Evanescence's "Lost in Paradise" Video Includes Live Footage from Fans!

Evanescence loves their fans! This was definitely the best way to capture the song's meaning, in my opinion. Seeing the outfit Amy wore to my show kind of makes me feel represented even though I didn't submit a video. I'm so happy we did indeed get a video of some sort for this pretty song.

 

Destined | by: Aprilynne Pike

*This review may contain spoilers for those who haven't read the previous books in the series. I will do my best to minimize spoilers, but at this point, they're inevitable.

Another beloved series has come to an end. I've enjoyed Aprilynne Pike's Wings series, and Destined was definitely my favorite!

The previous book in the series, Illusions, left readers with one of the worst cliff-hangers in literary history, so Destined had a great start, just when things began to heat up. What Laurel and her friends just discovered about Yuki could threaten all of Avalon with power alone, but it only gets more complicated since Klea is involved. Throughout their story, Klea has proved time and time again to be anything but good, and now her connection with Yuki and the trolls is clear. Laurel and her friends know they must save Avalon from the terrible things to come, even though they don't always know how.

This faerie story just got darker.

However, everything I enjoyed from the first books is still there. The innocence of the characters is still evident as they face a situation significantly more sinister than in the rest of the novels. In my reviews of Wings, Spells, and Illusions, I mentioned the sense of innocence as one of my favorite elements, and I'm so happy that this element didn't disappear when things became more corrupt.

In response to the lighter tone between characters, friendship still seems to be the main focus amongst relationships though there are still romantic factors, which is something I truly appreciate. I oftentimes feel like the importance of a boyfriend overrides the importance of friends in books. And since the love triangle fell out of focus in Destined, I had more room in my heart for these characters. Another thing that made me happy? Laurel is so honest with her parents. I feel like so many YA protagonists are always lying, and I've never been fond of it.

But even though the characters kept the story feeling familiar, they do grow, and Destined is very, very, VERY different than the rest of the series. It's much more action-packed and full of emotion. Seriously, I cried at the end. Since when does this series ever make me cry!? I'm almost made at Aprilynne Pike for making the ending as realistic as it was, tugging my heart strings as I kept the pages turning.

Hence, Aprilynne Pike should be proud. This is one of the best finales in any series I've read, and I never expected it to take this sort of turn. I basically loved everything about it: The plot, the setting, the characters... It all became more complex with an enemy more sinister than I imagined, but everything I liked about the other books was there, too. The combination was perfect.

I'm sad it's over. I actally feel a little naseous thinking about it, but I know I'll reread these books someday, though it'll be hard to keep the bittersweet ending out of my head, making me sad.

Staying away from Avalon for too long probably won't be possible.

5/5 Stars

Star-Ratings

Anyone who has been reading my reviews for the past two-ish months is probably really confused. One minute, I'm okay with star-ratings, the next I'm not, the next I'm not sure, etc. Well, I'm confused, too. (Obviously.) Giving star-ratings to books and movies has been really difficult for me lately.

But, I think I've found a solution. I'm oftentimes guessing at a number when my emotions are mixed, and my final thought of the ending tends to determine the ratings I give, and I tend to give them the higher number I think of. This clearly isn't working if I'm so annoyed with the number of stars I granted aftwerward. So, my ratings are probably going to be a little stricter from now on. And if this doesn't work, then I guess I'll give up with the ratings altogether... But hopefully, being stricter will solve my problems and no one will ever hear me ramble about this again.

Just thought I'd let everyone know. :)

Circle of Fire | by: Michelle Zink

Lia is anticipating the prophecy to be over, but there's still a lot to do before that can happen. She and her allies need to find the rest of the keys, find the stone, and try to avoid her twin sister Alice's appearance. But the biggest threat of all? The presence of the Souls that haunt Lia in her sleep is becoming more and more profound. If they continue to torment her, Lia fears she may not make it to end the prophecy once and for all despite the support of her friends.

I absolutely loved Michelle Zink's Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate, and I expected to adore this final book in Zink's trilogy just as much. I was so confident that this awesome story wouldn't let me down, especially when I liked this sequel about as much as the first. In fact, I was a bit sad upon cracking this book open, because then one of my favorite YA series was that much closer to being over.

But unfortunately, even though Circle of Fire had some positives going for it, I found it disappointing compared to the previous books. And strangely enough, some of the characters and elements I used to like about this trilogy seemed to be at the heart of any irritation I experienced while reading.

First of all, Lia. In my reviews of Prophecy of the Sisters and Guardian of the Gate, I mentioned how I liked her well enough, but I couldn't stand her this time around. She whined nonstop (though considering her situation, one can't be realistic to get too mad) and her situation with all of her friends just felt really awkward, primarily because I didn't know who I agreed with. I understood why Lia felt like she couldn't trust anyone, but I also understood why Luisa and Sonia were mad at her for not trusting them. So, I just got annoyed with everyone, which is often what I tend to do with real-life drama.

But then Dimitri... I also liked him before, and really, there's nothing wrong with him now. It just irked me that his relationship with Lia got magnified more than the rather large problems at hand. It all felt a bit cheesy and really threw the whole book off. Besides, I never signed up for romance when I picked this up; I signed up for the creepy elements concerning Lia and her sister, I signed up for a solid finale that didn't involve her thinking of her boyfriend in ways no girl in the 19th century would have. I know that Lia's previous visit to Altus gave her a different view on what society could be like, but I highly doubt that two weeks there would change any typical New England girl's concept of what is appropriate.

Similarly, the writing in this book sometimes felt melodramatic with its choppy sentences and repetative phrases. This surprised me; I loved Zink's writing in the past two books. Did her style change from Guardian of the Gate to Circle of Fire, or did my preference just change? Honestly... I think it just depends on what she's writing about. When Zink would write about how tired everyone is from the prophecy, I just rolled my eyes. Her generally dark writing style seemed to make everyone's exhaustion seem too dramatic, but by the time we get to the climax, falling action, and resolution, it's just as great as I remembered it to be. I even teared up a little during the last ten pages.

Hence, from the climax until the end of the book, I was satisfied. Even though it wasn't necessarily predictable, this series ended the only way it could have. The old elements of Prophecy of the Sisters seemed to come back then, particularly that of sisterhood. Alice and Lia's unusual relationship was the center of my attention in that first book, and then again at the end of the final book. But this time, it came back full circle. So essentially, the ending saved this book, along with the creepy setting when looking for the stone earlier.

This is why my emotions towards this book are a bit conflicting. I have the cool ending fresh in my head, and that deters me from making a general statement about the whole book when I wasn't exactly happy with parts of it. But it's not as if I didn't like it, either. I just wanted to like it as much or more than the other books in this trilogy, and unfortunately, it didn't quite happen.

However, I still encourage people to try out this trilogy, because it's great overall. And though this final book was exactly what I was hoping for, it wasn't written without positives.

3.5/5 Stars

Classics: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

In Puritan society, moral code is at a high standard. The guilt, shame, and even humiliation is bound to burden whoever dares to sin during this time period, whether it's their own conscience eating at their souls or the harsh stares of fellow community members. So when Hester Prynne is impregnated as a result of adultery, her punishment is to always wear a red "A" stitched onto all of her clothing. Anyone who sees her will be reminded of what she's done, and of course, Hester will also be reminded of her circumstance, which is a bit more complicated than it may initially seem.

Facing motherhood and the scorn of the town on her own, Hester must find a way to survive it all, to remain strong as she lives through her punishment.

The Scarlet Letter seems to have as many fans as haters, and it's easy to see why. On one hand, the writing is ramblesome and suffers from overly-detailed sections that include unneeded description and very little plot. The writing isn't typical of the time period it was actually scribed in (the 19th century, which is stylistically my favorite period in writing) since Hawthorne wanted to keep it more Puritan, and therefore more relevent to the storyline. But on the other hand, it's just a great story with well-defined characters (that didn't need an entire chapter each devoted to describing their individual personalities and other things related to them) and themes that made me think.

Despite the historical setting that may seen anything but normal, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter displays heroism in a more ordinary way with Hester Prynne's tale. One doesn't need to fight in physical battle to be considered a heroine or hero, but to just overcome some sort of obstacle, whether it happens overnight or it takes years. This is what first attracted me to the book as I began reading the first few chapters. Hester didn't want to be owned by sin or by the town's opinions. She wanted to be strong.

But her personality never stopped me from feeling sorry for her, because even though she held her head up in town, she often felt lonely and miserable. Her marraige should've never happened in the first place, she feared that her child would reflect unholy sin in her personality, and it was impossible to be with the father of her child without revealing his identity.

Mr. Dimmesdale also kept my interest and sympathy throughout this little novel, while Pearl's strangeness kept me smiling. Sure, she was unruly, but it was funny. She was the sunshine in The Scarlet Letter as a whole, much like she was the sunshine of Hester's life, which had unfortunately turned so bleak. That concept sums up this book quite well: Generally unhappy, but the little sparks of hope really stand out in contrast.

All things considered, The Scarlet Letter isn't exactly a favorite of mine, but I did like it; it tugged at my heart strings a little bit. It just could have been better if Hawthorne focused on plot development more than over-explaining. But, if he was more overly-descriptive of what these characters were feeling in an emotional time... Then, I'd have little to no room to complain.

Even so, it's really no wonder it's a classic.

End of 2012 Book Survey

Jaime from The Perpetual Page-Turner created another yearly book survey! I think they're so much fun! Here's her original post.

1. Best book you read in 2012?

Click here for my full list of the best books I read this year!

2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t?

Seventh Son by Orson Scott Card

It turned out to be an okay read, but it was nothing particularly spectacular. Meh.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012? 

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

I guess it wasn't that suprising since I didn't know what to expect, but I ended up really enjoying it.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green was the only one I read this year that put me on a mission to get everyone in the world to read.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

Though I did discover a couple of series, none of them particularly blew me away.

However, Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon series was rereleased, and I love them! I discovered Sailor Moon back in the '90s, so a rerelease of something I already knew and loved doesn't really count as a discovery.

 6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

JOHN GREEN! I also read something by Charlotte Bronte for the first time, and I think she's great!

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

 

I read manga for the first time! Even though I watched the Sailor Moon anime while it was still on television, it wasn't until years later that I started looking for the books. I was having trouble finding them until this wonderful rerelease!

 

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

I couldn't put these down:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Sailor Moon Volumes 1-5 by Naoko Takeuchi

9. Book you read in 2012 that you are most likely to re-read next year:

Sailor Moon 4 and Sailor Moon 5 by Naoko Takeuchi. I've only read from 1-5 so far, and those two were my favorites. Sailor Moon really steps in up in these two books.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink                                                                            The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien















Sailor Moon 3 by Naoko Takeuchi
(truthfully, I love all the Sailor Moon rerelease covers, but this is my favorite)

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte)
Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte)
Augustus Waters (The Fault in Our Stars by John Green)
Usagi/Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon Series by Naoko Takeuchi)
Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask (Sailor Moon Series by Naoko Takeuchi)
Chibiusa (Sailor Moon Series by Naoko Takeuchi)

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

CRYINGLAUGHINGCRYINGLAUGHING.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

Seriously, it's 2012 and I just now read something by John Green? I'm ridiculous!

I also can't believe I waited so long for Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. I've wanted to read that ever since it came out! The same goes for Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, but who knows if I'll even finish it this year.
*sigh*

15. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2012?

 "Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am souless and harmless?"
-Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

16. Shortest & longest book you read in 2012?

Shortest: A Separate Peace by John Knowles, 196 pages

Longest: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, 462 pages (which isn't even that long)

17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to somebody about it? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

There were a few episodes in Jane Eyre that I can't talk about without spoiling anything... and of course, Sailor Moon's badassery in the Black Moon story arc. Oh, and also Sailor Pluto in the same story arc.

18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Usagi/Sailor Moon and Mamoru/Tuxedo Kamen (Sailor Moon Series by Naoko Takeuchi)
Usagi and Chibiusa (Sailor Moon Series by Naoko Takeuchi)
Hazel and Augustus (The Fault in Our Stars by John Green)

19. Favorite book you read in 2012 from an author you read previously.

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

20. Best book you read that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else:

The only reason why I read Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith was because Annette Curtis Klause spoke positively about it.

.....

There was also a Book Blogging/Reading Life portion of the survey that I chose not to fill out this time around since I haven't been the most active in that department.

Looking Ahead:

1. One book You didn’t get to in 2012 but will be your number 1 priority in 2013?

I said this last year, and I'll say it again: Across the Universe by Beth Revis.

Plus, I really, really, REALLY need to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and Life of Pi by Yann Martel.

Oh wait! I also need to catch up on a few series by reading these books: Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick, Destined by Aprilynne Pike, Hidden by P.C. Cast + Kristin Cast, The Dark and Hallow Places by Carrie Ryan, and Circle of Fire by Michelle Zink. Oh, and the rest of the Sailor Moon books as well.

Yeah, I've got a lot of reading to do.

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2013?

The answer I gave to the last question is only a portion of my TBR. Do I look like I have time to anticipate any more? However... I'm totally excited for the rest of the Sailor Moon books... not to mention the Sailor Moon art book. Did you hear me? ART BOOK. *dances, sings, falls over*

3. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging in 2013?

CATCH UP. My TBR is out of control. But, there are a lot of books I'd like to reread... Let's see if I can READ ALL THE BOOKS in 2013.
(Heh. Doubt it.)

One thing I've been feeling lately... I need to meet an author I'm a fan of. Though I'm a major book nerd, I haven't met any authors yet. I must go to a bookish event and get something signed.

--

Thanks for taking the time to read (or at least skim) all of that! I hope everyone else had a fabulous year in blogging and reading; let's make 2013 even better!

:)