Teen Fantasy: Percy Jackson and the Olympians The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

B About the Book: Percy Jackson must lead the battle to protect New York.

The King's Ruling: The last of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Last Olympian is an action packed ending to a great series. I give the book and the series an 8 out of 10.

Spoilers (Highlight to View):--->This is not the last we have heard from the Olympians, so be on the lookout for the next series.<---

Teen Fantasy: The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott

About the Book: Have you ever wondered why almost every different belief system and mythology have similiar circumstances, similiar monsters, and similiar heroes? Maybe it is because all of the legendary stories of mankind are based on, at least in part, all of the same legends. And what if those legendary heroes, monsters, and legends still lived in secret in the world today? Josh and Sophie, twins from the modern day city of San Francisco are about to find out.

The King's Ruling: A nonstop adventure from page one, the Alchemyst is the first of six books in the The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. As the story is about a fantasy adventure taking place in present day there are moments that the reader must suspend his or her disbelief, but as a whole Michael Scott creates a great fantasy adventure that is accessible to everyone yet still grounded in historical mythology.

Spoilers:--->Even though Josh is the annoying twin I think he may turn out to be the hero of the story. I love the historical characters in this story but the gods seem to be pretty easy to kill off. <---

Teen Romance: Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

About the Book: If you do not know what this book is about then you have been living under a rock

The King's Ruling: Chapters 15-22 saved this book from a 1 out of 10. While the first 14 and last 3 chapters were mindless drivel, chapters 15-22 were as compelling as any teen fiction that I have blogged so far. I hope to be writing a piece for the Springfield Greene County Library Teen Thing blog comparing and contrasting Twilight and Harry Potter soon so after I post that I will share it on this blog too.

Spoilers (Highlight to view):--->Edward is a vampire, Jacob is a werewolf, Bella makes it, Edward and Bella fall in love. While I extremely dislike Bella and Edward, I love the Cullens and wish the story was about them.<---

Teen Manga: Crimson Hero Vol. 1 by Takanashi Mitsuba

About the Book: All Nobara Sumiyoshi wants to do is play vollyball. All that Nobara's wealthy mother wants is for Nobara to follow in the family business. When Nobara goes to play volleyball against her mothers wishes, she finds that the school that she has chosen has quite suddenly eliminated girls volleyball and the boy's volleyball team is determined to keep it gone. How can Nobara convince the school to bring girls volleyball back, and how will she deal with her mother's rejection of her aspirations?

The King's Ruling: Cute, but I found the author's narration of her writing process more engaging than the actual story. I think this series has potential though. Nobara is a spunky heroine who I was cheering for. There is some subtle (and not so subtle) older teen content. I give it a 5 out of 10.

Spoilers (Highlight to View):--->This book seems to follow the typical shojo beat pattern, defy family, deal with shame, meet the mean guy, meet the nice guy, have feelings for both.<---

Teen Fantasy: The Tapestry Book 1: The Hound of Rowan by Henry H Neff.

About the Book: Max McDaniels is just an ordinary kid, sure his dad works a little too much and talks like his dead mom is still alive, but that is his dad's issue not his. Max's life has not been easy he has had to deal with the loss of his mom and bullies, but his is just a regular kid. Or he was...until his trip to the art museum where he is chased by a strange man with one eye and he finds an old tapestry that no one else can see. This puts him on a path to adventure that will change his life forever.

The King's Ruling: Part Harry Potter, part Lightning Thief, the Hound of Rowan is a fun romp through Irish mythology. The characters are interesting and Max is a wonderful hero. The plot drags a little at times and sometimes the story seems to jump, but all in all I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the next one. I give it a 7 out of 10.

Spoilers (highlight to view):--->I hope that Ronan has a much larger role in the second book, he is like the second coming of Sirius Black<---

#deathlyhallows Review (Spoiler Alert) #RIPDobby

So Greenbeanteenqueen and I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last night, and I have to say it was awesome. I have never been so impressed with a Harry Potter film since the first two, and since I did not get into Harry Potter until after those movies I have never up until this morning left a theater feeling satisfied after a Potter Movie.

We dressed up as Lupin and Tonks as we did for the book 7 release, but our costumes were a bit half hearted this time due to lack of time and money restrictions. There were a lot of people dressed up at the movies but none of the fantastic costumes we had seen at previous movies.

The movie itself surpassed all my expectations. Yes, if you have not read the book you might get a little lost with all of the hows and whys of the story. Yes, by itself this movie is nothing special (meaning if it did not have a book series backing it up it would not stand alone). Yes, it ends on a cliffhanger and it has some pacing issues during between the capture of the locket and the trip to Godric's Hollow. But that does not change the fact that the movie stayed true to the book and had vast majority of everything that I wanted to see from part one. And yes Dobby's death is just as poignant a moment as it is in the book.

Successes:
Rupert and Emma are fantastic, I think they really nailed the Ron/Hermione dynamic in this one (Particularly Emma)
Voldemort is amazing
Nagini is terrifying
Dobby is just perfect
They ended part one at what I think is the best possible spot.
I felt like the movie ended too soon and would have been happy to stay for another two and a half hours and watch part two
The scope is much more epic and the emotions more raw
So much action
The courtroom seen and its aftermath was wonderful
The story of the three brothers could not have been more well done
Bathelda Bagshot was super creepy
The Bellatrix/Hermione interrogation was great.

Failures:
Scrimgeour is too nice
Potter Watch is replaced by an ongoing newscast in the background that has important information but is more distracting than helpful
The Harry/Hermione dance/near kiss was superfluous
Harry never tells Ron that he does not have feelings for Hermione
I wanted Harry to realize that when he was in the ministry he was someone important
Bill's introduction was awkward
Tonks and Lupin's baby was hinted at but was never explicitly stated
They never showed Dobby's grave
They showed but never explained the name taboo on Voldemort

This movie was awesome. I want to go back and see it again today. I don't think I will, but I will see it in theaters at least one more time. I can't wait for part 2

Teen Fiction: Notes From The Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick

About the Book: Sixteen year old Alex Gregory is forced to learn some hard lessons after getting drunk, crashing his mom's car, and destroying a neighbor's lawn gnome. After losing his licence and being sentanced to 100 hours of community service Alex learns is true sentance, he must learn about life, relationships, and himself

The King's Ruling: A sweet story that is kind of a teen version of Tuesdays with Morrie. This book has a little bit of everything but a lot of heart. I give it 5 out of 10.

Spoilers (Highlight to view):--->I love gnomes<---

Teen Fiction: Born to Rock by Gordon Korman

About the Book: Leo Carraway is everything a young republican is supposed to be. Intelligent, articulate, and about to attend Harvard on a full-ride scholarship. What could go possibly go wrong? Well, if a full body cavity search is any indication...everything

The King's Ruling: This book was a fun read with a nice twist. Korman sets the standard for contemporary teen fiction. I give the book a 5 out of 10. It was fun and interesting but not did not leave me wanting more.


Spoilers (Highlight to View): --->I love King Maggot's character and I kept thinking that Korman was taking shots at the Rolling Stones.<---

Teen Manga: Fantamir by Eun-Jin Seo

About the Book: Fantamir is the story of Mir, a magical priestess who loses her powers and so chooses to attempt to become just a regular student at a very unusual and very special private school.

The King's Ruling: Just when I was starting to accept the idea of reading Manga backwards this one comes along and is read in the American style. While the story was creative, the author leaves much of the story unsaid making the reader infer more of the content than what is actually written in the book. I give it a 3 out of 10.

Spoilers (highlight to read): --->While the school's ties to her family is interesting, I will not be continuing with this series<---

Teen Fantasy: Nightmare Academy: Monster Hunters by Dean Lorey

About the Book: Charlie Benjamin is not a normal kid. When he goes to sleep and has a nightmare, terrible things tend to happen to the people around him. Because of these disasters Charlie is forced to be an outcast, living in an underground house with his parents so that he can never be a danger to the other normal children around him. One night however Charlie's nightmares threaten the life of both him and his parents and Charlie is forced to make a decision about his future that will change is life, and perhaps the world, forever.

The King's Ruling: Part Harry Potter, part Men in Black, and part Monsters Inc. on steroids, Nightmare Academy: Monster Hunters is an exciting and vivid read that explores what really happens in your nightmares. Lorey creates an imaginative world that even the most reluctant reader can relate to. With a movie in the works and the second of what looks to be a three part series on the shelves this a an action packed franchise that I expect to hear big things from in the future. I give this book an 8 out of 10 and I can't wait for the next one.

Spoilers (Highlight to read): --->There are no spoilers for this book although I want to know who the 5th is.<---

#NaNoWriMo Update and HP Answers

I have failed today. I barely got in 150 words. My dogs got me up at 4:45 this morning and I am just not right to write. Hopefully I can pick up the slack tomorrow. Here are the HP answers that I promised:


Easy: Who is the Potions Master?-Snape
Easy: What was the last Christmas present Harry opened?- His father’s invisibility cloak
Easy: What did Hagrid name his Norwegian Ridgeback?-Norbert
M-When Harry asks the Dursley’s the question ‘How did I get my scar?’ what did they tell him?-Car Accident
Medium: Who is the Gryffindor house ghost?- Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington aka Nearly Headless Nic
Medium: Who is the Gryffindor Quidditch captain?-Oliver Wood
H-What year was Hagrid in when he was expelled from Hogwarts?-Third year
Hard: What is the first password for Gryffindor tower?- Caput Draconis
H-How many Knuts do you need to make a Sickle?-29
Ridiculously Hard: What kind of wood was Tom Riddle/Voldemort’s wand?-Yew
Ridiculously Hard: When does Harry study the night skies?- Wednesdays, at midnight
Ridiculously Hard: What does troll boogers look like?-Lumpy Gray Glue
Easy: What is Dobby?-House Elf
Easy: Which Quidditch team does Ron support?- The Chudley Cannons
Easy: How did Ron and Harry get to Hogwarts?- In Mr. Weasley flying Ford Angelina
Medium: What store did Harry end up in when trying to get to Diagon Ally?- Borgin and Burkes
Medium: How many times in a row has Gilderoy Lockhart won Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award?-5 Times
Medium: What item of clothing set Dobby free?-A Sock
Hard: What did Dobby have to do when he got home because he went to see Harry?- Shut his ears in the oven door
Hard: How many times did Filch make Ron buff the Quidditch cup? -14
Hard: Why does Ron not like spiders?- Fred turned Ron’s teddy bear into a spider when he was little
Ridiculously Hard: What book hit Mr. Malfoy’s eye when he and Mr. Weasley were brawling?- Encyclopedia of Toadstools
Ridiculously Hard: In what book does Gilderoy Lockhart say that his favorite color is lilac?-The Year with the Yeti
Ridiculously Hard: When did Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (Nearly Headless Nick) die?-October 31, 1492
Easy: Who is the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher?-Rebeus Hagrid
Easy: What happened to Harry’s Nimbus Two Thousand?-It Flew into the Whomping Willow
Easy: What did Trelawney see in Harry’s cup?-The Grim
Medium: What did Hagrid give Harry for his birthday?- The Monster Book of Monsters
Medium: How many people did Sirius Black kill with one curse?-13
Medium: What creature is Buckbeak?-hippogriff
Hard: What school did Vernon say Harry went to?- St. Brutus’s Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys
Hard: What potion has Snape been making Lupin?-The Wolfsbane Potion
Hard: What were the third years learning in Divination the day Hermione left?-Crystal Gazing
Ridiculously Hard: How many mph does the Firebolt go and in how many seconds?- 150 mph in 10 seconds
Ridiculously Hard: What classes did Hermione have at nine o’clock on the first day of school?- Divination, Muggle Studies, and Arithmancy
Ridiculously Hard: Where was the Fat Lady hiding?- In a map of Argyllshire
Easy: Who was the gardener for the Riddle House?-Frank Bryce
Easy: How does Bill style his hair?-He puts it in a ponytail
Easy: Who did the Weasleys Harry and Hermione meet at the portkey?-The Diggorys
Medium: Why did Dudley have to go on a diet?- The school outfitters didn’t stock knickerbockers big enough for him
Medium: What were the Bulgarian mascots?-Veela
Medium: How many hands does the Weasley’s clock have?-9
Hard: What are people who work for the Department of Mysteries called?-Unspeakables
Hard: What book had Professor Moody lent Neville?- Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean
Hard: Who are all the judges for the Triwizard Tournament?- Professors Dumbledore and Karkaroff, Madam Maxime, Ludo Bagman, and Mr. Crouch
Ridiculously Hard: What hill was the portkey on?-Stoatshead Hill
Ridiculously Hard: How many years had it been since Britain hosted the Quidditch World Cup?-30 years
Ridiculously Hard: How many people does the Quidditch World Cup stadium hold?-100,000
Easy: Who founded the Order of the Pheonix?-Dumbledore
Easy: What did Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister look like?-She looked like a toad
Easy: What did Harry and Dudley meet in the ally?-Dementors
Medium: What is a Metamorphmagus?- A person who can change their appearance at will
Medium: What is Sirius’s brother’s name?-Regulus
Medium: Who told the prophesy about Harry and Voldemort?- Sybil Trelawney
Hard: Where was the headquarters for the Order of Phoenix?- Number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London
Hard: What is Kreacher’s life ambition?- To have his head cut off and stuck up on a plaque like his mother
Hard: What is Dumbledore’s full name?- Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Ridiculously Hard: What did Mrs. Weasley find under the couch in the drawing room?- A nest of dead puffskeins
Ridiculously Hard: What are heliopaths and who do they work for according to Luna Lovegood?- They’re spirits of fire that work for Fudge
Ridiculously Hard: What kind of charm did Hermione put on the fake Galleons? - A Protean Charm
Easy: What kind of vow did Snape and Narcissa make? –An Unbreakable Vow
Easy: Who is Bill getting married to?-Fleur Delacour
Easy: Who previously owned Harry’s potion book?-The Half Blood Prince
Medium: Where did Harry tell Kreature to go?-Hogwarts
Medium: What did Horace Slughorn disguise himself as?-an oversized armchair
Medium: What language (besides English) can the Gaunt’s speak? –Parseltounge
Hard: What store’s merchandise is banned from Hogwarts?-Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes
Hard: What did Hermione send flying toward Ron?-Charmed Birds
Hard: Why did Ron fail his Apparation test?-He left half an eyebrow behind
Ridiculously Hard: What was the name of the vampire Harry met at Slughorn’s party?-Sanguini
Ridiculously Hard: What was Herbert Chorley doing when he was under the Imperius Curse?-Quacking
Ridiculously Hard: What was the matron’s name at the orphanage Tom Riddle was raised?
Easy: How is everyone turning into Harry going to turn into Harry?-Polyjuice Potion
Easy: Which twin lost his ear?-George
Easy: What is Tonk’s and Lupin’s baby’s name?-Teddy
Medium: What subject did Charity Burbage teach at Hogwarts?-Muggle Studies
Medium: Who is writing a book about Albus Dumbledore?-Rita Skeeter
Medium: What did Dumbledore leave Hermione in his will?-His copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard
Hard: What is Lucius Malfoy’s Patronus?-a Peacock
Hard: Where did Hermione get books that had information on Horcruxes?- She summoned them from Dumbledore’s office before leaving Hogwarts
Hard: Who was with Ted Tonks, Dirk, and the two Goblins on the run? –Dean Thomas
Ridiculously Hard: What did Hermione put on Ron’s wounds?- ‘Essence of Dittany’
Ridiculously Hard: What did Rita Skeeter give Bathilda to tell her stories about the Dumbledores?- Veritaserum
H.-What are the Deathly Hallows?-The elder wand, the resurrection stone, and the invisibility cloak
Tiebreaker
Ridiculously Hard: What do you have to dial in the red telephone booth to reach the Ministry of Magic-62442
Hard: Who is in the cell in the Malfoy Manor?- Mr. Ollivander, Luna, Dean, Ron, Harry, and Griphook
Hard: What did Dobby’s grave say?- ‘Here lies Dobby, a free elf.’

Teen Christian: The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson

About the Book: The Door Within chronicles the adventures of Aiden Thomas within a magical alternate reality known as "The Realm". Aiden is enlisted to fight against the forces of evil and help the Glimpse (the humanoid alteregos of real people) decide to side with King Eliam, the Godlike king of Alleble.

The King's Ruling: I went in hoping for C.S. Lewis and came out disappointed with a the Book of Revelation with some of the names changed. If you do not want to have to think about a story and just enjoy obvious biblical parallel this book and series (The Door Within is book 1 of a 3 part series) is for you. While there was some imagination to the story and Batson creates a world of great beauty contrasted with supreme evil, he largely sacrifices the quality of the plot for an emphasis on his message. I give this book a 2 out of 10.

Spoilers(Highlight to read):--->If you have ever read any of the bible, then there is nothing that I could spoil for you in this book<---

#NaNoWriMo Day 14 and the HP trivia questions

Today I wrote 1691 words for a total of 23550 for the month.

Here are the Harry Potter Trivia questions that we used. I will post the answers tomorrow. Good Luck!


Book 1
Who is the Potions Master?
What was the last Christmas present Harry opened?
What did Hagrid name his Norwegian Ridgeback?
When Harry asks the Dursley’s the question ‘How did I get my scar?’ what did they tell him?
Who is the Gryffindor house ghost
Who is the Gryffindor Quidditch captain?
What year was Hagrid in when he was expelled from Hogwarts?
What is the first password for Gryffindor tower?
How many Knuts do you need to make a Sickle?
What kind of wood was Tom Riddle/Voldemort’s wand?
When does Harry study the night skies?
What does troll boogers look like?

Book 2
What is Dobby?
Which Quidditch team does Ron support?
How did Ron and Harry get to Hogwarts?
What store did Harry end up in when trying to get to Diagon Ally?
How many times in a row has Gilderoy Lockhart won Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award?
What item of clothing set Dobby free?
What did Dobby have to do when he got home because he went to see Harry?
How many times did Filch make Ron buff the Quidditch cup?
Why does Ron not like spiders?
What book hit Mr. Malfoy’s eye when he and Mr. Weasley were brawling
In which of his books does Gilderoy Lockhart say that his favorite color is lilac?
When did Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington die?

Book 3
Who is the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher?
What happened to Harry’s Nimbus Two Thousand?
What did Trelawney see in Harry’s cup?
What did Hagrid give Harry for his birthday?
How many people did Sirius Black kill with one curse?
What creature is Buckbeak?
What school did Vernon say Harry went to?
What potion has Snape been making Lupin?
What were the third years learning in Divination the day Hermione left?
How many mph does the Firebolt go and in how many seconds?
What classes did Hermione have at nine o’clock on the first day of school?
Where was the Fat Lady hiding?

Book 4
Who was the gardener for the Riddle House?
How does Bill style his hair?
Who did the Weasleys Harry and Hermione meet at the portkey?
Why did Dudley have to go on a diet?
What were the Bulgarian mascots?
How many hands does the Weasley’s clock have?
What are people who work for the Department of Mysteries called?
What book had Professor Moody lent Neville?
Who are all the judges for the Triwizard Tournament?
What hill was the portkey on?
How many years had it been since Britain hosted the Quidditch World Cup?
How many people does the Quidditch World Cup stadium hold?

Book 5
Who founded the Order of the Pheonix?
What did Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister look like?
What did Harry and Dudley meet in the ally?
What is a Metamorphmagus?
What is Sirius’s brother’s name?
Who told the prophesy about Harry and Voldemort?
Where was the headquarters for the Order of Phoenix?
What is Kreacher’s life ambition?
What is Dumbledore’s full name?
What did Mrs. Weasley find under the couch in the drawing room?
What are heliopaths and who do they work for according to Luna Lovegood?
What kind of charm did Hermione put on the fake Galleons?

Book 6
What kind of vow did Snape and Narcissa make?
Who is Bill getting married to?
Who previously owned Harry’s potion book?
Where did Harry tell Kreature to go?
What did Horace Slughorn disguise himself as?
What language (besides English) can the Gaunt’s speak?
What store’s merchandise is banned from Hogwarts?
What did Hermione send flying toward Ron?
Why did Ron fail his Apparation test?
What was the name of the vampire Harry met at Slughorn’s party?
What was Herbert Chorley doing when he was under the Imperius Curse?
What was the matron’s name at the orphanage Tom Riddle was raised?

Book 7
How is everyone turning into Harry going to turn into Harry?
Which twin lost his ear?
What is Tonk’s and Lupin’s baby’s name?
What subject did Charity Burbage teach at Hogwarts?
Who is writing a book about Albus Dumbledore?
What did Dumbledore leave Hermione in his will?
What is Lucius Malfoy’s Patronus?
Where did Hermione get books that had information on Horcruxes?
Who was with Ted Tonks, Dirk, and the two Goblins on the run?
What did Hermione put on Ron’s wounds?
What did Rita Skeeter give Bathilda to tell her stories about the Dumbledores?
What are the Deathly Hallows?

Tiebreakers
What do you have to dial in the red telephone booth to reach the Ministry of Magic?
Who are prisoners in the cell in the Malfoy Manor?
What did Dobby’s grave say?

Teen Horror: 666: The Number Of The Beast by Various Authors

About the Book: 666 is a compilation of several horror authors short stories.

The King's Ruling: While it was nice to get a quick overview of the genre, the stories themselves were less than terrifying with some bordering on the inane. There were two great short stories, with the rest ranging from average to lame. I give it a 4 out of 10.

Spoilers (highlight to view): --->

Channel 99 by Peter Abrahams (Lame)

The legend of Anna Barton by Laurie Faria Stolarz (outstanding)

Saving face by Christopher Pike (average)

The little sacrifice by Joyce Carol Oates (lame)

If you knew Suzie by Heather Graham (better than average)

Slam dance by Bentley Little (less than average)

A trick of the light by Chet Williamson (less than average)

Erased by Jane Mason (less than average)

Empire of dirt by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (Average)

Incident report by Joshua Gee (less than average)

Scapegoat by Robin Wasserman (average)

Imagining things by T.E.D. Klein (outstanding)

Grandma Kelly by David Moody (less than average)

Shelter Island by Melissa de la Cruz (average)

La fleur de nuit by P.D. Cacek (less than average)

Ever after by Isobel Bird (less than average)

Haunted by Ellen Schreiber (better than average)

Wolfsbane by Sarah Hines Stephens (less than average) <---

#NaNoWriMo and Harry Potter

Today I wrote 1718 words for a total of 21759 for the month.

Earlier today I got to be a judge at a Happy Potter trivia contest. There were 84 questions asked and the winning team got 68.5 out of 84. The questions were pretty hard, and I will try to post them to see if you would be able to beat the winning team. But I have to say it was a blast and there was a huge turnout. It is nice to see that the books are still popular, because I flat out love them.

Teen Fiction: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

About the Book: Junior, who is a budding cartoonist leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. He must learn to deal with racism from his kids at new school, claims that he is turning is back on his people from kids on the reservation, and making and succeeding on his new school's basketball team.

The King's Ruling: This would be a really fun story if it did not so accurately reflect the state that many native americans find themselves in today. Junior is very funny and the cartoons add a bit of humor to a bleak portrayal of Junior's life. This book is appropriate for any teen and I give it a 7 out of 10.

Spoilers (highlight to see)--->Junior's growth as a basketball player seems a bit exagerated, and this book would have gotten a 9 if its protrayal of native american life was not so accurate. (which i hate to say but its the truth)<---

#NaNoWriMo and sleeping

Hello everyone!

Sorry that I did not get a post up yesterday. I had to work late and then when I sat down to write everything seemed forced and not very good. I was telling and not showing what was going on so I decided that since I was a day ahead on NaNo I would take the day off from writing and come back fresh today.

Yes I came back strong today. I wrote 1684 words today and finished with a total of 20041 so far for the month.

I have found that I have been falling asleep while I have been writing lately. Does this happen to anyone else? I know that I have not been getting enough sleep, but I never thought I would be able to write while dozing.

Teen Historical Fiction: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

About the Book: Who Cares.

The Teen King Says: I rarely put down any book. But I had to put this one down. Not because it was offensive, but it was just too slow and I didn't care for the characters. I am a huge history fan and I enjoy the American Revolutionary period particularly, but this book could not keep me interested. I found myself reading the same line over and over again. Sorry Octavian fans, but to me this one gets a 1 out of 10.

Taken from the pages of the GreenBeanTeenQueen

Here is a guest blog I wrote for GreenBeanTeenQueen's blog:


In honor of it being Audio book Friday, I have chosen to review the Audio books for Harry Potter series. (I love the British adult covers for the Harry Potter books, so that is why I have used them as the picture rather than the American covers. Although I have to say that Mary GrandPre does a wonderful job on the cover art on the American covers as well.)Now I know that this series is old news by now and most of us have found out Harry’s ultimate fate already, but what most people do not know is that the Audio books performed by Jim Dale are some of the best ever made.

About the books: This series chronicles the story of Harry Potter, a orphaned British boy with a lightning shaped scar on his forehead who discovers that he is a wizard. Harry, who is a famous hero in the secret “wizarding world”, leaves his muggle (non-wizard) family to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he makes his way through a world of magic that he never knew existed, Harry discovers that his fate is somehow entwined with Lord Voldemort, the most evil wizard to have ever lived.

Andy says: J.K. Rowling crafts a masterful story and Jim Dale’s execution of over 400 different character voices are a joy to listen to. Jim Dale’s dulcet tones describing Rowling’s vibrant characters and majestic backdrop weaves its own spell around the listener. My only criticism is that Dale’s voices for the young female characters still sound a bit masculine. However, the whole of his performance more than makes up for this one shortcoming. I give these audio books 10 out of 10 and I cannot wait to listen to them with my children. And because I can’t wait I will get them from the library again soon.

I would love to hear what you think about Jim Dale's performance. Please put any comments below.

#NaNoWriMo results and YA Characters as a Metaphor for Teens

I am very pleased with my writing today. Not only did I write about the pain of loss but I wrote 2043 words which puts me at a total of 18357 so far this month.

I am still thinking about a perfect name for my main character. Part of my problem with giving my main character in my NaNoWriMo project a name is I want him to be able to be a metaphorical stand in for any teen reading this story if they so choose.

My goal of perhaps having a nameless main character is to give the reader an easy path to turning the character into themselves. I want the to consider what they would do if they were presented with these challenges. However I want this project to also be fun and engaging for the reader without the reader having to put him or her self into the book if they do not want to. I find is to be a stimulating line to walk.

Does this idea even make sense, or do I just need to get out of my head and just enjoy telling the story?

Which leads me to another thought.
Do you think that it is wrong to use YA books and characters to push morality?

I am not writing this story with an agenda per say but I can see where someone could take the ultimate "lesson" of my story to be that, 1. there are consequences for your actions and you have to take responsibility for them, 2. that sometimes restrictions are in place for a reason, and 3. that just because you are born a certain way or just because other have placed certain expectations on you does not mean that you have to be prisoner to circumstance. You are free to make your own choices and be who you want to be.

So what do you think?

Do you think that YA characters are stand in for teens to allow them to process difficulties of everyday life? Do you push any specific morality in your writing?

Teen Science Fiction: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

About the Book: Katniss Everdeen a 16 year old girl who does what she needs to do to help her family survive in a post apocolyptic world that used to be North America. When her younger sister is selected to participate as a tribute in the brutal hunger games Katniss volunteers to put her own life on the line in a contest where there can only be one survivor.

The Teen King's Ruling: While I did not love this book I definately liked it. I worried through the whole book if the ending would live up to the rest of the story. The first book of a trilogy, Hunger Games is a light read than never the less has some graphic descriptions. Suzanne Collins creates a believable and engaging world that is laden with suspences and excitement. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Spoilers (Highlight to View) --->While I was not completely satisfied with the ending (I would have liked to seee Katness, Peeta, and Rue killed by the gamemakers after a final act of defiance.) I thought that the ending was appropriate and set up the rest of the series nicely. I believe the mockingjay pin is poisoned or is some type of communications device. I think the avox are former arena contestants, and I hope the Katniss ends of with Gale who was my favorite character.<---

#NaNoWriMo Day 9 results

1753 words today, which means I am at 16314 for the month. I am nearly a full day ahead and while I will write at least 1667 words tomorrow, I only need 353 to meet tomorrow's goal. But right now my wife wants me to get to bed so goodnight everyone.

Teen Romance: What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones

About the Book: What my Mother Doesn't Know is the story of almost 15 year old Sophie and the adventures that she has in life and in love during the first half of her sophomore year. Sophie takes the reader through her struggles with her family, her friends, and her search for Mr. Right.

The Teen King's Ruling: Written in enchanting verse, Sonya Sones presents the angst of teenage life in a clear and concise, but completely fun way. Sophie is a thoroughly enjoyable character and the brief glimpses into the different episodes of her life leave the reader reliving high school memories, or looking forward to future high school experiences. I give this book a 6 out of 10.

Spoilers (Highlight to View) --->I found myself extremely annoyed at two parts of the book. First, when Sophie allows her romance will Dylan to fizzle because of her online beau, and second when her instincts tell her to go for Robin, but she waits until the end of the book to do so. But maybe that's just because I am a guy and I see things differently than a girl does.<---

CONAN!

I am so glad Conan is back! You know, just FYI.

#NaNoWriMo Updated and Why Titles are the Bane of My Existance

Today I wrote 1836 words for a total of 14561 so far this month. I keep wishing my adult project was this easy to write. But that is a post for another day. Here is my writing issue that I was thinking about today.

I hate creating titles for my projects.

There are several reasons for this. First, I know that most of the time the title is going to get changed before the book gets published. So I feel like I should not put too much work into a title.

Second, the title is going to stick with you forever. I have never gotten a tattoo because I cannot think of anything that I would want to have on my body forever. I am so ADD that ten minutes after I got the ink I would be trying to scrape it off so that I could get something else.

Third, I can never think of a good title because I am too close to the project. I do not want the title to give too much away but I also want it to be a good representation of what the book is and I want it to be memorable.

Fourth, I know I need a title, and while I can put it off for a while, I will eventually give these monsters a name.

Of all of my projects I only have two titles and both of them are for my children's projects. Both titles are kind of no brainers so I cannot really take pride in them.

So how do you determine your titles? Do you think that I am overreacting? If you have been published what has been your experience with titles and title changes? I would love any comments that could help. You guys are the best!

Thoughts from the Teen King

I used to have a book blog called The Teen King. I am going to be migrating those reviews over to this blog over the next few days. So feel free to comment on them, but keep in mind most of them are over a year old so on a few books that have already had second or third books in the series come out my guesses (and opinions) may be out of date and may not reflect my current feelings (for example my opinion of The Hunger Games).

Another Day Another #NaNoWriMo word count.

I have to make this short. I was falling asleep in my chair as I was doing my writing tonight. I am not sure of the quality of my words but I made it to the requisite number...just barely. My word count today was exactly 1667 and that brings my total up to 12725 for the month. *Yawn* I am tired...see you tomorrow!

#NaNoWriMo Does the Streak Continue?

It does! Today I wrote 1783 words for a grand total of 11058. I really did not think I was going to make it today because my wife and I had friends (seriously what is with friends and the whole wanting to spend time with you think? Again another Scrubs quote) over tonight so I had to spent a lot of the day cleaning house. Then I fell asleep and by the time I woke up I had no time to write. Fortunately, I am at a part in the story that is really fun to write.

I just introduced my main character to one of the pantheon of gods that rule my fantasy world. Needless to say that interaction was fun to write. The only thing that really got me thinking is teenagers have the know all mentality, so do you think that if the teen was meeting one of minor gods that he would show a lot of respect or would he be standoffish?

I wrote the scene so that he is respectful, but I think as he rationalized the experience he is going to go from annoyed to angry that he only met one of the minor gods when he was hoping to meet one the major ones.

What do you think, does this seem realistic or am I pushing teen rebelliousness too far?

Another Day of #NaNoWriMo

I have done it again, for the 5th day straight. I wrote 1815 words today which brings my grand total up to 9275. I would like to write more and respond to some of your posts but that will have to wait for tomorrow. It has been a long day and I am ready for bed. Good night (and good luck, I love that movie, and that quote from the TV show Scrubs which I also love.) I will reply to all tomorrow.

#NaNoWriMo Four for Four and the Invisible "I"

Got in another 2076 words today which brings my total to 7459 for the month. I am very pleased with my results so far and with the weekend coming up I think I am in for a really positive first week.

There is one thing I am worried about though with this new story. I am 7459 words into my new story, and my main character, the narrator from who's perspective the story it told from does not have a name. That's right, no name.

Now there really has not been call for a name so far. He is an apprentice and everyone who around him knows either him or his parents and so there is a certain familiarity that he has with everyone or that everyone has with him.

So my question to you is: Is this a problem? Could you enjoy a book that is told from first person but you never actually learn the name of the person giving you this perspective. I almost see it as a challenge at this point to see if I can make it through the whole story with my main character nameless.

He has a name by the way, I just don't know what it is...I am so picky when it comes to names. I like to use names that look normal but have a strong meaning. In my adult project I picked the names of the characters first because if you deconstruct the names down to their meanings you can actually learn a lot of their storyline and their actual fate by the end of the books.

So what do you think, should I get a name in for the character ASAP or should I wait and see if I even need to give him a name?

Blog Award!

Thank you to Colene @ The Journey for giving me the I'm a Literacy Builder Blog Award.

Colene is my crit partner's other crit partner and was one of my first followers. She is an awesome blogger and has been a huge support for me as I have really gotten serious about this whole writing thing.

So thank you Colene you are awesome!

Day 3 #NaNoWriMo Update

I am happy to announce that I wrote 1797 words today making me 3 for 3 so far with NaNoWriMo. As you can see on the left side of your screen that brings me up to 5383 words. I am a bit mystified by my success thus far, granted being home sick with the flu has helped a little. Not actually with writing because I have written very little during the time that I would have been at work, but with getting the dogs to get thier energy out during the day so that I can write at night.

I think I am so motivated to do this for several reasons:

I want to see if I could,
I needed some time away from my adult fantasy project,
I knew I wanted to do a YA project as well and I already had a story in mind,
My wife and I have a bet going to see if I can really do it,
My critique partner is bored and needs more writing from me so that she will have something to keep herself busy,
I find that I am having an easier time writing in first person (NaNoWriMo YA Fantasy) and I am in third person omniscient (Adult YA Fantasy),
I am enjoying telling a more simple story (my adult fantasy is very complex with four main storylines that weave around each other, two of which are not in chronological order)
My YA Fantasy is set in the same world that I created for my adult fantasy project and actually fits into the adult project's storyline.

So if you are doing NaNoWriMo how are you doing with it? Is it easier or harder? Where do you draw your motivation to keep up the relatively torrid pace?

Day 2 = #NaNoWriMo Victory

1807 words today! WOO HOO! That brings my total up to 3583 words. I will keep you posted as I keep working

Success!

Day one of NaNoWriMo has been a smashing success. I was able to crank out 1776 words in around three and half hours tonight. That is fantastic for me because normally I only get around 250 words an hour when I write.

I read the first part to my wife and she said that it sounded teen like but she was surprised by how simple it was compared to my other writing.

Thank you everyone for your support! One day down 29 to go.

Follow My Progress!

If you want to follow how I am doing on my NaNoWriMo challenge there are two ways you can do it.

First if you are participating in NaNoWriMo find me by name: Writingmyselfcrazy

If you are not participating follow this link.

#NaNoWriMo

After much encouragement from my wife and my critique partner, I have decided to engage in NaNoWriMo this year.

I have spent the morning signing up on the NaNoWriMo site, and I have decided to work exclusively on the YA Fantasy series that I have planned. This means that everyday I will have to crank out 1667 words, which is going to be extremely difficult due to my long writing process.

I will complete 50000 words this month, so please leave any encouragement that you possess because I will need it.