Happy Easter!

Easter is a day when we should take a moment, even if we are not Christian, simply to marvel in what has supposedly 'happened.' Either way, someone believes that their god has risen from the grave, by the power of the angels. They believe that something in this world has the ability to rise again. 

Then, there are the festivities. Oh boy, these are fun. I, myself, still decorate eggs. Some traditions you can never grow out of. For me, Easter symbolizes new life, or rebirth in the spring, which is probably why Jesus wanted to be risen today. Or may hap just why we think of spring that way. You see all of the flowers grow, and decorate eggs, which are like little unborn chickens... Okay, so maybe that's a stretch, but you can see where I'm coming from, aye?

I love the ham on Easter. My family normally makes it very sweet, with brown sugar or something, I'm not sure, but it always tastes really good. 

Now, onto the legends about Easter, and about our popular traditions. The Easter Bunny is based from a fertility goddess, who is called Eostre. They say that her name may have been used as inspiration for the title 'Easter.' Eostre is said to have been accompanied by a hare(the Easter Bunny!).

Oh, the ham! Who wants to know about the ham? Okay, here we go. The tradition of the ham came from the older tradition of slaughtering a pig during the fall, and preserving it in salt through winter, even sometimes burying it by the sea. Then, people ate it in the spring.

The tradition and expectation of the eggs is because the egg is the symbol o new life, such as the chick is. So, to jazz it up, the painted them, took them to church, rolled them on the White House lawn, oh yeah.  Eggs, eggs, eggs!

Well, Easter always falls on the Sunday after the full moon after the vernal equinox, the spring equinox. I don't really know why it does, but, its in that order if you'd like to know! Easter is always a great holiday to have fun celebrating, so don't pass it up! Go out and enjoy, because my nana always told everyone that the sun always shines on Easter!

Quote #42

"Easter was when Hope in person surprised the whole world by forward from the future into the present."
~N.T. Wright

Quote #41

"Each of us has a box of matches inside of us, but we can't strike them by ourselves."
~Laura Esquivel

Quote #40

"Listen to them, the children of the night, what sweet music they make."
~Dracula

Quote #39

"It was a pleasure to burn."
~Ray Bradbury

Quote #38

"When she awoke, the world was on fire."
~Scott Westerfeld 

Quote #37

"Isolation is the gift."
~Charles Bukowski 

Quote #36

"I am the most permanent person, you will ever meet. It is only that it never makes any difference."
~Cassandra Clare

Quote #35

"They've promised dreams can come true but forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams, too."
~Oscar Wilde

'Clockwork Angel' Book Review

I loved this book. The series is a prequel to the Mortal Instruments series. It was like reading another Mortal Instruments series, except in this one I didn't know what would happen! The plot line was electric, and the characters were hilarious! I would read this series over and over again. I also love Old London, so that was amazing for me.

Let me begin with Tessa Gray, as she was our main character. I loved her. Her unique abilities to shift made her a remarkable character to read from. She was not always a strong heroine, because she had things she had to figure out. She was very unsure, and I thought that that made her very sensible. My other favorite character was William Herondale. Will was very funny. And very afraid of ducks. He was a jerk a lot of times, but he was also very nice. Not like Jem though, but as Jem's parabaiti, I think he was sensitive. Jem, was amazing. He was the classically thoughtful person, Will's better half. He was kind to everyone, and I mean everyone. We almost never saw him mad in the series. 

*SPOILERS ARE COMING!!!!*

What did you all think of learning that Jem was dying? It really didn't set in for me until the second book, then I was really like, 'wonderful Jem is...dying.' Oh, yes, that was bad for me, heart-breaking really, even if I did like Will better. And then when Nate turned out to be a traitor? I was disgusted! 'After Tessa trusted you???'I was so angry, and I began to then cry. Ugh, I was so sad. 

*End Of Spoilers*

I loved the plot. There were traitors, and spies and fantastic twists. I loved the romance as much as the action, and everything about it was endearing. It kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire novel. Not only did I not see anything in this series coming, I also was able to thoroughly enjoy it. The plot never left me bored, it was just like the Mortal Instruments; I fell in love from the first sentence. 

This novel was set in London about two hundred years ago. I would love to live in this world. Cassandra Clare completely captured the essence of old-world London, in my opinion. Everyone was elegant and the setting left me in complete awe of this series. If it wasn't already amazing enough, this setting really put it through the roof. 

I think everyone should read this series, and I think that anyone would enjoy them. You will fall in love with the characters, specifically if you have already read the Mortal Instruments series, though there is no need to. Now the entire series is out, so this is a great time to go out and get the novels! Off you go! 

Quote #34

"Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night."
~Edna St. Vincent Millay

Quote #33

"...everything becomes really clear.
Your first kiss isn't as important as your last.
The math test really didn't matter.
The pie really did.
That, the things you're good at, and the things you're bad at, are just two different sides to the same thing.
Same thing with the people you love and the people you don't-and the people who love you and the people who don't.
What matters is that you cared about a few people.
Life is really, really short."
~Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia 

Quote #32

"the 

whole

way

down

I 

was

only

thinking

one

thing

.

.

.

L

E

N

 A"

~Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia

Quote #31

"You didn't realize what was passing you by until you slowed down a little to get a better look."
~Karin Slaughter 

Quote #30

"And at the instant he knew, he ceased to know."
~Jack London

Quote #29

"I just realized my reality, and I'd like to say 'no thanks, I'm going back to sleep.'"
~Jarod Kintz 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Today is a wonderful day of, in my opinion, Irish hospitality. it is a day to be with your family, and friends, and eat the corned beef and cabbage! Today is the day to get out and search for the four leaf clovers in your front yard, and play the Irish folk music! One of my favorite parts, you may ask? That's the legends of Saint Patrick. 

The first one involves the shamrock. When Saint Patrick arrived in Ireland, he immediately set out trying to convert the Celtic pagans. He had lived and worked there before, so he probably knew the significance of the number three to them. So, in turn, he picked a shamrock, the common three-leafed clover that grew there, and used it to explain to them the Holy Trinity. 

The second legend involves demon blackbirds. Sound odd, aye? So, Saint Patrick spent the forty days of Lent, the Christian period of fasting or self-denial prior to Easter, on a mountain in co Mayo, now known as Croagh Patrick. During these days, he was harassed by demons disguised as  blackbirds. They formed such a thick cloud in the sky, that that sky turned black. Yet, according to this legend, Saint Patrick continued to ring his bell and pray, to proclaim his faith. An angel arrived to answer his prayers, telling him that all his petitions on behalf of the Irish would be granted, and they would retain their Christian faith until Judgement Day. 

The third, and final one, speaks of the banishing of the snakes from Ireland. This is as famous as the legend of the shamrock. It talks of Saint Patrick driving all of the snakes into the sea where they then drowned. In many pictures, Saint Patrick is depicted as standing on a mound of snakes, obviously conquering the snakes. 

Another thing that I love about St. Patrick's Day is the food! I adore corned beef and cabbage, and I think that everyone should eat it on St. Patrick's Day. It is part of the atmosphere  and St. Patrick's Day would not be complete without it!

Personally, I love all Irish and Scottish events. That may be, however, because I myself am Scotts-Irish. I love to celebrate my heritage, but I also enjoy all of the festivities involved in this holiday. So, be ready to clean up the messes made by your leprechaun, and try and get out of the house to find the end of the rainbow!

Quote #28

"If I have any worth, it is to live my life for God so as to teach these peoples;even though some of them still look down on me."
~Saint Patrick

Quote #27

"If you want to know who your true friends are, get yourself a jail sentence."
~Charles Buckowski

Quote #26

"Accept loss forever."
~Jack Kerouac

Quote #25

"I have measured out my life in coffee spoons."
~TS Eliot

Quote #24

"I had nothing to offer anybody except my own confusion."
~Jack Kerouac 

Quote #23

"Mermaid-like, unto the floor she slid, one half appeared and the other was hid."
~Christopher Marlowe

Quote #22

"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat."
~Edgar Allan Poe

'As Simple As Snow' Book Reveiw

This novel was fabulous! Gregory Galloway is unlike any author that I have ever read. This book had me raving, and I still am! Everything about it was positively perfectly executed! The novel As Simple As Snow is the best realistic mystery novel that I have ever read!

I loved Anna Cayne. She was amazingly stunning. As a Goth, she was mysterious and just wonderful. She was exceptionally unique to read about. Anna was so easy to connect with. The unnamed narrator of the story was even easier to relate to. The way Galloway created these characters was amazing. Watching the narrator go through the process of grieving over a lost loved one was a touching experience one that I think most readers, such as myself, will relate to exceptionally. 

The plot line was full of wonderful twists and turns, and moments that made me cry. This novel was beautifully written. I adored every minute of the suspenseful plot. There was nothing about this book that I did not enjoy thoroughly. 

This novel is something that many people could read. There are many people who may find this book a bit depressing at times, but I never did. I thought that reading this book is a great opportunity for insight of anyone. People should read this book, it was written by a wonderful author who has a great outlook on the world. 

Quote #21

"I am, in the end, what you made me."
~Cassandra Clare

Quote #20

"Everyone has their own disease. But not everyone has their own cure."
~Gregory Galloway

Quote #19

"Betrayal is the only truth that sticks."
~Arthur Miller

An Opposition (Sorry T.S. Eliot)

A favorite poet of mine, T.S. Eliot for those who know of him, once said 'sometimes things become possible if we want then bad enough.' 

I have come through these years to realize just how wrong he was about that particular standing point. Sometimes, things will never happen no matter how many times or how hard you wish for them. And that is best realized at the beginning to prevent further heart-break in the future. Sometimes, most of the times, things pass and move on for a reason, no matter how foolish. It shows a tremendous fool whom wishes for the things that she can never attain. Which, is I have learned, is easier said than done. 

But, sometimes, my dear Eliot, you must acknowledge that we cannot bridge some gaps in this world, and in the next, or that alternate one where you feel that everyone but you is in. Sometimes, it is necessary to mourn. You have lost something vital to you, and simply wanting it back, even trying to get it back, will not make it so.  At times, when there is nothing left to do, mourning is a good thing to do, to expediences. Some of us who have lost parts of us to the unkind worlds, need to mourn. Because when you mourn for something or someone that you have lost, it brings them closer to you, in an odd way. At that moment, as you cry, you get a little closer to understanding how much you have really lost. In those moments, the people around you realize the depth of your loss. As another one of my favorite authors, Jeanette Winterson, has once said, 'this hole in my heart is the shape of you, and no one else can fit it. Why would I want them to?' 

So, you see that losing someone, and mourning them is not only not being ungrateful, but it is also not a textbook subject. You can diagnose and match one person's grief to another's, because no one has lost that person exactly like another has. You cannot simply put a label on someone grieving, because you do not know what it is like, even if you have experienced some time similar. Taking a long time to finish grieving is not something to be looked down upon. That is the time it takes someone to work through the course of their grief. 

And now, T.S., we cannot wish something back to us, no matter how hard we want it. We may only try our hardest to get to it, and if not, then we are best accept it, and start the grieving process, as the longer that you put it off, the strong and longer it will grow.

Quote #18

"Humankind cannot bear very much reality."
~T.S. Eliot

Quote #17

"When you look up/Do you see the blue sky of what might be/Or the Darkness of what will never be/Do you see me?"
~Kami Garcia

Quote #16

"And scarce I thought I heard you-here I opened up the door-Darkness there, and nothing more."
~Edgar Allan Poe

Quote #15

"We must not look at goblin men,
We must not buy their fruits,
Who knows upon what soil they fed,
Their hungry thirsty roots?"
~Christina Rossetti

Quote #14

"Man is the cruelest animal."
~Friedrich Nietzsche

Quote #13

"It isn't against the Law to be an idiot."
~Cassandra Clare

'City of Bones' Book Review

You all may know by now, that Cassandra Clare's novel, City of Bones, is coming out as a movie on August 23. It is directed by Harald Zwart and produced by Don Carmody and Robert Kulzer. The main character, Clary is being portrayed by Lily Collins, and Jace is played by Jamie Campbell Bower. Simon, Clary's mundane best friend, is played by Robert Sheehan. I love all the actors, and trust them with this film.

This novel was spectacular! I fell in love with it from the first sentence. Everything about it captivated me. I quite literally could not put it down! 

I loved Clary, the main character. I thought she was amazing. She described every part in perfect, crystalline detail. She was an intelligent heroine. 

*SPOILERS AHEAD!!!*

Another character I adored was Jace. Jeez. He was, wow. Aside from being a wonderful fighter, amazing guardian, and incredibly adorable, he was also the perfect love interest for Clary. What did you think of Jace an Clary being brother and sister? I was in a panic! All of these characters were well developed, but I still have a few more favorites to share with you all. Next is Isabelle.  She was undeniably awesome. With her gold whip, and girly fashion, she was an amazing and fascinating Shadowhunter. She was probably my favorite female character. Then there was Alec, Isabelle's brother. He was different, and you'll see why in the novel, but I thought he was endearing an I loved everything about him. Everything. I fell in love with his protective personality, and of course, I had to admire his fighting skills. Then there was Magnus Bane, the High Warlock of Brooklyn. LOVED HIM! He was hilarious, and him being gay was another amazing trait, just as it was in another character. *wink, wink*  

*End Of Spoilers*

This was an amazing book to read, with one of the main reasons being the settings. Every where I went with the characters made me feel like I was really there. It was an incredible experience in a novel. I loved the New York setting, and the Institute. It was awesome. So amazing that there are just hardly any words to describe this manuscript. Seeing all of this come to life in the film will be worth-while. This is one of the best and well-executed Nephilim books that I have ever read. 

Anyone, and everyone must read this book. This is at the very top of my favorite series' list. I adored this series as a whole, and the individual books, as well.  I don't think any book could quite compare Cassandra Clare's novels. These characters stole my heart from the first page of the novel. I am quite obsessed. You need to go pick up this series, yes the entire series, because you won't be able to rest while reading these books.

'Evernight' Book Review

This was most defiantly one of the better vampire novels that I have read. This was not one of the classical vampire books, no it was much better than those. The plot line was severe and dramatic, and I am not a supporter of dumb vampire books, so I was able to recognize that this one was not like the others. Bianca was positively stunning as the main character. She was also the female love interest, and their was always chemistry between her and Lucas, the male love interest. Lucas was a wonderful gallant character, always protecting Bianca. He was, in my mind, one of the best male love interests that I have ever read. Then there was Balthazar. Ahhh. He was amazing to read about. He was always a friend to Bianca, and then... I won't spoil it. He was amazing, that's all that you need to know. 

The plot was stunning, but the setting of Evernight Academy really charmed me. It was like an old Victorian castle-like structure. There were gargoyles and big stone spires, it reminded me of some old, academy, I guess. Claudia Gray got the setting spot-on. I loved the academy itself, and the grounds around Evernight. It was a large setting in the series, something of which I adored. It was captivating really, I got the most stunning mental images of the school, and it made me long to be there with Bianca. This was most assuredly detailed manuscripts that I have read.

Anyone could read this novel. Anyone, I truly believe that. It was inspiring and entrancing, I couldn't wait to get the rest of the series, which I swallowed down when I got my hands on them. The characters  were all so well-developed and endearing, and the plot line was so full of suspense that I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire series.  This novel just stole my heart, and my breath. The romance was fresh, and the action was undeniably well written. If you are looking for a fresh outlook on a common theme, this is the book for you!

Quote #12

"It is amazing what you can accomplish when you do not care who gets the blame."
~John Stern