The Friday Fix is a takeover of my Friday blog post by other bloggers who have volunteered their time and energy to "star" in their very own guest post on Friday. Only one mandatory rule (you can't get out of it!) - you must answer five of the most random questions I throw your way. The rest is up to you. Remember, if you'd like to be featured on the Friday Fix, send me an email, and let me know! So, without further ado, here is Audrey from Brizmus Blogs Books!

The Most Random Questions in the World...
1. Why does minute rice have to cook 15 minutes? Isn't that false advertising?

I have always felt EXACLTLY the same way about this. If it's 15 minute rice, the call it that. And besides, doesn't normal rice only take about 20 minutes to cook anyway? I think that there is nothing about the cooking time that makes this rice special and advertising it as such is, as you said, false advertising. Just wrong.

2. Why is it called rush hour if traffic is soooooo slow?

I like to think that they are talking about rush as in the verb - where, like, a bear would rush a person. Or a football player would rush another. Coming at them quickly and unexpectedly. The cars rush the road, and the road, despite suffering through the same thing at the same time everyday, is totally unexpected. So rush hour - the hour in which the cars rush the road.
(iswimforoceans note - ok...never would have thought of that!)

3. What's the difference between normal ketchup and fancy ketchup?

I have no idea - the packaging perhaps. In any case, they are both disgusting to me. Maybe fancy ketchup has a dash of mustard already added in, just to up the ickiness factor.

4. If a baby's feet emerge at 11:59 pm, but the head doesn't emerge until 12:01 am, what day is the baby born on?

I'm going to go with the 12:01 day, because that's when the baby is fully out. Or rather, on which day of the week the mother likes best. I think the more important question is: what if they're in a car, and they're in Texas when the feet emerge at 11:59 PM and then in Louisana for the head at 12:01 AM - what state were they born in?

5. Is it legal to drive down a road in reverse as long as you're following the direction of traffic?

Who knows - probably not, but that's never stopped me from doing it! In any case, if it's not, it totally should be - people probably pay way more attention when they're driving backwards, anyway.



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Thank you so much for dropping by, Audrey! Audrey's blog is so much fun to read and follow, so please check out her site. To anyone else interested in being featured - my email is on my contact page (if you couldn't figure that out)...please feel free to send a message my way!

His past. Her future. Can love bring them together in time? Abby's senior year of high school is going according to plan: good friends, cute boyfriend, and college applications in the mail. But when she meets Dante Alexander, a foreign-exchange student from Italy, her life suddenly takes a different turn. He's mysterious, and interesting, and unlike anyone she's ever met before.

Abby can't deny the growing attraction she feels for him. Nor can she deny the unusual things that seem to happen when Dante is around. Soon Abby finds herself drawn into a mystery whose roots reach into sixteenth-century Florence, and she uncovers a dangerous truth that threatens no only her future but the lives of those she loves.
Taken from GoodReads

I've never read a review for The Hourglass Door, so I didn't know what to expect when I started this book. The story follows Abby Edmunds, a high school senior with everything in the world going for her, despite the fact that she feels stifled and trapped by the monotony of her life. Her boyfriend, Jason, is the epitome of kind and caring, but she feels her life and relationships lack spontaneity. Enter Dante Alexander, a mysterious, quiet, and brooding stranger that she feels oddly drawn to. As she grows closer to him and further from her friends and everyday life, Abby realizes Dante's secrets expand the reach of time...literally...and she has one shot to save him and maintain the balance of time forever.

I'll admit, I was a bit wary of The Hourglass Door because it sounded almost formulaic on the back - hot bad-boy, girl-next-door, big BIG trouble. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised by the story. I found Abby's character to be extremely accessible and relatable. What teenager (or adult, for that matter) hasn't felt stifled, or trapped, or lost before? She had everything going for her, but she needed something more. Dante was much more reserved. I felt like I didn't really get to know his character until the main action started but, in this case, I think this works. I will also say that I felt Abby and Dante's relationship seemed quite rushed and a bit hasty at points.

Now, I have to be nit-picky. The prologue put me off a little bit because, frankly, I hadn't read the reviews, so I had no idea it had anything to do with a time machine until it was brought into play. I assume that's my fault, but nevertheless, I was confused. The Hourglass Door presents an original idea, and I have to say that the greatest strength of this book is Lisa Mangum's amazing descriptions. The way she described time being a fluid, everlasting element was beautiful and one of the highlights of The Hourglass Door for me.

The Hourglass Door is beautifully written, and I love the style of Lisa Mangum. She offers enough twists, turns, and beautiful prose to set this book apart from otherwise similar novels. While a few parts were confusing to me (apparently I'm not that smart about the fundamentals of time travel), I enjoyed this book as a whole. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I would recommend it to all YA fans, especially those who love sci-fi and fantasy. The sequel, The Golden Spiral, is in stores now.

P.S. I'm going to a book signing for Lisa Mangum this weekend, and I have a surprise for all of you, so stay tuned!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. As always, there are some amazing upcoming books, but this week I am particularly excited for...

Title: The Winds of Heaven

Author: Judith Clarke

Release Date: September 28, 2010

Clementine thinks her cousin Fan is everything she could never be: beautiful, imaginitive, wild. The girls promise to be best friends and sisters after the summer is over, but Clementine's life in the city is different from Fan's life in dusty Lake Conapaira.And Fan is looking for something, though neither she nor Clementine knows what it is.

Printz Honor Winner Judith Clarke delivers a compassionate, compelling novel with the story of friendship between two young women, and of the small tragedies that tear them apart from each other and from themselves.
Taken from GoodReads.

I've never read anything by Judith Clarke before, and I think that might just be a crime. Either way, I think the premise of The Winds of Heaven sounds both heartfelt and promising, albeit extremely vague. I love books that can make you feel a story, rather than just read about it, so I'm excited to see what this presents. Besides, who can resist a colourful cover that's as beautiful as that? Certainly not me...we all know I'm a bit of a cover whore geek.