#THENATURALHIGHPROJECT

Recently, on my personal blog, I’ve been working with an organization called The Natural High Project.

I’m doing a campaign January 1st through January 5th and you can read all that fun stuff on my blog.

I’m 100% sure that most of my readers aren’t going to know that this is because, although it is world wide, it’s not well known.

So, my first act would be to pose this question…

Natural High is a way to get your blood boiling and adrenaline rushing without the use of drugs or alcohol. These include doing your fave things whether that’s a day out with friends, or just an hour playing a sport!

A natural high is one of the most important things to find, and quickly, because as every teenager knows, your teen years are stressful!

Take the pledge to live drug free, watch videos, and read other blogs (and not to mention vlogs) on their website!

Stay tuned to my blog, www.christophersfashion.com  for my 5 day challenge, and links to other AMAZING Natural High Bloggers!

___________________________________________________________________________________

Make sure you tweet this photo, and other things about the Natural High Project, along with the hashtag #THENATURALHIGHPROJECT and the link www.christophersfashion.com to be featured in our 5 day extravaganza!

Personal Blog- www.christophersfashion.com The Natural High Project- www.naturalhigh.org

This was a year for my favourite series to end. One after the other, they fell like dominoes. This both pleases me because it frees up these brilliant authors to move onto fresh concepts, and saddens me; some of my favourite worlds and characters will only live on in the pages or in my head. I didn’t want to make this list all about the series which ended in 2014, but a couple made it here regardless.

The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

I was holding out on this one because I’m not a fan of so much hype. I LOVED this; so yeah, I joined the voices of the people at the cinemas telling anyone who hadn’t read the book to do so ASAP. Well worth it.

Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek – Maya Van Wagenen

I saw Maya speak on one of my morning programs and was blown away by how mature she is; I had to read her book. Apart from being a well-spoken young lady, she is an accomplished writer. She’s going to be powerful in her own right.

Sacrifice – Brigid Kemmerer

There are no plans for any more books on the Merrick Brothers, which breaks my heart. As far as final books go, this one is certainly going to set you outside your comfort zone, in a gut wrenching way. I’d pay Brigid to keep writing about this family, but I know I can’t afford her extensive talents.

After the End – Amy Plum

Juneau hooked and landed me. I hope she’ll kick some serious backside in the next book Until the Beginning.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters – Laini Taylor

I love it when a series ends exactly how you wanted it too. Laini crafted these worlds and characters like a boss.

Most Anticipated

The Darkest Part of the Forest – Holly Black

I’ve read the review copy we received in Sydney, and, oh my gosh, you guys are going to love it.

Until the Beginning – Amy Plum

Janeau is gonna kick some butt and have me fist pumping till the end of this instalment; I can just tell.

Vision in Silver – Anne Bishop

These characters make me giggle, and Anne has crafted a conundrum of epic proportions for them to untangle. I cannot wait.

Hello, Goodbye and Everything In Between – Jennifer E. Smith

I am looking forward to some for some light, fluffy happy stuff to read, but I have to wait until September to get some.

Instinct – Sherrilyn Kenyon

Book 6 in the Chronicles of Nick series is shaping up to be a heart stopping joyride

JOIN our book club discussion on Goodreads

Bel:

Cover

I own the paperback of the book, and the cover art by Ana Juan reflects the story to a tee!

Characters

Though odd at times, in a rather Alice in Wonderland-esque way, each character seems to be well thought out and beautiful in their own right.

Favourite

A-Through-L… He’s special, and I love his desire to be a better Wyverary.

Least Favourite

Maud. Though misunderstood, I still dislike her.

Beginning

September, a 12 year old Omaha girl, is swept away to Fairyland.

Storyline

She is forced into service for the Marquess, and the impossible tasks she is set lead September on her great adventure through Fairyland.

Ending

Technically this story doesn’t end, as there is more fun to be had in Fairyland in further books.

Thoughts

I ended up listening to this book through Audible audio books, and it was far easier to hear Catherynne read to me than it was to read it myself. I felt like I was a child again, tucked up in bed and being read fantastical tales, which made little sense but held imperative lessons. This book reminded me so much of Alice in Wonderland, and yet it stands on its own two feet and takes us places Alice would never have dared to go.

Quote

“I can’t stop,” the shark rasped. “If I stop, I shall sink and die. That’s the way I’m made. I have to keep going always, and even when I get where I’m going, I’ll have to keep on. That’s living.” ~ The shark conversing with September.

Krista:

Cover

Takes me back to that childhood feeling of knowing you will find a great adventure within. Why is the dragon chained? Is the girl hiding the key on purpose? It represents the story very well and is intriguing.

Characters

So many characters! Imagine Alice in Wonderland. As September makes her way through fairyland she comes across various curious characters with unusual names and ways.

Favourite

I have to say that I could not place a favourite. I loved the majority of the characters and what they represented in the story.

Least Favourite

Marquess. I usually love me a villain, but there was absolutely nothing about this one that appealed to me.

Beginning

September, bored of washing dishes, is approached by The Green Wind and a Leopard whom she climbs upon and is taken to the border of Fairyland. In the closet, she must answer questions and go through customs. She nearly drowns upon her entry to Fairyland and comes across three witches who send her on her quest for a spoon.

Storyline

Fairyland has not been the same since the new Queen has taken the crown. September, along with her dragon and boy companion Saturday, goes on a quest to bring Fairyland back to its former glory.

Ending

Very much like our childhood books, this one ends with a peaceful goodnight. But it’s not the end of September’s adventures! There are more books to this series.

Thoughts

It was nice to end this year of book club with a very light, fun, and entertaining read. It has been to long since I have read a children’s fairytale and think that Catherynne M Valente did a magical job of whisking us away to a new and very curious world.

Quote

September sniffed and straightened up. She was not one to feel sorry for herself for long, “Mainly, I am going to Pandemonium, to stead the Spoon that belongs to the witch Goodbye, so that she can cook up the future again and not feel so sad.”

Lisa:

Cover:

At first look, the cover appears to be like a Middle Grade book: fun and interesting! But honestly, the cover doesn’t do this amazing story any justice! While this “could” be considered a Middle Grade book, it is so much than that!

Characters:

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making had a strangely intriguing cast of characters! Going from a young girl named September, a marid named Saturday, a dragon named A-through-L, and so many more!

Favourite:

I think every character in this book was my favourite. No-one was boring, lame, or similar. Each character was odd, creative, and strange.

Least Favourite:

Not a single one!

Beginning:

I’ll admit that I didn’t really think I would get as involved in this book as I did. After quickly reading through the first twenty or so pages, I couldn’t believe everything that was happening, so I decided to start all over, just to make sure I caught it all. This is a pretty dense story!

Middle:

We are not only introduced to a strange fairy world, but also a lot of interesting characters. September faces a few bumps in the road, and has an amazing, mind-boggling journey!

End:

All I can say is that I do plan on picking up the rest of the books! If you want to know what happens at the end of this book…you’re going to have to read it for yourself! I promise you won’t regret doing so!

Overall:

The only thing I would change about this book, is that I wish I had more time to read it. So I could take my time and really enjoy every single aspect! There is a lot that happens, I recommend taking your time and savouring the story!

DISCUSSION POINTS

This book is about escaping your normal life for a little adventure. What fantasy world would you like to lose yourself in and why?

What was the most memorable scene/character in this story and what about it stuck with you?

JOIN OUR BOOKCLUB ON GOODREADS AND TAKE THE DISCUSSION OVER THERE!

The Telegraph lists its 45 best YA books of the year. Take a look through and see if there’s something you might like. We have reviewed a few of them here on the Escape Club – but there are plenty that we haven’t read as well. It’s great to see Aussie’s Garth Nix and Jack Heath mentioned on there.

Though he is only 14, Chris Glabb loves blogging, and you can read his stuff at www.christophersfashion.com. He’s Canadian, an avid cat lover, and a style trendsetter.

One of my most frequently asked questions is… should accessories really match? I find this question so intriguing because it was a question I really had to ask myself before answering. I decided the best way to do it was to Google some outfits, look at my faves, and finally decide for good if they should really match? While searching through photos (all rights reserved to the original owners, I chose the photos for content, and do not own any of them)

Finally, I got my answer.

In these outfits, the accessories don’t totally match each other, but they match and add to the outfits!

Another example is this one.

The gold colours in these three rings do not match. One is a rose gold, another regular gold, and the last a white gold (or possibly silver). And yet, I love these rings! They’d go great with a black leather bracelet, like this one.

Which is yet another example of why accessories do not have to match.

But here is an example I love, where the accessories do match!

And, I love it just as much as the first 2!

Now, the question was ‘should the accessories match? ‘. I’m sorry to everyone who asks this, but this is my final answer…

I think that accessories shouldn’t match… And I also think they should!

Your style is something you create. Something only you can change. If you like your accessories matching, match them. If not, then so be it.

Just remember, accessories are used to add to an outfit, and they’re not the whole outfit themselves… They can’t be.

Join the conversation! What do you think? Should accessories match each other? Should they not? Your opinion matters! Leave a comment below telling me what you think!

Don’t forget to read my personal blog here!

Chris 🙂