House of Night

Today, I want to tell you guys a little about one of my favorite series of all time, the House of Night (HON) series by the mother/daughter team P.C. and Kristen Cast. Don't be deterred when I say that it's about vampires, this is a more traditional vampire than those brought to life by Stephanie Myer, though they are different.

The first book, Marked, starts off when our main character Zoey Montgomery is Marked by a Tracker during the school day. Zoey now has to move in to her resident House of Night (basically a boarding school for fledglings) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Finding this out, there is some trouble at home with her mom, Linda, and step-loser, John. Soon enough, Zoey moves into her new home for the next three years, that is, if she's lucky. There's more to every story than what is seen at first glance, Zoey is different, just how different I'll let you decide.

Please take this advice and at least look at Marked, I promise that you'll be hooked by the first page, if not the first sentence of this best-selling series of nine and counting. So far, there are (in order) Marked, Betrayed, Chosen, Untamed, Hunted, Tempted, Burned, Awakened, and Destined. If you give them a chance, I'm sure you will fall in love with them just like I have.

P.S. be sure to check them out at http://www.houseofnightseries.com/ :)

Thanksgiving-What I'm Thankful For

As thanksgiving is coming up, I want to make a list of the things that I'm thankful for.

I'm thankful for my family, because though it may not seem like it at certain times, they are always there for me. My sisters may be a pain all some of the time, but I can't imagine what my life would be like without them. My bunny, Sugar, can be insane and more than a little annoying but he's always there to snuggle with me when I've had a bad day. My parents, as hard as it is to believe sometimes, love me and will always be there for me so I'm thankful for them.

My friends, though family and friends might be generic things to be thankful for, I think I might have the best there are. My best friends always know when something is wrong with me, sometimes even before I do, and whenever it is, wherever they are they always take time to talk to me. They have been with me through the thick and thin, and I'm the person I am today because they've been there with me every step of the way.

Now it may seem strange, but I'm grateful for my books and my music. If I didn't have my books, I don't know what I'd do, they let me get away from my life, even if it's just for an hour or two. My music just lets me let loose and forget what's going on for a moment, even if it's through singing loudly and dancing badly. If I didn't have books or music, I don't know who I would be.

Other than some of the more personal things that I'm thankful for, I'm also grateful for our troops fighting for us overseas, the U.S.A. has them to thank for our safety. For the scientists working on curing the diseases that we are fighting everyday, we would lose if it wasn't for them. Above all else, I'm thankful that I'm alive and able to share all of this with you. :)

Vladimir Tod

I've recently started reading the Vladimir Tod series, which I have been meaning to read for several months. I'm happy to say that I'm now hooked on them! Heather Brewer is not only an amazing author, but has a great sense of humor. I found myself laughing out loud while reading! With all the vampire books coming out lately, it's always a struggle to find some that are truly well written and keep mostly to the traditional vampire myths. Though they do stray from a few things that you may find in Dracula, it sticks to the myths better than Twilight (not that Stephanie Myer isn't a good author!). I'm currently trying to find a copy of the third, having finished the first two in no less than three days! The Vladimir Tod series get a 9/10 from me <3