Welcome! I'm Riv Re, teenager and aspiring author. I post Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Tuesdays are for book reviews; Thursdays are for a weekly meme called "Character Dolls," which showcases character depictions I made online; and on Sundays I just wing it.
This blog is for my writing misadventures, my reviews, ramblings, and rants. My favorite genre is fantasy, so expect a lot of the unusual.

Warning: I've got an awful sense of humor. Don't blame me if you keel up and die from reading the jokes I crack.
Notice: I hold no responsibility for any deaths caused by previously mentioned jokes.

Enjoy and happy reading!

Current Book Showcase-Starling by Lesley Livingston Trailer!
(What's Book Showcase? Click HERE!)

Friday, December 31, 2010

Fill in the Blanks

Hey Blogger Buds,
I know Friday isn't my posting day, but it's the 31st, and I found this great game-thing which was started over at Book Rat. (The post is here) The gist is that you answer the questions with the titles of books you've read this year. As I've mentioned before, I don't have books recorded from the entire year, but whatever.

Describe Yourself:
Candor
~Means "Free" apparently

How do you feel:
Burned
~From schoolwork

Describe where you currently live:
Brave New World
~This day and age

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Elsewhere
~Yes, I am avoiding this question, what makes you ask?

Your favorite form of transportation:
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
~I'm sure they all move pretty quickly. Especially the wardrobe.

Your best friend is:
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
~We do get along quite well, even though we haven't had chance to talk too much lately.

You and your friends are:
Something Like Fate
~Aawww, aren't I cheesy?

What's the weather like:
The Lightning Thief
~The sky is actually clear

Favorite time of day:
Night Whispers
~I had to put MG in here somewhere...

What is life to you:
Wondrous Strange
~I have a point, no?

Your fear:
Fire
~Reasonable, IMHO

What is the best advice you have to give:
Never Cry Werewolf (Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side in close second)
~I have proof this is important. I have a buddy, Aesop, to back me up!

Thought for the Day:
I am Number Four
~I have three older siblings

How I would like to die:
Catching Fire
~Not really. This would be incredibly painful

My soul's present condition:
Graceling
~I flatter myself


I don't think these answers are too shabby. I'd love to hear your answers!

Peace,
R

The End of 2010

So Blogger Buds,
I was debating whether or not to post, but come on, I have to talk about the fact that we're approaching January    1st!
So, I'm not going to get all technical, but I need to tell you some of the highlights of the year.

So, top 10 in 2010: (I only started recording books in March or so, so I have no idea how much I read)(No order)

  • Crank by Ellen Hopkins-I can't believe it took me so long to read her books, Hopkins is wonderful!
  • Angel Experiment by James Patterson-This book was sitting on my pile for a while. Then I got an audiobook, but for a bit I couldn't use my iPod, so I picked up the copy I had hanging around, and kinda read the whole book (and went back to finish the audiobook) Great.
  • Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater- I don't know what to say. LOVE HER
  • Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel-mind-blowing and beautiful
  • Graceling by Kristin Cashore-She's my top author. Ever. (Beats even Shiver)
  • Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins-of course HG is in here, but this was my favorite of the series.
  • Babylonne by Catherine Jinks-I'm really not much of an historical fiction fan. I mostly read the Roman Mysteries (MG) but I LOVED Babylonne. It's a companion to a quartet I never read, but I loved this book
  • Candor-I reviewed this a few days ago, gushing about the awesomeness.
  • Night Whispers by Erin Hunter-MG, but I've been reading Warriors for years. This book reminded me of a soap-opera, but I still really enjoyed it.
  • Iron King-just incredible with awesome characters
Top 11 in 2011 that I look forward to:
  • Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton-my longtime followers will know I've been drooling after this for a while
  • Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore-I need to explain?
  • Forever by Maggie Stiefvater-see "Bitterblue" above
  • Iron Queen+Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa-LOVE her, and I don't consider putting 2 books together ascheating
  • Enclave by Ann Aguirre-I've been waiting for this book back from the old name and cover
  • Steel by Carrie Vaughn-Swords and evil people? What can be better?
  • Shur'tugal by Christopher Paolini-remember that dude? Who sold millions of dragon novels? Well, he's supposedly publishing the last one this year!
  • Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel-look at the above list for proof of my LAV
  • Across the Universe by Beth Revis-Sci-fi mystery? I've heard a lot about this one!
  • Vanish by Sophie Jordan-I spent ages waiting for Firelight, and it left me in suspense
  • Illusions by Aprilynne Pike-loved the first two Wings books, can't WAIT!


Now that books are done...
In 2010 I joined the book blogging community. I presently have >75 followers and found many great books. Looking at the 10 books above...
Thank you Blogger for: Candor, Crank
Thank you Goodreads for: Infinite Days
Thank you other internet places for: Maximum Ride, Hunger Games, Shiver, Graceling
Thank you library for: Babylonne, Iron King, Night Whispers

And of course...
Resolutions:
Read
Follow some sort of blog pattern
Write.
Write more
Finish a manuscript
Finish another manuscript
Do something great
Don't get all my posts in after midnight!

It's after midnight. Happy Friday!

Peace,
Riv Re

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Candor Review

(This post was written last Sunday)
Hey Blogger Buds,
I finished Candor by Pam Bachorz yesterday, and I want to gush about it while it's still fresh in my mind.


Blurby:
In a town where his father brainwashes everyone, Oscar Banks has found a way to secretly fight the subliminal Messages that turn even the most troubled kids into model citizens. On the outside, he's the perfect Candor teen, and no one knows that he's built an entire business around helping new kids escape before the Messages take hold.
But then Nia Silva moves to town, and Oscar thinks she's perfect exactly the way she is. Soon he must make a choice: let Nia be lost to the brainwashing, or help her stay special and risk himself in the process.

Review:
Quicky: Tear-bringer with an incredible lesson and an ending to blow you away.


Ramble:I started Candor on Friday night and finished it Saturday night. It  was that good. A book has never made me cry, but Candor came close.
I loved this book.
So, how to review it?
Oscar Banks was a very interesting character, who refused to act like everyone else and be a slave to the Messages. We can learn a great lesson from Oscar: Just because you're always being told to do it, and everyone is doing it, doesn't make it right. The magazine says be a size negative. If you look around, everyone thinks that's the right thing to do. But is it really?
And then he meets Nia. I don't really understand the pull Oscar has to her, what makes him keep thinking about her, but she's such an incredible girl and fully worthy of Oscar's affection. He would do anything for her.
Oscar's father. He's not a real villain. He's just a sad man. But he's not someone you're meant to like. Pam Bachorz balances on that fine line of dislike.
The whole orange thing. The color theme of the book is orange. Look at the cover: white....white...white....ORANGE! More proof about being your own person, an individual.
The plot is brilliant. It's such an interesting idea, of your subconscious listening even when you don't.
Dystopia or realistic fiction? Neither? Both? Your call.
The writing style is it's own. Like no other. Part of this is because the book brought me closer to tears than any other.
And then this beautiful book had to end. It's an ending the likes of which I've never seen. It's a Happily Ever After for the characters, but it leaves the reader unsatisfied. The ending embodies the statement (SPOILERY!!) Ignorance is bliss. I would LOVE to read a sequel.
I got Candor from my library, but it's a book I love so much I want to buy it so I can read it over and over again.
Rating: 8* Too incredible for five stars.


Linkage: Goodreads Amazon BookDeposity AuthorSite


HAD to share the trailer, cuz this was soooo awesome



Peace,
R

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Sapphique ARC Review and Happy Holidays!

Hey Blogger Buds!
I was going to make a quickie post yesterday, but my cousin got engaged and the party was last night. I didn't get home until after 1 am, so....here I am! Merry Christmas to those celebrators, Happy Hannuka to those celebrators, and Happy Kwanza to those celebrators!

A few weeks ago I won a contest. (Yay!) One of the prizes was an ARC of Sapphique by Catherine Fisher. The book comes out in two days, but I have a review planned for then but I want to get my review in before the release date. Whenever I get ARCs I like to write something about them, even if I didn't get the book in exchange for it. I chose to write this review of Sapphique.

All links below.

This review CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM INCARCERON the previous book.
Now that that's out of the way....
Blurby:
Finn has escaped from the terrible living Prison of Incarceron, but its memory torments him, because his brother Keiro is still inside. Outside, Claudia insists he must be king, but Finn doubts even his own identity. Is he the lost prince Giles? Or are his memories no more than another construct of his imprisonment? And can you be free if your friends are still captive? Can you be free if your world is frozen in time? Can you be free if you don’t even know who you are?
Inside Incarceron, has the crazy sorcerer Rix really found the Glove of Sapphique, the only man the Prison ever loved. Sapphique, whose image fires Incarceron with the desire to escape its own nature. If Keiro steals the glove, will he bring destruction to the world? Inside. Outside. All seeking freedom. Like Sapphique.

Review:
Incarceron was a pretty good book, but Sapphique blew me away. I remember really enjoying the previous book, but  this was wonderful, though it had it's problems.
Incarceron was told from the POVs of Claudia and Finn. Catherine Fisher artfully switches between characters throughout the story, without the clear-cut switches of the first one. It transfers smoothly and I loved seeing the points of view of the different characters.  Very few of them had hidden thoughts. Because of this, I'll talk about more than  one or two characters, like I usually do.
~Claudia Arlexa started off obnoxious and self-centered. She softened up a lot, and you can really see this when she thanks a servant in the Wardenry and surprises them. In the middle of the book, Claudia gets a real reality-check when she sees the commonfolk of the Realm. She's a fearless, tough, MC, though I can't really see her ever surviving the Prison, the way she was brought up.
~Finn Starseer/Prince Giles(?) is incredible. He was a bit of a bother in the beginning, exploding at the littlest things, but he has such a true self-doubt that you can't help but like him. He's brave and even after living in the Prison, he's kind.
~Attia, the dog-slave. She's brilliant. Remember all the plot twists in the end of Incarceron? I hope when a book ends that way, but there were a handful of twists like that in the beginning, which was hysterical. She maintains faith in Finn, that he'll come back for her, and she puts up with Keiro, which is a miracle.
Speaking of Keiro, aaawww. He's infuriating, but you can't help but feel bad for him. He's a half-man and he hates himself for it, but he still loves himself. (That's a spoiler from Incarceron, not Sapphique, for those getting mad right now.) He's so annoying and full of himself in the beginning, but he becomes a bit more tolerable as you go along. Definitely pitiable.
~Jared Sapient. One thing that bothered me thoughout Incarceron was his age. Just like Cinna from Hunger Games, I had no idea how old he was throughout the first book. Fortunately, shortly into the second, Queen Sia confronts him about his illness and mentions that he's barely thirty. I love Jared. He's awesome. So selfless and brilliant. He really loves Claudia, as obnoxious as she is, and he always does what's best for everyone, even when that puts is own life at risk.
~Rix was hysterical. I couldn't figure out if he was insane or telling the truth throughout the entire book, but his tricks were incredible. You'd have to read the scene in the Dice with the attackers to fully understand...
~Incarceron. The Prison is its own character, is it not? Incarceron is just evil, though a tiny bit pitiable. He wants one little thing, and everyone is against him. He was forced to act a certain way, so he fought back.
Wow. That was a long character analysis.
It was a thrilling, action-packed book and I have only a few complaints. I felt like there were a handful of quick problems that came before some of the characters, and they weren't described well enough. I had no idea what happened, and in the end they were all fine. Especially the ending. It was like "What's  happening?"
My other problem was the questions left unanswered. You never learn how much metal is in Keiro, and the real truth about Giles/Finn/whatever.
The ending was odd. It made sense in a way, but some stuff was just weird.

That was pretty long review.
5 stars
Links: Amazon Author Site Goodreads Book Deposity

Some stuff I had to share:
"Once Incarceron became a dragon, and a Prisoner crawled into his lair. They made a wager. They would ask each other riddles, and the one who could not answer would lose. It it was the man, he would give his life. The Prison offered a secret way of Escape. But even as the man agreed, he felt its hidden laughter.
They played for a year and a day. The lights stayed dark. The dead were not removed. Food was not provided. The Prison ignored the cries of its inmates.
Sapphique was the man. He had one riddle left. He said, "What is the Key that unlocks the heart?"
For a day Incarceron thought. For two days. For three. Then it said, "If I ever knew the answer, I have forgotten it."
--Sapphique in the Tunnels of Madness"


Peace,
Riv

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Triskaidek Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
Wow. I thought I scheduled this. I KNOW I scheduled this. I must have clicked something at some point, I'm sooo sorry this didn't go up. So here it is.
I received a book a while ago, and let me tell you,  I pushed it off for way too long! So let me introduce, The Triskaidek by Basil Sprig. (Various links below)
My Midway Mention is here. I gave it 4 stars at that point.


I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.


Blurby:
On the thirteenth day of the thirteenth month of her thirteenth year something rather strange happened to Alley Willowwood. In fact it was so strange the only way she could explain it was... magic? Welcome to Camp Fae where the fairies send their kids each summer to learn magic. Alley has more to learn than most since she didn't even believe in magic. Now she has to solve an important mystery to stop a treacherous villain from using his magic to take over the world.


Short Review:
Alley is a sweet character with a heart in the right place who makes mistakes like the rest of us. The story has a unique voice with memorable characters and great plot twists. The creativity of this book was wonderful.
I recommend it for mature 10 year olds, but mainly 11-13 year olds with a love of faeries and an imagination good enough to take it all in.


Long Review:
I'm going to try not to sound like I'm repeating the MM. The book has a really original voice that I see rarely. While being told in 3rd person, it's giving you great insight into Alley's thoughts, while the narrator has his own opinions and even addresses the reader.
Alley is cute and earnest. She's trying to help everyone, though she is making plenty of mistakes along the way. She even has her own "Look" for when she's mad at people. The Look gets a bit annoying after a while, but it's sweet in its own way.
This book has so many great supportive characters. Although the first friends she meets sorta fade into the background, it all comes together, and Alley has some absolutely incredible friends throughout.
I had some problems with this book, though. Everyone seems to love Alley and she's pretty perfect, fairy-wise. She didn't even know fae existed, and then she comes to Camp Fae and she's the best at everything she tries. I was hoping she'd just have some sort of #epicfail in one of the basic things she tries...and blowing things up doesn't really count. The book was also a bit too complex for the targeted age group. I was confused at all the different elements and groupings in the camp, which play a major part in the whole thing.
But overall, I must say it was a really enjoyable book.


Rating: **** 4 stars. Good book, good writing.


Camp Fae blog. Camp Fae website. Goodreads. Amazon. Book Depository.

Monday, December 20, 2010

MUST READ

Yes. I'm already violating my new schedule. Deal with it.
Go to the left sidebar. The second widget is about forms. Take a peek. Even if you don't fill out the first two, please to do the third.
Thanks :)
Riv

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Blog Schedule (Take #2) and I Need YOU (Please Read)

Hey Blogger Buds,
I've decided on a new blog schedule, which might make sense. And I'll try to stick to it! Life=hectic, but I love my blogger buds, so I've decided on what to do! I'll be posting 3 times a week (that's the plan, at least!).

Sunday-My Random Ramblings. This can be writing, funny stories I heard, interviews, guest posts, or...something. I have no idea.
Tuesday-Book Review/MM/TBRs/Something else book related.
Thursday-I have a new meme that I really want to try, so I hope it'll work.

This Tuesday I have a review going up. And it's DEFINITELY going up. I even scheduled it :)

Another thing. I'm planning to write a post on writing fight/battle scenes. They're a specialty of mine. Swords, fists, magic, all of it. So to do this post, I want your input! Please fill out the form below! EVERYTHING is optional, so you can fill out as much or as little as you like. I'll give credit to you if you want when I write the post.

Can't see it? It's HERE.



Thanks for filling it out, and t'is all for now, folks!
Riv

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

NaNo Results

Well, I failed.
But I was doomed from the beginning.
My life had perfect timing. The beginning of November was when school decided to tackle me, and my computer decided to die on me.
But I accomplished some things.

1)I wrote ten thousand words. Those of you who write a lot are shaking your head sorrowfully, maybe even crying. But this is good for me. I don't have much time to write,
2)I've been taught a valuable lesson. If you want to write a book, write. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you read all about those on other blogs, but it takes a certain experience to listen.
3)I've fallen in love. Not in that way, but NaNo was just the break I needed to make me yearn for Eberheardt.
4) And next year? Maybe I'll try NaNoWraMo, if it comes up again.

Hope you guys did better than me! Share in the comments!

Peace, Love, and Books,
Riv

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Any Dark Divine Fans?

Oh yeah? There are a couple, well the prologue is ONLINE, for YOU to read!
*pauses for squees*
Yeah? Well, go to RT Book Reviews, and read the prologue of TLS!
I'm awesomeness for sharing the news, right?

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Happy Holidays and a Contest

Hey Blogger buds!
So, I've been working on a handful of posts of awesomeness, including one to sum up my NaNoWriMoTayWay (National Novel Writing Month Take Away [ie, what I gained]).
But there are more important things to discuss. First, I'm tossing some linkage at you.
The League of Extraordinary Writers are giving away pre-orders of ALL of their awesome books that I want so go enter!
Wait a minute...*lightbulb*
*muttering to self* If all my follower[love]s enter, then I'll have less of a chance at winning...

Wait! Stop! Don't go enter. Those books are really bad and not worth your time, so just, you know, move along...*shifty eyes*
And, they're TOTALLY not giving stuff away all week. *cough*

Uuuuuhhhhhhhhhhh....

So! Next order of business!
*sings off-key*
We wish you a merry christmakwanzakah, we wish you a merry christmakwanzakah, we wish you a merry christmakwanzakaaaaaah....
And a happy New Year /slash/ Legal Holidaaaay!
Good tidings to you, and to all of your kin /slash/ brethreeeeeeeen!

Okey-dokey. I celebrate Hannukah, the holiday of scarfing down your weight in donuts (and celebrating Heaven's Help in winning the war, but of course that's a minor detail compared to all the calories :P )
So, of course, I wrote up a list of things I want for the holidays. Don't worry, I covered the basics:
  • unicorn
  • palace
  • island
  • narwhal (they're AWESOME!!!!)
  • llama (there have have been lots of dilemmas [de llamas] in my house lately ><, though none for me xD)
  • sword
I was hoping that they'd say yes by the time I got down to the smaller stuff.
  • horse-back riding lessons
  • computer
  • cellphone
  • (new) iPod
  • camera
  • eReader
  • Of course, they could cover all five with an iPhone
  • bow and arrows
  • gift cards
  • books
  • donuts (I was hungry!)
Of course, my dad had the best line: "While everyone is celebrating X-Mas, we celebrate the day AFTER it!" That's the day of deals, of course :)

And if you haven't seen it, this vid got over two million views in a week.



Remember, while you're buying all your gifts, give a little, and donate to a local charity! Not everyone gets presents during the holiday.


Happy holidays!

Monday, November 29, 2010

CSN Store Product Review

Hey Blogger Buds,
I usually don't do product reviews, but I've seen lots of bloggers review CSN stuff, so I decided to give it a go. I won an $80 gift certificate from Larissa's Life, which made me very excited, and I decided on three things.
The site was easy to navigate, though I did have some minor problems with it.
I ordered a flash drive, a bracelet, and a necklace.
Note: These ratings are in no way connected to my usual ratings. They're based on the basic 5 star rating.

The imation flash-drive was 4 gb and a bit pricey, but it arrived swiftly and even has a lock, so you can secure your documents and even choose which ones you want to lock! The problem is the swivel, which is very loose, allowing the flash drive to constantly open. I carry it around with me, around my neck, and this makes me very nervous, but that is on fault of CSN and I really like the flash drive.
Overall Rating: 5 stars

The next thing to arrive was my bracelet. I ordered a Cathy's Concepts Greek Wide Cuff Bracelet and had it personalized with RIV.
This item also came quite quickly, and disappointed me a bit. The three letters were heavily stylized with lots of curves and swirls making it a bit hard to make out. But that wasn't too bad. There were also tiny little scratch marks all over the bracelet. Nothing noticeable, but I was hoping it would be a bit better. It is a beautiful bracelet, though.
Overall Rating: 4 stars

Skyline Silver Sterling Silver Sword with CZ Heart Necklace - SN-917My final item is a bit hard to rate. I ordered a Skyline Silver sword necklace. It is made of sterling silver with a cubic zirconium heart in the middle and tiny teardrop shaped slits in the blade with pink gems in it. The necklace is absolutely gorgeous. But. I love swords, but this necklace looked a bit too much like a cross for me to wear it in public. I highly recommend it, but it my circle I would be asked over and over again why I was wearing a cross, even though it's not. I will be returning this piece, but it's truly lovely. You can hold it up to the light and it sparkles through the heart in the center as well as the pink stones. I will rate it as a product overall, not from my personal standing.
Overall Rating: 5 stars

At the end of it all, I am very happy with CSN.  I will be buying a new product when I return the heart necklace.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Books That Make You Cry

We've all read brilliant lines that keep us laughing throughout the day, and most of us have read a book, or at least seen a movie or something, that brought us so close to the characters that we cried.
On Friday, I picked up Candor by Pam Bachorz. If you haven't read it, click that link and add it to goodreads or click the other link and buy it on Amazon. I'm going too write a review on this book later, but read it. Just...read it.
I've never read a book that made me cry. I want to.Even the end of Shiver couldn't bring me to tears, even though I squealed a bit.
Candor brought me pretty darn close. If I'd tried a bit harder, I could have made myself cry from it, I'm sure.

Today, I have a question, and a request.

1) What book made you cry?
2) Give me a book to read that will make my cheeks wet. You guys know what I like: YA, preferably fantasy but I'll read other stuff. Just nothing with Journeys of Self Discovery.

Peace,
Riv

Current Music: N/A
Current Mood:...Hungry

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving! (Because you haven't read enough posts with this title)

Happy Thanksgiving, American blogger buds!
And for non-celebrating New Yorkers, Happy Evacuation Day!
And for my followers in Suriname, Netherlands, Happy Independence Day!
And for my Bosnians and Herzegovinians (however that's pronounced), Happy National Day!
Thailanders, Happy(?) Vajiravudh Day! (Ditto on the pronunciations.)
And Happy Teacher Day for you Indonesians!
And if you're in Oxford U, Merry OXmas!

No, I don't know that because I'm strange. (But I'm that too.) I know this because of one of the things I'm thankful for...
Wikipedia!

Of course, the list is longer, including all of the usuals. And another thing on my list...

My Followers!

Because you guys are awesome for putting up with my banter. =)

Peace and Turkeys/Tofurkeys,
R

Current Music: Only the Good Die Young, Glee version
Current Mood: Meh

Monday, November 15, 2010

Paying It Forward

Hey Blogger Buds!
Today I'm Paying It Forward!
1)You don't have to tell me my schedule's been erratic, because I know full well. So first, I'm PIF to my dear awesomesauce followers, because I still have 73, even though I've been evil to you guys. You peeps are great. (Let's get it up to 75, eh?)
2)Kersten Hamilton, awesome author extraordinare's YA book, Tyger Tyger was released today! YAAAAY! Buy it from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, Borders, or your local indie! And don't forget to add it on Goodreads! And I wrote a review on it, too, right here! I gave it 5* The 2nd book is In the Forest of the Night, coming out...not soon enough!
3)Some of you may know that one of the books I've been most desperate for is Angelfire. I've been DYING for it, and I've been going to every blog I can find that's having a contest somewhat related to it. (I did the same thing with Maggie's Linger and I actually won it!) So, Courtney, the author, is having these awesome contests on her blog for the next few months, and this week she's giving away an ARC of Angelfire! *squee* So here I am, promoting it, because I'm DESPERATE for it!

That's all for now, folks!
R

Current Music: Nothing...that's strange. Wait? Really? Oh, there it is...Worst Day Ever by Simple Plan
Current Mood: Meh

So guys, what do you think of Tyger Tyger? Did you write a review on it? Link it!
What books are YOU excited for, coming out in the next three months?
And (last question) what do you think of my blog button? Did you post it on your blog? Link it!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Six Months and Three Days

Hey Blogger Buds,
Six months and three days ago, I wrote a blog post. It was called Fifteen Fun Facts About Me.
Six months and three days ago, a name popped into my head: fantasticfantasyfan.blogspot.com
Six months and three days ago, I joined the massive community of book bloggers.
Six months and three days ago, I began all this.

In that time,  I've gone a long way.
I've turned my meager stack of 5 books into a less meager stack of 40 (or so).
I've blogged about Lulu, Amazon, and several authors.
I've voiced my opinion on the Hunger Games, Twilight, Shiver, Iron Daughter, and many more.
I've hosted a contest. (Yes, winners, I know you haven't received your prizes yet, and I haven't forgotten, don't worry!)
I've started a feature; Midway Mention.
I've compared writing to fake birds.
I've used the word awesomesauce.
I've reviewed three ARCs (Linger, Infinite Days, Tyger Tyger)
I've changed my blog name.
I've listened to Boys Like Girls many, many, times.
I've changed my layout many, (many,) times.
I've made a blog button.
And I've collected 73 awesomesauce followers along the way!

I've been at this for 6 months. That's an accomplishment. My older followers may remember a little notice I had tacked up at the top of my blog, with the little intro bit. It was something along the lines of "This will probably fail miserably" yet here I am.

I love you guys, it's been great! It's been six months, and let there be many more here on Riv Reads!

Cheers,
Riv

Current Music: On the Ride by Aly and AJ
Current Mood: ...Elated (?)

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Yay! Blog Button!

Hey Blogger Buds!
First off, I know I promised my Mistwood review, but I've got more exciting news to share today, and tomorrow I'm planning to start a new meme (one that actually replaces CCT, and you may have noticed that I stopped it.)
Secondly, one thing you'll learn about me, which is a good thing for you as a reader, is that I'm not very patient. I was thinking about waiting until my 6 month blogoversary (6 WHOLE MONTHS!) but I can't wait.
So...
As you'll notice, I'm never satisfied with my layout, and I'm often tweaking with my sidebars. I stopped with the Shelfari because, even though I like them, I don't have time to keep up with both Goodreads and Shelfari, and nowthat I've gotten the hang of it, I prefer Goodreads. So there are now book montages of the books I will read and have read, as well as a new one, of books I'm excited for. (Note that only the books that already have covers are listed, so that's not it!)
So, if you'll look to your right...you'll see...
MY BUTTON!!!
YAY!!
I just finished putting the final touches on it, and it's ready for the public! There's a little box too with the HTML code,, so you can put it on your blog or site! Isn't it pretty?
*stares*
*continues to stare*
*drools a bit while staring*
*wipes away drool, still staring*
*blinks*
Okay, I'm done!
That's all for now folks!

Riv

Current Music: Holding On by Simple Plan
Current Mood: Meh

Monday, November 8, 2010

Nightspell by Leah Cypess

Hey Blogger Buds,
Before you go begin to yell at me, I've got some exciting news to share!
I was looking at goodreads.com, and guess what I saw on my books list?
Leah Cypess's second book, Nightspell!
Isn't that cover GORGEOUS?
I wrote a review on Mistwood, which I just realized I never posted, so I'll be putting it up tomorrow.
Some Linkies:
Leah Cypess: Goodreads
Mistwood: Amazon Goodreads Review
Nightspell: Amazon Goodreads
Release Date: May 31, 2011

Blurby:
Nightspell (Mistwood, #2)A stand-alone companion novel to the much-acclaimed MISTWOOD. When Darri rides into Ghostland, a country where the living walk with the dead, she has only one goal: to rescue her younger sister Callie, who was sent to Ghostland as a hostage four years ago. But Callie has changed in those four years, and now has secrets of her own. In her quest to save her sister from herself, Darri will be forced to outmaneuver a handsome ghost prince, an ancient sorcerer, and a manipulative tribal warrior (who happens to be her brother). When Darri discovers the source of the spell that has kept the dead in Ghostland chained to this earth, she faces a decision that will force her to reexamine beliefs she has never before questioned - and lead her into the heart of a conspiracy that threatens the very balance of power between the living and the dead.


Peace and Happy Reading,
Riv


PS: NaNo is going awfully


Current Music: Nothing really, but about to turn on Simple Plan
Current Mood: Eh

Sunday, October 31, 2010

NaNo and Halloween

Hey Blogger Buds!
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I haven't been on much lately. Get out all your yelling now. I'll wait.
*waiting*
Ready?
No?
Okay.
*waiting*
How 'bout now?
Still yelling?
Gotcha.
*waiting*
Still not ready?
Wow, I've been gone so long you're that mad?
*waiting*
Tell me when you're ready
*waiting*
*waiting*
*waiting*
*still waiting*
Okay, you're out of breath, so I'll talk fast.

Happy Halloween! If you're in NYC, Magnolia Cupcakes has some Halloween-themed--yup, you guessed it--cup-cakes! And don't forget to see if your local bookstore has any Halloween deals!

In other, more important news, NaNoWriMo starts in a few hours! *EEP* Please to find me there and friend me! I'm so excited for NaNo, and I have a great idea that I'm dying to start on.

I know I haven't been on lately, and don't expect me on much during November, except maybe to cry a bit. But I DO have some awesome posts planned, that I've been working on!

Good luck WriMos! 4 and 1/2 hours left! Happy writing!

Peace,
Riv

Saturday, October 9, 2010

OFFICIAL SWITCH

The blog is going to be Riv Reads! The change will be taking effect in a few minutes. Remember, it's:
rivreads.blogspot.com
You can still reach it from your blogroll, don't worry! And if you go to the wrong link, they'll be a linkage over to rivreads!

Monday, October 4, 2010

It Always Happens to Someone Else Until It Doesn't

I haven't been on much lately, and I don't know when I will be on next. My computer went off the deep end, officially, so I've currently only got brotherly laptops. If I won your contest, feel free to e-mail me, as I do my best to check them. But, I won't be checking my blogroll very much.

But that's the good news.

A old friend of mine recently passed away. We weren't particularly close, but I knew her for a long time. This is going to sound cliche`, but she was always smiling. Her life sucked, but she was happy.
And you know how you read books where the MC thinks she's dreaming?
Not such a far-fetched idea, as I sit here.

You might pause now, give her a moment of respect, and then go on your merry way. Because, of course, this is a story happening to someone else. Because the freak accidents, they're always someone else. They never happen to you. Until they do.
So yeah, you're going to get on with life, because I'm sitting here in NY, and you're my reader over in China, or Italy or Azerbaijin, or Denmark or Australia or Israel or Finland or the UK or even the US or Canada.
Because it always happens to someone else. And then it doesn't.

So laugh, love, and live life. You never know.

R

RIP
Current Music: Top of the World by BLG (if you understand the meaning of the song you'll know why)
Current Mood: Take a guess

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Contest Linky

Hey Blogger Buds,
I know I posted CCT today, but there's ANOTHER awesome contest going on over at Carol's Prints. Carolina is giving away more ARCs in her "Will She Ever Stop Giving Away ARCs" contest.
Linkage: http://carol-in-print.blogspot.com/2010/09/will-she-ever-stop-giving-away-arcs.html
Contest Ends October 4th
Prizes: Nightshade, Pegasus, Nightshade City, I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend, The Witches' Kitchen

Don't forget to add my name in the referral box! You get a +1 if you do!

Peace,
RR

Character Cast Tuesday (5)

Character Cast Tuesday is a meme hosted by me, in which every Tuesday you post an actor that you'd choose to play various characters, if your book were to be made into a movie.
Today I'm casting Commander Marcus. Like the unipeg, I got him from Legend of the Seeker. Commander Marcus is the Megapeg commander (surprise!). He's horrendous looking. To be portrayed on screen, he'd need a lot of make-up. Because it would be difficult to explain him out of context, this is how he's explained in the book. This scene happens when the vicepeg, thoroughly angry, bursts into the commander's office and starts making threats and stuff like that. The commander is hooded, but the vicepeg yanks his hood off.
Becca winced when she saw the man’s face. He was absolutely hideous. His whole face was scarred; marred by hundreds of battle wounds. His noise had broken at least four times; one of his eyelids was swollen shut over an empty socket, his mouth twisted and missing a chunk of lips. And his ears-one of them was missing completely. His bald head was covered in dark, ugly scars, writhing over his skin.
Now I'll wait as that gives you nightmares tonight.
So, as I said, I got this guy from Legend of the Seeker. He played Demmin Nass, the evil commander, there. So I have full faith in him.
 


Peace,
RR

Monday, September 27, 2010

OMG OMG OMG FOREVER COVER!!!!!


Hey Blogger Buds!
For those of you who haven't seen it yet, the cover for FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater is out!!!!
OMG OMG OMG!!!!!
She just posted it around 3 hours ago, and it's so awesome!
The whole Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy has awesome covers.
SHIVER (Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)LINGER (Wolves of Mercy Falls #2)





and....







Isn't it awesome? Time for a cover analysis...


  • It's going in to summer/fall now, so Christopher Stengel, the awesome designer, continued with the matching colors. Shiver, which took place in winter, was blue, Linger, for the spring, was green, and now Forever, which is awesome Autumn, is red!
  • In the first two books there was a blood stain over the I. I was wondering about that, since Forever has no I, and instead Christopher put it in the O, very tastefully.
  • I love the whole forest idea that's sort of framing the picture. Shiver shows mostly bare branches, and Linger shows lots of leaves. Now Forever shows something in between, as the leaves become a beautiful color outside our windows and begin to fall. Forever shows semi-bare trees.
  • Shiver depicted Sam-wolf. Linger depicted Grace-girl and what I think is Other-wolf, since Sam is human. Forever flips it around, showing us Grace-wolf and Sam-boy.
  • You can see the tension in the characters. Sam is slowly approaching Grace-wolf, and she's standing there, watching him carefully, her hackles up.
  • Red lettering! This goes without saying, but the final copy of the book is going to have red lettering, not boring black!
I'm done my squeeing now.
Oh, and you can PRE-ORDER SIGNED Forever at fountainbookstore, here.*
What do you think of Forever?

Peace,
RR

Current Music: Too freaked out to think
Current Mood: Freaked out!

PS: See my new profile image? That's for the book-y!

*If the clicky doesn't work, here it is! http://www.fountainbookstore.com/autograph-maggie

Top 5 of 2011

Hey Blogger Buds,
Well, I came up with something to write about today, as you can tell. You've probably seen a lot of posts about this, but Princess Bookie is having a big contest! Part 1 is today, wherein you post about 5 books of 2011 you're excited for.
At which point I open goodreads.com...All links go to Amazon, and all summaries from goodreads. No particular order, because I can't pick a favorite. It seems that 4/5 are from trilogies...If I reviewed any previous books in the series/author, there's a linky.

Angelfire (Angelfire, #1)Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton (book 1 in the Angelfire trilogy)
Release Date: February 15
Review: None
When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.
A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.
While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Stolen Nights (Vampire Queen, #2)

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (Book 3 in the Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy)
Release Date: July
Review: Linger
No other info
The Iron Queen (Iron Fey, #3)
Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel (Book 2 in the Vampire Queen trilogy)
Release Date: ???
No other info

SteelIron Queen by Julie Kagawa (Book 3 in the Iron Fey Trilogy)
Release Date: February 1
No other info

Steel by Carrie Vaughn
Release Date: March 1
Review: None
When Jill, a competitive high school fencer, goes with her family on vacation to the Bahamas, she is magically transported to an early eighteenth century pirate ship in the middle of the ocean.





Well, that was fun!
What are your top 5 for '11?

Peace,
Riv

Current Music: Love Drunk by BLG
Current Mood: Jumpy

Sunday, September 26, 2010

URGENT MESSAGE: NEW NAME

Hey Blogger Buds,
So...I have no idea what to post today, so I'm going to give you some news! My blog url is quite long, and the name unoriginal, so I'm getting a new blog name. I'm going to keep another link to direct you to it, since I haven't switched over yet, but soon this won't be Fantasy Fanatic anymore! Excited? I am!
Ready for the name?
Okay!
The new blog name is...

Riv Reads

Yay! Soooo excited! The url is rivreads.blogspot.com, but it won't work yet, as it's not in use yet! Isn't that an awesome name? The Re and the Reads are mashed up!

Are you guys excited?

Peace,
RR

Current Music: First One by Boys Like Girls
Current Mood: Excited

Friday, September 24, 2010

Fins Are Forever Cover Release!

So, as I mentioned on Wednesday, I'm helping Tera Lynn Childs reveal the cover of her second mermaid book, Fins are Forever, sequel to Forgive My Fins.
Soon, TLC is going to post a link to everyone revealing this, but I'm up in the wee hours of the morning to share the cover with you.
Okay, not really.This is an autopost set to go off at 6:30 am.

...
Ready?

...

Are you sure?

...

I'll stop messing with you.

....

Not really

....

Here it is!

...

What? You thought I was actually going to give it to you that easily.

...

I guess you did.

...

I feel bad, so...

...


...


...


...

...





Isn't it GORGEOUS!?

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Peace,
Riv

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Excuses and Links and Things

Hey Blogger Buds,
I won't be on the next few days, but I have an uber exciting post scheduled for Friday.
Ready?
FINS ARE FOREVER COVER!
And let me tell you, it's GORGEOUS. I hear you squeeing in your seats.
So, be up at 6:30 AM to see the post!

Now, there are several reasons I didn't post yesterday.

1) I'm very lazy and undependable. Sorry Blogger buds, I speak only truths.

2) I was plotting planning my uber awesome contest. That's a good excuse for reason #1, right.
...
Right?

3) My brother was launching his own blog. It's a going green thing, in which you take your leftover, good-quality magazines and leave them on the subway for other people to read. It's called Read and Pass, and can be found at http://rapmagazines.blogspot.com/. It's a pretty cool idea...just don't tell him I said that. If you're one of those people with a million newspapers and magazines lying around and you use the NYC subway, check it out.

Peace,
RR

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Triskaidek MM

Hey Blogger Buds,
Today I've got the Midway Mention for the Triskaidek, book 1 in the Camp Fae series, by Basil Sprig. I'm short on time, so it's just going to be a few lines, but enjoy!
Oh, and I still haven't had time to e-mail the winners, but don't worry! I will soon!


MM:
The Triskaidek started out a bit slow, for me. I had to force myself to get through the beginning. It was brilliantly plotted, but the beginning just didn't work for me. Leading among the reasons is the fact that much of it is plot-driven. But of course, that's a necessity.
The book's voice also seemed quite interesting and unique and I managed to give it a name about 50 pages in. It's told more like a story. For example, the narrator voices opinions, even though the whole thing is 3rd person limited to just Alley. It was-and continues to be-an interesting experience.
Around 75 pages in, the book picked up though, leaving me on the edge of my seat with anticipation. Now, at around 150 pages in, I'm excited for more.

****4 stars so far: very good.

The Camp Fae site is here.

Midway Mention is a mini-meme hosted by me, in which I talk about my opinion of a book halfway through. You must receive permission if you wish to use MM on your blog.

Peace,
RR

Current Music: Potential Breakup Song by Aly and AJ
Current Mood: Tired

PS: I updated the Shelfari lists, so look below and to the right for books!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Forgive My Fins WINNERS!!!

Hey Blogger Buds,
Some stuff came up, so I couldn't post yesterday, but I'm here today. Instead of listening to me yammer, maybe you took a minute of silence to remember 9/11/01?
Wow, it's been almost a decade.
Now I feel awkward moving on from that to announcing winners so maybe I'll save it for another time.
I hear your moans, even though I'm writing this long before you read it. :)

...

Well, I guess I should announce the winners already.

...

This is my first winners announcement! I'm so excited!

...

You probably just want me to get a move on it.

...

Don't worry, I will.

...

Eventually.

...

Some more stalling.

...

Wanna hear a funny joke?

...

Where does a king keep his armies?

...

In his sleevies!!!

...

Yeah, I hear you getting ready to kill me.

...

I'll get ready to announce the winners.

...

So, I only had 12 people entering or so, but it amounted to 25 entries, plus, as I said, one person got an extra entry. I asked you to tell me what you think of when I say "mermaid". And my favorite answer, getting an extra entry was....

...

Well to be honest i think about sirens, as in mythology mermaids who where so beautiful and had such amazing voices that they could lure a man to his death with a single note. Ah beautiful irony....if only all us females had that power :)

...

Now, on to the winners...

...

Just kidding, I need to remind you of the prizes first!

First Prize: 4 Temporary Tattoos (that look really awesome and stay on, might I add) and 4 FmF Bookmarks. You can give some away, to help me spread the word! TWO WINNERS!!!!(!!!!!!!!!!!)
Second Prize: 3 Tattoos and 3 Bookmarks. TWO WINNERS!!!!(!!!!!!!!!!!)
Third Prize: 1 Tattoo and 1 Bookmark-you get to be selfish and keep it.
(Non-Existent Grand-prize: 1 Copy of Forgive my Fins by TLC)

...

And Now I will finally announce the winners.

...

Maybe not.

...

Drumroll....

...

More drumroll....

...

Some more drumroll...

...

And the winners are...




First Place:
Natalie Aguirre!
and
Lindsey of Fictional Writer!

Second Place:
Basilsprig of Camp Fae!
and

Third Place:
Book_Girl of More Than Just a Book!

Yay! Congratulations!
I'll be e-mailing you all shortly, unless you can get to me first!
*Brings out the cake* Let's party!

If you didn't win, I'm having another contest very soon!
But shh, it's a secret

Peace,
Riv

Current Music: None
Current Mood: Hungry