Random Magic Posts

So that is it for my Random Magic Posts until I get the review up! Here they all are!

Quiz and Trivia
Significance of Blue
Book Trailer

Enjoy and make sure to check out all of the other stops in the tour!
Link in Sidebar!

Random Magic 3

For my last Random Magic Post of the day I have a fun quiz and some trivia relating to the book!

Which Random Magic character are you? »

Inside Random Magic: Reader Notes - Triva

* The name of the artist, Rasa Oddvilla, is an anagram for Salvador Dalí.

* The Floating City can be considered to be allegorical.

* Only 2000 copies of the first edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland were printed, then discarded as waste paper.

* “Two fathoms” refers to Mark Twain.

* Anagrammatic homage to Douglas Adams in -- Ch. 42, of course.

* Ergot-tainted rye can cause hallucinations. Historians suggest that ergot-tainted rye was the spur for the Salem Witch Trials in 1692.

* Guédé is a voodoo entity; he guards the gates of the cemetery, and is privy to all the secrets of the dead. He's also known as Baron Samedi. Although he is a much-feared entity, he has a wicked sense of humor. He is fond of children, and will sometimes intervene to spare the life of a dying child.

* The invention of the word game of "doublets" is attributed to Lewis Carroll.

* Hypatia of Alexandria was a mathematician and the victim of a political assassination -- she was torn to pieces by a mob in 415A.D.

* Professor Literati's eyes are the color of absinthe, a drink which was popular with artists, writers and poets in the 19th century. Absinthe is also referred to by the moniker "The Green Fairy."

* Gone is the feline retort to the paradox of Schrödinger's Cat. He's rumored to be related to the Cheshire Cat, but we can find no definitive proof.

* The nickname "Wiggy" refers both to Beethoven and to Ludwig II of Bavaria, a/k/a the Swan King, the Dream King, and, natch, the Mad King of Bavaria.

* Mort = la mort (death, Fr.)

* Nyx is the goddess of night.

* Charon is the ferryman of the dead. The ancient Greeks buried loved ones with a silver coin under their tongues for Charon, to ensure safe passage.

* Moirtha the cook (one of the Wyrd sisters, related to the Norns) is one of the Moirai.

* Nevermore is named for the well-known poem, "The Raven," by Edgar Allen Poe.

* The book Winnie and Henry read in the library is Der Struwwelpeter, a ghastly/funny children's book of cautionary tales published in 1845. Mark Twain translated the book into English in 1891.

* The woman in the Garden of the Nine Muses is actually a tarot card representing hidden knowledge.


 If you take the quiz let me know who you got!

Random Magic Part 2

Today is Halloween and I am so excited to have this leg of the Random Magic tour because I think that Random Magic and Halloween go great together, because they both involve color and wacky outfits. Speaking of color I have an post for you about the meaning of the color blue in Random Magic! Check it out!

Everyone who’s read the book says that the world of Random Magic is so colorful and vivid that they can actually almost see the world right in front of them, as if it were a movie.

It was definitely written that way, since that world actually is a lot more magical and overwhelming than our own world. Everything would be more powerful and startling, including something as basic as the colors surrounding Henry and Winnie as they search for Alice.

But a lot of the colors in Random Magic aren’t just there for decoration, but actually have some particular significance.

Here are some quick reader notes about the more symbolic uses of color in Random Magic. This post is about the use of the color blue:

Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It’s often associated with calm, depth, loyalty. In heraldry, it’s used to symbolize sincerity.

The color blue, generally speaking, is a very calming color, associated with tranquility. It’s also a preferred masculine color.

Henry, in contrast to Winnie, has a connection to the color blue. He is the calm to her tempest, and the hearth to her fire. His eyes are blue, his clothing is blue. In all respects, he’s a complement to her fiery spirit.

The color blue also plays an important role in a living chess match. The opposing colors are red and blue: Red for passion, and blue for reason.

The colors of the chess match are the actual colors the players wear, but the clash of red and blue is also symbolic of the internal struggle everyone faces, in finding a balance between their emotional, instinctive and passionate side, and their more level-headed, cool, calm and logical side.

Doen't that just make you want to pick it up! 
Here are some other posts about other colors in Random Magic!
Gold: http://thebookette.blogspot.com/2009/10/random-magic-exciting-extras.html
Here are some other posts about the interesting world of Random Magic
The Garden: http://ellzreadz.blogspot.com/2009/10/getting-ready-for-random-magic-garden.html
(Another one coming soon I will update when it is up)

Random Magic Tour

So today is my tour stop so all throughout the day I will be posting different things of interest about Random Magic. Then in a few days I will have my book review up and I will put all of the links together.

The first thing about Random Magic that I am going to post is the book trailer which is very colorful and interesting just like the book. Enjoy!

IMM 5

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It is a list of what books you have received over the previous week, either in the mail, from the bookstore, from the library, or from trades.

This is from the last few weeks. The library books are just the ones that I was super excited about!

Library

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
Dull Boy by Sarah Cross
Paris Pan Takes the Dare by Cynthea Liu
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld


Paperbackswap

The Blue Sword by Robin Mckinley

Contest

Forest Born by Shannon Hale (from Kay Cassidy)

Review

Candor by Pam Bachorz (1 ARC Tours)
Gringolandia by Lyn Miller-Lachmann (Tour)
Candle Man by Glenn Dakin (Egmont) I got 2 of these so I will be having a contest soon.
Explorer X- Alpha by LM. Preston (Phenomenal One Press)

What did you get this week?

Big Box Challenge

Cindy at Princess Bookie is having a fun contest where you get the chance to re-create covers. For more details on this awesome giveaway - check it out here.

 Here are my two entries

and

Also

Mini Challenge!

She is having a mini challenge go here for further details.

Name 8 Of Your Favorite Things (not all books either)

1. God
2. Books
   
3. Family
4. Friends
5. Music
6. My Piano
   
7. Cold Days
8. Lazy Days
   

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Everyone thinks their parents are embarrassing, but Hannah knows she's got them all beat. Her dad made a fortune showing pretty girls--and his "party" lifestyle--all over the Internet, and her mom, who was once one of her dad's girlfriends, is now the star of her own website. After getting the wrong kind of attention for far too long, Hannah has learned how to stay out of sight...and that's how she likes it.

Of course, being unknown isn't helping her get noticed by gorgeous, confident Josh, who Hannah knows is her soul mate. Between trying to figure out a way to get him to notice her, dealing with her parents, and wondering why she can't stop thinking about another guy, Finn, Hannah feels like she's going crazy. She's determined to make things work out the way she wants....only what she wants may not be what she needs.

This was a very quick read for me, the material was not so heavy that I felt I had to take a breather but it was also not super light in a way that fells like you are being over taken by cotton candy.

Hannah's life besides the fact that her father is a millionaire, was very easy to relate to, she had boy problems, parent problems, friend problems just like most other teenage girls. The characters were well developed and different, they had different personalities which was nice.

The plot overall was just heavy enough to make you think but not too heavy that you want to stop reading. It is a typical girl meets boy ect. novel but with a small spin.

The only problem I had with it was that I felt that the end was too rushed because so many things happened at the end, I think it would have been better if the excitement was spread out a little but overall a enjoyable book.


4/5

The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley

When her adoptive mother dies, Katherine Bab takes the chance she has been waiting for her whole life: she moves from her country village to London, to uncover the secret of who she really is. Before long, Kat has become a favorite of Queen Elizabeth herself, and rumors are swirling - could fiery-haired Kat be the secret daughter of the Virgin Queen? Kat's got plenty of other things to figure out, as well . . . such as how to choose between her childhood love and two handsome men at court vying for her affection.

I love learning and reading about the Tudors even in this case where they aren't the main characters but they are still involved really is fun for me Especially Elizabeth who plays a semi prominent role in this novel. So needless to say I was really excited to get my hands on this book!

The characters were well developed and different, there were many different character struggles between Katherine and others in the novel which kept it interesting. Also it was fun to try and figure out who her mother really was.

The main thing about this book that bothered me was I felt that who her mother was, was given away way too soon in the book, and I wish that there had been more facts about the court in the novel but overall a good book!

4/5

Here is the beautiful book trailer!

Traveling to Teens Tour: The Kindling of Greenfyr by Mark Freeman

The Kindling of GreenFyr is the story of Owen McInish, an awkward fourteen-year-old bullied at school and friendless except for his pet cat, Piper. That is until a snow leopard is chased through the woods behind his house by three huge gray dogs with glowing green eyes. Owen saves the leopard from her pursuers, but the animal escapes him as well, only to return later. The cat’s behavior is peculiar, nothing like a wild animal, making Owen even more curious as to its origin. Eventually, the cat allows Owen to pet her. Owen finds himself experiencing friendships as he has never before. Adventures as he has never imagined. And political intrigue as two worlds, long separated, begin to collide.

Wow I had very mixed feelings about this book. First of all it was nothing like I could have ever imagined. I thought it was going to be about a boy who finds a leopard and is taken into a small little world, which it was but the world was not so little as I should have guessed from the length of this book.

The beginning of the book was just what you would have expected but around page 40 the adventure began. I was really surprised by all the detail and all of the characters. This caused the first 130 pages of the book to be random and confusing but most of the characters are important to the plot and the introduction of them is nessesary. 

After abot page 200 the book really got interesting and drew me in, the plot was a lot like the Lord of the Rings but also very different. The story had many twists and turns but even so parts of it were boring and just kept going on, and on. 

Overall this was a good book that started slow but ended strong. Had a good set up for the next book!

Also the cover is pretty but really does not have much to do with the book except the beginning.

4/5

T2T tour

The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart

Ruby is back at Tate Prep, and it's her thirty-seventh week in the state of Noboyfriend. Her panic attacks are bad, her love life is even worse, and what's more: Noel is writing her notes, Jackson is giving her frogs, Gideon is helping her cook, and Finn is making her brownies. Rumors are flying, and Ruby's already-sucky reputation is heading downhill. Not only that, she's also: running a bake sale, learning the secrets of heavymetal therapy, encountering some seriously smelly feet, defending the rights of pygmy goats, and bodyguarding Noel from unwanted advances.

This is a cute series with some hard edges. The main character is trying hard not to mess up but she just can't seem to stay away from boys.

Ruby has learned a lot in the last 2 books, she has matured which is very important in a series.  E. Lockhart is good at taking things that would be awkward in real life and making them awkward for the reader, which is a gift, she also lead Ruby on this journey that many girls go through similar phases of.  Ruby is a little whiny which is sometimes warranted but she is a little too whiny at times. The boys in this series are well developed which is important because they play such a big role in the series. 

Overall a good fast reading series with cute little notes on how to deal with boys. 

4/5 

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are a match made in heaven. They've been best friends since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah- they're totally hot for each other. But a week before their joint Sweet Sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam's awkward cousin Pip comes to stay, and Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriend seems to be drifting away. When Morgan demands answers, she's shocked to discover the source of Cam's distance isn't another girl- it's another world. Pip claims that Cam is a fairy. No, seriously. A fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King. Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if he really is her destiny, and if their “perfect” love can weather an uncertain future.

I have been so excited to read this book! It was very different than what I expected but I really like that about it.


So first of all lets discuss the cover! It is beautiful!!!!!  I really like how different it is.


Now for the actual book. I really enjoyed the fact that it was about a boy turning into a fairy because all of the other fairy books I have come across are about a girl turning into a fairy. Also I enjoyed being able to see the transformation of someone turning into a fairy from the outside point of view not just the view of the person being changed.


The characters were really well written. Morgan was pretty easy to relate to, and I found myself falling for Cam and I could feel the pain of seeing him changed. The plot was interesting and was written well.


Overall a really good book the only complaint I have was the fact that I wish Morgan could have had more interaction with Cam in the late stages of his changing. But besides that it was a really good book.

4.5/5

Cirque du Freak/ The Vampire's Assistant Giveaway

The Cirque du Freak books are very popular and as you may know a movie besed on them is coming out on October 23 2009! So I am hosting a giveaway!

THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTANT and Other Tales from the Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan

 

New movie edition features the first three books--Cirque Du Freak, The Vampire's Assistant, and Tunnels of Blood-- bound up in one volume!

 

Do you love to be scared? Then don't miss the terrifying adventure that begins when Darren and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the CIRQUE DU FREAK, a wonderfully bizarre and creepy freak show. Brace yourself for thrills and chills as the boys witness a parade of grotesque creatures and face their deepest fears by entering the darkest world of the vampire. In the blood-curdling tradition of Anne Rice and Stephen King, CIRQUE DU FREAK will have you shrieking for the next horror show!

Here is what TWO lucky winners will win

• Cirque du Freak book Set (3 titles in one book)
• Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant Locker Mirror 

How to enter:

• leave a comment on this post
• +3 becoming or being a follower
  
• +5 entries for making a post on your blog about this contest
• +3 entries for posting about this contest in your sidebar
• +5 entries for voting for your favorite Cirque du Freak t-shirt

You can find more information about the movie, at the official website. Or at the facebook fan page!

This contest will end on October 25, 2009
U.S. Only Sorry

Milestones by Samira Armin Hodges

One day. Just one day. That's how long it took for fourteen year-old Faye Martin's ordinary life to take a dramatic and completely unexpected turn. First, she gets struck by lightning a strange and awful experience in itself, but then made worse because Benjamin Parker, the object of her obsession, witnessed her near-death experience. Then she comes home to find her parents are forcing her to leave her friends and hometown of Seattle to attend a summer camp, aptly named Camp Milestone. After several failed attempts to change her parents mind Faye finds herself on a plane headed across the country to a camp she has never heard of.

Only, Camp Milestone is no ordinary camp. There are no phones allowed, shabby cabins and only a handful of campers. The only good turn of events is Benji her longtime crush is among the sparsely populated camp. This highlight of her summer is overshadowed by the camps strange and harsh rules given out by the head of the camp Galiana Moore, who seems crazy most of the time, and who unfortunately has taken a liking to Faye. As if things were not bad enough she notices an odd rash that has consumed most of her back from the lighting strike that seems to not only be growing larger but glowing slightly. Before she knows it, Faye finds herself caught in a whirlwind of uncertainty, torture, calamine lotion and romance....All in the name of summer camp. But as the summer unfolds, she realizes there is much more to Camp Milestone than meets the eye. Will she be able to unravel the mystery that surrounds this unusual camp? And more importantly, will she be able to survive the madness long enough to put the pieces together?

A few weeks ago I did an interivew with the author for a blog tour, so here is the review of the book.

Milestones was a very interesting book. At the very beginning it was hard to get into but as the story progressed I found myself wanting to know what was happening. I could not figure out for the life of me what was going on but once I got to the end I was like it all makes sense now!  

I was impressed with this debut book because it was different and interesting, besides the fact that the beginning was slow it was a great book. 

The plot once she got to camp was well drawn out and the characters were different and yes stereotypical but had different aspects to them that made them believable.

Check out my Interview with the author.

4/5

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn't fit into Jessica Packwood's senior year "get-a-life" plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he's her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess.
But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius's soul from eternal destruction.

It was nice in this age of wimpy vampires to have a book with nitty gritty scary vampires that sometimes have a nice side... or not. 

The plot of this book was ok, parts of it kind of droned on for a while and the book would have been fine without them. Also once the real action started at the end it was really, really fast and not long enough to the end. So a better outline might have helped.

Besides that, the characters were somewhat relate-able and realistic (besides the vampire part) and the overall story when it all came together was good. It was a nice change.

3/5