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

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

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 

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

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 was in the mood for a re-read. :)

Recently Finished

Per usual with Sarah Dessen, I loved it. :)

What I Might Read Next

   

I still have yet to read Allegiant, but I may continue with THG first. We shall see. 

What have you been reading?

Smiles,
B

May Be Second, but Not Second Best

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 Best Sequels Ever ♥

There are SO many series that I haven't gotten a chance to get to or continue, but based on what I *have* read, here's what I've come up with (and there's only seven). :)

• Unravel Me - Loved, loved, loved the continuance of Shatter Me. I can't wait for Ignite Me.
• The Dream Thieves - Ah! Ronan, Gansey, Adam, Blue, Noah... all together again! This was a great follow up to The Raven Boys and I loved learning more about Ronan.
• Days of Blood & Starlight - More blood than starlight, this was an amazing follow up to Daughter of Smoke & Bone.
• Insurgent - I know not everyone liked this as much as Divergent, but I loved it and am impatiently awaiting October 22 for Allegiant.
• Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver knows how to break my heart, that's for sure. Her follow up to Delirium was no exception.
• Catching Fire - The Hunger Games is probably one of my favorite trilogies of all time (thank you, Malissa, for forcing me to read it!!!!). Even though Catching Fire may not be my favorite of the three, I had to include it... because, well... I wanted to! It still has one of the best endings ever.
• Harry Potter - ALL OF THEM. The series only got better as it went on. I chose Order of the Phoenix simply because it has special meaning to me (my aunt bought it for me the day it released simply because I told her I didn't have the money for it... :) ).

What sequels have you read and loved? Oooh, or any that left you disappointed?

Cover Love: Top Ten Tuesday Favorite Covers

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 Favorite Covers of Books I've Read ♥

I had fun going back and looking on Goodreads to browse covers of books I've read. I also tried to think about books I read prior to using Goodreads. That being said, since not all books seem to hit me, this probably isn't a comprehensive list. ;)  Nonetheless... in no particular order...

Splintered by AG Howard

I love the colors and how it all just 'pops' out at me. It's simply breathtaking, really. 

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Creeptastic! This was the first book I ever bought based solely on the cover - I had *no* clue what the book was about, I just knew I had to own it.

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

This was a gift from Malissa, but I probably would have done the same as with the previous Yovanoff book - had to own it. :)

 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I love the simplicity. The mockingjay is a character all on its own and it's just perfect. No other cover could do this series justice in my eyes.  

Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor

I love the masquerade look and once you read it you see a glimpse into part of the story. I love it.

 

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

I love this. I mean, really, who doesn't want to be laying with a ghost over you in the mist?

 

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Simply gorgeous. All four of these are wonderful and I'm sad to see them redone. As they usually are when movies are made. :(

 

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

*This* cover. This is the one I have on my shelf and I still love it. I really wish they had kept with this theme when making the rest of them.

 

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Another simple one, yet so meaningful again. I liked it before I read it but loved it after I read it.

 

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

This cover is so haunting to me. Her eyes are so sad, and she has no mouth exposed. Perfect cover for a perfect book. 

What books have you read whose covers you just adore?

Smiles,

B

Top Ten Rewind!

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 Want to Reread ♥

Okay, so when I went through the list of previous Top Ten's, I narrowed it down to two. This one, Books I Want to Reread, and another one, Books I Wish I Read as a Kid. As hard as I thought on it, I could not come up with ten books I wish I had read as a kid. Unless I broke it down and named all the titles of an author, which I felt was cheating (such as Roald Dahl... man I wish I had let my kid-self experience that magic). But, alas, coming up with ten titles, well, authors, at least, didn't work for me. I got to six before my head wanted to explode with annoyance. So, I went with the rereads. I do feel as if this one is too easy of one, though, as I easily came up with fifteen. Fifteen. My apologies for taking an easy way out, but I did narrow it down to ten. That part was hard. ;)

 

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

I love all three of Brenna's books, but this was my favorite. I would love to revisit this world and her writing.

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

This was the first book I ever read by Jodi. I want to reread it to remember why I fell in love with her in the first place. (I still like her, just want to revisit that first one.)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

It's The Fault in Our Stars, do I really need a reason? ♥

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I know there has been a lot of mixed reviews on Requiem, but I personally really liked it. I would love to go back to the beginning and remember and relearn all those things I had forgotten.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I've already read this series three times. But I will definitely revisit it before Catching Fire is released (well, before I actually watch it, at least). And, if it's like the last time, I'll reread it again after I've seen the movie. (I was immersed in Hunger Games for nearly a month when the first movie came out... books, movie, books again.)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

This was my first introduction to Maggie Stiefvater and her brilliance. I love her writing and this world fascinated and surprised me. I want to go back and see my friends. 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

See above, minus it being my first introduction. :)

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

I read this one what seems like forever ago. I want to remember the world, the lives, and why I loved it. 

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Although I know I will cry, once again, and be emotionally wrecked by the end, I still want to revisit this one. The shock factor will be elusive, but I can't imagine it being any less painful.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

This book was so much fun and I fell in love with the characters and their adventure. I definitely want to reread this one; maybe next winter? Hmm...

What about you? What books would you want to revisit?

Smiles,
B

♥ Spreading the Book Love ♥

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 Recommend the Most ♥

All of these books are on my favorites shelf for one reason or another. The writing, the story, the characters, the gut-wrenching plot twists, the boxes of Kleenex used... it doesn't matter why, it's there. Therefore, they are books that I will recommend non-stop, probably for the rest of my life. :)

 

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Hunger Games (series) by Suzanne Collins
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

What book(s) do you recommend the most?

Smiles,
B

How Do I Love Thee?

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 Favorite Romances ♥

In no particular order...

Sean & Puck ~ The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

 

Hazel & Augustus ~ The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 

Clary & Jace ~ Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

 

Dash & Lily ~ Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan & Rachel Cohn

 

Lena & Alex ~ Delirium series by Lauren Oliver

 

Annabel & Owen ~ Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

 

Katniss & Peeta ~ Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

Remy & Dexter ~ This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

 

Gansey & Blue ~ The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

So, yeah. That's nine. For some reason that's all I got. I have wracked my brain into submission and it refuses to think of more. I keep telling it that it will be okay if it thinks more, but it's balking at the idea of more work, apparently. So I guess I'm ending it at nine, not ten. And I imagine there are tons more out there that I've read and fallen in love with so it's kind of depressing that I'm ending it. :(  Such is life. 

What romances have you loved? I'm sure as I'm visiting others I'll see some I wish I had added. So to those couples I left off, I apologize. Please forgive and know that I don't love you any less simply because I forgot about you. I promise.

Smiles,
B