Autumn

A couple weeks ago, my sister and I took a walk around the neighborhood and snapped a couple pictures of the autumn leaves before they fell. Maya's posted a couple up already; here are some more:

The Lost Hero

by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero is the first book in the Heroes of Olympus series, which is the successor to the wildly popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. In The Lost Hero, we get to see new demigods as well as old. Percy, Annabeth, and their friends are still in the series and play major roles, but we have new main characters: Jason, Piper, and Leo (all demigods). And they have major obstacles coming ahead - an ancient enemy worse than Kronos is rising, and bringing the dead and all kinds of monsters with her.

The Lost Hero, although it didn't quite match up to the previous Percy Jackson books, was still a good beginning to the series. Riordan has made several huge leaps in his story, and although I'm not too fond of them, they did keep me entertained. The writing was just as good as usual - the humor felt a little forced, but I'm putting that down to the new narrators, who are a lot more flawed (and a bit more annoying) than Percy. There were a lot of twists in the book, and the ending was a depressing cliffhanger that will probably make everyone go, "What??? Noooo!!!"

It probably sounds like I didn't like the book very much, because I'm pointing out all its problems, but I really did enjoy it. I can't wait for the second book and if you're a Percy Jackson fan as well, this is a must-read.

CSN Stores Giveaway!

You've probably heard me mention CSN Stores before in previous posts - it's an online store that sells almost everything! Contemporary coffee tables, handbags, artwork... you name it, they've got it. A few months ago, I got the opportunity to review a few CSN products. Now, as a CSN Preferred Blogger, I was given the opportunity to host a giveaway!

So here's how it goes:

• One person will win a $45 gift certificate to use at any of the CSN stores.
• Open to everyone *eta: Open only to US and Canadian residents (and gift card won't cover international fees to Canada) ... sorry for the mess up!
• Giveaway ends on Saturday, November 20th, 2010.

Since this is my first time hosting a giveaway, I've decided to keep it really simple - there won't be any extra entries or anything. To enter, please fill out the form below. A winner will be randomly selected after the 20th.

Boo!

(Image credit)

Happy Halloween!

Hello again

I'm so sorry for not posting in so long! October was a very hectic month for me, especially since I was preparing for a Level 8 piano exam (which I took yesterday). Things are calming down now and I should be back to regular blogging in a few days!

On another note, a friend and I were doing Indian art (Rangoli) demonstrations at the Seattle Art Museum (SAM) last weekend! It was a fun experience and we got to see the Pablo Picasso exhibit which is on display at SAM as well.

The art of Rangoli is an old and important tradition in India. The word “Rangoli,” which signifies colorful art in Sanskrit, refers to a drawing, pattern, or arrangement made on the floor. Traditionally, Rangoli is drawn in front of houses and front doorways, usually on religious festivals and occasions. However, more recently, Rangoli has also been drawn during birthday celebrations, weddings, and more. In certain parts of India, especially South India, drawing Rangoli is a daily practice.The main purposes of Rangoli are for decoration, to welcome guests, and to bring good luck.

If you're interested, here are some pictures from the event (all taken by my friend's mom):

My Rangoli design (done with flowers) :

My friend's design (done with lentils and colored rice) :

Interview with Janet Lee Carey

Yesterday, I reviewed The Dragons of Noor by Janet Lee Carey. Today, Janet kindly consented to answer a few of my questions, so here she is!

In The Dragons of Noor, we get to see more of the amazing cultures and landscapes of Noor and Oth. How did you come up with such diverse and fascinating worlds? How did you create their language?

As a fantasy writer I’m always aware that I’m working within an ancient storytelling tradition. Many of us write of wild woods, strange creatures, fairy folk, and dragons. The challenge is to bring freshness to each new tale. World Building happens through a process of daydreaming and determined exploration. I put myself into the story; walk in it and through it as any explorer does. The world comes alive as I enter with my senses open. The practical side of World Building comes later as I try and create a consistent, vivid world. However, I’m keenly aware that the world doesn’t have to make complete rational sense. Our natural world is wild. Not perfect or neat. A perfect world is a sterile one. The worlds that evolve in my stories have to feel real.

You asked how I create the languages. I’m a very auditory writer. Language is music. In the beginning I hear the new words as a kind of music and spell them as I hear them. Language building like world building is a very slow process. I hope readers will enjoy writing messages using the Othic Alphabet in the back of the book. The letters correspond with our own so you can write coded messages in it.

Were any parts of the story based on old stories or myths?

The World Tree is an symbol used in many cultures and traditions such as Yggdrasil from Norse Mythology. You can see an illustration of Yggdrasil on this website [or on the right here]. Other Indo-European traditions and Native American tales feature a World Tree.

In the Noor books the World Tree, Kwen-Arnun, has its own cosmology. Kwen-Arnun is both male and female. In the second age a great quake shook NoorOth breaking Kwen-Arnun in two and splitting the worlds apart. The damage caused by the broken tree and the separation of the two worlds sets up The Dragons of Noor.

What is your writing process?

I do a lot of daydreaming before I ever go to the page. Once the story idea is strong and the characters are facing trouble, I dive in to see how they’ll handle it. I already knew Miles, Hanna, and Taunier from The Beast of Noor. This adventure had to challenge each of them in a new way. Once the first draft is finished, I circle back and read it to see what’s missing and what’s needed to strengthen the story. Later when I’m working with my editor, I rewrite it numerous times adding new scenes and cutting scenes (and characters) that no longer fit. I don’t toss out the cut scenes. An entire scene sequence from The Dragons of Noor ended up in another novel.

Which character do you relate to the most?

I’m close to Hanna. I felt unsure of myself growing up and somewhat out of place. Hanna is reluctant to take on a leadership role in this novel, but she’s challenged to do just that. She steps into her power. I learned something about how to step into my own power through her.

What was the most fun part of the book to write? What was the hardest part?

I loved writing the early scenes when the ancient forest is toppling down. I wrote those chapters in the hospital while my son was having surgery – they took me away from the hospital setting and the story seemed to echo in those places. Later I loved writing the scenes with the Dragon Queen who is powerful, frightening, and driven to do what she has to do to save her dragon pack.

You often do some kind of outreach along with a book launch. What are you doing for The Dragons of Noor?

Loss of the ancient trees is central to the book, so I looked for just the right charitable organization to celebrate the launch. I found a perfect fit with The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees.

Plant a Billion Trees' goal is to restore one billion native trees to Brazil's highly endangered Atlantic Forest over the next 7 years. “Tropical forests are the lungs of the earth, filtering out ten million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere every year. Every day these valuable trees help reduce global warming.”

Readers who want to help restore the forest can check out the “Giving Back” page on my campaign page.

What can readers expect from you next?

I’m working on the sequel to Dragon’s Keep. In this medieval tale, currently titled Tess of Dragonswood, an abused girl charged with witchcraft escapes in leper’s garb and challenges powerful fey magic to craft life and love on her own terms. We’re in the final revision stages now and hope to see it hit the shelves in fall 2011.

Thank you so much for the interview, Janet!

For anyone in the Seattle/Kirkland area, Janet's launch party for The Dragons of Noor will take place at Parkplace Books in Kirkland on Saturday, October 23rd, from 7-9 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend!

The Dragons of Noor

by Janet Lee Carey

The old and ancient trees of Noor are dying, and the worlds of Noor and Oth are slowly tearing apart. Magic has started to disappear from Noor, and a mysterious and fierce wind has been picking up young children and carrying them away. Miles, his sister Hanna, and his friend Taunier, determined to find out what's going on and save Noor and Oth, travel to the forests of Jarrosh. There, they find the exiled dragons, who aid them in their quest to preserve the trees and "break beyond the boundaries of self to discover the ancient magic joining all to all."

The Dragons of Noor was one of the best books I've read this year. What I love about Janet Lee Carey's writing, and this series in particular, are the imaginative and fantastical worlds that the reader is introduced to. In this book, we get to see more of Noor and Oth as well as explore the ancient history between the two. The scenes are so magically and culturally rich, with original creatures and foreign words, songs, and customs.

The characters really developed a lot in this book as well. The dragons were amazing and so much fun to read about! I also enjoyed learning more about Miles, Hanna, and Taunier, especially the hidden powers they possess. I never found any of the characters annoying or unlikeable at all.

Janet is an absolute genius for coming up with such lovely ideas! The Dragons of Noor is such a unique and pleasurable read, and I strongly encourage everyone to run to the bookstore and get a copy NOW.

P.S. And that is one of the best covers I've seen so far. :-)

(Copy provided by publisher.)

Paranormalcy

by Kiersten White

Paranormalcy is not your typical paranormal book - it's wayyy more creative and original. I'd seen nothing but good reviews for this book, so I decided to try it out. My opinion? I loved all of the characters as well as the overall concept behind it. The only thing I didn't like was the plot. Paranormalcy didn't seem to really have a strong story line, and I felt that nothing really happened by the end. A lot of the events that occurred were kind of random and I was a bit dissatisfied at the end.

It was still an entertaining book, but not as great as I'd expected it to be. I would still recommend it though, and I will definitely check out future books by this author.

Autumn

(photo credit)

This year's autumn leaves

glow like winter candlelight,

still warm from the forge.

Happy October!

(Poetry Friday roundup here.)

Mackenzie Blue: Friends Forever?

by Tina Wells

In the third installment of the Mackenzie Blue series, Zee and her friends are off for their school's annual camping field trip, where they have to spend a week in the wilderness. Zee is super excited when her best friend from Paris, Ally, joins the trip while visiting. But things aren't going as smoothly as Zee hoped for - her friends are acting weird, a mysterious Mountain Man is prowling around their cabins at night, and more!

Mackenzie Blue: Friends Forever? was certainly as cute as its predecessors, but it wasn't my favorite. Zee definitely grows a lot in this book, and it was interesting to see her relationships with her friends change, but some of the situations were just too unrealistic and shallow for me to sympathize and relate with. However, it was still an entertaining read that elementary and middle school kids are sure to enjoy!

P.S. Yesterday was my sister Maya's 13th birthday. She wasn't feeling well and had a nasty fever, so she didn't have a very good birthday. If you could please head over to her blog and leave a birthday greeting or comment, that would be much appreciated! Thank you!

Rereading

Rereading The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. This is one of my favorite quotes:

"There was a lull in conversation, and in the quiet, someone from a side table addressed the king. 'Your Majesty,' he asked innocently, 'is it true that your cousins once held you down in a water cache?' ...'Is it also true that they wouldn't let you out until you agreed to repeat insults about your own family?'...

"The king shrugged his shoulders slightly and said, 'I could send you to ask them.'

"The man laughed. His laughter was edged with contempt. 'It would be a long trip, Your Majesty. I would so much rather hear the answer from you.'

"'Oh, the trip would be quicker than you think,' said the king, pleasantly. 'Most of my male cousins are dead.'"

I'd forgotten how funny this book was!

TEDxRedmond

I'm going to link to Maya's post here because I think she said it beautifully: TEDxRedmond last night was such a successful event - fun and inspiring for everyone! The theme was "Power to the Students!" and we had an amazing lineup of speakers and performers (all kids!) share their ideas and experiences at the event.

I was one of the speakers (the first one, in fact) and it was a wonderful experience - the other speakers and the whole audience were so supportive! It was so weird when during every break, I was called for interviews. I definitely was not expecting that! It was awesome when some kids asked me for my autograph though. And a few people Tweeted about my speech! :P

As one of the event organizers as well, it was relieving to see the event pulled off so successfully and professionally without any glitches. I think there will be videos of the event up soon - for those who didn't attend, I think everyone (students, teachers, parents, and more) can get something out of this conference by watching the talks online.

I think this event really proved to people how much potential kids have. The whole event was planned solely by kids (although we did need a little adult help for sponsorship, etc.), and when we see what amazing things all the speakers and performers were able to accomplish, it's very empowering and inspiring.

Here are a couple pictures to leave you with:

Maya and I standing next to a piece of the Berlin Wall, housed in the Microsoft Convention Center:

From left to right: Me, Jordan Romero (currently the youngest person to climb Mt. Everest!), Maya, and Zoe Sprankle (one of the performers at TEDxRedmond who has an amazing voice!)

Book suggestions, please?

Does anyone know of a good historical fiction novel set in Europe sometime during the Renaissance Period? Preferrably one that's not extremely long or difficult to read, and the more exciting, the better.

Thanks!

September at Readergirlz

This month at readergirlz, we're going to be discussing Suite Scarlett and Scarlett Fever (see my review here) by Maureen Johnson over at the blog. These books are hilarious, and Maureen is super funny and entertaining as well, so it's going to be a fun month! Come on over and join in the discussions!

Backyard

Summer is basically over here (it's cloudy and starting to rain), but our roses and some of our other flowers are still in bloom:

This last photo was taken two months ago, when we still had pretty sunsets: