H.P. & the Deathly Hallows by: J.K. Rowling (7th in series)

The dramatic conclusion to the Harry Potter series. (That is basically what it says on the inside cover of the book.)

H.P. & the Half-Blood Prince (6th in series)

The war against Voldemort is not going well, even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of the Daily Prophet, looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.

And yet...

As in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate-and lose a few eyebrows in the process. The Weasley twins expand their business. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.

So it's the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter. Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort--and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.

H.P. & the Order of the Phoenix by: J.K. Rowling (5th in series)

The rebellion begins! Lord Voldemort has returned, but the Ministry of Magic is doing everything it can to keep the wizarding world from knowing the truth--including appointing Ministry official Dolores Umbridge as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts. When Umbridge refuses to teach practical defensive magic, Ron and Hermione convinces Harry to secretly train a select group of students for the wizarding war that lies ahead. A terrifying showdown between good and evil awaits in this enthralling fifth novel. Prepare for battle!

FINISHED MY CROSS STITCH!

So I have officially finished my cross stitch, well all I have left to do is frame it, but that's it!

H.P. & the Goblet of Fire by: J.K. Rowling (4th in series)

You have in your hands the pivotal fourth novel in the seven-part tale of Harry Potter's training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream). He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. Unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal--even by wizarding standards.

And in his case, different can be deadly.

H.P. & the Prisoner of Azkaban by: J.K. Rowling (3rd in series)

For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.

Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. And the Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts."

Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst.

H.P. & the Chamber of Secrets by: J.K. Rowling (2nd in series)

The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockheart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone--or something--starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects...Harry Potter himself!

H.P. & the Sorcerer's Stone by: J.K. Rowling (1st in series)

I'm reading the series again as you can tell.

Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.

All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley--a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that harry--and anyone who reads about him--will find unforgettable.

For it's there that he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him...if Harry can survive the encounter.

Impulse by: Ellen Hopkins (2nd in series)

This is another good book by Ellen Hopkins. This book deals with kids who turn to suicide to fix their problems and when that is failed, they end up in a loony bin and this book follows their stories.

ACT

ON YOUR IMPULSE,
SWALLOW THE BOTTLE,
CUT A LITTLE DEEPER,
PUT THE GUN TO YOUR CHEST.

Tony's painful childhood memories can be quelled only through pills. Vanessa has a secret that keeps her coming back to the blade. And Connor seems to have the perfect life on the outside, but his inward battle with his parents, his peers, and himself give him one last choice--to pull the trigger.

These are three lives that would have been cut short if not for the hasty intervention by loved ones. Or fate. Now they are given a second chance at a better life--but only if they help one another, and if they find the strength to let go of their inner demons. For good.

Crank by: Ellen Hopkins (1st in series)

This is a good book, but as the title suggests, it deals with a fight with drugs, rape, and pregnancy while addicted on crank. But it is still a great book.

Life was good before I met the monster. After, life was great, at least for a little while.

Kristina is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. Then she meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild ride turns into a struggle for her mind, her soul--her life.

PAGE EXCERPT:

Before Bree

that would never have happened.
Whatever she'd done to me,
for me, and basically
in spite of me,

she'd given me a whole
new sense of self.
I never knew
I could play the vamp,

do it so well, flirt
with total aplomb,
and not only that, but
look good doing it.

Before Bree I never
knew such sheer, depraved
forwardness could
be so much fun.

So I went with it,
jumped right into the role
of shameless flirt.
Girls responded

with pointed whispers,
haughty laughter and, as
I myself have often done,
with evil eyes.

Bree, of course, couldn't
car less. In fact she thrived
on any and all attention.
Guys responded

to that with solid
once-overs, come-on smiles, and
in Brendan the lifeguard's case,
with phone numbers.

Devil May Cry by: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Good book, I liked it.

SIN, AN ANCIENT SUMERIAN GOD, WAS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL AMONG HIS PANTHEON--UNTIL THE NIGHT ARTEMIS ROBBED HIM OF HIS GODHOOD AND LEFT HIM ONE STEP FROM DEATH...

For millennia, the ex-god turned Dark-Hunter Sin has sought to regain his powers and take revenge on Artemis. But now he has bigger fish--or in this case, demons--to fry. The lethal gallu that were buried by his pantheon are stirring, and they are hungry for human flesh. Their goal: to destroy mankind. Sin is the only one who can stop them...if a certain woman doesn't kill him first.

Enemies have always made strange bedfellows, but never more so than when the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Now a man who only knows betrayal must trust the one person most likely to hand him to the demons. Artemis may have stolen his godhood, but this one has stolen his heart. The only question is: Will she keep it...or feed it to those who want him dead?

Blue Noon by: Scott Westerfeld (3rd in series)

A great book, just as good or better as the other ones.

AFTER CENTURIES OF WAITING, TRAPPED IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR, THE DARKLINGS WILL HUNT ONCE AGAIN.

The five teenage Midnighters of Bixby, Oklahoma, thought they understood the secret midnight hour--until one morning when freezes in the middle of the day.

The noise of school stops. Cheerleaders are frozen in midair. Everything is the haunted blue color of the midnight hour.

As the Midnighters scramble for answers, they discover that the walls between the secret hour and real time are crumbling. Soon the dark creatures will break through to feed at last...unless these five teenagers can find a way to stop them.

Touching Darkness by: Scott Westerfeld (2nd in series)

This was a good book, just as good as his first one. I definitely recommend this series to everybody.

BIXBY, OKLAHOMA, IS FULL OF SECRETS. SOME COME OUT AT MIDNIGHT. SOME SHOULD STAY HIDDEN.


As the Midnighters search for the truth about the secret hour, they uncover terrifying mysteries woven into the very fabric of Bixby's history, and a conspiracy that touches the world of daylight.

This time Jessica Day is not the only Midnighter in mortal danger, and if the group can't find a way to come together, they could lose one of their own...forever.

Ink Exchange by: Melissa Marr (2nd in series)

This book was excellent!!! Just as good as Wicked Lovely and I definitely recommend it to everybody!

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes--not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils...

So Yesterday by: Scott Westerfeld

I'm not sure if I liked this book, I mean, it was good, but it definitely took me longer to read and I kept losing interest, then something would bring me back in, then I would lose interest again. Yeah, I'm not sure if I liked this book.

Ever wonder who was the first kid to keep a wallet on a big chunky chain, or wear way-too-big pants on purpose? What about the mythical first guy who wore his baseball cap backwards? These are the Innovators, the people at the peak of the cool pyramid.

Seventeen-year-old Hunter Braque is a Trendsetter, on the second level of the pyramid. His job: find the newest, coolest thing for the retail market. His MO: observe, don't get involved.

But he has to get involved when he and his crush, Jen, discover his boss's cell phone in an abandoned building--and his boss missing. Hunter and Jen are soon snared in a web of brand-name intrigue: a missing cargo of the coolest shoes they've ever seen, ads for products that don't exist, and a shadowy group dedicated to the downfall of consumerism as we know it.

Fire Study by: Maria V. Snyder (3rd in series)

Another excellent book! I couldn't put it down. I finished this book last night. I definitely recommend this series to everybody!

THE APPRENTICESHIP IS OVER--NOW THE REAL TEST HAS BEGUN.

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder--able to capture and release souls--spreads like wildfire, people grow uneasy. Already Yelena's unusual abilities and past have set her apart. As the Council debates Yelena's fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before...

Honor sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills, and the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward. Her journey is fraught with allies, enemies, lovers and would-be assassins, each of questionable loyalty. Yelena will have but one chance to prove herself--and save the land she holds dear.

Magic Study by: Maria V. Snyder (2nd in series)

This was an excellent book as well! I absolutely loved it! Maria V. Snyder did it again!

A LESSON IN LOYALTY--A MASTER CLASS IN INTRIGUE

Yelena is a survivor. Kidnapped as a child, held prisoner as a teen, then released to act as a poison taster, she is now a student of magic. But these magic skills place her in imminent danger, and with an execution order on her head, she has no choice but to escape to Sitia, the land of her birth.

But nothing in Sitia is familiar. As she struggles to understand where she belongs and how to control her powers, a rogue magician emerges--and Yelena catches his eye. Suddenly she is embroiled in a situation not of her making. And once again her magical abilities will either save her life...or be her downfall.

Poison Study by: Maria V. Snyder (1st in series)

I absolutely loved this book!!! Maria V. Snyder has made an excellent book that has humor, suspense, action, and characters that you will love! I recommend this to everybody!

CHOOSE: A QUICK DEATH... OR SLOW POISON...

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace--and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust--and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

Tess and the Highlander by: May McGoldrick (8th in series)

I finished this book last week and this is the first chance that i have had to blog it. It was a good book and an easy read.

TESS
Tess Lindsay has spent most of her life on the remote Isle of May, uncertain of her identity. Raised by the two sole inhabitants of the island, she is left to fend for herself after their deaths, until a stranger washes ashore in a storm. Tess pulls him from the surf, not knowing that in saving the Highlander she is saving herself.

THE HIGHLANDER
If good looks and a taste for adventure are a curse, Colin Macpherson is destined for ruin. Until her ends up a castaway on Tess's windswept island, he's been roaming the seas, seeking fame, fortune...and a different girl in every port. But his fascination for this strong-willed lass goes beyond her wild beauty, intriguing him as no girl ever has.

As Colin gains her trust, Tess reveals what little she knows about herself and her past. From her scant clues, though, Colin comes to one conclusion: He must return Tess to the mainland to reclaim her birthright, even if it means losing her to a destiny that does not include him.

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.

Final Hour by: Jessica Draper & Richard D. Draper (conclusion to series)

I listened to this on my iPod, and it took forever. This was a really long book, but it was really good! I absolutely loved it!

The final chapter in the exhilarating end-of-days Seventh Seal trilogy

The skies blaze as meteors crash to earth, and two evil leaders focus their growing forces on Jerusalem. These are the last days before the Savior returns to reign in power and glory, and thousands of righteous families prepare for this glorious event. But for now, evil governs as mankind races toward its ultimate battle in the Holy Land-Armageddon.

The Final Hour is here-now each person's loyalty must be determined.

Oceans of Fire by: Christine Feehan (3rd in series)

This was such a good book!!! I think that this one might be my favorite so far, but I am excited to read Joley's book, her's will be really good I think.

As the third daughter in a magical bloodline, Abigail Drake was born with a mystical affinity for water, and possessed a particularly strong bond with dolphins. She spent her entire life studying them, learning from them, and swimming among them in the waters off her home-town of Sea Haven...

Until the day Abby witnessed a cold-blooded murder on shore and found herself fleeing for her life--right into the arms of Alexsandr Volstov. He's an Interpol agent on the trail of stolen Russian antiquities, a relentless man who gets what he goes after--and the man who broke Abby's heart. But he isn't going to let the only woman he ever loved be placed in harm's way--or slip away from his embrace...

Safe Harbor by: Christine Feehan (5th in series)

Another good book by Christine Feehan. I had finished this on Tuesday, but I just now blogged it. I'll be blogging the book I'm reading now by tonight or tomorrow. These are great books, but I prefer the GhostWalker series, although this series is good too.

One of seven daughters in a line of extraordinary women, Hannah Drake has been the elusive object of affection for Jonas Harrington for as long as the rugged sheriff can remember. If only the stunning supermodel was driven by a passion other than her career. But Jonas isn't the only one with desires for Hannah.

From the shadows has emerged a vengeful figure who stalks the beauty with one terrifying purpose: to strip her of all she is and destroy her. Only one man was destined as her protector. Now, out of a storm of danger, Jonas must guide the woman he loves from a sinister darkness that threatens not only Hannah, but the entire Drake family.

Cross Stitch Update

Here is the original again.









Ok, here is my update on my cross stitch. I have done a whole bunch in one month. I'm so excited!!! It looks so good!

Mind Game by: Christine Feehan (2nd in series)

Christine Feehan is such an amazing author!!! I absolutely love her GhostWalker series!!! This was such a good book, I had a hard time putting it down to come back to the real world. But I did, and I immediately went back to the book as soon as I was done with the real world.

ONLY ONE MAN CAN PROTECT HER...BUT WHO WILL PROTECT HIM FROM HER?

Possessed of an extraordinary telekinetic skill, Dahlia Le Blanc has spent her life isolated from other people. And just when she thinks she's finally achieved some semblance of peace, her well-orchestrated world comes crashing down...

For a reason she cannot guess, she has become the target of deadly assassins. Suddenly no place is safe--not even the secret refuge she'd established long ago. Now she must rely on Nicolas Trevane--a dangerous warrior sent to track her down and protect her. Together they generate a scorching heat Dahlia never imagined was possible. But can she trust this man with her secrets--especially when some people would kill to get their hands on them?

Lady of Palenque by: Anna Kirwan (The Royal Diaries Series)

I have always liked these books, Mom got me hooked on them in elementary school. This is one of the ones that I don't one yet, I borrowed it from the library. This was a really good book. If you are looking for a good, fast book to read for yourself, or if you want your daughter to read a good, clean book, here is a series that you need to look at. It is called The Royal Diaries series. They are really, really, really good.

LADY OF PALENQUE: Flower of Bacal, Mesoamerica, A.D. 749.

9.15.18.2.11 9 Chuen 14 Mol [July 7]

Lakamha, Bacal Highland

I thought, now that I leave Lakamha, I may never return. I may never see my family again. Well, perhaps I will see some of them. But I will be like the water that comes down from a spring down deep in the heart of a mountain cavern. It can flow and seep and pool and cascade all the way down to the water lily fields, all the way down to the big river, all the way to the marshes and the great salt sea...

But it can never flow back uphill to its home.

I will never forget Lakamha, even if Lakamha forgets me.

Movie: Street Kings

Today is mine and Spencer's 7 month anniversary day. So he took me out to the theater to see Street Kings. It was a really good movie. I think I had seen one preview for this show, but I liked it. I will have to give this show a 4 star.

Tom Ludlow is a veteran LAPD cop who finds life difficult to navigate after the death of his wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer, he is forced to go up against the cop culture he's been a part of his entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of everyone around him.

Rising Storm by: Jessica Draper & Richard D. Draper (2nd in series)

This is a really good book. It took me longer to read this then any of my other books. I didn't know that this was part of a trilogy, so I read this before the first book. I'm going to listen to the third book on CD, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the trilogy will end, this book was extremely good!!!

Economies are failing, terrorist acts are becoming more extreme, and chaos is spreading throughout the world as more signs of the times appear. The chasm between good and evil is widening.

Now, safely hidden in Salt Lake City, Merry Galen feverishly works on an antidote to the MetaGen's AllSafe vaccine before this biological time bomb kills millions who can no longer afford the required booster doses.

Meanwhile, her rescuers face the wrath of MetaGen officers, and the courageous Callata family is forced from their San Diego home to an area that may be even more dangerous to dedicated Mormons. Thousands of miles away, their missionary son also faces peril as the evil General Garza continues to seize control of a succession of Latin American countries.

The political and social fabric of the world is disintegrating as a rising storm of natural disasters changes the face of the earth.

It is a time when deception makes it difficult to discern good from evil--a time when everyone must choose whose side they're on.

With You by: Chris Brown

This is such a good song!!! I LOVE IT!!!


Chris Brown Lyrics
With You Lyrics

Running

So Spencer and I went running today. I ran 3.20 miles and I burned 384 calories in 35 minutes.

The Emerald by: Jennie Hansen

I cheated with this book, I listened to it on cd. But this was such a good book!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it! I definitely recommend it to anybody who wants a good read!

Something fell to the floor with a soft clunk. Margarette stared at the object in disbelief. Matthew moved closer, his eyes following hers. There on the rough planks lay a small black bag. He reached for it and as Soren, Anna, and Jens crowded around, he released the cord that held it closed and gently shook the contents onto Margarette's bunk.

A glittering bracelet dropped onto a quilt square. All four adults gasped in astonishment. The metal chain appeared to be of inferior quality, but five large stones, each a different color, gleamed almost as though they were hungry to claim the small amount of light in the ship's gloomy interior.

Who had put the bracelet there, and why? Was it the frightened, beautiful woman who had snatched Margarette's infant daughter, and then hastily returned her? Would the bracelet, and the handsome new convert Matthew Holmes, prove to be the answer to her desperate prayers on her journey to join the Saints in America?

Donated Plasma!

Ha! I was finally able to donate plasma today! I went to go donate on Saturday with Spencer, but my pulse was too high the 5 times they checked it, I almost got it the last time, but it was still 3 over. This time, I got in on the 2nd time, the first time my pulse was 116, the second time it was 96, I think.

So I am going along, pumping away, feeling absolutely great, when people start coming over and looking at my monitor and having me sit up straighter in my chair. I guess my blood wasn't flowing the fast enough, it was too slow. So they are trying to make it so that my blood will go faster. So the guy who stuck me the first time comes over and starts checking the needle to make sure it was in my vein properly, so he is pushing it a little and trying to get it in place.

Now when he started doing this, I was fine, but then it started to hurt, and I told him and he apologized each time. Pretty soon, my body is getting really hot. So I tell him, and he went and got me an ice pack. Then my hand started to fall asleep, like really bad, and I told him. So he went to go tell the machine to cycle my blood back into me, and he accidentally told it that I was done, so I ended being done with a third of my bottle still empty, but oh well. I started to get really light headed. So he had me talking to him, to keep me focused when all of a sudden I had the strong urge to throw up. So I told him I needed to and he brought the trash can up, I heaved twice, threw up each time, and I was done. I got some water to clear my mouth out and get some water in me, after they were sure I wasn't nauseous anymore.

They ended up putting saline into me again to help make sure that I would be all right. They asked me questions about what happened exactly and then after they were sure that I would be alright, they gave me cookies and a capri-sun and had me sit in a chair to wait and get paid. I got my $30 and I left. Now just so everybody knows, I was feeling perfectly fine and dandy up to the point that they started playing with my needle. If they had left me alone, even going at a slower rate, I would have been fine. So I hope that next time, I will be just fine.