Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

          Hush, Hush is the first book in the Hush, Hush Saga written by Becca Fitzpatrick. Nora Grey is just your average girl whose father has recently been murdered and the murder is nowhere to be found. With that in mind it only makes sense that she should be a bit wary of her new, sketchy, biology partner, right? That's the logical thing that you think would happen or should happen. Is she though? It didn't really seem like it. Even though Patch is dangerous, unreliable, and totally sketchy, for some reason Nora takes it as an invitation that fine to be around. Which is on of the things that really bugged me about her!
      One of my issues with this book was Nora, the protagonist. There were moments when she was annoying because a lot of the time she put herself in situations that could have been avoided if she hadn't done something stupid and reckless. So for some parts of the book, she was my issue. I didn't hate her, she was okay but I felt like her character development could have been worked on. 
       Characters that I enjoyed were Patch (the sketchy, biology partner) and Vee, Nora's best friend. I liked Vee because I felt she had more of a personality which was entertaining to read about, than the main character herself (hopefully that changes in the second book, Crescendo). Vee was witty  which made her fun to read about compared to Nora who seemed somewhat bland. I enjoyed reading about Patch because even though the guy isn't exactly trustworthy, he is mysterious which seemed to be most of the book. Nora trying to figure out Patch and what he's hiding. We don't even know his real name because obviously Patch isn't his real name, I thought that at first it was a ridiculous nickname but eventually it grew on me. 
      The plot seemed seemed typical and there wasn't really anything that surprised me. I found it very predictable a lot of the time. Though the story wasn't original, I enjoyed the writing. The descriptions were different and I loved the imagery Becca Fitzpatrick was able to convey in my head. I'm not going to give up on the series because I think it has potential to be a good series, I can't wait to get started on Crescendo! I give Hush, Hush 3 out of 5 stars. 

(400 words)
      
     

Kiss by Carly Rae Jepsen

       Kiss by Carly Rae Jepsen was released a while ago on September 14, 2012. Considering she's like one of my favorite singers, I'm actually surprised that I hadn't reviewed her album yet. Anyways, the album includes twelve songs, her hit single: Call Me Maybe is included on the album as well as Good Time, the song she's featured on with Owl City. The album is her official, second studio album. 
      The album starts off with Tiny Little Bows, the song has a vibrant tone with a different and refreshing feel to it. It's not one of my favorite songs but I definitely liked it. I liked how it seemed innocent and sweet, that's the tone I got from it. Kiss also ends with Your Heart Is A Muscle which I believe is a great song, I love the lyrics and I love the rhythm it has. I think it's a great song after a breakup because it sounds encouraging and it's different from other breakup songs I've heard. I like how slow that song is and I definitely can feel the sense of emotion behind the words which is kind of cool to experience. Hopefully this song becomes a single and a music video to the song would be awesome!
      Notable songs, other than Your Heart Is A Muscle which is probably my favorite song from her, would be This Kiss. What I like about This Kiss is how upbeat and catchy the lyrics are, the song is fun and it's fun to dance to with your crazy friends, like mine. Another song that is definitely worth listening to is Tonight I'm Getting Over You, I like how the song is easy to relate to which usually wins me over. Tonight I'm Getting Over You is the newest single, the follow-up to This Kiss, to be released soon in either January or February 2013. The song talks about how she's had enough of a boy who has broken all of his promises, so she wants to get over him by dancing with a new guy. It's catchy and the general idea of the song is relatable. I can totally see this song having the same success as Call Me Maybe. Hopefully, with the music video she tries something new but with something that obviously makes sense. 
       All in all, Kiss by Carly Rae Jepsen is a catchy album which I was able to listen to from start to finish without any problems. The songs are fun, they're nothing different but they're still great to listen to. I give the album 4 out of 5 stars. 

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Gun Control

        Tucson, Arizona. Aurora, Colorado. Portland, Oregon. Newtown, Connecticut. All four places have something in common, something horrible and unimaginable to even think about. They are four out of many places in the world that have been touched by the violence of a hand wrapped around a gun. Why? What makes a person act out in such violence with people like Ryan Lanza and James Holmes? No one knows and no one can probably ever really understand what goes on in those people's minds. All I know and other people know is that something needs to be done. Something needs to be done about gun violence. 
        Why hasn't gun control been a big issue before like it should be? I find myself asking this question more often nowadays, more than a person should. It's sad to see the world we live in has grown so violent and almost tolerant of gun violence. For example, the Aurora Theater Massacre, gun violence became an issue at the time but soon it faded away and I didn't hear much about it until now, now that it's becoming too late. To lose a life at the hands of gun violence is just horrible because we know with the right laws we can prevent tragedies like the one Sandy Hook Elementary School. But I realize that things are easier said than done. I mean, how can we mess with the Second Amendment, the right to bear arms? I'm all for our rights but I doubt our Founding Fathers ever believed that innocent children would be harmed because of it. 
      But how can we go about gun control? Honestly, I don't know and I don't think our politicians have any other ideas either. But we probably all agree that something needs to be done. Maybe when it comes to purchasing a gun, it should become stricter. People who purchase a gun should be checked on when it comes to the history of their mental health issues. Yeah, maybe it's embarrassing and it probably violates our rights but isn't it worth it? Isn't it worth it knowing that a child, a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, a cousin, a grandfather or grandmother is safe? I feel like a life is more than worth a few moments of discomfort or embarrassment, I definitely wouldn't be against a law like this as long as I know that people are safer. 
      My sympathies go out to the families who lost a loved one in the Newtown Shootings and my sympathies go out to the families who have lost someone they care about in any other acts of gun violence, hopefully something can be done about this to prevent tragedies like this in the future.

(455 words) 

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

       Catching Fire is the second book in The Hunger Games series written by Suzanne Collins. After the events of The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta find themselves trying to suppress a rebellion across the districts, supposedly igniting because of them. In order to please President Snow, Katniss and Peeta must prove that they weren't rebelling in The Hunger Games, but that they were acting out of love for one another. 
       I finally have read Catching Fire, it took like a whole year, since I read The Hunger Games, but I've finally done it and I'm so glad I did! 
       In the beginning I was upset that it didn't start off right after that train scene from the first book, instead it took place a while after that happened which I feel didn't have the same affect. I would have rather read it in the present tense but instead I read about it in the past tense, so that was a bit upsetting. I liked that we get to see Peeta and Katniss after they have won the games, it felt relieving to have our heroes safe, even if it only lasts for a few chapters. I also loved the ending! An amazing cliffhanger which makes me really want to read the third book: Mockingjay, like very soon! I adored the new characters added in the book such as Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason, each of them were interesting to read about and I really enjoyed their personalities. 
         Things that I didn't like about this book is how the first 100 or so pages felt sort of slow, to me it didn't seem as fast-paced as The Hunger Games and  it seemed to take forever for the plot to really go into affect but I did like how the rest of the book did pick up its speed, especially towards the end! Something I feel should have been added to was the Victory Tour, I felt like Suzanne could have added more detail to each district, I would have liked to know more about what they're like by descriptions not by being told. 
       All in all Catching Fire was a really good book that had me absorbed for a long time, it was filled with action, emotion and adventure and the cliffhanger has me wanting more! I give it 4 out of 5 stars. I can't wait to see the movie, I think it'll be interesting to see how they set up the arena and the last part of the book definitely needs to go in there, it'll probably be so hard to watch that scene but it needs to stay!

(440 words)

Unorthodox Jukebox by Bruno Mars

           Unorthodox Jukebox by Bruno Mars is the official, second studio album released by him recently on December 10, 2012 (in The United States) and as early as December 6, 2012 in other places such as the Netherlands while some places have just had it released this week like Japan. The album features his the first single: Locked Out of Heaven and the music video for the song was released on October 15, 2012. Bruno Mars has stated that this album is supposed to represent his freedom after being rejected by many music labels claiming that "his music was all over the place". Like his previous album: Doo-wops & Holligans his sound consists of styles and influences of pop, rock, reggae, R&B, soul, and hip hop.
       The regular album has 10 songs, it begins with the song: Young Girls, reportedly to be the second single off the album (and the music video is apparently something he hasn't done before), and it ends with: If I knew.
       Songs to take notice would definitely be Locked Out of Heaven, which you have probably heard by now especially because it's constantly on the radio. I think people should take notice of this song, if you haven't already because it has a nice, smooth sound with lyrics that are easy to relate to and seem to fit the melody perfectly. The song is probably one of my current favorites as of right now and I like blasting it when it comes on the radio, it's just one of those songs that one must blast on the radio like Call Me Maybe!
        Another song that I think is worth mentioning is Treasure, it has the same theme like most of his other songs, to treat a girl like she's a princess. What I really like about this song is the sound it has, the lyrics are your typical lyrics found in most pop songs and they're okay, I like them but what made me really like this song was that old sound  it has that you used to hear, it also reminded me a bit of Michael Jackson's sound.
        The album was good, I liked hearing different sounds on the album because I got different styles of music from Bruno Mars which was nice to hear and it included some really good songs lyric wise, sound wise, and music wise in general. I give Unorthodox Jukebox by Bruno Mars 3 stars out of 5.

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Winter Wonderland

      I don't get it. I really, really don't get it. How come it's December and there hasn't really been any snow? Well there was, like yesterday morning when I woke up to see pretty thick snowflakes falling onto the white ground I got so excited! Until later that day that snow turned into water, than my excitement turned into disappointment. I don't know, unlike a lot of people I know, I actually do like snow and I'll go as far as to say Winter is my favorite season. Why? Well, Summer is way too hot and sticky especially Iowa Summer's, meanwhile Winter should be cold and covered in a thick blanket of glistening snow. But for some reason, this year is just like last year, little to no snow. 
       Snow is a part of the weather, it's something most of us have dealt with for most of our lives, whether we like it or not we do know how to deal with it but for a person not to have a "White Christmas" is just not the same as a "Brown Christmas", at least not to me. Last year was the first year, that I remember, when we didn't have a "White Christmas", I was disappointed because it just didn't feel like Christmas, the feeling of fresh snow falling on the ground on Christmas Eve was gone and I don't know about you but I love that feeling! I love snow, I love how it sparkles under the moonlight every night and I love how crunchy it sounds underneath my boots on my way inside my house and I love the crisp air, Winter is like Wonderland to me. So it's really disappointing to see that it still hasn't snowed yet. 
       Who knows, maybe we will have a "White Christmas" this year but at this rate I find it very unlikely. I mean just last week it was seventy degrees out! Seventy degrees. Seventy degrees, in Winter, in Iowa. Iowa Winter's consist of the bitter cold, fuzzy socks, and annoying Winter jackets; they're not, they shouldn't consist of shorts, tank tops and sandals. This is just ridiculous! For the last few years the weather here in Iowa has just gotten more and more bipolar, it's confusing. 
        A White Christmas, that is all I'm asking for. I won't mind if we don't get snow until than but I'd really like it if it snowed on Christmas.

(405 words)

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi

        Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi is book 1.5 in the Shatter Me series. The reason it's 1.5 is because it takes place between book 1 (Shatter Me) and book 2 (Unravel Me due to come out on February 5, 2013). You don't really need to read this book in order to read the second book but I decided I wanted to because it's from the antagonist's point of view. This book is also, as far as I know, only available as a digital book, so I was able to buy it on my phone.
      Destroy Me follows Warner, the son of the leader of a dystopian society: The Reestablishment. The Reestablishment is divided into sectors and Warner is the leader of Sector 45. After being shot in the arm by Juliette in the first book, Shatter Me, Destroy Me follows Warner in his quest to look for Juliette, Adam, and Kenji. 
       Though it's not necessary to read this book before the second book, I decided I would because I thought it'd be interesting to read from Warner's point of view. What I liked about it is I was able to understand him a little bit more but it also left me with the same questions: Why is Warner the way he is? And what is with his obsession with Juliette? These questions were somewhat answered in the book but I didn't think it was enough and I really wish the author, Tahereh Mafi would have expanded more in her answers. 
         I liked that I was able to see a different side of Warner. In Shatter Me he seemed cruel and relentless but in this book I find him a lot more vulnerable and I almost feel bad for the guy. 
         What I didn't like about the book was the plot, well, actually, more like the lack of a plot. I don't know if it's because this book is in between two books but shouldn't a book still have a plot even though it's shorter than your average book? Not much really happened except that I got to see what he was up to after the events in Shatter Me. One of the most interesting things I would say happened was meeting his father and how he interacted with him, that at least helped me understand, a little, why Warner appears to be cruel. 
       Destroy Me was easy to read in a short time period, I liked seeing things from Warner's point of view, but I didn't like the plot. I give Destroy Me 3 out of 5 stars.  

(428 words)

Warrior by Ke$ha

      Warrior by Ke$ha is her, official, second studio album. The album was recently released in the United States on November 30, 2012.  She has stated that this album is supposed to be more personal than her other albums (Animal and Cannibal) with "magic" as the overall theme. Another theme she wanted to capture was the idea that everyone has a warrior within them, which would explain the album being titled: Warrior. Compared to her past songs, her first album, and her EP's, her style in music has stayed the same with electropop, dance-pop, and electronic rock styles. There are a few slower songs then usual but they generally still have the same style within them.
      Listening to the album, I would say that only a few really stood out for me. These would include her first single: Die Young. Die Young is a song that can easily get stuck in your head when you initially hear it, it's one of those songs that you either really, really hate or a song that you just can't get enough of. For me, Die Young would classify under a song that I can't get out of my head when I hear it.
     Another song that I really liked is called Supernatural, it's a little different from her other songs but not as much. When I say it's different I mean the lyrics. I'm the type of person who likes not only the beat of a song but also the lyrics, if I love the beat and I can relate to the lyrics then it can be classified as my perfect song. Usually, when I'm listening to Ke$ha, I don't really relate to her songs. I relate to them sometimes but the enough, the only reason I like listening to her music is because her electropop style is something that's different for me and it makes listening to her fun.
      Anyways, so what really stood out about Supernatural was a slight change in her lyrics. I liked that I was able to relate to most of it but she still added in her usual, dirty little comments which made it still Ke$ha and not some completely other person singing this. This was somewhat of a twist when it comes to her sound, it still has that electropop vibe but I think it's a lot more slower than her usual songs and I liked this direction she was going with this song, it was different and it was fresh for her. I definitely liked this song and this would be a great track for her to steer into a slightly different sound than usual.
       Overall, the album was definitely a lot more personal than her past ones, she didn't completely eliminate her past sound but she did change up her lyrics which is what made it personal. I give the album 3 out of 5 stars.

(481 words)

Secret Santa

      The chiming of the Salvation Army bells, the chilly wind, the (sometimes, actually a lot of the time) annoying holiday music at the mall or really anywhere you go (you just can't escape it!), the smell of annual scents like peppermint, a lot of holiday cookies with colorful Christmas colors, and the anticipation from people like me for Winter Break to finally come! That could pretty much sum Christmas up but than again I feel like it's more than that. But than there's the biggest issue, what to get your family and friends.
     My family and my extended family always have a Secret Santa thing set up, we gather together on Thanksgiving and have a Thanksgiving dinner together then we all put our names into a hat and we pull out a name and we then have to get a gift for that person. That's how Secret Santa works. Then, on Christmas Eve we gather together at my cousin's house, we have dinner, then comes the gifts!
     Getting a gift for your person is always tricky though, I mean you want the person to like the gift, right? So when buying a gift you need to keep some things in mind:

• Think about favorites, take into account their favorite actor/ actress, movie, book (if they read, I realize not all people read because they hate it), sports team, band/ artist, or a place to eat.

     Once you have that favorite thing in mind then get something relating to it, say your best friends favorite actor is Channing Tatum and her favorite actress is Rachel McAdams, it would probably be an amazing idea to get her The Vow, you know, assuming she doesn't have it yet.

• Think about the price limit, you obviously don't want to spend too much but you also don't want to be cheap. So say the price limit is from 20 to 30, then spending about 25 seems pretty decent.

     And finally:

• Think about quality, I like my presents to last pretty long like most people probably do, so don't be too cheap and invest in something that seems like it's worth the price. Look up reviews online if possible, that's usually a good, helpful indicator. 

(369 words)

Reached by Ally Condie

      Reached by Ally Condie is the third and final book of the Matched Trilogy. It was released a while ago on November 13, 2012. The book takes place after the events of Crossed. This book is told from the point of view from three different people the main characters, Cassia Reyes, Ky Markham, and Xander Carrow.
     What I liked about this book was the fact that it was told by different point's of views, I always like it when an author does that because it gives me insight on different characters and it helps me get to know the character better and understand why they're doing what they're doing even if I don't support them for some reason. It's no different with Reached, I enjoyed reading each characters story and I liked seeing that they were doing their own thing and they weren't just moping around for their loved ones like some characters sometimes do in stories. 
      Another thing I liked about this book was the style, like the first two in the series, Reached was beautifully written. I feel like you'd understand once you've read the books, there's something about Ally Condie's writing that it poetic and almost lyrical. Her style is almost whimsical, it's fancy and it's somewhat playful and I absolutely adore it! When I was reading this series I thought so much about the style of her writing and how much I wished I could write just as good as her one day, hopefully I will be able to at some point in my life.  
     There are few things that I didn't like about the book but the biggest one would probably be the lack of foreshadowing, some things just sort of felt like they were thrown at me and I was definitely not expecting them. I felt like Ally Condie could have worked on that a little more by actually dropping some hints every now and than so I wouldn't be confused on where that came from. 
     All in all, I adore this series, it's different from other dystopia novels I've read (and since The Hunger Games, it's been a lot) and the biggest difference is her style of writing. It's beautiful and to me, it makes her really stand out. I'm sad that this series has ended but a movie is set to come out so obviously I'll go see it! I give Reached 4 out of 5 stars.

(405 words)

Take Me Home by One Direction

            The second album of the very popular band, One Direction, is called Take Me Home. Take Me Home was released on November 9, 2012 and it includes singles like Live While We're Young, and Little Things. According to band member Niall Horan the third single is going to be Kiss You.
           Take Me Home begins with the song, the first single off the album, Live While We're Young and it finishes off with Summer Love. What I liked about the album was that it was catchy, I mean who doesn't love a catchy song, right? And I liked a lot of the lyrics, lyrics are always one of the main parts of a song, and I think the lyrics of a lot of the songs from their album, Take Me Home were nice and relatable to a lot of people. The lyrics should always tell a story and remind you about your own story and that's exactly what happens on this album.
         The album has a lot of pop and the lyrics aren't something completely new but they do add their mark of originality in some way, depending on the song. The vocals of all the members is just the beginning of the originality the album gets because each member has their own vibrant, voice. Each song tells a beautiful story and snippets of lyrics from songs all over the album are relatable.
        There is one song that is quite a change from their usual pop sound and that was Rock Me, the song is definitely something I wasn't expecting and it was nice to be pleasantly surprised. I would say that Rock Me was one of my favorite songs and the chorus is still stuck in my head. The lyrics to Rock Me are somewhat typical in a pop album but they had a certain beauty to them and they were definitely catchy and easy to learn. I would say that it would be a crime if this song didn't become a single!
         Other songs that really stood out for me were Live While We're Young and They Don't Know About Us.
         Live While We're Young is a simple, catchy song that anyone can sing and even if you hate One Direction, I guarantee that when you hear this song blasting on the radio, it'll be stuck in your head throughout the day. Don't deny it, I'm sure it has happened.
         They Don't Know About Us is like your typical forbidden love, the Romeo and Juliet story. Two, young lovers can't be together and every one is against them. This song is a beautiful story, it's been told before but the melody and the vocals give it a different spin. Again, this is another song that should be a single.
         Take Me Home by One Direction has a similar vibe to their first album and I like it, I wouldn't mind seeing them do more songs like Rock Me though. The more popular they get the more variety they should have in their songs. I give Take Me Home 3.5 out of 5 stars.

(515 words)

New Trimester

           Finally! A new trimester! The last one seemed to go on forever and ever, I think it was the longest one I ever experienced and probably the worst one I've done, you know grade wise. Yeah, my grades were definitely what I would have liked them to have been which is why I'm going to try different things this term in order to improve. Maybe you'll be able to find something you can use to improve on some aspect of your life. Anyways, here's the list:

      

• Actually pay attention to what's going on in class and have complete focus, or enough of it to do well in class. Yes, I know this one is a no brainer but last term, for a reason that I won't share, I just seemed to be distracted like constantly, it honestly didn't matter what class I was in. My attention was never really focused on whatever class I was in in that moment, half of it was there and I don't know about other people but I can't do well in a class if I'm not completely focused on it in that moment.
• Use a planner. I own one but like most people, I say that I'll use it in the beginning of the year and I do at first but then I lose the habit of actually using it. This trimester, I'll actually try, again, to use it every day. Otherwise I forget what's due on a certain day and that doesn't help my grades in any way.
• Get my homework done when it's first assigned. A lot of teachers, I would actually say most of them, give out assignments and they usually give us a few days to a few weeks to get the assignment done. So I think I'm going to try to get my homework done when it's first assigned so that way I don't have to worry about it later on and that way I don't have piles of homework building up on my desk at home because then it's depressing to look at.
• Get help from teachers. So last trimester I did pretty decent in most of my classes except two which would by Algebra 2 and A.P.E.S and even than I did better at a college level course compared to a regular high school class, not going to lie, it's kind of sad. Anyways, this trimester if I have trouble than I will definitely go ask my teachers for help. Last trimester, I rarely did but this time I will.

(423 words)

The List by Siobhan Vivian

          The List by Siobhan Vivian is a book that brings different elements to it. To me, it seems to be a mix of Pretty Little Liars (except a lot more tame) and Gossip Girl, which is different. 
       What happens is each year before homecoming, a list comes out. This list picks two girls from each grade, this list picks one pretty and ugly girl from the freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior class. The List basically chronicles how each girl, who made this years list, handles being called pretty or ugly by the entire school. 
       I liked that this book had all the characters deal with this list in different ways. They all faced self-esteem issues, ridicule, and judgement from all their peers which is what school can be sometimes be like. So I like how honest this book was. The characters were all great, I liked the layers they had to them and I liked how my thoughts about them changed throughout the story. I like the sense of mystery added to it when we find out who created this years list. When we find out who made the list I feel like it comes out of nowhere, like it wasn't foreshadowed or really discussed much, so I feel like it should have been. In the beginning I really didn't wonder who created the list because I feel like the author, Siobhan Vivian didn't make it a big deal. So when it's revealed who created it I was sort of blindsided since it comes out of nowhere. I also felt like the book could have been a little longer, it almost felt rushed.
       Other than the fact that it felt rushed and there was a lack of foreshadowing, I think The List was a nice book to read. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.  

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Red by Taylor Swift

       Red is the fourth studio album by Taylor Swift which was released on October 22, 2012 in many places including the United States, the U.K and Canada. Red is one of the most different, unique, and intricate pieces of her work to date and it probably won't be her last. With this new album, Taylor Swift transcends into a genre new to her, pop. Though she tries to include some elements of her country roots I think it's safe to say that she has officially changed up her style and this album is definitely not a fail.
       Songs I think are worthy of giving a listen to, if you haven't already, include: State of Grace, Red, I Knew You Were Trouble, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, I Almost Do, and Starlight.
      To me, State of Grace is the moment you realize you're in love and like her lyrics say, you never saw it coming. It's how you look back at those moments you've had with your special someone and you're like, "Oh my gosh, he can be the one." This song definitely highlights the process of falling in love with someone and the endless possibilities you can have with him. 
      Red has to be my absolute favorite song of the album! The song seems to describe all those feelings when it comes to love, it's imagery is beautiful. The lyrics are heartwarming and the beat to the song is simply amazing to listen and sing to!
      I Knew You Were Trouble is basically the song that says, "I knew you were trouble but I was willing to risk my heart to love you, which was stupid of me." That's what I got from this beautiful song and I agree with it, a lot. 
      We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together. I feel like the title of this song says it all, it's that song you can sing along to because it's catchy and maybe some people will listen to it when they're bitter about a break-up, I feel like that will probably happen, I really do. 
        A song that I enjoy listening to is I Almost Do, I'd say it's one of my top five favorite songs of the album. I like this song because I'm able to relate to it. I know I say that a lot but the way I see it: If it doesn't touch you in different ways and forms, than it's not really something you're able to understand, which is stupid because you should be able to understand it and feel emotions running through you. I Almost Do is the kind of song that reminds me of someone I wish was still here with me and it explains how much they meant to me and I'll always look back with fond memories of that person even though it's been years. 
       Another marvelous tune on this album is Starlight, again this song would probably be one of my top five songs. I like this song because it describes such a beautiful love story in about four minutes. I'm probably going to be replaying this song for the next couple of days.
       All in all, I think Taylor Swift has succeeded with changing up her sound with the release of Red. Like always her songs are like excerpts of her diary and are relatable to many young girls. This album was filled with beautiful songs, lyrics, and it was fun listening to it! I give this album 4 out of 5 stars. 
         
(587 words)

Journaling

         Everyone has their own thing they do when they're bored, some would call that a hobby. Some people only have one specific hobby while others have a bunch of hobbies. Some play sports, some make videos, some make art, some create and listen to music, but I write. I write all kinds of things but the form of writing I use more often would be journaling. 

      Journaling is a way to express yourself, which is why I like to do it so much. Since I can be very reserved and shy, except with my closest friends, I usually am able to express myself best in my writing. Which I guess explains why I like my language arts classes. Since I journal so much I have a lot of them stored away with a bunch of my silly thoughts, ideas, diary entries, lyrics, and any other thing that I felt like scribbling into my journal at the time. To some it might be silly that I keep a journal but I think keeping a journal can be a valuable treasure. Years from now I'll enjoy looking back at my silly complaints and I'll make fun of myself for being such a drama queen. I'll be able to reflect back on moments special to me. Journals are thoughts that can never be lost or forgotten, they can be revisited. 

       So what do I write in my journals? I write a variety of stuff. I write lyrics, observations around me, my thoughts, my feelings about a certain issue, lists, summaries of future novels I'd like to write, and diary entries. If a person were to pick up my collection of journals for some reason than they would learn so much about me, you'd practically be probing through my brain. Which some of my closest friends would advise you not to do so.  

        I do other things in my journals as well. I tape in little mementos into the pages such as a ticket stub of a movie I'd been anticipating to see for a while, my old school I.D's, pictures, and a bunch of other stuff. 

        My point is journaling is definitely something everyone should try at some point. Try it and if you don't like it than that's fine, at least you have the satisfaction of saying you tried it but it just wasn't for you. So far I have successfully completed two, they both chronicle my sophomore year of high school. Right now I'm on my third journal with Paris, France on the cover cause I have a weird fascination with France. Anyways, I'm more than halfway through it and it chronicles the beginning of my junior year. I feel like I'll journal for the rest of my life, maybe I'll let my future kids read them and maybe their kids will read my journals, it seems kind of cool if you think about it. 

(484 words)

         

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

         Anna and the French Kiss is written by Stephanie Perkins. The book is about teenage girl, Anna Oliphant, who is sent off to boarding school, in France, because her dad feels like she should gain experience in a different culture. Initially, Anna isn't so happy because she isn't ready to leave behind her home: Atlanta, Georgia as well as her friends and her crush who can potentially become something more. She's also weary about starting her senior year in a different country, with different customs, trying to make new friends, and learning who she is and what she really wants.
     What initially drew me to this book is the cover, I know the saying: Don't judge a book by its cover. The thing is, I do judge a book by its cover, if the cover is appealing in any way to me than chances are I'll pick it up and read the summary on the book. When I saw the spine on Anna and the French Kiss, it immediately drew me in because the Eiffel Tower was on it. Since I'm totally in love with anything French related I knew I had to try this book, so I did and I didn't regret it.
      Lately I've been reading a lot of paranormal books so it was refreshing to take a break from those and to immerse myself into this book which was like a scoop of strawberry ice cream! 
      I loved the quirky character, Anna and I loved seeing how she got through this huge change. If I were in her place though, I think I'd be ecstatic to go to Paris! True, I'd miss the people I care about but it's not like I'd cut them out of my life completely. Anna wasn't happy at all going to a boarding school in Paris but she eventually grew to love it. In the end she didn't consider it her home, she didn't consider Atlanta home either but she did find something else that she considered home and it was super adorable! 
      The romance, was definitely something I adored about this book. It was something typical and something everyone is able to relate to because like all of us, Anna can't help but wonder if the guy she likes is into her as well.
       This book was really cute, I loved how the story takes place in France, Anna is amazingly quirky and easy to relate to, all the other characters like St. Clair and Mer are really fun to read about, and the romance in this book was adorable! I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

(438 words)
      

Don't Panic by All Time Low

        Don't Panic is the fifth studio album released by one of my favorite bands, All Time Low. It was released just recently on October 9, 2012 and some of the singles so far released include: The Reckless and the Brave, For Baltimore, and Somewhere in Neverland. I haven't really talked about album covers before but the album cover All Time Low did for Don't Panic is just absolutely amazing and cool. I've see an album cover similar to this cover one other time and that was Foster the People's, Torches. I think both albums and album covers are cool in their own way.
        Anyways, the album begins with The Reckless and the Brave which is different from all the other All Time Low songs I've heard, I would personally say. But it's not a bad kind of different, it's refreshing to hear and I feel like this song could be the anthem to those people who just don't care what others think and it just cheers them on. Lyrics that make me believe this include:

                           Long live the reckless and the brave

                             I don't think I want to be saved

                                My song has not been sung

                                         So long live us

At one point in the song they also say:

                        Looking back at a life on the other side
                               I realize that I didn't fit in
                       Didn't hate it, but I didn't quite relate it
                             To my precious little world.

        The Reckless and the Brave is definitely worth listening to if you haven't already and while you're at it you might as well check out the rest of the album, why just check out one song?
         Songs off the album I really enjoyed listening to, besides The Reckless and the Brave; include Backseat Serenade featuring lead singer of Hey Monday, Cassadee Pope; If These Sheets Were States; and So Long, Thanks for All the Booze.
        Each song has something in common they all have a good melody to them that I enjoy and great lyrics, I just love lyrics to songs, they're just as important as the melody if not even more important. Another thing I always look for in songs is if I'm able to relate to them. I mean it's kind of pointless if you don't have some sort of connection in the music you listen to. And All Time Low's music does that for me, I'm able to connect to it, they have amazing lyrics, and they have great melodies you can to along with your friends. 
        The song I absolutely love, and I believe should have a music video, would be the song: If These Sheets Were States. The lyrics to this song are very relatable to most people and I'm able to develop a connection to them which is what I love about the song. In addition it has a funny sort of twist to it and the melody is great! Definitely a song you should check out.
      The album is great and I definitely can't wait to download all the songs, I give Don't Panic by All Time Low 4 out of 5 stars. If you want you can check out their song, If These Sheets Were States below.

(479 words, not including lyrics of song: The Reckless and the Brave)

     

All I've Ever Known

            It's weird and unimaginable to know that two years from now I'll be out of high school. I'll be eighteen and hopefully in college, beginning a different life then the one I have now. Setting this new life apart from all I've ever known. The other day I was talking to my friend who graduates this year and she was saying how weird it was going to be not getting up at six in the morning to get ready to go to school after she's been doing it for so long and it made me think that soon I was going to be in her position, before I knew it. 
         Though I'm still a junior, I can't help but think of graduation sometimes. If you really think about it, life after high school is terrifying for many reasons. First of all thee's the million dollar question: What will I do for the rest of my life? I don't know about other people, but the adults in my life love to ask that question, they believe it's never too early to plan out my life before them. They don't realize that I do think about that but I'm taking it one day at a time. I mean some people already have that all figured out and planned but I honestly don't and I'm probably not the only one. I mean, I have a general idea but that's basically it. Right now I'm thinking either journalism or neonatal nursing as a career, both are so different yet I find each one fascinating in their own ways.
        Another reason life after high school is terrifying is you have no sense of direction. All your life you've known that you go to elementary, from there middle school, followed by high school. After that you decide what path you want to take, either continue your education or get a job right away. Growing up you're made to think that continuing your education is the best path but for some it's not. Some would rather become apprentices for a job and work their way up because that's what works best for them. My point is sometimes people aren't sure what's best for them and other people influence us to believe what certain things are best for us.
       Where you're going to live, is another thing you could ask yourself. You're faced with the decision of either moving out of your parents house and getting your own place or continue living with your parents until you believe you're financially stable enough to afford to move out into your own place with roommates or something. That's another important thing to think about. 
        There's a bunch of things to think about once you move on from high school, they're all scary and at the same time exciting. It's terrifying when you move on to new things but than again the experience is always worth it in the end. Though graduation is still some time away from now, I still can't help but think about it and all the other things I've ever known. 
         
(514 words)
          

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

        Masque of the Red Death is the first book of the Red Death series. The book is written by Bethany Griffin and is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's short story, The Masque of the Red Death. I remember being fascinated by Poe's short story when I first read it back in my freshmen year of high school in my language arts class. I loved how creepy it was and how Poe spent the entire time describing these beautiful rooms only to kill off all the people. When I heard about this book and how it was inspired by Poe's short story I was immediately intrigued on how Bethany Griffin would be able to portray his story into her own and I wasn't disappointed.
        Throughout the book the tone is mysterious, dark, and haunting which I think is amazing and I enjoy Bethany Griffin's style when it comes to her writing. It's different from other books I've read, I'm not exactly sure what about it is different though. Her writing perfectly creates an image in my head which is always a good thing to accomplish within a reader. 
       The world she has created with the help of Edgar Allan Poe is amazing to imagine. The main character, Araby Worth, lives in what seems to be in a dystopia society. Her world is succumbed by a plague where most of the population has died because of it. The people left try to avoid the plague by wearing specially designed masks only the rich can afford and the poor are forced to save up to buy one while running the risk of getting affected by the disease before they're able to save themselves. 
        I like how the people wear masks, I think it just adds to the mystery and the intrigue in this book. I love how the book has steampunk elements in it and I love how Araby joins forces with Elliot in hopes of creating a better world than what Prince Prospero has led. 
        I enjoyed reading about the characters, at first I didn't really connect with Araby which made it hard for me to read the first half of the book but along the way it got better. I loved her friends, April who is completely different from Araby. Elliot, April's older brother was entertaining to read about and how he interacted with Araby was even more fascinating. Will was sweet to read about because at first you think you know who he is, a bad boy but you later find out you're wrong. 
        The betrayals in the end of the book were shocking because I honestly didn't see them coming, it was as if they were pulled out of thin air so I had mixed feelings about them. 
        Some things that annoyed me about the book would probably be that there were moments when things were abrupt  sometimes it lacked a good transition which sometimes confused me but otherwise there wasn't really much to complain about. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars and I can't wait to read the next book, Dance of the Red Death. 

(520 words)

Sticks & Stones by Cher Lloyd

      Sticks & Stones is the debut studio album from British singer and rapper, Cher Lloyd probably best known for her hit song: Want U Back. The album was released nearly a year ago on November 7, 2011 and the United States version was recently released on October 2, 2012.       I like the album because of its infectious rhythms and fun lyrics, it's a great album to dance to and have fun with your friends at a party. The lyrics aren't really serious and they don't really seem to have a meaning behind them that I can find but I still like them because they're fun and catchy to listen to. 
        The United States version starts off with her single, Want U Back and it ends with End Up Here. I liked all of the songs for the reason that they each make you want to get up and dance. But if I had to choose my absolute favorites of the song would include Want U Back because me and my friend like singing to it she especially loves singing to it. She loves Want U Back the way I like to sing Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen. It's a song everyone can relate to and I like how "in your face" the music video is. 
       Another song off the album I love listening to is her fourth single: Oath featuring another fellow rapper, Becky Gomez. I like the song because I think it's the anthem for all best friends out there, it perfectly describes a peoples friendship with one another. I guess I like it because it's easy to relate to and that's always a good thing to incorporate into your music, it's what brings in a good audience. 
       Beautiful People featuring a collaboration between her and Swedish pop-rockers, Carolina Liar is another amazing song! I like this song because while all the other songs are bright and ready to dance to Beautiful People isn't, I think that shows off another side of Cher Lloyd. It also showcases her singing talents. The song is nice and slow with the most meaningful lyrics off the whole album, in my opinion. Hopefully, in her future albums, she will feature similar songs to Beautiful People because it's my absolute favorite song off the whole album. 
       The album was good to dance to and it had fun lyrics so I give this album 3 out of 5 stars.




(408 words)

France

           Ever since I can remember I have always had this fascination with France and anything French related. I'm not exactly sure why, it's just the truth. France has always been the number one place I have always wanted to go and hopefully one day I do go, that would be amazing! I'm sure I'm not the only one who has a place, the place, they would love to go to one day if they haven't already. For some it could be Russia, Uruguay, Mexico, Germany, others it could be Spain, or Madagascar but for me it's France. 
        Reasons I would love to go to France one day include:

• The language. I'm bilingual which means I can speak two languages pretty fluently, English and Spanish. But just because I speak two languages already doesn't mean I don't want to learn any more languages! Since I'm taking Spanish right now to further improve it and since I'm going to be a senior next year, I decided that I would take AP Spanish as well as French at my school, which I'm excited to do! The French language is so beautiful!
• It's history. France's history is fascinating to me for a reason, especially in the age of monarchy's and eventually the time of Absolute monarchy. Last year I wanted to learn more about France and its history so I decided that I would take European history as a sophomore at my school and I'm so glad I did! Europe is amazing overall but I loved learning about The French Revolution and Marie Antoinette's marriage to Louis XVI, the Napoleonic Era and all of that other good stuff.
• Paris, France is one of the fashion capitals like London, Milan, and our own New York. Fashion is not as important to me as to other people but I do respect the fact that Paris, France is considered to be one of the fashion capitals of the world, I find it kind of cool!
• The places you can visit seem endless! There are so many places I want to go to in France but to name a few those places include The Eiffel Tower, it's the number one place I really have to see one day, especially at night because in the picture the tower looks breathtaking! Another place is a place I learned about in my AP European History class sophomore year and it's the Palace of Versailles. The palace is so beautiful in pictures and I'm pretty sure it's even better in person just like the rest of the country!

(426 words)

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

       Beautiful Darkness is the second book of The Caster Chronicles, written by the two friends, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. 
       I read the first book of the series a couple years ago and I enjoyed it, I thought the characters and their personality were different than what I had read before. Lena Duchannes and Ethan Wate were unique characters with their little quirks that I enjoyed like Lena carrying around a tattered notebook everywhere she went and the necklace she used to keep small things like a button, or a small sharpie Ethan gave her, small things like that.
       When I started reading Beautiful Darkness, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. Usually I have a pretty good idea where the book is going to go but not with this series, this series always has me guessing and always has me constantly being wrong, which I'm not used to. I enjoy the element of surprise in this book, it's nice to have me guessing.
       The world the authors have created is just amazing! I love the ideas, the creativity  and all the thoughts they put into creating such a complicated and a beautiful world. 
        New characters included Liv who I really liked reading about because she was definitely different from Lena. Liv was sarcastic and smart meanwhile Lena is more shy and thoughtful. The addition of Liv and the new guy, John Breed was nice too. We didn't get to see as much as John Breed like we did about Liv but I can't wait to see what he has to contribute to the story, him being a half-breed.
        In the end I give Beautiful Darkness, 3 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed some of it but there were moments in the book I had to force myself to continue to read. I do like the series though, so I'm going to continue reading it.  

(315 words)

The 2nd Law by Muse

        The 2nd Law by Muse is the sixth studio album that was recently released. In some places it was released on September 28, 2012 meanwhile in North America it was just released, October 2, 2012 and in some places it's released October 3, 2012. 
        Starting off with Supremacy and ending the album with The 2nd Law: Isolated System, I thought Muse pretty much stuck to the same vibe as all their other songs, which is good, I like it. There are definitely some songs on the album in which they changed their sound like, The 2nd Law: Unsustainable. Personally I liked it and I had no problem that hey were trying something out. Slight differences in their sound doesn't change the fact that their lyrics are amazing, as always and they're haunting in a beautiful kind of way. 
        The songs that definitely stand out for me would include: Supremacy, Madness, Panic Station and Follow Me. I enjoyed a lot of the other songs but I'd say those were the ones I enjoyed listening to the most. 
        Supremacy starts off with a good beat and it has a haunting sound. Matthew Bellamy's voice sounds amazing in this song, like always he just adds that extra edge to the song. The same thing goes for Madness, his voice is amazing on that song. To me the lyrics of Madness are probably one of the best lyrics to a song I've ever heard, I like how deep they are and my capability to relate to this makes it even better. My favorite part of the song, Madness, would probably be the way he says: I need to love. The way he says those words can affect a person to their core which is what a good song should do, good songs are the ones who have an affect on you after listening to them, a catchy beat shouldn't always be the reasoning for a song being called "good".
          Follow Me is the kind of song I would probably use to exercise to or to do my homework to. It's a good motivational song. 
         All in all I would give The 2nd Law by Muse 3 stars out of. The rhythm to the songs were good, the lyrics were great, and it was nice to listen to. If you want to check out some of the music by Muse, there's a video to Muse's single, Madness. 

(402 words)

        

Studying Tips

       Studying is something everyone goes through, I personally don't like it, it's no fun at all. But than again no one probably thinks studying is fun, it's a necessity. First of all I find it hard to concentrate, not only is it my environment that is usually distracting but it's also my sense of focus or more like lack of focus. I'm a person who just can't study no matter now important a test can be, I mean I'll try but the most I ever can get accomplished is just looking over my notes once, which I would not call studying at all. This year though, I think I've gotten slightly better at attempting to study, I think it's because of new techniques I'm trying and so far they're working out. This is what I've been trying:

• I'll admit, last year I took really crappy notes. When I mean I took crappy notes I'm not talking about handwriting, my handwriting is pretty decent. What I mean is I took notes and when I looked at them later on I really didn't understand what I had meant to say, from there it all went downhill. Since I couldn't understand what I meant, that meant more work for me because I would have to refer back to the textbook and I was honestly too lazy to do that so after that I just quit studying. The point is take notes you can understand. It'd be nice to take a look back at your notes and actually understand what's going on. 
• Spanish class, or any foreign language class, U.S history, Language arts, a lot of classes use new vocabulary terms you're meant to know. So when that happens it's always good to use flash cards. I used these for Spanish class in the last few years, I never really used them though but this year that's changing. This year, in U.S history, I started using them for the vocab. terms and they've been really helpful to me. Tests have become a lot more easier because I actually know what I'm talking about!
• Study guides is something most teachers give you, to be honest I don't really think they're that helpful but if you think they are than go ahead and use them. In my U.S history class my teacher doesn't hand out study guides and I'm still doing fine in that class, that's the one class I have the highest grade in right now. So study guides aren't meant for everyone but if that makes it easier for you go ahead and use them, just use them right. See, when I have to do a study guide I end up doing it just because it's worth points not because it helps me in understanding, that's the dangerous thing about study guides. 
• Highlight your notes, condense your notes down to the most basic, most important things you absolutely need to know. 
• Reread the chapter, this is really helpful because it jogs your memory, I usually end up doing this before the test a couple of days before.

       So those are the study tips I've been using so far this year and it's been really helpful, hopefully I helped you out in some way!

(539 words)
       

Crossed by Ally Condie

         Crossed by Ally Condie is the second book of the Matched series. Last week I did a book review on the first book of the series which can be found here: Matched book review . 
       Anyways, I thought Crossed was equally good as the first book, Matched, if not better! I enjoyed the plot, the writing of this book seemed to be ten times better than Matched, the characters development, this book was definitely worth my time. 
       After being separated, Cassia and Ky are on their own journeys, trying to get back to each other. From the very beginning of Crossed, I could tell, Cassia and Ky had grown as characters. In this book I saw them each in a different light. Cassia was tougher and she wasn't afraid to get what she wanted and she was able to get it successfully. I did not think Cassia was robotic like I initially believed in, Matched, there was more to her in this book because she was becoming a survivor, she was learning how to survive. 
       Ky was definitely not the same guy you meet in, Matched, he was also tougher and he seemed ten times more wiser then in the first book. Since you read the point of view from both Cassia and Ky in Crossed, you get to connect with each character better then in Matched because you only got Cassia's point of view. 
       The plot was nice, each character was on a mission and they didn't run into distractions and the book wasn't overflowing with romantic moments like some books tend to be. But when you did have romantic moments, they weren't cheesy, they were genuinely sweet. 
       I believed the writing in, Crossed, was simply beautiful! The descriptions, the dialogue, it was all amazing and beautifully written. I definitely love reading Ally Condie's writing and I can't wait to read more of it in the future! My favorite quote in the book has to be from Cassia on page 346 (in the hardcover version of the book):
       "Everyone has something of beauty about them. In the beginning for me, it was Ky's eyes I noticed, and I love them still. But loving lets you look, and look, and look again. You notice the back of a hand, the turn of a head, the way of a walk. When you first love, you look blind and you see it all as the glorious, beloved whole, or a beautiful sum of beautiful parts. But when you see the one you love as pieces, as whys- why he walks like this, why he closes his eyes like that- you can love those parts, too, and it's a love at once more complicated and more complete."
        I just love that quote, it's probably going to be one of my favorite quotes ever because it's such a beautiful thought and it's so true. What I love is how Ally Condie is able to evoke so much emotion in words rather than actions, it's what I would love to accomplish one day as a writer. 
        The new characters introduced were amazing, Eli and Indie were a wonderful addition to the book and I'm hoping to see them in the last book of the series, Reached, which comes out November 13, 2012 (I can't wait!). Eli did remind me of Bram, Cassia's younger brother, and I just loved how innocent this boy was and how strong he was emotionally even though he had been through so much, the same goes for Indie. Indie was someone I was wary of and I'm glad she was a part of the story because I loved her character since she was so similar to Ky and so smart and cautious. 
       Because of everything I loved about this book, I would have to give it 5 out of 5 stars. 

(525 words, not including quote from book)
       
          

North by Matchbox Twenty

          North is the fifth studio album by Matchbox Twenty. Their new album was released September 4,2012 and you've probably heard their first single, She's So Mean by now which is currently number 52 on the Billboard Hot 100. 
      Listening to North was very entertaining, heart whelming, and it had songs that really made me imagine and remember old memories which was refreshing. I enjoyed some songs better then others but I think the album was overall, pretty good. The album starts off with Parade, which I think is a great song with a good melody and touching lyrics (lyrics that any person can relate to in some way) but I didn't think it was one of their strongest songs of the album like English Town, She's So Mean, Our Song, and I Will. I think Parade is one of those songs that you listen to and you like because it's pretty good but you're not going to be hitting repeat on your iPod anytime soon, I also think it's one of those songs that is going to grow on you as you listen to it more and more. This song is probably going to be my favorite, by sometime next month but right now it's not my ultimate favorite song of theirs. 
         The last song of the album was, Sleeping at the Wheel, I thought it was an emotional song and I think if they hadn't ended the album with that song then they should have ended it with English Town. But I'd say that, Sleeping at the Wheel, is a perfect way to end the album. 
        Songs I really enjoyed listening to would be She's So Mean because it's fun to sing along to and it's catchy and it's also different from all the other songs of the album. My other favorite song is English Town because it describes a beautiful picture with the lyrics and the melody is haunting and catchy at the same time, I'll probably be hitting repeat to this song a lot in the future. I Will is another song that should be worth listening to because the lyrics do have meaning to them unlike some of the other pop songs that play on the radio. 
        Each song tells its own story in a touching manner with beats that really fit the lyrics. I give North by Matchbox Twenty 3 out of 5 stars for being incredibly catchy and for having great lyrics as well as melodies. 

(412 words)