Tally Youngblood's Literary Mix Tape

I know what you're thinking. When are these library challenges going to end? Well, they're still coming! This next challenge was to make a literary mix tape of songs you might find on a character's iPod, or songs that represent the novel or character. I chose Tally Youngblood through the first three books of the Uglies series (Uglies, Pretties, Specials). Here it is. :)

Harry Potter Photobomb

Another challenge for the library event I participated in was to take a picture off the internet and photobomb it in some way to either make it a public library ad, or to combine two or more pictures from a book or movie. I chose to make the library ad with my favourite series, Harry Potter. Here is what I managed to do on fireworks and iPhoto.

Harry Potter photo cred. to http://www.allthetests.com/quiz29/picture/pic_1300934441_1.jpg

Book in a Tweet

This library challenge was to summarize an entire book in the form of a tweet- just 140 characters! Being prone to over explaining and detailing, this was definitely one of the most difficult challenges for me. It took quite a few revisions to get it down to the maximum characters, but I managed. I chose to do the tweet for Divergent by Veronica Roth (can you tell that I love this series yet?). This is what I ended up coming up with.

"Tris lives in a world where your choice of faction can change your life. The different values of the groups spur on a rebellion and Tris must accept her divergence."

The Literary Olympics are here!

This time the activity from my library was to complete 1- 4 events of the Literary Olympics! The following are the ones I chose.

• Marathon: Read a long book
• Sprint: Read a short book or novella
• Relay Race: Read a book, then pass it on to a friend, who passes it on to another friend, etc. 

1. Marathon

    For the Literary Olympics, I chose to read the Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan. It is the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series, the first one being The Lost Hero. The book totals to 513 pages (excluding the glossary). It took me 6 hours to read the book, spanned over the course of 3 days. I would classify it as a fantasy/myth and legend/adventure book.

    I really enjoyed this book because it was packed with action. Every second was full of mystery and adventure at every turn. I also really enjoy learning about the Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, so this book was interesting to me. The only thing that I didn't like as much is that sometimes there was so much mystery and so much going on that it was a little overwhelming, and hard to comprehend. The characters could also be more developed, so we learn about them and the plot. 

    All in all, I definitely recommend this book. If you're looking for an action-filled novel, choose this one! 

2. Sprint

    For the Literary Olympics Sprint, I read The Secret War by Jill Atkins. It is 138 pages, and I read it in about an hour and a half. 

    This very good book is about a girl named Sophie living in France during World War II. I liked this book because it made history interesting and enjoyable. It was kept consistently concise and engaging, and was arranged in short diary entries, which kept it understandable and easy to comprehend. Combine some action and suspense and you've got a great short novel! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction. Enjoy! :)

3. Relay Race

    Two of my friends and I concluded on a book we were all interested in reading: Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. I've been wanting to read this book for some time now. 

    After waiting on the hold list for about a week, I went to the library to pick up my book, nearly hopping up and down. I was so excited to read this book! When I got home, I started reading. 

    I sped through the book, reading Part 1 one day, Part 2 the next day, and reading Part 3 in a few days (things got a little more busy). I couldn't put it down! Before I knew it, I was turning the last page, leaving me with a truly remarkable cliff-hanger. 

    "My name is Tally Youngblood. Make me pretty." 

    I was thrilled when the next "competitor" got her hands on the book, hoping she would enjoy it as much as I did. And she did. And so did the third "competitor". And, in fact, I finished the series and was somewhat disappointed. Why did the series have to end? 

Dystopia

Again with my local library, this challenge was all about the current craze that's taking the book world by storm: dystopia. Being a dystopia fan, I immediately was intrigued by the questions the challenge required you to answer. Here is my views on the futuristic, end-of-the-world genre. 

Do you like dystopia? Why or why not?

I LOVE dystopia!!! It is one of my favourite genres. I enjoy reading dystopia because it makes you think about so many things. Dystopic books are very thought-provoking, and provide interesting scenarios that make you want to know more. All the dystopian books I have read are very engaging because they are filled with action, and make you really think. When I’m reading dystopia books, I find myself asking questions, making inferences, and making connections to our society today.

Of all of the dystopic books you have read, which 'end of the world' scenario do you think is the most realistic?

I'm going to have to go with Uglies, by Scott Westerfeld. Somehow it doesn't surprise me that humans (or the Rusties) would be the ones to destroy our own world. In the book, humans create a nano that results in oil being destroyed when coming into contact with oxygen. Of course, after that it was complete chaos, and our world was destroyed. If you think about the human race, and our desire and need to keep revolutionizing everything, as well as our constant evolution in science and technology, it is actually likely that this scenario could be plausible.

Why do you think people are obsessed with the end of the world?

I think people are obsessed with the end-of-the-world because so many end of the world predictions are going on right now. With the Mayan calendar predicting we’re going to die at the end of this year, it is not surprising that there is a lot of hype about dystopia. Because of the way human nature is, I think people are so intrigued because it could happen at any time. Plus, it's an interesting concept. Think about it: what would actually happen if the world did end?

What is your favourite dystopia novel?

I am planning on reading many more dystopic novels (Matched, Blood Red Road, the Maze Runner, and more!), but the book I enjoyed most was the Uglies quartet by Scott Westerfeld. I thoroughly enjoyed all the books (unlike the Hunger Games where Mockingjay ruined the entire series), and Scott Westerfeld did an excellent job of detailing how their society came to be. I also really enjoyed the Hunger Games series and Divergent/Insurgent. I can’t wait to read more! 

Ginny Weasley

Hey everyone! Yet again, I am posting a library challenge. These were two separate challenges, but I have put them both in this post. So! The first challenge was choosing an alternate career for your favourite character. I think you can infer from the title of this post who I chose.

If I had to choose one favourite character, it would be Ginny Weasley from Harry Potter. So, my alternate career for Ginny is a police officer. I say this because her curious, fiery, determined mindset would be perfect for the job. It's a career that would keep her constantly on the move, so she would have many adventures and always be in the action. She is hard as nails, therefore making her tough to break if she were a police officer. And, who knows, if she and Harry were in our world, perhaps she would meet Harry as a police officer too! 

The next challenge was to relate to a character. Originally, when I read the books, I also compared myself to Hermione. Now, however, I am finding that I see much of myself in Ginny. Here's why...

I really relate to Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter. We relate because of many of our values and traits. We are both very outspoken and opinionated, as well as fiery and stubborn. We are both good students who put a lot of effort into their work. I relate to Ginny also in the fact that I enjoy playing (muggle) quidditch. I don't let people change my mind, and stick to my beliefs, like Ginny. We both can also be funny at times. Ginny and I are both curious, adventurous, determined, and independent individuals, which make us so similar. Though are appearance is very different, that doesn't mean that our qualities and morals are unalike. 

Hope you enjoyed it! ;)

100th Word Challenge

Hello there! This post I am going to be showing you a collage I made as a challenge for the library event I was participating in. The requirement was to open to the 100th page of your favourite book, and count to the 100th word. If the word was boring, you choose the closest interesting one. I decided to do multiple books and words, so here is the collage I made!

Book Photo Scavenger Hunt

So, over the summer I was doing a program with my local library. It was a really fun opportunity which involved me participating in many challenges. Over the next few days or so, I'll be posting some of the relevant challenges I completed. My first one is my photo scavenger hunt, in which I had to include where I like to read, where my books are kept, what inspires me to read, and a scene from a book. I hope you enjoy it!

Books to Read

So, let me tell you now that I have a LOT of books to read. I have a list of current books, and a list of books to read when I'm older, but here I'll be posting my current books I'm interested in reading. Essentially, these are books that I, if the books were in at the library, would pick up right here and now.  So check it out! 

Indicates books now read
Book (s) I am currently reading

1.      Insurgent by Veronica Roth

2.     Uglies: Shay’s Story by Scott Westerfeld

3.     The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

4.     The Two Towers by J.R.R Tolkien

5.     The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien

6.     Matched by Allie Condie

7.     Crossed by Allie Condie

8.     Reached by Allie Condie

9.     The Princess Bride by William Goldman

10. Life of Pi by Yann Martel

11. Blood Red Road by Moira Young

12. The Kill Order by James Dashner

13. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

14. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

15. The Death Cure by James Dashner

16. Switched by Amanda Hocking

17. Torn by Amanda Hocking

18. Ascend by Amanda Hocking

19. The Host by Stephanie Meyer

20. Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

21. The Last Days by Scott Westerfeld

22. The Magician by Michael Scott

23. The Sorceress by Michael Scott

24. The Necromancer by Michael Scott

25. The Warlock by Michael Scott

26. The Enchantress by Michael Scott

27. Darke by Angie Sage

28. I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

29. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

30. The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

31. Gone by Michael Grant

32. Hunger by Michael Grant

33. Lies by Michael Grant

34. Fear by Michael Grant

35. Light by Michael Grant

36. Island of the Blue Dolphin’s by Scott O’Dell

37. Chu Ju’s House by Gloria Whelan

38. The Giver by Lois Lowry

39. Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

40. Messenger by Lois Lowry

41. Son by Lois Lowry

42. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

43. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

44. The Goddess Hunt by Aimee Carter

45. The Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

46. The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter

47. The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter

48. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

49. Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz (re-read)

50. Ingo series by Helen Dunmore (re-read)

51. Stormswept by Helen Dunmore

52. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

53. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

54. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

55. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

56. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgen Burnett

57. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

58. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (re-read)

59.  The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart

60. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner’s Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart

61.  The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict by Trenton Lee Stewart

62. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

63. The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis

64. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

65. Prince Caspian: Return to Narnia by C.S. Lewis

66. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

67. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

68. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

69. The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

70. Miss. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

71. Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane by Suzanne Collins

72. Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods by Suzanne Collins

73. Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins

74. Gregor and the Code of Claw by Suzanne Collins

75.  The Fire Within by Chris D’Lacey

76. Icefire by Chris D’Lacey

77. Fire Star by Chris D’Lacey

78. The Fire Eternal by Chris D’Lacey

79. Dark Fire by Chris D’Lacey

80. Fire World by Chris D’Lacey

81. The Fire Ascending by Chris D’Lacey

82. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

83. The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke

84. Zomies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

85. Life as we Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

86. The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

87. This World we Live in by Susan Beth Pfeffer

88. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon

89. An Abundance of Katherine’s by John Green (looking at commonsensemedia.org, I have notiched that his other works are more mature, so I will read them in a few years)

90. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

91. Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

92. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

93.  The Hunt of the Unicorn by C.C. Humphries

94. The Serpent’s Shadow by Rick Riordan

95. The Book Thief by Mark Zusak

96. The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

97.  Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

98. Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund

99.  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

100.  Cinder by Melissa Meyer

101.  Scarlet by Melissa Meyer

102.  Cress by Melissa Meyer

103.  Winter by Melissa Meyer

104.  Fairest of All: A Tale of a Wicked Queen by Serena Valentino

105.  Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

106.  Tiger’s Quest by Colleen Houck

107.  Tiger’s Voyage by Colleen Houck

108.  Tiger’s Destiny by Colleen Houck

109.  Tiger’s Dream by Colleen Houck
110. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
111. Survivors: The Empty City by Erin Hunter