tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33302533813773600532023-11-16T02:24:45.533-05:00The Ramblings...of a BookCrosserMusings from a BookCrossing Enthusiast, YA Lit Fan & Librarian.Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-11003157114653744242017-04-29T18:15:00.000-04:002017-04-29T19:13:58.823-04:00Dewey's 24 Hour ReadathonI'm attempting to participate in today's <a href="http://www.24hourreadathon.com/" target="_blank">Dewey 24 Hour Readathon</a>. It's been a while since I joined in on the read-a-thon fun. Unfortunately, I was busy for most of the day, but now I'm ready to jump in! I've missed the book scene and all the amazing readers!<br />
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<b>Hour 11:</b> Spent most of the last hour participating in challenges. :)<br />
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<a href="https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2017/04/deweys-read-thon-mini-challenge-one.html" target="_blank">One-Night Reads</a> (Hour 11):<br />
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<ul>
<li>For a sweet YA romance: <i>The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight</i> by Jennifer E. Smith (Side note: I am obsessed with her books! I still need to get my hands on a copy of <i>The Geography of You and Me</i>.)</li>
<li>For gripping, in-your-face YA fiction: Robert Cormier's books such as <i>Heroes</i> or <i>Tunes for Bears to Dance to</i>. </li>
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<b>Hour 10</b>: Got a book in hand...I'm ready!<br />
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<a href="https://thebookmonsters.com/deweys-readathon-challenge-a-book-and-a-snack-2/" target="_blank">Picture Challenge</a> (Hour 9): Book and snack. #RATbooksnack<br />
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Books + wine = favorite relaxation splurge! If only I had chocolate, too. Clearly, I'm not following their message, but I hear it's fun to read. Bottoms up!<br />
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<a href="http://sallyallenbooks.com/2017/04/deweys-mini-challenge-books-empower/" target="_blank">Books to Empower Challenge</a> (Hour 8): <i>Green Angel</i> by Alice Hoffman.<br />
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<br />Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-30721192889874606762015-09-10T10:10:00.000-04:002015-09-10T10:16:17.939-04:00Upcoming Book Club MeetupI used to attend a local BookCrossing meeting regularly and I loved it. To non-BookCrossers, I sometimes called it my "book club meeting" if I didn't have time to explain the whole awesome concept of BookCrossing. But I never regularly attended a traditional book club. You know, a formal group meeting where everyone actually reads the same book and discusses it. Since I love YA, I've been weary of groups that read more traditional book club fiction. So when my pal <a href="http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/passionatebklvr/" target="_blank">passionatebklvr</a> asked me to go an upcoming book club meeting that she's leading, I hesitated for a moment and then immediately said YES (because you got to support your girlfriends, am I right?!?).<br />
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On Saturday, I'm going to my first <a href="http://www.meetup.com/Media-Womens-Book-Club-Meetup/" target="_blank">Media Women's Book Club Meetup</a>. I tracked down a copy of <i>The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio</i> by Terry Ryan through a BookCrossing trade (shout out to ekgv414 for coming through quickly). I have about a quarter of the book left to go and I'm actually enjoying it more than I thought I would. Maybe I'll even post a mini-review when I'm done...or a book club meeting wrap-up post. Yeah, that means appropriate. There's also a movie version that my friend recommends. After some time away, it's nice to be back in the book blogging world. </div>
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If you have any book club tips or anecdotes, leave them in the comments below. </div>
Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-35212581108419115872014-04-26T07:31:00.002-04:002015-09-10T10:23:15.955-04:00Dewey's 24 Hr Readathon! Update Post<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQcWyHH6hM6FjsIej54J6DRHFBELYapL6uwKAiVba486ySFZxOvR9dCVmYzAn1Kl-sTdw2hyv_YpVcC_mPkQY8ggTUpMeh1MiNWEwOwOrJWq9tAZFdcNAMDp-qv1Wx55GEBKp7_YTjZ4/s1600/readathon-button-girl-reading.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQcWyHH6hM6FjsIej54J6DRHFBELYapL6uwKAiVba486ySFZxOvR9dCVmYzAn1Kl-sTdw2hyv_YpVcC_mPkQY8ggTUpMeh1MiNWEwOwOrJWq9tAZFdcNAMDp-qv1Wx55GEBKp7_YTjZ4/s1600/readathon-button-girl-reading.png" /></a> </div>
Time to kick off the <a href="http://24hourreadathon.com/" target="_blank">readathon</a>! Like last time, I'm going to update the same post so everything's organized in one spot (hopefully), with the latest updates at the top. Enjoy!<br />
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<span style="color: #b45f06;"><b>Thank you to all the amazing Dewey folks who make the Readathon possible!</b> </span> It's always a fun event and the challenges this time around were great. Very engaging. I'm glad to participate as a reader and unofficial cheerleader. xoxo<br />
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<h3>
<span style="color: purple;">Hour 24: End of Event</span></h3>
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<b>Hour 24 Update</b><br />
<b>Books completed:</b> almost 5 (3 children's picture books, 2 middle grades), titles listed below in the "End of Event" Meme<br />
<b>Pages read:</b> 558<br />
<b>Time spent reading: </b>5.5 hours<br />
<b>Time spent blogging/completing challenges/cheering:</b> 4.5 hours<br />
<b>Where I'm reading: </b>at home on the couch<br />
<b>Snacks:</b> hot chocolate, popsicle, cereal<b> </b><br />
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<b>End of Event Meme</b>:<br />
<ol>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Which hour was most daunting for you? <span style="color: purple;">Hour 21 was tough. I almost stayed up to hour 22, but couldn't make it. </span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? <span style="color: purple;"><i>Hatchet</i> by Gary Paulsen and <i>The Bad Beginnings (A Series of Unfortunate Events, 1)</i> by Lemony Snicket kept me both interested. </span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? <span style="color: purple;">There were a few minor linking issues (i.e. 404 errors), but other than that, nope.</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? <span style="color: purple;">I like the format of the hourly posts. It was organized so you could easily find the current mini-challenges and door prize winners. </span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">How many books did you read? <span style="color: purple;">I fell asleep on my 5th book (mind you 3 were children's picture books).</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">What were the names of the books you read? <span style="color: purple;"><i>Where the Wild Things Are </i>by Maurice Sendak, <i>Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant </i>Retold by Mary Hollingsworth, <i>The Berenstain Bears Storybook Treasury </i>by Stan & Jan Berenstain, <i>Hatchet</i> by Gary Paulsen, and <i>The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events)</i> by Lemony Snicket.</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Which book did you enjoy most? <span style="color: purple;"><i>The Berestain Bears Storybook Treasury</i> because I loved that series so much as a kid.</span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Which did you enjoy least? <span style="color: purple;"><i>Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant </i>Retold by Mary Hollingsworth. I get it was originally written a while back, but that giant was a little too creepy for me (i.e. man who watches/kisses kids creepy). </span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders? <span style="color: purple;">I wasn't officially a cheerleader, but I recommend cheering on folks who participated in the later hour challenges. You know they're up and need that extra little nudge. </span></li>
<li style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? <span style="color: purple;">I will definitely participate in the readathon again. I hope to be able to devote more time reading and some time cheering. </span><span style="color: purple;"></span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="color: purple;">Hour 20: Update</span></h3>
Well, I honestly didn't stay up all this time. I napped for about 4 hours. Then had my snack (below) and cheered on a bunch of the recent mini-challenge participants---You folks are doing awesome! Not sure if I'll read much more, but I intend to unofficially cheer a little be longer. Keep it going all! Gotta love the Dewey experience. :) <br />
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<b>Currently Reading: </b><i>The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events)</i> by Lemony Snicket (many other folks are reading it so I figured I'd give it a re-read).<b> </b><br />
<b>Books completed:</b> 4 (3 children's picture books, 1 middle grades)<br />
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<ul>
<li> <i>Where the Wild Things Are </i>by Maurice Sendak</li>
<li><i>Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant </i>Retold by Mary Hollingsworth<i> </i></li>
<li><i>The Berenstain Bears Storybook Treasury </i>by Stan & Jan Berenstain</li>
<li><i>Hatchet</i> by Gary Paulsen </li>
</ul>
<b>Pages read:</b> 502<br />
<b>Time spent reading: </b>5 hours<br />
<b>Time spent blogging/completing challenges/cheering:</b> 3.5 hours<br />
<b>Where I'm reading: </b>at home on the couch<br />
<b>Snacks:</b> cereal, my usual middle of the night snack.<br />
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<b>Hour 18</b> <b>TBR Challenge:</b> I almost missed this challenge but got my comment in under the time deadline. I love <a href="http://stacybuckeye.wordpress.com/2014/04/27/101-102-103-mini-challenge-hours-18-21/" target="_blank">this ridiculously huge Mt. TBR pic</a>! My guess was 910.<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Hour 15: Update & 2 Mini Challenges!</span></h3>
<b>Books read:</b> almost 4 (3 children's books, 1 middle grades)<br />
<ul>
<li> <i>Where the Wild Things Are </i>by Maurice Sendak</li>
<li><i>Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant </i>Retold by Mary Hollingsworth<i> </i></li>
<li><i>The Berenstain Bears Storybook Treasury </i>by Stan & Jan Berenstain</li>
<li>Almost finished with <i>Hatchet</i> by Gary Paulsen </li>
</ul>
<b>Pages read:</b> 462<br />
<b>Time spent reading: </b>4 hours<br />
<b>Where I'm reading: </b>at home on the couch<br />
<b>Snacks:</b> Cherry popsicle :) <br />
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<b>Hour 15: That Reminds Me Of A Book Challenge - </b>My response:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjeqRgSXt6ai_gntDA45DzxtBh-tifL4IUiObYz-FJaXsrXs5oE0qvJe4puaEB5sLy2PwmZLhjNaZ3_fefQQMS_Ffcu6oxxOXNycN-MyBktqXiJYwcHLxYKhiOlztVztrfTFOlJ08xtw/s1600/Lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjeqRgSXt6ai_gntDA45DzxtBh-tifL4IUiObYz-FJaXsrXs5oE0qvJe4puaEB5sLy2PwmZLhjNaZ3_fefQQMS_Ffcu6oxxOXNycN-MyBktqXiJYwcHLxYKhiOlztVztrfTFOlJ08xtw/s1600/Lake.jpg" width="320" /></a>I’m almost finished reading <i>Hatchet </i>by Gary Paulsen. A heart attack
kills the pilot flying the single engine plane which Brian is the only
passenger. Miraculously, he survives a crash landing in a dense Canadian
wilderness and is left only with a hatchet (This happens in the first
few chapters, so really no spoiler here). Anyway, there’s a lake (not
huge, but big enough) and dense trees. I think this picture displays
Brian’s remote environment the best. It doesn’t have majestic mountains
like other Canadian lake pics.
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164944405072650339/" rel="nofollow">http://www.pinterest.com/pin/164944405072650339/</a><br />
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<b>Name in Titles Challenge: </b>Objective = Spell out your name in book titles. I went through my shelves and found these titles, each first letter spells out Michelle!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcfbwM_eQZRb2rw4AkJo-MSb62BeSzNha_NYMzTz2-GYluqdARBRuVN5nS5a2JmfRRVx50WzDW4eEBcn5jkcHteFDSTRjSnhK6ECfZmCUp48PGXjsm8znsYxR-7Oy9SX3ugWWxcmtAeA/s1600/2014-04-26+22.42.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcfbwM_eQZRb2rw4AkJo-MSb62BeSzNha_NYMzTz2-GYluqdARBRuVN5nS5a2JmfRRVx50WzDW4eEBcn5jkcHteFDSTRjSnhK6ECfZmCUp48PGXjsm8znsYxR-7Oy9SX3ugWWxcmtAeA/s1600/2014-04-26+22.42.53.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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M - Mira, Mirror by Mette Ivie Harrison<br />
I - Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel<br />
C - Chosen (The Lost Books, 1) by Ted Dekker<br />
H - Hourglass by Myra McEntire<br />
E - Eve & Adam by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate<br />
L - Linger by Maggie Stiefvater<br />
L - Lullaby by Amanda Hocking<br />
E - Elixir by Hilary Duff<br />
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<span style="color: purple;">Hour 12: Mid-Event Update</span></h3>
While most folks are probably hitting the exhaustion/break stage, I'm back to focusing on the readathon. I attended an awesome bridal shower and now I'm ready to commit at least 3-4 hours to reading/posting. <b> </b><br />
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<b>Mid-Event Survey</b><br />
1. What are you reading right now? <span style="color: purple;"><i>Hatchet</i> by Gary Paulsen</span><br />
2. How many books have you read so far? <span style="color: purple;">I finished 3 short children's books and I'm on a middle grades classic now.</span><br />
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? <span style="color: purple;">I'm hoping to finish<i> Hatchet</i>. Anything else would be icing on the cake. </span><br />
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? <span style="color: purple;">Sadly, I couldn't free up all day. Hopefully next time.</span><br />
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? <span style="color: purple;">Yep, traveled an hour (each way) to attend a bridal shower. Couldn't miss it. </span><br />
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? <span style="color: purple;">Not much...I've participated in it a bunch of times so far. Maybe a surprise is still in store.</span><br />
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? <span style="color: purple;">Not yet, as I'm getting back into the swing of the event.</span><br />
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? <span style="color: purple;">Hopefully next time I'll have a open schedule so I can complete multiple (middle grades or YA books). </span><br />
9. Are you getting tired yet? <span style="color: purple;">Nope, but as a mom-to-be, I'll probably be exhausted by 10 pm (in 3 hours).</span><br />
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something
you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? <span style="color: purple;">Enjoy the musical interludes. If you have a favorite music video that inspires you, play it on a loop until you're energized again. That's helped in the past. </span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>Hour 2: Update & Pick A Paragraph</b></span></h3>
<b>Books read:</b> 3 (all children's books)<br />
<ul>
<li> <i>Where the Wild Things Are </i>by Maurice Sendak</li>
<li><i>Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant </i>Retold by Mary Hollingsworth<i> </i></li>
<li><i>The Berenstain Bears Storybook Treasury </i>by Stan & Jan Berenstain</li>
</ul>
<b>Pages read:</b> 280<br />
<b>Time spent reading: </b>1 hour <br />
<b>Where I'm reading: </b>at home on the couch<br />
<b>Snacks:</b> Hot chocolate...yum!<br />
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<b>Hour 2 Challenge</b>: <a href="http://www.cautious.dk/?p=15216" target="_blank">Pick A Paragraph.</a> I posted a paragraph from my current read, <i>Hatchet</i> by Gary Paulsen. “It was a clear, blue-sky day with fluffy bits of clouds here and there
and he looked out the window for a moment, hoping to see something, a
town or village, but there was nothing. Just the green of the trees,
endless green, and lakes scattered more and more thickly as the plane
flew—where?” p. 15-16<br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>Hour 0</b>: Intro Meme</span></h3>
Yes, there's a pre-readathon meme...love it! Here are the questions:<br />
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? <span style="color: purple;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">Philadelphia, PA, USA! I have a bridal shower to go to today out in the burbs so when I'm not out and about, I'll be reading from my comfy couch at home.</span><br />
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?<br />
<span style="color: purple;">Obligatory book pic:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xo-pb7knTeW07GPUVHKFnsnVf92WdnDIMNTj2gOTLIgS7oqkzM0qwOLz_SzeBnsM8z8Jh6RbZ1kb2_vvyQNf5H3odjxT64jcyseJmNvVOrQ5vZKEfc3MsCXQQqyCy2VnOxroX3i4KxI/s1600/2014-04-26+06.59.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0xo-pb7knTeW07GPUVHKFnsnVf92WdnDIMNTj2gOTLIgS7oqkzM0qwOLz_SzeBnsM8z8Jh6RbZ1kb2_vvyQNf5H3odjxT64jcyseJmNvVOrQ5vZKEfc3MsCXQQqyCy2VnOxroX3i4KxI/s1600/2014-04-26+06.59.04.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: purple;"> </span></div>
<span style="color: purple;">Since I'm a soon-to-be mom, I'm looking forward to reading (or re-reading) some of the baby books I received, including <i>Where the Wild Things Are</i>, <i>Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant</i>, and <i>The Berenstain Bears Storybook Treasury</i>. From the middle grades pile, I'll probably only have time to read one, most likely<i> Hatchet </i>by Gary Paulsen.</span> <br />
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? <span style="color: purple;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">My pantry and fridge are pretty bare, but I'm obsessed with popsicles right now so I'll enjoy a few of them. </span><br />
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! <span style="color: purple;"> </span><br />
<span style="color: purple;">My little dude is due to join us in just over 3 weeks! I'm super excited and nervous to become a mom. I can't wait to read to him. I hope he inherits my love for reading. :) </span><br />
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll
do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most
looking forward to?<br />
<span style="color: purple;">I participated 2 years ago (wow, I can't believe it's been that long). I didn't cheer many other readers on last time so I hope to do more of that this year. Have fun everyone! </span>Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-87680882404894478832014-04-25T21:18:00.001-04:002015-09-10T10:23:33.635-04:00Dewey's Readathon is back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Another long lapse in time for my blog. Real life just took over: graduating, moving across the country, settling into a new job, etc. Now I'm a soon-to-be mom who moved back home to be closer to family and waiting for the next insane chapter of life to begin (very soon).<br />
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But whenever <a href="http://24hourreadathon.com/" target="_blank">Dewey's 24 hour Read-a-thon</a> comes back around, I want to dust off the my keyboard, pull out a pile of books and share my bookish thoughts to you all! The readathon starts tomorrow morning (at 8 am for me), however, I can't devote all day to it. I hope to start (maybe a little early) and will definitely spend a few hours participating in the evening. I'm going to a friend's bridal shower so most of my day will be away from my books and computer. But I can't wait to read some, post a few times, and cheer on other readers. Time to browse through my books. Until tomorrow! :) Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-36705689180437757262012-04-21T08:21:00.000-04:002015-09-10T10:23:48.385-04:00Dewey Read-a-thon ProgressOk, it's just after 8am est and Dewey has officially started! I'm going to edit this post with reading updates and mini-challenges. Come on back to check it out.<br />
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<b>Hour 1: Introduction Questions</b><br />
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Philly suburbs, Pennsylvania</span><br />
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? <br />
<span style="color: magenta;">Suzanne Collins' </span><i style="color: magenta;">Gregor The Overlander</i><span style="color: magenta;">.</span><i style="color: magenta;"> </i><span style="color: magenta;">I don't have any reading plans set. I just pulled some of the shorter looking books from my shelf.</span><br />
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">I'm visiting one of my BookCrossing friends later tonight. Hopefully we can participate in a mini-challenge together! Anyway, she made some cinnamon noodle kugel that I'm dying to try.</span><br />
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">I'm almost finished my Master of Library Science degree, so I'm looking for librarian positions. Yay! Can't wait to land the perfect job! Hopefully...</span><br />
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll
do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most
looking forward to?<br />
<span style="color: magenta;">I'm not going to stress about finding time to read. I'm just gonna have fun and enjoy the ride. Whatever happens, happens. </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">Hour 23: Mad Lib</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">I used words from that book I'm reading called <i>Stuff We All Get</i> by K. L. Denman.</span></span><br />
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This nostril is old school! Zach has never pawed so much.<br />
The stuff I'm currently walking is foggy and restless.<br />
When this is over, I will shrug for 3 months.<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Hour 24: End of Event</b></span></span><br />
<ol>
<li>Which hour was most daunting for you? <span style="color: magenta;">I started to fall asleep in Hour 19.</span></li>
<li>Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? <span style="color: magenta;">I recommend Alice Hoffman books. I read </span><i style="color: magenta;">Indigo</i><span style="color: magenta;"> this time around. I've read </span><i style="color: magenta;">Green Angel </i><span style="color: magenta;">and</span><i style="color: magenta;"> Green Witch</i><span style="color: magenta;">. They are short, memorizing reads. </span></li>
<li>Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? <span style="color: magenta;">Do not make plans during the read-a-thon. It will take up more time than you intend to spend away from reading.</span></li>
<li>What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? </li>
<li>How many books did you read? <span style="color: magenta;">1 complete book and parts of 2 other books.</span></li>
<li>What were the names of the books you read? <span style="color: magenta;"> I completed <i>Indigo</i> by Alice Hoffman. I read parts of <i>Stuff We All Get</i> by K. L. Denman and <i>Gregor The Overlander </i>by Suzanne Collins. I have free time today, so I'm going to finish them. It will be read-a-thon part 2 for me. :) </span></li>
<li>Which book did you enjoy most? I have to say Indigo since I'm not finished the others. </li>
<li>Which did you enjoy least? <span style="color: magenta;">None...can I say that? It might be <i>Stuff We All Get</i> because it's more realistic fiction and I'm a sucker for fantasy.</span></li>
<li>If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?<span style="color: magenta;"> Not a cheerleader this year. I'll try to cheer more next time around.</span></li>
<li>How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? <span style="color: magenta;">Of course! Dewey 24 Hour Read-a-thon is a tradition for me. Til we meet again in October...happy reading! :)</span> </li>
</ol>
<b><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">Great moments of the Read-a-thon:</span></span></b><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"> - Favorite videos: Hour 17's Gimme Gimme Gimme Jane Austen Men video (so great! I love these guys), Hour 15's Rock n' Rock Readers (<i>I'm making an appearance at the library</i>)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">- Hour 9's Do the Dumbledore...it works so well when you're listening to music in the video clips. Thanks for the laugh.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">- I need to remember the first lines of the books I read....I can't believe I didn't recognize <i>Tuck Everlasting</i>.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">- My friend's noodle kugel (my read-a-thon snack) was AMAZING! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;">- I really enjoyed Alice Hoffman's<i> Indigo</i>. Ok, I've only read like three other Alice Hoffman books, but she is officially on my list of favorite authors.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><b>Some Wrap-Up Read-a-thon Stats:</b> 7 hours participation, that includes about 5 hours reading and 2 hours blogging, catching up on the hourly updates and participating in challenges. Read about 154 pages....really that seems very low. Oh, well...things to work on next time. As I mentioned before, I don't have anything on the schedule today so I'm going to continue reading and look at any read-a-thon content I missed. Thanks to all the Dewey volunteers for hosting awesome challenges and keeping us inspired (and awake). </span> </span>Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-39165820728018222352012-04-21T07:46:00.000-04:002012-04-21T07:46:13.231-04:00Dewey (and I) are back!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQcWyHH6hM6FjsIej54J6DRHFBELYapL6uwKAiVba486ySFZxOvR9dCVmYzAn1Kl-sTdw2hyv_YpVcC_mPkQY8ggTUpMeh1MiNWEwOwOrJWq9tAZFdcNAMDp-qv1Wx55GEBKp7_YTjZ4/s1600/readathon-button-girl-reading.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQcWyHH6hM6FjsIej54J6DRHFBELYapL6uwKAiVba486ySFZxOvR9dCVmYzAn1Kl-sTdw2hyv_YpVcC_mPkQY8ggTUpMeh1MiNWEwOwOrJWq9tAZFdcNAMDp-qv1Wx55GEBKp7_YTjZ4/s1600/readathon-button-girl-reading.png" /></a></div>
I dropped the ball once again with my posting. I could list all my excuses why I've been a bad blogger but I don't want to waste your time. Instead I want to tell you why I'm back....today is the semi-annual <a href="http://24hourreadathon.com/">Dewey 24 Hour Read-a-thon</a>! I love this event. It's always so much fun and really great people come out to cheer you on. If you have any time to spare today, join up and read....or at least show some love as a cheerleader. <br />
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My goals are small since I have other plans for part of the day. I'll shoot for 8 hours of reading and say 300 pages. I'll check in periodically and participate in some of the awesome mini-challenges. <br />
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Happy readings!Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-71441760748612848662012-02-01T18:54:00.001-05:002012-02-01T18:54:25.194-05:00Monthly Wrap Up - January 2012Hello February! You arrived so quickly. My online class started back up last night and now I have to hunker down into student mode. I enjoyed the winter break and miss it already. <br />
<br />
I write an annual wrap up at the end of the end, so I decided to add monthly wrap ups to the blog. Other bloggers do it and I'll definitely give them props after I find their posts among my 700+ Google Reader backlog. <br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><b>January 2012 stats:</b></span><br />
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<b>Books completed: 8 </b><br />
<ol>
<li><i>Halo</i> by Alexandra Adornetto</li>
<li><i>Not That Kind of Girl</i> by Siobhan Vivian</li>
<li><i>Obsidian </i>(A Lux Novel, Bk.1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout</li>
<li><i>The Future of Us</i> by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler</li>
<li><i>The Night Circus</i> by Erin Morgenstern</li>
<li><i>Stardust </i>by Neil Gaiman</li>
<li><i>Crossed</i> (Matched, Bk.2) by Ally Condie</li>
<li><i>Carrier of the Mark</i> by Leigh Fallon</li>
</ol>
<b>Books unfinished (which I'll hopefully finish in Feb): 2</b><br />
<ol>
<li><i>Dearly, Departed</i> by Lia Habel</li>
<li><i>Anna Dressed in Blood</i> by Kendare Blake</li>
</ol>
<b>Library Fines: $2.30 </b><br />
I put a ton of holds on new YA releases in November and December. All the books arrived for me at the same time, which meant attempting to juggle and prioritize 15+ books. Needless to say, it was an epic fail. I read a few books I was dying to get my hands on (i.e. <i>Crossed</i> and <i>The Night Circus</i>) but I didn't get to all of them (i.e. <i>The Scorpio Races</i> by Maggie Stiefvater, <i>Blood Red Road</i> by Moira Young, and <i>Legend</i> by Marie Lu).<br />
<br />
<b>Book Reviews: 1 </b><br />
Ok, that's another disappointment. I need to step up my reviewing. <br />
<a href="http://ramblingsofabookcrosser.blogspot.com/2012/01/review-obsidian-lux-novel-bk1.html"><i>Obsidian</i> (A Lux Novel, Bk.1)</a> by Jennifer L. Armentrout.<br />
<br />
<b>BookCrossing Books Released: 0</b><br />
The January meeting of the Audubon BookCrossers was a bust. Not many people showed up. I brought three books with me, but decided to save them for February's meeting instead. I'm not sure if I'm going to the February meeting since it's on Superbowl Sunday. Hubby and I have cleaning to do since we've invited a few friends over. <br />
<br />
<b>Pages Read Challenge: 2,861 pages = 19% of goal </b><br />
It's a great start to my Pages Read goal of 18,000. If I keep this reading pace, I'll have to increase my goal.<br />
<br />
<b>Read Ten "1001-books": 0 </b><br />
None so far. I'll make an effort in February.<br />
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<b><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">February Goals:</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li>Review more (maybe 2 or 3 at least).</li>
<li>Release more (attempt to wild release?).</li>
<li>Post my tentative reading lists this week for the Mount TBR and other challenges.</li>
<li>Try not to rack up any more library fines!</li>
<li>Visit more blogs and comment (instead of my usual stalking).</li>
</ul>Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-36533353842359232672012-01-20T14:44:00.000-05:002012-01-20T14:44:39.887-05:00My Lost Week<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://ignitelight.tumblr.com/post/11655595316">Photo cred</a></span></div>
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I hate being sick. Unfortunately, I have a gross cough that I can't shake off. I took a few sick days, but I had to go back to work today still coughing up a storm. I read a little bit this week. I finished <em><a href="http://erinmorgenstern.com/the-night-circus/">The Night Circus</a></em> by Erin Morgenstern but I haven't been able to write a review yet. Hopefully, I'll get that to you next week. <br />
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Until then, enjoy these random bookish links!<br />
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<a href="http://io9.com/5671047/20-heroic-librarians-who-save-the-world">20 heroic librarians who save the world</a> from io9. It's an awesome list!<br />
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<a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/realgenius88/funny-library-montage-3bz9">Supercut: Libraries on TV and in the movies</a> (Funny Library Montage) from BuzzFeed.<br />
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/15/snl-daniel-radcliffe-harry-potter_n_1207094.html">SNL, Daniel Radcliffe do Harry Potter ten years later</a> from The Huffington Post. LOL! How did I miss this?<br />
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<a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/50268-should-authors-and-agents-weigh-in-on-citizen-reviews-.html">Should Authors and Agents Weigh In on Citizen Reviews?</a> from Publishers Weekly.<br />
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<a href="http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/alamw12">ALA Midwinter Meeting 2012 Coverage</a> from American Libraries.<br />
-- I wish I were in Dallas this weekend. So many great programs and speakers (<a href="http://www.alamidwinter.org/whats-happening-midwinter#green">John Green</a>)...sigh! I really want to go to ALA Annual this summer in Anaheim, CA. Hey, a girl can dream! Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-29503797468820947642012-01-17T10:35:00.000-05:002012-01-17T10:44:12.395-05:00In Which I Gush About Downton Abbey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://goodfilmguide.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Downton-Abbey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" kba="true" src="http://goodfilmguide.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Downton-Abbey.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>
I finally joined the ranks of obsessed <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/downtonabbey/index.html">Downton Abbey</a> fans this weekend.<br />
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I had the Downton Abbey season 1 DVD set sitting around collecting dust. I heard so much wonderful praise about the show, but I never got around to watching it. Yesterday, I decided to watch an episode and I ended up watching the whole season. It is so addicting! <br />
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My favorite characters are Anna and Mr. Bates. I can't stand Mary. She doesn't deserve to be with Matthew Crawley. The back and forth between Violet and Isobel Crawley is wonderful! <br />
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There are so many familiar faces in the series including Maggie Smith (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0001000/">Prof. McGonagall</a>, of course), Hugh Bonneville (from <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1117666/">Lost in Austen</a></em>, <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1076240/">Miss Austen Regrets</a></em>, and <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0321897/">Daniel Deronda</a></em>), Penelope Wilton (Harriet Jones from <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436992/">Doctor Who</a></em> and Mrs. Hamley from <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0215364/">Wives and Daughters</a></em>) and Brendan Coyle (Nicholas Higgins from <em><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417349/">North & South</a></em>).<br />
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You can explore Downton further in the companion book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/World-Downton-Abbey-Jessica-Fellowes/dp/1250006341/"><em>The World of Downton Abbey</em></a> by Jessica Fellowes. I haven't read it yet, but I'll try to track it down in my public library system.<br />
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Watch some of the episodes <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/watch/index.html">online</a>. If you're a fan of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066722/">Upstairs, Downstairs</a>, then you'll love Downton!<br />
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My husband watched the entire first series with me too. Our Downton binge reminds me of this hilarious <em>Portlandia</em> Battlestar Galactica sketch. One more episode!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yYjLrJRuMnY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-45832654689737930352012-01-11T11:30:00.001-05:002012-01-11T11:30:04.808-05:00Waiting on Wednesday: Timepiece (Hourglass, Bk.2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEBJ1Pv3mx1rQsnqRK4OIabyK3unbUQrKnnOGNs5Q4fllk43J8qjjfi2KsjAUZEwvgPk1vI4c1aOB3NjN6PYa5hR6AJroZVPM0p3fiahVnSjnH7SzIa6d_KKveyzzw5b5QYJPhAa4iOY/s1600/New_WoW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEBJ1Pv3mx1rQsnqRK4OIabyK3unbUQrKnnOGNs5Q4fllk43J8qjjfi2KsjAUZEwvgPk1vI4c1aOB3NjN6PYa5hR6AJroZVPM0p3fiahVnSjnH7SzIa6d_KKveyzzw5b5QYJPhAa4iOY/s1600/New_WoW.JPG" /></a></div>
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a>, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. <br />
My pick this week is...<br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><em><strong>Timepiece</strong></em> (Hourglass, Bk.2)</span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">by</span> Myra McEntire</span><br />
Releases on June 12, 2012<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOduZgXDzZZJtgsMsqviEuog-IEo-oyLXpH7AfCGxWozIJou0Jdj8g8XQqnkXkQo-gS3qm64EzuUEYw5iJMHWyohMacaea03ONp9ngr3Vg9ZyjwwzeyHmE2QD6lHLZOdXugMWZkOZUUnY/s1600/timepiece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOduZgXDzZZJtgsMsqviEuog-IEo-oyLXpH7AfCGxWozIJou0Jdj8g8XQqnkXkQo-gS3qm64EzuUEYw5iJMHWyohMacaea03ONp9ngr3Vg9ZyjwwzeyHmE2QD6lHLZOdXugMWZkOZUUnY/s320/timepiece.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12680986-timepiece">Goodreads</a> description:<br />
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<em>A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking... </em><br />
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<em>Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong? </em><br />
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<em>Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results. </em><br />
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<em>Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough... </em><br />
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<em>The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.</em><br />
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I LOVED <em>Hourglass</em> so I'm eager to read the next book. From the description above, it sounds like book 2 will be from Kaleb's point of view. I would prefer Michael's personally, but this should be interesting, especially since we'll see what Kaleb really thinks (and feels) about Emerson.<br />
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Learn more on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12680986-timepiece">Goodreads</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Timepiece-Hourglass-Novel-Myra-McEntire/dp/1606841459">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://myramcentire.blogspot.com/">Myra McEntire's blog</a>, and <a href="http://murphyslawcoffee.com/">Murphy's Law <em>Hourglass</em> fan page</a>.<br />
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What book are you waiting on?Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-51593295290252555692012-01-09T15:56:00.000-05:002012-01-09T15:58:32.619-05:00Bookish News: The Occupy Movement & YA Dystopians<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: AP from Salon article</td></tr>
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Yesterday <a href="http://www.salon.com/">Salon.com</a> posted an interesting article entitled <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/01/08/what_occupy_can_learn_from_the_hunger_games/">"What Occupy can learn from the Hunger Games"</a>. Mike Doherty wrote about the how the Occupy movement can learn a few lessons from dystopian novels. He specifically cites an example of how the London Occupy movement uses slogans and visuals from the graphic novel <em>V for Vendetta.</em> Doherty discusses the parallels between Occupy and popular young adult dystopian novels:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>It’s fitting that the Occupy movement should have drawn inspiration from dystopian fiction, an increasingly popular genre for teenagers and young adults in particular. If, as Time magazine suggests, the person of the year was the Protester, the publishing phenomenon was the Dystopia — the story of the dissenter in a repressive society who becomes a revolutionary. The new wave was led by two trilogies, both published from 2008-10: Suzanne Collins’ “Hunger Games” (whose big-budget Hollywood adaptation kicks off in March) and Patrick Ness’ “Chaos Walking” (now being adapted by Lionsgate).</em></blockquote>
The article discusses examples from <em>The Hunger Games</em>, <em>Matched</em>, <em>Divergent</em> and <em>Chaos Walking </em>in depth. There are SPOILERS in the article for these books, so be prepared for them if you haven't read these stories yet. Doherty concludes with intriguing insights:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<em>The new YA dystopian novels are thoughtful books, but they don’t offer solutions or blueprints – they merely suggest ways of combating stifling political ideologies. They’re full of different voices, or what literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin, writing in – and against – Soviet Russia, called “polyphony”: the opposite of propaganda, and the enemy of ideology. Where they resonate with the Occupy movement, it’s in the protagonists’ determination to recalibrate the world around us in creative ways: seeing a bank as an educational institution, a tent as a library, a movement as a gathering of people asking questions, and encouraging ways of thinking by which solutions could be found. </em></blockquote>
Check out the <a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/01/08/what_occupy_can_learn_from_the_hunger_games/">full article</a>. It's worth the time. While I'm reading my next dystopian, I'll think about how the storyline could parallel current events.Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-33117153132900795322012-01-07T07:30:00.000-05:002012-01-07T07:30:00.435-05:00Review: Obsidian (A Lux Novel, Bk.1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/148840000/148845395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rea="true" src="http://img2.imagesbn.com/images/148840000/148845395.JPG" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><strong><em>Obsidian</em> (A Lux Novel, Bk.1)</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><strong>by Jennifer L. Armentrout </strong></span><br />
Entangled Publishing, 1st Ed. <br />
Released: December 6, 2011<br />
268 pages<br />
ISBN: 978-1-937044-23-7<br />
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<strong><span style="color: black;">Description on the book:</span></strong><br />
<em>Starting over sucks.</em><br />
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<em>When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.</em><br />
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<em>And then he opened his mouth.</em><br />
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<em>Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. </em><br />
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<em>The hot alien living next door marks me.</em><br />
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<em>You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. </em><br />
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<em>If I don't kill him first, that is.</em><br />
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<strong><span style="color: black;">My Review:</span></strong><br />
There aren't many books I buy immediately after I read a review, but <em>Obsidian</em> was one of them. I fell for the amazing description above and it has a 5 star average rating on Amazon with glowing reviews. Thus, I took the plunge with this first installment of the Lux series. I devoured the book in less than a day. <br />
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<em>Obsidian</em> is hot, hot, hot! It starts off when seventeen year old Katy, who just moved from Florida to West Virginia with her mom, goes next door to ask for directions to the closest market. She finds an incredible hot guy, shirtless with six pack abs and all. But Daemon's downright rude and obnoxious to her. So begins their back and forth chippy retorts, fighting yet flirtly. There's a good reason why Daemon's trying to stop Katy from getting close to him or befriending his sister Dee...they're aliens! The twist isn't actually a spoiler because it clearly states it on the back cover. The real fun is leading up to Katy's discovery of her neighbors' identity, reconciling with it when she finds out and trying to survive attacks from the alien's enemies. I know that sounds kind of ridiculous, but it really works. The story is funny, suspenseful and intoxicating.<br />
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There are obvious plot stereotypes that will annoy some readers. The normal teenage girl, who is beautiful but doesn't realize it, meets the gorgeous supernatural guy who's obnoxious but occasionally shows her a softer side. Also, it has those overly dramatic scenes where the helpless damsel in distress is saved by hot supernatural guy, one such incident reveals his secret. I've read these story lines before but it works well here. One of my favorite side notes: Katy is a book blogger who loves paranormal novels. I laughed out loud when she passed time by publishing her "Waiting On Wednesday" post and explains to Daemon why she blogs when she doesn't get paid for it. It was a great touch to the story.<br />
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<em>Obsidian</em> is a downright delicious guilty pleasure. It reminds me of how I fell hard for <em>Hush, Hush</em>. It won't become my favorite book, but I'll definitely reread it. The sexually charged banter and chemistry between the leads is what makes this book good. There is some cursing, although I completely enjoyed it when Katy shot them at Daemon for acting arrogantly. He loved it too. Actually, I was more annoyed by the main characters' names. Did Daemon really need the extra "e"? Then Daemon's nickname for Katy is Kitten and Kittycat. Slight gag reflex...but then again I'd take any nickname that Daemon wanted to give me. Gush!<br />
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If you're looking for a sexy, new paranormal romance series to sink your teeth in, buy <em>Obsidian</em>. I'm glad I did. I'll definitely preorder book 2, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13047090-onyx">Onyx</a>, when it releases in May 2012. I can't wait to read more from Jennifer L. Armentrout.<br />
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<strong>My Rating:</strong> 4.5 out of 5!<br />
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<strong>My Favorite Quotes:</strong><br />
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"Since it was Wednesday, I'd typed up a quick "Waiting on Wednesday" post for my blog featuring this YA book about a hot boy with a killer touch--can't go wrong there--apologized for my extended absence, responded to comments, and stalked a few other blogs I loved. It was like coming home." (page 17)</blockquote>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Time seemed to slow, every second stretching out before me, tantalizing and torturing every breath I took. Waiting, wanting to show him whatever he was looking for as his eyes darkened to a deep green. His face strained, as if he were waging an internal battle. Something in his eyes made me feel very unsure.</blockquote>
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I knew the second he made up his mind. He took a deep breath and his beautiful eyes closed. I felt his breath against my cheek, slowly moving to my lips. I knew I should pull back. He was bad, bad news. But my own breath caught in my throat. His lips were so close to mine, I desperately wanted to meet him halfway, to rush forward to test if his lips were as pillow soft as they looked." (page 62)</blockquote>
<strong>For More Information:</strong><br />
Read the first chapter of <em>Osidian</em> on <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/obsidian/">Entangled Publishing's website</a>. <br />
Learn more on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Obsidian-Lux-Novel-Book-One/dp/1937044238">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12578077-obsidian">Goodreads</a>, and <a href="http://jenniferarmentrout.blogspot.com/">Jennifer L. Armentrout's blog</a>.Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-58112063017917597352012-01-06T09:17:00.001-05:002012-01-06T09:17:47.916-05:002012 Goals and ChallengesAs promised, here are my goals and reading challenges for 2012. Also, I joined a bunch of new reading challenges. Very exciting! It's going to be a fun year.<br />
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<strong>2012 Goals:</strong><br />
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<li><strong>Read 65 books this year:</strong> I read 58 in 2011 so I'll try to top that number. 65 sounds like a good goal.</li>
<li><strong>Review more</strong>: I read a lot, but tend not to write many reviews. I'll try to write more reviews in 2012. I'm not satisfied with my review voice just yet. I have to work on fine tuning my review style. I can't let self-consciousness get the best of me.</li>
<li><strong>Spend time working on my challenges:</strong> I basically forgot about my A-Z read and release challenge, so I actually should think about reading a few books that will fit in it. This year I'm signing up for more challenges than ever. I need to make an effort to keep track of them all (see below for details).</li>
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<a href="http://bookishardour.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/dystopia2012.jpg?w=692" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><strong>Regularly attend and release at the local BookCrossers Meeting</strong>: I usually go to the monthly meetings (in Audubon, PA), but I'll try to bring more books to release. I will continue to only take books home that I have an interest in reading. </div>
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<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Visit Indie Bookstores</strong>: I want to visit more independent bookstores (and blog about it), both in my area and while I'm on vacation or away at work conferences.</li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Re-read <em>The Hunger Games</em></strong>: I'm so incredibly excited for the HG movie! I'm going to the midnight premiere with a bunch of friends. I can't wait! In preparation, I have to re-read the book. When I went to the midnight premiere of Harry Potter 7 Pt. 2, my friends made a list of trivia questions which was so much fun while waiting in line. I'll try to make my own list of trivia. </li>
<li style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Buy an e-reader?</strong> This is a maybe. It certainly would make my purse a lot lighter. Plus, my public library system recently expanded to include Kindle devices. I'm not sure what brand I might buy. I've heard buzz about the Nook, but I don't frequently shop at Barnes and Noble. Maybe something compatible with NetGalley.</li>
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<strong>BookCrossing Challenges:</strong></div>
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This year I'm continuing my usual BookCrossing Challenges and I'm adding several non-BC challenges open to the book blogging world. Check out all the details:</div>
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<strong><span style="color: magenta;">2012 Pages Read Challenge</span></strong>: It's favorite BookCrossing challenge! I surpassed my 2011 goal of 15,000 pages so I'm bumping up my 2012 goal to <span style="color: magenta;">18,000 pages</span>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAez39EcYg6mLZM5eQFcBC1tgFcKSkLQV8MVUoJLgbG_oRjkLgVms3Yxx7c0Ep0E_bjlQuIfuN3yh44i-Pissd_gxoyir2pQsig_2SnPUGAYJYNYSgx6f7YofWuz6gjvzZfdOiFxmK05Q/s1600/BC+logo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAez39EcYg6mLZM5eQFcBC1tgFcKSkLQV8MVUoJLgbG_oRjkLgVms3Yxx7c0Ep0E_bjlQuIfuN3yh44i-Pissd_gxoyir2pQsig_2SnPUGAYJYNYSgx6f7YofWuz6gjvzZfdOiFxmK05Q/s200/BC+logo+2.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong><span style="color: magenta;">Read Ten 1001 Books Challenge</span></strong>: I'm a sucker for lost causes, so I'm signing up again to read 10 books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list. I only read 5 books in 2011 and 6 in 2010.</div>
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<strong><span style="color: magenta;">2012 Reduce Mount TBR Challenge</span></strong>: It's my first time participating in the Mount TBR challenge. I have so many books on my TBR list (I can't even count them). My goal is to knock 25 books off my TBR list this year. </div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><strong>A-Z New Author Read & Release Challenge</strong></span>: This is a tough one because the books need to be new authors you haven't read yet and after reading, you have to register and release the books. I read so many library books that I completely ignored this challenge in 2011. I'll try to knock a few off the list this year. I'll shoot for 3 books.</div>
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<strong>Non-BookCrossing Challenges</strong> (open to everyone): It's my first time participating in all of the following challenges....Yay! Check out the links below for all the challenge details and to sign up, of course.<br />
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<a href="http://bumpsintheroad1.blogspot.com/2011/08/2012-young-adult-reading-challenge.html"><strong>2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge</strong></a> (The Eclectic Bookshelf)</div>
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Level 3: The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read <strong>40 Young Adult novels</strong>. </div>
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I think I read more than 40 YA books in 2011. Since I want to expand my reading to knock off more of my 1001 adult books, I think 40 YA books is a good goal for this challenge.</div>
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<a href="http://darkfaerietales.com/steampunk-reading-challenge-2012-sign-up-post.html"><strong>Steampunk Reading Challenge 2012</strong></a> (Dark Faerie Tales)</div>
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Level 1: Gaslight – Choose <strong>6 books</strong> to read</div>
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I don't think I've read a steampunk book yet. That's weird. Well, now's the time to start. Six books sounds like a good introduction to the genre.</div>
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<a href="http://bookishardour.com/dystopia/"><strong>The Dystopia Challenge</strong></a> (Bookish Ardour) </div>
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Level 2: Contagion – Choose <strong>15 books</strong> to read</div>
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I love dystopian YA. I have a bunch on my Mount TBR list so I should be able to hit 15 without a problem.</div>
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<a href="http://www.bookchickcity.com/2011/12/sign-up-speculative-romance-challenge.html"><strong>Speculative Romance Challenge</strong></a> (Book Chick City)</div>
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Level 3: Sexy Vampires – Read <strong>18 Speculative Romance novels</strong></div>
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I'm a sucker for speculative romance...sigh! I'm on an angels and demon kick right now. Plus, steampunk and apocalyptic romance count too. This one is going to be fun.</div>
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What challenges are you participating in this year?</div>
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<br /></div>Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-34853708253519619662012-01-05T08:41:00.000-05:002012-01-05T08:41:04.166-05:002011 Wrap Up, Part 2Not surprisingly, most of the books I read in 2011 were <span style="color: black; font-size: small;">YA series. Actually, 32 out of the 58 books were a part of young adult series (many the first volume). For 2012, I'll try to expand my reading outside of my comfy YA niche, but it's so fun to read what you know you really enjoy. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-size: small;">I'll post my 2012 goals soon. This list contains books I read in 2011, but many of books were published before 2011. Now for the fun part....my picks for 2011!</span><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><strong>My 2011 Favorites (and not-so-favorites):</strong></span><br />
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Favorite YA book: <strong><em>Nevermore </em>by Kelly Creagh</strong><br />
Runners up: <br />
<strong><em>Matched</em> by Ally Condie</strong><br />
<strong><em>Hourglass</em> by Myra McEntire</strong><br />
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Favorite YA series (read more than 1 vol.): <strong><em>Hex Hall</em> series by Rachel Hawkins</strong><br />
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Favorite Female Character: <strong>Sophie from <em>Hex Hall</em> by Rachel Hawkins</strong><br />
Runners up:<br />
<strong>Emerson from <em>Hourglass</em> by Myra McEntire</strong><br />
<strong>Allison from <em>Allison Hewitt Is Trapped</em> by Madeleine Roux</strong><br />
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<strong> Waverly from <em>Glow</em> by Amy Kathleen Ryan</strong> </div>
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Favorite Male Character: <strong>Varen from <em>Nevermore</em> by Kelly Creagh</strong><br />
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Runners up: </div>
<strong> Cricket from <em>Lola and the Boy Next Door</em> by Stephanie Perkins </strong><br />
<strong> Conrad from <em>We'll Always Have Summer</em> by Jenny Han</strong><br />
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<strong>Richard from <em>Neverwhere</em> by Neil Gaiman</strong></div>
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Favorite adult book: <strong><em>Neverwhere</em> by Neil Gaiman</strong></div>
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Favorite manga series: <strong><em>Vampire Knight</em> (vols. 1-12) by Matsuri Hino</strong></div>
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Favorite guilty pleasure: <strong><em>Hush, Hush</em> series by Becca Fitzpatrick</strong></div>
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Best obscure book (haven't heard of but you must read): <br />
<strong><em>Wolves, Boys & Other Things That Might Kill Me</em> by Kristen Chandler</strong><br />
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Most moving book: <strong><em>I Had Seen Castles</em> by Cynthia Rylant</strong><br />
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Most disappointing book: <strong><em>The Nine Lives of Chloe King</em> series by Liz Braswell</strong><br />
Runner up: <br />
<strong><em> Beastly</em> by Alex Flinn</strong><br />
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Biggest hyped book: <strong><em>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</em> by Laini Taylor </strong><br />
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Least favorite book: <strong><em>Erewhon</em> by Samuel Butler</strong>. <br />
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<u>Comments on my picks:</u> <br />
I love love loved <em>Nevermore</em>! It was fun, the ending was unexpected, and I was cheering on Isobel to save the day. It's a book I had to re-read all my favorite parts immediately, which meant I practicely read it twice. I also loved <em>Matched</em> and <em>Hourglass.</em> Both books had great characters and amazing love stories!<br />
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I can't stand when series are compared to Harry Potter because it's THE series of our generation (not an overstatement). So when I read reviews describing Hex Hall as a cross between Harry Potter and Paranormalcy, I scoffed. But I have to admit...it's pretty close. It's an addicting series and I love where the story went in Demonglass. I'm not giving away any spoilers, so go read it if you haven't already. <br />
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I understand that <em>Daughter of Smoke and Bone</em> is on everyone else's best list, but sorry it's not on mine. It was a completely unique and fascinating story, but it didn't wow me. I never really connected with (or even liked) Karou as a character. <br />
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I loved <em>The Nine Lives of Chloe King</em> TV series, so I had to run out and buy the three volume book. Oh boy, that was a mistake. Watch the show, but don't read the book. It was that big of a disappointment. Finally, where do I start with <em>Erewhon</em>. It was a 1001 book I got through a BC bookring. It was tough to read because I hated the story and the narrator. It started off okay, but then the narrator gets to the land of Erewhon he goes rambling on for chapters on the Erewhonian philosophies on machines, unborn people and the rights of vegetables. <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1906">Give it a shot</a> if you don't believe me.<br />
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What was your favorite (or not-so-favorite) book of 2011?<br />
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I'll post soon with my goals and challenges for 2012.Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-24829196442582366692012-01-04T11:57:00.000-05:002012-01-04T11:58:35.720-05:002011 Wrap Up, Part 1Happy New Year all! I'm excited for 2012 because it'll bring some awesome book releases to look forward to....and some life changes as well (graduation, hopefully a new job, and possibly a move). <br />
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Here's Part 1 of my 2011 recap, which includes my challenge results. I'll post Part 2 soon. It features my favorites and not-so-favorite reads from the past year. <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">2011 Recap:</span></strong><br />
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- I read <strong><span style="color: magenta;">58 books</span></strong> this year, which is up from 53 last year.<br />
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- I quietly had my one year blog anniversary in April 2011. I promise to actually celebrate it this year.<br />
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- Started my second year of graduate school in the fall. I only have two semesters left! I'll finish my Masters in Library Science (MLS) this summer. Thus, I'll be looking for a new job as a librarian (preferable for fall, if the stars align and luck is on my side....too dramatic?).<br />
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- Participated in one 24-hour Dewey read-a-thon this year. I couldn't participate in the October read-a-thon because I was out of town visiting a friend.</div>
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- Sadly, I didn't complete any books in June. I had a crazy busy summer semester (only six weeks long) that caused a major leisure reading road block. Hopefully, I won't repeat it this year.<br />
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- In November, I read the most books that I've ever read in one month, <strong><span style="color: magenta;">13!</span></strong> I was on a Jenny Han and Stephanie Perkins binge. <br />
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- Near the end of the year, I focused on new releases from 2011. I loved it! There are so many awesome first books of series out.</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Reading Challenges:</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><strong>2011 Pages Read Challenge:</strong></span> Last year I didn't reach my pages read goal, so I decided to shoot for the same number this year: <span style="color: black;">15,000 pages</span>. I actually reached it this time!!! My final tally was <span style="color: magenta;"><strong>16,101 pages</strong></span>, 107% of my goal. Yahoo! I even read more pages that I didn't count...including my 400+ page textbook and a few books I disliked enough not to finish (<em>cough</em>...The Thirteen Hallows...<em>cough</em>). </div>
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<strong>Read Ten 1001-Books Challenge:</strong> Epic fail! I only read five 1001-books this year. I'll try it again this year.</div>
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<em>Erewhon</em> by Samuel Butler.</div>
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<em>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</em> by Robert Louis Stevenson.</div>
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<em>The Time Machine</em> by H. G. Wells</div>
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<em>The Wonderful O</em> by James Thurber</div>
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<em>The 13 Clocks</em> by James Thurber</div>
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<strong>A-Z Read & Release Challenge:</strong> Another fail! I haven't done anything with this ongoing BookCrossing challenge for a number of reasons. First, a majority of the books I read this year were library books so they can't be registered. A few registered books I releases were repeat letters (G and R). I'll keep my eye out for books that fit into this release challenge, but I'm not gonna sweat over it. </div>
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<strong>Stay tuned for Part 2 of my 2011 Wrap Up and my 2012 Goals post! </strong></div>Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-11392169775496687982012-01-03T11:41:00.000-05:002012-01-03T11:41:36.903-05:0025 Most Beautiful College LibrariesI'm working on my 2011 wrap up and 2012 goals posts. In the meantime, I wanted to share this <em>Flavorwire</em> link of the <a href="http://flavorwire.com/240819/the-25-most-beautiful-college-libraries-in-the-world">25 most beautiful college libraries in the world</a>. Sigh! While I would be lucky to land any Librarian position when I get my degree, I can't help but dream about working in one of these gorgeous places. Hmm, I wonder if any of them are looking for a Government Information Librarian. Enjoy!<br />
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Trinity College Library in Dublin, Ireland.</div>
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University of Michigan Law Library, Ann Arbor, MI </div>Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-38955448915497834172011-12-21T08:58:00.001-05:002012-01-04T15:37:53.577-05:00Waiting On Wednesday: Unraveling Isobel<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEBJ1Pv3mx1rQsnqRK4OIabyK3unbUQrKnnOGNs5Q4fllk43J8qjjfi2KsjAUZEwvgPk1vI4c1aOB3NjN6PYa5hR6AJroZVPM0p3fiahVnSjnH7SzIa6d_KKveyzzw5b5QYJPhAa4iOY/s1600/New_WoW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGEBJ1Pv3mx1rQsnqRK4OIabyK3unbUQrKnnOGNs5Q4fllk43J8qjjfi2KsjAUZEwvgPk1vI4c1aOB3NjN6PYa5hR6AJroZVPM0p3fiahVnSjnH7SzIa6d_KKveyzzw5b5QYJPhAa4iOY/s1600/New_WoW.JPG" /></a> "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a>, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. <br />
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My pick this week is...<br />
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<strong><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><em>Unraveling Isobel</em></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;">by Eileen Cook</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;">Releases on January 3, 2012</span></strong><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUbsVheTe9MCN-2jF7lCfjjoqoRke1FdBINCStaq2f1gKLhfw7_JRPARzHZdtVHveHCggsakgGs1BDieaYOIIQYtJl5givdHmkje3VXpvvhCEmGVxQfK16q_4CWRruILjol2WDY-HQbA/s1600/Unraveling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUbsVheTe9MCN-2jF7lCfjjoqoRke1FdBINCStaq2f1gKLhfw7_JRPARzHZdtVHveHCggsakgGs1BDieaYOIIQYtJl5givdHmkje3VXpvvhCEmGVxQfK16q_4CWRruILjol2WDY-HQbA/s320/Unraveling.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><em>A darkly comic novel that blends paranormal mystery and romance with humor, from the author of</em> The Eductation of Hailey Kendrick<em> and</em> Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood<em>. Isobel's life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.</em> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta;"><span style="color: black;"><em>But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn't only her life that's unraveling-her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she's seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel's fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Oooh, a contemporary YA with a splash of paranormal and a hint of romance. Sounds like fun! I'm on a world-building dystopian kick right now and I like to throw in a contemporary YA every so often. <em>Unraveling Isobel</em> seems like a cute contribution to the contemporary paranormal genre. Plus, it's releasing in two weeks so it's not too long of a wait!</span></div>
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Read the first chapter on <a href="http://www.eileencook.com/blog/?page_id=2805">Eileen Cook's website</a>. </div>
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I have two early favorite quotes already (and from the same paragraph): </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I looked at my mom for confirmation. I hoped it was a joke, but instead of laughing, she was looking at Dick like a slice of chocolate cheesecake after an extended sugar-free diet." </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The wings on both sides were covered in ivy. Not in a nice Big Ten-campus sort of way, but more like a wild-jungle-vine-gone-rabid kind of way." (As an alum for a Big Ten school...love it!)</blockquote>
Enter the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/17623-unraveling-isobel">book giveaway</a> on Goodreads. <em>Unraveling Isobel</em> on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Unraveling-Isobel-Eileen-Cook/dp/1442413271/">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10798398-unraveling-isobel">GoodReads</a>. <br />
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What book are you waiting on? </div>Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-16291121018412128512011-11-03T10:26:00.004-04:002011-11-03T10:27:00.097-04:00R.I.P. Challenge Wrap Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/images/2011/08/rip6two200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ida="true" src="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/images/2011/08/rip6two200.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
In September, I joined Carl's (<a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/">Stainless Steel Droppings</a>) 6th annual <a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/r-eaders-i-mbibing-p-eril-vi">R.I.P. Challenge</a> (i.e. R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril). I wanted to use the challenge as a way to catch up on my 1001-books reading, or lack there of.<br />
<br />
The R.I.P. challenge participants read books from September 1st to October 31st in the following genres: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Horror, Supernatural. <br />
<br />
I signed up for the "Peril the First" level to read 4 books. Not too much for me. While I thought I would read <em>Frankenstein</em>, <em>Dracula</em> and <em>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</em>, I only read one of those titles. What can I say...I get easily distracted with YA series. Here are the five supernatural-themed books I read in October:<br />
<br />
<strong><em>City of Bones</em> (The Mortal Instruments, Bk.1) by Cassandra Clare. </strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>Welcome to Dead House</em> (Goosebumps, #1) by R. L. Stine.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>Queen of the Dead</em> (The Ghost and the Goth, Bk.2) by Stacey Kade.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>Demonglass</em> (Hex Hall, Bk.2) by Rachel Hawkins.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</em> by Robert Louis Stevenson. </strong><br />
<br />
Some thoughts on these book:<br />
I absolutely love the Hex Hall series! <em>Demonglass</em> was my favorite among all my October reads, followed closely by <em>City of Bones</em>. I bought The Mortal Instruments trilogy set a while ago so I'll definitely continue reading the series in November. <em>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</em> was different than I thought it would be...more suspense than horror. I'm glad I read it. <em>Welcome to Dead House</em> is a Goosebumps classic that I had lying around. I was obsessed with Goosebumps growing up and must have read at least the first 50 volumes of the series. Finally, <em>Queen of the Dead</em> was amusing but not world-shattering. It's a fun series (The Ghost and the Goth) but not as addicting as Hex Hall or The Mortal Instruments. <br />
<br />
This was a fun challenge! I'll join it again next year.Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-84783699238544113782011-09-25T00:14:00.000-04:002011-09-25T00:14:04.632-04:00Classic Kid Lit RantOn Friday, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/"><i>The Independent</i></a> featured an article called <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/why-do-adults-read-childrens-books-blame-modern-life-2359349.html">"Why do adults read children's books? Blame modern life"</a>. According to Dr. Louise Joy from Cambridge University, adults read classic children's books (and modern books that resemble older children's classics) because they represent a "symbolic retreat from the
disappointment of reality".<br />
<br />
More gems from the article:<br />
<blockquote>
"Books such as Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Roald Dahl's James
and the Giant Peach offer a world where self-consciousness is overthrown and
relationships are straightforward," says Dr Joy. "But
relationships in the real adult world are often fraught by miscommunication
and the impossibility of understanding one another properly."</blockquote>
<blockquote>
Dr Joy claims The Hobbit's characters hanker after simple meals, whereas "in
the real world we rarely sit to down to a home-cooked meal". </blockquote>
Really? Give me a break! I understand that Dr. Joy trying to promote her forthcoming book <i>Literature's Children</i>, but come on. You can use an "escaping reality" argument for reading in any genre, not just classic children's books...or any hobby could be seen as an escapist activity from watching TV to playing a sport. Your focus is on the show or game, not dwelling on life's stresses. While some classic kid lit plots seem straightforward or idealistic, that doesn't mean the story is one dimensional or without relationship conflicts. It sounds like Joy's theory over-analyzes scenes and character traits in children's literature to justify that seemingly needy adults use it as a method to escape their terrible reality. <br />
<br />
I'm a YA lit fan but I don't read these stories because they give me things I don't have in my everyday "real adult" life. I cook meals with my husband. I communicate with my family and friends. I didn't want a soul mate who could be my identical twin. I simply enjoy reading children and young adult books because the stories are fun. I agree with children's author Charlie Higson who's quoted in the article as saying:<br />
<blockquote>
"I get irritated when people try to come up
with great theories... The nostalgia which inspires us to read children's
books written 100 years ago is the same as what attracts us to watch period
dramas on television."
</blockquote>
Thank you Charlie. <br />
<br />
P.S. Charlie Higson's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enemy-Novel-Charlie-Higson/dp/1423131754"><i>The Enemy</i></a> is on my TBR list. I love zombies, especially YA zombie novels since it's fun to read. :) Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-49347233822687995822011-09-07T08:30:00.002-04:002011-09-07T08:30:01.965-04:00WOW: Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialHN9fAKNMq0r0mpsLKTNDcBHwYSylFmqVkFbN35oMR9s2CagcUU1Qi4yByCdEDa-N-Qqv5kjkG6EzlbtjIBFCqybAQ6-S6GKqhDbZencmusZu7fgp8_m-yYCEhxsv_VdIhQAunFPb_Y/s1600/New_WoW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEialHN9fAKNMq0r0mpsLKTNDcBHwYSylFmqVkFbN35oMR9s2CagcUU1Qi4yByCdEDa-N-Qqv5kjkG6EzlbtjIBFCqybAQ6-S6GKqhDbZencmusZu7fgp8_m-yYCEhxsv_VdIhQAunFPb_Y/s1600/New_WoW.JPG" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a>, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. <br />
<br />
It's been a while since I featured a WOW book. And there's one that I can't get out of my head.<br />
<br />
My pick this week is...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://blog.kellycreagh.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Enshadowed-comp-3e1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://blog.kellycreagh.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Enshadowed-comp-3e1.jpg" width="211" xaa="true" /></a></div><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><strong><em>Enshadowed </em></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: magenta;"><strong>(Nevermore, bk. 2)</strong></span><br />
by <span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Kelly Creagh</strong></span><br />
<br />
I absolutely LOVED <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nevermore-Kelly-Creagh/dp/1442402016/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314990847&sr=1-1">Nevermore</a></em>! It was fun and suspenseful and romantic...I loved the characters and the storyline...everything! I can't wait until <em>Enshadowed</em> comes out. <br />
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The weird thing is the release date was slated for <strong>January 17, 2012</strong>, but now <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9239571-enshadowed">GoodReads</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enshadowed-Kelly-Creagh/dp/1442402040/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0">Amazon</a> also say<strong> August 28, 2012</strong>. I don't get it. I already can't stand the wait until 2012 and now August. Hopefully, we'll get it earlier in the year rather than later.<br />
<br />
Author Kelly Creagh explained the long wait on <a href="http://blog.kellycreagh.com/2011/04/28/theres-a-nightmare-in-my-mind/">this blog post</a>. Thanks for sharing Kelly, but I'm still an impatient fan.Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-117782863951682122011-09-02T15:03:00.000-04:002011-09-02T15:03:43.816-04:00R.I.P. VI Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/images/2011/08/rip6two200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/images/2011/08/rip6two200.jpg" xaa="true" /></a></div><br />
Carl from <a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/">Stainless Steel Droppings</a> is hosting the 6th annual <a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/r-eaders-i-mbibing-p-eril-vi">R.I.P. Challenge</a>, which stands for R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril. From September 1st to October 31st, read books in the following genres: <br />
<br />
<strong>Mystery</strong>, <strong>Suspense</strong>, <strong>Thriller</strong>, <strong>Dark Fantasy</strong>, <strong>Gothic</strong>, <strong>Horror</strong>, <strong>Supernatural</strong>. <br />
<br />
I'll try the "Peril the First" level of reading 4 books. It shouldn't be too hard to accomplish. I'm way behind on my 1001 book reading so I will finally get around to reading <em><strong>Frankenstein</strong></em>, <strong><em>Dracula</em></strong> and <strong><em>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</em></strong>. Not sure about the fourth book yet. <br />
<br />
Check out <a href="http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/r-eaders-i-mbibing-p-eril-vi#more-3880">Carl's blog post</a> for all the details. Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-90641148135909629732011-08-31T11:33:00.000-04:002011-08-31T11:33:32.107-04:00Reading Without ReviewingMy summer has officially ended this week with the beginning of fall semester. I thought I would regularly post over the last two summer months without the stress of class deadlines and other grad school responsibilities. Instead, I sorta fell off the face of the earth in terms of blogging.<br />
<br />
I caught up on some of the leisure reading (my TBR list is never-ending so not vast amount of progress in the long run). I was more interested in reading than reviewing....to fulfil that need to get lost in a story, in an author's world, and just savor it. Then I ventured into the next world and so on. But I didn't necessarily reflect deeply about each book. I didn't take any notes. I didn't write down the page numbers of my favorite quotes. I enjoyed reading the books, but I kind of regret flying through them so quickly. Now, I'm ready to attempt my note-taking again and soulfully reflect on the story lines so I can update more frequently.<br />
<br />
Here are some of the books I read this summer....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7PJQNb7KvWuGGaTcx2unVCAtfywVhDqOwDOvRCoYcENuLulX_LFXvLQzmbjjVyMMxkFKeSO4T5Di6qsItNQufPILjyT5-xeJpdXX4yMeR1uTzOvSphPYITSE_09vrtLMSUtntUf7C7Q/s1600/books2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; height: 398px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 184px;"><img border="0" height="400" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ7PJQNb7KvWuGGaTcx2unVCAtfywVhDqOwDOvRCoYcENuLulX_LFXvLQzmbjjVyMMxkFKeSO4T5Di6qsItNQufPILjyT5-xeJpdXX4yMeR1uTzOvSphPYITSE_09vrtLMSUtntUf7C7Q/s400/books2.png" width="181" /></a></div><br />
<strong>Beastly by Alex Flinn</strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: magenta;">Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins</span></strong><br />
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<strong>The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade</strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: magenta;">Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers</span></strong><br />
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<strong>The Nine Lives of Chloe King: The Fallen, The Stolen, The Chosen by Liz Braswell</strong><br />
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<span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Vampire Knight, vol. 11 & 12</strong></span><br />
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<span id="btAsinTitle"><strong>The Secret Circle: The Initiation and The Captive Part I by L. J. Smith</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span><span id="btAsinTitle"><strong><span style="color: magenta;">The Secret Circle: The Captive Part II and The Power by L. J. Smith</span></strong></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span>That's 12 books in 9 volumes...not too bad for a month and a half. I might try to go back and write a few reviews. </span><br />
<br />
<span>Right now I'm reading <span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Original-Personal-Demons-Lisa-Desrochers/dp/0765328097/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314804505&sr=1-2">Original Sin</a></span><span style="color: black;"> by Lisa Desrochers</span>, the second book of the Personal Demons series. </span>Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-68503636178970172332011-07-18T11:06:00.000-04:002011-07-18T11:06:22.571-04:00Review: Stonewords: A Ghost Story by Pam Conrad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijM7UZ3fZ9ib8vbBVQABz2d4tnR1w7SIg_mfF7VxgDGtSygWUFH0yZCW_Xs33YTPB8Yq7_V3DPsEfdbBWfLqB0Orh-LRKqyZyu8NKgIrR9SnR33g9Y_O491G2MTd7JagJ-mGocj2ZWZY/s1600/Stonewords.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijM7UZ3fZ9ib8vbBVQABz2d4tnR1w7SIg_mfF7VxgDGtSygWUFH0yZCW_Xs33YTPB8Yq7_V3DPsEfdbBWfLqB0Orh-LRKqyZyu8NKgIrR9SnR33g9Y_O491G2MTd7JagJ-mGocj2ZWZY/s1600/Stonewords.jpg" /></a></div><em><span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">Stonewords: A Ghost Story</span> </em><br />
by<span style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"> Pam Conrad</span><br />
First HarperTrophy Edition, 1991<br />
130 pages.<br />
ISBN: 0-06-440354-8 <br />
<br />
<strong>Description on the book:</strong><br />
<em>Zoe's best friend is a ghost. The first time Zoe met Zoe Louise, Zoe was four years old. Zoe Louise was more than one hundred. From that day on---living in the same house, separated by a staircase and a century---Zoe and Zoe Louise have been an important and permanent part of each other's lives. </em><br />
<br />
<em>Now Zoe is older. And although Zoe Louise never grows up, she is changing in dreadful, frightening ways. Time is running out for Zoe's best friend---and Zoe is the only one who can help her. To do so, she must travel back one hundred years in time and somehow alter the past. But in changing the past, must she also change the present? If she saves her friend's life, will she lose Zoe Louise forever?</em><br />
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<strong>My Review:</strong><br />
Best friends, ghosts, time travel and a rickety old staircase---it's the magical ingredients for the adorable plot of <em>Stonewords: A Ghost Story</em>. I must admit, I read this book with a complete bias...I remember loving it as a child. My copy of <em>Stonewords</em> has a tattered cover, yellowing pages, and a <em>Lisa Frank</em> sticker inside the back cover. The publishing date and sticker are clues that I probably read this book between the ages of 8 and 10, around the main character's age. Would it still hold that same magic for me years later? It definitely does.<br />
<br />
Zoe's mom, Jessie, took Zoe to live with her Grandma and PopPop at the age of four. Jessie, who would visit once or twice a year, was eccentric and flighty to say the least: <br />
<blockquote>"She had some mighty strange ways. Like she has this one cemetery on the island she loved. She didn't know anyone buried there---they'd all been dead for over a hundred years---but my mother would walk through the grass, trailing her silk scarf, with her large straw hat shading her empty eyes, and she'd pause at each stone and read the words out loud." (page 2)</blockquote>Zoe was named after one of these gravestones. The name was the only word left on a particular crumbling gravestone, no last name or dates. Yet it took Zoe a long time to the dots between this stoneword and her first childhood friend, Zoe Louise. <br />
<br />
Zoe Louise was a ghost who appeared to Zoe shortly after arriving at her grandparents' house. The girls played, fought, and cherished their unique friendship. As Zoe ages through the years, Zoe Louise stays the same. Zoe Louise always wore the same dress and it was always the same day---her birthday spent waiting for her father to come home with her present, a pony. Zoe Louise lived upstairs through the back staircase in the kitchen that Zoe's grandparents no longer used. When Zoe follows Zoe Louise up the dark rear staircase one day, she travels back to Zoe Louise's time. Confused and scared, Zoe doesn't want to lose her best friend, but she needs to find out what's going on. She starts investigating what happened to Zoe Louise over a hundred years ago. Can Zoe find out the truth? Can she change the past? <br />
<br />
I really like Zoe's character. She is a smart young girl you can't help but cheer on. She's happy with her grandparents and appreciative for their role in her life. She never quite understands her mother and fears that she will end up like her. When she first met Zoe Louise, Zoe didn't hide the friendship from her grandparents. But as she got older, Zoe realized it wasn't normal to have an "imaginary friend" so she stopped talking about Zoe Louise. Zoe doesn't have any other friends in the book and there's no mention of school. I found it odd that her grandparents didn't make her socialize with other children.<br />
<br />
Then you've got Zoe Louise, who is a spoiled, sometimes obnoxious 11 year old. She's waiting for her pony and claims Zoe's toys as her own. I had to stop and remind myself during her tantrums that she's just a scared little girl who doesn't understand the circumstances either. Despite their flaws, the Zoes share a deep bond and complex friendship that influences the rest of their lives.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed re-reading this book. The story doesn't disappoint. Conrad also wrote a sequel called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Zoe-Rising-Pam-Conrad/dp/0064406873/ref=pd_sim_b_1"><em>Zoe Rising</em></a>, which tells a new story about 14 year old Zoe at summer camp.<br />
<br />
<em>Stonewords</em> is a book that I'll keep in my permanent collection in the hopes that I'll pass it on to my own children someday.<br />
<br />
<strong>My Rating</strong>: 4.5 out of 5<br />
<br />
<strong>My Favorite Passages:</strong><br />
"Probably the strongest feeling I'd ever had for her was anger. For not being a true mother. And for not remembering what she had once told me about the rosebushes." (pg. 4)<br />
<br />
"'Zoe, dear.' It was Grandma, just as the leg tore off the baby doll's body and Zoe Louise's invisible hand disappeared through the door. Grandma opened the door and she stood there alone. My doll was torn in two. 'Oh, Zoe. What have you done? Why aren't you more careful with your things?'" (pg. 21)<br />
<br />
"I touched things. My headboard, the wall, the mattress, my pillow. I made sure I was real, that I didn't pass through things, that I was not a ghost. Was not a ghost. I wasn't a ghost anymore." (pg. 51)<br />
<br />
For More Information: <em>Stonewords: A Ghost Story</em> on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stonewords-Ghost-Story-Harper-Trophy/dp/0064403548">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/715316.Stonewords">GoodReads</a>.Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-23766481098878692542011-07-14T16:03:00.000-04:002011-07-14T16:03:43.834-04:00Reading Challenges Update and HP Deathly Hallows Pt.2My summer semester is over! WooHoo! When I got home from work each day, grad school stuff enveloped all my time. The summer semester was condensed and intensive. The last six weeks was full of writing discussion board posts, researching legislative histories, reading scholarly articles and learning all about library reference. I learned a lot this semester, but I'm so glad it's over. Now I can get back to reading and BookCrossing...until the madness starts up again at the end of August.<br />
<br />
I'm way behind on my reading challenges. Unbelievably, I didn't finish a book in June. That's a first since I started to track of my books read in January 2010. I began two books, but never got around to finishing them. I'll look out for any read-a-thons in the end of July or August to help get my reading goals back on track.<br />
<br />
<strong>2011 Pages Read Challenge:</strong><br />
I really want to hit that 15,000 pages read goal, especially since I didn't make it last year. However, I'm further behind now that I was this time last year. As of my last count (in the end of May), I'm at 4,645 pages read. That's only 30% of my goal. Eek! I have to step up my pace.<br />
<br />
<strong>Read Ten 1001 Books Challenge:</strong><br />
I only read 1 book so far, <em>Erewhon </em>by Samual Butler (and I hated every moment of it). I'd like to read some Jane Austen, George Orwell, H.G. Wells, Margaret Atwood, and maybe even Franz Kafka if I'm feeling adventurous. I never like to list the next book I'll read because I always end up changing my mind. I read whatever I crave in that moment.<br />
<br />
<strong>A-Z New Author Read & Release Challenge:</strong><br />
It's been a while since I updated my list. This challenge takes so long because it only counts registered BookCrossing books that you read and release. So my library books and non-registered BC books don't count. I completed 10 out of 26 letters so far. Here's the <a href="http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/23/419424/6648806/">list</a>.<br />
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Check out my <a href="http://ramblingsofabookcrosser.blogspot.com/p/challenges.html">Reading Challenges</a> page for the lists of books I've read so far. <br />
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On a completely different topic....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://m.harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthedeathlyhallows/images/m/bkg/bkg_people.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="http://m.harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthedeathlyhallows/images/m/bkg/bkg_people.jpg" width="254" /></a></div>I'm going to the <span style="color: magenta;"><strong>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2</strong></span> midnight showing tonight!!! I'm so excited to see it and I know I'll cry in the end. With the last film, it feels like an era is ending.<br />
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I'm going with a group of people which is a first for me. I usually go to midnight showings by myself because I can't find anyone to drag along with me. Except of course for last year, when my husband and brother actually came with me for Part 1 of the Deathly Hallows. When we got to the theater, there were firetrucks and hundreds of people outside all over the parking lot. Some idiot pulled the fire alarm before we got there and it was mayhem. The theater had no idea how to handle the crowd and by the time they started to let people in, it was past midnight with huge unruly crowd of teenagers pushing and yelling. What a nightmare! We didn't stay that night, but were able to exchange our tickets that weekend. In short, I'm not going back to that movie theater for a midnight showing ever again.<br />
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Here are some links to get you in the HP spirit:<br />
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<a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2011/07/12/harry-potter-maize-maze/">Harry Potter Maize Maze</a> (Technabob)<br />
<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504943_162-20079530-10391715.html">Harry Potter fans unite to end worldly evils</a> (CBSnews)<br />
<a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1667267/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-part-2-epilogue-scene.jhtml">Harry Potter Stars Felt "Weird" During Epilouge Scene</a> (MTV) <br />
<a href="http://harrypotterexhibition.com/">Harry Potter The Exhibition</a> <br />
<a href="http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/07/05/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-part-2-daniel-radcliffe-rupert-grint-interview/">10 Things You Need to Know About "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"</a> (Moviefone)<br />
<a href="http://www.nextmovie.com/blog/classic-album-covers-harry-potter-characters/">9 Classic Album Covers Re-Imagined With "Harry Potter" Characters</a> (nextmovie)Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3330253381377360053.post-71920860620340810702011-06-28T20:38:00.001-04:002011-06-28T20:38:54.866-04:00Burn The Night by Jocelynn Drake Released!<div style="color: magenta;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Burn The Night</i> by Jocelynn Drake was released today!!!</b> </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u2gT_TAX4YgIRu2__t7lVbHaROWB8jLLspmEjAAtVVlt3AR6U_o5HJYtDSUDYL9BDGpfb7Q8gfz-oJm7i56H8yVKDv39ImwOI4iedTTWOm1aOFdv1gT3CZbUiHmWSsGTDb_RRttkZTs/s1600/Burn_the_night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7u2gT_TAX4YgIRu2__t7lVbHaROWB8jLLspmEjAAtVVlt3AR6U_o5HJYtDSUDYL9BDGpfb7Q8gfz-oJm7i56H8yVKDv39ImwOI4iedTTWOm1aOFdv1gT3CZbUiHmWSsGTDb_RRttkZTs/s320/Burn_the_night.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I'm so excited to read the final book in the <i>Dark Days </i>series. I bought my copy right after work and I plan on starting it tonight. I love this series! Here's a pic of all six volumes on my bookshelf. Isn't the cover of <i>Burn The Night</i> amazing!?! It's my favorite cover of the entire series.<br />
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Basic story premise <span style="color: black;">(<b><i>some spoilers</i></b>)</span>: Mira is a nightwalker (i.e. vampire) who is also known as the Fire Starter since she has the unique ability to create and control fire. In the first book <i>Nightwalker</i>, we meet sexy Danaus who is a nightwalker hunter (i.e. vampire slayer). Danaus and Mira postpone their fight to the death in order to face a common enemy, the naturi. Lots of drama, fighting, death and several books later, Mira and Danaus survived many foes and are now FINALLY together. But they're up against their greatest challenges yet: kill the naturi roaming the Earth, save their supernatural society that the naturi will destroy, and maybe prevent or at least push back the Great Awakening (i.e. humans realizing all these supernatural beings exist).<br />
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Ok, that's a little oversimplified...or maybe I've lost you in my gushing ramblings anyway. If you like urban fantasy or just need a change in pace, give book one <i>Nightwalker</i> a shot. <br />
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Like all final books of a good series, I'm excited yet hesitant for it to come to an end. Jocelynn Drake says it won't let fans down. If <i>Burn The Night</i> is like the previous books, it will have action, betrayal, and steamy bedroom scenes (maybe a certain couple confessing undying love? Please?). Jocelynn Drake, my high hopes are in your hands. I could really use a great lose-yourself-completely-in-a-book reading experience with all my grad school stress.<br />
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Also, a<i> Dark Days </i>prequel novella is in the works for this fall, but will only be released as an ebook. Drake is working on a new series called the Tattoo Artist. She explains the plot on <a href="http://jocelynndrake.blogspot.com/2011/04/new-books-new-series.html">this blog post</a>. Can't wait! <br />
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For more info, check out Jocelynn Drake's <a href="http://jocelynndrake.blogspot.com/">blog</a> and <a href="http://www.jocelynndrake.com/">website</a>.Michelle (Ramblings of a BookCrosser)http://www.blogger.com/profile/10881133910422177012noreply@blogger.com0