Sisterhood Everlasting- Ann Brashares

So I haven't written a review in so long because really I haven't read anything for fun for so long! All I have been reading is books for my English class and Literature class which has driven me nuts and frankly to near depression. So I took a break from my endless studies and mountain of homework to read a book from one of my favorite authors Ann Brashares, who wrote the series the Sisterhood of the Traveling pants, one of my favorite teen series.

This book, Sisterhood Everlasting is the fifth and I believe last story in the series. So right now I'm not really going to write a review, it's more like a recommend mini review I suppose. See there's an event that happens quite early on in the book that is major and I believe that I'm not smart enough to write a review about this book without it being spoiler free and interesting. Besides, I really want to voice my feelings about this book and discuss it. So, and bear with me, I'm going to write a little on this book, spoiler free and hopefully this will make you want to read it. And then when you have, you can read my other review that I shall hopefully post soon and you can agree with me or disagree and discuss, which I sincerely hope you will because I'm literally bursting to discuss this book. So here I go!

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.

 This book is set about eleven or so years since we last left the Sisterhood and things have changed. The four have drifted apart, as Carmen says 'growing up is hard on a friendship'. Carmen is a successful actress, engaged to be married to Jones, a man none of her friends like. Lena teaches art and finds herself living in the past, refusing to move forward. Free spirit Bridget now lives with Eric but is constantly moving and can't keep still. Tibby has moved away from them all to Australia with her boyfriend Brian. They hardly keep in contact and what they do have is mostly superficial. It's a lot different from what the sisterhood used to be or what they ever imagined and hoped. Then suddenly Tibby sends the Sisterhood tickets and a invitation for a reunion, and what they find when they arrive will change them irrevocably forever. So that's all I can say about the plot, which I must admit is basically what the blurb says. 

This book was beautifully and amazingly written and I loved revisiting the characters from my childhood. It was very realistically written, to the point where I could see these characters emotions and actions in people I know. I must warn those who want to read it though, I don't think I can view or read the previous four books the same way ever again. It's very nitty gritty, raw and emotional and changes a lot of what I feel now when I think of this series. If you want preserve the characters as they were in the fourth book don't read this one.
However that said I don't think anyone who has read the series will not want to read this book anyway. 

There's a lot of major and I mean major shocks and revelations in this book, literally sometimes I would stop breathing and reread the passage twenty times just for it to make sense! I cried a lot, and went through many powerful emotions while reading this.

I just want to briefly comment on the cover, the flower one is the cover we have in Australia, I think that the other one suits it a bit more but I was happy with the one I have. I feel it's a little more mature than the previous covers and this reflects the change in the series. 

So to conclude my mini review I just want to say I really liked to book but be forewarned that there may be tears and near heart attacks when reading this book:) Also I feel that if you haven't read the previous books you shouldn't read this one first because a lot of it won't make sense, it's definitely more powerful and meaningful if you read it with the other four books in mind and also the other books are really good so you should read them anyway.

I shall try to find time to write my other more detailed, spoiler including review soon and I hope that people will read the book so they can have a chat with me about this book because I really want to discuss it. Sorry for this confusing, all over the place mini review:P


On a side note I'm going to see Harry Potter on Sunday! I'm so excited and scared and sad at the same time. I really want to see it and yet I'm super sad that it's finally going to end. Harry Potter is my childhood and I can't imagine life without waiting for the next installment of either the book or films. I feel that when I finish seeing the movies that there's going to be this metaphysical void in me:D Am I sounding too dramatic? But that's how I seriously feel. I shall write more after seeing the film. 
So bye guys!

 

It's Not Okay

Hi everybody
So this isn't anything book related but something happened to me today and I thought I might feel better if I write about it.
So this week I've been having a bad week, I had a lot of tests and work so I was really stressed. I made a bad mistake when I was driving (I got my L Plates three months ago:D), I haven't been getting much sleep since I've been studying and I just felt horrible. So many times I felt like crying and I was just holding out for the weekend so I could relax and sleep in and have some fun.

Then today in advisory class for no absolute reason some boys started throwing paper at me and my friends, probably because we're nerds( by the way I love the fact that I'm a nerd!), but me in particular . Now, they have done this before and before I have ignored it but today I had just had enough. So I turned around and asked them to stop and of course they acted like idiots and claimed they weren't doing anything and why was I picking on them.
 I figure they're not going to be reasonable (which is pretty sad since were in year 12, you would think that they would have matured somewhat), so I turn around, ignore them and try to concentrate on work. But they continue to throw paper and by now my friends are trying to help me by telling them to stop. Then they come up to me, pretend to get my name wrong and ask me if I have any spare paper. So I tell them to basically back off, to put it nicely.

So by now I'm close to breaking down and yelling at them and they have made me swear which if you knew me, you would know that I never swear. Of course they find my annoyance hilarious and increase their efforts. So finally I stand up and march to the teacher prepared to tell him, they go silent and pretend to work. But when I speak to him I figure it won't make a difference so I ask to go to the toilet and once I get their I start to cry, I know your thinking you should have told him but just read the rest and you'll see what happened.
So I got to the toilets and I just broke down, normally I wouldn't let this affect me but it's been a hard week and I'm so sick of being at school. But I can't stay in there because class is finished and I need to get my things, so I head back and its obvious I've been crying. And then- and this was the worst- I heard them say "she went to the bathroom to cry" and they laughed. I couldn't believe it, they actually laughed because they made someone cry.

So I compose myself and decide that I'm going to tell the teacher. I go up to him, tell him and this is what he says to me "I know".
He knew! and he didn't do anything to stop it. He said he talked to one of them and he denied it. So basically he couldn't and didn't even try to do anything. I just stood there shocked and nearly started to cry again. Luckily I have the best friends ever. I walked back and sat with them. They gave me a hug, told me that those boys will be working for me one day or at a coles for the rest of their lives and while that may sound mean and be untrue it made me feel better. I put on Loser like me from Glee and told myself that karma will get them and that after this year I will never have to see them again.

Wow, that did make me feel better. So what I want to say now is that that was an isolated incident. I can't even imagine how people who were bullied everyday or even more than once feel. If anyone out there were bullied ever and made it through I have nothing but respect for you, I know know first hand at least a part of how it must feel.
I know everybody says this but it's true, you never know how something will affect someone. This incident wasn't even that bad and those boys may have not meant their actions maliciously or wanted to cause me to cry but because of my bad week I did and I felt horrible. I'm sure everyone's had that bad day, where something happens and it's not even that bad but it just makes everything 10 times worse or it's your breaking point. This is how bullying can lead to kids making bad decisions, you may just do something to them once and it could push them over.Read 13 Reasons by Jay Asher, it really gives you an insight into this.

Okay rant over, sorry for this rambling post but I just had to write it and it made me feel tons better.Here is Loser Like Me by the Glee cast, it's such an awesome song that has great lyrics. Byes!

Loud in the Library!

Hey everyone
So even though lately I haven't had much time to read I have been going my local library's book club. It's called fast food and fiction and it's about once a month. We talk about young adult books that we like and help organize events in the library.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to help out at an event they hosted called Loud in the Library. They had a manga artist, an airbrush artist and author of the Tomorrow series John Marsden!!
I have never met an author before so I was incredibly excited! So let me tell you how my evening went.

As I mentioned before I volunteered to help out at the event to I arrived at 5:15. They gave me a Wyndham library lanyard and it made me look like a librarian! People actually thought I was one and asked me questions, my geeky side was bursting with happiness and so was the part of me that thinks being a librarian would be an awesome job. Anyway I set up chairs and tables and helped clean the library. I got to go behind the main desk and into the offices, I know its dorky but I was so excited just to be let back behind where only librarians go :D Everyone was so nice and made me feel so welcome, I only feel bad that I couldn't help out more! I swear the whole night I kept asking "can I help with anything?".

The manga and airbrush artist arrived first and set up and by that time their were heaps of people lining up outside. It was a teen only event to help promote reading to adolescence. Then they opened the library and people streamed in and sat down waiting for John Marsden.

At about 6:30 John Marsden arrived and he started to talk. He was really charming and made the whole audience laugh. At first he talked about how to write. He asked one audience member to dictate the actions of another and asked her what she felt the audience wanted from her, she replied "to make them laugh". He agreed and said that's a common misconception and went on to talk about how suspense and anticipation can be just as effective as humor. Then he discussed status and power and demonstrated funny sketches with the audience members showing the use of status. He pretended to be a principal which is actually his current occupation.

Then people asked questions and there were some really good ones. Such as 'how do you feel writing from a female perspective?' to which he answered that he feels as long as he can capture how his character speaks and interacts with each other, he can write characters regardless of race and gender.

When asked how he came up with the idea for the Tomorrow series he gave a fascinating story. I'm going to write it best as I can from memory. He said it was a number of things but most important was one day when he was at an ANZAC parade. For those of you don't know ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and ANZAC day is a sort of memorial day to remember those who lost their lives and all people in the defense forces past and present. Anyway he said "I saw that the ANZACS who were walking in the parade we all old with canes while the people cheering them for being heroes were all young. I thought that it was odd because back when the actual wars were occurring the young ones would have been marching while the elderly would have been the ones cheering. I looked at the young people and thought would you be able to do what they had to do to defend their country? Actually I bet you would, I bet you'd think of something" and that was the idea that started it. Of course I was just writing from memory and that's not exactly what he said. I thought that was a great story.

While he was speaking the airbrush artist was actually "painting" his face. It was really amazing.

That's John Marsden with the airbrush artist and the finished product, sorry for the bad pic!
Then they had book signings and the other events started.

I was put in charge of badge making and helping the other kids out. The manga artist was helping people draw and people were really enthusiastic about it! There was food and people from the youth center helping out.

I didn't get to see much because I was at a station but I had fun regardless. After everything finished I helped pack up and got to speak to John briefly and even got some free books! I was lucky enough to receive While I live: The Ellie Chronicles and Marsden on Marsden :The stories behind John Marsden Bestselling Books both by John Marsden. Unfortunately I didn't get an autograph but I got a picture!

Me and John Marsden!!

The night only went for two hours but I had so much fun, I was so grateful for the opportunity to help out and I appreciate the librarians making me feel so welcome and comfortable.I do apologize for the quality of the photos, they were taken on my iPod.

So that was my night!

What to do?

Hello!
No this is not a book review, it should be but I haven't read anything in ages! No, this post is about the new sensation sweeping the nation. Well maybe it's not sweeping the nation... or even my suburb... okay it's at least sweeping the year 12 population.... still I shouldn't generalize......okay for sure, it is sweeping myself and my circle of friends that I converse with on a daily basis. I hear you saying 'just tell me what it is already!', well this sensation is PROCRASTINATION! In case you have no idea what I'm on about here is the definition from Dictionary.com, I love this site!

–verb (used without object)

1.

to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost 

.

–verb (used with object) 2. to put off till another day or time; defer; delay

Okay, maybe it's not a sensation and technically it's been around for ever. I'm sure that cavemen were saying,' look, I'll go out and hunt for food just after I finish carving this picture, well actually before I finish I should go look at some others for inspiration, actually you know what, I should really catch up with Bob from cave 5, make sure he hasn't moved or you know died......' and so on and so fourth.

Back to my point (sorry, I tend to go on about stupid things), since year 12 started I have been procrastinating like crazy, I mean before year 12 I procrastinated but I seem to do it even more. Maybe I actually procrastinate the same amount but now I realize more since this year it actually matters if I don't do my work or extra study. So anyway I've been talking to my friends and they all do it too! Logically I'm 99.8% sure everyone does it at one stage or another but again this year my friends and I really shouldn't. I mean right now I'm procrastinating by writing this post!

So here's how it goes, I get home from school, rest for about an hour, eat ect. Then I start to do some work, usually its on the computer since I research or type up essays, the internet is my biggest distraction. I check emails, read book reviews, basically anything I can possibly think of to get out of doing work. Bad right. So I created a schedule where I have certain hours to rest/have fun and hours to work/study. And still the procrastination continues, I have realised that I have very weak willpower. Surprisingly I don't procrastinate by reading books, I think it's because I like to have a lot of time to read a book uninterrupted.

So the point of this is I am asking for ways to help stop my procrastination. I obviously can't not go on the computer because sometimes I need it, but can anyone think on a way to help? Or tell me how you avoid procrastinating. It would be an enormous help.

Sorry for the odd post;), hopefully my next one will be an actual review.

Hope everyone's enjoying their long weekend if you have one.
Bye!

I'm Still Here!

So it's been a while since I posted anything and I've kinda been silent on the comment front but I honestly didn't know that year 12 would be so full on so fast. I have so much homework that I haven't read a book for three weeks! For me at least I used to read a book every two days or at least once a week, it's quite depressing. Which also means I haven't had time to post but I'm hoping to change that.

So let me tell you what's been happening with life since my last post.The last week of holidays was spent finishing homework, getting school text books and trying to get in my last bit of lounging around before school started on a Friday (which is incredibly strange and pointless in my opinion).

So I went to school and did the whole back to school catch up with friends and teachers. Then on Monday I went on a study camp for three days. We stayed at Ballarat University in campus housing to get a small taste of uni life I suppose. It was actually ok, we got out own rooms with electronic locks and the food was actually edible! (some camps that I've been to have had caterpillars in the sandwiches......)

We had heaps of motivational speakers telling us that we need to figure out what we want to do with life and that if we put in the effort we could achieve high ENTER scores . Then on the Tuesday they went over our schools previous scores and basically said it's incredibly hard. So they psyched us up and then kinda shot us down. For next years camp perhaps they should rethink the order. Overall the best part was hanging out with my friends, because really this was the last time that I get to go to a school camp with my them:(

After my camp we got back and it was an overload of work. Everyday since then I've had hours of homework plus the extra reading and work they suggest you do to get top marks. Even when I've done all my homework (which I haven't yet) I'm sure I will feel guilty about not doing extra study which you can do endless hours of. I have yet to find a balance between study and fun which is why I have to create a study schedule. Hopefully this will let me have time to read and work on my blog without feeling guilty about not studying.

Currently I'm reading Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy which was recommended to me by Jess from the Tales Compendium. I've only read  three chapters but oh my gosh I already know I want to buy the book! That will be my next review.

But enough about me, tell me what have you all been up to, anything important happen to you guys lately? I'd love to hear it or just tell me how your Valentines day went.

 Byes:)

Jinx by Meg Cabot

Hey

So it’s been a while since I have blogged and this is due to the avalanche of homework I have. I did the not so smart thing and left most of my homework left to the last two weeks of holidays. There’s sooooo much, a little introduction into year twelve I suppose. This means that I will be blogging much less than I had hoped. I will endeavor to blog at least once a fortnight if not once a week. But I really wanted to post something so here is a little mini review of Meg Cabot’s Jinx. Enjoy!

Does Jinx have bad luck - or special powers?
Misfortune has followed Jean Honeychurch all her life - which is how she earned the nickname Jinx. And now her parents have shipped her off to New York City to stay with relatives - including her sophisticated cousin Tory - until the trouble she's caused back home dies down.
Could she even be . . . a WITCH?
Tory is far too cool to bother with Jinx - until Jinx's chronic bad luck wreaks havoc in Tory's perfect life--including causing Tory's crush, Zack, to start paying way too much attention to her red-headed cousin from Iowa. Only then does Jinx discover that beneath Tory's big-city glamour lies a world of hatred and revenge. Now it seems that the jinx that's driven Jean crazy may just be the only thing that can save her life . . .

How have I not read this book before? I love Meg Cabot and have read all her books but this one, until now. I told my book reading friend Nat I hadn’t read it and she laughed at me! It’s been sitting in my bookshelf for about a year and for some unknown reason I was reluctant to read it. I was crazy! I read it in one day and found that like other Meg Cabot books that I loved it. 

Jinx is such an innocent, adorable well meaning person that I fell in love with her straight away. As a character she’s really kind and a little naive which makes her all the more endearing to readers. I felt a connection to her because generally in my group of friends I’m like Jinx, naive and innocent when it comes to some aspects of being a stereotypical “teenager”. 

 Zack is the boy next door, literally. He’s sweet and funny and their relationship makes me smile. Tory is a great antagonist and I felt a bit sorry for her although her actions are a little unbelievable. 

I loved the whole witch aspect to Jinx; I find different religions including Wicca and the past actions towards witches quite interesting. I thought it was great the novel tries to make people understand that generally religions like Wicca that involve “witches” aren’t the stereotypical witches we see in pop culture and that in fact they are more about harmony and nature. I thought the plot was really interesting and while a little stereotypical still surprised me. I love Meg’s style of writing; her novels are always funny and great reads. 

I loved reading Jinx; it was cute, funny and easy to read. 

I can’t wait to read Meg’s new novel Abandon when it comes out. As always comments are appreciated.

Also, Jess from The Tales Compendium, thank you so much for the recommendation for Skulduggery Pleasant, my dad started reading the first book and he loves it:) I haven't read it yet but as soon as he's finished that book is mine! Oh and happy blogoversary!

Hope your all enjoying your holidays if you have them:D

Winnie the Pooh!

Hi my names Monique
Everyone:*Hi Monique*
And I am a Disney addict

Leader: "So Monique tell us how it all started"
Me: "Well, I guess growing up in what they call the "Golden age of Disney" the 90s may have had something to do with it. I saw the Little Mermaid and her voice, I was captivated and wished everyday to be able to sing like that. I became obsessed. Unfortunately to this day the wish remains unfulfilled however my obsession with Disney has stuck with me. I laugh, scream and cry at Disney art, rush to see and buy Disney movies and have Disney related discussions with my friends. In maths my friends and I named polynomials Hercules to make maths more tolerable. In fact one day when I have kids I shall name them Simba, Aladdin, Mulan and Pumba! and-
Leader: Thank you Monique that's enough now-
Me: "No!! I must explain the depth of my love for Disney I.... hey what are you doing, let go of my arms, don't drag me out! DISNEY FOREVER!! I will be back!!!"

Okay, so the part about naming my kids Pumba, Simba and Aladdin are a lie but the rest is true. I'm still considering Mulan:) Yes, among my many addictions Disney is one of them. Why am I bringing up this topic? Well because last year I found this awesome trailer for Winnie the Pooh, the movie in traditional Disney style!

(Sorry its so small, I'm not sure how to make it bigger)  And I thought I should share it with you guys, whether you be Disney fans or not no one can deny how adorable this trailer is! For those of you who like the song it's called Somewhere Only We Know by Kenane. I love Christopher Robins accent! It is sooo cute! It's supposed to be out in the US in July so I'm not sure about Australia, and then again it could change as release dates sometimes do.

Who is your favorite character from Winne the Pooh? I can't choose! I suppose if I had to it would be Piglet or Eeyore. I never much liked Rabbit, I always thought he was a girl for some reason, then again I thought Tweety was a girl, I must have bad gender distinction skills

In terms of Disney Animated movie characters as I said Ariel  from the Little Mermaid was always my favorite because of her voice. Then of course looking at awesome bad-ass skills there's Mulan and Meg from Hercules is one sassy, sarcastic love interest. In terms of boys Aladdin was always my favorite, who wouldn't fall in love with that street rat and laugh at Genie. Hercule's is a close second. For animal characters you can't go past Mushu and I have a soft spot for both Abu in Aladdin and Meeko in Pocahontas. Hades is a pretty awesome villain and Ursula always freaked me out.

Now for one of the best parts: songs! Some of my favourite songs are Disney songs from movies! A Whole New World from Aladdin and Part of Your world from The Little Mermaid are fighting for top position. Hakuna Matata and I'll Make a Man out of you are both in play list I listen to before tests to get pumped (I may or may not have broken some items while training to be a man). Zero to Hero, I won't Say I'm In Love, Colours of the Wind, Beauty and the Beast, Love Will Find A Way and Can you Feel the Love Tonight are just some of my other favorites.

There's just something magical about Disney movies. I mean admittedly they aren't always the best in terms of morals (Ariel changes herself to be with a guy, so anti-feminist) but they do have some good ones. Mulan- It doesn't matter what gender you are, you can do anything. Well actually that's the only one I can think of at the moment...... a little help? Anyway moving on, it doesn't matter where or how old I am, whenever I watch a Disney movie or anything related I am instantly transported to back when I was six, I knew nothing bad in the world, and I could be transported to worlds where animals talked, magic existed, romance always worked out (Pocahontas excluded) and there was always a happy ending. No matter how untrue that is in the real world it always makes me feel a bit better just being in that world. As I said its something magical.

Okay so I used a whole post to express my love for Disney. Its out of my system....... for now MWUHAHAHAHAHAHAH (my attempt at a Disney villain laugh) So tell me some of your favorites and what you think of the trailer:D Are you as excited as I am?

Until next time:D 

Byes!