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Thursday, January 07, 2010

Pilgrims of Rayne- DJ MacHale

The Pilgrims of Rayne (Pendragon, #8) The Pilgrims of Rayne by D.J. MacHale


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I have been reading this series for a while. I really like the story- a kid-Bobby Pendragon- discovers he is a Traveler and must go to different the different territories that make up Halla in order to save them from the evil Saint Dane. He travels using a flume that sends him to the territory right when he's needed. The territories include current time Earth, past and future Earth and seven other places that are not on Earth at all. He sends journals of what happens to him through the traveler ring to his friends Mark & Courtney back on second Earth (current day & time)

In the 8th installment, Pilgrims of Rayne, Bobby must discover the turning point on Ibara. Of course, he meets up with Saint Dane who is mixing things from the different territories. This is a big no no. Bobby also breaks a few rules himself.

I enjoy these books because they keep me on the edge of my seat as it goes back and forth between what's happening to Mark & Courtney and the journals that Bobby sends. I would have rated this one higher but it times the story got a little bogged down with details, especially ones from Bobby's travels.


SPOILER ALERT!!!

The ending really annoyed me...what Bobby decides to do on Ibara was a little selfish. How did he expect Courtney to leave First Earth? What about Siry- he was now stranded somewhere other than the only home he knew.

There are two more books in this series. It is well worth picking up and reading but start at the beginning. I have several boys in my class who also love these books.

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Friday, January 01, 2010

2009 in review

In 2009:
I visited New York City, Panama City Beach (and surrounding areas), Philadelphia, St Louis (twice to see shows)

I saw Mary Poppins on Broadway, the tours of: Rent with Anthony Rapp, Wicked, In the Heights, the concerts of:the Indigo Girls, New Kids on the Block, Jennifer Knapp

I met lots and lots of my favorite authors and actors from my favorite musicals

I learned I am not half bad as a theatre actor and was in two plays

I began voice & piano lessons and realized that I can sing and play the piano (tho not at the same time and I'm better at singing)

I accomplished my goal of reading 100 books

I drove through Nashville & Murfreesboro by myself for the first time

I started working with a college color guard

I lost a friendship

I reconnected with someone

I said goodbye to a man who has known me since birth and who was a very good friend of my parents

I got to teach high school algebra

I had surgery for the first time

I lost a dog and gained a cat


My goals for 2010:
Read more books
meet more people
rid myself of the negative
get healthier (once my foot is healed)
sing in front of people
write my book


(it's nearly 3 am and I have probably forgotten something. I may add more later)

December books, plus everything else


December

City of Bones~
Cassandra Clare
City of Ashes~Cassandra Clare
City of Glass ~Cassandra Clare
The Flying Flea, Callie & Me~Bill & Carol Wallace
The Unwritten Rule~Elizabeth Scott
Suite Scarlett~Maureen Johnson
Scarlett Fever~ Maureen Johnson
Sweep:Book of Shadows~ Cate Tiernan
Sweep: The Coven~Cate Tiernan
Sweep:Blood Witch~Cate Tiernan
The Strange Power~LJ Smith
The Possessed~LJ Smith
The Passion~LJ Smith
Boyology:A Crash Course in all Things Boy~Sarah O'Leary Burningham
Emily the Strange:Seeing is Deceiving~Rob Reger
Rapunzel's Revenge~Shannon & Dean Hale
Alice in Wonderland (play)~adapted by William Glennon(this was actually read in June but was left off the list)



January
The Tales of Beedle the Bard~JK Rowling
Kingdom Keepers:Disney After Dark~Ridley Pearson
Fade to Blue~Sean Beaudoin (not released until Spring 09)
My Sister the Vampire:Switched~Sienna Mercer
My Sister the Vampire:Fangtastic~Sienna Mercer
5
February
Kingdom Keepers:Disney at Dawn~ Ridley Pearson
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl~Barry Lyga
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist~Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Night World vl 1: Secret Vampire
Daughters of Darkness
Spellbinder ~LJ Smith
Zombie Queen on Newbury High ~ Amanda Ashby
Prophecy of the Sisters ~Michelle Zink
13
March
Geektastic ~Edited by Holly Black & Cecil Castellucci
Oh My Goth ~ Gena Showalter
Hunted~PC & Kristen Cast
The Thirteen Treasures~Michelle Harrison (this one of the best written books I've read in a while)
Wit~a play by Margaret Edson
Angus, Thongs, & Full frontal Snogging~Louise Rennison
Twilight Director's Notebook~Catherine Hardwick
20
April
On the Bright Side, I'm now the Girlfriend of a Sex God~Louise Rennison
Cabinet of Wonders~ Marie Rutkoski
Giver~Lois Lowry (read with my class)
Why I Let My Hair Grow Out~Maryrose Wood
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Thing~Carolyn Mackler
Boy Toy~Barry Lyga
13 Little Blue Envelopes~Maureen Johnson
Westing Game~Ellen Raskin (read with class)
North of Beautiful ~Justina Chen Headley
Knocked Out by my Nunga-Nunga~Louise Rennison
30
May
Dancing in my Nuddy-Pants~Louise Rennison
Blue is for Nightmares~Laurie Faria Stolarz
Away Laughing on a Fast Camel~Louise Rennison
To Kill a Mockingbird~ Harper Lee
White is for Magic~Laurie Faria Stolarz
Burned~Ellen Hopkins
Fight Club_Chuck Palahniuk
The Fashion Disaster that Changed my life~Lauren Myracle
38
June
Dead is the New Black~Marlene Perez
The Misfits ~James Howe
The Book of One Hundred Truths~ Julie Schumacher
Then He Ate my Boy Entrancers ~Louise Rennison
Looking for Alaska~ John Green
The Hate List~Jennifer Brown
Magic or Madness~Justine Larbalestier
So you want to be a wizard~Diane Duane
New Moon audiobook~Stephenie Meyer
47
July
Sea Change~ Aimee Friedman
Magic Lessons~Justine Larbalestier
Goth Girl Rising~ Barry Lyga
Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince audiobook~ JK Rowling
Eclipse audiobook~ Stephenie Meyer
Silver is for Secrets ~ Laurie Faria Stolarz
Red is for Remembrance~Laurie Faria Stolarz
Devilish~Maureen Johnson
The Center of the Universe, Yep, That'd be Me ~Anita Liberty
Something to Blog About~Shana Norris
Love is Hell (collection of short stories)~ Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalstier, Gabrielle Zevin, Laurie Faria Stolarz
South Beach ~Aimee Friedman
Re-Vamped!~Sienna Mercer
60
August
Ash~Malinda Lo
Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows audiobook ~JK Rowling
Peace, Love, & Baby Ducks~Lauren Myracle
Startled by his Furry Shorts~Louise Rennison
Love is a Many Torusered Thing~ Louise Rennison
Sabriel~Garth Nix
66
September
Lirael ~ Garth Nix
Magic's Child~Justine Larbalestier
Wintergirls~Laurie Halse Anderson
Surviving the Applewhites~ Stephanie S. Tolan
70
October
Dark Angel~LJ Smith
Time Traveler's Wife~Audrey Niffenegger
Paper Towns~John Green
Dead is a State of Mind~Marlene Perez
Dead is so Last Year~Marlene Perez
Vampalicious~Sienna Mercer
The Chosen~LJ Smith
Soulmates ~LJ Smith
78
November
Tempted~PC & Kristen Cast
Beautiful Creatures~Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Hunger Games~Suzanne Collins
13 Reasons Why~Jay Asher
Will Grayson, Will Grayson~David Levithan & John Green
83