Merry Christmas! :D

Hey Everyone,

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone had a great holiday. I know I did. I got to spend the day with family, open gifts, and eat till I was full! :-) My dad, brother and I surprised my mom with an automatic car start (that's theft resistant of course :) and I got many awesome things, like Photoshop software for my laptop (I'm a nerd), a new comforter so that I can redo my room in blue and green (Yay!), and stuff to make homemade DVDs (which I enjoy doing in my freetime- hey, high school only happens once).

Here are some funny Jeff Dunham holiday clips from YouTube. Fair warning: Jeff Dunham is very politically uncorrect. He's not afraid to offend anyone. I tried to filter out the more offensive ones, but these can still be found offensive. For the E-Card, it's about people who celebrate Christmas and Athiests. It's not making fun of Athiests or anything, but it does infer that being Athiest means you don't celebrate the holidays. The second one, the Jingle Bombs song, could be seen as offensive to Arabs/Muslims. It stars Achmed, a dead suicide bomber, who is a skeleton puppet. If you don't get offended over silly stuff, these are very funny. But I still felt the need to put the warning out there, just so that no one can't point a finger at me and go "Brandi, where is your political correctness???" ;) Enjoy! XD

Holiday E-Card from Jeff Dunham:



Jeff Dunham Jingle Bombs Song:



P.S. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of a Jeff Dunham fan ;)
<3 Peanut   <3 Walter   <3 Achmed   <3 Jose Jalepeno on a Stick
Anyways, Merry Christmas (again) Everyone!

Original Alice in Wonderland Movie Clip From 1903

Hey Everyone,

While I was randomly on the internet, I happened to stumble across this video. It is part of the original Alice in Wonderland movie, which came out in 1903. This movie came out 37 years after the book originally came out, and 8 years after film came out. The film is slightly damaged on the sides, and a description of what happened to the film is featured on the video before the actual clip is played. There is only piano music for sound. If this isn't your thing, that's fine, but I find it fascinating. Hope you enjoy! XD

Yay! I got my Class Ring! :D

This is my personalized Class Ring.
It has my name, and graduation year on it.

Hey Everyone,

On Tuesday I got my class ring from Jostens. On the side I have posted a picture of it. This is literally what my ring looks like. I designed it online, and placed my order. It's made from a Silver Elite metal (I'm allergic to Nickel, which was in the next level down). In the middle is a ruby for birthstone (Yay for July!) and it has diamond accents.

On the inside (which you can't see), my initials, BNM, are ingraved. My name is on the left side, and my graduation year (Class of 2013!!! XD) is on the right side. I didn't have space for my high school's name, but I loved the design so much that I decided it was worth giving up that part. I'm pretty sure that the only time I would forget my high school is if I get Alzheimer's, which I certainly hope won't happen.

Anyhoo, I decided that I would go with a modern ring look instead of the traditional design. I decided to take that route because I know me, and I wouldn't wear a bulky traditional ring after I graduate. This ring, however, I can see myself wearing. I love it! :D

Christmas Caroling With Key Club at Doctor's West

Key Club's Logo

Yesterday evening I went to Doctor's West Hospital to sing Christmas Carols with my high school's Key Club. We had a lot of fun and had many people thanked us and complimented us on our singing. It was a great feeling to see all of the people's faces light up :D. (Personally, I thought we weren't nearly as good as everyone made us out to be :-)

For those who don't know, Key Club is the high school version of Kiwanis, an international community service group. Through Key Club, high school students are able to help serve the community and make a difference within their schools. Here is the information given in the Key Club New Member Handbook:

Pledge: I pledge on my honor to uphold the objects of Key Club International; to build my home, school, and community; to serve my nation and God and combat all forces which tend to undermine these institutions.

Motto: Caring- Our way of life.

Vision Statement: To develop competent, capable, caring leaders through the vehicle of service

Mission Statement: An international, student-led organization providing its members with opportunities to perform service, build character, and develop leadership.



Here is an image of
Doctors West



For more information on Key Club visit http://www.keyclub.org/.

Well, I have a rather amusing story to tell about my time at Doctor's West. My mom took my friend Alanna and me (we can't drive yet- almost there!) to the hospital, but we got there a bit late. When Alanna and I went inside we couldn't find the group, but I had my Key Club Co-Adviser's phone number, so we called to see where they were. Our Co-Adviser said they were caroling on the second floor, and were moving on to the sixth once they finished with the second. So Alanna and I found the nearest elevator, got in, and hit the button for level two. Then the doors closed and nothing happened. We started thinking, well maybe we just can't feel it moving. We were afraid to hit the open-door button in case it was between the shafts. Luckily, a nurse on the fifth floor hit the down arrow, causing the elevator to go up. Alanna and I then thought that we were finally really moving to the second floor, until the elevator passed the second floor and went straight up to the fifth. We got out as the nurse got on, but we ended up going back on the elevator with the nurse because we were lost. We told the nurse what happened, and she tried the second floor button. At first she said that it might be broken, but then she remembered that they were remodeling the second floor, so no one had access to it. We ended up getting off at level one, where we started, and just asked the nurse to point us in the direction of the stairs. She told us where they were, but also told us that we might not be able to get to the second level from there either.

Then Alanna and I ran up the stairs, and saw through the window on the second floor that they were definately remodeling. We continued up, remembering that they had said that they would be caroling on the sixth floor after the second. After the second flight of stairs, Alanna and I were gasping for breath, and were laughing over how out of shape we were. The stairs never seemed to end. Six flights of stairs later, we happened to see our group right outside the window at the top of the stairs. We bursted through the door, gasping for breath and saying "We got stuck in the elevator!". After that, we had a relatively uneventful night, but had a good time and had a really nice older lady tell us how much it meant to her to see high school students coming to the hospital on a cold night and giving up their time to help brighten someone else's day.

I really love being apart of Key Club. It helps me feel like I can make a difference, and I love helping people. I suggest for anyone to get involved in community service. There's a version of Key Club for all ages.

Elementary School Children:
K-Kids- http://slp.kiwanis.org/kkids/home.aspx
BUG (Bring UP Grades): http://slp.kiwanis.org/kkids/bug/aboutbupg/aboutbug.aspx
TERRIFIC Kids: http://slp.kiwanis.org/kkids/terrific/aboutterrific/abouttk.aspx

Middle/Junior High Children:
Builders Club: http://www.buildersclub.org/

High School Students:
Key Club: http://www.keyclub.org/

College/ University Students:
Circle K International (CKI): http://www.circlek.org/

Adults with Disabilities:
Aktion Club: http://www.aktionclub.org/

Adults:
Kiwanis: http://www.kiwanis.org/

Last Sacrifice- Incredible! XD



Cover Art for Last Sacrifice



Hey everyone,

Not too long ago I made my post about how I couldn't wait for December 7th to get here. Well, yesterday evening I got the book and read it for a couple of hours, and finished the book earlier today. It was completely amazing! XD I don't want to give to much away, so I'm just going to post what's on the jacket of the book.

*For those who have not read up through the 5th novel, this summary might give some plot twists away*

Inside Flap Quote:
They come first.
My vision was growing dimmer, the blackness and ghosts closing in. I swore it was like I could hear Robert whispering in my ear: the world of the dead won't give you up a second time. Just before the light completely vanished, I saw Dimitri's face join Lissa's face. I wanted to smile. I decided then that if the two people I loved most were safe, I could leave this world.
The dead could finally have me.

Inside Flap Summary:
Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules.
She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose- for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back...and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you?

Join Rose, Dimitri, Adrian, and Lissa in Last Sacrifice, the epic, unforgettable finale to Richelle Mead's international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series.

Back of Book Brief Summary:
It all comes down to now.
Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice.
The Queen is dead and the Moroi world will never be the same. Now, with Rose awaiting wrongful execution and Lissa in a deadly struggle for the royal throne, the girls find themselves forced to rely upon enemies and to question those they thought they could trust...

But what if true freedom means sacrificing the most important thing of all?
Each other.

Back of Book Quote:
As much as it killed me-as much as I tried to deny it-I still felt a lingering attraction to Dimitri. But he had rejected me, and I needed to harden my heart, especially if I wanted to move on with Adrian.

"Sorry, Roza." Dimitri's eyes flashed. "If Lissa wants me to be your bodyguard, then that's what I'll be." He gave me a dangerous look. "There's no way you're getting rid of me anytime soon."

Tag Line:
Love and Loyalty Run Deeper than Blood

Book Title: Last Sacrifice
Author: Richelle Mead
List Price: $17.99 (Hardback)
Authors Website: http://www.richellemead.com/
*If you buy from Richelle Mead's hometown bookstore (Found from Richelle Mead's website), you can recieve a signed copy! :D

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1- Loved It! :)

Harry Potter and
The Deathly Hallows
Movie Poster

This past Sunday, November 28, my Dad took my brother and me to the movies to see the new Harry Potter movie. (My mom wanted to stay home and play on her new laptop). I have read all the books in the Harry Potter series multiple times, and I had high expectations for this movie, even though I was nervous about it's quality. For the fifth movie especially, I was disappointed by the movie and what it left out (particularly the part with James, Lily and Snape in the past- I had looked forward to that so much!). For this movie, however, I thought the movie followed the book rather well, and I am glad that the movie producers decided to separate the last book into two movies.

The first part of the Deathly Hallows sets the stage for all of the action-packed suspence of the second part. The first part explains a lot, and it really shows what has happened to the wizarding world now the the ministry of magic has fallen to Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. I felt that the acting was great, and the movie really captured the main points of the book. Yes, there were some parts from the book that were cut out- Harry's birthday scene and the extensive goodbye scene with the Dursleys, for example. Even without these scenes, I still felt that the movie was better than the previous two.

If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend going to see it! XD

Here's a trailer for the movie:

Happy Turkey Day! :D

Hey everyone,

Happy Thanksgiving! Today is the day to pig out, stuff your face, and spend time with family. (Or, if your family has issues, it's a day to be thankful that you don't have to spend the rest of the year with them :) So, I'm randomly going to put a recipe for no-bake cookies on here. They're chocolate no-bakes, the way Grandma makes them :)

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Ingredients:
1 Stick Butter
2 Cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
2 Cups Oats (Preferably Old-Fashioned)

Mix butter, sugar, cocoa, and milk in a medium sized pot. Blend well. Once your mixture is well blended, place the pot on the stove and wait for the mixture to boil. Once the mixture begins to boil, let it boil hard for 2 minutes. While the mixture is boiling, make sure to stir it. Watch for it to thicken.

Once the two minutes are up, quickly add the vanilla, peanut butter, and oats. It is best to measure these items out before it is time to add them, because you need to be quick. If you take your time, the mixture will harden, and it will be no good. Once you have added the vanilla, peanut butter, and oats stir them in, blending well. Begin dropping tablespoon sized portions onto wax paper (again, you should set this out before you are finished with the cookies). Once all of the cookies have been placed on the wax paper, let them set until they harden. Once they have hardened, you can enjoy! (Makes approximately 25, depending on how big or small you choose to make your cookies...they can be larger or smaller than a tablespoon if you would like)

Hope you enjoy the cookies! XD

Here are some great Jeff Dunham Videos from YouTube to get in the Thanksgiving Spirit:
(Warning to those who don't want to hear a swear word- Avoid #2 and #3)

Jeff Dunham Happy Thanksgiving #1:



Jeff Dunham Happy Thanksgiving #2:



Jeff Dunham Happy Thanksgiving #3:



Jeff Dunham Happy Thanksgiving #4



Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!! XD

New Musical Obsession- Jem

Not too long ago, my friend Dei had me listen to the song 24 by Jem. I loved it. I started listening to a lot of Jem's music, and I fell in love with it! Her album Finally Woken came out in 2005, but I had never really heard much of her music.

Her music is technically considered Pop according to to genres on Windows Media Player and iTunes. But it's not like what I think of when I think Pop. It's very mellow and the lyrics are amazing. She also writes all of her stuff (and she's not a corporate sell-out). I would highly recommend at least looking up the songs on YouTube. All the songs on the album Finally Woken are incredible. Here they are in order:

1. They
2. Come on Closer
3. Finally Woken
4. Save Me
5. 24
6. Missing You
7. Wish I
8. Just a Ride
9. Falling For You
10. Stay Now
11. Flying High

My favorites are 24, Falling for You, They, Flying High, and Missing You. They're all really good, but those are the ones that got me the most. 24 is about looking at life from the perspective of someone that only has 24 hours to live. Part of the song says:

Been given 24 hours to tie up
loose ends to make amends
His eyes said it all I started to
fall and the silence deafened
Head spinning round no time to
sit down just wanted to run and
run and run
Be careful they say don't wish life
away, now I've one day

And I can't believe
How I've been wasting my time

In 24 hours they'll be
laying flowers
on my life, it's over tonight
I'm not messing, no I
need your blessing
and your promise to live free
please do it for me

The song They is an apology for ignorance in today's society, and the lack of understanding of what we do and why we do it. The first verse and part of the chorus of They says:

Who made up all the rules
We follow them like fools
Believe them to be true
Don't care to think them through

And I'm sorry, so sorry
I'm sorry it's like this
I'm sorry, so sorry
I'm sorry we do this

The song Falling for You is about overcoming bad past experiences and moving on with your life. Part of the song says:

And I've got to be sure
Coz it's been so long
And I cannot take
the pain again
If it all goes wrong

Coz I can feel it, baby
I feel like I'm falling for you
But I'm scared to let go

The song Flying High is a great song about understanding your feelings. Part of the song says:

But I'm flying so high
high off the ground
when you're around
And I can feel your high
rocking me inside
it's too much to hide

I know, oh yes
I know, that we can't
be together
but, I just like to dream
It's so strange
the way our paths have crossed
how we were
brought together

hmm
it's written in the stars it seems

The song Missing You is a very emotionally charged song (while staying mellow). This song Jem wrote in loving memory of PJ Matthews, who was very close to her. Part of the song says:

I'll always be thankful
for the time we had
We were blessed
I should celebrate
but I feel so sad
All the wonderful memories
just make me fall apart
And it feels like somebody's
stabbed me in the heart

And ohhh I know I promised
Mmmm that I wouldn't cry

But I, yes I, miss you
and it's killing me inside
Ooh well I, yes I, miss you
want you by my side

All lyrics and information are from the front jacket of the CD Finally Woken.

Yearbook Staff :D

Banner from http://www.fhhsyearbook.com/

This year I am on the yearbook staff here at FHHS. I love being on the staff. There are only eight girls (no guys this year :) on the staff. We are like a family.


Picture from Spirit Week that will be in the Yearbook

The Editor-in-Chief of the yearbook this year is a Junior named Danielle. Danielle is very considerate of everyone's opinion, and she has a good taste for what looks best. She helps to bring our staff and book together.

Varsity Football Line Picture that will be in the Yearbook.

The Photo Editor of the yearbook this year is a Senior named Morgan. Morgan has a strong sense of style for what looks best (hence the reason she was chosen to pick out the best looking photo) and is fantastic on giving suggestions.

Class Time Experiment that might be featured in the Yearbook :)

The rest of us share several jobs. We all take pictures, write the articles, work on the layouts, and work on design. Stephanie, a Junior, is mellow and fun to be around. Ari, a Junior, is extremely knowledgable about the best way to take pictures and is great at giving advice. Ally, a Junior, is fun to be around and is very reliable. Gabby, a Freshman, is funny and makes amazing looking spreads. Jasmine, a Sophomore (like me :), is hilarious and an amazing friend.



Tennis Picture that might be in the Yearbook :)

The adviser this year is Mrs. Mann, who has fantastic ideas, and is open to all of our ideas, and takes every little thing we say into consideration. She was the adviser last year, so she has experience to know what is best for our yearbook.

Picture of Class Work that will be in the Yearbook

I am a staff member (meaning is take pictures, write articles, work on layouts, and work on design), and I am also the Website Editor. I did not create our website (http://www.fhhsyearbook.com/, it was created last year by a Senior), but I post updates, edit anything that doesn't look right, post the newsletters, and do any of the HTML editing the staff needs. I am a big computer nerd :) and I love doing this kind of stuff.


Here's the Bandline. This picture most likely will not be in the yearbook, because we are trying to get the actual uniforms for the yearbook. Everyone hates these uniforms anyway :)

This yearbook is going to be amazing! It'll be Like Never Before. Look forward to the Moments of Impact! XD

Here is a picture that is going to be in the yearbook.
FHHS Pride :)

In Sad Disbelief...

It's hard to believe that some of the terrible things that happen happen the way they do. As many of you already know, on Wednesday, November 10, 2010, four people in Knox County, Ohio went missing. Thirteen year old Sarah Maynard, eleven year old Kody Maynard, their mom Tina Herrmann, and family friend Stephanie Sprang. Sarah and Kody had gone to school that day, but they did not appear the next day. On Thursday, neither Tina nor Stephanie went to work, and Tina's manager went to her house to see if she was home. Her manager found Tina's pick-up truck gone, and a blood in the house. The police then got permission from Tina's ex-boyfriend, who was still living with Tina and her children, to search the house. They found a large amount of blood. Tina's truck was then found near Kenyon University were police also saw and spoke to Matthew Hoffman. On Sunday the police recieve information from a local Wal-Mart that Hoffman had purchased a tarp and some trash bags. This, and some other tips, led police to get a search warrant and have the SWAT team search Hoffman's home. They found 13 year old Sarah bound and gagged in his basement. The search then continued to try and find the other 3 missing people. Sadly, yesterday, on November 18th, a little over a week later, the bodies of Tina, Stephanie, and Kody were found in trash bags in a hollow tree. The information that led the police to the bodies was provided by Hoffman through his attorney. This sad and tragic story didn't have the ending anyone was hoping for.

Hoffman is without a doubt guilty. The worst part is that he gave them the information to find the bodies, which most likely means that the police bargained with him saying they would take death row off the table if he cooperated. This is infuriating. Where is the justice? Isn't justice and liberty what this country is built on? There will be no justice until that man is dead! How could someone murder someone in cold blood like that? A little eleven year old boy?! What's also terrible is that he clearly plotted this, and my guess is that if he killed the others but left Sarah alive that he wanted Sarah. As much as I would love to believe that all that happened to poor Sarah was being bound, gagged, and terrified, but that unfortunately most likely is not the case. Hoffman probably raped her, that poor girl. Because really, why else would he have kept her alive? I'm praying that I'm just assuming the worst and that nothing did happen to her, but the chances still seem slim. If he did hurt her, that would be kidnapping, rape and three cases of first degree murder. Even if he didn't rape Sarah that should still be much more than enough to get him death row. And it obvious they'll plead insanity like they usually do with cases like these. But of course he's insane! He plotted to murder three people! How can you do that and not be insane?! That doesn't make it right! He should pay for what he did to completely innocent people!

A weird thing about all this is what I know about Hoffman and Herrmann's ex-boyfriend through my Dad's boss. My Dad's boss owns a gym up in Mount Vernon that both of the men were members of. The lady who works the desk told my Dad's boss that Hoffman was always really weird and asked her to go out with him and climb trees. How weird is that? Neighbors of Hoffman also said that he liked to put hammocks up in his tree to watch people in the neighborhood. The bodies were found in a hollow tree. That gives me the creeps. And another thing, according to the gym records, Herrmann's ex went into the gym the day after the four went missing. Who goes to the gym when their family, and Herrmann's ex said he considered Herrmann and her children his family, goes missing?

This entire thing is beyond tragic. Hoffman should be left begging and pleading for forgiveness at Sarah Maynard's feet as far as I'm concerned. I'm not usually a violent person, but to plot to kill children? There's a special place in hell for people like that. If Hoffman doesn't get the death penalty, I hope jail life is a miserable as it can be for him. Tina Herrmann, Kody Maynard, Stephanie Sprang, and Sarah Maynard did not deserve any of this. My prayers go out to them and their families. God rest their souls. R.I.P.

Can't Wait for December 7th!!!



Cover Art of Last Sacrifice,
Coming Out December 7, 2010



I can't wait for December 7th! :D The sixth and final Vampire Academy novel by Richelle Mead is coming out. I've read the other five, and loved them. I've been waiting since I finished Spirit Bound, the fifth book in the spring when it came out. Spirit Bound ended on such a cliffhanger (but I won't ruin it for you :). This book looks like it is going to be one of the best. I can't really post what it's supposed to be about without ruining the other books, so I'll just say you should read them if you're a fan of YA Fantasy/Romance. (If not, this may not be your series lol)

The series, in a very brief overview, is about two vampire races, which are based on Romanian folklore. These two races are the Moroi (the "alive" not so evil vamps) and the Strogoi (the evil dead vamps). All vampires start out as Moroi, who are born. In order to become Strogoi, a Moroi must either willing murder another person by draining them of blood, or being forceably changed by a Strogoi. There is also the Dhampirs, who are half human, half Moroi. Dhampirs are the guardians for the Moroi because of their amazing fighting abilities. They seem to have gotten the best from both races. Funny enough though, no humans even know about Moroi (they stopped associating and intermarrying hundreds of years ago). For whatever weird reason, Dhampirs can only be born with one parent being a Moroi and the other being a Dhampir. If two Moroi have a child, it is a Moroi. If two Dhampirs have a child...well, it's not going to happen. For whatever other weird reason, two Dhampirs are not gentically able to have a child together. Anyways, the story surrounds around Rose, who is this strong, completely amazing Dhampir who is her best friend Lissa Dragomir (a Moroi)'s guardian. Rose encounters many problems, such as falling for her mentor, a 24-year old Russian guy named Dimitri (Team Dimitri XD). The series is incredible, and that's just a brief overview.

The books (in order) are Vampire Academy, Frostbite, Shadow Kissed, Blood Promise, Spirit Bound, and Last Sacrifice. Richelle Mead also said that she is planning on doing a spin-off series based on the Vampire Academy books.

Franklin University

Hey everyone,

In the past I've mostly just done book reviews when I have free blog time. So, to mix things up, I'm going to write about something else. Now, for the real question...what to write about? Well, I'm in a college writing class at Franklin University (I participate in the PSEO program that allows high school students to take college classes) and I've learned quite a few things about college that I didn't know before.

First, in college, no one tells you what all of your work is going to be. I was so used to having my teachers say this, this, and that is due on such and such date. In my college class, the professor tells us the major assignments, but the smaller things are only posted on our online syllabus/login. These smaller assignments might not be spoken about in class, but they are still just as important to be finished on time. I was shocked by these assignments the first time, and had to rush through them to get them done on time. After that, I made sure to check each link to check if there are any extra assignments.

Second, no one cares whether you show up or not. If you show up, you get credit, if you don't, you don't get credit. (Class participation credit). If you miss so many classes, you get what is called a "Z" grade (at least at Franklin). This means you fail the class, get no credit, and still have to pay for the class. The university doesn't really care if you show up, as long as they get their money.

Third, the homework load I've gotten so far doesn't seem like much more than my high school classes. The other students in the class say that the more specific the class, the more homework you get. So since I'm in a class required for most majors, the homework load isn't as large. Also, because I am taking the 12 week format instead of the 6 week format, I have more time to complete quality work.

Taking a college class on campus at Franklin University has been quite a learning experience for me. I hope to continue with the PSEO program, and then go on to a bachelor's degree...and hopefully a master's after that. :)

An Outstanding Novel- The Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene



Cover Art for
The Summer of My German Solider

 Personally, I have not found myself a large fan of “classic” novels that are older. Older novels in general seem to lack the excitement of the modern era, as I previously believed. But when I read the back summary of The Summer of My German Soldier by Bette Greene, I was intrigued. This story was about an American Jewish girl named Patty during World War II. This topic, Jews during WWII, seems to be a common topic for historical writing, but this one was different. Based on the back of the book alone, I was told that Patty was to befriend a POW kept in her small town- a German Nazi foot soldier. How interesting, I thought, for Bette Greene to bring to people who probably would have never had a friendship together.

From my schooling and knowledge I’ve abtained about WWII and the Holocaust, I’ve been convinced that WWII was one of the few wars that had a defined good vs. evil side. It seemed simple. The German Nazis were killing innocent Jews, so they were evil. No questions asked. Yet as I read this novel, I was given a new look into the human side of a seemingly evil Nazi. Anton, the POW that Patty became friends with, gave a new perspective as to why the German people followed Hitler, why the Germans felt the need to fight, and Anton also showed that the Nazis had positive human emotions (something you don’t seem to hear much about). This novel did not make the Nazis look good, not at all. Instead it showed how friendship is possible between even the least likely of places, and how each person is human, with human thoughts, and human emotions, despite their political and social beliefs.

I feel that The Summer of My German Soldier should be considered a treasured classic. It was enjoyable, informative, realistic, convincing, and an altogether well-rounded book that I would certainly recommend reading.

Coming Out of My Shell- When It Happens by Susane Colasanti



Cover Art of
When It Happens



I picked up When it Happens by Susane Colasanti not sure if I would like it or not. It’s not a paranormal romance novel (my favorite kind of novel) and was reality based (which is not something I look for in a book- I mean, my personal reason for reading is to escape reality), but I figured, it’s best to step outside of my comfort zone. I wanted to try something new, and this looked interesting. When I read it I was surprised by how relatable the characters were. Most realistic teen novels are written by adults who seem to have lost exactly what it feels like to be a teenager (another reason I usually don’t care for them), but this one felt very relatable. I myself am a nerd, and Sara seemed like a real person to me. The dialogue and writing wasn’t forced, and I found myself fighting to put it down for dinner.

As for the story itself…We have two main characters in this novel, whose prospectives go back and forth. Their names are Sara Tyler and Tobey Beller. Sara is considered a nerd, while Tobey is considered a slacker, and Sara has big plans for her future, while Tobey doesn’t really have anything in mind. These characters seem like many of the people I currently go to school with. And the nerd going out with the popular jock? Been there, done that. I know how annoying they can be, and felt that Colasanti hit the target with that one. As for Tobey…well, I am not a boy, so I don’t know if Tobey’s thoughts were like those of a boy. I do, however, know that Colasanti convinced me while I was reading that she knew exactly what she was doing while writing Tobey’s sections. Also, when reading some reviews for this novel, I found that some people felt it was confusing from the switching of POVs. But really, every other chapter is each character…(ex. Ch.1 Sara, Ch.2 Tobey, Ch.3 Sara, Ch.4 Tobey)…and even though their names are not listed, each of them has a different font for their chapter, and you can tell within the first few sentences by who they were hanging out with. I didn’t find the novel confusing at all. I would certainly recommend it to anyone, especially the people who don’t usually read novels like this. Susane Colasanti and Sarah Dessen have brought me a little out of my paranormal shell, and maybe they can do the same for you

An Excellent Surprise!-Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr



Cover Art for
Ink Exchange



As soon as I finished the novel Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, I rushed to find out what the next book in the series was. When I found Ink Exchange, I was hesitant to read it. I had fallen in love with Aislinn, Seth, Keenan and Donia in the first novel and wasn’t sure if I would enjoy a companion novel in which the four didn’t star. So, I hate to admit it, but I skipped Ink Exchange and went straight for Fragile Eternity, the true “sequel” to Wicked Lovely. DO NOT MAKE MY MISTAKE. By holding off on Ink Exchange I missed out for a while on an amazing novel. I honestly (for reasons I still don’t know) didn’t expect a whole lot out of this book…but that doesn’t mean I didn’t receive a whole lot. If you decide to skip to Fragile Eternity like I did, then not only are you missing out on a great novel, but you also a missing out on some of the things that happened in the faerie world in the companion novel. Aislinn, Seth, Keenan and (kinda) Donia are still in this novel. They just aren’t the main focus…which means things are still happening to them.

Well, as for the story itself…our main character is a mortal girl named Leslie who is a close friend of Aislinn’s. Leslie’s life has been in turmoil ever since her mother abandoned her, her father, and her brother. Her father took to not caring, and her brother became a drug dealer. Her brother even permitted for her to be attacked by other dealers. Because of all the messed up things in her life, Leslie feels that she needs to find a way too reclaim her life and reclaim her body. She decides that the best way to do that is through a tattoo. By marking her body with her own ideas, she felt as though she were claiming herself. But little did Leslie know that the tattoo that she was about to get was no ordinary tattoo. It is known as an ink exchange, and it binds her to a faerie, in this case the Dark King Irial, and the faerie can feed off of the mortal’s negative emotions. But a complication comes up when Leslie also catches the attention of Keenan’s advisor, Niall, who wishes to protect Leslie from not only the Dark Court, but also from himself. Now it’s time for Leslie to truly stand up and claim herself as her own.

I really loved this novel. The writing was amazing, and I loved the message that the novel gave…No matter what happens, you always have choices. This book is outstanding, you’ll regret it if you skip it, and I would recommend it to any teen paranormal/fae romance lovers.

An Excellent Debut Novel- The Iron King by Julie Kagawa



Cover Art of
The Iron King



I adored the novel The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. The story is about faeries, and this is the first novel that I’ve read that is true to all the old folklore while creating an interesting new twist. The story is about Meghan Chase, a small town girl who is the step-daughter of a pig farmer. She doesn’t have many things, most are from goodwill or are hand-me-downs. This adds a down-to-earth feel to Meghan’s character. She is finally the sweet sixteen when her best friend Robbie opens her eyes to the fae world around her. But Robbie didn’t do this just because he felt like letting Meghan in on the secret. He did it because Meghan adorable little four year old half-brother Ethan had been kidnapped by the fae and a changeling (fae child) had been left in Ethan’s place. Now Meghan is determined to get her little brother back, even if that means going into the terrible land of Nevernever, where faeries do not go bibbity-bobbity-boo and would much rather eat human flesh.

Many references to A Midsummer Night’s Dream also occur within this novel. We learn that Meghan is not who she thought she was, and is indeed the daughter of Oberon, King of the Seelie (or Summer) Court. Also making appearances are Mab, Titania, and Puck. To complicate matters, the fae look down on the offspring of fae and mortals, often referring to them as “half-breeds”. No one much likes Meghan as she sets off on her quest to find Ethan, but no one wishes to feel Oberon’s rath either.

A few companions accompany Meghan on her quest, however. One, a sneeky yet knowlegdable cat named Grimalkin, two, a certain someone named Puck who is very much a joker and trickster, and three, a winter prince named Ash, and sworn enemy of Meghan’s father’s court, who, despite his attempts to ignore Meghan, is captivated by her. In the meantime, more trouble is brewing. A new kind of fae, the iron fae, might cause everything in Nevernever, and everything Meghan loves (Ethan, Ash, Puck, Grimalkin and many others) to meet a terrible fate. I highly recommend this novel to any fae/ya romance fan! You won’t regret reading it!

An Amazing Novel- Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr



Wicked Lovely
Cover Art



Over the summer I had plenty of time to read, and one of the novels that amazed me this summer was Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. This novel is a teen novel geared more to the female population, though I would recommend it to anyone. The novel circles around faeries- faeries, not fairies. There is a difference. Faeries are not the little pleasant fairy godmothers we see in Disney movies. They are vicious and more like the unpleasant folklore that seems to have faded over time. The faeries in the Wicked Lovely are like those in the folklore- addictive and deadly to humans (or “mortals” as they are sometimes referred to).

This novel starts with a teenage girl named Aislinn (or “Ash” as her friends have nicknamed her) who has the “sight”. She is able to see and interact with the faeries, but she must not let them know. Her grandmother, who also has the sight, has set forward a few rules- 1. Don’t stare at invisible faeries, 2. Don’t speak to invisible faeries, and 3. Never attract the attention of the fae. But these rules become difficult to follow when the current Summer King, Keenan, has come to believe that Aislinn is the lost Summer Queen who will restore his court.

With so many things going wrong for Aislinn, she turns to her closest friend, Seth. Seth cares deeply for Aislinn, and wishes for her to stop keeping secrets from him. Until Aislinn opens up and tells her secrets, Seth knows nothing of the faeries. Now Aislinn and Seth must find out what Keenan really wants, stop the evil winter queen, figure out their feelings for each other, avoid being tortured by random fae, and keep Aislinn’s mortality from slipping away.