The Strain by Guillermo del Toro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In The Strain, vampires are not the tragic, romantic beings from Stoker's time, nor do they shine and mope. No. the vampires in this novel are positively disgusting, and I think that's what makes this book intriguing.

The story grips you from the first page. From the moment the air controllers notice something is wrong with a just landed plane, to the sudden disappearance of bodies from a morgue, this story does not let up.

Was it the best? No. Characters are poorly developed and some chapters do drag a bit. There was also a bit at the end that just seemed completely out of place for a character, and I'm sure it was to get the plot from point A to point B. Really lazy writing.

But I could not stop reading. Which is why the book gets three stars.

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Teen Carries His Younger Brother for 40 Miles
Braden and Hunter Gandee already had a special brotherly bond. But it was made all the stronger this weekend.Seven-year-old Braden was born with cerebral pal...

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Hello, heartbreak!

My favorite teams don't play till tomorrow, but today was just a small reminder of how infuriating this game can be. I don't hide the fact that I'm not a fan of Brasil. Today was no exception. I was pulling for Croatia, and was surprised when they scored the first goal. Honestly, Brazil just looked nervous.

But then the referee started to mess things up. Many a good match has been ruined by shoddy calls, and today was no exception. It downright ruined the whole match for me. It makes me dread what's to come, and then I wonder - isn't it about time FIFA allowed an instant replay option? I forsee this happening in the future. Unfortunately, it's not in time for this World Cup.

World Cup 2014 #1
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The Legend of Korra: Book 3 Official Trailer
The Legend of Korra returns with Book Three: Change. The epic new season is filled with new characters, adventures, and more.

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World Cup starts tomorrow!!

For years I tried to analyze and understand why I get so freakishly excited about this event. I was never a soccer fan per se growing up. My mom was a huge of the Mexican Liga team, America, and I can still remember all those times she hollered when they played. It was nuts.

In elementary, I was used as a goalkeeper. Until I got hit. Fast moving balls and I don't mix.

But then there was this one time. Every summer I went to Mexico and stayed with my grandparents. One morning, at my aunt's house, my cousin turned on the tv to watch a soccer match. It was Brazil v. Argentina. Diego Maradona was playing and making epic passes to Canillas. Rocio and I both chose to support Argentina while my aunts chose Brazil. And the match was amazing! I had never seen anything that epic, and when Argentina won, I was hooked.

After that epic match, I decided I would love futbol. I have seen all the World Cup matches since, and tomorrow will be no exception.

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Forged in Death by Jim Melvin
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I tried to like this book. I really wanted to like this book. I even have the next three in the series because they were on sale.

So now I'm incredibly peeved because I did not like this book!!!

Isn't the first rule of writing that your protagonist must be flawed? Well Torg, the Death Knower, has no flaws. His skin is impenetrable. He's taller, more agile and knowledgeable than his people. And he's uber strong. Sure, apparently he can't call on his super power but once a year, but that certainly doesn't make him weak. If he had to have a flaw, it's that his orgasm kills. Really, it does. But that sure as hell didn't stop him from doing the deed twice in this book!

Torg is a Mary Sue.

Invictus, one of many bad guys, makes an appearance in this novel, but it's more like a blip. And you're told more than anything else that he's a big bad. I wasn't impressed. And I certainly don't agree that one should wait till the next novel to see how really bad he is or whether Torg is flawed. First novels should hook you in. This one really doesn't.

Sadly, I may read the second one just to see if it gets better.

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The masterful 360-degree long shot in yesterday's Game of Thrones
Yesterday's Game of Thrones episode was truly epic. It contained one really spectacular long shot in which the camera—placed in the center of Castle Black's inner ward—rotates, filming the battle carnage around it in one non-stop 360-degree shot. Director Neil Marshall thinks it is his "favorite shot ever."

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The rape of men: the darkest secret of war
Sexual violence is one of the most horrific weapons of war, an instrument of terror used against women. Yet huge numbers of men are also victims. In this harrowing report, Will Storr travels to Uganda to meet traumatised survivors, and reveals how male rape is endemic in many of the world's conflicts

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