It's the end of the world as we know it...

...and I feel fine! No, actually, that's a lie. I feel rather sick and (again) I blame my mother. (Don't know what I'm talking about? Refer back to my very first blog post.) I'm a bit stuffy and I have a sore throat and I couldn't sleep last night so I'm also tired, plus I've got PMS. So maybe the world will end, and I'll be the one to bring it about.

"Titus, that's what you get for not apologizing! I warned you I'd press the button!" <- unless your name is Titus Maroonda you will have no idea what I mean by that. Or if you're my best friend Sabrina, then you should know what I'm talking about, too.

*Sneezes* Ugh.

Anyways.

I thought it would be fun to write a blog post on the day that the world is supposedly ending. You know, for the apparent "last day of the world existing" I've done just about nothing today. Also, there's quite a lot of people at Walmart. AREN'T YOU PEOPLE SUPPOSED TO BE STOCK PILING WEAPONS FOR YOUR DEFENSE AGAINST THE ZOMBIES?? I swear I was terrified that my mom would ask me to do just that because she wasn't feeling well enough to do it herself yesterday...

I could write an entire post about what I would do if the world really was ending. But I figured no one would be interested in reading that. So instead, I've decided to write a post listing things that I will NOT be doing on this day that the world ends.

1. Stocking up on weapons to defend my family against the zombies, as stated above.
2. Eating 8 things of Betty Crocker's frosting: 3 cans of cream cheese frosting, 2 cans of milk chocolate frosting, 2 cans of triple fudge chip frosting, and 1 can of coconut pecan frosting.
3. Streaking in the downtown streets of my city. I mean, come on. It's snowing.
4. Getting my tongue pierced. I have enough trouble with the single piercings in my ears.
5. Skydiving
6. Swimming with sharks
7. Trying to tame a Tasmanian devil. Does anyone even know where I could get one of those?
8. Reading all the books in the world that I could ever want to read. And I really would like to do that. Unfortunately, I just don't have the time. *sigh*
9. Rounding up a pride of lions while bare-back riding a giraffe.
10. Getting his and her tattoos. Who wants a tattoo that says "His and her"?
11. Learning how to knit
12. Learning how to crochet anything except a long string
13. Getting my skin bleached. I'm pale enough as it is.
14. Going to a Justin Bieber concert
15. I guess I should also mention that I'm not going to a One Direction concert, either. And I wouldn't mind seeing that.
16. I guess I should also mention that I'm not seeing any concerts today...
17. Getting anything productive done today
18. Getting a job
19. Saving the polar bears
20. Finally getting rid of the scum bag slime ball who broke my best friend's heart. Why should he get the easy way out? He's gonna have to suffer the rains of fire along with us.
21. Learning to speak Tagalog
22. Paying back my student loans. Just kidding! I don't have any students loans. I'm still in high school, unlike the losers who have loans to pay back! mwahahahaha
23. Watching "Keeping up with the Kardashians."
24. Finally finishing watching Smallville
And last but not least...
25. Learning the lyrics to the opening song of "The Lion King."

Have a safe end of the world day! And remember: it's OK to round up a pride of lions while riding a saddled giraffe; just not a bare-back giraffe. I hope my post brought you some amount of joy on this very depressing day. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to learn how to play "Stayin Alive" on my harmonica.

Oh look! I came up with three more.

26. Buying a hermonica.
27. Learning how to play a hermonica.
28. Learning how to play "Staying Alive" on a harmonica.

Ain't nobody got time for all that stuff!

Peace!

Molly Maurer

Hush, Hush saga by Becca Fitzpatrick [compilation] Book Review

Normally I do one review per book, but for this particular saga I am compiling all four books into one review. Get ready! And I will try not to include any spoilers... however, I recommend only reading up to the book you are at/interested in.

When I began Hush, Hush I was about the age of fourteen or fifteen. I'd just gotten into reading and I was after a particular genre (one word: Twilight). I thought Hush, Hush sounded interesting and so I requested it from the library. *ahem* Let's just say that it was a bit more... mature... than I was looking for.

Don't get me wrong, no one was doing the do. But there were plenty of innuendos that I wasn't used to, and the writing seemed to be leading up to a more sensual theme. Being me, I couldn't put the book down until I was finished. Now eighteen years of age, I place this book under my "runner-up-to-favorites" book list on Goodreads.com.

The first place we see Nora Gray (obviously, the main character) is in her biology class, staring at the words "Welcome to human reproduction (sex)" written on the blackboard. If that's not enough to make one uncomfortable, Nora suddenly finds her lab partner switched from her best friend since childhood to the gorgeous new transfer. To make matters even more awkward, the gorgeous new transfer is a guy. And to make matters even more awkward, the gorgeous new transfer seems to know more about Nora than he could possibly perceive by sitting behind her the entire year. What's more, he refuses to tell her anything about himself besides his name -Patch- and his phone number.

Before she knows it, Nora is swept up in the mystery that is Patch. She is intent on learning who he is, even after their project is turned in. The mystery that intrigues her the most is what are the scars on his back, how did he get them, and what do they symbolize? Also, why can't she shake the feeling that he's after her, and not just in the normal hormonal teenage-obsession way?

This book gets 3.5 stars out of 5 from me.

For the same reason I couldn't put Hush, Hush down I picked Crescendo up. The first book wasn't terrible, and I kinda really wanted to know what was in store for Nora and Patch next. So I requested the sequel from the library. 

The most frustrating out of the entire series, in my opinion. Nora has overcome death and gained a guardian angel. All good, right? But things take an unexpected turn when archangels get involved. Soon Nora must put her wants and desires on the back-burner to keep everyone she loves safe. And, before she knows it, she's back in the line of fire, this time threatened by the same man who killed her father so many years ago.

Now the question is: who is the Black Hand, and how is he linked to both her father and the conflict between fallen angels and nephilim?

I think this was the book that initiated the love-hate relationship that I have with the saga. I wanted to yell and scream at the characters, while at the same time cry for their grievances. I found that I could relate to Crescendo more than I had Hush, Hush, so naturally I was more intrigued by this book. Needless to say, I did not put it down. And I really wanted to scream at the end. So of course I needed to read the next one.

This book gets 4 stars out of 5 from me.

The love-hate relationship that I had with the saga continued with the release of Silence. There was a lot of screaming, hair-pulling, book-putting-down (that book was lucky not to get thrown at the wall) while I read (or attempted to read) through to the end. I mean, REALLY? Can I just say how much I loathe Hank Miller? Major plot twists, some of which I was still trying to cope with when I went on to read Finale.

Just rip my heart out, stab it with a serrated blade, put it through a meat grinder, and dip it in acid, why don't you?

And that is all I will write about this book for fear that I will reveal key elements to readers of this post. Aww you should know me by now. No spoilers!

Because this book frustrated me so much, it gets 3.5 stars out of 5. That's right, you lose .5 stars for all the almost heart attacks you gave me, you stupid book! ( I love you!)

Oh, I guess I can leave you with this: by the end of the book Nora is smack dab in the middle of a war.

Because I love to torture myself.

What's a girl practically on death row supposed to do?

Trust the ex-right hand man to the Black Hand, that's what. Nora is a vulnerable girl caught in a brutal war between fallen angels and the Nephilim. Obviously she cannot match either side in strength, and it seems unlikely that she can equal their mental prowess. Even Nora's emotional stability is threatened when she must pretend to break up with the love of her life in order to appease the armies. And how long can she and Patch keep up the charade before it becomes a reality? 

Then a weapon comes into play that was previously thought to have gone straight to hell: Devilcraft. Nora starts on an addiction that she can barely admit she has, let alone cure. The only good thing that comes from Devilcraft is that it evens out the playing field, and Nora's hope at surviving. But just how long before the powers of hell become a problem rather than a long, sought-after miracle?

Of course this book was just as aggravating as the preceding ones. Since it was the final book in the series I obviously had to finish it. I did not force myself through the other three books just to stop at the conclusion. Finale contained just as many emotional roller coasters as the others (although I must say Silence was the most nerve-wracking for me) and it took me about a week or two of picking it up, putting it down, picking it back up... to finish. I do think that Ms. Fitzpatrick did a wonderful job wrapping up her series; I am even more impressed that she stayed true to her writing style throughout all four books. Even if that writing style did make me want to set the books on fire. Kidding! (Sorta...)

I must admit: I am very disappointed that after so many years of following Nora and Patch's story there's not another book to look forward to/dread. This was definitely a series that takes you at "Hello" and clings to you even after "Goodbye." I must applaud you, Ms. Fitzpatrick. I truly underestimated you in the beginning.

Finale gets 4 out of 5 stars from me.

Now they better freaking not mess up the movie adaptation!