Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely Parajunkee and Alison Can Read in which we bloggers get to know each other a little better and increase our number of connections and followers.
Best cover? What is the best cover of a book you've read and didn't like?
This was an easy one...I'd have to say Fallen by Lauren Kate. This probably goes for the whole series. Gorgeous covers! And the story had such promise and potential...I wanted to love it, I really did, but Luce was beyond aggravating and there were so many unanswered questions and inconsistencies. Great idea, poor execution.
What about you??
Follow me, I'll follow you :)
Happy Reading Everyone :)
(P.S. don't forget to vote for September's giveaway here !!!)
~ Keely ~
Aug 30, 2012
...visualize september...
A new month equals a slew of new releases to look forward too.. What more could any book lover ask for? Take a gander at the trailers of the books kicking off the fall season ~ sit back, relax, maybe grab a tub of popcorn (yeah, seriously), because this is gunna get interesting...
The Raven Boys ~ Maggie Stiefvater
Release Date: September 18th
Carnival of Souls ~ Melissa Marr
Release Date: September 4th
Origin~ Jessica Khoury
Release Date: September 4th
Defiance ~ C.J. Redwine
Release Date: September 6th
Cursed ~ Jennifer Armentrout
Release Date: September 18th
Fabulous, fabulous lineup so far... stay tuned ~ you know I love book trailers, so there will ... most likely... be more and more to come :)
MMMM Nothing like a hot, steamy meme first thing in the morning ;). Swoon #YABound is a weekly meme in which we book lovers share the moments in a book we are reading that got our hearts poundin'.
This week, I'm going to feature an excerpt from a book I'm going to read. The author was kind enough to direct me to a sneak peek of her book, and not only did it hook me, it got me swoonin'.
Secrets. Lies. Deception. For the past six years, Samantha Hunt has lived with the belief that the untimely death of her parents was the result of an unfortunate accident—that by the cruel hand of fate, she had been left an orphan. But it was a lie, a terrible lie told to her by those who wanted to keep her in the dark. And the truth... when revealed, will change her life and haunt her forever.
Suddenly plagued by a series of events which find her in danger and in need of a savior, Samantha is repeatedly rescued by the mysterious and elusive Shadow—a stranger who seems to know more about her past and the tragedy which befell her family, than she does. Drawn to him despite the antagonism she feels whenever in his presence, Samantha soon discovers that Shadow is not what he appears to be. Determined to learn his true identity and why he has come to Mystery Falls, the small town in which she has spent all of her seventeen years, Samantha not only uncovers the secrets he refuses to share, but also the truth about her own past. A truth which forces her to acknowledge that things are not always as they seem, and sometimes, not even those close to you can be trusted.
Resolved to seeking justice for the unwarranted death of her parents, Samantha embarks on a journey which brings her perilously close to her own demise. Can Shadow use his angel powers to save her yet again, or this time, will he be too late.
::and the moment you've been waiting for::
Standing in front of Shadow, I looked into his eyes, and was overcome by a sudden burning desire to kiss him. Without stopping to consider how he would respond, I raised myself onto my toes and leant towards him. And in that instant, he disappeared.
Surprised, it took a few seconds before the embarrassment and shame kicked in. It was the first time I had ever attempted to kiss a guy, and to have Shadow reject me, cut deep. Without bothering to see where he had gone, I walked to the edge of the stream and wished that I had not behaved so impetuously.
He came to stand behind me. “Samantha, I know you don’t understand, but seriously, you don’t want to kiss me.”
Remaining motionless, I whispered, “Why?”
In the dark, I could hear each breath he took as he tried to form a response. Eventually, he said, “How do I explain?”
Recognizing that the question was directed at Shadow himself, and not at me, I remained silent.
Placing his hands on my shoulders, he turned me to face him. In a voice loaded with desire, he said, “Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to resist you when we’re standing this close to each other?”
Forgetting any shame I felt, I murmured, “Probably as hard as it is for me to resist you.”
He smiled. Then, once again solemn, he said, “You know if I do this, if I kiss you, you will belong to me forever.”
Inside my chest, my heart was racing. Staring at him with the same serious expression he was directing at me, I replied, “Then let me belong to you forever.”
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we book lovers spotlight our most anticipated reads. Could be released in a few days, weeks, months, or even next year ~ any which way, we can't wait to get our hands on that beautiful paper.
::here's mine for the week::
Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
Release Date: September 25th, 2012
She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.
Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.
Her father was right. The monsters are real….
To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….
I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.
oOoOo ... must be pretty obvious why I can't wait to make a permanent home on my shelf for this little beauty.... Zombies! duh :) Oh, and I'm a bit curious to see how the whole "Alice in Wonderlandishness" bit ties in... and there's promise of a bad boy.. secrets, danger, vengeance... mm mm mm
Tuesday Tickle is a new meme inspired by Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. What's different about it? Well, Tuesday Tickle goes a bit deeper than a couple of lines plucked from a random page. Meet characters, immerse yourself in a different world, check out book trailers or author blurbs.. you name it ~ anything goes! It's a brighter spotlight on a particular book you are currently reading, meant to *tickle* every reader's curiosity and need to get their hands on this book, STAT.
This Tuesday, I will be diggin' into James Dawson's Hollow Pike. I just started it yesterday, and am about halfway through ~ already :). This book is the first in a while that gets me totally spooked as I read ~ heart pounding, holding my breathe, eyes buggin' outta my head...then my dog nudges my hand and makes me jump three feet in the air. It sucks you right in :). Being based in the U.K., the language is a little strange to me sometimes, but that makes it all the more interesting. And did I mention witches? **mwahahahahaha** Totally awesome :).
...the birds see everything...
Something wicked this way comes...
She thought she’d be safe in the country, but you can’t escape your own nightmares, and Lis London dreams repeatedly that someone is trying to kill her. Lis thinks she’s being paranoid - after all who would want to murder her? She doesn’t believe in the local legends of witchcraft. She doesn’t believe that anything bad will really happen to her. You never do, do you? Not until you’re alone in the woods, after dark - and a twig snaps... Hollow Pike - where witchcraft never sleeps.
::you know i have to have a book trailer::
::here's how it opens::
Lis knew she was dreaming, although this brought little
comfort as the blood ran over her face. It rushed up her nostrils and caught in the back of her throat. The metallic taste choked her, panic creeping in.
This was not the first time she’d knelt in the red stream. She had encountered this nightmare many times in recent weeks and each time the vision became more realistic, more visceral. Sometimes, the focus of the dream was her long, wet hair matted to her face. Sometimes it was the freezing rain and howling wind. Sometimes it was the frenzied screams far away in the distance. On this particular visit, Lis was very aware of the pebbles, so cold and round and perfect under her hands. They scraped her skin but somehow she knew that the blood rushing over her body was not hers.
::with a few extras thrown in::
"The three robed figures stood over Lis's body, watching Laura vanish into the indigo darkness. Within seconds, they could no longer hear her footsteps stomping through the leaves."
"They'd come.
Lis's hand hovered at the door handle, trembling and uncertain. Who was she about to let into her room - friends or killers?"
"The more they watched the video, the more the spider really did look like a pale hand resting on the tree. And that meant only one thing...
There had been someone else in the woods that night."
Tickle your curiosity yet? I thought so...
SO instead of meeting a character like I've done the past two weeks, I thought it would be nice to post a video by the author. He's completely excited (and why shouldn't he be?) and goofy ~ you can't help but love him! In this video he talks "about what Hollow Pike is..um..about," giving a little rundown of the plot.
Well my August (AKA 200 Follower Celebration) giveaway has ended, and it was absolutely fabulous that so many of you participated :). I've decided to do a giveaway every month ~ they're just plain fun and it's awesome to be able to spread the love of a book ~ that's one huge reason why this blog exists in the first place.
So, like last month, I'm going to put it up to a vote. These are going to be books that I've read, reviewed, and adored. Cast your choice, and by September 1st, the winning novel will be up for giveaway :).
The contestants are:
The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs—and wants—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.
mm mm mm ~ this book will keep you up all night! *review here*
Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.
Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.
It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.
Fabulous and imaginative take on the story of Robin Hood ~ one of the best books I've read in 2012. *review here*
No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.
Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.
I couldn't say enough wonderful things about this book ~ intense read.
These are all at the top of my list of favorites, so which ever way you choose, I don't believe you'll be disappointed. :) All a bit different but all equally incredible.
Monday Montage is a weekly meme I began in order to create a redeeming quality for the dreaded... DUN DUN DUN (creepy sound you hear when something.. creepy.. happens)...
... Monday...
It's cool, don't fret.. because, hopefully, this post will lift your spirits and get you giggling, smiling, thinking about or looking forward to a wonderful, fabulous, take-you-to-another-world book.
My Monday Montage is going to consist of elements from the book I just finished ~ Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard. I'll be honest ~ my review wasn't exactly glowing, but this is a fun, enjoyable, fast-paced read (review posted here) :).
::book cover::
::because you know I can't have a post without a book trailer::
::totally fun::
just click the image ~ you'll know what I mean
::parasol, anyone?::
::evolution?::
::haha::
::haha again::
::eleanor's overall opinion of corsets::
::beware::
Hope that shakes your Monday Blues or at least made you chuckle :P p.s. none of the images are mine, in case you were wondering :)
As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.
The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway.
Awesome, eh? Kinda like Lost combined with The Hunger Games to make a whole new level of dystopian survival-of-the-fittest. At least, that's what I get from the synopsis. And the cover? How can it not get your attention? Pretty amazing right down to the type of font used. The reviews seemed to be mixed, so this is one that you seem to need to read for yourself ~ seems people either love it or hate it. hmmm... hope to get my hands on it soon to come up with my own verdict :).
And of course, no post here would be complete without at least one trailer...
Fallen for Covers is a weekly meme hosted by Fallen Angels YA Book Blog every Sunday. This is when we cover whores (me, totally) get to share our obsession with cover art with a little gushing over a particular book.
::mine for the week::
Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her “other”, if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it’s like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.
But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.
Now she must abandon everything she’s ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.
What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.
From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be—until she found the strength to decide for herself.
**whew** That synopsis gives me goosebumps. And that cover... I don't know what it is, but I love it! The shadow of a girl filled with obstacle after obstacle ~ that's what I see. The color scheme is awesome too ~ very dark, but the gold hues add a glimmer of hope. Can't wait to have this little beauty on my shelf :).
And because I'm also mildly obsessed with trailers, here, for your viewing pleasure, is the book trailer for The Lost Girl.
The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—
The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.
And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.
Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.
necromancy\ne-krə-ˌman(t)-sē\ :
conjuration of the spirits of the dead for purposes of magically revealing the future or influencing the course of events
What I liked:
Zombies + the 19th century = what's not to like?
Eleanor Fitt
The slow growing feelings between Daniel and Eleanor
No insta-love!
Realistic, if slightly expected, ending
Lots, lots, lots of mystery
Ghosts
A glimpse into 1800s
What I didn't like so much:
Not enough zombie action
Writing style ~ occasionally
Something Strange and Deadly wasn't exactly what I expected. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but I kinda felt misled as the opening chapter immerses us into zombiness and then *POOF* ~ hardly a zombie in sight. In all fairness, the author doesn't use the word "zombie," she used the word "Dead," so I guess my high hopes are my own fault. These walking corpses aren't the result of a disease, and you can't get contaminated with a bite ~ is not typical "zombie" mojo. Instead, there's more hocus pocus involved including grimoires, sacrificial power, and necromancy. Pretty cool take, but, again, not what I expected.
Eleanor is an admirable heroine ~ stubborn, brave, determined, curious, and smart. She's a little down on herself, especially when it comes to her place in society. As any woman with her own mind in that time period, Eleanor was too loud and too unladylike for society's taste. As a result of her inability to "fit in," her relationship with her brother is very important, and when he refuses to show, she'll do whatever it takes to find him. She runs into more than she bargained for in her search and discovers herself and more people like her along the way.
Eleanor's relationship with Daniel felt pretty darn real. Like I said, no "insta-love." In fact, they didn't even seem to like each other at first, each assuming the worst of the other. It's not until they actually get to know each other (like normal people in the real world) that they begin to admire and feel something for each other. It's awesome because we didn't get the whole heart-throbbing shebang in one book ~ there's lots of room for their relationship to grow ~ if it does, that is ;).
The story line was pretty imaginative ~ I mean murder, mystery, action, romance, betrayal... enough said. I can't say that it felt slow, because everything happens pretty suddenly throughout every portion of this book, but I think it was the writing style that I felt held it back. Eleanor would always think about what she was going to do before she took action, and it felt redundant. She'd also repeat everything someone told her as a question or exclamation, and I kept wanting to shake her and ask, "You really didn't understand that the first time around???" It was as if the author didn't trust the readers to understand what was going on, so it had to be reiterated just to make sure. Towards the end this habit changed drastically, giving the reader a decent flow and the feeling of growing potential for the rest of the series.
The world building was great, I felt connected to the characters, and it was pretty sweet how Dennard incorporated not only grimoires and witchery (or sorcery, whatever), but zombies, ghosts, and the appropriately dubbed Spirit-Hunters. All kinds of paranormal with a little steampunk thrown in :).
I'd give this book 3 out of 5, if you're counting. I liked it, enjoyed reading it, but it didn't have that WOW factor that would merit a higher rating from me. I didn't get hooked until the very end, so maybe that's why I feel kinda "meh" about it. Okay, maybe "meh" is a little harsh so I'll say "not super excited." Good story though, with a fabulous ending that left me o so curious, so I'll definitely be reading the next. :)
Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely Parajunkee and Alison Can Read in which we book bloggers get to know each other a bit better and increase the number of our friends followers.
This week's question asks:
Worst cover? What is the worst cover a book that you've read and loved?
Welllll, it's not really a bad cover, it's just really kinda plain and generic ~ not saying much about the content of the book. It's actually a trilogy, but I'll go with book one ~ Torn by Amanda Hocking. I read this book back when she was still unknown, promoting her book for a whopping $0.99 on Amazon. I think the fact that it was under a buck caught my eye first, then the synopsis, then the ratings ~ one thing's for sure...it wasn't the cover.
Comparison ~ Then & Now
I loved this series ~ it prompted me to read the rest of Amanda's books, creating an avid fan. The new cover rocks, too. If you haven't read it, what the heck are you waiting for?
::other news::
Today's the last day to enter the giveaway for Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols. Enter here! Just thought I'd throw that out there ;).
mm mm mm.. Nothing like a hot meme first thing in the morning.. How do you get in on the yumminess created by the lovely ladies over at YA Bound? Take a book you're reading or just recently finished and do tell what made you SWOON. You know, heart pounding, skin tingling, breathe taking, butterflies-wreaking-havoc-in-your-tummy moments.
Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog!
Mine is plucked from Susan Dennard's Something Strange and Deadly. Gotta love Daniel and his never-ending snarkiness ~ that, and there's no insta-love in sight. Great, believable, slow-growing romance...
As if scrutinizing the shape of my cheek, he leaned closer until I could feel his breath.
Then his lips touched my skin--only the slightest brush along my cheekbone.
My breath caught, and my heart with it. But I didn't pull away. I couldn't. I knew if I moved, if this moment ended, my chest would ache with hollowness forever.
He slowly drew back his hand. I twisted my face to his and before he could retreat, I reached out and pressed my good hand against his stomach.
He sucked in a breath, and I bit back my own gasp...
"Eleanor." His voice was so low, I could barely hear it. "Eleanor, we can't do this."
Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine in which we book lovers spotlight what we can't wait to read..
The anticipation is killer but here it is :)...
Beautiful Redemption by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia
Release Date: October 23, 2012
Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?
Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.
Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.
Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.
If I've never mentioned how much I love this series, let me state it for the record now. Absolutely gorgeous writing, complex characters, and intensity all around. (It's also awesome that it's from a guy's point of view.) Here are the trailers (because you know I love them) from the prestigious three and, because I can't resist a good soundtrack, the 'theme song' for the series. Enjoy!
So this is still Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday, but I'm gunna add some more tidbits and make it my own. You might meet characters, get enveloped in the fabulous world of an author's mind, or get a little taste of the history involved in a particular story ~ any which way, you'll get a deeper look at the innards of a wonderful book, and hopefully, if my plan works, you'll be thirstin' for more ;).
::my teaser is plucked from::
The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…
Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—
The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.
And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.
Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance.
Meet Miss Eleanor Fitt, "of the Philadelphia Fitts." She cracks me right up with her sarcasm, undeniable rebellion, and with how she sees every social situation she finds herself in to be what it really is ~ a ridiculous affair. She's brave, curious, but sees herself in this strange, almost degrading light, as if she knows she was born in the wrong century and is unacceptable according to the standards of her time. She does her best to be like the others to make her slightly crazy, materialistic mother happy, but Eleanor can't help but stand out with a mind of her own and a voice she isn't afraid to use.
::here are a few thoughts from Eleanor::
"Mama wanted me to remember my Grecian bend...Supposedly it was an enticing pose to the modern man. I couldn't imagine why since it made us look like camels who expected at any moment to be ridden by our masters."
"Blazes, he was cocky. And entirely too dashing for his own good--or for my own good, rather."
"In half a heartbeat he was beside me tugging me into his arms. His lips parted, but if to speak or to kiss, I never found out."
"'Miss Fitt, you know curiosity gets men killed.'
I grinned. 'Then I daresay it's good I'm a woman.'"
"The closest corpse, a skeleton of gleaming bone and shredded flesh, tottered to a stop. Its exposed skull rotated toward me, and though its sockets were empty, I knew it sensed me."
The video below is Got Me Wrong by Alice in Chains...Everyone interprets it differently ~ for me, I take it to be about a person who doesn't often find love...has found it...it's "wrong", but "something's gotta turn out right..." This song reminds me of Eleanor's and Daniel's relationship... They are pulled toward each other but each push the other away due to the different worlds they each come from... They judge each other, but to me, it seems more like they are trying to find reasons to dislike each other rather than admit there is a smidgen of admiration...
Monday Montage is a new meme that I'll be doing at the beginning of each week. Mondays have a bad rep because of their overall suckiness (I don't know about you, but I can never sneak past a case of the Monday Blues), so I figured I'd try to give this day one redeeming quality.
What to do? Take a book you're reading or have already read, and show us what it means to you or what it reminds you of. Could be photos, songs, videos...you name it. Just a fun way to get the long week started with what we love most ~ our favorite stories :).
This week, I'm gunna go with the Sookie Stackhouse novels. As much as I believe the series (book-wise) has outlived itself, I can't not read them until the end ~ that and I'm obsessed with the show (which I've missed this year due to the ridiculousness of cable companies ~ or rather, my refusal to put up with it...) Here we go:
::season five trailer::
::bad things::
**sigh of relief** feelin' better about the day already :) What's gettin' you going this Monday??
Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews in which we book addicts share the books we are adding to our overflowing shelves.
I've been on a never-seems-to-end book shopping spree lately, so this post could be miles long.. that, and my bookshelves are beginning to sag with the weight... But I'll narrow it down to my most recent anticipations :)
Isaac Mayfair is hiding a dark secret. And just when Adria Dawson thinks the worst of her life among the werewolf world is over, she learns the secret that can rip her and Isaac’s love apart. Adria must come to terms with what the truth means for her. What it means for her life and how much time she has left to live it. She must choose between two different fates, neither of which can offer life as a certainty.
As if Isaac’s betrayal isn’t enough, Adria learns that there are things out there older and more powerful than werewolves could ever be. An archaic entity known only to few as the Praverian, unlike anything Adria has ever known or heard of.
As Adria struggles with her own fateful dilemmas, she must also try to find out why the Praverian is so interested in her and do everything in her power to stay out of its way.
I lovedJ.A. Redmerski's first in this series, The Mayfair Moon (see review here), so I'm anxiously awaiting the second to arrive in my mailbox :).
It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.
But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.
Inspired by Jane Austen's "Persuasion", "For Darkness Shows the Stars" is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.
This one is a book I probably never would have stumbled across had it not been for Icey Book's Stand Alone Reading Challenge. I've read some of the best books of the year (IMO) because of this challenge ~ so awesome :).
Soundtrack Saturdays is a meme hosted byNovel Reveries in which you put music to the story you are reading. I can't help but create a rough soundtrack to the books I read ~ makes it more dramatic, I guess ~ so, I thought this was a super cool idea!
I'm reading Undeadly by Michele Vail, which if you've read the synopsis, is filled with zombiness, Egyptian gods, and necromancy. I'm not that far into it, and although it sounds completely dark and disastrous, Molly (the main character) has a fun, witty, and not slightly sarcastic voice that is completely surprising.
I don't want to give anything away, but the idea of zombies so far in this book is so unique it's kinda funny when you compare it to othermore traditional zombies like in The Walking Dead.
So, I had to pick this song, Astro Zombie by The Misfits. Fun, catchy, and totally not what you'd expect when it comes to zombies.
Swing on over to Novel Reveries and join in on the fun :)
Feature & Follow is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. Each week, these two feature a book blogger and pose a question ~ it's a way to get to know each other, encounter awesome blogs, and gain new followers.
This week's question asks:
What blogger inspires you? It can be any kind, it doesn't have to be a book blog.
Ultimately, every blogger offers inspiration. It's a lot of work getting a blog started, from hours of design (and if you're like me, watching youtube videos to learn how to do.. well.. everything) to finding your voice and developing a rhythm with posts. That, and putting your honest thoughts out for everyone to see can be scary. I couldn't possibly pick just one blog because every site I visit has taken work, dedication, and loads of time to create and keep up with.
BUT, if you scroll down a bit further, you'll find my collection of buttons of blogs I follow consistently, including my blogging bff's :). All great blogs ~ all tons to offer :).
Follow me, I'll follow you!!
::other news::
Swing on over to the giveaway pages! Today's the last day to enter to win a copy of Michael Sussman's Crashing Eden (review here). ALSO, there's still time to toss your name in the hat for Jennifer Echols' Such a Rush (review here).
