Commiserations for the last episode of Doctor Who for this season. We can either wait to buy the DVD’s and mope until next year, or we can celebrate by making everything into a Who-niverse of our very own. Want to exterminate a Dalek? Here’s a tutorial on how to make Dalek cupcakes thanks to TheTofuGuru. We’re not supposed to play with our food, but how difficult will it be to avoid it when they look this convincing. Om Nom Nom.

~ httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DNgB3-ii-Y&feature=related ~

Want to look a little like Amy? Here’s a make-up tutorial by SuperBeautyNerd. How much does she really look like Karen… creepy much.

~ httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jfDSBLbdh4 ~

But after we’ve eaten a double battalion of Dalek cupcakes we need to work it off. Here’s a little inspiration to get moving from Matt and Karen from Comic Con this year. Thanks to BBC America’s click to watch for this one.

~ httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WKDULWP7Fc ~

This should help us all get through until the Christmas special at least. See you all back in the Tardis for next Season!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npuqe6JpPY8&feature=channel_video_title

Dark Secrets by Elizabeth Chandler

These two stories are mysteries, plain and simple.

In Legacy of Lies, Megan is begrudgingly visiting her grandmother, a crotchety, grump of a woman, and her

equally charming cousin. The drama is amped up tenfold when the truth of a suspected overdose is proven to be so much more. But how will Megan fit into the equation?

Don’t Tell has us following Lauren as she’s returning to her aunt’s house, where her mother drowned seven years previous. Lauren is being tormented by the same strange occurrences that were plaguing her mother on the days leading up to her mother’s death. What is the cause of the odd happenings? Was her mother’s drowning an accident, or was it cold blooded murder?

I managed to get all 400 plus pages read in one day. I did think there were some slow bits and a few bits where I skipped through the non-dialogue just to get to the point a little quicker.
I thought there were a few really good twists and turns in each story and the red herrings are classic. The character reactions were realistic and their chemistry made for a few smiles along the way, especially the unsuspecting friendships that turn up. I doubt you’ll actually guess who done it.

I really hope the second volume Dark Secrets 2 which includes the stories No Time to Die and The deep End of Fear will be as enjoyable as Volume 1. Keep an eye out for it in a future review.

Elizabeth Chandler: Dark Secrets Series – Legacy of Lies/ Don’t Tell
ISBN: 1416994610 (ISBN13: 9781416994619)
Published August 4 2009 by Simon and Schuster
431 pages.

Tithe by Holly Black

Kaye is living a life with her mother with few responsibilities and even fewer expectations. When Mum’s latest boyfriend tries to kill her, they up and move back to New Jersey where it’s safe, back to old friends and childhood memories of fairies and witches. Old habits die hard and Kay is reunited with her friends—fairy and otherwise. Little does she know, her safe haven is about to become just the opposite, when the truth of her existence comes to light.

There are elements in this book that remind me heaps of Laurell k Hamilton’s Meredith Gentry series, (Just without all the sex).  I liked the Kelpie (not the canine variety), he’s a bit of an evil monster; but he’s willing to help Kaye learn on the fly … for a price. The chemistry between Kaye and Roiben was satisfyingly masochistic, and the Thistle Witch is just the right level of kooky.

I spent much of this book well outside my comfort zone and I did foresee some of the not-so-nice things that happened to Kaye, simply because of the situations she was placing herself into. I really am trying not to sound high and mighty, but really, what did she expect would happen?

Although I was left a little shaken by the story, on the whole it was entertaining and it allowed me to safely explore the life of someone who doesn’t play by the rules. The second book in the continuing story of Kaye and Roiben is called Ironside. It looks to be equally unsettling, but just as gripping.

First published October 1, 2002, by Simon and Schuster Ltd.
ISBN 0689860420 (ISBN13: 9780689860423)
320 pages

More author info here.

Nick, Allan and their mother have been running from a bunch of nasty magicians for as long as the boys can remember. Running because their mum has something they want. The scales tip when Allan and the brother of one of the girls at Nick’s school are marked by the same demon.

Allan and Nick, along with Mae and Jamie, decide it is time to stop running, and the hunt begins to rid both Jamie and Allan of their demon marks, once and for all. But can everything be fixed as easily as some spilt blood?

The twists in the plotline kept this book from becoming a retelling of the TV series Supernatural, though I do think that it may be one better suited to a male reading demographic.

There is a tiny bit of gore and moments of heartwarming tenderness. Though I found the living situation the boys were in a little far fetched, I thought the fact that they take care of their mother a little sweet, even if it was bitter in places.

I don’t know how guys would takeThe  Demon’s Lexicon, but if you’re male, and have read the book, please let me know what you thought.

ISBN 1847382894 (ISBN13: 9781847382894)
Published June 2nd, 2009, by Simon and Schuster

324 pages

Visit Sarah Rees Brennan’s website for more info.

Read Belinda’s review of Generation Dead here:

[intlink id=”6648″ type=”post”]Daniel Waters – Generation Dead[/intlink]

Hey Everyone, Lisa here!!!

Welcome to another Life with Lisa post, I hope you’re week has been awesome! I know we all have things we need to do that aren’t always very fun, like work and school. But we all have to do them, so why not make them best of them?

Anyways, this week’s post is about friendship.

At the end of every school year at my school, they ask you to decide on the different type of classes you want to take next fall, after summer break. One thing you guys probably don’t know about me, is that I LOVE math. I’m really good at it, and that’s why I choose two AP (Advanced Placement) math classes, AP Statistic and AP Calculus.

Sorry Mr. Killen, I’m writing this Life with Lisa segment during your very interesting statistics lesson!

When I turned in my paper with all the classes I wanted to take this year, my teacher saw all of the AP classes I decided on taking, and asked me if I knew that my school also provides an AP English, and asked if I wanted to join. Of course I wouldn’t say no, I love writing!

I figured it would help me improve my writing skills and style, not only for blogging at Turning Pages, but also here with my reviews and Life with Lisa at Burn Bright. I love talking about all of the books I’ve been reading with you guys and my blogging buddies.

Recently Ms. Casberg, my English teacher, asked a this question: “Should friends tell you the truth, or make a comment even if it might hurt you?”

Thinking I had a great answer, my hand shoot right in the air, but was sadly rejected. Since I couldn’t tell anyone in class what I thought and felt about this question, I figured why not just tell you Burn Bright fans and readers!

Friends are friends, they need to be harsh at times, but their goal isn’t to hurt you, or embarrass you, their goal is to protect you and keep you safe; they don’t want you to feel hurt. They only say what’s on their mind, because they trust and love you.

Recently my best friend Hideo and I were having dinner at my house with my parents, and afterwards we planned to go hangout at another one of our friends houses. To roast marshmallows and play hide-n-seek outside in the dark. After finishing eating, I decided to use the restroom (yes! I swear I washed my hands!). I grabbed my coat, because it’s freezing at night here, where I live, and went to go put my shoes on.

At first Hideo kind of looked at me weird, and than laugh and said, “Lisa zip your pants up, no one wants to see that!”. Yeah, I admit it was rude, and yeah I was a little hurt. But on our way to our friends house, I thought about what he said. He would never want to hurt me, we’ve been through so much together. Hideo’s my best friend in the first place, because he tells me everything that’s on his mind.

In the end I really appreciated, that he told me. I would rather him tell me, in a rather harsh way, with a small chuckle, than have people laugh at me. Or look at me weird, but I would never know why, until I get back home, and want to change into pyjamas. Hideo saved me from embarrassment, and I love him for it 🙂

Let me know what you think about this! Would you rather have your friend keep their comments to themselves, or just come straight out with it?

Love,

Lisa.

Since I started Uni, I’ve begun to realise that going to a private all-boys school, one of the top academic schools in the state, was definitely a privilege. But when I actually attended school, it felt more of a demand. I was excited to attend this college, I really was. But the choices I made, and the things I did during my high school years made it just that little bit more grueling.

I used to be an avid reader when I was in Primary School. When friends were bringing in 100-page books with medium-sized font in Grade 1, I lugged along a 400+ page hardcover of Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace in my bag. I was just that type of kid. At that age I loved to read. I went to the library all the time, spending my days off reading, finishing off a book and diving straight into the next. My Godmother sent me the first two books of Harry Potter from London before they were released in Australia, and I devoured them. Then the buzz started and I felt happy that I had read them already. Grade 2 and 3 were filled with reading the books together in class although I had already, having a week dedicated to Harry, and going to watch the films. It was the life! And even the MS (Multiple Sclerosis) readathon was personal favourite.

But when year 7 hit, I fell into that gaming craze. I began playing World of Warcraft. I’ll admit it was addictive. Late nights playing online, my studies were left to the last minute; the only time to read was on the train, to and from school. I was glad my school had a good reading program for Years 7 and 8 in English where a class every week was dedicated to going into the library and reading, being tracked on our progress and the books we read. And still I played the silly games through to Year 9 and 10 where then I quit them, months later picking the old habits as I had nothing else to do in my spare time; reading had become a distant memory. Something I loved to do to escape and be immersed in was substituted by a game that had escape but in a more virtual sense, more social, less real.

It wasn’t until when Year 11 & 12 rolled around, my VCE, that I quit for good as I realized my wrongs. Those years spent on said games damaged my growth as a student, and as someone who was creative in a way my family hadn’t seen before. I missed that opportunity to be great in my studies. I tried to regain that composure. And it wasn’t until a term into Year 12 where I found that passion of reading again. I missed that thrill.

Year 12 was so arduous that you can really lose yourself mentally and physically. In Psychology during the unit of memory, I was very interested in this story about Clive Wearing’s complete loss of memory, and his love for his wife Deborah. I thought that that would be a fabulous basis for a musical. So I went in search for Deborah Wearing’s memoir. I did find it in Borders, but as I searched in Angus & Robertson, I found myself immersed by all these books again. This distant memory of mine flooded me; it returned. I saw this title on the Adult shelves: it had a great cover, an interesting concept; it was Siege by Jack Hight. I read this book and absolutely loved it. From that moment I fell in love with reading again.

Today we’re very excited to announce that Angel Arias (bk 2 of the Night Creatures trilogy) has launched its book trailer and has made a free song available to everyone who owns a copy of the book.

The song is entitled Bluebeard and is written and performed by the amazing Yunyu.

All you need to get your free song is to use an iPhone or Smartphone (borrow your friend’s if you don’t have one). The phone will have a QR Reader (if not you can get the app for free online) which you point to the tag in the back of the book and it will take them to a free download link of the song.

A QR tag looks like this … (NOTE: this is not the Bluebeard QR Tag – you’ll have to get that from the book)

Enjoy and tell us what you think!!!

Angel Arias trailer by R&D Studios

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H30_T0C1LbY&feature=channel_video_title