Legend

Goodreads Synopsis:
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias' death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Legend by Marie Lu

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I really, really like this book! I had a really hard time putting it down. When I read the first few pages, I thought it would be like every other dystopic novel. And some parts of it were. But there were other things about this novel that made it special and captivating. I LOVED that the book was written from both of the main character's perspectives. You really get to know your characters better if you are inside their heads. I really got to understand Day and June from their thoughts of themselves and each other. It definitely helped me develop an attachment to them. I also liked the geography that Marie Lu used. It made it more real to know the location of the action.

I loved the relationship that June had with her brother, Matias. It seemed so unusual for the life that they were leading. Everyone around them seemed so cold and non-family oriented. But these two were very close and Matias really took care of her. It is no wonder she became a rebel with the love of a brother and a dog in her life. That would make anybody turn rogue I think. I hurt with June and with Day and their family tragedies. They all lose so much throughout the progress of the book. It seems like too much for people their age.

That leads me into the one thing I wasn't a huge fan of, and it is such a little thing but it was the age of the main characters. 15! It was hard to get into the romance aspect when I'm thinking about two 15 year old children making out in a dirty alley with mortal wounds covering their bodies. I had a really hard time wrapping my mind around their ages throughout most of the book. Making them 2-3 years older would have made the whole thing much more realistic. From a military point of view, from a romantic point of view...it just would have made more sense.

I'm not sure if this is the beginning of a series or if this is the last we will hear from June and Day, but I enjoyed this work a lot and would recommend it wholeheartedly! Nice job Marie Lu!


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Taps, Sewing Party, and Sexy Saturday

Last night I partook in good ole' American fun by drinking cheap tap beer and watching drunk people sing karaoke. Not all in one bar of course. If you're going to have an effective Friday night, you must experience the sights, smells, and beers of many different bars. I had a great time without getting out of control. I don't recover from the effects of alcohol like I used to so I try to take it easy. This time of year is not ideal for needing an entire weekend to recover from one crazy night. So I was a fairly good girl and woke up this morning feeling just fine. Adrian was a little worse off...skinny kids just can't hold their liquor.

Upon getting out of bed this morning, I realized that I was going to be late for the Dido and Aeneas sewing party! I'm always hesitant to commit to helping with sets and costumes because I really don't have a creative bone in my body when it comes to things like that. I'm in awe of people who can draw and sew and create beauty with their hands. Not so much my thang! But I said I would help anyway. We have a lot of things to do and we're running out of time. So I got to draw straight lines and cut for a few hours. Something even I can't mess up...did I mention that I have a hard time drawing straight lines...and cutting in straight lines...so. . .
Nothing tragic happened and I even felt a little useful. Sewing party success!

SEXY SATURDAY!!!
The object of my admiration this week is Penn Badgley!

Whether he is playing the good guy on Gossip Girl or the good guy in Easy A or the great guy in John Tucker Must Die, I love to ogle his hotness! You don't date Blake Lively by being ugly! He is now rumored to be dating Zoe Kravitz which makes me incredibly jealous. Making him even more hot is the fact that he passed his high school equivalency test at age 14 and started going to college. Also, he likes to sing and plays the guitar. I haven't stumbled upon a piece of information about him that doesn't make him all the more desirable. Blake Lively cheating on him with Ryan Gosling even adds to his appeal. He can be my good guy next door any time he wants. ;)

Hearing, Samcat, and Thespian Thursday

My hearing is over! Dr. Gesteland says that she can't imagine that I'll fail. Dr. Hendrickson was out of town so he'll have to review the video and get back to me next week. It didn't go as well as I wanted it to, but it was alright. I'm finally starting to feel confident about this recital. I still have A LOT of work to do, but I'm not ripping my hair out over it anymore. Everything is falling into place! My mother picked up my gowns...which are absolutely gorgeous. I can't wait to put them on and strut my stuff. I'm going gown shopping with Kuschel in the morning. I'm hoping we find her something really gorgeous. I'm determined! She will be the sexiest diva in town on April 22nd. No competition! :)

Samcat had her surgery today. I was pretty nervous but she seems okay. She was crazy hyper when I got her home, but she has mellowed out now. She has been eating like a horse! The bad news about that is she needs to lose almost 2 lbs. She has become a tubby little girl. She always be my perfect angel, but the vet says she needs to stay under 10 lbs. So as soon as she is feeling better, it's diet time for Samcat! She isn't going to like it. Lily and Lola are going to hate it a lot. If Samcat diets, Lily and Lola diet. It is about to get interesting around the Ries-Edwards household.

THESPIAN THURSDAY!!!
So! This is the first Thursday that I've blogged since I started the themed days. Thursdays we shall talk about BROADWAY!! It brings out the geek in me a bit, but I think it will be fun. Today we will pay homage to my 1 follower's favorite: Les Miserables.

This musical is so dynamic and so moving. I went and saw it in Minneapolis with Phil and Adrian last semester and it was an amazing experience. You can find the full synopsis on the fan site www.lesmis.com. Check it out!!! My favorite song is One Day More. It gives me chills and makes me cry and turns me into the epitome of a weeping female. You can listen to that at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0eRWvDu5WY. Check that out too!!! If ever given a chance to see this musical...always go. It is the best advice I can give myself and the four other people who read this blog. GO! With those words of wisdom, I go to bed. Nighty night!!

NATS, Recital Hearing, and Witty Wednesday

Been a while! I spent last weekend in Aberdeen. Not my idea of a good time but I was there for a competition. I didn't do as well as I wanted to in the classical division but I got 3rd place in the musical theater division.

I'm so uncomfortable with that kind of music that I am just floored by the results. I wish I could have sung better in the finals round, but it turned out all right! USD did really well in the competition. Three 1st place, eight 2nd place, and one third place. Not too shabby!I got to talk to Dr. Bultema a little bit and it made me realize how much I miss her. I've come so far as a musician with Dr. Gesteland and don't regret the transfer at all. But I do miss the faculty at Northern. They are just amazing people. Dr. Bultema and I discussed having coffee sometime this summer and I really hope that happens. It would be nice to catch up.

Tomorrow is the hearing for my senior recital. In this process, I present my program and poster for the recital and the voice faculty pick pieces that they want to hear. I have to prove that I'm sufficiently prepared for my quickly approaching doom...I mean recital. I have to say...I'm not feeling very confident.

It seems like at least one piece in each of my sets is incomplete. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow morning and afternoon to get ready. I'm crossing every part of my anatomy and begging the universe to let this go well. If you don't pass your hearing, you have to reschedule another hearing and/or move your recital. This isn't really an option for me because there is absolutely no time. Also, my family has already made hotel reservations and are planning to be here that weekend. I've dropped the ball and now I need to work well under pressure and pull some beautiful music out of you-know-where. I mean...nbd! I'm sure it will be fine...or I'll throw myself off of a high up structure. It will be great...or else...

Samcat is going back to the vet tomorrow to get her tooth pulled. I'm so sad for my hurting kitty. She has been really needy this week. You can tell she is in pain. She's grumpy and just wants to be held. It isn't like her and I just want her to feel better. Hopefully after that nasty tooth is out she'll be a brand new Samcat. I'm going to be a wreck for so many reasons tomorrow!

WITTY WEDNESDAY!!!
"If everything is under control, you are going too slow."
- Mario Andretti

Bleed for Me

Goodreads Synopsis:
A teenage girl--Sienna, a troubled friend of his daughter--comes to Joe O'Loughlin's door one night. She is terrorized, incoherent-and covered in blood.
The police find Sienna's father, a celebrated former cop, murdered in the home he shared with Sienna. Tests confirm that it's his blood on Sienna. She says she remembers nothing.
Joe O'Loughlin is a psychologist with troubles of his own. His marriage is coming to an end and his daughter will barely speak to him. He tries to help Sienna, hoping that if he succeeds it will win back his daughter's affection. But Sienna is unreachable, unable to mourn her father's death or to explain it.
Investigators take aim at Sienna. O'Loughlin senses something different is happening, something subterranean and terrifying to Sienna. It may be something in her mind. Or it may be something real. Someone real. Someone capable of the most grim and gruesome murder, and willing to kill again if anyone gets too close.

Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was my first experience with Michael Robotham and I will definitely be coming back for more! I really enjoyed the detail that he put into everything. He really put us inside the head of the main character. I felt all of the things that he felt for the people around him. The imagery was flawless and I was really invested in the story. He revealed the plot twists slowly and dramatically. I was riveted by how I was still surprised by things up to the very end. In most murder-mysteries, I figure it all out right away and then spend my time proving myself right. It wasn't that way at all in this case. The ways that people were connected was meticulously thought out by the author in a way that wouldn't give it all away. It made you really emotional from many different perspectives. Can't get much better than that!



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Samcat, Girl's Night, and Witty Wednesday

Pardon this entire blog because the crazy cat lady in me is about to come out with a vengeance! Samcat is sick! She started drooling profusely at around 12:30 this morning. At around 1:51 I had panicked enough to call the emergency veterinarian in Sioux Falls. After I described her symptoms, they told me that they thought she either had a bad tooth or was nauseous. They said they didn't think it was an emergency and told me to take her in later. In the meantime, she was drooling all over me. It was gross but she looked so sad that I couldn't possibly turn her away. She laid on my chest for the majority of the night and she was just miserable. Her breathing was labored and she had to constantly swallow as her mouth continued to fill with saliva. At 7:25, I couldn't take it anymore. I called my mom at work and she told me to call our vet in Aberdeen. The vet in Aberdeen said that is sounded like a bad tooth and told me to take her in. I drove Adrian to work and was waiting at Cedar Country Veterinary Clinic when it opened at 8:00. They took her and I very reluctantly left. I was worried about her all day. I had been crying, I was rather cranky, I was really unfocused. I just wanted my kitty to be okay.

I finally got tired of waiting and called them at 1:30 this afternoon. They told me she was done and I could pick her up whenever. I went back to the clinic at 4:00 to find out what had gone wrong with my cat. Her blood work came back okay. They said that she' about a pound overweight. Then they told me that she has an abscessed molar. She has been put on antibiotics to try to kick the infection but she has to go back in next Thursday to have her teeth cleaned. They are going to look at the molar again at that time and determine if it needs to be pulled. In the meantime, she is still very sad. She has been moping around the house since I brought her back. The drooling has continued and so has her need to be on my chest. I'm feeling really badly for my Samcat and I hope she feels better soon!

Tonight was girls night. Jordyn, Hannah, Ashley, and I hung out for a while. Ashley had to study so she left after a bit. Jordyn, Hannah, and I watched John Tucker Must Die and giggled about silly girl things. I find these nights so refreshing. It is so nice to just be able to giggle and talk about boys. It takes me back to yesteryear in the best way possible. I think things like this keep me young. Adrian got off of work and got to hang out with the girls for a while. He didn't seem to mind. I'm sure he was trying to figure out the age-old mystery of the female mind. He can't have had much luck...we're an unsolvable mystery. :)

WITTY WEDNESDAY!!!
Because I'm still very stressed out about Samcat, I'll end the evening with the following:
"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."
~Anatole France

Singing and Movie Monday

This was a good day! I had my most productive practice session since January. It felt so good to be in control of my own voice again. No sore throat, no stuffy nose, no itchy eyes...it was beautiful! It still isn't great, but I'm hoping that every day will be better. I might stand a chance at NATS after all.

We started singing through the chorus music for Dido today. There is much more chorus work than I thought. I'm not singing in the chorus but Dr. Holdhusen asked me to sit in and learn with the choir anyway. I don't really mind too much. As my recital gets closer I'll want more time to focus, but for now it isn't hurting me any. We've also been doing acting exercises during opera workshop. Those have been lots of fun. Dr. Gesteland still teaches me something new every time I work with her. I will miss taking lessons with her. I can only hope that I find another teacher that can guide me as well as she has.

MOVIE MONDAY!!!
So today isn't about a movie really. I want to talk about a new television series called Game of Thrones.

Adrian bought the first season of the series and we've been slowing making our way through them. They are extremely violent, pornographic, and rather vile. But for some reason I can't stop watching. The things that happen on this show are just disgusting! All they do is kill each other. It is like watching a train wreck...over and over again. I find myself repulsed 85% of the time. But still I sit with my eyes wide and my stomach churning. Every now and again I tell Adrian that I don't want to watch anymore, but I don't do anything to remove myself from the situation. My obsessed revulsion of this show is reminiscent of the feelings I had for a little show called Barney. No matter how much that dopey dinosaur creeped me out, I kept watching. So that's how it is. Barney and Game of Thrones are pretty much the same thing. Viewers Beware!