Book Review: FREAKY GREEN EYES

Today I finished Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates.

Franky's dad is a former football player and is now a celebrity sports TV commentator person. He has a short temper and wants everything in his life to be perfect. When Franky's mom, Krista, tries to embrace her love of art, her husband yells at her. He often beats and abuses his family, but they don't tell anyone. One day Krista is reported as missing, and the investigation starts. What happened to Krista? Who is responsible? Will she be found alive?

This book was okay. I guessed what had happened to Krista when it first said she was missing, and my suspicion was correct. Franky blames her mom for her dad's temper and anger, but she is just trying to be herself. I found myself getting frustrated with Franky, and I wanted to yell, Can't you see that your dad is a terrible person?!? This book has left me with mixed feelings. It was an okay book, just not really the book for me.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: I have to admit, this wouldn't be the first thing I would tell a friend to read. But if there was nothing else, I would probably mention it.

Always,

Aceba

Book Review: HOUSE OF DANCE

Yesterday I finished reading House of Dance by Beth Kephart. I checked this book out from my town library mostly because 1.)I like to dance, so the topic interested me and 2.) the cover was pretty with the red shoes and skirt and stuff. When I read the blurb about it on the inside flap I was like, "Hey! That actually sounds like a pretty good book!" (Only I didn't say it out loud- I thought it.) And what do you know? It was a very good book.

House of Dance is about a girl named Rosie who is about halfway done with her high school career. It's summer and her mom is obsessing over Mr. Paul (who already has a wife, by the way) and her dad walked out on them years ago. Her Granddad is dying of some sort of cancer and it seems like no one but Rosie is about to help him. She helps him sort his knick-knacks into categories like Toss, DL (Deciding Later) and In Trust, which she will keep. When doing this Rosie begins to understand her grandfather's story. She also begins to take ballroom dancing lessons, in hopes that it will bring some life back into Granddad, because music was a big part of his earlier years.

This is only the first book I've read by Beth Kephart, and I have to say that she is an awesome writer. She writes with detail so I actually felt like I was there with Rosie walking down the streets in the summer heat, but I wasn't bored reading it. My only complaint was that it ended sort of abruptly, but other than that I thought this book was great!

Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) 4 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Absolutely.

Later,
Aceba

P.S. This was my 50th blog post! YAY!!!

Book Review: BEHIND THE CURTAIN

Just a few minutes ago I finished reading Behind the Curtain by Peter Abrahams. This is the sequel to Down the Rabbit Hole, also (and sorta obviously) written by Peter Abrahams.

In this story Ingrid, and eight grader living in Echo Falls, suspects that her brother Ty is using steroids. She thinks this because he is getting more muscular and can lift more wait than ever before, and it is happening in a short amount of time. Then, she suddenly is kidnapped one morning while trying to get out of her house. Will Ingrid be able to prove that the kidnapping actually did happen without getting Ty into big trouble with the law?

This sequel was just as good as the first book. I love how Abrahams really captures Ingrid's quirky attitude. All of his characters are unique in their own way. One of my favorite characters is Ingrid's bus driver, who always calls guys 'guy' and girls 'petunia'. Anyways, this was a great book.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) 4 out of 5 smileys. I gave it this rating because, although it was a great book, it wasn't very realistic. A thirteen-year-old girl probably couldn't get away with everything that Ingrid did, especially breaking into hospitals and people's houses.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes, but they should probably read the first book, well, first.

Yup,
Aceba

I woke up and fell asleep on the wrong side of the bed.....literally.

Last night before I went to bed I moved my pillow and shifted my blankets so they were on the opposite end that I usually sleep on. My parents were all like:
"Why are you doing that?"
"Your pillows are going to fall off the bed without a headboard and you'll wake up with a stiff neck!"
"Your crazy!"

I woke up this morning perfectly fine and refreshed. And despite the fact that my blankets were completely hanging off my bed on one side, I was completely fine and happy. My neck wasn't sore or stiff and I didn't explode in my sleep (which was what my parents seemed to think would happen) and everything was just ducky. (Isn't DUCKY and awesome word????)

So I think I learned a thing or two from this experience. Even though people may tell you that something you want to do is stupid, if it won't harm you in any drastic way, it's probably okay to do. WARNING: I do not want everyone who is reading this blog to go out and do stupid things because they want to. THIS ADVICE ONLY APPLIES TO CERTAIN SITUATIONS, OF WHICH YOURS MAY OR MAY NOT BE PART OF. Thank you.

Also, I learned that it's good to switch things up a bit every once in a while. I enjoyed looking at my bedroom from an angle I haven't explored before.

This may have been a silly little story, (actually, scratch that, I know it is) but I learned something. Maybe it's me being overly analytical, or because I'm slowly going insane. And if that's the case, I'm fine with that.

Peace-out,
Aceba

Book Review: LORD OF THE FLIES

Last night I finished reading a classic called Lord of the Flies by William Golding.

When a plane crashes and a big group of boys get stranded on an island, chaos erupts. The boys range in age from toddlers to teenagers. Together they have to find a way to get rescued and survive on the island. They are afraid of 'The Beast', which they are convinced lurks on top of the mountain on the island. Slowly, the group begins to grow apart. If you thought they had problems in the beginning, you'll be surprised when you discover what happens at the end of the book.

If anyone has read this book, there are some things I am confused about, such as:
What time period does this story take place in?
Why was their plane bombed in the first place?
Where were they going when their plane crashed?
Why aren't there any girls on the island?

This book was slow in the beginning, but it did get better as I turned the pages. It used a lot of vocabulary that I wasn't familiar with, but I guess that's to be expected of a classic. Overall, this was an okay book.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) 3 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: That depends. This book is graphic and violent in some parts, so I wouldn't recommend that, say, a third grader reads it. Also, it isn't the easiest book to read.

Later,
Aceba

Book Review: ANGEL

Yesterday I finished reading Angel by James Patterson. I can't really tell you a lot about this particular book because if you haven't read the series yet or if you're in the middle of reading them, it would spoil the endings for you. So I'm just going to give you an overview or the series in general.

This series is about a group of genetically enhanced teenagers called the 'flock'. They are humans with Avian DNA in them, so the have wings and some special powers. These books are all about their lives and how they have to keep fighting evil people and mad-scientists who want to kill everyone and start a new line of mutated, genetically enhanced people.

Angel wasn't my favorite book in the series. It's the seventh book out of eight (the last one is going to be published next year- those darn publishers just love to make us all go insane, don't they?) so I have a lot to choose from. This was mainly about Max coping with her love life and struggling to realize which guys she loves more. Also, a group called the Doomsday Group is trying to kill all the humans and modify kids. It was a good book and the ending just killed me- HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAIT A WHOLE YEAR TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT???? Ugh...

Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) 4 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes, but you would definitely have to read the whole series first, because you would SO be lost. Anyone who likes sci-fi, adventure, humor and a little romance should absolutely read this book.

Yours,
Aceba

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

This was a more amazing Valentine's Day than usual because Angel, the seventh book in the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson came out! YOU GUYS HAVE NO CLUE HOW LONG I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS!!! Anyways, I have my copy of the book sitting right next to me and I can't wait to start reading it! And if any of you haven't read the Maximum Ride series, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????? Read it now!!!!

Lots of Love,
Aceba

Book Review: ELEPHANT RUN

This morning I finished reading Elephant Run by Roland Smith.

When Nick Freestone's apartment in London is bombed, his mother sends him to his father's teak plantation in Burma. It is 1941, and the Japanese are looking to start a fight. Soon after Nick arrives in Burma they come and his father is taken as a prisoner of war. Together, Nick and Mya have to find a way to escape the Japanese and rescue Mr. Freestone and Mya's brother before it is too late.

This book was a little slow in the beginning, but it really got better as I turned the pages. This story incorporates a lot of facts about elephants, World War 2, and Burma, which is now Myanmar. It was easy reading, but a great book nonetheless.

Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) 4 out of 5 smileys

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes, especially one who enjoys reading historical fiction or books about wars.

Keep reading,
Aceba

Happy Birthday Abraham Lincoln!!!!!!

Today is Abraham Lincoln's birthday! Honest Abe was a great president of the Union during the Civil War. He also created the Emancipation Proclamation, which has the most awesome name a historical document can have. And just check out his hat:

Where else can you find an amazing hat like that other than on top of Abe Lincoln's head??? I have to say, I am incredibly envious of that head-wear...

Yours,

Aceba

Happy Groundhog Day!!!!

Happy Groundhog Day, everyone!!!! Here's a link to an article and a video:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/compost/2011/02/groundhog_day_2011_results_spr.html

Hope you like it! Actually, I hope the link works, but you liking it is important too.....
Phil said that it would be an early spring!!! It doesn't really look like that where I live, though. Today is our fifth snow day this winter! Who knows when spring will actually come, because people say that he's only right about 39% of the time. But that's ok, because he's SO CUTE!!!!!!

Hugs,
Aceba