Title: Eve
Author: Anna Carey
Series: Eve
Book #: 1
Pages: 336
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating: .4
Goodreads Rating: 3.68
Published: October 4th, 2011
by HarperTeen


The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Taschima's POV:

Eve was interesting. It wasn't exceptional, but once I started reading it it was hard to put down. Yet, when I did put it down, I didn't feel the call of the story pulling me back in. It was an easy quick read let me tell you that, but the hype didn't live up to it's expectations.

Eve is the perfect girl. She is book smart, respectable, always follows directions, docile... and yet it took one girl telling her stories in her ear and already she was questioning all her teachings. Which is why she crossed the lake and saw something that forever changed her life. Once she is aware of this information she feels betrayed, suffocated, can't get out of the place she once grew up in fast enough. When she gets outside though there are no school teachers to console you, no medicine to make you feel better, no water to quench your thirst. Outside the walls she meets Caleb, the boy who comes on his white horse to save the day. Can Eve trust Caleb? Furthermore New America's King is after Eve. Seems the King wants something only Eve can give him, and he won't stop at nothing until he gets her back.

Another important factor of the story, the girls, including Eve, in the academy are all taught that men are evil and that they want to rape them all and have their way with them. Every single one is without a soul.

The thing about Eve (the novel) is that I think it could have been so much more deep. Instead of having the girl survive in the outside world, why don't you let us see how it really is on the inside? Make her feel the terror? Make us truly hate the enemy? I think it would have given Eve that more of a backbone, but that is just me. As it is, the story moves along quite nicely, but all the elements in it seem already played out. I know already of people running and hiding, what I am looking for is something that takes my breath away in it's awesomeness. A story line like no other. Or at least characters like no other.

Eve (the character) is okay. The thing about her is that she seems so fresh, so new to everything. It's hard to believe she had survived as long as she had. Probably wouldn't have without the help that was given. I mean, don't get me wrong, to escape from the only home you have ever known... that was brave of her. I liked her as a girl, and a characters, but not as my main girl and character. I actually wanted to learn more about her "friend" Arden. She seemed to have some spunk. But it really depends on the kind of character that fits your bill. As I said, Eve is a lovely good girl, but I am way more into the spunky smart mouth characters.

The romance between Eve and Caleb was complicated since Eve was taught from early on that men are evil and that they only seek to use you up and make you suffer. Nevertheless, as you will soon find out from the novel, she figures out the bunch of lies for what they are. It's a sweet romance, but it's missing the butterflies.

Also something that bothered me about the novel, why is the King after Eve? Why is she so special? I know it's good and all to create urgency, and the feeling that you are being chased on the novel, but give me some solid idea of why it is I am feeling what I am supposed to be feeling. I can't and will not just go with it, I need reasoning.

Eve (book + character) it's a nice try on the whole dystopian genre. It had some things that I could really get into (some of the issues of the society) depending on what happens inthe second book, but it lacked the sparkle, the thing that makes a novel un-put-downable.

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This a totally politically incorrect movie, full of misconceived stereotypes about the Arab world. Be selective when you use the segment, especially if you have students from Arab countries. I think it is a funny scene, though. I used it to practice the use of In Case (of) in a contextualized manner.




A. Watch the movie segment and then read the sentences below. Then complete the blanks with IN CASE or IN CASE OF.


1. Ahman said they need a guest work program _____ the Taliban don't do their job.
Ahman said they need a guest work program _____ the Taliban's desistance.

2. They believe they need a new recruitment video ____ suicide bombers stop volunteering.

They believe they need a new recruitment video _____ lack of volunteers.

3. Ahmed is usually punctual ________ something delays him.

Ahmed is usually punctual ________ delays

4. Ahmed double checks his the address of the site ________ mistakes.

Ahmed double checks his address ________ there is a mistake.

5. Ahmed wears properly, wearing clothing that is loose enough to hide his explosives _______ someone becomes suspicious of the bomb.

He wears loose clothing _______ suspicion.

B. Talk to a partner:
1. How do you describe the stereotyped characters shown in the segment?
2. Is it fair to picture Arabs this way? Why (not)?
3. How would you describe the stereotypes of the people where you live?
4. Why were the characters shown the way they were in the segment?
5. How do you think your country is stereotyped by foreigners?

WORKSHEET
MOVIE SEGMENT - AN AMERICAN CAROL
Answer Key:
A.
1. In case / in case of
2. In case / in case of
3. In case / in case of
4. In case of / In case
5. In case / In case of

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780

 acrylic on panel 8x12" sold

Renault Szizs

French Grand Prix 1906



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This are some covers I found over the weekend. I was updating the hell out of my Goodreads account, adding reviews, looking for new stuff, etc.

This are some of the more exciting sequel covers I found:

The Lucky Ones (Bright Young Things #3)

Anna Godbersen

Publication date: 2013

by HarperTeen

It's a little distorted true, but the original is so small you won't be able to really see anything. You get the general idea though, Anna Godbersen's covers really kick ass. I found no summary for The Lucky Ones (Bright Young Things #3).

Whisper (Riley Bloom #4)

Alyson Noel

April 14th, 2012

by Square Fish

If you click on the book's title it will take you to the Goodread's page and there you can find a summary.

Allegiance (Legacy #2)

Cayla Kluver

February 28th, 2012

by Harlequin Teen

Spellcaster (Spellbound #2)

Cara Lynn Shultz

March 27th, 2012

Harlequin Teen

Diva (The Flappers #3)

Jillian Larkin

July 10th, 2012

by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

They are all beautiful in their own way. I haven't been keeping up with the Riley series by Alison, though I should. I need to read Spellbound before next year, and I got to start on Vixen (Flappers #1). I have all of these books in my TBR pile, I just have no time! Oh so sad...

Add them to your wish list! Which one is your favorite of these covers? I am between The Lucky Ones, Whisper and Diva. All so good!

** If you click on the title of the book it will take you to it's Goodreads Page where you can find the summary and add the book to your wish list ^^

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Timepiece (Hourglass #2)

Myra McEntire

June 12th, 2012

EgmontUSA

AAAHHHHHH! It's so beautiful!!! I love it, I love it, I love it.There is no summary yet sadly, but if you have read Hourglass (the first book in the series) you don't really need much a summary, you just need to read this! It goes nicely with the first cover...

Defying gravity all the way! Diferent covers but eerily similar. Do you think it as good as I do? I loves it.

If you need a bit of convincing as to reading Hourglass you can click here for my review. A summary from my review:

"Em is a girl with problems. The thing is she sees ghosts, or that is what she believes she sees. I mean when you see a flapper girl walk past you in a hallway you do a double take, when you touch her and she disappears you just go mental. Which Em did actually, she went mental. But not because of her ability alone (although that sure helped a bit). After her parents died she went into a deep depression that swallowed her whole. But now she is recovered, sort of, and she is going to go back to live with her dear brother, and guardian, which by the by knows about her secret. He tries to get her help when he finds out about this mysterious society called The Hourglass, little did the brother know that by contacting them he was setting a billion things in motion."

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779

 acrylic on paper 8x12" sold

Renault Alpine A442B

Didier Pironi &,J.P.Jassuad

le Mans 1978

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This is such an interesting animation. I used this scene to teach pre-determiners - such and what. My lesson was contextualized and fun.


Introduction:

PRE-DETERMINERS: SUCH, WHAT

These words are normally placed before the indefinite article.

Such and what are often used to express surprise or other emotions:

Examples:

a. What a lovely day!

b. She's such a lovely woman!

c. What an incredible film!

d. He's such a fantastic guitarist!

I. Watch the movie segment and choose one of the adjectives provided to complete the sentences, according to the movie. Then rewrite the sentences, using the pre-determiner in parentheses and the adjective you have chosen. Follow the examples in the introduction.

1. Ants are very (organized/intelligent/agile) insects.

(such) ................................................................

2. The pile of food is (huge/amazing/impressive).

(what) .................................................................

3. The anthill is (awesome/complicated/interesting).

(such) ...................................................................

4. The grasshoppers are (terrifying/scary/aggressive) insects.

(what) ...................................................................

5. Flik is a (clumsy/stupid/ridiculous) ant.

(such) ....................................................................

6. Princess Atta is a (beautiful/ugly/nice) ant.

(what) ................................................................


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - A BUG'S LIFE

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 21 false false false PT-BR X-NONE X-NONE

answer key:

possible answers

1. ants are such organized insects

2. what a huge pile of fod

3. it’s such a complicated anthill

4. what terrifying insects

5. flink is such a clumsy ant

6. what a beautiful ant

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Title: Fade Out
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: The Morganville Series
Book #: 7
Pages: 237
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating: 
Goodreads Rating: 4.21
Published: Nov. 3, 2009
by Signet

Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again... 

Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subject is the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger-and way more dangerous-than anyone suspected. 

Taschima's POV:

Possible spoilers for books 1 (Glass Houses), 2 (The Dead Girl's Dance), 3 (Midnight Alley), 4 (Feast of Fools), 5 (Lord of Misrule) and 6 (Carpe Corpus). This is book 7 in the series, if you have come here for a review you probably know whats been going on by now.

This book gave you a break from all the tension and actions of it's previous installments without making you want to run away to the hills out of boredom. It's kind of slow at first, but only because the new plot lines are establishing themselves and they a little time to kick in.

Nevertheless I really enjoyed Fade Out because we get to see our favorite characters again, we get some closure on the whole "ADA is going crazy!" thing, and more than that there is a new threat in Morganville, and it's not the usual kind of threat you would expect (though this threat is ingenious and I can honestly say that I did not see it coming).

Everything is almost back to normal. Claire is back to studying, working for Myrnin, and her relationship with Shane. Everything seems great, all except Ada. Ada has been very weird lately, like, more than normal. She is going insane. Jealousy is driven her mad. On the other end of the spectrum Eve has a new friend! She seems cool to some, but Claire doesn't like her much, if at all. Things are quiet in Morganville, but really, how long can this new peace last?

I like this series now, screw it. Ever since the last books I have more faith in the author, I know in the next few books she will come up with something BIG to keep me hooked. This book wasn't like the last ones, true, but it was still enjoyable. I liked it.

Plus, I can't stay away from Myrnin for too long... He is such a great character. Though I have to say, I miss the crazy a little. Claire is growing on me so much, she is feisty and is growing so much with each passing installment. Her relationship with Shane is now way better, since they aren't all " OH I wanna do it" and Shane all "but but we can't! It's WRONG!" anymore. Boo hoo, Shane, cry me a river. The big event didn't ruin their relationship, it only took the annoying part away. Yes, I am not a fan of Shane, I am more a Michael kind of girl ;)

The Morganville Series is some great mindless vampire fun. It's quick and easy, I mean it's only 237 pages, you could read it in a day of you put your mind to it. With it's characters and story line I bet you will finish Fade Out in just a few hours. I mean, after you get hooked on the series it's pretty easy to suck those words up.

PS; Bloody Bookaholic's Facebook Page. Check it out, and "like" it!

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778

 acrylic on paper 7x12" sold

Sebastian Vettel

Red Bull

Worldchampion

2010-2011

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777

 acrylic on paper 8x12"

Tom Pryce

Shadow DN5

Barcelona 1975

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Eve by Anna Carey

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

All You Desire by Kirsten Miller

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

I just finished Between the Sea and Sky, and I need a new book for next week. This list has my top 4 next books I want to read next. I want to read them all, probably will, but which one first? I really need help, and quick... Thank you guys!!

 Vote on the poll to the right!!

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Title: Bunheads
Author: Sophie Flack
Series: Stand Alone
Book #: 1
Pages: 294
Reading Level: Young Adult
Book Rating: .6
Goodreads Rating: 3.66
Published: Oct. 10, 2011.
by Poppy

As a dancer with the ultra-prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward juggles intense rehearsals, dazzling performances and complicated backstage relationships. Up until now, Hannah has happily devoted her entire life to ballet. 

But when she meets a handsome musician named Jacob, Hannah's universe begins to change, and she must decide if she wants to compete against the other "bunheads" in the company for a star soloist spot or strike out on her own in the real world. Does she dare give up the gilded confines of the ballet for the freedoms of everyday life?

Taschima's POV:

Hannah is a girl with big dreams. Since she was little she could dance like no other. She left High School in order to start an early carrier in the world of Ballet. Didn't even go to prom. But what is prom compared to living your dream? So she dances, and dances, and dances... One night she goes out to her cousin's restaurant, to grab a bite. Who knew that that same night she was going to meet the one person who could give her a completely new perspective on life? Now she has a decision to make. Is all the solos in the world worth her life? Just one little piece of advice about Hannah... don't call her a ballerina.

I thought that Bunheads was an extraordinary ride through the real world of ballet. You get to see the ups and downs, and by the end there seemed to be no way for a normal, simple, perfect happy ever after. I liked that, it made the novel that much real because I wanted the main character to be a star, but I also wanted her to live her life. I really liked that the novel had a realistic ring to it! It seemed a little autobiographical, and after I finished the novel I just wanted to talk to the author about her real life experience. The book deals with all the different issues in the world of ballet (like eating disorders, over-working yourself, not having a life outside of the theater, etc) but it also shows the perks (like the fulfillment of being the best at something you love and being able TO DO IT). Everything is very complicated, and very juicy.

On the other hand the entire novel may be too slow for the likes of some. I myself liked the pace and read the book in no time, but it did have it's "slow" parts. The pace may not be for everybody, but if you can overlook that for a minute you will find great characters, a great story and a realistic romance to top it all off.

You know what, it really surprised me this book. I read an excerpt on Teen Vogue and it quickly cached my interest. The main character has a voice that is hard, if not impossible, to resist. But what really surprised me is that it has no ounce of the supernatural element and it still managed to grab a hold of my attention, and let me tell you, it did NOT let go. I absolutely recommend it.

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776

acrylic on panel 8x10"

caution the road is wet!

driving in wales

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Here are two never before scenes of the upcoming Breaking Dawn Part 1 movie. You have to skip to 2:30 to get the never before scenes. At the beginning all there is is the trailers, if you want to watch those that's fiiine by me ^^

Just ignore the Spanish! Put it on mute or something. Apparently this was shown at some festival and someone recorded it and put it online. Sneaky bastards, but smart sneaky bastards.

Excited? I actually am excited about this one, I want to watch it already!

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This film has some scenes which show violence, and I would never recommend them for the EFL/ESL classes. This scene, though, does not, and it is great for story telling/ narrative writing. In fact, it is a very attractive segment. Make sure your audience consists of adults.

I. Watch the movie segments with sounds off. Pay attention to the strips so you can come up with the story itself. If necessary, watch it twice with sounds off.

II. Work in pairs. Write down a story for the strips. Use your imagination and be creative.

III. Read your stories out loud.

IV. Watch the segments with sounds on now. Compare your stories. Which group wrote the closest ideas to what was shown in the segment.

V. Role play the story.

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - KICK ASS

THERE IS NOT A WORKSHEET FOR THIS ACTIVITY BECAUSE IT IS NOT NECESSARY

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From Bree's Blog:

"Just as an FYI, the cover looks redder online than it really is. It's actually a gorgeous coral pink color. And it's going to have a beautiful nail polish to match! (Coming soon.)"

I thought you fans out there might enjoy this cover. These covers are always so pretty! Simple, but breathtaking. It was just posted at Bree's blog, so click here if you want to read her post ^^

How do you like it? I think I still have the nail polish for the first and second book... Random, but I would love to have the third one as well!

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Title: Carrier of the Mark
Author: Leigh Fallon
Series: Carrier Trilogy
Book #: 1
Pages: 342
Reading Level: Young Adult
Book Rating: 
Goodreads Rating: 3.95
Published: Oct. 04, 2011.
by HarperTeen

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRís.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

Taschima's POV:

Carrier of the Mark was a bummer until it got to a little after the mid section, then it started getting some serious original content which helped the story along but it didn't really make up for the first half of the novel being disappointing. Nevertheless I managed to finish it without rolling my eyes way too much, and actually got interested in what was going on, I just don't think it should have taken me this long to get into it.

Carrier of the Mark is the story of Megan. She moves from the U.S. to Ireland and while she expects that this is going to be like the other hundred times she moved to a new home this time it seems to be different. She feels strangely at home in this new green land. She makes friends quickly and is drawn to the weird guy at school. His name is Adam DeRis. He's all a girl could want. But the DeRis family seem to be harboring a secret, and there are tales of all kinds out there about their little group. Are the tales truth? And how is she exactly connected to all of this?

The main problem with The Carrier of the Mark is that it's a Twilight rip off inspired novel. Girl moves in to a strange place with her single father, girl then meets this rather dark and weird boy and it's instantly interested in him, but boy is never interested in ANY girl in school so everybody thinks it will be a no go. But then Boy can't stand being apart from girl any longer and so gets together with girl, but there is some major obstacles in the way. Like for example, the boy's nature. Sound familiar? It did to me too. Only difference would be this girl ain't a klutz and she knows how to make some friends. Half way down the novel though we start getting original content which has to do with some kick ass magic. Of the mythology I approve. I don't want to get too into it in order to not spoil the good part of the book, I mean it's not like it's not something we've seen before these powers, but the story and intricacies behind the power are fairly original.

This book has a lot of glowing reviews, and I understand why, it has a good mythology and the romance is definitely steamy, but truthfully I was expecting so much more. The cover is amazing, and in person it looks even better. But a good cover and a steamy romance aren't going to be enough this time around. It's entertaining, it's a light read, but if you, like me, can't get the Twilight similarities out of your mind and just go with the flow are going to find this book a bit on the short coming side. If you don't notice it though you are scott free and are in for the ride of your life!

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