I'm moving!

Not in real life. I mean on the Internet.

I have decided to stop using Blogger and use Wordpress instead. My new blog will now be at www.nutfreenerd.wordpress.com.

Thanks for understanding!

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: Leo Tolstoy

This week's quote is:

"What a strange illusion it is to suppose that beauty is goodness."

- Leo Tolstoy

 

This quote stuck out to me because it is talking about a theme that has been analyzed and scrutinized throughout history. It seems as though it is human nature to be attracted to things that are pleasant to the eye, even when those things may be harmful both physically and emotionally. When looking at it from an outsider's point of view, it does seem like a strange and silly thing: why would someone eat that pretty piece of cake, even though they know it is bad for them? Yet we do it anyways.

 

Always,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: JUST DON'T FALL

Author: Josh Sundquist
Number of Pages: 336
Publisher: Penguin Books
Release Date: December 17, 2009

Just Don't Fall is the true story of Josh Sundquist, who at age nine was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a cancer strain that eventually led to the amputation of his left leg. Who would have thought that this boy from Virginia would someday grow up to be an award-winning Paralympic skier and motivational speaker? Written from his own perspective, Sundquist recounts his life in a way that will make you laugh and cry at the same time.

I have watched Josh Sundquist's videos on Youtube for quite some time now, and I have always wanted to read his book. However, it was only recently that I have finally gotten around to reading it. How I wish I had read it sooner! I have not read many autobiographies or memoirs, but after completing this book I certainly will. Josh Sundquist writes with an excellent voice. I loved the way he changed his writing style as the book progressed, because it started when he was young and ended more towards the present. His writing keeps you engaged throughout the entire story.

Usually I can handle sad books, because I know that they are fictional. However, this was a different case, because these things actually happened to someone. It was heartbreaking, to say the least. But it was also inspiring. If Josh could endure all of these awful things, especially at such a young age, and still achieve amazing things with his life then there is no reason why everyone else can't do the same thing.

Overall, I loved this book. If you have never heard of Josh Sundquist, I encourage you to look him up on Youtube and watch some of his videos. You won't be disappointed!

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Absolutely!

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This week's quote is:

"That any civilized human being in this nineteenth century should not be aware that the earth travelled round the sun appeared to me to be such an extraordinary fact that I could hardly realize it."

- John Watson talking about Sherlock Holmes in A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

 

 

This is why I love the Sherlock Holmes stories. You think that they are going to be stuffy, boring books, when in reality they are full of humor and entertainment. Seriously, read them! :)

 

Always,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: THE RISE OF NINE

Author: Pittacus Lore
Number of Pages: 360
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: August 21, 2012

The members of the Garde who are still living are still running and fighting for their lives. In America Numbers Four and Nine are on the run together, trying to make it to the west coast in order to find their friends. Six is off to Spain, where she hopes to rally together some more Loriens. Three are dead and the ones who remain alive could die at any moment. Who will be next?

With this being the third novel in the I Am Number Four series, I had high hopes for it. I am happy to say that those high expectations were more than met. These books never cease to impress me, with their constant action and plot twists that keep me on the very edge of my seat. I love this series.

With the addition of more members of the guard into play, this book really came to life. The author does such a good job incorporating not only their Legacies (their powers) but most importantly their personalities. The endings of these novels are always especially suspenseful and action-packed. I love reading them, because you never know what is going to happen- and most often you can never predict what will happen, either.

My favorite character is probably Six. She has that tough-girl personality that many female main characters possess, yet she doesn't come off as stereotypical in any way. None of the characters do, because they have so much depth to them. The author does a great job at not only keeping everything fast paced, but at knowing when to slow down a bit and focus on the characters.

Overall, this book was excellent. I can't wait for the next addition to the series to come out!

My Ratings: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Absolutely! But read the rest of the series first.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

More Books!

So I took a trip to the bookstore yesterday and returned with a stack of awesomeness.

 

This wonderful pile includes:

Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle

Josh Don't Fall by Josh Sundquist

Geek Wisdom by Stephen H. Segal

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Betwixt by Tara Bray Smiths

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

 

I can't wait to read them all!!!!

 

Yours,

NutFreeNerd

 

 

Book Review: THE GIVER

Author: Lois Lowry
Number of Pages: 179
Publisher: Ember
Release Date: April 26, 1993

Jonas lives in world in which everything is under control. No one has to make important life decisions because they are all made for them. No one has to decide who to marry, what career to pursue, whether or not they should tell their friend an uncomfortable truth- everything is decided for them. So when Jonas is chosen at the Ceremony of Twelve that he will be the new keeper of memories for the Community, he literally has no choice- or does he? In this dystopian future that isn't so far away, Jonas has to decide whether living cautiously or living fully is the right path to take.

It seemed as though everyone had read this book except for me, so I finally decided to pick it up and dive in head-first. This book isn't long at all, so it didn't take long to read. I have to say, for a short book it was very, very good. The Community that Jonas lives in really makes you question how we live today. Is not having to making any life-changing choices the better route for human civilization to take? Is it better to know pain or live entirely without any memory or knowledge of it at all? These are the types of questions you will be constantly asking in your head as you read this novel.

The only thing I didn't like about this book was the ending. It seemed very rushed to me. I won't go into detail about it (Spoilers!) but if you read the book you'll probably understand what I mean. When I flipped to the last page of the book I actually didn't believe that it had ended at first. I thought that there had to be more to it, but it really was the end. But other than that, I really enjoyed this book.

Overall, this was a very good book. I will be reading the rest of this series in the future, hopefully soon.

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

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Yes.

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: Albert Camus

This week's quote is:

 

"Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth."

- Albert Camus

 

I really like this quote because it is simple but strong. It's also true- in every story or book or novel there is at least one truth, even though the plot or the characters themselves may be created by the author.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER: The Book vs The Movie

So about a week ago I went to go see The Perks of Being A Wallflower movie with some friends. We've been meaning to go see it forever (it came out sometime in September) but we have been so busy that we just haven't had a chance. Let me tell you that I am so glad I went to see it!

Usually when I watch a movie that is based off of a book, I am a bit disappointed. Certain characters aren't how I pictured them, or important scenes are for some reason completely left out- whatever the reason, there is some level of unsatisfaction within me. Surprisingly, that was not the case with this movie. The portrayal of characters was spot on, and the scenes that were left out were not ones that were majorly significant to the theme of the story. Most importantly, the theme of the book was transferred excellently into the movie. A lot of the time, when a book is made into a movie the producers focus on different aspects of the story- most of the time they focus on the romantic relationships between the characters. However, I felt that the theme of the book was not lost in translation while creating the movie at all.

Emma Watson plays Sam, one of the main characters. This had me worried, because I had never seen Emma Watson play a role in a movie when she wasn't Hermione. Would I look at Sam and think of Harry Potter the entire time, or would I be engulfed in the story like I should be? Not once during the movie did I think of Hermione- that's how good of an actress Emma Watson is.

This is one of the only movies that I can say with confidence that I liked it as much- if not more- than the book it is based off of.

Go see The Perks of Being a Wallflower- you won't be disappointed!

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: John Green

This week's quote is:

"When I look at my room, I see a girl who loves books."

- John Green

 

This quote comes from John Green's first novel Looking for Alaska, which I recently finished reading for the second time. It's an amazing book, so amazing that it's hard to believe it's his first. Anyways, in the book Alaska says this quote, and it is really unexpected. When you first meet Alaska as a character you wouldn't think (at least I didn't think) that she would be the type of person to have shelves and stacks and piles of books in her room. Yet she does. This single sentence really makes you do a double-take of sorts and makes you re-analyze how you view Alaska. Oh, John Green, how I love your awesome quotes!

 

Yours,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: A STUDY IN SCARLET

 Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Number of Pages: 108
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Release Date: January 1, 1887

"A Study in Scarlet" is the first published story of one of the most famous literary detectives of all time, Sherlock Holmes. Here Dr. Watson, who has just returned from a war in Afghanistan, meets Sherlock Holmes for the first time when they become flat-mates at the famous 221 B Baker Street. In "A Study in Scarlet" Sherlock Holmes investigates a murder at Lauriston Gardens as Dr. Watson tags along with Holmes while narratively detailing his amazing deductive abilities."
                                                 - Goodreads.com

Very recently I took an interest in reading the Sherlock Holmes stories for one particular reason: I watched both seasons of Sherlock from BBC and fell in love with it. For those of you who don't know, Sherlock is a British television show that puts a modern twist on the original Sherlock Holmes stories. Since the episodes are based off of the books, I decided that I should probably read them. I wasn't expecting that the stories themselves would be fantastic, but that's exactly what I got. Honestly, these stories are SO GOOD!

One of the things that strikes me as unique about these stories is the Holmes and Watson duo. Holmes is such an unlikable character- he's arrogant, a bit rude, and very wacky- that I just can't help but love him. I know that sounds odd, but it's true. I love how oblivious he is to the outside world, and how he doesn't even know that the earth orbits the sun. Then you have sweet, loyal Watson, who is just as likable but in a different way. The way Sherlock Holmes always has to be busy working on a case is good for Watson, because it helps him recuperate from the war. The make the best flat-mates ever!

The other thing I love about these stories is how intricate and complex the mysteries are. Have you ever read a mystery novel and at the end when they tell you how it all worked out you feel like it was too simple? I doubt that will ever happen with these stories. There are so many little details and so much background to the criminals that by the end of the story you feel as though you have known them forever.

Everything is perfectly paced and the writing is flowy and beautiful.Honestly, these stories are amazing! I'll definitely be reading more of them.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: YES!

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: DEAD END

Author: Jason Myers
Number of Pages: 384
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: June 14, 2011

"All Dru and his girlfriend Gina want to do is get out of their small town of Marshall, Nebraska. With the promise of scholarships and college soon in their future, they are determined to rise above their troubled pasts and make fresh starts. But everything begins to crumble when Gina is raped by the son of the town's richest and most powerful man. The aftermath of this tragedy sends Dru and Gina into a downward spiral of secrets, corruption, and a fight for their lives. All they have left is each other--but sometimes, even that's not enough...."
                                                 - Goodreads.com

This book left me with extremely mixed feelings. The writing style is so easy to comprehend that I whipped through it in about half the time it usually takes me to read a book this size. The writing was almost too simple, like it was written for a middleschooler instead of a teenager in high school. But let's get back to the story- that's what I really wanted to talk about here.

Now, the plot of the story was fairly decent. Although I thought that the ending was a little far-fetched, the basic storyline was good- I'll give Jason Myers that much. HOWEVER, you could hardly even see the plot line because of all of the unnecessary swearing going on. I mean, it wasn't just when characters were speaking. Even the narration had an abundance of swears in it! If you're going to write with an easy writing style, at least refrain from the vulgar language.

Also, I couldn't stand how Dru and Gina called each other "baby" all of the time. Seriously. After everything they said to each other they felt the need to tack on that annoying pet name. A conversation between them was like:

"Hey, baby."
"How you doing, baby?"
"Want some pizza, baby?
"Sure, baby."
"Alright, here's a slice, baby."

Now, that conversation is clearly made up by yours truly, but isn't that annoying? Especially after over three hundred pages.

Overall, this book was merely okay. It had the potential to be a great book, but the excessive swearing and the annoying habits of Dru and Gina got in the way of me being able to fully like this novel.

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

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Not really, no.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: David Levithan

This week's quote is:

"It is not our silence that is deafening, but all the words underneath it, yelled in our heads."

- David Levithan

 

This quote sticks out to me because it gives you a visual image of what happens when important words that need to be spoken aren't. David Levithan is an awesome writer (example: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan) and it really shows through this quote. 

 

Always,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: UNWIND

Author: Neal Shusterman
Number of Pages: 335
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release Date: November 6, 2007

"The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive."
                                                   - Goodreads.com

This book was recommended to me by a fellow book-lover, so I knew that it would be pretty good even before I started reading it. And I have to say that it was quite a good book, however it left me with some mixed feelings.

First, let's start with the positives. I really liked the dystopian future that Neal Shusterman set up in this novel. The idea of unwinding is so utterly unique that you can't help but be pulled in. The thing is, I can sort of see something like this happening in the far away, but maybe not-so-far-away future. I mean, if you live in the USA then you have probably seen all of the presidential campaigns adds on TV. One the of the important topics being considered and debated about is abortion, and when life actually begins. Unwind dives into those sorts of topics and issues and really gets to the core of them. This novel really makes you think about your morals and what you as a person believe in. However, it does it in a way that isn't preachy, which I liked.

Even though I really liked this book, it just didn't WOW me. Something was missing from it.... I just couldn't get fully into the story. The character development was there as well as the constant suspense and action, but I kept feeling like something was missing.

Overall, this was a really good book. I'll definitely be reading the sequel soon!

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

Would I recommend it to a friend?: Absolutely!

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: Oscar Wilde

This week's quote is:

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all."

- Oscar Wilde

 

I like this quote because it speaks the absolute truth. Many people live their lives like zombies or robots, too occupied with worrying about the future to actually live in the present. And I know that those are stereotypical examples, but still. However, on some cases I don't necessarily think that it is the fault of the individual. Our modern-day society is so focused on what will happen tomorrow and the next day and the day after that. It is too easy to get caught up in all of this planning. I think that if more people took the time to stop obsessing over the future and actually get out there and live in the moment, the world would be a much happier place. I'm not saying that you shouldn't plan for tomorrow- just make sure that the only life you live isn't in your fantasies of years to come.

 

Always,

NutFreeNerd

NaNoWriMo!!!

Are any of you guys doing NaNoWriMo this year? If you don't know what that is, it stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it happens every November. The goal is to write an entire novel (or about 50,000 words) in just one month. This is my first year attempting it, and I was wondering if anyone else was also participating.

To find out more about NaNoWriMo you can go to www.nanowrimo.org.

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Book Review: WHERE THINGS COME BACK

Author: John Corey Whaley
Number of Pages: 256
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers 
Release Date: May 3, 2011

It is the summer before Cullen Witter's senior year of high school when his life suddenly turns upside-down. One day Cullen's intelligent and utterly unique fifteen year old brother, Gabriel, disappears. At the same time, Cullen's small hometown of Lily, Arkansas begins to obsess about an extinct woodpecker that has apparently somehow reappeared. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a young missionary named Benton Sage spreads his faith to the people of a small town in Africa in an attempt to feel happy with his life. When these two stories come together it will be a moment that stirs your soul and that will linger in your mind for days afterward.

When I first picked up this book at my local Barnes and Noble, I expected it to be yet another average story about a teenager's life during that legendary summer before their senior year of high school. Well, Where Things Come Back completely blew that expectation out of the water. I am absolutely shocked that this is John Corey Whaley's first novel, because the story is written in such a way that hints at the author having a lot of experience.

My favorite thing about this book was the way the two stories really began to come together at the end. It's such a good feeling to be reading along and suddenly realize that everything makes sense, and that's exactly the feeling I experienced towards the end of this novel. Also, I really liked Gabriel, Cullen's younger brother. He's just one of those characters that you want to keep reading about. The way he viewed life and how he listened to off-beat music and always read The Catcher in the Rye (by J.D. Salinger) is just really refreshing to me. I wish more authors put that much detail, thought, and depth into their characters.

Overall, this was an awesome book. I hope John Corey Whaley writes another one soon!

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys.
Would I recommend it to a friend?: YES.

Yours,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: Homer H. Hickam Jr.

This week's quote is:

"It seemed as if all through grade school I was reading two books, one for me and one for my teachers."

 - October Sky by Homer H. Hickam Jr. (pages 13-14)

 

I really like this quote because it's true. My English teachers always make us read and analyze certain books, when if they just let me pick my own book I would get so much more out of it. Now, I'm not saying that I'm complaining about having to read classics all the time- I think it is very important to be exposed to different kinds of writing. However, I think that being able to pick the book you want to read every once in while is important, too. So yes, Mr. Hickam Jr, over fifty years later teachers are still forcing their students to read books that they cannot connect to, or that are well below their reading level, or even a mixture of the two reasons. Wouldn't it be wonderful if English teachers actually communicated with their students and took an interest in the books that they found enjoyable to read?

 

Yours,

NutFreeNerd

Book Review: CITY OF GLASS

Author: Cassandra Clare
Number of Pages: 541
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: March 24, 2009

"To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters - never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.

As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadowhunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadowhunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her newfound powers to help save the Glass City - whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments."
                                                                                                      - Goodreads.com

Whenever I finish one of these books I feel so satisfied, like I just ate a huge plate of pasta and now my stomach is completely full. Seriously, that's what it's like. Cassandra Clare really is a fantastic story teller, and the way she creates her plots and develops her characters is truly amazing. This is the third book in The Mortal Instruments series, and I have to say that I am thoroughly impressed. I honestly have nothing bad at all to say about this book, so I'm just going to ramble on about how purely awesome it was.

One thing I really liked about this book was the fact that it is very action-packed and the plot is always moving forward towards that big moment at the end. However, even though it has a lot of action it never seems choppy or like it's moving too quickly. Everything flows nicely and I never have to do a double-take and reread parts that are too confusing or that just don't make sense, because there are not parts like that. Cassandra Clare really is an excellent writer.

Another thing I adore about this book- well, the whole series, really- is the huge abundance of plot twists. I'll be happily reading along when all of a sudden: OH MY GOSH THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN. And then I spend several minutes reassuring myself that yes, it did  just happen. These books keep you on your toes like a ballet dancer, and that's saying something.

I loved this book. Really, that's all I can say. I have no complaints about it whatsoever.

My Rating: :0) :0) :0) :0) :0) 5 out of 5 smileys. Obviously.

Would I recommend it to a friend?: ABSOLUTELY. But read the beginning of the series first. Even if you think you don't like fantasy/paranormal/vampires/werewolves, this isn't your typical series of that genre. Seriously, you won't be disappointed!

Always,
NutFreeNerd

Quote: John Green

Since John Green is one of my most favorite authors ever, I've decided it's about time that I featured one of his quotes on this blog. So without further ado, this week's quote is:

"What a treacherous thing it is to believe that a person is more than a person."

- John Green

 

This quote is from John Green's amazing novel Paper Towns. I love this quote because it really is true. How many times do people look at another person with such awe and respect that the person they admire becomes more of a character to them than an actual human being? I myself am guilty of doing this a lot. I convince myself that this certain person is perfect, only to be proven wrong time and time again that they are indeed a human with as many flaws as the person standing next to them. The "relate-ability"of this quote really stood out to me when I first read Papers Towns a while back, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. This is one of the many, many reasons why I adore John Green.

 

Yours,

NutFreeNerd