A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love and Faith in Stages

I just read A Little Bit Wicked by Kristin Chenoweth. This memoir was published a couple of months ago. This was a really fun read. Chenoweth did use a ghost writer, but upon reading the book, I still had the feeling that she was speaking to me. Although this book was full of fun and interesting tidbits, anecdotes, and nuggets of wisdom, it probably would not be very interesting for someone who was not at least a little bit interested in Kristen Chenoweth, her work, or theatre in general. So if you are one of those people, I would definitely recommend this book.

Black is for Beginnings

I just finished Black is for Beginings. It is the final book in the Blue is for Nightmares series by Laurie Faria Stolarz. I started this series a while back, and had been putting off reading the last book, because I did not want the series to end. Upon reading it, I am actually very pleased with the way the author tied everything up. The final installment is different from the first four. It deals with all of the same characters, but unlike the first four, is a graphic novel.

The novel takes place a few months after Red is for Remembrance. It also have other sections. The first takes place several years before Blue is for Beginings. It goes back to when Stacey is first learning about magic and her powers of premonition. The second part takes place from Jacob's point of view. It deals with events from the last two novels.

This book was the perfect ending to the series and is definitely a must-read!

Deadly Little Lies

I just finished Deadly Little Lies and LOVED it! It is the second book in the Touch series by Laurie Faria Stolarz (the first book is Deadly Little Lies). Reading this book was a really wonderful experience. It has been about a year since I read the first book in the series, but I was immediately drawn into the story. Stolarz does a really good job of describing exactly how Camelia is feeling. One cannot help but to be drawn in. I would definitely recommend this book. It is definitely a must-read!

Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, a new boy at school who had a very mysterious gife - psychometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry and experiencing strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow been transferred to her.

Ben returns to school, but he remains aloof, and Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Camelia makes the painful decision to let him go and move on. Adam, the hot new guy at Knead, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events uncovers secrets from Ben's past - and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it's up to Camelia to figure out who - before it's too late.

Devilish

I finished Devilish. It was really good! I would definitely recommend it. I read it in less than a day (partly because I couldn't put it down, but also because it is a fast read). Fast reads are definitely good for my schedule right now since I have a pretty big work load that includes reading a book per class in my American Lit. class.

Synopsis from back of book:

Jane Jarvis and Allison Concord, seniors at Saint Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls, have always been too quirky to be popular, but at least they'll always have each other, right? Not so much. After a hideously embarrassing disaster, Allison comes to school transformed. Suddenly she has cute hair and clothes, speaks fluent Latin and won't even look at Jane. With the help of a strangely wise freshman boy, Jane discovers the incredible truth: Allison has sold her soul to the devil. Now Jane will have to save Allison before the bizarrely exclusive Poodle Prom, a party of biblical proportions that just might blow apart the world as Jane Knows it.

Among other news, I just saw the trailer for the third installment in the Underwold series. It is called Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and looks really good. It goes back to the beginning with the story between Viktor, Lucian and Viktor's daughter (forget her name). It is going to come out January 21 in the US.

I am really looking forward to and dreading this weekend. My niece has a dance competition in Chicago, so I am going to get to see my sister and all of her kids (which will be nice, because I do not get to see them that often, and they grow up so fast). On a sadder note, I have three very important papers all due on Monday, so I am really going to have to manage my time this week and weekend. Anyway...I guess that is all that is going on. More later.

Book Signing

I got to meet John Green today! It was absolutely amazing! I really wish that I had said more (or anything at all really). He signed my copies of Paper Towns and An Abundance of Katherines. By the time it was my turn in line I was so nervous. My heart was beating really fast. I am already and pretty quiet and shy person to begin with, but this was worse.

See, I really would love to become a writer someday (although technically I am a writer, so I guess I would just love to have something published someday), and here was this writer that not only writes wonderful books that I love, but is something that I aspire to be. That of course in addition to the fact that I have been watching his youtube channel, Vlogbrothers for a couple of years now. It is so absolutely surreal to see someone almost everyday on your computer and then to just see them walking around, living their life and so forth.

I really enjoyed the actual event. John Green is a really good public speaker. He spoke a little about his life, said a little about the books, and was as always hilarious. The event was at a store called the Book Cellar, which I really recommend. It is an independent bookshop on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago. They have tons of books (and will also order anything you want) as well as wine, deli stuff and AMAZING cupcakes. There was a huge cake shaped like pumpkins for everyone after we got our books signed. I got a piece of chocolate cake, and I was absolutely delicious. Seriously I cannot describe how delicious it was.

I made a video of the whole thing (which includes John reading a little from his newest book, Paper Towns if you are at all interested) that I will eventually publish to my youtube channel with Amanda, Eric and Ruth. Sorry the camera work isn't very good. I kind of forgot that I was filming for a little while.

Currently Reading for Pleasure:
Devilish by Maureen Johnson

Currently Reading for School:
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson
and
Daisy Miller by Henry James

Currently Watching:
Doctor Who Season Three

Currently Listening to:
Amy Winehouse

All Things End

I finished Paper Towns last night. It was absolutely wonderful. I cried towards the end. I didn't cry just because it was kind of sad or very wonderful (although that was part of it). I cried because I was overcome with sadness having finished it. Don't you hate it when you finish a really good book.

I always become especially sad when I finish a book with really good characters. Once the story is over, the characters go away. These characters that have been a constant thought in my mind while reading the book suddenly vanish. I never find out what happens after the story ends. I am suddenly pulled back into a reality where those characters that I have fallen in love with don't exist; a reality that is a little less grand and extraordinary.