Top Ten Favorite Books(Series) 2013

1. City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire(coming 2014) aka The Mortal Instruments Series! |Cassandra Clare| 

2(but pretty much tied with 1). Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess aka The Infernal Devices Series! |Cassandra Clare|

3.  The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen, and The Iron Knight aka The Iron Fey Series! |Julie Kagawa| 

4. The Lost Prince and The Iron Traitor aka The Call of The Forgotten Series! |Julie Kagawa| 

5. The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian aka The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series! |Rick Riordan|

6. The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, The Mark of Athena, and The House of Hades(coming 2014) aka The Heroes of Olympus Series! |Rick Riordan| 

7. The Red Pyramid, The Throne of Fire, and The Serpent's Shadow aka The Kane Chronicles! |Rick Riordan|

8. Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos, and Beautiful Redemption aka The Caster Chronicles! |Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl| 

                             

9. Sweet Venom, Sweet Shadows, and Sweet Legacy(coming this September) aka The Medusa Girls Series! |Tera Lynn Childs|

10. The Selection, The Elite, and The One(coming 2014) aka The Selection Series! |Kiera Cass|

Children's Books

So, this is going to be slightly rant-y. Probably, all rant, actually. It's about children's books. Not the books themselves, that is, but that title. People seem to look down on those people that are over the age of ten, and still read what is labeled as 'children's books'. 

That is just a title! It indicates that the main character(s) are around the ages of ten to sixteen, not the content of the story. I hate it when people look at you funny when you are reading something that is labeled under that category. I hate it even more when people have the nerve to ask you why you are reading that. The level of quality is not indicated by the label that it is under! 

You know what is considered a children's book? Percy Jackson; that is one of the best books I have ever read! The same goes with YA novels! people like to say that they have out grown them. That puts down everyone that reads and enjoys YA novels, as if they are not mature, or at your level.

You can say that you don't like reading that character age, that you don't like reading those books, but, in the words of someone very wise, 'to say that you have out grown them, that you have matured past, belittles everyone who enjoys those books!'. Spot on. So, stop judging people that read 'children's books' and YA novels!

Yes, so, there's that. Just some brain food, think on it. It's true. 

Quote #103

"Darkness will always be...it's own master..."
~CK Mullinax

Angel Of Small Children

Our eighth angel is Metatron, the angel that guards and watches over small children. He is a fiery angel, and very energetic, but he loves children, especially the ones that are spiritually gifted. Metatron is the angel that leads children, just as he led the Israelite children after the Exodus. 

Metatron is also the angel charged with education, unity, and truth. He and his twin brother, Sandalphon, are the only angels to have orignally been mortals. Metatron's mortal name was Enoch.

No fact. 

Angel Of Wild Animals

Our seventh angel is Ariel, (not the mermaid). This angel is the patron angel of wild animals, and is charged with keeping them safe, happy and healthy. Kind of like PetSmart. But not really. Anywho... Ariel's name means 'lion or lioness of God', so you can see where the animal thing comes from. 

Ariel also heals and protects nature, which includes the animals, fish, birds, but especially the wild ones. Ariel on the environmentalist angel.  

Uh...

Quote #102

"We dream and fight with demons real and imagined."
~Dejan Stojanovic

Quote #101

"People shouldn't call for demons unless they really mean what they say."
~CS Lewis

Quote #100

Well, today is our hundredth quote! Whoot! Exciting, yeah? A quote a day, 100 quotes...that means ONE HUNDRED DAYS OF HAVING THE BLOG! So, to celebrate a bit, I will post a quote from my own novel, though it is unfinished. Enjoy!

"Bitterness is truly only bits and pieces of memories, loss, and regret stirred in the quiet of not being able to tell anyone."
~Jacquelyn McIlvain, 'The Girl In Gray'

Quote #99

"I'd rather face mythological creatures and paranormal beings then deal with my own demons."
~Amanda Rose

Angel Of Darkness

Our sixth angel is Belial, the angel of darkness in the Hebrew Bible. He is also recognized as an angel of hostility. His name, Belial, means 'lacking worth', or 'worthless'. His purpose is supposedly to bring wickedness and guilt. 

Belial is a smooth-talker, but as his name means 'worthless', his words are pleasing but meaningless. 

Fact absent.

Quote #98

"Be careful when  you cast out your demons that you don't through away the best of yourself."
~Friedrich Nietzsche

Quote #97

"All my life, I've understood the nature of where I come from, but I never thought it might be wicked until now."
~Breanna Yovanoff

Quote #96

"Demons are like obedient dogs; they come when they are called."
~Remy de Gourmont

Quote #95

"He who has rejected his demons badgers us to death with his angels."
~Henri Michaux 

Quote #94

"In every century, in every country, they'll call us something different. They'll say we're ghosts, angels, demons, elemental spirits, and giving us a name doesn't help anybody. When did a name change what someone is?"
~Breanna Yovanoff 

Angel of Storms

Zakkiel is our fifth angel, and the angel that governs storms. His name is also spelled 'Zadkiel'. He governs mainly tornadoes and hurricanes, because he is also the angel of mercy. Zakkiel's storms, or hurricanes and tornadoes, are considered to be 'cleansing storms'. 

He is the angel that helps people that have sinned come before God to ask for their forgiveness. Zadkiel also causes increases in weather patterns and storms. Because of this, and his role as an angel of mercy, he is a very important angel. 

I've got no fact for you.

Quote #93

"The treachery of demons is nothing compared to the betrayal of an angel."
~Brenna Yovanoff

Angel Of Night

Our fourth angel is Lailah. Her name is Hebrew for 'night'. She is an angel of the night in the Jewish Talmud and in some later Jewish mythology. The root of Lailah's name is also shared with 'night creature'. She was also charged as an angel of conception and is appointed to watch over spirits at their birth. 

Lailah is supposedly connected to the spirit of unborn infants. She is also a guardian of children. 

Random fact: I haven't got one fore you. 

Quote #92

"Men who fear demons see demons everywhere."
~Brom

Quote #91

"If I got rid of my demons, I'd lose my angels."
~Tennessee WIlliams

Angel Of Light

Our third angel, is actually Satan! Now, now, don't jump onto conclusions. Lucifer masqueraded as the angel of light. 'Lucifer' actually means 'light-bringer'. Lucifer, was Satan before his fall, so he would have been called Lucifer, not Satan, up in Heaven, as an angel. 

Lucifer also means 'morning star' or 'daystar'. As an angel, up in Heaven, he was an angel of light. We have got no fact for this ex-angel. 

Angel Of Blessings

Our second angel is the angel of blessings, Barachiel. He intercedes before God to ask to bless people in all areas of their lives. People often ask Barachiel for success in their life. Barachiel is the chief of all guardian angels, and people often ask for his help in delivering a blessing through one of their guardian angels. 

Barachiel is often depicted as scattering rose petals that represent God's sweet blessings. He is also often depicted clutching a white rose to his chest, something that also symbolizes blessings. Another way he is drawn and painted, is either with a basket overflowing with bread, or a staff, both of which represent the blessings that children bestow on parents.

Random fact: his energy color is green.

Angel Of Hope

Our first angel is the angel of hope, Ramiel. He was credited with two tasks; divine visions and guiding the faithful souls to Heaven. He is an angel that watches over those to resurrect, and he is a fallen Watcher, one of the first angels set by God to guard and watch over the Earth. 

He gives hopeful visions and dreams to those in trouble, and communicates hopeful messages. He is God's messenger of hope, giving people God's hope for them. Often, he is depicted in a dream or vision, due to his  occupation. 

Random piece of information: his energy color is purple. 

Angels Announcement

So, I recently have been very interested in, as you probably guessed from the title, angels. Now, I don't know if you are interested like I am, but I find the concept itself fascinating I've also been studying the Bible often lately, so their's your explanation for why this has suddenly popped up out of the blue. 

There are apparently, according to many books, angels for virtually everything. Going on this assumption, I am going to take about two weeks to name and post as many angels as I can find pictures for. Again, I will be spending about two weeks on this. I thought it would be fun, so I will have at least one a day up for your viewing and, hopefully, your enjoyment as well! (All pictures will be female, they do not reflect the actual angel!)

Quote #90

"Fear not death, for the sooner we die, the longer we shall be immortal."
~Benjamin Franklin

Quote #89

"Even death has a heart."
~Markus Zusak

Quote #88

"Love is how you stay alive, even after you're gone."
~Mitch Albom

Quote #87

"I could die for you. But I couldn't, and wouldn't, live for you."
~Ayn Rand

Quote #86

"A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it."
~Oscar Wilde

Quote #85

"You cannot find peace by avoiding life."
~Virginia Woolf

Quote #84

"A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them."
~Victor Hugo

Quote #83

"When the remembering is done, the forgetting can begin."
~Sara Zarr

Quote #82

"To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die."
~Thomas Campbell

Quote #81

"One lives with the hope of being a memory."
~Antonia Porchia

Quote #80

"How I wish you could have known me in my strength."
~Marilynne Robinson

Quote #79

"Behind every beautiful thing, there is some kind of pain."
~Bob Dylan

Quote #78

"I find myself searching the crowds for your face-I know it's an impossibility but I cannot help myself."
~Nicholas Sparks

The Five Stages of Grief

So, today, I will present you all with...the five stages of grief! I know, sounds s exciting, aye? I don't know, I think it's cool. Hope you do, too, because if not, I've posted it for nothing. Now, there are exceptions to these, but I'm not going to put that in every section, so just know, that this is not definite, just based from statistics.

DENIAL

The person is unable, or does not, accept the facts, information, or reality. This stage helps the person to survive the loss. The world becomes meaningless and overwhelming; they go numb. The person is in a state of shock, and the world makes no sense at all. It is a defense mechanism. 

ANGER

The person who is going through the tragedy becomes angry with them self and/or others,  typically those close to them. It may seem endless. People often wonder why their god has not stopped this incident from happening. They may become angry with the person lost, and feel deserted and abandoned. Underneath the anger is pain. 

BARGAINING

The person experiencing the emotional upset negotiates with the god/gods that the person believes in. The may use their own pain, their treatment of others, etc. However, bargaining often does not offer a usable solution. The person becomes lost in a maze of 'if only' and 'what if' questions and statements. Through these, the person finds false faults in them self and what they 'could have done.' 

DEPRESSION

This stage comes when the person is preparing for the aftermath of the situation. It often causes sorrow, regret, fear, uncertainty, listlessness, etc. The person retreats into a fog, withdrawing from life. They often ask 's there a point to go on alone? Why go on at all?'. It does show that the person has begun to accept the reality of the situation.  

ACCEPTANCE

This stage varies, like all the others, according to the person's situation. This is not being 'okay' or 'alright' with what has happened. Most never feel alright. This stage is more about the person accepting that this really has happened. However, there is often emotional detachment and objectivity. It takes a while to pass through this stage. 

So, that's all. Just found this interesting, and now I have shared it! 

Quote #77

"The love that moves the sun and all the other stars."
~Dante

Quote #76

"Strange what love taught you about your faults."
~Maggie Steifvater

Quote #75

"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities."
~John Green

A Latin Lesson For All Of You

Here is a brief lesson in Latin that I thought I would enlighten you all with. As none of you probably know, I am trying to learn Latin. I'm starting simple, but I thought I'd share with you a few things I learned a little while ago when I began. 

"Hello', in Latin is 'salve', or if you are saying it to a group, 'salvete'. 

'Goodbye' in Latin is 'vale', or if you are saying it to a group 'valete'. 

'How are you doing?' in Latin is 'quid agis'. 

Yes, so that is all. Just thought I might spread a piece of my knowledge to the world, or my very few people who occasionally check this to see what is going on. Either way, thought you might find it interesting or intriguing. I hope you liked it. Learn it, use it, love it! Hopefully, learn more of it. 

'Sweet Venom' Book Review

Let's begin, shall we? This was a great novel. It had it's quirks, but they were nothing compared to how wonderful this book was. First off, I am a Greek mythology geek. Any information I don't know is getting written down so that I can review it two hundred times and have memorized it perfectly. So, needless to say, this was a book I loved for the informational factor. I was quite literally sitting in class with a pen and paper going 'what was that?', and 'how do you spell that monster's name again?'. My classmates were looking at me as if I had dropped from Mars. It was amazing; she taught me so many different monsters! So yes, that was a great attribute. But, on to the characters.

Let's start out with Gretchen, since we get her point of view first. I loved her. She was the first one of our triplets who could actually see the monsters. I thought she was just grand, with her attitude and fighting. I adored her simply for being able to fight like she does. I loved hearing from her point of view, something I did not like so much with her sisters. But I loved how even when Ursula went missing, she was trying to figure out how to fix everything on her own, and see where Ursula had gone. Then, she stepped up to train Grace, even though she didn't want to at first, and then she had to train Greer, too...Ah, yeas, I liked her. Probably my favorite character. And then there was Grace. Oy. She irritated me, I'll be honest. She was so nervous all of the time, and would never stand up for herself, and  was always acting like a fool in front of Milo, who is a whole different story. However, I loved her computer skills, especially because I am horrible with electronics. And I mean horrible.  You know, Grace was trying, which could not always be said for their sister, Greer. Oh, and just a random fact I picked up reviewing my Greek as I read the book, all of their names mean 'guardian', or 'watcher' in Ancient Greek. I wonder if Terra Lyn Childs knew that as she was writing this. Anyway, that was just some random trivia I found interesting. Back to Greer. She was even more annoying then Grace. Now, I know what you're all thinking, 'Jacquelyn, does everyone in this book annoy you?' NO! I loved many of these characters, so just hold on. But, Greer was a diva, didn't want to try, and you can't just blow off your destiny! She was rude to Grace, and was way to snobbish for my taste. She did get better towards the very end of the book though, as she didn't come in it until two-thirds through it! Now, Nick. I loved him. He wouldn't give up on Gretchen, and was helping her fight the beasties... Yes, he was amazing. 

*Spoilers May Be Coming!(I Don't Know)* 

Now, I am convinced that he is involved in this. I know it! Ms. Childs is probably going to try to drop this as a huge surprise or something, but I think we all saw it coming. I, personally, think he is evil or something, whatever the bad side is, I think he's on it. However, I am confident that he will come to his senses in Sweet Shadows. I haven't read it yet, so I am only theorizing. 

*THESE ARE SPOILERS!!!!!*

I am pretty sure it was him(Nick, in case all the red has distracted you from who we are speaking of), or Thane, who made that phone call right before the loft blew up. Which, that, the fact heis immune to Gretchen's hypno-eyes, and that he was about to tell her he knew there was a monster before she cut him off, leads me to believe he is somehow involved in this. Oh, and his and Gretchen's relationship, ohhhh, I love  that. I can't wait to see where it leads! Now, Thane, then Milo. Thane, I know, I know, is involved. Not just involved, he is immersed in this world. He noticed when the Minotaur walked into the dim sum place, he is always in his head thinking about stuff, he was put up for adoption at an abnormally old age(what's going on there, I wonder?), and I am pretty confident that he knew that Grace was with Gretchen, or maybe not specifically, but he knew she wasn't just watching movies over at a new friend's house! Yes, he's to smart to be fooled by Grace's lying skills, or lack of thereof.  I like him a lot. I am also sure that him and Greer are going to get together. It's just I hunch, but you know... I think I'm right on this one! I think that would be great, maybe help Greer adjust to the world because I am assuming that he knows about everything. It'll be great. Now, Milo. Too nice. A tough of nice is...well, nice, but all this piling it on is making me sick. That's why I like Thane and Nick. They are nice, but not complete over-kill, and they both have an edge to them. Milo, as cute as Grace says he is, he is just too nice. But, I am glad Grace has found some one to connect with, even if I am not sure at all how he connects to the magical plot.

*End Of Spoilers*

This was a very good concept. It is a little roughly-done, in my opinion, but the thoughts are clear, and the dialogue is interesting to read. I mean, she got published so that says something. But then again, so did the Evermore series, so maybe that doesn't say something. I liked the action in this book, and am dying to read the next one. This book made me theorize like crazy! Now, not only am I wondering innocently, I also am rooting for my crack-pot theories to become true as well! I love it. Plot: gets an A-. Simply for a few grammatical errors. 

The setting was cool, I suppose. Not as exciting as others, and the visual I usually get from books was a ghost in most scenes, but where there was good description, it really came through into my mind, which again, I love. This book was really exciting, just trying to figure everything out.

This book is great for a lot of people. More patient readers, I suppose you would call them, might not like it because it is very...friendly. However, you learn a lot of things in it, so there is that for those people. I went through the book and had to look up like a half dozen things so that I could be confident I knew what they were. This was a great book, and I would highly recommend it. You'll get over the irritating characters, and appreciate the good ones even more.

Quote #74

"I'm nobody, who are you?"
~Emily Dickinson

Quote #73

"When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time."
~Laurie Halse Anderson