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Saturday, June 25, 2011

What's your status? (25/6/2011) & Interview w/Jessica!





This post was inspired by, well, my previous Reading Status posts. I wanted to make it something that everyone could particpate in. Every Saturday (and sometimes Sunday), I will post what I've finished in the past week, what I'm currently reading and where I am in the book/s, what I plan to read next, and possibly what I want to buy/get. I will be trying to do this every week, so be sure to check back every weekend! Be sure to leave your links to your WYS posts in the comments.

This next portion of the post is an idea that I saw on the wonderful blog Small Review. She posts what reviews and memes she has posted and participated in that last week. Remember, however, that it is not mandatory for you to do this part of the post.


Things You Don't Wanna Miss:
~My First-ever Giveaway!!!! (closes on the 28th!)
~Giveaways Galore!

Reviews this week:
~Green Lantern (movie)

Memes this week:
~In My Mailbox & Sunday Confessions
~Music Monday
~Teaser Tuesday
~Waiting on Wednesday
~Thursday Interpretation & Library Unveiled
~Book Blogger Hop & Fun Friday


Now, for my status! (Please keep in mind that you do not have to use this exact format. Whatever works for you is what works for me.)

Finished This Week:
1. Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann. Finished on 20/6/2011. I read almost all of this book Mondy at the library; it was ahmazing!

2. Once a Witch (Witch, #1) by Carolyn MacCullough. Finished on 22/6/2011. I loved this novel! It was really interesting, and I breezed thru it every time I had a chance to read it!

Currently Reading:
1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. On page 227. Maybe I'll get 3 pages read this week... That's all I'm asking for: 3 pages.

2. The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman. On page 53. Have read some of this one in the last week, but not enough...

3. Fallen by Lauren Kate. Have read 25%. Haven't read any of this in the past week; but I'm going to get on it. So tired of books sitting up and not being read!

4. Cloaked by Alex Flinn. Have read 15%. Loved Beastly, so I quickly bought this one :)

5. Sweep: Volume 1 by Cate Tiernan. On page 1. Got this one earlier this week; have heard the series is awesome!

Next On My TBR (To Be Read) Pile:
1. The Bronze and the Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman

What I Would Like To Buy Next:
~A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn

Don't forget to leave the link to your WYS post in the comments!
________________________________________________________________________

And now...

To continue with the 1st Annual What's Your Status? Contest, Jessica over at Thoughts at One in the Morning will be co-hosting with me today! We also decided to interview each other, and my half of the interview is below :). Click HERE to go to Jessica's post!!!!


1. When did you become absorbed in reading?
I loved reading when I was in elementary school, but somehow got out of the habit of it from middle school to high school. I picked it up again around age 19 when I was able to drive myself to the library. I discovered the Young Adult genre, and the rest is history!

2. What influenced you to share your bookish thoughts with others?
I had bounced the idea around for a long time, but then Angie at Eastern Sunset Reads (an online forum friend I’ve known for a couple years now) started hers up. I jumped on into it, but didn’t really get serious about it until March of this year.

3. Who is your favorite author in the YA realm?
Ellen Hopkins. She takes the most difficult/controversial subjects and turns it into a tugs at your heartstings novel that you can’t get out of your head for days after finishing. Those are always the best books, the ones that stay with you.

4. The first word that comes to mind when you hear the word "mockingbird" is ... ?
Fly

5. What's your favorite blogging day of the week?
I’d have to say Thursday for my own personal meme “Update Thursday” that I haven’t been able to stop. I decided to do it prior to learning of the other memes to keep my blog up to date. It’s basically a how things are going this week kind of post, somewhat book related with some non-book related thoughts. I almost didn't do it one day, but I couldn't not do it! It had become too much of a routine. I've started to have more fun with it, share some of the strange things about me. It gets some good conversations going in the comments!

6. What's your favorite letter of the alphabet?
"J"

7. What would you say is your favorite post from this year so far?
My "I’m Feeling Dorktastic Today" post. I plan on writing more of those featuring different books I’m nostalgic about from my childhood.

8. How long have you had your blog?
279 days, as long as my math is correct.

9. Do you have a favorite movie?
The Masterpiece Theater version of Persuasion. Before that came out it was The Sound Of Music.

10. What's your favorite food around the Thanksgiving holidays?
Stuffing!!!

11. What are some ways my followers and I can keep up with you?
Facebook, GoodReads


Thanks so much for being on the blog today, Jessica!
All you readers, make sure you join me next week when I welcome Cat (Cat's Thoughts) to Butterfly Feet!!!
I hope you're keeping up with whose blog you love the most! The poll to vote will start July 3rd!!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Book Blogger Hop #18 & Fun Friday #7

As always, the Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen over @ Crazy-for-Books.

This week's question is:

"When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of life?"

My answer: I probably relized that reading was a giant portion of my life when I was introduced to GoodReads. I loved it, and I liked the fact that it was based on books. I couldn't tear myself away from the computer because of the site. Now, I can't tear myself from the computer because of my blog :)

When did you realize reading was a big part of your life?

**Since Blogger's GFC is on and off lately, you can follow me via GoodReads and/or Twitter as well!**
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This is a meme that one of my really good blogging friends, Destiny @ Green Lillipads, started, and I thought it was a really awesome idea! You just post a book, CD, song, movie, etc. that you think is really cool for that week :). This week's cool-spotlight is on:

Switched at Birth (TV Show)
Created By: Lizzy Weiss
Premiering year: 2011
Short Synopsis: The one-hour scripted drama revolves around two teenagers who were switched at birth and grew up in very different environments.

Promo #3 (it's the longest one):




Happy Reading!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Green Lantern (Movie!)

Green Lantern (movie)
Directed By: Martin Campbell
Release Date: June 17, 2011
Length: 114 minutes (1 hour, 54 minutes)
Date Watched: 17/6/2011

Review: I don't know why, but I'm really into super hero movies lately. I still don't like Superman, Batman, or Spidey, but really, I can only handle so much. Still didn't get to see Thor, but my dad wanted to see Green Lantern so to the theater we rode.

I have to say that I am anxious for the sequel to be released! Our main character, Hal Jordan, loves to fly -- planes; he has big shoes to fill, as his dad was a well-known pilot before his tragic death. Hal screws up on a pretty big day, and then the ring finds him.

"What ring?" you ask? The ringthat makes him a Green Lantern, of course. I won't take the time to explain evry detail, so long story short: A well-respected Lantern dies, and the first-ever human Lantern has some big shoes to fill -- yet again.

I loved how everything happened; Hal's best friend, whose name escapes me, was pretty funny at the moments he was present. And, of course, Hal gets the pretty girl. But really, we all expected that, right?

The only thing I didn't like about the movie is that while green is good, yellow -- yes, my favoritest colour ever -- is bad. You can probably see how disappointed I was. But the wonderful movie made up for the colour thing :).

Definitely a spectacular movie! We managed to see it on the day it released, so you've still got time to see it!

Thursday Interpretation #16 & Library Uneviled #6

Thursday Interpretations is a "meme," which means that you may participate in this on your blog, but I won't be advertising it nor adding a Linky for links to your post/s.

Anyway, Thursday Interpretation will be a weekly post where I post a motivational quote (and/or a book quote) and tell you my feelings about it. You are more than welcome to post a comment telling how you feel about the quote.

*Remember that these are only my opinions. They are not influenced by anyone else.*

This week's motivational quote:

"The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor." ~Unknown

My Thoughts: When you have a problem, and don't know what to do, pray about it! Jesus (or whomever you worship) will be there to help you.
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This meme was started by my good 'ole blogging friend, The Mad Scientist @ Steampunkery & Book Reviews; every Thursday, you are supposed to post 5 books from your shelf and maybe give a snippet of your thoughts about the book. You can use physical books, ebooks, audios, whatever you have that makes up your library :). This week I'm unveiling:

Wild Child by Mike Wells:
Mike asked me to review this novel, and I finished read it last week. I loved it! I believe what I read was only a sample, but it was still awesome :D

Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard:
Will be reading this one for a book tour. Love the cover! Can't wait to start it :)

Tower of Parlen Min by Matt Xell:
Matt asked me to read this not too long ago; I will be starting it hopefully in July.

Dreamwalk by Sarah MacManus:
For the L♥ve of Reading was asked to read this, and I, in turn, passed it along to Leanne. Lee loved it, so I'm looking forward to starting it!

Solid (Solid, #1) by Shelley Workinger:
Shelley asked me to read this a little while ago, and, sadly with this beuatiful cover, I still haven't started it. I plan on starting by mid-July at the latest, though. I really do luhv the cover! :D


What's in your library?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday #9: Dreaming Awake


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over @ Breaking the Spine; we are to give a book that we are anxiously anticipating the release of. I probably won't be participating every week, but I will try to post every so often.

This week's spotlight novel:

Dreaming Awake
By Gwen Hayes
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2012

From GoodReads.com:

She fell for him in a nighttime world. But the time for dreaming is past -- and the here-and-now can be just as fragile their love…

When Theia Alderson first encountered a mysterious, handsome boy in her dreams, she never imagined how finding Haden Black—and falling in love—could change her life. To save Haden, Theia sacrificed everything. And the dangerous bargain she made could have lasting repercussions.

Now Theia has returned to Serendipity Falls, and she finds herself struggling with the same deadly hungers that have tortured Haden. When students at their high school fall prey to a mysterious illness, Theia can’t help but wonder if Haden’s control is slipping—and how much longer she’ll have a grip on her own.

And still the nightmare realm of Under won’t let them go. Someone from Haden’s past is determined to destroy Theia from the inside out, starting with those closest to her, forcing Theia to choose between family and friends and a love that may have been doomed from the start...


What book are you looking forward to?

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Teaser Tuesday #30

This meme is hosted weekly by MizB @ Should Be Reading. Anyone can participate, even if you don't have a blog (you can post back in MizB's comments).
*Grab your current read.

*Open to a random page.

*Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page. You can share more if you want!

*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!!! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give away too much information. You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

*Share the title and autor as well, so that Teaser participants may add to their TBR list/s if they enjoy your teasers!

*Leave a link in the comment section of MizB's blog so that others can check out your teasers! You may leave your teasers here with the book title and author if you do not have a blog. (MizB's Blog)

This week's teasers come from page 9 of The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder (GoodReads, Amazon):

By the time the bell rings for first period, I've planned steamy make-out sessions, the spring formal, a wedding, children, and the rest of my natural life with Mr. Hottie-Body Brentwood.


I laughed so hard at this!! The novel is too funny at times, and it really shows exactly what high school is like these days (or so I've heard; guess I'll find out in August!).

Happy Reading!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Music Monday #18

Music Monday is a "meme"* that I will try to post every week or biweekly. In these posts, I will provide you with what song, artist, CD, etc. I am currently into the most.

* Meme is quoted because I will not be providing a Linky for you to add you links to, nor will I be advertising these posts. However, if you would like to participate and leave a link or your music info in a comment, I have no problem with that.

[As you all may have noticed, I never had a movie up in the last few posts. For this reason, I have deleted the movie portion from these posts; however, you may still have movies in your posts or leave movie info in the comments.]

------------------------------------------------------

Music

1) Love Like Woe by The Ready Set. This song is always fun to me. It always makes me to want to move, and it's an ahdorable love song :)

Song Rating: 4.5 Wings
Music Video:



...And a really awesome lyrics video this girl did!




Happy Listening!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

The Week Ahead... (June 20-26)

Every Sunday, I will let you all know what to look forward to in the upcoming week: reviews, guest posts, memes, whatever I think/know I will be putting up for your viewing. The things I post will not always be followed out, but I'll try. Vice versa, I might end up posting something that isn't mentioned in this post.

For the week of June 20th - 26th...

Monday:
~ Music Monday

Tuesday:
~ Teaser Tuesday
~ Movie Review of Green Lantern !!!
Wednesday:
~ Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday:
~ Thursday Interpretation & Library Unveiled
~ Review?

Friday:
~ Book Blogger Hop & Fun Friday

Saturday:
~ What's your status? (co-hosting with Jessica!!!)

Sunday:
~ In My Mailbox & Sunday Confessions
~ Review?

Have a great week everybody!!! :D

In My Mailbox #23


In My Mailbox is a meme hosted every week by The Story Siren. To find out how to participate and the "official" details, check out the IMM page.

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.

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Bought from the store:

--Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton (Of all bookmarks, this is the one that was available! LOL!)


Bought on my Kindle:

--Cloaked by Alex Flinn

I loved Beastly, so I'm sure that Cloaked will be ahmazing! And Blood Magic is really good so far! :D


Happy Reading! Leave a link to your IMM in the comments, and I'll be sure to stop by!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

What's your status? (18/6/2011) & Interview w/Marla!





This post was inspired by, well, my previous Reading Status posts. I wanted to make it something that everyone could particpate in. Every Saturday (and sometimes Sunday), I will post what I've finished in the past week, what I'm currently reading and where I am in the book/s, what I plan to read next, and possibly what I want to buy/get. I will be trying to do this every week, so be sure to check back every weekend! Be sure to leave your links to your WYS posts in the comments.

This next portion of the post is an idea that I saw on the wonderful blog Small Review. She posts what reviews and memes she has posted and participated in that last week. Remember, however, that it is not mandatory for you to do this part of the post.


Things You Don't Wanna Miss:
~Gues post by Majanka Verstraete & My First-ever Giveaway!!!!
~Giveaways Galore!

Reviews this week:
~Wither, by Lauren DeStefano

Memes this week:
~In My Mailbox & Sunday Confessions
~Music Monday
~Teaser Tuesday
~Waiting on Wednesday
~Thursday Interpretation & Library Unveiled
~Book Blogger Hop & Fun Friday


Now, for my status! (Please keep in mind that you do not have to use this exact format. Whatever works for you is what works for me.)

Finished This Week:
1. The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder. Finished on 11/6/2011. I breezed through this book! Wish it had a sequel! :D

2. Divergent (Divergent, #1) by Veronica Roth. Finished on 15/6/2011. This book was ahmazing! I love how she divded everything up into factions, and from there everything was just wonderful. Can't wait till the release of Insurgent!!

3. Wild Child by Mike Wells. Finished on 16/6/2011. I loved this book; I believe it was only a sample, but that's okay. The way they cut it, you still understand everything perfectly.

Currently Reading:
1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. On page 227. I know what you're thinking: she's never gonna finish this book! I know, I'm starting to think the same thing...

2. The Lens and the Looker by Lory S. Kaufman. On page 37. This book is really good so far; it's super interesting. Hopefully I can finish it soon!

3. Fallen by Lauren Kate. Have read 25%. Haven't read any of this in the past week; but I'm going to get on it. So tired of books sitting up and not being read!

4. Cloaked by Alex Flinn. Have read 3%. Loved Beastly, so I quickly bought this one :)

Next On My TBR (To Be Read) Pile:
1. The Bronze and the Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman

What I Would Like To Buy Next:
~A Kiss in Time by Alex Flinn
~Shadowland by Alyson Noel


Don't forget to leave the link to your WYS post in the comments!
________________________________________________________________________

And now...

To continue with the 1st Annual What's Your Status? Contest, Marla over at Starting the Next Chapter will be co-hosting with me today! We also decided to interview each other, and my half of the interview is below :). Click HERE to go to Marcie's post!!!!


1. How exactly did your love for reading start?
My parents had a great deal to do with that. They wanted me to be an early reader, so my mom and my dad worked on the alphabet and sounding out words super early. It paid off, as I read my first book all by myself at age 4. It was very exciting for me and I've been hooked ever since.

2. What made you want to start a blog?
I had already been blogging for almost 9 years (I started started out on Livejournal and then started a Blogger blog when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter almost 3 years ago), but never thought to start one about books until I took the Goodreads poll about whether or not I had a book blog. It was the light bulb moment that made me start Starting the Next Chapter.

3. Most people's favorite colour is either red or blue. Might I guess that yours isn't?
You would be right. I actually have two. I love emerald green and purple. Most of my shirts are those colors. It's a good thing they work for me since I'm a redhead!

4. Who are your top three authors of all-time?
Jane Austen, Nora Roberts, and J.K. Rowling

5. What are some of your favorite hobbies besides the obvious one?
I love bird watching. I also love to bake. The most fun is experimenting with cupcakes. My most recent was pumpkin spice white chip cupcakes with orange buttercream. They were delicious!

6. If you weren't interested in books, do you think you'd blog about something else?
It may be cheating, but I already have. I've had blogs about cooking, living in South Korea, and pregnancy/motherhood.

7. Do you have a favorite word in the dictionary?
Hmmm. That's a good question. I really like the word, "surreptitious." I don't get to use that word nearly often enough, but I try to slip it into sentences when I can.

8. Do yo find vibrant colours beautiful or too bright for the eyes?
It really depends on the color. Bright pink or blue I can handle. Bright yellow, however, hurts my eyes and leaves me seeing spots for several minutes afterward.

9. How long have you had your blog?
As of June 22 I Starting the Next Chapter will have been in existence for 4 months!

10. Your favorite day to blog on?
My favorite blogging day is Tuesday. That is when I prepare my Waiting on Wednesday post and start prepping my weekend meme posts. I love thinking about what book I want to write about next for WoW and I also love taking a closer look at my reading week.

11. What's your favorite month of the year? Favorite season?
My favorite month is definitely October. This is because my favorite season is fall and that's the month that fall really starts settling in in Tennessee.

12. How can my followers and I keep up with you and your blog?
You can follow me on Twitter (MarlaSTNC), Goodreads (startingthenextchapter), Networked Blogs (widget is right under my GFC widget in the left-hand column), or Facebook (Starting the Next Chapter). You can also find my Feedburner link under the "Where to Find Me" heading in the left column.


Thanks so much for being on the blog today, Marla!
All you readers, make sure you join me next week when I welcome Jessica (Thoughts at One in the Morning) tto Butterfly Feet!!!
I hope you're keeping up with whose blog you love the most! The poll to vote will start July 3rd!!

Friday, June 17, 2011

Book Blogger Hop #17 & Fun Friday #6

As always, the Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen over @ Crazy-for-Books.

This week's question is:

"How many books are in yout To-Be-Read (TBR) pile?"

My answer: As for my Kindle and phsyical books on the shelf, it's about 60-70. As for GoodReads, my TBR pile is 2 113 books deep. LOL! :D

How many books are on your TBR pile?

**Since Blogger's GFC is on and off lately, you can follow me via GoodReads and/or Twitter as well!**
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This is a meme that one of my really good blogging friends, Destiny @ Green Lillipads, started, and I thought it was a really awesome idea! You just post a book, CD, song, movie, etc. that you think is really cool for that week :). This week's cool-spotlight is on:

A Book a Day
Blogger: YA Reader
Opening year: 2011
Goal: Her goal is to read one book everyday in 2011.
Elsewhere: Follow her on TWITTER!

Current status: As of right now, YA Reader has read 148 books in 161 days.
 
 
Happy Reading!

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither (Chemical Garden trilogy, #1)
By Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2011
358 pages, hardcover
Date Finished: 27/5/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Romance, Futuristic
What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

~from goodreads.com~
~First Line: "I wait."
~Last Line: "This time, I don't know where the light will guide us."

Review: Lauren DeStefano's debut novel was ahmazing! It kept me coming back for more; I couldn't put it down long enough to do anything other than text, which, for me, is saying something!

The main character, Rhine is introduced to us in the back of a van. She's been kidnapped, and in the end is one of the lucky ones. While every girl is nearing their time for death, Rhine and two others are lucky enough to prolong it.

Everything that happened in Wither held my attention and kept me reading for hours at a time. One of my favorite characters in this book was Jenna. She was always so secretive about certain things, but she sincerely cared about her sister wives and what happened to them. Life isn't exactly a fairy tale for Jenna close to the end of the book, but c'est la vie, I guess.

This book . . . wow. There really aren't words. I just wish that I could babble on and on about everything that took place in it. But that would sort of ruin the book for others, so I'll refrain myself :). I'm definitely anxious for the release of Fever next year!

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Thursday Interpretation #15 & Library Unveiled #5

Thursday Interpretations is a "meme," which means that you may participate in this on your blog, but I won't be advertising it nor adding a Linky for links to your post/s.

Anyway, Thursday Interpretation will be a weekly post where I post a motivational quote (and/or a book quote) and tell you my feelings about it. You are more than welcome to post a comment telling how you feel about the quote.

*Remember that these are only my opinions. They are not influenced by anyone else.*

This week's motivational quote:

     "Life is no straight and easy corridor along which we travel free and unhampered, but a maze of passages, through which we must seek our way, lost and confused.
     But always, if we have faith, a door will open for us, not perhaps one that we would have thought of, but one that will ultimately prove good for us." ~A.J. Cronin

My Thoughts: Life isn't easy; we all know that. But if you keep believing and have faith, opportunities show themselves :)
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This meme was started by my good 'ole blogging friend, The Mad Scientist @ Steampunkery & Book Reviews; every Thursday, you are supposed to post 5 books from your shelf and maybe give a snippet of your thoughts about the book. You can use physical books, ebooks, audios, whatever you have that makes up your library :). This week I'm unveiling:

The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #1) by Michael Scott:
I got this one because my BFF accidently got the second book as my bday present. We laughed forever about that :)

Fire (Seven Kingdoms, #2) by Kristin Cashore:
Now I know that there isn't really a specific order to this series. Which would have been nice to know, but oh well. I've read Graceling already and loved it; looking forward to this one!

Six Moon Summer (Seasons of the Moon, #1) by SM Reine:
SM Reine contacted me asking me to review this one. It looks like an awesome novel, and I love love love the cover! :D Now if only I could find some quiet time in the blogging world to read it!

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II by Jack Canfield, etc.:
I read Chicken Soup for the Girls' Soul and Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Rea Deal: Challenges and loved them! When my mom bought this one for me, I was super excited :). Sadly, I still haven't read it!

The Shapeshifters: The Kiesha'ra of the Den of Shadows by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes:
I read this for the first time in ... 6th grade I think.. So about 2 years ago. I loved it, and last November I found another omnibus of 3 more Den of Shadows novels. Wish I'd hadmoney to get it. :/


What's in your library?

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday #8: Clockwork Prince


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over @ Breaking the Spine; we are to give a book that we are anxiously anticipating the release of. I probably won't be participating every week, but I will try to post every so often.

This week's spotlight novel:

Clockwork Prince
By Cassandra Clare
Publication Date: December 6th, 2011

From GoodReads.com:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?


What book are you looking forward to?

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Guest Post by Majanka Verstraete and GIVEAWAY!!!!

Here is a guest post by Majanka Verstraete, author of The Blood That Defines Us, on her experience with her town's haunted house!


When I was about ten years old, I gathered all the other kids from my elementary school class and arranged a meeting for our first ‘horror club’. The goal: go into that old, abandoned house in the middle of our town. The reason: no one had ever dared to do that before, it was a challenge, and we were young and foolish. There were about twenty of us, which we believed was more than enough to scare off any potential ghosts deciding to drop by. Plus, it was hot outside, we were bored out of our minds, and I’ve always had a soft spot for old mansions. Sue me.

I began to tell them the story about the Haunted House – which I had totally fabricated, it was all part of my way-too-vivid imagination – but apparently most of them believed me, because by the time I was done, ten of my class mates had already left. Apparently ghosts, murdered children, mad doctors and soul-sucking grandmothers was too much for a bunch of ten-year-olds to handle.

Those of us who remained were all pretty nervous. Not only because the house sure looked haunted, old and abandoned, but also because breaking and entering a house, even if it’s abandoned, is actually a crime. However, no police officer in his right mind would arrest a bunch of ten-year-olds who wanted to hang out at an abandoned property. The worst thing they could do was bring us back to our parents with a warning and ending our scary but highly entertaining adventure. So we cast out all our fears, put on our brave face, and went into the garden of the house, so we could get inside through the back door.

First of all, the garden was so over-grown with plants that it was pretty terrifying by itself. Secondly, the shed in the garden smelled pretty much like rotting corpse – of course we investigated the shed first – and there was a hatch in it, leading to some dark, very stinky, basement underneath. Who has a basement in their shed? Except people wanting to bury corpses there, of course. Thirdly, there was a willow tree in the garden that looked pretty much like a scary grandmother-figure. Oh and, we sort of discovered that the old doc had insisted on getting buried in his own backyard. Stumbling upon a grave all of the sudden in places you least expect, well that does something to people.

To me, it made me feel slightly scared, stressed and nervous, and all the more determined to actually get into that house. To five other kids of our little group, it made them turn around and run out of that garden like the devil himself was on their heels. He might not have been, but that soul-sucking witchy grandmother-like willow tree certainly was.

I was the first one to walk into the house, overcome by an unknown bravery. My best friend Sarah was right behind me. The three others who followed were all boys. So, I walked in first, and the first room I entered was the kitchen. Oddly enough, there were still some spoons, plates and cups on the table, as if no one had ever bothered to empty the house completely. Curious about the rest of the house, I stepped into the grand hallway leading to the front part, and stared at the stairs in awe. They were beautifully decorated with flower patterns, the steps were marble, and it looked pretty impressive. But we weren’t here to scare at a stairs, or to stare at the beautiful ceilings, the enormous double doors or the marble floors.

I grabbed the handle of one of the double doors and pushed it open. What I saw there in the room in front of me, was very confusing. At the time being, I would have sworn to each and every one who asked, that I saw a ghost. A real life, actual ghost. The ghost was standing in the middle of the room and looking out the window, and the first impression I got from it was that it was sad and lonely. And that it terrified me.

Without further explanation or taking my time to think – which I find incredibly stupid looking back on it, I wish I had gone in and try to talk to the thing or something, or at least make sure I wasn’t imagining stuff – I turned around, slammed the door shut, grabbed my friend’s arm (she was a couple of meters behind me) and ran out of the house, pulling her along.

Later on, Sarah described that the look on my face was one of pure horror. She knew me well enough to know that I don’t scare easily, and she occasionally told me, even years later, that she was scared too that day. Because whatever it was that caused me to be so terrified, seeing me scared, frightened her as well. I remember yelling to all of them to get out of the garden, to get away from the house as fast as possible. We all ran until we had left the garden of the haunted house behind us and were safe and sound back on the street.

Unfortunately, one of the boys had lost his wallet while running away. He wanted to get it back, but when no one volunteered to go back with him, I eventually gave in. I couldn’t really let him go back there alone, especially when I had been the one to suggest our trip to the haunted mansion in the first place. While the others waited for us, we want back into the garden and to the house.

We found his wallet somewhere in the middle of the garden. We both bend down to grab it, because we were still quite nervous and scared, and as we got up again, we both stared at the house in front of us. In one of the bay windows on the first floor, there was the clear shape of a man. But it wasn’t a real man, of course. It was just a black shape, with no actual facial features, just the black shape of a man-like figure, staring out of the window at the two of us.

The next couple of seconds seemed to happen in slow-motion. I looked at my friend, and he looked back at me, our facial expressions mirroring each other’s. We were shocked, scared and unable to move, at least not right away. I felt like I was frozen to the spot. Then we stopped looking at each other and stared back at the house in front of us, and at the dark shape behind the window. Then we grabbed each other’s hand and ran out of the garden as fast as we could, dragging each other alone and unwilling to let go of each other’s hand. We weren’t exactly the best of friends and I wasn’t that outgoing that I held hands with everyone at that age, but we were so terrified that we had to hold on to what was reality and what was normal. It seemed to take forever until we got out of the garden and back to our friends.

It took us five years to talk about that day again, and to share our experiences with each other. Nowadays, I’m not sure if the first ghost I saw was actually a ghost, or part of my imagination, or just the light entering the room in a weird way. But the second ghost, the dark shape on the first floor, of that I am absolutely certain.

I went into the haunted house one more time, a couple of years later. But that’s a story for another time.

That said, have you ever seen a ghost? Or something you thought was a ghost? Have you ever entered a supposedly haunted mansion? What happened?

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And now.... it's time for a GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!


Majanka and I are giving away TWO eBook copies of her debut novel, The Blood That Defines Us!!!

The rules are simple:

--This is an international giveaway
--Must be 13 or older
--Must fill out THIS FORM

Of course, there are ways to get extra entries!

+1 GFC follower
+1 Twitter follower (@walkinginsects)
+3 Tweet about giveaway (mention me in it)
+5 Blog about giveaway
+5 Leave a comment on this post regarding Majanka's story! (Only your first comment will count.)

Simple, right? I know. This giveaway will close on June 28th!!!

Teaser Tuesday #29

This meme is hosted weekly by MizB @ Should Be Reading. Anyone can participate, even if you don't have a blog (you can post back in MizB's comments).
*Grab your current read.

*Open to a random page.

*Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page. You can share more if you want!

*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!!! (Make sure that what you share doesn't give away too much information. You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

*Share the title and autor as well, so that Teaser participants may add to their TBR list/s if they enjoy your teasers!

*Leave a link in the comment section of MizB's blog so that others can check out your teasers! You may leave your teasers here with the book title and author if you do not have a blog. (MizB's Blog)

This week's teasers come from page 103 of Falling Under by Gwen Hayes (GoodReads, Amazon):

My makeup was an altogether different experience. Shellacked and powdered, I protested her heavy hand, but my objections were dismissed. As were my protests about the red ahlter shirt she put me in, claiming it was a dress. If my future included a street corner and a pimp named Ice Money, I'd be ready.


This novel was amazing!! I'm super-anxious for the sequel to be released! :D

Happy Reading!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Music Monday #17

Music Monday is a "meme"* that I will try to post every week or biweekly. In these posts, I will provide you with what song, artist, CD, etc. I am currently into the most.

* Meme is quoted because I will not be providing a Linky for you to add you links to, nor will I be advertising these posts. However, if you would like to participate and leave a link or your music info in a comment, I have no problem with that.

[As you all may have noticed, I never had a movie up in the last few posts. For this reason, I have deleted the movie portion from these posts; however, you may still have movies in your posts or leave movie info in the comments.]

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Music

1) How to Love by Lil Wayne. First of all, lemme tell ya. This did *not* sound like Lil Wayne to me the first time I heard it. But I instantly fell in love with it! It's just so amazing how he can capture so many feelings in 4 and a half minutes :).

Song Rating: 5 Wings
Music Video:



Happy Listening!

The Week Ahead... (June 13-19)

Every Sunday, I will let you all know what to look forward to in the upcoming week: reviews, guest posts, memes, whatever I think/know I will be putting up for your viewing. The things I post will not always be followed out, but I'll try. Vice versa, I might end up posting something that isn't mentioned in this post.

For the week of June 13th - 19th...

Monday:
~ Music Monday

Tuesday:
~ Teaser Tuesday
~ Guest post by Majanka Verstraete & Giveaway!!!

Wednesday:
~ Waiting on Wednesday

Thursday:
~ Thursday Interpretation & Library Unveiled
~ Review of Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Friday:
~ Book Blogger Hop & Fun Friday

Saturday:
~ What's your status? (co-hosting with Marla!!!)

Sunday:
~ In My Mailbox & Sunday Confessions

Have a great week everybody!!! :D

Sunday, June 12, 2011

In My Mailbox #22 & Sunday Confessions #17


In My Mailbox is a meme hosted every week by The Story Siren. To find out how to participate and the "official" details, check out the IMM page.

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.

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Bought from the store:

--The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide by Stephenie Meyer

Got in the mail (Thanks, Mad Scientist!):

--Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

I'm super excited to read Crescendo because I ahdored Hush, Hush; and I'm a huge Twilight fan, so the Illustrated Guide will be ahmazing for sure :)

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This meme was started by Marcie @ To Read or Not To Read. She started it as a way to share a little about herself, but to learn about the rest of us as well. She says, "Sometimes its about books and book related topics and sometimes it's not. This is all in good fun and I would love it if you would participate."

This week's question is

"What are some of the things you do to keep cool during the summer?"

During the summer, we usually don't go out to that many places, so I'm free to sit around the house in a tank top and shorts. On the occasional times that we do go out, I usually wear jeans or capris and a short-sleeved, bright-coloured shirt. :) We keep it cool in the house, so if you ask me, there's not that much of a need for ice cream or cold drinks. Not that I don't like them anyway

What would you do if today was your last day?

Leave a link to your IMM &/or SC and I will be sure to come by! :)

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Giveaways Galore! Don't Miss Out!


I will be having my first GIVEAWAY soon!!! I know; I'm excited as well! :D As part of a book tour for Majanka Verstraete's first novel, The Blood That Defines Us, she will be giving away two eBook copies of the book!! I won't give all the deets until Tues, but here are a few:
----This giveaway is open internationally.
----There is a possibility of you having 15 entries max. Won't be telling you what this is until Tuesday though :D
----You must be 13+ years of age to sign up for this!

And the one we're all anxious for: my ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY in July, and I would love for you all to join me! I will be having a blogoversary celebration week July 3rd-9th (A schedule for that week is at the bottom of this post). The giveaway starts on the 3rd, and will last about 3 weeks!!! Dont miss it! I'm giving away five -- yes, FIVE 2011 debuts and swag from two authors! :D Here are a few deets about it:
----This giveaway is open to US residents only.
----Must be 13+ years of age.
----There's a possibility of you having 31 entries max. =DDD All I will say is that there's commenting and following involved!

Something I'm sure you'll want to know:
As of right now, the prizes for the Blogoversary giveaway are all going to one person. BUT if I can reach 225 followers by July 3rd, I'll split it into TWO prizes!

"But what if you don't reach it?", you ask? Well, if I can reach 400 followers on Twitter between now and July 3rd, I will still divide it among two winners! My Twitter profile is HERE.

Spread the word! You've got 22 days and counting! (That's counting today.)


Blogoversary Celebration Week Schedule:
July 3rd- Interview w/Tessa Gratton
July 4th- Review of Clarity by Kim Harrington
July 5th- Interview w/Carrie Harris
July 6th- Review of Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
July 7th- Review of The Lipstick Laws; Interview w/Amy Holder
July 8th- Review of Divergent by Veronica Roth
July 9th- Review of Wild Child; Interview w/Mike Wells

What's your status? (11/6/2011) & Interview w/Marcie!!!





This post was inspired by, well, my previous Reading Status posts. I wanted to make it something that everyone could particpate in. Every Saturday (and sometimes Sunday), I will post what I've finished in the past week, what I'm currently reading and where I am in the book/s, what I plan to read next, and possibly what I want to buy/get. I will be trying to do this every week, so be sure to check back every weekend! Be sure to leave your links to your WYS posts in the comments.

This next portion of the post is an idea that I saw on the wonderful blog Small Review. She posts what reviews and memes she has posted and participated in that last week. Remember, however, that it is not mandatory for you to do this part of the post.


Things You Don't Wanna Miss:
~Things You Don't Wanna Miss #2!

Reviews this week:
~Beastly, by Alex Flinn
~I Am Number Four (movie)
~Hate List, by Jennifer Brown

Memes this week:
~In My Mailbox & Sunday Confessions
~Music Monday
~Teaser Tuesday
~Waiting on Wednesday
~Thursday Interpretation & Library Unveiled
~Book Blogger Hop & Fun Friday


Now, for my status! (Please keep in mind that you do not have to use this exact format. Whatever works for you is what works for me.)

Finished This Week:
1. Clarity (Clarity, #1) by Kim Harrington. Finished on 7/6/2011. Loved this novel! It was really intriguing, and I breezed through it!

2. Falling Under (Falling Under, #1) by Gwen Hayes. Finished on 9/6/2011. Loved this novel as well! I'm really rackin it up with the debuts this year :)

Currently Reading:
1. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. On page 227. Didn't get a chance to read this one this week, but am going to try to next week!

2. The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder. On page 75. This is a really good novel so far. Again with the debuts! Haha; this novel has made me laugh a lot so far :)

3. Fallen by Lauren Kate. Have read 25%. Reading this via OnRead.com, but I'm really loving it so far. The page numbers are all jacked up, though, because the spacing is just awful, so I'm on like page 237; LOL.

Next On My TBR (To Be Read) Pile:
1. Divergent by Veronica Roth

What I Would Like To Buy Next:
~Cloaked by Alex Flinn


Don't forget to leave the link to your WYS post in the comments!
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And now...

As a kick-off for the 1st Annual What's Your Status? Contest, Marcie from To Read or Not To Read will be co-hosting with me today! We have interviewed each other, and here is my half of the interview. Click HERE to go to Marcie's post!!!!


1. Let's start from the beginning, shall we? What got you interested in reading?
I can't remember a time that I didn't love to read. So I guess I would say that my parents love of reading was passed on to me.

2. What made you want to start blogging?
I wanted a place where I could express my thoughts about the books I read.

3. What's your favorite food in the whole world?
My favorite food is guacamole. I can't seem to resist eating it.

4. How did you decide on your blog's name? I've honestly always wondered.
To Read or Not To Read is a question I ask myself whenever I pick up a book.

5. What would you say is your favrite word in the dictionary?
serendipity

6. How long have you had your blog?
A little over a year ago. I started my blog in April of 2010.

7. Who are some of your favorite authors, young adult and otherwise?
Jane Austen because I've loved her books for so long.
J.K. Rowling because I'm reading the Harry Potter books for the first time and loving them!
Gail Carriger because I love her sense of humor.


8. If you had to choose between a party and super-old rerun marathons, you would choose . . . ?
I like going to parties but I think I would choose super-old rerun marathons. Especially if it was Buffy.

9. The first word that comes to mind when you hear/read the word "gumbo" would be . . . ?
tasty

10. Do you have a favorite book/series?
My favorite book is Persuasion by Jane Austen. I absolutely love the characters in the novel. Plus the letter that Captain Wentworth writes Anne is so beautiful.

11. Lastly, but not least, can you give us a few ways to keep up with what's happening on your blog?
You can follow my blog through GFC by clicking the follow button on my blog. http://www.2readornot2read.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/2readornot2read
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/To-Read-or-Not-To-Read/141895542501126



Thanks, Marcie, for co-hosting with me this Saturday!!
Join us next week as Marla from Starting the Next Chapter joins us!!