Halloween help?

I feel funny that I am posting this up because this blog post is pretty random, and definitely not book related at all.. but I thought I'd ask you guys anyway because I love hearing all your suggestions and input and I feel like all of you are my blogger friends anyway. So I thought, why not?My question is; do you guys have any Halloween costume suggestions?? Anything at all; I'm open with pretty much any idea. Last year, I was a flower child hippie. That was a lot of fun!

This year, I wanted to be Effy Stonem from the UK show Skins, but nobody knows who she is around here! LOL. So I changed ideas and am sort of leaning on the Rosie the Riveter costume idea, but not really. See, I'm very indecisive. My friends and I don't even know what we want to do yet. Nothing is sure yet! But what do you guys think I should be? And what are you going to be? Anyway, I hope this isn't too random and weird to ask! Hehe. Thank you so much! :D

top ten picks hiatus + a survey

Top Ten Picks has taken and will continue to take a brief hiatus; for the simple reason that I just haven't been getting much inspiration to do them lately. I haven't been able to come up with good and general topics that we all could and would be enthusiastic about. And honestly, I don't want to make a list just to make a list. I don't want to just to post something to satisfy the week's "requirement" or quota. I want this meme to be fun for me and for all, and if a short break from it is what's needed to reevaluate everything and make it even better, then I think I should do just that. I sincerely hope you don't mind.

In the meantime, you can always go back to the previous topics, as you can link up your list any time. And if you want more lists like mine, do check out The Broke and the Bookish's similar meme, Top Ten Tuesdays!

Also..

I need your help!

I figured this would be the perfect way to ask you all for some feedback! Random Ramblings has been up and running since January 10, 2010 and would love to hear from you and what you really think of the blog. Any kind of feedback is welcome! Positive, negative.. I'll take it. Just go fill out the FORM here. It's completely anonymous.

Thanks so very much guys for the time, for understanding, and for filling out the form!

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis: Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like.

Rating: 4 stars

Review: This book was so cute! I really enjoyed it, and was entertained all throughout. Yeah, the plot line isn't deep or heavy, and it certainly doesn't talk about an "important" issue or message, but it's just such a simple and fun book that I don't even care! It's just one of those stories that are able to bring me back to those days in high school (and maybe even in elementary and middle school) when all I had to worry about were school, extracurricular activities, friends, and crushes. It was so plain, simple, and much easier back then -- for me at least. It's nice to reminisce sometimes, and The Lonely Hearts Club definitely brings me back to those memorable moments.

It's just one of those books where I can imagine reading if I wanted to kill time. I'd pick this up if I wanted something really simple, light-hearted, and fun. I could be traveling, in the car during a long drive or on the plane. It's refreshing to read something as light like this every once in a while.

I recommend this to those who are in high school and to actual teenagers as I think they would appreciate this a little more. Adults might not enjoy this as much, most especially if you're too busy to read to begin with and you would prefer to pick your books more carefully. It's most definitely not for everyone. But if you have some time to kill, and you like "beach reads" like this every once in a while, then I say go for it. It's a pretty cute "high school-I hate boys because they're such jerks-story." I know I enjoyed it. It's cute! It's fun. Sometimes, that's exactly what I just need.

Character Inspired Outfits + a challenge

The first time I did this on Polyvore, I focused on the women in the Classics genre, and what they would wear today, right now. I had a lot of fun making those sets of wardrobe, so I decided to do it again. This time, it's dedicated to the girls, ladies, and women of the YA genre. Note that these outfits are simply my interpretations; inspired by the characters only. It does not necessarily show how they would actually look like or dress.

...

Stargirl
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Hermione Granger
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Annabeth Chase
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

Clary Fray
Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

Luna Lovegood
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Katniss Everdeen
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Brittany Ellis
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Carrie Bradshaw - teenage version
Sex and the City

Now for the fun part! I challenge you to create your own wardrobe/outfit inspired by any character from a book. It could be from any genre. You can use Polyvore, and then show me the link to your creation. You can either post it on your blog or you can just link me to your actual Polyvore account. Signing up is fast, free, and easy by the way; an email address is all that's required so don't worry about that part. A week from today, if there's at least 3 people who did this challenge, I'll be posting up their creations up here on the blog.
Also, Let me know if you have any suggestions for future Polyvore characters! Have fun creating your own outfits :)

Tell Me A Secret by Holly Cupala

Genre: Young Adult

Synopsis: In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda’s death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister’s world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.
Then two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears. Stripped of her former life, Miranda must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister’s demons and her own.

Rating: 3 stars

Pros: The best part about this book is Holly Cupala and her writing; her narratives are engaging and her story telling is as natural as it can be. It is simply effortless, and it flows as if I am simply reading a close friend's diary/journal.
Another thing I liked about the book is how fast paced it is, and the fact that I never found myself bored with it. I actually had a difficult time putting it down. I didn't want to, as I truly wanted to find out what happens next, and the "secrets" in the story. The story itself caught my attention, and kept me interested throughout.

Cons: Character and plot development were disappointing for me. Truthfully, I actually ended up disliking every single character in the book. I didn't understand, connect, or empathize with any of them; not even with the main protagonist.
As for the plot development, I just felt as if it was a bit anticlimactic. When it was time for the secrets to be "revealed..." I immediately thought to myself, "That's it??" I was not content with how the story was wrapped up, and there were too many loose ends left. It was just underwhelming.

Overall: I thought the book was okay. It was a good enough read because as I said, the story telling is great. However, the plot fell flat. The conclusion was out of nowhere and felt like it happened all of a sudden. Also, I couldn't bring myself to care about the characters, which is the biggest turn off for me. I don't know why exactly I couldn't find myself to connect with the story; I just didn't. I can see how some YA readers may like this -- as it has gotten mostly 4-5 star reviews -- but unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal
Synopsis: None for this one, as to not give away spoilers. This is the final installment in the trilogy.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: I'm happy I finally got to finish this. As I liked the first one, and LOVED the sequel, I couldn't wait to find out more and find out what the ending would be. This final book in the trilogy was most definitely a great addition and conclusion to the story.

It still had the same excitement, same great writing, and same fast face and effortless flow. I was still rooting for the characters, and like I have mentioned before, I do think the characters are one of the book's greatest strengths. They're just the kind of characters I don't mind rooting and cheering for until the end, and to me, that is really important to hold my attention when it comes to series and trilogies.

There are some minor flaws, including the cover art for these books. I still don't get what the reason is behind the changing jewels. I don't know. Is it just me? Let me know if you understood it better I did.

Overall, I really liked it a lot, and as a whole, I enjoyed the story and the characters immensely. I recommend this series to YA-Paranormal fans!

Book Banning: a bit of a rant

For banned books week, the library where I live designated a special shelf with all the banned books and the reasons as to why they were either challenged or taken off the school education system. Some of the reasons were just downright crazy, and it just irked me so much. I decided to get it out and write a post; I already apologize for the rant.

--

People who ban books. If you're reading this, I truly wonder; why do you do it? I really do wonder what your purpose is. Are you that incredibly sensitive towards these matters that once you find something that remotely offends you or ticks you off you'd just go ahead and lash out against it?

Who told you that you had the right to tell others what to read and what not to read? Who told you that you had that kind of power to take away something that others might find useful, interesting, or even just plain entertaining? Just because you didn't like something doesn't mean that everyone else won't like it. Just because you think it's inappropriate doesn't entirely mean it's inappropriate for everyone else. Just because you think you're right, doesn't automatically mean you are.
Did it ever come across your mind that, 'oh hey, maybe I'm just being an immature and close-minded person.' That maybe you're just ruining something for everyone else? Seriously, if you didn't like a book -- or a movie or whatever -- get over it. Go ahead and tell your kids not to read it or watch it, but leave everyone else alone. You can think for yourself, let others do the same.

do you quote books and make book-related jokes??

If you are obsessed with anything remotely "nerdy" (aka LOTR, Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc) then this video is for you.. and for me. Because personally, as you all know by now, I like to quote movies and books, and make jokes related to them. I know not everyone gets what I say sometimes, but often, there are some people who laugh at my jokes, making me feel like they get it! But then the day comes that you realize that they actually don't... get it.. at all. So what were they laughing at? This video is all that. It cracked me up because.. well, you'll see.