Sisters Red Soundtrack + NaNoWriMo!!!!!

Alrighty then! I honestly don't know why I've waited this long, but I've finally posted the rest of the Sisters Red Soundtrack onto Youtube. The last three songs are "Plato", "Scarlet's Theme", and "Rosie's Theme".

Here's "Plato":

Just visit my channel to see the rest. Also, again, sorry for the long spaces of emptiness afterwards. When I upload it, it's supposed to end when the song does, but it turns out like this. So, weird.

ANYWAY, NaNoWriMo is ALMOST HERE!!!!!!!!!

I'm spazzing! In case you don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. The actual thing didn't start until a couple of years ago. NaNoWriMo.org has been going strong for some time, and thousands (maybe millions, I don't know) sign up to write an entire. Novel. In. A. Month. 50,000 words is the exact point, I think. No editing. No revising. A lot don't even read what they've written until they finish.

It's the most insane, hardship of creative inspiration ever.... And I've never done it.

I actually just found out about it last year when several of the bloggers I'm subscribed to started talking about it. It was weird. I thought "What the booty does NaNoWriMo mean?" So I looked it up. I realized what it was, thought it was cool, but couldn't do it yet because it was already into November.

BUT THIS YEAR. I AM.

Lately I've been having trouble with my current novel, and so I've decided to take a break from it and write an entire other novel for November. I actually write best when I write a lot, then have a break, then write a lot, then have a break. I don't understand it. I guess it's like a so-so girlfriend/boyfriend relationship: "I think we just need some time alone."

What's also really cool is that people in your area actually have write-ins, where y'all can meet up at a Panera or Starbucks or whatever and discuss each other's books and write. They also track your progress, and with their word counter tool you can make goals for every day, and they have pep talks from great authors that they e-mail you to boost your spirits as you trudge through the Dreaded Middle.

Well, so long and thanks for all the fish! I'm off to work on my outline!

-Aaron

LEVIATHAN by Scott Westerfield

October 6th, 2009 - Simon Pulse

Synopsis: It is the cusp of World War I. The Austro-Hungarian and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ genetically fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British air fleet.

Aleksander Ferdinand, a Clanker, and Deryn Sharp, a Darwinist, are on opposite sides of the war. But their paths cross in the most unexpected way, taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure.... One that will change both their lives forever.

I was looking for something to review, and so was looking through my posts to see which ones I had read and reviewed and which ones I hadn't. I was really surprised to find that I'd never reviewed this, when I swear I did.

Anyway, I'm reviewing it now, and that's all that really matters.... ONTO TO THE REVIEW!

When this first came out, I was perusing through B&N, and saw this in a cardboard display with the words "Some war machines are run. Some are fed..." Or something along the lines of that. Either way, I was enthralled by the thought. So I ran to the display grabbed a book and read the back cover.

It sounded really boring.

So I didn't read it. Several months later, my best friend had read it, and he kept me pushing me to as well. Eventually I did, just because he said it was amazing. My reaction:

THIS BOOK IS FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The twist on how World War I started is so cool and the way Mr. Westerfeld takes Darwinism and makes it a giant scientific belief full of cool twisted creatures is so cool! Omg! Omg! Omg! I'm so gushing! This book is just really fantastic!

The characters are really interesting (although at times I wished the story were being told from Deryn's point of view more, though I know the parts where Alek picked up the story needed to be there in order to understand things better), the situations are fantastic (especially the battle scenes because there are either friggin amazing steam contraptions, or insanely cool hydrogen breathing Darwinist creatures), a fun story, and amazing illustrations to top it off.

I really should just stop talking because I'm gushing so much. This book is fantastic! Read this series, and you won't feel disappointed! The third and final book of the trilogy, GOLIATH, just recently came out, so now you can get all three and read without stopping.

I only wish the first edition synop hinted more at the cool creatures and cool machines in it, because it didn't do the book justice at all. It was like "This guy's a prince in hiding. This other person has a secret. There's a ship called the Leviathan. Read."

GO DARWINISTS!

Peace,

-Aaron

THE ESPRESSOLOGIST by Kristina Springer

October 27th, 2009 - Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Synopsis: What's your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you're lots of funand a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it's a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person just by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it's not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Janes Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect match for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She's the who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

Alllllllllllrighty then.

I'd been meaning to read this one for a while. It looked thin (ergo, this will be a short review), it looked cute, and I loved that cover!

So, I finally got it from the library.... And I read it. In one sitting. Like, I picked it up, and I didn't put it down. I just read it.

It wasn't even some profound, amazing novel that gripped me. It was very simple, a little predictable, but it was just a short, quick, fun read. It really made me want to tell Jane my favorite drink and see who she'd match me with.

The espressology itself, I think was my favorite part. It was what drove the entire novel, and it made it more fun and flirty, and teenager-y.

This is no deep Laurie Halse Anderson or Ellen Hopkins book, but it's a good cute read. I think I've said cute twice.... That's really the best way I can describe it. Just very cute. I could totally see this becoming a CUTE movie. It really was just so CUTE.

Alright, well y'all have a CUTE one, ya hear!

See ya tomorrow,

-Aaron

THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET by Brian Selznick

January 30th, 2007 - Scholastic

Synopsis: Orphan, clock-keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father from the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

So this is going to be a quick review. I'm tired.

Anyway, this is a great book. All the characters are fun, the story was fantastic, and the elements of the mystery and the secret were just great!

The only thing, which wasn't even that big, but the big secret that drives the entire novel, seems much bigger than it actually is. It's not a letdown though. So.... Yeah. It's still a great book. ESPECIALLY with all of the beautiful illustrations by Mr. Selznick and the pictures of silent films. :)))))

This made me want to research French train stations and 1930's movie magic.

He also just came out with a new book, WONDERSTRUCK, which I'm going to try to buy soon. (His books are like 20$ each! X_X)

Also, this book's coming to the big screen soon, so if you haven't seen the trailer, here it is:

Also, sorry I haven't been blogging for the past two weeks. I'm being swamped with insanely long biology papers. I was just barely able to poke my head out from the swamp of glucose, photosynthesis, and CO2 abbreviations to review this. So, to make up for it, I'm going to blog EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. next week. Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

See ya on Friday,

Aaron