Harry Potter - Blast From the Past!

So today I FINALY got to see the last Harry Potter movie. It was EPIC in every sense of the word. I watched the movie in 3-D which made the experience even more surreal. Watching a Harry Potter movie always makes me feel nostalgic. I keep on imagining my younger self huddled under the blankets with a flashlight in hand. I’d read away until two in the morning and sleep with the book underneath my face.

The first time I picked up an HP book my 3rd grade teacher said to me "Are you SURE you want to read this? It’ll be way too challenging for you." I felt challenged. He all but told me "put that book down, you're too young to read it. And being young = lack of understanding." I really didn't like it when people made assumptions about my abilities. Plus, I always wondered why people would read books that were SO large. What was the point when you could just watch the movies?

I agreed repeatedly that I would read it until he gave me the book. Within three days I was finished with it. When my teacher asked me what I did when I 'didn't understand something' I replied, "Well, I understood everything that happened. But if you're asking what I did when I didn't understand a word, I just looked it up in the dictionary." He was impressed, and I was really proud of myself for reading a book so large so fast. At that time I didn't like reading. It was something I did when it was required for me to do for school. Harry Potter made me realize how much fun reading can be, which eventually led to my love for writing. I’m so glad I hadn’t let my teacher dissuade me from reading it that day because from that day on reading has been my escape and my all-time favorite hobby.

SO…back to the movie. :)

Did anyone realize that part when Snape told Harry that his eyes were just like his mother's, but then in the memory his mother’s eyes were a completely different color?

Harry Potter - Blast From the Past!

Waiting On Wednesday (1)

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
So this is my first time doing Waiting on Wednesday. If you do this meme as well feel free to post a link to your Waiting on Wednesday post.

This week’s WoW is:

The Pledge
By Kimberly Derting
Release Date: November 15, 2011

Blurb from Goodreads:

Words are the most dangerous weapon of all.

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

So what do you think? Will you be waiting for The Pledge? I think the whole thing with languages sounds really cool. Plus, I’ve really been addicted to dystopian novels lately. I can’t seem to stop reading them. :)

Waiting On Wednesday (1)

This. Is. So. Cool! (Fans of Hunger Games)

Title says it all. (Listen to sound for full affects)

This. Is. So. Cool! (Fans of Hunger Games)

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

 Source: Netgalley

The Iron Knight by Julia Kagawa

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.



Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.


With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.


And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

“It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn’t going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, not anymore. I didn’t think any further than what it would feel like to kiss him again, to wrap my arms around him and bury my head against his shoulder.

That was my first mistake. It also turned out to be the biggest.”

When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can’t imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she’s inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved.

Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabriel, who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she loved. But Wren can’t turn her back on Danny or the choice she made for him—and she realizes she must find a way to make things right, even if it means breaking her own heart.

Amy Garvey’s transcendent teen debut is perfect for fans of Shiver and Beautiful Creatures. Wren’s unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned

Release Date: September 20th 2011 ( HarperTeen )

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Skye never questioned the story of her life. Her Aunt Jo adopted her after the death of her parents when she was just a child, and together they flip through memories the way some people flip through photo albums. She never questioned if the stories were true.

Until the night of her 17th birthday, when the arrival of two strangers intrudes on her cozy life. Polar opposites, like fire and ice, Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair, cold, and aloof. Skye has no idea what they want—only that their presence coincides with the beginning of some shockingly strange events. Events that Skye, if she dares to think it, might be responsible for causing.

High up in the mountains of Boulder, Colorado, Skye finds herself caught in the middle of an ancient battle, one that began untold millennia ago. Torn between unpredictable Asher, whom she loves, and the infuriating Devin, who she can’t stay away from, her fate is murky as a starless night. And as the secrets of her true identity are revealed, Skye realizes that her destiny may reside in the Heavens—or somewhere darker

Release Date: September 27th 2011 (HarperTeen )  - Just finished reading this and I really liked it, although some parts were a bit fuzzy...

Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger—Sasha is Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx’s biggest threat.

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant—God’s promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he’s finally found the girl he’s been searching for: Sasha.

With the threat of Eryx looming, Jax has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

Release Date: September 27th 2011 (EgmontUSA )

What are you currently reading/ waiting to read? :)

In My Mailbox (3)

Cover Reveal! Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Spell Bound is the third book in the Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins. If you haven’t read it yet get to it a.s.a.p! Not only does the book have a great plot but it’s also extremely humorous. I remember laughing myself silly every time I read one of these books.

What do you think about the cover?

Cover Reveal! Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

On Writing: Is It Really a Dystopia?

Are you writing/reading a dystopian novel? Are you unsure whether it’s really a dystopian and not a post-apocalypse novel? I find that a lot of people are confused when it comes to the difference between dystopian and post-apocalypse. Sometimes I’ll even read a book (such as the Forest of Hands and Teeth) and be told that it’s a dystopian novel when it’s clearly a post-apocalypse. SO how do you tell the difference?

Let’s start by looking at what each one is:

A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian. Dystopian societies feature different kinds of repressive social control systems, various forms of active and passive coercion. Ideas and works about dystopian societies often explore the concept of humans abusing technology and humans individually and collectively coping, or not being able to properly cope with technology that has progressed far more rapidly than humanity's spiritual evolution.

Post-apocalyptic fiction is set in a world or civilization after such a disaster. The time frame may be immediately after the catastrophe, focusing on the travails or psychology of survivors, or considerably later, often including the theme that the existence of pre-catastrophe civilization has been forgotten (or mythologized). Post-apocalyptic stories often take place in an agrarian, non-technological future world, or a world where only scattered elements of technology remain. There is a considerable degree of blurring between this form of science fiction and that which deals with dystopias.

But see, here’s where things get tricky: yes, it’s possible for it to be both dystopian and post-apocalyptic at the same time. Take The Hunger Games for instance, it’s set in a future apocalyptic world and yet it has enough dystopian qualities for it to be considered part dystopian.

Use this flow-chart made by Erin Bowman to see if what you’re reading/writing is really a dystopian or a post-apocalypse. (Click to see larger)

Is it Dystopia? A flowchart for de-coding the genre by Erin Bowman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at www.embowman.com. Feel free to share it for non-commercial uses.

On Writing: Is It Really a Dystopia?

♪ Music Monday - Treasure ♫

This week’s Music Monday is Treasure by Flyleaf. This song is about how the lead singer of Flyleaf (Lacey Mosley) felt after being proposed to by her (now) husband. After I heard the cute story about how he proposed to her I understood the songs lyrics and couldn't stop listening to it. It’s an incredibly sweet song. I’ve written a total of 12k words to it so far.

To View Past ♪ Music Mondays ♫ go here.

♪ Music Monday - Treasure ♫

YA Books Turning Into Movies (Part 2) + Exciting News!

The producing team behind the hit CW series Gossip Girl is taking on another best-selling young adult novel -- and this one is bound for the big screen.

Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage of the Paramount-based Fake Empire shingle and Alloy Entertainment’s Leslie Morgenstein and Bob Levy have set up The Luxe at Paramount and have tapped Bess Wohl to pen the screenplay.

A sort of The Age of Innocence meets Gossip Girl, Luxe tracks four teens set in 19th century New York and features conflicts between old money and new money, the upper class and lower class, and star-crossed lovers. Four of the Alloy Entertainment books by Anna Godbersen have been published, all hitting the New York Times best-seller list. (Cited from Hollywoodreporter.com)

In other movie news are any of you going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 this weekend? I can't believe it's going to be the last movie. I'm never going to stop obsessing over the magical world of Hogwarts and the boy with the lightening scar on his forehead. I'll probably keep reading the books over and over again until I've read it so many times that I've got it memorized. But at least we have Pottermore to keep our Harry Potter fandom alive.

And also this little bit of exciting news:

Start all the clocks and plug the telephone back in: JK Rowling has provided a shred of comfort to the millions of mourners lamenting the release of the final Harry Potter movie with the revelation that she has written "quite a lot" of new material and has plans to publish it.

Speaking at the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part Two, Rowling told MTV News that "I'm writing, and I've done quite a lot since finishing Harry Potter". She expanded further to BBC News, saying "I think I always felt I didn't want to publish again until the last film was out because Potter has been such a huge thing in my life. I've been writing hard ever since I finished writing Hallows, so I've got a lot of stuff and I suppose it's a question of deciding which one comes out first. But I will publish again. In a sense it's a beginning for me as well as an end."

The author has previously said that she is working on a political fairytale for slightly younger children, revealing in 2009 that "I think that will probably be the next thing that I finish".

Rowling has also spoken of writing an encyclopedia of the Potter universe, although it seems likely that her new venture, Pottermore, which will feature over 18,000 words of new Potter content penned by the author, will be the location for any further Potter-related material. And the author has mentioned plans for a book aimed at adults, saying in 2007 that "I'm sort of writing two things at the moment – one is for children and the other is not for children", adding that it was unlikely her new venture would be another fantasy series. "I think I've done my fantasy. To go and create another fantasy universe would feel wrong, and I don't know if I'm capable of it."

Working on something new felt like a fresh start, Rowling told MTV at the premiere. "I also felt I wanted the last film out of the way before I made any moves on the publishing front. Harry is so huge and I suppose my involvement with the world has still been quite intense," she said. "This feels like a new beginning to me."

(Cited from guardian.co.uk)

To see "YA Books Turning Into Movie (Part 1)" post click here.

YA Books Turning Into Movies (Part 2) + Exciting News!

YA Books Turning Into Movies 2012 (Part 1)

There seems to be a plethora of YA books turning into movies lately. Beastly, I am Number Four, Twilight, etc. and there are A LOT more to come in 2012. Here are the ones I’m currently aware of and a little blurb about the production:

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

“The Mortal Instruments series has been optioned for film by Unique Features and Constantin Films. First-time writer Jessica Postigo has been hired to write the screenplay, based on the first book in the series. Also, Lily Collins has been cast as the lead role of Clary Fray, and Harry Potter and Twilight actor Jamie Campbell Bower has been cast opposite her as Jace Wayland.” (Cited from Wiki)

Fan site:
http://www.cityofbonesmovie.com/


The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

“The Hunger Games is an upcoming film directed by Gary Ross and based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. It is scheduled to be released on March 23, 2012. Collins adapted the novel for film herself, and her script was revised by screenwriter Billy Ray.

Shearmur said:

‘The Hunger Games is an incredible property and it is a thrill to bring it home to Lionsgate. This is exactly the kind of movie I came to Lionsgate to make: youthful, exciting, smart and edgy. We are looking forward to working with Nina and Suzanne to create a movie that satisfies audiences' hunger for high-quality entertainment.’ ” (Cited from Wiki)

Fan sites:

http://hungergamesmovie.org/
http://mockingjay.net/category/hunger-games-movie/
http://thehungergamesmovie.org/


Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

On June 29th 2010 it was announced that Preger Entertainment had acquired the film rights to Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy series. The movie is still a very big maybe but with Don Murphy (Transformers) on board as producer things are definitely looking good. Both Preger and Murphy seem very dedicated to the movie and acknowledge the great anticipation of the fanbase.

“The joy of these books is that in the wake of ‘Twilight’ they offer a chance to create a movie franchise that guys will want to see as well as girls,” he said. “Michael and I plan on positioning the films as something both sexes will enjoy together, expanding the genre of sexy young vampires to a whole new audience. We are beginning discussions with studios immediately.” (Cited from Vampire-academy.com)

Fan site:
http://vampire-academy.com/category/movie/


Wicked Lovely by Melissa Mar

Production Studio: Wild West Picture Show Productions
Screen Writer: Caroline Thompson, writer of A Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, and Edward Scissorhands
Director: Mary Herron. Past directing credits include American Psycho and The Notorious Bettie Page.
Rating: PG-13
Status: The screenplay is in the final stages of completion. (Cited from Wickedlovely.com)

Shiver by Maggie Steifvater

“Unique Features, in association with Warner Bros., optioned Shiver's film rights shortly after Shiver was released. A screenplay has been written by Nick Pustay but casting has not yet begun.” (Cited from Wiki)

Fallen by Lauren Kate

“A Fallen movie is in talks and Disney has optioned the rights to Fallen. Since the Fallen series is a four part series, Disney made sure that they obtained rights to all four of the books in the deal. Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray will produce the movie.” (Cited from Wiki)

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

“On July 14, 2009, Variety announced that The Walt Disney Company had optioned the film rights to Wings. Miley Cyrus has been cast as Laurel.” (Cited from Wiki)

 Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

"Adding to its roster of bigscreen rights to young adult novels, Twentieth Century Fox has acquired rights to "Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi.

Peter Chernin and Dylan Clark will produce the project through Fox-based Chernin Entertainment.

Emma Watts, Peter Kang and Daria Cercek will oversee the project for the studio.

Set in a dystopian world, "Shatter Me" is the story of a 17-year-old girl imprisoned for possessing a fatal touch. As she watches everything crumble around her, she must choose between relinquishing her power or use it to save the world."(Cited from Variety.com)

Divergent by Veronica Roth

"Summit Entertainment has closed a screen rights deal for Veronica Roth's young adult novel Divergent, which will be published by the HarperCollins imprint Katherine Tegen Books. It takes place in a futuristic dystopia where society is divided into factions as kids are categorized based on human traits. A teenage girl and guy rebel against the labels, which is a very dangerous thing to do. The buying community has compared it to The Hunger Games in tone and violent content. Red Wagon's Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher will produce with Pouya Shahbazian." (Cited from Deadline.com)

Fan Site:
http://www.thedivergenttrilogy.com/


The House of Night by P.C Cast and Kristin Cast

“In 2008, Variety reported that a film adaptation of the series was in early planning stages. Film rights were optioned by Empire Pictures and a screenplay for Marked is being written by Kent Dalian, writer-director of Fish in a Barrel.” (Cited from Wiki)

Speaking of the House of Night, was I the only one who didn’t know that the House of Night was a real place in Tulsa? In fact, most of the settings in the book were real. I’m guessing that they’ll do most of the filming there or make a set that looks really similar to it.

Cascia Hall

“The series is set in Tulsa, in a small and reclusive part of Midtown. The House of Night campus is in the real life campus of Cascia Hall, and the climactic scene of the first book in the series takes place in the extensive gardens of the Philbrook Museum.” (Cited from Wiki)

Mayo Hotel (Neferet’s penthouse)

“In Awakened, Neferet rents a penthouse at Tulsa's historic Mayo Hotel. Photo shows the Mayo lobby”(Cited from Wiki)

       What YA book-turned-movies are YOU looking forward to?


Click here to see YA Books Turning Into Movies PART 2

YA Books Turning Into Movies 2012 (Part 1)

Cover Reveal: SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

Today the stunning cover of Tahereh Mafi's dystopian novel SHATTER ME was revealed on MTV's Hollywood Crush. Isn't it beautiful? I've wanted to read SHATTER ME since I heard about it on Tahereh's blog, and now I can't wait to devour it.

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old-girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

SHATTER ME will be released November 15, 2011 (HarperTeen).
 

What do YOU think of the cover?

Cover Reveal: SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Review

Author: Michelle Hodkin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Source: Publisher

In The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Hodkin manages to weave a story that’ll leave you pondering it long after you’ve read the last word.

Mara wakes up disoriented in a hospital with no recollection how she got there. She survived the accident, but her friends hadn’t been so lucky. Since that day she’s been having flashbacks and nightmares. In an attempt to stop her from reliving the past Mara and her family move to Miami Florida.

I really loved the fast pace and fluidity of Michelle’s writing. She knew how to set the scene and pull the readers in. Her ability to create tension and suspense became more and more evident as the book progressed, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Noah was completely swoon-worthy! His cocky, bad boy persona had me eagerly turning the pages. I loved Mara’s friend, Jamie—whose funny uplifting personality made me smile. And I loved how Mara and Noah’s relationship developed over time, rather than starting spontaneously like in recent books I have read.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is a compelling page-turner that you do not want to miss. The book comes out this September.

To pre-order the book, click here for a link to Amazon.

Ratings:

Plot: ★ ★ ★ ★
Characters: ★ ★ ★ ★
Writing:★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Originality: ★ ★ ★
There were some parts of the book that reminded me a lot of The Body Finder.
Cover: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I know they say never to judge a book by its cover but gosh, this cover is beautiful! It really caught my eye. I also want to point of that the cover is kind of misleading. In case any of you guys were wondering; no, this book has nothing to do with a rape victim.

Overall:
★ ★ ★ ★

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Review