YearningToRead 2 year BLOGOVERSARY GIVEAWAY!

Hey guys!!
So Sierra Abrams @YearningToRead is having her 2nd year blogoversary giveaway!! She is giving away 1 hardcover copy of Everneath signed by the authoress herself, Brodi Ashton. I am so glad I found Yearningtoread, Sierra is simply amazing at writing reviews, and GO CHECK HER OUT NOW! ;-P But seriously, do. And I want to read Everneath. :-) Make sure you go check out this beautiful giveaway, and may the odds be ever in your favour! ;-)
--JAM--

Music : Florence + the Machine & Mumford and Sons

Music. I love music. And these are the two groups I have been into for the past few months :
Florence + the Machine and Mumford & Sons.

First, F+tM. Florence Welch is the singer. She is an angel, I swear. Every song I have ever listened to by her sends shivers up my spine. Her voice.. Gah, there are no words to describe it. Deep, soulful, haunting,  I don't know. Then the harp is a very present component; It is quite beautiful. And the drums are perfect. Some ( very important to point out the 'some') favorite songs by her :

1. Cosmic Love

2. Breath of Life ( from Snow White and the Huntsman)

3.Drumming Song

4. Dog Days are Over
You should seriously listen to her. She is amazing. And the music is something epic. :-)

Mumford & Sons. I lovveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee them. Marcus Mumford's voice is so raw and soft at the same time. The banjo player is sooo talented, and I love how it makes their music stand out. Then, the lyrics actually mean something. I love how they took the faith route. Just be careful of Little Lion Man; the real version has strong swearing in the chorus, but if you look up the "messed up" version (what irony) then it's fine. :-)
Some of my favorites:

1.The Cave

2.Winter Winds

3.White Blank Page

4. Lover's Eyes

Okay, so there you have what I am into right now.
And I know that I suck at writing posts, so any help? Haha, all my adjectives in a nutshell : totally amazing.  sO see ya! -- JAM --

Next book review : Legend by Marie Lu.

Snow White and the Huntsman

In the epic action-adventure Snow White and the Huntsman, Kristen Stewart plays the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen (Charlize Theron) out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) dispatched to kill her. Sam Claflin joins the cast as the prince long 
enchanted by Snow White's beauty and power.
( Synopsis from RottenTomatoes)

My good luck I saw this film. It was very good and exciting, and I thought the acting was fantabulous.

Everyone has told me what a horrid actress Kristen Stewart was, but I really did not get that impression. She was perfect for SnowWhite and all her mannerisms were perfect for the innocent girl she is portraying. And she looked perfect. Chris Hemsworth was rough, absolutely perfect, totally heart- breaking as the Huntsman (Erik). I cried at one point with him, and dude, please give me more of the scottish brogue. PLEASE! And then, of course, you can't just ignore Charlize Theron as Ravenna, the evil queen; I mean, I know her part wasn't that big, but still.... She was evil. EVIL I tell you. But she is gorgeous. And I might just have to say, she was the fairest of them all. Sorry Kristen. You're still gorgeous, believe me.

Sam Claflin was a very good love lost, heart broken Prince, and, I mean, who can't like him? Certainly not me. And I loved all the dwarves; they were very prickly but dedicated as well. The cinematography was breath-taking ( I think the location was some part of England), and something I actually appreciated that they never do : The cast actually looked cold. They had red noses and ears. THANK YOU Rupert Sanders. Some of the shots got on my nerves though; I want at least one good far out shot, so I can actually tell what's going on. 

And then there's the content : Well, in the beginning, Ravenna and the king have just gotten married, and quite a bit of, ahem, kissing, but then things take a violent turn, and that's over. Ravenna takes a buttermilk bath in front of her brother, Finn, and she is implied to be naked, but if you've seen the trailer, you should know what it will be like, 'cause basically that's all it is. Then there is a scene where ( not sexual at all) where you see Ravenna's bare back.There are 2 kisses besides that, and some cleavage. Swearing : a few of d*** and h***. The violence was sometimes disturbing : Ravenna does this weird little thing where she sucks the life out of peoples hearts, or she sucks the age out of the, so they are either dead when she's done, or very old. Sword fights, stuff like that, and that's about it. It very possibly might be disturbing to some people. 

Go go see this movie. I really, really enjoyed it. And considering it was Rupert Sanders first movie to direct, it was very fine accomplishment. 8/10. ( it could have been longer though).

--JAM--

Ranger's Apprentice : The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan ( And I think it would be kinda funny if you wrote your entire post in the title) :-)

Bracing for a final clash with the evil warlord Morgarath, the Rangers rally the kingdom's allies, and Will is chosen, along with his friend Horace, as special envoys to nearby Celtica. But the simple mission soon takes an unsettling turn - the Celticans have disappeared, their town abandoned. The scheming hand of Morgarath, it seems, has been far from idle. He has found a way to bring his legions over the once impassible eastern mountains and is planning to ambush the king's army in a rout. Now with help many miles away, Will and Horace are the only ones standing in the way of the dark lord's plans.They have shown great skill and courage in their training, but how will they fare in the face of true evil?
(Synopsis from GoodReads)

This was seriously amazing, guys. I mean, it literally left me holding the book limply in my hands, and my mouth agape. I really enjoy John Flanagan's writing style : He switches to characters' narratives all the time, and that's something I really love. Will is just the perfect guy. He's smart, humble, kind, and not bad with a bow and knives. Then there's Halt. I feel like such an idiot. I didn't even mention him in the previous post, when he is after all a main character. He is absolutely.... GAH. I cannot use words. One of my favorites. Horace is totally sweet; he isn't quite as smart as Will, or as daring as Will, but boy, is he good with a sword :-). And, finally, Evanlyn. I will not get into her, but I love her, and I hope she comes back into the rest of the series. I really do. The content : a couple d**m and h**l, and several uses of God's name. Overall very clean. And the end. OH MY GOSH IT WAS SO UN-EXPECTED. I was staring at the book, going, you have GOT to be joking--in a good way. A very, very good way. Overall, I recommend this series to anyone over 9; the writing style is pretty easy (I'm finishing 1 a day), and I hope you enjoy!!!!!!!!
READ THESE BOOKS!!!!!! -- JAM--

Ranger's Apprentice : The Ruins of Gorlan : Book 1 : By John Flanagan

Like the other 15-year-old wards of Castle Redmont, Will is nervous about Choosing Day, when each of them will be assigned to a different master for training. Though his dearest wish is to enter the Battleschool, his small stature prevents it. Instead, Will is apprenticed to the grim-faced, mysterious Ranger. Soon Will learns that becoming a ranger is more difficult, dangerous, and worthwhile than he had imagined. He earns the respect of his elders and the friendship of a former foe, but all this is prelude to the great adventure that follows, when his skills wielding a knife and keeping a heightened awareness of his surroundings become vital to the survival of his mentor and the safety of the kingdom.

My thoughts :
One of my friend's brother recommended this book to me. I had been wanting to read it for a pretty long time, but never did because they had never been recommended to me, so I was very excited when he told me I should read it. It was extremely enjoyable. Will was a very likable character, humble, cute, and brave. I loved Horace, from his evolving from a bully into a man. There weren't that many other major characters, but they were all awesome. Nothing bad, besides a few uses of d*** and that's it. 
The story was well developed and I think the pacing was very nice. I am in the middle of the 2nd one, and I am loving it. 
Signing off, 
JAM
(sorry for the review being so horribly short and choppy; it was written over a couple days)