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By: Rae,
on 4/16/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Music, God, Jesus, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
By: Rae,
on 4/15/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Writing, Childhood, Crushes, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
Crush: an intense but usually short-lived infatuation (http://www.dictionary.com/)
Ahhh! The crush. Books have been written on it. Songs have been sung about it.
By: Rae,
on 4/9/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: YAC, A to Z Blog Challenge, Books, Fiction, Young Adult, Book Review, ARC, Add a tag
Author: Paige Harbison
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3.5/5
Description: Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don’t worship as attentively, teachers don’t fall for her wide-eyed “who me?” look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she’s always loved--Liam Ward--can barely even look at her anymore.
When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she’s wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she’s inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.
And Bridget’s about to learn that, sometimes, saying you’re sorry just isn’t enough.
Review: Bridget is the Queen "B" of both her school and home. Teachers, friends, even her stepmother, all eat out the palm of her hand. Everyone does what Bridget wants, despite the fact that she lies to get what she wants and treats everyone like they're less than dirt. All that changes when Anna Judge comes along. Anna, who's actually nice and considerate - the exact opposite of Bridget - quickly becomes popular after only one day at school. Now, teachers no longer fall for Bridget's lies, her friends challenge her, and her ex-boyfriend, Liam (who she's still in love with) can't look at her. Everyone, including Liam, likes Anna.
This, of course, pisses Bridget off. It scares her to as now it's no longer all about Bridget. After an exceptionally bad day, Bridget makes a fatal mistake, crashing her car, sending her to a sort of limbo. Here, she's confronted by Anna and the people she's wronged. She's forced to walk in their shoes and see herself from their eyes. She's given 24 hours to make things right or risk staying dead forever.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
WHAT I DID LIKE
By: Rae,
on 4/8/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: A to Z Blog Challenge, Ramblings, Add a tag
This is a pic I text my sis. Don't ask me why I took it. I was bored. Crazy, I know.
As you can tell from the pic, goofy would definitely be on the list of my characteristics. Ask anyone who knows me - who REALLY knows me - and they'll tell you. Sometimes, when life gets too hectic or serious, I get goofy. It helps me blow off steam...keeps me from going crazy. Guess that's why I work well with kids. I'm not afraid to go a little cookoo. Hey they appreciate it. That pic of me is the epitome of my goofiness. My goofiness knows no bounds. Oh the text messages I've sent my family members...the pics I've taken of myself (sadly, this is but one in a myriad of others)...the voice mails I've left! Why? Cos I'd be in a goofy mood. I like to see people smile. I bet when you looked at my pic, you smiled; probably laughed til your stomach hurt (you're laughing with me, not at me, right...RIGHT). Either that or you gasped in horror.
I can't stand to be around people who are so doggone serious all the time; people who never smile or who are always griping. It's quite stifling, if you ask me. And nothing saps my energy more than being around negative people. Ugh!
I get it, there's a time and place for goofiness. Sometimes, life calls for seriousness. I can be serious, believe me. But, come on! What's that saying? "All work no play makes someone a very dull person." So yeah. Guess what. This is one addiction I don't plan to get rid of. ALL MY GOOFY-LISCIOUS PEOPLE STAND UP AND BE PROUD! Heehee.
I leave you with the main goof himself, Mr. Goofy.
By: Rae,
on 4/7/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Food, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
By: Rae,
on 4/6/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Cutie Pies, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
By: Rae,
on 4/5/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Reading, Dreams, Education, dancing, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
By: Rae,
on 4/4/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, ARC, YAC, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
Author: A.J. Whitten
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Horror
Release: May, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3/5
Description: Meredith Willis is suspicious of Adrien, the new guy next door. When she dares to sneak a look into the windows of his house, she sees something in the cellar that makes her believe that Adrien might be more than just a creep—he may be an actual monster.
But her sister, Heather, doesn’t share Meredith’s repulsion. Heather believes Adrien is the only guy who really understands her. In fact, she may be falling in love with him. When Adrien and Heather are cast as the leads in the school production of Romeo and Juliet, to Heather, it feels like fate. To Meredith, it feels like a bad omen. But if she tries to tear the couple apart, she could end up in the last place she’d ever want to be: the cellar. Can Meredith convince her sister that she’s dating the living dead before it’s too late for both of them?
Review: Heather, Meredith, and their mother are mourning the loss of their father, who died in a car accident. Things are no longer the same. Heather, who was in the car that fateful night, has become depressed and no longer interacts with others, including the family. Mom is always away, while Meredith has become the only one who holds it all together. When Adrien and his mother buys the house next door, things seem to look up for Heather. Out of all the girls in the school, Adrien chose her. Meredith is automatically suspicious of him, but doesn't know how to tell Heather. Her suspicions are confirmed one day after she and a friend sneaks next door and looks into the window Adrien's cellar. Adrien and his mother are actually zombies and need Heather to continue living (or as close to living as possible, since they're zombies).
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
This book is not for the faint of heart. Like I said, at times, it was a bit too descriptive when it came to the zombies and what they did.
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By: Rae,
on 4/16/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Music, God, Jesus, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
4 Comments on N is for Never Wave My Flag, last added: 4/17/2011
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By: Rae,
on 4/15/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Writing, Childhood, Crushes, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
- You go out of your way to see or hang out with that person.
- You are starting to worry more about your appearance.
- When writing a list of positives and negatives about that person, the positives win...by a landslide.
- You find yourself being clumsy or awkward around them.
- You find yourself getting tunnel vision (you can't focus on anything but this person).
- They are not around and you find yourself smiling.
- You start asking his friends about him.
- Your friends are getting sick of you talking about her.
- For some reason, you can not stop teasing this person.
- You hate going to your Physics class but lately you don't seem to mind.
Crush: an intense but usually short-lived infatuation (http://www.dictionary.com/)
Ahhh! The crush. Books have been written on it. Songs have been sung about it.
Of course, growing up, I had celeb crushes. There was Kirk Camron, Michael J. Fox, Al. B. Sure, Christopher Williams, and Michael Jackson (during his Thriller days...actually, I LOVED him in Smooth Criminal). My biggest celeb crush was Wanye (pronounced Wahn-yay) Morris of Boyz II Men (pictured below in the red cap). Wanye, of the gorgeous smile and the smooth voice (I've always loved guys who can sing). I just knew I'd meet him and we'd fall madly in love, get married and have cute little babies with gorgeous smiles and beautiful voices. Ha!
By: Rae,
on 4/9/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: YAC, A to Z Blog Challenge, Books, Fiction, Young Adult, Book Review, ARC, Add a tag
Author: Paige HarbisonGenre: Young Adult, Fiction
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3.5/5
Description: Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don’t worship as attentively, teachers don’t fall for her wide-eyed “who me?” look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she’s always loved--Liam Ward--can barely even look at her anymore.
When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she’s wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she’s inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.
And Bridget’s about to learn that, sometimes, saying you’re sorry just isn’t enough.
Review: Bridget is the Queen "B" of both her school and home. Teachers, friends, even her stepmother, all eat out the palm of her hand. Everyone does what Bridget wants, despite the fact that she lies to get what she wants and treats everyone like they're less than dirt. All that changes when Anna Judge comes along. Anna, who's actually nice and considerate - the exact opposite of Bridget - quickly becomes popular after only one day at school. Now, teachers no longer fall for Bridget's lies, her friends challenge her, and her ex-boyfriend, Liam (who she's still in love with) can't look at her. Everyone, including Liam, likes Anna.
This, of course, pisses Bridget off. It scares her to as now it's no longer all about Bridget. After an exceptionally bad day, Bridget makes a fatal mistake, crashing her car, sending her to a sort of limbo. Here, she's confronted by Anna and the people she's wronged. She's forced to walk in their shoes and see herself from their eyes. She's given 24 hours to make things right or risk staying dead forever.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
- My biggest issue is it takes a while for me to feel sorry for Bridget. She's extremely mean and nasty to everyone around her and I just didn't like her at first. I felt more sympathy for the people she treated horribly.
- Too much of the book focused on Bridget being the mean girl. I understand some of her insecurities and she had problems. Maybe those could have come out more. I also think maybe a big chunk of the book should have focused on her being in limbo,the shoe walking, and making things right, rather than her mean girl ways.
WHAT I DID LIKE
- Ok, while it did take a while to feel sorry for Bridget, there were times where I got a twinge of sympathy. Those were the times we got a glimpse of her problems :absentee father, missing her dead mother, insecurities. I just wish we could've seen a little more of that side of her.
- I like the premise of the story...the whole "walk a mile in my shoes" kind of thing.
- While I think the limbo thing should have taken a little longer, I'm glad she didn't change after her first visit. That would have been totally fake. After her first visit, she was still a spoiled mean girl.
6 Comments on H is for Here Lies Bridget, last added: 4/11/2011
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By: Rae,
on 4/8/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: A to Z Blog Challenge, Ramblings, Add a tag
My name is Raenice and I am a goofaholic.
As you can tell from the pic, goofy would definitely be on the list of my characteristics. Ask anyone who knows me - who REALLY knows me - and they'll tell you. Sometimes, when life gets too hectic or serious, I get goofy. It helps me blow off steam...keeps me from going crazy. Guess that's why I work well with kids. I'm not afraid to go a little cookoo. Hey they appreciate it. That pic of me is the epitome of my goofiness. My goofiness knows no bounds. Oh the text messages I've sent my family members...the pics I've taken of myself (sadly, this is but one in a myriad of others)...the voice mails I've left! Why? Cos I'd be in a goofy mood. I like to see people smile. I bet when you looked at my pic, you smiled; probably laughed til your stomach hurt (you're laughing with me, not at me, right...RIGHT). Either that or you gasped in horror.
I can't stand to be around people who are so doggone serious all the time; people who never smile or who are always griping. It's quite stifling, if you ask me. And nothing saps my energy more than being around negative people. Ugh!
I get it, there's a time and place for goofiness. Sometimes, life calls for seriousness. I can be serious, believe me. But, come on! What's that saying? "All work no play makes someone a very dull person." So yeah. Guess what. This is one addiction I don't plan to get rid of. ALL MY GOOFY-LISCIOUS PEOPLE STAND UP AND BE PROUD! Heehee.
I leave you with the main goof himself, Mr. Goofy.
4 Comments on G is for Goofy, last added: 4/12/2011
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By: Rae,
on 4/7/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Food, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
Today, just cos I've been seriously feigning for some Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra ice cream, I've decided to post my food addictions. I'm trying to be good, but MAN don't I want some. *drool* WARNING! This post may cause serious sugar or junk food overload. Proceed with caution! Don't say I didn't warn you! 
10 Comments on F is for Food, last added: 4/10/2011
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By: Rae,
on 4/6/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Cutie Pies, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
You know I couldn't go a whole month without blogging about cutie pies, right? Ahh! Eye candy...so sweet, tempting, and pleasing to my eyes. O how I heart thee! I guess you can kind of tell I'm a sucker for a gorgeous smile and dimples as all 4 of these cuties have both. Enjoy!
GERARD BUTLER I was introduced to this cutie pie when the awesome movie, 300, came out. Isn't he just gorgeous?! And those eyes...
GERARD BUTLER I was introduced to this cutie pie when the awesome movie, 300, came out. Isn't he just gorgeous?! And those eyes...
12 Comments on E is for Eye Candy, last added: 4/9/2011
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By: Rae,
on 4/5/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Reading, Dreams, Education, dancing, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
How many of you remember the first thing you wanted to be when you grew up? I do. A Solid Gold dancer.
For those of you who don't know what it is, Solid Gold was an 80s music countdown show. The difference between the music countdown shows of today like BET's 106 and Park, or VH1's Top 20 Music Video Countdown is the fact that Solid Gold had dancers. Oh, how I wanted to be one of those dancers. I was so addicted to that show...and I was only 5 years old. Thirty years later, I still have my love for dancing, though my Solid Gold dreams ended with the show.
As I got older, I went from wanting to be a dancer to wanting to be a teacher, writer, actress, singer, lawyer, doctor, nurse, and child psychologist (not at the same time, of course). My wanting to be an actress and singer was quite laughable cos I was painfully shy. I mean, getting in front of my family or even in front of my church was fine, but in front of thousands, maybe millions of people. Nuh uh. Not me. Wanting to be a lawyer was laughable too cos...well, it just was. I could've been a doctor or a nurse, but, thanks to my sister breaking her toe (I was the first one to see it...*shudder*) and my dislike of needles, well, I decided a career in the medical field just wasn't for me. So, I became an educator...and I don't regret the decision. I LOVE working with children and teens, whether I'm in the classroom, tutoring, at church...wherever. Children and teens are AWESOME!
Now, at almost 35, I still have dreams and aspirations that I'm trying to achieve. I have 3 that I'm working on now: author, entrepreneur, and doctoral candidate. I've always wanted to become an author, but I put it to the side to concentrate on school and becoming an educator. about 6 years ago, I came up with an awesome book idea and decided to use my God-given talent to write books for youth. Though I haven't become a published author yet (my time is coming, I believe that), this journey is AMAZING. I heart writing so much...coming up with characters, figuring the plot, everything.
I'm in the process of writing up a business plan for my enrichment center. A few years ago, I knew the classroom wasn't my last stop in the educational field. When I asked God about where to go, He brought to mind the fact that, when I was 14, after watching an episode of The Cosby Show (where Theo worked at a community center), I decided I wanted to have a like of enrichment centers that offered some of the stuff the community center offered and more. So, I'm working to have the dream come to reality. And in a few years, I'll be known in academia as Dr. Raenice B. Weakly, EdD. With this degree, I plan to do more research on both reading education and aliteracy, which is when people can read, but choose not to. There is so much research on illiteracy, but not enough on aliteracy.
So, what were your dreams/aspirations as a kid? Are you living them out? Or do you have new ones?
For those of you who don't know what it is, Solid Gold was an 80s music countdown show. The difference between the music countdown shows of today like BET's 106 and Park, or VH1's Top 20 Music Video Countdown is the fact that Solid Gold had dancers. Oh, how I wanted to be one of those dancers. I was so addicted to that show...and I was only 5 years old. Thirty years later, I still have my love for dancing, though my Solid Gold dreams ended with the show.As I got older, I went from wanting to be a dancer to wanting to be a teacher, writer, actress, singer, lawyer, doctor, nurse, and child psychologist (not at the same time, of course). My wanting to be an actress and singer was quite laughable cos I was painfully shy. I mean, getting in front of my family or even in front of my church was fine, but in front of thousands, maybe millions of people. Nuh uh. Not me. Wanting to be a lawyer was laughable too cos...well, it just was. I could've been a doctor or a nurse, but, thanks to my sister breaking her toe (I was the first one to see it...*shudder*) and my dislike of needles, well, I decided a career in the medical field just wasn't for me. So, I became an educator...and I don't regret the decision. I LOVE working with children and teens, whether I'm in the classroom, tutoring, at church...wherever. Children and teens are AWESOME!
Now, at almost 35, I still have dreams and aspirations that I'm trying to achieve. I have 3 that I'm working on now: author, entrepreneur, and doctoral candidate. I've always wanted to become an author, but I put it to the side to concentrate on school and becoming an educator. about 6 years ago, I came up with an awesome book idea and decided to use my God-given talent to write books for youth. Though I haven't become a published author yet (my time is coming, I believe that), this journey is AMAZING. I heart writing so much...coming up with characters, figuring the plot, everything.
I'm in the process of writing up a business plan for my enrichment center. A few years ago, I knew the classroom wasn't my last stop in the educational field. When I asked God about where to go, He brought to mind the fact that, when I was 14, after watching an episode of The Cosby Show (where Theo worked at a community center), I decided I wanted to have a like of enrichment centers that offered some of the stuff the community center offered and more. So, I'm working to have the dream come to reality. And in a few years, I'll be known in academia as Dr. Raenice B. Weakly, EdD. With this degree, I plan to do more research on both reading education and aliteracy, which is when people can read, but choose not to. There is so much research on illiteracy, but not enough on aliteracy.
So, what were your dreams/aspirations as a kid? Are you living them out? Or do you have new ones?
9 Comments on D is for Dreams (and Aspirations), last added: 4/6/2011
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By: Rae,
on 4/4/2011
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Fiction, Young Adult, Horror, ARC, YAC, A to Z Blog Challenge, Add a tag
Author: A.J. Whitten
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Horror
Release: May, 2011
Source: Netgalley
Rating: 3/5
Description: Meredith Willis is suspicious of Adrien, the new guy next door. When she dares to sneak a look into the windows of his house, she sees something in the cellar that makes her believe that Adrien might be more than just a creep—he may be an actual monster.
But her sister, Heather, doesn’t share Meredith’s repulsion. Heather believes Adrien is the only guy who really understands her. In fact, she may be falling in love with him. When Adrien and Heather are cast as the leads in the school production of Romeo and Juliet, to Heather, it feels like fate. To Meredith, it feels like a bad omen. But if she tries to tear the couple apart, she could end up in the last place she’d ever want to be: the cellar. Can Meredith convince her sister that she’s dating the living dead before it’s too late for both of them?
Review: Heather, Meredith, and their mother are mourning the loss of their father, who died in a car accident. Things are no longer the same. Heather, who was in the car that fateful night, has become depressed and no longer interacts with others, including the family. Mom is always away, while Meredith has become the only one who holds it all together. When Adrien and his mother buys the house next door, things seem to look up for Heather. Out of all the girls in the school, Adrien chose her. Meredith is automatically suspicious of him, but doesn't know how to tell Heather. Her suspicions are confirmed one day after she and a friend sneaks next door and looks into the window Adrien's cellar. Adrien and his mother are actually zombies and need Heather to continue living (or as close to living as possible, since they're zombies).
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- The description calls it "Romeo and Juliet meet the living dead." There was a lot of "living dead" but very little "Romeo and Juliet."
- It switched points of views often (one chapter would be in third person and the next chapter would be in 1st person - Meredith's voice).
- I liked the character of Meredith...her voice. She was very realistic. I loved how, despite the fact that Heather distanced herself away after the accident, Meredith was still protective of her sister. She suspected something was wrong with Adrien and she made up her mind to do something about it. As someone who has a sister, I appreciate that. Very "no one messes with my sister!"
- The blossoming relationship between Meredith and Sam, who happens to be her friend and sister's ex-boyfriend. I personally wouldn't go for any of my sister's ex, but here, it works.
- It was gory at times...often times, maybe too gory...but it held my attenion. I wanted to keep reading to see if Meredith would succeed.
- The ending was a very surprising twist. That's all I'll say about that.
This book is not for the faint of heart. Like I said, at times, it was a bit too descriptive when it came to the zombies and what they did.
2 Comments on C is for The Cellar, last added: 4/5/2011
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That song sounds like a good (fast) praise dance song! Also, I agree, it does get hard and you get weary sometimes, but we can't give up right? That's why I'm glad you have that Spanish WOD on your sidebar, b/c really I need to finally become fluent in that language. Good post!
Thanks Nia! I'm trying to become fluent in Spanish, too. I understand it, but I'm having a hard time speaking it. My sister is fluent, so she's helping me. Good luck!
I love MaryMary! What an encouraging post.
Thanks, Thomasina! Mary Mary is awesome, aren't they?