Books Read and Reviewed (Click links): 1. Virals by Kathy and Brendan Reichs 2. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa 3. Karma Bites by Stacey Kramer and Valerie Thomas 4. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
Read this past week: Mockinjay by Suzanne Collins (Not exactly epic, but definitely couldn't put it down for long.) Pegasus by Robin McKinley (A little slow and without action, but still an interesting read - took me three weeks to finish.) Peter & Max by Bill Willingham (A fantastic, if a bit violent fairy tale retelling by the amazing graphic novelist Bill Willingham.)
So, a smaller reading week, but I got a review up! Yay! I really need to get my act together. I did have two blog tours going on last week. Links to the posts and giveaways are up at the top of the blog, as usual. :)
This meme is basically a pick-me-up - a way to get some extra comments on a post that didn't go so well on your blog the past week, month, or even year.
So, official rules/explanation below.
1. Please link directly to the post that you would like more people to comment on. 2. Posts should have 3 or less comments before posting the link. Only one link per blog/person. Also, these should be content posts - not giveaway posts... 3. Please pick 3-5 links yourself to comment on and write at least a sentence or two in the comments. No "great post" or "great review" comments. 4. I will be trying to comment myself on every single post linked in the Mr. Linky below.
How to Link: Title of Post (Name of Blog)
Example: Saturday Spotlight (Bookworming in the 21st Century) Link: http://www.bookworminginthe21stcentury.com/2010/08/saturday-spotlight-badass-bookie.html
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (bought as a present for someone.. :-D) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr (bought a 3.99 PB copy to match my PB collection of the series)
Okay, so I'm a big huge fan of Artemis Fowl and Eoin Colfer is coming to town - which made me realize that I don't own any of the books. So, browsing through bookcloseouts.com - an evil wonderful book haven of good cheap books - I found that there were all the new PB Artemis Fowl books, the really really cool covers - and they were only 3.99 each - so I bought them - all of them.
I'm running a little late posting about this, but I have been reading a little - I do work at a school so most nights I'm not up past 10 or 11, but at least it's incentive to curl up with a book a few hours before bedtime.
So far I've finished Pegasus by Robin McKinley - a book I've been struggling through for 3 weeks. It's just.. a little slow - more about politics and relationships than action, violence and romance... That's what I read last night - took me from 9 to 10 to finish it off. :) I had about 50 pages left.
The night before I read Mockinjay - not all of it, but probably a good 100 pages between 8 and 10 (when I went to bed).
So, tonight I will be reading Peter & Max by Bill Willingham, which is a great story so far. I'm 180 pages in so we'll see how long I can stay up to read. At least I can sleep in tomorrow!
As for some of the fun activities, I've been low key so far.
Reading Through Life asked us what food we would eat if we had to fast all day and only eat after sunset.
Well, I would eat/drink...
- A big fruit salad - Toasted Bread and Artichoke Dip - Marshmallows - I don't know why but I love just eating marshmallows. - Chai Tea lattes - nommm put some whipped cream and cinnamon on top and yummm.
I know, I'm weird. Here's some pictures of these yummy dishes:
So, that's it for me. How have you guys been doing? :)
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready Publication Date: May 4, 2010 Genre: YA Paranormal Copy provided by: Won in a contest. :) Summary (via Goodreads):
Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.
Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.
Well, sort of.
Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.
It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.
As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.
Why I read this: It's one of the debut books that is out that really peaked my interest. I had won a copy a while back and decided it was about time to read it.
Plot: Is it bad to say that I wasn't sad to see her boyfriend die? My head was going "Don't do it - don't have sex!!" and then.. well - read the book. Bad way to start off this review - oh well. I loved the world build-up and it's absolutely fascinating and I hope to learn more with the next novel.. I'm assuming there's a next one... I didn't quite check. I definitely think the addition of this government group becoming interested in Aura really pulls the plot into a different theme then just - how do you grieve your dead boyfriend when his ghost is still hanging out? Which was great. I am wary of books that have romance guide the main plot versus an actual outside force outside of the relationship.
There was a lot of questions that came up as I read this book - about Aura's interest in a Stonehenge, what her mother was doing there before she was born.. really just what is going on - what happened to cause the world to be like this. I love the intrigue and mystery and I really can't wait to find out more.
Characters: Aura is quite an interesting girl. She seems to level out Logan's crazy outgoing behavior from the start and I just really thought - why are they together? It was hard to see what really connected them, especially with the introduction of a new male character - equally as good-looking and one I found a lot more to my tastes. Zachary has a lot in common with Aura and when he hopped on the scene I zeroed in on how much I thought they should be an item. But, that's my opinion. They end up working on projects together and I really can't imagine how Aura will move on if Logan remains a ghost for much longer. I'll leave it at that. I really loved the characters - they definitely left an impression on you - good or bad.
Relatability: I think anyone who has been torn between a friend and a boyfriend/girlfriend can relate to this. Or anyone who has experienced grief. Also, I think fans of paranormal romance will really dig this as it's quite different from what we've seen up to now in the genre. I know I really enjoyed it.
Cover Commentary: Very pretty. I like that the color red stands out so much as it plays quite a role in their world.
Rules (or at least STRONG suggestions): 1. Name the item being given away (instead of the blog name) 2. Give the end date in () after the name 3. Make sure to link DIRECTLY to that contest post - if you don't know how to do this - just click on the title of the contest blog and it will give a direct URL you can use. 4. If you want to post a contest you've found, make sure it isn't already posted.
Today I have the great fortune of being on a blog tour for Delcroix Academy: The Candidates by Inara Scott. I haven't been able to read the book, but I'm really excited about this one!
Check out the trailer of The Candidates:
Inara Scott has kindly written up a guest post about her writing process for The Candidates.
Writing a book is a long, grueling process. At least for me. I bet there’s authors out there who just sit down at the computer and the words flow like magic and they’re PERFECT the very first time.
I hate those people. I really do.
Before I can even start writing, I spend a few weeks, maybe more, thinking about a book. (I thought about Delcroix Academy: The Candidates for at least a month.) During that time I figure out the major conflict in the book, the motivation driving my characters, and the flow of events that will lead to escalating tension throughout the story. Then I start doodling, writing little cryptic notes to myself about scenes and turning points. Eventually, I’ll have the whole story plotted out.
Then I start writing, and it all goes out the window.
Ha! Okay, not completely, but the book is never what I thought I was going to be. Like, the scene that was supposed to be, “Dancia does XX and finds out YY,” turns into “Dancia does ZZ and finds out QQ.” And that changes everything that comes next. But I still like to have a roadmap of where I’m going. So after I write the scene with ZZ and QQ, I have to re-figure the next five scenes as well, just to make sure I’m still on track. I also like to edit and smooth things out as I go. Some writers just start on page 1 and go all the way to the end before editing. I can’t do that. I revise Chapter 1 almost every time I sit down at the computer.
Eventually, through this circular and time-consuming process, I have a first draft. The next step for me is reading through the whole thing and polishing scene by scene. Then I print it out and look at the whole thing on paper. This will cause me to realize that some scenes that looked good on the computer screen actually suck. So I rewrite those scenes, and maybe even write a few new ones.
My husband usually reads the book at this point. He gives me great feedback because 1) he’s really smart, and reads a ton, and 2) he works in an school and knows a lot about kids and teens.
After this, it goes to my editor. Then she takes it apart and I go back to the beginning of this process.
See what I mean by circular? The good thing is, I love it. It can be hard and frustrating and slower than mud, but then there are days the words just flow and you’re in the zone and can’t be stopped.
And every part of the way I think how wonderful it is to be creating a story, characters, and an idea that I can share with the rest of the world.
Thank you Inara! I don't know if I have what it takes to be a writer, but it sounds like at the end of it all it's totally worth it!
And now for the giveaway! Thanks to the publisher, I am able to giveaway 2 signed copies of The Candidates!
Rules: 1. Open to US and Canada residents only. (Please no PO boxes) 2. Fill out the FORM below 3. Contest ends Monday, September 6th at 11:59 CST.
I'm ecstatic to say that I'm a part of a great tour for the Where She Went Teaser Tour! Each spot on the tour will have a different teaser revealed for the book Where She Went - a book I am very excited to read! I am stop number three, so check out Gayle's Blog for the full line up!
Attention If I Stay fans: Adam was so crucial in Mia’s final decision in If I Stay and we know many of you have big old literary crushes on him for what he did. Did you ever wonder what happened to Adam and Mia after the accident? Well, soon you will find out. New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman has written a sequel to If I Stay. It’s called Where She Went, and it comes out April 2011, but right now she’s doing a teaser tour to give If I Stay fans the scoop on what they can expect from Mia and Adam’s new chapter.
Teaser Number 3:
3. Adam is the one telling the story. Which means that as you read the story, you are in Adam’s head, hearing Adam’s voice (warning: he curses a fair amount) and finding out what happened to him over the last three years. I’ll tell you: a lot of it is not very happy and much of it has to do with what Mia did to him.
This is the first time I’ve written from a guy’s perspective, and having never been a guy, and having two daughters and only one very older brother, I wasn’t sure how it would go. But as soon as the idea to continue the story hit me, I knew it had to be Adam’s story. If I wrote from Mia’s POV, it would be an exploration of her grief, and I’d already done that in If I Stay. So it had to be Adam. I think I channeled him pretty well. My brother-in-law, no stranger to angst, was suspicious of who gave me keys to the secret club.
Ugh, last week stunk. I had the go back to work blues or something! Read one book, reviewed ZERO books.
Anyways.. Institute Day tomorrow - it's funny how teachers expect students to sit still for 8 hours, but when we have to do it? Whine whine whine. I am a bit excited because the two computer labs in our school are getting Mimios - a type of smartboard - and we're getting trained on it tomorrow. So, that's exciting and hopefully hands-on. :) Woot!
So, I have the back to school blues - why can't I just get paid to do what I did all summer? I know.. crazy thinking. :) I'm excited but feeling whine-y all the same.
Read more...
I started this meme last week and had a lot of fun with it. It's basically a pick-me-up - a way to get some extra comments on a post that didn't go so well on your blog the past week, month, or even year.
So, official rules/explanation below.
1. Please link directly to the post that you would like more people to comment on. 2. Posts should have 3 or less comments before posting the link. Only one link per blog/person. Also, these should be content posts - not giveaway posts... 3. Please pick 3-5 links yourself to comment on and write at least a sentence or two in the comments. No "great post" or "great review" comments. 4. I will be trying to comment myself on every single post linked in the Mr. Linky below.
How to Link: Title of Post (Name of Blog)
Example: Saturday Spotlight (Bookworming in the 21st Century) Link: http://www.bookworminginthe21stcentury.com/2010/08/saturday-spotlight-badass-bookie.html
Rules (or at least STRONG suggestions): 1. Name the item being given away (instead of the blog name) 2. Give the end date in () after the name 3. Make sure to link DIRECTLY to that contest post - if you don't know how to do this - just click on the title of the contest blog and it will give a direct URL you can use. 4. If you want to post a contest you've found, make sure it isn't already posted.
I had no idea what to title this. If you think it's going to be anything book-related, you can tune out now if you want.
So, I had a weird day and decided to kick my butt into gear. School is starting up next week, which means 10 or more hour days and less time to dilly-dally. Also, my goal of losing weight this summer has sucked. I'm still the same weight as at the beginning and something needs to change. So, diet - check, and exercise -check.
While walking back from our little gym down the road tonight, my husband said "You should take a sabbatical from your blog" and I was like heck no. My biggest downfall this summer has been facebook games and I told him "I'll just stop with the facebook games". I don't spend a ton of time (like not half my day or anything insane) but that extra hour or two wasted on games is just not worth it. Not when my health could be at risk. I am at the heaviest I've ever ever been - probably 60 lbs heavier than I was in high school and I was not anywhere close to thin in high school as it was.
So, blogging will not be on haitus, but it may be slower around here than it has been. But I need to get my act together. I'll do what I did during school this past year and blog mostly on weekends. Heck, my computer may get a little dusty during the week - who cares.
And how did this come all about? I saw a picture from last night at a book signing and was like... really? That's me... and then we were at the gym working out and eating 3 servings of vegetables at dinner tonight cause the hubster is also chunking out.
So. That's my little rant. I'm sticking to making a better life for me. So, if I'm not on twitter much or on Google Chat.. I'm not dead.. just the opposite - leading a healthier life. :)
Read more...
I would've posted my wrap-up yesterday but it was kinda hectic. My mom and little sis came over to help me set up my library a little bit in the morning, and then we had a wedding in the afternoon and when I finally got home the hubby and I were chatting until 2 am. So, woke up this morning and went and got a new haircut.. anyways... rambling now.
So, I didn't do so great at the read-a-thon. :(
Friday: I spent an hour finishing up my library book - Knightley Academy. I had a lunch date with some of the girls in my family - grandma, aunt, sister, and niece. Then, I read about half of Manifest.
Saturday: I finished reading Manifest by Artist Arthur and read about 200 pages of Pegasus by Robin McKinley. Also spent some time with Chris' parents and sister for dinner.
Sunday: Read a bit more of Pegasus (just a few pages). Took a break and read Mackenzie Blue in its entirety. Then I read about 50 pages of Peter & Max by Bill Willingham.
So really.. 2 books read completely, and then about 275 pages of two other books. Not so great - but I had a bit of family stuff going on.
News: So, I started a new meme/feature yesterday called The Sunday Blues, where you can post any of your posts that have 3 or less comments to get other people (like myself) to comment on those sad lonely posts. Make sure to check it out!
Read more...
Do you ever have one of those weeks where one of your awesome reviews or posts gets little to no comments? I know I do... And it's not like you can cheer yourself up by commenting on your own post... that's a little like sending yourself flowers on Valentine's Day.
So, here's the deal. Every Sunday, I'm going to throw up a Mr. Linky. You can link any post.. even if it's one of your first reviews for the blog, etc. If it has about 2-3 comments or less, then post it up. But please, only one per week. I will go around and comment on every post and I ask you guys to pick about five posts to comment on yourselves. And when I say comments.. I mean meaningful comments - not just "great post" or "sounds good" - I'm thinking two sentences? Or one long one at least.
I'd offer incentive, but I'm a wee bit broke - the hubby is back on unemployment since the Census work he was doing is now over. So, out of the goodness of your hearts.. I hope you'll participate with me. :)
How to Link: Title of Post (Name of Blog)
Example: Saturday Spotlight (Bookworming in the 21st Century) Link: http://www.bookworminginthe21stcentury.com/2010/08/saturday-spotlight-badass-bookie.html
I can never resist the Artist's Gallery and picked up that picture in the lower right corner of the Girl with the Dagger. Next to it is a print by Nene Thomas - who is amazing. Above that is a bookmark of a print by Nene Thomas and to the right is a journal I picked up.
So, wouldn't have been as much if I hadn't gone book shopping - bad me. :)
Read more...
