Hey guys, I have some exciting news! SCHOOL IS FINALLY OVER, and that means MORE TIME FOR READING AND REVIEWING!! These last two month of school have been horrible with practically every teacher trying to shove in two or three more tests each along with several research papers, quizzes, and homework galore. I finally picked up A Court of Mist and Fury last night, so expect a review for that up in a few days. Happy summer!
CG
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Milton and Jerry's Perfect Printer Ink - A Short Story by CG Marinelli
Milton and Jerry’s Perfect Printer Ink
After about thirteen years of pencil pushing whilst sat in a small cubicle surrounded by young, hopeful nobodies, Stanley Vincent Carmichael decided he was done. He’s wasted god knows how many years of his life working towards bigger and better things, but has barely moved an inch since college.
He used to be considered the lucky one in his family, can you believe that? The first one to finish college since his grandpa, a handsome, young ball of charisma, and he was practically given his job as printer ink salesman straight out of university! For the first year or two, almost everybody he called purchased at least a hundred dollars worth of ink, whether or not they even needed it, solely based on how enthusiastic and exciting he sounded when describing all the wonderful details of “Milton and Jerry’s Perfect Printer Ink!” But, like most things, he wore down overtime. No longer did he sound like the young, cheerful kangaroo Roo from Winnie the Pooh, but rather like dull, depressing Eeyore. It was around year five that he started losing his hair.
Things were starting to look up for Stan around year seven. They were giving him a ‘promotion’ as they called it, but it was just a way to get rid of the gloomy man to boost sales. They moved him to a new department where he went over the numbers, analyzed the sales, and wrote up reports to hand in to his boss, Mr Abraham, at the end of every week. He was happy for a little while. His paycheck had an extra figure, his department had some older people in it, his cubicle was larger, but all good things must come to an end.
Around 2013, the company decided to merge with their largest competitor to create a “printer ink empire,” and that just brought a wave crashing down over him. The ‘new’ company decided to move to a larger building to compensate for the now large mass of people, but it seemed to only make things more congested. They shoved Stan into a small, four by four cubicle that made Harry Potter’s cupboard under the stairs seem like a mansion, his workload was tripled, and it seemed like they purposely placed him next to the loudest, most obnoxious twenty-something-year-olds he had ever met. He hoped he wasn’t like that when he was young.
He thought about quitting several times over the years. In fact, he went to countless interviews, but a degree in business from North Texas University and resume with only one thing to fill up the experience box can only get you so far. He would’ve been gone years ago if he had landed one, any one, but he needed the paycheck to keep dinner on the table for him and his dog, Sandy, the only thing he thinks will ever love him. Sometimes he would actually fantasize about being fired when the company was ‘being downgraded,’ but he was never picked. It was always the newest to arrive that were the first to leave. Those bastards didn’t know how lucky they were to get out early.
It was upon entering the workplace on January 3rd, the first working day of the year, he flat out decided he was done. He went to his sad excuse for a desk, scribbled down a quick note, not that anyone would bother to find it, and marched straight into his boss’ office without bothering to knock on the door. He was in the middle of a meeting with someone.
“I quit,” he said. Quick, laconic, and to the point, just like Stanley wanted.
“I’m sorry Mr….” Mr. Abraham’s words died out.
“Jesus Christ, after thirteen years! Thirteen years of my life spent at this God-forsaken place, and you still don’t know my name!” Stanley picked up a statue that was sitting on one of the shelves to his left and threw it straight at Mr. Abraham’s head. It shattered against the wall behind him.
In the midst of a storm of rage and fury, he stomped out of the office and towards the emergency stairwell. He raced up the stairs, head racing, heart pounding, lost in a whirlwind of thought. He swung the door open only to be faced with the blinding sunlight. He walked straight to the edge and looked down. Twenty seven floors up, looking at the people below him, skittering around like ants, Stanley still felt small.
He contemplated silently for a little bit, wondering how long it would be before his landlady noticed he was gone, or who would feed his dog, Sandy? He sure as hell knew that his mother wouldn’t take the dog in with her being allergic and all. Doesn’t matter, he thought to himself. He was pretty sure that she got into the pantry every day while he was at work anyway. Come on Stan, Stan the Man, you can do this. Just jump. No one’ll miss you. You’re just a waste of space, sucking up everyone's air. He looked down again, sucked in one last breath, looked up at the pale, blue sky, and leapt.
His ever-thinning hair danced in the wind as it whistled past his ears. For a second, it felt like he was flying, but then reality set in and panic struck. He started flapping around like some sad baby bird attempting to fly for the first time, but unlike the baby bird, there was no mamma bird to catch him in case he fell. Instead, he hit the ground with a sickening crunch.
He never lost consciousness, no, not even when his spinal cord snapped. A crowd surrounded him, only backing up when his blood started to pool around him like a protective barrier. Eventually the EMTs were called and as he was being lifted into the copter, preparing to be heli-carried to the nearest hospital, he thought to himself Well shit Stanley. You can’t even kill yourself correctly. What the hell are you still doing here?
Hey guys, here's just a quick little piece I wrote for my creative writing class. The prompt was depression, and it had to include the loss of a job at some point or another. Hope you enjoy it!
-CG
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
School of Deaths Book Review
School of Deaths
Book one in The Scythe Wielder's Secret Series
By Christopher Mannino
Synopsis: Thrust into a world of men, can a timid girl find bravery as the first female Death?
Thirteen-year-old Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the all-male College, she quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world where even her teachers want her to fail. Scythes hungry for souls, Deaths who subjugate a race of mysterious magicians, and echoes of an ancient war with Dragons.
As her year progresses, Suzie suspects her presence isn't an accident. She uncovers a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths. Now she must also discover the reason she's been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.
My Review: I was overjoyed when I got the email from NetGalley saying that my request for this book had been approved. I've seen Ben of BenjaminofTomes raving about this book on youtube, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Going into School of Deaths, I didn't know much about the boos aside from Ben saying it was like Hogwarts for grim reapers, and that exited me.
Ben's description of the college being like Hogwarts for grim reapers is right of the dot except for one detail, you can't ever leave the college if you don't your final test but the witches and wizards of hogwarts are allowed to leave whenever they want. I thought that this detail added a nice touch to the story, and extra thing going on that you believe will be the main plot of the story, but truly isn't. The entire wold that the story takes place in is filled with magic, dragons, and elementals who have the power to manipulate the world around them. I thought the world building was good, especially the detail about everything smelling like strawberries, and how that comes to help the main group later on.
I thought that Mannino did a spectacular job with the character. I loved them all, Susan, Billie, Frank, Jason, Sindrill, Hann, Athanasis, even Frenchie and Luc. It's obvious that he worked hard on giving each and everyone of the characters, bad or good, important or in the background, their very own personality. One thing I especially loved was the development of the relationships between Susan, Billy, Frank, and Jason from how they start and how they end up. Mannino made sure each of the characters had a depth to them, and they weren't just words written on a flat page.
The plot of School of Deaths was confusing to me at first, I didn't quite know what was going on. The reader is given a couple clues here and there to try and put it together, but I don't know if anyone could be able to figure it out without the big explanation from the 'mentals. That's probably my one main issue with this book: that the purpose/plot of the story isn't entirely clear to the reader from the get-go. I mean, we have an idea of what's going on, but no idea of what's going to happen next, which could be both a good and bad thing.
I give School of Deaths 4 stars because it is a wonderfully written book with full of action, romance, excitement, and characters that you will fall in love with, but because of my issues with the plot I cannot give it a five star rating. I plan to read the rest of the books in the series, and I also suggest that you pick up this book if you see it in the store or download it on your e-reader.
If you would like to Of Pens and Swords
Author and Publisher Links
-CG
I give School of Deaths 4 stars because it is a wonderfully written book with full of action, romance, excitement, and characters that you will fall in love with, but because of my issues with the plot I cannot give it a five star rating. I plan to read the rest of the books in the series, and I also suggest that you pick up this book if you see it in the store or download it on your e-reader.
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Of Pens and Swords Book Review
Of Pens and Swords
By Rena Rocford
Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Cyra Berque wants two things in life: a date with Rochan and a chance to fence at the Olympics. But people with one hand don’t normally fence, and girls with big thighs don’t get the boy. Knowing that she wants to make the Olympics, Cyra’s coach sets her up with another coach, one who could take her all the way to the top, but the new coach costs more. Feeling her dreams slipping out of reach, Cyra agrees to tutor a ballerina with a rich father and a D minus in English. It’s triple the pay and triple the pain. The ballerina isn’t interested in passing classes―she wants Rochan, and she’s promised she’ll turn her D minus into a full-fledged F if Cyra doesn’t help her win the heart of Rochan. (Goodreads Summary)
My Review: I went into this book not knowing anything beyond the brief synopsis, and I came out of it in a combined mess of tears of joy and sadness. I didn't believe prior to reading this that any other author besides John Green could make me feel these things. Rena Rocford is a true genius, and I thank her for writing this book which I am now going to annoy all of my friends with by telling them to read every second of ever day.
One thing Rocford does extraordinarily well in her writing is character development. She gives each character their own individual voice and personality, and allows the reader to truly feel like they are connecting with them. A character I surprisingly found that I was able to connect with was Crya. After reading the synopsis I didn't think that I could find a way to connect with a one-handed fencer, but Cyra is much more than that. She is a smart girl, a feminist (there's this amazing scene where they are discussing sexism in Hamlet in english class), a bookworm (she makes several references to Harry Potter), Captain Hook obsessed, and she puts all her effort towards achieving her dreams. I started out hating Christina in the beginning; I thought that she was going to be the cliche bratty girl turned nice, and that it was going to be something I'd already read a thousand times before. I can tell you, it was not. Now, Rochan is the only character I have slight issues with. I can't say much about my issues with him without spoiling the ending, but I can say that I believe he comes to terms with something a little quicker than I would've expected. All in all,
The overall plot of the story was ingenious to me; a new take on an old story. For some reason it reminded me of the movie John Tucker Must Die. Not in the whole revenge way, but the whole girls banding together to get a guy to like a girl way. Sounds confusing when I write it out, but it make perfect sense in my head. I promise. I can't say much else without spilling the beans, but there is one thing that happens towards then end of the book that caught me completely off guard. I was completely unprepared, my walls were down, and Rena Rocford made me sob like a four year old who lost their favorite toy. Right before I read this part I decided that I was to go to bed at the end of the chapter, but that never happened. It made me want to stay through till the bitter end, and I ended up finishing it in one session.
Also, do you see how beautiful this cover is??? I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover but, the cover was honestly what made me click on the book on Netgalley in the first place. I love the use of bright colors, the ballet costume that is merged with the feather quill, and the letter in the background. All these things corresponding to stuff in the story which made it fun and interesting to look back on once I'd finished. I read this book on my kindle, and I need to get my hands on a physical copy to add to my collection IMMEDIATELY.
I give Of Pens and Swords 5 stars because is a beautifully written book filled with wonderfully written, loveable characters and an enticing story filled with many twists and turns. I am so glad to have recieved a copy from the publisher, Curiosity Quills Press, off of Netgalley to review, because I don't know if I would've picked it up if I hadn't, and I am incredibly happy that I read it. I suggest you pick it up if you're looking for a nice, realistic fiction read that'll make you laugh and cry both happy and sad tears.
If you would like to purchase Of Pens and Swords
Author and Publisher Links
-CG
One thing Rocford does extraordinarily well in her writing is character development. She gives each character their own individual voice and personality, and allows the reader to truly feel like they are connecting with them. A character I surprisingly found that I was able to connect with was Crya. After reading the synopsis I didn't think that I could find a way to connect with a one-handed fencer, but Cyra is much more than that. She is a smart girl, a feminist (there's this amazing scene where they are discussing sexism in Hamlet in english class), a bookworm (she makes several references to Harry Potter), Captain Hook obsessed, and she puts all her effort towards achieving her dreams. I started out hating Christina in the beginning; I thought that she was going to be the cliche bratty girl turned nice, and that it was going to be something I'd already read a thousand times before. I can tell you, it was not. Now, Rochan is the only character I have slight issues with. I can't say much about my issues with him without spoiling the ending, but I can say that I believe he comes to terms with something a little quicker than I would've expected. All in all,
The overall plot of the story was ingenious to me; a new take on an old story. For some reason it reminded me of the movie John Tucker Must Die. Not in the whole revenge way, but the whole girls banding together to get a guy to like a girl way. Sounds confusing when I write it out, but it make perfect sense in my head. I promise. I can't say much else without spilling the beans, but there is one thing that happens towards then end of the book that caught me completely off guard. I was completely unprepared, my walls were down, and Rena Rocford made me sob like a four year old who lost their favorite toy. Right before I read this part I decided that I was to go to bed at the end of the chapter, but that never happened. It made me want to stay through till the bitter end, and I ended up finishing it in one session.
Also, do you see how beautiful this cover is??? I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover but, the cover was honestly what made me click on the book on Netgalley in the first place. I love the use of bright colors, the ballet costume that is merged with the feather quill, and the letter in the background. All these things corresponding to stuff in the story which made it fun and interesting to look back on once I'd finished. I read this book on my kindle, and I need to get my hands on a physical copy to add to my collection IMMEDIATELY.
I give Of Pens and Swords 5 stars because is a beautifully written book filled with wonderfully written, loveable characters and an enticing story filled with many twists and turns. I am so glad to have recieved a copy from the publisher, Curiosity Quills Press, off of Netgalley to review, because I don't know if I would've picked it up if I hadn't, and I am incredibly happy that I read it. I suggest you pick it up if you're looking for a nice, realistic fiction read that'll make you laugh and cry both happy and sad tears.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
My Other Social Media
Hey guys! Even though I love Blogger, it's not my only form of social media.
Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/cg_marinelli/
Instagram (Bookish): https://www.instagram.com/vibrantreads/
Tumblr: http://the-girl-who-read-too-much.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VibrantReads
I just think it would be cool to connect on other platforms, and I follow back on all of the. I can't wait to get to know y'all better!
CG
Instagram (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/cg_marinelli/
Instagram (Bookish): https://www.instagram.com/vibrantreads/
Tumblr: http://the-girl-who-read-too-much.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VibrantReads
I just think it would be cool to connect on other platforms, and I follow back on all of the. I can't wait to get to know y'all better!
CG
Lady Midnight Book Review
Lady Midnight
By Cassandra Clare
DISCLAIMER: I'm not going to spoil any major plot points of Lady Midnight, but I am going to mention some minor things. You have been warned.
Synopsis: It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.
Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…
Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?
Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series. (Goodreads Summary)
My Review: My initial reaction to finishing Lady Midnight: Why Cassandra! WHYYYYY!!! Why do you feel the need to build me up, fill my heart with joy, and the just RIP IT OUT AND SHRED IT INTO A MILLION PIECES!
Now that that's over with, we can get into the actual review. Being Cassandra Clare trash, I was going into Lady Midnight with high expectations, and I was not disappointed. One thing that I especially loved about the book overall was that there was no world building required due to it taking place just a short while after City of Heavenly Fire. That is great if you'd read the previous books (no need to read annoying world building when you already know all there is to know about the world), but that also means that this isn't a book that just anyone can pick up off the shelf. You have to be familiar with the shadowhunter world or else you are going to be extremely confused as it drops you right in to the middle of the action. Another overall thing I loved about Lady Midnight was even though it was another shadowhunter book, it wasn't just ANOTHER shadowhunter book. It had its own plot, characters, and locations that were unique and all their own.
The premise of the book is interesting in itself, but, at least for me, what made the book was the characters. Clare makes you fall in love with the entire Blackthorn clan (including the extended family): Emma, Julian, Mark, Christina, Ty (Oh my god...ESPECIALLY TY), Livy, Tavvy, Dru, and Malcolm. I found myself relating to several of the characters because instead of just focusing in on one or two specific characters, Cassandra went above and beyond, giving you an inside look on everyone. The only character I felt that we weren't told a lot about was Diana, and I hope that we get to understand her more in the next book. I especially love when Emma takes Christina on a tour of the Blackthorn bedrooms which gives you a look from the outside in on each of the Blackthorn children. I also really like how Cassandra incorporates characters that are not only straight, but also gay and bisexual along with characters that posses mental illnesses, because we need to see more of those characters in Young Adult novels.
I know this topic I'm going to talk about really should go under the characters paragraph, but I believe it truly deserves a paragraph of its own: Emma and Julian's forbidden romance. OH MY GODDDDD! WHYYYYY CASSANDRA! WHY!!!! This beats Clace, this beats Sizzy, this beats both Jessa and Wessa, this almost beats Malec (almost. I said almost. Nothing can truly beat Malec. Ever). Even from the beginning you can tell both characters feel something beyond friendship for each other and are trying to suppress their emotions, and (if you're trash like me) you can't help but ship their forbidden love and squeal every time something happens, and let me tell you, SHIT GOES DOWN. I can't wait to see what happens between them in the future.
Perhaps an unpopular opinion: I love the villain of this book. Now, I can't say much without spilling major points of this book, but there are a few things I can say. I love the reason why they are doing what they are doing; I think that are.....amazing; I love that they were not who I expected. Yeah, that's all I can say without ruining anything. I can't really say a lot about the plot besides the fact that they are looking for the people who killed Emma's parents, who are actually involved in a scheme of things that are killing more people, without spoiling anything.
Another thing I can't talk about without spilling is the ending, but BY THE ANGEL I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THE ENDING....AND THE FINAL LINE....TAKE ME NOW CASSANDRA! TAKE ME NOW! (If you've read it and you want to talk about just leave a comment, send me an email, or contact me on tumblr because.....I NEED TO LET THESE FEELINGS OUT!)
I give Lady Midnight 5 stars (I would give it more if I could) because of the characters, the amazing story line, and the fact that I am, and forever will be, Cassandra Clare trash.
If you would like to purchase Lady Midnight
-CG
Now that that's over with, we can get into the actual review. Being Cassandra Clare trash, I was going into Lady Midnight with high expectations, and I was not disappointed. One thing that I especially loved about the book overall was that there was no world building required due to it taking place just a short while after City of Heavenly Fire. That is great if you'd read the previous books (no need to read annoying world building when you already know all there is to know about the world), but that also means that this isn't a book that just anyone can pick up off the shelf. You have to be familiar with the shadowhunter world or else you are going to be extremely confused as it drops you right in to the middle of the action. Another overall thing I loved about Lady Midnight was even though it was another shadowhunter book, it wasn't just ANOTHER shadowhunter book. It had its own plot, characters, and locations that were unique and all their own.
The premise of the book is interesting in itself, but, at least for me, what made the book was the characters. Clare makes you fall in love with the entire Blackthorn clan (including the extended family): Emma, Julian, Mark, Christina, Ty (Oh my god...ESPECIALLY TY), Livy, Tavvy, Dru, and Malcolm. I found myself relating to several of the characters because instead of just focusing in on one or two specific characters, Cassandra went above and beyond, giving you an inside look on everyone. The only character I felt that we weren't told a lot about was Diana, and I hope that we get to understand her more in the next book. I especially love when Emma takes Christina on a tour of the Blackthorn bedrooms which gives you a look from the outside in on each of the Blackthorn children. I also really like how Cassandra incorporates characters that are not only straight, but also gay and bisexual along with characters that posses mental illnesses, because we need to see more of those characters in Young Adult novels.
I know this topic I'm going to talk about really should go under the characters paragraph, but I believe it truly deserves a paragraph of its own: Emma and Julian's forbidden romance. OH MY GODDDDD! WHYYYYY CASSANDRA! WHY!!!! This beats Clace, this beats Sizzy, this beats both Jessa and Wessa, this almost beats Malec (almost. I said almost. Nothing can truly beat Malec. Ever). Even from the beginning you can tell both characters feel something beyond friendship for each other and are trying to suppress their emotions, and (if you're trash like me) you can't help but ship their forbidden love and squeal every time something happens, and let me tell you, SHIT GOES DOWN. I can't wait to see what happens between them in the future.
Perhaps an unpopular opinion: I love the villain of this book. Now, I can't say much without spilling major points of this book, but there are a few things I can say. I love the reason why they are doing what they are doing; I think that are.....amazing; I love that they were not who I expected. Yeah, that's all I can say without ruining anything. I can't really say a lot about the plot besides the fact that they are looking for the people who killed Emma's parents, who are actually involved in a scheme of things that are killing more people, without spoiling anything.
Another thing I can't talk about without spilling is the ending, but BY THE ANGEL I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR THE ENDING....AND THE FINAL LINE....TAKE ME NOW CASSANDRA! TAKE ME NOW! (If you've read it and you want to talk about just leave a comment, send me an email, or contact me on tumblr because.....I NEED TO LET THESE FEELINGS OUT!)
I give Lady Midnight 5 stars (I would give it more if I could) because of the characters, the amazing story line, and the fact that I am, and forever will be, Cassandra Clare trash.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Lady Midnight Update
Hey guys, I just finished Lady Midnight so expect a review to be out for it in a few days. I also just started spring break so I'll have a lot more to time read and post reviews.
Cg
Cg
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