♥ Showing Some Author Love ♥

This is my final post for my Author Love series. Hopefully I'll be able to do it again sometime, with new-to-me authors to feature! :)

In case you missed it last week, I'm going to show some author love on this blog. To find out more, see my original post. :)

I've decided to do a series of posts about these amazing authors (in no particular order), one a week until I'm done, starting, well, today. :) To give each their due. I want highlight them for how much I love them. So share with me, love with me... feel free to post with me! :)

This week's featured author is:

Elizabeth Wein. Seriously. Did you read Code Name Verity? Do I need to elaborate? I jumped at the chance to read her next book, Rose Under Fire, and loved it just as much, for different reasons. I am super excited to read more from this author. I feel so connected to her characters. I *still* think about them. Still. I'm not a history buff, and in the past I've shied away from historical fiction. But these... these are amazing. She writes so beautifully. And everything in the books seems plausible, real. I am so glad I discovered her.

Smiles,
B

Find Elizabeth
Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas. Or Hanukkah. Or Kwanzaa. :)

May you all enjoy whatever time you get with family and friends. 

Smiles,

B

♪ Santa Baby, Hurry Down the Chimney Tonight ♪ {A Top Ten Tuesday Post}

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 Wouldn't Mind Santa Bringing Me ♥

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE! Or not, if you don't celebrate. Happy Hanukkah? Anyway. I love receiving books for Christmas. Who among us doesn't? I've already received some pretty awesome ones... I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert (signed!), Just One Day by Gayle Forman, and Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. All of which I'm excited to read. That being said, here's some others at the top of my wishlist. :)  

Also Known As (Also Known As #1) by Robin Benway

 

Antigoddess (Goddess War #1) by Kendare Blake

 

The Diviners (Diviners #1) by Libba Bray

 

Girl of Fire and Thorns (Girl of Fire and Thorns #1) by Rae Carson

 

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare

 

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

 

Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham

 

Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

 

 

The Archived (Archived #1) by Victoria Schwab 

All Our Yesterdays (All Our Yesterdays #1) by Cristin Terrill

 

What about you? What's on your bookish Santa list?

Smiles,
B

 

Memorable Monday ♥ Catching Fire

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:

 



“At some point, you have to stop running and turn around and face whoever wants you dead.The hard thing is finding the courage to do it.”  

~Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins







I know, I know. I've been on this book for what seems like forever. And maybe it's partly because I've read it before, but mostly it's because I'm so freaking busy this month that when I do have free time to read I'd rather just veg out. But I do love this entire story, so I will continue to read it. :)  My goal is to finish the series before the start of the new year. We'll see how that works out. lol


Anything strike you lately?

Smiles,
B

It's A Birthday, Time to Party

Just like you, I get excited about upcoming releases. Authors I love, series I can't wait to see what happens, and debut authors as well. I rarely pre-order books, but I will buy them the day they are released. I was lucky enough for NetGalley to grant me a copy of one of these, so I'm already one ahead of the ten I'm going to list today. :) But that's only one of a few. And MANY more to be added as the year goes on and I learn about all those other books that've stayed under my radar.

Unhinged by AG Howard (Splintered #2) - January 7

   

This is the one I was lucky enough to get an eArc from NetGalley... and I can't wait to have a physical copy to sit alongside Splintered! :)

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson - January 7

  

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me #3) - February 4

  

Panic by Lauren Oliver - March 4

  

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #3) - April 8

    

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - May 13

  

Landline by Rainbow Rowell - July 8

Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff - August 14

 

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (Anna #3) - 2014

   

Untitled by Maggie Stiefvater (The Raven Cycle #3) - 2014 

Coverless at the moment... :(  So here is the cover to The Raven Boys... :)

     

What are some books you're looking forward to in 2014?

Smiles,

B  

Follow Friday ♥ Reluctant Reader Recommendations

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:

Pick a book in your favorite genre that you would recommend to a reluctant reader.

I'm supposed to have a favorite genre? Eek. ;)

There are so many great books out there that I would love to recommend. In my job as a librarian, I often have to think about books to recommend to a wide range of reading capabilities and a wide range of willingness to read. For those who struggle with either reading itself or a want to read, I try to find books that are known to be attention grabbers, books that are more action driven than character driven (since for a "non-reader" those can sometimes seem slow and they lose interest more easily), or books that feature a subject that particular person really enjoys (for example, if they love horses I would probably recommend Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races).

All that being said, in general, not knowing a specific person to recommend to, I'll do it this way:

Dystopian:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or Divergent by Veronica Roth (not only great books, but if they love it or even like it enough, they will continue reading the series... it's a win-win) 

 

Contemporary:
Anna & The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins or Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert (either a sweet, light-hearted, and fun story, or a dark and gritty one... pick your poison... both are so well told and captivating).

 

Fantasy/Sci-Fi:
Splintered by AG Howard (Such an amazing world Howard has created... I, personally, can't wait to dive back in... and again, if they enjoy it, they'll continue on with the series... yay!) or Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (An awesome story in a vivid world... joins the mystical with the real-world in such a convincing way).

 

Just Creepy:
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (Have you seen that cover? If that doesn't get a reluctant reader (who's interested in creepiness) to take a gander, I don't know what will...) or Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (I loved this one. I didn't love Girl of Nightmares as much (the sequel), but this one I still think would be a great recommendation for a reluctant reader.)

   

So I didn't do a straight recommendation from my favorite genre (I still don't know what that is... lol), but these are ones I would definitely think about for a reluctant reader.

What about you? What would you suggest?

Smiles,
B

♥ Showing Some Author Love ♥

In case you missed it last week, I'm going to show some author love on this blog. To find out more, see my original post. :)

I've decided to do a series of posts about these amazing authors (in no particular order), one a week until I'm done, starting, well, today. :) To give each their due. I want highlight them for how much I love them. So share with me, love with me... feel free to post with me! :)

 This week's featured author is:

Lauren Oliver. I have yet to read anything by her that I don't love. I know not everyone loved the ending to Requiem; some even hated it. But I didn't. I thought it was great. Her writing, her stories, the way she has qualms about breaking my heart into a gazillion pieces and doing a Mexican Hat Dance on them. I love that about her. I'd let her take me to the moon and back if she wanted to.

Smiles,
B

Find Lauren
Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Next Week's Author:
The final one!  Hint: She is best known for one book, in which she tears readers hearts out and explodes their minds. It's a great book club book. And while she has quite a few other books, I imagine it will be this one book that stands out for most people.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _    _ _ _ _
Any guesses?

♥ Showing Some Author Love ♥

In case you missed it last week, I'm going to show some author love on this blog. To find out more, see my original post. :)

I've decided to do a series of posts about these amazing authors (in no particular order), one a week until I'm done, starting, well, today. :) To give each their due. I want highlight them for how much I love them. So share with me, love with me... feel free to post with me! :)

 This week's featured author is:

AG Howard. Her Spintered series is nothing short of amazing. She can write chemistry like none other. The world comes alive while I'm reading and I have no problem feeling like I'm traveling right alongside Alyssa. I look forward to seeing what other worlds she has in store for us once she is done with Wonderland.

And she interacts so much with her fans. She seems to genuinely love hearing from us and finding out what we think about her stories. 

Smiles,
B

Find AG Howard
Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Next Week's Author:
Hint: She's written one series and a few stand alone novels. While I loved the end of the series, there were quite a few people who did not.
_ _ _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _
Any guesses?

Memorable Monday ♥ Catching Fire

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:

“The berries. I realize the answer to who I am lies in that handful of poisonous fruit. If I held them out to save Peeta because I knew I would be shunned if I came back without him, then I am despicable. If I held them out because I loved him, I am still self-centered, although forgivable. But if I held them out to defy the capitol, I am someone of worth. The trouble is, I don't know exactly what was going on inside me at that moment.”  


“Deciding not to run away is a crucial first step.” 

~Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins 

Anything catch you lately? Share with me! :)

Smiles,
B 

♥Showing Some Author Love ♥

In case you missed it last week, I'm going to show some author love on this blog. To find out more, see my original post. :)

I've decided to do a series of posts about these amazing authors (in no particular order), one a week until I'm done, starting, well, today. :) To give each their due. I want highlight them for how much I love them. So share with me, love with me... feel free to post with me! :)

 This week's featured author is:

Tahereh Mafi. I've only read three books that Tahereh Mafi has written. With good reason. That's all she has. But the characters she has created? The world? I love it. And I love the writing style, and how I get a sense of the character based on the writing. It's awesome. I'm super excited about the rest of her Shatter Me series, and look forward to anything and everything else she may write. :)

Smiles,
B

Find Tahereh
Goodreads ~ Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Next week's author:
Another 'newbie' author... she's created a dark and creepy world filled with adventure, love, and tension.
_ _   _ _ _ _ _ _
Any guesses?

2014 Releases I'm Anticipating {A Top Ten Tuesday Post}

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 2014 Books I'm Super Excited For ♥

I always get excited when I know there's a sequel coming or an author I love is coming out with a new book. This coming year's full of goodies I'm looking forward to. (That being said I did not include Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle #3 book officially, since it doesn't have a title, cover, or an exact release date yet...)

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

 

Unhinged by AG Howard

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Panic by Lauren Oliver

 

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

 

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

 

 

What are you looking forward to?

Smiles,

B

Memorable Monday ♥ The Hunger Games

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:

 


“So instead of acknowledging applause, I stand there unmoving while they take part in the boldest form of dissent they can manage. Silence. Which says we do not agree. We do not condone. All of this is wrong.”  

~The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins 





 
I couldn't decide what to read next after I finished The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen. So I decided to go back to an old favorite. Plus, with the holidays, it's sometimes harder to find that time to read. So a re-read is perfect for me. Anyway. I love this quote (along with a gazillion others). It shows that they already have the courage to show how much they disagree, even if in the smallest of ways.


What's struck you lately?

Smiles,
B