The Polliwog Blog: February 2012

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop

This is my first time participating in a giveaway hop. One lucky reader gets to choose one book from the following: The Man in the Ceiling by Jules Feiffer (used/good condition), Eyes Wide Open by Andrew Gross, Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante, Selected Short Stories by D.H. Lawrence (used), Married to Bhutan by Linda Leaming, A Young Wife by Pam Lewis (ARC), Max on Life by Max Lucado, Hester: A Novel by Paula Reed, You Don't Sweat Much for a Fat Girl by Celia Rivenbark (ARC), and The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli.

http://www.scholastic.com/100books/

I found this link in another blog. It is incredibly interesting to see what Scholastic has listed as the 100 greatest books for kids. Check it out.

Which ones have I read?
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Corduroy by Don Freeman
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Secret Garden by Francis Hodgson Burnett
Matilda by Roald Dahl
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
The Magic School Bus at the Waterworks by Joanna Cole
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

That's 23 out of 100 for a total of 23%. How many have you read?

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can playing along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
Be careful not to include spoilers! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

I hide in Under Bed beside Eggsnake not breathing even, flat like a page in a book, and it takes hundreds of hours to find me. Next I choose Rappelling, Ma holds my hands and I walk up her legs till my feet are higher than my head, then I dangle upside down, my braids go in my face and make me laugh.
P. 81 Room by Emma Donoghue

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Book Review: Hospice Tails: The Animal Companions Who Journey With Hospice Patients and Their Families by Debra L. Stang

This book made me want to cry. It's so touching. Animals are...everything. I love pets. I understand how much they mean to their owners. My own two dogs are my best friends. That's not saying I can't or don't have human best friends, but they comfort me in ways humans can't. Pet owners know.

Debra Stang is a social worker with a hospice. She visits the dying in their homes, mostly. The tales in this book are about how the dying and their family members cope with the aid of their animals. For many the only way to touch them, bring them out of their world, is their pets. Others, the pets help with grieving. They help in ways no one else can.

I give the book 3/5 stars. It was a good read, but not the best ever. I won it in a giveaway.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can playing along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
Be careful not to include spoilers! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

"So what dorky thing do you want to dress up as?" I asked, smiling.
"Promise not to laugh?" She raised her eyebrows and her shoulders, embarrassed. "A unicorn."
P. 69 Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Monday, February 20, 2012

Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I don't know what to say. This book was...amazing. Throughout the course of the story I felt every emotional possible.

Suzanne Collins knows how to write a story and create characters that one wants to read. Every chapter ends suspensefully keeping the pages turning.

Where do I begin?

There were so many shocking events, beautiful events, sad events, and happy events. This book was chock full of everything. Okay, enough of me saying that. I actually need to talk about it. I wish I'd kept a record of my thoughts and feelings as I read it like I did with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

When I first heard the title Mockingjay it was before I ever dreamed of picking up the series, so I have to admit I thought the title was incredibly stupid. But, now, it's beautiful. Katniss Everdeen is the face of a movement. She is the Mockingjay whether she wants to be or not.

Upon returning from the Quarter Quell, Katniss learns District 12 is destroyed and she will be living, along with her mom, sister, Gale, and many others from her district, in District 13. While District 13 is not bound by the Capitol laws they do have their own very strict regime. Every morning everyone wakes up and has a schedule tattooed on their arms with ink that won't wash away until the evening.

District 13 along with other districts is in the midst of a rebellion against the Capitol. The only way for success is if Katniss plays the pawn, aka the Mockingjay. She doesn't know who to trust. The District 13 leaders are turning out to be just like the Capitol leaders.

OK, spoiler thoughts, kind of erratic:

Peeta was shock. I felt so bad for him and Katniss. He didn't get rescued by Haymitch and company, so the Capitol got him. They used tracker jacker venom and basically turned him into a monster against Katniss. They rescued him from the Capitol, but it was too late. The entire rest of the story he's treated like a prisoner. He does get better, but he has his moments where he's not sure what's real or not. He does marry Katniss and convinces her to have children. I'm Team Gale, but I totally understand that Katniss and Peeta need to be together.

Catching Fire introduced us to Finnick, a previous Hunger Games winner competing in the Quarter Quell. We learn of his love for another winner named Annie. Annie's a little crazy due to how she's been treated by the Capitol. Finnick was rescued by Haymitch's crew. He comes to District 13 with Katniss. He has to go through recovery just like her, only I think it takes him longer. When they rescue Peeta, they rescue Annie. Annie and Finnick love each other so much. They get married. I think part of the reason for the wedding is a knock at the Capitol. They can't stop them from being happy. It isn't revealed until the end that the two have a baby. Well, Finnick dies in the war, but it states in the end that they have a child, so one can only assume... I'm sad that Finnick dies but happy Annie can carry on his legacy through a child--one that will not have to worry about the Hunger Games.

Like I said above, I'm Team Gale. Katniss and Gale were friends before the games. I didn't want them to change anything. But, unfortunately, they did. Katniss is pretty messed up. She needs someone like Peeta. Gale--on some levels I think he understands and others it hurts him. In the end he moves to District Four, I believe. I don't think Katniss keeps in touch with him. She knows he got a job, but she doesn't know anything, but imagines he's kissing someone else's lips. It's sad to hear. They were hunting buddies. They kept each other alive, along with their families. They deserved to have the happy lives together. But, unfortunately, the Capitol took that away.

President Coin was president of District 13. She had bigger ambitions. Once President Snow, president of Panem, died she would take over. She persuaded Katniss to do everything for her. Eventually, Katniss figured this out. Instead of murdering Snow like she planned, she killed Coin. I knew that was going to happen. I wasn't surprised. Snow ends up dying, choking on laughter or something along those lines. So, he dies anyway. Katniss realized that she was a pawn in a much bigger scheme than she knew. Coin didn't want to turn things around. She just wanted to put herself and District 13 in charge. Nothing was going to change. They were all going to play the same games. Katniss had to get rid of that.

Primrose Everdeen. Poor Prim. The last thing Katniss wanted was for her sister to die, but that happened anyway. It happened at the hands of District 13. The reader is to believe that we aren't sure exactly who set off the bomb, but the evidence pretty much points to District 13. It's so sad. Katniss's whole goal is to keep her alive and she fails.

I give the book 5/5 stars for being such a page turner and evoking every emotion possible. I read it for pure pleasure.

Book Review: Supervillain The Concise Guide by Ras Ashcroft

So you want to be a supervillain? Want a chance at World Domination? Ras Ashcoft has written the perfect manual for you!

According to Ashcroft, the Patron Saint of Supervillains is former President Richard Nixon. In fact, a lot of things Republican are labeled supervillanous, such as Fox News and Newt Gingrich, though he is noted as having failed. It's a little much. One knock here or there is fine, but it's a complete jab at Republicans. It's not funny. There's not really a mention of a liberal or a Democrat. The political side is not needed and it takes away from the humor of the "self-help" book.

The book does give helpful insight on every step one needs to take to become a supervillain. It's a very detailed guide. Ashcroft seems to know what he's talking about. Does he have "secret" ambitions on becoming a supervillain?

One of the last chapters consists of interviews with supervillains. The answers, while possibly helpful, feel forced. The characterization doesn't feel quite right. The interviews don't really flow with the rest of the book very well.

There are a few small grammatical errors, but they are easy to overlook and don't take away from the rest of the writing. It's decently written and does have it's humor.

The Author's Note at the end is nice. It's cool to find out why the author wrote the book, but it takes away from the book itself. It takes away from the humor.

I give the book 3/5 stars. I read it as a review request from the author using the Kindle app, but all the opinions are my own. I was not paid for this review.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

The Linky Revolution

Yes, I joined Linky Followers. I am a Blogspot blogger, but I know in March no one outside Blogspot can use Google Friend Connect. Bloggers have found another way to stay connected: Linky Followers. Another account to sign up for? Yes. But, it puts you in connection with your favorite blogs so it's totally worth it.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Character Based Challenge: Day 11

The final day of the challenge. I did much better this time only missing yesterday because I spent too much time on giveaways.

If you were casting your favorite characters in a movie (whether it's been made or not), who would play them?

Ron Weasley (Harry Potter): Rupert Grint. Big shocker there considering he's the one who played him in all 8 films. I just can't think of anyone else who should play him. We need a red-headed, freckle faced British boy. Rupert's not freckle faced, but he just makes Ron.

Claudia Kishi (Baby-Sitters Club): This is hard because we need not just an Asian-American child actor, but a Japanese-American child actor to play a thirteen year old girl. I don't know who fits that bill.

Stacey McGill (Baby-Sitters Club): Emily Rose Everhard. sophisticated look.

Mary-Anne Spier (Baby-Sitters Club): Ariel Gade.

Jessi Ramsey (Baby-Sitters Club): China Anne McClaine. It's okay if she looks a little older. Jessi's a tall ballerina.

Mallory Pike (Baby-Sitters Club): Joey King. She doesn't have the auburn hair, so it'd have to be dyed it (and wear glasses as well as fake braces)

Jamie Sullivan (A Walk to Remember): Elizabeth Olsen.

Book Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

It's been more than a week since I finished this, but I've put off writing a review til now. I am sorry! :(

The second book in the Hunger Games trilogy starts off where the first book ended, only it's been a few weeks since the arrival of Katniss and Peeta back home in District 12.

I want to talk all about this book, but I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it. The reader needs to be surprised upon reading this book. The suspense really helps carry the plot. Read this review at your own risk!

This book was surprising. Unfortunately, I was already told there was going to be a second Hunger Games (some friends were discussing the series near me). I thought it would be in the third book, so I was surprised to find it happen so quickly. I had imagined Katniss and Peeta training new tributes, so I was definitely surprised about the new rules for the Quarter Quell.

Suzanne Collins is amazing with suspense. Every chapter ends with a bit of a cliff hanger. I never wanted to put the book down. She also knows how to make the reader hate the right characters. I hated President Snow right off the bat.

I did find it wasn't quite as exciting as The Hunger Games, though. My expectations were so high from reading the first book that the second book was sort of a let down. I did really enjoy the second Hunger Games. It was quite different than the first. It really allowed Katniss to shine.

If you read The Hunger Games more than likely you will read this one and you will not be disappointed. I gave it 4/5 stars and read it for pure pleasure.

Character Based Challenge: Day 10

I was so busy with posting giveaways yesterday (not my own, but on my giveaway page) that I forgot about the challenge. So, here's yesterday's entry.

What ending do you wish had turned out better for a character , and how would you re-write it?

Oh, wow. This one makes me think. Oh, I know. In With Love, Libby by Roxanne Henke, Vicky's daughter, Angie gets pregnant. She does this on purpose to get out of going to college and to get her boyfriend to stay with her. She does end up marrying the baby's father. She has the baby and doesn't go to college, like she wanted, only she realizes that what she dreamed was not what is reality. I loved the ending. It turned out good for Vicky's daughter. She and the baby's father end up going to college. But, it takes hardship to get them there. The baby's father has to work instead of going to school to support them and then the baby dies! I think it's Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Thats what I would change. The death of the baby. It was sad. I felt it was unnecessary. Henke used it as a vehicle to get the kids to open themselves up and go to college (it's community college, but hey, that's college), but... I just don't like reading about the death of babies, even if they are fictional.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day: Top Ten Couples in Literature

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope this is a day filled with love. It doesn't have to be romantic love as portrayed in the following couples. Love from a friend or family member counts.

This Valentine's Day I am honoring ten of my favorite romantic couples from literature. Here we go!

10. Romeo and Juliet from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
How can one guy go from being deeply in love with a girl to falling head over heels for another in a matter of minutes? Ask Romeo Montague. One moment he's pining for Rosaline and the next he's wanting to run away with Juliet Capulet. He's willing to kill himself for her. He just met her. The funny thing is, she's the same way. We don't see her pining over anyone before she meets Romeo, but when she meets him she's a goner.
Readers like to call this a beautiful display of love. Take a look. How long have the two known each other before they get married and die for each other. Who knows if they really were meant to be, if their acts were acts of deep love or that feeling one gets when they first fall in love.

9. Katniss and Peeta from The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
I'm only halfway through Mockingjay, so I don't know if these two end up together. I am Team Gale, even though I know that's not going to happen. Peeta claims he's been in love with Katniss ever since she came begging to his house years ago after her father died. Katniss never knew he even noticed her, but he did. His family owns a bakery and he burned bread just for her. The burnt bread was to be given to the pigs, but Peeta gave it to Katniss for her family instead.
Peeta admits to being in love with Katniss at the interview for their first Hunger Games. Katniss is stunned and during the entire games she plays up the romance angle. It helps get them food and survive. It's also what puts them in tremendous danger. Having to play up the romance, Katniss falls in love with Peeta. She still harbors feelings for her best friend, Gale. What kind of feelings, she doesn't know.
Katniss has feelings for both Gale and Peeta. She doesn't know what kind, but she's shared something special with Peeta. She's shared something with him that not many people can relate to. Right now in the book, they've just rescued him from the capitol and he's strangling Katniss. I do wonder what will happen next!

8. Finnick and Annie from The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
I'm not really sure what kind of romantic relationship there is between these two but there's definitely something. We meet Finnick in book 2, Catching Fire. He is a winner that is chosen to participate in the Quarter Quell. He's all about his looks and the many women he gets.
What Finnick is really about is Annie, another past winner. She's been affected so much by the games and the capitol that I believe she's gone mad. I'm only at the part in Mockingjay where they rescue the tributes from the capitol. All we've seen of Annie is her meeting Finnick again. They run to each other, embracing. They love each other. The reader can tell how much Annie means to Finnick. One of the ways the game makers torture the tributes in the Quarter Quell is to have mockingjays mimic the voices of their loved ones in pain. For Finnick it was Annie's voice. It drove him mad. He curled up and couldn't do anything. He really cares for this girl and the way she's been treated has deeply affected him.

7. Molly and Arthur from The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The perfect husband and wife team. Mother and father to seven children. Pseudo wizarding parents to Harry and Hermione. They are beautiful together.
We first see the two together in Chamber of Secrets when Molly is telling Arthur of her three middle boys' adventure to rescue Harry at night in their flying Ford Anglia. Arthur is genuinely pleased at hearing the story of his flying car, but quickly realizes he can't do that in front of Molly. Bad parenting and all that.
One of the most endearing moments is when Harry has been delivered to the Burrow early in the morning in Half-Blood Prince. Before Molly can let Arthur in he has to answer a question to prove he is the real Arthur Weasley. He does so by admitting his pet name for his wife is "Mollywobbles." He obviously doesn't know Harry is on the other side of the door. Harry feels like any kid would intruding on a private moment, like he's not supposed to know of this. As a reader, I see the love Molly and Arthur have always had for each other and continue to have.
In one of the books, sorry I do not remember which, Molly recalls in the first war that couples were drawn to get together faster than normal. I believe this is a hint that Molly and Arthur got married at a young age because of the war. Molly and Arthur were not part of the Order of the Phoenix back then for they were raising children. Bill, their oldest child, was born in 1970, the start of the rise of Voldemort.

6. Mary-Anne and Logan from The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin
Who can believe it? Shy Mary-Anne is the first of the baby-sitters to get a boyfriend. She gets one before sophisticated Stacey and all the rest. Shy Mary-Anne! Unbelievable.
Logan arrives in Stoneybrooke, CT from Louisville, KY in book #10 Logan Likes Mary-Anne! He loves her shy ways. She loves his sweetness and how he looks like her favorite movie star, Cam Geary. She meets him at lunch when Kristy talks of having too much business. Logan speaks up that he's done a bit of baby-sitting in Kentucky and for his younger brother and sister. The club tries him out with a new client. Mary-Anne goes with him to take note. They're baby-sitting the Walking Disaster, so unlucky things happen, but they bring Logan and Mary-Anne closer. However, Logan did not become a full-fledged member. He felt awkward at club meetings because he was a guy and the rest were girls wanting to talk about girl things. Instead he becomes an associate member, someone the club calls when they have too much business. He doesn't attend meetings, which makes things easier on everyone. They are only thirteen.
The two have gone through a lot: Cokie Mason trying to trick Logan into thinking Mary-Anne and her friends are a bunch of babies, Logan hanging out with the Bad Boyz, a short break up because Mary-Anne hated being smothered by Logan, and all the other mishaps the club itself has gone through. I haven't read the book but in one of the final books, the couple breaks up for good. Heartbreaking. I know in real life couples don't always stay together, but this is fiction. We can have what we want. I want Mary-Anne and Logan Forever! According to the book they break up due to incompatibility and if they are incompatible it is best they not be together no matter how much the fans want it.

5. James and Lily from The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
Harry's parents. We only see them alive in the series through flashbacks or pensieve moments. The two met at Hogwarts. It took them til seventh year to fall in love. Well, James thought he was in love with her much earlier, but it took Lily until James's maturing in seventh year to reciprocate.
James was a Marauder. He was a prankster. He also picked on people, well, mostly, Lily's best friend, Severus Snape. Lily was not fond of James. He asked her out and she said no. It is not known whether this was a one time thing or a continuous thing. I don't think James is the kind of person who would bug someone with the same question knowing the answer, but it is not said in the books, so we cannot know for sure.
Seventh year Dumbledore announces James and Lily as Head Boy and Head Girl. James was not previously a Prefect, but he was Quidditch Captain. This forces James and Lily to work together. One may wonder why Dumbledore gave the position to a prankster. There have been a few ideas. Perhaps he believes someone like James will be able to keep the rest of the students in line. Maybe he sees something in James that he has matured. Maybe being in the "spotlight" like this will keep him in line. Whatever his reasons, it works. James matures and Lily finally falls for him.
The two get married shortly after leaving Hogwarts. They join the Order and fight for Dumbledore's side of good against Voldemort's side of evil. Being born in 1960, they are about 20 years old when their son, Harry, is born. They are forced into hiding due to the prophecy Voldemort believes. They spend their last days together, hidden in a house, protecting their son.

4. Tibby and Brian from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Anne Brashares
Bailey brought them together.
Tibby was a filmmaker. Brian was a video game player. The two would have never met otherwise. Bailey, a young girl Tibby met while working at her part-time job, introduced the two for Tibby's film. Brian spent all of his summer days playing an arcade game at a convenience store. Tibby filmed him.
I don't recall how long it took for the two to start dating. I do know by the time Tibby's in college they are together. He visits her. They have sex. It is protected but I do believe the condom broke. Tibby thinks she could pregnant. She is so worried. She breaks up with Brian. Long story short she's not pregnant and the two do get back together.
Brian's a nerd, but in his senior year he becomes hot and everything. He's something that Effie, Lena's sister, wants to date. She actually does in the small time Brian and Tibby break up, but all that it does is help get Brian and Tibby back together. It helps Tibby understand her feelings for him. I do not believe that was Effie's intentions.
The final book in the series shows just how much they love each other. They moved to Australia and had a daughter. Bridget says she is Tibby all over again. I don't want to spoil that book, so I won't mention much else, but Brian is really motivated by his love for Tibby. It's all over his emotions and his actions. They had something few people ever have.

3. Lena and Kostos from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Anne Brashares
Upon their introduction I wanted the two to be together. Lena and Kostos. I loved them.
The stories had a different idea.
Lena and Kostos fell in love, but they never stuck together. Lena is from America and Kostos lives in Greece. Lena meets him while visiting her grandparents in Greece. Well, I think she'd met him years ago, but didn't remember it. They had fun together swimming in the lake, Kostos watching Lena draw. They had a real summer romance. But, then it was time for Lena to go home. She had to leave Kostos behind.
Lena never gave up on Kostos, but the next year he sent her a tragic letter that he had to marry a girl who was pregnant with his child. This broke Lena's heart. She didn't want to love, she didn't want to dream, for nothing turned out the way one wanted. One day Kostos comes to America to find Lena and tell her the truth. The girl played him. She was never pregnant. That was a lie. They were no longer married. Lena had been dating another boy she met in an art class and didn't want to face Kostos anymore.
In the final book some incidents happen that bring Lena and Kostos together. More obstacles appear, but they run over them. Lena and Kostos are meant to be together.

2. Harry and Ginny from The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
When Ginny was little she claimed one day she would marry Harry Potter. Back then it was just a crush on a famous boy, but it turned into something real.
Harry's always seen her as Ron's little sister, the girl he rescued in the Chamber of Secrets, but his sixth year she becomes something more.
Harry's first crush is on a Ravenclaw named Cho. He has to get over before he can feel and understand his feelings for Ginny. When Harry's feelings develop Ginny is dating Harry's dorm mate, Dean Thomas.
The two get together over Quidditch. Harry is the captain and seeker for Gryffindor, but has detention with Snape so he's not able to play in the final match. He names Ginny his fill-in captain and replacement seeker. After detention he rushes back to his house to find a party, a celebration for winning the Quidditch Cup. He grabs Ginny in a kiss and steals her away for a private moment (don't worry, she's already broken up with Dean by this time). Before he goes Ron gives him a look that simply says "I'm not happy, but if it has to be anyone..."
The two do date, but after Dumbledore's death Harry breaks it off with her for her protection. He doesn't want Voldemort going after her. However, on his 17th birthday her gift to him is a very meaningful and very special kiss.
The epilogue has the two married with children. They've formed a happy, loving family. Harry gets his wish of a family and Ginny gets her wish of marrying Harry Potter. Now, it's not because he's this famous boy who defeated Voldemort. It's because he is her one true love.

1. The one you've all been waiting for:
Ron and Hermione from The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
The wait. The anticipation. It was killer. But, we knew it was coming.

"Hang on a moment!" said Ron sharply. "We've forgotten someone!"
"Who?" asked Hermione.
"The house-elves, they'll all be down in the kitchen, won't they?"
"You mean we ought to get them fighting?" asked Harry.
"No," said Ron seriously, "I mean we should tell them to get out. We don't want anymore Dobbies, do we? We can't order them to die for us--"
There was a clatter as the basilisk fangs cascaded out of Hermione's arms. Running at Ron, she flung them around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron threw away the fangs and broomsticks he was holding and responded with such enthusiasm he lifted Hermione off her feet.
"Is this the moment?" Harry asked weakly, and when nothing happened except that Ron and Hermione gripped each other still more firmly and swayed on the spot, he raised his voice. "Oi! There's a war going on here!"
Ron and Hermione broke apart, their arms still around each other.
"I know, mate," said Ron, who looked as though he had recently been hit on the back of the head with a Bludger, "so it's now or never, isn't it?"
"Never mind that, what about the Horcrux?" Harry shouted. "D'you think you could just--just hold it in until we've got the diadem?"
"Yeah--right--sorry--" said Ron, and he and Hermione set about gathering up fangs, both pink in the face.
p. 625 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Edition

The two were made for each other. They complement each other so well. They fill each other out, make each other whole. Hermione's the brains and Ron's the fun. He's sports. She's books. She's studying. He's relaxing. They give each other what the other lacks.
Yes, they fight all the time. But, they do it because they're crazy for each other. If they didn't love each other as much as they did what bothers them wouldn't and they wouldn't fight.
It's just a shame it took so long for them to get together so we can't see their relationship develop in the actual series. We just know they get married, have children, and Ron is still doing things that bug Hermione.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can playing along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
Be careful not to include spoilers! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

I feel a pang of guilt. When your family's had to send you off twice to the Hunger Games, this isn't the kind of detail you should overlook.
P. 182 Mockingjay (Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins

Character Based Challenge: Day 9

Who is your favorite ensemble cast of characters?

I know what you think I'm going to put down. The cast of Harry Potter.

No. My favorite ensemble cast of characters come from my childhood favorite, The Baby-Sitters Club. I grew up with these girls. I recieved my first book #13 Goodbye, Stacey, Goodbye when I was 7. That first book drew me in. I was and am a fan for life. I read all the books (well, almost all, there are a few of the latter 100s and Friends Forever books I haven't read). I loved reading the adventures of the girls and their charges. Ann M. Martin really created a world I wanted to be a part of.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Character Based Challenge: Day 8

What character would you love to see in another book and what is it?

Voldemort in Twilight so he can kill Edward.

Just kidding.

But, not really.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Character Based Challenge: Day 7

Who is the most unbelievable romantic couple?

This is a tough one as I actually do like most of the romantic couples I come across in literature. I'm trying to think of all the couples I've come across. I could go with Bella and Edward, but I don't want to have anything Twilight related in my blog, nor have I actually read the books. It's not so much which couple I dislike, but the one I find to be the most unbelievable. You know what? I find Dean Thomas and Ginny Weasley unbelievable. I like them together, but when I get down to the nitty gritty it's like, what? Dean is friends with Ron. He's not close like he is with Seamus or like Ron is with Harry, but they do room together, and I have noticed in the series that they are friendly. They are on the Quidditch team together. He's a nice guy. I'm surprised he goes on to date Ginny without discussing it with Ron. I guess that's where the unbelievable part comes in. It doesn't look like Dean takes into account Ron and Harry's thoughts and feelings on the issue. I can see Ginny being the younger sister acting like she doesn't care what her brother thinks and that if she dates someone in Harry's dorm it would get his attention. I just don't see how the nice guy Dean can date a dormmate's sister without talking to him.

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Character Based Challenge: Day 6

Who is your favorite romantic couple?

Do I have to answer this one? If you know me you should know who I'm going to say.

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.

Duh.

On a side note, I went Valentine's Day card shopping for my dad today. It was the hardest thing to find a decent card for him. My mom it would have been easy. Mothers get lots of spaces, but fathers? One place had none! Another had four, one for young daughter, which was empty, young son, kid(s), and funny. Finally, I found a decent and good card at CVS. Sorry, dads, daughters aren't supposed to send their love.

Friday, February 10, 2012

Character Based Challenge: Day 5

Who is the best villian or love-to-hate character?

Bellatrix Lestrange from the Harry Potter series. She's so crazy, but it's her craziness that makes her a love-to-hate character. I don't like that she tortured Neville's parents to insanity or that she tortured Hermione (fortunately not to insanity). I don't like that she's a Death Eater bent on killing Muggles, foxes (as seen in Half-Blood Prince), and Harry Potter. It's the development of her character and her infatuous love for Voldemort that makes her such an interesting and love-to-hate character.

Versatile Blogger Award

The Geek Chic has so gratiously awarded me with an award.

The Versatile Blogger Award:
Requirements:
- Link to the blogger who gave you the award.
- Share 7 things about yourself.
- Pass the award to 15 bloggers recently discovered.
- Notify the blogger recipients.

7 things about me!
1. I play the flute and the piccolo.
2. I am a middle child. Yep, I've got one older brother and one younger sister.
3. My favorite pastime is watching the Atlanta Braves play baseball. Huge, huge, huge fan.
4. I am a Christian of the Southern Baptist denomination.
5. I am a Republican, but that doesn't mean I won't vote for a Democrat if I truly like him or her (and I have in the past, so that's not just talk).
6. I love to write, but mostly all I have are great beginnings (or fanfic). I want more and am hoping inspiration hits!
7. In the sixth grade, I won an award for reading the most books out of the entire grade.

The 15 bloggers I pass this award on to:
Letters Inside Out
Being a Momma and Loving It
The Busy Bibliophile
Prissy Fit
Chapter by Chapter
Just Ten Books
Mom's Pace
Life and Love Letters
Hippies, Beauties, and Books, Oh My!
Pandora Poikilos - Peace From Pieces
Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
Quitting My Day Job
Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book
Gracefully Gluten Free
Thoughts From a Compulsive Reader

Got Great Giveaways

This is a meme hosted by I Am a Reader Not a Writer. I do mine a little bit differently as I gather all the great giveaways I've seen on the internet, book related!

Giveaway Hops: