Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee's View.

This week's question:

ACK! Your favorite book/movie character (example Hermione Granger played by the Emma chick) just walked into the room! Who is it and what would be your first reaction? You get extra points if you include visual stimulation.

Answer:

Sadly, I don’t have a favorite character, but if any character came to life I’d freak out. I have a ton of characters that intrigue me. Let’s go with Percy Jackson. I’d probably be looking around for a monster attack. Everywhere this boy shows up there is a monster.

 

This week's question is:

“What keeps you reading beyond the first few pages of a book, and what makes you want to stop reading a book and put it back on the shelf?

Answer:

Believability or un-believability is the main reason to read or not read a book. No matter what world you bring me into it needs to maintain the same rules and if you are using a location that I know it needs to either be in a time that has not been or be researched thoroughly.

Characters that I hate are another reason for me to put down a book. If I dislike them and am supposed to dislike them than it’s alright, but if a character is an antihero and it’s not the purpose than it’s a DNF.

Plot must keep going. Repetition gets on my nerves the quickest in any plot.

This week’s question:

Mr & Mrs: Who are your favorite book couples?

Answer:

My favorite book couples are:

Cat and Bones – Night Huntress

This couple is so steamy and although they are constantly having a power struggle they come together when it's most needed.

Clara and Tuck-Unearthly

Tucker is my book boyfriend. I'm not so secretly in love with him. He loves nature and there isn't one of his dates that I would not love.

Zoey and Connor- Changeling Moon


Although, Connor is certainly an alpha he allows Zoey to make her own choices up to the point where they harm her. I love how confidant he is in his dominance.

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Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

June 28th 2005, Miramax re: Disney
375 pages, Hardcover
Borrowed from the Library
First in the Percy Jackson series
Middle-Grade Fiction

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.
Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves. With cover art from the major motion picture, this first installment of Rick Riordan's best-selling series is a non-stop thrill-ride and a classic of mythic proportions.

Opinion:

I had no interest in this book until I watched the movie recently. As I’ve mentioned briefly before I’m reluctant to read books written by men.  (I’m trying to change this and am challenging myself to read books written by men.) What I found inside the book was nothing like the movie, but it was equally enjoyable if not more so.

I had qualms about reading a book with such a young hero, but he was mature, brave, and heroic without ever becoming arrogant. His love for his mother and friends lead him to be courageous in the face of incredible odds.

Annabeth and Grover were great sidekicks. Annabeth is intelligent, maternal, and one of the best secondary characters I’ve had the pleasure to read about. Athena should be lucky to have such a daughter. Grover kinda annoys me, but I have faith that if we see him later on he will be more mature after going on this quest and any future quests he will have to endure alone.

The action within this book was never-ending. When you thought the coast was clear was exactly when a new monster would appear.

This mixed with mythology that is more detailed than any other mythological books I have read thus far barring the ancient classics by Homer, made this one book that I will return to time and again.

Rating:

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Waiting on Wednesday: Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Button from Bewitched Bookworms

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme by Breaking the Spine that allows us bloggers a chance to spotlight upcoming books that we are dying to read!

 

September 20th 2011, HarperTeen
336 pages, Hardcover
Young Adult

“It seemed so right. Danny was mine, I was his, and that wasn’t going to work if he was dead. So I would make him not dead, not anymore. I didn’t think any further than what it would feel like to kiss him again, to wrap my arms around him and bury my head against his shoulder.


That was my first mistake. It also turned out to be the biggest.”


When her boyfriend, Danny, is killed in a car accident, Wren can’t imagine living without him. Wild with grief, she uses the untamed powers she’s inherited to bring him back. But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy she once loved.

Wren has spent four months keeping Danny hidden, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school and somehow, inexplicably, he can sense her secret. Wren finds herself drawn to Gabriel, who is so much more alive than the ghost of the boy she loved. But Wren can’t turn her back on Danny or the choice she made for him—and she realizes she must find a way to make things right, even if it means breaking her own heart.

Amy Garvey’s transcendent teen debut is perfect for fans of Shiver and Beautiful Creatures. Wren’s unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

Why I can’t wait:

A kiss that can bring people back to life goes horribly wrong. I find the description to be a sad version of Frankenstein.

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Vlog it! Changeling Moon by Dani Harper

Buy @ Amazon

He roams the moonlit wilderness, his every sense and instinct on high alert. Changeling wolf Connor Macleod and his Pack have never feared anything -- until the night human Zoey Tyler barely escapes a rogue werewolf's vicious attack.

As the full moon approaches, Zoey has no idea of the changes that are coming, and only Connor can show her what she is, and help her master the wildness inside. With her initiation into the Pack just days away and a terrifying predator on the loose, the tentative bonds of trust and tenderness are their only weapons against a force red in tooth, claw . . . and ultimate evil.

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Changeling Moon by Dani Harper

May 31st 2011, Brava
368 pages, Paperback
Received from publicist
Adult Fiction

He roams the moonlit wilderness, his every sense and instinct on high alert. Changeling wolf Connor Macleod and his Pack have never feared anything -- until the night human Zoey Tyler barely escapes a rogue werewolf's vicious attack.

As the full moon approaches, Zoey has no idea of the changes that are coming, and only Connor can show her what she is, and help her master the wildness inside. With her initiation into the Pack just days away and a terrifying predator on the loose, the tentative bonds of trust and tenderness are their only weapons against a force red in tooth, claw . . . and ultimate evil.

 
Opinion:

Lately, I have been disappointed in adult books they just don’t seem to have enough flare. This one was a complete opposite of that! The action was intense, the men protective and strong, and Zoey was the most courageous female I’ve seen within fiction in a long time.

The plot was the perfect pace where we got to truly know the characters and fast enough that we never got bored. Zoey is running away from her paranormal past directly into a more intense paranormal future. She is full of spirit and doesn’t back down from a wolf attack or from the man that is her mate.

What a mate that is! Connor will stand his ground and protect her from everything including herself, but he is secure enough within himself that he is not in the least controlling. He is sexy through and through although if he’d gotten me all worked up and then fled I’d be just as bit of annoyed as Zoey was.

The rest of the pack is a family of supporting characters that I fell in love with right along side the main characters. The floppy eared puppy, the strong but small alpha that is Jessie, and the doctor that isn’t part of their world, but will still protect the pack.

I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

Rating:

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Author Interview: Carrie Harris

I have a secret. I have never read a zombie book. I have 2 sitting on my bookcase ready for me to read, but they aren’t the hysterically hilarious versions I’m expecting in Carrie Harris’s upcoming Bad Taste in Boys. One of my best blogger friends, Ashley @ Bookish Brunette, is currently having a Zombie Craze and you should totally check it out! It’s freaking hilarious. Okay on with the interview from Carrie Harris who amazes me in her hilariousity (Yes, that is a word.)

Website | Blog | Twitter

Carrie Harris is a geek-of-all-trades and proud of it. Brains are her specialty; she used to work at a lab where they were delivered daily via FedEx. After that, it seemed only natural to write a zombie book. Now she lives in Michigan with her ninja-doctor husband and three zombie-obsessed children

Can you tell me about your book in 20 words or less?

A science nerd learns that the coach’s secret steroids are turning the football players into zombies! NOM NOM NOM.

Why zombies? Are these the zombies the zombies I would think of with rotting flesh and bulging eyes?

I like campy monster stories. Like the ones that make you go “EEEEW!” and cover your eyes while giggling uncontrollably. And zombies are really perfect for that combo of scary and funny. So yes, my zombies are pretty typical. I tried to give them a fairly plausible scientific background, but there comes a point as a zombie writer where you kind of have to say, “Oh, to heck with the science!” and throw in some dismembered body parts.

These zombies are formed from steroid use. This is a major issue in high schools where sports are its main focus. Where did you get your idea to focus on this issue?

Well, I knew I wanted to write a zombie book, and I also wanted to write about the dead football players from the movie Beetlejuice. They’re only in the movie for about a minute, but they always crack me up. So I started asking myself how the football players could become zombified, and steroids were the logical choice. I also like how it kind of unintentionally says something about steroid use.

DON’T DO STEROIDS, KIDS. YOU WILL PUKE UP BLACK GUNK AND LOSE YOUR FINGERS AND POSSIBLY FRY YOUR HAND ON A GRIDDLE.

I think I should write all the DARE slogans. I’d have fun with that.

What is your current WIP (Work in Progress)? Can you tell me a little about it?

I’m just putting the finishing touches on the next Kate Grable adventure, which is tentatively called BAD HAIR DAY. It’s about werewolves and nanotechnology and CSI and blueberry flavored astronauts and killer coconuts. I get the giggles whenever I think about it.

Do you have a favorite place to sit and write? Where is your favorite place to read?

I have an office, but it’s full of boxes and I never use it. I like to sit on the couch in front of our big picture window for both writing and reading. That way if zombies attack our house, I’ll be able to see them coming. The key to survival is knowing that you’re under attack. And aiming for the head. And marrying a ninja.

Actually, I don’t really care about the first two, because I honestly did marry a ninja.

As a reader do you write in the same genre as you write? What is your current paranormal obsession?

I love a good YA paranormal, but I also like to read other things. I think you can get tunnel vision if you only read the same kind of book all the time. So I pick up a variety of things that are alternately funny, scary, explodey, and tear-jerking. But not at the same time, which is too bad, because that would be AWESOME.

Anything you'd like to add?

I’m ridiculously proud of my website. Like, I visit it and look at the pictures and giggle uncontrollably. I think I can say that without sounding like a total egotistical maniac, because I didn’t draw them, right? Anyway, you should come and visit!


See isn’t she like the epitome of hilariousity? Seriously?


Check out her book I bet it’s just as hilarious!

July 12th 2011, Delacorte Press
201 pages, Hardcover
Young Adult Series

Amazon | Goodreads

Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate!

She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town. . . and stay hormonally human.

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Blog Helper (3): Review Requests

Review Requests:


Indies asking for reviews can be an everyday issue, especially for those that hate saying no. This issue can be amplified by people that clearly don’t read your Review Policy.

Why they can’t read a paragraph when they expect you to read an entire book is beside me, but it happens consistently.

My way of weeding out those that don’t read my review policy is having a phrase that must be included. It can be anything from my Indie Review Requested to a format such as Title: Name-Indie to gibberish like irr.

Anything that distinguishes those who respect your time enough to extend the simple courtesy of reading your review policy.

Another step in this is telling those that have followed all the steps required that you simply don’t want to or can’t review their book at the time is the rejection. I hate this. Hate it. Many times a simple no does not even suffice.

My canned response* to this is as follows:

Regretfully at this time I do not have the time to dedicate to reading {title}, Thank you for having me in mind.

Simple. Straightforward. And polite.

I’m going to assume you know how to accept a request. Hopefully with lots of YAY-ness and squeeing.

ARC Request:


Information and personalization is important in this process. This is my usual format, but it changes with what I’m requesting and from who. I almost always refer to The Story Siren’s Dear Publisher posts to make sure I have the information that publicist is asking for.

Name of Publicist;

What I’m asking for  {Title by Author: ISBN} and if I have anything that pertains to either the book or the publisher. Such as my LGBT challenge for LGBT fiction.

Introduce your blog. Blog name. How long you’ve been blogging. What you review.

Stats: GFC Follower, Daily Pageloads or Unique Hits as well has how many views fromthe feed. (If you don’t have your feed through Feedburner, go get this now.)

Social Networking Cred. This is the place for how many followers you have in Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or any other social media you implement. I’m now including my Klout number as well.

I’ve attached a review of “so and so book”. A book that you’ve reviewed from that publisher previously.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Rie Conley
Address  Do not forget your address!

Review

Contacts:


Often the best way to find a contact is in the author’s FAQ page, but for general contacts type this in your search engine. {Publisher} Publicity. 9 out of 10 times this will take you to the page of contacts for the publicists of the different imprints of a certain publisher.

When you’ve finally made your contacts guard them with your life! No seriously. With your life! The big publicity contacts are amazing and they are so swamped with requests that these are like gold .

Publicists unaffiliated with a publisher that work in the book field are FREAKING amazing contacts. They will go beyond the call of duty most of the time and small press publicists are usually in this category as well.

Do you have any tips for dealing with either of these issues that I’m missing?

*Canned response- This is gmail feature where you can save a message to use later with a click of a button. I use this for many of the daily emails I must do. I cannot stand having backed up email, and I get on average 50+ emails a day that must be responded to. Organization is key. I might do a post on this in the future.

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Replay Guest Post and Giveaway

Today we have Keira Lea, author of Replay, guest posting about why she writes YA. Keira Lea released her debut novel in April 2011. She is a devoted fan of the TV show FRINGE, a card-carrying member of the Apple cult, and a mother to two human children and three feline ones. She is working on a sequel to Replay.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Why I YA by Keira Lee


This is my confession: I stole the title of this post from fellow YA writer Demetra Brodsky's blog. Like Demetra, the YA writers I know feel this "why" is crucial. We don't write for young adults because we think it's easier than writing for other age groups. (I would argue it's more difficult.) We don't write YA because someone told us it's an easy way to break into the publishing scene. (It's not.) We don't even do it because it appears that everyone who publishes paranormal YA becomes an overnight success. (They don't.)


I think most authors who write for young adults do it because they love to read YA books. Big shocker, I know. This is an important point, though, because YA is not a genre. It's an age range, a mindset, a crucial point in time. Even though a writer would not dream of writing romance books without reading them, I think people assume writing YA romance—or any other genre—doesn't require the same dedication. If you've been a teen, you should be able to tell stories for teens, right? Not so fast.


The teens I know are particularly discerning readers. To meet their expectations, you have to tell a great story in an engaging way. You can't hide behind ornate prose. You have to write an emotionally honest story. And you have to do it with respect for your readers. Adults who remember their own teen years should know the fastest way to alienate teens is to talk down to them.


I spend the majority of my reading time with YA books because I love them. I write YA because I want to create stories other people will love. That is why I YA.


Thanks for being with us today. Kiera is offering a e-book of Replay to one of my readers.

How to enter the giveaway:

Comment on the guest post with your e-mail address.

To see more of Kiera go to Bookish Delights where she will be stopping by tomorrow.

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Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee's View.

This week’s feature is I’m a Book Shark. She is made of awesomeness.

This week's question:

In light of the Summer Solstice. Also known as Midsummer...let's talk about fairies. What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?

Answer:

The Wicked Lovely series hands down, the only other current series that I’ve read bored me so much that I stopped reading it.

 

This week's question is:

TBA

Answer:

This week’s question:

Summer Love: Where is your ideal place to take a 

summer vacation & get lost in a book?

Answer:

Btw...this hammock ($19,500) WTF?

If I had a hammock it would be my own backyard. A backyard hammock is on the top of my want list. A place outdoors where I can have peace and quiet. I have a large backyard facing west for the sunset views.



I could have Miss Chlo hanging out while I lay there reading and my husband could be inside enjoying a baseball game. Everyone would be relaxing and I wouldn't feel in the least bit guilty for reading. Yes, this is my heaven. Oh, and btw a big mason jar filled with sweet tea would be at my side.

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Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

September 6th 2010, Houghton-Harcourt
292 pages, Paperback
Bought: Amazon
First in the Witch Series
Young Adult Series

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.

 
Opinion:

I debated reviewing this book. I’m still not sure what to say about it. Simply, it bored and annoyed me.

Tasmin is supposed to be 17, but her actions more reflected that of a 12 year old. She was rebellious, because she felt inadequate next to her sister. This inadequacy put her family and the world in danger, but instead of feeling remorseful she simply got angered at a betrayal that her family had perpetuated.

Their was absolutely no love for her sister. The only guilt I saw from her was when her roommate got injured. I get sibling rivalry, but this took it to the extreme.

Gabriel was the only saving grace of this book. He was interesting and not despicable unlike the majority of the characters. He still held a torch for Tasmin after years of absence. He had a bad childhood unlike Tasmin and was still mature about it.

Tasmin did not have a ‘bad’ childhood, but complained ad nauseum about it.

Looking back I’m not sure why I finished this book. So yeah, did not like. And looking at the goodreads reviews I’m in the minority in disliking this, so I’d encourage you to look at more reviews before deciding not to read it.

Rating:

1/5

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Waiting on Wednesday: Bloodlines

Button from Bewitched Bookworms

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme by Breaking the Spine that allows us bloggers a chance to spotlight upcoming books that we are dying to read!

August 23rd 2011, Penguin Young Readers
421 pages, Hardcover
First in Bloodlines Series
Young Adult Fiction

The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy.


When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

Why I can’t wait:

I loved the Vampire Academy series and Sydney was a big part of why I enjoyed the later books in the series so a new series about her is great!

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Tour Stop: Author Interview: Cara Lynn Shultz + Giveaways!

Website| Twitter | Facebook

Cara Lynn Shultz’s love of supernatural writing began when she was 7 and wrote a play about ghosts, which she and her friends acted out on her grandparents’ porch. Since then, her work has appeared in Teen People, Alternative Press, Stuff, InStyle, Us Weekly, The Guardian UK and countless posts on Facebook and Twitter. She is a proud graduate of Fordham University and is currently a senior editor at PEOPLE.com. Cara lives in her native New York City with her husband, tuxedo cat and 8 million other people. Spellbound is her first novel..

Can you tell me about your book in 20 words or less?


Emma and Brendan are reincarnated soul mates under a centuries-old curse: If they fall in love, she’s doomed.

The main external conflict (other than the curse) is in the form of bullies? How do you handle bullies?

I learned to laugh at myself—actually, I learned to make myself the butt of my own jokes, to be honest. If something didn’t appear to bother me, then the bully had no ammo. It actually helped me develop a quick sense of humor—and a snappy reply to something a bully says is a pretty useful way to make them shut up and leave you alone.

The relationship between Emma and Ashley is one that most elder siblings can relate to. Did you have anyone you protected or were you the protectee?

Absolutely. I grew up very close to my two older cousins, Evelyn and George. They’re really more like my sister and brother. When we were kids, I was definitely the protectee (Evelyn and George are four and two years older, respectively.) I have a lot of cousins whom I’m very close to, and as we’ve gotten older, the protector/protectee relationship has kind of evolved based on what’s going on in everyone’s life.

I love the concept of reincarnation. If you had to come back as a nonhuman in a future life what would you be?

Ooh, I love this question! If I had a choice, I’d want to be some kind of bird, because I’d love to know what it was like to fly. Plus, I can fly over schoolyards and poop on any bullies. So win/win, really. But I’d want to be a cool bird, like an eagle or a hawk. No pigeons.

What is your current WIP (Work in Progress)? Can you tell me a little about it?

I’m actually working on the sequel to Spellbound. It’s still very much a work-in-progress, but in this book you’ll see Emma’s a little tougher, and she’s learning how to flex her witchy muscles.

Do you have a favorite place to sit and write? Where is your favorite place to read?

On nice days, I like to sit on our terrace and write. But usually, I’m on the couch with my cat, Kc, next to me. I call him my “mews” (muse). It’s the same for reading—terrace or curled up on the couch.

If your house was on fire (everyone was safe), what one book would you rescue?

Probably my copy of Trinity. It’s old, and the pages are falling out, but it’s the one my mom had and read, then lent to me.

As a reader, do you read in the same genre as you write? What is your current paranormal obsession?

I really enjoy a good suck-you-in paranormal story (even when it comes to TV or movies, I tend to lean toward supernatural-themed entertainment), but I’ll honestly read anything that I’ve heard is good. I need to care about the characters, though. A ton of action is all fine and good but if you don’t really care who’s running amok in the pages, what’s the point? My all-time paranormal obsession: zombies. I am terrified of them and obsessed with them. I cannot wait for the film version of World War Z.

Spellbound Tour Stops:

Yesterday: Paranormal Opinion

Tomorrow: Reading Angel

Giveaways:


Grand Prize:


To Enter:

• In order to enter to win a iPod nano  including the Spellbound Playlist and covered in a GelaSkin of Spellbound's cover art, you must collect the pink highlighted words the text messages between Brendan and Emma that are provided each day at the individual tour stops.  The daily words can be joined together in sequential order to create the winning secret message.  Once you've constructed the winning secret message, you will need to enter that message on Spellbound's tour home page .
  
• No purchase, affiliation, status as follower to a certain blog or any other association is required to enter.
  
• Full rules for the contest can be found at the Spellbound tour home page
  
• Winner of the iPod give-away will be announced on Cara's homepage  on Tuesday, July 5th.

Today’s text:



Win a finished copy of Spellbound:

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Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

This is a re-run of an earlier review in order to give you a refresher of my love for these characters as I have an interview with Cara Lynn Shultz tomorrow.

June 28th 2011, Harlequin Teen

384 pages, E-galley
Netgalley and for tour
Young Adult
From Goodreads:

What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

Opinion:

I am so conflicted about this book. On one hand I loved the characters, I cared so much about each and every one of them. Scared but spunky Emma, sweet niave Ashley, Aunt Christine who took Emma out of her bad environment, and Brendan was brave and loving. I fell in love with them, but…

I was bored. The plot moves incredibly slow and there are only two “Oh my gosh, what is gonna happen next?” moments within the entire book. Since I’m more interested in character in development than action this was all right for me, but I would have liked to see more action.

I would have loved to see more of Ethan, more magic between Emma and Angelique, more anything that moved the plot forward in an exciting way.

The snubbing by Brendan at the beginning of the book was not explained in a way that made it seem reasonable or acceptable, but he made up for it in the end. Other than that the characterization was amazingly crafted.

This is a great read for those who are more into the characters than the paranormal plotline. An excellent read for a rainy day, but not one for the beach as it is not a lighthearted read. It is one that makes you feel most of that feeling is love for the characters. Shultz gets an A+ for characterization. 

I read the entire book in one night, because I simply had to know if Emma would have it easier by the end. She is such a lovely character that I was truly invested in her story.

Rating: 

Btw, how beautiful is this cover? I love the breaking glass and bridge.

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Report #1 and 2nd Day Updates

Report #1

• Total Books Read: 1
• Total Pages Read: 377
• Books Read Since Last Update: 0
• Pages Read since last update: 30
• Total time read: 4 hours
• What I'm currently reading: Finished  Lightning Thief ready for The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson)
• How I'm currently feeling: Well rested; I passed out around 9 last night when I had every intention of reading long past that. 

• What is the favorite thing you have read today?

Lightning Thief

• Which mini-challenge was your favorite?

The picture to describe a title.

• What has been your favorite thing about the read-a-thon?

The interaction on twitter; although it's distracted me. I love you all!

• What has been your LEAST favorite thing about the read-a-thon?

Nothing! I'm having a blast.

• Are you on track to meet your goals?

If we go with the 1500, Not at all. Half that as I said was more likely; yes. 

• Will you be participating tomorrow? Do you have any new goals?

Yep I'm ready for the next day!

Update #7: 11:13 Saturday

• Total Books Read: 1
• Total Pages Read: 467
• Books Read Since Last Update: 0
• Pages Read since last update: 90
• Total time read: 5 hrs.
• What I'm currently reading: The Sea of Monsters
• How I'm currently feeling: Hungry; so I'm gonna take a break and read more in a little bit.

This is one of the books that made me see the world in a different light. It is so challenging to read and not feel great emotions. 11th graders could benefit from this book much more than what we had to read as Juniors.


Update #8: 1:14 Saturday

• Total Books Read: 1
• Total Pages Read: 467
• Books Read Since Last Update: 0
• Pages Read since last update: 0
• Total time read: 5 hrs.
• How I'm currently feeling: Determined; I have to get back to reading now. I took a long lunch break and talked to the hubby about date night! Excited!

Probably the same way I do now. The books that have been read are organized by when I read them and the TBR is organized by must reads (those ARC's that have a deadline), want to read (those books that I'm most looking forward to), and finally the books I don't wanna read. 

What is your suggestion for what to do with the books I don't want to read?

Update #9: 3:13

• Total Books Read: 2
• Total Pages Read: 656
• Books Read Since Last Update: 1
• Pages Read since last update: 189
• Total time read: 7 hrs.
• How I'm currently feeling: Good; that last reading period was the most productive. I also got a review written of the first book.

Rie Conley's anagram name is EERILY CON




And that's a wrap! Loved doing this read-a-thon and I'm thinking about maybe hosting one of my own later in the year I had so much fun! 


Now, I'm going on a date with my hubby!

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