Follow Friday ♥

Hosted by Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read, the goal is to gain new followers and to follow new people yourself! :)

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

(Taken straight from the hosts)

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.
• If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Follow Friday!

This week's question/activity:

What is your preferred reading format? Hardcover, eBooks, paperback etc?

I will read anything, but I definitely prefer hardcover. I'm not sure why, though. They all read the same. A perk of eBooks (for me) is that you are able to highlight things as you read, but that doesn't outweigh the feel of a physical book in my hand. Despite the weight of hardcovers, those still remain the ones I choose (if a choice is presented).

What's your preferred method?

Anna Dressed in Blood: A Review

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

 

I feel like I'm on a good reading streak and I'm afraid it's going to end soon. lol  Seriously, I loved how creepy this book was. Kendare Blake did not hold back, which is good. I think if she had held back on some of the more sinister or gruesome aspects the story would not have rung as true.

Cas comes to town with the intent to kill Anna, sending her wherever they end up going when he does so, and then move on. What he doesn't count on is letting people into his life and finding out there's more to Anna's story than your typical I-was-killed-and-now-I'm-angry ghost story. Her death was more unnatural and wrong than others, and it will take more than usual to get things done.

I love Cas and his attitude. It was exciting to me because every time I opened the book to read more I felt like I was right alongside him and his friends. I was the invisible one, who was rooting for them and helping them along, unbeknownst to them, of course. I yelled at them, I felt for them, I cried for them. I completely understood why Anna spared Cas his life; and I would have been angry at her if she hadn't. He wasn't your I-can-do-anything-hero. He's fallible and he knows his own strengths and his weaknesses. He doesn't act all stunned and hurt when he's not the one on top. He accepts it and does what he needs to do to move forward. And that involves something he's never done before - rely on others. 

This story was so eerie and macabre at times. I can't wait to dive into the next book, Girl of Nightmares, as soon as I get my hands on it.  


Smiles,
B

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesdays was started by MizB over at Should Be Reading,

To play along, simply answer the following three (3) Questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

I'm a little ways into this one and liking it so far. :)

Recently Finished

 

I loved DoBaS... an intense continuation of the story and I can't wait for the third book to come out... unfortunately I have a long wait. lol

The Lover's Dictionary... it was different and I loved the writing. I didn't love it though.

What I Might Read Next

 

I still need to read this one for the tour coming up. I have plenty of time, but I don't want to procrastinate too much. :)

What have you been reading?

Wishing & Waiting

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases we're excited about.

There are, as you know, books coming out left and right that we all want to read. One I am looking most forward to is...



I *just* finished Days of Blood & Starlight (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2) last nite, so I'm itching for this one already! Hopefully I'll be just as excited come next year when it finally graces us with its presence (according to Goodreads it's due out in April 2014).

Wishlist Wednesday is a meme hosted by Pen to Paper where you post a book that has been on your wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that you can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto your wonderful shelves.

What do I want to add to my shelf? So many choices. This time, I'll go with...



I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult, and I don't own this one... yet.  I haven't read it either, but that doesn't matter - it will be on my shelf someday. :)

What books are you wishing and waiting for?

Smiles,
B

Teaser Tuesday: The Lover's Dictionary

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.  Anyone can play along!  All you have to do:

1. Grab your current read.
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) 'teaser' sentences from that page.
4. Be careful... do not include spoilers!!!  Make sure that what you are sharing doesn't give too much away;  you don't want to ruin the book for others.
5. Share the title and author, too, so other Teaser Tuesday participants can add it to their TBR list if they like what you shared.

 


"I spent all this time building a relationship. Then one night I left the window open, and it started to rust."

~The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Books So Far This Year

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten Books I've Read So Far in 2013 ♥

Below are some books I've loved this year. :)

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Daughter of Smoke & Bone/Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Divergent/Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Splintered by AG Howard 

What books have you loved this year?

Memorable Monday ~ Days of Blood & Starlight

Memorable Monday is a meme hosted by Escape in a Good Book. I'm excited to join in on this one because I love quotes, which was the driving force behind the creation of Memorable Mondays. I thank the ladies at Escape in a Good Book.

So... how do you participate? It's simple ~

1) Share a quote that has captured your interest lately in a Memorable Monday post on your blog.

2) Come back here and leave the link to your post in the comment box below. If you don't have a blog, I'd still love to hear read your quote. Leave it in the comment box instead of a link to a non-existent blog. :)

3) Visit other participants if you have time. It's always nice to have visitors. There's no overstaying your welcome this way, and they don't have to offer the obligatory drinks. Or clean.

4) If you tweet your posts, feel free to use the hashtag #MemorableMonday.

This week's choice:

"Or... perhaps Fate laid out your life for you like a dress on a bed, and you could either wear it or go naked."

~ Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Anything strike you lately?

Smiles,
B

Follow ♥ Friday

Hosted by Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read, the goal is to gain new followers and to follow new people yourself! :)

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

(Taken straight from the hosts)

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.
• If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Follow Friday!

This week's question/activity:

Share a favorite literary quote.

This one is tough for me, as I like SO MANY! I will choose one from one of my reads from this year that I really like:

"I never thought I would need bravery in the small moments of my life. I do."
~Divergent, by Veronica Roth

What's your favorite? (Or, just one you really like if you can't narrow it down... lol)

Smiles,
B
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Tragic by JA Huss: A Review

Rook Walsh is TRAGIC

Because life so far – just sucks. Some girls get parents. Rook got the foster care system. Some girls get Prince Charming. Rook got an abusive frog. Some girls get lucky…

Rook got a second chance.

And she took it. Because when fate throws you a bone – you grab it with both hands and run.

Antoine Chaput knows the minute he spies Rook in his photography studio that she’s got The Look. The dark and desperate look he must have to land the exclusive TRAGIC media contract.

Rook is paired up with top model, Ronin, and he’s everything her abusive ex-boyfriend wasn’t. Patient, gentle, happy, attentive, and sexy! He knows exactly what to do to make Rook blush for Antoine’s camera.

Rook’s luck changes in an instant and suddenly she’s the darling of the modeling world. It’s a dream job to go with a dream guy and all she has to do is look pretty and follow directions. But there’s always a price to pay – and Rook is about to get the bill.

New Adult Contemporary Romance *Mature Content* Recommended for ages 17+ due to sexual situations and language usage.

 

I participated in the Release Day blitz for this and I did receive a copy from the JA Huss (she's awesome). For some reason I could only open it on my computer at work, though, so I ended up buying it from Amazon for .99 cents. ;)  I read it in a day. That's a feat for me, given time constraints. But anyway. 

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I had no trouble diving right in. We meet Rook, we know she's jobless instantly; we know she's broke, homeless, and running. But she's strong. Despite everything, she not living as a victim of her circumstances, she's fighting. She meets Ronin, and we know her past has broken her just by her reaction. She's thrown into this world of modeling as she tries to save money and get her life back on track.

I did feel her acclimation to being touched constantly in this model setting seemed a bit rushed, though, given how she had reacted to hearing the argument when she arrived at the studio. She quickly accepted the idea of being touched in varying ways rather quickly, which took me out of the story as I pondered how realistic that was. 

Ronin is the quintessential bad boy. He's dark, edgy, and an asshole (I could quote from the book for that one), but he's also caring, patient, and gentle. I loved that he wanted to take care of her, more than was just his job. He wanted her to feel she deserved to be loved and cared about. I did enjoy the relationship building as it did. It was intense and smoldering.

A pitfall for me: The length. I felt some things were a bit rushed, like I already mentioned above. I think the story could have been developed a little more to allow for the changes Rook needed to make.

Overall I really enjoyed this story. JA Huss did a great job of telling us a story and making it believable, plausible. I am definitely looking forward to reading more when Manic comes out in August.

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesdays was started by MizB over at Should Be Reading,

To play along, simply answer the following three (3) Questions:
1. What are you currently reading?
2. What did you recently finish reading?
3. What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

 

I am loving this sequel! ♥

Recently Finished

 

Such a fun story with some depth to it as well.

What I Might Read Next

   

Lover's Dictionary is sitting on my desk at work, and Losing Francesca is on my Kindle, waiting to be read for the blog tour. :)

 

What have you been reading?

Smiles,

B

♪ Summer Lovin', Had Me Some Books ♪ {Top Ten Tuesday}

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they provide a Top Ten topic for you to create your list, then you share it on their post so others can find you. :)

  ♥ Top Ten Books At the Top of My Summer TBR List ♥

So many books that could make this short list, but I'll just go with first thoughts and see what happens. :)

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris
Losing Francesca by JA Huss
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma


What's on your summer to-be-read list?

Smiles,
B 

Memorable Monday: Anna Dressed in Blood

Memorable Monday is a meme hosted by Escape in a Good Book. I'm excited to join in on this one because I love quotes, which was the driving force behind the creation of Memorable Mondays. I thank the ladies at Escape in a Good Book.

So... how do you participate? It's simple ~

1) Share a quote that has captured your interest lately in a Memorable Monday post on your blog.

2) Come back here and leave the link to your post in the comment box below. If you don't have a blog, I'd still love to hear read your quote. Leave it in the comment box instead of a link to a non-existent blog. :)

3) Visit other participants if you have time. It's always nice to have visitors. There's no overstaying your welcome this way, and they don't have to offer the obligatory drinks. Or clean.

4) If you tweet your posts, feel free to use the hashtag #MemorableMonday.

This week's choice:

 
"What is it about the sight of your mother that makes everything fireside-warm and full of dancing Muppets?

~ Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake



What's struck you lately?

Smiles,
B 

♥ Father's Day ♥

Today I'm going to veer off of books and talk about something a little more personal to me.

Father's Day is a day to celebrate the men in our lives. Not only our own dads, but those who we look up to, our children's dads, our friend's dads, our grandfathers. Hopefully you all have someone in your life who fits one or more of those bills.

For me, I want to highlight my own dad. He has been a constant mentor in my life, a constant source of love and happiness for me. From a young age I knew he was someone special, as most kids feel about their parents. He seemed invincible, strong, unyielding. Of course we had our differences (I'd be lying if I said otherwise), but he has always been there for me.

When I was 16, he was injured at work (he was working at a dock plate and unfortunately the spring that was stuck unstuck itself and he was hit with a large amount of steel in his face). The doctors called him lucky. That was probably the worst time in the the history of our relationship, as I didn't handle it too well. I had trouble being around him - something about him didn't seem whole. And I was scared. All the sudden he didn't seem so invincible.

But, as we grow, we of course realize that life is short and that you just never know. I got over it (it only took about a month, but that was a month from hell). He's had other injuries since then but nothing as extreme. Thankfully, he has remained to be my constant go-to and a wonderful Poppy (aka Grandpa) to my (and my brother's) children.

Dad & Eli (After a swim...)

Dad & Zoe (She has always been so relaxed with him.)

Who are you thankful for in your life?

Follow Friday! ♥

Hosted by Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read, the goal is to gain new followers and to follow new people yourself! :)

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

(Taken straight from the hosts)

• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
• (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
• Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.
• If you’re new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Happy Follow Friday!

This week's question/activity:

Activity: Spine Poetry. Create a line of poetry with your book spines (take a picture). Not feeling creative? Tell us about your favorite poem.

I have to use books at work, since that's where I am upon seeing this. :)  Unfortunately, that means it won't be quite as pretty. I wish I had internet at home so I could do it when I got there... But, nonetheless, here you go:

Hush, Hush (by Becca Fitzpatrick)
I Am the Messenger (by Marcus Zusak)
The Taker (by Alma Katsu)
The Survivor (by James Forman)
The Far Side of Evil (by Sylvia Louise Engdahl)










Hush, Hush (by Becca Fitzpatrick)
Keeping Faith (by Jodi Picoult)
Red is for Remembrance (by Laurie Faria Stolarz)
Beautiful Redemption (by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl)
The Taker (by Alma Katsu)
The Survivor (by James Forman)
Sing You Home (by Jodi Picoult)
By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead (by Julie Anne Peters)

Review: Jellicoe Road

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham 17, finally confronts her past. Hannah, the closest adult she has to family, disappears. Jonah Griggs, moody stares and all, is back in town. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

This was my mystery book that Malissa sent me. I was super excited to dive into it, despite not knowing *anything* about it. I didn't know the title, the author, the description; nothing. The anticipation was killing me.

It didn't take long for me to guess the title of the book I was reading, given how quickly and often the Jellicoe Road is mentioned, but I couldn't remember the description, so I still had that going for me. I didn't mind one bit, though. All it took was the first line:

"My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die. I counted."

I was hooked.

Taylor had me from the beginning. I wanted desperately to know her story, and how it connected with Tate, Narnie, Webb, & Fitz. I wanted to know how she came to be at the Jellicoe School and where her family went. I wanted to know it all. I wanted to know it so badly, I could barely put it down. 

The war between the Cadets, Townies, and the school amused me. Just how seriously they took it, I think, it was what got me the most. It seemed so trivial, something that could be a lot of fun, but there was such a seriousness to it, like it was meant to be equivalent to a real war. For me it was a fun aspect of the story that added a lot to each character.

And the characters. Melina Marchetta knows how to write some characters, that's for sure. Taylor was so stubborn, and trusted no one, really. I mean, why should she trust anyone? She was dumped by her mother. The closest thing to family she has is Hannah, and even that can be tenuous. And Jonah, with his hardened exterior due to so many judgements from others... how could I not adore him? I truly enjoyed watching the both of them grow as they come to realize and learn things about not only themselves but one another and what it means to love and truly be there for someone you care about.

Although this isn't a mystery book, there was definitely an air of mystery involved. I felt like I was putting together a puzzle the entire time I was reading, and I loved it. 

I would definitely recommend this to nearly anyone. I immersed myself in it and feel I'm better for it.

Have you read it? What'd you think?

Smiles,
B

Wishing & Waiting... ♥

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases we're excited about.

There are, as you know, books coming out left and right that we all want to read. One I am looking most forward to is... 

I am uber excited for this one. I'm curious to see how she ends the series. :)

~ Goodreads Description ~

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth’s #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

 

Wishlist Wednesday is a meme hosted by Pen to Paper where you post a book that has been on your wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that you can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto your wonderful shelves.

What do I want to add to my shelf? So many choices. This time, I'll go with...

 

 I *loved* this book and yet I don't own it. I want to own it, which makes me sad. I want to live in it again, and again, and again. :)

~ Goodreads Description ~

 Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

 

What books are you wishing and waiting for? 

Smiles,

B