15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 5 | Recommend a Tear Jerker

I ran across this today and decided to participate in Good Books & Good Wine's 15 Day Book Blogging Challenge. :)  It's a chance to get to know each other a bit better and have fun doing it.

What is it, you may be asking? Well, she has a list all made up (see below) and each day you answer a different question or write based on the prompt. Easy peasy, right? Probably not, but fun nonetheless. If you're interested, just click on the link to learn more.

 

Day 5: Recommend a Tear Jerker

I've read a few of these. The ones that made me decide I should invest in Kleenex stock (in most recent years, at least) were The Notebook, The Fault in Our Stars, and Code Name Verity.

There we go. Short and sweet. :)  Really though, Code Name Verity broke me, as did TFiOS. The Notebook is just so sad.

What books produced major tears for you?

15 Day Blook Blogger Challenge: Day 3 & 4 | Blogging BFF & Chucking Books

I ran across this today and decided to participate in Good Books & Good Wine's 15 Day Book Blogging Challenge. :)  It's a chance to get to know each other a bit better and have fun doing it.

What is it, you may be asking? Well, she has a list all made up (see below) and each day you answer a different question or write based on the prompt. Easy peasy, right? Probably not, but fun nonetheless. If you're interested, just click on the link to learn more.

 

Day 3: Blogging BFF's

I really just wanted to skip this one. I don't feel like I've been around long enough to have a "blogging bff". It doesn't help that I'm awfully shy and often will just visit/lurk without a peep. :) There are a few bloggers that I enjoy talking with and more that I enjoy visiting their sites often. But to say they're my 'bff' of the blogging world... I mean, what if they don't even remember me?  Someday I hope to be answer this with an actual person. ;)  It will happen...

In the meantime, luckily I have an IRL bff that shares my love of books, though. And she occasionally posts here... :)

Day 4: Last Book I Flung

I honestly don't remember the last book I flung across the room. I can remember the first one, though. I was about 15, and reading An Isolated Incident by Susan Sloan (I didn't even have to look that up... yay me!). I got to the end and I was so so SO angry I just chucked it. Doing so caused a near uproar from my mom, given that it hit the wall and maybe, possibly, woke her up (did I mention it was late at nite?). But yeah, that was the first time I physically harmed a book. I don't do it very often... typically I close the book and throw a pillow or something... I have a hard time inflicting pain on the book itself. Why  not something that has nothing to do with why I'm angry or sad or whatever the overwhelming emotion is that is causing me to want to do damage? But it does happen... sometimes. :)

What about you? What books have caused such visceral reactions that you wanted to cause pain to them?

Smiles,
B

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 2 | Bedtime Reading Ritual

I ran across this today and decided to participate in Good Books & Good Wine's 15 Day Book Blogging Challenge. :)  It's a chance to get to know each other a bit better and have fun doing it.

What is it, you may be asking? Well, she has a list all made up (see below) and each day you answer a different question or write based on the prompt. Easy peasy, right? Probably not, but fun nonetheless. If you're interested, just click on the link to learn more.

 

Day 2: Bedtime Reading Ritual

Today's post is about my bedtime reading ritual. I will say that I won't read in bed. I will never go to sleep if I do. But, here's a typical evening:

The kids get put down for nap. Usually this takes about an hour by the time baths are done, teeth are brushed, stories are read, and we've made sure bladders are empty, water is by the bedside, and they are tucked in snug as a bug. Depending on the day I've had, I will either poor myself a glass of water after that, or a glass of wine. If there's a show I want to catch up on, I may watch that if I'm not too anxious about what happens next in the book (as was the story last nite). But usually the hubby is home and wants to watch sports *stifles a yawn*. Then I'll pick up my book and read until he's sports-out and turns off the tv. When he then asks if I'm ready for bed, I'll say yes or no, depending on how the book is going. Sometimes I'll be up late reading, always on the floor or the couch (never rarely the bed) after he is sawing logs. If the story is at a good stopping point, I'll close the book and head to bed, usually doing number puzzles to clear my head enough to sleep.

I never really thought I had a bedtime reading ritual until now. I guess I do. I would guess that it's a higher percentage of nights that I read than that I don't. Especially in the summer when most of my fave shows are on reruns. :)

What about you? Do you have a bedtime reading ritual?

Smiles,
B

15 Day Book Blogger Challenge: Day 1 | Bookish Confessions

I ran across this today and decided to participate in Good Books & Good Wine's 15 Day Book Blogging Challenge. :)  It's a chance to get to know each other a bit better and have fun doing it.

What is it, you may be asking? Well, she has a list all made up (see below) and each day you answer a different question or write based on the prompt. Easy peasy, right? Probably not, but fun nonetheless. If you're interested, just click on the link to learn more.

 

Day 1: Book Related Confessions

1. I judge. Definitely. I will totally judge a book by its cover. Don't judge me. You do it too. 
2. I refuse to dog-ear my pages. I will use something, anything, if I don't have a bookmark handy. I've used post-its, mail, pictures, napkins... and sometimes have even resorted to memorizing the page number. 
3. Unless I have protected the dust jacket by covering it, I typically remove it when reading a book to preserve it. 
4. I won't read in bed. I'll never sleep.
5. I can't read in a car - I'll puke on the book and then be sad.
6. I dropped a book in the tub when I was ten - The Witch of Blackbird Pond, to be exact. I haven't read in a tub since. And I still own that book, water damaged and all.
7. I will do nearly anything else while reading, though. Cook, eat, clean, change a diaper... sometimes I just REALLY don't want to put it down.
8. I rarely will buy the first copy of a book I pick up off the shelf - I will look to see which one is the best shape before picking one.
9. Sometimes... *gasp*... I skim. If it's slow going, or if it's just going on and on about the same thing for a page or two, I will totally skim.
10. I get frustrated when my covers don't match on my shelf. Like Shatter Me, for instance. I want both it and Unravel Me in hardcover, but they don't match. :(  I hate when they change it.
11. I will not write in my books. I will post it note the crap out of it, but I won't write in it.
12. I work in a library and still every book I check out is late.
13. I am anal about reading a series in order, even if it's not necessary, and will seriously be upset with people for *not* reading them in order. 
14. I organize all my books by author... I blame this on my profession. I tried to organize by size, color, etc, but I just couldn't do it. Besides, it makes it that much easier to find. (My DVDs are alphabetized as well... lol)
15. I tend to avoid movies that derived from books, unless a friend is going as well. I'm always scared it won't live up (which it never rarely does).

What about you? Any bookish confessions?

End(ish) of the Year Recap ♥

This survey of awesomeness was created by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner.

Note: The survey is for books you read and is not limited to just books that came out in 2012.Also, most links will take you to the Goodreads page for that book. :)

Best in Books 2012

1. Best Book You Read in 2012 (You can break it down by genre if you want)

Contemporary Fiction:

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Supernatural Fiction:

• The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
• Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
• The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Dystopian:

• Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Historical Fiction:

• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

2. Book You Were Excited About and Thought You Were Going to Love More But Didn't
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan. I mean, these two together should equal amazing, right? For some it did, I suppose. Not for me. Still pondering why.

3. Most Surprising (in a good way) Book of 2012
Almost by Anne Elliott. I got this as a free Kindle book. The synopsis sounded just okay, but it turned out to be really good.

4. Book You Recommended to People Most in 2012
Toss up, depending on what genre they might be leaning toward:

• The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater 
• The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 
5. Best Series You Discovered in 2012
Toss up:

• Delirium by Lauren Oliver
• The Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. 

6. Favorite New Authors You Discovered in 2012
I love that this has the plural of author here or I'd be in trouble. :)  Note: These links take you to the author's website.

• Maggie Stiefvater
• Lauren Oliver
• Kami Garcia
• Margaret Stohl
• Elizabeth Wein

7. Best Book That Was Out of Your Comfort Zone or Was a New Genre for You
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. If you've read my blog much you'll know that I'm rather new to liking Historical Fiction. But I *love* this book. :)

8. Most Thrilling, Unputdownable Book in 2012?
Oh my. I can't choose one. I'll say this: These are the books I lost sleep over...

• The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
• The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver
• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

9. Book That You Read in 2012 That You Are Most Likely to Re-Read Next Year

• Delirium & Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver ~ I will want to re-read them before I read Requiem.
• Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, most likely, for the fourth time, before the movie comes out as well.
• Beautiful Chaos before I [finally] read Beautiful Redemption.

 
10. Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2012
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff ~ there's just something about her covers. The Replacement I bought without even reading the jacket flap; the moment I saw the cover I just had to have it. I got the Space Between as a gift when my daughter was born and just loved the cover.

Honorable Mentions:

• The Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl ~ Beautiful and dark
• The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater ~ Wonderful

11. Most Memorable Character in 2012

• Augustus from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Julie and Maddie from Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2012
Most of them did not let me down in this department. Some stand out ones (with the first two deserving an extra star...):

• Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
• The Scorpio Races & The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater 
• The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

13. Book That Had the Greatest Impact on You in 2012
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green ~ Just WOW

14. Book You Can't Believe You Waited UNTIL 2012 to Finally Read
Most books I read in 2012 were not older books. The picture book that I can't believe I waited so long to read was Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems. Not only am I mom, I'm also a Children's Librarian. I was just surprised I hadn't read it yet. It was super cute and I loved it. :)  The oldest book I read otherwise was An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. The surprising part is how much I love John Green and how not quick I am to seek out his books when I'm ready to start a new one.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From a Book You Read in 2012
Really? One?

• "It's like being in love, discovering your best friend." ~Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
• "Blue never grew tired of feeling particularly needed, but sometimes she wished needed felt less like a synonym for useful." ~The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
• "We don't get to choose what is true. We only get to choose what we do about it." ~Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
• “There are moments that you'll remember for the rest of your life and there are moments that you think you'll remember for the rest of your life, and it's not often they turn out to be the same moment.” ~Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
• "What a slut time is. She screws everybody."~The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read in 2012

• Longest: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl ~ 563 pages
• Shortest (Excluding picture books here at 40 pages): The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman ~ 207 pages

17. Book That Had s 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!

• Beautiful Chaos ~ Can't say much, but the ending. Wow.
• The Fault in Our Stars ~ I sort of saw it coming, maybe not something as drastic, but something, and it still hit me like a ton of bricks.

18. Favorite Relationship From a Book You Read in 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc.)

• Ethan/Link in the Caster Chronicles
• Dash/Lily in Dash & Lily's Book of Dares
• Lena/Alex in Delirium
• Augustus/Hazel in The Fault in Our Stars
• Maddie/Julie in Code Name Verity

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From an Author You Read Previously
Tie:

• The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff 
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Both are wonderfully amazing.

20. Best Book That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Someone Else
Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater ~ My best friend gave it to me as a gift; I can honestly say I'm not sure I would have picked it up otherwise... She and I have similar tastes and she nearly hated Shiver. I owe my current ♥love♥ affair with Maggie to Malissa. :)

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2012 (Optional)
I'm so new ~ I just started in September. I'll skip a few (or most?) of these. ;)

1. New Favorite Book Blog You Discovered in 2012
I don't know that I have a favorite - yet. Ones I visit regularly include:

• Jen Ryland/YA Romantics
• The Broke and the Bookish
• The Perpetual Page-Turner
• Writer of Wrongs
• Winterhaven Books

2. Favorite Review You Wrote in 2012
I only posted a few on the blog because it's the end of the year and my reading slowed down. My goal next year is to write more! :)

3. Best Discussion You Had On Your Blog

4. Most Thought-Provoking Review or Discussion You Read on Somebody Else's Blog

5. Best Event That You Participated In (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc)
Memes have been a great way to hop around and meet different bloggers and see all the different fun things there are to see. :)

6. Best Moment of Book Blogging in 2012
Starting one? :)

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)
Memorable Monday 11.17 with 124 views.

8. Post You Wished Got a Little More Love
My Future Fun post. :)

9. Best Bookish Discover (book-related sites, book stores, etc)
The book-blogging world in general. It's been great. :)

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I did meet my small Goodreads goal of 25 books, even though there were, I think, 4 picture books on that list. I'm setting a similar goal for next year, of 30 books. :)

Looking Ahead...

1. One Book You Didn't Get to in 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013

• Beautiful Redemption ~ I need to know how this series ends.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2013

• Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
• Requiem by Lauren Oliver

3. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging in 2013

• Reading: 
• I want to read more and review all the books I read . :)
• Blogging: 
• Be more organized with my blogging
• Come up with a 'logo', or 'feel' for my blog  :) 
• Discover more bloggers and create better/more blogging relationships. 

That's all, I believe. :)

Have a great day!!!

Smiles,
B