Book Blogger Hop #7 (8/19/11)

"Book Blogger Hop" is a weekly social book meme hosted by

Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books

This Week's Question:

“What’s the LONGEST book you’ve ever read?”
(Note: I’m putting one caveat on this question. You aren’t allowed to say the Bible, Torah, Qur’an, or other religious/spiritual text.)

The longest book I've ever read was The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens, and it happens to be my FAVORITE book! That doesn't mean I favor super long, 900-page books. Not at all. But, if the book makes me laugh so hard I cry every time I read it, no matter how many times I reread certain passages, then it's likely going to become my favorite book.

Unfortunately, it has no fantasy elements in it, so it doesn't fit in this book blog, genre-wise, but Dickens is an amazing author with the richest, most interesting characters ever created. I can only HOPE more authors, in every genre, read Dickens with a passion and get influenced by his characters.

That's mine for this week. What's yours?

Book Blogger Hop #6 (8/12/11)

"Book Blogger Hop" is a weekly social book blogger meme hosted by

Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books.

This week's question is:

“Let’s talk crazy book titles! Highlight one or two (or as many as you like!) titles in your personal collection that have the most interesting titles! If you can’t find any, feel free to find one on the internet!”

My Answer:

A book I'm going to review in a few weeks has a pretty hilariously crazy title: Jane Jones: Worst. Vampire. Ever. by Caissie St. Onge. I've already read it and spoilerly loved it! But, I won't go into details about that just yet.

Another one is my favorite Japanese manga series called Bleach. Yeah, it really has nothing to do with the detergent/cleaning agent AT ALL. Nada. Why it's called Bleach is something I know, but to tell non-fans why would be to delve too deeply into the manga artist's crazy brain and how his logic works, so I won't do that. But, it is odd, to say to the least, even though the story and characters ROCK!

Book Blogger Hop #5 (8/5/11)

"Book Blogger Hop" is a weekly social meme hosted by

Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books.

This week's question is:

“What is the one ARC you would love to get your hands on right now?”

My Answer

Oh, this one is easy! I desperately want an ARC of The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa! It may not be the only ARC I want really badly, but it's the one that's on the top of my "want" list. And, of course, I can't get one because I'm too new to book blogging, so that's never going to happen. 

But, it's fine because I can wait until it's released and I'll just buy a copy! I like waiting to see what happens next in a series because I usually feel like the journey of the story is more important than the destination, or making it to the finish line. I love to savor the experience and hate when it all has to come to an end.

Anyway, that's my answer, so what's yours, people?

*****

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side. To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Book Blogger Hop #4 (7/29/11)

"Book Blogger Hop" is a weekly social book blogger meme hosted by 

Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books.

This week's question is:

“Highlight one book you have received this week (for review, from the library, purchased at the store, etc.) that you can’t wait to dig into!”

This week I finally got the three books I ordered nearly two months ago from Amazon.com! I had ordered a book that wasn't getting released until last Tuesday, so I had to wait for other two so they could all get shipped together.

The one book out of that group that I just can't wait to read is The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross. I read the first scene already (too excited), and I know I'm going to like this book... Yay! It's a steampunk novel set in late Victorian England about a girl with a sort of paranormal dark side to her that she can't control when it takes over her.... I'm loving steampunk these days and I've always loved historicals, not to mention characters with duality issues.

 *****

The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles, #1)

by Kady Cross

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one except the "thing" inside her. When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch... 

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits. Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret. 

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help-and finally be a part of something, finally fit in. 
But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on, even if it seems no one believes her.

Book Blogger Hop #3 (7/22/11)

"Book Blogger Hop" is a book blogger meme hosted by Jen @ Crazy-For-Books.

This week's question:

What’s the ONE GENRE that you wish you could get into, but just can’t?

 My answer:

I would have to say just regular contemporary fiction without any fantasy, sci-fi, or paranormal elements. Just total realism-type fiction. It's not that I'm saying I never read books like this. I actually loved Mindi Scott's Freefall and Lucy Christopher's Stolen. I am a huge fan of Jane Austen who wrote completely realistic fiction for her time, which is like historical Regency fiction for us today.

But, there's something about reading about some woman's nasty divorce, or some high school girl's low self-esteem that can turn me off to the story if I'm not loving the characters, or drawn in by a unique premise. I just want to read fiction that takes me AWAY from the realistic stuff that happens in sucky everyday life.

I do completely admire anyone who loves to read the realistic stuff that deals with the nitty-gritty sucky stuff of life. I wish I could get into this genre for more than just the few most stand-out titles, but, I simply can't make my brain like it enough.

Book Blogger Hop #2 (7/1/11)

"Book Blogger Hop" is a weekly social meme hosted by Jen @ Crazy-For-Books

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?“

For me, the overall skill level of the author is what makes me want to keep reading a book beyond the first few pages. If I'm seeing that he/she has a good grip on how to write the story in a conversational voice, especially if the style isn't too "purple", or flowery, then I'm inclined to really give that story a chance, provided I'm already interested in the book's premise.

Of course, it doesn't hurt if the author has created a really great hook to reel me in. I love to see a character totally unknown to me doing or saying something that makes me want to find out why they are doing the unusual, or interesting thing they are doing. But, mostly, I look for writing that is polished and exhibits great skill to get me thinking that a book has potential to hold my interest beyond the first scene.

That was a great question!

 

 

Book Blogger Hop #1 (6/24/11)

A social book blogging meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books

Today's "Book Blogger Hop" question is:

“When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of your life?”

 

When I was sixteen, I had to read a lot for my high school English class that year, but I didn't want to bother with it. I didn't really like reading back then and only did what I had to for homework. Although, that year, I didn't even bother to read for homework assignments! Of course, my grades started slipping dangerously too low and my parents got after me for it, so I decided I'd better just do as I was told and read those pesky books.

That was during Christmas break, which lasted for two weeks. I didn't have to read anything for school, thankfully, but my mother decided to buy me some teen paperback books written by a popular author who belonged to my church. I went ahead and read them--they were just fun fiction, after all. Nothing to analyze and brood over. But, I realized while I read them just how interesting the stories were, how much I liked the characters I read about. I was genuinely loving to read for the first time in my life! 

After that, I always loved to read and decided to major in English when I was in college. I even realized I wanted to write novels when I was around twenty-one.