2009 Challenges Wrap Up

I only participated in two challenges this year and I am sad to say that I did not complete them. I was very close on both and would have completed them if it had not been for some recent complications.

The two challenges were 1st in a Series Challenge and 2009 YA Challenge.

I plan on participating in both of these again and plan on actually finishing them. I will also be participating in some more challenges that I will post on the 1st.

In My Mailbox (22)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

This week I decided to do another vlog because I had so many books to talk about. I made this video before Christmas and just got around to posting it.



Books Mentioned

Review -
Wicked: Witch & Curse - Nancy Holder &Debbie Viguie
Wicked: Legacy & Spellbound - Nancy Holder &Debbie Viguie
Wicked: Resurrection - Nancy Holder &Debbie Viguie
Pretty Little Devils - Nancy Holder
Possessions - Nancy Holder
The Vinyl Princess - Yvonne Prinz
Firespell - Chloe Neill
The Dark Divine - Bree Despain
Split - Stefan Petrucha
Magic Under Glass - Jaclyn Dolamore
The Returners - Gemma Malley

Christmas -
This Lullaby - Sarah Dessen

Updates

Hi guys

I just want to apologize for my absence, there has been a lot going on with me. I just realized that I am not going to be able to finish my challenges for this year, which makes me really sad... I am hoping that starting with a new year things will go better with my blog. Especially now that I am starting to get my own groove and so on. There are a lot of things that I have started through out the last several months and havent continued with. Here lately I have been feeling like a horrible blogger! lol I felt like I was neglecting it and thought that I would make a post trying to explain for the most part everything that has been going on.

Thanks for putting up with me :D

I will be gone for some time...

Hey everyone, as you can tell from the title of this post I will not be posting very much for the next month or so. I just moved out of my parents house and it didnt go so well... I will try and keep up with reviews so. I will also try and get tour books back out as soon as possible.

Thanks
Jordan

Frenemies - Alexa Young

Summary - What happens when two besties become full-blown worsties?

Avalon Greene rules the fashion scene at her sunny SoCal middle school with a diamond-clad fist, calling out classmates for their fashion-do's and most unfortunate clothes-pas. She's determined to host the social event of the season—a soiree in honor of her forever-friendship with Halley! Unfortunately, Halley's new look is one thing Avalon just can't celebrate. . . .

Halley Brandon is just back from art camp and can't wait to share her funky new style with her best friend, Avalon. But when Avalon cries fashion foul, Halley realizes her best friend's true colors may clash with her own. Has their ultra-fabulous friendship finally gone out of style?

From sharing custody of their puppy, Pucci, to drawing up a list of who gets which friends, Avalon and Halley discover what happens when you battle the person who knows everything about you—and isn't afraid to use your secrets to get what she wants.

Best friends. Worst enemies. Frenemies.

Review - Frenemies was a cute novel that I am sure many young girls can relate to. The plot was very good and didnt take awhile to get into and I just kept reading. Before I knew it I was done. This is definitely a good light, weekend read.

One thing I really liked about about Alexa's writing was that she put a lot of description in and that helps to make the picture in my head more distinct and I know exactly what she was seeing while she wrote.

I would recommend this book for almost any young adult reader who enjoy a "fluffy" novel.

Cover - 4

Plot - 4

Characters - 4

Writing - 5

Ending - 5 (It left me wondering what was gonna happen next. Not in a suspenseful way but in more of a way like the book shouldn't have ended yet.)

Booking Through Thursday (9)

Suggested by Tammy:

What items have you ever used as a bookmark? What is the most unusual item you’ve ever used or seen used?

Hmm, I have used some odd things but probably not as odd as some.. I have used pictures, envelopes, random strips of paper, bookmarks, pencils, chapstick, a hairband, a bobby pin... and probably more things but that is all that is coming to mind at the moment...

MIA

Hey guys sorry I've been gone for so long! I had to go to my mom's to watch my sisters while she went out of town and they have no internet :( But I will be posting some reviews soon and get everything up to date... Again sorry :)

Contest Winners!!!

Here are the winners for my Dark Divine Swag Giveaway. I just want everyone to know that these were picked my the random number generator, so if you didn't win this time, come back and maybe you will on the next one :)

And the winners are......

Casey


Kristi


Emily

Congratulations, I will be e-mailing you shortly. Please try and respond within 48 hours.

In My Mailbox (21)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

This week I only got one book and it was from the library.

Viola in Reel Life - Adriana Trigiani

Summary - I'm marooned.

Abandoned.

Left to rot in boarding school . . .

Viola doesn't want to go to boarding school, but somehow she ends up at an all-girls school in South Bend, Indiana, far, far away from her home in Brooklyn, New York. Now Viola is stuck for a whole year in the sherbet-colored sweater capital of the world.

Ick.

There's no way Viola's going to survive the year—especially since she has to replace her best friend Andrew with three new roommates who, disturbingly, actually seem to like it there. She resorts to viewing the world (and hiding) behind the lens of her video camera.

Boarding school, though, and her roommates and even the Midwest are nothing like she thought they would be, and soon Viola realizes she may be in for the most incredible year of her life.

But first she has to put the camera down and let the world in.

Also, I took my brother with me and he got a book that I am sure I am going to read after him. It is a series and lucky for us, our library has all four books. There is a fifth that comes out in January.

House of Dark Shadows (Dreamhouse Kings) - Robert Liparulo

Summary - Dream house . . . or bad dream?

When the Kings move from L.A. to a secluded small town, fifteen-year-old Xander is beyond disappointed. He and his friends loved to create amateur films . . . but the tiny town of Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to land.

But he, David, and Toria are captivated by the many rooms in the old Victorian fixer-upper they moved into--as well as the heavy woods surrounding the house.

They soon discover there's something odd about the house. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. And when David tries to hide in the linen closet, he winds up in locker 119 at his new school.

Then the really weird stuff kicks in: they find a hidden hallway with portals leading off to far-off places--in long-ago times. Xander is starting to wonder if this kind of travel is a teen's dream come true . . . or his worst nightmare.

A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray

Summary - A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel. Gemma, 16, has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. (Summary taken from Goodreads)

Review - A Great and Terrible Beauty was nothing like I expected in both good and bad ways. I loved the story, it was unique and kept you attention. I felt, though, that it didnt get too interesting until the last 100 pages. There were many things that I didnt see coming that I felt made the wait worth it. Also the ending I thought was spectacular. If I didnt know that there were more I would think to read on though. But the way that it ended was very good for the story. There were some aspects of the story, I felt could have gone into more detail.

Cover - 4 stars

Plot - 5 stars

Characters - 5 stars

Writing - 4 stars

Ending - 4 stars

In My Mailbox (20)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

This week I only got one book, but it is one that I am looking forward to reading.

Summary - Sara Black is tiptoeing across a fraying tightrope.
As the new eleventh grader at Anton High – the most elite public school in the country – she sticks out like an old VW bus in a parking lot full of shiny BMWs. But being the new kid also brings a certain advantageous anonymity.
In Anton High’s world of privilege, intelligence, and wealth, Sara can escape her family’s tarnished past and become whomever she wants.
And what’s the harm in telling a few little black lies when it can lead to popularity? That is, until another it girl at Anton becomes jealous of Sara’s social climbing.
With her balance evaporating, one small push could bring Sara crashing down.

2010 YA Book Challenge

So I have decided that I will be participating in this challenge starting in January. There are four different challenges....

--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.

--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels.

--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.

--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.

I think I am going to shoot for the Stepping It Up challenge. If I am able to do more that would be awesome, but that is going to be my goal. If you would like to sign up head on over to J. Kaye's Blog and sign up. As soon as I start I will link all of my reviews on this page.

Reviews
1. Faketastic - Alexa Young

2. When the Whistle Blows - Fran Cannon Slayton

3. Troubadour - Mary Hoffman
4. Chasing Brooklyn - Lisa Shroeder
5. Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins
6. The Ghost and The Goth - Stacey Kade
7. Firelight - Sophie Jordan

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

There are two books that I am really, really looking forward to reading and they are...

The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.





Other - Karen Kincy

Seventeen-year-old Gwen hides a dangerous secret: she’s Other. Half-pooka, to be exact, thanks to the father she never met. Most Americans don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat for Others, especially not the small-town folks of Klikamuks, Washington. As if this isn’t bad enough, Gwen’s on the brink of revealing her true identity to her long-time boyfriend, Zack, but she’s scared he’ll lump her with the likes of bloodthirsty vampires and feral werewolves.

When a pack of werewolves chooses the national forest behind Gwen’s home as their new territory, the tensions in Klikamuks escalate-into murder. It soon becomes clear a serial killer is methodically slaying Others. The police turn a blind eye, leaving Gwen to find the killer before the killer finds her. As she hunts for clues, she uncovers more Others living nearby than she ever expected. Like Tavian, a sexy Japanese fox-spirit who rivals Zack and challenges her to embrace her Otherness. Gwen must struggle with her own conflicted identity, learn who she can trust, and-most importantly-stay alive.

In My Mailbox (19)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

This week I didn't do a vlog because I didn't get too many books and it takes forever to upload videos on Youtube.

For Review:
Lady MacBeth's Daughter - Lisa Klein
Anastasia's Secret - Susanne Dunlap
By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead - Julie Anne Peters

Swag - This week I got some swag from Reggie over at Reggie Writes. I got an Invisible Touch bookmark and a Graffiti Girl sticker.

The Dark Divine Swag giveaway!

Hey everyone, sorry this has taken so long to get up but its finally here. So the lovely Bree Despain sent me some swag to give away on my blog, and here is how its going to work.

There will be 3 winners. The first winner will get a bookmark, a smaller version bookmark, and a sticker. The other two winners will get a bookmark and a smaller version. Oh and did I mention that she signed them?? So if you are interested here is what you have to do to enter :)

+3 for being old followers
+2 for being new follower
+2 following me on twitter (@jmoose09)
+2 for anywhere that you post it. (Twitter, sidebar, own post, ANYWHERE :)

Contest ends November 28 and is for US residents (unless you have someone here that would be willing to send it to you.)

Booking Through Thursday (8)

Suggested by JM:

“Life is too short to read bad books.” I’d always heard that, but I still read books through until the end no matter how bad they were because I had this sense of obligation.

That is, until this week when I tried (really tried) to read a book that is utterly boring and unrealistic. I had to stop reading.

Do you read everything all the way through or do you feel life really is too short to read bad books?

I have to first of all say that this week's question is a really good one! I am always wondering how people feel about this.

I do have to say that before, I would stop reading a book. If I found it uninteresting or like it dragged on. But then one day I decided that I would never quit a book ever again. I have had many since that I wish that I could have quit because they were for the most part really boring. Some were kind of disturbing or had content that I didn't really feel comfortable reading about, but I pushed myself to finish.

I think blogging is one of the things that has helped me to finish books.

In My Mailbox (18)

Hey guys, so this week I am not doing a Vlog. I didn't have anything to really talk about in it, thought I do have my helper again. Ok so for the things that i got in the mail. Also I am going to link them to Amazon so that you can see the covers and also so you can get the description, in case you don't know anything about either book :)

For Review: Nothing

Bought: Nothing
Borrowed: Nothing

Won: Ruined - Paula Morris
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (This one has the movie cover, which kind of disappointed me. I like original covers on books, but hey I can't complain! I have been wanting to read this book for so long and now I have my own copy)

Swag: This week the lovely Bree Despain was nice enough to send me some Dark Divine Swag to giveaway on my blog.

I will try and post the details about this within the next few days.

Booking Through Thursday

Which do you prefer? Biographies written about someone? Or autobiographies written by the actual person (and/or ghost writer?)

I think that I would have to go with Autobiographies. I think its easier to relate to because your hearing their story from them, not someone interpreting their story. I know that most biographies are based from the truth or mostly contain the truth but I find Autobiographies easier to relate to.

Princess Bookie Button Challenge

So Cindy over at The Princess Bookie is holding a challenge to make a button for her site and also for her tour site. Well here are my entries. Let me know what you think.

I hope you can see them ok. The originals were bigger but I shrunk them to put them in the post. Hope you guys like them :)

The Chosen One - Carol Lynch Williams

Summary - Thirteen-year-old Kyra has grown up in an isolated polygamous community without questioning her father’s three wives and her twenty brothers and sisters. Or at least without questioning them much—if you don’t count her secret visits to the Mobile Library on Wheels to read forbidden books, or her meetings with the boy she hopes to choose for herself instead of having a man chosen for her. But when the Prophet decrees that Kyra must marry her 60-year-old uncle—who already has six wives—Kyra must make a desperate choice in the face of violence and her own fears of losing her family.
(From Goodreads)

Review - Okay, so I'm not going to lie here, this book made me so mad and irritated and I don't know how many times I wanted to throw it or crawl into it and tell at everyone.

The book was mostly about polygamists, which I personally find kind of disturbing. I am not a very religious person, but this book was always saying anything outside their compound was "the devil". This was one of the things that irritated me the most.

Then toward the end, I still didn't love the book, but I was starting to get a little more into it. I was happy with the way that it ended. I'm doing my best not to give away any spoilers, but I will say that there are some things that I wish would have also happened, or gone differently.

Cover - 4 stars

Plot - 3 stars

Characters - 4 stars

Writing - 4 stars

Ending - 4 stars

In My Mailbox (17)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

So again I decided to do another vlog. I have to use my digital camera, and for some reason the video has crappy quality, so sorry about that. Anyways, here is my video, and leave me a comment and let me know what you guys think.



Books Mentioned:

For Review:

Dreaming Anastasia - Joy Preble
Captivate - Carrie Jones
Dust - Susan Berliner
Invisible Lines - Mary Amato
Troubadour - Mary Hoffman (1 ARC Tours)
When the whistle Blows - Fran Cannon Slayton (1 ARC Tours)

Books for Grabs:
The Comeback - Marlene Perez

Other things mentioned:
Explorer X swag

Quite possibly the best contest EVER!!!

Ok, so Kristi from The Story Siren is hosting a contest that, as said in the title, could quite possibly be the BEST CONTEST EVER!!!

So you might be asking yourselves, What is the amazing contest????

Well its for HUSH, HUSH and FALLEN!!!!

(Just a little note, this is not my picture. I borrowed it from Kristi)

Also she is giving away two HUSH, HUSH posters! I don't know about you, but I think this is one of the greatest contest ever and if you agree, well then you shouldn't be reading anymore, you should be heading over to her site and entering! (The link is above)

My TBR Pile!!

Ok so here lately I have been getting a lot of books! And I decided to get them all together (because they were everywhere!) and see what all I had. Needless to say I was in shock my all the books that I need to read!

So this is the entire thing!!! A total of 37 books. I know that's not A LOT, but to me, its kind of over whelming, in a good way :)

First pile is the books that I have out from the library.

These are my library books. From Carpe Diem down, is kinda iffy, but the rest are ones that I really want to read.

This is my review pile. These are all books that I have gotten for review. I am really excited to get to most of these!!

And last but not least, these are the books that I have won in contest and have bought that i really want to read.

Read-A-Thon

Hey guys, so my read-a-thon went terrible. I haven't read anything. My dad kept me so busy yesterday! I was so mad because I had told him a week prior that Saturday I was doing it! But, I am going to get in as much reading as I can, and finish my goal within the week. In case you dont know what that is, my goal was to read these four books.

So I think that is it and I going to go work on Vamped!

Also I would just like to say thanks to all the cheerleaders that there were yesterday and for all the support! You guys are great!

In my Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

This week I decided to do a vlog!! My brother helped so, if you hear anyone else, or I make a weird face, its because of him :) Let me know what you think!


Books Mentioned:

For Review :
Explorer X: Alpha - L.M. Preston
Mr. Darcy, Vampyre - Amanda Grange
Candle Man: The Society of Unrelenting Vigilance - Glenn Dakin
The Vinyl Princess - Yvonne Prinz
Faketastic - Alexa Young (1 ARC Tours)

From Contests:
Lockdown: Escape from Furnace
Other Books mentioned:
Frenemies - Alexa Young
The Demon King - Cinda Williams Chima

And now a picture of the coin that was mentioned in the video. This came from Michelle Moran for hosting a contest for her books and also reviewing them. (Which will also be coming up soon)

Update again

Hey guys, well its not going so good. My dad keeps trying to find work for me to do, so that I can't be inside and read. I am going to be sitting down and working on Vamped, right now! I am not going to stop until my goal of 4 books, is finished!

Thanks for supporting me :)

Read a thon Update

Hey guys sorry I havent updated, I havent been able to read much yet because i had to go get my brother, but Im going to put on some comfy clothes and get started!

Need - Carrie Jones

Summary - Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life's been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother's pretty much checked out. Now Zara's living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays & safe. Zara doesn't think she's in danger; she thinks her mother can't deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn't a figment of her imagination. He's a pixie and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He's the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he's trailing Zara.

With suspense, romance, and paranormal themes, this exciting breakout novel has all the elements to keep teens rapidly turning the pages.

(From Goodreads)

Review - Well I can definitely say that I did not get what I was expecting, in a good way! I actually really enjoyed this book. At times it was kinda predictable, but then there were others that I had no idea that it was going to happen. I never had a jaw dropping moment, but it constantly kept me guessing. This is a perfect example of my favorite kind of book! Its got romance and fantasy and everything, that to me, makes a great book. It was also hilarious! I loved Zara, she was so quirky and I constantly found myself laughing at things that she would say or do. I have read many reviews where people didn't like that the phobias were included in the book, one even said it went too far, for me I thought it was perfect! It made Zara who she was! I have nothing bad to say about this one, and if anyone asked me if they should read it, I would tell them HECK YES!!!!

Cover - 5 stars

Plot - 5 stars

Characters - 5 stars

Writing - 4 stars

Ending - 4 stars

Princess Bookie's Contests!!!!

Ok, so many of you probably know that the lovely Cindy from Princess Bookie, is holding some, well quite a few, contests for the Read-a-Thon this weekend. I am super excited to be participating as well! But to the good stuff, Cindy has decided to hold many contest, which you should definitely check out. Here are some of the contests.....

Hush, Hush OR Once a Witch

Prophecy of the Sisters Audio

Identical, Wake, and Monstrumologist

Tear Collector

Switch OR Snap

Possessions - Nancy Holder

Local Girls OR Rich Boys

Certain Slant of Light

Geek Charming

City of Ashes & Girl Stays in the Picture

Language of Flowers (as heard of in Forget-her-Nots)

Vamped - Lucienne Diver (SIGNED)

Take me There - Susan Colasanti

What would Emma do?

Secret Society (1)

The Debs or Love, Lies, and Texas dips

Beguiled - Deeanne Gist And J Mark Bertrand

Simply Irresistible - Jennifer Banash

Slept Away - Julie Kraut

Take by Storm - Angela Morrison

Secret Society (2)

Hush, Hush & Leviathan

The Naughty list (This one is one that many many people are waiting for! If I won this I would die! It looks so cute and I cant wait to read it!)

Bewitching Seasons

Time of the Witches

Top Ten uses for an Unworn Prom Dress

Captivate (1)

Captivate (2)

4 ARC Bundle (This one you have to see for yourself!!) These are all amazing books that I think if I won them I would die! I would have a heart attack at my computer!!!


So these are the ones up right now, and you should head on over and check them out. There will be more to come, and if I have time I will update this post with the new contests as they come.

Read-a-Thon Books

Ok, so after taking some time to think about it, I think I have decided on what books I am going to be reading for the Read-A-Thon on Saturday. So here they are....

If you click on the picture it blows up
so that you can see the books better :)

I tried to pick some relatively short ones, so that I could cut down my TBR pile some. There may be more, and then again there may not be. I am going to be finishing a book, hopefully today and post the review for that and then Saturday get these done.

My brother has also decided to participate, so I have to go pick him up Saturday morning and he is coming to my house to read with me, YAY!

So be looking forward to updates from me all day Saturday :)

The Honest Scrap Award!!

I feel so honored to be getting this award. As most of you probably know, not all of my reviews are good. I know there have been books that I didn't really like, and I stated that in my reviews. I feel that it is my part to put out honest reviews. I know some people only point out the good, or in some cases choose to point out only the things they didn't like. To me it is up to them to post what they thought, but for me you are never going to get anything but the honest truth.


This is the Honest Scrap Award. It is for those bloggers who write from the heart. The rules are to pass it along to seven bloggers and then list 10 honest things about myself. Here are those deserving of this honour, bloggers who write from the heart and touch me because of it (and I'm going to try to nominate blogs that haven't already received this award, so that doesn't means I don't love yours!).

And now for the people that I feel deserve this award. :)

1. Cindy (Princess Bookie)

2. Hope (Hope's Bookshelf)

3. Lauren (Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf)

4. Emilee (Penultimate Page)

5. Vania (Reverie Book Reviews)

6. Sharon (Sharon loves Books and Cats)

7. Kelsey (Book Scout)

Ok, now for the Ten Honest Facts...

* I talk to people in my sleep. Once I told my brother "I can't tell, or grandpa will throw away the cow"! Even though we don't own a cow. And my grandpa was no where around.

* I like to eat sour gummy worms and sour cream and onion pringles.... TOGETHER!

* Once I died my hair, and it came out pink. It was supposed to be bright auburn. I have Strawberry Blonde hair, and needless to say I freaked.

* I can't drink normally coffee but I can drink Frappuccino's from Starbucks! Try and figure that one out!

* My shoes size is 11 in womens! I have big feet! :)

* I have two step-brothers, one full brother, and two half-sisters.

* I own a zombie dog (according to my brother!!) She has one eye and is blind in the one, she has almost no teeth so her tongue hangs out. I rescued her, she was walking around my neighborhood almost dead, and she didnt belong to any of my neighbors so I took her in and cleaned her up, but it was too late, she lost one eye :(

* During my lifetime, I have had 3 fish, 23 cats, 9 dogs. Most have died though :( In my house right now I have 4 cats and 3 dogs, and at my moms we have 5 cats and a dog.

* I hate it when people read over my shoulder, or invade my personal space!! That annoys me more than anything!!!

*I have a love/hate relationship for Twilight :)

Booking Through Thursday (7)

If you could ask your favorite author (alive or dead) one question … who would you ask, and what would the question be?

Hmm this is a tough one for me!!! I wouldn't say that I have a favorite author as of right now! And if I did, sitting here trying to think about what I would ask them, I just draw a blank!!!! The only thing that comes to mind, is why decide to write? But I honestly can't think of who I would ask because I dont really have a favorite author. I am a big Jane Austen fan along with Lemony Snicket and Stephenie Meyer, but I can't pick one to be my favorite. Can I just ask them all???

Blogger Interview with The Story Siren

Ok, so this is my first interview with another blogger, and I got the lovely Kristi from The Story Siren to talk about her experiences with blogging.



What is the main reason that you started blogging?
The main reason, is a really boring answer. But it was just so I could keep track of what I was reading and what I thought about it. Had a found goodreads before I started my blog, it might not be here today!

What has been the most exciting thing to happen to you since you started your blog?

The most exciting thing(s) would be; having my review used for the Gone campaign in the UK. There was a huge poster with a quote from my review and there was even advertisements on some of the phone booths in the UK with a quote from my review. Recently I just had a quote in the paperback version of Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston.

What is the greatest joy that you get from blogging?

The greatest joy is when you get those comments from someone that really just loved a book and they thinks it's the greatest thing ever. That always reminds me about what I'm ultimately hoping I'm doing, sharing my love of reading with others.

What is your favorite book or series?

I have way to many to name. And it depends on what kind of mood I'm in!

Has there ever been a character that you could relate to the most?

I don't think there is one particular character that's really stood out to me as someone that I personally have related to. There are many times, when I've felt a connection to a character for one reason or another, I love when that happens.

Have you ever thought about writing your own book?

Yes, all the time. I have stories that I've started, outlines that I've made. I just don't have the guts to share them with anyone! I'd love to have a novel published someday, but I just don't know if I have what it takes.

You have been such an inspiration to me. Has there been anyone who inspired you?

Really? Wow. Well, I'm glad I could be some sort of inspiration! Plenty of people inspire me all the time! When I first started blogging, Chelsea from the Page Flipper was a pretty big inspiration! She helped me A LOT.

What book would you recommend that everyone should read, that is a book that you have read recently?

Recently, I just finished Front & Center. It's part of the Dairy Queen series by Catherine Gilbert Murdock. It is a fantastic series that I don't think enough people know about. It's realistic fiction, and it has awesome characters and a fantastic message. It's so fantastic, I definitely recommend it!

Thanks Kristi for taking the time to do an interview with me.

--------

If you guys would like to know more about Kristi or her reviews, you can check her blog out over at The Story Siren.

Hold Still Trailer

There are many contests for this book right now, but one that you all should go check out is on Shalonda's blog. So go check it out!

And here is another one from A Maze of Books!!

Alis - Naomi Rich

Summary - At fourteen, Alis has never been outside her strict religious community. But when her parents arrange for her to marry a forty-year-old man, she flees desperately to the dangerous, unfamiliar city. She learns quickly that the only way to survive there is to become a thief—or worse. Facing an impossible choice between a forced marriage or life on the streets, Alis seizes control of her own fate. But the path she chooses sets off a disastrous chain of events that leave her accused of murder. Steadfastly loyal, Alis must decide: will she betray a loved one or sacrifice herself?

(From Goodreads)


Review - This book was nothing like I thought it was gonna be, but in a good way! I honestly thought that this book was just gonna be "Amish" type girl leaves the community falls in love with the guy she cant have and they live happily ever after. Well that was not the case. Alis had to go through so much in this book, and I think that's why I enjoyed it. Also it kept me wanting more. Not like an OMG I have to keep reading, but it kept my attention so that I wanted to know what was gonna happen next. And right in the middle, the unexpected happens. You dont even know its coming unitl BAM its there. My jaw actually dropped while I was reading! That had to have been my favorite part, but other than that I found the book to be pretty calm. There were some scenes with lots of emotions but not enough for me to get all excited over. This is a book that I would recommend to others, if they had not read it. But I don't think I will see myself reading it again.

Cover - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars

Characters - 5 stars (I love Alis through out this book! Shes amazing!)

Writing - 4 stars

Ending - 4 stars

Waiting on Wednesday(s)

Ok, So I have been really far behind this month on the books that I am looking forward to so I am going to post all of them in one post.

For 10/7 - Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey Release is April 2010


In less than a day I had been harassed, enchanted, shouted at, cried on, and clawed. I’d been cold, scared, dirty, exhausted, hungry, and miserable. And up until now, I’d been mildly impressed with my ability to cope.

At her boarding school in New Zealand, Ellie Spencer is like any ordinary teen: she hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; obsesses over her crush on a mysterious boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. Then everything changes: In the foggy woods near the school, something ancient and deadly is waiting.

For 10/14 Firespell by Chloe Neill Release is January 5, 2010

As the new girl at the elite St. Sophia’s boarding school, Lily Parker thinks her classmates are the most monstrous things she’ll have to face…

When Lily’s guardians decided to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, she was shocked. So was St. Sophia’s. Lily’s ultra-rich brat pack classmates think Lily should be the punchline to every joke, and on top of that, she’s hearing strange noises and seeing bizarre things in the shadows of the creepy building.

The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout’s a little weird—she keeps disappearing late at night and won’t tell Lily where she’s been. But when a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school, Lily finds Scout running from a real monster.

Scout’s a member of a splinter group of rebel teens with unique magical talents, who’ve sworn to protect the city against demons, vampires, and Reapers, magic users who’ve been corrupted by their power. And when Lily finds herself in the line of firespell, Scout tells her the truth about her secret life, even though Lily has no powers of her own—at least none that she’s discovered yet…

And for 10/21 Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly

Tara Kelly's HARMONIC FEEDBACK is about a 16-year old music obsessed, smart-mouthed girl with Asperger's syndrome who starts a band, falls in lust and learns to question what "normal" really means.

Release is May 25, 2010

Boy Toy

Win a copy of Boy Toy from Book Wars!

WWin a Signed Copy of Boy Toy by Barry Lyga!

Josh Mendel has a secret. Unfortunately, everyone knows what it is. Five years ago, Josh’s life changed. Drastically. And everyone in his school, his town—seems like the world—thinks they understand. But they don’t—they can’t. And now, about to graduate from high school, Josh is still trying to sort through the pieces. First there’s Rachel, the girl he thought he’d lost years ago. She’s back, and she’s determined to be part of his life, whether he wants her there or not.Then there are college decisions to make, and the toughest baseball game of his life coming up, and a coach who won’t stop pushing Josh all the way to the brink. And then there’s Eve. Her return brings with it all the memories of Josh’s past. It’s time for Josh to face the truth about what happened. If only he knew what the truth was . . .

In my Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox explores the contents of my mailbox on a weekly basis. In my mailbox was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. And started by Kristi of The Story Siren, you can find more information here.

Well this week has been pretty good. And this is what I got..

First I got a copy of Frenemies by Alexa Young for review, along with some lovely swag, which I love! (I will also be reviewing Faketastic soon for the 1 ARC Tours)

Then I got these adorable Halloween bookmarks from Amber at Just Your Typical Book Blog. It was really awesome of her to send them to me. Also I found out that she is another blogger from Missouri. She is the only one that I have met and that was really cool. But look at those, they are so cute and she put them in the ghost envelope inside the regular envelope! I love them!

Thats it this week. Some of the things that I am expecting haven't shown up yet, soo but jopefully next week will be more eventful :)

Some amazing Swag from Michelle Zink!!!!!!

OK so you all know how much I LOVE SWAG!!! Right, well this is a contest being held my Michelle Zink for Some swag. Here is what is up for grabs........

A red rose t-shirt
A lock and key necklace
A set of three pairs of earrings, including my beloved red rose
Halloween candyyyyy!
Gothic fishnet gloves
A black-and-red skinny tie
Black metallic nail polish
A flocked velvet notebook
A candle
Comb-in temporary hair dye in Blood Red (eeek!)
A $25 Hot Topic gift card
A $15 iTunes gift card
A signed Prophecy locker poster
Prophecy locker magnet
Scented rose pin
Limited edition Prophecy candy tin
Double DVD Underworld/Underworld Evolution
Double DVD 28 Days Later/28 Weeks Later

And in honor of the month of horror, three truly creepy books;

Signed hardcover, Prophecy of the Sisters
Hardcover, The Hollow by Jessica Verday
Hardcover, Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender

I know right that is truly amazing, so if you are as excited as me, get your tookus over there and enter.

Booking through Thursday (7)

We’re moving in a couple weeks (the first time since I was 9 years old), and I’ve been going through my library of 3000+ books, choosing the books that I could bear to part with and NOT have to pack to move. Which made me wonder…

When’s the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularly keep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom into something out of control the minute you turn your back, like a garden after a Spring rain?

Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.)

And–when you DO weed out books from your collection (assuming that you do) …what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate them to a charity or used bookstore? SELL them to a used bookstore? Trade them on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program?

Hmm, well I dont think that I have ever gotten rid of a book in my life!! Most of my childrens books got passed down to my younger sisters, and as I got books as a teen, if I didnt have room for them they got packed up. My room isnt very big so its hard to have lots of books. Right now my window seal has books in it from the library that I plan to read and review and my dresser has books that I read before I got into reviewing and books that I own and need to review. I can say though that I dont have many books so I dont really have a reason to weed them out.

If I ever did have to weed my library I would probably just pack them up, unless it was something that i really didnt like or something that i thought I could live without. I could never see myself throwing them away though! Whether I liked them or not I could never do that. I would probably either give them away to someone I knew or to a bookstore or something like that but NEVER throw them away.

Madapple - Christina Meldrum

Summary - THE SECRETS OF the past meet the shocks of the present.
Aslaug is an unusual young woman. Her mother has brought her up in near isolation, teaching her about plants and nature and language—but not about life. Especially not how she came to have her own life, and who her father might be.

When Aslaug’s mother dies unexpectedly, everything changes. For Aslaug is a suspect in her mother’s death. And the more her story unravels, the more questions unfold. About the nature of Aslaug’s birth. About what she should do next.

About whether divine miracles have truly happened. And whether, when all other explanations are impossible, they might still happen this very day.

Addictive, thought-provoking, and shocking, Madapple is a page-turning exploration of human nature and divine intervention—and of the darkest corners of the human soul.

Review - I am unsure of how I thought about this book. It took me quite a while to read it. I just couldn't find it interesting, and once I finally did get to the point that I was interested it was almost over. This was not your typical book though. There were many things in this book that made me uncomfortable. This book was quite unique though. If you are a hardcore Christian, than this book is not for you. Most of the book is about whether things in the Christian religion are true or not. That didn't bother me so much as the other things that come along. In the last 100 pages though, I became intrigued and wanted to know how it ended. I can tell you that I never expected the ending that this book had. I would go so far to say as it was a major plot twist that would make you gasp, but it is one that you would not expect. I found that most of the book was boring and dragged on. Also another thing that made it harder for me to read, was the fact that every other chapter was a new time. One chapter, Aslaug is telling her story, the next you are in a court room, and it kept switching back and forth. Im not too sure if I would recommend this book to anyone. You definitely have to have an open mind reading it, but as far as enjoyment, this is not the book for that. At the end I had so many emotions, it was..... different. I felt slightly happy, confused, and relief that it was done.

Cover - 4 stars

Plot - 3 stars

Characters - 3 stars

Writing - 4 stars

Ending - 4 stars

Goodies.....

Ok, so I wanted to do a post and show off some of my recent goodies. Some are book related and some are not. The thing that started this post is though, its my new book light.

Its kind of funny because I didnt even know I had it and my dad called me from work, and he was like, "Did you find anything in a plastic bag on your dresser?" And I told him no, so he told me to go look. I opened the bag and there it was. I hadn't even noticed it. I had been pestering him for one, for weeks now.
When we go out somewhere we are usually out all night and I like to read in the car, well it isnt always that easy to read at night, with no light. So he finally got me one.

The second thing that is kind of book related is... some new beautiful stickies! They are so handy, and when I send out things I like to include post-its on them and now I have some not-so-plain ones :)

And now for the non book related items :) They are from the Apple Butter Makin Days that I went to this weekend. It is like the town festival, where people set up craft booths and they are singers and things like that. And of course there are people there who make Apple Butter, which I personally dont like but my family does.

First is a shirt that I got air-brushed. The guy that did it was really nice and really funny.

The shirt looks a little weird because it is dirty in this picture.
Not like nasty dirty but I had worn it to bed.
But I still love the colors and everything!

And the next thing that I got there was a "halo". Okay, so dont make fun of me because these are intended for little kids, but I always wanted one and my dad told me no every year, so when me and my sister-in-law went she got me one :) And let me tell you I wore it proudly!

Its kinda hard to see in that picture, but its just ribbon attached to decorating ribbon, type of stuff :p But they are fun to wear, and they have them in all different colors. If your lucky I might post a picture of me wearing it some other time.

And this weekend I am going to the Maple Leaf Festival in the town that my grandpa lives in and I might bring back some cool things from there.

Slacking

I have been sitting here looking at all the other blogs and have noticed how i have been slacking off. I am almost done with Madapple. It has taken me so long because I have not been enjoying it, so there for I dont really wanna pick it up. I am going to try and finish it after this post is up, and also I am going to try to get back into the Teaser Tuesday, Teen Tuesday, Waiting on Wednesday, and so on, posts. I have been slacking off and not doing them. So I just wanted to let you know that my blog should be more busy from now on.

Blogosphere.....

I think every week I am going to do a post about the contests from around the blogosphere that I find during that week. I will post it every Monday and add to it all week. So to start off this week.....

Booking through the 21st Century is having a giveaway for Give up the Ghost.

YA Book Queen is holding a contest for several books because she hit 100 followers! Congratz!

Just Your Typical Book Blog is having a Trick or Treat contest for ... the L.J. Smith Night World Books!!!

Pure Imagination is holding a giveaway for Everafter by Amy Huntley.

The Life and lies if inanimate flying objects is holding a giveaway for Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith

Bites is holding a contest for The Amanda Project, go check it out!
also for Secret Society....

Flip the page! is holding a contest for The Hate List and is talking about Banned Books!

A readers Adventure! is holding a contest for Cirque de Freak goodies!

Handle like Hendrix is giving away the second Sloane Sisters book - Survival of the Fiercest!

Ramblings of a teenage Bookworm is giving away several books in her awesome contest!

Just Your Typical Book Blog is giving away a copy of Demon Princess.

Book Reviews by Jess is giving away a hardcover, signed copy of Hush, Hush!

In My Mailbox

Well, unfortunately this week I didnt get anything in the mail, but I am almost positive that I am getting quite a few things this next week. hopefully I will have something to show you guys. These last couple weeks have been kinda boring, which is good and bad. I have a huge TBR pile right now and half of them are from the library, which I have had to renew. So be looking for next weeks to see if I was right about what I might be getting.

Princess Bookie's Contest!!!!

ok so this is one of those amazing contests held by the amazing Princess Bookie! Ok so to the GOODS!! Would you like to see what they are???

You dont get all of them but you get three seperate chances to win! that is awesome so head on over and check it out!