Skeet Shooting Is An Olympic Sport?

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Every Olympics, I’m always amazed by some of the Olympic sports.

Like skeet shooting, weight-lifting and cycling.  I’m sure they all work really hard at their respective sports, but at the same time, I wonder why I spent an hour or so watching cycling.

I watched a little bit of water polo and men’s volleyball, but it was really more background noise than anything else.  And beach volleyball.  I was utterly baffled as to why the other U.S. team (the non Misty May/Kerri Walsh team) were wearing hats at night.  I get goggles, but hats?  I am so confused.

I have to say that I am really amused by the fact that there’s a beach volleyball court in England.  I don’t know why, but I am.

I have really good prediction skills too.  Sort of.  I was watching the qualification for women’s gymnastics, and correctly predicted that the U.S., Russia, China, Japan and Romania would be amongst the 8 teams in the final.  And Great Britain.  The first five, because those are the countries you would (rightly) associate with really great gymnasts and are the countries that tend to dominate gymnastics.  Great Britain, Italy and Canada, not so much.  But then again, the first 5 tend to overshadow everyone else, to the point that you tend to forget there are other countries competing.

And I do feel bad for Jordyn Wieber.  So I knew that she didn’t make it to all-around because of a technicality, but when I watched it, it was a little hard to feel sorry for her.  I know her dream was shattered but no one’s really talking about how Aly did make it to the all-around finals.  At this point, I feel sorrier for Raisman than Wieber.  Unfortunately, I can not figure out why there’s a two-athlete limit…I know it’s a rule, but how hard is it to explain why it’s a rule?  My thought is that it’s a way to even it out so some of the athletes from countries that aren’t gymnastic powehouses have a chance.

I also watched diving, and I’m always impressed with synchronized diving.  It’s amazing how the divers are in sync and everything.  And swimming!  You can’t forget about swimming.  Seeing Dana Vollmer break a world record was exciting.  Butterfly looks exhausting though.  And the men’s 1o0m breaststroke, where Brendan Hansen just barely beat out the guy from Hungary to get the bronze was exciting.  Especially since he did better than Kitajima, who he has a rivalry with.  And the guy from South Africa breaking the world record.  Swimming was super excited.

Actually, that’s the nice thing about the Olympics.  You get to see a lot of other athletes from a lot of different countries.  And you get to see a lot of sports that you otherwise wouldn’t think of, you know?  Like, when are you going to find yourself watching people riding bikes on t.v.?  Or getting excited over rowing?  Seriously, rowing was exciting to watch.  And then I was like, why am I excited about this?  It makes no sense.  But then again, it’s fun to be excited about things like rowing.  Because when else is this going to happen but the Olympics?

I’m still kind of sad that softball and baseball aren’t in the Olympics, but at least there are plenty of other sports to be excited about.  I suppose that’s enough rambling for today…but it’s not the last time I’ll be rambling on about the Olympics.

Fallen

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Book: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Book Info: Published by Random House Children’s Books; 389 pages

Where I Got It: an e-book via the library

Genre: YA: Paranormal

Find out more: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Lauren Kate

Goodreads Summary: There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

An immortal guy who is in love with a girl who dies and comes back every 17 years?  And good and bad fighting for her soul?  It’s been done before.

However, I liked that it’s all because she wasn’t baptized in this life.  I wasn’t expecting that, so it made the novel a lot more interesting.  It does start off slow, and the ending was exciting but a little rushed.

The characters were just okay, and were pretty lackluster.  No one really stood out, and they were pretty typical characters.  Hopefully they’ll liven up and get more interesting in the next book.  I thought the setting of a reform school was interesting, but there was something off about it too.  I loved the descriptions of the school and how old the school was.

I loved the prologue and the epilogue, and I’m hoping we see more of that in the future.

It gets a 4 out of 5.  I really enjoyed it, and hopefully it’ll get a lot more interesting.

I LOVE The Olympics!

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Summer Olympics!  They’re here!  I’ve anxiously been awaiting the Olympics, because it’s one of my favorite events ever.  Here are my thoughts as I watched the Opening Ceremony.

I loved that there were children’s choirs singing songs from Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and that each country had something special.  Seriously cool.

I also loved the homage to WWI.  And seeing the stadium change as England changed?  Also cool.  Forging the rings was pretty amazing.  It’s one time I wish I were there.  And that smell-o-vision existed.

I loved that entrance!  Very cool.  Seriously, James Bond and the Queen teaming up?  I wonder how they got her to agree to that.  The Peter Pan tribute, and actual doctors and nurses…a very nice touch.  As was the tribute to the military.

I LOVED seeing J.K. Rowling reading, and I screamed.  Seriously.  It confused my grandma, who I think figured it out a couple minutes later.  And a big balloon Voldemort!  And Mary Poppins!  I really should watch Mary Poppins again.

Loved the video with Rowan Atkinson- it made me giggle.  And then I laughed.

Great music choices.  Bad time to make cookies, but a great time to paint my nails.  Pink sparkles are awesome people.  Maybe I should take a picture…

The Who, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks…who’s next?  Oh, I know, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen!  Air guitar!

Spice Girls.  They should play them.  Rap and the U.K.?  Interesting.  Loved the bit with the internets.  I am slightly disappointed by the lack of Spice Girls.  Maybe they’re trying to forget them?  Oh, and I’m surprised it took this long for David Beckham to make an appearance.  You’d think he’d show up earlier in the ceremony.

I don’t get why Ryan Seacrest is interviewing people.  It’s just weird.  And honestly, doesn’t one of his 50 million other jobs need him for something?

Parade of nations!  It’s always cool watching it because of all the different countries and their outfits and stuff.

81 countries of 200+ have never won medals.  Interesting.  Argentina is a sea of blue but nothing spectacular about their outfits.

I love that all the flags are hanging out at Glastonbury Tor.  The people from Bermuda wearing Bermuda shorts?  Ironic.  Djibouti is a nice name for a country.  You’d think France would be better dressed.  I like what Guam’s wearing.  Very flower-y.  The independent Olympic Athletes seem to be having the most fun.  Seriously, they danced.  Everyone else seems kind of solemn.  Jordan and Kazakhstan had some pretty cool outfits.  Marshall Islands look pretty festive.  Mexico also had some colourful outfits.

I’ve never heard of Tuvalo.  That’s the cool thing about the Parade of Nations.  All the countries I’ve never heard of and all the countries I don’t think about…except for during the Parade Of Nations.  It’s going by so fast…and yet it’s taking a while.’

I still don’t like our Opening Ceremony outfits.  They’re a bit too sailor-ish.  Then again, they were designed by Ralph Lauren…And is it just me, or is it weird that pro basketball players are in the Olympics?  Because I think that’s a little weird.

And seeing the UK athletes enter was really cool.  The Queen doesn’t look too interested but maybe she’s tired or something.  Anyway, it’s always cool seeing the athletes from the host country come in.  You’d think they’d look more excited.

Fireworks were pretty awesome.  And you can’t forget about the flag, the cauldron, the torch relay.  It’s just so fun and exciting and I love the ceremony of it.  The lighting of the cauldron was just so cool, and I got goosebumps watching it.  Paul McCartney’s performance was just okay for me.

The final verdict: Pretty freakin’ awesome.  It was fun and quirky and I loved every minute of it.  I loved the literary references (the ones I caught anyway) and it made me even more excited about the Olympics.  Yes, that is possible (in case you’re wondering).

It’s going to be a fun 17 days!

Rebel Angels

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Book: Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

Book Info: Published by Random House Children’s Books; 592 pages

Source: purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA: Historical Fiction/Paranormal/Fantasy

Find Out More: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Libba Bray

Goodreads Summary: Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma’s visions intensify–visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain. . . . 

The lure is strong, and before long, Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring them to. To the girls’ great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship. 

But all is not well in the realms–or out. The mysterious Kartik has reappeared, telling Gemma she must find the Temple and bind the magic, else great disaster will befall her. Gemma’s willing to do his intrusive bidding, despite the dangers it brings, for it means she will meet up with her mother’s greatest friend–and now her foe, Circe. Until Circe is destroyed, Gemma cannot live out her destiny. But finding Circe proves a most perilous task.

I loved Rebel Angels even more than I liked A Great And Terrible Beauty.  You really get to see the consequences of what Gemma did.

I really like the realms in Rebel Angels, and that is because you get to see more of them.  Like the Cave of Sighs and the Temple and the forests.  What I loved the most was that things moved along, and it didn’t feel like a middle novel at all.

The readers are kept on their toes, with the mystery and the anagrams.  Circe was the last person I expected: I didn’t see it coming.  I love that a lot of the novel is spent away from Spence.  You get to see Gemma and Felicity in their homes, with Ann staying with Felicity.  A lot of time is spent in the realms, of course, which I just love.  And seeing how staying in the realms, and not crossing over, has changed Pippa.  I don’t think it’s the last we’ll see of her, and I don’t think it will end well.

I loved seeing London, and thought it was a nice contrast with the realms.  You have a city that’s changing, with Felicity being too headstrong to get a nice British man, and the little hints about how London going away from gaslamps towards electricity.  And you have another world that is more complex and corrupt than you could ever imagine.  They’re very different, and yet there are some parallels between the two.

The characters didn’t seem very different in this book, which is the only thing I didn’t really like.  I know it’s only a couple months or so after A Great And Terrible Beauty, but it didn’t seem like the characters had changed very much, other than Pippa.

It gets a 5 out of 5.  I enjoyed it a lot, and I can’t wait to read the last book!

Supernaturally

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Book: Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Book Info: Published by HarperCollins; 352 pages

Source: purchased for my Nook

Genre: YA/Paranormal

Find Out More: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Kiersten White

Goodreads Summary: Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

I loved Supernaturally!  Evie is cute, as always…but she’s also completely amazing!

Jack was an interesting and new addition to the series.  I wasn’t expecting him to completely manipulate Evie the way he did, and he was a lot more sinister and evil than I expected.  Was he creepy?  Yes.  But I swear I didn’t see that ending coming!  In retrospect, it was sort of obvious.  But he did have his fun, crazy moments.

But anyway, I loved seeing Evie in high school, and how it wasn’t what she was expecting.  What was really interesting was finally learning about her family.  Her dad was a fairie and her mom was mortal, and how she got “lost.”  I can’t wait to see how this plays out in Endlessly.  It was kind of sad, though.  Finding out you’re an empty one because the Unseelie court had Vivian.

And I have to say, I LOVED the awknowledgements.  Absolutely hysterical!  I also love how original the series is, and that she made fun of some of the cliches in the paranormal genre.  Like when Evie was surprised that vampires and fairies were glittery.

I give it a 5 out of 5.  It’s funny, yet sad at times.  And the characters are so fun and refreshing.

13 Reasons Why

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Book: 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Book Info: Published by Razorbill; 170 pages

Source: an e-book via the library

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Find Out More: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Jay Asher

Goodreads Summary: Clay Jenkins returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers 13 cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay’s dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

I wanted to like this book, I really did.  But I couldn’t.  I found myself getting more irritated as the book went on.

I get feeling like suicide is your only way out, and normally, I’m really sympathetic towards characters who struggle with depression and suicide.  But I couldn’t muster up any sympathy for Hannah.  When she’s narrating her reasons why, she comes across as really angry and intent on blaming everyone around her.  So instead of sympathizing with her and feeling her desperation and pain, I felt like she had this whole “look at what you made me do” attitude.

Her reasons why seemed so simplistic, and I don’t blame people for thinking she had no reason to.  Everyone has their own breaking point, and this just happened to be Hannah’s.  Yeah, stuff happens, like rumors and bullying, but it doesn’t mean it’s okay to spread rumors or anything.

But anyway, Asher made it seem so simple and easy when most of time, it’s not as simple as 13 reasons.  There wasn’t enough context, and had the entire book focused on Hannah, instead of her narrating her reasons and Clay’s thoughts on the tapes, I think we might have gotten more insight into Hannah’s life.  All you get is 13 reasons, and nothing else.  I can’t help but wonder if there is a bigger picture, because I want to believe there is.

I did like the idea of her recording different memories, and the idea of the tapes being passed along.  I try not to be all nit-picky, but where on earth did she find tapes?  And where are a bunch of teenagers going to find a Walkman?  I guess it’s going to be dated in a year or two anyway, no matter what technology is being used.

But Clay’s reaction to Hannah’s narration didn’t work for me, especially when you learn that he didn’t actually do anything to hurt her.  And poor Mr. Porter, who ended up on the list because Hannah didn’t actually tell him what she was really thinking.  She pretty much baited him into giving her the answer she wanted to hear.

Even with all of my complaints about the book, there were a couple things I liked.  One, you never know how your actions and words can affect others.  Yes, you may be joking, but the other person might not see it that way.  And two, if it seems like someone is suicidal, talk to them.  Or tell someone who can help them.

Overall, I give it a 1 out of 5.  So much of the book didn’t work for me, and it can  something that’s already stigmatized much more so.

10 Most Vivid Worlds And Settings In Books

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Top 10 Tuesday is hosted by the lovely folks over at The Broke And The Bookish.  Every week, people from all over post their own lists based on the topic of the week.  You can find past Top 10 Tuesday’s here.

Top 10 Most Vivid Worlds And Settings In Books

One thing I love about reading is the setting.  I love being transported to a completely different world that is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.  I want to immerse myself in a place that is real and full of interesting characters and places.

  1. Hogwarts from Harry Potter.  Hogwarts is one of the first places that came to mind, because who wouldn’t want to go to Hogwarts?  I feel like I knew the castle so well, partly because of Harry’s wanderings and the Marauder’s map, but also because of the details.  The suits of armor, the ghosts, the talking portraits…what’s not to love?
  2. The Seven Kingdoms from Graceling.  This is actually the first book I thought of when I saw the topic.  I just love the 7 Kingdoms and how different they are.  And I love that each book in the series focuses on a different kingdom, instead of the same one.  I think Monsea is the one that stands out, and I love the historical feel of the setting.
  3. Avalon From Wings.  I know I’ve mentioned Wings several times reccently, but I can’t help but love Pike’s version of Avalon.  It’s a shame we didn’t see it very much in the series, but I still loved Avalon.  It felt pretty and full of life and energy.
  4. The nevernever from The Iron Fey.  I promise, I’ll stop talking about the Iron Fey at some point.  But we spent so much time in the Iron Kingdom and in the Seelie and Unseelie Courts that I so want to go there.  I love how our memories and stories play a huge part in keeping the nevernever around.
  5. Narnia.  When I was little, I hoped that my closet would lead to Narnia, or some other equally magical world.  I loved how getting to Narnia was so magical and so random.  You ended up there when you least expected it, and that is why it stands out.
  6. Middle Earth from The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.  Middle Earth is so vivid because of all the work Tolkien put into creating it.  With actual languages, different lands, and a super-detailed history of Middle Earth, it’s no wonder it feels real.
  7. The Realms from the Gemma Doyle series.  This one is on my mind because I just finished Rebel Angels.  But I love that the Realms are more complex than I ever imagined.  It seems like a beautiful, carefree place, and yet there is a darkness there.
  8. A Wrinkle Time series.  Honestly, it’s the house and the town that Meg lives in that is so memorable.  Her home is so warm and inviting, and I’d love to be friends with her just to be able to go to her house.
  9. The Island Of The Blue Dolphins.  I felt like I knew every inch of this island, because we spent so much time following Karana’s life as the only person living there.  I’d love to know a place that well.
  10. The Night Circus.  I wanted to go the circus after finishing The Night Circus.  And not just any circus, but one as magical as the one in the book.

That’s my list for this week!  What other settings/worlds stand out?

Author Playlists

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I got the idea for this post after discovering that Rachel Caine (one of my new favorite authors) wrote out a playlist of the music that got her through Undone.

I honestly don’t pay too much attention to what other authors listen to when writing.  Like, I like making playlists for all my NaNo novels.  And while authors might mention a band or two in the aknowledgements or something, it was the first time I had actually seen an author post a song by song list.  So when Unknown was available for download from the library, the first thing I did was check to see if she had a playlist at the end of the book.  She did, so I’ll have to check it out.

But for now, let’s focus on the Undone playlist.  What’s cool is that all of the songs I’ve heard fit the book really well.  Here are some of the songs, and my thoughts:

  • Life Is Beautiful by Sixx: A.M.  First, I love the name of the band (or what I assume to be the name of the band).  And it’s one of my new favorite songs.
  • Citizen/Soldier by 3 Doors Down.  It’s been forever since I’ve listened to them, but I just love how the song sounds.
  • Give It Up by LCD Soundsystem: This is such a fun song!  It makes me want to dance awkwardly.  And, for some bizarre reason, learn how to play the guitar.
  • Believe by The Bravery.  This is actually a good song to get lost in.  And relax to.
  • Tess Don’t Tell by Ivy.  I love how this song sounds, and I love having it on in the background.  I need to see if she has anything else available so I can check it out.
  • Everybody Got Their Something by Nikka Costa.  Another current favorite that makes me want to sing along.

And I really can’t want to check out some of the ones from Unknown.  I think I even have a few of them, but the thing I like the most is that I’ve discovered a lot of music I’ve never heard before.  And I’ll even have the chance to check out some people I’ve heard of but never actually listened to before.

I’m really fascinated with this, because it’s always interesting to see what music authors listen to, and what music gets them through their novel-writing process.  To see what inspires them or their novels.

I don’t think I’ll be looking for what music authors listen to, but I will be paying more attention to it…if I happen to come across it.  Especially because music and writing go so well together.

Stayed tuned for a Top 10 Tuesday post tomorrow!

The Name Of The Star

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Book: The Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson

Book Info: Published by Penguin Group; 384 pages

Source: e-book via the public library

Genre: YA/Paranormal Mystery

Find Out More: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Maureen Johnson

Goodreads.com Summary: The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it’s the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn’t notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

The Name Of The Star surprised me.  I was expected a mystery, which you definitely get.  But apparently, I need to read the summaries, because I was surprised by the appearance of ghosts.  I love that this book is a paranormal mystery.

I was quite surprised to see ghosts, because they don’t seem very common in YA paranormal books.  Considering this story is dealing with Jack The Ripper, ghosts really aren’t that surprising.

I like the idea of a Jack The Ripper murder mystery, and I was surprised by the general spookiness.  I loved the facts scattered throughout the novel, and surprisingly, I wasn’t irritated by Rory going to boarding school in England.  It worked really well, because she clearly wasn’t very familiar with a lot of the slang and history over in London, so things were explained to her.  And thankfully, it wasn’t a massive info dump.

It was very suspenseful, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened.

There were a few things I didn’t like.  The story focused very much on Jack The Ripper, so the characters did seem to have the life or personality I expected.  The potential romances didn’t seem all that interesting.  There are hints that she and Jerome could end up together- if they aren’t already- but too much of that relationship happened off-screen, so it’s hard to care.  And I could see Rory and Stephen as a couple.  Either way, I’m sure it’ll be resolved at some point in the series.

The ending was a surprise, and I wasn’t expecting it.  It was a cliffhanger, of course, but it just makes me want to read the next book in the series as fast as I can.

I give it a 4 out of 5 for being a spooky, mysterious Jack The Ripper re-telling.

Once Was Lost

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Book: Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Book Info: Published by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers; 217 pages; hardcover

Source: borrowed from the library

Genre: YA/Contemporary

Find Out More: Goodreads~Barnes And Noble~Amazon~Sara Zarr

Goodreads.com Summary: Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor’s kid, it’s hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam’s personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel. 

In her third novel, acclaimed author Sara Zarr examines the coexistence of affliction and hope, and what happens when everything you thought you believed—about God, about your family, about yourself—is transformed.

I have mixed feelings about Once Was Lost.

I like that Sam’s personal problems are overlapping with the disappearance of a girl she knows from church.  I like the issues that come up, and that Zarr just presents them as they are.  You definitely get to come up with your own conclusions and thoughts about what happen.

But I felt like a personal tragedy overlapping with a larger one was forced, and it just didn’t work for me.  It felt like Zarr heavily relied on stereotypes, because the characters fell flat.  The pastor possibly having an affair with the youth group leader who helps out while Sam’s mother is in rehab after a DUI…the father, unable to communicate with his daughter…Sam having a couple friends, who act differently around her than they do everyone else…definitely predictable.

I think people can relate to Sam questioning her faith, but other than that, it was just hard to connect with any of the characters.  It also moved really slow, and not much happened.  Overall, it gets a 2 out of 5.