Rapunzel's Diary {excerpt}

April 1, 1506

Dear Diary,

Wow! Only five more days until my birthday day. It's going to be so weird to be eighteen. I've always thought of eighteen to be so far off even now being seventeen. Mother says even though I'll be eighteen I will always be her little girl. Mother is so sweet and I don't mind being little for to her.

~

I look down at the small post and think whether I want to add anything more. Mother's call distracts my attention and I forget about writing more.



April 6, 1506

Dear Diary,

Today is my birthday. Well, today was my birthday. It is already 10 o-clock at night and I am tired from all the good times I have been having. Hm...Were to begin?
Today I am eighteen years old. This morning I woke up and had a wonderful breakfast of blueberry pancakes with maple syrup. Mother used up the last of the apples and I had apple juice for breakfast. Mother also gave my a beautiful dress that was blue with cream lace and stitching. I wish I sketch, then I would draw a picture of it. Alas, sketching is not one of my strong suits.
It seems that even the earth knew it was my birthday for it sent a little stray kitten to me. I named her Snowflake because she is very white and seems as delicate as a snowflake. Although she was scared at first, after some milk and warm bread Snowflake is one of the family. Mother isn't very fond of animals but because it was my birthday and because Snowflake was just too cute Mother said she would think about letting me keep her.
I loved birthdays. Mother said I didn't have to do any chores or wash and set up the tower because it was my birthday. Can't you tell I love birthdays? It's a very fun word to write too. Birthday, birthday, birthday, birthday!
I too tired to write any more. But I promise to finish writing about my birthday tomorrow.
*laugh*
Look at me, promising a diary to come back and write in it. How silly I can be sometimes.

~

A yawn escapes my mouth and I lay me head on the back of my reading chair. A reading chair that can also be used as a writing chair as well.



April 9, 1506

Dear Diary,

Sewing is such a bore. Mother said I need to . . . how did she word it?
I need to "learn the skills of proper lady".
I do love Mother so much and I don't wish to disappoint her. But sewing is another things I am dreadful at. Well, I guess it's not sewing but embroidery. I can sew simple things quite well, and when I do that while Mother reads aloud I have quite a good time. But these embroidery patterns Mother is expecting me to finish are horrifying.
Dear Mother, she always knows how to get me to like something. I have been reading a book about a lady who does stuff like sewing and embroidery. I mentioned to Mother how wonderful it would be to just slip through the pages and enter the characters world. Mother had read the book and thought now would be a perfect time to teach me embroidery.
I would not mind "learning the skills of a proper lady", as long as those skills did not included embroidery.
Remember the bunnies I told you about a month ago. Their fur has come in and they are so cute and fluffy! Two of them are brown with white spots, one of them is all white, and the other two are a mix of brown, white, and black. Their mother looks after them and I'm trying to get her to let me hold and pet them.
I do not think Snowflake has a mother. She is too young to be by herself, or so the science books tell me, and she has spent these three days with me. In fact, she is cuddling next to me on my reading chair right now in the living room.
It is time for lunch and I must go.

Later:

Mother said I could keep Snowflake! I am excited I can scarcely breathe. It's so nice being about to lie on my bed with Snowflake curled up next to me and to know that won't change.
I feel like a heroine in a book with her trusted cat companion and ready for the adventure that awaits. And there will be adventure. Mother said I could explore our back woods as long as I didn't travel to far. I hope I get lost. What fun that would be. I can imagine it now, I'll look around and wonder why it got so dark so fast and then I would know. I was lost. I would hear a noise and get so scared. Snowflake would then come walking out of the woods and with her help I would get safely home. Well, that's what I hope will happen, which is much different then what will most likely happen. But even then I can't wait.

Rapunzel's Diary my 2011 NaNoWriMo novel by Lèrowen

Curse of the Spider King {book reveiw}

About the book:
The Spider King's minions are crossing from Allyra to Earth to hunt for seven unsuspecting thirteen-year-olds who are royalty from a foreign world. Stopped once by an ancient curse the dark forces are determined to finish the job. The Seven's only hope for survival is a remnant of exiled Elves intent on restoring their kingdom - but can they be trusted.

Navigating the tangled web of the Spider King, the teens must make a perilous choice: go to Allyra and face an uncertain destiny or remain on Earth and risk the lives of the ones they love.

My thoughts:
Um...I am a huge fan of Wayne Thomas Batson, but this book didn't meet the expectation I had for it.

Some lines in this book:

"I don't understand," said Thomas, feeling like he might have blown a fuse in his brain.

Such as this ↑, look like they came from an amateur writer. I don't really understand where a sentence like this come from amazing authors such as Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper.

The plot line was cool and I did really like the characters. The suspense was okay, the spiders creeped me out! I thought that the tree creatures were unoriginal, being they make me think of ents from Lord of the Rings.

*spoiler alert*
I thought the main element of the books suspense & plot line was very predictable. I don't understand it, the Spider King is the only one who has the power to shut down the portals that connect the Earth with the Elve world, Allyra. And all of the portals shut down except for one in Scotland, and so all the Elves gathered to that one portal and they seem surprised when an ambush is waiting for them from the Spider King. Maybe it's just me, but I found it somewhat predictable
*spoiler alert ends*

So, as you read, I am unhappy about the book. I think if the authors would have read through it a couple times and edited it, it would be much better. Both of the authors are amazing writers, but I think the book needed a little bit more thought.

page number: 361 pages
genre: children fantasy/ fiction
recommended for ages: 12+
bad stuff: There is a little bit of violence
romance: A very small amount
recommendation: I would have to give this a 3 out of 5.

Do you have any questions? What are your thoughts on this book? I'd love to hear and answer them.

Heir Apparent

First, I'm SO sorry about disappearing for a week. I was over in Portland for Regionals. It was a blast! I had so much fun and met so many new people.

Second, don't be mad at me. I know it's another book review, but my goal is to review half the books I read. And I'm not keeping up with that goal. ;D

Here I present to you the review of 'Heir Apparent' by Vivian Vande Velde:

About the book: In the future video games get WAY cooler. Instead of watching the game on a screen, you are part of the game. You hear the sounds, smell the smells, and feel the annoyance of dieing over and over again. ☺

Giannine Bellisario, the main character, is just a normal girl. But in the video game, heir apparent, she becomes a heir to the thrown. Her goal? To become that heir...without dieing. Sounds easy? It isn't.

What's ever worse, After some weird crazy people come and damage the gaming equipment, Giannine gets stuck in the game. So it's win the game, or start over, and over, and over, and over, and over...

There's just one catch, she has to win before her brain has an over load of video gaming. So it's not just finish, it's finish quickly.

My thoughts:
Not a very original plot, but Vivian is such a great writer. Mind you I would not pick up all of her books, but this one is good.

The characters were well written. I could easily picture them in my mind through out the book. Like I said above, the plot wasn't very original but Vivian has a really good writing style.

I loved the fact that most of the video game characters got to be bad guys one way or another. Giannine approaches the game in so many different ways, it aloud a lot of the characters to change in how they acted.

Page number: 315

Genre: Sci-fiction/Fantasy

Recommend for ages: +14

Bad stuff: Occasional language. One of the characters that pops up, around the end of the book, is dressed REALLY immodestly and uses it to get what she wants. And then some violence. Nothing detailed or gory. But she does get killed, in the game, over and over again.

Romance: None that I can recall.

Recommendation: I would have to give it a three out of five due to things that didn't need to be added to the book.

Vivian has some great books out there, it's just trying to find them. I will be doing a review of one that I whole heartily recommend, 'The Rumpelstiltskin Problem'.

Any comments or questions. I would LOVE to hear or answer them.

The Hobbit

The Hobbit, a story that will continue to go down in history as an enchanting tale. This prequel to 'The Lord of the Rings' is completely amazing!

About: Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarves. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse, unknown dangers. Finally, it is Bilbo-alone and unaided-who has to confront the great dragon Saug, the terror of an entire countryside...
(taken from the back of the book)

Other:
-There is nothing in this book that would prevent me from picking it up. This story was originally told and written for J.R.R. Tolkiens kids, but became a story I think all of us would love.

Have any questions or comments? I would love to answer and hear them.

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Amazing, Delightful, Unforgettable

I can easily describe this book as that. The amazing plot and delightful characters make this book unforgettable.

About: One cruel night, young Meggie's Father, Mo, reads aloud from Inkheart and an evil ruler, named Capricorn, escapes the boundaries of fiction (along with other characters), and lands in their living room. Suddenly, Meggie is smack in the middle of the kind of adventure she has only read about in books.

Somehow, Meggie and Mo must learn to harness the magic that conjured this nightmare. Somehow, they must change the course of the story that has changed their lives forever.

(Taken from the inside cover of the book)

Other:

-This book does have some occasional swear words, but not enough to make this not fun to read.

-One of the side characters in superstitious and continual talks about ghosts and curses.

All in all, this is an wonderful book that is amazingly written. Like I said above, with an amazing plot and delightful (and real) characters.

If you have any questions or comments about the book I'd love to answer and hear them. ☺