I've Moved!

I've moved my blog. Check me out at eclecticobsessions.wordpress.com

I'm back (for a bit)

Hey, guys, I know I haven't posted anything in a couple weeks, but that's because of school, and swim team, and reality TV... um, ignore that last one.

But I just wanted to let all my readers know that I prbably won't be posting for a while. As stated before, I am super super busy, and I really don't have the time to maintain this blog. I'll let you know when I'll be posting more.

Oh, and one more thing..Check out Reader X's $10 Gift Card to Any Online Realtor post. I think the title's pretty self-explanatory. ;-)

Review: Violet by Design by Melissa Walker

I was going to get out of the modeling business for good.
But now I'm having trouble sticking with my decision. After all, if it weren't for modeling, I might still be the invisible wallflower. Hot guys like Paulo wouldn't be interested in me. And I'd never have seen Brazil or Spain--and now France! On the other hand...
I also wouldn't have to choose between my best friend from home and my agent's shrill demands. Or anguish over my body the way only runway models do. Not to mention all this trouble I'm getting into for speaking out in the press about eating disorders.
Maybe the life of an international model isn't for me. But if I quit for good, I might always wonder... What if?

As I'm sure you've already heard, Violet by Design is a wonderful book told in a convincing way that any girl can relate to. I loved following Violet's struggle between her two selves, on and off the runway, and the development of all the secondary characters. The characters were defintely what hooked me, especially being the second in the series, where there is often an emotional arc missing, especially in this type of fiction. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I'm sure you will too. So go on, pick it up. What have you got to lose?

Second opinions: Teen Book Review, Dear Author, Em's Bookshelf, From the Corner of Megan's Mind, The Story Siren, And Another Book Read

Review: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

The Angel Experiment is about six kids living alone in a house. Boring, right? Until you add in the fact that they're mutants made at a place they call School, and are on the run from these creatures they call erasers. And, oh yeah, they have wings. They even have special powers. The youngest can read minds. How freaky/cool is that?

The story starts out with the youngest, Angel, being captured by the Erasers and taken back to School. After that, it mainly follows the leader, Max, as she and the other four try to rescue Angel and evade the Erasers. I reeally want to say more, but I don't like to give things away, so I won't. That's the bare minimum.

I loved this book. The characters had depth, the plot moved, and despite all the odd stuff listed above, I believed every word of it. And it keeps you guessing. I cannot wait to read the next in the series, to find out what happens. I highly recommend you read this book. Seriously. Even if you don't like science fiction. I swear you'll love it.

Other reviews: Couldn't find any reviews on my favorite sites, so I would check out Amazon. I mean, you've got 234 to choose from. =)

Review: The Princess and the Hound by Mett Ivie Harrison

The Princess and the Hound is a wonderful (non)-retelling of The Beauty and the Beast, but this time, the girl is the beast. The story begins with Prince George as a young boy first discovering his animal magic. However, in the kingdom of Kendel, having animal magic is seen as a great evil, for which a person is burned. Throughout the book, George struggles with having animal magic, and eventually finds a solution for all.

Meanwhile, when George is an adult, he must marry Princess Beatrice of Sarrey, to unify the two kingdoms after a long war. When he goes to visit Princess Beatrice, he discovers that she is never without her hound, Marit. He later discovers that Marit and Beatrice have actually switched bodies, and he is the only who can switch them back.

I found The Princess and the Hound to be a wonderful story of its own, and didn't really find it to be a retelling at all (this is a good thing, in my book). The characters had depth and the writing was wonderful. There was also a little something for everyone; romance, adventure, magic. The only problem I had with it was that I found the bond between Beatrice and Marit confusing. All in all, I loved it, and would recommend it to anyone, especially those who enjoy fairy tales.

A second opinion: Becky's Book Reviews

Just to let you know...

Just to let my non-existent readers now, I am on vacation at the moment, and am sadly book and computer deprived. I do have a few reviews to post, and will do so when I get back home (this Saturday, in case you were wondering.)

Thanks for reading!

TL

Review: Dramarama by E. Lockhart

Two theater-mad, self-invented,

fabulositon Ohio teenagers.

One boy, one girl.

One gay, one straight.

One black, one white.

And SUMMER DRAMA CAMP.

It's a season of

hormones,

glod lame,

hissy fits,

jazz hands,

song and dance,

true love,

and unitards

that will determine their future

-and test their friendship.

I found Dramarama to be a very interesting book, filled with friendship, romance, and human trees. However, I definitely think there could have been more. There are some very big differences between Demi (black, gay guy) and Sadye (white, straight girl) that I think should have been explored more. For instance, there is a scene where Demi points out to Sadye that she never notices he's black, and he wishes she would. However, it doesn't go much deeper than that, and I think it should. Also, there is a conservatively raised girl at the camp who has never met a gay person before-but she accepts Demi without question and moves on. That could be another angle for exploring these issues. All in all, I suppose it was a good book, but to me it lacked oomph. If you're going to have these issues prominent in your book, you should defintely give them their full reckoning.