quotes Elisquared likes


"Saying 'I notice you're a nerd' is like saying, 'Hey, I notice that you'd rather be intelligent than be stupid, that you'd rather be thoughtful than be vapid, that you believe that there are things that matter more than the arrest record of Lindsay Lohan. Why is that?' In fact, it seems to me that most contemporary insults are pretty lame. Even 'lame' is kind of lame. Saying 'You're lame' is like saying 'You walk with a limp.' Yeah, whatever, so does 50 Cent, and he's done all right for himself."— John Green

4.30.2013

NPM: 6 Favorite: Prose Poetry and Poetry

Continuing my new video series (first one was 10 Favorite, has since been re-named), I have some more genre favorites for you all: my 6 Favorite: Prose Poetry and my 6 Favorite: Poetry.  This is also going to be my LAST entry for National Poetry Month (I hope you all got to celebrate!).  

I love poetry (that is what I focused on for my undergraduate), so I try to share the love with everyone I meet.  So I thought it would be a good time to highlight my favorite prose poetry/novels-in-verse, as well as my favorite poetry books.  I hope you enjoy, and check out some of the books!


10 Favorites: Contemporary

A follower of mine, LouAckers, suggested I talk about my favorite contemporaries.  This in turn inspired me to not only highlight my favorite contemporaries, but highlight my favorites from all genres!  Dubbed 10 Favorite (now re-dubbed 6 Favorite, as 10 was too many), I am making a video series highlighting my very favorite books from all across the YA spectrum (I'm even doing some adult categories!).  I hope you all enjoy the series, and if you're inspired to do the same, please send me the link here or at my YouTube page!

4.24.2013

NPM: Women Poets


Continuing the celebration of National Poetry Day, I have a video for you all!  I've decided to highlight some of my favorite women poets.  Some of you may not know this, but poetry is a very male dominated field.  Being the good feminist I am, I wanted to share how kickass the ladies can be.  I've picked three amazing poets, and I've read a selection from one of their book of poems.  You can find out more about each poet at the links down below, and please enjoy the reading!


Natural Born Angel (Review)

Title: Natural Born Angel
Author(s)Scott Spear
Edition: ARC, 384 pages
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: April 24, 2013
Source: Received from publisher
Buy: Inkwood BooksAmazonBarnes & NobleBook Depository


















The Summary
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life turned upside down for Maddy Montgomery when she found out she was half-Angel and was catapulted into the scene of flashbulbs, paparazzi, and the fervent adulation that comes with being in the celebrity Angel world. She's trying to juggle her ordinary life—high school, family, friends—with the intense demands of being in the public eye as heartthrob Angel Jackson Godspeed's girlfriend.

And now Maddy must face the most difficult choice of her life. She's been offered the chance to become a Guardian. This means entering into dangerous and high stakes training, with no guarantee that she can succeed. But more than that, it would mean leaving her mortal life behind—forever—and allying with the Angels at a time when their relationship with humans is heading for war. . . .
My Opinion
Contains Spoilers to Immortal City
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The sophomore follow up to his book Immortal City, Scott Speer's Natural Born Angel continues to deliver the action-packed, high intensity storytelling seen in his debut.  The stakes are higher for both Maddy and Jackson with the fate of human and angel kind resting on their shoulders.

The events of the book pick up 10 months after the first ends, with Maddy getting ready to go off to college.  But after a horrific event that rocks the angels' world, putting a bigger crack in the already crumbling human/angel relations, Maddy decides she needs to do something.  Accepting the offer of training, Maddy works to become a Guardian.  Meanwhile, Jackson is still rehabbing from his horrible encounter with the demon who severed his wing, trying to gain his ability to fly once again.  But as Maddy's star shines brighter, Jackson's dims throwing them both on differing paths.


The plot is once again the shining point with tons of action tempered by times of quiet intensity.  This time it isn't just angel on angel violence, but humans mixed in as well.  New developments in the politics of the U.S. spell trouble for the Guardian program and angels in general.  With this change, the angels have their guard up, and refuse to help when the humans need it most.  This contradiction makes the world so interesting.  What we believe about angels based on mythology is completely skewed in this world.  Speer makes these creatures greedy and selfish where angels are typically depicted as selfless and caring.  Then there is the hypocrisy of the humans, which is really seen at the end, so I can't explain further, but the dichotomy is fantastic.  


The more I learn about this world, the more I want of it.  Speer does such an excellent job of using real world things and changing them to fit this world.  Angel City (L.A.) is so recognizable  but very different, at once more gritty and more clean then the L.A. we all know.  Each character is intriguing for different reasons, and I wouldn't get rid of any of them.  I think each adds to the plot, either in this specific book or in the overarching series.  Maddy is such a strong female, and comes into herself.  I think she has to go through this testing phase to really learn her strengths and weaknesses.  Jackson also proves himself in new ways.  He learns the jealousy he can hold, as well as the focus he has when he needs to protect those he loves.  The dynamic completely flips, and I really love it.


This is a really great continuation of the series.  I'm so glad that it didn't fall into the sophomore slump that many second books do.  I want to read so much more, and the war that's hanging on the precipice is teasing me for the next book!  Natural Born Angel is a must-read (of course read Immortal City first), and you should check it out at your local bookstore!
Extras
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out my Visual Inspiration for more hints about the story this time around!

Final Rating
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Book Cover: 4/5
Book Title: 5/5
Plot: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 47/50: A

4.23.2013

Visual Inspiration - Natural Born Angel


Pictures/Art/Photographs all help me see the books I'm reading.  Often, while I'm online, I stumble upon images that remind me of the book.  These visuals add layers to the stories, and can be used to offer hints to the plot.  So I've decided to put out "Visual Inspirations" in order to spark readers' interests in those books that I love.  Please feel free to join in; hopefully you'll get some new books to read in the process!

In honor of one of my favorite series, and one I think EVERYONE should read, I give you inspiration this week from:


Natural Born Angel by Scott Speer


Oh I wonder what this could all mean?

Check out the series yourself!
 Immortal City (Immortal City, 1) and Natural Born Angel (Immortal City, 2) are out now!

NPM: Dear Poet Project


This year, to go along with the historical impact of correspondance in poetry, there is a very cool, interactive component to National Poetry Month: Dear Poet Project
"In the spirit of Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, in which Rilke replies to letters from a young military cadet and aspiring poet asking for his advice, we are inviting students to engage with poetry by handwriting letters to some of the poets who serve on the Academy American Poets's Board of Chancellors" (poets.org).
The way young people can participate is by picking a poem from the Board of Chancellors, reading it, and then responding to it by letter.  They can send in their letters (the address is found at the link above), and they my be featured on Poets.org, and be responded to by the poet!  Just something fun for teens and tweens to do, and a fun project for a English class to participate it.

To get a feel for the project, check out the example letter here, as well as picking up a copy of Letters to a Young Poet to read yourself!

4.18.2013

NPM: Poem in Your Pocket Day!

Happy Poem in Your Pocket Day!!

Today is the day to go around with an awesome poem in your pocket and share it with EVERYONE!!  This is a fun way to participate in National Poetry Month, even if you don't usually read poetry.  The poem can be anything from a nursery rhyme to your favorite rap song.  

What I do is leave copies of my poem of choice around places I visit on PIYP Day.  I posted one up in my office at work, and look what happened:
Mine's top right
I'm so excited other people added poems!  I didn't even really make an announcement about it, just quietly added my choice.  This shows that a love of poetry is alive and well in my workplace, which could not make me happier!!  

Besides PIYP Day, there are a ton of ways to celebrate, but you can still get a poem for your pocket!  Check out Poets.org's page for different ways to celebrate today, and the rest of National Poetry Month!

HAPPY CELEBRATING!!!

4.17.2013

Waiting on Wednesday (73)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

 Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:


by Laura & Lisa Roecker
Publication Date: July 2, 2013
-------------------------------------------------
This is W.A.R. begins with a victim who can no longer speak for herself, and whose murder blossoms into a call-to-arms. Enter four very different girls, four very different motives to avenge Willa Ames-Rowan, and only one rule to start: Destroy James Gregory and his family at any cost. Willa's initials spell the secret rallying cry that spurs the foursome to pool their considerable resources and deliver their particular brand of vigilante justice. Innocence is lost, battles are won—and the pursuit of the truth ultimately threatens to destroy them all.
------------------------------------------------
I really, really love Laura & Lisa's The Liar Society series!  It's an awesome murder mystery with secret societies mixed in.  When I heard they had written a new book together I squeed!  This is W.A.R. sounds even more intense, and I love that these girls are banning together to deliver some justice.  I can't wait to get my hands on this book; it should be awesome!

What book are you waiting for?

4.16.2013

Visual Inspiration - Game by Barry Lyga



Pictures/Art/Photographs all help me see the books I'm reading.  Often, while I'm online, I stumble upon images that remind me of the book.  These visuals add layers to the stories, and can be used to offer hints to the plot.  So I've decided to put out "Visual Inspirations" in order to spark readers' interests in those books that I love.  Please feel free to join in; hopefully you'll get some new books to read in the process!

In honor of one of my favorite series, and one I think EVERYONE should read, I give you inspiration this week from:



Game by Barry Lyga


Oh I wonder what this could all mean?

Check out the series yourself! 
I Hunt Killers (Jasper Dent, 1) and Game (Jasper Dent, 2) are out now!

Teaser Tuesday (64)


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!
  • Grab your current read.
  • Open to a random page.
  • Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
  • MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)
Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Christian Schoon
May 7, 2013

          "Checklists, novice," he said.  Apparently, the lecture wasn't over yet.  "We have them for a reason.  What's the first item on the list when treating mega-fauna?"
          "Big animals are dangerous.  Small mistakes are deadly," she intoned, her face going even redder as she recited this, the most basic principle of all.
          I know what went wrong, Otha.







-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm really loving this book!  I have the awesome opportunity to be part of the blog tour, and I can't wait for you all to read my review!  This world that Schoon is building has so much potential.  I love Zenn, but it could go out past her story.  It feels very Ender's Gamesque, in terms of world building.  But it has this fun added aspect with exoveterinarians that aren't in many books (vets in general I mean).  I encourage you all to check it out in May!

Game (Review)



Title: Game
Author(s)Barry Lyga
Edition: ARC, 528 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 16, 2013
Source: Received from Inkwood Books (Best bookstore in Tampa Bay!)
Buy: Inkwood BooksAmazonBarnes & NobleBook Depository












The Summary
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Billy grinned. “Oh, New York,” he whispered. “We’re gonna have so much fun.”

I Hunt Killers
introduced the world to Jazz, the son of history’s most infamous serial killer, Billy Dent.  In Game, the story continues.


In an effort to prove murder didn’t run in the family, Jazz teamed with the police in the small town of Lobo’s Nod to solve a deadly case. And now, when a determined New York City detective comes knocking on Jazz’s door asking for help, he can’t say no. The Hat-Dog Killer has the Big Apple–and its police force–running scared. So Jazz and his girlfriend, Connie, hop on a plane to the big city and get swept up in a killer’s murderous game.

My Opinion
Contains Spoilers to I Hunt Killers
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A fast-paced, violent thriller full of twists, turns and complete loops; o on is safe and the killer is always one move ahead in Game, the continuation to I Hunt Killers.  One of my picks for best book of 2013, Game delivers page after page.
Jasper Dent is back and this time he's involved in killings outside of Lobo Nod's.  The NYPD are on a man hunt for the Hat-Dog Killer, a murderer who carves a dog or hat into his/her victims.  Jazz is called in by a detective to help with the case because of his work capturing The Impressionist.  So with Connie, his girlfriend, along for the trip, Jazz leaves Howie in Lobo Nod to look after his grandmother and starts to hunt this new killer.  But this isn't the only danger facing Jazz; Dear Old Dad Billy Dent is on the loose and no one knows what game he's playing, least of all Jazz.

Lyga is back with another intensely psychological book.  Picking up right where I Hunt Killers left off, the action never lets up.  The battle that Jazz is under between who he wants to be, and who he thinks he is, is even more intense with his thoughts turning to a sexually violent nature.  To add to the problem, Connie wants to take their relationship to the next level.  Again, the question of are we a sole product of our parents comes up.  Can Jazz ever fight off the demons he has, that Dear Old Dad put inside of him?  Can he ever become something other than Billy Dent's chosen protégé? 

With Jazz, Lyga creates such a conflicting and intriguing character that readers will root for him, but at the same time be terrified he'll cross the line.  All the characters pull you in and don't let go even at the end.  We're introduced to Jazz's aunt in this book, who seems to be normal (as normal as one can be with a serial killer for a brother), but may be hiding secrets.  Connie and Howie are both caught up in their own story lines that weave in and out of Jazz's story line.  Both are such great supporting characters; Lyga does an amazing job of fully fleshing them out and making them important to not only Jazz but the reader.

The plot is elaborate, with the murder gruesome and chilling.  The Hat-Dog Killer is more terrifying than The Impressionist because he is unfamiliar.  Jazz knew the steps behind The Impressionist, but with Hat-Dog it's all new.  The murders are more extreme, with the descriptions becoming more graphic.  Lyga purposefully ramps up the intensity to show that the stakes are so much higher for all the characters but Jazz in particular.  The reveal of the killer is a complete surprise, and the ramifications of the reveal makes me itch for the next book!  Plus, there's this very interesting mythology introduced that lends itself to a almost religious fervor, giving the events of the book another layer.

A heart-stopping race, the book never let's up and explodes in a fiery end, leaving the reader hanging off the cliffhanger.  But don't take my word for it, check out Game by Barry Lyga, at your local bookstore and library!

Extras
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Chapter Preview

Book Trailer

Final Rating
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Book Cover: 3/5
Book Title: 3/5
Plot: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Writing: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 46/50: A-

4.15.2013

Past. Present. Future. (26)



There are a a lot of these "What're you reading?" features around, so I figured, hey why not start one too? Basically, here's where I highlight the books I've read, the books I'm reading, and the books I'm going to read. Fun, right? Please join in if you want!

PAST:
Corsets & Clockwork: 14 Steampunk Romances edited by Trisha Telep - I loved this collection!  Steampunk is such a cool genre because you can mix it with everything!  Western, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, the combinations are endless.  You can even go futuristic with it.  Each short story had a unique take on the steampunk trope, but there were a few that I adored. "Wild Magic" by Ann Aguirre, "Deadwood" by Michael Scott, & "Under Amber Skies" by Maria V. Snyder were my three favorites, each set in such a completely different time and culture.  Very enjoyable collection!
Same Difference by Derek Kirk Kim - I loved the art in the graphic novel!  It was so expressive and really added to the plot.  It is a short story in a sense, as there isn't much meat to the story.  I do think it has a good moral to it, but I would have loved to learn more about the characters overall.  I'm definitely going to check out other work by Kim.






PRESENT:
Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon - I received this book for review, and I'm so excited I did!  It's a really interesting look at a possible Earth future, and the veterinarian part to it, being an exoveterinarian dealing with alien lifeforms, is really cool.  I'm almost done with the book, and the world that Schoon built is so all-encompassing that I think he could expand books beyond Zenn one day!  I'll be having a blog tour up of this closer to May, so keep an eye out!




FUTURE:
Requiem by Lauren Oliver - UH I NEED TO READ THIS!  I love this trilogy so much, and I have to find out what happens!  I can't believe I'm waiting this long since I got it the day it came out!  I'm (hopefully) going to see Lauren Oliver in May down in Miami!  I'll just pass out from the awesome in the room if that's the case!






If any of you've read any of these books, let me know what you thought (but NO spoilers) down below in the comments!

4.14.2013

Poetry Sunday (20)


This is a fabulous blog feature here at Eli to the nth! Poetry is one of my passions, but I often don't have an opportunity to share that passion. This feature gives me the perfect opportunity to do so! Thanks to Genna from Reading, Writing, and the World of Words, who created this awesome feature and gave me the permission to host it here, as well as, use her graphic!

This is a love poem.  Beautiful and simplistic, but full of emotion.  This is the kind of poetry that makes people swoon and believe in true love.  This is the kind of reaction words can produce if put together in such a way.  I hope you enjoy.


Yours
by Daniel Hoffman

I am yours as the summer air at evening is
Possessed by the scent of linden blossoms,

As the snowcap gleams with light
Lent it by the brimming moon.

Without you I'd be an unleafed tree
Blasted in a bleakness with no Spring.

Your love is the weather of my being.
What is an island without the sea?

4.06.2013

NPM: Kicking it off with my FAVORITE poet!

I always like to start out with some of my favorite poets when it comes to NPM.  This year is no different; Today, I'm going to pimp my favorite poet of all time.  A man who many misunderstand and many can't get enough of: Allen Ginsberg!


Here is a recording of Allen Ginsberg reciting, arguably, his most famous poem, Howl. Howl represented the most intense feelings of the Beat generation; those poets working within the counterculture to corporate America, denouncing "Big Brother" and all he represented.  An invigorating  irreverent look into society, Allen Ginsberg produced one of the most controversial poems of that time period.  I believe much of it still resonates within today's counterculture, and young adults (in this case 20 year olds) trying to find some semblance of purpose.

I hope you all give it a chance, even if it may seem a little "far out" for you.  Below is also a link to the text of the poem, if listening just isn't your cup of tea.  





4.01.2013

In Celebration of National Poetry Day, a Giveaway!


One of my absolute loves is poetry!  I think that everyone can enjoy poetry, if only they have the right poem put into their hands.  To aid in that, I want to give two of my lucky followers the chance to win a book of poetry worth up to $15 from the Book Depository.  

The giveaway will run all month, and maybe some others will pop up here or there.  If you're not sure what book or poet to check out, I'll be posting about some of my favorite collections throughout the month for inspiration.

Good luck!

Rules:
Open Internationally!  
MUST live in a country the Book Depository ships to
(Check here
Must be 13 years old to enter.  
TWO winners will win a book of poetry up to $15.    
Winners will be contacted by email.   
Winners has 48 hours to respond with mailing address or new winners will be chosen.  



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