The Moon Maiden

The Emerald Tablet by P.J. Hoover

2009-09-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Benjamin and his best friend Andy love being different from the other kids. They like being able to read each others minds and use their telekinesis to play tricks. In fact, they are getting set to spend their entire summer doing just that when Benjamin s mirror starts talking. Suddenly, he s looking at eight weeks of summer school someplace that can only be reached by a teleporter hidden in his hallway. And the summer only gets stranger.

At school, Benjamin discovers that he isn t really human but something called a telegen. It turns out that the powers he always thought made him special only make him normal. But then the mysterious Emerald Tablet chooses him as its champion, and all chances of a uneventful (well, as uneventful as summer school on a hidden, submerged continent can be) disappears.

-Summary from Amazon.com

I don't usually give bad reviews, but for The Emerald Tablet the only good thing that I could find about it was the idea of the story. The plot was good, but everything else seemed like a bad imitation of Harry Potter. And okay, I have to give props to the author for all the research she must have done in order to write this book.

Starting with the characters. I found that the main character Benjamin resembles Harry and his allies resemble other characters in Harry Potter. Andy=Ron, Heidi=Ginny, and Hermione seemed to be split into the two characters of Iva and Gary. The adult characters act as if they are the professors of Hogwarts. They speak as if they are all-wise when half of the things that they say don't even make much sense.

The style of writing that P.J. Hoover (talk about resembling Harry Potter, even the author's name is abbreviated like J.K. Rowling's) has is of a very childlike nature. I realize that it's a children's book, but even I can write better than she does (in style, not plot). Which makes me wonder how she ever became a published author. Surely it can't be based solely on plot.

All in all, I would give this book a 5 out of 10. The style of writing just took away from the story itself. If I had to recommend a book, I would probably recommend Harry Potter over The Emerald Tablet.

Song of the Month

2009-02-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

February's Song of the Month is: High Hopes in Velvet Ropes by The Cab!

The Cab is a new up-and-coming band. Their latest video for their song Bounce has featured on MTV. The Cab's songs and lyrics are filled with upbeat melodies and meanings. It's the type of music that makes you want to turn it up as high as it can go and sing along with. High Hopes in Velvet Ropes I chose in particular because of it's catchiness and the fun lyrics. It's a song that you'd want to listen to over and over again and never get tired of it. So check out the song and tell me if you don't just love it!

-Moon Maiden

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

2009-01-14T21:52:00.001-08:00

Shivers, obsession, sleepless nights—these are the results not of one of the milder poisons that novice food-taster Yelena must learn during her harrowing job training but of newcomer Snyder's riveting fantasy that unites the intelligent political focus of George R.R. Martin with a subtle yet potent romance. Through a stroke of luck, Yelena escapes execution in exchange for tasting the food of the Commander, ruler of Ixia. Though confined to a dank prison cell and doomed to a painful death, Yelena slowly blooms again, caught up in castle politics. But some people are too impatient to wait for poison to finish off Yelena. With the help of Valek, her steely-nerved, cool-eyed boss and the Commander's head of security, she soon discovers that she has a starring role to play in Ixia's future—a role that could lead to her being put to death as a budding magician even if she hits each cue perfectly. The first in a series, this is one of those rare books that will keep readers dreaming long after they've read it.
-summary from amazon.com

Poison Study is one of those books you see and think, “Hey that looks good.” but never pick up to read. Well it’s time that you picked it up. Poison Study is an amazing adventure featuring, magic, love, and an ass kicking heroine. Yelena is a character that one can definitely empathize with. The reader really gets a feel for who she is as a person and why she had to do the things she did. I, personally, could not put the book down. Each page has yet another thing that would draw the reader in and keep them up all night reading. Poison Study is not like any other book I’ve ever read and that unique characteristic is exactly why I love this book so much. I highly recommend this book to fans of adventure stories with a little bit of romance in them. Trust me, this is a book you definitely DO NOT want to miss.

Song of the MONTH

2009-01-05T18:29:00.000-08:00

OKAY! Since I am most likely going to disappear again for awhile, I decided song of the day is too often, and song of the week is...well again too often, but song of the MONTH is just PERFECT! So here we go with the song of the month.

January's Song of the Month
Run by Leona Lewis

Leona Lewis puts a new kick to the well known and loved song "Run" originally by Snow Patrol. Whereas SP's version is slow and sad with lots of low notes, Leona's version is a little more higher in pitch and makes it easier for girls to sing along to the song. It also kind of gives a more feminine approach to the song with Leona's vocals. Run is a great song and I believe that Leona Lewis has done a fantastic job covering a classic song. Check out "Run" by Leona Lewis and comment to let me know whether you agree with me or not. Opinions can never be wrong, so don't be afraid to speak your mind (or in this case, type).

It's been a long time...

2009-01-05T18:24:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

Wow have I been gone for a long time or what? I must apologize for my absence these past few months but I've just been way too busy with school to maintain this blog. (I honestly, have no idea how some people can do it!) I've been trying my best to get back on here and update a little, but to no avail. Although I have been "missing" lately that doesn't mean that I was too busy to read. I have been reading, and have kept a list of books that I still need to review. I will try my best to get to those reviews as soon as possible. Wish me luck!

-Moon Maiden

By the way, it happens to be cram time for me since first semester is coming to an end and that means: finals, finals, and more finals. *sigh* What's a girl to do?

Song of the Week

2008-10-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

The song of the week is Obvious by Runner runner! First off let me just say something about the band. Runner runner performed at my high school last Friday and wow was I blown off my feet. I just couldn't believe how amazing they were. Their songs are not only catchy and addictive, but the lyrics have so much meaning behind them that so many people can relate to. Not to mention the band members are all really attractive. I was surprised to find out that they are a local indie band in Huntington Beach. It amazes me that they aren't more famous. It seems ironic that more people from across the Ocean are more familiar with Runner Runner than the people in their city. However, now that I've heard of them, they have become one of my favorite bands.

Now to the song. Obvious is a great song about a long distance relationship. Basically it's saying that no matter how strong the love is, it's still hard to be apart and it's just not the same without being right next to each other. I love the video. I think it's pretty creative, where all the guys are trying to win over the same girl but in the end they'd rather be friends with each other. I also love the video because they shoot it here in Huntington Beach. (I even drove by the bar they shot a scene in. It was pretty exciting.) So give Obvious a listen. If you like the song, check out Runner Runner's other song at their myspace.

Remember to spread the word about Runner Runner! They are an amazing band and deserve to be well known just like all those other legendary bands. :D

Ironside by Holly Black

2008-10-16T16:21:00.001-07:00

Ironside is the third book in the Tithe series. After defeating the queen of the Unseelie Court, Roiben was finally going to take the crown and become king. But at his coronation, things don't go the way they're planned. Kaye overhears some fairies talking about a declaration and decides that she wants to declare herself to Roiben. In response he sends her off on a quest to find a faerie that can lie, in other words, he sent her on a seemingly impossible quest. However, the quest is the least of Kaye's troubles. Her best friend Corny has been cursed by a faerie and Roiben is on the verge of a war with the Seelie Court. Will Kaye be able to complete her task and return to Roiben's side in time to help stop the war? And what about Corny? Will he be doomed to be cursed for the rest of his life? Read Ironside to find out!

Holly Black has done it again! She definitely kept up well with the first two books of the series, Tithe and Valiant. Her books are filled with vivid descriptions that make you feel as if you were there inside her stories. Ironside is full of adventure, love, and the thirst for power. This book will keep you up late at night reading. The only problem I have with this book is that the ending wasn't as final as I would have liked. It seemed a bit open ended and I felt that there should have been more explained in the end. I had many unanswered questions like, What happens to Corny and Luis? And Will Roiben be able to rule over both Courts peacefully? Even though I was a bit dissatisfied with the ending, I still thought that it was a good and sweet ending and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I highly recommend this book to fantasy lovers. If you haven't read the Tithe Series, you are really missing out. So go get yourself a copy now!

Song of the Week

2008-10-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

I know I'm kind of really late for the song of the week, but I've been extremely busy with school work this whole week. Anyway this week's song is by Karmina and it's called The Kiss. Originally this song was inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet. The lyrics in the song tell a story about two people who are in love but can't be together because of what other people think or say. I personally love the lyrics especially the part where it goes, "Palm to palm, let lips do what hands do. They Pray. Is it a sin to do what we want to. They don't care where we've been, give me my sin again." Anyone recognize these lines (well most of them) from R&J?

Karmina is an amazing duo. The singers, Kamille and Kelly have amazing vocals and if you like this song, I highly recommend listening to another one of their songs called Walk you home. The music video for The Kiss includes real life couples that faced obstacles throughout their relationship. I believe that it was a great element in the video. It really helped connect the song to the audience and made it more personal because it's like, "wow real life couples have gone through this too and not just made up ones like Romeo and Juliet." So give the song a listen and watch the video. If you want to learn more about Karmina visit their website at karmina.com

-Moon Maiden

Song of the WEEK

2008-10-07T19:53:00.001-07:00

Okay, since I don't have time everyday to post a song of the day, I've decided to do a song of the week instead. This week's song is I'm Gone, I'm Going by Lesley Roy. This song has been stuck in my head all day and so I thought, what would be a better choice for song of the week than a song that I don't get sick of even though it's always stuck in my head. Songs usually bug me if they are in my head too long, but this song is one that I haven't tired of just yet. So I just wanted to share it with you. Check it out!

-Moon Maiden

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

2008-10-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

Norah is a good, smart, and sensitive Jewish girl on the mend from her last relationship. So when she meets a guy in a club in New York who asked her to be his five minute girlfriend, she couldn’t help but kiss him in response. Little did she know that the guy she kissed was Nick, who like Norah, is also on the mend from his last relationship with a girl named Tris, who also happens to be a girl that Norah is acquainted with. In an effort to get over their pasts and on to their futures, the two set off on a journey through New York City. Through music and talks, Nick and Norah get to know each other and find that the people they are supposed to be with is each other and not their ex’s.

Nick And Norah’s Infinite Play List is an intriguing book that’ll keep readers reading through the night. Details in the book are very descriptive and vivid so it’ll feel like the reader is there with Nick and Norah himself/herself. I personally loved all the music in the book. The lyrics that Nick wrote and even the play list at the beginning of the book has some very great songs on it.
This book is definitely not a book for children or even younger teens. I was surprised to find that there was a lot of cursing by the two characters and a lot of mention of sex. Although a great read, I would not recommend this for younger people, maybe when they’re older. I give this book a 9/10.

As everyone knows there is a movie for Nick And Norah’s Infinite Play List out in theaters now. Although I haven’t seen it yet, (and I really want to), after reading the book and seeing commercials for the movie, I’ve found that I like everyone in the cast except for who they cast for Nick. He just doesn’t look like he would be the Nick from the book. However, I guess that the movie won’t be following the book exactly and it might even have a whole different story line, but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see that for myself. So if anyone has read and seen both the book and the movie, please tell me how it is compared to the book. I’d love to know. (Because I probably won’t be seeing the movie until it comes out on DVD.)

Song Of The Day

2008-09-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

Today's song of the day is Keeps Getting Better by Christina Aguilera. Talking about Demi Lovato reminding me of Christina actually reminded me of her performance at the 2008 VMAs. I must say that out of all of the performances, her's was one of my favorites. I loved the whole super hero theme and the song was just amazing. It's extremely catchy and upbeat. I also love that in her performance at the VMAs, she did this remix of her old song, Genie in a bottle. I just really loved that version of it and actually prefer it to her original version.

So for this video, I tried my best to find a good version of her performance, but if it's not to your liking then I'm sure there are other versions somewhere on youtube. So please enjoy! Tell me what you think about it.

-The Moon Maiden

Song of the Day

2008-09-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

On the line by Demi Lovato ft. The Jonas Brothers is today's song of the day! This song is on Demi Lovato's latest cd called Don't Forget. It's only been released for about a week now, but when I heard this song I thought, "I really need to go get myself a copy of her album!" Now I have to say that I am a bit biased considering I'm a crazy Jonas Brothers fan, but let me just say that not only the song is great, but Demi's voice is amazing as well. I'm so serious. You should listen to that girl sing. She kind of reminds me of Christina Aguilera because she's like this little person with a huge voice. The song is a really sweet song about a relationship that used to be really sweet and beautiful but somewhere along the way something happened. The good news is that the relationship is on the mend, or rather on a break, but I don't know, I still think it's a cute and sweet song. So check it out and tell me what you think!

-The Moon Maiden

Song of the Day

2008-09-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Vienna by Owl City, is today's song of the day! (btw, I know it's more like the song of every other day, but honestly I'm just busy and I try my best.) Owl City has a unique sound to his music. It's kind of a mix of techno with smooth modern beats. The song Dear Vienna especially displays this, and I think that the lyrics are catchy because it's very repetitive. If you like this song, I suggest that you check out Owl City's other songs including Salt Water Room and Hello Seattle. As usual, take a listen and tell me what you think.

-The Moon Maiden

Song of the day

2008-09-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

Tokio Hotel's Don't Jump is today's song of the day. Tokio Hotel is a rock group from Germany that just recently have become famous here in the states. I've loved them way before they arrived here and am so glad that I can share their music with you. This song, Don't Jump, was rumored to be written about someone who has given up on life and believes that the only way out is to committ suicide. So the message behind this song is, not to give up and not to lose hope or faith because once you make that leap, there's no turning back and you would be leaving behind all of these people who care about you even if you don't think that they care. And just not to lose yourself, as is demonstrated in the music video. Note: The music video is actually shot in German, but this video shows it dubbed with the english version of the song. The german version is called Spring Nicht. So enjoy! And remember to comment me with any thoughts about it.

-The Moon Maiden

P.S. If you have any suggestions for a song of the day, please either comment me or email me at MusicandbooksCyndi@hotmail.com

Song of the Day

2008-09-20T21:09:00.000-07:00

Something That I Already Know by the BackStreet Boys is today's Song. This is a new song on the BSB's new album. I love how meaningful the lyrics are. Basically it's about a relationship that has gone down the wrong path, but the two people involved are too scared to break off their relationship even though they both know that it's been over. I can personally relate to this song, because I've kind of been in that situation before and I know how hard it is to face the truth. Anyway, take a listen, tell me what you think. Whether or not you can relate. And if you like this song I highly recommend that you check out their other songs as well. They are truly all amazing.

-The Moon Maiden

Caribbean Cruising by Rachel Hawthorne

2008-09-19T20:28:00.000-07:00

Lindsay is 18 years old, on a ten day cruise to the Caribbeans, and has a plan to make it the best vacation she's ever been on. She's even made a list of all the things she's wanted to do but has never done before. Things like: shopping until she drops, drinking strawberry margaritas, kissing cute boys, and even to sleep with a guy for the first time. Her plans seemed promising until she met Ryan, her stepfather's godson. Although Lindsay finds Ryan attractive, she can't help but push him away because she feels like he'll just get in the way of her plans. But when Ryan doesn't go, Lindsay finds it hard to resist the temptation. Will Lindsay accept her feelings in the end? Or will she hold fast and stick to her plans? Read Caribbean Cruising to find out!

Caribbean Cruising was an amazing book! I would have to give it a 10/10. I found that the story was believable and I was hooked by the very first chapter. The details and experiences in the book were so vivid and in depth that I felt as if I was actually there with the characters themselves. When they climbed a waterfall, I felt as if I was climbing a waterfall. I loved the interaction between Lindsay, Ryan, and the many guys that they meet along the way. I was really hoping that Ryan and Lindsay would get together, but each time she would be stubborn and I would be frustrated because of that. Caribbean Cruising was a fun book to read and I highly recommend this book. It's short and sweet and will keep you thinking about it long after you've finished reading. If you've read other books written by Rachel Hawthorne, I suggest that you check this book out. Just like her other books this one is filled with fun romance. And if you haven't read her other books then I highly suggest that you pick one up today. I promise you won't regret it!

Song of the Day

2008-09-19T20:11:00.001-07:00

Today's song is by Taylor Swift and is called Love Story. I love the lyrics in this song. It's kind of a story in itself and I think it would make a great plot for a book. (Although the lyrics were written based on great books like, Romeo and Juliet, The Scarlet Letter, and the video has a Pride and Prejudice feel to it.) The second thing I love about Love Story doesn't have to do with the song itself, but the music video. For one, the outfits are amazing. I totally love Taylor's dress. For another, the leading guy is kinda cute, don't you think? And again, I totally love the Pride and Prejudice kind of feel to the video where the couples are dancing in the ball room (totally adorable). So yeah, take a listen and tell me what you think. Likes? Dislikes? Anything at all.

-The Moon Maiden

Song of the Day

2008-09-17T21:04:00.001-07:00

The Song of the day today is Wish You The Worst by Katy Perry. This song was originally written for her newest cd, but didn't make the cut onto the album itself. I personally love this song. I think that it's spiteful and kind of manipulative, but that's the very same reason why I love it. So what do you think? Take a listen and don't hesitate to comment on how you feel about it.

-Moon Maiden

New Blog!

2008-09-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Okay, after a few months, I finally got around to starting up a new blog! :D I will still be doing reviews on this blog (only less) and I will also be discussing music as well as having a music of the day post. So yeah, I hope this turns out better than the last blog I had. Oh and regarding the link list, if you would like to be added to the link list just leave a comment or post in the chat box and I will add you when I can. :D

-Moon Maiden

P.S. I will get things moving starting tomorrow because well, it's kinda late and I need to get off the computer right now.