1.       He’s going to like Asian and French foods, especially deep fried crickets and escargot.

2. He’ll love sunny warm spots. He’ll be rock climbing, sun baking and bike riding, so stock up on your sunscreen if you want to be able to spend the weekends with him.

3. Brief your folks that the nickname Jimmy is not acceptable, unless his name really is Jimmy, in which case tell them to find a nick name to avoid them thinking of his cousins flitting around in your backyard every time someone mentions Jimmy Lizard.

4. Book the two of you in for exfoliations regularly to keep his scale care regime right on track. You don’t want bits of dead scale around his tail. It’s a little off-putting.

5. Avoid scary movies and startling him suddenly. He’s proud of his tail, and it would be a shame to have him drop it from an unnecessary shock.

6. If he’s not using a curl taming product it might be to your advantage. No lizard man wants to be frizzy.

7. Don’t let you little sister pick the lollies for afternoon snacks. She’ll get the ones that make your tongue turn blue… yep, she’s got a bad sense of humor.

8. When meeting his sister, Anna, avoid doing so at a sporting event she’s participating in. Nothing like screaming out ‘GO ANNA!” to make people cringe.

9. His family holidays on Lizard Island. If you really want to go, be ready to mingle with hundreds of his very distant relatives or to go do things on your own. Either way, it is a beautiful place, so enjoy yourself regardless.

10. If you plan on inviting him back to your place you might want to cover all bases and get a license to keep reptiles. That way you’ll avoid fines, and slaps on the wrist by government officials for taking a native animal out of the wild.

This is an intriguing story. The world created by de Pierres is fascinating, strange, and dangerous. We are only allowed glimpses of it, through the eyes of various characters.Ixion itself is full of mysteries and questions, most of which are left unanswered. There is a pervading air of menace and danger throughout, which adds to the suspense and tension that steadily builds as the story progresses.

It is a riveting read! There is also good characterisation, and the main character is believable and interesting.There are some references to sex and drugs, but these are fairly minimal. Although this book would be classed as science fiction/fantasy, it will also appeal to young peoplewho don’t usually read in those genres, and would be an excellent addition to secondary libraries. Recommended. RK

I picked up Immortal Beloved as one of those rare gems – a book I’d heard nothing about on the interwebs. I had no clue which age group it was aimed at, had not previously read the author, and since I was holidays, no access to Goodreads to check it out before I handed over the cash. I didn’t really have high expectations… but wow, I was in for a treat.

The first thing that struck me was the voice of the main character, Nastasya, also known as Nasty. She’s sarcastic, funny and very, very dry. She’s an immortal, living it up, partying her long life away in seedy clubs in London with her friends – all immortal of course. But after one of them uses his magic to seriously and permanently wound a human, Nasty starts to question herself, her so-called friends and the pointlessness of her life. She realises she’s been doing the same thing for centuries – having a fabulous, yet self-centred time, and hurting (or even killing) far too many people in the process. Filthy, forlorn and at absolute rock-bottom, Nastasya decides to flee London for the only place she can think of escaping to, a place a kindly immortal once invited her to and offered help over eighty years ago. And there the fun really begins. Nasty ends up in a kind of rehab centre for immortals who’ve hit the wall.

Even though Nastasya looks 16, she’s rarely met an immortal older than herself. After blocking out the deaths of her family (yep, it is possible to kill an immortal. Off with their heads!) she also blocks out the use of her incredibly powerful magic. At River’s End, she begins to learn how to use that magic properly, as well as feed the chooks, much out the stables, and work in the local drug store. It all seems to be too easy – until someone begins trying to kill her. Who is it? And why would they want her dead? Just what is it with the scar on the back of her neck and her mother’s amulet? Nasty starts to question her own worth, the darkness that compels her and the memories of the things she’s done.

And then there’s the biggest question of all. Just who is the ridiculously hunky Reyne (gulp), and why does he hate her so much? Why is he so open about wanting her gone from River’s End? And why does Nastasya feel that she knows him from somewhere?

Immortal Beloved is far from perfect, but it’s certainly compelling. A week after finishing it, I just can’t get this book out of my mind. My biggest complaint is that the ending was pretty much a no-brainer, and lots of loose ends went untied. But this is the first book in a trilogy, with the next due out in September this year, and I’m sure those ends will begin to be tied up. The character of Nastasya makes up for any imperfections – she’s just that cool, and so easy to relate to.

Despite my initial reservations, I soon learnt that Immortal Beloved was a fantastic story, aimed at Young Adults. There are some pretty violent and gross scenes, so it’s probably more for readers at the slightly older end of the YA scale – say 15 and up. I also learnt that it’s not even close to being Cate Tiernan’s first book; I definitely intend on checking out her other two series: Balefire (5 books in the series) and Wicca, which has 15 books in the series – how I’ve managed to miss that one, I have no idea!

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

Paperback 407 pages

Published by Hodder & Stoughton UK

ISBN: 9781444707052

Since we can now all stop playing R.E.M’s End of the World, ‘cause it’s all a freaking hoax (not to mention really annoying after the 50th time), and the zombies didn’t eat our brains; it is time to party.

To party hearty you’re going to want to look amazing. Here’s a makeup, nails and hair combo of tutorials from youtube (my favourite place to look for cool stuff) to have you looking spiffy for the first party of the rest of your life.

Nikkietutorials has a fantastic tutorial on some smoking hot rainbow eyes here –

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7ENIKpr36k

I love how she throws away the conventions of white on the waterline, and those face sticker thingies look just wow.

Next I searched around for a really different hair do. This one is so cool I may even try it myself someday. Today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present (hah hah!), so why not show it with your channelishot’s take on an easy bow made from your hair.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UBj2x1swIE

Nails are the last tutorial, and there really is no limit to how epic you can make your nail art. There is now a way you can cheat at some amazing nail effects with Sally Hansen’s Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips.  They come in quite a few variations of patterns and visual effects, and look to be really easy to work with. Here is a tutorial by sccastaneda from earlier this year of how to put the strips on. *Remember to add a coat of clear nail polish to give extra strength to the finished product*

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSt7hs0Gyt0&feature=related

So now your hair is done, your makeup looks glamorous and your nails are a visual treat all by themselves, you can chuck on your best party dress and head out to whichever post Rapture party is still going.

Have a blast… safely.

I have a confession to make- I wish I was a Dragon. The ability of flight, longevity super strength and, some days, being able to slightly roast your enemies would feel very rewarding. Plus you would never run out of ways to toast your marshmallows or worry about your coffee going cold ever again. But what do we really know about these majestic creatures of myth and legend?

Well, surprisingly, there is a lot of information out there on both the European Dragon, with its cute little bat-type wings and rounded belly, and its skinnier, and often more ferocious-looking, cousin who hails from Asian culture. Surprisingly, the cuter of the two (in my opinion), the European dragon  is believed to be the more malevolent. Believed to make its home in caves or underground lairs, not only do they have the ability to toast you to a crisp, but some species are also believed to be deadly poisonous. Ancient creatures of the earth element, these Dragons will guard their territory with a fierceness unmatched in the animal kingdom. Its Eastern counterpart, on the other hand, is supposed to be quite benevolent and is also said to possess a Human form. This dragon is also a symbol of good luck and longevity. Chinese emperors used the Dragon as a symbol to bring prosperity to  their reign.

Both sets are considered extremely potent in the magical arts and it is believed that early practitioners would risk life and limb to gain Dragon scales and the like for the magical mixings.

Then there is the scientific answer that the Dragon myths and legends were born out of the early uncovering of fossils before anyone knew what dinosaurs were. Makes you wonder what all those knights of old were really heading off to slay, then.

Despite all the differing myth and legends, I still want to be a Dragon; but, I’m combining the two – a fierce earth warrior with cute little wings and a Human form, bringing prosperity and good luck wherever I go. Just don’t disturb my lair or come to visit  in shiny armour. Gives a whole new meaning to the term “Dragon Lady”, doesn’t it?

~Some fierce tales featuring Dragons to sink your claws into~:

The Harry Potter series — J K Rowling       Books Based on the TV Series — Merlin

Dark Heavens and Journey to Wundang Series — Kylie Chan

The Fire series — Chris d’Lacey      The Eragon series — Christopher Paolini