This is the next in my series of Wonderful YA Boys. To see what criteria I use to pick my favorite YA boys see this post. Graham Larkin is a movie star, so by all accounts he shouldn't be a wonderful YA boy. But he is! He didn't grow up in the acting/fame machine, he only became an actor later on, after he was already a young man. I think this helps him stay more grounded. He is also
*A word about this review. If you have not read book one of this series The False Prince, stop reading now and go pick it up. The very nature of this book spoils a main plot point of that book. You have been warned! 5 wonderful oatmeal butterscotch chip cookies! Cover Love: I like the simplicity and the colors and that it matches the first one. Why I Wanted to Read This: I simply loved
Jill of the OWL decided to make her Mondays short and sweet with Snapshot Monday. Take a picture of your current read and post it. That's all there is to it! I actually have moved along in my reading since the last Snapshot Monday! Today I am reading: I was reading Loki's Wolves, but got sidetracked with The Runaway King. It was a good thing, though because in the meantime I got a physical
This is the fifth in my series of Wonderful YA Boys. I have to admit, this is not the usual choice for me. I wouldn't look at Durango and say, "yeah, I want my boys to grow up like that." Mostly that's because of where Durango lives. He is basically a mercenary on Mars. But, when you look at who Durango is, his values, he does possess qualities I want to see in my sons when they are men!
5 warm & gooey chocolate chip cookies. Cover Love: This cover tells a lot of the story. I don't really love how Vienne looks, but it fits the other covers in the series. Plus I love how Durango looks! Why I Wanted to Read This: I read and adored the other two books in this series and really wanted to know how it ended! Here's the synopsis from GoodReads: Durango has always relied on Mimi
This morning I checked my email and GoodReads had thoughtfully sent me an email letting me know that this book on my to-read shelf is now available. I must've put it on that shelf quite sometime ago because I didn't remember it at all! So I read the synopsis again and got really, really excited. This book sounds awesome! Here's the synopsis: Logan Wilde is accidentally drawn into the
Jill over at OWL decided to make her Monday morning posts much easier with Snapshot Mondays. Take a picture of your current read. That's it! I am ashamed to say that I am still reading the books I posted last Monday. I have been in a slump. So this weekend I stepped away from them and whipped through This is What Happy Looks Like. Loved it! And The Runaway King is one of my most
Welcome everyone to my stop on The Fellowship for Alien Detection Blog Tour! Today I have the pleasure of hosting the author himself Kevin Emerson. He is going to share with you how important pancakes are to the main characters of his book and to everyone who is on an adventure! The most important food in THE FELLOWSHIP FOR ALIEN DETECTION (and, arguably in all road trip adventures) is
Awhile ago I was grumpy and I posted some of my librarian pet peeves. Today I have another one to add to that but I also have a fun thing about being a librarian! *Pet Peeve: kids reading series books out of order. It's quite amazing how quickly I learn who reads what. I pretty much know who is reading what series and if they've read them in order. It drives me nuts when someone comes in
So my good blogging friend Jill of the OWL started a new feature on her blog. I am joining her in this because she described it as short & sweet. Post a picture of what you are reading. Simple as that! (she is leapfrogging off the idea of It's Monday! What Are You Reading?--read about that here). I always have to have a Nook book and a print book going at the same time because I find
4 whoopie pies. Cover Love: Yes. I do like these covers because they have a story feel to them. Why I Wanted to Read This: After waiting too long to read Black Hole Sun, I didn't want to make that mistake with the next book in the series. I started this one as soon as I could! Here's the synopsis from Good Reads: Obsessed with MUSE, the clandestine project that created the AI in his
I always love to watch the trends in my library. In the years I have been a librarian I have seen series come and go and come back again. I love the changes I see every year. I can always count on the Warriors series being popular, very, very popular. But I always love it when a series gets popular with a group of kids and they all read every book. Lately these two series have been really
I love good fantasy middle grade books. I am talking Percy Jackson, Fablehaven, Artemis Fowl, Harry Potter, etc... In fact, I have been wanting a new series like this for some time. Here are a few upcoming ones that look very promising. A new middle grade trilogy for fans of Percy Jackson and the Olympians that combines Norse myth, magic, and adventure, written by New York Times
4 monster cookies. Cover Love: I actually like this cover. The original one was just black with the words Black Hole Sun in red font. This one has more story to it which I like. Why I Wanted to Read This: This came out in late summer 2010 when dystopian was big and just becoming huge. It was also right before Mockingjay came out and I think this one got lost in the shuffle. I bought it
4 sweet and yummy double chocolate chip cookies. Cover Love: Yes. It's such a simple touch and kind of below the table so it might be hidden. Love it! Why I Wanted to Read This: I read and adored If We Kiss. I loved the innocence of it all and was excited to read the sequel. Here's the synopsis from GoodReads: He closed the distance I'd opened up between us and kissed me lightly on the
4 soft frosted molasses cookies. Cover Love: I do love this cover. The colors work well together, the title is big and a major focal point and it has a strong fantasy element to it. Well done! Why I Wanted to Read This: Lately I have been missing reading good MG fantasy books and was really ready for a new one. I saw some good reviews on Jinx and I had the egalley so I decided to give it
There were book characters I related to, and even one that I wanted to be like, but there is one character that I still remember trying to model myself after as I was growing up...
In the town of Zombay, there is a witch named Graba who has clockwork chicken legs and moves her house around—much like the fairy tale figure of Baba Yaga. Graba takes in stray children, and Rownie is the youngest boy in her household. Rownie’s only real relative is his older brother Rowan, who is an actor. But acting is outlawed in Zombay, and Rowan has disappeared.Romance?: No.
Desperate to find him, Rownie joins up with a troupe of goblins who skirt the law to put on plays. But their plays are not only for entertainment, and the masks they use are for more than make-believe. The goblins also want to find Rowan—because Rowan might be the only person who can save the town from being flooded by a mighty river.
This accessible, atmospheric fantasy takes a gentle look at love, loss, and family while delivering a fast-paced adventure that is sure to satisfy.
What would happen if we kiss?Romance?: Yes! First love, first crush type romance.
Kevin led me quickly around the side of the building, then stopped. I managed not to crash into him. I tried to look calm, cool, unperturbed. I told myself not to laugh, especially not a snorting kind of laugh. "Wha . . . what did . . ."
And then he kissed me.
If We Kiss is the story of Charlotte (Charlie to her friends), who finds herself falling for a boy who is off-limits. Her best friend is in love with him, and her mother and his father are dating. Still, Charlie can't help but wonder, what would happen if we kiss?
Does this ever happen to you?
You read about a book that you know you want to read. So, you stalk NetGalley and Edelweiss, find any and all contests to enter, put a hold on the library's pre-order or pre-order it from the bookstore.
Then, finally, finally, you get a copy in your hot little hands! It might be an ARC or a won copy or an egalley or it might be after the publication date. And you jump up and down and smile and sigh. Happiness!
Then it sits. And sits. And sits. You just don't pick it up and read it right away. Even though you KNOW you will love it and most of the reviews you read confirm that, you just don't start it.
Why is that? I have a book that I wanted so badly, finally got it after it was released, and there it sits. Is it that I am afraid if it ending? Or not measuring up (if it is a sequel)? Or is the hunt what it's all about? The rush of getting it is so great that the reading can't be nearly as great?
All I know is that this trait of mine (and maybe yours) drive me nuts!
How about you? What bumps something to the top of your TBR pile?
Okay, I have written about this kind of thing before so go ahead and skip this if you want. Some of it will be new and some a rehash but here goes.
I had thoughts several times in the last year about not blogging anymore. I keep at it because I like sharing what I love and don't love about the books I read and books in general.
I feel I have a pretty good reputation because A) I am a librarian and B) I don't get involved in the drama that goes on (I am really too old for that). I respond to authors and publishers and get to be part of blog tours every now & again. I have more books than I can read--ARCS, egalleys, ebooks & physical books.
I have taken the pressure off myself by blogging when I have a book to review or a good idea to write about. Sometimes it is everyday, sometimes it is just a couple of times a month.
I have my very favorite book blogs to visit and bloggers I have developed relationships with.
I see new book blogs being started all the time and see some that have only been going on for a few months that have more followers than I have ever achieved and that's ok because I am not overly active on all social medias. I do feel most people who start blogs right now truly, truly have a love of reading, but are really after ARCs.
I am fine with where I am in the book blogging world and more than fine with where I am in my real life with books.
Yesterday I read more about some plagiarism going down between a few more established blogger (although one I hadn't heard of before) and a new blogger. One of the things being plagarized were reviews of books.
Why on earth would you plagiarize a review of a book? A review is your own thoughts and feelings about a book, not someone else's. I can more understand plagiarizing unique posts (understand, not agree with or condone) but a review?! I just shake my head!
I just feel the desperation of some bloggers to get out there, the get followers and traffic is palpable. And those bloggers are the ones that will probably give up much sooner rather than later.
I do feel icky when things like this come up and I hope that I can be a genuine voice, even if I am just a small one.
Since I am a librarian I should get to spend the day reading. However, no librarian I know actually gets to spend the day reading, but I do get some reading in each day through my twitter feed. I follow the basic publishers and authors but lately I found a few other tweeters that I look forward to reading everyday. Here are some of my favorites:
Modern Seinfeld: if you are a Seinfeld fan you have to start following this one. It's hysterical. The writers imagine plot lines for Seinfeld episodes as if Seinfeld was on the air today. It is spot on.
Honest Toddler: life as tweeted by a toddler. So funny! Sometimes they tweet a lot during the day about one topic and they never fail to make me giggle.
Crushable.com: tweet link to celebrity articles that are always so funny. I love this site! (It is the one responsible for The Babysitter's Club if it was rewritten by Bret Easton Ellis-awesome!)
Cute Emergency: There are a bunch of these types of twitter feeds out there but of all the ones I follow this one seems to tweet the most during the day. It's the best when you just need a picture of a cute animal!
Retta: She plays Donna on Parks & Rec. The best thing about her twitter feed is when she live tweets TV shows or movies she is watching. Always good for a laugh!
What are your favorite twitter feeds? How do you get some reading in during work?
(By the way, happy last day of January! This month really went slow for me. I hope February goes much quicker!)
Decided to do some playing around with my layout, template, colors, etc... Might take a few days before I get it how I want it so bear with me. I found a great blog that details making changes to blogger using picmonkey. Check it out here!
I loved the world created by Gail Carriger in the Parasol Protector series. It is just pure genius: steampunk, vampires, werewolves, and London society. I love being there and wes delighted to hear she'd started a YA/MG series set in the same world. Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:Romance?: No, but there was a rakish young man smiling at Sophronia at the end of the book that I hope comes back in the next book. There is also a crush on Sophronia by a sootie named Soap that might be explored in later books.
It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to finishing school.
Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is the bane of her mother's existence. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper etiquette at tea--and god forbid anyone see her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. She enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.
But little do Sophronia or her mother know that this is a school where ingenious young girls learn to finish, all right--but it's a different kind of finishing. Mademoiselle Geraldine's certainly trains young ladies in the finer arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also in the other kinds of finishing: the fine arts of death, diversion, deceit, espionage, and the modern weaponries. Sophronia and her friends are going to have a rousing first year at school.
First in a four book YA series set 25 years before the Parasol Protectorate but in the same universe.
4 very good oatmeal sandwich cookies. Cover Love: Yes I do like this cover. The title and picture make it seem very mysterious. I would've picked this one up when I was young. Why I Wanted to Read This: I started seeing some great reviews for this one and wanted to see if it was right for my library. Here's the synopsis from GoodReads: Darcy Jones doesn’t remember anything before the
Awww! Right on. I've been on a male POV kick these days.
Well, it's alternating points of view, but still really good!