The Authoress

TBR Pile: February

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

February's

to be read pile

To compensate for my loose impulse control, this is a tentative list and will be edited throughout the month. Please stay tuned for more insanity.

* * *

Goal Books:

these are the books I'd like to read this month

The Butterfly Clues - Kate Ellison

Entwined - Heather Dixon

The Shattering - Karen Healey

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

Touch of Power - Maria V. Snyder

Wolf Tower - Tanith Lee

Wintertown - Stephen Emond

Accomplished Books:

these made it through the insanity phase and got read this month

None yet...but it's early still.

Giveaway: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

2012-01-31T08:30:00.000-05:00

Three angels – Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human – are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They must work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong. Then comes the brooding and popular new transfer, Jake Thorn... who just so happens to be in Bethany's class. Something about Jake seems to be hiding something darker, something more powerful than expected. That thing, and Xavier, distracts Bethany to a point that Gabriel and Ivy are concerned.

The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Design Consulting

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Are you dissatisfied with your blog design? Are you unsure how to really make it spiffy? I can help you put together your blog design so it looks clean cut, easy to read, and awesome.

Note: I won't charge for my consultation. My services are free.
My Blog Has Issues
Here are some common problem areas I see in blog designs:

backgrounds are super busy--it distracts from the rest
the "blog background" is transparent or translucent making it, again, distracting
the font is impossible to read
the font color clashes with the background
the sidebars are too cluttered
the tabs are too big or too small
the colors don't mesh well

Making a blog design work for free is not as hard, or complicated, as you might think. I learned how to put together my blog designs because I already had a prior knowledge of HTML and being completely OCD about the aesthetic quality of my blog, I wanted it to look good.

What I Can Do For You

If you're looking for some advice on how to spice up your blog, send me an email at inspirationamelia at gmail dot com. I will take a look at your blog and give you a run down of advice on how to spiff it up. Please let me know of any problems you want me to look at specifically. I will help you fix them.

Note: There are a lot of things I can't do. But if you've kept up with my blog, you'll notice the differences in mine versus blogs who get their designs custom made. The way I set up blogs will let you customize them fully: without worrying about messing up HTML.

In your email, make sure you give me your name and a link to your blog. :)

Ten Things We Did - Sarah Mlynowski

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

What I Expected: A sappy tale with gritty undertones and vivid descriptions of "what it's like being a teen girl" all overlaid with gut-wrenching humor. And capped with a even sappier ending.

What I Got: Just about what I expected, except I didn't think I'd really love it. Not the same way I love Sarah Dessen books. I didn't exactly fall in love with this book, but I don't regret spending a weekend reading it, either. The whole thing was well done, except the main character, April, just about made me want to sit in a bathtub and drop the toaster in. I liked the story, though, even if pretty much the whole thing was far-fetched. Like, little green men saying "take me to your leader, earthling" would have been more believable, type of thing.

A little splash of irony? I actually really liked it. God help me if I know why.

April was dumb. Ridiculously so. Maybe this is just country-born-and-raised talking, but who the fudge doesn't know how to change a bulb? Wash the dishes? I mean come. on. And I know the whole book is about making mistakes, but jeepers creepers! Some of the things she did just made me go, "And you weren't expecting that to happen?!"

Ready for the irony? Even though a house plant had a higher IQ than April, she was pretty cool. She was hypocritical, overly intense, sometimes mean, hysterical, incredibly selfish and dumb, but I never once threw the book across the room. Somehow, I really really liked her character. I liked her story. I liked seeing how she changed and how she grew.

Writing-wise, it was alright. I did have an issue with how some authors use multiple question marks (???) and exclamation points (!!!!!) in order to show emotion. But other than my little pet peeve getting a work out, the writing fit the story. Sometimes it was short (it was usually really short, nothing elegant) and sometimes it got profound. I liked how Mlynowski divided everything up. It's a very unique style and I loved it. She really took out the overrated subtly on how to weave in backstory.

I didn't see a lot of humor, though. I would laugh in embarrassment for the characters, but it wasn't as uproariously funny as the blurbs claimed.

Story-wise, it was great. I think the story and the theme were the book's greatest strengths, even if the plot itself wasn't very "tight". You've got a girl who doesn't know much and you throw her out into the "big bad world" and see what happens. Typical things happen (except the hot tub. I don't think that happens a lot): you get suspicious of your boyfriend, a crazy next-door neighbor blackmails you in order to get into your little group, and you have sex for the first time. And your world falls apart, in the end. And thennn, it pieces itself back together.

Overall, I really liked the whole book. Enough to where I want to read more of the author's other works.

If you're a fan of Sarah Dessen or Deb Caletti, you may not find as much enjoyment in this book, but if you're a fan of Kieran Scott and Elizabeth Scott, you should make time for this one. :)

Book Info:

pages - hardcover, 368
published - June 2011
publisher - HarperTeen
genre - contemporary fiction
rating - 4/5
received via - library :)

Giveaway: ARC Enthralled by Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong

2012-01-24T08:30:00.000-05:00

A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.

Sixteen of today’s hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new landscapes and characters. But whether they’re writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.

Suspenseful, funny, or romantic, the stories in Enthralled will leave you moved.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2nd Blogoversary

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Blogoversary to me...

Today marks my second year blogging. :) Personally, I never understood why bloggers have giveaways to mark their blogoversaries because it's like a birthday, isn't it? Well on your birthday, don't you get presents rather than the other way around? ;) Anyways...

I could go on to say how blogging has changed me and how it doesn't seem like two years, but jeepers--it feels like I've been blogging for five years, not a measly two. ;) These two years have been great though with a few drawbacks. I still haven't lost the joy of blogging, though and I am grateful for my experiences.

To celebrate my second year blogging and happy wishes for another year, I'm having a giveaway a week until I run out of books to giveaway! I've been saving these beauties for a while now, just for this occasion.

ARC - Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions by Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong
Hardcover - Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Hardcover - Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Hardcover - Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

And I have an extra that will be thrown in with one of these! :)

Here's the giveaway schedule:

ENTHRALLED - 1/24 - 1/31
HALO - 1/31 - 2/7
NEVERMORE - 2/7 - 2/14
CLAIRE DE LUNE - 2/14 - 2/21

Make sure to stop by!

Just For Kicks: 8 Reasons Why It's Taking Forever to Read Inheritance

2012-01-23T15:17:00.004-05:00

#19 - 8 Reasons Why It's Taking Forever to Finish Inheritance

Wherein I speak of why I have not yet finished Inheritance by Christopher Paolini, book four in the Inheritance cycle.

Inheritance is, according to Goodreads.com, 860 pages long. That's twice the length of the average "lengthy" YA book. It's enough to use as a formidable weapon if someone tries breaking into your house. In short (haha), it's LONG. I would have to go into hibernation just to finish this book. Not that I would mind going into hibernation. Just give me a few month's worth of jelly beans, and no one is at risk of getting eaten.
I may like fantasy more than the next person, but not enough to where people start calling me "Elflord" or that people groan when someone mentions Lord of the Rings in front of me. Point: Eragon was the first fantasy book series that I fell in love with, but I'm more inclined towards casual dating rather than a marriage. And it might take me years to get through this last book.
I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in a day and a half. HP7 is, according to Goodreads.com, 759 pages long. Eragon. is. not. Harry. Flipping. Scarhead. Starkid. Potter.
I cannot pick up Inheritance without thinking about the crapfest that was made of the movie Eragon. Too painful.
My copy of Inheritance is doing very well sitting on my desk-side bookshelf. It makes me look sophisticated when I have guests over.
Being constantly reminded by Goodreads that I haven't finished this book yet helps me remember how to correctly spell "inheritance".
...I can't think of anything else.
Refer to reason number 7.

If you haven't even bought Inheritance yet, don't talk. At least I did my part to have the complete series on my shelves.

In My Mailbox (70)

2012-01-22T20:37:00.003-05:00

I slept in my contacts last night. This morning, my dog woke me up at 6 and that's when I realized just why my vision was off-and-on blurry. Taking them out was painful. And it also left my eyes red and sore, so I slept most of today. Which is weird for me. My dad woke me up at 5:15 this afternoon asking if I was sick.

Other than my contact fail, I've been bored out of my mind with no school. Luckily, I go back Tuesday with the start of a new semester. I probably won't be so excited then, but still. Right now, I miss school.

Because I'm so late with this post, I didn't take a legit picture. Sorry, y'all. You've gotta deal with stock photos for this week.

The Night Circus | Erin Morgenstern I saw this in BJ's several months ago and started reading it while my dad was around buying stuff. I was really enchanted by it, so I went home and requested it from the library. (I WAS OVER ONE HUNDREDTH IN LINE FOR IT. Meaning, this thing had BETTER be worth the wait.)

Cry Wolf | Patricia Briggs Started it Friday afternoon, and finished it Saturday morning. 'Nuff said. It's Patricia freaking Briggs, y'all.

So I am currently reading Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mylnowski. It's really good so far. Review coming 1/25.

Oh, Y'ALL! My blogoversary is coming up! Which means giveawaaayyyss! Info on that coming up on the 24th.

what did y'all get in your mailboxes?

REVIEW RALLY
This is a great new resource for bloggers to search for a book and find multiple reviews all in one place. Also a great way to network with other blogs and get your own blog out there! Go check it out!

Blog Coding 101: Sidebar Button Code

2012-01-21T20:19:00.000-05:00

You may have always wanted to add your blog button on your sidebar with a cool little copy-and-paste box for other bloggers to grab. It may seem unreachable. You may be awful at HTML. Trust me, it's easy. :)

Adding a button to your sidebar with a code for other bloggers to copy is a simple combination of several different codes:

center code
image code
textbox code
link + image code

Easy peasy.

(And yes, I am going to make you do all the work. So open up some type of text-editing platform like Word or TextEdit or Notepad. Oh, and get comfortable.)

First, we're going to set our boundaries. (Sounds scary? It isn't.) If you want your entire thing to be centered, start your code with: <center>. Then skip two lines and add </center> so that you have a space in between the two. You will be adding the rest of your code between these two tags.

ADDING YOUR IMAGE

To have your image over your textbox, you'll simply use the general image code. Like so: <img src="IMG LINK HERE"> Paste this below <center> and then put your image link in there where it's supposed to be.
This takes care of your image.

Add a break "<br>" so that your textbox doesn't end up beside your image. You can add two if you want even more space between your image and your textbox.

TEXTBOX

So far, you should have this:

<br>

To start your textbox, start with the opening tag: "<textarea>".
The next line will be what you want other bloggers to copy. This will be a combination of a link code and image code. Essentially, you're "wrapping" the link code around the image code. This will make clicking your image take you to your desired link. So.
<center><a href="BLOG LINK HERE"><img src="IMG LINK HERE"></a></center>
Now you want to close off your textbox code with "</textarea>".

And that's it. Oh, you expected it to be harder? Welcome to the world of HTML. I wouldn't get used to it. ;)

THE FINISHED PRODUCT (YOU JUST DID HTML.)

<br>

</textarea>
</center>

Voila.

TO INSTALL

Navigate to your dashboard and click on the desired blog. Go to Layout. Click where you want your widget. You'll want to paste your newly made code into a new HTML/Javascript widget. Position as you see fit on your page, and witness your new creation. :)

Recommendation: Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

2012-01-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

SPOILER ALERT!

If you're planning to read this book,

don't read this post.

Witchlanders

Lena Coakley

{Goodreads}

{My Review}

{Author Website}

{Amazon}

{more about recommendations here}

I really loved this book. I usually go for "high fantasies" only every once in a while, but I was pretty attached to this book since I found out about it. So when I saw it in my school library, I couldn't keep myself from checking it out, even though I already had four other library books at home. o.o I grew frustrated because I didn't have a lot of time to read it until after my Psychology midterm.

The book's beginning--which I started to read the moment I checked it out--starts really well. I got an immediate sense of Ryder's character and I sympathized with him right there, right from the get-go. Opening the book with Ryder witnessing his mother's relapse into her addiction was a clever move on Coakley's part, since it garners sympathy for the character, makes him 3D and creates that character-reader bond. What usually takes half a book, Coakley accomplished in a single chapter. Her style of characterization reminds me a lot of Maggie Stiefvater, how they both layer their characters while also not afraid to get in your face with a character's faults and rough edges. I think some author's like to try and make their character look perfect, with "perfect" little faults, but Coakley sure didn't pussyfoot with Ryder. He was frustrating. He could be cruel. He could be stubborn and really ignorant, but this just made him all the more likable.

Not only did I have a sense of Ryder's character, but of the world and the mystery. The mystery unfolded really well. From the end of chapter two, I was hooked. It was The Point of No Return. All the while, in the back of my mind, Coakley was planting little seeds of information that would become important later. I knew things about the world--they were so easy to imagine. I was a little disappointed that this so-called "high fantasy" didn't have a map in the front, but I found out I didn't need one. That, I believe, is the sign of a great writer of world-building: I could keep everything in line without ever needing a map drawn out for me.

Very impressive.

I think the most impressive part about this whole book, though, was the magic. DUDE. Having singing be the medium of magic? That was positively, bloody BRILLIANT. Coakley set up the rules of her world very well, and it was incredibly inventive. I can't wait to see where she takes this series--'cause this SURE AS GOD MADE LITTLE GREEN APPLES better have a sequel! The way the book ended with Ryder going with Falpian to the Bitterlands definitely suggests that a sequel is in order. With all the mystery and the complete lack of tying up all the loose ends---everything suggests a sequel and yet I see no evidence of it! This is supremely irritating!

The depth of Coakley's world reminds me of Tamora Pierce, buuutttt...

Coakley's world was very tightly woven, as was her plot. The time where very tightly woven plots comes off elegantly in PNRs, but when it comes to high fantasies, I expect more details that deepen the world but don't necessarily have anything to do with the plot. For some reason, Coakley's ability to write such a tightly woven world irritates me. Puts me off just a smidge. I guess I loved it so much that I wanted more.

Okay. Scariest moment: HOLY FUDGE. When Falpian is going down the mountain and comes across the thief spiders. Oh my gooooodddd! I was literally biting my nails and flipping out where I was sitting (luckily I was alone in my room. Would've been embarrassing had I been at school or something). Coakley described that SO WELL. The ending where Ryder, Skyla and Falpian were wandering around the tunnels really put me on edge.

The ending came really close to disappointing me. When Sodan came to try and persuade Ryder into the coven, I was thinking, "Oh UH UH!" I mean, after all the crap that the covens had put everyone through, Ryder couldn't cave and join them. Then of course Visser had to try and kill Falpian on Sodan's orders and there went that. Well done, Sodan. Best way to keep Ryder out of the covens.

I loved the relationship between Ryder and Falpian. I thought it came off really well because they set offset each other really well. Falpian is struggling to stand up for himself and Ryder struggles to stand up and protect those he loves.

For the lack of romance, this book was fantastic. Personally, I thought Ryder might go for the Right Hand of Aata. The scene at the end there where she tells him her real name, I figured that there was a kiss coming up. Nope. But that's fine. The book held up well without a romance.

What did y'all think about it? Did I miss anything?

Overlooked Contemp Novels - from Racquel @ Book Barbies

2012-01-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

I just picked up a contemporary novel that got me thinking: most of the contemp novels I read aren't wildly popular, but they're so good they should be. So I gave a general shout to my Twitter followers and the wonderful Racquel @ The Book Barbies replied. :) I'm so glad she did--she listed some books that I fully agree, really should get some more airtime.

So without further ado, Racquel, take it away!

* * *

Contemporary is my all time favorite genre so I'm very happy to be doing a guest post for Amelia today about the underrated good contemporary books!

I like to give a chance to all books, self published or from a big name publisher because you simply cannot put a limit on talent and that is why one of my favorite contemporaries of 2011 is a self-published book.

Double Clutch by Liz Reinhardt

My number one reason why this is such a great read is because of how realistic it is. The characters acted like real teenagers, they went through teen emotions, they cared about things teens care about! Liz Reinhardt has a real grasp on the teenage world and it shows in her books. Every character in this book experienced or did something I can relate to things my friends and I do. Double Clutch is as realistic a contemporary YA book can get!

There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones

I actually never knew I would even like this book, let alone love it. Religion in books is a very tricky thing to add and I never thought I can even put up with it. Yet I couldn't see There You'll Find Me written any other way. The religious aspect of the book wasn't overwhelming or trying to choke the reader into faith but simply a part of the story that had to be there and it made the book even better. Another similar situation would be in:

The Next Door Boys by Jolene B. Perry

I put this book down once I saw the mention of religion because I was put off by it. I didn't want an annoying faith lesson but again, I was wrong! Religion wasn't the biggest factor of the book and the story without it wouldn't have been a good one. I know a lot of people are sacred to read these two contemporaries but I say, fear not!

Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman

I don't even think I finished the first chapter before closing the book and having this expression on my face: O____O

The book is set in the south and you can tell from the writing. The dialogue and diction is how one would talk where the book is set and it was... weird. I sucked it up though and I'm glad I did! The dialogue is realistic to the setting and I'm glad the author choose to write in that style! I understand a reader who lives outside of the united states might have a harder time understanding the southern lingo but hey, it's realistic and what beats reality?

The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti

Deb Caletti is one of the authors who not only helped my English fluency, but also made me love reading along with making contemporary my favorite genre. The Nature of Jade was a great read about a girl getting over her fears and well, growing up and getting ready for college. It dealt with real issues I see in school every day, every year and Deb Caletti handles it so very well!

Those are some of my contemporary-must-read books. Did you like these books? Are they worth discussing or not? If you haven't read them and do give these fantastic books a chance, I do hope you enjoy them immensely. :D Thank you Amelia for having me today, this was a blast ♥ Contemporary FTW!

Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

2012-01-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.

It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.

This was an excellent book, but it's one of those "excellent books" that really shouldn't work, or I feel like it shouldn't work, mostly because of the writing. The story, though, was beautiful. The characters were memorable. The world was fantastic. I am definitely buying this book.

The writing could have been improved in a lot of places, and considering that it was told in two different POVs, the voice should have changed changed accordingly. I couldn't see a distinct difference between Ryder and Falpian except in their outlook on certain "controversial" subjects. A lot of times, Coakley rushed through the action instead of taking her time. I know that action scenes take practice to write well and this is her first book. She has a lot of potential, writing-wise. She paints her atmosphere well. There was one part where I was literally going, "Holy crappp, this is freaking me out!" Which usually doesn't happen when I'm reading.

The characters were so awesome. Ryder was awesome. Falpian was awesome. Pima was awesome. I loved seeing their struggles--I was struggling right along with them. They seemed very real and very set in their own little niche in the world. This is the sign that it was done well.

The world. TALK ABOUT WORLDBUILDING. I was supremely impressed with Coakley's ability to tell you information about the world without spoon-feeding it to you. You just figured things out as you read. I could keep the map of the two countries in my head without a map drawn out for me. That's how well it's explained. And by the time the ending comes around, I'm so engrained with the culture that the full weight of the climax hits me just as much as it hits the characters.

I'm surprised the book turned out to be soflippinggood. Considering that one of the narrators isn't even mentioned in the summary. And there isn't a romance.

I can't wait to get this book, but I'm going to wait until the sequel comes out (because there HAS TO BE a sequel, even though I can't find any information about one). If publishers change covers, it's usually with the publication of the second book and I don't do mixed-edition series.

I highly recommend this book to those of you who love Tamora Pierce, Maria V. Snyder, John Flanagan, or Cinda Williams Chima.

Book Info:

pages - hardcover, 400
published - August 2011
publisher - Atheneum
genre - fantasy
rating - 5/5
received via - public library :)
series - there should be one (better be one)

In My Mailbox (69)

2012-01-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all! Hoping you guys are all having a fantastic Sunday! :) My week was exciting. Took final exams, two midterms, got kidnapped by two guyfriends to go to vandalize a friend's car and wander around Walmart.

Also got to go to the library and FINALLY had time to finish a fantastic book, review of which will be going up Tuesday. :)

Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) | Sarah Mlynowski I picked this up by random chance because I really wanted a hit of contemporary after being on a PNR high for so long. It looks really good, though my critique partner tells me that there's a lot of heavy stuff in there. Meh. Sometimes a girl just needs a break from sword fights.

Entwined | Heather Dixon I've had my eye on this book for so long, I forgot what it was about! (So I went and reread the summary, 'cause I hate being ignorant about books I'm reading.) It looks like another remake of the fairytale where the princesses have to dance every night for a king. Anyways, it looks like the story might be good, but I'm wary about the main character. Ah well. We'll see.

Withering Tights | Louise Rennison Again, I wanted a contemporary, but I purposefully went with this one because it looks hilarious and I passed over buying it when Borders was still around, but I figured I ought to make up to it by reading it. :)

So besides a WILD weekend, I'm settling in for some serious R&R since I don't have school tomorrow. I do, however, have an exam Tuesday. (Honor Forensic Science...thrilling.) Meanwhile, I'm going to be rocking out on the piano and dutifully writing my review (AND FIRST RECOMMENDATION).

For everyone who commented on my "Just For Kicks: Your Blog Annoys Me Because..." post, a big thanks. :) I'll admit I was a big nervous when I submitted it because it's so angst-ridden, but I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one with issues like that.

Stay tuned.

what did you get in your mailbox?

NC Author Alert: Megan Miranda

2012-01-11T20:36:00.004-05:00

Megan Miranda

author of Fracture

will be at...

Barnes & Noble, Birkdale Village

8725 Townley Road

Huntersville, NC

starting at NOON on the...

21st of January, 2012

I actually have not been able to read this book yet. (It releases January 17.) I've seen it around a lot and have heard many good things about it, but otherwise, I'm rather ignorant. It looks really interesting, though, so I may make the trip to see what all the fuss is about. ;) And I might be able to see a fellow blogger*! If I do go, I'll make sure to get pictures/video and get a signed copy to give away on le blog. (After all, my blogoversary is coming up!)

*special thanks to fellow blogger Aeicha @ Word Spelunker for passing along this information ^_^

Kristen Chandler on: Fan Mail

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

As a reader and blogger, I find myself terrified whenever I face the impossibility of emailing an author. I told one of my favorite authors once that they were like the Olympian gods and I a mere mortal. I know a lot of bloggers who are on a first-name basis with their favorite authors. (This is my response to that: O.O)

After packing up the courage, I found the audacity to email Kristen Chandler, author (of the absolutely fabulous, amazing, incredible *cuts self off*) of Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me and her most recent novel, Girls Don't Fly. I asked her a few questions about how she, as an author, handles her email.

* * *

How do you handle the hordes of emails you must get? Do you answer every single one, or use auto-responders?

I answer all my own mail. I once heard Jean Craighead George, the author of Julie of the Wolves, say she answered all her mail. The woman has written over one hundred books! If she can find time to respond to her own mail, I know can.

Some of my favorite experiences are with readers that I’ve met at signings and at school visits who write to me on a continuing basis. I will see some of these readers over and over at signings if they're local, or if not, I’ll get updates from them online and it cracks me up. One group of middle schoolers even sent me their album, which was pretty darn good. The one thing I can’t do is read and comment on whole books, so when I give people my website info I like to warn them of that.

It’s really satisfying for me to interact with readers! I know some authors don’t like it, and some are completely obsessed with “their fans.” I prefer to think of reader interaction as one of the best perks of my job. Then I go off into my study and write what my characters want.

Have you received hate mail? What's your response?

Sigh. No one has sent me hate mail, directly. Maybe I should tweet on political candidates or something. :)

After I published both books I worried about repercussions, but not when I was writing and editing them. I’m kind of a jump-and-then-look-girl. The first book is about such a tough subject for people in the American West, the reintroduction of wolves to this area. I thought people might go crazy but overall most, not all, but most, think the book is balanced.

Everyone seems to have an opinion on the subject however! Wow! The second book has had some very surprising responses, so far from my creative impulse that I am a little baffled by the it, but no hate mail yet. In the end, both books are about girls trying to figure out their lives in tough situations, so if I make readers think about what they would do in the character’s shoes I feel happy about that. That’s one of the coolest things about reading.

In general, I think hate mail is always more about the person writing it than the person it’s directed at. I know that sounds preachy, but really I can't take people's opinions personally or I'd be paralyzed as a writer and as a person.

How do you act when someone says they don't like your novel?

Of course I'd love it if everyone loved my books! Who wouldn't?! I have to admit that making people laugh is my nirvana. I live for that moment when I'd doing a reading and people snicker. But if people don't like my books I'm really okay with that. Maybe it comes from being the middle child in a family of seven, but I never anticipate that I'm going to please everyone.

One of the great things about what I see happening in writing today is there is something for everyone. A decade ago it was all about “the next big thing.” Publishers were obsessed with highly commercial “best sellers.” Which really killed creativity. But I think like in retail and other areas of commerce, the internet has helped readers diversify their taste and create niche markets, which have flowered into thriving markets. Viking took a chance on a book about real wolves, and readers have taken a chance on buying it. Then the trusted me to write about birds and bad boyfriends. Crazy, huh?

I believe that writers should write what they love and fear. If I loved or feared belly lint I would write about that. Lucky for me I’m not that into belly lint!

What I like to say to myself is this, if I love writing my story, someone else is going to love reading it.

* * *

Thank you, Ms. Chandler for taking the time to answer these questions! :)

Kristen Chandler has been a ranch hand, waitress, salesperson, ice cream store manager, secretary, freelance journalist, and college writing instructor. She lives outside Salt Lake City, Utah, with her four children, two cats, and a bad dog.

Just For Kicks: Your Blog Annoys Me Because...

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

#18 - Your Blog Annoys Me Because...

You obviously have no idea how to coordinate. Take some clues from blogs you admire for their aesthetic qualities. I realize that your content is very important when it comes to getting followers. However, getting your blog to look nice takes less time than writing your IMM. Find blogs you like and look around. Email them for advice. You don't have to get a custom-made, $50 template for your blog. You can do it for absolutely free. So then, you can have great content and style.
Your In My Mailbox vlogs make you look unprofessional. Don't get on camera and talk about books if you have no flipping clue what the heck they're about. When you receive a book for review (even unexpectedly), the least you could do to show your appreciation is figure out what it's about. Maybe, oh I don't know, do a little bit of research before you get on camera Sunday morning. Nothing looks more ridiculous than hearing a blogger say, "I don't really know what this one is about." Forgetting an author's name or being horrible at summarizing is one thing, not caring enough not to read a summary is a different one altogether.
I don't know anything about you. I can understand keeping your privacy and keeping safe on the internet, but we're bloggers here. You're practically apart of the industry. If I can't find your name, where you're residing (state-wise, at least country-wise), and roughly how old you are, I am seriously going to be turned off. I don't need to know where you went to elementary school and why you broke up with your sophomore boyfriend. How you came to blogging, your favorite books, etc. would be peachy keen.
You have no idea how to spell or use the English language properly. It would be understandable (mostly) if you were twelve. But once you hit the sixteen-year-old mark, you should be able to put a sentence together properly without resorting to text-talk and a billion exclamation marks. Blogging is a hobby, yes, but if you're wanting an in on the industry, you should be able to write semi-professionally.

Those are just a few things that annoy me to no end.

what things turn you off when blog surfing?

In My Mailbox (68)

2012-01-08T12:57:00.000-05:00

click here for the Story Siren

I realized this week just how screwed I am when it comes to my reading schedule. I've got all these ARCs that I need to review AND I've got books from the library. Dude. That's deadlines on both sides. And the library books I had from last week are GOOD.

Anyways. This week is very exciting because I got a R.A.K.!

The Name of the Star | Maureen Johnson I've only read The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson as well as her short story in Let it Snow. I'm really excited to read this one. I've heard a lot of good things about it. :) This gift compliments of Aeicha (A-shu) from Word Spelunking. This chick is freaking awesome. AND SHE LIVES TWENTY MINUTES AWAY FROM ME. This makes her even more freaking awesome.

ON THE KINDLE
Marked - Kim Richardson
Crossroads - Mary Ting
The Strange Case of Finley Jayne - Kady Cross

(This next one I forgot that I'd gotten this past week so y'all are just gonna have to make do with a stock picture. Just trust that I do actually have a copy. Haha.)

Witchlanders | Lena Coakley I've already started this one and it is AH-MAZING. I'm trying to make a book trailer for it, BTW.

Speaking of book trailers! For an assignment in library science, I had to make a "book talk" which is basically a book trailer where I have to talk a little bit. Maybe y'all would like to see it?

what did you get in your mailbox?

I also got this super awesome nail polish + basecoat. Wanna see?

It's "Timbleberry" from SinfulColors. It's really more of a summer color, but I have it on my toenails now and it is now deemed my "happy color". :)

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

2012-01-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.

And then every day in between...She's something else entirely. Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends.

I did not receive any compensation for this review.

I loved the idea, but I had a hard time getting into the story. I didn't have a lot of sympathy or compassion for the characters. They all seemed a bit shallow to me. The story was interesting, if a bit unorganized, and the writing was not what I was expecting at all.

I didn't feel at all compelled to continue reading Kali's story. I liked Kali's character enough, especially this interesting situation she finds herself in: her powers switching on and off every other day. And the problems she faces with her dad. Kali herself had an interesting dynamic--she has little sense of normality, but I felt as if that wasn't portrayed very well.

The sub-characters Skylar and Bethany were interesting, but their group dynamic was typical: girl that babbles, girl that's popular but not actually the b*tch she appears to be, and the screw up in the middle. Bethany can't stand Skylar, Skylar can't stand Bethany, Kali trying to keep the peace because she needs the friendship. I liked Skylar and Bethany, but not enough to really care about them.

Kali's story was...almost typical and expected. Not as complex as I was hoping for. I had no problem figuring out the mystery. I did like Kali's powers, though. That was cool and different, though maybe not described very well.

The real let down for me, though, was the writing. Very simple, and not elegant. There were spots of humor and brilliance, but they were few and far between. I was expecting more from Jennifer Lynn Barnes because I loved Raised By Wolves.

Overall, the whole thing fell flat for me.

Book Info:

pages - hardcover, 352
published - December 2011
publisher - EgmontUSA
genre - urban fantasy
received via - NetGalley
rating - 3/5

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

2012-01-06T18:34:00.000-05:00

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.

He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a soliltary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for the boy--an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer.

But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack--who has already killed Bod's family...

Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel fro the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic "Coraline". Magical, terrifying, and filled with breath-taking adventures, "The Graveyard Book" is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

Theending annoyed me to no end, but overall, I have to say that I really enjoyedit. Usually, I think there’s an air ofanimosity towards a book that you are forcedto read, but I found The Graveyard Bookengaging, funny, heart-wrenching, and fraught with a misspent childhood andfrightening imagination. This is myfirst Neil Gaiman novel. I will probablynot pick up another book of his. I donot go for the nightmare-in-a-bottle kind of book.

NobodyOwens—or Bod, as he is affectionately called by the Graveyard inhabitants—was agreat character. Like Harry Potter, hegrows up far from the norm and doesn’t know much about the Other World,the one that lies outside the graveyard gates. He was honest, passionate and curious and totally awesome. I loved watching him grow through the book,but I wish the whole story had been him as a teenager. While I can imagine an eight-year-oldclambering around under hills and through graves, my preference is for the teenstory. So I loved how the book endedwith him being a bit older.

Thiswas a very character-appreciative book for me. The story didn’t make a lot of sense, and I couldn’t see much of aplot. This whole “prophecy”-likesituation surrounding him wasn’t told very well. I think if Gaiman had focused entirely on thecharacters and left out any kind of plot-driven devices, the book would havebeen much more enjoyable. I realize itreceived the highest award for Children’s literature, but personally, I thinkit was written by an average writer and was a relatively average story.

Overall,Bod really made the book for me. Thatkid was awesome, and I loved his character to death (no pun intended). Y’all should pick it up just to say youdid. You might realize just how much youlove it.

Book Info:

pages - hardcover, 312
published - October 2008
publisher - Bloomsbury
genre - fantasy
received via - school library
rating - 4/5

TBR Pile: January

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-05:00

January's

to be read pile

To compensate for my loose impulse control, this is a tentative list and will be edited throughout the month. Please stayed tuned for more insanity.

* * *

Goal Books:

these are books that I'd like to read this month

Entwined - Heather Dixon

The Shattering - Karen Healey

The Butterfly Clues - Kate Ellison

Accomplished Books:

these made it through the insanity phase and got read this month

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
Every Other Day - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Witchlanders - Lena Coakley
Cry Wolf - Patricia Briggs
Ten Things We Did - Sarah Mlynowski
Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver (review coming 2/2)
Hunting Ground - Patricia Briggs

Just For Kicks: Bookshelf Tour

2012-01-02T17:05:00.000-05:00

Just For Kicks is a weekly meme held by me, The Authoress, that lets us share whatever random thing we want--whether it's book related or not is up to you.

#17 - Bookshelf Tour

Hey y'all! Thought I'd open this new year with a tour of my shelves. And hey, I might be moving in June (or going to college! o.o) so I'll have a different set up one of these days. This is for posterity.

**CLICK TO ENBIGGIFY**

I sort my shelves by author last name (yes, I am just a bit OCD). On the top rack we've got: (mostly, I didn't list all of them)

Kelley Armstrong books

Darkest Powers trilogy (1-3)
The Gathering
Enthralled

Jennifer Lynn Barnes books

Raised by Wolves series (1-2)

A favorite: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
V. Briceland books

Cassaforte Chronicles (1-3)

Patricia Briggs books

Mercy Thompson series (1-5)

Ally Carter books

Gallagher Girl series (1-4)
Uncommon Criminals

Kristen Cashore books

Graceling
Fire

Kristen Chandler books

Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me
Girls Don't Fly

And a little stuffed wolf

The books actually go across, not up and down, but whatever.

Cinda Williams Chima books

Seven Realms series (1-3)
Heir series (1-3)

You can just barely see another book lying down. That's The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and on top of it, my kindle.
John Flanagan books

Ranger's Apprentice series (1-10)
Brotherband series (1)

Caster Chronicles - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (1-3)
Tamora Pierce books

Song of the Lioness Quartet (1-4)
Immortals Quartet (1-4)
Trickster's series (1-2)
Lady Knight

Rick Riordan books

Percy Jackson series (1-5 boxed set)
Kane Chronicles (1-2)
Heroes of Olympus series (1-2)

Maria V Snyder books

Study series (1-3)
Storm series (1-3)
Inside Out series (1-2)

Maggie Stiefvater books

The Scorpio Races
Wolves of Mercy Falls series (1-3)

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

La dee da dee da (shout out if you recognize that! ^_^ BBC Robin Hood, anyone?)

Eoin Colfer books

Artemis Fowl series (1-7)
Artemis Fowl graphic novel
The Supernaturalist
Artemis Fowl Files

The Hunger Games trilogy - Suzanne Collins (1-3)
Leah Cypess books

Mistwood
Nightspell

John Green books

Paper Towns
An Abundance of Katherines

Healing Wars trilogy - Janice Hardy (1-3)
Possession - Elana Johnson
Faerie Path series - Frewin Jones (1-2)
Sherryl Jordan

Secret Sacrament
Time of the Eagle

Harry Potter series - J.K. Rowling (1-7)
Kieran Scott books

Non-Blond Cheerleader series (1-2)
She's So Dead to Us

Leven Thumps series - Obert Skye (1-3)
Impossible - Nancy Werlin
Leviathan series - Scott Westerfeld (1-2)
The Mockingbirds - Daisy Whitney
Blind Faith - Ellen Wittlinger
The Replacement - Brenna Yovanoff
Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac - Gabrielle Zevin
Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink

Ignore the very top two shelves attached to the wall. It's mostly pictures of me and my cousin and my quarter jar.

13 to Life series - Shannon Delany (1-3)
Sarah Dessen books

That Summer
Someone Like You
Keeping the Moon
This Lullaby
The Truth About Forever
What Happened to Goodbye
Along for the Ride
Lock and Key
Just Listen

Incarceron series - Catherine Fisher (1-2)
Hush, Hush series - Becca Fitzpatrick (1-3)
The DUFF - Kody Keplinger
Legacy - Cayla Kluver
Melina Marchetta books

Finnikin of the Rock
Jellicoe Road

Twilight series - Stephenie Meyer (1-4)
Delirium - Lauren Oliver
Anne Osterlund books

Aurelia series (1-2)
Academy 7

Inheritance series - Christopher Paolini (1-4)
Jackson Pearce books

Sisters Red
Sweetly

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

These are all of my reference books for my writing, my stationary, box of old CD's, my library books and my National Geographics. (See, really, I'm a ginormous nerd. That's a book of Psychology next to my library book stack.)

Though it's my desk, it often serves as an extra bookshelf. For once, it is clear of a towering stack of books that (a) have yet to be shelved, (b) are being currently read or (c) are being used for reference. The two uppermost posters on the wall are from National Geographics. The "Chicago" poster is from the University of Chicago, given to me while I was investigating them as a potential college choice. (It didn't pan out, but I still appreciate the poster.) And yes, that is an empty can of Sunkist on my desk. Quickest way to my heart is with a can of Sunkist and a M*A*S*H episode.

This is where I've been putting my stack of books that usually go on my desk. Those are my writing books, and my loose "currently reading" books. (WHY YES THOSE ARE HARRY POTTER BOOKENDS. THANKS FOR NOTICING. AND NO YOU CANNOT HAVE THEM.)

Figured I'd throw this in here since they are book related posters. I got the Harry Potter one with my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I can't remember where I got the Twilight poster. I want to take it down and replace it with something else, but I can't find another book related poster that I like.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed (and survived) that adventure! Please note, again, that I did not outline every single book I own. I just highlighted the summary of what was on the shelves. We'd be here a while if I typed out every single book I own. XD

In My Mailbox (67): The Massive One

2012-01-01T10:44:00.004-05:00

Tallyho, my wonderful blogger friends! :) Happy New Year to y'all. Hope you all made it home safe last night (or this morning, whatever the case may be).

This week's -- the very first of 2012 -- features all the books I received the last two weeks of the year over winter break. I went to Kentucky (that means HALF-PRICE BOOKS!), I received R.A.K., went to the library, and got books for Christmas. Let's get started.

The Christmas Stash

Possession | Elana Johnson I've been wanting to read this book for FOREVER. (Don't know how many times I've said that before.) I'm so excited to have received it for Christmas this year.

Girls Don't Fly | Kristen Chandler Ms. Chandler is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I absolutely adored her book, Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me and so when I found out she had written another book, I was stoked.

Beautiful Chaos | Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl Um, YES! Finally got my hands on a copy of this lovely beauty. I was so tense after the end of the second book, Beautiful Darkness, so I can't wait to dive into this one.

Brotherband: The Outcasts | John Flanagan Let me just say this, if John Flanagan has as many books planned for the Brotherband series as he had in the Ranger's Apprentice series, I'm gonna need another bookshelf.

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions | Marr, Armstrong I picked this up because Jackson Pearce had written a short story for it (and I love Jackson Pearce's work). There are a BUNCH of other awesome authors in there as well. I do love anthologies.

HALF-PRICE BOOKS & R.A.K. (1)

Bright Young Things | Anna Godbersen My hold requests on this book kept expiring at the library, but now I have my own copy. I've heard a bunch of awesome things about this book. I can't wait to see how it lives up.

Trickster's Girl | Hilari Bell Though I've never read any of Hilari Bell's work, I have always wanted to. When I saw this at Half-Price Books and read the summary, I knew it was destined to be awesome. Now I just have to read it to find out if I'm right. ;)

Glow | Amy Kathleen Ryan I read somewhere that this one was slated to "be the next Hunger Games" but I don't know how much I believe that. This is an ARC edition and though it dropped the Hunger Games card, I think I might like it. The summary was really intriguing.

Anna and the French Kiss | Stephanie Perkins Oh boy. I have heard numerous good things about this book. It's like everyone who's ever read it absolutely loved it. Well, I originally passed it up because of the title--I mean, oy. But when I saw it at Half-Price Books for $3.99, I figured, I might as well.

Hereafter | Tara Hudson Another ARC edition, I have been intrigued by this book for a while, even though I feel it might fall into several common pitfalls in paranormal romance. It's always interested me, though, so I made sure to pick it up.

R.A.K.: Wintertown | Stephen Emond Compliments to the ever-lovely Amanda @ Letters Inside Out for sending along her ARC edition of this book that has been on my wishlist since the dawn of time. I thought the release date would never be announced on Amazon! Jeepers! Then suddenly, I had my own copy, because Amanda is completely awesome. :)

HALF-PRICE BOOKS cont'...

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac | Gabrielle Zevin I read this book a long time ago and I remember really being haunted by it. It's one of those books that really stayed with you. I still remember this single scene (that I won't repeat because it's a spoiler). I never bought this book way back when so I picked it up.

Prince of Mist | Carlos Ruiz Zafon I feel like I am constantly spelling this guy's name wrong. Anyways. I got a really nifty bookmark featuring this book a while ago and it has intrigued me ever since.

Daughter of Xanadu | Dori Jones Yang Girl warrior? A slice of history? Dude, I'm totally in.

Blind Faith | Ellen Wittlinger Blind Faith was another one of those books that I read forever ago but stayed with me. I call one of my aunts "Bunny" now, after the grandmother of the main character in this book. Like Memoirs, I remember selective scenes, but I wanted a copy of my own.

Impossible | Nancy Werlin I've always loved this lady's name. And I love Irish lore. (I think it's Irish lore--*wince*--I hate not being sure. Just a feeling, folks. Don't quote me on it.) I tried picking it up once before and I couldn't really get into it but it's just one of those books that I want to get into.

Num8ers | Rachel Ward We have the sequel to this at my school library (pretty sure) and the topic is interesting. Even though the corner is ripped a little, I still wanted to read it.

The Amulet of Samarkand | Jonathan Stroud I read the summary and immediately wanted to read it. 'Nuff said.

The Library

Warrior: A Visual History of the Fighting Man | R.G. Grant I love seeing and reading about things on ancient warriors since fantasy has always been a favorite genre of mine. Well, the story I'm writing now requires some interesting battle background as well as some modern stuff, so this book, so far, has been a great resource.

Style | Lauren Conrad Alright, let's make this short and sweet. I knew about this book through seeing a bunch of other bloggers getting it, and I've made the incredible revelation recently that I am, in fact, a girl. And I am pretty much ignorant in terms of style, soooo...I thought I would need some help. So far it has made little to no sense whatsoever, but I still have hope.

NetGalley
Froi of the Exiles - Melina Marchetta (WHOO!)
Allegiance - Cayla Kluver (double WHOO!)

* * *

Holy cow. Did you make it through all that? Cause that was a LOT of books.

I didn't even bother showing you all the jewelry I got for Christmas. ;) Or my new phone (NOT an iPhone. An HTC Evo Shift.)

In other news, I have not made up a list of New Year's Resolutions 2012 for this here blog, but I have them in my head. As of now, I'm working on getting some more awesome authors over to feature on my blog and I've got giveaways coming. (Keep in mind that my blogoversary is coming up. *winkwinknudgenudge*)

Anyways. Y'all be safe this year. (Not that I'm going anywhere, I'm just saying. For luck.)

what did you get in your mailbox?

Just For Kicks: Hair

2011-12-13T16:11:00.002-05:00

Just For Kicks is a weekly meme held by me, The Authoress, that lets us share whatever random thing we want--whether it's book related or not is up to you.

#16 - Hair

Holy cow. I had no idea that doing your hair was going to be more akin to going to the dentist's office right before the holidays rather than a stroll in the park. (I realize what an ignorant comment that is, but take pity on a poor country girl.)

My experience with hair recently is...significant. Let me regale you with my tale.

I don't do much with my hair. First off, it goes up. Every. Single. Day. The days I let it down last year were momentous. My God. I mean, everyone noticed and teased (lightly) and I got plenty of compliments because, as I've been told, "I look interesting with my hair down." *eye roll* (It made me press my lips together irritably when, this year, I let my hair down for a week and two people commented. o.O)

My regular up-do (a simple, sort-of bun--NO PONYTAILS *shudder*) is no longer working for me. My hair is getting so long that my bun won't stay for longer than a few hours, and will come down much easier than normal when I'm doing a strenuous activity. So it was going to go one of two ways: I'd do what I've always wanted to do and chop it all off for a pixie cut, OR (the more popular view) I could grow it out and cut it for Locks of Love.

I was significantly out numbered in favor in growing it out. *sigh*

Well, hell. If I was going to grow it out, I was going to have to find a better way to keep it out of my face. I'd found a picture whilst browsing weheartit.com of instructions for a simple, but secure bun. I couldn't find any others like it, so I went to Youtube, typed in "simple styles for long hair" and found a dozen or so styles (some simple, some not so much) that I could probably pull off with my long hair.

I tried a few of them. And failed. Miserably. (Well, actually, the first one I tried went beautifully, but I'd tried it for-the-heck-of-it right before I went to bed, so in the grander scheme of things, it doesn't count.)

The problem: my hair is SO FLIPPING silky and undamaged that bobby pins flat out refuse to hold even a strand in place. (Now I completely understand my cousin's frustration when she tried curling my hair last year, though that turned out rather well.) Point is, I've had a hard time.

What I really want to do is this really cool side French braid (the first style). Problem was, I didn't know how to French braid. So I had to learn how to do that. So I had to look it up on Youtube and once I had, I faced another problem: no one to practice on. The solution to that came when I told my friend my problem and she came over so I could use her as a hair dummy. We watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 while I pulled and yanked at her hair. It was a minimal success. I got the general idea, but my friend's hair was so fluffy that it was rather counterproductive in the first place.

Then I was at school, in the computer lab with my Forensic Science class, and I was done with my work (since I'm a good little kiddie like that). So I got up and started braiding one of my friend's hair. She loved the feel of someone playing with her hair as well. I did a double braid....successfully. I was thrilled. She was thrilled.

Today, since I was completely done with my work in that class, I managed to braid and re-braid her hair three times. And then another girl saw me braiding, came over, sat down and said, "Here, braid my hair." Now that was an interesting experience for me because since she's black, her hair was different from my other friend, who's Asian. It still worked though, and she loved it.

My French braiding career is coming along wonderfully.

Too bad I can't braid my own flipping hair.

I think once I get the technique down, I can do it, but right now the odds are not in my favor. I've successfully managed a simple bun that had been giving me trouble before. (Again, the Ineffectiveness of Bobby Pins!)

Thank you, Youtube, for having such a wealth of totally awesome people demonstrating awesome techniques that even I can understand.

Did you know I actually curled my hair the other day? Without the use of a curling iron (which I don't own, by the way)?

Now I'm kinda getting into this whole hair thing. I've actually been wearing earrings and attacked my necklace collection and put it to good use.

At this rate, in a year or so I'll be a fully qualified girl.

In My Mailbox (66)

2011-12-11T09:30:00.000-05:00

I was determined to get books this week--whether it was by ransacking my school library or mobbing a little old lady with her Bible. (Not really.) But I really wanted to have new books this week. Luckily, my school library got a new shipment of books in recently, SO NOW I have all the materials I need for my evil plans. *cue evil laughter*

The Shattering | Karen Healey This was among the "New Releases" at my school library, and I'd heard a lot about it. So, having read the flap, I decided to check it out.

Before I Fall | Lauren Oliver I had already been planning to read this book since I was so impressed with Ms. Oliver's Delirium but then my critique partner told me I havetoreaditrightthissecond. It took me a while to get a hold of it, but then I found it at my school library. :)

Maximum Ride #1 (Graphic Novel) | James Patterson I'd tried reading the book. Did not work out very well. So when I was checking in a new shipment of books at my school library this past week, I saw this. There were four of them and the covers were SO PURDY. And I'd never read a graphic novel, so I decided to give this one a chance. Am I liking it so far? Meh. The characters are starting to bother me. o.O

The Goddess Test | Aimee Carter Compliments of Harlequin Teen Panel, they sent me this as a Christmas gift. I've been meaning to read this one for a while, but I was never truly motivated to go out and get it because I'm wary of it. When it comes to Greek mythology, I'm Percy Jackson all the way. It's hard to think that this book has a "fresh take on Greek myths" like it's fantastic or something. So. It shall be interesting, nonetheless.

I'm so glad to have books to share with you this week! I feel awful every time Sunday comes around and I don't have books to share.

I hope you all have a good Christmas holiday coming up! I'm leaving Friday or Saturday to go to My Old Kentucky Home. ;) I may or may not have books to share with you next Sunday. Depends on whether or not my aunt will take me to Half-Price Books. ^_^

what did you get in your mailbox?

Blue Fire by Janice Hardy

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

Part fugitive, part hero, fifteen-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke of Baseer’s trackers. Wanted for a crime she didn’t mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can find, determined to prevent the Duke from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve isn’t enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes that the only way to keep them all out of the Duke’s clutches is to flee Geveg. Unfortunately, the Duke’s best tracker has other ideas.

Nya finds herself trapped in the last place she ever wanted to be, forced to trust the last people she ever thought she could. More is at stake than just the people of Geveg, and the closer she gets to uncovering the Duke’s plan, the more she discovers how critical she is to his victory. To save Geveg, she just might have to save Baseer—if she doesn’t destroy it first.

I liked this second installment, even if the writing gave me a little bit of trouble.

Janice Hardy seen through the eyes of her awesome blog, The Other Side of the Story, is a master at her craft. The reason I picked up her series was because I was so impressed with her writing advice. However, when I read Blue Fire, I found myself distracted by her writing. Perhaps my expectations were lifted a little higher in light of her blogging prowess, but the moments I expected the writing to delve into and prolong were short, practically butchered. The times where I expected rushing action came off rather flat.

On the writing style front, I was a tad bit disappointed.

The story, though, completely rocked. I like Nya--she's a great character. She has many personal faults but is a hero for all intents and purposes. I love stories like that: Harry Potter-like stories where the main character doesn't set out to be a hero but is aimed that way because what they're wired to believe in and fight for is, in the eyes of the public, what makes them a hero.

Nya is also one of those character who just cannot catch a break. This kind of story, where the characters are always the underdogs, really gets me to the edge of my seat. I fear for Nya's safety and sanity every step of the way. With every situation, I always ask myself, "What can go wrong? What are the chances that it will go wrong?"

That's a great way to pull a reader in, which is why I am, again, so impressed with Janice Hardy's work.

The story is gritty and intense. I loved the new relationships that were formed in this one, as well as the ones that were deepened. My heart almost broke towards the end.

The incredible width and breadth of the world makes me think of Tamora Pierce. Great detail and fantastic atmosphere. Two thumbs up for worldbuilding.

A great installment, though lacking in the writing arena. I've got Darkfall all fired up and ready to go.

Book Info:

pages - hardcover, 336
published - October 2010
publisher - Balzer + Bray
genre - fantasy
received via - Amazon :)
rating - 4/5
series - Healing Wars trilogy

The Shifter
Blue Fire
Darkfall

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn'tknow much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolfLupa tol him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in hispocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite thefact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn'tring and bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is anothername: Annabeth.

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very goodjob of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother waspossessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over hemother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose,Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world isat risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion thatappears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroesand can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even knowwho his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the onlything he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp wargames. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront ofHazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to sharethe secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the "other" camp forhalf-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtakingsecond installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods,revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, alldestined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

I always enjoy a goodRick Riordan book. You gotta admit,the dude has talent for telling a good story. True, this book is for “kids” but we all love a good, heart-racingadventure. Even though this story is aspinoff from the Percy Jackson series, the characters come off more mature thanin Titan’s Curse, Battle of theLabyrinth, or The Last Olympian. The story, however, is just as exciting andfunny as the books we already know and love.

The increased level of maturity was very subtle, but Percyseemed different than in The Last Olymianthough he’s probably the same age as he is in The Son of Neptune. Hisresponses are more varied and give him a deeper, more three-dimensional lookthan before. Frank, also sixteen, hashis own issues that are perhaps a bit darker than anything Riordan has presentedbefore. Hazel was the only character whodidn’t stick out in that aspect, but I still liked the girl’s spunk.

A friend and I talked about the Rick Riordan books and Iremember him saying how they were becoming too “kiddy” for him, which is understandablebecause this book is technically a “middle grade” novel. Still, I’m seventeen-years-old and I freakinglove these books. I couldn’t wait to getinto this one. I can’t wait for the nextone, The Mark of Athena. Nothing has taught me more about Greekmythology, and nothing gives me suchan “unstructured” read than a Riordan book. Almost all the young adult mythology tales are so poorly done, I just can't bring myself to read them. But Riordan makes itfun, entertaining, and gets me emotionally invested in the story to where Iabsolutely love every minute.

This was a great installment in the Heroes of Olympusseries. It had its share of clichémoments (the good kind) and sometimes the dialogue was a bit “meh”. But the characters were awesome, the storywas fantastic, and totally leaves me wanting more.

Book Info:

pages - hardcover, 513
published - October 2011
publisher - Hyperion
genre - middle grade / fantasy
received via - Amazon :)
rating - 5/5
series - Heroes of Olympus

The Lost Hero
The Son of Neptune
The Mark of Athena

What should you cover in a review?

2011-12-07T10:47:00.000-05:00

I briefly touched on this in my last article, How Do Review Styles Affect Site Traffic? We all know that your review style is important, but what should actually go into a review? Should you just provide a link to Amazon and let readers find out for themselves how many pages there are, who published it, when it was published, and other books the author wrote?

What about storyline? What about summary? Should you write your own, or copy and paste the one given by the publisher? What about spoilers? What about grading systems?

When I first started blogging almost two years ago, figuring out how to frame my review was tough--figuring out what went in the frame was tougher.

Determining what you provide in a review, from basic info to summaries to character arcs, is what makes up your individual style. Whether you provide the number of pages, the publication date, links to Goodreads/Amazon/Author site makes your review yours. And even though we bloggers generally give the same kind of information (page numbers, I think, are the most common), you can't give everything without building your own catalog.

Lets look at some examples of review information style.

The Story Siren
on her review of "Legend" by Marie Lu:

title w/ link to author's site
release date
publisher
age group
shelfability
pages
format
source
interest
challenge
summary
review

This is quite a lot of information, but Kristi provides it in a clean, easy-to-read format. Her style is very effective. Also, she doesn't give a rating here. She lets her review speak for itself.

Smash Attack Reads!

on her review of "Oubliette" by Megg Jensen:

title
series
author w/ link to site
publisher
release date
genre
source
series titles
add to goodreads button
review

"smashtastic synopsis"
interest in the book
characters
worldbuilding
lasting impressions
"smashtastic entertainment scale"

other reviews

Again, a lot of information that is set up in a clear, effective way. Ash splits her review into unique categories that lets the reader get a clear picture. And also here, Ash doesn't give a rating except for "great potential" on the Smashtastic Entertainment Scale. Her summary is also her own, and not provided by the publisher.

As seen by these two different bloggers, what you include in a review varies. Each style is tailored to the specific individual, and thus has some pros and cons. What you find in one review, you may not in another. This can prove really frustrating and weeds out bloggers that don't provide a lot of information versus those who provide exactly what you like.

what information do you like to see about the book outside of a review?

* * *

How to write your review is probably the hardest thing about being a blogger. We want to be clear, concise, and interesting. Drawing the reader in is one thing and making them like your review style enough to keep you in mind is another.

If you're a new blogger, figuring out what you want to do may take a while--and some practice. You may go a month or two dividing up your reviews into clear-cut categories like Smash does. When I first started, I divided mine into four categories: The Low-Down (my own summary), The Best Part, The Romance Deal, The Downside, The Review (a one-sentence execution-style summary).

I went with that review style for a while until I stumbled upon a bulleted list. This turned out to be extremely popular with my readers because I also bolded important parts. They liked being able to run through it quickly and gather the main points if they were in a rush.

I've nixed the bulleted list, but kept the bolded text. Now, I don't have categories. I just write in as a logical a fashion as I can manage. I also don't provide my own summaries anymore. I suck at summarizing without being flippant and it doesn't make sense for me if I've already provided the publisher's summary.

I would like to say that we can all agree what should go into a review, but if that were true, all our reviews would look the same. See? They don't. Because if there were a set standard, we'd lose all our efforts to make ourselves unique individual bloggers.

Here's what I like to see a review (when I do read them):

easy to read style--don't use ginormous words that even I don't know
don't sound like you're kissing up to the publisher
passion
why should I read the book? what type of story is it anyway? what makes it worth reading?

The biggies for me are the first two: the main reason I don't read reviews (besides the spoilers) is because most reviews I read ALL SOUND THE SAME. Talk about kissing up. I personally have no qualms about writing my reviews the way I want them. I think it's rather hypocritical to get an ARC in exchange for an honest review...and then feel obligated to give a positive review regardless of how you felt about the book. So when I see a review that screams butt-kissery, I click out pretty fast.

Also, when you're writing like you're freaking Jane Austen...whoa. Huge turn off for me because that's just not a writing style I can digest easily. I'm looking for elegance, but there is such a thing as being elegant in simplicity.

Humor is also a big thing, too, but it's more of an "optional" feature. I know in my reviews, I like to throw in humor wherever I can, but not the distracting kind. Somewhere it fits and adds to the reviewing experience rather than detracting from it.

Speaking of detracting from a review, I really can't stand short reviews. The ones that are basically two paragraphs long. I'm not looking for a novel-length review, but I'm not looking for obituary-length either.

what do you like to see covered in a review?

Just For Kicks: Graphic-ing

2011-12-05T13:16:00.001-05:00

Just For Kicks is a weekly meme held by me, The Authoress, that lets us share whatever random thing we want--whether it's book related or not is up to you.

#15 - Graphic-ing (and stuff)

So last week, I fulfilled a graphic request sent to me by The Book Barbies (shameless shout out--cuz you gotta love people who credit you couple dozen times on Twitter ^_^). Until last week, graphics had faded into the background for me. The only time I ever did one was when I wanted to change my own header, which, if you've noticed, has gone from elegant, complicated graphics to simple text style graphics. (Easier to make it fit the blog that way.)

Last week, graphics came back to life for me. By doing that request, I remember how fun it got to play around with images, colors, brushes, and textures. Seriously, it's fun stuff!

Now, if you aren't a graphic artist yourself, you just might be thinking, "Man, I wish I could do that stuff. I just know I'd be bad at it!"

Dude. I wasn't exactly brilliant at it when I first started. When I started, I was on CorelDraw 9. (You probably have no idea what that is.) I made graphics back then that make me cringe just THINKING about it now. What I thought was cool as a twelve-year-old is horrific to my present day seventeen-and-a-half-year-old self.

Point is: you will suck. Bad. But it's like writing, teaching, playing an instrument--any type of job or craft--you won't get any better unless you practice. The only way to become a better writer is to write, and to study the greats.

Let's just say that you're feeling a bit adventurous right now. (No, do not go out and buy the first Photoshop program you spot at Best Buy. Hear me out first.) Let's just say that you might take a whack at this graphic-ing thing.

Here's what it takes to get good:

Keep your temper tantrums to a minimum. Ranting about your failures will only wear you out. Which is a shame when that energy could be going towards your masterpiece. Going to a fellow graphic artist for help is perfectly fine--encouraged--but not a bitch fest.
Find a graphics community and become active.

Graphic communities are easy to find and provide a wealth of information for graphic artists old and new.
Once you join a graphic communities, hunt down their tutorials and complete as many as you can. They are a great help. I still use them when I'm lacking in my own inspiration. Many of my best works were inspired by a tutorial.
If you don't feel like googling graphic communities or if you want my own recommendations, I say visit Shadowplay, Red Carpet & Rebellion, and/or Caution. I've been a member of each at one point or another, but Shadowplay is my personal favorite. I am constantly going to them for resources. Check out their galleries for inspiration and guidance. :)

Start building up your resources, like stocks.

Stocks are the images that you put in your graphics. I suggest weheartit.com or Tumblr for finding good stock photos. Be warned: weheartit's images don't exceed a width of 500 px, which is irritating because it can limit the type of graphic you use the picture in. Still. They're free and really neat.
Textures are also an important part to graphic-ing. It's what gives an image depth and complexity while being incredibly simple to add.
Brushes can be a lot like textures because they're adding depth, except they're brushes and they work a little differently. You'd be amazed at how you'd think something would be a "texture" when it was made by a brush. This picture, for example. The blue part in the middle behind the model I made with a brush, not a texture. Brusheezy.com is a great place for free brushes.
Fonts. Fonts. Fonts. You can try and get by on fonts that come with your computer, but I wouldn't recommend it. There's only so much you can do with "Arial", "Georgia" and "Times New Roman". So try dafont.com for free fonts.
If you're looking at all this stuff--the galleries of good graphic artists, finding really good brushes and fonts--make a valiant effort to save up money for a good graphics program. Anything by Photoshop is great--it's what I use. (I REALLY WANT CS5 EXTENDED.) Paint Shop Pro is good for beginners. Make sure, regardless, that you do your research because these things are not cheap.

Practice a lot.
A. Lot.

When it comes to style, you're on your own. Again, it's like writing. How you show information, develop characters and build your plots can't be taught. Don't be afraid to develop your own individual style and try new things. And if you stumble across something you think you might wanna use later, save it to your computer. I've always had a folder on my computer under "Graphics" marked "Admirable" where I save graphics that I really, really like and might want to pull from later.

Going into graphics, if you're a high school or college student, is a good career I've heard. I've considered it as a side job to writing--it's ideal because I've been doing it long enough to where I'm pretty good and I didn't need to go to school for it.

Also, making your own blog graphics is a real plus. It means you always get exactly what you want. (Usually.) And I love making graphics for other bloggers.

If you're considering trying graphic making and have any questions or concerns about anything I've said, shoot me an email. :) Especially if you want to download all these brushes and fonts and then have no idea what to do with them. Installing them can be irritating until you get the hang of it. (And if you're on a PC. Macs install fonts and brushes much easier than on my old PC.)

If you're wondering if I can do a blog graphic for you, the answer is yes. Just go here for more information.

To graphic artists: anything to add? What's the key advice you'd give to new graphic artists?

Future graphic artists: what do you think? Maybe not as scary as you thought it would be?

In My Mailbox (65)

2011-12-04T10:56:00.001-05:00

I love December. Christmas songs are my all-time favorite to listen on the radio because they never get old or go out of style. (Silver Bells and Carol of the Bells are my two favorite Christmas songs, FYI. Any Christmas song done by Nat King Cole, FTW. Any Christmas song performed by Elvis....oy.... -___-)

My friend and I baked sugar cookies and used cute cookie cutters on them. This was my first time ever making cookies with cookie cutters. I feel as if my childhood is complete. We baked them. They sucked. No, really. We threw them away.

Burned | Ellen Hopkins I have never read anything of Ellen Hopkins' but one of my classmates in the library told me that she'd check out Lament by Maggie Stiefvater if I checked out this one. It's the next one on my to-read list. I've heard a lot of great things about Ellen Hopkins. I also know she's been the target for book challenges/bans so...all the more reason to read her books!

Also, I realized today that I never showed y'all pictures of my new computer! (And if I already did, I don't remember. Just go with me here.)

Roughly a month ago I got an iMac. You might have already read my post lamenting the loss of my precious Windows Live Writer because I can't get it on my mac. :(

Here's my desk now. IT LOOKS SO CLEAN. And I have so much space on it now that I can actually do my math homework at my desk. It's revolutionary. My iPod has practically dropped into the shadows because I play all my music from my iMac now since iTunes actually works on an actual mac. Nifty stuff.

Yep. That's my new iMac, peeps. Purdy, ain't it?

Want a tour? Okay.

That notebook lying randomly beside my keyboard is my writing notebook. Those books stacked on top of my tissue box in the upper left corner of my desk are writing books and my kindle. On the other side, those stack of books are my immediate to-read books. And yes, that is an empty bottle of water.

I'll have to do a proper tour of my desk one day because there's some nifty stuff hidden in the shadows, like the broken base of a candle that's shaped like the Eiffel tower from last year's prom. ^__^

In a couple of weeks I'll do a Christmas Decoration edition of In My Mailbox because the Christmas tree has been successfully decorated AND we have a clock that busts out a Christmas song on the hour. :D

what did you get in your mailbox?

Blog Coding 101: Intro to Template Designer

2011-12-01T15:15:00.001-05:00

Template Designer is a great way to easily customize the colors, fonts, and layout of your blog.

When you first go into Template Designer, you'll be brought to the Template page. This shows you all kinds of pre-made templates that you can just click on and leave. Or, you can click on a template and customize the fonts and colors yourself. I base my template choice on the type of background I have. But usually, I use Picture Window.

But I can't see my background...
That might happen. To take care of this problem, click on the Background tab. You'll see the background of the template in a drop-down Background image box. You can change your background here to something different, but if you want it gone, click on the drop-down box and in the first screen, click one of the backgrounds with a peel-away corner showing transparency. After clicking and submitting that, you should be able to see JUST your background in the live preview.

Adjust Widths: This lets you customize the width of your entire blog up to 1000 px, as well as your sidebars. Always annoyed by those 200 px wide graphics overflowing into your background or center column? Widen your sidebar to include it.

Layout: Layout allows you to pick a great design for your widgets. Choose one or two sidebars, or one sidebar with divisions. Also customize your footer.

Advanced: This tab carries a bunch of extra features. What you can customize in the Advanced tab depends on the type of template you chose in the first step. But you can always change the Page Text, Links, Blog Title & Description and Tabs Background & Text and a few others. I'll describe a few of them.

Page text: Simple and straightforward. Choose a font from Blogger's wide selection that will be the font across your entire blog. I recommend using something easily read, as some of the web based fonts can be tricky when it comes to deciphering them. You want people to be able to read your reviews easily. You can also change the size and color of your text.
Blog title: You will NOT see this if you put a graphic in place of your header.
Post title: This is a great place to use those nifty web fonts. You can use the live preview to make sure the size you chose is big/small enough.
Add CSS: I reckon this will usually be left blank, UNLESS you're doing stuff like customizing blockquotes.

Blog Coding 101: Backgrounds

2011-12-01T15:09:00.001-05:00

Backgrounds might be a bit trickier than just grabbing a code and sticking it in your gadgets.

But say you're new to the Blogger system and want to get yourself a nifty background that Blogger may not offer. First, find a site that provides free backgrounds for blogger. Here are a few I use:

All of these sites provides a free code that will put that particular background on your blog.

From there:

Grab one of those codes. Just copy it so that it's on your clipboard.

Bring up your Design page. Go to your Blogger dashboard, find your blog and click "Design". This will bring up a page showing your widgets.

Add a new widget. You'll get a pop up box that provides you with a list of all different kinds of widgets you can make. Pick "HTML/Javascript". You can leave the title line blank. It'll be listed as "HTML/Javascript" on your widget page, but will be invisible on your site. Copy the code into the content box. Save it. Position it anywhere on your widget page. It won't really matter. I always put it down towards the footer just because I can keep track of it better that way.

Observe your new nifty background. You can customize your colors to match your background and if you want to learn how to do that, continue onto the next section. Otherwise, enjoy! :)

Note: Make sure you're getting the right kind of background. There are three types of categories: 2-column (standard), 3-column (widened), and full. Getting the right kind for your blog can be as simple as looking at your blog and finding that, "Oh, mine has three columns." It is possible, however, to have only two columns but manually widen your blog so it is just as wide as any 3-column. If the width of your blog* is between 700 and 1000 pixels, get a 3-column background.

Trust me, there is nothing tackier than having a blog that overlaps its background.

* = Telling the width of your blog: go to Design > Template > Customize > Adjust widths.

Blog Coding 101: Blockquotes

2011-12-01T15:04:00.001-05:00

Now here's something fun. "Blockquotes" is a short code that automatically formats what you put in quotations by using that quote (") button in the editing bar when you're creating a post. You can get really creative with blockquotes, even getting them to match your blog theme.

Blockquote codes can be written differently, with information added and deleted without effecting the overall look. Here's the code I generally use:

blockquote{
font-family: times new roman; font-weight: none;
font-size: 11pt;
font-style: italic;
color: #666;
margin: 1em 3em;
padding: .5em 1em;
border-right: 3px dashed #91c4bf;
}

Now here's what each part means and how you can change it to fit your blog.

Font-Family: This is the font that your quotations will change to. It can be different from your blog page's set font. Say you set your page font to be "Georgia". Well, you can change your quotations to have a "Courier New" font instead. There are multiple fonts to choose from that will work: georgia, palatino linotype, book antiqua, times new roman, arial, helvetica, comic sans ms, impact, tahoma, trebuchet ms, verdana, and lucida console.

Font-weight: This is to say if you want it bold or not. So if you want your text bold, change "none" to "bold".

Font-size: You can change the text size to match your layout or not. Mess around with the numbers to see what works for you.

Font-style: Want it all italicized? You can do that here.

Color: Simple, right? Very. You can use any six digit color code that fits your blog. You can even grab the color codes that you use in Template Designer so they'll look the same. (If all six digits are the same, for example, #ffffff, you can just use the first three. A simple and effective shortcut.)

Margin: This is how far away the entire blockquote is away from everything else. Mess around with the numbers to see what fits for you.

Padding: This tells how far away the text is from any decoration you have outlining the blockquote. Again, mess around, see what works.

Border: This is a very flexible aspect. You can have a fully bordered blockquote, or just have a line on one side--which is my style. Let's pull this apart.

border-right: this tells it I want a line on the right side of my quote

3px: this tells it how thick I want it

dashed: tells it I want a dashed line. You can change this to "solid" "double" "dashed" or "dotted".

#: this is the color I want it

When you want to add more aspects...

Whenever you add something, create a new line for it, make sure you add a single dash (-) between words instead of a space and always have a semi-colon at the end of the line (;). You'll know right away if you've done it right by watching the preview in your Template Designer window.

You can add:

Background: this will be a solid background behind the text. You would code it like so:

background: #000;

More Borders: if you want borders around the entire thing, your code would look like this:

border: 3px solid #91c4bf;

Now you've got your code...

Where to put it? In Blogger, navigate to your blog's "Design" page and enter the Blogger Template Designer. On the left sidebar, click "Advanced" and scroll to "Add CSS" and paste your code in there. If there's a post with blockquotes visible on the main page of your blog, you can edit your blockquote with a live preview.

Graphic Requests

2011-12-01T14:57:00.001-05:00

In need of something new? Or are you just starting out and need some spiffy graphics? Then send me an email: inspirationamelia(at)gmail(dot)com.

Also check out my Blog Design Consultation page.

Note: I do not charge for my graphics. My services are free.

Please provide the following info in your email:

Your name
Blog name/URL
Type of graphic

header?
signature?
button?
nooooo, I do not do rating system graphics--sorry

Size of graphic

headers = the width of your blog*
buttons = vary (150x150 default)

On the graphic

Title?
Subtitle?

Any specific pictures/fonts?

Try www.dafont.com for free fonts
Try www.weheartit.com for pictures

Note: My style = very abstract. Please take note of my list of graphics down below. I don't do a lot of "literal" stuff. Please keep that in mind. I can however make simple text with embellishments. It would be best to provide me with an example.

* = you can find out the width of your blog by going to Design > Template > Customize > Adjust Widths. I can, of course, make it whatever size you want. My default size is 900 x 300.

Note: I will automatically assume that you want a header that goes with your blog, so unless you specify otherwise, I will create a graphic that will generally match your blog theme. Also I can assist if you don't know how to install your header or if you are having any other HTML mishaps with your blog.

Once I receive your request, I will send a confirmation email, informing you when I should be done with your graphic.

Blog Graphics:

Literary Related:

Just For Kicks: NaNoWriMo Sign Off

2011-11-28T15:56:00.001-05:00

Just For Kicks is a weekly meme held by me, The Authoress, that lets us share whatever random thing we want--whether it's book related or not is up to you.

#14 - NaNoWriMo (Part III)

So here's me saying "so long" to NaNoWriMo 2011. This is my third year participating and this is the third year I haven't made my 50,000 work mark. Yes, enter my epic sigh of self-deprecation here. Thing is, for those of you who haven't done it should know, NaNoWriMo is hard. I mean, God. You're doing the decidedly stupid move of deciding to dedicate a whole month to getting 50,000 measly words down onto paper (or screen, whatever).

At least my attempt proves what I've been trying to tell people all along: I'm crazy.

Still. I didn't actually make my goal, which saddens me just a bit. (The rest of me is relieved it's over.) I was determined going in to make it this year. I already had a story but I was planning on adding 50,000 words on top of that.

Good thing? I added 12,139 words I wouldn't otherwise have. I made some major breakthroughs in my story (with a little help from my critique partner) that would have come much, much later (if at all) if I hadn't been pushing it this month. Sure, I had a total of 15 days where my daily word count was 0. That's half the month right there. But that also means that I was writing the other half of the month.

So anyways. To recap, here's a summary of my doings: (as of November 28th)

I had 15 days of 0 word count.
6 of those days I made it over the 1,000 word mark.
I wrote 88 words on Thanksgiving day.
My highest daily word count was 2,624 (on the 12th)
Seeing my daily word count on a graph makes for a very pretty graph (if a bit sporadic).
The only pep talks I read (provided by NaNoWriMo.org) were by Erin Morgenstern and Christopher Paolini. They were highly entertaining and inspiring.
I found out I do my best writing when I'm stalling.
I found out one of my main characters has a deadly fear of needles.
I found out my main character can be very profound when she wants to.
I found out that just staring at Novel Shortcuts by Laura Whitcomb will not make me a better writer.
I found out that a school library is not, in fact, conducive to meeting one's daily word count. (Kudos if you actually know why.)

Yep. That's it for me.

Now, true. I still have three days left to fill and I know I will fill them with some type of word count. So by the end of this venture, I will inevitably have more than my current 12,139 words. I'm guessing that in the next three days I'll break 13,000, maybe 14,000 if I'm lucky.

Well, I think I'll make sugar cookies this weekend to celebrate my fine accomplishments.

What did you accomplish this NaNoWriMo season?

In My Mailbox (64)

2011-11-27T19:22:00.001-05:00

So, besides getting an iMac, life has been uneventful. I skipped school the other day (with my parents permission) for the first time--and I wasn't sick. ;)

This iMac (aka: lack of my precious Windows Live Writer) is seriously kicking my butt. It's awesome, but somethings are just overcomplicated on the Mac where it's incredibly simple on the PC. Bah. But let us not get into that battle.

Because I am seriously lacking my aforementioned Windows Live Writer, my reviews, pictures and posts in general will look a little weird. *sigh*

Anyways.

I got this little beauty a couple of weeks ago.

Yes, you may squee if you like. I haven't started it yet because I want to save my energy so I can throw myself into it. I don't want to get a hundred pages in then stop to read another book. (I can do that because this book is so. flipping. long. I always say I love thick books, but jeepers. This thing is a Bible.)

Also, I know what books I'm getting for Christmas. *smug look* Benefit of my mother being a little forgetful and accidentally leaving the books on the kitchen table for the world to see. ;)

what did you get in your mailbox?

Interview: Darby Karchut (Griffin's Fire)

2011-11-25T13:56:00.001-05:00

* * *

The only creature who can harm an angel is another angel.

Armed with the power to control the ancient elements of Earth and Fire, sixteen-year-old Griffin is determined to complete his apprenticeship and rise to the rank of Terrae Angeli.

But first, he must overcome a brutal past if he is to survive in this world. Will the perseverance of his mentor and the love of a mortal girl give Griffin the courage he needs to face the monster still haunting him?

* * *

It is my great pleasure to have Ms. Darby Karchut returning to the blog. She's here to talk about her upcoming book Griffin's Fire and answer some other irrelevant, equally-juicy questions. ;)

1. You're coming up on the release of your second novel. Thoughts?

Does squeeeeeee count as a thought? I’m so excited about book two. To have the opportunity to continue Griffin’s story is a dream come true, especially after Griffin Rising has been so well received by readers. Currently, Griffin Rising, along with several other books from my publisher, Twilight Times Book, is being “talked up” in Hollywood and at various film festivals worldwide by an international strategic consultant.

2. How was writing the second novel different from the first?

It was so much easier, let me tell you. I had outlined both books right from the start, so when I completed Griffin Rising, I jumped right into the next book. And since I had the characters and setting established, the writing was a breeze compared to my first book. In Griffin’s Fire, I’ve introduce a new character who was an absolute crack up to write and a perfect foil to my protagonist.

3. How do you think you've evolved as a writer so far? What new tricks have you learned?

I’ve really worked on not “overwriting.” As with most authors, I want to get better with each book and I am working hard on making my writing crisper. I have also given myself permission to break more rules of writing if it makes the story better. Everything is about the Story.

4. You're currently writing in a series. Do you think you'll always write in a series, or do stand-alones look appealing?

You know, I’ve never thought about it, really. I knew Griffin would be a four book series from the beginning. However, I have learned never to say never in this industry. Fantasy lends itself so well to series; plus I am a child of Tolkien. I guess I was raised to write in multiples.

5. Do you find yourself distracted by other shiny story ideas?

Not distracted per se as I am fully committed to finishing the third and fourth book in my Griffin series. The rough draft of book three, Griffin’s Storm, is done. But I have recently completed the first book in a new middle grade urban fantasy based on Celtic mythology blended with South African folklore. An unusual mix, but I think it works.

6. Any morsels for us to savor over concerning the upcoming Griffin’s Fire?

In this next book, Griffin’s Mentor is forced to take on a new apprentice, the arrogant and gifted seventeen year old Sergei. Tension fills the house as the two teens immediately launch into a 21^st century version of the Cold War. All the while, ex-angel Griffin struggles with public high school for the first time, complete with an algebra teacher from hell. But Griffin is hiding a secret; one that could cost him Katie’s love and Basil’s trust.

Amelia, thanks again for letting me talk about my books with everyone. Please ask me any questions!

* * *

Darby Karchut's Website

Purchase Griffin Rising at Amazon
Interview: Darby Karchut (Griffin Rising)

* * *

All her life, the archetypal hero and his journey have enthralled Darby Karchut. A native of New Mexico, Darby grew up in a family thatvenerated books and she spent her childhood devouring one fantasy novel after another. Fascinated by mythologies from around the world, she attended the University of New Mexico, graduating with a degree in anthropology. After moving to Colorado, she then earned a Master’s in education and became a social studies teacher.

Drawing from her extensive knowledge of world cultures, she blends ancient myths with modern urban life to write stories that relate to young teens today.

Darby is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and the Pikes Peak Writers Guild. She lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado with her husband, where she still teaches at a local junior high school. She enjoys running, biking, and skiing the Rocky Mountains in all types of weather.

Griffin Rising is her first novel. She is currently working on the sequel, Griffin's Fire.

The Thanksgiving Post

2011-11-24T11:11:00.001-05:00

Usually I don't jump on the bandwagon when it comes to holiday posts. (I generally stay away from the mainstream.) But I have a lot to be thankful for, and my blogger friends are among the top of them.

I'm not going to point out specific people (you know who you are anyway) but to anyone who comments on my posts, thank you. :) No matter who's commented or what they say, it always makes me smile. I mean, at first. Once I read the post and see who's commented, I generally smile more. :)

This blog has been a great source of happiness for me. Some of it may be hard won happiness and some of it bittersweet, but I've met fantastic people through this blog. It's given me a chance to find other people who salivate in the bookstore as much as I do. (Did you know I didn't have any napkins on me the other day? How embarrassing, drooling in the YA section of Books A Million.)

So I'd like to say thank you for all my followers, who actually comment on my whacky, fan-girly reviews and other assorted posts. And thank you, blogosphere, for giving me the opportunity to find something I actually like wasting my time on. (Other than Robin Hood and Lie to Me.)

Now I've got to go fend off the inevitable crises that come with my mother antagonizing the kitchen. All while A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving goes full blast in the background.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Coming Soon: Recommendations from The Authoress

2011-11-21T18:32:00.001-05:00

Image from WeHeartIt.com

Recommendations from

The Authoress

I love recommending books to people. Luckily enough, people don't seem to mind my enthusiasm as I whip out a piece of notebook paper, hijack the closest pen and start writing down books they should read. Usually, they don't mind the interrogation as I ask, "What books do you like? You love that? Then you'll love this!" *insert me rapidly writing down titles of relevance*

"But aren't reviews already like recommendations?" you ask.

"Of course they are!" I say.

Yes, reviews are very similar in nature to recommendations. The entire point of a review is to explain why you love a book so that other people will love it to. Problem with me is? I've got a nasty streak of morality in me. I don't post spoilers in my reviews. Ever. Because I'm one of those people who HATES to read a review and come across a spoiler about the book. Ew. They're nasty. I can't swallow those. But lately, as I've come across so, so, so, SO many good books, I want to rant about them. I want to reference specific scenes and point out exactly what turned me on.

Can't do that in a review.

Recommendations from The Authoress will be a semi-regular meme where I take one of my absolute favorite books that I've recently read and talk about why I love it. Not in a book review format. I will completely unleash my fan-girlyness in these posts. I will rant, rave, and recount every moment the book made me buzz.

And I will also go into depth about why you should love it, too. ;)

These "memes" (for lack of a better word) will be, like I said, semi-regular. The basis of the frequency of which I post depends on how good the books I've read recently are and if I have the time/energy to take out of my hectic senior year in order to write up a raving post about a book.

Important, Critical, Vital Note: These posts will absolutely INCLUDE SPOILERS. I will not hold back. If you haven't read the book and don't want to know anything about it until you've read it for yourself, don't read those posts. Until after you've read it, at least. Because these posts will also be open calls for discussion.

You've been warned.

Still. Because people are, well, human, I will still include a spoiler alert in every Recommendation post. Just so you'll always be able to catch yourself if you find yourself straying.

Can't wait to get started! Hope you'll join in on the ~~hysterical raving~~ discussions with me. :)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.

Some riders live.

Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

I declare Maggie Stiefvater to be a master of mythology. Not that I know the first thing about horses that are pulled from the sea and raced on land. Merely that Maggie Stiefvater took a piece of mythology, made it entirely her own, and presented it in a dark, twisted, real way that I have never seen another author do before. Her writing was cunning, her characters strong and alive, her atmosphere rich and enticing.

There was a lot of passion in this story. It came through in the characters with their own battles and personal triumphs, and in the writing. I'd read a blog post on Maggie Stiefvater's site where she talked about how this book was the one she's always wanted to write. It was an inspiring post, and this was a very inspiring story. I loved every page.

The romance was fantastic. It was just as powerful, if more elusive, than the couple we all know and love—Sam and Grace. Sean Kendrick had that streak of reality to him that made him instantly likeable. Puck Connolly was fiery but very much human with her internal struggles and external battles. They were fantastic characters. I want to reread their story. I want more of their story. Even though I almost cried at the end—a rarity within itself.

The atmosphere was palpable. Talk about disappearing into a story. Small, seemingly meaningless details put breath and life into Thisby. I hate the beach, but the detail here was so vivid and enticing, I wanted to be down on the sand in the chaos leading up to the races.

The writing was just as beautiful as ever. The passion was there—passion that most authors strive for but bury under the pressure of blending into the mainstream YA paranormal romance. Maggie Stiefvater's work stands out, stands in its own category. The minute this book comes out in paperback, I'm getting it. Maggie Stiefvater is a writer I want to mimic. She writes flawlessly. She draws you in, almost tricks you into getting to know the characters. It's natural.

I can't wait to see what she does next.

Oh, did you know that The Scorpio Races has been optioned by Warner Bros.? No? Oh, well, now you know. You're welcome.

Book Info:

pages – hardcover, 404
published – October 18, 2011
publisher – Scholastic Press
genre – paranormal romance
received via – Amazon.com :)
rating – 5/5

Just For Kicks: NaNoWriMo Check In

2011-11-14T12:28:00.001-05:00

Just For Kicks is a weekly meme held by me, The Authoress, that lets us share whatever random thing we want--whether it's book related or not is up to you.

#13 - NaNoWriMo (Part II)

Alright. I don't know about y'all, but I'm feeling the pressure right about now. Exactly two weeks into this fool's errand and I'm kind of down in the dumps with my head in the clouds. Out of these fourteen days, I've had exactly eight days with zero progression. As in, the chart I've got going to track my progress has eight days worth of "zeroes" in it. Pretty depressing.

So where does the "head in the clouds" part come in? Well. Glad you brought that up. Despite these eight "zero days," I've also put in some decent writing time. Maybe not up to NaNoWriMo standards, but more than I've had in a while. (School kicks rocks, man.) My highest clip so far is approximately 2600 words. That's pretty good for one day. Yesterday, I logged 1777. Definitely not bad right there, as I not only made my required 1,667 daily count, but I went over it. Again.

My total right now is nearly 8,000 words. Not stellar when it comes to where I'm supposed to be. (23,338, not like I'm keeping track or anything.) I've got a lot of words to put in. Plenty of hours. Luckily, I'm blessed with some extra writing time because I don't have a fourth block (last class). So I'm out of school by 1 o'clock. (Always a blessing, trust me.)

My goal for the next week is to get up to my 20,000 word marker, though I'd still be 15,000 words behind. I'm going to have to slowly build my way back up. And I'm determined to do it, too. I just have a feeling I'm going to get it this year. I also have some off days coming up, so that gives me even MORE time to write over Thanksgiving. "This year, I am grateful for the god-given time to catch up on NaNoWriMo."

where are you in nanowrimo?

Tossed Out At Sea: A Windows Live Writer Lament

2011-11-10T15:49:00.001-05:00

There once was a girl
Whose blog was her world
Then Mac came along
And sung a good song
Now she's left out in the cold.

For a long time now, Windows Live Writer has been my go-to tool for setting up blog posts. I love the thing to death, and now, it seems, I am to let it go.

I'm not going down without getting at least a cough in my assailant's face.

(Though my iMac is so awesome, I have a hard time calling it an "assailant". If you are just now aware I got an iMac the other day, that's because I haven't covered it yet on the blog. That'll be for Sunday's In My Mailbox because yeah, it's not book related but it's still wicked awesome.)

This "cough" in the face of my assailant will be in the form of asking YOU Mac bloggers about your tool for writing blog posts. I know the Blogger interface can be an absolute horror to use sometimes. What do you suggest, Mac users? What is a decent alternative to my precious Windows Live Writer? (Oh yeah, something free would be nice, thanks. I burned through my entire life savings on this iMac.)

If you have no idea what Windows Live Writer is, your life is not complete. It was suggested to me by the completely awesome Smash @ Smash Attack Reads. She, like me, covets her WLW and promised that I would too. (I do.) Windows Live Writer is an excellent blog-posting tool. It's easy to use (once you sort out some of the minor oddities) and makes my posts look fantastic. There's no interference on the part of the Blogger interface.

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

The purest intentions can stir up the darkest obsessions.

In this prequel to Mary Shelley's Gothic classic, Frankenstein, sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor's twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor can cure him. Unwilling to give up on his brother, Victor enlists his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and his best friend, Henry, on a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life. Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy, and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.

Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love—and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

An interesting story, but not one that struck my fancy.

It was excellently written, though I had a hard time buying into the atmosphere. I usually get a feel for the world within twenty or so pages but this one…I got a hundred pages in and still felt like I was stumbling around in the dark.

I liked the main character, Victor, though mostly for his bad-boy appeal. The emotional journey was incredible, and very real with its switchbacks and unpredictable U-turns. The cousin, Elizabeth…I couldn't decide whether she was cool or just annoying. She was fiery, but she had her moments of eye-rolling girlyness.

It was a great idea. The plot was intriguing, if a bit predictable—except for the end. Boy was that a belly dropper. But I couldn't really get into it because the story of Frankenstein has never interested me. (I picked this book up mostly for its cover. Shh.)

This book makes me have more faith in Kenneth Oppel's work. I had previously attempted to read his popular book Airborn but couldn't manage because it was bogged down by so much detail. This Dark Endeavor was very elegantly written and wasn't swamped with nit-picky details, so maybe I'll grab a copy of Airborn.

Well written, short and torturing, it's worth a gander.

Book Info:

pages – hardcover, 298
published – August 2011
publisher – Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
genre – historical fiction
rating – 3/5
received via – school library :)

Teaser Tuesday (22)

2011-11-08T20:25:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm surprised by his voice, for some reason, the way it sounds when he's speaking instead of shouting over the wind. It makes him seem softer. I notice that he smells of hay and horses and that makes me like him a bit better.

Hardcover edition, p. 137

Just For Kicks: Literary Pet Peeves

2011-11-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

#12 – Literary Pet Peeves

I promise to be brief but honest. Critical but true. So let us take a moment to branch away from the weak protags, best friend love complexes, vampires, and love at first sight deals. I will cover my own issues with some books that shall remain nameless.

#1 – Series Titles
If you are writing a book and you are planning on turning it into a series, let me warn you right now. Do not—DO NOT—name your series after your first book. Stephenie Meyer got away with this, people, and it does not mean that you will. I cannot tell you how annoyed I am when the name of the series is the EXACT same as the title of the first book. This makes no sense and its redundancy is beyond irritating to my already agitated mental state. So, again. If you are writing a series, come up with something relevant and for the love of white bread be original.

#2 – "Megan" Shmegan
I don't know why, but I can't stand the name "Megan" as a protag name. It's weird because my favorite teacher's first name is Megan, but hey, I know her and I love her to death, so I've never thought about her negatively for it. But if I pick up a book and the main character's name is "Megan"…eek. Doesn't look good for the outlook of the book getting read. It's just…one of those names that seeps under my skin and starts a' itchin'.

#3 – Harry Potter Copy Cats
You are not allowed to write about castles and magical schools. You are not allowed to write about wizards and wands. You are not allowed to write about half-giants and men with long beards. It has been done by J.K.Rowling and magnificently! Do not believe for a second that you will achieve the same worldwide glory as the almighty Ms. Rowling. You will not. We do not want you to try. If I hear so much as a whisper of you writing about a Potions class, or a nemesis with blonde hair, I will hunt you down and let my hippogriff tear you to shreds. We clear? Okay, thanks.

#4 – Excruciating Detail
There are only so many ways of saying a person is "tall" or that you were walking down an interesting hallway and decided to take a left turn instead of a right. Spending two full pages—front and back—to describe the interior of a dungeon would only be impressive if your audience managed to stay awake long enough to read all of it.

#5 – Photocopied Covers
Ever seen those books—usually hardcovers—that don't have proper covers? You can spot them easily enough by the fact that have a solid black border running around the front cover. The picture itself looks like a stock photo pulled from the internet and printed for mass production. These things are awful. I see them at a frighteningly steady rate while checking in books at my school library. To think that girls (assumingly girls, anyway) at my school will read that—in fact, pick it off the shelf, look at the summary and the horrible cover and go "yeah, I'm gonna check this out" makes me doubt the fate of humanity as a whole.

#6 – Smells
Ever noticed that girls always describe their love interest by smell? Think about it. Not only does he have the likeness of a Greek god but he smells fantastic, too! Smelling nice is fine. (Especially if he smells like Old Spice. <3) But have you ever, ever met someone—a guy someone—who smelled like "summer rain and earth"? I know I never have, and it's not like I've been living in a convent my whole life. (I haven't been around the block, though, so calm down.) I am so tired of guys smelling like a muggy day and dirt.

Don't even get me started about dog eared pages.

what are some of your book-related pet peeves?

Got Questions for Darby Karchut? Ask 'em here!

2011-11-05T19:20:00.001-04:00

For centuries, rumors have abounded of a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, these warriors secretly serve as guardians for mortals in danger.

But for one young angel-in-training, Griffin, life is hell as a cruel master makes his apprenticeship a nightmare. On the verge of failing, a new mentor, Basil, enters his life and changes it forever.

Taking on the identity of father and son, Griffin and Basil forge a special bond where honesty and trust go hand in hand to secure Griffin’s destiny as a Terrae Angeli. Griffin’s belief in himself and the love of a mortal girl are the perfect combination in overcoming the darkest days of his life. But will it be enough for him to succeed?

For Griffin, it’s time to angel up.

The author of the awesome novel Griffin Rising has been around these parts before. Back in June, she kindly stopped by the blog for an interview and she's back again. This time, I won't be asking the questions (mostly…might sneak something in hehe). YOU will be asking the questions.
So here's how this is going to work.

STEP 1

Kindly submit your question(s)¹ in the comments below. Make sure to include your name (first only) so I can say who it's from in the interview.

OR

Tweet me your question using the hash tag #KarchutQs. (Ingenious, eh?) My twitter username is @authoressamelia. Make sure to tag me so I can be instantly notified of your Q's.

OR

Email me if you don't want to go public with your question, or if you want it to remain anonymous. Email me at inspirationamelia at gmail dot com.

STEP 2

I will then compile these massive missives into a manageable amount and send them on to the ever-lovely Ms. Karchut. Now, don't fuss too much if your question doesn't get on there. I can't bombard her with fifty million questions. So there will be a capper of twenty questions. Consider carefully.

STEP 3

You have until 11/12/11 to submit your questions. That's one week from today, so don't lollygag.

EDIT: Sorry. Saturday will be exquisitely busy so I'm extending it till MONDAY. That's November the 14th, so y'all had better hurry up and get your questions in.

1 = Limit 2 questions per person!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

2011-11-03T17:10:00.001-04:00

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

A well crafted and excellently written book, though it's not without its faults.

This is the first thing I've read of Laini Taylor's and it's an impressive first impression. I was completely blown away with the writing. The setting was what really took me away, though. I don't think I've ever read a book where the author painted a foreign setting that clearly. (I mean, thank you Jesus, finally!) This seriously makes me want to visit Prague now or hunt down every movie set in Prague and have a Friday Night Movie Fest.

Karou was an interesting main character whose strength really showed through. I loved her consistent sense of humor and steel-like core. I loved her quirks—artistic ability (MY GOD, SO ENVIOUS!) and language collection (EVEN MORE ENVIOUS). She was never annoying.

Her relationship with the angel, however, was pushing my patience. I kept getting distracted by the whole "love at first sight deal" with undertones of a Romeo and Juliet-esque romance. I want to compare it to Twilight because there wasn't a lot of the stuff that truly makes a stable relationship, just mostly physical attraction. I had a hard time not thinking, "Okay, seen this before. Get. Real."

I was very taken with the set up of the story. The plot was intricate, unique and very well set up. As it got closer and closer to the end, I started figuring things out slowly as each new piece of information was presented. I love that kind of slow-coming realization! I'm glad I found a book where I didn't have the whole plot figured out by chapter three.

Monsters…angels…very cool. Even though I couldn't really get into the romance, I loved the story and the worlds and the characters.

(The ending annoyed me though. Just saying. Makes me hesitate to pick up the next book. o.o)

Book Info:

pages – hardcover 420
published – September 2011
publisher – Little, Brown & Company
genre – urban fantasy/fantasy
received via – Books A Million
rating – 5/5
series – Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
book 2 – coming September 2012

Just For Kicks: NaNoWriMo Kick Off

2011-10-31T20:20:00.001-04:00

Just For Kicks is a weekly meme held by me, The Authoress, that lets us share whatever random thing we want—whether it's book related or not is up to you.

#11 – NaNoWriMo (Part I)

Well, kid. It's here again. NaNoWriMo is back in the awesome year of 2011 and I am so ready for it. I've participated for the past two years but I've only won one year—and that was with the YWP and my goal was 20,000 words not 50,000. This year it is GOING to be 50k. I will win this.

So every year I get No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty from the library. (Probably should have my own copy by now.) It's an awesome all-purpose guide for the craze that is NaNoWriMo. It is, as it states on the cover, "a low-stress, high-velocity guide to writing a novel in 30 days". I've been reading through it the past couple of days, mentally prepping myself for the writing challenge ahead.

In No Plot? No Problem! Chris talks about how bringing a partially written story into the writing month of November is not such a good idea. I can see why, but it's exactly what I plan to do: bring a partially written story in for NaNoWriMo.

Why?

First, I'm flighty. Or, have been known to be flighty. I'll just flit from story to story and never settle down for longer than a few days. In the past few years, however, I've settled into a big project-little project-little project-big project pattern. Rinse and repeat.

My last big project got me up to almost the 200 page mark and then I dropped it. (Don't remember why.) I've tried to start a few stories since then but now I've fallen upon my next big project. I've been on this one since July and I've almost filled up an entire notebook so far—haven't had that happen before.

Dropping this story and starting a whole new one for NaNoWriMo might encourage my flighty tendencies. Also, I'm still incredibly taken with this story. The shine has already rubbed off, but the rusted copper underneath is looking pretty interesting. (And I think if I tried dropping this story, my main character Andi might just show up in the middle of the night with a machete.)

My goal is simple: tack on another 50k to my pre existing 18k. My main concern is finishing a story. Sticking with it, seeing it through type of thing.

what's your goal for nanowrimo?

In My Mailbox (63)

2011-10-30T13:20:00.001-04:00

Can you believe that I actually had to race my cat to my desk chair? Un-be-flipping-lievable. I gave her her own bookshelf to lay her fat self all over and she wants to fight me—literally fight me—for control of my desk chair.

This Dark Endeavor | Kenneth Oppel I tried reading Kenneth Oppel's book Airborn but couldn't get into it due to the overwhelming amount of detail included. But I found this book in Books A Million a couple of months ago and flipped out when I found out we had it at my school library. I'm over a hundred pages in—super good so far.

No Plot? No Problem | Chris Baty A must-have for the NaNoWriMo season. I am going to win this year. I know it. I'm not exactly starting from scratch. I'm tacking on another 50k onto a pre existing story—my current WIP. Don't worry, though. I've got plenty of savory distractions for when the guilt-monkeys come after me.

The Healing Wars trilogy | Janice Hardy I was SO excited to get this last week. OH. MY. GOSH. I read The Shifter and immediately fell in love with it. Janice Hardy is a very talented author. I can't wait to get into the rest of the series. EEK! ^_^ (She also has many awesome posts about NaNoWriMo, so go check it out.)

The Scorpio Races | Maggie Stiefvater Oh my gosh. I can't believe she came out with a new book. I am absolutely in love with her Wolves of Mercy Falls series so I've been psyched about this book since I found out she'd written it. (Check out her blog, it's awesome—THE SCORPIO RACES HAS BEEN OPTIONED BY WARNER BROS. Just so you know.)

Kindle | The Demon Trapper's Daughter | Jana Oliver I received this from the absolutely wonderful Shanella from I Review Books by complete surprise for October's R.A.K. (hosted by Book Soulmates). I canNOT wait to get into this one. :) Big thanks, Shanella, darlin'! You're awesome!

This little guy had my cat spazzing out this morning. Very entertaining to watch my cat's tail twitching furiously and her attempts to paw this guy through glass. Ah, sweet retribution. :)

If you're doing NaNoWriMo this year, feel free to add me as a friend. :) (screen name: authoressamelia)

what did you get in your mailbox?

Follow Friday (18)

2011-10-28T12:45:00.001-04:00

Q: If you could have dinner with your favorite character, who would it be and what would you serve?

A: Okay, this is where my strange book morals come in. Because obviously, I'd want to have dinner with a guy, but I can't have Sam¹ because I actually like Grace, so I'll back off. Can't have Percy² for the same reason. Won't settle for Patch³ because he can be such an ass, so…How about Will⁴? He's awesome and not completely in love. Yeah, I'll join Will for dinner and we'll have some burgers. FIVE GUYS! Perfect place. I'll be very satisfied by him discovering his life was not complete until he tried a Five Guys burger.

1 = Sam Roth from Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls series
2 = Percy Jackson from Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series
3 = Patch from Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush series
4 = Will Treaty from John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series

If Flyleaf weren't here to comfort me as I work my way through college applications, I wouldn't be here at all. Which would suck because I'm reading some awesome books right now.

Recent Reviews

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding (NR)
The Academy by T.P. Boje (3/5 stars)
Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (4/5 stars)

Upcoming Reviews

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (10/29/11)
This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel (11/2/11)

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

2011-10-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

When silence is all that's left, can the truth finally be heard?

Nora Grey can't remember the past five months of her life. After the initial shock of waking up in a cemetery and being told that she has been missing for weeks—with no one knowing where she was or who she was with—she tries to get her life back on track. Go to school, hang out with her best friend, Vee, and dodge her mom's creepy new boyfriend.

But there is this voice in the back of her head, an idea that she can almost reach out and touch. Visions of angel wings and unearthly creatures that have nothing to do with the life she knows.

And this unshakable feeling that a part of her is missing.

Then Nora crosses paths with a sexy stranger, whom she feels a mesmerizing connection to. He seems to hold all the answers…and her heart. Every minute she spends with him grows more and more intense until she realizes she could be falling in love. Again.

The thing that kills me about this series is that I enjoy it while I'm reading it—I mean, I get legitly into it, man—but when I look back on the storyline, I can't help but roll my eyes at how typical it was and I begin to question why I enjoyed it. This battle of the top opinion is kind of scary, actually.

This whole "losing her memory" thing…really?! It's just a chance to relive this whole "meeting again" thing that's really popular in mixed races romances. Not that Patch isn't completely sexy, but seriously. If Nora lost her memory, she could have at least had some kind of attitude change. She was just ignorant—no real change in her character: she grew the same way she did in the first book. And I really don't want that kind of re-hashing. She was even shallower than the first book, if that's possible. Eek. Oh, and she was not as tough as she thought she was.

I'm glad I got to see more of Patch, though. And hey, Jev. Sexy name. Still. SOME ORIGINALITY, PLEASE. Patch, darlin, you're awesome and sexy and everything. But please. Raise your standards a bit, honey. You deserve a girl that meets higher standards.

The one thing that really got me was Vee. Her hatred for all men? That didn't click with me. It was sudden, it was inconsistent, and I didn't buy any of it. Vee just seemed to be thrown in there and didn't have a real part in the story. And Nora's mother? Oh my god. Please, why is the mother always this simpering, practically childish person? Maybe it's just me, but I've never met a mother that's like that. Naturally it wouldn't be her fault because she's "entranced". Oy.

So I had issues with this book. The writing style wasn't as elegant as I'd originally thought in the first two books. There was a lot of telling, not a lot of showing, and Nora just came off pitifully.

And yet…

I was totally glued to the pages. What the heck!? While I was reading, I was totally into it, even though I did almost throw the book across the room a couple of times because Nora is JUST THAT ANNOYING. It was a very enjoyable read, even for all its faults. I can't wait to see what happens next—and I did hear that Becca Fitzpatrick is NOT closing the Hush, Hush series with this book, that she has a fourth book coming out.

Sweet.

Book Info:

pages – hardcover, 438
published – October 2011
publisher – Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
genre – urban fantasy/paranormal romance
received via – Amazon :)
rating – 5/5
series – Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush
Crescendo
Silence
#4 (coming Fall 2012)

The Academy by T.P. Boje

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Have you ever wondered where you go when you die? Meghan is 16 when it happens to her. She wakes up on a flying steamboat on her way to a school run by Angels in a white marble castle. On the boat she meets Mick who has been dead for more than a hundred years but still looks like he is a teenager. He helps her through the difficult beginning at the new school in a new world filled with heavenly magic. One day some of Meghan's roommates find a mirror in the cellar of the school and they persuade her to go through it with them - well knowing it is strictly against the rules of the school. Meghan ends up back on earth where she meets Jason. But Jason is in danger and Meghan knows something important. Soon she is forced to choose between the two worlds. The one she belongs to now, and the one she left.

I received this copy in exchange for an honest review.

A great story, but not my cup of tea. The idea was original overall, but the writing distracted me. The main character, Meghan, wasn't really compelling to me. I feel as if it could have been improved had the characters had more original arcs and the writing sharpened up a bit.

The idea was great—going to a school for the dead. A bit like Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling) mixed with Elsewhere (Gabrielle Zevin). Some of it was cliché, but I liked how they learned about not having to walk on solid ground—how they could just float. Cool powers, but personally, I think it would suck to die and have to go to school to learn how to be dead. I mean, dying is a great school excuse.

The writing style was what got me. There was a lot of telling and very little showing. It sounded like a journal, and probably would have come off a bit better had it been formatted and presented as such. And I kept getting snapped out of the world by the dialogue. Very stilted and predictable. If the dialogue had been snappier and more character-specific, I probably wouldn't have been so distracted.

Meghan wasn't what I would call an ideal main character—she came off very 2D. I didn't feel compelled to really care about what happened to her. While I prefer snappy characters that are brimming with angst, Meghan had a lot of potential for a humble, quick-witted character favorite. She just…fell flat for me. The stakes she dealt with weren't very high.

So. Great idea, but the writing could be better and the characters deepened a bit.

Book Info:

pages – paperback, 266
published – September 2011
publisher – self
genre – paranormal
received via – author :)
rating – 3/5
series – Afterlife

The Academy
Serenity (coming October 2011)

Teaser Tuesday (20)

2011-10-25T14:37:00.001-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Who are you?" He dragged her upright by her wrists and flung her back onto the stone table and was over her again. His movements were fluid and animal, his teeth sharp enough to rip out her throat, and all at once Karou saw how her trespass through the other door was going to end: in a pool of blood.

Hardcover edition, page 116

In My Mailbox (62)

2011-10-23T12:00:00.001-04:00

This scholarship submission is killing me—in that mixed way, where there's the mix of self-deprecation and insecurity versus "I got this" and overconfidence.

Oy. I have no patience for this type of drama.

I got some great books this week, though. :)

Plain Kate | Erin Bow Picked this up from my school library—because turns out my school library actually does have some cool books. Recent, too. So finding Plain Kate restored my faith in the competency of my school library.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone | Laini Taylor Dude! Okay. So, I went on a "Sampling" rampage on my Kindle—basically downloaded a bunch of samples from various books. One book I was really excited for, well, the sample sucked. Then, I was skeptical about this book but the sample ROCKED. So much so, I bought it when I went to Books A Million. I'm almost a hundred pages in already. So excited.

That's it for me this week. Sweet grabs, eh?

Oh yeah! Y'all! The leaves are FINALLY turning here in Charlotte, NC.

Snagged a picture just this morning for y'all. LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL BLUE SKY!

what did you get in your mailbox?

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding - NR

2011-10-19T18:52:00.001-04:00

Thaniel, just seventeen, is a wych-hunter. Together, he and Cathaline - his friend and mentor - track down the fearful creatures that lurk in the Old Quarter of London. It is on one of these hunts that he first encounters Alaizabel Cray. Alaizabel is half-crazed, lovely, and possessed. Whatever dreadful entity has entered her soul has turned her into a strange and unearthly magnet - attracting evil and drawing horrors from ever dark corner. Cathaline and Thaniel must discover its cause - and defend humanity at all costs.

A creepy as hell story, but so not my style. There are some authors that can write this really flowery, in depth stuff that I can still connect with, but Wooding was way over my head. Just too archaic for me to really wrap my head around, though there were some moments I could really appreciate—but only for their brevity.

Thaniel drew a pistol, opened it, spun the chamber to check he had a full load of bullets, and snapped it shut.

"My pleasure," he said.

Excerpted from hardcover edition, page 51

Everything else just went – whoosh! All these elaborate descriptions of rooms and characters…eek. If he took about half of it away, it would still come off just as creepy and haunting but keep my attention.

So even though I would covet this book for elaborate descriptions, I'm not going to spend several days slogging through it all.

I'd tried reading it before and I believe I stopped for the same reason: too much description bogging down the story and the characters.

Book Info:

pages – hardcover, 292
published – June 2001
publisher – Orchard
genre – historical fiction
received via – school library :)
rating – NR (no rating)
add it to Goodreads

Teaser Tuesday (19)

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The corners of the angel's mouth tipped up, but it was hardly a smile. There was something truly menacing in the result. "I'm not here to negotiate."

Hardcover edition, page 6

Just For Kicks: Reading Schedules

2011-10-17T08:00:00.001-04:00

Just For Kicks is a weekly meme held by me, The Authoress, that lets us share whatever random thing we want—whether it's book related or not is up to you.

#10 – Reading Schedules

I like them, and yet they constrain me. I don't like being constrained. It isn't fun. It's uncomfortable, like sitting on a plane between two prim people armed with black berries that glare at every disturbance. I don't even get up to go to the bathroom because it would be too much trouble.

Reading schedules.

Are annoying.

And yet, I am a freaking OCD person—a list person. So I need things put in order so I will stick to them. That's why I write things on my hand in permanent marker—because if it isn't on my hand, it won't get done. If a book isn't listed to go up for review on my Windows Calendar, it will fade away and get reviewed by complete random at my own personal pleasure.

My reading schedule does fit my pleasure to an extent. I do have ARC/review copy commitments, but I intentionally keep my review copy intake low because I'm one to lean more towards pleasure than business. So my calendar is mostly arranged to fit the books I want to read when I want to read them. My calendar is extremely flexible this way, which is fantastic because I have the god awful responsibility of school (read: college applications) looming over my head like a storm cloud following me around. (Normally a hand drawn, animated storm cloud would be cute, but not when it makes me lose sleep. That is a deal breaker.)

But I feel like it's constraining, too. The very thing that keeps me sane also drives me crazy. For example, when I check books out at the library, I feel compelled to read them. Even more so when I share them on the blog via In My Mailbox. Okay, I showed everyone what I've gotten which leads to what I'm going to read which leads to what I'm going to review. And I'm already a complete mess about keeping up with blog stuff, so why let down people with lack of reviews?

Sometimes you get bad book batches. It happens, right? One time I checked out twenty-six books from the library at one time and only liked a dozen of them. On a regular basis, I have three or four books checked out at once. (Twenty-six books at once taught me a value lesson about human extremes.) And sometimes, I get a bad batch.

I have little to no tolerance about bad books. That's why I have the 100-page rule: once I've gotten to 100 pages, I can drop the book, review it as a "not rated" and move on. But that is such a waste of time that I don't have, especially if I have four or five potential "not rated" books. Usually I can tell if I'm going to like a book by the first fifty or so pages—the 100 page rule is a courtesy.

I feel compelled to read library books and books I receive for review. And sometimes, I can't reach that critical 100-page rule.

This is where the reading schedule comes in. It may take me five days to get to the 100 page mark on a book, so my schedule is thrown WAY off balance. And like a complete OCD person, I freak out.

So my next logical step would be to completely drop the books I know I won't be able to suffer through and pick up the books I really, really want to read that I haven't been able to get to because these other books have been in the way.

When I get two or three new books in a week, I usually put them at the front of the queue which is why many of the books I bought in bulk are still on my shelf waiting to be read.

My process generally works for me—I'm always working to make sure I have at least 5 out of the 7 days of the week with a post. After that barren streak, I've hunkered down and gotten my posts on schedule. This bad batch of books right now, though, is really bothering me.

Do you have a reading schedule? How do you organize it? How flexible is it? Do you always follow it?

In My Mailbox (61)

2011-10-16T10:48:00.001-04:00

I was tired of not having an IMM post because I didn't have any books to share. So! In defiance, I went to the library (both main AND my school one) and got some books. AND I got some books I'd had preordered for my birthday come in. Can I get an Oorah?!

Shall we?

Silence | Becca Fitzpatrick This is the third in the Hush, Hush series. I've been pretty half and half about this whole series, but I'm still really excited to read this one. I heard that Silence is NOT actually the last book…Is Becca Fitzpatrick coming out with a new one?

The Son of Neptune | Rick Riordan This is the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series—a spin off from the ever-awesome Percy Jackson series. I was DYING at the end of the first book and now Fate has delivered my cure. I can't wait to get into this one!

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray | Chris Wooding I've started this book before but I think it was the style that left me uninterested. I've read farther in than before, but yeah…the style is dragging on me…

The Shifter | Janice Hardy Already finished, reviewed and ordered on Amazon! (Actually I ordered the whole series.) Janice Hardy has a bitchin blog for writers that you should be checking out right now.

The Fellowship of the Ring | J.R.R. Tolkien I adore the movies (I got the whole trilogy on Blu-Ray a couple of months ago) but I've never read the books. And I'm rectifying this flagrant act of sacrilege. I've started a bit of it but haven't been able to put a lot of time into it because…

The Chocolate War | Robert Cormier I have to read this for school. It's okay but not something I would pick up on my own time, you know? Mostly because I don't like reading books that have the author's name bigger than the title.

Alrighty y'all. That's it for me.

what did you get in your mailbox?

Follow Friday (17)

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Q: If you could have characters from a book meet and form an epic storyline with characters from a TV series, which characters would you choose and why?

A: Dude. The characters from Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan joined with the TV show Merlin. Yeah, yeah?!

Y'ALL. I am FINALLY getting blog stuff done. I've been having a really hard time with family lately and then school—yeah, not fun. But I'm pumped to be back in full force. Thank God for Windows Calendar, eh?

Recent Reviews:

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima (5/5 stars)
Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton (4/5 stars)
The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood (5/5 stars)
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (5/5 stars)
The Shifter by Janice Hardy (5/5 stars)

Upcoming Reviews:

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding (TBA)

To all of you who responded to my discussion post on How review styles affect site traffic, a ginormous, chocolate-filled thanks! I was just a tinny bit nervous (yeeahhhh "tinny") about posting it up, so this positive discussion response was fantastic and I feel really encouraged to post up something similar again. As I get deeper and deeper into senior year (and the Common Application –____-) I've been getting the jittery urge to write articles. If you haven't checked it out already, I'm starting my official writing blog and have something up already about characters (and their tyrannical tendencies). Hey, follow me now and you can claim to be one of the before-the-bandwagon followers when my book goes viral. ^_^

Random Picture Awesomeness

The Shifter by Janice Hardy

2011-10-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Nya is an orphan struggling for survival in a city crippled by war. She is also a Taker—with her touch, she can heal injuries, pulling pain from another person into her own body. But unlike her sister, Tali, and the other Takers who become Healers' League apprentices, Nya's skill is flawed: She can't push that pain into pynvium, the enchanted metal used to store it. All she can do is shift it into another person, a dangerous skill that she must keep hidden from forces occupying her city. If discovered, she'd be used as a human weapon against her own people.

Rumors of another war make Nya's life harder, forcing her to take desperate risks just to find work and food. She pushes her luck too far and exposes her secret to a pain merchant eager to use her shifting ability for his own sinister purposes. At first Nya refuses, but when Tali and other League Healers mysteriously disappear, she's faced with some difficult choices. As her father used to say, principles are a bargain at any price; but how many will Nya have to sell to get Tali back alive?

This book is for "ages 10 and up" and your first thought might be, "Oh, this is a middle grade novel. Psh." Well, if your definition of a middle grade novel means that there is no swearing, no hot and heavy sex scenes, and no vampires lusting after someone's blood, then yes, this is a middle grade novel. But if you're one for quality books with likable characters, a fast-paced and engaging plot set in a fascinating world, then this is the book you want.

Nya is a girl I could steal chicken eggs with, no problem. She's one of those awkward teen girls who can't seem to keep their mouth shut and gets a little shove from fate. Nya's emotional journey was really intense, and I lived it right along with her. I LOVED how Hardy did not go easy on Nya. That girl went through hell and came out by pulling herself up by her own bootstraps (with some help from her friends).

I think readers, and writers alike, should take note of what Janice Hardy has pulled off: Nya was conflicted and complex. She wasn't a saint, nor a heartless scoundrel. She was just a girl who really didn't set out to be the "voice of the voiceless" but that's the direction fate shoved her in, but for a price. She did bad things and I loved that. Finding a main character who didn't make all the right moves was refreshing, and really attached me to this story because this book wasn't depressing—it was heart wrenching and inspiring.

"Punctual as well as smart," Zertanik said as the clock tower chimed midnight. He held the door open for me and I walked past him, leaving my conscience on the porch. It curled up next to my principles.

Excerpted from the hardcover edition, page 190

Nya was also funny and self-deprecating, which is always a bonus. And her friends were awesome ones—they all came with their faults without taking over the spotlight.

The plot was brilliant. Hardy did an excellent job of presenting the information you needed to know, and didn't bog you down with backstory and elaborate description. I had no problem keeping up while still remaining completely engaged. The "bad side of healing" was a fascinating idea—one that Hardy executed magnificently. The world was also excellently portrayed—right up there with Tamora Pierce and Cinda Williams Chima.

The second book, Blue Fire, continues Nya's journey as she goes up against the Duke and his best trackers. WOOT. Can't wait to get it. I'm thinking (and hoping) that the series will continue to deepen and mature as Nya experiences more and more and gets a little older.

To writers: Janice Hardy has a GREAT blog for writers—one that I have been cheerfully stalking the past week or so after a friend referred me to it. I think her blog is helping me so much right now, she might end up going in my acknowledgements, even if I never get to actually meet the gal. So go check it out: The Other Side of the Story

Book Info:

pages – hardcover, 370
published – October 2009
publisher – HarperCollins
genre – fantasy
received via – public library
rating – 5/5
series – The Healing Wars trilogy
- The Shifter
- Blue Fire
- Darkfall
Add it on Goodreads
status – purchased through Amazon

How do review styles affect site traffic?

2011-10-12T18:27:00.001-04:00

What are you looking for in a review? Why? What makes or breaks who you look to for reviews? How do we, as bloggers, know what to put in our reviews to get more people to our site to read them?

If you're like me, review style is a big deal when I'm in the process of choosing who I want to go to for reviews. I love finding new books to investigate and read, but I don't want my time wasted.

Over the nearly two years I've been blogging, I've rarely read other people's reviews. This may seem like a rude thing to do—bloggers are a very "reciprocal" kind of people. (The "Follow Friday" meme by Rachel @ Parajunkee's View is a prime example of that.) So why would I be so arrogant as to not gather other people's opinions before going out to purchase a book?

Because I haven't found a review style that I like and trust. Readers may all share the same passion to devour books, but I want to read the opinion of someone who likes the same things I do in a book. Determining whether our interests mesh is time consuming. And frankly, I don't have that much time, or patience.

I may appear to be placing too much concern over something as transient as a book review. Yet doesn't it suck when you read someone's review of a book you haven't read yet and before you realize it, you've just read a spoiler? Also, remember that book reviews are not purely just about stating opinions and leaving it at that. One of the rationales of a review is to influence someone, usually to go out and buy the book (especially if you're reviewing a book for an author/publisher and you liked the book).

So I rarely read reviews. I don't want to be fed fluff just so I can go out and buy a book—I don't want to be influenced. I just want straight up opinions for me to weigh at my own discretion.

What style do you trust? What do you look for? What makes-or-breaks a review for you?

And then, of course, there's the issue of drawing readers.

Well how the heck are you supposed to figure out what the general populous is going to be looking for? Do you follow the "be yourself" logic because this is a hobby and not a job? Or do you balance business and pleasure?

I think it can be fairly easy and practical to be yourself and still apply some business logic. The success of your blog is generally determined by your readership, yes? So a little application of corporative-style tactics can be practical without squishing your liberal spirit.

First, what are people looking for and how do you find out what it is?

Here's one way:

If your blog is hosted by Blogger, then you are most likely aware of the "Stats" feature that Google has installed for you to keep track of your blog traffic.

If you don't frequent the "Stats" tab very often, do this for me really quick. (It will take two seconds, I promise.) Open up a new window and get to your Dashboard, then the "Stats" tab. You'll see a bunch of graphs and links. Whoop-di-do, right? Next to "Traffic Sources" hit the "More" link.

This will give you three things: Referring URLs (the specific places people clicked to get to your site), Referring Sites (the site host), and Search Keywords (searches in Google, I'm assuming, as Blogger is a Google product).

Under each heading, you'll see how many people got to your site via each of the links/sites/keyword searches.

I've used the terms under the "Search Keywords" to determine what people searched for that got them to my site. For example, my most popular source from Google searches is the word "eezvehneetyeh". (This is the Russian word for "sorry".) I used this word for my review of 13 to Life by Shannon Delany. So what this tells me is to include things in my review that are specific to the book—maybe things that other people will be confused about and go onto Google to help clarify it.

Also, a popular search for me is quotes from a specific book (people seem to want quotes from What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen). So this tells me that maybe I should start including quotes in all my reviews. Wouldn't be hard to do and might increase traffic to my site.

Toggle between the time stamps (from "All Time" to "Now") and see what you get.

As of now, I am putting a lot of thought into how I review books. I want them to be engaging and informative and yet not time consuming to put together. Most styles I see consist of paragraph-style reviews that each delve into different aspects of the book: characters, plot, setting, romance, etc. I do this, except I bold the most important aspects. I know from reader feedback that this is an appreciated aspect of my review style.

So what else can I do? I know that some people divide up their reviews by creating headings for characters, plot, setting, etc. and spending a few paragraphs elaborating. I've done the divider-headings before and stepped away from it because it wasn't widely applicable to all the books I was reading.

I also don't like to grade books anymore. This was my original system, but I also stepped away from it because it was simply easier for me to transpose between my blog and Goodreads if I used a star system. Also, letter grades seemed condescending to me, whereas the star system is more business-like and more widely used.

And then, if I do put in some drastic changes, there is the possibility that it will get a negative result. Maybe I'm doing pretty good as I am, and readers are okay with my review style as is. Right now, my style itself seems okay, but I'm of the mind to add in quotes and things unique to the book. Perhaps also links to the author's, publisher's website and the Goodreads page. Talking about the author's other works might also increase hits. (I got a few hits for mentioning Cinda Williams Chima's fourth Seven Realms book, Crimson Crown.)

What makes your style unique? What do you think drives readers to your reviews?

Teaser Tuesday (18)

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Stealing eggs is a lot harder than stealing the whole chicken. With chickens, you just grab a hen, stuff her in a sack, and make your escape. But for eggs, you have to stick your hand under a sleeping chicken. Chickens don't like this. They wake all spooked and start pecking holes in your arm, or your face, if it's close. And they squawk something terrible.

Hardcover edition, page 1

Just for Kicks: College (Part 2)

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Just For Kicks is a weekly meme held by me, The Authoress, that lets us share whatever random thing we want—whether it's book related or not is up to you.

#9 – College (Again)

Ever looked back on something you did/wrote a while ago and wanted to melt into the carpet in embarrassment? Yeah. My first post on college was hectic and wild with naiveté. I've calmed down a lot since then. I've spent whole weekends on CollegeBoard.com searching for colleges and narrowing down what I need, what I want, and what I can live without.

And I've found a college I'm really psyched for, but here's the sitch:

My plan right now is to wait a year before I go to college because I already know what I want to do (creative writing) and as I am already working on a book, I don't need to go to school to get my career started.

Waiting a year also has many benefits:

it will give me time to save up more money
it will give me time to work on and hopefully publish my novel, which therefore contributes more money for school
it will allow me to re-take the SAT and up my score so that I can apply to better scholarships

There have been discussions that have killed off the idea of college altogether if I can get my career started and rolling. But I have rejected this idea because I really want to go to college for more than just academics. I want the experience (something my old man has a hard time swallowing).

I am, however, applying to one college that has a great scholarship for a free ride and a great creative writing program.

The university I really want to go to is Miami University at Oxford, Ohio. It has become my college of choice and I've gotten some awesome stuff in the mail from them—it makes me want to go next year! ARUGH. Still. By the time I'll be applying for MU, I'll be living only two and a half hours away so I can have time to visit the campus, meet faculty members, and learn more about their Creative Writing program.

Miami University, man. Ohio. SNOW.

I've almost forgotten about my insecurities about dorm life and independence. I feel like I'm really going to discover a lot about myself as soon as I'm out there in the world, taking care of myself. I'm excited. :)

Are you a senior or otherwise impending college student? Any thoughts on college?

In My Mailbox (60)

2011-10-09T11:08:00.001-04:00

So another long stretch during which I have bought only a SINGLE book. But. I wanted to spice up this post with talk other than of how I am totally book deprived. I wen to the Renaissance Festival yesterday! First time—so I have lost my Renaissance Festival virginity. But book first, then pictures. :)

Ranger's Apprentice: The Lost Stories | John Flanagan Not only is John Flanagan a beast, but his stories are a beast. I've been reading Ranger's Apprentice since I was somewhere around nine-years-old and I still remember the day I checked out Ruins of Gorlan and began reading it right there in the library.

John Flanagan is coming out with another series, The Brotherband Chronicles, the first book of which is set to come out November 1st. So get ready to buy it!

Now, Renaissance photos!

Isn't this the CUTEST thing!? There was a lady who was sitting in the front of the shop making another one—right in front of everybody. It was so incredible to watch. I seriously need this.

Here's the whole set. The whole shop was full of these things. SO CUTE.

I bought this for $10 at one of the shops. It is SO GORGEOUS! It's so long though that I have to wear it under my shirt. XD The black cord gives me an edgy look though. Very sexy. They had so many dragon things—I was in complete heaven.

I got this one for $25 at a different shop. The lady there was so nice and let me try on all the ones I was interested in before I finally decided on this one. This is an Argenti product. They have the most beautiful jewelry—my friend bought one of their lacy horse necklaces. But you can't buy their stuff online!! D:< They'll be at the festival for several more weeks, though, so I'm planning on going back because I am a complete jewelry whore.

That was my exciting weekend!

what did you get in your mailbox?

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

2011-10-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.

The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

Cinda Williams Chima knows how to tell a good story. Let's consider this: this is a five hundred page novel, is set in a fantasy world, and doesn't have "elves," "dwarves," or "dragons" anywhere on the cover. And yet Chima has the outstanding ability to keep you riveted all the way with her fantastically crafted characters, clear and twisted plot and in-depth world. If you haven't picked this series up yet, your life is not complete. I'm just saying.

Now usually a series will start to either decline around book two or pick up the slack from book one. Chima keeps everything consistent—actually, she ups the stakes and makes you pine after the next book before you even finish. Raisa is still one cool chica—for a princess. This book always reminds me of Aladdin but Princess Jasmine is seriously weak compared to Raisa. Sure, Raisa can be a real girl sometimes, but hello, she's a princess. She can face down the High Wizard, man. She's impressive.

But still. Han Alister is more like Han Solo—that selfish and emotionally distant character that is so incredibly sexy you can't stand it and you get instantly jealous of any girl he gets with. Not that I would get jealous, of course. I'm just, you know, saying. (And so what, I've got a thing for knife fighters.)

And as always, Chima has you going along, giving you the benefit of the doubt about how much you really know about what's going to happen and then BAM. Throws you for a loop! A hundred pages in and I'm starting to get smug because hey, my assumptions have been right so far! Well Chima won't have any of that. She completely floored me with that plot twist. And the ending?! Oh snap.

I need that fourth book. As in, right now. As in, today. BUT IT COMES OUT NEXT YEAR. You know how you love an author's work so much you almost hate them because they seem to take forever to get their next book out? For me, Cinda Williams Chima is that author. Hyperion has The Crimson Crown set to come out sometime in 2012. The sadists.

Book Info:

pages – hardcover, 528
published – August 30, 2011
publisher – Hyperion
genre – fantasy
received – Amazon
rating – 5/5
series – Seven Realms

The Demon King
The Exiled Queen
The Gray Wolf Throne
The Crimson Crown (coming 2012)

Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

2011-10-07T19:32:00.001-04:00

It starts off simply.

Draw a circle ... place a dead leaf in the center ... sprinkle some salt ... recite a little Latin ... add a drop of blood ...

Maybe that last part isn't exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents' horrific deaths. She's willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.

The book isn't the only recent arrival in Silla's life. There's Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She's not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick's first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can't deny their attraction. And they can't ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.

I wanna say that this is my new favorite book, but it just…isn't. But take note that this wasn't a bad book. It was kind of hard to push myself through the ending, sure, but that was probably due to a sudden influx of typical teenage depression (AKA: mood swing).

There wasn't anything incredibly appealing about the main character, Silla. She was whiny sometimes and other times, she was really cool and I wanted to be her best friend. She appeared to me to be one of those characters who're so deep in their self-pity that they wander around and do stupid things. So I had a hard time really connecting with her. I wanted to slap her more than I wanted to console her.

Nick was the real flavor of the book. He was crass, bold, and atypical. He was cliché at times, but his whole character worked. He wasn't pushing to be the hero, but that's what he turned out to be in several ways. He was like a dark knight—and I totally call dibs. ;)

The plot was a great one. A unique idea—blood magic. I loved the flashbacks to Josephine's time—she was truly a whacky character. Scared the crap out of me. How her story and Silla and Nick's were intertwined was brilliantly done and I nearly jumped out of my seat during the scary scenes.

So while a bit depressing at times, funny at others, in summation the whole book rather fell flat for me. I most likely will pick up the sequel, though, because I am intrigued about what happens next. Let's see if our dark knight will turn out to be a total sissy.

Book Info:

pages – hardcover, 405
published – May 2011
publisher – Random House Books for Young Readers
genre – urban fantasy
received via – Borders
rating – 4/5
series – Blood Journals

Blood Magic
The Blood Keeper

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood

2011-09-28T08:00:00.000-04:00

In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . .

Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure -- or kill.

When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined . . .

Not too bad for a short book. I seem to have this misplaced misconception about short books: that somehow, because they lack a significant page count, they aren't as good.

Like I said, misplaced.

The Poison Dairies is a little dynamo. Small, but really packs a punch. The emotional journeys of the characters—especially Weed—were heart wrenching. It is always spine tingling to see the cruelties a person can render.

The main character, Jessamine, starts off interesting and likeable and woefully honest in her view of the world. Towards the end, however, I thought she was weak and pitiful and annoying. I became bitter towards her.

Weed, however, was awesome. He really seemed to me to be a fleshed out and very interesting character—his affiliation for plants is different than "earth magic" in, say, a Tamora Pierce-style world because Weed isn't seen doing any particular magic other than speaking with plants. He evolved as a character, starting off as a weak, seemingly witless fool. At the end, he's strong and pitiful from love.

The atmosphere was the most potent aspect. I gladly entered Jessamine's world in a little corner of Northumberland, filled with friendly flowers and poisonous plants.

Besides being a romance, it is also a heroic tale with deep character arcs and internal struggles. The ending had me glued—Weed's speech was sheer brilliance, if seriously misplaced. Like I said, Jessamine got pathetic towards the end.

I received the sequel The Poison Diaries: Nightshade from NetGalley and I'm really glad I picked up this series. Now I can't wait to start the next book.

Book Info:

pages – paperback, 288
published – May 2010
publisher – Balzer + Bray
genre – historical fiction/fantasy
received via – Borders
rating – 4/5
series – The Poison Diaries

The Poison Diaries
The Poison Diaries: Nightshade (coming 10/25)

In My Mailbox (59)

2011-09-25T12:00:00.000-04:00

So I haven't done an IMM in forever because, well, I haven't gotten any books in forever! But Books A Million was calling yesterday, and a book I received a galley for just came out last week so HAD TO BUY IT.

The Girl of Fire and Thorns | Rae Carson This is a great book. I read the ARC of this one but I definitely wanted my own copy. Isn't that cover gorgeous!?

what did you get in your mailbox?

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

2011-09-23T17:38:00.001-04:00

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses. The one who has never done anything remarkable, and can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs her to be the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies, seething with dark magic, are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior, and he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

I don't think it was the thrill of reading it on my new Kindle that had me loving this book so much. The characters, the originality, the plot, everything, worked. It was a great read; I enjoyed it from beginning to end. There are a few things I would have preferred to be different, but it didn't detract from the sheer awesomeness of this book.

I liked the main character, Elisa. Though some of the things she did annoyed me like nothing else, she had such a streak of reality to her. She grew through her experiences and came to be a different person by the end of the book.

I loved the setting and plot, and how closely intertwined they were. I was totally blown away! Some parts were predictable, so I was settling in for a predictable ending and then BOOM. Halfway to the end and everything totally hits the fan. I almost cried.

But I liked the romance, I liked the story, and the characters. The only problem I had with it was how short it was. In retrospect, I could easily imagine the amount of time passing throughout the story. As I read however, it seemed to pass too quickly—to fast to get any depth. I felt as if the author should have taken her time, and let the story expand.

She had great descriptions, though. So great, I used the nifty note-making feature on my Kindle to mark a few passages, this one included:

The tumultuous snarl of sand is so huge and steady, so pure, that it is almost like quiet.

Elegant in its simplicity.

I cannot wait to see where this series goes. I want to read the next book now! (And I'm totally buying this in hardcover.)

Book Info:

pages – hardcover, 432
published – September 20, 2011
publisher – Greenwillow/HarperCollins
genre – fantasy
received via – Netgalley

I received this galley in return for an honest review.

rating – 5/5
series – Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Crown of Embers
The Bitter Kingdom

Whoops! I'm back…

2011-09-23T17:12:00.001-04:00

You might've noticed (maybe not) that I haven't posted in almost ten days. I've had to move back my "Blood Magic" review THREE times. Then, I went to post a review earlier in the week (something that had been scheduled but mysteriously never posted) and I had a crapload of trouble with Blogger's new interface. Seriously messed up my formatting. So that's why today I'm posting up my review of "The Girl of Fire and Thorns" by Rae Carson because it was a seriously awesome book and it is OUT NOW. So you should go buy it. Yeah. For realz.

Again, I apologize. I will be spending this weekend catching up with blog stuff. I have some stuff to send out. OH! Which reminds me. There's seven days left on my 100 Twitter Follower Giveaway. Might wanna go enter into that, too. Thank ya.

Follow Friday (16)

2011-09-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Weekly Recap: School sucks.

link up! I'll get around to visiting eventually. x_x

Teaser Tuesday (17)

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Reese's breath changed suddenly, becoming shallower and faster, like he was trying to match his breathing to the bird's. Then, without any warning, his whole body relaxed. His head lolled and his fingers loosened. He slumped backwards.

The candles went out.

Hardcover edition, page 140

Just For Kicks: Boys

2011-09-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Just For Kicks is a weekly meme held by me, The Authoress, that lets us share whatever random thing we want—whether it's book related or not is up to you.

#8 – Boys

"Girls are like apples...the best ones are at the top of the trees. The boys don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples that are on the ground that aren't as good, but easy. So the apples at the top think there is something wrong with them, when, in reality, they are amazing. They just have to wait for the right boy to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree..."

-Pete Wentz

I of all people am willing to agree with the rather commonly known fact that yes, boys are a strange race that must be studied carefully and with meticulous scientific certainty to whether or not they are safe to approach. But first, let me make it clear that (a) I have never had a boyfriend and (b) I will not spend the entirety of this post explaining my various insecurities about why "A" is actually true.

It is universally known that mysterious boys often veil a line of frustrated and overly stimulated girls. What are they feeling? Are they really complex creatures after all? If their minds are so one-tracked, those signals can't mean anything, right? Are they all just out to get some?

So those are the more broad questions that most girls, I think, can identify with. I want to talk briefly about my own specific problem and how and why it is referred to as my Pride & Prejudice predicament.

I have two friends. Both of which are big Pride & Prejudice fans. Both fit the role of Jane Bennett remarkably well and so their respective love interests are dubbed "Mr. Bingley". Somehow I get labeled as Elizabeth Bennett because I, by unanimous vote, am the most skeptical about romance. So therefore, I must have a Mr. Darcy, yes?

Unfortunately, I cannot challenge their claim that (a) I am skeptical about romance and (b) I happen to have a Mr. Darcy relationship building.

See, there's a guy that I hated all of my sophomore year. I would fume every single day when I came home because he annoyed me just that much. Then junior year came and I actually had a class with him. Suddenly, I had to admit that he'd matured just a teensy, tiny bit over the summer and he was really clever so yeah, I stopped hating him…grudgingly.

God. Then second half of junior year rolled around and I started becoming annoyingly aware of him. Please try to imagine my frustration as these feelings unfolded. By April, I was forced to admit that I like this guy.

Oh, the horrors.

Perhaps you see the Pride & Prejudice resemblance. Now if it turns out that he's liked me since sophomore year…wow. Well, I wouldn't know what I'd do. I think I'd just keel over from the shock of it.

It's senior year now and nothing's happened. AND YET! I see these "signs" that make me go, "Oh wow. That might appear to be very obvious." I feel like I'm going to look back on it and feel like an idiot for not catching onto it. Especially if something happens at the end of senior year and we can't do anything because we're going off to college.

I don't know what to do about this potential Mr. Darcy. Like Darcy to Elizabeth, he seems to bring out the worst in me and yet there's that underlying attraction. And I believe, unlike Darcy and Elizabeth, there are numerous conflicting instances with my Darcy. He never seeks me out, for example. We never text, only ever talk when there's a shared friend among us. Never offers me rides, though he lives close by. Shy? Unsure? Or am I just scaring him off?

-____-

What's your boy troubles?

Summer Reading '11 Recap

2011-09-10T12:36:00.002-04:00

Summer Reading '11

June 10 - August 25 2011

last updated: August 27, 2011

key

arc reviews

NR reviews

* 2011 DAC

The Eyes of a King - Catherine Banner
Raven's Shadow - Patricia Briggs
The Wizard Heir - Cinda Williams Chima
The Dragon Heir - Cinda Williams Chima
Panjandrum - J.J. Telly
Once Dead, Twice Shy - Kim Harrison
The Gathering - Kelley Armstrong
The Mockingbirds - Daisy Whitney
Nightspell - Leah Cypess
Raven's Strike - Patricia Briggs
The DUFF - Kody Keplinger
Forever - Maggie Stiefvater
Eyes Like Stars - Lisa Mantchev
Delirium - Lauren Oliver
Angel Burn - L.A. Weatherly
Across the Universe - Beth Revis
* The Girl of Fire and Thorns - Rae Carson *
River Marked - Patricia Briggs
Graffiti Moon - Cath Crowley
Uncommon Criminals - Ally Carter
Past Midnight - Mara Purnhagen
The Iron King - Julie Kagawa
Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead

Since I was supposed to post a review today and can't because I haven't even started the book. SCHOOL IS CRAZY. So check out these reviews. Let me know what you think. :)

Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler

2011-09-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

KJ Carson lives an outdoor lover’s dream. The only daughter of a fishing and wildlife guide, KJ can hold her own on the water or in the mountains near her hometown outside Yellowstone National Park. But when she meets the shaggy-haired, intensely appealing Virgil, KJ loses all self-possession. And she’s not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that they’re assigned to work together on a school newspaper article about the famous wolves of Yellowstone. As KJ spends time with Virgil, she also spends more time getting to know a part of her world that she always took for granted . . . and she begins to see herself and her town in a whole new light.

I love that I found this non-werewolf-wolf book. When I first discovered it, I had some reservations: would a book that wasn't about werewolves and only solely about regular wolves, be really that interesting? Was the author only going to spew about science and facts?

Turned out, yes and no, but in the best possible ways.

Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me packed a humorous punch like Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey but luckily lacked the shallow storyline. K.J. in Kristen Chandler's story wasn't just some misunderstood, unpopular high school girl with a great destiny thrust upon her. K.J. had a real life. Real problems. Her boyfriend wasn't a supernatural, god-like creature, either.

I liked K.J.'s relationship with her dad. It wasn't a sob story—I could feel real emotion behind it and it really pulled me into the story even more because her dad wasn't this totally awesome, understanding guy. I liked how Kristen Chandler didn't play up the "he wished he had a son" routine. But I do hope there's a sequel so Kristen Chandler might elaborate and delve deeper into the father-daughter relationship.

I liked Virgil. He didn't carry any of the typical baggage and he didn't bend over backwards to accommodate K.J. I wish I had gotten more depth out of him though. He didn't seem to have much of a backstory, but then again, that scarcity made K.J.'s story take center stage and let it shine. Having more emphasis on the main character's story was much more refreshing.

So was the lack of the supernatural. This story still packed a lot of punch. I loved how Kristen Chandler seemed to capture the small town atmosphere. It was far more expressive and detailed than the usual small town story. K.J. wasn't just abnormal. She was weird.

I loved the hilarious descriptions. They're funny, yet carry a lot of meaning.

The only problem is that most men don't like having a five-foot-four Pop-Tart row like a sailor while they do their manly fishing, so Dad usually saves me for women's groups, who think I'm the best thing since the sports bra.

Hardcover edition, page 42

I absolutely loved this book. I hope to goodness there's a sequel. K.J. was a great character and she had a great story to tell.

Book Info:

pages – hardcover, 371
published – May 2010
publisher – Viking
genre – contemporary fiction
received via – Borders
rating – 5/5

Teaser Tuesday (16)

2011-09-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

He looks at the floor and then takes my hand. He rubs my palm and fingers with his thumbs. It's weird but I'm a cat so I really, really, like it. I don't talk because I know it would come out meow.

Wolves, Boys & Other Things That Might Kill Me
Hardcover edition, p. 156

(I know I did this book last week, but it's just that good a book.)

In My Mailbox (58)

2011-09-04T11:45:00.000-04:00

I have been sick for over a week. And it has progressed in a semi-predictable way. For example, last Saturday (not yesterday) I woke up with a sore throat. Still went to school Monday. Ended up talking way too much in an overcrowded lunch room (read: I yelled myself hoarse in order to be heard) and by Tuesday I'd lost my voice. Some think the smoker voice is sexy—I just find it irritating that I can't sing along with my favorite songs. >.>

My voice sounds normal now after it being hoarse for almost a week. Thank god.

And I also managed to scrape up some books because a) my dad is awesome and b) birthday presents can be awesome too. Remember those four pre ordered books I asked for for my birthday? The first one came in today.

Sweetly | Jackson Pearce Thank you, God, for my father. Among many other things, he didn't bat an eye when I darted into the book aisle at Walmart and came out to place this little beauty in the cart.

The Gray Wolf Throne | Cinda Williams Chima Got this pre ordered back in June and it just came out last week! EEEEEKKK. So excited! I love Cinda Williams Chima so much and personally, Seven Realms is my favorite between that and the Heir series.

That's actually all I got this week. I don't have school tomorrow but I've got a crapload of chores to attend to amongst all my reading and writing (more reading than writing o.o).

What did you get in your mailbox?

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

2011-09-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Most of what I said in my first go-around with Vampire Academy still stands, but now I have more to say about it.

Rose: Not a cool main character. She wants to be badass. She isn't. First of all, if you want to come off as a real badass, you can't be stupid. When a seventeen-year-old has never heard of a primary source, I would classify them as "stupid" so Rose just sounds like an idiot when she argues with people.

Second, she's inconsiderate, unreasonably disrespectful, and just plain mean. She's more of a bully than a heroic godsend. I'm not saying that I think most of the world is full of flowers and sunshine, but not doing something when someone is being bullied? Being hypocritical in how you treat your "best friend"? Rose isn't charmingly out of control, she's a tyrant. Selfish. Oblivious.

Rose basically ruined the whole story for me. Yeah, there were some really clever lines, but I can get the same type of "cleverness" from a bad MTV movie.
Besides Rose, I didn't get anything from the other characters. The so-called "perfect" best friend—this selfless princess-seemed fake. All of the characters were just downright shallow. Dimitri wasn't hot. All of his lines were cliché and predictable and his backstory wasn't original. He was boring.

Take all the characters out and the plot was pretty boring too. While it falls together okay in the end, nothing much seemed to happen in the middle. All the descriptions lacked depth, so everything lacked excitement and credibility.

I'm not picking up this series. I don't want to have to wait until the third or fourth book for things to start to get good.

Book Info:

pages – paperback, 332
published – August 2007
publisher – Razorbill
genre – urban fantasy
received via – library
rating – 1/5
series – Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy
Frost Bite
Shadow Kiss
Blood Promise
Spirit Bound
Last Sacrifice

Teaser Tuesday (15)

2011-08-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The only problem is that most men don't like having a five-foot-four Pop-Tart row like a sailor while they do their manly fishing, so Dad usually saves me for women's groups, who think I'm the best thing since the sports bra.

Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me
Hardcover edition, p. 42

Just For Kicks: School

2011-08-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Just For Kicks is a weekly meme held by me, The Authoress, that lets us share whatever random thing we want—whether it's book related or not is up to you.

#7 – School

So I've already covered the college angle, but I just wanted to ~~complain~~ talk briefly about my high school. Just a little background info: I'm a senior this year and school started last Thursday (the 25th) for me.

So I'm not here entirely to complain. Nah. Everyone has the same issues with school. Boring. Crappy teachers. No friends. So let's put that aside and just compare and contrast.

First. I think my school system is really unique. Why? Because for some ungodly reason someone thought it was a cool idea to only give us four classes a day—at an hour and a half each. I have not met another person that only has four classes a day at an hour and a half each. I've only ever heard of six/seven classes a day at about fifty minutes each.

I think this is extremely weird. How do you get anything done in fifty minutes? Seriously. You get in, the teacher spends ten minutes trying to calm the class down and take roll and then you've only got forty minutes to do stuff. Not even that. People pack up five minutes before the bell rings. So there's thirty-five minutes. That just doesn't seem like enough time to do anything. ESPECIALLY take a test. Those would be some SHORT tests!

Also. My school is GINORMOUS. We have 2200 kids this year. Three-level building. Two gyms. Football field. Student parking. Teacher parking. Bus parking. Visitor parking. TWENTY TWO HUNDRED STUDENTS. It's quite ridiculous actually. I feel bad for the incoming freshmen. They get lost so easily. I enrolled at my HS in sophomore year but I have a map fetish so I found a school map and never had a problem.

My school also starts at 7:15. I wake up at five thirty. 'Nuff said.

How are your schedules formatted? Do you have four classes a day? Or six? Or seven? How many kids are at your school? What time does your school start/end?