"Nightshade" Oil Painting

So I love to craft, specifically to oil paint, but with school, blogging, and reading, I can never seem to find enough time to paint, which is a big booger, so I really only get to oil paint during Christmas break every year when school is out and everything is more relaxed. Well the other day, Christmas Day to be exact, after opening presents and doing the family stuff, I found that I had a lot of free time on my hands and a canvas I had lying around was calling to me, so obviously I had to paint! Usually when I oil paint I paint my favourite characters from a book and I just so happened to have a copy of beautiful "Nightshade" by Andrea Cremer, and I thought that it would make the perfect subject (I mean, it is only the most beauiful book cover I have ever seen)! I am thinking that I might also paint the cover of the next book in the series, "Wolfsbane", when it comes out July 12 2011.

I took art all throughout high school and first year university, but for some reason during those times, I dreaded painting, and therefore never learned how to oil paint, so it has just been something I have picked up within the last couple of years, and my technique is very much trial by error. Though there are some flaws that I now see as I look at it, I am pretty happy with how it turned out (and now I can hang this on my wall- in place of the book cover- which I was seriously considering doing). 

This is the finished product:

And this is the in-progress (this colouring is more in-real-life), don't mind my messy easel:

And here is the actual cover:

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! 

The rules are:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

I am currently reading:

Title: "Halo"

Author: Alexandra Adornetto

Genre: a young adult fantasy novel 

"Despite the common portrayal of angels as endlessly loving and compassionate, I knew there was another side to them, one that could be harsh and unforgiving." (215)

"I can't help the way that I feel about him. He means so much to me." (215)

PS. Don't forget about my FIRST FANTABULOUS GIVEAWAY that you can enter at HERE!

Book Blogger Hop

Jennifer over At Crazy For Books asks us for this weeks Book Blogger Hop question:

"What is the one bookish thing you would love to have, no matter the cost?"


Okay, so since this does not have to be realistic by any means (and therefore all the more fun!)... I think that I would have to own a library. Seriously, could you just imagine? And a gigantic library at that! With floor to ceiling shelves and those awesome ladders that slide back and forth across the shelves and EVERY BOOK! Yes, EVERY BOOK (Or, at least every paranormal young adult ever written)... This would make me just so gosh darn happy!
;)

PS. Don't forget to enter my FIRST EVER FANTABULOUS GIVEAWAY here!



Book Blogger Hop

So I have decided to participate in my first Book Blogger Hop! Seriously this is a week of firsts! I thought that it would be great to get to be introduced to lots of fellow bloggers (and in doing so lots of new books! It's all about the books right?!? ;) )... Anyways, this weeks questions is:

"Where is your favorite place to read? Curled up on the sofa, in bed, in the garden?"

In all honestly I will read wherever I happen to plop down. Usually it on these really squishy chairs that we have in our upstairs living room, but I can really read anywhere (take yesterday reading on a long car drive- luckily I am not one of those people who gets motion sickness from reading in vehicles, if I was I have no idea what I would do with myself). But yes, plop me in one of those chairs with a book and I am good to go (usually I will listen to my Ipod when I read too, it's silly, but I will get distracted by the TV if I am reading in the same room when it is on, but I do not get distracted whatsoever by my music when I listen to it while reading)...

My Rating System

So I thought that it would be appropriate since I am reviewing books and whatnot to create a rating system...

And here it goes:

10) Fantabulous book that YOU MUST READ (and then promptly go out and buy)! This book will change your life. Seriously.
9) Still a really great book that you will really like (but I am not going to compel you to go buy it ASAP- you can buy it on your own time- but you will still eventually buy it).
8) A really good book (as opposed to a really great book). I'd still probably buy it (but then again I am crazy with my book buying).
7) Just a good book... Just borrow it from your library.
6) A good(ish) mindless book to read when there isn't anything else to read (and you are really, really desperate).
5) Not a good book, not a bad book.
4) Ugh... Don't bother.
3) I would not recommend this book to my worst enemy.
2) If I had a magical power it would be the power to make this book never to have been written.
1) I couldn't finish reading it because it was either super terrible or boring. I am furious that I wasted my time I could have spent reading something (anything!) else. Duck for cover... I will be throwing big things...

I think it's kinda funny... :)

Teaser Tuesday (My first!)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! 

The rules are:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

I am currently reading:

Title: "Sleepless"

Author: Cyn Balog 

Genre: a young adult fantasy novel

 

 

"All right", I begin, "the most important rules to know are these. One: You are only in the human's world to sooth them to sleep." (page 30) 

 

"We don't haunt people. We help them." (page 31)