me reading because I wanted to figure him out, unravel his complexities, and maybe even give him a dose of reality every now and then.
Jim Cherry has created an interesting and intriguing story, with equally interesting and intriguing characters. With rich details that make this book feel real at every level, the Last Stage doesn’t disappoint.
If you’re a fan of The Doors, tribute bands, or just music in general, I recommend this book!
My Rating:
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
My final attempt...
I'm very happy with the success of my recent giveaway. Unfortunately, I may have to choose another winner to dip into the book pile. Third prize winner--winner of 2 books of her choice from the list--Marie (Mum) has yet to respond to my many emails. Since she acknowledged the giveaway results via blog comment and e-mail, I gave her extra time (I know how busy things get around the holidays). However, she never chose the books that she wanted and this is the final stretch.
So, Marie, if you happen to be reading this, please send me your choices so I can get the books out to you ASAP; otherwise, the 4th place winner will take your place and I will be forced to choose another winner. I hope to hear from you soon! :)
So, Marie, if you happen to be reading this, please send me your choices so I can get the books out to you ASAP; otherwise, the 4th place winner will take your place and I will be forced to choose another winner. I hope to hear from you soon! :)
Hopefully everyone is enjoying the holiday season! Since I already have all the Christmas shopping done, I'm anxious for Christmas to get here.
(This pic was taken no where near Souther California) ;)
So... how are you getting along so far? Christmas shoppers kicking your derriere? Any traditions you're looking forward to?
P.S. I made it to 400 followers recently so be on the lookout for another giveaway! If there's anything you hope to see in that giveaway, feel free to give your ideas - I would love to hear them. :)
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Jessica
Monday, December 7, 2009
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Synopsis:For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.
Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.
In Maggie Stiefvater’s, Shiver, werewolves don’t change with the phases of the moon, but with the changes in weather. With the chill of winter, these werewolves trade their human forms for the form and pelt of a wolf. And with the warmth of the summer sun, the wolves become human again.
Grace loves the winter season because she knows she can depend on the wolves—more importantly, HER wolf—roaming the woods in her backyard. Sam, on the other hand, prefers the summer months because it’s the only time he can be, well, Sam.
Their two worlds finally collide when Grace finds an injured young man (with her wolf’s eyes) at her doorstep. As they spend time together and grow more in love (honestly, it's not as cheesy as it sounds), the winter’s cold threatens to take Sam’s humanity. However, they both desperately fight the cold because they know that each day the temperature drops is quite possibly the very last day they’ll be together.
Shiver is a wonderfully written story about young love – a love between a young girl and a guy who isn’t quite human – filled with hope and humanity.
I really enjoyed the author’s lyrical prose and her take on werewolves. The alternating-viewpoints part of the story is kind of debatable for me. On the one hand, I liked reading from both points of view because Grace and Sam each bring something special to the story, and it offers the opportunity to see where each character is coming from. Unfortunately, I think it slowed down the story because there was very little suspense throughout the book—apart from the natural suspense of wondering how the story will play out. Needless to say, this is a rather intimate story; so the slow pace works rather well when it comes to the budding romance. Also, there are a few loose ends, which I hope are tied up as the series progresses.
Despite its slow pace, I thoroughly enjoyed Shiver and look forward to the next book in this trilogy.
Shiver has been optioned for a movie so I guess only time will tell whether or not we see this on the big-screen. I'm not sure how it will work considering the slow-pace and intimacy of the story; but I'm not opposed to finding out. :)
My Rating:
If you’ve read this book, feel free to leave your thoughts and/or links in the comments section.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
My First Giveaway has ended . . . Now for the results! :)
First of all, thank you so much to everyone who participated in my first giveaway!
I had a total of 253 entrants and, after the final tally, 957 TOTAL entries. :) Not bad at all, in my opinion.
I bet you're all anxious to know who won, so I'll cut right to the chase... :)
The 4 winners (thanks to Random.org and the unparalleled patience of my impartial hubby) are as follows...
The 1st randomly chosen winner (.pdf of The Blue Pen and $35 Amazon Giftcard) is:
The 2nd randomly chosen winner (first choice of 3 books from the pile) is:
The 3rd randomly chosen winner (second choice of 2 books from the pile) is:
Marie (MUM)
Finally, the 4th randomly chosen winner (third choice of 1 book from the pile) is:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
I will Email the first two winners right away! Then, I will Email the remaining winners with an updated list of books to choose from. If you were one of the lucky winners and have not received an Email, feel free to contact me @ bookloversdiary@yahoo.com.
Attention winners: You will have 3 days to respond to my e-mail; otherwise, I'll choose another winner.
For those of you who didn't win, I hope you'll come back to enter my next giveaway. I'm reeeeally close to 400 followers so I'm already thinking about my next contest. :)
If you have any ideas, please leave them in your comments; I would love to hear them!
Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Jessica
Monday, November 30, 2009
100 Books To Read Before You Die
I grabbed this from Brizmus Blogs Books. I'm not sure where this list originated but I thought it was a nice, varied list. So... I decided to re-post. :)I'll cross out the books I've read and put in bold books on my wishlist/TBR pile.
Here goes. . .
2.
3. JRR Tolkien – Lord Of The Rings
4. Jodi Picoult – My Sister’s Keeper
5.
6. JK Rowling – Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone
7. Audrey Niffenegger – The Time Traveler’s Wife
8.
9.
10. Raymond E. Feist – Magician
11. Khaled Hosseini – A Thousand Splendid Suns
12. Paullina Simons – Bronze Horsemen
13. Gregory David Roberts – Shantaram
14. Margaret Mitchell – Gone With The Wind
15. Bryce Courtenay – Power of One
16. Dan Brown – The Da Vinci Code
17. Dan Brown – Angels & Demons
18.
19.
20. Tim Winton – Cloud Street
21.
22.
23. Arthur Golden – Memoirs of Geisha
24.
25. Joseph Heller – Catch-22
26. Elizabeth Gilbert – Eat Pray Love
27. Niv Mass Market Bible With Bible Guide – International Bible Society Staff and International Bible Society
28.
29. Yann Martel – Life of Pi
30. AB Facey – Fortunate Life
31.
32.
33. Diana Gabaldon – Cross Stich
34. Rohinton Mistry – A Fine Balance
35.
36. Li Cunxin – Mao’s Last Dancer
37. John Marsden – Tomorrow, When The War Began
38.
39. Frank Herbert – Dune
40. JD Salinger – A Catcher In The Rye
41.
42. Gabriel Garcia Marquez – One Hundred Years Of Solitude
43. Bryce Courtenay – April Fool’s Day
44. Ken Follet – Pillars Of The Earth
45. Patrick Suskind – Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer
46. Matthew Reilly – Ice Station
47. Carlos Ruiz Zafon – The Shadow Of The Wind
48. Stephen Hawking – A Brief History Of Time
49.
50.
51. Mitch Albom – Tuesdays With Morrie
52.
53. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
54. Ian McEwan – Atonement
55. Leo Tolstory – Anna Karenina
56.
57.
58. Antoine de Saint Exupéry – The Little Prince
59. Roald Dahl – Charlie & The Chocolate Factory
60.
61. Gabriel Garcia Marquez – Love In The Time Of Cholera
62.
63. Fyodor Dostoevsky – Crime And Punishment
64. Anthony Bourke – Lion Called Christian
65. Arundhati Roy – The God Of Small Things
66. Paullina Simons – Tully
67.
68. John Grogan – Marley & Me
69. Vikram Seth – A Suitable Boy
70. Alexandre Dumas – Count Of Monte Cristo
71. Neil Gaiman – American Gods
72.
73.
74. Brendan Shanahan – In Turkey I Am Beautiful: Between Chaos And Madness In A Strange Land
75. Tim Winton – Breath
76. Bryce Courtenay – Jessica
77. Graeme Base – Animalia
78. Donna Tartt – The Secret History
79. Mario Puzo – The Godfather
80.
81. Steig Larrson – The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo
82. Stephen King – Stand
83. Helen Fielding – Bridget Jones’ Diary
84. Eckhart Tolle – New Earth
85. Matthew Reilly – Seven Ancient Wonders
86. Jung Chang – Wild Swans
87.
88. Bret Easton Ellis – American Psycho
89. David Eddings – Belgariad Vol. 1: Pawn Of Prophecy; Queen Of Sorcery; Magician’s Gambit
90. Louis De Bernieres – Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
91. Melina Marchetta – Looking For Alibrandi
92. Celia Ahern – PS I Love You
93. John Irving – A Prayer For Owen Meany
94. Colleen McCullough – The Thorn Birds
95. John Kennedy Toole – A Confederacy Of Dunces
96. Terry Pratchett – Good Omens
97. Hunter S. Thompson – Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas
98. Joanne Harris – Chocolat
99.
100.
Wow! I really have a long way to go! *sigh*
How did you do?
Saturday, November 28, 2009
"Ginormous 100 Follower Giveaway" at In Which A Girl Reads!
Choco @ In Which a Girl Reads is celebrating 100 followers by giving away your choice of the great books listed below. There will be at least 3 winners. Go on over to offer your congratulations and enter for your chance to win! :)
For more info, go to http://inwhichagirl.blogspot.com/2009/11/ginormous-100-followers-giveaway.html
For more info, go to http://inwhichagirl.blogspot.com/2009/11/ginormous-100-followers-giveaway.html
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