Collision

REVIEW: Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

2011-01-10T20:39:00.004-05:00

Title: Inside Out
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Genre: Young Adult, Science-Fiction, Dystopia
Page Count: 384 (Trade Paperback)
Series: Book One

Summary:

Keep Your Head Down.
Don''t Get Noticed.
Or Else.
I''m Trella. I''m a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I''ve got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

Review (CAUTION: minor spoilers ahead):
When I first saw this book, I didn't think too much of it. it's not that there was anything WRONG with it, but it just didn't grab me. There's so much dystopia saturating the YA market right now, it's hard to discern the good from the bad. However, I started reading a lot of favorable reviews for this book from blogs that I really love. There were enough to change my mind, and quite frankly, I'm glad I did.

I'm not familiar with Snyder's writing; I've never read any of her other series. With that said, this was my first taste of her writing, and I have to say, I'm happy with it. I liked the first-person POV and enjoyed Trella's voice. While she's a very cynical character who was very capable of taking care of herself, I didn't feel like she ever fell into that "kick-ass heroine" trope (which I'm really picky about; I love strong female characters, but I find the "kick-ass" variety to be kind of irritating if not done right.)

The setting was pretty well developed, even if it isn't something that's wholly original (I found it somewhat similar to the movie The Island) and I have to say that the true nature of "Outside" surprised me (in a good way.) After I digested it and thought it through a bit, it made a whole lot sense, but as I'm fairly unfamiliar with the SF genre, it wasn't something that was obvious or apparent to me while reading.

Another aspect I really appreciated of the novel was the relationship one: I found that Trella and Riley's relationship developed at a nice pace, and never did they express feelings of being in love with one another and absolutely needing each other which YA romances tend to do all too much. There's obviously romantic feelings between them, but they don't immediately jump to a desperate and obsessive kind of romantic interest. Snyder also stayed away from the dreaded love triangle that's also rampant in YA fiction recently. I was afraid that she was going to present Riley AND Cog as romantic interests, but thankfully she kept Cog as the older-brother figure. With that being said, I really enjoyed Cog and Trella's relationship as well. Their sibling-like relationship was well-realized.

The main plot is wrapped up well in this novel, but it leaves plenty of room for a sequel, and there is one planned:Outside In which is due to be released sometime this year. The ending left me with feelings of "Really? How are they going to pull THAT off?", so it'll be interesting to see how the sequel plays out. :)

Final Verdict: I definitely recommend this book, especially to fans of dystopia fiction and young adult. I don't know how this compares to Snyder's other works, so I can't say if I would recommend this to her fans, but as a first-timer, I enjoyed it quite a bit and am interested in checking out her other fantasy series. It's a read that's a bit on the lighter side, but I don't mean this in a bad or derogatory way; it's just a lot of fun and does a lot of things right. I'll definitely be checking out the sequel, Outside In, when it comes out sometime this year.

Hello Internet

2010-12-30T15:16:00.003-05:00

So, as I am sure all of you have noticed this blog has been more or less abandoned by us over the last few months. This was mostly due to school and summer and other such things that happen in life. However, us Collision girls have come to the conclusion that we miss blogging, and as such have decided to make a concentrated effort to, y'know, actually post stuff again. So, our apologies for the delay in posting stuff and hopefully you can look forward to seeing lots of cool new stuff soon.

Shameless Promotion: Camping Photos

2010-07-13T12:33:00.001-04:00

I went camping this weekend with a couple friends. These are my favourite pictures from it. :)

Currently Playing: Dining Dead

2010-06-28T15:57:00.005-04:00

Post to follow later regarding my extreme online absence, for now, enjoy...

You can also friend them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/diningdead

And visit their myspace: http://www.myspace.com/arewethediningdead

Currently Playing: Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons

2010-06-14T14:42:00.001-04:00

I've been playing both of these songs on repeat for the past few days. Thought I'd share.

Shameless Promotion: On Laziness and Montreal

2010-06-12T13:19:00.000-04:00

Hello Collision! You know, I honestly thought that once school was over and it was summer I would post more frequently. Y'know, 'cause I have all this free time and stuff. Readers, I do have all sorts of free time, but I am also lazy beyond belief. I was going to write a glorious blog post about my adventures in Toronto with the lovely Caitlin, complete with pictures of elephants and scary birds from our trip to the zoo. However, my memory card broke and I lost all my awesome pictures and I decided that I did not want to write a blog post about our adventures without them. This is inexcusable because while on this trip I got to see my favourite band, Coheed and Cambria live in concert. They were amazing and I made a fool of myself by dancing and singing along to all the songs. Somehow, Caitlin still allows herself to be seen with me in public.

My next adventure that I was going to blog about was going to the beautiful city of Montreal with my father and step mother. It was a gorgeous city and I took a ton of pictures, none of which were lost. I got the pictures all resized so they would fit nicely on the blog... and then got lazy. So, I will post these pictures now and try in the future to not be so lazy.

Book Review: Dies the Fire

2010-05-13T12:38:00.005-04:00

Title: Dies the Fire
Author: S. M. Stirling
# of Pages: 573
Published: 2004
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 4/5

Summary:
Michael Havel was flying over Idaho en route to the holiday home of his passengers when the plane's engines inexplicably died, forcing a less than perfect landing in the wilderness. As Mike leads his charges to safety, he begins to realize that the engine failure was not an isolated occurrence.

Juniper Mackenzie was singing and playing guitar in a pub when her small Oregon town was thrust into darkness. Cars refused to start. Phones went silent. And when an airliner crashed, no sirens sounded and no fire trucks arrived. Now, taking refuge in her family's cabin with her daughter and a growing circle of friends, Juniper is determined to create a farming community to benefit the survivors of the crisis.

But even as people band together to help one another, others are building armies for conquest.

I really enjoyed this book when I first read it a few years ago, and I still really liked it now. The premise is really cool (what would happen if all the technology in the world simultaneously died) and I feel that the author does an excellent job of exploring the scenario. I will admit that early on in the book there are few less than likely coincidences that allow the characters to survive but hey, if they didn't happen there wouldn't be a book.

Anyways, interesting premise, you have some really solid and interesting characters and the story moves along at a really good pace. Totally worth reading.

Shameless Promotion: Waterfront

2010-04-21T23:39:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the radio silence on the blog lately, guys. For us university girls April is when we have our final exams, so life has pretty much just consisted of studying. However, exam are just about done and we should be back to posting regularly soon. Anyway, for the time being enjoy some pictures I took down by the lake last week. ♥

Shameless Promotion: Becky

2010-04-10T16:59:00.002-04:00

I went out with my friend the other day to take pictures by this really gorgeous train. I'm super happy with how they turned out. These are my favourites:

Shameless Promotion: Listen

2010-04-09T00:14:00.000-04:00

I haven't written anything in ages, but I got the urge to do so tonight, and this is what came out.

Listen. Do you hear it? No. Not that. You’re trying too hard. Close your eyes, plug your ears and just listen. Listen to your heartbeat. Place your hand on my chest and listen to mine. Feel it beat. See the blood rush between the veins and then. Stop. Listen. Turn your head to face to the setting sun and watch. Watch the colours bleed together, watch the sun disappear into the black water. Listen to the stars. Hear them singing softly back and forth to each other. Watch the wind. See the patterns it makes as the leaves are tossed across the wet pavement under your feet. Smell the air. Does it smell like rain? Does it smell like the smog from a thousand building and weeks of hot summer days? Does it smell like being happy? Or can you only taste the salt. Think. Think for a few seconds about why you are here. You are on a bridge. There is water to either side of you. Black water, deep water. You won’t jump. You don’t want too. You wouldn’t even consider doing such a thing. But still. You like this bridge. You like knowing that on either side of you there is nothing. Speak. Say something. Break the silence. There are two of us here, after all. And people, when in the presence of another converse. Speak. Say anything. Whisper sweet nothings, scream curses or sing something beautiful.

Sing something beautiful, think about nothing. Smell the air and taste the sunset. Listen to the stars, and feel the blood pound through the body. You have power. Use it.

Currently Playing: Alexz Johnson

2010-04-04T12:45:00.002-04:00

Hey guys, check out Alexz Johnson's first single from her debut album "Voodoo," just dropped March 30! If you want to know more about Alexz, check out our previous Musical Genius column featuring her here!

Shameless Promotion: Walking

2010-04-02T16:30:00.000-04:00

All day today it has been around +24 and sunny, which pretty much never happens in North Bay unless it's July or something. So, my roommate Ash and I decided to talk full advantage to this fact and go for a walk.

We hadn't even left the building before I took this picture -there's this funny plant in the lobby that usually just sits there being all green and stuff, but when we passed it today, it had this lovely flower on it.

As always, the first step on the walk was the lookout, from which you can see the still slightly frozen Lake Nipissing.

Roommate picture! You can see my lovely new blonde hair. Which I did not bother styling, because I am a lazy person.

I love this time of year; everything is just starting to bloom again and is very pretty.

After spending literally like a half hour chasing butterflies, one was kind enough to land on my hand so I could get some photographs of it.

On our way home, a brave squirrel came right up to us, which was pretty awesome until it got about two inches from my foot and I had the brief fear that I would be eaten. I moved, and the squirrel ran away.

That was my day! If you celebrate it, have an awesome Easter! If not, enjoy the extra couple days off school.

Currently Playing: Vampire Weekend

2010-04-01T02:31:00.001-04:00

Check out this track from Vampire Weekend's follow-up album Contra, titled "Giving Up the Gun."

Currently Playing: City and Colour

2010-04-01T01:28:00.003-04:00

Inspired by Michelle's post about her currently playing tracks, "Boiled Frogs" by Alexisonfire and the acoustic version by City and Colour, I wanted to share not only one of my favourite City and Colour songs, but one of my favourite songs period. It's called "Day Old Hate," and you should definitely give it a listen.

Coming Soon: Scott Pilgrim

2010-03-27T23:08:00.003-04:00

So I'm ridiculously excited for this movie. I absolutely love the comics they're based on. I am however, unhappy with the casting of Michael Cera as the titular character, but meh, whatever. I'll deal.

Also, here's a really cool frame-by-frame of the trailer pointing out and explaining all kinds of fun things about the movies and comics. Definitely worth checking out.

Currently Playing: Alexisonfire and City & Colour

2010-03-22T19:56:00.003-04:00

More specifically, I'm listening to Boiled Frogs. Alexisonfire came out with it first, and then Dallas Green did an amazing acoustic cover of it. :)

Currently Playing: Mozart L'Opera Rock

2010-03-13T13:41:00.002-05:00

So, I was wandering around on the internet this morning (as I am wont to do) and came across something amazing: Mozart l'Opera Rock. I make no secret of my love for musicals, and this is ridiculous (and catchy enough) to be considered absolutely fantastic. I have now spend the last four hours listening to the soundtrack pretty much non-stop.

Book Review: Night

2010-03-08T16:28:00.003-05:00

Title: Night
Author: Elie Wiesel
# of Pages: 115
Published: 1958
Genre: Biography
Rating: --

Summary:

Night is Elie Wiesel's autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps.

As most of you can probably tell, this far from what I would usually read. In fact, the only reason I picked up this book initially is because it's required reading for a religions class that I am taking in school. I don't want to say that the book was a pleasant surprise, or that I enjoyed reading it because it wasn't and I didn't. However, this book is beautifully written and extremely powerful. We are all taught in school about the Holocaust, but it is one thing to be told another to read about it in such a way as to make it real for you. As I remarked to a friend last night, crematoria had to be one of the most frightening words in the English language, when put into the context of the Holocaust.

So, no. I didn't enjoy reading this book, as parts of it made me feel decidedly uneasy and others downright disturbed. I am, however glad I did read it, because it speaks of a time that needs to be remembered, if only to ensure that nothing like it can ever happen again. I'm not rating this book - I give rating to books to provide a concise picture of how much I liked a book, and as I said, I didn't like this book. I do however believe that it is not only well worth reading, but is something that should be read.

Currently Playing: The Vitamin String Quartet

2010-03-03T21:46:00.005-05:00

My current music obsessions has to be string renditions of modern and popular songs. One great label, Vitamin Records, does string quartet versions of a lot of great songs. Actually, here's a much better description of the String Quartet series (from Wikipedia):

"The String Quartet Tribute is a series of string quartet covers released by Vitamin Records by several different groups of musicians. They focus on one band per record, and perform classical versions of their songs, generally note for note. They use a wide array of instruments but focus mainly on violins and cellos. Over the years, they have put out a staggering number of albums (214), honoring both mainstream and indie groups alike. They have put a classical spin on many genres of music, including rock, pop, punk, techno, hardcore, country, metal, and rap."

Emergency - Paramore

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana

A Favor House Atlantic - Coheed and Cambria

Fashionista Fever: Whitney Port

2010-03-02T22:45:00.006-05:00

It is of my opinion that Miss Whitney Port, though perhaps unfortunately mislabelled by her role in MTV's The Hills and The City, is quite the fashionista. Always demonstrating impecable taste in clothing, as well as being an on-the-rise designer, Z!nk Magazine features Port this month, chanelling Jerry Hall. Read the article from Z!nk here, and check out Whitney Port's line, Whitney Eve, and enjoy these GORGEOUS photographs by Steven Gomillion and Dennis Leupold.

Book Review: Shaladore's Lady

2010-03-02T22:25:00.002-05:00

Title: The Shadow Queen
Author: Anne Bishop
# of Pages: 496
Published: 2010
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:

For years the Shalador people suffered the cruelties of the corrupt Queens who ruled them, forbidding their traditions, punishing those who dared show defiance, and forcing many more into hiding. Now that their land has been cleansed of tainted Blood, the Rose-Jeweled Queen, Lady Cassidy, makes it her duty to restore it and prove her ability to rule.
But even if Lady Cassidy succeeds, other dangers await. For the Black Widows see visions within their tangled webs that something is coming that will change the land-and Lady Cassidy-forever...

This book is the continuation Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy, and Tangled Webs as well as being the direct sequel to the Shadow Queen.This book delivered exactly what I thought it would when I rushed out to buy it: an entertaining, quick read, with lots of lovely romance. The plot was fairly simplistic and I guessed the ending about a quarter of the way in, but I liked the characters and enjoyed watching them grow and change throughout the book. It was worth reading, but I'm not sure that I'll pick it up again.

Currently Playing: Monsters of Folk

2010-03-02T17:26:00.002-05:00

My boyfriend introduced me to Monsters of Folk last week, and more specifically this song: "The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me."I absolutely love it. Let me know what you guys think! :)

Shameless Promotion: A Dancing Corpse

2010-02-27T13:34:00.001-05:00

A dancing corpse,
I can feel your body over mine.
I exhale
And you catch my warmth in your mouth.
A night shrouded in stars,
Mystery captures your words.
Pillows talk and blankets whisper
Your name.
Creases enfold our skin,
Soft, careful and
Cautious.
Why can’t I feel your touch?
Skin to skin-I can see it,
But the sensation is dead.
A horizontal corpse,
I am dead to your touch,
Just a dancing corpse.

Top Five: Cover Songs

2010-02-27T13:12:00.002-05:00

I know a lot of people hate cover songs, but I've always been really fond of them. And so, in no particular order, by top five favourite cover songs (that I can think of at the moment).

TOP FIVE

1. The Man Who Sold the World
Originally by: David Bowie
Cover: Nirvana

2. Romeo and Juliet
Originally by: Dire Straits
Cover: The Killers

3. I've Just Seen a Face
Originally by: The Beatles
Cover: Jim Sturgess/Across the Universe

4. Diamonds and Rust
Originally by: Joan Baez
Cover: Blackmore's Night

5. Over the Hills and Far Away
Originally by: Gary Moore
Cover: Nightwish

Stunning Finds: Arved Colvin-Smith

2010-02-19T00:41:00.010-05:00

I recently discovered a small set of photographs of Emma Watson by Arved Colvin-Smith that I think are quite brilliant. This lead me to check out his website, Arved Colvin-Smith Photography, and discover some really stunning images. Hope you all enjoy :)

Look Book: Gentle Fawn Spring '10

2010-02-18T14:33:00.019-05:00

One of my favourite brands, Gentle Fawn, has just released their look book for spring 2010 on their website. After much drooling over the gorgeousness of the photographs, the location, and of course the clothing, I decided I wouldn't be greedy: Here are some highlights of the campaign. For the full gallery and other information regarding the brand and online shopping, visit GentleFawn.com.

Coming Soon: Alice in Wonderland

2010-02-18T14:07:00.002-05:00

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, there's a good chance you've already seen this. My response? Too bad, watch it again. This film will be brilliant.

Currently Playing: John Mayer

2010-02-18T14:01:00.002-05:00

This cover is perfection on all levels. I never thought I could love another version of this song. I guess I should know by now that I should never assume anything :)

Currently Reading: The Tipping Point

2010-02-18T13:54:00.003-05:00

Title: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Author: Malcolm Gladwell
# of Pages: 280
Published: March 15, 2000
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company

From Chapters.ca
The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire. Just as a single sick person can start an epidemic of the flu, so too can a small but precisely targeted push cause a fashion trend, the popularity of a new product, or a drop in the crime rate. This widely acclaimed bestseller, in which Malcolm Gladwell explores and brilliantly illuminates the tipping point phenomenon, is already changing the way people throughout the world think about selling products and disseminating ideas.

Currently Playing: Bon Iver

2010-02-18T02:44:00.002-05:00

This song is the epitome of everything beautiful. The imagery in this song is enough to inspire me to write an entire story about this scene. It's just breathtaking.

Currently Reading: Paper Towns

2010-02-17T19:52:00.002-05:00

Title: Paper Towns
Author: John Green
# of Pages: 320
Published: September 2009

Reserve Cover:

Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues and they are for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew.

Currently Playing: The Killers

2010-02-15T22:09:00.003-05:00

At some point I'll write an actual review for this album, but this song really stands out for me.

Art Attack: Hellobaby's Drawings

2010-02-12T13:33:00.001-05:00

While surfing on deviantART (my new hobby, apparently), I found these beautiful drawings by a user named hellobaby. To see the entire collection of her works, visit her deviantART. Here are a few of my favourites of her work:

Painting a green world

Lying down

Feeling my red heart

Deity smile

Ballerina

(* cross posted from Vie's personal blog The Great Perhaps)

Currently Playing: Coheed and Cambria

2010-02-11T10:16:00.003-05:00

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it on the blog before, but I'm a huge Coheed and Cambria fan. I have all of their cds, one of their comic books (which is seriously amazing, and calls for a post all of its own) and a bunch of misc. other stuff. One of the most amazing moments of my life was when the band came into my work and I'm not going to lie, I fangirled so hard (I was also too terrified to say a word to Claudio, which to this day is something that I kick myself for). Regardless. The band is putting out a new cd in April along with a hardcover book which chronicles the story of the albums and I'm so excited it's ridiculous. The point of this entire thing is they have released the first single off the album and I feel like it is my duty as a person to share it with all of you. While I'm not sure that I love it, it's not bad and I'm still totally pumped for the album.

Book Review: Tricks

2010-02-09T19:53:00.003-05:00

Title: Tricks
Author: Ellen Hopkins
# of Pages: 627
Published: 2009
Rating: 5/5
From the Publisher:

"When all choice is taken from you, life becomes a game of survival."

Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching...for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don't expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words "I love you" are said for all the wrong reasons.

Five moving stories remain separate at first, then interweave to tell a larger, powerful story -- a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. A story about kids figuring out what sex and love are all about, at all costs, while asking themselves, "Can I ever feel okay about myself?"

Review:
From the moment I opened Tricks' pages, I was hooked. The story focuses on five teenagers: Eden, a preacher's daughter; Seth, a farm-boy dealing with the death of his mother and the discovery of his homosexuality; Whitney, who has always been second-best; Ginger, whose 'working mom' betrays her time and again, and finally, Cody, who does anything to make ends meet.

When I first began to read, I was a little worried that having five characters, five different stories, might be confusing. It turns out there was no need to worry; Hopkins distinguishes every character and story perfectly. She brings life and history to each trouble teenager, splattering their pain onto each page.

I don't want to give too much away because when I began the novel, I had no idea where it would end up and it had a great impact. I would have lost this impact had I know what was coming for each character. Tricks made me cry, and had me sick to my stomach; the stories were raw, painful and honest. What's scarier though, is that these stories are someone's reality.

Art Attack: Claire Beauchamp

2010-02-07T22:38:00.005-05:00

After Kiera posted those interesting photos of Disney Princesses, I couldn't help but share this collection of "Dark Princesses" by deviantART's ClaireBeauchamp. For the whole collection, check this out.

Art Attack: Leonid Afremov's Paintings

2010-02-05T18:32:00.004-05:00

I've been surfing deviantART today, and I've found some absolutely stunning paintings by Leonid Afremov. His use of colours are phenomenal and I wish so much I could have one of these paintings in my home.

Here are a few of my favourites of his work:

"She Left"

"Flaming Dance"

"Night Life"

"Friends Under The Rain"

"In The Ballet Class"

"Paris Tower"

"Angel Flight"

"Three Red Umbrellas"

"The Fog of Dreams"

"The Twirl"

To find all of his work, please visit Leonid Afremov's deviantART

(* cross posted from Vie's personal blog The Great Perhaps)

Stunning Finds: Zhang Jingna

2010-02-05T17:15:00.002-05:00

After browsing deviantART for a couple hours, I found these beautiful photographs taken by Zhang Jingna, also known as zemotion on deviantart.com. Here are a few of my favourites of her work. To find all of her work, visit http://zemotion.deviantart.com.

Redemption

Prelude

Luna

Behind the Mask

Dreamer

Shirotsuki

Remembrance

(* cross posted from Vie's personal blog The Great Perhaps)

Art Attack: Audrey Kawasaki

2010-02-05T16:06:00.004-05:00

I stumbled upon Audrey Kawasaki's work on Tumblr, and I fell in love. Here are some of my favourites of her paintings and doodles.

From her biography:
The themes in Audrey Kawasaki's work are contradictions within themselves. Her work is both innocent and erotic. Each subject is attractive yet disturbing. Audrey's precise technical style is at once influenced by both manga comics and Art Nouveau. Her sharp graphic imagery is combined with the natural grain of the wood panels she paints on, bringing an unexpected warmth to enigmatic subject matter.

The figures she paints are seductive and contain an air of melancholy. They exist in their own sensually esoteric realm, yet at the same time present a sense of accessibility that draws the observer to them. These mysterious young women captivate with the direct stare of their bedroom eyes.

To see all of her work, go to: http://www.audrey-kawasaki.com/index.php

Book Review: Go Ask Alice

2010-02-04T14:00:00.003-05:00

Title: Go Ask Alice
Author: Anonymous
# of Pages: 212
Published: 1971
Rating: 2/5

Summary:

From Wikipedia:
Go Ask Alice is a controversial 1971 book about the life of a troubled teenage girl. The book purports to be the actual diary of an anonymous teenage girl who died of a drug overdose in the late 1960s and is therefore presented as a testimony against drug use. Alice is not the protagonist's name; the actual diarist's name is never given in the book.

From Chapters.ca:
She doesn't want to get hooked on drugs. Every time after she uses, she feels guilty and low and vows to stay away. But she just can't resist the way the drugs make her feel - beautiful and popular and connected to the world around her. And since nobody understands how alone and miserable she is without the drugs, how can they possibly understand how much she needs them? We may not know her name, but we can imagine how she feels as her diary records a descent into drug-induced madness.

Review:

This review may contain some spoilers.
I had high expectations of this novel after hearing many good reviews and hearing that many high schools had read this book in their literature courses. Sadly, I was disappointed. I expected a detailed account of her drug use, her addiction, and the terrible consequences such as living on the street, starving, prostitution, rape, etc. I expected something that would really reach out to me, and make me feel emotionally involved with the speaker.

But no. Personally, I found the speaker way too immature to connect with. She would move back and forth incredibly often from loving drugs and saying they made her feel alive and that parents just couldn't understand to hating drugs and feeling extremely guilty. There was enough description about the way drugs affected her, but very little time spent on the consequences. In one entry, she states that she and her friend were raped and then she simply moves on. I didn't find it very believable for a 15 year-old girl to "move on" so quickly from being physically violated. It did not feel like I was reading a real diary, but in fact a novel pieced together in the form of a "diary". Certainly she spoke of personal matters, but her emotions felt fake - I couldn't connect with her at all.

Go Ask Alice has been published under the pretense that it was an actual diary of a 15 year-old girl who fell into the cruel world of drugs. However, Beatrice Sparks, the editor, claimed that Go Ask Alice had been based on the diary of one of her patients, but that she had added various fictional incidents based on her experiences working with other troubled teens. She said the real girl had not died of a drug overdose, but in a way that could have been either an accident or suicide. She also stated that she could not produce the original diary, because she had destroyed part of it after transcribing it and the rest was locked away in the publisher's vault. (Wikipedia - Go Ask Alice)

Personally, this sounds like a lie. After reading Go Ask Alice, I don't believe at all that this was diary of a teenage girl. I believe this was a novel intended to try and scare teenagers to stay away from drugs. Although an admirable cause, stating that this novel was a work of non-fiction when it isn't, takes away its best quality: its impact on young readers. If a reader felt they were reading the real, original diary of a addicted teenager, they may feel a much stronger connection and the story may have a much stronger impact.

Overall, I give Go Ask Alice a 2/5 for its false pretenses, its lack of description and its unconvincing account of a teenage drug addict.

Tune In To: Heroes

2010-02-01T15:03:00.004-05:00

The first season as a seemingly ordinary group of people gradually become aware that they have special abilities. Events illustrate their reactions to these powers, and how the discovery affects their personal and professional lives. At the same time, several ordinary individuals are investigating the origins and extent of these abilities. Mohinder Suresh, a geneticist, continues his late father's research into the biological source of the change, while Noah Bennett represents a secret organization known only as "The Company". While coping with these new abilities, each of the characters is drawn, willingly or unwillingly, into the Company's conspiracy to control super-powered people and into a race to stop an explosion from
destroying New York City.

I'll admit, I originally started watching this show because I'm a little bit obsessed with the new Star Trek movie, and I knew that Zachary Quinto played a character in Heroes. I usually like watching tv at all, and tend to get bored very quickly, but needless to say Heroes was a pleasant surprise. I know a friend on mine was turned off by how many characters there are, but I loved that about the show - I found that I never got bored because there was always something interesting happening to someone. The show itself if extremely character driven, with the plot (which, I will admit, is nothing special) taking a back seat to seeing these characters grow and change as they become accustomed to their new powers. Mohinder and Peter are probably my two favourites, though a part of me really wants to love Sylar as well, despite the fact that he's ridiculously creepy. Anyways, it's an awesome show and I would highly recommend watching it!

Currently Reading: Go Ask Alice

2010-01-30T16:43:00.002-05:00

Title: Go Ask Alice
Author: Anonymous
# of Pages: 224
Published: 1971

Reverse Cover:

January 24th

After you've had it, there isn't even life without drugs...

It started when she was served a soft drink laced with LSD in a dangerous party game. Within months, she was hooked, trapped in a downward spiral that took her from her comfortable home and loving family to the mean streets of an unforgiving city. It was a journey that would rob her of her innocence, her youth -- and ultimately her life.

Read her diary.

Enter her world.

You will never forget her.

For thirty-five years, the acclaimed, bestselling first-person account of a teenage girl's harrowing decent into the nightmarish world of drugs has left an indelible mark on generations of teen readers. As powerful - and as timely - today as ever, Go Ask Alice remains the definitive book on the horrors of addiction.

Book Review: The Lovely Bones

2010-01-30T15:20:00.004-05:00

Title: The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
# of Pages: 325
Published: April 20, 2004
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

This 2002 debut novel by Alice Sebold tells the story of a teenage girl who, after being murdered, watches from heaven as her family and friends go on with their lives, while she herself comes to terms with her own death.

I first heard of this novel at the beginning of the year when I stumble upon a review online. I was intrigued by the idea of a murdered girl as the narrator, and I finally picked up the novel a week ago. Once I began reading, I couldn't stop. When the novel begins, we understand how her killer tricked her and how her murder unfolded.

Susie narrates her family's reaction to her disappearance and later, the news of her murder. The characters Sebold created are amazing but not unbelievable. The father who drowns in Susie's death; too focused on his loss to work or be a proper father and husband. The mother, numb and empty, who wants to escape haunted memories. The sister, who deals with being 'the sister of the dead girl' and the baby brother who can't understand why his oldest sister isn't home.

From the moment Susie's murder is announced, I wanted to know if her murderer would be caught, if her family would become closer or fall apart from the tragic loss, and if Susie would pass from the 'in-between' to a final place of rest. This novel kept me reading till the wee hours of the morning, wondering just how Sebold would end the story.

I don't want to spoil anything for potential future readers (and there's a lot I could spoil), so I'll end by saying that although this novel wasn't perfect and I had hoped certain things would turn out differently, it was well-written and had my full attention from the first page.

The Very Secret Diaries

2010-01-29T21:36:00.000-05:00

As I am a good, hard working university student I was diligently working on an essay when something was brought to my attention. Apparently some people (Caitlin, I'm looking at you) have been living under very large rocks, and have never experienced the awesomeness that is the Very Secret Diaries of the Fellowship of the Ring.

Excerpts:

Legolas

Day Ten: Gandalf fell into shadow. In other news, I think I am developing a spot on my nose. V. serious situation, as Elven spots likely to last for 500 years or more.

Still prettiest, despite blasted spot.

Legolas pt. II

Day One: Whee!

Day Two: I like to run!

Day Three: I look good when I run!

Day Four: I also look good standing still. Running across Riddermark v. good excercise. I swear my butt has just gotten firmer. Is that even possible?

Day Six: Is Gimli staring at my butt?

Day Seven: No wonder he's always lagging behind.

Aragorn

Day One: Ringwraiths killed: 4. V. good.
Met up with Hobbits. Walked forty miles. Skinned a squirrel and ate it.
Still not King.

Face Up: Burberry's New Face, Part Two

2010-01-26T18:31:00.003-05:00

I know they've been circulating for a little while now, but I can't help myself but to post these anyway. Ladies and gentleman, Emma Watson for Burberry 2010. As always, credit to EmmaWatsonWeb.com for the photographs.

Currently Reading: Secret Society

2010-01-26T18:14:00.003-05:00

Title: Secret Society (ARC edition)
Author: Tom Dolby
# of Pages: 352
Published: September 21, 2009
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

From Amazon.ca
Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone...

An eccentric new girl. A brooding socialite. The scion of one of New York's wealthiest families. A promising filmmaker. As students at the exclusive Chadwick School, Phoebe, Lauren, Nick, and Patch already live in a world most teenagers only dream about.

They didn't ask to be Society members. But when three of them receive a mysterious text message promising success and fame beyond belief, they say yes to everything—even to the harrowing initiation ceremony in a gritty warehouse downtown and to the ankh-shaped tattoo they're forced to get on the nape of their necks. Once they're part of the Society, things begin falling into place for them. Week after week, their ambitions are fulfilled. It's all perfect—until a body is found in Central Park with no distinguishing marks except for an ankh-shaped tattoo.

Tom Dolby makes his teen fiction debut with this riveting novel about a dangerous society so secret that once you get in, you can never get out.

Currently Reading: The Lovely Bones

2010-01-25T13:49:00.002-05:00

Title: The Lovely Bones
Author: Alice Sebold
# of Pages: 328
Published: April 20, 2004

Reverse Cover:
"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her - her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killing trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, The Lovely Bones succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

From the Publisher
When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didn't happen. In the sweet, untroubled voice of a precocious teenage girl, Susie relates the awful events of her death and her own adjustment to the strange new place she finds herself. It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets. With love, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie watches her family as they cope with their grief, her father embarks on a search for the killer, her sister undertakes a feat of amazing daring, her little brother builds a fort in her honor and begin the difficult process of healing. In the hands of a brilliant novelist, this story of seemingly unbearable tragedy is transformed into a suspenseful and touching story about family, memory, love, heaven, and living.

Book Review: Sharknife

2010-01-24T09:10:00.002-05:00

Title: Sharknife

Author: Corey Lewis

Artist: Corey Lewis

Genre: Action, Comedy

Summary: (from back of the book) The Guandong Factory isn't like other restaurants. It's five stories tall, for one. For two, it produces more peach dumplings per day than most eateries do in a decade. For three, it's the home of Sharknife -- a mystical protector charged with protecting the establishment from those who would do it harm! Once just a simple busboy, now Caesar Halleluja is something more -- a crazy red rocket hero destined for greatness! But can Caesar juggle both lives? Nabbing both the girl (the supersexy Chieko Momuza) *and* stopping the baddies?

Review: My first graphic novel read of the year! Boy, what a great way to start off. Sharknife is one of the most fun reads I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

The story's nuts. It's absolutely crazy and whimsical but oh so much fun. There's action galore as Sharknife AKA Caesar protects the Guandong Factory. Character development was a little lacking as far as the two leads (Caesar and Chieko) go, but it's not like this is meant to be any kind of deep read. Despite the lack of development, Chieko and Caesar are both really quirky characters you grow to kind of love.

The art in this work is absolutely fantastic. Lewis has taken up the anime style and tweaked it to make it something wholly original and totally his own. The action scenes are drawn really well and are easy to follow and still look awesome and there's really great character designs. I just absolutely love it.

Rating: Worth Buying/Owning

If you're looking for something totally new and different and you're not intimidated by reads that are totally zany and off the walls, then this is definitely for you! It's a lot of fun and I'm ridiculously excited for the second volume to come out (though it's kind of been on hiatus for the past.. five years I think.. D:) A really great little graphic novel.

Book Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

2010-01-23T23:50:00.003-05:00

Title: The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
# of Pages: 224
Published: 1999
Genre: Teen
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

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 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 nover that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Review:

I'd seen this simple cover many times at Chapters and one day, I finally decided to give it a shot. I'm really glad I did because this book is really great. Although it follows the daily trials of a teenage boy in high school, it's far from ordinary. Charlie sees life differently from others - he's wiser than his years and provides insights about human emotions and interactions that really hit home. As well, the underlying emotional trauma Charlie has repressed explodes at the end of the novel, shocking and frightening all at once.

This novel has a great collection of quotes that may be able to explain the book better than I can. Here are a few of my favourites:

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

"Because things change. And friends leave. And life doesn’t stop for anybody."

"Do you always think this much, Charlie?" "Is that bad?" "Not necessarily. It's just that sometimes people use thought to not participate in life." "Is that bad?" "Yes."

And probably it's most famous quote:

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

Tune In To: Six Feet Under

2010-01-23T22:47:00.004-05:00

Six Feet Under
2001-2005

On one level, the show is a conventional family drama, dealing with such issues as relationships, infidelity, and religion. At the same time, it is a show distinguished by its unblinking focus on the topic of death, which it explores on multiple levels (personal, religious, and philosophical). Each episode begins with a death — anything from drowning or heart attack to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome — and that death usually sets the tone for each episode, allowing the characters to reflect on their current fortunes and misfortunes in a way that is illuminated by the death and its aftermath. The show also has a strong dosage of dark humor and surrealism running throughout.

The series follows the lives of the Fisher family, who own and run the funeral home 'Fisher & Sons' in Los Angeles. In the first episode, the father, Nathaniel Sr., dies in a car accident. He leaves behind his wife, Ruth, his sons Nathaniel Jr. and David and his daughter, Claire. The first season begins with the Fisher family trying to deal with the loss of a family member while taking care of funeral arrangements for the citizens of Los Angeles.

I had heard of HBO's drama Six Feet Under several times; my parents watched it religiously and it had been recommended to me a number of times. I finally settled down to watch it at the beginning of this school year, and all I can say is: WOW. I watched all of the episodes online, and the series was well worth the occasional frustration of online television sites. This series made me cry (and I mean bawl), laugh till my stomach hurt, and ponder the biggest questions in life.

With 24 Emmy nominations (9 wins), 8 Golden Globe nominations (3 wins) and 8 Screen Actor's Guild nominations (3 wins), it's safe to say that Six Feet Under is an outstanding drama series.

Unfortunately, Six Feet Under finished in 2005 with a fifth season. However, all the seasons are available on DVD and all episodes can be found online at www.sidereel.com. I would strongly recommend this TV series to anyone who enjoys dramas and who can handle mature content.

Below is the trailer for the first season of this fantastic HBO drama.

Tune In To: The Big Bang Theory

2010-01-23T22:20:00.004-05:00

Physicists Leonard and Sheldon understand everything from the inescapable gravitational pull of a black hole to the intricate structure of the atom. But take those atoms and assemble them into a woman, and their comprehension comes to a grinding halt. And when Penny, a women with all those atoms in all the right places, moves in across the hall, Leonard and Sheldon's universe beings to expand in ways they never could have imagined.

After stumbling upon an episode of this hilarious sitcom, I was hooked. The main characters all have their own unique quirks. Sheldon perfectly understands physics but can't understand social interactions. Leonard craves Penny's love and attention but can't seem to put away his love for comic books and video games. Howard considers himself a "ladies' man" even though he still lives with his mother. And Raj can't speak to women unless he's drunk. Combine this band of geeks with a loving yet ditsy girl named Penny, and hilarity ensues.

Also, it doesn't hurt that the theme song was written and performed by The Barenaked Ladies (a personal favourite of mine).

The Big Bang Theory is currently on their third season. It airs Mondays at 9:30pm on CBS. Here's a sneak peek of the first episode of Season 1. Go ahead, click it; you won't regret it!

Book Review: Impulse

2010-01-23T21:59:00.003-05:00

Title: Impulse
Author: Ellen Hopkins
# of Pages: 688
Published: May 2008
Genre: Teen
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Three lives, three different paths to the same destination: Aspen Springs, a psychiatric hospital for those who have attempted the ultimate act -- suicide.

Vanessa is beautiful and smart, but her secrets keep her answering the call of the blade.

Tony, after suffering a painful childhood, can only find peace through pills.

And Conner, outwardly, has the perfect life. But dig a little deeper and find a boy who is in constant battle with his parents, his life, himself.

In one instant each of these young people decided enough was enough. They grabbed the blade, the bottle, the gun -- and tried to end it all. Now they have a second chance, and just maybe, with each others help, they can find their way to a better life -- but only if they're strong and can fight the demons that brought them here in the first place.

Review:

I had heard of Ellen Hopkins' novels, and I was intrigued that her novels were written in verse. One of my roommates bought me this novel as a Christmas gift, and I was excited to give Hopkins a chance. At first, I found it difficult to read a novel written entirely in verse. However, after reading a few poems in, I understood that the story was clear. I had expected the story to be difficult to understand because it was written in verse but I was surprised to find dialogue and action clearly written.

I was very intrigued with the idea of three teenagers in a rehabilitation center, and so the story really appealed to me. The story slowly reveals the reasons behind the suicide attempts of Vanessa, Tony and Conner; problems with drugs, cutting and abuse. Once I began, I could barely stop reading; I was so eager to read and find out just what happened to each of them.

The stories of hardship did not disappoint; although the ending did surprise me. I don't want to ruin anything, but I did not expect such an ending and I was taken aback.

I would definitely recommend this novel and encourage people to try and look past the interesting style of writing and find the great story within.

Book Review: Along for the Ride

2010-01-21T13:10:00.003-05:00

Title: Along for the Ride
Author: Sarah Dessen
# of Pages: 384
Published: June 16, 2009
Genre: Teen
Rating: 3/5

Summary:

It has been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parentsa divorceaor since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life sheas been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

Review:

When I hear Sarah Dessen had a new book coming out, I was excited. I'd read the majority of her other novels,and I always enjoyed her work. This novel was no different; the story was heartwarming and I felt for Auden, Eli and Heidi (Auden's step-mother). Auden and Eli's late night quests reminded me of my nocturnal habits and I couldn't help but agree with Auden's realization that "the night changed things, widening out the scope. What we said to each other, the things we did, they all took on a bigger meaning in the dark. Like time was sped up and slowed down, all at once,".

Although this novel appealed to my fantasies of late-night adventures and spending a summer in a small town or village, I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed with Dessen. Her novels are all similar and I had hoped that she would depart a little more from her norm and explore her talents further. Even so, I would recommend this novel to any Dessen fan or anyone who enjoys a good teen novel.

Art Attack: Disney Princesses (#2)

2010-01-20T14:42:00.005-05:00

I saw this picture over at Geekologie and thought it was too awesome not to share. I think Jasmine is my favourite.

Shameless Promotion: New Blog

2010-01-19T11:17:00.003-05:00

My university is having a blog contest, with $500 as the prize for best blog. All you have to do is create a blog after Jan. 1 2010 and update it at least once a month until April. I've decided to enter, and have created Kiera Blogs. This blog will be a lot of the same stuff I post here to Collision, with a few more personal commentaries on things, rather than just the arty-ish stuff I post over here.

But yeah, check it out if you feel so inclined. ♥

Shameless Promotion: Alley and Vie

2010-01-14T11:40:00.007-05:00

Last Wednesday Alley, Vie and myself did a mini photoshoot and I have been terribly remiss when it comes to putting up the photos. So, here's a few of my favourites!

Book Review: The Way of Shadows

2010-01-11T17:07:00.002-05:00

Title: The Way of Shadows
Author: Brent Weeks
Number of Pages: 668
Published: 2008
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:

For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist.

For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.

But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death.

I really, really enjoyed the first half of this book. It was well paced, and the story was different enough to keep me interested. I found the second half lost me a little though (probably because there was a substantial gap between reading that first half, and then finishing the book due to Christmas/working). I'll be the first to admit that the big epic fight scenes in books usually bore me, and that's pretty much the gist of what the last couple hundred pages of this book were. There were a few good plot twists, but there were also a couple others that I felt were almost unnecessary?

Overall though the book was worth the read, and I'm hoping to start the second one tonight.

(On a side note, I loved the acknowledgements in this book - it made me laugh. I can usually judge how much I'll like a book by how awesome the acknowledgements are, and yes I realize that makes me weird, but I love reading them)

Happy 2010

2010-01-01T11:00:00.004-05:00

(I meant to post this yesterday, but my computer has been blue screening interminably throughout the past two days)

Wow, so I have a really hard time believing that 2009 is actually over. It was a pretty fantastic year, and I have hopes that 2010 will be just as good, if not better (this will be aided largely by the fact that I'm spending a month and a half in Europe over the summer). I thought I'd make a post here about some of my favourite things of 2009, now that the year is over and done with.

Favourite Book

I think the favourite book award is tied between this one, and Sarah Monette's Corambis, but this one wins by a tiny margin, largely because of the series that backs it. I think I spent a good chunk of the first half of the year reading this series, and rarely have a found one that comes to such a satisfying (and definite) conclusion. While I ranted a little in my initial review of this book that it didn't end the way I wanted it too, the book was still fantastic and presented a believable, (if often heart-wrenching) end for the characters.

The real reason that this one is my favourite though, would be because of the Fool, who is indisputably my favourite literary character of the year. You have to read the series to understand exactly how awesome he is.

Favourite Song

My favourite song of the year is one that was sent to me by the lovely Caitlin. We've featured it on the blog before, and I love the beat and the lyrics.

Favourite Album

Runner up for this category is Marry Me by: St. Vincent, but the out and out winner is Costello Music by: The Fratelli's. I actually first heard of these guys via my sister, Siobhan, and they're pretty much my go to feel good music now.

Favourite Movie

I know some people are going to mad at me for not picking Avatar, which was a gorgeous movie that I did love a whole bunch, but the winner for total favourite movie of the year (and maybe ever) would be J. J. Abram's reboot of Star Trek. I will be honest - I laughed at Caitlin when she said she was excited for the movie when we saw the trailer before Watchmen. I went to see it solely because I wanted to go out and that was the only good thing playing at the theatre at the time. I am now however a little obsessed with it. The casting was phenomenal, with each actor doing a flawless job at playing their character and the story was really interesting. Yeah, I totally loved the movie beyond reason. I also loved the gag reel, and I pretty much died laughing during the last minute or so of it.

I feel like there are other favourite things I should be adding, but tbh I suck at thinking of what exactly they are. So, enjoy and have an awesome 2010!

Shameless Promotion: Instructions Pt. 2

2009-12-26T21:17:00.003-05:00

This is the second part of a story I've been writing following the instructions laid out in Neil Gaiman's poem called Instructions. You can read the first part here.

***

“You are looking for the castle,” The old woman says.

“Yes,” She replies softly.

“Why?”

Why is an easy question to ask, but one that is not quite so easy to answer. Niamh could answer that she wants to go the castle because that’s where all the adventures in the stories begin. She could say that she wants to beg the queen for a cure. She could say that in the castle she hopes to find her sister. All of these things are true, but none of them explain the whispering voice that tells her to go forward, or the faint, but steady compulsion that presses her onwards.

She opens her mouth to speak, but the old woman shakes her head and says: “I will tell you the way to the castle, but you must give me something first. I would like a memory.”

She looks hesitant, but nods. She has many memories, and surely giving one away would not be too much of a trial?

“Look into my eyes, child.”

Black eyes connect with green, and pictures run through her mind like water. It is weeks earlier, and Niamh is sitting on the floor in front of her mother’s bed, reassuring herself that Mama still breathes. Mama has been sick for as long as she can remember, but lately it has been getting worse. The coughs now draw blood and once tanned skin is milk pale, and sallow. Ciar enters the room, dressed in travelling attire and ready to leave. Ciar is Niamh’s older sister, and looks like a princess from the stories, with long blonde hair and bright, cold blue eyes. “I’ll be back soon.” She says, and then leaves. Only, Ciar doesn’t come back. Weeks passed and Mama got sicker and so Niamh left to go for a walk, only to decide to go to the castle, instead. She wonders if the same thing happened to Ciar.

The old woman looks satisfied with the memory, and then points to a trail between the trees that surely wasn’t there before. A thank you, and then she hurries on her way for there is something about the old women that unnerves her. When she looks back, the space beneath the tree is empty and Niamh hears the old women’s laugh on the breath of the wind.

Night is now upon the forest, and through the canopy of leaves, she can only barely see the faint twinkle of stars, and the half moon provides enough light for her to continue going forward, but not too see the twisted roots and the clinging branches and soon she is covered with dirt and bruises. She is glad that none of the small scratches have bled, for shedding blood in this forest is rather like playing tag with lightning, unadvisable at best and lethal at worst. She pauses when an owl hoots, and feels her skin crawl as the whispers from the wind being to grow louder. There have always been tales told about the wood, and most of them are about foolish girls who allowed them to be lured away by beautiful songs. Perhaps there is something wrong with her, but she though she can hear the melody, she finds its beauty akin to that of a shard of glass: lovely, but prone to cut.

She walks on, but when the path ends unexpectedly she is forced to stop once more. It is too dark to find another path and so she sits in the space between two trees and watches the fireflies dance until finally, sleep comes to take her to his domain. When she finally awakes, it is well past dawn and her dress is damp with dew. She rubs her eyes, and sees that the path indeed goes no further, but the dense tree cover thins considerably and if she tilts her head just so and squints she thinks the can see that outline of a great building and this must be the palace.

Feeling much restored after her sleep, she gets up and sets off once again through the trees. As she gets closer, it is clear that this is indeed the castle ahead of her, and that no matter how long she walks for it does not appear to get any closer until, suddenly, there it is. The trees that were beside her are now far back in the distance and she is slightly anxious that one step could have taken her so far. The castle itself is lovely, and looks like something out of a painting: all tall towers, and bright ivory. She is sure that it is the most beautiful place she has ever seen, even more so than the huge house from yesterday.

The palace grounds are empty. There are no guards, no servants: just a castle, in the middle of a field between the forest and the water. She walks slowly towards the castle door, which is wide open. She decides that this is a good sign, and slips inside, feeling very bold. Once inside though, she is at something of a loss for the castle is large, and she is just one girl and how will she ever find the queen? It is then that she sees the princesses. The littlest princess is the most beautiful, with long golden curls and bright blue eyes. When the princess says to follow her, as the queen is down over in the next hall, Niamh does not. The little girl has no shadow, and the only reason to get rid of your shadow is so you can lock it in a box, so it will not tell others of your misdeeds. This she read in an old book, and books never lie. The other two princesses both have shadows, and their smiles are much kinder. They lead her to a place where she can bathe and change clothes before meeting the queen, and soon Niamh is dressed in a grand (but practical) gown and is off to meet the queen.

Niamh has been imagining this moment for so long that now that it is here, she doesn’t quite know what to say. By the time she reaches the throne room, she is so tongue tied that all she can do it stare at the queen. It is strange, she thinks, that such a small woman can hold such a great amount of power.

The queen looks at her expectantly and so she spills out the entire story, telling the queen that her Mama is sick, and her sister is missing that is she could have the cure, everything would go back to the way it was before. And while she isn’t sure that she wants things to go back to exactly how they were, surely before cannot too tiresome.

“I will give you the cure,” the Queen says “But first you must bring me three things. I require the answer to a riddle, the heart of prince who is guarded by a dragon (or that of a dragon, guarded by a prince) and lastly, a name.”

These things do not sound like they would be easy to find, but Niamh agrees readily, for surely if it means saving her Mama, she can try.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T12:24:00.003-05:00

Just thought I'd write a quick post to wish everyone a Merry Christmas/awesome December 25th.

Shameless Promotion: Champagne Asphalt

2009-12-24T00:03:00.000-05:00

Champagne dampens the asphalt;
Bodies fill the sidewalks under the street light.
Shadows trace lines of sorrow on the grass
And outlines the pain in the sky.
“Completely fill me up” were her last words
To him.
“Completely reverse my sins” as his eyes drank her in.
A silent oath, lost on the wind.
A promise made to a shell;
A body with no soul.
Hands lost around your body,
Lips lost on the plains of your skin.
A skill for a man with evil intentions,
A skill taken in by a naive girl.
When asked she replies with a smile,
“he had charming eyes. And best of all,
He was not you”

Book Review: The Shadow Queen

2009-12-21T10:50:00.004-05:00

Title: The Shadow Queen
Author: Anne Bishop
# of Pages: 429
Published: 2009
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past. Once it was ruled by corrupt Queens who were wiped out when the land was cleansed of tainted Blood. Now, only one hundred Warlord Princes stand-without a leader and without hope.

Theran Grayhaven is the last of his line, desperate to find the key that reveals a treasure great enough to restore Dena Nehele. But first he needs to find a Queen who remembers the Blood's code of honor and lives by the Old Ways. The woman chosen to rule Dena Nehele, Lady Cassidy, is not beautiful and believes she is not strong. But she may be the only one able to convince bitter men to serve once again.

This book is a pretty much the direct sequel to Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy, and Tangled Webs. These books are my equivalent of beach reads, for lack of a better thing to call them. They're just nice, really easy to read and have a nice mixture of romance and plot. I can see how the world they're set in would not be for everyone, but I kinda love it and this book was no exception. We get a nice mixture of old and new characters, and (surprisingly) I actually was just as happy to read about what Cassidy and Grey were doing as I was Lucivar and Jaenelle, who are my usual favourites. Now all I have to do is wait for April for the next one to come out... Seriously guys, I am going to be broke in April with most of my favourite authors putting out new books then. I love it though.

Currently Playing: Jonathan Rhys Meyers

2009-12-17T10:08:00.003-05:00

You probably know of Jonathan Rhys Meyers through his acting in movies, or shows like the Tudors but he actually has a really, really nice singing voice as well. The only songs I've ever heard by him are from the (awesome) move August Rush, and if anyone knows where I could find more I'd really appreciate it.

Shameless Promotion: Flightless Doves

2009-12-16T13:28:00.002-05:00

“Find her, and terminate her”.
Cascades of flightless doves are out to get me.
Stars point them past the grassy knolls;
And into the sea.
I will cry and shiver in the silver
Moonlight.
I will trace my finger through the earth
Just to feel alive again.
Beneath the darkening sky
I can hear the cries of lost lover’s;
Who just want to be held.
Beneath my chest,
I can feel my heart stop.
The Fear of being found
Holds me back.
I can see the lights of that
Enchanted city.
But the flightless doves are out
To get me,
And I can feel their tainted blood dripping from
Their drooling mouths,
Into mine.
Give me wings,
So I can fly.
“Wait. Do not terminate.
I want to touch her before she dies”

Currently Playing: Die Mannequin

2009-12-16T07:19:00.004-05:00

I am absolutley in love with this song. I love the beat, and her voice is fantastic. And, she is gorgeous in her own way.

Dead Honey-Die Mannequin

Shameless Promotion: Drabbles

2009-12-13T22:01:00.003-05:00

I haven't done any writing in ages so tonight I made myself sit down and just write. I found an internet meme/prompt thing that said to put your music on shuffle, and just write for a length of a song about what ever came to your mind. I cheated and put on a special playlist, and still skipped through songs and played a couple through twice to have more time to finish what I was writing. These are all really unpolished, but yeah. You'll also notice some pretty similar themes through most of them, because that's just what my brain likes to write. These aren't meant to be connected in any way, but I'm sure you can if you want. Con/crit is more then welcome, and I'd love to hear what you guys think about them.

**

There was something exhilarating about the pounding of music, the close press of bodies and brightly coloured flashes of the electric lights. You loved the anonymity of it more than anything else; it was only around strangers that you felt you could truly be yourself. Even if they hated you, it didn’t matter because you would never see them again. It was only around your friends that you became silent and withdrawn. Once the makeup was applied, and the clothes loosed you became a whirlwind, addicted to new sensations and places and things that weren’t simple. You thrived on chaos and I always loved you for that. Nothing could stop you, and you never so beautiful as those nights when you let loose and simply lived.
**

As a child, I would often spend hours going through my storybooks. I never cared much for the words, finding them too slippery and cold, and the stories they told were always the same. No, it was the pictures that I dwelt on, the beautiful curling lines and vivid colours. Each time I looked at them they told me something different. The cheerful blue of the swiftly moving rives shifted effortlessly into the languid, lazy blue of the sky, before transmuting into the deep blue of a child’s tears. The colours would swirl and dance through the pages in their endless variety and magic and even now I often pause while walking, just to see a new story form.
**

Walk with me, you said. I had no idea who you were, but I think I feel in love with you a little bit just then. You were beautiful, if unconventionally so. You were totally unconcerned about the looks that you drew, you just grabbed my hand and we talked. We talked about everything. You told me about your childhood, I told you about why I dropped out of school. You were convinced that I was special, worth something at a time when I wasn’t even sure that I should be alive. That night, I realized that life wasn’t a goal to be worked up to, it was simply a state of being, something that you had to grab with both hands and try to enjoy.

We walked for hours until your hands were blue with cold, and we were hopelessly lost in a city we had both lived in all our lives. You helped me to realize that things might not be easy, but that there was beauty to be had in them none the less.
**

I will try to be better. I’m fraying a bit at the edges and some of the colour has drained out of me. I collect secrets and stories the way some people collect shoes and I have a tendency to say the wrong things. I’ve often wondered why you stay – people talk to you and say you could do better, but you just laugh and say that there’s no such thing. I don’t think you have any how amazing of a person you are. You give your time freely and listen to my stories, no matter how crazy they sound and then smile at me and say that I am beautiful.
**

There’s not much time left. There hasn’t been much time since this entire thing started, I suppose but now that the end is close that lack of time seems more tangible, more final. I think I’m finally coming to terms with the fact that even if I survive this, you might not. And even if by some miracle both of us make it… not everyone will. Friends, lovers, family, places that were… these things won’t all last. Already so many are gone, it’s hard to even contemplate that those of us who have made it this far might not make it to the end.

I suppose what I ultimately want to say is that if you make it and I don’t, or I make it and not you or even if we both come out of this alive… I love you. Looking back, I guess I always have, even during those years when I when I didn’t. With us, there was never any room for small emotions. Love and hate were just two signs of an equally painful, powerful coin.

Stunning Finds: Abhishek Sharma

2009-12-10T18:54:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts on the blog for the past little while. All of us girls are in the middle of our university winter exams. I'm the lucky one who has finished first, though this did mean I had five exams in three days, which was all kinds of fun. But yes, things should be a little more lively here soon.

Anyway, I found this gorgeous collection of photographs by Abhishek Sharma and absolutely loved them. I've always been a fan of black and white photography, and these pictures in particular are stunning.

Collision... To Go?

2009-12-03T22:32:00.004-05:00

Ladies and gentleman, we have done the impossible: made Collision even better :P. Haha, I kid, I kid, however for the past month I've been working on something I think you guys will really enjoy... a portable version of Collision!

This is especially handy when you have no WiFi signal, you're on a road trip, on a plane, in class, etc. You can store the PDF file we've created on your desktop or print it out and carry it with you! Plus, it's really pretty to look at (though I am somewhat partial to it :P)

Take a peak by following this link to get your copy of Collision To Go :)

New Moon in Fifteen Minutes

2009-11-30T17:46:00.004-05:00

So, on Thursday Caitlin, Vie and I went to see New Moon in theatres. Caitlin refused to sit beside me because I like making stupid comments during movies. Sadly, New Moon wasn't as awfully hilarious as I had hoped and I actually kinda liked it. But that's no the point.

Behold, Cleolinda's parody of awesomeness.

Key excerpts include:

Scenes of Bella Attempting to Move on With Her Life

Scenes of Bella Setting a Good Example for Real-Life Teenage Girls

Scenes of Bella Putting on Her Big Girl Panties and DEALING WITH IT

[These never appear in the series.]

***

JACOB: Bella! Can I climb into your room, even though I'm mostly naked and it's late at night?

BELLA: Wait--I don't--you're asking first?

JACOB? What? Of course! What kind of creep would just show up in a girl's bedroom?

***

ALICE: Edward's going to kill himself! In a thematically appropriate way!

BELLA: IN THE MANNER THAT WAS FORESHADOWED?!

ALICE: Omg, are you psychic too?!

BELLA: WE MUST SAVE HIM

ALICE: VAMPIRE VOLVO, AWAY!

***

Virgin Airlines

[OH, I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE.]

Currently Playing: Roisin Murphy

2009-11-25T10:12:00.003-05:00

Ever since Vie made her post on Wade Robinson, I've been kinda obsessed with this song.

Shameless Promotion: Dear Fighter

2009-11-23T21:59:00.002-05:00

Here is another installment for my Mini Magnum Opus for poetry class :) Enjoy.

Dear Fighter,
You have buried your smile
Under a land mine of stars.
From here
I wish I could unravel it
Unravel it.
From here
I wish I could kiss you
Kiss you.
I am a victim of a hopeless love
Because men with grenades
Sometimes
Do not come home.
I am a victim of your eyes
Because they melt me.
I have a hole on my face,
On my cheek;
The place where I have tried to wipe
Away your kisses.
I have wiped it raw;
I cannot stand your smell,
When your body is not here to
Follow it into me.
Oh, the horror of the universe
Has fallen upon my chest;
And it has the face of war.
And its victim is you.
While I sleep it bares down on me
Teeth bared, playing your voice
From its mouth.
I think this means I love you,
I think this means I need you.
I know this means I miss you.
But, as long as you are breathing you
Cannot come home.
It has you by the throat, a gun forced
In your hand,
The word war
Always on my mind.

Fashionista Fever: Coco Rocha

2009-11-21T11:12:00.004-05:00

Currently, I am obsessed with Coco Rocha. Not only does she take amazing pictures, but her style outside of the portrait studio is awesome.

And here is her style outside the studio

Currently Playing: Cloud Cult

2009-11-19T10:16:00.003-05:00

Caitlin got me into these guys a little while, and I've been listening to their album Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornado's) on repeat all week. Thought I'd share.

Currently Playing: Metric

2009-11-17T01:00:00.003-05:00

Emily Haines is a genius with a fabulous wardrobe.
Serious kudos to any woman who can perform live with a genuine band + actually play an instrument and make a synth not sound like cheesy 80s crap. :)

"Sick Muse" video:

Tune In To: ANTM Cycle 13

2009-11-15T01:02:00.005-05:00

Although next week is the season finale of America's Next Top Model cycle 13, I would still like to write this article and inspire you all the check out the season online because it's been truly quite entertaining to watch. The premise is of course quite simple: thousands and thousands of girls audition to be models on the show that is Tyra Banks' search of the next top model.

However, one highlight to watch for this season is the twist they've added: Cycle 13 is all about petite models! No 5'9"+ requirement, and proof that not all models need to be tall to be successful. As a result, many of the models on the show have had little experience, assuming that they would never have a career in modeling. Throughout the season the progression is fairly outstanding (this compared to last year's, the only season I've watched thus far).

Also this season I find there has been many memorable photoshoots, and thus by default many photographs that I absolutely adore. Here's a few selections that I find quite stunning:

Book Review: Ship of Magic

2009-11-14T11:26:00.006-05:00

Title: Ship of Magic
Author: Robin Hobb
# of Pages: 832
Published: 1999
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.5/5

Summary:
Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships--rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown''s oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia.

For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her--a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim. For Althea's young nephew Wintrow, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard ship, Vivacia is a life sentence.

But the fate of the Vestrit family--and the ship--may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider. The ruthless pirate Kennit seeks a way to seize power over all the denizens of the Pirate Isles...and the first step of his plan requires him to capture his own liveship and bend it to his will....

This is a three book series that takes place in between The Farseer and Tawny Man trilogies. It's not necessary to have read these other series, nor does it really add much to the books if you do. This book was definitely enjoyable, but I think the Tawny Man trilogy is going to stay my favourite, for now.

I like Althea. She started of the book as a being just a spoilt girl, but her growth through the book was believable and interesting. Brashen kinda went in the opposite direction, but I like him anways. Loved the bits with Amber, as well. Wasn't a huge fan of Wintrow, because I thought he was stupid and annoying. Malta... I don't like her, but her p.o.v. is sufficiently interesting to keep me enjoying her parts regardless. Kennit I like as a character, but not really as a narrator.

Overall, good book and well worth the read.

EDIT: Yeah, three quarters through the second book now and it's awesome. This one gets 5/5 for sure.

Currently Playing: Lady Gaga (2.1)

2009-11-13T12:07:00.003-05:00

Well, since the video was released a few days ago, I simply had to repost. You'll forgive me, right?

Genius at work yet again. I wish I thought up concepts like these.

Spotlight On: Dakota Fanning

2009-11-13T01:37:00.015-05:00

Dakota Fanning: If you haven't heard her name before, be prepared to be bombarded by it for what I would like to assume the next seven decades because ladies and gentleman, this is a young woman who was, in this writer's opinion, born to be an actress. The entertainment world seems to be on my side as well, for it's not often a 15 year old has the opportunity to say she's worked with the likes of Sean Penn, Robert DeNiro, Denzel Washington, Tom Cruise, and Jennifer Hudson, who are all Oscar nominees/winners, by the way. It's also quite the breath of fresh air to finally have a child actor make way for herself without the help of the Disney trademark, no disrespect intended.

At the age of 7, she played opposite Sean Penn in her first leading role in the memorable "I Am Sam" and marked herself as a force to be reckoned with. Her following roles in "Uptown Girls," "Man on Fire," and "Hide and Seek" demonstrated a talent beyond her years and a sense of maturity that did not seem to match her tiny little being.

Age has certainly brought Dakota Fanning into the spotlight as an actress to be taken seriously, and one who intends to make a career for herself, as opposed to many child stars who amount to just that. Her role in "The Secret Life of Bees," opposite Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson demonstrated a serene maturity and natural craft. It is this writer's hope that with her impeccable talent, the latest "Twilight" film, "New Moon" in which she plays Jane may actually have some credit to attribute to itself. Likewise, I look forward to seeing her paired with Kristen Stewart again in the film "The Runaways," the biopic story of the 70s band The Runaways featuring teenage versions of Joan Jett (Stewart) and Cherrie Currie (Fanning).

Credentials aside, there are many other reasons to both admire and appreciate Fanning. Her maturity and dedication rival many of the current Hollywood familiar faces, and her talent is certainly much more evident than any Disney channel starlet. Whenever she is portrayed in the media, she is nothing short of polite and poised, and it becomes quite hard to remember she only celebrated her fifteenth's birthday this February.

It comes as no surprise then, that Teen Vogue has chosen her as their cover girl for their December 2009 issue, of which all pictures from this article may be credited to. I myself thoroughly admired the beautiful styling in these pictures and truly appreciate following Miss Fanning's journey towards becoming an A-List actress, who I'm sure will be the recipient of many awards to come. Let's not forget after all that Marc Jacobs chose her to star in one of his campaigns, and for this writer, Marc Jacobs can do no wrong and is inspired only by the best.

ps: We've already surpassed the amount of posts made in September/October. Fast track to redeeming ourselves is a definite go :)

Brits Do It Better: Keira Knightley

2009-11-12T18:46:00.005-05:00

Alley and I were having a talk the other day about how British girls do it better. She gave the example of the talented and beautiful Emma Watson and I said the gorgeous Keira Knightley. I have had an obsession with her jawline for a while (I know, sounds weird, but just look at it, it's phenomenal) so I decided I would post some photos from a Vogue photo shoot she did in 2004. Evidence that British girls DO do it better.

Look Book: Sunshine and Shadow Spring 10

2009-11-09T23:48:00.004-05:00

If the thought of winter is getting you down (much like Kiera and myself at the moment), here's a little preview of the spring '10 line from Sunshine and Shadow. Designed by Lily Raskind, this brand stays true to its namesake and offers a collection of pieces both inspired by a bright spring day with neon hues and its contrast use of black and white.
Sneak a peek for yourself:

Is it springtime yet?

Photos courtesy of NylonMagazine.com

Currently Playing: Paramore

2009-11-09T15:13:00.002-05:00

There is just something about girl lead singers that I love. Maybe it's because I used to sing and my dream was and still is, to be the lead kick ass girl singer of a band, because we all know there is nothing more bad ass :) I am currently listening to All I Wanted by Paramore, which is from their new album Brand New Eyes. Love, Love, Love.
P.S, there is one part in the song where her voice gives me chills, my challenge for you is to see if you can guess the right place. :) <3

Shameless Promotion: The Graveyard Shift

2009-11-09T15:07:00.002-05:00

I have been slacking, and I am sorry:( Here is something to make up for it though, if you lovely readers will accept. My dramatic monologue for Poetry Class.

The Graveyard Shift

Imagine: your head full of every thought you could ever imagine. Now take all those thoughts and increase them tenfold. A constant buzzing persists right behind your eyes, moving up to your brain and making a home for itself right in the control centre of all your emotions and rational thoughts. Of course, this home is built with no sympathy for what was already there. It mangles your feelings that were there last night, the test material you have been studying for the past week becomes obliterated, and your speech becomes slightly worse with each brick being laid. Next, you realize you cannot close your eyes. Of course, physically you can. But, something stronger than a physical force seems to be keeping your baby blues open and you hate it. When you can’t close your eyes you see everything around you; notice everything that is out of place, so to keep busy you clean, reorganize, and throw away. This is a step to keep busy, to forget what is actually going on. What will you do when you are done reorganizing your room? Well, reorganize your thoughts of course, especially those pesky hurtful ones that have been burrowing in your subconscious. So, you go back to lying on your bed, remembering every person who has ever hurt you and wondering if you could have fixed it. Once that is done, your mind already playing the blame game, you meander through your head and try to blame your current problems on anyone who pops into your head. Everyone is susceptible here: your mother, your boyfriend, even your best friend who has never said more than an encouraging word to you. Because, to be honest, in this state, it is easier to blame anyone but yourself. The last step is complete and utter panic ensues. It feels like you are drowning in your own words; you cannot catch your breath and the world goes blurry. Everything that has every gone wrong fills your mind like water from a broken dam. Goodbye’s and heart break rupture your fragile state of sanity and the face of every person you have ever hurt comes before you in a desperate state to of guilt and panic. You eventually get over it; your tears dry up, but you know it will all happen again tomorrow night. Because, you are an insomniac and you cannot get any relief from this vicious cycle of reality.

Tune In To: Dexter

2009-11-09T01:30:00.005-05:00

Since the summer of 2008, I have been hooked on Showtime's Original Series, Dexter. I'm a big fan of this series, just as I know my fellow blogger, Michelle, is. Dexter Morgan is a 30-something blood splatter analyst for the Miami Metro Police Department, with a beautiful girlfriend and a love for steak...oh, and he's also a serial killer.

This series is excellent. Michael C. Hall, who plays Dexter Morgan, is a fantastic actor who really brings the character to life. All of the supporting characters, such as Julie Benz, who plays the girlfriend, Rita, and Jennifer Carpenter, who plays Dexter's sister, Debra Morgan, are perfect. Not only is the acting fantastic, but the storylines so well-written and they really make you think what's wrong and what's right in our world.

Showtime is currently airing episodes for Season 4, the latest episode being episode 7 (out of 12). Although the show is well-into it's fourth season, it's worth spending the time to catch up. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys suspense, thrill, dark humour, and has the stomach for a little gore.

Just for a little tease, here is the opening credits. Can you already tell something is wrong with Dexter?

And to incite you even more to share in my obsession, here is the promo for the first season.

Currently Playing: Gossip

2009-11-09T01:29:00.004-05:00

To compensate for my pop culture nuttiness and obsession with Lady Gaga, here's a tune from Gossip, a band who deserves a heck of a lot more recognition than they currently have. Just one person's opinion though.

ps: disco is back baby. :)

Stunning Finds: The Summer Sisters

2009-11-09T00:58:00.003-05:00

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I own all of the seasons, and I've watched every episode about 5 times. While looking around for photos of the cast, I came across some stunning photographs of the Summer sisters, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Michelle Trachtenberg and I thought I would share them here.

Sarah Michelle Gellar
Photography by James White

Maxim Magazine cover

Michelle Trachtenberg
Mean Magazine photoshoot

Dress Me Up In: Jimmy Choo for H&M?!?

2009-11-09T00:39:00.004-05:00

Check out this sneak peak from NylonTV showcasing shoes, clothing and bags from the Jimmy Choo for H&M line coming out November 14th! Be sure to mark your calendars and be waiting in the line-up this Saturday!

Currently Playing: Lady Gaga (2)

2009-11-09T00:10:00.003-05:00

LOVE the new Lady Gaga tune.

Do you?
(and no, I won't be offended if you don't :P)

Stunning Finds: Sean Cook

2009-11-08T23:46:00.005-05:00

I absolutely adore this series of photographs of Emma Watson done by Sean Cook for Daily Mail earlier this year. I can't say it enough, I love Emma Watson, she's beautiful.

Photos courtesy of EmmaWatsonWeb.com

Currently Watching: ANTM Cycle 13 Alley's Top 2 Picks

2009-11-08T23:00:00.006-05:00

Hello everyone!

As you all know, I began my unhealthy addiction to America's Next Top Model last cycle and of course could not miss out on the next! Unfortunately I have been a huge slacker and not posted much about it, but I would like to share my top two picks for Cycle 13!

Choice Winner: Nicole
The girl is flawless, knows what to do in front of a camera, and actually listens to advice and criticism and just keeps getting better. Plus, she doesn't get involved in all the drama and other nonsense, which gives her major personality points for me.

Choice Runner-Up: Laura
Beautiful pictures, beautiful girl. She comes off as extremely genuine.

Currently Reading: Day

2009-11-08T22:47:00.002-05:00

Title: Day
Author: A. L. Kennedy
# of Pages: 288
Published: August 5, 2008
Publisher: House of Anansi

Reverse Cover
Five years after the end of World War II, former RAF airman and tail gunner Alfie Day finds himself working as an extra on a POW film. What he will discover on the set about himself, his loves, and the world around him will make the war itself look simple. Day is a superbly realized, emotionally charged, deeply affecting drama about the violence of modern life, and a dazzlingly original performance from one of the most gifted writers of our time.

From Chapters.ca
In 1939, Alfred Day had wanted war. And when he got it, he found purpose in its turmoil: he found his proper role as tail-gunner in a Lancaster bomber; he found the wild, dark fellowship of his crew; and -- most extraordinary of all -- he found Joyce, a woman to love. But now, that's all gone: the war took it away. And maybe the war has taken him away, too.

Before Hitler and the bombs, Alfred was a boy in Staffordshire, helpless to defend his mother and resist his abusive father. The RAF gave him order, skills, another family, a way to be a man. It taught him how to burn through lifetimes on night ops and brief, sweet leaves, surviving. But it didn't prepare him for capture, for prison camp and chaos as the war wound down. And it certainly didn't prepare him for an empty peace. So, in 1949, Alfred winds back time to see where he lost himself. He takes the role of an extra in a POW film. Shipped out to Germany and an ersatz camp, he picks his way through the cliches that are all that's left of his war and begins to do what he's never dared -- to remember.

In Day, A. L. Kennedy has crafted a superb novel about the brutal simplicities of war and the complexities of human emotion. Above all, Day is wonderful storytelling: the freight of history and humanity carried effortlessly by the beauty of the writing.

Currently Reading: Ship of Magic

2009-11-03T10:09:00.003-05:00

Title: Ship of Magic
Author: Robin Hobb
# of Pages: 832
Published: 1999
Genre: Fantasy

Summary:
Bingtown is a hub of exotic trade and home to a merchant nobility famed for its liveships--rare vessels carved from wizardwood, which ripens magically into sentient awareness. The fortunes of one of Bingtown''s oldest families rest on the newly awakened liveship Vivacia.

For Althea Vestrit, the ship is her rightful legacy unjustly denied her--a legacy she will risk anything to reclaim. For Althea's young nephew Wintrow, wrenched from his religious studies and forced to serve aboard ship, Vivacia is a life sentence.

But the fate of the Vestrit family--and the ship--may ultimately lie in the hands of an outsider. The ruthless pirate Kennit seeks a way to seize power over all the denizens of the Pirate Isles...and the first step of his plan requires him to capture his own liveship and bend it to his will....

Stunning Finds: Nikita Kryuchkov (Book One)

2009-11-01T11:25:00.006-05:00

I found this collection of photographs by Nikita Kryuchkov and absolutely love them. I thought I'd share a couple of my favourites here.

Shameless Promotion: Love Warfare

2009-11-01T10:02:00.002-05:00

So, I am currently working on a project for poetry class. Our teacher basically gave us free reign so I have decided to write a series of love letters written during the war by the wives of soilders on the front line. So, here is the first installment, enjoy.

My Dearest,

They tell me that I should not be writing you; that there is no point.
They say that you will meet someone new, someone who is close and find a convenient love.
But you have never been about easy love; I know that first hand.
So, I write you, by the light of my lamp, hoping that you will read this in silence so you can hear my voice.
Do you still know what silence is? Or are the guns of the war too loud? Are you still whole, or has a sniper caught you in his range?
I want you to be whole when you get home, so we can be a family again. So you can hold your son in your arms and not think of guns, blood and death.
I need you to be whole, because I no longer am.
I never thought I would be the type of girl who said she was incomplete without another person by her side. I have always been independent, so this scares me.
I need you more than you could ever know. But, this war has come between us and I feel that the gap is filling quickly.
I feel like I am starting to forget the sound of your voice, the lines your mouth makes when you laugh and the sound of your voice.
I need you to help me remember what you smell like.
Your baby cries for you at night, and I silently sob along with him.
Come home, Come home.

Not Halloween Related At All

2009-10-31T16:10:00.002-04:00

I found this article, and thought that is it was really interesting. Reposted from here.

Something to think about….

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

The questions raised:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

How many other things are we missing?

On a totally unrelated note, Happy Halloween! If someone asks very nicely, I might even most pictures of myself, the lovely Vie and the equally lovely Caitlin all dressed up in our costumes.

Featured Artist: Wade Robson

2009-10-29T10:09:00.001-04:00

If you’re a fan of dance, then you’ve probably heard the name Wade Robson; the name of a fantastic choreographer, director and music producer. Born in Australia in 1982, this 26 year-old has definitely made his mark on the dance world. At the age of 5, he was already a professional dancer and by the age of 12, a popular choreographer at Millennium Dance Complex. Not only has he directed music videos and world tours for N’Sync and Britney Spears, he’s also had his own MTV show named the Wade Robson Project and choreographed amazing routines and guest starred on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With The Stars. Robson has even received two Emmy awards for his choreography on SYTYCD; one for his Ramalama group routine and another for his Hummingbird and the Flower routine performed by Season 3 contestants Jamie and Hok. The following two videos are his Emmy winning routines:

Ramalama routine, with Wade Robson!

Hummingbird and the Flower

With a resume as extensive as Wade Robson, it's no wonder that he's Collision's featured artist!

Stunning Finds: Lorenzo Agius

2009-10-26T18:04:00.005-04:00

I stumbled upon a post that showed a number of Lorenzo Agius' celebrity portraits, and thought I'd share a couple. They're absolutely stunning.

Long Time Coming

2009-10-26T13:35:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! Alley here, and it's been a long time coming!

I cannot apologize enough for seemingly dropping off the face of the Earth, and I feel like I've really let everyone down! Really sorry about that. Unfortunately university life consumes a lot of my time, and I am still working part-time so all my extra time is usually spent there, not to mention the fact that the H1N1 epidemic seems to have hit a large majority of my friends so I am ten times more dedicated to going to class and getting notes for them.

I suppose the one good side to this crazy flu is that I am so gosh-darned terrified of getting it that I have decided to stay in my room on lockdown unless it is necessary for me to leave (school, work, bathroom, kitchen). Though I now have a raging case of cabin fever as a result, I have run out of things to do in my room as a break from homework and assignments, so blogging is back on my list of priorities! Woooooooo!

I'd like to point out that despite the fact that we've all been really busy, our hit counter is 100 hits shy of nearly at 14 000! Holy freakin' crap eh? Who would have thought? Not me, noooo way. We also posted our two hundredth post a few days ago, so high five on that as well. Finally, props to Kiera for keeping this going solo while the rest of us were consumed in what can only be described as The Man's Minion University. Har-har.

Love you all, expect fantastic posts asap!

Shameless Promotion: The Cabin

2009-10-25T12:25:00.002-04:00

The Cabin

Give me a reason to love you, and I will love you right back.
I will follow you into the forest, following the light in your eyes;
To that cabin where our hope rests and our love survives.
The fire in the hearth, so warm, is crackling the still air.
Your mouth is a straight line,
I want it to form my name.
Here in this cabin, built on lost dreams
And the unsteady words,
We will find ourselves in each other.
Here, isolated from the world
Love will beat senselessly in my hands.
We will dance to the silence, cradle my
Words in your mouth.
Take me with you,
Leave me with you.

Gadget Review: iPod Touch

2009-10-24T23:11:00.004-04:00

This post fits absolutely none of the arty things that I'm supposed to post about, but you know what? I feel that my new iPod Touch is awesome enough that it deserves a review post, just like all of the other shiny things I find.

I mentioned this briefly in my previous post, but I'll reiterate it here. I bought this thing as a cheaper alternative to getting either a Kindle, or a Sony Reader. I'm heading to Ireland for a month or so this summer, and rather than lugging my bookcase around with me (or getting a library card for the local library, which, I'm not going to lie, I did a couple years ago when I went for this amount of time) I thought I'd get into the whole modern technology reading thing. The first app I installed is something called eReader, which allows you to either buy ebooks and put them straight on your iPod, or you can upload 'personal content,' provided it's in the right format (.pdb). Luckily, it's simple to convert text files to this, so I transferred a few books (old Tamora Pierce ones) to the iPod.

Reading on the iPod is actually surprisingly pleasant. You can adjust the brightness to suit your tastes, and the colours that come preset on the reader (a really light tan-ish colour for the background and dark brown for text -called parchment) are really nice visually. I've probably spent at least five or six hours reading on it, with no headaches or anything. This is particularly nice, as I'm rather migraine prone. So, the iPod works beautifully for what I bought it for.

The music player is nothing special, it does what its supposed to do. If you're in an area that has access to wireless, you can access a really neat function called 'Genius' though, which creates play-lists for you, based around either a song or a genre. I'll use this occasionally if I'm in the mood for a certain type of sound, and I'm really impressed with how good of playlists it can come up with. So, yay Genius!

I'm also super impressed with the fact that it can access the internet. Maybe I'm not quite as tech savvy as I'd like to believe, but the fact that something this tiny can actually let me use the internet is amazing. It's honestly like a little laptop, albeit with a slightly more annoying keyboard. I can see someone with large hands having a really hard time with this.

But now onto the apps. I love apps. My roommate has had a Touch for over a year and never put a single app on it, which I cannot believe. I've managed to find some really fun ones (Duck Hunt, Lightsaber, Trace and Unblock Me, to name only a few). There's seriously an app for absolutely everything, and I'm pretty sure I'll end up having about a thousand or so after I've had this thing for a month or so.

There's only two real downsides to this machine: One, the battery life kinda sucks. Sure, you can listen to music for forty hours or whatever, but if you use a lot of apps/the internet your battery probably won't last more than about five or six (I'm estimating here, I haven't actually let it get more than half way dead). Reading on it with the screen turned reasonably dim doesn't suck battery as fast, which is good, but still. Longer battery life, especially since I'll be travelling with it, would be nice. My only other complaint is the fact that I can't use the touch with mitts on (this maybe should have been obvious to me before I bought it, but for some reason, it wasn't). And living in northern Ontario, where it's really cold for way to much of the year, having mitts on it kinda essential, which makes it hard to switch songs. I know you can shake it to change songs, which I'll probably switch back on during times when I do have mitts on, but apparently I'm a bouncy walker or something, because the first day I had it in my pocket it changed songs a lot.

Regardless, I seriously think that this is one of the coolest devices ever and I give it a 4.5/5

Book Review: Alanna: The First Adventure

2009-10-23T21:44:00.002-04:00

Title: Alanna: The First Adventure
Author: Tamora Pierce
# of Pages: 289
Published: 1983
Genre: Teen Fantasy
Rating: 4/5

Summary:

Becoming a legend is not easy, as young Alanna of Trebond discovers when she disguises herself as a boy and begins training to be a knight. Alanna's skills and stubborness help her befriend Prince Jonathan and alienate his evil uncle, Duke Roger. Filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil, this book is a rousing introduction to the intensely satisfying story of Alanna.

For the longest time, Tamora Pierce was my favourite author. I owned all of her books, and probably read each of them five or six times and made sure my friends did too. This Alanna book was the first one I read, and probably my favourite book until I was around twelve or so and gave into the siren call of the adult fantasy section. Anyway, I recently got an iPod Touch (which you will probably hearing more about in the future, because it is /awesome/) as a cheaper(ish) alternative to buying either a Kindle or a Sony Reader, because I am going to Europe this summer and cannot lug around my weight in books. I had all of Tamora Pierce's books on my computer, so I decided to transfer over the first couple Alanna books for reading on the bus or whatever, but I started reading the first couple pages and got sucked into the story all over again.

It's actually really hard for me to review this book, because my first instinct is to say 'I love this book, and it's the best book ever, go read it.' And you know, it is a really good book but I'm not sure that I love it as much now as I did when I was younger. Nevertheless, I still really enjoyed the book, and I think Alanna is an excellent female lead. She's a really strong character, and her determination to prove that she (and girls in general) can be knights is great. I also love the fact that she struggles. Nothing for her is easy, she has to train for pretty much every waking minute to master her sword work, she gets picked on for being small, despite being the considered a good archer at home, she's a beginner here and every single thing she accomplishes, she works for. It's refreshing to see a character who is not instantly good at everything, and just as importantly, has things she just can't do.

On the flip side of this, there is pretty much nothing in the way of non-major, or minor characters. While Alanna, her friends, and a select few other characters are very well fleshed out, the vast majority of background characters seem very flat. Nevertheless, the book is well worth reading, and that is more me being nit picky than anything else. I certainly didn't notice the issue as a kid.

This, and the rest of Tamora Pierce's books, are well worth reading and I would encourage you to try one. :)