Must Read Monday (#14)

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The goal of the Must Read Monday is to find share your love of great books with others in the hopes that they'll add a new title to their To Be Read list.

Your job is to create intrigue for other hoppers. What makes your book so swoon-worthy? What do you absolutely have to mention so they'll read it?

On your post, you'll make an acrostic puzzle (think of it as an overview/book blurb type of thing).

For specific ways to build your puzzle, click here, but pretty much any style of acrostic is welcome.

When you leave comments on other posts, be sure to mention whether you're adding that book to your TBR pile, and what part convinced you to do so.

It's all about powers of persuasion, people:) You might have to think a little, but channel that inner-creative goddess (or god).

Winner of Must Read Monday Week #13:

Jinky @ Jinky is Reading (Push)

Several great ones, again, but I loved the way Jinky's last line connected with the entire acrostic..."to break the Hell of a life by pushing forward and onward." In four short lines, she really illustrates an awful childhood and the desire of the main character to persevere.

I haven't read this one yet (or seen the movie), but now it's on my TBR list.

Remember, you must follow the winner to participate this week!



This week's topic:
Favorite self-published book (or, if you don't have one, a book that is underpublicized that more people should know about)

Here's mine:

Tyler is a fantasy, someone Anna can't
Have
Even she realizes she's not his type

Sleeping brings her nightmares of a
Panic-filled school, their school,
And it's being shot up
Carelessly, by someone she knows
Emotional connections are made

Between Tyler and Anna on that staircase, they must save
Every last person.
Tyler finds Anna at school, and she knows. He
Was there. They had the same dream.
Entwined in an alternate reality, that starts and
Ends with the closing of eyes
Neither knows if it's too late to stop the bullets.

Here's my review.
I barely touched on the major storyline. There were lots of other exciting twists and turns in the suspense-filled The Space Between by Alexandra Sokoloff.

*Next week's topic: (a little twist) A fictional character you'd want as your best friend (the acrostic can be the name, but make sure to mention the title of the book in your post)

Guidelines:

• Must become a follower to participate.
• Follow the winner from last week to participate.
• Grab my button to place in your post.
• Make sure you have a backlink in your post to each weekly post I put up, not just to my website.
• Where it says your name please include name @ blog name Ex: Jenna @ Fans of Fiction
• Your exact post URL is the one that goes in the linky box, not your website.
• Don't just hop around; leave comments! We all love reading what others have to say.
• Enjoy!

Must Read Monday (#13)

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The goal of the Must Read Monday is to find share your love of great books with others in the hopes that they'll add a new title to their To Be Read list.

Your job is to create intrigue for other hoppers. What makes your book so swoon-worthy? What do you absolutely have to mention so they'll read it?

On your post, you'll make an acrostic puzzle (think of it as an overview/book blurb type of thing).

For specific ways to build your puzzle, click here, but pretty much any style of acrostic is welcome.

When you leave comments on other posts, be sure to mention whether you're adding that book to your TBR pile, and what part convinced you to do so.

It's all about powers of persuasion, people:) You might have to think a little, but channel that inner-creative goddess (or god).

Winners of Must Read Monday Week #12:

Pamela @ At Home Between the Pages (The Scorpio Races)

and

Eve Quinn @ Even Quinn's Notebook (The Host)

These ladies did such an awesome job that I had to pick both!

Pamela's grabbed me from the start: "Thisby is an island Haunted by Evil, flesh-eating water horses..." How can you not want to pick up that book. Plus her last two lines were, "Except there can only be one winner. So let the games begin." She did an excellent job on imagery and details.

Eve Quinn consistently has a meaning in every word she writes, and all the lines tell the story superbly. Loved everything, including the description "Everyone has succumbed to the souls," but her last line is awesome: "Two souls, two different loves, one shared body, and one intricate bond between captor and captive."

I'm impressed!

Remember, you must follow both ladies to participate this week!



This week's topic:
An amazing controversial/banned book (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/21stcenturychallenged#2010)
You can check the top banned books each year on this list up to 2010. I found mine by looking at the "frequently banned classics" list.

Here's mine:

Allegory of the Russian Revolution, children
Need to know of the millions of innocent souls taken by Stalin.
In the story, the animals revolt,
Make their own rules
Agree to never sleep in a bed, stay in the farmhouse,
Live like the humans.

Fight for power ensues between the smartest pigs, Snowball
And Napoleon. Snowball wants to build a windmill for electricity.
Raising puppies up as killers, Napoleon desires complete and utter control.
Maybe humans should be the role model, not the enemy.

This book was banned because "Orwell was a communist" and the phrase "masses will revolt" was used in the text. Also, in some editions there were pictures of pigs drinking alcohol, which were found to be contrary to Islamic and Arab values.

Let me stand up so I can fall back into my chair shaking with laughter (mostly of the ironic kind). So books can be banned on hearsay? I also can't imagine a group of teens saying, "We now feel called to rebel."

*Next week's topic: Favorite self-published book (or, if you don't have one, a book that is underpublicized that more people should know about)

Guidelines:

• Must become a follower to participate.
• Follow the winner from last week to participate.
• Grab my button to place in your post.
• Make sure you have a backlink in your post to each weekly post I put up, not just to my website.
• Where it says your name please include name @ blog name Ex: Jenna @ Fans of Fiction
• Your exact post URL is the one that goes in the linky box, not your website.
• Don't just hop around; leave comments! We all love reading what others have to say.
• Enjoy!

Tawny Stokes- Static and Demon Whisperer

Spotlight on author Tawny Stokes

If you haven't checked out Stokes' books yet, here are two must-reads. Intriguing plotlines mixed with bits of evil and sinister, you will find yourself immersed in her storytelling with little time to come up for air.

"Static," by Tawny Stokes

"During the summer before her senior year, 17 year old band groupie, Salem Vale, has been following her favorite punk rockers, Malice, from gig to gig hoping that one night she might get backstage and meet the sinisterly sexy guys. She’s been saving her virginity for the lead singer Thane. One fateful evening she gets her wish. It’s a dream come true.

Except the dream turns to a nightmare when she wakes up in a dumpster, tossed away like yesterday’s trash, with no memory of what happened the night before. She feels strange, different, as if something is trying to get out. Soon she realizes she’s changing…turning into something not quite human.

Now a hunger deep inside claws at her to feed, to siphon energy from those around her. Before she can do just that, Trevor, the band’s roadie shows up and stops her from killing. With his help she learns to control the hunger inside, because he’s just like her. And in return he wants her help to do one little thing…
Help him kill the members of Malice." -Goodreads

PRAISE FOR STATIC:

“Everything about the book (Static) from the characters to the plot, was unique, and exciting.” – Bree, The Awesome Magic Attic YA book blog

“Static is fast-paced and I couldn't put it down once I got into the story. I finished it in a matter of several hours! I would recommend this book to absolutely anyone, male or female, book-lover or not, because the sheer awesomeness must be shared with the entire world! How can awesom-ocity of this level not be recognized by everyone on earth? Pick up a copy as soon as you can, and if you don't, then you're seriously missing out.” – Cade, Braintasia Books blog

-- GET "STATIC" by Tawny Stokes HERE -- 

_____________________________________________________________________________

"Awake after a year-long coma, where he literally spent in hell, Caden Butcher, 17, developed a special power. He can speak to demons in their own language. This new trick helps him take over the family exorcism business, from his broken alcoholic father. Having to take care of the finances, Caden makes a decent income getting rid of demons. He’s known as the young whiz-kid exorcist to the stars, obtaining most of his work in Hollywood. But what others don't know is the exorcisms are all staged with the help of his best buddy, a demon he met in hell named Dantalion (Dan).

When an exorcism goes wrong, Caden discovers the demon inside a teen girl is not the run of the mill malicious entity but an adversary from down under who is hell bent on Caden’s destruction. The International Order of Exorcists, an organization that tolerates Caden at best because of his respected father, starts their own investigation because of his screw up.

Now with the help of his demon buddy, and Caden’s girlfriend Aspen Spencer, a skilled necromancer, Caden must track down the rogue demon before he can expose Caden as a fraud and destroy everything that matters to him in his life, ending his reign as the one and only Demon Whisperer." -Goodreads

Demon Whisperer is an excellent read that I couldn't put down. Check out my review here. Buy Demon Whisperer HERE.

Also, stop by Tawny's webpage at http://tawnystokes.com/ for more info. on her work and where to purchase it.

Must Read Monday (#12)

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Happy 3-day weekend:) I hope you get Monday off, too. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a great man...it is definitely right that we honor him as such.
So...I put this up a little early with the thought that those of us who don't have work tomorrow might be up surfing the blogosphere. And also, some people around the world are already experiencing their Monday.
Hope you have some time to share a book title with us!

The goal of the Must Read Monday is to find share your love of great books with others in the hopes that they'll add a new title to their To Be Read list.

Your job is to create intrigue for other hoppers. What makes your book so swoon-worthy? What do you absolutely have to mention so they'll read it?

On your post, you'll make an acrostic puzzle (think of it as an overview/book blurb type of thing).

For specific ways to build your puzzle, click here, but pretty much any style of acrostic is welcome.

When you leave comments on other posts, be sure to mention whether you're adding that book to your TBR pile, and what part convinced you to do so.

It's all about powers of persuasion, people:) You might have to think a little, but channel that inner-creative goddess (or god).

Winner of Must Read Monday Week #11:

Valette M. @ Book Snatch (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Valette did a great job of telling the story, even using repetition -- "Do not kill a mockingbird." My favorite line was "In the night, a knife flashes, someone saves..." She mentions lots of characters, including Boo Radley. Once you hear that name, how can you not want to read this classic? I definitely enjoyed it in school!

Remember, you must follow Valette M. to participate this week!

 

This week's topic: Book with a wonderful ending

Here's mine:

Top student Macy
Has a summer job at the library and
Endless hours of SAT studying to occupy her

Time while her boyfriend is away.
Running miles to forget
Until she sits still, 
Thinks about her dad's death in the silence.
Her mom needs help during

An open house one night, and Macy
Bumps into a crazy, spirited
Overstretched crew of caterers
Unintentionally sucked into
Their creative chaos,

Following a wild urge to try
Out something in addition to her
Runs, Macy meets Will of Wish Catering. Around
Every corner, his surprises sneak up:
Vulnerable, insightful, artistic.
Even she has to admit that life is a
Rollercoaster ride best enjoyed with love.

*Next week's category: An amazing controversial/banned book (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/banned/bannedbooksweek/ideasandresources/free_downloads/2011banned.pdf)
If you need to reference the most recent list of banned books, click the above link.

Guidelines:

• Must become a follower to participate.
• Follow the winner from last week to participate.
• Grab my button to place in your post.
• Make sure you have a backlink in your post to each weekly post I put up, not just to my website.
• Where it says your name please include name @ blog name Ex: Jenna @ Fans of Fiction
• Your exact post URL is the one that goes in the linky box, not your website.
• Don't just hop around; leave comments! We all love reading what others have to say.
• Enjoy!

In My Mailbox (#14)

Hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren, In My Mailbox is a chance for bloggers to share what new titles they received, bought, or checked out over the week.

Christmas gift from my grandma-in-law (forgot it last week):

A friend's first published book (got it signed yesterday!) :

I won't put the covers up of the educational ones I received, but I won a door prize at a conference and was able to choose up to $100 free books from Bigbee Learning Resources:

• iWrite- Using Blogs, Wikis, and Digital Stories in the English Classroom
• Papers, Papers, Papers- An English Teacher's Survival Guide
• "Is It Done Yet?"- Teaching Adolescents the Art of Revision
• Strange Bedfellows- Surprising Text Pairs and Lessons for Reading and Writing Across Genres
• CrunchTime- Lessons to Help Students Blow the Roof Off Writing Tests

What lovely literature did you get this week?

Feature & Follow Friday (#12)

Feature & Follow Friday is a blog hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read-- a chance for bloggers to hop around and discover new things about each other (plus new blogs!).

Question of the Week: Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

I'm very eclectic when it comes to music. Bands/artists you must check out if you haven't, even if they don't come out with a song this year:

• Adele (so young, so soulful)
• Sara Bareilles (maybe she and Adele could be best friends?)
• Lady Antebellum (sweet cross-over melodies)
• Gavin DeGraw (such catchy tunes, even if the hits come once every 4-6 years)
• Paramore (such angst, such raw emotion)
• No Doubt (where have you gone, Mrs. Stefani?)
• Alanis Morisette ('cause she's so ironic!)
• Taylor Swift (just don't get on her bad side)
• Any Glee soundtrack (AMAZING!)
• All Saints (anyone ever heard of these girls?? My idols as a teen!)
• Phantom of the Opera soundtrack (just saw this on broadway but have always adored the score; Andrew Lloyd Webber's a musical genius)

What music do you like? Maybe there's something I should be listening to that I didn't mention?

If you haven't already, check out Parajunkee's new meme, Social Hop.
You can link up your Twitter and Facebook fan page.

Review: Demon Whisperer

"Awake after a year-long coma, where he literally spent in hell, Caden Butcher, 17, developed a special power. He can speak to demons in their own language. This new trick helps him take over the family exorcism business, from his broken alcoholic father. Having to take care of the finances, Caden makes a decent income getting rid of demons. He’s known as the young whiz-kid exorcist to the stars, obtaining most of his work in Hollywood. But what others don't know is the exorcisms are all staged with the help of his best buddy, a demon he met in hell named Dantalion (Dan).

When an exorcism goes wrong, Caden discovers the demon inside a teen girl is not the run of the mill malicious entity but an adversary from down under who is hell bent on Caden’s destruction. The International Order of Exorcists, an organization that tolerates Caden at best because of his respected father, starts their own investigation because of his screw up.

Now with the help of his demon buddy, and Caden’s girlfriend Aspen Spencer, a skilled necromancer, Caden must track down the rogue demon before he can expose Caden as a fraud and destroy everything that matters to him in his life, ending his reign as the one and only Demon Whisperer." -Goodreads

Stats:

• Format: Kindle ebook
• Page count: 223
• Would appeal to: Those who like supernatural elements, including zombies and demons
• Amazon Link

Caden Butcher. His name falls gracefully off the tongue. At first I thought it was weird but fitting, seeing as how he exorcises demons; but after a while, it perfectly fit his personality. A little sexy, a tad daring. The story is narrated by Caden, and it's sweet how much he likes his girlfriend Aspen. I could tell how much she turned him on, so I was surprised that his thoughts didn't go a little more into the great beyond of inappropriateness. His scheme with Dan to make a quick buck off the Hollywood elite is quite clever, and at times, he even had me convinced he'd done tons of real exorcisms in his 19 years. The infused Latin definitely gives an element of realism to the story. The plotline about the lack of closeness between Caden and his dad was also realistic, though it was still obvious he looked up to his dad in a huge way.

My favorite character was Dan, the demon freed from hell by Caden. He has a penchant for shoveling down pizza, which fits a gluttonous demon. A pretty nonchalant guy, he speaks as little as possible but has Caden's back when all is said and done. Plus, it's refreshing to find a good-looking character who doesn't flaunt his looks. I like the idea that just because he is a demon from hell, he isn't necessarily all bad. He was just trying to survive underground, the same as Caden.

Aspen was also a pretty kick-butt girl, an apprentice to her mom who raises the dead. Overall, the minor characters, including the coffeehouse girl Saleisha, were very two-dimensional-- the quirky sides of their personalities are well developed.

Stokes does a great job of revealing details in pieces so the reader craves more. I liked not knowing all about the inside (the seven layers of hell) until Caden's mind is ready to remember it.

I was a little surprised that the public in the story knew about zombies, but I shouldn't have been because everyone was so interested in demons.

Parts seemed slightly repetitive, especially the words "padded" (as in walking) and "folded" (as in folding pizza into the mouth). There are also far too many times Caden has to swallow bile that's rising in his throat or try to control the contents of his stomach from coming up. This makes him seem a little too sensitive, even though I liked knowing he was vulnerable and scared. Also, a few grammatical errors occured here and there (not counting Canadian spellings), but nothing that hindered the story.

The ending fell short for me; it was too punny and maybe like a forced lesson. It is good to know, however, that there will be a second installment to come in March. I hope it contains a little romance and a lot more Dan:) After reading this piece by Stokes, I look forward to delving into her other book, Static.

First off, Tawny Stokes writes with such a natural flow that it was easy to dive right into the first chapter. After that, time simply flew by. Five hours later, I'd finished this book! With memorable characters, a constant building of action, more than one plot twist, and chapter hooks, this story took me in a direction I'd never thought I'd go, let alone enjoy: demons.

--GET DEMON WHISPERER HERE--

Must Read Monday (#11)

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I hope everyone had a great end to 2011 and some sort of holiday vacation! It's time to bring back Must Read Monday:)

The goal of the Must Read Monday is to find share your love of great books with others in the hopes that they'll add a new title to their To Be Read list.

Your job is to create intrigue for other hoppers. What makes your book so swoon-worthy? What do you absolutely have to mention so they'll read it?

On your post, you'll make an acrostic puzzle (think of it as an overview/book blurb type of thing).

For specific ways to build your puzzle, click here, but pretty much any style of acrostic is welcome.

When you leave comments on other posts, be sure to mention whether you're adding that book to your TBR pile, and what part convinced you to do so.

It's all about powers of persuasion, people:) You might have to think a little, but channel that inner-creative goddess (or god).

Winner of Must Read Monday Week #10:

EVERYONE! (And I can totally do that!) Great job, ladies! Way to end the year with a bang. (If you're participating this week, you don't have to follow everyone, but at least leave comments.)

This week's topic: Favorite book you were forced to read for school, classic or not!

Here's mine:

Just a sweet child, treated as
Anything but by Mrs. Reed, her abusive aunt.
Not soon enough, Jane is sent away to school, but forced to
Endure more torture, alongside kindred soul, Helen.

Epidemic in the form of typhus sweeps the school, and claims Jane's only joy.
Years later, Jane becomes a governess for
Rochester, for whom she secretly falls, but
Even he harbors a twisted secret that could destroy their seemingly perfect love.

*Next week's topic: Book with a wonderful ending

Guidelines:

• Must become a follower to participate.
• Follow the winner from last week to participate.
• Grab my button to place in your post.
• Make sure you have a backlink in your post to each weekly post I put up, not just to my website.
• Where it says your name please include name @ blog name Ex: Jenna @ Fans of Fiction
• Your exact post URL is the one that goes in the linky box, not your website.
• Don't just hop around; leave comments! We all love reading what others have to say.
• Enjoy!

In My Mailbox (#13)

It has been a crazy week, but I had to stop reading to blog about the books I got that I'm beyond excited to read! Kristi at The Story Siren hosts this meme where bloggers can showcase any books they received over the week.

Bought with Christmas Giftcards:

 Giveaway Win from Pawing Through Books:

What did you get in your mailbox this week??

Review: The Fate Of The Muse

Trouble is stalking Marina. She’s already escaped the clutches of her formidable foe once, but fate has even more trials in store for her. There are evil plans in the works– plans that threaten both her and her newly found family.
As she struggles to come to grips with her unwanted powers, outside forces threaten to tear Marina and Ethan apart, making her doubt their vision of an idyllic future together. Can first love be true love?

- Goodreads

Stats:

• Format: ebook
• Publisher: Self-Published
• Release Date: September 16, 2011 
• File Size: 531 KB

Favorite Quotes:

"I walked slowly back towards Evie, feeling the laces of my mental corset cinching back in, constricting more tightly with each exhale, once again, making it almost impossible to breathe."


"It felt like I was gliding on the edge of an infinite universe, and I was mercifully completely caught up in the rapturous sensation of forgetting."


"After flying over thousands of miles of open ocean, the island of Maui rose up from the sea like a faceted stone, cloaked in velvety green. Deep blue water lightened to a turquoise ring around the gemlike island."

"I always thought that being in love would be smooth sailing on tranquil seas. Instead, I felt like I was being tossed around in a violent storm with only a few fleeting moments of calm."


"They were bizarre and otherworldly, but almost unbearably beautiful to look at."

"Hurting someone as good and kind as Abby would be doubly evil, like killing a unicorn."


Review:


The Fate Of The Muse is the third book by Derrolyn Anderson in the Marina's Tales series.  It follows Marina in the aftermath of some bad experiences from the second book.  Marina has been summoned to meet with a council of mermaid/human hybrids due to the attention that her muse powers are drawing.  It is crucial that people remain ignorant of the mermaids' existence for the very real fear of being hunted, captured, etc.  She learns that she has many additional abilities that the others do not have; she becomes afraid of what they'd think if they knew the full extent of what she can do.  The Edwards family is continuing on with their plot to breed mermaids for their personal use and Marina is vital to their success.  


I liked this book the least so far.  I kind of had the same problem with it that I did in the second- there are so many elements to the story that it ends up detracting from the main conflict.  The pace seemed very slow and it came across as simply trying to stretch out to create more books.  I'm also having an increasing problem with Marina's muse powers.  More abilities are surfacing (and becoming more powerful) and it's getting to be too much- in my mind I compare it to a little kid who pretends to have super powers and keeps adding new ones in order to be the best (I can't die, I can shoot lasers from my eyes, I can read people's minds, I have razor-sharp claws, and I can fly!).  


I'm sure at this point you're thinking that I hated this book- not true!  There is still something very captivating about Marina and her story.  She continues to date Ethan (whom fully redeemed himself in my eyes) and they map out their future together.  There are a few hiccups in their relationship (an ex-girlfriend, the return of Kimo, and Aunt Evie's continued desires for a wealthier mate for Marina), but overall their bond is strong.  I am hoping that their relationship continues to grow and gets juicier ;)  He seems to be coming to terms with Marina's love for the sea and takes a huge step in trying to enjoy it with her.


I have always enjoyed the author's detailed descriptions of the fashion, parties, and all things girly in her stories.  The pictures that she creates are vivid and a fun touch.  There is a lot more of this due to the prom, a trip to Paris for fashion week, and a Hawaiian photo shoot.


One thing I didn't like that had nothing to do with the story itself was the cover of the book.  The previous covers were drawn and this one is a picture.  Obviously this is no reason to not buy a book and read it, but I thought the others matched the fantastical storyline better (plus I thought the pictures of Marina were pretty!).  


I have read other reviews of this book and it seems that I'm in the minority for not liking it as much as the others.  What can I say, some stories aren't for everyone!  

2011 End of Year Book Survey

The Perpetual Page Turner is hosting an end of the year book survey that can be completed at any time. I'm watching The League (great series) with my brother and husband, and figured I could multitask:)

1. Best Book You Read In 2011? 

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

(Favorite ARC to be released in 2012: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows)

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?
Crossed by Ally Condie. I was highly anticipating the sequel to Matched because Condie is a beautiful writer, but it fell a little short of my expectations.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?
Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I hadn't heard anything about this book when I bought it, and it made me cry at the end. Plus, I was blown away by Oliver's writing.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?
It's probably a three-way tie between Matched by Ally Condie, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Divergent by Veronica Roth.

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?
Gone by Michael Grant- Kids with powers forced to run society: way better than Lord of the Flies!

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?
Lauren Oliver and Sarah Ockler, hands down

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan- there were a lot of science fiction elements in this, but I found them interesting instead of confusing.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?

But I Love Him by Amanda Grace. It consumed me completely. I had to know if Ann would realize Conner's abuse had gone too far.

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?
Crossed by Ally Condie

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

11. Most memorable character in 2011? 
Adam in Where She Went by Gayle Forman, a sexy musician (Close second- infuriatingly cocky Noah Shaw in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer)

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- The descriptions from Death about the colors of things are unbelievable.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011? 
Stolen by Lucy Christopher- My heart was breaking near the middle and the end when Ty's vulnerable and sweet side was revealed. Gemma knew she should hate her captor, but he was only human.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read? 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- How could I wait with all the hype?

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011? 
From Where She Went by Gayle Forman
"I look at her there in the shadows of the shut-down city, her hair falling onto her face, and I can see her trying to figure out if I’ve lost it. And I have to fight the urge to take her by the shoulders and slam her against a shuttered building until we feel the vibrations ringing through both of us. Because I suddenly want to hear her bones rattle. I want to feel the softness of her flesh give, to hear her gasp as my hip bone jams into her. I want to yank her head back until her neck is exposed. I want to rip my hands through her hair until her breath is labored. I want to make her cry and then lick up the tears. And then I want to take my mouth to hers, to devour her alive, to transmit all the things she can’t understand."

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012? 
Definitely Delirium before Pandemonium comes out, and also The Hunger Games before the movie comes out:)

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The ending of Delirium (did you love it or hate it?) and The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (practically all the scenes where they almost kiss, such fabulous descriptions!).

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2011 (optional)

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2011? 

I started by blog in the summer of 2011, and the blog I most admire with the sweetest person ever is Kristan's Lost Amongst the Shelves blog. Go check it out!

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2011? 

Remembrance review- Michelle Madow is a super sweet lady. I was really nervous to put up a review for her blog tour because I didn't absolutely love the book as much as others. However, I worked really hard to include the positive and negative aspects of the book and was really proud of it when it was finished.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog? 
I definitely need to put up some discussion related posts...didn't do that this year.

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else's blog?
Not many are coming to mind, but I do appreciate Kristi @ The Story Siren's views on Ten Things I Dislike About Your Blog. I could relate to a lot of what she said and also was pleased to find out my blog didn't have a lot of the elements she considered annoying. Posts like that are helpful to new bloggers, as long as they keep in mind that opinions are subjective.

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
Sonia Gensler, author of The Revenant, offered a creative writing workshop at the school where I work. It was great to see the kids interested and asking thought-provoking questions. Plus it's always great to get signed swag!

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2011?
So I started a Must Read Monday meme, and the best moment was when I saw one of the participants embed a link on her comment that said "My MRM". Gave me little tingles inside:)

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
My 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge Sign-ups had 118 views! We already have over 300 participants:)

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
My Far From the War review. 56 people viewed it, but no one left any comments:(

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
Best of Books gives a 20% teacher discount:)

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
Since I started blogging in the summer, I didn't really know about the challenges. This year I plan to do two!

Looking Ahead...


1. One Book You Didn't Get To In 2011 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2012?

I definitely need to read Shatter Me! I keep hearing such great things about it.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2012?

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2012?

I hope to include more book related discussions on my blog and interact with my followers more through comments. Who doesn't like a comment?

Happy 2012, everyone! Here's to losing ourselves in fiction the whole year long:)

2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge Day #1

 

So much for my blogging break until the 3rd:) I almost made it.

HAPPY 2012!!! I was in NYC on Dec. 23rd, so I saw the ball in Times Square, just had to watch it drop on TV.

Just wanted to remind everyone that Evie @ Bookish, along with this blog and eight others, are hosting the 2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, and it has officially begun!

Pick your those books that have been collecting dust on the shelves and read away! Here are the different Levels:

1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children

There are mini challenges each month for an opportunity to win prizes! Join us so you can shorten your own personal TBR pile.

The first book on my list hasn't actually been collecting dust, but it is a 2011 book, which means it's eligible for the challenge:

Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Click here to learn more about this awesome challenge. Sign ups continue throughout the year.