Need I Say "Stop bein a bitch brah!"

About 2 weeks ago I started my new job as a hostess at a quaint little family run resturant called Egg'lectic Cafe. It was the week of the full moon, and as we all know, full moons lead to loons... yes, that's right I said it. Its when the freaks come out not only at night, but also in broad daylight and you sit there wondering... "how the hell can the sun not be burning you?"


Now, weekdays tend to be slow, so as usual I was making my texting rounds and finding a buddy to talk to. But, in walks an old man donning big "diamond" stud earrings, an Ed Hardy T-Shirt, flip-flops... and gold nailpolish on his toes. Yes, this creaky old 85-ish year old man was sporting the gold nailpolish. Although he seemed rather chill, we could not hope to control the roaring waves of laughter that was pushing its way past out lips.


But that wasn't the worst thing. An fat British or Aussie guy comes into the resturant, and in the course of two minutes, he bitches me out at least five times! He was complaining about how his ham wasn't in his eggs and he was charged extra for it being put on the side and how hes never coming back to our resturant. Well tough shit cookie, we don't want you to come back.


As the day progresses, nearly each customer had something to complain about whether it be the draft from the doorway, being able to smell the bathroom cleaners from the completely opposite side of the resturant and how the chocolate milk wasn't quite up to par.


At this point, the owner, Ana, decided that she was fed up with peoples complaints and left me out front to deal with the pissy people of the world while she goes into the back office to play her scratch off lottery tickets (which she hasn't one anything more than $5... oh such skill).


Finally it was time for me to clock out at the exact time this huge black guy who eats 3 meals in about 15 minutes comes up to the front desk to pay. So he's stands there giving me a hard time. Now, simply since we're both black I actually had the nerve to tell him "Stop bein a bitch brah! It's time for me to clock out, and time for you to step out." And, with the sweetest smile I could muster, "Have a great day!"

Chasing Brooklyn: Book Review

When a death occurs, it tears people's worlds apart, and they never seem to mend quite the same. With that being said, all of the readers of author Lisa Schroeder's Chasing Brooklyn will have their outlook on life and death change upon the novel's completion. 

    This powerful story of struggle and survival is sure to create a new lease on life for those who have lost someone close. From the beginning, the story captured the power with a dramatic start.

    This story follows high school students Nico and Brooklyn as they deal with death and everyday life by trying to run away from their feelings. Brooklyn loses her boyfriend Lucca, who is also Nico's brother, in a car crash and it is taking her time to adjust to living life regularly without the constant reminder of Lucca looming over her everywhere she went.

     As if that were not enough there is a constant nagging fear that awaits Brooklyn in her dreams progressively each night; Gabe haunts her. Everyday of his life after the accident Gabe has to face the fact that he killed his friend,  and got weaker as time went on. He died from a drug overdose, and is now haunting Brooklyn. Gabe makes Brooklyn promise that she would stay strong after Lucca died. Now he is making sure that she holds up her end of the bargain. 

     What Brooklyn doesn't know is that Lucca is haunting Nico.

    Neither Nico nor Brooklyn admit that they are being haunted, because they think that if they were to mention the haunting, they would be classified as crazy.

    They begin working together to heal the pain that they have encountered and enter a sprint triathalon. During their training, Brooklyn and Nico begin getting closer to each other. Not only did they become closer as friends, but they also realized that all they really needed the whole time was each other.

    Verse formatting, like in this story, uses minimal dialogue the keep continuous focus on the pain and fear of Brooklyn and Nico. The impact of this story is truly raw, and will leave readers with a comforting feeling in the end. 

Sorta Like A Rockstar: Book Review

Sorta Like A Rock Star, by Matthew Quick speaks to modern heroism, providing a hope for all misfits. Laced with meaning and thought, Quick’s vivid language entices his readers, keeping me intrigued from page one.

Despite events, good or bad, in one’s life that stand out against the rest, this is one book that is truly gratifying. This book fills you with bonafide hope, all thanks to its astounding main character Amber Appleton.

One cannot help but admire characters that bring light and happiness to any situation, who find the power to use what they have but never lose sight of what the future holds and what can be accomplished.

Amber longs to brighten at least one moment, if not a day, of each person she encounters. In the beginning, she’s seemingly optimistic, but even Amber Appleton can be shaken from her own life’s flaws.

Amber lives on a school bus nicknamed Hello Yellow that her mom drives, with their dog Bobby Big Boy, a comforter and six garbage bags of belongings. Each morning, she dresses and heads to the house of Ricky, her autistic friend, and his mother, Donna. There, she occasionally makes breakfast and then prepares for school.

She continues her day as any typical teenager would: going to school, hanging with Franks Freak Force Federation also known as The Five and then later heading somewhere to make someones life a little bit brighter.

In the darkness of the night, she hardly eats anything, does her homework, and goes to bed, whether her mom is home from the bar or not.

Despite the evidently shoddy living situation, she is hopeful. She considers herself a freak, but is proud.

That is until her small family is torn apart and Amber is left alone with only Bobby Big Boy. Life’s bright flicker of light is not so bright. She ceases living her old vivacious life and begins to shut out those who were always on her side.


It seems as though Amber’s lost herself, and it takes months for her to find who she once was again.

When she does, everything beings to pick up. I found myself cheering for Amber and realizing that my life is nothing compared to the trials and tribulations she encounters daily.

There is no doubt that Matthew Quick has created a genius character who speaks to people as if she has known them forever; whom people listen to and whom people learn to love and yearn to follow. Amber Appleton is not incredible at everything. She is not perfection itself. She is a typical seventeen-year-old girl with her own typically freakish problems, and she manages them while helping others do the same.

I would recommend this book to anyone, simply because everyone in the world needs a sort of unlikely hero. Sorta Like a Rock Star really is the type of book fit for any person. Whether one leads a hard or easy life, its aura speaks the truth. Why not treat yourself to a shot of enthusiasm and hope? We could all use a hero, and mine is named Amber Appleton; the hope spreader.

The POE-fect novel

The mysterious death of one of America’s greatest writers has always been questioned in my mind until the fateful day of cracking the spine of Nevermore by Kelly Creagh.

    This book sparked a page-turning psychological voyage into the world of esteemed writer Edgar Allan Poe. But this book isn’t just for Poe enthusiasts such as myself; this book has more to it than that.
    Never, would I have thought of a more brilliant storyline to keep me captivated during the duration of a sunny Saturday and well into a livid 2:30 a.m. on Sunday.

This story is layered with equal parts horror, humor and romance as readers voyage into the world of Poe, but with a modern twist.

The thick plot line of Nevermore  follows goth and Poe enthusiast Varen and cheerleader and unlikely heroine Isobel; an unlikely duo paired up to work on a literature project.

Along the way, Isobel begins to realize that the world of Poe is more real than she thinks as she finds herself wrapped up in Varen’s world portrayed in a notebook, where the terrifying stories of Poe come to life.

She discovers the dark and troubled past of Poe and how dreams are more powerful than she realized. But will she be able to save herself and Varen from the shadows of his world?

This dark and suspenseful book had me locked down at the turn of page one. Never could I have imagined the world of Poe portrayed in such a complex and fascinating way. Creagh did not loose sight of the genius works of Poe as she weaved them into her own writing, creating one of the best books I have ever read.

I happen to be eagerly awaiting the release of the highly anticipated sequel, but little information is known about it yet, but I have a feeling that whatever bookshelves everywhere await, will not fail to disappoint.

Flavor filled Five Flavors of Dumb Review

At last, a book that’s not filled with the same pop culture fluff littering bookshelves across America. Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John is indeed one of the most revolutionary books I have ever read.

At first, I thought the book to be another boring story about a band and the struggles they faced but then came to the actualization as to why this plot was so awesome upon reading to the bottom of page five. Now, giving away what I discovered would only ruin the surprise and defeat the purpose of my writing this review.
The story takes place in a suburb of Seattle, Wash., where 18-year-old Piper finds that her big mouth gets her in trouble and leads to her becoming manager of a local rock band called Dumb. Yes, really, the band’s name is Dumb.
To Piper the name of the band could not be more befitting. The members consist of an egotistical pretty boy, a silent rocker, a talentless model-type, an in-need-of-anger-management guitarist and a geeky drummer boy. At first, the band was two flavors short of being one big happy sundae, but when all five come together, that’s when the magic starts--or maybe the chaos.
The challenge? Getting these five unlikely teens their first paying gig. The deal? A chance to get a share of the profits. The catch? Finding this out requires reading the book.
Usually I would have passed a book like this up without a second glance, but instead decided to give it a try, and I’m glad I did. John’s novel truly took me by surprise with its raw sense of normalcy.
The novel has a roller coaster of realness with its inclusion of actual teen situations and not the Hollywood grandeur of what teens want to read. But the real kicker is, teens would actually want to read the book because it is that good.
Five Flavors of Dumb has a great deal of finesse, and I highly recommend this book to both guys and girls. I mean really, we all need a little Dumb in our lives. That’s what keeps things interesting.

Shirock's debut release shows an evolution in the making

With an onslaught of recent political events inspiring people around the world, there is no better time to witness the inevitable change on the horizon with the aid of a band such as Shirock.  

Based out of Nashville, Tenn., Shirock is a five-piece band whose influences in the younger stages were Smashing Pumpkins and U2. The band includes Chuck Shirock on vocals/guitar/ piano, Pap Shirock on vocals/keyboard, Adam Gatchel on drums/percussion, Kevin Whitsett on bass and Dylan Williams on guitar.

This young band sends out an uplifting message to the younger generations, hoping to inspire change and make its mark on the music scene. It also capitalizes on the power of rock and roll to get its message heard.

Its debut album Everything Burns takes to heart the bold, canticle songs that are teeming with turbulent urgency and wistful certainty. Not only can this sound be heard in the glorious sweeping melodies, but also in the powerful combination of gritty guitar riffs and wailing vocals.  

According to an interview with Chuck Shirock upon the release, “The songs on the album—they’re our lives, our relationships, our friendships within the band. They’re our pursuit of trying to figure out life, who we are ...  and how it all makes sense. It’s all of that put to music.”
One of the best aspects of this band other than its awesome music is that it doesn’t just sing about making a difference. The members actually make a difference with their non-profit organization Everything Burns to encourage fans to help those in need.
According the the band’s website, the organization has graced high schools and colleges across the nation spreading the message of “‘live for the things that matter’ by making a practical difference in their communities and around the globe.”
As if that weren’t enough, the band has also launched its own Nashville-based clothing-line, Irock Clothing, which features apparel and accessories and is also sold on the band’s website. The line has also managed to sell out at every boutique in Nashville that carries the brand.

At the end of 2009, Shirock became the first independent band to release a CD in Hollister Co. stores around the world. Its music took to customers so quickly that in mid-2010 the band had to re-order over 10,000 copies of Everything Burns to keep up with the demand.

To top off the band’s enterprising, it launched a company called The Movement Group, which houses every aspect of Shirock, including their independent record label. The Movement Group partnered with Sony, RED Distribution and Creative Entertainment Network to launch the label division to take the songs on Everything Burns to a new level.

With this being said, control over every aspect of their music allows Shirock to keep all of its music genuine to itself. This dynamic game plan makes Shirock a band to look forward to hearing from very soon. From the fancy packaging of the CD to the amazing music, Shirock surely rocks.

Music Review: Young the Giant vs. Bearhands

Up-and-coming bands such as Bear Hands and Young the Giant tend to receive the short end of the stick in praise. But in this case both bands have managed to establish names for themselves nationwide.
Dylan Rau started the post-punk/indie rock band Bear Hands in spite of a romantic rival, which then inspired him to write nearly 70 new songs for the band. Joining up with Ted Feldman, TJ Orscher and Val Loper, the band began touring, which became a new way of life after the 2007 release of Golden EP.
Since then, the band has opened for groups including MGMT, Vampire Weekend, The XX and Les Savy Fav. They have also banded together with bands such as Passion Pit, We Were Promised Jet Packs and Manic Street Preachers on tours all over North America and Europe.
Upon the success of the most recent single “What a Drag,” the band has graced massive crowds at iconic festivals such as Reading, Leeds, Siren, Rockness and Forecastle. They also picked up a few shows in Brazil with fellow bands Chairlift and Telepathe while narrowly getting out with their lives with a bought of intestinal parasites.
Bear Hands is really starting to pick things up in the music scene upon their debut LP Burning Bush Supper Club, which took over a year to complete due to periods of mental illness and
permeating indecision. This album portrays the band’s eccentric levels of truth and relevance while playing on their beautiful and new sound.
Young the Giant was formed in 2004 in Irving, Calif., by lead vocalist Sameer Gadhia who then joined forces with Jacob Tilley, Eric Cannata, Payam Doostzade and Francois Comtois to form a band that has yet to disappoint. Members of the band decided to put their schooling careers on hold as they worked to build their musical careers.
In the winter of 2008, the band competed in an online contest for Sonicbids to open for the Kings of Leon at the House of Blues in Chicago. Just two months after the show, the band’s street cred had risen. The band then signed with Roadrunner Records in Aug. 2009.
In June of 2010, the band had played with bands such as Marina and the Diamonds, The Futureheads, Neon Trees and New Politics. In October of that year, the band released its self-titled debut album Young the Giant. Their hit single “My Body” reached number eight on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
The group’s combination of powerful lyrics and great musical arrangement truly made its first album a great success. The songs featured on the first album show great promise for what the next album has in store.
Consequently, both bands have a great sound, and the decision is rather hard to make. Bear Hands gains points for creativity in their lyrics, but vocally, Young the Giant has the upper hand. It would be easiest to make the decision of both being equally good.
In the end Young the Giant takes the title for being the best. Their music is something that can be listened to over and over again without feeling the aggravation that comes along with it. Young the Giant is dynamically more entertaining than Bear Hands. It’s up to the readers to decide. Who’s your pick for number one?

The Mortal Instruments Trilogy

Urban fantasy novels are generally hard to come by, but The Mortal Instruments series, also known as MI, surely sets high standards for authors wanting to get in on the action.

    The Mortal Instruments series is chalked full of witty and thrilling sequences. From Book One: City of Bones, I was hooked on the action-packed plot that always had something new to offer at the turn of a page. 

    As of now, the three-part series has acquired rave reviews, starting with Book One: City of Bones. The main character, Clary, is introduced to the world of Shadowhunters, a race of super-humans created to drive demons from our world. 

    Clary gets a major reality check when she is almost killed by a rather horrendous monster sent by Valentine, a powerful Shadowhunter who was thought to be dead who is presumably after her mother. It is then, when Clary realizes that she too, is a part of this race and works with the Shadowhunters to find Valentine and her mother.

    In Book Two: City of Ashes, Clary wishes  for her old life back, but at this point in the game, it is already too late. She has found her mother who has been put in a mysterious coma, and she also realized that the Shadowhunter, Jace, that she fell in love with, is her new-found brother.

    Both she and Jace discovered that they are Valentine's children. At the same time, Clary's friend Simon is turned into a vampire  and is captured by Valentine to bait Clary. Valentine's intents are more obtrusive than many people thought, and Valentine intends to sacrifice Simon to make the Mortal Instruments his forever. 

    Finally in Book Three: City of Glass, Clary manages to challenge her newfound magical skills to penetrate the walls of the Glass City in Idris, the homeland of Shadowhunters. Clary, however, is not supposed to be in the City of Glass considering the fact that it is the only place in which she can find a cure for her mother.

    Valentine attacks the city and destroys the demon towers that set the barriers that prevented the demons from entering.   It is there that Clary begins to overcome her fears and becomes a true Shadowhunter. 

    The MI series balances a hint of romance with the combination of extravagant fighting sequences that keeps the readers on the edge of their seats.  

    Everything from book one to book three comes together in what was thought to be the final installment of the series. In March 2011, Book Four: City of Fallen Angels, will be released.

    But the excitement for the MI enthusiasts does not end there. There is talk of The Mortal Instruments movie release in 2012, and production will be underway soon.

Dark and suspenseful novel doesn't disappoint: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Two girls separated by two centuries. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly seeks interest with a fantastic twist between two different time periods. The thick plot line, is filled with dark and suspenseful events on every page.
Andi Alpers is on the verge of a mental breakdown: again. She is like any typical teen with family problems and being mad at the world. She hates her father for leaving, is angry at her mother for not coping, and is suffering from a broken heart upon the loss of her younger brother, Truman.
Her pain and rage is beginning to defeat her as she is about to be expelled from a highly prestigious private school in Brooklyn Heights before her father steps in. Now Andi is forced to travel with her father to Paris for winter break.
Alexandrine Paradis lived 200 years ago. She kept a diary where she recorded her desires to grace the stages of Paris. But after a dismal encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a role she did not want, nor could she escape.
When Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she feels some sort of connection to the words written in it and is on the verge of obsession. There’s a sense of comfort in Alexandrine’s words that distract Andi in the frail pages of the diary.
Andi is caught in such a trance from Alexandrine’s diary, that on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words come to life, and the past suddenly becomes scarily ominous.
Revolution was quite possibly, one of the best books I have ever read. Donnelly has yet again released a truly exceptional novel. She has skillfully weaved the stories of unforgettable characters Andi and Alexandrine as they explore life, loss and the pain and power of love. Revolution vividly depicts the never ending struggles of the human race.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a dark and depressing, but uplifting story. Although parts of the novel get too emotional, I truly believe that the novel is a breath of fresh air and that it’s story is truly one of a kind.

Somebody Everybody Listens To

Life as a teenager brings trials and tribulations, seeking one’s purpose in life and losing what you cherished most.

The novel Somebody Everybody Listens To by Suzanne Supplee follows the life of Retta Lee Jones as she aspires to leave her hum-drum life of waiting tables at Bluebell’s Diner to await the day that she can leave her small town and head toward the bright lights of Nashville to become a country singer.

With only $500 in her jeans pocket and an old Caprice Classic, Retta leaves home upon graduating high school hoping that the power of talent, drive and determination will inevitably prevail and help her wishes come true.

Consequently, the chances of becoming a successful country singer is about as likely as Dolly Parton's boobs being real (I know that they are, but they still look fake...) .

Upon her arrival to Music City, Retta gets mugged, loses all of her savings and ends up sleeping in the back seat of her car and resorts to  bathing hobo style in public restroom sinks.

After a while, things begin to look up. Retta manages to snag her first singing gig in a local honky-tonk inn outside Nashville. But after barely getting paid, she manages to snare a open spot, singing at an open mic night at the Mockingbird Café, a hot-spot for lots of singers to be discovered.    

As things started getting better and better, they all seemed to fall apart yet again. Amidst a family crisis, Retta comes to the realization that the life she had hoped for, will take longer to achieve.

Somebody Everybody Listens To is a breath of fresh air; the yin to my yang of literature. Its message and story is not overplayed like the various fantasy, and fiction novels thrown around young adult literature.

Its bittersweet determination and failure complex is a great treasure to behold. After each page, I expected something to happen, and all of a sudden, the story turned at a whole other corner, leaving me wanting to only continue.

Lovers and haters of country music alike, will be enthralled by this wondrous story as each chapter commences. Focusing on Retta’s stilled determination to not give up when odds are against her and the combination of sincerity while avoiding an overly sappy tale is a truly warming experience.

Coffeehouse Angel

Living in a time in which showing that one cares, is something many people strive to live by. Coffeehouse Angel is a fantastic book to get anyone in the mood to give back during the upcoming holiday season.

Filled to the brim with a rather unique and inspiring storyline, the main character, Katrina, immediately demonstrates an act of kindness in the first few pages of the book.  She helps a “homeless” man lying amongst the oddments in an alleyway along the side of her grandmother’s coffeehouse.

Immediately, the man attempts to repay her for her act of kindness but Katrina repeatedly mentions that she does not need anything in return. What she doesn’t know is that he has a secret which requires him to give someone that helps him something in return.

As the story progresses, Katrina’s random acts of kindness begin to pay off, but also begin to throw some curve balls her way. Just as things begin to look up, there is always something that has to get in the way.

Now the alleged homeless man is everywhere she turns, and begins to put her in some rather sticky situations. In the end, it takes a major disaster to strike in order for Katrina to put her best foot forward and prevail.

This story is full of courage and funny situations but also, the message is better than that of any book I have read. No matter what the time of the year is and no matter what one has heard, helping someone could be the best thing one could ever do. Whether it includes giving a homeless person spare change, or leftover food from a lunch that may end up being stuck in the fridge for later.

It’s books like these that are generally overlooked because they may be deemed as cheesy, but in this case, the cheesiest books are the best books. As opposed to the pop fluff written in books these days, I genuinely recommend this book to anyone searching for a laugh, but also an underlying message to make everyone feel a little brighter and maybe find an angel.

The Splendor Falls

Whoever coined  the phrase,"never judge a book by its cover," was absoulutely right. The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore, is one book whose cover deceives the reader but does not disappoint on the inside.

      There was no summary for the book, and the cover looked as boring as lima beans. But I took the chance and checked it out, instantly falling in love after the first chapter.  

    This story is about Sylvie Davis, a ballerina who can no longer dance due to a broken leg that unfortunately ends her career. But Sylvie’s problems run deeper than a healing broken leg.  What hurt her most was her father’s death, and what is tearing at her spirit is her mother’s remarriage to a psychologist, who thinks Sylvie needs to be evaluated.

    The only way Sylvie’s mother is able to tame her unhappiness, is to uproot her from her Manhattan apartment and ship her to Alabama. There, Sylvie’s father’s cousin is restoring the family estate in a town overflowing with her family’s history.

    Upon her arrival, Sylvie comes to the realization that her family has a lot more history than she ever knew. An even more unsettling thought is about the two guys that she cannot stop thinking about. Shawn Maddox, the residential prize boy, seems to be perfect in every way, but underneath all of that perfect, is a sinister mind. Rhys—a handsome but very mysterious foreign guest of her cousin, has Sylvie lost in confusion about who he really is.

    As an avid reader of supernatural novels, the imagery in this particular book truly captures the essence of a modern supernatural story. I managed to finish reading this over 500 page book in around 12 hours, with some interruptions, but could not bear to put it down after the first chapter.

    I highly recommend this book for teenage girls because of its pure genius. I do not think I have ever encountered a book like this one. At first the story comes off as being normal, like a story about a regular person’s life, but then it changes. At first the transition caught me off guard, but then it all seemed to come together to a great finish.