Raising Dragons: Book Review

Title: Raising Dragons
Author: Bryan Davis
Publisher: Living Ink Books
My Rating: 5 Stars
Buy The Book:
-HERE-


"A boy learns of his dragon past; a girl has known of hers for years. They combine their faith, courage, and love to overcome an evil slayer who seeks to bring an end to dragon heritage, forever.

The kids at school call Billy "Dragon Breath" for good reason. His breath is bad! It isn't the normal, morning-mouth bad; it's the hot-as-fire, "don't-you-dare-get-near-me" bad. Trouble erupts when his hot breath sets off the fire sprinklers in the boys' restroom at school, and his parents learn that they've kept their secret for too long.

Billy finally discovers the secret. His father was once a dragon! Now that's a piece of news a guy doesn't deal with every day! Billy feels betrayed, alien, lost. When the dragon slayers traps him on a cold mountaintop in West Virginia, Billy learns to battle with weapons of steel and spirit while relying on a power he doesn't understand, a power that helps him learn to trust again.

Bonnie, an orphan, tries to find a home, someone to love her, even though she feels like a freak because of a body feature she calls a deformity. But this unusual feature becomes a life-saving attribute as she discovers that her love for others and her faith in a creator hold the answers she's looking for."

Several years ago, my cousin recommended the Dragons in Our Midst books to me. This came at a time when I was searching long and hard for a good, Christian fantasy series. After speeding through the first book, I knew right off the bat that this would become one of my favorite fantasy series of all time. This ill be my third reading through of the books, and I can still faithfully say that this still is one of my favorite fantasy series.

really enjoy the plot line and characters. We're given a solid, intriguing plot with realistic characters. First of all we have the boy-next-door Billy Bannister whose character development throughout the series is great. We also have Bonnie Silver, a stunning girl of incredible faith. But who can forget the ever-famous Walter Foley, our funny sidekick? I love every single character for their personalities and realistic touch.

As far as the plot goes, the storyline is one of great development and thought. Prophecies, legends, evil men bent on a mission, and dragons! You can never go wrong with an original storyline such as e one presented in this book

Yet one of the things I highly commend from these books is the clear telling of the faith behind Bonnie Silver. There are some great Christian fantasies out there, but this one, in my opinion, has given us, through Bonnie, a clear definition of what a Christian's walk should be. Thank you Mr. Davis for this great aspect!

I highly recommend these books for fantasy lovers aged 11 and above.

What's Coming Up Next?

The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis
Skeleton Key, by Anthony Horowitz
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck, by Kathleen Y'Barro
Torrent, by Lisa T. Bergren
Life Support, by Robert Whitlow
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling
Love on the Line, by Deeanne Gist

NaNoWriMo: Week One

So here we are, a week later. Those of us over-achievers are soaring ahead of the crowd, perhaps reaching the midway point, while still others are right on track. Then there would be those who are falling behind. *raises hand slightly* That would be me. Now, now, I really was planning on staying on track and keeping up with my daily word count goals. I'll admit, the second day of NaNo brought no words typed up. That's when it all seemed to spiral out of control.

I really was planning on catching up on day three. That didn't happen either. What is a busy college student supposed to do? Some people deem studying far more important than NaNo, and unfortunately, I have to admit that it sort of is. I promised myself that NaNo would not take the place of studying. So far it hasn't, if you haven't been able to tell by my lack of keeping up word count wise.

By day four, I began to really pick up the speed. Word Wars really helped me amp up my writing. According to Urban Dictionary, a word war is defined as, "An occurrence in which two or more writers set a time limit, such as ten minutes, or thirty minutes, to write or type as fast as they can on a specific topic or to add onto their current novel. The person with the highest word count at the end of the time limit wins the word war. A word war may take place on AIM, IM, Gtalk, or any chat services, over the phone, or in real life. Usually, one person says to start and the two or more people type on Word as fast as they can. Often used during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) or any WriMo (Writing Month) to boost word count." Nanoers, if this has been the first time you've heard of a word war, I highly encourage you to utilize it! It keeps my writing on track and I can usually get about 240 words in ten minutes.

As of now, day eight, I am at 8,013 words. Considering I am supposed to be at 13,333 words, I'm a little freaked out. Eek! According to WriteWay (a really handy tool, by the way), if I write at least 1,826 words a day, I should finish in time. I'm eagerly hoping I can reach that goal every day. I'm crossing my fingers, guys!

As far as story and plot goes, I'm doing fairly well. I have about three chapters fully completed and am about to begin my fourth chapter. As of now, I have introduced each of my main three characters in each chapter. I'm about to switch back to my first character's, Estella Archer, point of view after leaving her in a particularly good cliffhanger.

I'm approaching my book a little differently this time. As of now, each character gets their own chapter. Estella was introduced in the first chapter, Riku began his journey in the second and Willa has now spotlighted chapter three. I've never approached a book this way, but I think it is working out splendidly.

Whether you want it or not, you're going to get a bit of each chapter. Enjoy!

My first excerpt will be from chapter one in which I introduce our first main character, Estella Archer.

Sunkissed leaves caressed Estella’s rigid body as she hobbled along the barren sidewalk. She cared not that the sun shone brilliantly through the freckled trees around her, nor that the crisp breeze bit into her skin with cruel intent, or even that the enticing scent of freshly baked pastries was flowing through her nostrils from a nearby bakery. Her mind focused on one thing: the lyrics vibrating through her eardrums, voiding out all other sound. Tugging on the black and brown flecked sweater’s hood, she let the warmth hug her rosy cheeks. Though the weight of the book bag hanging off her shoulder was heftier than usual and causing her to have to work harder to force her right leg to make each step, she cared not. The music streaming through her earbuds eased her mind. She focused on taking each forced step and letting the notes and melodies take over her soul.

Typical of an early Monday morning, Estella counted the steps and bends in the road to her high school. Another day to waste in the presence of her classmates she had deemed ‘detestable vermin’. A loud engine cut through her peace and shook the ground she stood on. Angrily tugging out her right earbud, she flicked her head towards the direction of the interruption. A large yellow bus rounded the corner and zoomed her way. Before she could glance away, a group of tousled teens stuck their heads out of the windows on the bus and cupped their hands over their mouths calling out, “Essie hobbles, gonna be able to make it to school today?” Jamming her warm earbud back into her ear, she crossed her shaking arms across her chest and determined herself to walk faster.

~©Tippie, Untitled NaNoWriMo, Chapter one

The second excerpt will be from chapter two, in which I introduce our second main character, Riku (who still lacks a last name, unfortunately).

The taught feel of the strings beneath his fingers brought comfort to Riku. His body swayed back and forth as the music lilted from his instrument to his ears. Letting his fingers vibrate ever so slightly on the chords and the bow glide over the strings, he lost himself to his music. A sad sort of melody hung in the air reflecting his mood.

He had ruined his reputation as one of the best violinists in his prestigious school. All of the other children paled in comparison to his playing. Though he tried not to pride himself in that fact lest it go to his head, it hurt him when he failed to do his work justice. Not a day had gone by this year that he had failed to deliver a powerful solo. Tonight’s concert had been the one he looked forward to every year. The grand Autumnal Celebration. He had worked his bones to their breaking point for several months, until finally he was able to play his solo flawlessly.

He had set out on the stage with confidence and not a glimmer of nervousness inside him. As his solo approached and he was settling down to play, he happened to notice two figures walk in to the back of the concert hall. He had widened his eyes in surprise and lost all of the confidence he had before. His parents had not been to see him in concert all year long. If he messed up it would ruin their reputation of him. And ruin it he did. Focusing his rapt attention on pleasing his parents, he messed up like he never had before.

And now he sat deserted in the empty concert hall. His parents had left disappointed and everyone had been completely surprised by the failure to deliver by this young star. He had waited until everyone was gone to start his solo from the beginning. He had to instill in himself that he did know how to play the solo; he hadn’t gone mad. He hadn’t indeed, for he played better than he ever had before. If only this had been the outcome from the actual concert.

~©Tippie, Untitled NaNoWriMo, Chapter two

And, finally, our last excerpt will be from chapter three, in which I introduce our final main character, Willa Burbrudge.

Willa brushed a sticky hand across her cheek. The mid-afternoon sun bore down on her. If not for the large brimmed sunhat atop her head, she would be roasting in the heat. Laughter from two children broke through her thoughts. Smiling down at two strikingly similar blonde children, she rested a hand against her heart. A day spent with her beloved grandchildren was something well worth cherishing.

The boy picked up a pile of sludgy mud and slung it at his sister. Screaming in surprise, she scrunched up her nose and promptly threw some back. Something told Willa she should stop them from their shenanigans for their mother would be far from pleased, but who could tell a child to stop playing in the dirt? Life should be enjoyed, and children so happened to enjoy themselves best when digging around in the mud.

“Nana, are we going to eat soon? I’m starving.” The voice of someone behind her frightened Willa.

She pulled a hand to her neck and spun around. Her eldest granddaughter, Lola, stood with her feet firmly planted in the ground. Her sunhat hung from a strand on her neck and her mousey brown hair stuck out in several different directions, far from the intact bun she had started with earlier.

“I suppose it is time for lunch, isn’t it?” Glancing down at her two youngest grandchildren, she added, “though I supposed those two have eaten too many grapes as is.”

“Those two could eat this whole vineyard and still have room enough for more.” Lola chuckled.

~©Tippie, Untitled NaNoWriMo, Chapter three

That's all I have for you today, folks! Keep writing and working your fingers until they simply can't stop typing at all! Happy writing!

Booking Through Thursday: Harder

This week, Booking Through Thursday asks, "All other thing being equal, would you rather read a book that’s hard/challenging/rewarding or light/enjoyable/easy?"


This is a tough question, and definitely one to get the mind working for a bit. As much as I hate having to do this because I feel like it can be an easy answer, I'm going with both. It really does depend on the mood I am in. If I'm in a romantic mood, I'll pick up a book that's light, enjoyable and easy. If I'm in an adventurous mood, give me a hard, challenging, and rewarding book. Both kinds give me a different sort of reward in the end. If I had to choose which one I go to more, it would be the hard, challenging, but rewarding kind.

Happy reading folks!

2012 Outdo Yourself Challenge!

(Picture is clickable, guys! :o)

Guess who is becoming more and more interested in the wonderful world of book blogging? If you guessed Tippie, than you would most certainly be right. I've had this blog for awhile now, as the very, very few of my first followers well know. I stopped blogging for a long while due to sheer busyness. I came back earlier this year to start book blog reviewing. I've been thoroughly enjoying myself with this endeavor to read more books and write more blog posts. With that said, I'm going to take part in my first ever challenge!

This challenge is hosted by The Book Vixen.

Details:

• Runs January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012 (books read prior to 1/1/12 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
• The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2012 than you did in 2011. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.
• Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed.
• Grab the reading challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you could track your progress on Goodreads or LibraryThing.

Levels:

Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books
Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

Well, I pretty much failed in respects to reading a lot of books this year. But, hey, how much time does a busy college student have anyways? I only read 20 books this year, not including my textbooks. Eek! That's not very much at all! Like I said, I've been busy. So, I'm taking up this book challenge and going with the level Out Of Breath. Let's see if I can get my lazy butt in gear and read 6-10 more books than I did in 2011!

I have a shelf set up -HERE- for you guys to view. Most likely, I will be adding and removing books all year long. I'm challenging mysef to review as many of the books I read in 2012, as well, so look forward to more review posts! :)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Book Review

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Author: J.K. Rowling

Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
My Rating: 5 Stars
Buy The Book:
-HERE-

"The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girl's bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone - or something - starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects... Harry Potter himself?"

As neither Dudley nor the hedge was in any way hurt, Aunt Petunia knew he hadn't really done magic, but he still had to duck as she aimed a heavy blow at his head with the soapy frying pan. Then she gave him work to do, with the promise he wouldn't eat again until he was finished.

While Dudley lolled around watching and eating ice cream, Harry cleaned the windows, washed the car, mowed the lawn, trimmed the flower beds, pruned and watered the roses, and repainted the garden bench. The sun blazed overhead, burning the back of his neck. Harry knew he shouldn't have risen to Dudley's bait, but Dudley had said the very thing Harry had been thinking himself...maybe he didn't have any friends at Hogwarts. ~pg. 86

A year has gone by and nothing but misery has befallen poor Harry Potter. Forced to spend a summer with his horrible aunt, uncle and cousin Dudley, he would give anything to be back at Hogwarts . Yet the promises of his friends back from school, Ron and Hermione, to write to him have not come true. Waiting anxiously from a letter from either friend, he wonders if he possibly has any friends at Hogwarts at all. But when a mysterious 'house-elf' by the name of Dobby appears one night in Harry Potter's bedroom, everything is explained; also, a warning is given. Harry has to promise Dobby that he will not go back to Hogwarts next term as great trouble lurks or the house-elf will be forced to wreak havoc on Harry's life by ruining an important dinner party hosted by his aunt and uncle downstairs. Not willing himself to even consider not attending Hogwarts, Dobby is forced to make Harry's life even more miserable before he disappears.

Now confined to his room until term begins, Harry wonders if his life will ever be normal. Before he can become too bored, Ron and his troublesome twin brothers, Fred and George, arrive to save the day. They don't arrive by walking, though, but by a flying car. After rescuing the poor imprisoned Harry, they zoom off to their house where they spend the last days until they all leave for Hogwarts with Harry ignoring the warnings of Dobby.

Hogwarts has a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and this time, it is a egotistical man by the name of Gilderoy Lockhart. During their second year at Hogwarts, things will go terribly wrong as Dobby warned. Half-blood and mudblood (a foul term for students with both parents being muggles) students are becoming petrified after the elusive Chamber of Secrets has been opened. It's up to Harry and his gang to find out who opened it up and stop them before death strikes first.

"I must ask you, Harry, whether there is anything you'd like to tell me," he said gently. "Anything at all."

Harry didn't know what to say. He thought of Malfoy shouting, "You'll be next, Mudbloods!" and of the Polyjuice Potion simmering away in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Then he thought of the disembodied voice he heard twice and remembered what Ron had said: "Hearing voices no one else can hear isn't a good sign, even in the Wizarding world." He thought, too, about what everyone was saying about him, and his growing dread that he was somehow connected with Salazar Slytherin...

"No," said Harry. "There isn't anything, Professor..."
~pg. 36-38

First of all, if you have not read my review of the first book in which I explain why I find Harry Potter to not be harmful,, I would suggest you do that first. This review will be strictly positive, as again, I did not find anything wrong in this book.

I'll begin with the writing style, first of all. The writing in Chamber of Secrets was more descriptive than the first book. While the style kept to its original self, thankfully, I think we got a better glimpse into our characters, events, and feelings in whole. While the writing is not your typical flowery, descriptive type, I really think it fits well with the story, as I explained in my review of the first book. I simply could not see Harry Potter being written any other way. To me, it wouldn't be the same.

"Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"

Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.

"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley...and I thought your family could sink no lower —"
~pg. 176-179

Moving on to characters. I think we definitely got a better look into the feelings and motivations of our heroes and heroine. We can definitely feel the enduring struggle Harry faces every day with who he truly is and how he fits into the world. Hermione is now more open to helping Ron and Harry in their schemes or investigating things on their own, but she still has her feisty snare and love of studying. We learn one of Ron's biggest fear in this book and how he faces his fear, and not only that, but how he stands out as a person.

Plotline and story-wise, I feel this was very solid. The adventure and costs are definitely amped up from the previous book. Defeating a troll seemed like a big feat for the three characters in The Sorcerer's Stone, but now they must find out what is petrifying students and who is the Heir of Slytherin before it is too late. When Hagrid and Dumbledore are forced to leave the castle, the danger only arises and the clock beings ticking. The suspense was well handled, I think.

For a few years, the founders worked in harmony together, seeking out youngsters who showed signs of magic and bringing them to the castle to be educated. But then disagreements sprang up between them. A rift began to grow between Slytherin and the others. Slytherin wished to be more selective about the students admitted to Hogwarts. He believed that magical learning should be kept within all-magic families. He disliked taking students of Muggle parentage, believing them to be untrustworthy.
~pg. 100

All in all, I don't think there was any 'magic' in this book that I found a bit bad. We're given a clear line between good magic and the Dark Arts. Hermione does brew a very complicated potion called Polyjuice potion, which allows the children to transform into someone of their choosing for a little while, wizard/spell dueling begins, and mystery abounds. All in all, I think the encompassing feature of this book is the loyalty and values of the strong friendship Harry, Ron and Hermione hold strong to.

"Professor," [Harry] started again after a moment. "The Sorting Hat told me I'd – I'd have done well in Slytherin. Everyone thought I was Slytherin's heir for a while…because I can speak Parseltongue…"

"You can speak Parseltongue, Harry," said Dumbledore calmly, "because Lord Voldemort – who is the last remaining descendant of Salazar Slytherin – can speak Parseltongue. Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar. Not something he intended to do, I'm sure…"

"Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?" Harry said, thunderstruck. […] "It only put me in Gryffindor," said Harry in a defeated voice, "because I asked not to go in Slytherin…"

"Exactly," said Dumbledore, beaming once more. "Which makes you very different from [edited for spoilers]. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." ~pg. 54-61

What's Coming Up Next?

The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis
Raising Dragons, by Bryan Davis
Skeleton Key, by Anthony Horotwitz
The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck, by Kathleen Y'Barro
Torrent, by Lisa T. Bergren
Life Support, by Robert Whitlow
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling

Love on the Line, by Deeanne Gist

NaNoWriMo, Or Bust:

Now begin the cries of every writer who has sold their soul to their work. Those hopelessly addicted to minimal sleep and barrels of caffeine. The enslavement to word count and the forcing to keep oneself away from editing. It has all begun. Two more days of bated breath and gnawing of fingernails. It is about to begin. That thing we call NaNoWriMo. A month dedicated to the cause of writing not 10, not 20, not even 40, but 50,000 words to a completely new novel.

You may wonder who would possibly be crazy enough to even attempt something of this caliber? I'm here to tell you that thousands of people from all over the world are participating in this challenge. I'm one of them. I realize my life is busy enough as it is what with studying, household chores, and not totally abandoning family and friends among many other things. The comforting realization is that I am not in this alone. Many other Nanoers are looking forward to a stressful experience during this month, but we're cheering it on. Night owls such as myself are beckoning the awaited silent hours of darkness to type away on our keyboards.

Some people have been busy plotting their novel for awhile, while still others are figuring out the details. The latter would be what I am currently pursuing. I have accomplished plotting a solid basic plot and two characters. I still details to fill in and yet more characters to create.

So far, where I stand is this:

Basic Plot:

On the rare occasion that a full solar eclipse occurs, several people from our world disappear and reappear in another dimension. These people end up in several different places around this world, always waking up alone . They have gained powers to bend nature’s forces such as air, water, wind, nature, etc. Others have gained powers such as healing, invisibility, flying, etc. They are expected to learn about these powers and utilize them to help eventually rid this world of the ‘evil forces’. These evil forces need to combine all of these powers plus *something else* that the ‘good people’ have to unlock an eternal opening to earth. Their ultimate plan is to gather all of the powers for themselves and rule the earth. They kidnap the new arrivals who are not able to evade them and try to turn them to their side. Those who do not join are treated to having their fingers cut off due to thought that the powers reside in their fingertips. Those who make it through without being kidnapped are given a training bot and will eventually find out the power does not reside in their fingers, but in their minds.

Characters:

Estella Archer: 18 year old girl from somewhere in America. Growing up in a military family, she has had to move around her whole life. This causes her to stray away from developing any friendships or relationships. Instead, she retreats into the thousands of songs on her MP3 player. She will be controlling wind.

Riku (working on surname): An 11 year old boy from Japan. The only child born to very successful business parents, he has never grown up with them a part of his life. Instead, the household maid, Miu, has been his ‘mother’. He has three close friends, but none of them could ever take over his passion of violin of which he has been playing since the age of three. He will be controlling nature/grass/flowers/bushes/trees/etc.

Willa Burbrudge: A 71 year old female from England. Still working on her background.

Folks, that's all I have. I've got two full days to plot the rest of this thing. Here I go! Off to lose myself in NaNoWriMo Land. Wish me luck and expect updates weekly on the process. ;)