I'm not Snow White

Title: Hollywood is like high school with money
Author: Zoey Dean
Copyright date: 2009
Pages: 278 pgs
Chapters: 35
How long it took to read: 2 days

This book was: the worst book I've read by Zoey Dean.
Category: fiction
I learned about this book from: being a Zoey Dean fan.
Other books by this author: Star Power series, A list series, A list Hollywood royalty series, How to teach filthy rich girls, Beverly Hills High (a list S)

Favorite characters: n/a
Least Favorite characters: n/a
When and Where it takes place: Hollywood, California

Plot in a nutshell: Watch the Devil Wears Prada, put your mindset in Hollywood and you have this book in a nutshell.
Main characters: Taylor Hennings

What I liked best:
- Taylor's compassion.

What I liked least:
- The fan mail to the actor is a little weird and makes a part of the book predictable.
- The beginning reminds me of the Devil wears Prada.
- The whole book reminded me of the Devil wears Prada.

Overall Rating: It was like a terribly remade Hollywood version of the Devil wears Prada.

Title: A Stolen Life
Author: Jaycee Dugard
Copyright date: 2011
Pages: 268 pgs
Chapters: 32
How long it took to read: 2 days

This book was: addictive.
Category: Memoir
I learned about this book from: being up to date with the news.
Other books by this author: n/a

Favorite characters: n/a
Least Favorite characters: n/a
When and Where it takes place: Tahoe

Plot in a nutshell: This is the memoir of a girl who was kidnapped at age 11 and held against her will for 18 years.

Main characters: n/a

What I liked best:
- She wrote this to expose the couple who did these horrible things to her.
- Her reflections of how life is now.
- So addictive.
- Being discovered and her reunion with her Mom.

What I liked least:
- It seems like she used her 11 year old diary...it was hard to follow at first.
- Carl is a tool.
- What Phillip did to her.
- Nancy just standing by.
- The way Jaycee felt. :(
- Nancy acting like A was her baby.
- Sarge. :(
- Phillip making Nancy take videos of little girls at school grounds.

Overall Rating: I was addicted right away. I couldn't believe the hardships she went through and feel so bad for her and her girls. This is a definite must read, especially for people who think they have it "rough".

Title: The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the dark genius of Oscar the grouch)
Author: Caroll Spinney
Copyright date: 2003
Pages: 153 pgs
Chapters: 27
How long it took to read: 4 days

This book was: awesome for someone who grew up with the show.
Category: Self help/autobiography
I learned about this book from: ordering way too many Sesame Street things from the library for a certain somebody that I love very much.
Other books by this author: n/a

Favorite characters: n/a
Least Favorite characters: n/a
When and Where it takes place: New York City, China, New England

Plot in a nutshell: Little stories from the man who played Big Bird and Oscar the grouch until 2009 and the lessons he learned while playing them.

Main characters: n/a

What I liked best:
- The love for Sesame Street.
- Caroll never once steered away from his dream of becoming a puppeteer.
- Jim Henson stories. :)
- The greatest thing that ever happened to Caroll.

What I liked least:
- The yokel version of Big Bird they started with.
- The way the government in China treated their residents.
- Mr.Hooper's passing always makes me cry. :(
- Story of Jim Henson's death. :(

Overall Rating: Being a big fan of the show since I was a kid, I found this book to be awesome. It's basically an autobiography in lessons.

Title: Ruthless
Author: Sara Shepard
Copyright date: 2011
Pages: 340 pgs
Chapters: 39
How long it took to read: 3 days

This book was: getting a little redundant.
Category: Young Adult
I learned about this book from: reading the other books in the series.
Other books by this author: Pretty Little Liars series, The Lying Game series, Everything we ever wanted
I would recommend this book to: anyone who likes a mystery and gossip.

Favorite characters: Hanna Marin, Aria Montgomery
Least Favorite characters: Emily Fields
When and Where it takes place: Rosewood, Pennsylvania
Plot in a nutshell: A is back and knows what the girls did last spring break in Jamaica.

Main characters:

What I liked best:
- The flashbacks that fill you with information you didn't know before.
- Ezra mention.
- Noel may be a douche but the only man who matters in Aria's life is back.

What I liked least:
- Mrs. Hastings being so vapid.
- Emily's family bothers me.
- I already know who Kay is and they just introduced her.
- Klaudia and Noel.
- Hanna is so naive.
- I don't trust Liam.
- Spencer and Beau were predictable.
- All four girls have overdone storylines - all over rated.

Overall Rating: I'm getting bored with the whole A thing now. Why can't these girls just be good? I don't know why they still want cell phones after being traumatized

Recently, someone tried to use my journal against me. Which is really silly because there's nothing on here that's discriminating. So, I'm going to go and make all my journal entries public. I have nothing to hide. So, here it is. The only entries that will be private are the entries about dreams way too intimate for the whole world to know. Not everything in my life should be aired. Welcome to my mundane life...

If you can record an album of covers, which songs would you choose?

Good question...

1. Taylor Swift :: Dear John
2. Kelly Clarkson :: Since you've been gone
3. Mariana's Trench :: Fall Out
4. Adele :: Turning Tables
5. Moulin Rouge :: Come what may
6. The Killers :: Spaceman
7. Jewel :: You were meant for me
8. The Muppets :: Man or Muppet?
9. Taylor Swift :: Back to December
10. Lady Gaga :: You and I

What's your earliest memory?

I was down in the basement in an old bassinet my Mother had used for my older siblings during the 70s. It was all set up for me to play in while my family cleaned the basement. I must have cried because my brother, Eric, was sent to entertain me.

He took this little Ernie (sesame street) doll we had in the house and made it break dance for me. It made me laugh a lot and I think it was then that I bonded with my brother because I've always looked up to him since.

What's your favorite quote?

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

I'm in the midst of writing chapter 2 for the second book in my series so I'm constantly living my character's lives in my head. What would this character do if I did this? Now that this and this character are interacting with each other what do I do next? It's a constant battle for reality in my mind sometimes. I'm absolutely obsessed with my story, though, and it helps me forget about the other things going on in my life.

What are your New Year's resolutions?

- Edit my novel and get a manuscript going.
- Get a literary agent.
- Eat healthier
- Exercise during the week.
- Keep my journal up to date as much as possible.
- Finish Book 2 and start Book 3 for NaNoWriMo in November.
- Start reading more again.
- Start going through closet more often.

Marital Status: Married
Last CD you bought: BackStreet Boys :: Playlist
Last DVD you bought: Ong Bak 3 - For Drew. :)
Last show/movie you saw on DVD: Elmo's World : Families, mail and bath time
Last movie you saw in theatres: The Muppets
Last show you watched on TV: The Walking Dead

Movie: Beauty and the Beast 3D
Song: Mariana's Trench :: Fallout
CD: Mariana's Trench :: Ever After
Band: Mariana's Trench
Singer: Lady Gaga
TV show: The Walking Dead
Music Video: LMFAO :: Party Rock Anthem
Book: Ruthless by Sara Shepard
Outfit: Light and dark pink striped top from Bluenotes and Forever 21 black yoga pants. Scarlett bought it for me for Christmas.
DVD: Glee season 1
Cartoon: South Park
Disney movie: Enchanted
Group: LMFAO
Celebrity: Josh Ramsey (Mariana's Trench)

Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I'm at home again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I'm young again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I'm fun again. However far away, I will always love you. However long I stay, I will always love you. Whatever words I say, I will always love you...Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I'm free again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I'm clean again.

Sudden emotions I have awoken. I’m wet behind the ears to find myself in such a cruel, cruel world. Nobody gets me like you. Everyone left me but you. Now you’re the only one who gets through. And when my hope is gone, I’m feeling numb the only one I let through is you. You get me through this cruel, cruel world. It’s been a battle for too long, all my happiness has gone. Kindness erases a city of strangers. Deep down in my bones, all I want to do is crawl back home to you.

I don't get what people do. They lie and they cheat and they steal from you. So I, I make my own world. I'm not saying I'm perfect yet. I've got my share of regret but I doing my best. You make me feel like I've gone halfway around the world. And you let me know that I'm not such a crazy girl. All it takes to make you happy, whatever it takes to let you know that you make me feel like I've gone halfway around the world.

I want to grow old with you, I want to die lying in your arms. I want to be looking in your eyes. I want to be there with you, sharing in everything you do. Dreams can come and go but, baby I believe something seems to burning strong between us that makes it clear to me.

I can't sleep to save my life...well, maybe in that case I'd make an effort...but I'm not faced with that so...blah. I can't sleep. It sucks because I know that I have to get up tomorrow morning at 8am sharp, I'm going to be exhausted and faced with 1667+ words for NaNoWriMo that I'm going to have to pull out of my butt.

NaNoWriMo would be the reason why I haven't been writing in here much this month. I have some entries saved on my phone that I saved but I'm much too busy to type them out. This also seems to be the month when everything and everyone else is demanding my attention as well. My Mother wants to see me once a week which means I'm out the door as soon as I wake up and normally not home until Drew is done work for the day, which is usually between 3 or 4pm because he picks us up from the mall where we spend time with my parental units.

And then Stef wants to hang out once a week a week, which I'm not complaining. I get a break from writing, some adult conversation and coffee. Unfortunately, it makes my writing suffer.

Normally, I wouldn't care but I made a vow to finish my novel this month. So far, so good. I wrote a whole part today and I know that if I keep it up and push myself daily, I will be able to finish it by November 30, if not the first week of December. I'm so excited.

I absolutely loathe the fact that I no longer write in here. I used to be so adamant about doing it. Making sure I wrote in here everyday.

I keep my mind as busy as I can. I've become highly addicted to playing Uno online, I constantly have a stack of books to read, I write constantly and when I'm not doing all that, I'm out with whoever is in the mood to go out.

I'm not going to apologize for being gone for so long because its the same crap every time. I have a hectic life. If I get on my computer for any amount of time, its shocking. I have Saturdays but that's reserved for spending time with Drew and getting my reading/catching up on TV/Writing.

Title: Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Copyright date: 2010
Pages: 340 pgs
Chapters: 5
How long it took to read: 5 days

This book was: not my cup of tea.
Category: Fiction
I learned about this book from: it being a best seller.
Other books by this author: n/a

Favorite characters: n/a
Least Favorite characters: n/a
When and Where it takes place: Room

Plot in a nutshell: To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It's where he was born and where he and his Ma eat and play and learn. At night, Ma puts him safely to sleep in the wardrobe, in case Old Nick comes. Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it's the prison where Old Nick has kept her for seven years, since she was nineteen. Through ingenuity and determination, Ma has created a life for herself and her son, but she knows it's not enough for either of them. Jack's curiosity is building alongside Ma's desperation -- and Room can't contain either of them for much longer... Told entirely in the inventive, often funny voice of Jack, Room is a celebration of the resilient bond between parent and child, and a brilliantly executed novel about a journey from one world to another.

Main characters: Ma, Jack

What I liked best: n/a

What I liked least:
- Sometimes it gets confusing.
- The whole breast feeding part in the first section was a little too sexual sounding for my tastes.
- The 5 year old thing got old real fast. Rather annoying.
- Hard to get through.

Overall Rating: Really don't know how it became a best seller, it was so irritating to read.

Title: Sisterhood Everlasting
Author: Ann Brashares
Copyright date: 2011
Pages: 349 pgs
Chapters: 30
How long it took to read: 5 days

This book was: a good ending to the series.
Category: Young Adult
I learned about this book from: ONTD
Other books by this author: My name is Memory, 3 Willows, The Last Summer of me and you, Sisterhood of the traveling pants, the second summer of the Sisterhood, Girls in Pants, Forever in Blue

Favorite characters: Bridget Vreeland, Lena Kaligaris, Kostos Dounas
Least Favorite characters: Jones, Carmen Lowell
When and Where it takes place: Manhattan, New York; San Francisco, California; Providence, Rhode Island; Oia, Santorini, Greece; London, England

Plot in a nutshell: Return to the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . ten years later From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting. Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness. Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected. As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.

Main characters: Lena Kaligaris, Bridget Vreeland, Carmen Lowell, Tibby Rollins

What I liked best:
- Takes me back.
- I love the girls friendship.
- I can relate to Lena.
- Bridget and Eric still being together after ten years.
- Lena's boyfriend's name is Drew.

What I liked least:
- Everything about Jones.
- Sometimes, Lena drives me nuts.
- The death was quick and not at all what I was expecting.
- Sometimes, Ann makes the characters so insufferable, its hard to keep going.
- Lena makes up excuses not to be with Kostos and then complains about it.
- I don't think Ann ever mentioned Eric being Mexican in the other books so it threw me off when she mentioned it in this book and the Eric in the movie had blonde hair and was American, so I wasn't expecting it.

Overall Rating: Definitely an amazing ending to this series. Lots of twists and turns. Bring tissues with you when you read it.

Title: Perks of being a wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbowsky
Copyright date: 1999
Pages: 213 pgs
Chapters: n/a
How long it took to read: 3 days

This book was: Brilliant.
Category: Young Adult
I learned about this book from: everyone talking about it.
Other books by this author: Pieces

Favorite characters: Charlie, Sam, Patrick
Least Favorite characters: Brad
When and Where it takes place: n/a
Plot in a nutshell: Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Main characters: Charlie

What I liked best:
- The letters to a stranger concept.
- Patrick and Sam.
- I love how the story is told.
- Charlie is so naive its like discovering all of this stuff over again
- Charlie is such a sweetie.
- The LSD portion was believable
- Charlie and Sam.
- Charlie's relationship with his sister.
- Charlie's late night call to the exercise machine lady.

What I liked least:
- It sounds like a child writing these letters at first.
- Some of the letters make no sense.
- Charlie kind of irritates me.
- Charlie becoming a smoker.
- I predicted what was wrong with Charlie's sister the first time he mentioned something was wrong.
- What Aunt Helen did to Charlie while he was growing up.

Overall Rating: Anyone who has ever had a rough life will enjoy this story. Its subtle about serious life problems and will just blow you away. I LOVED this book. Can't wait to see how they destroy it in movie form.

Title: Pour your heart into it
Author: Howard Schultz
Copyright date: 1997
Pages: 351 pgs
Chapters: 24
How long it took to read: 4 days

This book was: Different
Category: Auto biography
I learned about this book from: working at Starbucks
Other books by this author: Onward

Favorite characters: n/a
Least Favorite characters: n/a
When and Where it takes place: n/a
Plot in a nutshell: Schultz, chairman and CEO of Starbucks, and writer-researcher Yang trace the growth and development of Starbucks from a single store in Seattle, which in 1973 sold only dark-roasted coffee beans, to the international business it has become today. Schultz does not conceal his passion for good coffee or for his company. His initial goals were to introduce Americans to really fine coffee, provide people with a "third place" to gather, and treat his employees with dignity. The extent to which he succeeded and the obstacles encountered along the way are the subjects he tackles here. This is not, in the strictest sense, a how-to book despite its considerable detail but more a motivational title.
Main characters: n/a

What I liked best:
- Very heartwarming.
- The way he describes coffee makes you almost taste and smell it.
- The billboard that said "Will the last person leaving Seattle turn out the lights? during the boeing crisis.
- Finding out how Starbucks began.

What I liked least:
- Sometimes he trails off and I get bored.
- That Kenny G namedrop was just so painful to read. It really didn't need to be there.
- He is very argumentative and at time seems like a shy, arrogant asshole
- Felt like it took forever to finish.

Overall Rating: Either no one who works at Starbucks read this or this whole book is bullshit.