google-site-verification: google935433b691795853.html KRISTY BERRIDGE: 2011-12-04

Saturday 10 December 2011

Book Review: The Immortals Series by Alyson Noel

I thought I'd give you just a quick book review today as in truth, I'm gearing up for an awesome night out on the town and undoubtedly need at least four hours to get myself ready.
Okay, so I just made it sound like I'm negligent about the review and a lost cause when in pursuit of a speedy beautifying process. Not true, I'm simply distracted by the prospect of actually wandering further than my own backyard. I've been writing, blogging and generally arsing around in cyberspace for far too long without interaction with the general public.
My weekends are fast becoming a snore-fest.
So it's time for me to get my nose out of a book or away from the computer screen long enough to scream at my curling iron, gyrate with unknowns, and laugh with mates until the wee hours of the morning.
Ever and Damon have loved and lost each
other for hundreds of years - facing deadly
enemies, dark secrets and a powerful curse.
Now their love will be tested to its limits.
Ever and Damon finally have their chance to
discover their true destiny. The choice they're
about to make will unite them - or tear them
apart - forever.
Anyway, that aside. I recently finished reading the Immortals series by Alyson Noel. There were six in the series in total; Evermore, Blue Moon, Shadowland, Dark Flame, Night Star and finally, Everlasting.
This series is highly geared towards the YA market. There are a few supernatural elements in it, but not enough to excite anyone drawn to the horror genre. It's more of a spiritual novel, exploring chakras, potions, gemstones and nature's magic. It's also a love story, one that makes you want to slap a few people along the way.
I enjoyed this series, following the story of Ever and Damon, two beings fated as soul mates, destined to always be separated by their own stupidity, lack of faith and general interference from others. I say enjoyed because I didn't dislike it, but it wasn't exactly enthralling either. The writer has a wonderful idea encapsulated with beautifully written words, but unfortunately, it just fell short on the excitement levels that I've come to expect from the YA genre.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for ill fated romances, love triangles and even a bit of spirituality, but for two people wagering eternity, they both spend a lot of time complaining about what they don't have rather than the opportunities they do have. Fortunately the writer does wrap this series up smoothly. All characters are given their appropriate send offs, and any ill will between interacting characters is diminished. Overall it's wrapped up in a nice little bow for the reader, though I'm not certain I would have made the same choices if given the opportunity.
All in all, I'd give this series 3 out of 5 for it's light, but entertaining foray into the world of teenage immortality.
Well, have a good one - I will be ...

Kristy :)

Friday 9 December 2011

Follow Friday #10

Happy Friday everyone!
Yes, it’s that time of week again where bloggers unite to participate in the Follow Friday venture. The idea behind #FF is to promote traffic to your own blog, make new friends with other like-minded bloggers and discuss new and interesting topics each week.
Participating is simple. First you need to follow my blog because I’m totally awesome, then you can follow me on Twitter @kristyberridge (actually you don’t have to do this, it’s wishful thinking), but do follow my blog or assassins will get you …
Then you must follow our illustrious hosts Rachel of http://www.parajunkee.com/ and Alison of http://www.alisoncanread.com/ If you want more details on how to enter your own blog in the follow and hop, all directions are on their webpages
Now, once you’ve followed, check out my answer to this week’s questions and don’t forget to leave a comment so I can do the right thing and follow you back!

This week's question: Keeping with the spirit of giving this season, what book do you think EVERYONE should read and if you could, you would buy it for all of your family and friends?
Answer: My book The Hunted of course! EVERYONE should go out right now and buy it. Really ... right now. Your burning daylight just standing there.
Okay, so I'm kidding. Not really, but I do realise that I should give you an answer that's not self-endorsing.
So, if I had to choose a book that I think everyone should read, and I know this is going to sound supremely boring, but it's a dictionary. I don't know how many times a day I cringe, listening to people around me use incorrect words within sentences or spell them wrong in messages. And don't even get me started on the up and coming youth. Give them a dictionary? Some of them need to be slapped in the face with one!
So yes, this is probably why everyone says I'm a crappy aunt, because I suggest dictionaries instead of Steven King or Stephanie Meyer, but there you have it. I clearly suck (except my super awesome book The Hunted).

Tuesday 6 December 2011

Brain Farts

Well, despite the crude subtext, I can't deny that Brain Farts are in fact a serious medical condition that I myself have fallen victim to in recent times. Sure this plight may not actually kill you, but boy does it make you look like a right git to those unsuspecting of your current condition.
Thankfully most of my Brain Farts occur indoors, away from the prying eyes of others. Of course that does not stop me from slapping my own knees and cacking myself stupid when I realise what I've done. It also doesn't stop any bystanders that may be present from joining in on the self mockery either. But, it's not just me that this happens to. This is a decidedly good thing since I'm beginning to wonder if the blog doesn't present me as a somewhat hopeless case.
Anyway, I might start with the recent Brain Farts of friends and family. You know, just to shine the spotlight on someone else's stupidity for a while.
And it all begins with a colleague of mine on a midnight search for her lost mobile phone. Don't ask me why she woke in the wee hours of the morning in search of her phone, but clearly checking Facebook updates might have been on the agenda.
So after she grapples every item on the bedside table in search of said lost property, she finally finds a light, holds it in front of her and begins to overturn the bedroom looking for her phone. So I say to her at this point, 'How long were you looking for it?'. And she replies, 'It felt like hours.'
'So did you find the phone?' I ask, curious why anyone would look for a mobile that long unless limbs had recently been severed or Gerard Butler was calling in for a hot date.
'Yeah, I found the phone,' she said rather sheepishly.
I'd felt my eyebrow raise, waiting for the punchline. 'And where was it?'
'I had it in my hand the whole time. The mobile was providing the light I needed to find it.'
Enough said.
Case number two was dear old hubby. We were chatting in the car on the way home and he was telling me all about this text conversation he'd had with a customer on the phone. The weird thing was, he started making 'texting' motions, depicting his recent conversation and the detailed responses with his fingers. He did this for about ten minutes before I slapped his hand away and burst out laughing. I asked him if those fingers picked up HBO too.
Moving onto me, I probably take the cake with recent Brain Farts. Number one, I recently sat in the car, pulled the keys out of my pocket and proceeded to try and plunge it into my eye socket. Seriously, at the time, I was positive that was where you would find the ignition. Thankfully I spent the next half hour roaring with laughter instead of explaining an eye gouging in the emergency room - no damage done.
And finally, I made a beautiful dinner the other day, washed the dishes and looked at the sodden tea towel in my hands and opted to pop it in the laundry basket. I progressed to the bathroom where the linen press is kept, decided to slam dunk it like a pro basketballer and ended up slam dunking it in the toilet bowl on the opposite side of the room.
Nice.
Well, at least these incidents give us our laugh-out-loud moments when we realise the lights are on but nobody's home. Please tell me you all do stupid crap like this too?
Have a good one,

Kristy :)