The Last Days by: Scott Westerfeld (2nd in series)

This is the book after Peeps. There was no description on the back of this book, so I had to get a review off the internet. I recommend this to everybody.

Garbage is piling up, rats are seen in droves and cats stare with an odd gaze. This is daily life in New York City as Moz, Pearl, Zahaler, Alana Ray and Min come together in the hopes of forming the next big rock band. The band starts after something of a coincidence, Moz is walking down the street and a woman happens to throw her Stratocaster guitar out of her window. He rushes to catch the guitar and meets Pearl, who has as much of an eye for the classic guitar as does Moz. Moz then introduces Pearl to his best friend Zahler, who has been playing guitar with Moz for as long as either have played guitar. While The Last Days is a follow-up to Peeps, it can easily stand on its own.

Soon after Pearl becomes a member of the band, Moz notices "black water" erupting from a fire hydrant in the City streets for the first time. The sludgy material is just one indication that something strange and discomforting is boiling up from below the streets of New York City. The piling garbage and crumbling world in which they live seems almost matter-of-fact at the outset. Many of the portents of the coming doom are relayed through word-of-mouth; either from the parents or the kids peers. The music and the decaying constructs of civilization in New York City unite the band.

The backdrop was set up in Peeps and the strengths evident in Peeps are here, too. Westerfeld handles the first person narrative very well, allowing each character to tell their story and the greater story from their point of view. One thing all the characters realize is how strange their world is becoming. The world is heading towards something and they begin to question what sort of relevance their band can have in a world that is eroding away. Perhaps one of the band members; however, is a key to the mystery surrounding the gathering rats and piling garbage.

There are a lot of good things going on in this novel. Westerfeld uses a clever device in naming the chapters of the book. Also, each chapter is from the first person narrative POV of the members of the band and this provided a nice context for the characters and the story. I felt this made their shared experiences all the more believable and plausible. While this is indeed a sequel, I would almost call it a companion novel as The Last Days stands on its own very well. If anything, reading Peeps provides little “Easter Eggs” for readers to encounter in The Last Days.

Of course the darkness of this apocalypse might not be so strange to readers of Peeps. While in Peeps Westerfeld played around with the vampire formula, here these vampiric clues are only in the background. So much to say that The Last Days is almost an anti-vampire novel; the typical genre clichés are not as blatant and seem very naturalistic to the story. For example one character realizes that garlic helps to sooth the sickness they feel. Another character has trouble with daylight.

All told, Westerfeld continues to impress with this novel and tells a very engaging story in The Last Days. Both this and Peeps are entertaining and very highly recommended. Again, The Last Days stands very strongly on its own, but don’t let that stop you from picking up Peeps.

Colored My Hair

I colored my hair last Thursday. I am now an almost-blonde. My hair is definitely lighter than before, but it is not truly blonde. It is an interesting color. I don't know if you can tell in these pics. The first pic is a pic from Christmas, you can see that the color there is definitely darker than the second pics.

Cross Stitch Update

Sorry it took so long to actually update this, I haven't had access to a computer lately.

Peeps by: Scott Westerfeld (1st in series)

This was a good book, but it wasn't what I expected. Every other chapter gives you random facts about random parasites. It's very interesting but I was not expecting it. I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to everybody else.

OKAY, LET'S CLEAR UP SOME MYTHS ABOUT VAMPIRES. FIRST OF ALL, YOU WON'T SEE ME USING THE V-WORD MUCH. IN THE NIGHT WATCH, WE PREFER THE TERM PARASITE POSITIVE, OR PEEPS FOR SHORT.

THE MAIN THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT THERE'S NO MAGIC INVOLVED. NO FLYING. NO TRANSFORMING INTO BATS OR RATS EITHER. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A DISEASE.

After a chance encounter with a mysterious woman one night, Cal Thompson's life is changed forever. He's been infected with an insidious parsite. The good news: he's only a carrier--still sane, without the worst of the symptoms. The bad news: he's infected all his former girlfriends--and now they've turned into what Cal calls peeps. The rest of us call them vampires. And it's Cal's job to hunt them down before they create even more of their kind...

Catherine and the Pirate by: Karen Hawkins (6th in series)

This was a good book, but a definite easy read. I have wanted to read this book for a long time, so i was excited when I found it for a decent price. The series is called "Avon True Romance", it is a romance series by different authors but it is geared towards teenagers, so there is no smut in it.

CATHERINE
Born to a prominent Boston family, Catherine Markham is a bit of a hellion despite her gentle upbringing. Stifled by the rules imposed by society, Catherine yearns for adventure. When her beloved brother is kidnapped, she decides to deliver the ransom herself--with the help of a young man few others might turn to.

THE PIRATE
Derrick St. John lives on the edge. The memory of his dead father tainted by treason, Derrick's life has been spent at sea in both legal and not-so-legal pursuits. Determined to clear his father's name, the last thing this young pirate wants is to embark on a voyage to Savannah in the midst of a war with the British, much less with a young lady who spells trouble at every turn.

An emotion stronger than caution takes hold of Derrick, and he finds himself unable to refuse Catherine's plea for assistance, even though the journey promises peril for them both. And so the headstrong girl and the daring sea captain sail into an exhilarating adventure that fast becomes a journey of the heart.

The Host by: Stephenie Meyer

This book was sooooo good!!! I could not put it down and I found myself reading it until 2 am every night. I finished this book in two or three days. I definitely recommend this book for everybody!!! On Stephenie Meyer's website for this book, there is a quote that I like: "Science fiction for people who don't like science fiction." This is totally true, I believe that everybody will love this book!

MELANIE STRYDER REFUSES TO FADE AWAY.

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves--Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

Beyond the Wild Shores by: Patricia Hickman (4th in series)

Another great book by Patricia Hickman!

Leaving behind memories of a broken heart in her native America, Bailey Templeton embraces a challenging future when she arrives to teach the unruly children of Sydney Cove, Australia. Brought to the settlement by mistake, Bailey must battle to maintain a position intended for a man. Angered by the naval officer who stands in her way, the handsome Captain Grant Hogan, she throws herself into the challenging task of winning the hearts of the emancipist families.

Bailey's determination to make a difference in the lives of the children infuriates the controlling hierarchy of Sydney Cove. Harassed and threatened, Bailey soon finds her own life in danger, and her new friends, the Farrell's and the Prentice's, are imperiled by her very presence.

Must she leave behind the children? If she stays, will she survive the wrath of the corrupt junta? And will she ever be able to open her heart and love again?

I gots a job!

So I just looked at my blog and realized that I didn't blog the fact that I now have a job. I now work for Convergys. I am a Customer Service Representative for Comcast. And yes, I said Comcast. I work for Convergys, and Convergys works for Comcast. Once I am done with training, I will be working 30 hours a week for $8.25 an hour at the starting pay. This is one of the better jobs here in Logan, actually, I think it is one of the best paying jobs here in Logan.

Happy Birthday to Me and Happy Mothers' Day to Mom!

Mothers' Day was on Sunday as everybody knows. I spent Mothers' Day at my Grandpa Barlow's new house. I had a lot of fun there and I really love Grandpa's new house, it is absolutely beautiful! I got Mom a Willow Tree figurine called "Mother and Daughter", maybe Mom will put a picture of it up on her blog, but I thought it was really cute! Happy Mothers' Day MOM!!!

My birthday was also on Sunday, and I turned 19. I went up Saturday to see my aunt Lydia, who is younger than I am. She took me to Ross and bought me two shirts and that night, we went to this kids house. His name was Hyrum and I guess I'm related to him somehow, but whatever. We had fun playing cards and getting two other kids drunk as heck. They were really funny and way easy to mess with their heads. For my birthday, I got some groceries from Mark and Keely and they gave me money to see Iron Man again. Brad, Kelsy and Kendal all gave me a $30 gift card to Borders'. Grandpa and Ann gave me a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble and they gave me a pair of flip flops and a t-shirt.

The Emerald Flame by: Patricia Hickman (3rd in series)

This book was extremely good!!! I finished it last night, I really really enjoyed it.

With the flash of the British red coats, Kelsey McBride is suddenly torn from her beloved green hills of Kildare when her mother is arrested and convicted as a dissident in the Irish Rebellion. They promptly find themselves sentenced to be transported to the Australian penal colony of Sydney Cove. Kelsey's determination to return to Ireland takes an unexpected turn when young Caleb Prentice and his family extend to her the love and care she has never known.

Rachel Langley returns to the Land Down Under from England and is surprised to discover that the Reverend Heath Whitley has patiently waited for her and is asking for her hand in marriage. She also quickly discovers that Sydney Cove is caught in the throes of the smoldering unrest of the Irish convicts.

When violence strikes the Prentice family at Rose Hill, and rebellion stirs the convicts to revolt in the Battle of Castle Hill, no one can escape the dreadful consequences. Will all that they have finally gained be lost in the hostile blaze?

Angel of the Outback by: Patricia Hickman (2nd in series)

I finished this book on Friday or Saturday. I don't have internet access at my house, and the campus is closed on Saturday and Sunday. So I wasn't able to blog it when I finished. I really liked this book!

Having fulfilled a seven-year-transportation sentence in the wilds of England's foundling Australia, Rachel Langley finally obtains her freedom. Weakened from the starvation years, she soon realizes that freedom in a drought- and plague-ridden colony remains a battle for survival. But when her only friend is murdered by an unknown assassin, Rachel must flee for her life.

Rachel finds refuge with a young minister, Reverend Whitley, and later she finds work at the Prentice's struggling plantation. But her commitment remains to discover her friend's assassin. What she doesn't realize is that she is being drawn into a trap that threatens to end her life and destroy the Prentices.

When a beautiful officer's daughter, Felicity Thompson, sets her eyes on the Reverend Whitley, the dark secrets that Rachel has kept hidden from him stand in the way of her true feelings. Dare she tell him the truth?

Voyage of the Exiles by: Patricia Hickman (1st in series)

I checked this book out from the library because the covers caught my eye. The book was actually really good. I liked it a lot, I recommend it to everybody who wants a good read.

Sentenced to the gallows as a convicted pickpocket, George Prentice's fortunes change when the sentence is reduced to serving seven years of hard labor in New South Wales. Along with over seven hundred British convicts destined for transport on a fleet of eleven ships, Prentice suddenly finds himself torn apart from his family and bound as a colony slave for a strange land sixteen thousand miles from England.

Not knowing that his daughter Katy has found employment with the fleet's captain, or that his wife Amelia has been falsely accused of stealing and sentenced for transporting on another slave ship, George Prentice mourns the loss of his family, believing they will be separated forever. Ruthless jailors, storms, sharks, disease, squalor, and broken hearts threaten to destroy their wills to live.

From the outset in 1787, the Botany Bay Expedition under Captain Arthur Phillip faces grave dangers at sea as well as on board ship. Unaware of what lies before them, will the exiles survive to brave the wild frontiers of Australia?

I'VE MOVED!!!

Ok, I have finally moved into my new apartment. It is not the place that I said I was moving into earlier. That place was too expensive for me. The place I am living in now is called "Twin Towers". There are only 4 apartments but there are 6 girls living in each apartment. So I have met 4 of my room mates, and I have not yet met the girl who will be sharing a room with me. So I will get pictures of my room and apartment as soon as I take some.

Towers of Brierley by: Anita Stansfield

This is one of my absolute favorite books ever!!! OMG I absolutely love it!!! If anybody wants a good book to read, this is a definite book that you will want to read over and over again and you won't get enough of it.

Set in eighteenth-century Scotland, this fast-paced historical romance sweeps the reader into a world of suspense, intrigue, murder, vengeance--and a love strong enough to conquer Brierley and all it stands for.

Haunted by secrets and questions about his birth, Gavin leaves Brierley, returning years later to confront the lies of the past.

To Anya Ross, Brierley is like the fairy-tale castle of her dreams. But when her great-uncle is murdered, and the remnants of the MacBrier clan torment her at every turn, her dream turns into a nightmare.

Anya and Gavin are drawn together by the mottled past they share. But this bond becomes a wedge that threatens to drive them apart as sinister forces confront them at every turn.

Only Gavin holds the key to undoing an evil he doesn't even understand--the key that can free Anya and himself from the chains of fear and hatred.

Broke Up

Just so everybody knows, Spencer and I have officially broken up as of yesterday. We feel that it is too difficult to stay a couple over the summer with us in different states. So I don't know what will happen after school starts in the fall, but I do know that we have broken up and are no longer a couple. It sucks, but what can we do. This will give us a chance to date and meet other people. =(

The Secret Hour by: Scott Westerfeld (1st in series)

This was such a good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I loved every minute of it. I definitely recommend this series to everybody!

STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN AT MIDNIGHT IN THE TOWN OF BIXBY, OKLAHOMA. TIME FREEZES. NOBODY MOVES.

For one secret hour each night, the town belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a small group of teenagers know about the secret hour--only they are free to move about the midnight time.

They call themselves Midnighters.

Then Jessica Day moves to town...and everything changes.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KARISSA!!!

Today is Karissa's 8th birthday. So this is a Happy Birthday to her! Love you lots Baby Girl!!! These are my favorite pictures of Karissa that I have of her. Isn't she so cute =P

Movie: Iron Man

Spencer took me out to the movies on Thursday for my birthday, which is a little early, but that's ok because he won't be here for my actual birthday. We went to dinner at the Golden Corral, which was a buffet restaurant. Then we went to the movies, now we thought that we were going to see "21", even though Spencer had already seen it. But when we got there, we saw that there was a showing of "Iron Man" at the same time as "21", so we decided on "Iron Man", and I'm so glad we did. That movie was freaking awesome!!! OMG it was so awesome. I'm definitely glad we went and saw it. I definitely give that movie 5 stars.

Coming Out by: Danielle Steel

This was a really good book to listen to. I cheated and listened to it on my iPod. But it was really good. I liked all the twists and turns and surprises that happened in this book.

Olympia Crawford Rubinstein has a busy legal career, a solid marriage, and a way of managing her thriving family with grace, humor, and boundless energy. With twin daughters finishing high school, a son at Dartmouth, and a kindergartner from her second marriage, there seems to be no challenge to which Olympia cannot rise. Until one sunny day in May, when she opens an invitation for her daughters to attend the most exclusive coming-out ball in New York--and chaos erupts all around her. One twin's excitement is balance by the other's outrage, and Olympia's previous husband's profound snobbism is in sharp contrast to her current husband's flat refusal to attend.

For Olympia's husband, Harry, whose parents survived the Holocaust, the idea of a blue blood debutante ball is abhorrent. Her daughter Veronica, a natural born rebel, agrees--while Veronica's identical twin, Virginia, is already shopping for the perfect dress. Then there's Olympia's ex, an insufferable snob, who sees the ball as the perfect opportunity for a family feud. And amid all the hubbub, Olympia's college-age son, Charlie, is facing a turning point in his life--and may need his mother more than ever. But despite it all, Olympia is determined to steer her family through the event--until, just days before the cotillion, things begin to unravel with alarming speed.

From a son's crisis to a daughter's heartbreak, from a case of the chickenpox to a political debate raging in her household, Olympia is on the verge of surrender. And that is when, in a series of startling choices and changes of heart, family, friends, and even a blue-haired teenager all find a way to turn a night of calamity into an evening of magic. As old wounds are healed, barriers are shattered, and new traditions are born, a debutante ball becomes a catalyst for change, revelation, acceptance, and love.

Unlikely Match by: Beverly King

This was a really good book. I really enjoyed it.

It's finally happening--after countless rejection letters, Maggie Summers, an aspiring writer, is on the verge of publishing her first manuscript. But just as her lifelong dream is about to come true, Maggie's self-serving brother-in-law manipulates her into caring for his children as a crisis erupts in their family.

Her only source of solace is David Rosenberg, a local Jewish doctor who encourages Maggie to follow her dream, while he helps her care for her family. With David's help, Maggie believes she just might be able to get her life and dream back on track. But an unexpected love starts to grow between them, a love that tears into Maggie's very soul. Knowing that their different faiths prevent them from making a life together, Maggie faces more than losing her dream. She risks losing the only man who has ever truly loved her.