Word on the Street

Every year cities such as Toronto, Halifax, and Vancouver host their annual "Word on the Street" book and magazine festival. The festival takes place simultaneously all around Canada on the last Sunday of September. (It's always easy for my to remember the day it takes place, because it happens right around my Birthday!) The festival consists of book sales, author readings, author signings, concession stands, and many different kinds of book related activities. I kept hearing about Word on the Street for about three years now but hadn't gotten the chance to experience it for myself, until last Sunday. To say I had a blast at Word on the Street is an understatement.

I started getting excited about the festival just about six weeks prior to the actual date of the event. I kept asking around to see who wanted to join me but not many people seemed too interested. Some of my friends' said things like, "That seems boring" or "Maybe I'll come if I have nothing better to do that day." Finally, I convinced my 17 year old cousin to accompany me. However, I soon learned it probably would have been more fun to go alone. The event went on from 11 am to 6 pm, but we only stayed around for the afternoon. I got a chance to see the Scotiabank Giller Prize tent (which was actually the main one I really wanted to see) and heard some author readings. Much to my surprise, many of the books were actually being sold for a fraction of the cost. One independent author was selling his book at a price of "pay what you can." (Yes, you read right.) The book sold on book shelves for $16.99, but I got a steal for $10.00! Even better, the author personalized it for me with his autograph!

I am a proud member of an online community called "Wattpad" who also had a booth at Word on the Street. I was super excited to see some of the people I've been communicating with online, in the flesh! Wattpad was giving away free t-shirts, posters, stickers, bags and candy. Of course, I took some! Many tents were giving away freebies, and I'm proud to say I've accumulated a lifetime supply of free bookmarks! Well maybe not a lifetime supply, but so much so that I'm planning on making a scrapbook out of them! After browsing around various tents like a kid in a candy store, it was time to go home and my smile soon turned into a frown. I took my last few steps towards the nearest subway station and already starting planning for Word on the Street 2012. Word on the Street Book and Magazine festival was definitely something I would like to be a part of every year.

Word on the Street Toronto is located at Queen's Park and the best part about it is that it's for everyone and it's free. There are many tents and stages set up which are aimed for kids, teens and adults. If you're a book enthusiast, you're guaranteed to find something for you. Those who don't like buying books can even check out Toronto Public Library's bookmobile, if you're more of a borrower than a purchaser. The only downside about Word on the Street is that most of the authors are Canadian unknowns. Lucky for me, I have read a lot of Canadian books and I love Canadian authors. Furthermore, although I hadn't heard of many of the authors there, I love hidden gems. I am passionate about literature as it is, so I can't describe the feeling of contentment I get when I get to see who is behind the scenes. Overall, it was a great experience, and one that I hope to have again every September.

Does Word on the Street take place in your hometown? Take a look at their website below and find out!

Word on the Street

Beyond Harry Potter

I keep hearing people say "So, I just finished Harry Potter... now what?!" Although I also jumped on the Harry Potter bandwagon and fell madly in love with the series, I find it sad that Harry Potter fans are unable to find new book series' to read. If you spend time searching, it's really not that hard to find some amazing series'. Mind you, they may not live up to the awesomeness of Harry Potter, but you might just discover that you love them equally as much. Some books from the same genre which I know of are the following:

"Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin: Although this is a popular book series, I will admit, I never heard of them until the HBO Series came out, which personally I thought was amazing. From various recommendations, I keep hearing that the books are equally as amazing.

 "The Seven Realms Series" by Cinda Williams Chima: Those of you who have been following my blog know how much I love Cinda Williams Chima, as I've written about her a few times before. I like to describe this series as a PG version of Game of Thrones; more aimed for teens, and less sex and nudity. I've only read the first book so far, but what I read, I liked.

"Percy Jackson and the Olympians" by Rick Riordon: The story is almost as good as Harry Potter, but the writing style is not as good. Though Percy Jackson's story is a bit more simple when compared to Harry Potter, I can see it possibly having the same fan base. In other words, if you liked Harry Potter, you will most likely also enjoy Percy Jackson.

"100 Cupboards" by N.D. Wilson: Well, I picked up book 1 from the series, but never got around to reading it. When I read the synopsis, I got the impression that the story was full of magic and wonder. 100 Cupboards is the first book in the trilogy, followed by Dandelion Fire and The Chestnut King. 

So there is a list of some of my personal series recommendations which I think Harry Potter fans might enjoy. Keep in mind, that this list is a mix of both children's, teen's and adult books. My fellow Harry Potter lovers: please remember that if you keep an eye out, you can surely find some hidden gems out there.

Teaser Tuesday

I just recently learned about something called "Teaser Tuesdays" and thought it would be fun to participate! This fun little activity is hosted by fellow blogger Should Be Reading
http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

Here's how it works:

• 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! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers

So here it is, my first attempt at Teaser Tuesday!

     She stares at me for a long time, actually looking at me as a person. For a moment I think I sense a chink. Then she snaps back into action. "Is your family taking you to the circus this weekend?"
     "Oh yes," I say with some pride. "Someone comes every Sunday. Like clockwork."

- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (p.16)

Book Review 3: The Demon King

So I finally got around to reading one of the many books on my "books I want to read" list. I usually like to complete one book series before starting on another (I'm currently going through the Percy Jackson series, Warriors cat series, Chronicles of Narnia series, and now The Seven Realms series) but I just couldn't help myself from grabbing a hold of The Demon King when I found it readily available at my local library. The Demon King is book one from the (planned) four part Seven Realms series. Having recently read the first three books of the Heir Chronicles by the same author (Cinda Williams Chima), I knew I wanted to check out any other book(s) she had written. Although The Demon King was different from the Heir series, it was equally as enjoyable. The Heir series dealt with fantasy in the modern world, while The Seven Realms series is more high fantasy in the Royal Queendom of Fellsmarch. It follows the story of Han Allister who is a reformed streetlord still constantly getting himself into trouble with the Raggers, his previous streetlord posse. Meanwhile, Raisa ana Marianna is the heir to the Fellsmarch throne. I don't want to give away too much, but I found this story a bit more complex than the Heir series since there was a lot more information to absorb. But I will say this; it was one of those books which was hard for me to put down. Cinda Williams Chima grasped onto my attention with this epic tale of love, loss, and self discovery. An intriguing page turner to say the least. There are currently two books out in the series; The Demon King and The Exiled Queen. Book three is due to come out around late August or mid September, which will be titled The Gray Wolf Throne, I'm really excited for it's release! One of my favourite passages in The Demon King was a scene in which Han stands up to his mother, who is constantly on his back about getting a better job so he can feed his family (Mam, and kid sister Mari.) This passage is just too awesome not to share. I remember getting goosebumps the moment I read it. Enjoy!

     Mam's breath hissed out, like he'd confirmed all her worst fears. "You're cursed, Hanson Allister, and you'll come to a bad end," she said. "It's no wonder you're in trouble when you're out on the streets all day long. When you run with street gangs, thieving and robbing..."
     "I'm not with the Raggers anymore," Han interrupted. "I promised you back in the fall."
     Mam plowed on as he hadn't spoken. "When you take up with ill-favored sorts like Lucius Frowsley. We may be poor, but at least we've always been honest."
     Something broke loose inside Han, and when he opened his mouth the words came spilling out. "We're honest? Well, honest won't fill our bellies. Honest doesn't pay the rent. It's been me supporting us for the past year, and it's a lot harder without slide-hand. Be my guest if you think you can keep us out of debtor's prison taking in washing and picking rags. And if we do go to prison, what do you think will happen to Mari?"
     Mam stood speechless, eyes very blue, her lips as white as the rest of her face. Then she snatched up a stick from the kindling pile and swung it at him. Reflexively, he gripped her wrist and held it. They glared at each other for a long moment, married by blood and anger. Slowly anger drained away, leaving only the linkage of blood.
     "I'm not going to let you hit me anymore," Han said quietly. "I've already had one beating today. That's enough."


http://www.cindachima.com/Demon_King/Demon_King.htm

The "Epic" Conclusion of Harry Potter

When I was about fifteen years old, one of my friend's introduced me to the world of Harry Potter. My immediate reaction to her recommending the series was, "Seriously? Why would I want to read a children's book?" However, I eventually learned never to judge a book by the section it sits on at the book store! At the time, only the first four books had been released. Since it was summer break when I began reading Harry Potter, I had no exams to worry about, so I devoured all four books in less than a week. (This included lots of self-discipline to keep my nose in the books, neglect my house chores, and ignore my mom's constant yelling due to the lack of chores being completed!) This followed up with years of waiting patiently for J.K. Rowling to complete book 5, 6, and 7. I read all three almost immediately upon release. Not to mention, I took part in a very memorable and enjoyable "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" midnight release party on July 20th, 2007. After four years of the book series coming to an end, it is time for the movie franchise to end. Below is the movie trailer for the final movie entitled "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2." Are you excited?! I know I am! =)

Note: Anyone who knows me knows how much I HATE the word "epic". ;) 

The Vampire Blogs.

A few years ago, international bestselling author Stephenie Meyer introduced the world to a dreamy (this is questionable...) vampire named Edward Cullen. Little did she know, it would create a world of frenzy amongst preteen girls around the globe. Furthermore, the "birth" of the Twilight saga also created a whole new genre of entertainment in which vampire books were being turned into movies and TV Shows left, right, and centre. The Vampire Diaries, Darren Shan, and True Blood to name a few.

Don't get me wrong, I too was bitten by the Twilight bug and found it's cheesiness, terrible writing and predictable story line rather entertaining. But, I found it ironic that vampires only started to get popular after they began to sparkle, feed on forest animals and prey on poor teenage girls in their sleep. What ever happened to the dangerous yet loveable vampires that slept in coffins, bit necks and killed simply for the fun of killing?

I just watched the movie adaptation of "Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant" last weekend. I had read the first book from the Darren Shan saga several years ago, but never got around to finishing the entire series. Even though there was something "cute" about this movie, being that Darren Shan was an innocent little child being transformed into a vampire, I found the story line somewhat refreshing. Nowadays, vampires seem to be more interested in love than their usual naughty antics. Darren Shan tried it's best to stray away from this.

On a side note, I like how everybody says The Vampire Diaries, True Blood and Cirque Du Freak are "Twilight copies" when these books actually came out LONG before the Twilight books.

Love 'em, or hate 'em, vampires are here to stay. Whether they sparkle or kill, leave a comment and let me know what your take is on this new vampire craze.

PS, The Vampire Diaries is my own personal guilty pleasure!

Photo Diary of "Me, Myself and I."

This is a follow up blog to yesterday's post "Me, Myself and I." These are a few pictures I took while hanging out in the Atrium on Bay.

 

Spring Rolls: I didn't take this photo, but I thought it was quite lovely

 My Precious book!!! Shout outs to BMV!