Nostalgia is a funny thing, isn’t it?

Lately, I’ve been looking through pictures on weheartit, reliving memories and such. It makes me think of the first time I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone or when I picked up my first camera. I miss those days when I was little and could blame everything on the fact that I didn’t know, or no one told me not to do it.

We all grow up a little bit too fast, don’t we? Either we’re forced to, or we believe it’ll solve all of our problems. It really doesn’t though. Just because we grew up doesn’t mean everyone else did. It doesn’t mean life will make sense, and everything will be perfect. It just means we’re stuck wishing we could go back a little bit more than before.

What is this nonsense rambling about? It’s just my way of saying to take your time. Be wild and free, laugh more than you should, and just let yourself live. The other day, I went to the mall with my friends, and we did the things regular people didn’t. We went in this Hurricane Simulator, took our picture in a cardboard cutout and just had fun. It was the happiest I’ve been in awhile.

People tell you to grow up, but then they’re saying how you shouldn’t rush these things. Life gives you so many years. Do you really want to spend more of them being mature and grown-up? Or would you rather build one more fort out of blankets and pillows? (And by the way, the picture below is just an example that I found funny)

Breaking Dawn :]

So, I went tonight to see the fourth Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn. I was expecting a lot of different things, but when it comes down to it, I was impressed. It was definitely the best film of the series, in my opinion.

I’m not the biggest fan of Kristen Stewart (Sorry!) but I think she did a decent job. The make-up artists and special-effects people did a magnificent job, too! Everything looked so real and not edited. The only down fall was that Taylor Lautner was shirtless for less than a minute in the whole two hours. I was expecting a bit more in that department.

The actors were all good, and I loved the way they tied everything in. Of course, parts were left out or skipped over. Reneesme was shown in such a detailed way. . . I love Jacob’s imprint!!! Yeah, it’s disturbing, but the way they show it in the movie, it makes sense.

Over all, I’m giving this movie 4 out of 5 stars. Mainly, it was a good movie, but a bit too graphic for my taste. If you’re squeamish about blood or the sound of breaking bones, make sure you have someone with you to shield yourself with in the last ten minutes of the movie.

Coincidence that as I type this the Breaking Dawn trailer is on my TV? Oh, how funny. Well, I recommend that you go see the movie, because I have no idea what I’m going to do until November for part two!

Tumblr, my friends?

So, today I was talking to a friend of mine and she told me that she has a Tumblr that she loves. I started thinking about my lonesome Tumblr account that I made months ago. I’m going to try it out and see how it goes. Honestly, I’ll probably come back to blogspot in less than a week because I already have my followers and I know how to operate this site a lot better.

Do any of you have a Tumblr? Would you follow me if I switched? (Don’t worry, I won’t judge you if you say no)

Otherwise, have fun with November, guys! NaNoWriMo has begun and is in full speed. I just wanted to post and let you know about my Tumblr experiment and get feedback

‘Mazin Music Sundays!! :D

Yeah, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? While I battle the cold and too-soon snow, I get to bundle up inside and watch Once Upon a Time, on ABC. It’s really a great show; you should check it out if you haven’t already.

Anyway, I’m here to post some music for all of you. It’s an older song by All Time Low, but it has a good beat. The lyrics sound mean, in a way, but I think it’s something people can relate to.

You probably think I’m crazy . . . well, happy Halloween everyone!

 

Surprised I Haven’t Posted About It, Yet?

Yeah, me too. Honestly, I’m a little shocked, if I do say so myself. What is she rambling about, you may be asking. Well, NaNoWriMo, of course! If you don’t know what National Novel Writing Month, here’s a cute little comic that will explain while I sigh and rub my temples at your lack of needed knowledge.

I wish I had great friends like that. I mean, my friends are great. Probably some of the best friends out there, but they just don’t have that ‘let’s drop everything and lock ourselves in a room with only a laptop and a pack of saltines for a month’ kind of attitude I’m prepared to take on full-heartedly. Of course, I have high school honor classes, numerous family functions and other random nonsense activities, but I’m willing to try this NaNo ride again.

Last year was not successful for me at all. I was so fed up with the book I was writing that I gave up on it. (Shh, don’t tell anyone!) What are some things I learned about NaNo? Well, here are five tips from little ol’ me.

1. You need to write a story you like. It can’t be an off-the-wall idea you thought of at midnight on Halloween. You have to really believe in your story and trust that it’ll go far. You and your novel need to be connected!

2. Rid yourself of drama this week. Last year, November was filled with drama for me. I lost my lifelong friend to the popular girls, and it ended with an explosion that could rival The Final Battle of Harry Potter. So, this week, get the drama out and over with. Don’t let it boil till mid-November. It’s better to fix things now, instead of later. (I’ve realized if you leave your characters alone for too long, they’ll do naughty things with each other, then argue and complain before resorting to cannibalism.)

3. Stock up on good snacks. Really, who doesn’t like to munch while they’re thinking? My personal favorites are Goldfish, Kellogg Fruit Crisps, and soft pretzels (preferably from Philly’s Pretzels, but any are good!). Great drinks to wash down all that salt? Arnold Palmer’s Half Lemonade and Half Iced Tea from your nearest Wawa or old-fashioned Stewart’s root beer.

4. Throw all editing techniques out the window. Go right now and open your window and toss out all the knowledge of commas, semicolons, and adjective usage. Make sure it lands somewhere comfy, though, because you’ll need it for December, when you’re clawing at your eyes over what you’ve written.

5. Make a playlist of your favorite songs. Let the music be your literal soundtrack for the next month. No need to listen to the washer running or the telephone ringing upstairs (leave it, Sally’s saving the world right now. She wouldn’t stop for a telemarketer.) Music makes me feel happy and energetic. If you don’t have an iPod, use the program ‘Spotify’. It’s so great! I’m using it right now actually . . .

 

What else can you do? Go online and look up ‘write or die’! Better yet, I’ll give you a link: http://writeordie.com/

On the right-hand column, you’ll see a little box where you can enter info such as a word goal, grace period, etc. It’s a program that lets you type, but if you stop, noises and alarms go off. I find it helpful, especially for English essays.

Until November starts, we have a few days. To get prepared, use these sites/forms:

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/10/nano-prep-planning-your-novels.html

http://vampisthenewblack.wordpress.com/2011/09/02/planning-for-nano-11/

http://novelnovice.com/2011/10/25/nanowrimo-prep-week-4-make-a-plan/

 

I wish you all good luck on this NaNo journey! I’ll try and post again before November, but once NaNo starts, I’ll either be too busy to write or you’ll be too busy to read my useless posts of rambling.   Talk to you all again soon!

The Son of Neptune

I promised a review, didn’t I? Well, here it is! My book review for the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. Enjoy!

Title: The Son of Neptune

Summary:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.
Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name.Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth
Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over he mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk.
Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

 
Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes od Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

Stars: 5

Rate: 9.5

Pros: Well, I love Greek mythology. It’s just so interesting and exciting. There are so many back-stories and secret tales. Rick Riordan crafts such a unique blend of the mortal world and both Roman and Greek mythology. The characters in this novel really come to life, and I love how Riordan didn’t wait on the romance this time around. I love a little bit of romance mixed in, if it’s done right, and here, it definitely was.

Cons: It ended! I have to wait another year for the next book. Realistic cons? I think Riordan did open up a lot of loose ends that he left opened. Of course, there’s another sequel, so I can’t be too picky.

Overall Recommendation: This book was well-written and it reminded me why I love Rick Riordan’s books so much! If you like mythology or have read any of the Percy Jackson books, you’ll love this series. It’s got the components of Percy’s series – including him! – with more added to flesh it out.

I know I’ll be buying the next book as soon as it comes out. Here’s a little bit of the prophecy from ‘The Son of Neptune’ about the third book, ‘The Mark of Athena’.

Wisdom's daughter walks alone,

The mark of Athena burns through Rome.