City of Lost Souls Countdown-14 days

Hey,

Forgive me for not writing in a while!! I've had SO SO SO many projects/tests and I'm literally drowning in papers! Okay, maybe not. I am literally being destroyed by a binder avalanche!!! That's more like my actual study process. And not to mention getting square eyes from many, many onscreen French edits! But enough of that moaning. On to the real reason for this post. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare (an all-time favourite author of mine) is coming out in 14 short days (if you don't count today, because it's almost over)!! CoLS is the 5th book in her 6-book Mortal Instruments series. She also wrote The Infernal Devices trilogy, two books out of three are already released. Clockwork Angel is the first, Clockwork Prince the second. They're even better than TMI, if you can believe it...in my opinion they are, anyway. And a bonus: you can read them in any order you want!! I read TMI first because I shockingly had not yet heard of The Infernal Devices. What a laugh! Now it (along with many other science fiction/fantasy/steampunk/historical fiction serieses...series...serieseses...whatever) consumes my life! HAHA! Hungry for more TMI/TID? Check out the Shadowhunter Chronicles tab on this website. And hey, if you're already a fan and you want fan art and fan posts and all manner of fun TMI/TID stuffs and you haven't already seen Cassie's tumblr I suggest you take a look-see!
Anyway, CoLS promises to be just amazing. I'm talking spicy romance, shocking betrayal, and lots o' creepy [character name removed to protect others from spoilers if they haven't read up to City of Fallen Angels]!!!
Yaaaaa I'm really excited! Anyone wanting to check out the trailer just has to go right here! Watch at your own risk if you're not at the end of CoFA!!!!!
And now I have a reader challenge.
If you're reading this, post a comment saying your favourite book/book series. The #1 book series recommended (I'm going to have to discount The Hunger Games just because there's no fun if everyone says the same thing, right!? So I guess for some of y'all it's your SECOND favourite book/books series) gets a shoutout in a post on the release date of CoLS!!!!
Get excited and happy commenting!

XOXO
-Iza <3

Edit on July 10th: No comments...sigh...well I'll just have to give my own shootout right now to the Curse Workers series by Holly Black! Yeah!

TRON: Legacy Is Life!

Hey there everybody!

So I'm watching TRON: Legacy right now (that's the new one with Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde) and even though I've seen it several times-including in the theatre, which was epic!-having seen the old TRON movie made it even more awesome!
So back to TRON. Am I the only one who's totally jealous of Olivia Wilde's hair in this movie? Here's a pic for those of you who haven't seen it yet.

I mean, seriously? I'd kill to have that hairstyle. Or even to be able to pull it off as well as she does. And those eyes? Don't get me started. Amazing. As a brunette with brown eyes, I'm ridiculously jealous. And then there's those amazing effects! It's crazy what green-screen can do, huh? I'm watching the train scene and just...having a spaz attack! The CGI is magical. Inspiring!
So basically I'm saying: if you haven't already, watch TRON: Legacy, and also don't forget to watch the old TRON movie, too! It really enhances the experience!
I'd also just like to throw in this last little thing:

Thank-you, thank-you very much.

-Iza

You Don't Even Know How Big I'm Grinning Right Now...#2

Hey there,

SOOOO...I saw the Hunger Games movie on Friday and...ZOMG WAS IT EVER AWESOME!!!!!! I give it 100000000000000000000000000000000000000001 stars, because it was so amazing!!!!!!!!!!!
I loved it so much, and I loved the books, and asjfkldj!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm planning to see it again on the 31st with a good friend who also loved (loves, present tense!) the books, and in fact introduced me to them (big thank-you, you know who you are) last year, and I just can't wait!
Amazing job by the director, and all the actors, and everyone involved. Suzanne Collins, you're a genius, my friend!
Oh, man, I'm barely forming coherent sentences here so you know how excited this made me!!!! I went in the middle of the day and the theatre wasn't too full, so I got a great spot, right in the middle of the middle row, in IMAX!!!!! It was so amazing I was sitting there, pretty much hyperventilating, and I cried and I laughed and I screamed and...just wow. If you've read the books, GO. SEE. THE. MOVIE. I'm telling you, if you're not sold on the movie yet, and you read the trilogy, GO NOW. GO. BUY TICKETS. I'm not kidding. And if you haven't, read them RIGHT NOW and then go see the movie.
It was maybe the most exciting movie experience I've had in my life. I was all decked out in my intense Hunger Games T-shirt and I brought my copy of the book, since I arrived 1 hour early to guarantee good spots.
Well, pardon the super short post but I have to go buy the soundtrack on iTunes.

Bye,
Iza

PS I'm not kidding, go see the movie. Now.

Get Ready, Here It Comes...#1

Heyo!

So, I wanted to let you all know that I just finished the Maximum Ride series (the eighth and final book is released August 6th...!) That's seven books in six days. Whoa. What a ride...(pun intended). Everyone should read this awesome series, definitely in my top 10 ever! When I found out there was a contest to write the last chapter of the last book (not the one that would go in the book, but...still), I got all excited and wanted to enter, I even planned out my chapter. Then, on checking the contest rules, I discovered it wasn't open to Canadians. Which I am. I was very dismayed, and still am, really. Well, their loss, I say! Maybe I'll post mine here someday. In the meantime, enjoy chapter one of my book. It's called Undone and it's going to be part of a larger series, which I plan to call the Hexachronicles. The reason it'd be called that will be revealed in the next book...! (*wink wink*) And my series isn't pro, or going to be published or anything fancy like that. I'm considering self-publishing on Amazon or something, but nothing's for sure. So for now, this is the only place to get it!

Chapter One

Becky tied her dark red hair back in a loose braid and threw in a blue headband. It matched her blue sweatshirt perfectly. As she adjusted the way her dark jeans sat on her hips, her mother called up, “Becky! Your friends are here!” 

“Be right down!” Becky called back, tying her black high-tops tightly. She raced down the stairs noisily, and there in the front hall were her best friends.

Julia and Robert Zambecki were standing side by side, almost identical with their thick blonde hair, dark green eyes and milky pale skin. Becky had known the twins since the three of them had been in pre-school. Next to Julia and Robert was Phoebe MacNeill, who had moved in next door to Becky seven years ago.

Phoebe had shoulder-length dark brown hair and bangs, light blue eyes, and freckles. Phoebe was always smiling, and had laughing eyes. Phoebe was like the anti-Julia. Where Phoebe was fun-loving and active, Julia was brooding and thoughtful. Robert was like both of them rolled into one, quiet and bookish but with a passion for baseball.

“Hey, Becky!” Phoebe grinned and waved. 

“Hi, Becky.” Julia looked at her shoes and brushed hair away from her eyes. Robert just smiled and flashed a hand at Becky.

“Hi, guys!” Becky smiled back. “Well, we’re off, see you!” She addressed her mother now, waving. Mrs. Forresthampton hugged Becky quickly and kissed her forehead.

“Have fun, kids.” Mrs. Forresthampton smiled at the group collectively. “See you at ten-thirty.”

“Okay, Mrs. F.” Robert smiled at Becky’s mother, then shut the door behind him. Becky was zipping up her rain jacket on the porch as Phoebe popped open an umbrella over herself and Julia. Robert just pulled his sweatshirt hood over his head. It was very threatening-dark clouds roiled and thundered above.

Robert fell into step beside Becky. They chatted about school and sports, what courses they were going to take the next year. Behind them, Phoebe and Julia were chatting in the exact same way. Well, Phoebe was. Julia was nodding and throwing in the occasional ‘hm.’ or ‘I see.’ 

Phoebe rushed ahead with Julia, and each of them grabbed a wrist-Julia snagging Becky’s, Phoebe clutching Robert’s. They pulled them underneath the umbrella so they were all four crammed underneath. Phoebe held the handle, and Julia squeezing up against Phoebe’s shoulder. Robert and Becky were squashed together in back.

“Well,” said Robert, his voice tinged with sarcasm. “Isn’t this cozy.”

“Yes, it is indeed.” Phoebe replied brightly, tipping her head back at a neck-snapping angle to flash him a grin.

Robert rolled his eyes. A sharp gust of wind blew the rain harshly against the foursome, and Becky shied away from the edge of the umbrella. Robert shuffled in closer, too, and their sides were pressed together even harder. Becky shivered.

“You cold?” Robert asked, looking down at Becky, who was a head smaller than him. 

“Yeah.” Becky replied, hugging herself tightly. “Freezing.”

“Well, shiver no more!” he proclaimed, putting an arm around Becky. Though his arms offered little protection against the cold, Becky much preferred walking like this than trying to insulate herself using her own arms.

Another heavy sheet of rain pressed in on the four friends. Phoebe grabbed Julia’s arm. “Oh, Julia!” she cried dramatically. “Why did we turn your mother down when she offered to drive us?”

“Because you said it didn’t look too threatening out.” Julia replied snidely, elbowing Phoebe, who freed her arm.

Phoebe made as if to say something, but just succeeded in looking like a fish, opening and closing her mouth soundlessly, indignantly. Julia, Robert, and Becky all laughed loudly, which just made Phoebe even more flustered.

“You three are awful!” Phoebe finally exclaimed, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. A shudder passed through her.

Miraculously, Robert had warmed Becky considerably, so she nestled even closer in the crook of his elbow to glean the most warmth possible. Robert wore a satisfied smile, as if she was warming him as well.

When the movie theatre came in sight, just a block away, Robert detached himself from Becky. Her smile dropped. But soon they’d be in the heated movie theatre watching Terminal Domination IIII. 

They ducked under the marquee reading the title of their movie, Julia shaking and closing the umbrella. Robert stepped up to the ticket booth. “Four for Terminal Domination pl-”

The ticket girl, a tall, black-haired twenty-something with bright green eyes, had pulled out a gun. She cocked the gun, raised it so that Robert was staring right down the barrel.

Well, that's it for now. Suspense...duh duh duh (dramatic music!)

Let me know what you think! 

-Iza

Miscellaneous Music Recommendations

Why hello there!


You'll notice that I've been posting a lot in the last couple of days. Want to know why? 2 words. March. Break. Yes, I'm on March break right now and I have so much free time I don't know what to do with myself. I'm not going anywhere, just spending the break at the ol' homestead...


So today I have a music list for you. Check out these sweet tunes if you have a chance.
I have to credit my cool friend, who shall remain anonymous (you know who you are) for some of these.

Our Song (Goodnight Nurse)

New Divide (Linkin Park)

So Happy (Caroline Catharine)

NOTE: She's not very well-known, but I know

her and she's really good! Go buy her songs on iTunes!

If It Kills Me (Jason Mraz)

Never Let Me Down Again (Depeche Mode)

So that's today's playlist. Happy listening and have a fulfilling day!

Peace out.

-Iza

You Don't Even Know How Big I'm Grinning Right Now...#1

Hey everyone out there in readerland...!

Yes, I know I already posted today but THIS IS BIG NEWS!!!!!!
Unfortunately, I have to do this:

*SPOILER ALERT* for GONE by Michael Grant


Ok, so if you've read GONE, then welcome to the fun times.

I'm going to give you five lines to go away unless you've read to the end of PLAGUE (aka the last book until April 3rd...)




OK, so by now you've either read all four, you don't care, or you do not value your sanity.
So we all know FEAR comes out on April the 3rd...but were you expecting already to be able to see...


THIS?

YES. IT IS THE COVER FOR LIGHT.

And guess who's on the cover. Of course, there's Sam, Mr. Perfect, bla bla bla. I don't like Sam, in case you couldn't tell. And there's also...DIANA. Duh duh duhhh (dramatic music). So I'll let you ruminate on that. Let me know what you think of the cover...and what you think it means will happen in the upcoming FEAR...!

EEEEEEEEEEEE I'm sorry I'm just very excited by this aaaaah!

Okay. Bye.

If you read this far and you're still on HUNGER or whatever, don't say I didn't warn ya!

-Iza

Parry Gripp All The Way!

Readers! Hello!

Sorry it took me so long since I last posted for you guys...if there are any of you, haha! Haven't checked my pageviews yet and truth be told, I'm a little worried to...! So just a few updates before we get to the good stuff! I just started Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment a couple days ago, and I'm totally hooked! In true Isabella fashion, I'm not a huge fan of the main character, Max. A lot of the time, I go more for the underdogs or the main-but-not-as-main-as-the-protagonist characters. Hence my favourite characters from M.R.: Iggy and Fang. Iggy is this adorable guy, I'm guessing around 13 and a bit. Like all the other characters (this is something you should know about them) he has wings, since he was also genetically altered to be 98% human, 2% avian (aka-bird). Iggy's blind, because the people that altered their genetic material tried to surgically enhance his night vision, but only succeeded in permanently blinding him. Fang is this dark, handsome, silent type. He's somewhere between 13 and a half and 14 and a bit. Sidenote: right now, I'm thinking...way to be exact, self. Way to be exact. Anyway, back to Fang! He's the second-oldest (after Max) and he's just all...dark and mysterious. Gotta love him. In fact, I'm hoping that someday I can marry him. Or Iggy. Just saying. Moving on. Here's the fun stuff. Check this guy out on YouTube if you haven't already: Parry Gripp. Oh, my gosh, I am completely obsessed. Yesterday I downloaded, like, 8 tracks to my iTunes and I listened to them all day. Here's a sample:

Spaghetti Cat (I Weep For You) by Parry Gripp

Ah, spaghetti cat. That's a personal favourite of mine. Other tracks to check out:
-Space Unicorn
-Rupert Grint
-Last Train to Awesome Town
-This Is The Best Burrito (I've Ever Eaten)
-This Is My Ringtone

And check them all out at:

The Official Parry Gripp Website!

Anyway, that's my exciting news! Hope you enjoy!

Forever weeping for Spaghetti Cat,
Iza