Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Julie Lynn Hayes' InsaneJournal:

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Friday, January 27th, 2012
11:43 am	The Submission Review The Submission Author: Amy Waldman Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux American release date: August 16, 2011 Format/Genre/Length: Novel/Political/Current Events/320 pages Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★ Two years after the devastating events of September 11th, a nation still grieves. In an attempt to offer some surcease of sorrow to the country, and to those who lost loved ones on that terrible day, a memorial has been proposed, and a blind competition held to pick the best design for the memorial. Now the jury who will make the final recommendation is down to two names, but when they choose, and realize that the winning architect is a Muslim, can they uphold this choice, or will it destroy not only them, but the memorial, and ( divide a grieving nation? ) (Comment on this)
Sunday, January 15th, 2012
9:58 am	Double Dexter Review Double Dexter Author: Jeff Lindsay Publisher: Doubleday American release date: October 18, 2011 Format/Genre/Length: Novel/Horror/352 pages Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★ Dexter Morgan is very meticulous and very good at what he does, making sure to follow the Code of Harry in picking whom to focus his attentions on. Steve Valentine certainly fits the mandatory profile—subhuman, pedophilic killer of innocent boys. He never sees it coming. Dexter has planned everything to the nth degree for Valentine’s demise. What he hasn’t counted on is ( being witnessed in the act. ) (Comment on this)
Friday, January 6th, 2012
10:53 am	a stolen life Review a stolen life Author: Jaycee Dugard Publisher: Simon & Schuster American release date: July 12, 2011 Format/Genre/Length: Novel/Autobiography/273 pages Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★ Jaycee Dugard was eleven years old and on her way to school when her life was unexpectedly interrupted, stolen from her at the whim of an obsessive pedophile. She virtually disappeared from the face of her earth for eighteen long years. And when she finally re-emerged into the world once more, ( she had quite a tale to tell. ) (Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
9:09 am	Ouran High School Host Club Volume 10 Review Hunny unwittingly comes to the aid of a damsel in distress, only to find himself the victim of her curse! Kanazuki is a member of the school’s Black Magic Club. When the other members ask why she’s placing a curse on Hunny, she replies—because he stole her soul! She freaks Hunny out by the things that she does, and the boy is beside himself, wondering what he did to anger her so. It’s up to the other Host Club members to get to the bottom of things, and figure out what to do about ( Kanazuki’s apparent vendetta against Hunny! ) (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
1:26 pm	Adel's Purr Review Evan Halvard lives like a hermit, up in the mountains, away from everyone—and that’s the way he likes it. Alone with his beloved stone. Evan is a stonemason by trade, as was his father before him. It was while working with his late father, as a young man, that Evans makes a startling discovery—some gargoyle are more than the statuary they appear to be. In fact, they are ( living stone! ) (Comment on this)
Friday, November 25th, 2011
11:24 am	Zandalee Review Zandalee Director/Studio/Author: Sam Pillsbury/Panorama/Mari Kornhauser Format/Genre/Length: DVD/Drama/100 minutes Publisher/Industry Age Rating: R Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★ One-time poet Thierry Martin (Judge Reinhold) has traded his pen to live the corporate life in his father’s stead, after his father’s death. Unfortunately, the stress has left him unable to cope with the needs of his sexy wife Zandalee (Erika Anderson). When Thierry renews his friendship with wild-child artist Johnny Collins (Nic Cage), ( can trouble be far behind? ) (Comment on this)
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011
12:36 pm	Ouran High School Host Club Volume 9 Review Volume 9 of Bisco Hatori’s Ouran High School Host Club begins with an examination of the dichotomy that is Hikaru and Kaoru. The twins are a perplexing pair—torn between wanting to be seen as individuals and being seen as a whole. They manage to confuse most of the people around them with their attitude and they go out of their way to make fools of everyone by childishly switching places whenever it pleases them. They are easily bored and prone to tossing aside their latest toy or pursuit when it no longer holds their joint attention, people included. They believe that people only want to get close to them because of their family name. They haven’t reckoned on Tamaki Suoh. When he asks them to join a club he wishes to start, they force him to play the “Which One is Hikaru” game for a month, sure he cannot succeed. They don’t count on Tamaki’s tenacity. Of course, the outcome is a foregone conclusion. As the second story begins, the Host Club are playing pirates—buckling swashes and shivering timbers and slashing their way into their ladies’ hearts! An unexpected visitor to the club, who is a newcomer to the school—a visiting princess from the kingdom of Monar—sets Tamaki into a tailspin that none can understand, although many try to psychoanalyze his reactions to the pampered, spoiled, selfish young woman. Does he know her? Does she remind him of someone? And why does he agree to her petulant demands? Including wanting to have one of the little people taste her food in case of poison! The others are determined to get to the bottom of his bizarre behavior—the sooner the better! After the princess’ departure, Tamaki takes to his bed with a cold, not appearing at school. Gadzooks! Tamaki sick? Unheard of! What’s going on? The Host Club goes to see! They find him being spoiled by the staff at the manor, but there’s evidence that Tamaki has been acting strangely lately, including questioning Mori as to whether he ever wishes to kiss Hunny. Truth be told, Tamaki has had ideas of kissing Haruhi. But he’s her father! Wherein lies the conflict. This calls for some parental guidance, in the worst possible way. But will he receive it? In the extra episode, Haruhi’s hosting a yami-nabe party at her house. Literally it means dark pot. Guests bring different foods that aren’t normally used in nabe and add them to the pot. Whatever you pick up with your chopsticks, you eat. When the members of the Host Club run out of their expensive additions, they persuade Haruhi to run to the store for more—at their expense, of course. She grumbles, but she acquiesces. Once she’s out of the house, they are free to put their diabolically clever—and inherently ridiculous—scheme into effect, whereby they secretly replace every bit of the Fujioka’s poor, cheap home with expensive duplicates of high quality. Will they succeed? And if they do, will anybody notice? A bonus story after the Host Club episodes is called The Love Egoist in which a college student is warned not to take a certain path, but he ends up taking it anyway. Has he found the love of his life? Or will he lose her by going down his already chosen road? On the cover of this volume we see Haruhi and Hunny is grass skirts—completely adorable! I loved all the stories, but especially those with Tamaki. Although the spoiled princess trope is a familiar one, this one serves a different purpose, and I have hopes of seeing a furtherance in the relationship between Tamaki and Haruhi. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the members of the Host Club and look forward to a lot more of their adventures. The fun never stops, and the writing maintains a high quality in each story. I hope it continues for a long time to come! (Comment on this)
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
4:24 pm	Life After Math (sequel to Love by the Numbers) Review Author: S.L. Danielson Publisher: Silver Publishing American release date: June 3, 2011 Format/Genre/Length: Novel/YA/190 pages Publisher/Industry Age Rating: 18+ Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★ Scott and Jared have weathered high school, now it’s on to college! They’ve managed to sustain and nurture their relationship through some pretty serious ups and downs, and have vowed to stay together forever. But when reality comes crashing down on them, in the form of pressure from their conflicting schedules, and they discover that the college world is vastly different than what they’ve known before, ( they’re faced with some decisions that have the potential to tear them apart. ) (Comment on this)
Friday, September 9th, 2011
8:00 pm	Locke & Key $: Keys to the Kingdom Review Locke & Key 4: Kings to the Kingdom Author/Artist: Joe Hill/Gabriel Rodriguez Publisher:IDW Publishing American release date: July 19, 2011 Format/Genre/ Length: Graphic Novel/Fantasy/160 pages Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Not rated/contains mature themes & graphic violence Overall Personal Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ Similar authors to check out: HP Lovecraft, Stephen King, Harlan Ellison titles Kinsey is trying to get Tyler to share his burden with her, but is it her that wants to know the whereabouts of the omega key, or is it Zack? When Tyler accidentally learns of Zack’s boyfriend status with his sister, things get ugly, and poor Bode is left bemoaning ( the problem with teenagers. ) (Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
1:43 pm	Gideon's Sword Review Gideon’s Sword Authors: Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child Publisher: Grand Central Publishing American release date: February 11, 2011 Format/ Genre/Length: Novel/Thriller/342 pages Publisher/Industry Age Rating: NR Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★ Similar series or titles to check out: the Pendergast series, by the same authors Gideon Crew watched his father get shot down by his government employers, accused of treason. Gideon was only twelve when his world was turned upside down, an event from which his mother never recovered. It sent her into a downward spiral which continued until her own death. Gideon vowed to wreak ( vengeance on the ones who’d destroyed his family. ) (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 11th, 2011
10:10 am	Locke & Key 3: Crown of Shadows Review Locke & Key 3: Crown of Shadows Author/Artist: Joe Hill/Gabriel Rodriguez Publisher: IDW Publishing American release date: July 19, 2011 Format/Genre/ Length: Graphic Novel/Fantasy/152 pages Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Not rated/contains mature themes & graphic violence Overall Personal Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ Similar authors to check out: HP Lovecraft, Stephen King, Harlan Ellison titles Tyler’s mother is troubled by shadows in the night, so she wakes Tyler, bending his ear with her drunken outpourings, as well as the news that she has to go to Provincetown for a while, as Duncan’s lover was hit by a car. The patient Tyler listens to her ramblings, promises her to take care of things while she’s gone and puts her to bed. Little does he realize that there are indeed problems in the shadows—in the form of Zach/Lucas, and his many keys. ( But he’s still missing at least one key that he really wants. ) (Comment on this)
Sunday, August 7th, 2011
11:50 am	Ranch Hands Review Ranch Hands Author: S.L. Danielson Publisher: S.L. Danielson American release date: July 19, 2010 Format/Genre/Length: Novel/M/M Romance/167 pages (also available in e-book) Publisher/Industry Age Rating: NR (my suggestion is Older Teens and up) Overall Personal Rating: ☆☆☆☆ Sid Rosen’s in a world of trouble. The farm is mortgaged to the hilt thanks to the gambling habits of his late father, and the payments are six months overdue. A terrible drought has more than taken its toll on everyone, and Sid is a desperate man. He can’t work the farm alone, and he can’t afford to hire anyone. ( Catch 22—what’s a guy to do? ) (Comment on this)
Friday, July 29th, 2011
12:01 pm	Heartless (Parasol Protectorate #4) Review Heartless (Parasol Protectorate #4) Author: Gail Carriger Publisher: Orbit Books American release date: July 1, 2011 Format/Genre/Length: Novel/Paranormal Steampunk/374 pages Publisher/Industry Age Rating: NR/Suitable for teens and up Overall Personal Rating : ☆☆☆☆☆ It seems that Alexia’s unexpected (and hitherto considered impossible) pregnancy has thrown the supernatural world into something of a tizzy (now that her husband has removed his head from his nether regions long enough to realize that the child is indeed his and none other’s). But it seems they have a plan. Lord Maccon, Lord Akeldama, and Professor Lyall, that is. They’ve been hatching their idea for five months, and have decided that now’s a good time to let Alexia in on their little scheme. (Nice of them, considering it’s her child they’re talking about). In light of the fact that Alexia has become the target of numerous annoying and inconvenient assassination attempts, she must give the child up. ( To Lord Akeldama;s care. ) (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 2nd, 2011
7:00 pm	Hatter M: The Looking Glass Wars Volume One Review The Looking Glass Wards, Volume One Author/Artist: Frank Beddor/Ben Templesmith Publisher: Automatic Pictures Publishing American release date: October 16, 2008 Format/Genre/Length: Graphic Novel/Young Adult/176 pages Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Teen Overall Personal Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ Similar series or titles to check out: Alice in the Country of Hearts Hatter Madigan is the Royal Bodyguard for Queen Genevieve. When the kingdom of Wonderland is attacked by forces under the control of the queen’s vile sister, Hatter wishes to take both Genevieve and her daughter Alyss and flee, but the queen will not have that. She begs him to take Alyss to safety, and there to keep her from harm until it is safe for her to return. Against his better judgment, Hatter does just that. Unfortunately, he didn’t expect to be separated from Alyss, nor to begin ( a 13 year quest to find her. ) (Comment on this)
Friday, July 1st, 2011
11:04 am	Dark Chocolate and Raspberries Review Dark Chocolate and Raspberries Author: Sui Lynn Publisher: Silver Publishing American release date: April 22, 2011 Format/Genre/Length: Ebook/M/M Romance/293 pages Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Mature/18+ Overall Personal Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ Dylan Michaels has the face of an angel and a voice to match, but Taj Davis discovers that he also has the temperament of a diva when the lovely young man enrolls at his college with the idea that he’s going to be the star of the choir. But Taj glimpses something else that lies deep below the surface—something fragile and breathtakingly lovely—beneath the hard shell of the diva which Dylan wears like a protective armor. Can Taj get through to the inner Dylan, and will he ever figure out why Dylan claims they’ve met before? ( Surely Taj would remember something like that? ) (Comment on this)
Thursday, June 23rd, 2011
5:13 pm	Dead Reckoning Review Publisher: Ace Books/Berkley Publishing American release date: May 3, 2011 Format/Genre/Length: Novel/Fantasy/336 pages Overall Personal Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ It’s been two years since Sookie Stackhouse has been up in her own attic, not since she went up there to look for her Grans’ wedding dress, thinking she should be buried in it. Now she’s there on a mission—it’s time to clean it out and decide what to do with everything. She’s got her fae kin with her to help out—Dermot and Claude. Sookie decides that watching them work at the task shirtless certainly makes it more interesting. Although she doesn’t take kindly to Claude’s suggestion that everything be piled in the yard and burned, she compromises by promising to go through it and sorting it out into things to keep, things to give away, things to sell and ( what’s left can be burnt. ) (Comment on this)
Monday, June 20th, 2011
8:42 am	Red Dragon Review Red Dragon Author: Thomas Harris Publisher: Berkley (reprint, originally Dell) American release date: January 6, 2009 Format/Genre/Length: Novel/Thriller/464 pages Publisher/Industry Age Rating: NR Overall Personal Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ Similar series or titles to check out: Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Hannibal Rising It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what FBI agent Jack Crawford wants of Will Graham—especially with the headlines blaring about the two murders; one in Atlanta, the other in Birmingham. More than enough reason for Crawford to come down to Florida, to get the consultant’s take on the killer. The choice of locale is deliberate—when he shows Will the photos of the deceased families, children included, he can’t help but contrast that with his own wife and stepson. ( How can he refuse to help catch someone who hurts children? ) (Comment on this)
Thursday, June 9th, 2011
12:11 pm	The Unwritten: Dead Man's Knock Review The Unwritten, Volume 3: Dead Man’s Knock Author/Artist: Mike Carey/Peter Gross Publisher: Vertigo American release date: March 29, 2011 Format/Genre/Length: Graphic Novel/Fantasy/160 pages Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Suggested for Mature readers Overall Personal Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ Similar series or titles to check out: Sandman, Lucifer, Hellblazer Only two days until the long awaited 14th Tommy Taylor novel is released! Callendar and his group meet, while the world speculates as to the contents of the newest tome from the pen of the missing writer, Wilson Taylor. Tom is taking a huge risk even being in London, which Lizzie keeps trying to tell him, but he’s convinced that his father is going to show up at the book launch, and there’s a lot of things he would like to discuss with dear old dad. What has Lizzie yanked off a street post, that’s got her white as a sheet, and ( why is she keeping it hidden from Tom and Savoy? ) (Comment on this)
10:46 am	For the Heart of Phillip Review For The Heart of Phillip Author: SL Danielson American release date: 2010 Format/Genre/Length: Novel/MM Romance/331 pages Publisher/Industry Age Rating: Mature/Explicit Content Overall Personal Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ At the age of twelve, Phillip Marnier has three strikes against him—he’s overweight, he’s bi-polar and he’s manic depressive. Being six foot tall only helps to keep him in the radar of his taunting peers. Then one morning, while riding his school bus, Phillip meets a new boy, two years his junior—Andrew Bradley-Horner—and ( his life will never be the same. ) (Comment on this)
Sunday, June 5th, 2011
1:54 pm	Fanfiction - Queer as Folk - Pink Yarn is SO Gay SERIES: Queer as Folk RATING: NC17 GENRE: M/M Romance/erotica WORD COUNT: 2420 CHARACTERS: Brian Kinney, Justin Taylor SUMMARY: When Justin appears back in Brian’s bed, will he take him back, or make him suffer for his transgressions? NOTES: Written for acropoliswrites prompt 21: Yarn. This is taken from the third season of QAF and may contain spoilers for those who haven’t watched it. ( Pink Yarn is SO Gay ) (Comment on this)