13 Weirdo Facts (a Sunday Lexi post)

Dear Readers,

Here are some weird facts for this awesome Sunday!


1.) If you eat a polar bear liver, you will die. Humans can’t handle that much vitamin A.

2.) Michael Jackson cast Crips and Bloods gang members in the music video to "Beat It" to foster peace between them.

3.) The Caesar Salad was not invented by the Italians, but by a restaurant owner in Tijuana, Mexico.

4.) 80% of the brain is water.

5.) The name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan, by J.M. Barrie.

6.) A tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion will make it instantly go mad and sting itself to death.

7.) Cleopatra lived closer in time to the Moon landing than to the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

8.) A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.

9.) The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.

10.)  A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.

11.) There really was a Captain Morgan. He was a Welsh pirate who later became the lieutenant governor of Jamaica.

12.) David Bowie's first television appearance was in 1964, at the age of 17, he was interviewed on a BBC program as the founder of The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Long-haired Men.

13.) One species of jellyfish, Turritopsis nutricula, are immortal.


Hope these were weird enough for you! Have a splendid day!


XOXO,
Lexi

"Through Her Eyes" (a creepster Lexi review)

Hi, Readers,

Oh my goodness, today is a very rainy, odd day. Today's awesome, haunted novel is Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer.

Summary: "Every ghost has a story to tell.

The last place Tansy Piper wants to be is stuck in Cedar Canyon, Texas, in the middle of nowhere, with a bunch of small-town kids. But when her mother decides to move to the desolate West Texas town, Tansy has no choice but to go along. Once there, Tansy is immediately drawn to the turret of their rickety old house, a place she soon learns has a disturbing history. But it's the strange artifacts she finds in the cellar—a pocket watch, a journal of poetry, and a tiny crystal—that have the most chilling impact on her.

Tansy soon finds that through the lens of her camera, she can become part of a surreal black-and-white world where her life is intertwined with that of mysterious, troubled Henry, who lived in the same house and died decades earlier. It seems their lives are linked by fate and the artifacts she found, but as Tansy begins spending more and more time in the past, her present world starts to fade away. Tansy must untangle herself from Henry's dangerous reality—before she loses touch with her own life forever." (Thanks tons, Goodreads!)

I actually really liked this novel when it came out. Super interesting idea, and very well-done! I think that the characters were cool, and the story was really fun to follow along with. However, based upon the amount of ghost novels/stories I have read over the span of my 25 years, it wasn't the best. However, definitely not the worst either. The hauntings are believable and fun (connected to an object? totally awesome). Also, the aspect of the grandfather's silence is an interesting side story/aspect. However, again, read many better novels. Still, if you're a fan of ghost stories, go for it!

In Conclusion: It's really good and interesting, so why not?

Rating:

3/5 cameras

"Severed" (a headless Lexi review)

Hello, Internets People,

This is Alexis, bringing you another great novel to read! Again, because my mind is focused on costumes at the moment, we'll go to this novel: Severed (A Tale of Sleepy Hollow) by Dax Varley!

Summary: "Katrina’s still haunted by her encounter with the Headless Horseman - the night he beckoned to her. Now he has risen again, slashing heads and terrorizing the quiet countryside. 

Her only joy during this dismal darkness comes when Ichabod Crane, a gorgeous young man from Connecticut, moves to Sleepy Hollow and their attraction turns to romance. 

When the Horseman marks Ichabod as his next victim, Katrina, despite dangerous efforts to save him, sees no other choice than for them to flee. 
But the Horseman awaits. Now it’s up to her to sever the horror and alter the Legend of Sleepy Hollow." (Thank you, Goodreads!)

This novel had me hooked. I'm neutral on the usual Sleepy Hollow story, but this one had me absorbing each page as fast as possible. The love story wrapping into the legend (that is much, much creepier in this novel) is wonderful!

I honestly believe that everybody should read this version! The characters and storyline is actually believable, and the mysteries that you try to solve along the way are deeper than you could ever imagine.

In Conclusion: This novel is GREAT!!! READ IT!!!


Rating:

5/5 heads

"Jade Green" (a haunted Lexi review)

Readers,

We're getting closer to October, which means Halloween is coming up! So, in honor of that awesome holiday, this week will consist of freaky books. Today's is Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

Summary: "Orphaned fifteen-year-old Judith Sparrow brings two secrets to her uncle's house in South Carolina: one, that her grief-stricken mother died in a madhouse, the other that she has disobeyed the only condition to living in her uncle's home -- nothing green is allowed in the house. 
Judith can't bear to part with the photograph of her mother in its lovely green silk frame. Surely this one small defiance will not jeopardize the happiness she finds in South Carolina -- with a family at last, and new friends, especially Zeke Carey, the miller's son. But Uncle Geoffrey's house holds a secret of its own. And Judith's small picture frame, hidden away at the bottom of her trunk, unleashes a powerful force that seems determined to bring that secret into the open. Or is Judith simply following her mother down the path toward madness?" (Gracias, Goodreads!)

So how would you feel if this disembodied hand started to haunt you? I'm thinking as freaked out as Judith was, but probably even more so. I know I wouldn't be as brave as she is throughout this whole book!

This novel is a nice glimpse into the past, and the creepy parts truly will have you looking over your shoulder!

In Conclusion: It's a good, quick read, so go for it!

Rating:

3.5/5 hands

"Anthem for Jackson Dawes" (a heartfelt Lexi review)

Our dear Readers,

Yesterday, Ash and I went to two bookstores, one being three stories!!! Ash found tons, including a leather-bound, illustrated Pride & Prejudice and a beautifully illustrated Beauty & the Beast!!! I found a first edition of the book Eloise, from 1955, and in great condition!!! Oh, it was an absolute dream. We had sister time, and read, and got Italian food. Now, honestly, how can you top that? You can't. lol

Okay, onto my awesome book review of (drum-roll, please!)... Anthem for Jackson Dawes by Celia Bryce.

Summary: "Megan Bright and Jackson Dawes are two teenagers who first meet each other on the hospital ward where they are both being treated for cancer. Megan is scared and worried about her illness, but Jackson seems to be an old hand, having been on the ward for ages. And everybody loves Jackson! He is a whirlwind of life and energy, warmth and sparkle. Megan will need to borrow some of Jackson's extraordinary optimism to face her and Jackson's future." (Gratzi, Goodreads!!!)

Before anything else, this is a British literature book, so expect that when it comes to language (like Brit slang).

This novel was very touching, and very sweet. It's also funny, and relatable. You feel as if you'd be the same as Megan if in that particular situation. This novel truly was just a great book. I hope you guys choose to read it. It's short enough to keep up with, and long enough to have a good conclusion that is satisfying.

In Conclusion: Read away, and be sure to bring out the Kleenexes!!!

Rating:

'

5/5 hearts

Challenge: A Secret Book, Tragedy, and Leaving a Legacy (a Sunday post by Lexi)

Dear Readers,

Today, I'm writing in a secret book.

See, my little brother is 17, and he has such a sweet heart (but still acts a 17-year-old guy, of course, lol). We're extremely close; I was his "other parent" in a way. I still try to teach him by my walk in life, and he still comes in my room sometimes and watches TV at night with me. Or he'll not want to go to a place if I'm not. I do the same things, and even interpret for he and our mother when they are in a place in an argument where they're not getting eachother. (He speaks "Lexi," lol.)

One day a few months ago, my mom came to my room with this notebook that I had written in for my semester's classes, and she asked if I needed it. It was just a small turquoise notebook that held notes for my last semester in college, including Spanish IV and Philosophy of Literature. I glanced through it, and said no, I didn't, and asked why. My little brother wanted to keep it, she told me, so that when I'm gone, he can remember what my writing looked like. This was completely out of the blue, you guys. He does this. It seems that he'll be quiet and not say things unless he's thought them through. I don't know why he's already thinking about when I'm gone, but I knew in my heart that this was very important to him. So I told her that he can definitely keep it.

Then, I remembered: the focus of the philosophy course was "tragedy." Yeah, as a chica with depression and anxiety, I was not enthused when the professor told us that we were going to be studying it. What sucked worse is when I realized he meant the entire damn semester. I didn't want my little brother reading notes I had to take on lectures that included one philosopher's view that nobody is worth a thing and that the best thing we can do is to kill ourselves. That's not something I needed him to ever even glance at. I don't want him to know about these things, or think that any of the arguments for giving up on life were real.

In the end, I let him keep it. However, I began (yet another) quote book. I love writing these, and have been working on one for my future kids for a few years. (It's a big, huge book. Not my best idea, lol.) My mom found a notebook with a cover that says "Do small things with great love," and it's this perfectly sized, lined notebook. I'm going to fill the entire thing up with inspiring, funny, insightful, etc. quotes.

This is how I want him to remember me. I want him to see funny things, and wonder why I picked certain ones especially for him. Was it a joke? a silly thing? something that does or eventually will be applied in his life? I want him to remember me through these things. In the end, I'll write a letter in it for him, one that tells him the truths that I can never seem to verbalize, like: he's the reason I'm still alive; I love him as if he were my kid, and I'm scared I won't love my children as much as I love him; and that he is an astounding person, and I'll never turn my back on him, no matter what.

I want him to know these things before I'm gone. I want him to know that he's always been the most important person in my life, even before he was born. He is brilliant, and his own person, and ready to debate everybody on everything, etc. But he should know these things before I'm gone from this earth. And it's making me wonder what else I haven't said to people, things that they should know -- how much I love them, how much I care, how strong they are, how beautiful, etc. All those things we think but never say.

So here's the challenge...

Tell at least one person the truths that they should know, the things you think but never express in the correct way or context. Try your best. Do it through words, actions, letters, etc. Let the people who changed your life know that they did, and how they did it.

Try it out, and let us know how it goes in the comments or through our contact page.


Love,

Alexis

"Fangirl" (a huge fanatic Lexi review)

You Awesome Readers,

OMG. I stayed up past 4 a.m. (with work the next morning) reading this entire book because I literally couldn't put it down and just stop. For some reason, it's 300-whatever pages turned to 600+ on my Nook, but it was just too good to stop once I began. What would this novel be? Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

Summary: "Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?
And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?" (Gracias, Goodreads!)

I have been jitter-ly waiting to write this review, and I can't give this book enough justice to how great it is. But I'm going to try.

So this girl writes. Fanfics. Fiction. And she's introverted a bit, with a twin that's outgoing. So how's she going to survive her Freshman year without her sister by her side??? This can help those who are in the same boat (alone Freshman year, bookworm, fanfiction fan/writer, writer, etc.) It shows that you can make friends in college and do fine if you open yourself up just a tad bit for that possibility. I know I had issues my first year in college. I was scared as hell. I also wrote fanfiction, and was a tiny bit introverted in certain cases, but still would talk to anybody (thank God for my gift of gab). But it was difficult to establish myself when I was so new to this experience, and I chose to be homeschooled for high school, you know? Plus, who was I in this new place, and who did I want to be?

On top of this, I could "see"/imagine the college and town they lived in. The characters were fun and complete. The best part was the way this novel was written. It reads in a very comfortable way, and the book had me laughing out loud all night long, and thinking about what kind of special hell it would have been for our parents if me and Ash were to have been twins... lol. (Lots of Emergency Dance Parties. Lots of noise. Lots of plotting and sarcasm. That's why we're best friends now, lol. We were supposed to be twins, but God decided to just release one of us at a time to different people, until we met in our teens, lol.)

This is such an amazing book overall. I can't tell you guys how great it is with words or fangirl squees or even sorority snaps. I just can't. I have so much energy and excitement as I write all this, just thinking about this book. You should have seen me reading it!

In Conclusion: EVERYBODY, READ THIS BOOK!


Rating:

6/5 laptops

"8 Songs That Should Become Books" (a lyrical Lexi post)

Lovely, Forgiving Readers,

It's super late, and I'm sorry, y'all. Fell asleep after work, and then thought it was Wednesday. How I do that, I have no clue whatsoever. lol.

Okay, so I'm going to do tonight's post on something different since it's like 9:03 here, and I don't want to just do a normal book review, especially for those who are up reading this. So, let's do songs that I wish would become books. Yes, random. But oh-so fun.

I'm a lyric girl all the way, while my little brother is one who loves the beat. But we both would choose this first one...

1.) "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons

If you listen to the lyrics, it's seriously a book in song form. (That's how I describe it anyways.) The lyrics have you playing this little movie in your head, and then you have to ask why everybody is red ("We're painted red/to fit right in"). Is it a chemical bomb side effect? Is it blood? Why was he in prison? etc.


2.) "There's Us" by Alexz Johnson

Yes, this is from the show "Instant Star," but I didn't like the story that led to this song. It didn't feel like it warranted these lyrics or anything. So let's strip the song down to its lyrics and let me show you the first lines with no background piano or anything: "There's me, looking down at my shoes. The one smiling like the sun, that's you. What were you thinking? What was the song inside your head?" Then it just gets better from there.


3.) "Heartache Every Moment" by HIM

Oh, I love this band's old songs; they're so raw and the lyrics actually mean something. Yeah, I know, so do many artist's, but Ville Valo painted these canvases with beautiful words, and they called it a song. It is so difficult to choose which song to choose, but this one wins with the lyrics "Cuz there's no smile of an angel/without the wrath of God."


4.) "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey

Y'all had to know this was going to be on here; it's a classic! It has a story in it, but you just want to know the characters, their lives, their worlds, why exactly they'd want to stop believin', and how they keep going on.


5.) "Red Light" by Jonny Lang

This song is so deep and true. One moment could change everything in your life, even caused by a red traffic light. Imagine this as a book where each chapter is a different character at a red light. Screw that. Don't imagine it. I'll be the one to write that book.


6.) "To Be With You" by Mr. Big

Okay, so I love this song. It's so sweet. Why can't we all just agree that this song is amazing? It is. Again, go to the lyrics. Think of it in all the different points of view this could be taken into. It would be wonderful!


7.) "Chaos" by Mute Math

A complicated life, and who's he looking to? Okay, I know it's supposed to be him looking to God in this song, but think of the possibilities! Every time his world is in chaos, he goes to the same person over and over. "I know you stay true when my world is false/ Everything around's breaking down to chaos./ I always see you when my sight is lost./ Everything around's breaking down to chaos." And that's only the chorus. I have a friend who does this, and I do, too. It's like a drug. You have to keep going back to this person cuz at least they'll tell you the truth to your face, and vice versa. Maybe I need to write this one as well, lol.


8.) "Satellite" by Jorge Moreno & Carlos Santana

The lyrics, again, are telling this awesome story. You can take them as you want, but this is just such a great song. If you haven't heard it, go listen to it. You'll come out inspired by the end, and wanting this man as your own.


And that's the list! Let me know what you think in the comments! Any songs you'd want turned into a book???


Hugs,
Lexi

Syria and You (a Lexi post)

My lovely Readers,

President Obama just delivered his speech on the conflict and use of chemical weapons. I hope that you guys listened, as it's always important to listen to the news and know what's going on in the world. I don't care what side you're on -- if you're on any side -- nor what political affiliation you have -- again, if you have any. One should always know what's about to happen. Feel free to read Obama's speech, for that's the real way to find out what he said, instead of reading the news. (I know that I have a BA in journalism, and truly, that's why I'm saying this.)

Okay, so here's the transcript of his speech. Go read it.

http://wapo.st/18O0UlD


Love,
Lexi

"A Really Awesome Mess" (a therapeutic Lexi review)

Oh, readers,

I found a book that I'm absolutely in love with. Yes, this book is so wonderful in the true sense of the word. It's called A Really Awesome Mess, and it's written by both fabulous authors Trish Cook and Brendan Halpin.

Summary: "A hint of Recovery Road, a sample of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and a cut of Juno. A Really Awesome Mess is a laugh-out-loud, gut-wrenching/heart-warming story of two teenagers struggling to find love and themselves.

Two teenagers. Two very bumpy roads taken that lead to Heartland Academy.
Justin was just having fun, but when his dad walked in on him with a girl in a very compromising position, Justin's summer took a quick turn for the worse. His parents' divorce put Justin on rocky mental ground, and after a handful of Tylenol lands him in the hospital, he has really hit rock bottom.

Emmy never felt like part of her family. She was adopted from China. Her parents and sister tower over her and look like they came out of a Ralph Lauren catalog-- and Emmy definitely doesn't. After a scandalous photo of Emmy leads to vicious rumors around school, she threatens the boy who started it all on Facebook.
Justin and Emmy arrive at Heartland Academy, a reform school that will force them to deal with their issues, damaged souls with little patience for authority. But along the way they will find a ragtag group of teens who are just as broken, stubborn, and full of sarcasm as themselves. In the end, they might even call each other friends." (Gracias, Goodreads!)

This book had me involved in the feelings of the characters, and yet distanced enough to appreciate the storyline of each character in there. I wanted to join the characters on their journeys in getting better. I wanted to go hang out with them. You can't just read this book and feel nothing. This novel was hilarious, touching, and reminiscent of the movie "The Breakfast Club" with their fun, completely different characters. I think that this novel truly is "The Breakfast Club" of our generation(s). Everybody should read this, because both guys and chicas will appreciate the messages, and the writing of these two great authors.

In Conclusion: Choose this novel and indulge yourself in it, because it is a GREAT read!!!!!

Rating:

5/5 therapy couches!

"The Island" (a starry Lexi review)

Readers,

Well, this novel took me by surprise! I thought it would be just another dystopian novel, but it was surprising and kinda funny when you think about it. It's The Island by Jen Minkman.

Summary: "‘I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.

Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers. 

If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.

I have never seen one.’

Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?
Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?"

The novella is basic, but stupid. It's interesting though. That's all I really have to say about this one...

Conclusion: Go for it, but only if you can get it for free.

Rating:

2/5 islands

"Katana" (a warrior review by Lexi)

Readers,

I adore y'all, and thank you so much from the both of us. We just love doing this, and you guys just brighten up our lives!

Today's awesome book is Katana by Cole Gibsen.

Summary: "Skater girl or supernatural samurai? Rileigh Martin wants to believe that adrenaline gave her the strength to fend off three muggers in the mall parking lot. But adrenaline doesn't explain the voice in her head giving her battle tips and warnings.

While worrying that she's going crazy (always a reputation ruiner), Rileigh gets a visit from Kim, a handsome martial arts instructor, who tells Rileigh she's harboring the spirit of a five-hundred-year-old samurai warrior.
Relentlessly attacked by ninjas, Rileigh has no choice but to master the katana--a deadly Japanese sword that's also the key to her past. As the spirit grows stronger and her feelings for Kim intensify, Rileigh is torn between continuing as the girl she's always been and embracing the warrior inside her." (Thank you yet again, Goodreads!)

Ever feel like becoming a warrior instead of constantly being a worrier? Ever want to learn to fight, to defend yourself, to the death? How about just to maiming? Ever feel like there's another you that you keep hidden? One that's wanting to burst forth and change your life forever?

Well, Rileigh's randomly shows up one night, and her old life is gone, and her new life is terrifying. This novel is soooo much fun. For those who want to be a warrior (like this chica writing does), this is the novel we've been looking for to confirm that maybe we are samarais. (I get that this is probably not true for myself, but let me have this fantasy! lol) Not that Rileigh is too thrilled about this whole "life changing big time." No. In fact, she despises it. However, this is a story about embracing your true self, and Rileigh is going to have to learn how to love this other girl that's inside of her.

The book is well-constructed, and the characters are very cool.

In Conclusion: If you've dreamnt of being a kick-butt fighter, or embracing the true you, or maybe gone through a big life change and are not sure about it or handling it well, you should read this novel. If you like action, fantasy, fiction, chick lit, and YA all meet up, then you seriously need to get on to reading this STAT.


Rating: 

5 katanas

"Purity" (A Lexi Review)

Readers,

Sometimes we need to go off and experience life. I don't think I've fully lived mine, especially without restraint, and this novel had me thinking about it all. That's one of the reasons that I've enjoyed reading it so very much!

This novel is Purity by Jackson Pearce.

Summary: "A novel about love, loss, and sex -- but not necessarily in that order.
Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity." (Yay for Goodreads!)

This novel has a main character that truly remembers to live without restraint (okay, so it's a rule, which could be considered a restraint, but let's not be so philosophical about this). If you were to promise to live your life without restraint, would you be able to? Do you already?

The characters all are relatable, whole, and have histories of their own. This is such a great novel. If you're religious, don't be afraid of this novel, okay? I know that this is probably a banned book by now, but it's so very good. I would have every girl read this, establish it in high schools, and show how realistic living without restraints can be.

In Conclusion: Read this, then go reevaluate your life.


Rating:

5/5 crowns

"Pulse" & Bad Miley Cyrus! (a review and counseling for your inner child by Lexi)

Our awesome readers,

You know, Miley's foam finger at the VMA's kinda left my inner child traumatized, so I'm currently watching "Casper" to sooth her, lol. I've missed this movie.

Anywho, there's this novel that I read that you guys will like! It's called Pulse, and it's by Patrick Carman!

Summary: "From New York Times bestselling author Patrick Carman, a teen fantasy-adventure of epic proportions. In 2051, some teens have a “pulse,” the power to move objects with their minds. Compulsively readable, with thrilling action scenes and a tender love story.

The year is 2051, and the world is still recognizable. With the help of her mysterious classmate Dylan Gilmore, Faith Daniels discovers that she can move objects with her mind. This telekinetic ability is called a “pulse,” and Dylan has the talent, too.

In riveting action scenes, Faith demonstrates her ability to use her pulse against a group of telekinesis masters so powerful they will flatten their enemies by uprooting street lights, moving boulders, and changing the course of a hurtling hammer so that it becomes a deadly weapon. But even with great talent, the mind—and the heart—can be difficult to control. If Faith wants to join forces with Dylan and save the world, she’ll have to harness the power of both.Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy is a stunning, action-filled triumph about the power of the mind—and the power of love." (Thanks, Goodreads!)

This novel was really cool. This idea that there is a second pulse is cool. If you do have it, it means that you are advanced in telekinetics. This idea that it will eventually happen seems surprising, but fun to think about. (As for the "second pulse," do heart murmurs count? lol) Faith has a lot to learn in this novel, including a bit about her own family.

When you find out the secrets that are held in this novel, you won't be able to stop reading, just like I couldn't. This novel couldn't have been written any better than it has been. The plot itself was a lot of fun, and the characters are relatable.

In Conclusion: *chanting* Read it! Read it! Read it!


Rating:

5/5 Caspers!!! (You know I had to do it.)

Lexi's Interview with the Wonderful April Lindner (Part 2)!!!!!

Readers,

Here's part 2 of the interview!!!

April Lindner Interview (Part 2)

What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?

Sitcoms.  I watched a lot of them when I was little, and I still find them comforting.  I just blitzed through the first seven seasons of How I Met Your Mother and I’m a little homesick for that world and those characters.  I also have a weird and abiding love for Italian pop music.  I started listening it to practice the language, and now I love it for its own sake.

What do you like to do when not writing?

I love live music.  I go to way too many concerts.  I’ve seen Bruce Springsteen over fifty times, but there are a lot of other acts I follow.  Also I love to travel and am obsessed with learning to speak Italian; I listen to Italian radio stations, read Italian magazines, and dream of living there someday and learning to speak like a native.

Which book boyfriend would you choose?

Though I have a longstanding crush on Mr. Rochester, he would be a difficult and demanding boyfriend.  So I’ll say Henry Tilney of Northhanger Abbey.  He’s charming, witty, and deeply kind.  And he can dance!

What were you like as a teen? And in college?

In high school I was very shy.  I had a handful of very good friends and basically never spoke to anybody else.  We all hung out in the band room; Mr. Dugal the music teacher rigged it so we could all skip study hall and homeroom and just be ourselves in his orange-carpeted sanctuary.  My best friend and I hung out together and went to a lot of rock concerts, but other than that my social life was pretty quiet; I spent a lot of time in my room, writing, drawing, dreaming,and playing guitar.

When I went off to college at the University of New Hampshire, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.  I moved into a special interest dorm for the creative arts—a bigger and even better version of Mr. Dugal’s band room--and was surrounded by painters, musicians, writers and actors.  I took a lot of creative writing class and felt generally thrilled to be in a bubble of young people who got to spend our days thinking about literature, writing, film, art, and music history. Also I met the guy I would go on to marry and people who to this day are among my closest friends.

What would you tell to today’s teens?

I don’t feel qualified to pass on advice to all teens, but to the ones who were shy and nerdy like me, I would borrow the words of that wise campaign aimed at gay teens who are bullied and discriminated against: it gets better.  In middle school I was bullied pretty relentlessly; in high school the popular kids were actually kind and polite, but I suffered from a kind of post traumatic stress disorder from all that earlier bullying. I still felt as though I had to hide my inner quirkiness just to pass unharmed through the world.  But once I got past high school I saw there were places in the world for someone like me; I just had to get out there, let my freak flag fly, and find my soulmates. 

What do you want your fans to know about you?

I guess that the books I choose to retell are all books that have, in one way or another, changed my life.  If they like my books, I hope they’ll go back and read (or reread) the originals. 

What do you want to tell them?

I’d like them to know that their enthusiasm for books makes my life as a writer worthwhile.  YA readers are the best readers!

Oh, and also, I’ve been blogging lately.  I’d love for them to visit my blog: www.aprillindnerwrites.blogspot.com.

Any parting words or anything you want to talk about or discuss? Feel free to write anything here.

I just want to say thank you for all the great questions!  

YAY!!! How much do you adore her? I know me and Ash love her, and CANNOT wait till the next book comes out!!!

Love,

Lexi

Lexi's April Lindner Interview (Part 1)

Readers,

Here's what y'all have been looking forward to! So let's dive right in!

Interview with April Lindner

As a teen and in college, what did you like to read?

My taste in books hasn’t changed much over the years.  I’ve always loved really thick novels that I can get lost in.  Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights were my favorites then and still are now.   But I’ve always  loved contemporary novels too, and poetry.  In high school and college I was obsessed with Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton, poets who turned their personal lives into art.

What books are you into now?

Novels are my favorite reading material, and I tend to read a mix of YA and adult.   Right now the stack beside my bed includes Diana Peterfreund’s For Darkness Shows the Stars, and Lisa Klein’s Ophelia, both YA literary retellings.  It also includes poetry—the Collected Poems of James Merrill, and Full Woman, Fleshly Apple, Hot Moon: Selected Poems of Pablo Neruda.  And there’s a memoir in there, Amy Smith’s All Roads Lead to Austen, about reading Jane Austen’s novel with book groups in Latin American destination. I also just finished reading Cheryl Strayed’s wonderful memoir Wild, about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail while mourning the death of her mother and the breakup of her marriage.  For the first few chapters I kept shaking my head and wondering why anyone would want to hike the Pacific Crest Trail with its bears and rattlesnakes and scary weather, and by the end I was making plans to hike the Appalachian Trail myself…or maybe just a tiny little portion of it.

How did you decide to update the classics?

I have a passion for retellings of classic literature; I can’t seem to get enough.  It was only natural that I would want to write one of my own, and Jane Eyre seemed ripe for an update.  Writing Jane was so satisfying that I wanted to keep going, so I dug into Wuthering Heights and wrote Catherine next.

What and/or who has influenced your writing?

This is a tough question because I’ve had so many influences.  I’ve taken a lot of creative writing workshops with amazing teachers, many of them poets: Mekeel McBride, Thomas Lux, Jean Valentine, Cornelius Eady, Andrew Hudgins, Don Bogen—too many to name, really.  I’ve also studied with the fiction writers Thomas Williams and Chuck Wachtel.   And then there are the authors I’ve never met but whose books have taught me important lessons about writing: Francine Prose, Ann Patchett, and Meg Wolitzer spring to mind.  And my Mom, Grace Lindner, who helped me to fall in love with books in the first place.

We know that you’ve updated Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. What other classics are you working on or considering?

I’ve been working on a modernization of E. M. Forster’s A Room With a View, about an American backpacker in Italy whose encounter with a street musician changes her life.  I’ve just been told it will be published by Poppy in Fall or Winter 2014.

How long have you been writing?

Forever!  I’ve been writing stories and poems since I could hold a pencil.    

How long did it take to get an agent? How about to get published?

Things happened very quickly once I wrote Jane.  The first agent I queried took me on as a client, and one of the first batch of publishers she sent it to accepted it.  But that’s the tip of the iceberg.  I’d been working on my craft as a writer for decades, and have been struggling to establish myself as a poet for almost as long.  So the real answer is my whole adult life.

What would you like to tell hopeful writers?

Don’t give up.  There were many discouraging years when I was constantly sending my poems out to literary magazines and if I was very lucky I would get one acceptance a year.  But while I was sending work out I was also continuing to hone my craft.  Over time, the acceptances began coming more quickly.   No matter what, keep writing.

Also read deeply and widely.  It may seem like a paradox, but the more you read the more powerfully your own voice will emerge.  If you fall in love with one writer and read only them your voice will come out sounding like an imitation of that writer.  But if you read many writers your own voice will emerge, and it will be a blend of everyone you’ve read and your own unique sensibility.

Alright, Readers, you read it; Lucy's story is next!!! The rest of the interview is where I ask more personal questions, so stay tuned for Wednesday!

Sincerely yours,

Lexi

"Sorrow Woods" & A Special Announcement!!! (a happy Lexi review)

Readers,

First, let me announce the coming of a two or so part interview exclusive on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Who with? APRIL LINDNER!!!!! She is the author of Jane and Catherine, and has another coming out next year!!!!! So be here and check it out!!!

Today's book is Sorrow Woods by Beckie Stevenson. This novel is really good and surprising.

Summary: "When Kaiden stumbles across Serena Scott whilst hunting in Sorrow Woods he thinks all of his birthdays have come at once. Finally, the girl that’s haunted and intrigued him and his parents for the last fourteen years is standing in front of him.

And she’s alive.

Serena should have known that he would shatter her life into a thousand pieces. It wasn't because of the gun, or the tattoos that snaked around his arm, but because he was the first boy that she’d ever set eyes on.

He wasn’t just any boy either; he was Kaiden Matthews.
He was dark, dangerous and strangely alluring.
And he was beautiful.

Serena’s life as she knows it is destroyed after Kaiden drops his bombshell. As the consequences of his actions begin to penetrate through into her life she vows to stay away from him, and while she might have been in his past, she refuses to be his future. 
Kaiden knows that in order for either of them to salvage anything from the mess he’s made he needs to make sure the secrets of his past stay hidden, but as they start to rebuild their lives they find themselves stuck in a whirlwind of secrets and confessions that could threaten to break their already fragile relationship." (Goodreads, I yuv yoooooou.)

This book was really good. There were some things that got me confused and frustrated (namely, Kaiden's gf). Also, I can't see how the reconstructing of one's world happened as fast as it did. Otherwise, this book was really interesting. It's in both Kaiden and Serena's points of view. Imagine living in the woods for most of your life, and then finding out from a complete stranger that your entire life was a huge lie. Then what would you do? This novel explores just that, and in a technically good way. (In other words, Serena and Kaiden's lives are realistic and well described. You feel like you know them very well.) I just think it was too fast pace for some of the events in the end. I do love this novel though. It was insightful and sweet, even though you can't even imagine what it feels like to be Serena or Kaiden.

In Conclusion: If you want a quick read that's interesting and not really covered too much in YA (never in this POV or way), then read this novel! It's good!


Rating:

3.8/5 trees

Now You: If you found out that your life was a lie, what would you do? Comment away!

"What Happened to Cass McBride?" (a review buried deep by Lexi)

Readers,

Continuing this line of creepy books, I've gone on to What Happened to Cass McBride? by Gail Giles. Okay, so this novel is really interesting and good, so even though it's from 2006, I gotta review this.

Summary: "Kyle Kirby has planned a cruel and unusual revenge on Cass McBride, the most popular girl in school, for the death of his brother David. He digs a hole. Drugs Cass. Kidnaps her. Puts her in a box-underground. He buries her alive. But Kyle makes a fatal error: Cass knows the power of words. She uses fear as her weapon to keep her nemesis talking - and to keep herself breathing during the most harrowing 48 hours of her life." (Goodreads, you're awesome, and I love you.)

Okay, so this novel is super creepy. You get what goes through the mind of Cass, Kyle, and the police. It's crazy what you learn throughout the book. I mean, what is Cass's character like that Kyle (insanely) felt he needed to hurt her like this? (In other words, why Cass?) What is going on in her mind underground? What was Kyle like before this? When came the breaking point and what was it?

You may be tempted to get directly to one or another's POV chapters, but don't. Just read as is. It's really good, and the plot's twists, turns, and details will be shocking and you'll feel in the gray when it comes to what happened that spurred this. You might even feel kinda bad about Kyle. You'll see. The revealings of characters' lives, characters, etc. are awesome, so you'll like the character-building. The world building, way of transitioning, and more are very good as well. You'll find that this book may even change your own views, appreciations, and behaviors.

In Conclusion: If you've ever wondered what goes through the mind of all these people on the news, from the victim to the detectives to the perpetrator themselves, go for it. It's interesting.

Rating:

4/5 dirt piles