Here are some banners I've have created for blogs and websites. If you would like to support this site, go ahead and copy and paste the code into an "HTML/Javascript" page element. It's that simple.
Phew, that was a lot of coding.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
MOLDy Banners and Affiliates
Phew, that was a lot of coding.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Your new patient
Hello, my name is Taiger.
Hello, Taiger!
I've been a bibliophile for about thirteen years now, and I guess I've gone a bit insane.
*cackles of laughter* Haven't we all?
And guess what . . . I LIKE IT!
*rambunctious cheers*
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
The Waiting Room 2
Hello! Welcome again to The Waiting Room (yes, it is important enough for capitalization...hmph). Anyway, here are more books. Reader reviews of the books listed are always appreciated!
New Releases:
The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1) by Kelley Armstrong
My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again.
All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don't even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost—and the ghost saw me.
Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won't leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems. Don't tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It's up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House . . . before its skeletons come back to haunt me.
Lost and Found by Andrew Clements
Although it's a drag to be constantly mistaken for each other, in truth, during those first days at a new school, there's nothing better than having a twin brother there with you. But on day one of sixth grade, Ray stays home sick, and Jay is on his own. No big deal. It's a pretty nice school, good kids, too. But Jay quickly discovers a major mistake: No one seems to know a thing about his brother. Ray's not on the attendance lists, doesn't have a locker, doesn't even have a student folder. Jay almost tells the school -- almost -- but then decides that this lost information could be very...useful. And fun.
As Ray and Jay exploit a clerical oversight, they each find new views on friendship, honesty, what it means to be a twin -- and what it means to be yourself. Entertaining, thought-provoking, and true-to-life, this clever novel is classic Andrew Clements times two: twins!
Coming Soon:
What If... All the Rumors Were True by Liz Ruckdeschel and Sara James (July 8)
After a year at Hillsdale High, Haley thinks she knows what she’s in for as she starts her junior year. She knows what to expect from the it girls, the brains, the rockers, and the artists. She knows how to handle drunken disasters, shoplifting scandals, IM warfare, and out-of-control false rumors. But none of the lessons learned during her sophomore year can prepare her for this dilemma: what’s Haley supposed to do when everything they’re saying about her is true? (A Choose Your Destiny Novel)
Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox by Eion Colfer (July 15)
Artemis's mother has contracted a deadly disease -- and the only cure lies in the brain fluid of African lemurs. Unfortunately, Artemis himself was responsible for making the lemurs extinct five years ago. Now he must enlist the aid of his fairy friends to travel back in time and save them. Not only that, but he must face his deadliest foe yet...his younger self.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Lordy Lordy.
weeeell. i had intended to post on monday ahead of time but oops its monday and i say oh lordy what am i gonna post? well this is what popped in my head having learned about it only this weekend
on August 6th 2008 we will see the realease of
"The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" the movie.
wow. was not expecting that. even though the first movie had only tiny inacuracies i still wondered howd they do a second one. well i guess its possible.
idk about other people but i did not read these books voluntarily. my mom got me the first one when i was in sixth grade before MOLD had taken a hold of me and when i was quite quite picky and reluctant in reading.
The first book was cool and okay for me but i didnt have any intention to read the other ones until just this year a friend of mine would absolutely not leave me alone until i had read the second book. (oh how i loath to be forced to read anything, even if it is good). fortunately i liked it.
now as to how the adaptation will go this time. i have not a clue.
What makes a book popular?
Reviewer X asked this question recently, and I decided to blog about it myself.
(And right now, I'm calling Sunday as my day to post weekly ramblings about bookish topics, 'kay? And I realize that this is Monday, not Sunday, but I started writing this on Sunday with the intention of finishing it, but then I felt like watching Music and Lyrics and then my younger brother and I watched Camp Rock and laughed at it and by then it was like ten thirty and I went to sleep.)
When I was younger, I really didn't read that many bestsellers. I mean, I liked historical fiction. That wasn't exactly mega-popular for the most part. I mean, yes, there was American Girl and Little House on the Prairie but for the most part, who read historical fiction? Not many.
Eventually, my reading tastes started to change. I remember when The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants came out. I didn't really want to read it; it didn't seem like my kind of book. (And one of the rules of the Sisterhood...well, let's just say I was positive the book would not be appropriate.) Regardless, I added it to my "list of books to read someday" because it was so popular. And one summer when I was at camp, I bought it and ended up really enjoying it. The same with The Lord of the Rings and Twilight. It seemed like everyone else had read them so I thought that I should.
In the case of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, one reason I think it became so popular is simply because it was real. You could relate to Carmen, Lena, Tibby, and Bridget. So there probably is no such thing as a pair of pants who fit four girls with very different body types, but it's not really about the pants. It's about four young women who are best friends spending their first summer apart. And the story is real. The characters, their emotions, are real. They don't always make smart decisions, aren't always likable, but they are girls you can know, girls you could be friends with yourself. Despite being a great summer read, Ann Brashares' young adult series has substance. It's not all happy-happy, but nor is it depressing. It's about life. Why wouldn't it be popular?
Gossip Girl and similar series are very popular right now. I've never read Gossip Girl, The A-List, or The Clique. I've read Private by Kate Brian, though. It's about a girl from the suburbs of Pennsylvania who ends up with a scholarship to an elite prep school and what happens when she falls in with the most powerful girls at the school. The seventh book, Ambition, recently came out, and I decided not to buy it. I've already read spoilers online, and I know there's just going to be another cliffhanger, probably more frustration, and it would just probably be a waste of ten dollars. Probably fun to read, but just overall not worth it.
Private is highly unrealistic. Seriously, if you thought the drama in BoBRPGv1 was over-the-top, I don't know what you'd think about Private. But it's addicting. Really. Who doesn't want to read about girls who have like zero self-respect despite seeming super-confident? And who doesn't read about a life they can only dream about: the life of the mega wealthy. I imagine the draw of Gossip Girl is the same.
Reviewer X discusses the Gallagher Girl books by Ally Carter. I have read both these books and I really enjoyed them. They're clean, fun, cute, and just impossible but whatever. Still fun, and that's all they're supposed to be. But then I reread the first (I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, and for the sake of my sanity, from now on, I'm going to call it LYKY) and thought it was only so-so. It sort of annoyed me, mainly the writing. The premise is so farfetched, and why the writing is just so spy-oriented...it just became "Enough already!" I wasn't sure I hated it, but I'm kind of sorry I reread it because the books are kind of ruined for me now. Actually, I'm hoping that they do make LYKY into a movie (it's been optioned) because it might be a better book than movie.
I think part of what makes the Gallagher Girl books popular is that how many books are about teenage girls who attend spy school? Not that many. I think that books that take place at boarding schools of any kind are popular (Private is another bestselling series, and there is of course Harry Potter) and the Gallagher Academy is like Hogwarts in that it's populated by normal enough kids with super-special talents and the actual building is just so zany and you'd love to take a class or two there someday.
Maybe it's sort of the same draw as Hannah Montana: A mostly normal teenage girl with a huge secret.
Reviewer X brings up The Da Vinci Code, which I've never read. I agree with her that the controversy is responsible for its popularity. Controversy never hurts. However, I must disagree with her discussion of Prep, another book I've never read (but again, set at a prep school). I'm not looking at the Amazon.com page, so I don't know what it's average rating is, but I've seen it appear in many lists and stuff on Amazon.com, and I'm thinking that the number of negative reviews might be a reflection of its popularity. The proportion of fans to non-fans might be the same, but the numbers are larger. Also, if you love a super-popular book, why write a review? Yours is just going to be lost among the other gushing five-star reviews. But if you dislike a bestseller, you want to tell others that they may not want to waste their time and money, that keeping up with the latest trend is just not worth it.
Most people read for fun, so they want fun books. They don't want to have to focus on what they're reading in order to understand it. I know when I'm feeling sick or whatever, I'm more likely to reread one of my favorites or pick up a Meg Cabot book or something similar. Why? Because Meg Cabot's books are entertaining.
It's really hard to pinpoint what is and isn't going to sell well. (Okay, so if you read some editors'/agents' blogs, you'll see that there are some obvious "My goose, what on earth was this person thinking?" type queries, but mostly...) I mean, who knew Twilight was going to be so huge? Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? How many rejections did J. K. Rowling receive, and what was the initial printing? Bloomsbury was pretty clueless that they were publishing the next literary phenomenon.
So publicity is another thing. I know that I would recommend LYKY simply because it's a pretty easy read (if torturous sometimes) and is fairly entertaining and it's clean. A book being put out on display...talked about a lot...it's going to sell. (So maybe I should just start throwing in Books of Bayern randomly?...) But how does a book get put on display? I don't know. Someone with power really likes that book? And how does a book get talked about? Someone either loves it or hates it.
So really, it comes down to people. Marketing people. Bookstore people. Reader people. And then the readibility/funness/power of a book...that sort of thing. But I don't think it can be pinpointed, my conclusion after this lengthy discussion.
READ BOOKS OF BAYERN BY SHANNON HALE! (Even though I know you guys have. :P)
♥anilee
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Notes from the Therapist...
Today I was sitting in my office, perfectly at ease, when a young lady entered, quite out of the blue. I frowned. Usually my secretary will get the okay from me before sending up a patient. I tapped my pencil, annoyed. "Excuse me, miss, are you lost?" I asked, rather irritably. I hate surprise clients.
"Um, uh...sorry, m-ma'am...I'm a...a walk-in," the girl stammered. I sized her up. She did seem like a mess. Uncombed hair that certainly hadn't been touched by water, much less soap, in a few days; stained gray hoodie, mismatched sock...you get the picture. She had a nervous, rabbity look I've seen too many times before.
I sighed and gestured at the chair. "Fine. So spill your issues already." I'm not one of those delicate, "how does that make you feel?" type therapists. Besides, I had actual appointment in ten minutes. With a paying client.
She lay down on the chair. "Well...the other day, my cat died."
So, suck it up, I wanted to say. I restrained myself and gave her a sympathetic smile. "Awww...that's too bad," I said. "I recommend cremation. That way you can put him on the mantel and you'll never be apart. Maybe a nice memorial service, too. Invite all your friends, to see who will still associate with you afterwards."
She gave me a startled look. "Er...but that's not all..."
Finally, we get to the point, I thought. "Continue," I said politely, glancing at my cuckoo clock. I still had five minutes or so...
"Well...my...my boyfriend dumped me...and my friends are all talking behind my back about my Barbie underwear...and my mom is making me get a job and my dad confiscated my cell phone and my teacher told me my book report was off-topic..." She burst into tears. "It's just not fair! I hate my life!"
She blubbered and carried on for quite some time until she noticed that I was staring at her in utter disgust. Then she stopped quite suddenly. "Hey! You're supposed to be making me feel better!"
What are you going to do? Sue me? "Young lady," I said with the greatest dignity I could muster, "I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. What do you take me for?"
She sniffled piteously. I recoiled. "A...a therapist, of course! Now make me feel better!"
I flipped up the chair, dumping her on the floor. She squealed.
"No, miss, you've definitely come to the wrong place," I said, still as polite as polite can ever be. "This is an exclusive type of therapy that I practice," I continued, showing her to the door. "It's only for those who suffer from Mental Obsessive Literary Disorder. Ever hear of it?"
She thought so hard her eyes crossed. "Literary...as in, like, books? I've never read an entire book in my life!"
I firmly closed the door in her face. "So it would appear."
I buzzed downstairs to talk to my secretary. "Um, Lydia? Why did you let that bimbo in here?"
"Sorry, ma'am," Lydia sounded embarrassed. "I asked her if she had gotten her disorder from a contemporary work of fiction, you know, because most of the girls you're counseling have it from there? She said yes, so I didn't think anything of it. I guess she thought it was some sort of disease."
"That's fine, Lydia. Just don't let it happen again, okay?"
"Understood, ma'am."
I broke off, rubbing my temples. At least it wasn't as bad as that one girl who thought that Communists were responsible for all these adaptations of Little Red Riding Hood...I consoled myself. I'm going to become a lot more picky about my walk-in's from now on...
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The Waiting Room
Hello! Welcome to the waiting room! Here you will be able to read information about new and upcoming book releases every other week. Enjoy!
New Releases:
The Crimson Thread by Suzanne Weyn and Mahlon F. Craftt
The year is 1880, and Bertie, having just arrived in New York with her family, is grateful to be given work as a seamstress in the home of textile tycoon J. P. Wellington. When the Wellington family fortune is threatened, Bertie's father boasts that Bertie will save the business, that she is so skillful she can "practically spin straw into gold."
Amazingly, in the course of one night, Bertie creates exquisite evening gowns -- with the help of Ray Stalls, a man from her tenement who uses an old spinning wheel to create dresses that are woven with crimson thread and look as though they are spun with real gold. Indebted to Ray, Bertie asks how she can repay him. When Ray asks for her firstborn child, Bertie agrees, never dreaming that he is serious....
A Thousand Never Evers by Shana Burg
In Kuckachoo, Mississippi, 1963, Addie Ann Pickett worships her brother Elias and follows in his footsteps by attending the black junior high school. But when her careless act leads to her brother’s disappearance and possible murder, Addie Ann, Mama, and Uncle Bump struggle with not knowing if he’s dead or alive. Then a good deed meant to unite Kuckachoo sets off a chain of explosive events. Addie Ann knows Old Man Adams left his land to the white and black people to plant a garden and reap its bounty together, but the mayor denies it. On garden picking day, Addie Ann’s family is sorely tested. Through tragedy, she finds the voice to lead a civil rights march all her own, and maybe change the future for her people.
Coming Soon:
Out of the Wild by Sarah Durst (June 19)
Ever since Julie Marchen helped defeat the fairytale world of the Wild, life’s been pretty much back to normal. That is, as normal as life can be for a girl whose mom is Rapunzel. Yes, that Rapunzel.
Then the Wild mysteriously releases Zel’s prince (Julie’s dad!)—a rescue-minded hero who crashes full-speed ahead into the 21st century! (YOU try teaching a 500-year-old prince to use a seatbelt.) Julie’s over the moon, but when a wicked Fairy Godmother kidnaps Sleeping Beauty and reawakens the Wild, Julie and her dad set off on an action-packed adventure to save the distressed damsel… and the world. If they can’t, they’ll spend eternity in a fairytale.
The Magician: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel by Michael Scott (June 24)
After fleeing Ojai, Nicholas, Sophie, Josh, and Scatty emerge in Paris, the City of Lights. Home for Nicholas Flamel. Only this homecoming is anything but sweet. Perenell is still locked up back in Alcatraz and Paris is teeming with enemies. Nicollo Machiavelli, immortal author and celebrated art collector, is working for Dee. He’s after them, and time is running out for Nicholas and Perenell. For every day spent without the Book of Abraham the Mage, they age one year—their magic becoming weaker and their bodies more frail. For Flamel, the Prophesy is becoming more and more clear.It’s time for Sophie to learn the second elemental magic: Fire Magic. And there’s only one man who can teach it to her: Flamel’s old student, the Comte de Saint-Germain—alchemist, magician, and rock star. Josh and Sophie Newman are the world’s only hope—if they don’t turn on each other first.
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