Senior Year is a pain

So, as many of you know I am currently in my senior year at school. It is basically, as my title states...a pain.

Not only do I have to work on school work and Chinese School homework, I also have to study for my SATs (Retaking them in October because they weren't up to the Asian standard...), Do college apps (!!! :((( ), practice piano and practice tennis.

So, yeah, I am totally busy...and another thing that comes with this busy-ness is, well, less time to blog (Five million sad faces). Yeah, I feel like I've been complaing a lot lately and I am really sorry I am complaining a lot right now...but I would just like to say that I am very sorry for the lack of posts. I have been reading some (both YA and books for AP Lit), so wish me luck during Senior year and hopefully this year goes smoothly. I cannot wait for college :)

Wdebo :)

Future Product Review!

So, I just got another email from CSN and they want to work with me :) So I've decided that this time I want to do a product review. CSN is a wonderful chain of online stores, they have everything from clothing, to dinning tables (Check out this drop leaf table!), to office supplies and to bookshelves.

I was thinking I wanted to do a product review on bookshelves. They have some pretty great ones.

Check it out and wait for my review!

Wdebo :)

Mockingjay By: Suzanne Collins

Title: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

HARDBACK

Amount of Pages: 398

Release Date: August 24, 2010

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Geared Towards: Teens

From: Bought

"'I'm going to be the Mockingjay'"

Summary (From Front Flap):

MY NAME IS KATNISS EVERDEEN

WHY AM I NOT DEAD?

I SHOULD BE DEAD

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans-except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a prawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put asie her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay-no matter what the personal cost.

Wdebo's Review: I had been waiting forever for the release of Mockingjay, I am a giant Hunger Games fan, so when I saw Mockingjay at Costco I knew I HAD to buy it. And now, that I have finished, I feel a mix of emotions, for one, I am very satisfied with the ending, but there were also some parts that I felt weren't written up to par with the rest of the trilogy.

I always believe in bad news first that way there's always something good to look forward to, so as much as I enjoyed this book, I still felt that the beginning part of the book wasn't as addicting as the other books in the trilogy, the other books, I had no ability to put it down, I just had to keep reading until I was finished with the book, but with this one, I could put it down, and not feel awfully horrible and like I couldn't live if I didn't read even just one more page.

I also felt that Katniss was awfully whinny. It wasn't until the end when she finally got her strength and was the strong Katniss I was used to reading about. She also seemed too nice, I know her heart is in the right place, but she was just way too nice, always there to sacrifice her life for others.

While there were bad parts, there were still very good parts. The writing was still done very well and there was a lot of adventure, but mostly in the end. I really really liked the ending, it was very well done and filled with lots of twists, turns, and action, it was very exciting to read. But the main reason I loved the ending was for the romance aspect of it ;) As can be seen with the last line...

"So after, when he whispers, 'You love me. Real or not
real?'

I tell him, 'Real.'"

And of course Peeettttttaaaaa!!!! I love him a lot...haha...he was so wonderful in this book, he will forever be my favorite Hunger Games character ;)

Cover Chit Chat: I am so happy there is a blue cover!! Hehe, my favorite color is blue so love! But I like it when they have a shadow of the Mockingjay more because the eye is really scary. == (B+)

All in all, not the best end to a trilogy, but defidently a satisfying ending for all Hunger Games lovers, and the ending was very well written and sure to make you very addicted even if the beginning doesn't.

Grade: A-

Wdebo :)

First Time-Guang Liang

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

Chinese Title: 第一次 (Di Yi Ci)

English Title: First Time

Artist: Guang Liang (光良/Michael Wong)

Language: Chinese (Mandarin)

TTS: None

Wdebo's Notes: The first time I heard this song I really loved it. It is just such a cute little song. And the mv is very cute and funny too...that is the worst reaction to get when you confess to someone...but I love this song a lot!! Guang Liang is so awesome! (Except there are really bad angles of him while he is playing piano). Listen and Love!

Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

Giveaway: Bitter Frost Prize!!

Click HERE to see my Bitter Frost review and Guest Post.

So, T2T has decided to do a group giveaway in celebration of Bitter Frost! It's pretty awesome. All you guys have to do is go to the form HERE and enter your information. And if you comment on my review/guest post you will get an extra entree!!!!!! (Isn't that fun?)

What are you waiting for? Join now!!

Wdebo :)

Relatives-Ding Dang

-ENGLISH SUBBED-

Chinese Title: 親人

English Title: Relatives

Artist: Ding Dang (丁噹)

Language: Chinese (Mandarin)

TTS: HERE!

Wdebo's Notes: I first heard this song while watching Autumn's Concerto (the world's best drama...one of my favorites!!) and I was so excitied to hear it, here was one of my favorite dramas and one of my favorite singers...together!! Ding Dang's voice is so gorgeous and soothing in this song, especially in the chorus part, it just makes you want to sing along and try to mimick her wonderful voice. Listen and Love!

Enjoy!

Hope you enjoy! And please comment!

Wdebo :)

The Graveyard Book By: Neil Gaiman

Title: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman
HARDBACK
Amount of Pages: 320
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Publisher: HarperCollins
Geared Towards: Mystery/fantasy readers
From: Library

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."

Summary: It was just an ordinary night, it was just an ordinary night until a family was murdered by a man named Jack. The man Jack was getting ready to go to the baby's room to finish the job, until he discovered the baby had disappered!

At the same time, the baby was wandering around the cemertary. The ghosts had no idea what to do, unti lthe baby's dead parents pleaded with them to take the child in and protect him. Which the ghosts did. And so the baby was adopte by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, and given the name Nobdoy, or Bod for short. Nobody. Nobody Owens.

The book follows Bod's childhood in the graveyard, the adventures inside it, and the dangers outside of it, as the man named Jack hides in the shadows waiting to finish the job he started so many years ago.

Wdebo's Review: I remember reading Coraline (another book by Neil Gaiman) in fifth grade. From the moment I opened it, I was in love and frieghtened and disgusted at the same time. So when I saw The Graveyard Book on a shelf in my library, I knew I HAD to read it. I did and LOVED it!

The book had me hooked from the very beginning. It was very masterfully written, the adventure aspect of the story drags the reader in, and the wonderfully novel idea of growing up in a graveyard, the supernatural storyline and Body's journey, that is his life, keeps the reader hooked until the satisfying yet cliffhanger-ish ending.

I absolutely loved how the novel was written. All of the small adventures of Body's life in the graveyard come together as a whole and for the story. It was quite majical.

I really liked the character of Bod, he is such an entertaining character and I wish that I could keep reading his stories.

Cafe Cover Chat: Not the biggest fan of the cover, but I guess it is kind of symbolic though. (B-)

All in all, a wonderfully written, imaginative story by the talented storyteller, Neil Gaiman.

Grade: A

Wdebo :)