COVER REVEAL FOR CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE BY CASSANDRA CLARE!

I don't know if you can rate covers, but I rate this one 5/5 stars!

For those of you who don't know about The Mortal Instruments series, this is the cover reveal for the sixth and final book in the series, SO THIS IS A BIG DEAL! (At least, for us it sure is). 

For months we have been teased and tortured by Cassie. She's sent out fake covers, teaser covers, excerpts, and quotes that have KILLED US! But the wait is finally over! 

Without further ado, here it comes *drumrolls*

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LADIES AND GENTLEMEN CITY OF HEAVENLY FIRE!

AHAHAGHDHJWJAKDLFLKSHEHEHFKUC! 

SEBASTIAN AND CLARY

*applauds*

*cries*

This cover is darkly beautiful and beyond perfection! Though I can already see terrible things in this book...

As many of you know, Cassie likes to put teasers IN HER COVERS that will drive us crazy. 

For instance, Sebation with black wings. We don't know for sure what this means and Cassie won't tell us. All she's said is that Clary always dreamed about him with black wings...

Also, the golden sky in the background. That is Jace. Remember in her dreams when she described him as the shimmering golden sky or something? 

As for the dagger in Clary's hand, it IS NOT a seraph blade, nor is it a stele. It is a mere dagger, according to Cassie. 

If you look closely, the fire at the bottom of the cover resembles the shape of shoulders with wings. It could just be me, but that's what I'm seeing there. 

And what about Clary's back turned? Does that symbolize betrayal? 

BUT THE WORST OF ALL IS THIS. 

She is wearing white. 

Clarissa Fray is in mourning...

 

 

 

 that is all

-Matt

Book Review for FAKING NORMAL by Courtney C. Stevens

5/5 stars!

 

"Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

At school, nobody sees the scratches or her pain. The only person she connects with is the mysterious Captain Lyric, who writes song lyrics on her fourth-period desk for her to complete. With pencil marks and music, Alexi carves out a comfortable space for herself as she and the Captain finish each other's songs—words on a desk feel safer than words spoken aloud.

But when Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend who understands her better than anyone. He has secrets of his own and knows all about suffering in silence. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally speak up.

With her powerful, moving debut novel, author Courtney C. Stevens emerges as an extraordinary new talent to watch."

                              -Goodreads

A few months ago, I was watching #TeaTime with EpicReads and Faking Normal was one of the books they had just read that they wouldn't stop talking about. And when Margo and Aubrey won't stop talking about a book, it means IT'S PRETTY DARN GOOD! So I requested the ARC and got it about a month later. Since I was busy writing, it was sitting on my shelf for a long while until I finally picked it up a few days ago.

LANGUAGE

It has pretty strong language throughout the book (shit, hell, damn, etc.) but the f-word was not used. But don't let the language turn you away from this amazing story!

SEX

It's mentioned several times that the group of friends certainly aren't virgins, but there's never a described scene.

Let me tell you right now, this book is more than you could imagine in a book as far as relatability, emotion, and real characters. It is such a great read, I'm telling you! But grab a pile of food when you read it. Because if you're like me, and you communicate every emotion by eating, then you'll need it.

 MAIN CHARACTERS

Alexi is the main character. She's the girl that pretends. She wants to be normal and have a normal life, but she knows that she can't with all the weight on her shoulders. She tells everyone that she's fine, she tells herself to move on. What I like about her character is that she doesn't want the world to feel sorry for her, she wants it to look past her because she's normal, which is very true in real life. A lot of people don't want to make known their vulnerability and advertise their sorrows. 

Every scene where Alexi opened up and talked about wanting to move on from her past but being stuck in her misery, I just burst into tears. 

Bodee starts out as the victim of the story, but he doesn't like that. And I like that. Even though he's been through unspeakable things, he still has his head on straight. The Littrells take him in to help him, but he ends up helping Alexi more than anybody would've known. Bodee is the kind of person I'd be friends with. I can really relate to things that he goes through. We both dye our hair outrageous colors on a regular basis, we value people, no matter who they are, and we're both afraid of following in our father's footsteps. 

The way he trudged on through the tough times and kept going, it was inspiring. He was strong because he had to be. It made me want to give him a big bear hug and be his best friend!

 

All in all, this book was a tear-jerking, heart-breaking, beautifully meaningful story and I highly recommend it! Courtney Stevens isn't just an author writing this for fun. She feels that this is important and wants to help teens get out of their closets and emotional shields and learn to channel their brave, just like Alexi did.
How I felt at the beginning of the book:

 

How I felt after the book:

 I was literally sobbing in my bed at 2:30am.

Look for FAKING NORMAL on the shelves in April, 2014! Also, it's prequel story, THE BLUE-HAIRED BOY, comes out a week later! You won't want to miss out on these books!

Follow the author on Twitter @Quartland! She's super nice and fun to talk to!

Hope you enjoyed reading! 

DFTBA!

~Matt

Writin' Like A Fool: My Writing Experience!

Hello, fellow bloggers!

Yes, I am still alive and active in the nerd world! I know I haven't made a post since Christmas and for that I am very sorry! BUT, I must say that I have a very good excuse for being absent. For the past two months I've been working on something that has been taking up most of my time, therefore preventing me from weekly blog posts. I've told some of my Twitter friends already but for those who don't know, I shall make it clear.

I'M WRITING A BOOK!

Yep, that's what I'm going with! This is the part of the post where I'm going to tell a long story about my first novel-writing experience. So sit back and enjoy!

Most of you know about the annual writing program, NaNoWriMo. (For those who don't, it's a yearly event during which writers are pushed to their limits to try and write 50k words of a novel. It's a motivational program that helps writers start get their ideas typed out and just start writing.) I had heard of NaNoWriMo before when bestselling author Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles Series) posted about her experience with the program. That was in 2012, shortly after her first novel was published. 

Needless to say, November really crept up on me in 2013 and somehow NaNoWriMo completely slipped my mind until November 4th, when I suddenly started seeing billions of tweets with the #NaNo hashtag. 

 

I totally freaked out because I felt so behind. Then I quickly made an account and wrote 4k words that day. It took me a couple days to catch up, but I was soon back on track. Then something so normal yet terrifying occurred; LIFE HAPPENED. 

You think I wrote peacefully everyday until I reached the 50k point, then sat back in a recliner and drank apple juice (because I'm a minor) for the rest of the month? Excuse me for a moment.

 I will be the first to admit that I did NOT reach 50k words in November because I am kind of social, so I stupidly packed my November with parties, get togethers, and other social gatherings. So I only got around to writing 28k. Pathetic, I know. From there, everything started going a lot smoother, since there wasn't a deadline. I wrote about a thousand words for a few days and then kind of forgot about writing. Then I took a two week break for Christmas and New Year's because of my crazy busy life. But now I'm on a writing schedule and I'm planning on finishing the first draft of my novel this month!

Anyways, writing my own novel has been totally different than what I expected! Some things that I thought would be hard turn out to be easier, and at the same time, parts that I thought would be easy, have turned out to be a lot more complex than I was expecting. 

Outlining

 Before I started writing, I would always look up other author's stories. Mostly to find out how they became an author, and what their style is. As far as outlining, I'd always look at them and inwardly say "Dang, I wish I could be that organized." As it turns out, when I started writing I was also writing down little tidbits in my Notes on my iPod. Just random facts, character traits, and occurrences that will appear in the novel. Then I frustrated myself with my disorganization and put all the notes in order, like a timeline. 

As I did that, it suddenly hit me. Hey, this is kind of outlining! So I guess am sort of a planner, but my outline changed CONSTANTLY and it is still changing! The story has been telling itself, all I've had to do is listen to it and write that sucker down!

BUT! There have, of course, been times when I had no idea what would happen next and I felt like giving up. But I never allowed myself to do so because I believe I am capable of anything through God, motivation and a positive attitude!

Thanks, Dwight.

Characters

At first I thought that I was supposed to map out each and every characteristic of every person that appears in my story. But that quickly changed when I started writing! Through time, my characters started to surprise me with the things they said and did. Your characters are their own individuals, so allow them to be themselves! Let them express who they are and surprise you sometimes. Now that I'm over halfway done with my novel, I can pretty much predict what my characters will do. I'm very attached to each one of them (yes, even the antagonists) but I will not hesitate to kill anyone off if the plot demands it!

As a side note, something that's important to me in a great book are powerful quotes. Quotes that give you chills they're so cool, or the kind of quotes that are so mind-blowing and complex that you have no idea what to think anymore like

If there's one thing that I've learned while writing, it's that nothing EVER goes the way you originally plan it. At least, that's what has happened for me so far. You may have better luck! No matter what, you just have to keep writing and know that there's a light at the end of the seemingly endless tunnel of writing and editing (which I haven't gotten to yet).

BTW I am not writing this post talking about how experienced I am in writing! When I say 'experience' I'm talking about what I am currently experiencing! Please feel free to give me any writing tips or blog post critiques! 

Thanks for reading! I love you guys!

-Matt

The True Meaning of Christmas!

First of all, MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone out there who reads this post! I hope you all have a fantastic holiday and make joyous memories with friends and family!

Christmas for most people is about Santa Claus and presents and gifts and decorating and food. Don't get me wrong, all of that really makes the celebration of Christmas even more fun and exciting! But it's come to the point where people are forgetting or ignoring why we really celebrate Christmas.

This guy is great to have around for Christmas, but he often steals the spotlight from the person who Christmas is celebrating. 

A very long time ago, around this time, God sent his only son to the world. That's Jesus. Christmas is about Jesus and his birth and how momentous it was for a savior to come for us! It was the very first Christmas!

 If Jesus hadn't been born, we'd all still be pretty blind and making sacrifices for all our sin. But he did come for us, because he loves each and every one of us very much! So much that he have his own life so that we would be free from our burdens and the bondage of sin.

Think about it for a second. God, the one and only almighty King who created the entire world, knows you, yes you, by name and he wants to have a relationship with you. He cared enough for you to sacrifice his son for you, so that you can live free! 

I'm not saying that Santa is evil and nobody should get presents on Christmas or any of that nonsense. NOT AT ALL! I encourage giving and receiving and spreading the Christmas spirit in all your different ways!

Just don't forget who Christmas is about! 

Why am I taking the time to write this when I know most of you won't read it? 

There's a story about a man. He was at the beach one day when he saw that millions of starfish had been washed up to shore. He walked over to the shore and started throwing the starfish back to sea. 

After a while, someone saw him and came to him.

"Why are you doing that? There are millions out there, it won't make a difference."

The man looks at him. "It'll make a difference to this one," he says as he tosses a starfish. "And it'll matter to this one too." He tosses another. 

I'm saying all this not because I want to recruit you into some religion. 

I just want to spread and share the love of Jesus Christ and tell those who need to know! It may not matter to you in particular, but it could matter to someone out there, and that would be worth it.

That said, I hope you all have an amazing holiday! Take a break and relax today :) 

Love y'all!

-Matt

The Fault In Our Stars Movie Poster!

We've been waiting so long for this beautiful moment! This book has been tearing at my heart ever since I read it! If I'm correct, it's been affecting all of you the same way. So let's enjoy this moment together! 

Here it is...

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WELL DONE MOVIE MAKERS!!! 

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU ALREADY!!!

THIS MADE ME CRY IT'S SO GOOD!!!

THANK YOU FOR PERFECTLY PORTRAYING JOHN GREEN'S BEAUTIFUL BROKEN CHARACTERS!!!

Seasons in the Sun by Kristen Strassel Book Review!

Rating: 5/5 stars

Summer has finally arrived, along with a boy who will forever change the life of fourteen-year-old Callie. After growing up hearing stories about Tristan Trevosier and his famous family, Callie finally meets him when he spends the summer on Martha's Vineyard. Seventeen-year-old Tristan is a hurricane of destruction and rebellion, and he quickly blows a hole right into Callie's sheltered life. Callie sees a side of Tristan that he doesn't show anyone else. She's determined to make everyone see what she sees in him.

Callie defies her parents by leaving the island with Tristan. But when his ugly habits rear their head, Callie realizes maybe she's the one who's wrong about him. He's beyond her help. But it's too late for her to walk away. This summer, she learns that love can be stronger than reason.

Seasons in the Sun is a spectacular prequel novella! To be completely honest, I had no idea that it was leading up to a series or anything. My good friends told Kristen about me, so she sent me an ARC. I immediately fell in love with the story, because it wasn't boring!

I had no idea what the book was about. I just started it and read until I was finished! Kristen did an exceptional job developing her characters! Every individual was clearly portrayed as their own person, and I was very pleased with that! The plot was nice and short (because it's a novella) and I liked it like that. It was like a literary snack, if that even makes sense! 

Callie is actually someone I can somewhat relate to! I'm also homeschooled and, at times, I feel bound by parental regulations, so therefore I rebel. Callie wasn't deliberately trying to rebel, she was just trying to get to know this guy because he was nice, handsome, but also mysterious. Since she never got attention from guys, she was really affected by his interest in her. Such a sweet character, overall.

Keisha was such a mess! She was the typical sexy chick who gets what she wants and says what she wants. Not the best example for Callie, and certainly not the best conscience! She's what I would call a valley girl, for sure!

Tristan was someone I couldn't quite figure out for the longest time. He was respectful and kind, which made me glad he was going for Callie, because that's someone she deserved. No spoilers, but this guy never topped giving me surprises!

Overall I really enjoyed this book while waiting in line to see the new Hobbit film! As I said before, it's a really fast read, but you'll just LOVE IT!

Definitely check it out!

Also, don't forget to look for Because the Nightby Kristen Strassel! It follows Seasons in the Sun!

Stay warm and Merry Christmas!

-Matt

Dream Cast for FIND ME by Romily Bernard!

FIND ME is Romily Bernard's debut novel that just came out this past October. It quickly became my favorite debut novel OF THE YEAR, easily making it into my top ten favorite books EVER! (Look at the review I wrote for it for more details and a synopsis). Because of all this, I have decided to create a dream cast for this extraordinary book! Enjoy!

Grace Morretz is a beautiful yet fierce actress who would definitely be able to play Wick! She is amazing in every role I've seen her in and she does not disappoint! I keep playing scenes over and over again in my head and she's just PERFECT for her!

Choosing an actor for Griff was a little bit more difficult. He had to be handsom, charismatic, but also cunning and brave. Lucas Till seems to play this role in every movie I see him, so it's just meant to be! Obviously he doesn't have dark hair like Griff, but that's what hair dye and makeup is for! ;)

Willow Shields IMMEDIATELY came to mind when I thought of Lily! Didn't even have to think twice! She obviously has talent for playing a strong younger sister (i.e. Primrose Everdeen in The Hunger Games) and her style and personality match Lily's personality in the book.

Hugh Jackman is the kind of actor that could play ANYBODY, really. I would love to see him as Carson! NUFF SAID.

For someone to be Todd, they'd have to be handsom, kind, understanding, charismatic, and just Todd-like. Bradley Cooper would totally nail this role! Mostly because he's a lot like him in real life. He's the kind of guy that makes you just want to give him a hug he's so awesome (don't judge). So this is Todd!

For some odd reason, since the beginning of FIND ME when Bren was mentioned, I've always mentally pictured her with a British accent. So Emily Blunt's been bouncing around in my head ever since! She would be a great Bren! She could be this moody foster parent married to the sweetest guy ever. Totally.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. SHOULD BE WICK'S DAD. THAT IS ALL.

Woody Harrelson is one of the greatest actors EVER in my opinion. It wouldn't even be hard for him to be Joe. He has already been in many other movies in which he has had to be characters similar to Joe. Therefore, Woody is Joe, Joe is Woody. POOF! One in the same!

And last but certainly not least is Tally! She also took a while to think about. But when Elle Fanning popped into my head, IT ALL MADE SENSE! Elle Fanning never ceased to amaze me with her INCREDIBLE acting skills! If you just compare her strong, superior role in Super 8 and her gentle, innocent role in We Bought a Zoo, you're mind will be blown. Like, BLOWN. Aside from her amazing acting, she fits right in my head, so it is right! 

That concludes my dream cast for FIND ME! Hope you've enjoyed reading about my dreams and opinions once again! 

Don't forget to look for FIND ME wherever books are sold! It is BEYOND WORDS AWESOME! 

Also, you can follow the author on Twitter @RomilyBernard! 

That's all for now! 

Merry Christmas book rebels!

-Matt