All Consuming : RaeJillian

very inspiring! (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:40:43 GMT

by George Miller (II)

um, sad and true and very sad…
shows you what you can do with determination and love and will power can do. still, true to life, the ending sucks…

A review of "Moulin Rouge"

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:35:37 GMT

Moulin Rouge

by Baz Luhrmann

this is a really odd movie, i imagine it would be almost uncomfortably odd if you were high! but still very good and i liked the end! a good movie to watch with friends.

great for kids! (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 17:42:50 GMT

Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

by Zach Helm

i gave this movie a “ok” because it was really great for the kids and good enough for me to not mind sitting through it with them. my five year old got a bit heart broken, but recoved quickly with the story… my three year old was amazed the entire time and while the story was over her head she loved the moving toys! worth taking the kids if they are interested in non-cartoon movies.

the best "how to" for the emo-punk-fashionista-quirky girl in us all! (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 15:42:55 GMT

Sew Subversive: Down and Dirty DIY for the Fabulous Fashionista

by Melissa Rannels

by far the sewing book with the most ease of use! making things stupid-easy to understand and the provide some great ideas! i love it, i love it, i love it!

SO FUN!!!

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:34:12 GMT

The Spiderwick Chronicles (Boxed Set): The Field Guide; The Seeing Stone; Lucinda's Secret; The Ironwood Tree; The Wrath of Mulgrath (Spiderwick Chronicles)

by Holly Black

i am really in love with holly black right now, i think her books are just lovely! that being said the spiderwick chronicles do not disappoint! all together they took me less than a day because they are geared towards a young age group. still holly didn’t let the fact that these books would have pictures or a less mature audience lower her standard. they are wonderfully entertaining and delightfully written! again, i will be adding these to my own collection!

A review of "Care and Feeding of Sprites (Spiderwick Chronicles)"

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:57:42 GMT

Care and Feeding of Sprites (Spiderwick Chronicles)

by Holly Black

thoughtful, entertaining, lovely! i love this book and the way it makes you think of the world… i will be adding this to my own collection and reading it often!

boring! (rated 1 star)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:53:47 GMT

Beige

by Cecil Castellucci

take a hint from the title – if this book were a color it would be the most boring shade of beige! i force fed this book to myself thinking it HAS to get better. i guess it didn’t HAVE to get better as it never did. funny, it seems like it could be an okay story it just isn’t.

finally! finally! finally! (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:37:15 GMT

American Born Chinese Jacketed Hardcover Edition

by Gene Luen Yang

i have talked about looking for the graphic novel that does more than give poor pictures with a shitty story and HERE IT IS! it’s a good story and i loved the art! also, i have a few rules of thumb one is that and book that mentions either bubble tea or crabs (the itchy kind) is usually a pretty good book. this one has bubble tea! yay!

love it! (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:30:32 GMT

Valiant: A Modern Tale of Faerie

by Holly Black

the characters are so real and so dynamic! i love it! i wanted more, i wanted a million more books about their lives! this is what writing is meant to be! and this is the second book! before this comes tithe, and after is ironside. the characters overlap and for that i am soooo thankful! i can not get enough and i will add it to my personal library very soon!

amazing! (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:28:56 GMT

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale

by Holly Black

the characters are so real and so dynamic! i love it! i wanted more, i wanted a million more books about their lives! this is what writing is meant to be! and this is the first! after this comes valiant, and then ironside. the characters overlap and for that i am soooo thankful! i can not get enough and i will add it to my personal library very soon!

chilling... (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:08:53 GMT

What Happened to Cass McBride?

by Gail Giles

i would like to see a sixth star added because i think that i did love this book but not in the same way i loved freak show or dangerous angels. anyway, this is a really good book, told from three points of view: the girl buried alive, the boy who buried her and the detective trying to find her. it is fast paced and easy to follow. pretty interesting idea to burry a main character, it was pulled off nicely! (well as nice as writing about a teenager buried alive can be.) i wouldn’t buy it, but i would read it again if i had bought it!

A review of "Repossessed"

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 18:02:30 GMT

Repossessed

by A. M. Jenkins

this was a cute book. easy reading, easy going – and hidden in the obvious are some very profound thoughts on the whole human-God relationship and what hell actually is. i tried to think more about my life after reading it, lived a few days as if it were the first time ever doing each thing… it was really good! also, there is a part where the main character is so distracted that he doesn’t even notice he ate breakfast and i was like, “that is so human!” (it will make more sense when you read it!;) ) anyway, all in all this was fun and funny and pretty good!

A review of "The Plain Janes"

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 13:43:23 GMT

The Plain Janes

by Cecil Castellucci

i have already talked about how i find these illustrated novels seem to lack depth and a bit of talent. it is like having pictures alleviates the need for a well thought out story line and having a story excuses the poor drawings… well, this story is a bit more thought out than most and seems a bit more well written. though they did just wrap it up at the end almost as if they had the thought, “wait, what are we going to do to end it? because we have to end it quickly!” the story is kind of scattered and it tends to tumble along. case in point (spoiler alert) the main character suffers from heart ache way before emotions are even established.
all in all it is better than some i have read and i look forward to reading books from minx in the future, hopefully they will continue to get better.

interesting (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 14:33:37 GMT

Wild Orchid

by Beverley Brenna

this book does a truly amazing job at showing you the inside of an autistic persons mind. (is it weird that the inside of her mind is eerily like the inside of mine? i like to think that no, it is not weird because this is a non-autistic telling a story. so if my mind bears resemblance to this then it is to a non-autistic… did you follow? it made sense on the inside.) anywho-doo, i have to admit that this story is so good it sucks at times because you actually get to feel the main characters frustrations and (if you are like me) you become frustrated yourself. it’s an easy read – every bit worth it! i highly recommend checking it out! (it might even go on my wish list at amazon.com because i would live o re-read it now and again.)

love it! (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 18:30:05 GMT

Disco Bloodbath: A Fabulous But True Tale of Murder in Clubland

by James St. James

this is james st. james first book – his newest one, freak show, is a lighter, lovelier, teen fiction story and you can see how based on his life it was when you read this book. it’s the true story of michael alig killing angel menedez and while i am sure that there is some excess drama (after all creative license PLUS this is a drag queen telling the story!) it still has a ring of truth even in the most outlandish times. it is an eerily candid look at the life of a club kid and a junkie. beautifully written and wonderfully executed! james st. james has that gift of writing something you can not help but want more of. i really how he writes more in the future!

A review of "Re-Gifters" (rated 2 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 18:20:32 GMT

Re-Gifters

by Mike Carey

this is a comic book. or comic novel, whatever. i really like to pick these type books up – they usually run between 6.99 and 9.99. i stopped buying them because i find that i am always either disappointed buy the story line and the art both being dull, or the art rocks it and the story sucks it or vice versa. and the problem here is – number one. it’s as cute a story (a bit of a yawn and hard to get into) as it is mediocre and you can see where the art is trying to go, it just doesn’t get there. oh, well. there are several previews in the back and – despite knowing better – i will check them out!

just relax ~ you are cool ~ you do not have to prove it... (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 16:38:21 GMT

Wicked Lovely

by Melissa Marr

as you have probably read already, i read a lot. A LOT. i usually check out five or so books a week and read the one that hold my interest and get a response from me. wicked lovely almost missed the mark. i just could not get into the story. the characters seemed slightly underdeveloped and the writing a bit immature, as if marr was reaching a bit too far. (i did a bit of research and believe this to be marr’s first real book, i would not find that surprising.) i really wanted to read it though because it has an amazing idea behind it, this is where marr’s thought process and imagination really sets her apart. it’s a very different type of modern fairy tale. i would have loved to read the story as told by francesca lia block, as i think she could have done it true justice. still, once i sat down with no distractions and forced my way through the first chapter i did finally settle in and it was quite a nice read. the ending almost seemed anti-climatic and the story carries a bit of predictability. i am sure it will find it’s cult-like following as it has that type of appeal.

in the end i am glad i checked it out but i will not be putting it on my must have list, as i don’t really think that it is one i would go to and reread multiple time or that having it would add any real value to my personal library.

(next up – disco bloodbath by james st. james!!!!!!!! we are going to have so much fun with that!)

Why I recommend "million little peices"

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:01:56 GMT

million little peices

by James Frey

this is the dude that fooled oprah and i love this book! there is a follow up and i can’t wait to read it – my friend lenord!

Why I recommend "Crank"

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 18:00:18 GMT

Crank

by Ellen Hopkins

this book is in a delicate and wonderful prose – you can read it in so many different ways! so smart and real and sad and just life! life in every way!

Why I recommend "Pretty Little Dirty"

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 17:58:51 GMT

Pretty Little Dirty

by Amanda Boyden

love it! love it! love it! (i have a rule that if a book talks about crabs it is a generally good book and this book is no exception!)

Why I recommend "Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books"

nobody@allconsuming.net (RaeJillian) — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 16:06:16 GMT

Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books

by Francesca Lia Block

this is my fav book! i am in love with it! got me through some sad times and i am sure it will again!