Harry Potter Extravanganza: Day 9 Part 1!

If you guys can think ALL the way back to Sunday July 3, you'll remember I posted an awesome post (in my humble opinion...yeah humble) all about an AWESOME wrock band, The Ministry of Magic.  In the world of wrock, however, these guys are youngins.  If you look back at the history of wrock there is one band which is the granddaddy of all: Harry and the Potters.

Harry and the Potters were the first wrock and that I listened to, and from there I discovered others, like The Ministry of Magic.  Because this is such a growing phenomenon, it has caught the eye of popular culture.  In the following documentary, We Are Wizards (directed by Josh Koury) follows big names in the Harry Potter wrock scene and fandom, giving people an interesting perspective on the start and acceptance of the fan world of Harry Potter .

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Harry Potter Extravanganza: Day 8!

ONE WEEK!

ONE FREAKING WEEK UNTIL THE END!

Due to all this emotion in me from watching the premiere, I am bringing you some Harry Potter Parodies.  Please enjoy, while I sop up my face.

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Trailer Thursday (02): Die for Me

Die for Me by Amy Plum

I want to read this so badly!!!  Definitely on the top of my To Be Bought list.

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Dead is the New Black by Marlene Perez (Review)

Title: Dead is the New Black

Edition: Paperback, 204 pages

Author(s): Marlene Perez

Publisher: Graphia Books

Publication Date: September 1, 2008

Source: Bought from Salvation Army

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

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Everyone in the Giordano family is psychic—except for Daisy. When her mother, who uses her power to solve crimes, enlists Daisy’s older sister to investigate a teenage girl’s mysterious death, Daisy feels utterly useless. But she takes matters into her own hands when she learns the victim has lots of company — teenage girls are being attacked all over town, including at Nightshade High School, where Daisy is a junior. And when she discovers a vampire may be the culprit, Daisy suspects head cheerleader Samantha Devereaux, who returned from summer break with a new “look.” She looks a little . . . well, dead.

Is looking dead just another fashion trend for pretty, popular Samantha, or is there something more sinister afoot? Daisy will stop at nothing to find out — she even joins the cheerleading squad. And with a little sleuthing help from Ryan, an old friend (who may be turning into something more), Daisy not only reveals the identity of the vamp, she also discovers powers that she never knew she had. 

(Goodreads)

My Opinion

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I picked up Dead is the New Black at my local Salvation Army.  I didn't know what the book was about and I didn't even know it was a part of the series; instead I was drawn by the title and cover (as I often am).  I felt the premise was an interesting one, a whole family of psychics except for the main character Daisy.  This is important because Daisy ends up in the middle of a supernatural murder investigation.

I love Daisy.  I love her tenacity, how she's determined to help her mom solve these strange murders even though she isn't psychic.  Her voice rings with laughter and sighs with romance, the typical teen girl syndrome.  But that is exactly what makes Daisy so relatable, and had me cheering her own the whole book.  I think if Perez had made Daisy psychic from the start the book, character-wise, would have changed the entire feel of the story.

All the supporting characters are great.  I think Daisy's sisters, Poppy and Rose, (I love that they all have flower names) are nice juxtapositions to Daisy.  Poppy is super outgoing and Rose is super responsible, two things which Daisy is not , but I believe this helps make Daisy seem even more average and helps give the ending a bigger impact.

The supernatural elements of the story are good, but I think it takes too long to hit the climax and reach the conclusion.  The discovery of who what and why needed to come at least a chapter earlier, but overall the plot was solid and leads into the other books in the Dead Is series.  I can't wait to find out more about Daisy's escapades!

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 3.5/5

Book Title: 4/5

Plot: 8/10

Characters: 9/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 8.5/10

Overall: 42/50: B

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Harry Potter Extravaganza: Day 7 Part 2!

One thing EVERY Harry Potter Fan must know is the house they belong too.
I, myself, am a proud Hufflepuff.

To help you all find out your house so you are in appropriate house colors for the big premiere, I present the Hogwarts House Sorting Quiz.

I think it's pretty accurate, and it isn't one of those pages upon pages quizzes or the ones which ask, "What's your favorite color?"  And remember, if you think you're a Ravenclaw and you get Gryfinndor it is ultimately up to you to choose where you're meant to be.  Harry Potter did it, and so can you!

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Harry Potter Extravaganza: Day 7 Part 1!

Ever wonder what the cast of Harry Potter sound like with an American accent?  Well it's your lucky day because I've got for you an interview with Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Tom Felton giving us their very best American accents!  Enjoy!

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Sass & Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler (Review)

Title: Sass & Serendipity

Edition: ARC, 350 pages

Author(s): Jennifer Ziegler

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication Date: July 12, 2011

Source: Book Tour from I Read Banned Books

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary
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Daphne Rivera and her sister Gabby could not be more different.

For fifteen-year-old Daphne, the glass is always half full, a dab of lip-gloss can ward off a bad day, and the boy of her dreams—the one she's read about in all of her beloved romance novels—is waiting for her just around the corner.

But Daphne’s older sister Gabby wishes Daphne would get real. In Gabby’s world, everyone’s out for themselves, wearing makeup is a waste of time, and boys only distract you from studying before they break your heart. The only boy Gabby trusts is her best friend, Mule, who has always been there for her.

Both Gabby and Daphne are still reeling from their parents’ divorce, though in very different ways. While Gabby will never forgive her unreliable father for failing her mother, Daphne idolizes her daddy and is sure that everything would work out fine if her cranky mom would just let him back into their lives.

When a crisis leaves the girls and their mom homeless, help comes from an unexpected source, and both girls are courted by surprise suitors who shake up their views of the world. Suddenly the glass isn’t so clearly half empty or half full . . . and love seems a lot more complicated than they ever could have imagined.

(Goodreads)

My Opinion

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Looking at the cover of Sass & Serendipity I cringed a little.  This book just looks like a middle grade novel with no substance except for butterflies and pretty dresses at first glance, especially due to the wording of Sass.  But I couldn't have been more wrong!  What drew me in and past the cover was that Jennifer Ziegler wrote this as a contemporary retelling of Sense and Sensibility, one of my favorite Jane Austen books.  I absolutely love that the release coincides with the 200th anniversary of the original book!

When you crack open the pages you are immediately transported into the lives of Gabriella and Daphne Rivera.  Both sisters are not only years apart in age, but their personalities are worlds apart.  Gabby is the eldest, cold, sneering and cynical, continually looking for an escape from their little town in Texas.  Daphne is the youngest, sweet, bubbly, and happy, earnestly believing the best in people and love.  One can't stand the other, and there is no love loss between them.  Of course this chasm wasn't always insurmountable, but certain circumstances in the girls' lives have widen the space to ridiculous proportions.

The characterization of the girls is very well-developed.  I felt both of them come alive as I read.  Of course I hated some of Daphne's more frivolous, selfish moments, reliving how I myself acted at 15 (Gosh, looking back I was a little monster).  But the best part of the characterization was the portrayal of the sisterly relationship.

Having an older sister myself, we could have stood in for Gabby and Daphne.  The screaming matches, the careless words, the deep devotion, and the fierce protection against outsiders rang true.  This careful handling of the weird relationship between sisters could have been over the top, but Ziegler navigated the edge effortlessly.

The other aspect I enjoyed was the subtle referral to the girls' Hispanic heritage.  I like how it wasn't shoved in my face because that feels way more realistic then being beat over the head with their ethnicity.  I feel like race, religion, gender, sexual orientation etc. should not be the focus unless it is important to the main conflict (i.e. coming out story, dealing with racism etc.)  Again Ziegler handles it nicely.

The one problem I had while reading was the development of Gabby and Daphne's parents.  I feel they either needed to be mentioned briefly and have the focus entirely on the girls or, due to the major conflict, made into rounded, dynamic supporting characters.  Right now they both are in an in between place which at times felt as if they hindered and not helped the story.

Overall, Sass & Serendipity is an awesome retelling of a great classic. However, it definitely stands on it's own, and has it's own flavor.  Don't pass this one up!  Look for Sass & Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler for sale on July 12 at your local bookstores, and on pre-order now!

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 3.5/5

Book Title: 4/5

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 9/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 9/10

Overall: 43.5/50: B+

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Waiting On Wednesday (16)

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:

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back

(Goodreads)

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Harry Potter Extravaganza: Day 6 Part 2!

Did you know....

• ...that Arabella Figg makes her living by breeding Kneazles?
• ...that Fabius Watkins, legendary Captain and Chaser of the Montrose Magpies, died in a freak collision with a helicopter?
• ...that many recipes traditionally served at Hogwarts feasts originated from Helga Hufflepuff?
• ...that Daisy Dodderidge (1467-1555) was the first landlady of the Leaky Cauldron?
• ...that Hogsmeade was founded by a medieval wizard named Hengist of Woodcroft when he was fleeing persecution by Muggles?
• ...that Lucius Malfoy attempted to have the story The Fountain of Fair Fortune censored at Hogwarts because it depicted the marriage between a witch and a Muggle?

(Factoids courtesy of the Harry Potter Wiki)

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Harry Potter Extravaganza: Day 6 Part 1!

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