Bookish News: The Occupy Movement & YA Dystopians

Photo credit: AP from Salon article

Yesterday Salon.com posted an interesting article entitled "What Occupy can learn from the Hunger Games".  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 V for Vendetta.  Doherty discusses the parallels between Occupy and popular young adult dystopian novels:

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).

The article discusses examples from The Hunger Games, Matched, Divergent and Chaos Walking 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:

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. 

Check out the full article. It's worth the time. While I'm reading my next dystopian, I'll think about how the storyline could parallel current events.

Review: Obsidian (A Lux Novel, Bk.1)

Obsidian (A Lux Novel, Bk.1)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Entangled Publishing, 1st Ed.
Released: December 6, 2011
268 pages
ISBN: 978-1-937044-23-7

Description on the book:
Starting over sucks.

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.

And then he opened his mouth.

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.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

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.

If I don't kill him first, that is.

My Review:
There aren't many books I buy immediately after I read a review, but Obsidian 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. 

Obsidian 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.

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.

Obsidian is a downright delicious guilty pleasure. It reminds me of how I fell hard for Hush, Hush. 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!

If you're looking for a sexy, new paranormal romance series to sink your teeth in, buy Obsidian.  I'm glad I did. I'll definitely preorder book 2, Onyx, when it releases in May 2012.  I can't wait to read more from Jennifer L. Armentrout.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5!

My Favorite Quotes:

"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)

    "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.

    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)

For More Information:
Read the first chapter of Osidian on Entangled Publishing's website.
Learn more on Amazon, Goodreads, and Jennifer L. Armentrout's blog.

2012 Goals and Challenges

As 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.

2012 Goals:

• Read 65 books this year:  I read 58 in 2011 so I'll try to top that number. 65 sounds like a good goal.
• Review more:  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.
• Spend time working on my challenges:  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).
• Regularly attend and release at the local BookCrossers Meeting: 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. 
• Visit official BookCrossing zones (OBCZ) more often:  I haven't stopped by Black Salt Cafe (my closest active OBCZ) in a while.  I want to release books there more frequently. 
• Visit Indie Bookstores:  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.
• Re-read The Hunger Games:  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.
• Buy an e-reader? 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.

BookCrossing Challenges:

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:

2012 Pages Read Challenge:  It's favorite BookCrossing challenge!  I surpassed my 2011 goal of 15,000 pages so I'm bumping up my 2012 goal to 18,000 pages.

Read Ten 1001 Books Challenge:  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.

2012 Reduce Mount TBR Challenge: 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. 

A-Z New Author Read & Release Challenge:  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.

Non-BookCrossing Challenges (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.

2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)

Level 3: The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.

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.

Steampunk Reading Challenge 2012 (Dark Faerie Tales)

Level 1: Gaslight – Choose 6 books to read

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.

The Dystopia Challenge  (Bookish Ardour)

Level 2:  Contagion – Choose 15 books to read

I love dystopian YA.  I have a bunch on my Mount TBR list so I should be able to hit 15 without a problem.

  

Speculative Romance Challenge (Book Chick City)

Level 3: Sexy Vampires – Read 18 Speculative Romance novels

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.

What challenges are you participating in this year?

2011 Wrap Up, Part 2

Not surprisingly, most of the books I read in 2011 were 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. 

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!

My 2011 Favorites (and not-so-favorites):

Favorite YA book: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
       Runners up:
               Matched by Ally Condie
               Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Favorite YA series (read more than 1 vol.): Hex Hall series by Rachel Hawkins

Favorite Female Character: Sophie from Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
      Runners up:
            Emerson from Hourglass by Myra McEntire
            Allison from Allison Hewitt Is Trapped by Madeleine Roux

            Waverly from Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan 

Favorite Male Character: Varen from Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

      Runners up:

             Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
             Conrad from We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

             Richard from Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Favorite adult book: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Favorite manga series: Vampire Knight (vols. 1-12) by Matsuri Hino

Favorite guilty pleasure: Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick

Best obscure book (haven't heard of but you must read):
Wolves, Boys & Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler

Most moving book: I Had Seen Castles by Cynthia Rylant

Most disappointing book: The Nine Lives of Chloe King series by Liz Braswell
         Runner up:
              Beastly by Alex Flinn

Biggest hyped book: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Least favorite book: Erewhon by Samuel Butler.

Comments on my picks:
I love love loved Nevermore! 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 Matched and Hourglass. Both books had great characters and amazing love stories!

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.

I understand that Daughter of Smoke and Bone 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.

I loved The Nine Lives of Chloe King 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 Erewhon. 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. Give it a shot if you don't believe me.

What was your favorite (or not-so-favorite) book of 2011?

I'll post soon with my goals and challenges for 2012.

2011 Wrap Up, Part 1

Happy 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).   

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. 

2011 Recap:

- I read 58 books this year, which is up from 53 last year.

- I quietly had my one year blog anniversary in April 2011. I promise to actually celebrate it this year.

- 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?).

- I celebrated my second anniversary on BookCrossing in August.  I joined in August 2009.

- 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.

- 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.

-  In November, I read the most books that I've ever read in one month, 13!  I was on a Jenny Han and Stephanie Perkins binge.

- 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.

Reading Challenges:

2011 Pages Read Challenge: Last year I didn't reach my pages read goal, so I decided to shoot for the same number this year: 15,000 pages.  I actually reached it this time!!!  My final tally was 16,101 pages, 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 (cough...The Thirteen Hallows...cough). 

Read Ten 1001-Books Challenge:  Epic fail! I only read five 1001-books this year. I'll try it again this year.

• Erewhon by Samuel Butler.
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.
• The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
• The Wonderful O by James Thurber
• The 13 Clocks by James Thurber

A-Z Read & Release Challenge: 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. 

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my 2011 Wrap Up and my 2012 Goals post!

R.I.P. Challenge Wrap Up

In September, I joined Carl's (Stainless Steel Droppings) 6th annual R.I.P. Challenge (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.

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.

I signed up for the "Peril the First" level to read 4 books. Not too much for me. While I thought I would read Frankenstein, Dracula and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 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:

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, Bk.1) by Cassandra Clare.

Welcome to Dead House (Goosebumps, #1) by R. L. Stine.

Queen of the Dead (The Ghost and the Goth, Bk.2) by Stacey Kade.

Demonglass (Hex Hall, Bk.2) by Rachel Hawkins.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Some thoughts on these book:
I absolutely love the Hex Hall series!  Demonglass was my favorite among all my October reads, followed closely by City of Bones.  I bought The Mortal Instruments trilogy set a while ago so I'll definitely continue reading the series in November.  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was different than I thought it would be...more suspense than horror.  I'm glad I read it.  Welcome to Dead House 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, Queen of the Dead 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.

This was a fun challenge!  I'll join it again next year.

WOW: Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

It's been a while since I featured a WOW book.  And there's one that I can't get out of my head.

My pick this week is...

Enshadowed
(Nevermore, bk. 2)
by Kelly Creagh

I absolutely LOVED Nevermore!  It was fun and suspenseful and romantic...I loved the characters and the storyline...everything!  I can't wait until Enshadowed comes out.

The weird thing is the release date was slated for January 17, 2012, but now GoodReads and Amazon also say August 28, 2012.  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.

Author Kelly Creagh explained the long wait on this blog post. Thanks for sharing Kelly, but I'm still an impatient fan.

Reading Without Reviewing

My 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.

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.

Here are some of the books I read this summer....

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

The Nine Lives of Chloe King: The Fallen, The Stolen, The Chosen by Liz Braswell

Vampire Knight, vol. 11 & 12

The Secret Circle: The Initiation and The Captive Part I by L. J. Smith

The Secret Circle: The Captive Part II and The Power by L. J. Smith





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. 

Right now I'm reading Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers, the second book of the Personal Demons series. 

Reading Challenges Update and HP Deathly Hallows Pt.2

My 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.

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.

2011 Pages Read Challenge:
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.

Read Ten 1001 Books Challenge:
I only read 1 book so far, Erewhon 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.

A-Z New Author Read & Release Challenge:
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 list.

Check out my Reading Challenges page for the lists of books I've read so far. 

On a completely different topic....

I'm going to the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 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.

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.

Here are some links to get you in the HP spirit:

Harry Potter Maize Maze (Technabob)
Harry Potter fans unite to end worldly evils (CBSnews)
Harry Potter Stars Felt "Weird" During Epilouge Scene (MTV) 
Harry Potter The Exhibition 
10 Things You Need to Know About "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" (Moviefone)
9 Classic Album Covers Re-Imagined With "Harry Potter" Characters (nextmovie)

Waiting On Wednesday: Darke

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is...

Septimus Heap, Book Six: Darke

by Angie Sage

Releases on June 7, 2011

We're just a week away from the return of Septimus Heap.  Darke is the 6th book of Angie Sage's Magykal series. 

Septimus has a special place in my heart.  Check out my thoughts of the series on my About Me page.

Description from Amazon:

In the sixth book of the Magykal series, Alther Mella has been Banished, a Darke Domaine engulfs the Castle, and a Darke dragon is on the loose. Septimus Heap must use all of his skills to save the Castle and the Wizard Tower from destruction: He must enter the Darke. But he cannot do this alone. With the help of Jenna, Alther Mella, Marcellus Pye, and Septimus's estranged brother, Simon Heap, Septimus and Marcia Overstrand battle the spreading Darkenesse. Will Septimus succeed in protecting his Magykal world?

Written with Angie Sage's characteristic humor, Septimus Heap, Book Six: Darke is a compelling fantasy adventure filled with surprises, thrills, and laugh-out-loud moments. Readers will revel in the action-packed story as they realize the wisdom of Magyk—that all things are meant to be part of a living whole.

Check out the Official Septimus Heap Blog for updates and some awesome illustrations from Darke.

HG: Our First Look At Katniss And More!

In March, I ranted a little bit when Jennifer Lawrence was casted as Katniss in The Hunger Games movie. Too blonde, too old, yada yada yada.

Now I'm breathing a big sigh of relief.  Jennifer Lawrence is on this week's Entertainment Weekly cover...and she looks pretty awesome!  The hair and makeup does wonders.  She almost looks like the Katniss image in my head.  I can't wait to see more pictures. Hopefully we'll get a glimpse of Gale and Peeta soon.

Other reasons to anxiously await and celebrate the movie's release in March 2012:
- Woody Harrelson as Haymitch: I'm doing back flips! Absolutely loved Harrelson as Tallahassee in Zombieland. Perfect casting job there.
- Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman: Incredible actor!
-  We can splurge and buy some amazing HG merchandise from Cafe Press, Etsy, Amazon, NECA, and more other sites.
- The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy: This collection of essays released last month (I haven't read it yet...I know, it's blasphemous) is a must read to add on your TBR list before the movie. Hmm, perhaps there will be books in the future on HG film criticism and interpretation.

So excited to see the movie. Gary Ross, please do it justice!

Check out these HG links:
EW's Hunger Games Central for news and updates.
My Hunger Games
Mockingjay.net
JabberJays

Waiting On Wednesday: Silence

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


Silence (Hush, Hush bk.3)
by Becca Fitzpatrick
Releases on October 4, 2011.

Last month, I power-read the first two books (Hush, Hush and Crescendo) of this series.  By power-reading I mean: two days, stay-up-as-late-as-possible, all plot events run into each other, don't-bother-me-I'm-reading!!! power-reading sessions.

I didn't write reviews for these books yet. Maybe I will when I re-read them before Silence comes out. 

I must admit this series had a sort of "Twilight" effect on me.  I fell in love with the storyline (despite it's flaws).  I was completely and utterly enveloped in it
...to the point where I can't really remember what minor stuff happened in which book,
...to the point when you're willing to skip a meal or cancel plans because you don't want to stop reading. 

Still, the more I considered the characters and plot, the more flaws I saw. Some characters can be overly whiny and completely unbelieveable.  Some of the situations Nora puts herself in are absolutely ridiculous. I understand the poor book reviews. I get it.  But despite it all, I'm completely in love with this story (and Patch).  Hopefully, the final phase of my Twilight effect* doesn't break the Silence for me (sorry for the terrible pun...couldn't help myself). 

Love the cover!  Finally one with both characters on it. Can't wait until October!


*I hated Breaking Dawn with a passion and it ruined the entire series for me.  But that's a rant for another day.

BC Bookshelf Update: Gotta love free books!

BC Bookshelf Updates features my latest bookish and BookCrossing (BC) activities including book trades, RABCKs, book rings/rays, challenges, and all things BookCrossing.  Enjoy!

Miraculously, I won two book giveaways recently!  This is the first time I've ever won a giveaway hosted by another book blogger...so I'd like to send out a big THANK YOU to Lizzy at Cornucopia of Reviews, where I won a copy of Deception by Lee Nichols. Paranormal YA is awesome and I'm excited to start reading the Haunting Emma series.

 

Then I won Heather's giveaway over at Fire and Ice for a copy of River Secrets by Shannon Hale.  I'm a huge fan of Shannon Hale.  I loved Goose Girl and can't wait to read all the Books of Bayern.  Thanks Heather! Check out Heather's blog for awesome jewelry giveaways. Her Little Red Reads shop on Etsy features adorable bookish inspired items.

In other news, I received three new ARCs in the mail. The King's Mistress by Emma Campion was released on July 6th and it's on the top of my TBR list. Dracula In Love by Karen Essex releases on August 10th, but I have to read Dracula first.  I own a copy and I've read the first 1/3 of it before but got sidetracked for some reason. The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart will also release on August 10th.

Last Sunday, I attended the monthly Audubon BookCrossers meeting at Panera Bread in Audubon, PA. I left the meeting with less books than I brought with me...which was my goal.  So I now have a volume from a new (well, new for me) vampires series and a handful of manga.  I've never read manga before.  My first graphic novel (The Courageous Princess by Rod Espinosa) was awesome so it'll be fun to experiment with manga. 

Hunted: A House of Night Novel by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Crescent Moon, Vol. 1  by Haruko Iida
Tokyo Mew Mew, Vol. 1  by Mia Ikumi & Reiko Yoshida
Kodocha: Sana's Stage. Vol. 1  by Miho Obana
The Prince of Tennis, Vol. 1  by Takeshi Konomi

I should finish reading Pray for Dawn this weekend and try to post the review soon.  Well, that's it for now. Happy Friday!

The Summer of Reading Challenges

This summer is my chance to catch up on a bunch of books I want to read before starting grad school this fall (eek!). So here's two awesome summer reading challenges I found.  Compile your summer TBR list and join in!

Summer Reading Challenge 2010 - hosted by Julie at My Book Retreat. It kicked off last Monday, June 21 (the first day of summer) and runs until September 21.  Three whole months!  To participate, create a list of the books you’d like to read or finish during this summer season...there's no minimum and no requirements as to the type of books you put on your list. YAY!  See her blog for more details.

Summer Slimdown - Carina's (Reading Through Life) reading challenge starts TODAY June 29 and ends on September 6.  Her one rule: it has to be on your shelf already by June 28 to count. Check out blog and post your TBR list.

Since I seem to change my reading goals every few days, I can't guarantee I'll stick to it 100%.  The books with the asterisks (**) are titles that won't count toward the Summer Slimdown because they're not on my shelf yet (i.e. not yet released). 

My TBR list for these summer challenges: (in no real particular order)

The King's Mistress by Emma Campion - I won an ARC...this book releases on July 6!

Dawnbreaker (Dark Days, 3) by Jocelynn Drake

Pray for Dawn (Dark Days, 4) by Jocelynn Drake** Releases TODAY June 29!!

Dracula In Love by Karen Essex - I have an ARC. This book releases on August 10!

Dracula by Bram Stoker - I attempted to read it once but got sidetracked...need to read it before I start Dracula In Love. Plus, it's a 1001 book.

The Puzzle Ring by Kate Forsyth

Graceling by Kristin Cashmore - I feel like I'm the only person who hasn't read this one yet.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games) by Suzanne Collins** Releases on August 24!  I can't wait for this one!!

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - 1001 Book.  I'm behind in my 1001 book challenge (reading ten 1001 books this year).

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson - 1001 Book (part of an anthology with Frankenstein and Dracula)

That's 13 books!  I'll update my progress throughout the summer.  Happy readings!

Waiting on Wednesday: Fairies and the Quest for Never Land

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My pick this week is...

Fairies and the Quest for Never Land

by Gail Carson Levine

Releases on June 1, 2010.

Sometimes I love to devour cute, whimsical stories.  Even though I haven't read the other books in this series, this one looks adorable and fits the bill for my whimsical moments.  Plus, it's written by Gail Carson Levine (author of Ella Enchanted, Ever, Fairest etc) so you know it's gonna be good! 

Summary from Amazon:

Gwendolyn Carlisle loves fairies, perhaps too much. On her birthday, she receives the precious “kiss” necklace which has been passed down from mother to daughter ever since Peter Pan gave it to Wendy Darling. That night, Gwendolyn has the first of her visions—tantalizing, lifelike visions, almost as if she were actually in Fairy Haven. She sees animal talent fairy Beck give a pie to wise Mother Dove and hears the voices of water-talent Rani and even Tinker Bell herself.

More than anything, Gwendolyn wishes she could be there. When she is just about to lose hope, Peter Pan comes at last and blows fairy dust on her. The instant they reach Never Land, she sets out to find fairies. But the fairies are not eager to meet her.

Then the evil Kyto, a dragon the fairies once helped to capture, escapes. He intends to destroy Never Land, starting with Fairy Haven. The fairies have but one choice: they must stop Kyto. As they set out on their desperate quest—a quest that could be their very last—the fairies must decide if Gwendolyn can help or hinder. . . .

Infused with magic and feeling, and bursting with excitement, this thrilling tale is the third in the celebrated series of illustrated novels from Newbery Honor winning author Gail Carson Levine and renowned illustrator David Christiana.

Grad School + TBR list = Lots of Summer Reading!

I'm happy to share the news that I was offered admission into an amazing graduate program at the University of Maryland!  I accepted the spot right away and now I'm preparing myself for classes in the fall.  The graduate degree I'm pursuing is a Master's in Library Science (MLS)...so that someday I'll become a librarian!  The program is completely online, which I'm thrilled about because I don't have to worry about commuting to school after work.  On top of that, I was offered an incredible scholarship!  Yay!!!  :)

Since I will be extremely busy come fall (for at least the next two years), I want to kick my leisure reading into high gear over the summer.  My TBR list is long and gets longer by the day.  My strategy for summer reading is to focus on completing as many series as I can (with a few one shot books thrown in).  Here's a list of series I might work on (I've started most of them, but will read the beginning books again to reacclimate myself with the story lines):

YA BOOKS:

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

I've only read 1 and a half books, but I own most of them so it should be easy to get through.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan 

I read the first book and saw the movie. Didn't enjoy the movie as much as I thought...it's hard for filmmakers to get books right.

Septimus Heap by Angie Sage
I loved these books!  Adorable!  I've read the first 3 books, but will start at the beginning again. Also, my blog name was partially inspired by this series....I'll explain the details in a future post.  ;)

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
I've started Eragon twice before, but never got through it.  I don't know why.  I really enjoyed the story, but put the book down at some point and once I picked it up again I had to start over from the beginning.  Let's hope third time's the charm.

Gemma Doyle by Libba Bray
Another one I started and didn't finish. (highly recommended by a friend)

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
I own 7 or 8 books and will rely on the library to fill in the rest.

Children of the Red King (a.k.a. the Charlie Bone books) by Jenny Nimmo
I have books 1 & 2, so I'd love to start this series.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The third book Mockingjay will be released in August!  This is THE BEST and most addictive series I've ever read (well, this and Harry Potter of course).  Can't wait to see what happens next.

ADULT SERIES:

Dark Days by Jocelynn Drake

I recently read (and reviewed) the first two books and hope to continue with the series.  Mira rocks!

The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind

My brother gave me the first book (Wizard's First Rule) at least a year ago and I still haven't read it yet.  I've been putting it off since this seems like a series I'll get addicted to and could spend the entire summer reading it all.

Wow, that's a lot of books (and I could add more titles to it)!  I'll try review around two-three books of a series at a time.  Also, I will throw in a few 1001 books and others I'm overdue to read.