- Beautiful Creatures filming
- Sea of Monsters filming
- Catching Fire casting
- Doctor Who filming
- Poking fun at Twilight, but what else is new?
You can download that episode here!
Showing posts with label potter people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label potter people. Show all posts
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Potter People Podcast #3 - "The One with Marissa Meyer"
In which Isaac and Riley interview Marissa Meyer, New York Times-bestselling author of the Lunar Chronicles, and discuss the latest fandom news, including:
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Book Review | 'Fear'
Fear
Michael Grant
eBook/ARC
Katherine Tegen Books
Five stars | A+
I think that an explanation is due as to how I received an ARC of this book.
For those who are familiar with this blog, you would know that I received an ARC of Plague back in March of last year and posted an in-depth, spoiler-filled review of the novel, seeing as nobody had read the novel at the time of my finishing the book. Isaac also received an ARC of this novel, but he has yet to read it, even though the pair of us got them in December. I read mine in one sitting, thank you very much. The actual details of receiving our ARCs are top secret, though.
NOTE: The first half of this review lacks spoilers. I will break the page when the spoilers begin in the second half.
The undoubtedly most brilliant novel I have read in a while, Fear provides the shuddering eeriness that Michael Grant has made himself notable for in the years that his Gone series has been on shelves. This book provides perhaps the most realistic look at the situation his characters are in, trumping over its predecessors by a landslide. I will admit, though, that immediately after finishing Fear I was so stunned by the book's innards that I couldn't tell if it was my favorite or not. I needed time to digest the complex plot that is the penultimate Gone novel, and I predict that readers will need that extra time, as well. As always, multiple conflicts are presented in this novel (both internal and external) and--what I love about these novels is that--it is up to the readers to decipher whether or not they are ultimately resolved in the end.
The story revolves primarily around Diana Ladris, something that made me extremely happy, but something that could have been foreseen from the ending of the previous novel. Diana is featured on the cover of this installment, as well as the second (Hunger) and the sixth and final (Light). Ladris's character plays an incredibly significant role in the central plot, as do characters that have played a back seat role recently in the series.
The biggest praise I have for Grant for this novel is his ability to maintain the adoration of his faithful readers through all the horrific, morbid plots that occur. How does Grant do this, though? He deems himself a flawless writer by stringing together complex characters with their intricate plots and creating a Gaiaphage-like story that is so real it's scary. I truly love these books, and they deserve a spot as my favorite series of all time...behind Harry Potter, of course.
The following section of this review contains spoilers pertaining to Fear.
Michael Grant
eBook/ARC
Katherine Tegen Books
Five stars | A+
I think that an explanation is due as to how I received an ARC of this book.
For those who are familiar with this blog, you would know that I received an ARC of Plague back in March of last year and posted an in-depth, spoiler-filled review of the novel, seeing as nobody had read the novel at the time of my finishing the book. Isaac also received an ARC of this novel, but he has yet to read it, even though the pair of us got them in December. I read mine in one sitting, thank you very much. The actual details of receiving our ARCs are top secret, though.
NOTE: The first half of this review lacks spoilers. I will break the page when the spoilers begin in the second half.
The undoubtedly most brilliant novel I have read in a while, Fear provides the shuddering eeriness that Michael Grant has made himself notable for in the years that his Gone series has been on shelves. This book provides perhaps the most realistic look at the situation his characters are in, trumping over its predecessors by a landslide. I will admit, though, that immediately after finishing Fear I was so stunned by the book's innards that I couldn't tell if it was my favorite or not. I needed time to digest the complex plot that is the penultimate Gone novel, and I predict that readers will need that extra time, as well. As always, multiple conflicts are presented in this novel (both internal and external) and--what I love about these novels is that--it is up to the readers to decipher whether or not they are ultimately resolved in the end.
The story revolves primarily around Diana Ladris, something that made me extremely happy, but something that could have been foreseen from the ending of the previous novel. Diana is featured on the cover of this installment, as well as the second (Hunger) and the sixth and final (Light). Ladris's character plays an incredibly significant role in the central plot, as do characters that have played a back seat role recently in the series.
The biggest praise I have for Grant for this novel is his ability to maintain the adoration of his faithful readers through all the horrific, morbid plots that occur. How does Grant do this, though? He deems himself a flawless writer by stringing together complex characters with their intricate plots and creating a Gaiaphage-like story that is so real it's scary. I truly love these books, and they deserve a spot as my favorite series of all time...behind Harry Potter, of course.
The following section of this review contains spoilers pertaining to Fear.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
The Kansas City Star Provides Insight on the draw to 'Games'
The Kansas City Star, our hometown newspaper, has provided a rather interesting look at the reason that people, especially adults, are drawn to the concept of Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games.
Check out the full Star article to learn more about the allure of Panem.
"I start to question my own excitement about this movie. Why do I want to watch this? Why is it so seductive to see children in peril? The author is critiquing violence, but she's reminding us that we are implicated. It's within us."
Check out the full Star article to learn more about the allure of Panem.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Book Review | 'The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight'
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
Jennifer E. Smith
Poppy
236 pg., U.S. Hardcover
3 stars | C
From Goodreads:
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.
Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.
This novel comes off as a very romantic type novel (the title precedes this reputation, as does the synopsis commonly recited with the novel's presence), but I saw romance as being a relatively small part of the story, and the big picture being a coming-of-age novel documenting one girl's trek from the States to the UK for her father's wedding. As she departs, she meets a boy called Oliver who seems to be able to empathize with the situation of being duped into watching her father marry a strange woman, or so it seems. The reader embarks on this intellectual and emotional journey with Hadley Sullivan as she experiences what it is like to accept human faults and move on with life.
I did have a few nit-picks with this novel, though. I didn't like how it seemed like the characters were too perfect, save for Hadley's father. Hadley's mother has these philosophical quotes about love that are too good to be true. I mean, my mom would probably say something along the lines of "LOVE IS LOVE, RILEY," but Hadley's mother seems to be so experienced in the art of love that she is able to provide insight on the oh-so-tragic thing that is falling in and out of love. I feel like the author was just trying to slip in her own thoughts on love and being really eloquent with them, something I didn't like. I also didn't like how every single time that Oliver leaned in to kiss Hadley, it was always 'to her surprise.' I think, at that point in the story, Hadley should learn to be expecting a kiss from a boy who's been flirting with her for twenty-four hours.
Overall, the novel was a nice breeze to get through, although it was sort of a pain when it came to characterization. I think that's the problem, though, with books that take place in one day like this one.
Jennifer E. Smith
Poppy
236 pg., U.S. Hardcover
3 stars | C
From Goodreads:
Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.
Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.
This novel comes off as a very romantic type novel (the title precedes this reputation, as does the synopsis commonly recited with the novel's presence), but I saw romance as being a relatively small part of the story, and the big picture being a coming-of-age novel documenting one girl's trek from the States to the UK for her father's wedding. As she departs, she meets a boy called Oliver who seems to be able to empathize with the situation of being duped into watching her father marry a strange woman, or so it seems. The reader embarks on this intellectual and emotional journey with Hadley Sullivan as she experiences what it is like to accept human faults and move on with life.
I did have a few nit-picks with this novel, though. I didn't like how it seemed like the characters were too perfect, save for Hadley's father. Hadley's mother has these philosophical quotes about love that are too good to be true. I mean, my mom would probably say something along the lines of "LOVE IS LOVE, RILEY," but Hadley's mother seems to be so experienced in the art of love that she is able to provide insight on the oh-so-tragic thing that is falling in and out of love. I feel like the author was just trying to slip in her own thoughts on love and being really eloquent with them, something I didn't like. I also didn't like how every single time that Oliver leaned in to kiss Hadley, it was always 'to her surprise.' I think, at that point in the story, Hadley should learn to be expecting a kiss from a boy who's been flirting with her for twenty-four hours.
Overall, the novel was a nice breeze to get through, although it was sort of a pain when it came to characterization. I think that's the problem, though, with books that take place in one day like this one.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Exclusive Author Interview | Marie Lu, author of 'Legend'
I recently got in touch with Marie Lu, author of Legend, a dystopian novel which I have reviewed here on the site, to discuss the trilogy she is hard at work on. Legend is the tale of June Iparis and Day Wing, two seemingly polar-opposite teenagers living in a post-apocalyptic America split into the Colonies and the Republic. The two merge when June's brother is murdered, and Day is charged as the criminal.
The following interview with Marie Lu contains spoilers pertaining to the first book in the Legend trilogy.
Without further ado, Marie Lu.
The following interview with Marie Lu contains spoilers pertaining to the first book in the Legend trilogy.
Without further ado, Marie Lu.
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