Saturday, September 28, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (September 28)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews! It's a way to highlight the books that everyone got throughout the week.

Purchased


 Marie Antoinette Serial Killer by Katie Alender


Colette Iselin is excited to go to Paris on a class trip. She’ll get to soak up the beauty and culture, and maybe even learn something about her family’s French roots.

But a series of gruesome murders are taking place across the city, putting everyone on edge. And as she tours museums and palaces, Colette keeps seeing a strange vision: a pale woman in a ball gown and powdered wig, who looks suspiciously like Marie Antoinette.

Colette knows her popular, status-obsessed friends won’t believe her, so she seeks out the help of a charming French boy. Together, they uncover a shocking secret involving a dark, hidden history. When Colette realizes she herself may hold the key to the mystery, her own life is suddenly in danger . . .

Acclaimed author Katie Alender brings heart-stopping suspense to this story of revenge, betrayal, intrigue — and one killer queen.



The Wizard of Oz (The First Five Novels) by L. Frank Baum

I haven't read any of these (although the original was read to me when I was young), so I figured that I should buy them. Plus, it was bargain price!






The Taming of the Tights by Louise Rennison

Gadzooks! It's another term at Dother Hall for Tallulah and her mates. But can they keep their minds on the arts with all those boys about...After the thing-that-will-never-be-mentioned last term, Tallulah is keen to put all thoughts of Cain behind her. But that seems like that the last thing he wants. Their performing arts college may have been saved by Honey's mystery benefactor, but for how long is anyone's guess. So will Tallulah finally get to wear those golden slippers of applause or will Dr Lightowler swoop down on her glory days? And with Seth and Flossie forever snogging, Vaisey and Jack loved-up and Phil and Jo fondly biffing each other can Tallulah resist the call of her wild boy? Don your craziest tights and Irish dance your way to some surprising and hilariously unexpected answers...



For Review: 

 Slimed!


SLIMED! An Oral History of Nickelodeon's Golden Age tells the surprisingly complex, wonderfully nostalgic, and impressively compelling story of how Nickelodeon -- the First Kids' Network -- began as a DIY startup in the late 70s, and forged ahead through the early eighties with a tiny band of young artists and filmmakers who would go on to change everything about cable television, television in general, animation, and children's entertainment, proving just what can be done if the indie spirit is kept alive in the corporate world of contemporary media... All from those who made it happen!

*Nickelodeon was my childhood, and I still watch some of the shows that I grew up with, so I'm pretty excited about this one. 

 

Friday, September 27, 2013

Book Review: The Circle by Sara Bergmark Elgren and Mats Strangberg

On a night after the apparent suicide of high school student Elias Malmgren, a blood-red moon fills the night sky. Minoo wakes up outside her house, still in her pajamas, and is drawn by an invisible force to an abandoned theme park on the outskirts of town. Soon five of her classmates—Vanessa, LinnĂ©a, Anna-Karin, Rebecka, and Ida—arrive, compelled by the same force. A mystical being takes over Ida’s body and tells them they are fated to fight an ancient evil that is hunting them. As the weeks pass, each girl discovers she has a unique magical ability. They begin exploring their powers. The six are wildly different and definitely not friends . . . but they are the Chosen Ones.

In this gripping first installment of The Engelsfors Trilogy, a parallel world emerges in which teenage dreams, insanely annoying parents, bullying, revenge, and love collide with dangerous forces and ancient magic. An international sensation with rights sold in 26 countries, The Circle is razor-sharp and remarkable from start to finish.



Best Bits: The book opens in quite a gruesome way, which, while technically not a best bit, definitely started off by hooking me. It's clear right from the start that there's a supernatural entity at work, but the reader doesn't find out what it is for quite some time. There were quite a few twists and turns, I was wrong about who was aligned with whom on multiple occasions. The authors definitely know how to create a mood, and I definitely enjoyed being unsure of what was going to happen in the end. It's a dark book, so if that's something you enjoy during the fall, this might be a great time to grab it.

Nit Picks: I'm not one to shy away from long books, in fact, I usually enjoy the wealth of information that would have to be cut to keep it around 300 pages. Still, it dragged. At times I had to go back and re-read because I caught myself skimming. The twists were great, but they weren't enough to keep me fully engaged with the mystery and plot when nothing happened for chapter after chapter. There were too many characters, as well. Even though I enjoyed them, I never felt fully connected with them. There were a couple of them that I empathized with on a basic level, and one that I absolutely disliked from the start. It was different from a series like The Daughter of the Moon (shout out to my 12-year-old self!), where each book focused on an individual member of a group, but the story continued to progress. I'm wondering if that's the way this should have been broken down.

The Circle
By Sara Bergmark Elgren and Mats Strangberg
Published by Overlook Juvenile
608 Pages
Received for review

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (September 25)


Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.


 Tsarina by J. Nelle Patrick (a pseudonym of Jackson Pearce, and I always want to read more by her, woop!)

Scared for her safety in a city spilling over in chaos, Natalya has a dangerous secret-she laid eyes on the hidden Consetllation Egg. This shimmering Fabergé egg holds a power so great it protects the tsar and the one he loves.

When the Constellation Egg disappears, Natalya sets out to find the egg and save her beloved Alexei, the Tsa-to-be. But she is thwarted by a handsome, dark-haired Red named Leo who has plans of his own for the egg, and for Natalya.


Swirling with mysticism, Natalya's heart-stopping journey is perfect for fans of Libba Bray's A Great and Terrible Beauty.

Published by Razorbill
Release Date: February 2014


Saturday, September 21, 2013

Fall Festival: Wrap-up & Final Contest

Thanks to everyone who helped out with Fall Festival! Since today is the final day, I'm wrapping up with the largest contest!

Check out Giveaway #1 and my favorite Halloween Movies here!
Check out Giveaway #2 and an author interview with Kim Askew & Amy Helmes Here!
Check out Giveaway #3 and Small-town Fall Activities here!
Check out Giveaway #4 and my anticipated fall releases here!
Check out Giveaway #5 and a guest post by L.T. Getty here!

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Friday, September 20, 2013

Fall Festival: L.T. Getty Guest Post and Giveaway #5

L.T. Getty obtained her degree in English from the University of  Winnipeg, and has studied creative writing both there and at the Canadian Mennonite University. She is an open-water scuba diver, has studied kendo, and currently works as a paramedic.

You can check out her website (and Fall Festival post) here

Autumn in Myth: The Life and Death Cycles
I’m a linear thinker – I like going from cause to effect in a straight-forward, logical sense. I don’t normally think of the various life cycles that we see all around us in nature – the way water flows, for instance, and the flow of the seasons from one to the next. However, when I study mythology, cycles stand out. For me, these cycles have a much more in-the-hands-of-fate feeling – which is perhaps a blow to my own personal views on fate and freewill.  Regardless, this appeals to me when I’m doing research for my stories. Because my novel dealt with a combination of Norse and Celtic Mythology, I’ll focus on those two, but first, I’ll touch briefly on probably the most famous myth of how we get our seasons in the western classic mythos: The story of Persephone.
Greek - Persephone
Demeter, the Greek goddess of harvest, was responsible for making things grow. Her daughter, Persephone, was literally the goddess of spring. At some point in time, Persephone was stolen by Hades, the greek god of the dead, and taken to the underworld to be his wife. Demeter grew cold, and searched for her stolen daughter - nothing grew while her daughter was missing. When Demeter at last found Persephone, Persephone had eaten six seeds of a pomegranate – forcing her to stay in the underworld six months of the year. It was said that Spring was when Persephone returned to Demeter, and autumn was when she left her mother to return to Hades.  While she was with her mother, the world grew and flourished – and grew cold when Persephone returned to her mother’s side.

Autumn has a different significance to the many different cultures around the world – reflective in their mythologies and stories. Usually, the sequence goes in this order, though there is some variation:
Spring: Birth
Summer: Young to Mid Adulthood
Autumn: Twilight Years
Winter: Old age and death
Only to return to Spring – often, with rebirth – many classic mythos tells stories of deities slain and raising from the dead, only to return from the underworld – perhaps autumn represents that struggle before death or the journey to the underworld. One such cycle of death and rebirth can be found in the Norse Tradition.

Norse – Ragnarok
Ragnarok (The Fate of the Gods), or Ragnarøkkr (The Twilight of the Gods)
Rather than an ultimate beginning and ending, the Poetic Edda cited Ragnarok as the literal end of the world – that the subsequent battle between the kingdom of the gods (Valhalla) and the underworld (Hel) would result in the destruction of Earth and the other worlds connected to them – the death of most of the gods and the subsequent occurrence of various natural disasters, and the submersion of the world in water, where the world would resurface, several already slain gods would return, and the world would be repopulated by two humans, formed from a tree and beginning the cycle again and again. The universe in Norse mythology stemmed from a central holy tree, Yggdrasil, and it was said that the first humans came from this tree – the holy tree in which all the worlds were connected. It was said that this cycle had been going on and would go on indefinitely.

Less well-known to most of us today are the stories of the Ulster Cycle – although you might recognize some stories, such as Tristan and Isolde, and Deidre of the Sorrows. I highly recommend you research Cu Chullain and explore Irish, Welsh, and Scottish Mythology. The pre-Christian Celtic peoples had a very ancient set of traditions, which carried on even after the conversion process. While the gods have become heroes in many translations, these early stories went on to influence the western tradition of romanticism and folklore. Rather than a single mythology, we’ll consider an ancient festival that has significance in North-American culture to this day.

Celtic - Samhain
Samhain is a Gaelic Festival marking the end of the harvest season. It was celebrated from sunset October 31 to sunset November 1. The Celts had four other seasonal festivals that marked the seasons and had different significances: Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh.
According to Celtic Mythology, Samhain marked the time where the door to the Otherworld opened and for Fae and the dead to communicate with the living. Samhain was effectively the festival for the dead, and according to the Boyhood Deeds of Fionn, it said that the fae doorways were always open at Samhain. We get our origin of Halloween as people would leave ‘treats’ out for the fae and dress up in costumes to befuddle them – if carrying iron or salt wasn’t an option.  These however were not the pleasant faeries many of you were thinking of – the original fair folk were usually seen as tricksters, willing to steal people and bring them back to the fae realm.

These are just three ways autumn was viewed in three very distinct cultures and mythos.  Many mythologies share the notion of life, death, and rebirth – and while not every culture had a significant mythos regarding autumn, these ancient stories can still hold significance to us in this day and age, remembering where we came from and perhaps, if there is anything to be said for the notion of cycles, where we can go as a diverse culture.

A huge thanks to L.T. Getty for taking the time to write this post! As you all know, I love mythology, so I geeked out when reading this. Now, on to the contest :)


Check out Giveaway #1 and my favorite Halloween Movies here!
Check out Giveaway #2 and an author interview with Kim Askew & Amy Helmes Here!
Check out Giveaway #3 and Small-town Fall Activities here!
Check out Giveaway #4 and my anticipated fall releases here!

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Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Fall Festival: Waiting on Fall Relseases & Giveaway #4

One of the great things about fall is the huge number of amazing releases! I feel like every February/March I end up adding a ton of books to my Goodreads that are due out September-November...and I'm a super impatient person. Here are my most anticipated books of the fall (please note that the setup, for the sake of timeliness is inspired by Kristi at The Story Siren and her fabulous Books to Pine for posts): 


Relativity by Cristin Bishara - Published by Walker/Release Date: September 10 (Out Now!)
 Twinmaker by Sean Williams - Published by Balzer + Bray/Release Date: November 5

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - Published by Disney-Hyperion/Release Date: November 5
Not A Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis - Published by Katherin Tegen Books/Release Date: September 24


These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner - Published by Disney-Hyperion/Release Date: December 10, 2013
The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White - Published by HarperTeen/Release Date: September 10 (Out Now!)

Vicious by V.E. Schwab - Published by Tor/Release Date: September 24
The House of Hades by Rick Riordan - Published by Hyperion/Release Date: October 8

Beauty's Daughter by Carolyn Meyer - Published by HMH Books for Young Readers/Release Date: October 8
Hideous Love by Stephanie Hemphill - Published by Balzer + Bray/Release Date: October 1


United We Spy (Gallagher Girls #6) by Ally Carter - Published by Disney-Hyperion/Release Date: September 17 (Out Now!)
Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender - Published by  Scholastic/Release Date: September 24

The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot - Published by William Morrow/Release Date September 24
The Dream Thieves (The Raven Cycle 2) by Maggie Stiefvater - Published by Scholastic/Release Date: September 17 (Out Now!)

Check out Giveaway #1 and my favorite Halloween Movies here!
Check out Giveaway #2 and an author interview with Kim Askew & Amy Helmes Here!
Check out Giveaway #3 and Small-town Fall Activities here!

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Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Fall Festival: Small-town Activities & Giveaway #3

I grew up in a very small town. Sadly, we don't do anything as cool as Stars Hollow, but locally there are a ton of fun activities. Being from Vermont the summer is full of farmer's markets and popup food trucks. Autumn brings out a whole new side to Vermont.

The Haunted Forest

Each year my family and I (yes, I totally would only do this with my family) visit The Haunted forest. During the weekend leading up to Halloween we head out to a local forest with trails, and watch as locals act out plays, jump out of the trees at you, and guide you through the woods. It's amazing. Sure, the acting isn't Hollywood quality, and I've never actually jumped in fright, but it's charming. Plus, I love the hundreds of jack-o-lanterns lining the path.


Applefest & Cinder Donuts
Photo courtesy of Ann Gordon
Sadly, the original Applefest that I went to every year is no longer being held. The owners of the Orchard that hosted were getting too old to continue to do it (plus it was in an extremely small town, so parking was always a mess...especially on the years it rained). I am looking forward to driving to a different Vermont town to attend Applefest this fall. Basically, it's a craft show, 4-H type of event. You can't beat people who are out on a nice fall day to enjoy the community...and there are fresh apple cider donuts. As someone who is actively trying to eat healthy, fall is tough...but I think an exception for a cider donut is a must!


Now on to today's contest:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to check out Bemused Bookworm's post!
Check out Giveaway #1 and my favorite Halloween Movies here!
Check out Giveaway #2 and an author interview with Kim Askew & Amy Helmes Here!

Monday, September 16, 2013

Fall Festival: Interview with Kim Askew and Amy Helmes & Giveaway #2

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Thanks to Kim and Amy for taking the time to answer some questions! You can check out the website for their Twisted Lit series, or it's Facebook page.  

1. Okay, let's start with a this-or-that question. Halloween or Thanksgiving?

Kim: No contest: Halloween. I’d prefer the opportunity to dress up like a Victorian vampire over eating turkey any day of the year.

Amy: Thanksgiving. I love that there’s very little build-up, a lot of sitting around involved, and I believe mashed potatoes trump most Halloween candy.

2. I absolutely love reading mysteries in the fall, and I read Pride & Prejudice every Christmas. Do you have any fall favorites or rituals?

Kim: I like reading Gothic novels, like The Monk and The Castle of Otranto, in front of my fireplace. Every year at Christmas, my family and I have a tradition of watching Mikhail Baryshnikov in The Nutcracker ballet.
Amy: I don’t have any rituals, per se, but I have come to embrace football season because it gives me uninterrupted time to read when everyone else in my house is glued to the TV!

3. What's your favorite spooky read?

Kim: Stephen King’s The Shining still terrifies me. Also, anything by Poe. (Try reading The Tell-Tale Heart out loud before bed — I guarantee you’ll have nightmares).

Amy: Amy: I love all the spooky Victorian stuff; Henry James’s The Turn Of the Screw, The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. But I’ve got to say, James Dickey’s Deliverance is the book that had me most freaked-out in the midst of reading it.

4. Horror movies: yes, no, or only if I can peak through my fingers?

Kim: Yes, I love the thrill of a good horror movie!

Amy: Only if I can peak through my fingers, but still ... it’s a small form of torture to feel that much unnecessary stress! 

5. Of course I can't forget to mention that you have a book coming out this winter. Can you tell everyone a bit about Anyone But You?

Kim: We decided to create a back story that explained why the Montagues and Capulets (in our case, the Montes and the Caputos) so detested one another. In fact, we weave back-and-forth in time between not one, but two love stories in our spin on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. One story takes place in the 1930s and 1940s, while the other is set in modern-day Chicago. You’ll have to read the book to find out how they’re connected!

Amy: There’s also a lot of Italian comfort food that factors in. You’ll want to devour this book, in more way than one! 

Don't forget to check out Debz' Fall Festival post!
Check out Giveaway #1 and my favorite Halloween Movies here!
Check out Giveaway #3 and Small-town Fall Activities here!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Fall Festival: Favorite Halloween Movies & Giveaway

I wanted to start off fall the right way, by talking about Halloween. I absolutely love it, and it's one of my favorite holidays. The costumes, candy, and decorations are always fun. The movies, however, take the cake. Here are my top five:

5. Arnold's Halloween
Alright, I'm starting off this list by cheating. This is, in fact, not a movie. It is, however, from my favorite childhood show. It's probably one of the reasons why I became so interested in mental health...so thanks Nickelodeon! This episode is a recreation of the War of the Worlds radio broadcast that caused panic in 1938 that cause panic. Something similar happens here, but should you want to seek it out on Youtube (or DVD), I won't spoil it.


4. Casper

I first saw this movie as a pre-teen, and after it totally had a crush on Devon Sawa. Those were the days. Now when I watch it I think about how selfless Casper is, and how it shows the meaning of family. Despite the outdated CGI, it's still a fun family movie. 













3. Don't Look Under the Bed

Back in the Day when Disney Channel released decent movies, there was one that actually gave me the creeps (keep in mind this was during the time I was also watching Are You Afraid of the Dark? on Nick). This movie is about the boogeyman and imaginary friends. I know what you're thinking, how did this rank number three on my list? Well, it instilled the fear of creepy dolls in me. Seriously, never again do I want to see a doll's head turn in any direction...ick. Watching it again as an adult I realize that there are some lines that are insanely inappropriate (someone should have caught those), but I will always secretly (openly, now). 











 2. It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown


Everything about this classic is amazing. The music, the comedic moment, poor Charlie's trouble with scissors. It's a classic and it always finds it's way to the TV during pumpkin-carving activities.

1. Hocus Pocus


For a Disney movie, they use the word Virgin a lot. It is weird to remember that this actually a Disney film, because it deals with some pretty adult themes. Now that I'm an adult (in age, not maturity) I can appreciate the humor in a new way. When I used to work at a video store in high-school/college this movie was constantly on from early October until the day after Halloween. I can happily report that no parents ever complained about it.

Wait, you might say. There aren't any scary movies on this list! You would be right, of course. I had the misfortune of watching 28 Days Later and having recurring nightmares about zombies running across my lawn. SO, hard pass to those type of things. For those who can watch them and enjoy them, I tip my hat to you. 

Don't forget to check out Kristen's post at The Book Monsters here!
Check out Giveaway #2 and an author interview with Kim Askew & Amy Helmes Here!
Check out Giveaway #3 and Small-town Fall Activities here

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Saturday, September 14, 2013

Fall Festival Begins!

Welcome everyone to Fall Festival! Each day my co-host Sara at The Hiding Spot and I will be posting interviews, guest posts, and fall spotlights! I'll be hosting a contest each day, and I know that Sara will be hosting some great giveaways, too. Don't forget to check out the posts by our other participants, as following them in some way can give you bonus entries into my contests! Here are the other blogs to check out:

Kristen at The Book Monsters
Debz at Debzbookshelf
Bemused Bookworm

Check back tomorrow for my first post/contest! Don't forget to check in all week long to see new contests, author content, and more

Day One: Favorite Halloween Movies & Two Paranormal Books of Choice

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Book Review: The Panopticon by Jenni Fagan

Pa`nop´ti`con ( noun). A circular prison with cells so constructed that the prisoners can be observed at all times. [Greek panoptos 'seen by all'] Anais Hendricks, fifteen, is in the back of a police car, headed for the Panopticon, a home for chronic young offenders. She can't remember the events that led her here, but across town a policewoman lies in a coma and there is blood on Anais's school uniform. Smart, funny and fierce, Anais is a counter-culture outlaw, a bohemian philosopher in sailor shorts and a pillbox hat. She is also a child who has been let down, or worse, by just about every adult she has ever met. The residents of the Panopticon form intense bonds, heightened by their place on the periphery, and Anais finds herself part of an ad hoc family there. Much more suspicious are the social workers, especially Helen, who is about to leave her job for an elephant sanctuary in India but is determined to force Anais to confront the circumstances of her birth before she goes. Looking up at the watchtower that looms over the residents, Anais knows her fate: she is part of an experiment, she always was, it's a given, a liberty - a fact. And the experiment is closing in. In language dazzling, energetic and pure, The Panopticon introduces us to a heartbreaking young heroine and an incredibly assured and outstanding new voice in fiction.

Best Bits: This one was very hard for me to rate. I'm very picky about the books I accept, because I have a hard time accepting books I don't think I'll like (since I know that author's blood/sweat/tears/potential papercuts go into their books). Unfortunately, my expectations for this one weren't what I received. I will say this: there are going to be people who will laude this book. The writing is gritty and doesn't shy away from profanity, or really sharing what the world can be like for those who get the short end of the stick. Fagan creates real characters, too. They're so real, that I know some people are going to be a bit uncomfortable with what they do and say. That's the sign that Fagan has captured something that most fiction doesn't have.

Nit Picks: When I received this book, I thought there was going to be a paranormal twist to it. When I accept adult fiction, I am always looking for crossover appeal, and somehow I think I totally missed what this book was really about. On one hand, I appreciated the mental health aspect, but on the other I felt like I kept turning pages waiting for something big/paranormal to occur. For me, this book wasn't what I was looking for so it's getting a lower rating for me. I do admit, however, that if you like gritty, realistic adult fiction, this one might be the perfect thing to kick off fall with!

The Panopticon
By Jenni Fagan 
Published by Hogarth
282 Pages
Received for an honest review
Rating: D

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Dead Girls Don't Die Trailer Reveal & Contest




Rachel died at two a.m . . . Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time. Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text. 
Jaycee and Rachel were best friends. But that was before. . .before that terrible night at the old house. Before Rachel shut Jaycee out. Before Jaycee chose Skyler over Rachel. Then Rachel is found dead. The police blame a growing gang problem in their small town, but Jaycee is sure it has to do with that night at the old house. Rachel’s text is the first clue—starting Jaycee on a search that leads to a shocking secret. Rachel’s death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth. 
In the follow-up to her powerful debut, Jennifer Shaw Wolf keeps readers on their toes in another dark, romantic story of murder and secrets.

Pre-Order: 

About the Author

Jennifer Shaw Wolf grew up on a farm in the tiny town of St. Anthony, Idaho. She spent cold Idaho mornings milking cows in the dark and attended a school where Hunter’s Education was part of the sixth grade curriculum. She’s always been a writer, whether it was sewing together books to read to her little brothers or starting an underground newspaper in sixth grade. She met the love of her life at Ricks College, (now BYU Idaho), after he dropped her on her head. She graduated from Ricks and then Brigham Young University, Provo with a degree in Broadcast Communications. Now she lives in beautiful, green, (rainy) Lacey, Washington with her husband and four kids. She loves to produce videos, ski, ride horses, and read, but really all she has time for is chasing kids and writing.
 
Visit the Author
  
Giveaway:

Must be 13+ to Enter
US Only
 

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Teaser Tuesday (September 10)

What is teaser tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules: Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"I should do something. Search through his things, or try to escape to my own room, or...in truth, my wits have left me for I cannot think what I ought to do." 
-Grave Mercy, page 339, by Robin LaFevers

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (September 4)


Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.


 Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano
 
Bones meets Fringe in a big, dark, scary, brilliantly-plotted urban thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end.

Nearly Boswell knows how to keep secrets. Living in a DC trailer park, she knows better than to share anything that would make her a target with her classmates. Like her mother's job as an exotic dancer, her obsession with the personal ads, and especially the emotions she can taste when she brushes against someone's skin. But when a serial killer goes on a killing spree and starts attacking students, leaving cryptic ads in the newspaper that only Nearly can decipher, she confides in the one person she shouldn't trust: the new guy at school—a reformed bad boy working undercover for the police, doing surveillance. . . on her.

Nearly might be the one person who can put all the clues together, and if she doesn't figure it all out soon—she'll be next.


Published by Kathy Dawson Books
Release Date: March 25, 2014

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Teaser Tuesday (September 3)

What is teaser tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules: Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"Upon hearing this, Mrs. Bennet frisked and frolicked with abandon; the irksome hairballs were entirely forgotten."

-Pride and Prejudice and Kitties, by Jane Austen, Pamela Jane, and Deborah Guyol

Sadly, I can't give you a Kindle %, due to it's tragic demise over the weekend. Still, there are fun little quotes throughout the book. Look for my review later this week.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Book Review: Not Quite the Classics by Colin Mochrie

Where the art of improvisation meets the art of literature.
Based on the improv game First Line, Last Line, Colin Mochrie of Whose Line is it Anyway? fame, puts a unique spin on works of classic literature. Taking the first line and last line from classic books and poems, Colin recasts these familiar stories in his own trademark offbeat style:
- A verbose coyote becomes the star of A TALE OF TWO CRITTERS- Ishmael is a struggling actor hunting for a good hair day in MOBY
- A rainy day at home becomes a zombie-killing adventure in THE CAT AND MY DAD
- Mighty Casey strikes out again in CASEY AT THE BAR
These stories, and many more, prove that no literary masterpiece is too big, or too small, for the improvisational comedy treatment.

Best Bits: I'm a huge fan of Whose Line is it Anyway? (so much so that my friends and I have definitely played their games during parties), so I already knew that I appreciated Mochrie's brand of humor. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found written within each story. Each begins and ends with a line from a classic story, some are written in prose, and each equally amazing. A Tale of Two Critters will bring up some familiar characters, and while I was reading it I was freaking out to another friend who is familiar with Mochrie. Could he have possibly written a story about...well, I don't want to spoil it. I found that he has a special ability with the poetry portions. Twas Not Right Before Christmas was probably my favorite thing about the whole book, and I laughed an insane amount. It's definitely going to be one I go back to if I'm having a down day. 

Nit Picks: There were a couple stories that I thought could have been shortened a bit, but as a whole I thought that each story played an important part in the book. I also have a life nitpick, I was hoping to add some of my favorite quotes here, but my Kindle Keyboard tragically died.

I wanted more! There, I said it. Here's hoping that he writes a second book, and the rest of the Whose Line cast decides this is an excellent career decision and write books, too.

Not Quite the Classics
By Colin Mochrie
Published by Diversion Books
256 Pages
Received via Netgalley
Rating: 

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