Yes, you read that correctly. I’m only half-way through Divergent, but I feel I need to review it so far. I’ve read a lot of YA Dystopian novels ever since my Barnes&Noble insider turned me on to The Hunger Games in 2009 — Matched, The Maze Runner, Delirium… And of course nothing really compares to The Hunger Games in my mind, but each of these stand alone in their own right. Since last year, I’ve seen several author friends of mine recommend Divergent and even say it is better than The Hunger Games (gasp!). Here is the premise of Divergent: “In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five...
Spurring Discussions: Posting/Promoting Photos
I found this yesterday on Facebook: The comment I circled hit me. To me, this is similar to the argument about not posting pictures of people riding bikes without helmets (at the risk of influencing children, etc…) But my other immediate thought is that most newbie riders, getting on a horse, are not going to be in a hurry to rear up and replicate this image. Many first-timers are terrified. Another commenter later on commented also how bad rearing like this is for the horse in general. I know how I really feel about this, but I thought this could “spur” a great discussion. (Pun intended.) So… Should these sorts of photos...
The power of black ink and a red pen
Update #348 on my quest for publication: I’m still working hard at it! I love family get-togethers, but I hate two questions I always get. #1 – When are you going to have children!? (I’ve only been married for three years. Give me a little more time.) #2 – Do you have that book published yet? For #2 – if I had my book published, trust me, the world would know. Every family member will definitely know. 🙂 Rest assured. But here is the latest: I’m smack-dab in the middle of editing my book. I’ve gone through the printed manuscript (360 whopping pages, double-spaced) with my beloved red pen and...
All for the sake of a pretty picture
I’ve been more camera-happy than normal lately. Perhaps because there are a few signs of springs now and I’m desperate for it! That said, I’m notoriously scared to death of those slimy creatures known as snakes. There are few things to get between me and a good picture—snakes are one of them. I was going in to take more pictures of the pretty little swamp (pictured above) and bending down for better angles when my little brother-in-law, who happened to be next to me, screamed, “Nikki, there’s a snake! I’m serious there’s a snake.” I’ve had every “snake prank” pulled on me over the years. But my theory: just run...
Movie Review: The Hunger Games
“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” – President Snow Overall impression – “The book is always better than the movie.” The old adage holds true, but The Hunger Games movie stands on its own and does the book justice. Yes, there are differences between the book and movie – the book as an audiofile is more than 10 hours long – so to be boiled down to 2.5 hours, there are a lot of elements that have to go. The music is incredible. The scenery (North Carolina forests for the arena) completely captured me. The attire rang authentic in District 12 and the costumes of the Capitol thrilled. (Check out Capitol Couture if...