Eli to the nth

Eli to the nth is on Hiatus!

2012-02-13T13:01:00.000-05:00

Until further notice, I will not be posting my regular features (of course you might have already noticed that). I have to catch up on uni stuff so I don't fail out of grad school. But this isn't concrete, so depending on my free time I may post some stuff (definitely some reviews are coming), but nothing regularly! I hope you are all having a great day wherever you are, and don't forget to be awesome!

Top Ten Tuesday (10)

2012-02-07T00:00:00.001-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of their bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

The topic this week is: Top Ten Books You'd Hand To Someone Who Says They Don't Like To Read

I feel like this week's Top Ten is especially hard because as a teacher I know a lot of that depends on the individual. But I feel there are some books that many entice people to read. I'm going to focus on teens, as YA is what I read the most, switching back and forth between boys and girls.

Peak by Roland Smith - I feel like this is a great adventure story. Overcoming a huge obstacle, both literally and figuratively, is something I think is relatable.
Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs - This is a really funny book with the added awesome of mermaids. And it's a quick read, which is perfect!
Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer - This is such a fun vampire book. Vlad is a great protagonist; as an outsider he can appeal to reluctant readers.
Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman - Another hilarious, quick read. I really think this would appeal to many girls. Super cute. (REVIEW)
I Am Number Four by Pitticus Lore - Non-stop action will definitely attract the boys. I feel like having a male protagonist is important to reel in reluctant readers, and Four is a great one.
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins - Who doesn't love a good witch story? Sophie is a great mix of screw-up and heroine, really great for those "outsider" girls.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green - What boy can't relate to a break-up? The male voice is so real in all of John Green's books, but I love the broship within this book in particular.
Heist Society by Ally Carter - Smart chicks stealing stuff? Awesome! A really strong female protagonist with such a fun plot will pull readers into the story.
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry - Zombies, Mercenaries, and teen angst, oh my! I haven't met a boy yet who isn't obsessed with zombies, and when they're crafted this well, it's irresistible. (REVIEW)
Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison - The epitome of teenage girl, this hilarious book discusses all those problems girls go through but with a delightful British spin!

I hope you enjoyed my picks, and of course my suggestions aren't gender specific, just what I think boys and girls would gravitate more towards!

Teaser Tuesday (31)

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

Grab your current read.

Open to a random page.

Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.

MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)

Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

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Cures for Heartbreak
by Margo Rabb

Publication Date: February 13, 2007

When no one was around, Mrs. F;emsky liked to chant Yiddish in a vaguly musical tone. "Oy gevalt oy gevalt oygevaltoygevalt. Oy oy oy oyoyoyoyoyoyoy" ina constant refrain. Alex had pinched me in the side and led me to the solarium.

"I had to get out of there," she said. "It's like Intro to Yiddish. Yiddish 101."

"Like a cappella klezmer music," I said.

"Oyoyoy," my sister sang.

(Page 12)

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Cures for Heartbreak is another book that I discovered while making my reading list for my Books & Related Materials for Young Adults class (there's going to be A LOT of those in the next couple weeks). It is one of my picks for realistic fiction, and it is really great so far. It is not a happy book, but it is funny in places, which alleviates the seriousness. There is a big emphasis on survival that I found really poignant. I'm really enjoying the book so far.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (Review)

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

Author(s): Mindy Kaling
Edition: Hardcover, 222 pages

Publisher: Crown Archetype

Publication Date: November 1, 2011

Source: Bought from B&N

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

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Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?”

Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you’ve come to the right book, mostly!

In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

(Goodreads)

My Opinion
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As you all know I don't really review adult books on this blog. Mostly that's because I read so many more YA books, that I don't have a lot of time. But there does come along a few adult books that I feel are relative and that many teenagers would read, and Is Everyone Hanging Out with Out Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling is one of those books.

If you don't know who Mindy Kaling is, then you may know her as Kelly Kapoor from The Office. If you don't know what The Office is, get off of my blog. Anyway, the book is a collection of short stories, well essays really, on Mindy's (I feel like I can call her by her first name now that I've learned her secrets) life and career. It is a riot, and I laughed so hard almost all the way through.

Mindy has a biting wit while recounting her life growing up (see photo below) up to her break through to NBC. She moves fluidly from hilarious to serious to hilarious, which makes the book so fantastic. The writing is very conversational and matter-of-fact. And because the essays are all over the place topic wise, the reader gets a real sense that ths is Mindy writing, not some ghost writer.

There are so many great essays, but my three favorites have to be "Best Friend Rights and Responsibilities", "Married People Need to Step it Up", and "Chubby for Life". Each of the essays looks at friendship, marriage, and body image respectively, and in such a true to life, crap your pants, funny way, that you cannot walk away without feeling like you and Mindy are now BFFs (hence the whole first name basis).

Overall, this is an amazingly warm, funny read that would appeal to fans of The Office, fans of feminists, or just fans of life, male or female. I'd put this up there with Bossypants by Tina Fay and Are You There Vodka? It's Me Chelsea by Chelsea Handler because it is just that funny, and I can't get enough of funny smart women writers, can you?

Extras

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Back Cover

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 5/5

Book Title: 5/5

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 9/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 9/10

Overall: 47/50: A

Jekell Loves Hyde (Review)

2012-02-05T18:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Jekel Loves Hyde

Author(s): Beth Fantaskey
Edition: Hardcover, 282 pages

Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Publication Date: May 3, 2010

Source: Borrowed from library

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

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Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents rules; especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father's office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be the key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To improve her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen's sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill's accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything, even Tristen's love just for the thrill of being . . . bad.

(Goodreads)

My Opinion
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Jekel Loves Hyde was Beth Fantaskey's debut novel. I've previously read her sophomore book, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, which I loved. Because Jekel Loves Hyde was her first book, I was expecting to love it as much as Jessica's Guide, but I was wrong! It was a strong book with a fun premise, great writing, and interesting protagonists!

The premise of a modern day Jekyll and Hyde was enticing, especially done in a Young Adult context. The original is probably one of my favorite stories from Robert Louis Stevenson due to it's dark tones and investigation of the duality of human nature (did I get a little too English Lit. major there? Sorry). Fantaskey takes both of these elements and puts them into a context familiar to teens: high school.

As with most books that I love, the characters are really what seals the deal. The struggle that Tristen goes through is well-crafted, and heart-breaking. The mix between teenager and otherworldly being is great. As you read you can feel the pain, and that is so important to the story. He is the strongest personality-wise between the two, but Jill still stands out on her own. Fantaskey did an excellent job crafting Jill and Tristen, allowing the reader right into their psyche, where much of the anguish takes place.

I felt there was something a little lacking in plot. There was a lot of convenient happenstances, but the characterization was able to glass over the more obvious ones making the book enjoyable. I think when dealing with something so popular within the literature world sometimes it's hard to create your own story, but that is one area which Fantaskey hit it perfectly. The spot on characters and the attention to detail really bolstered the whole book and made it great.

Overall, I think Jekel Loves Hyde was a fantastic paranormal romance. I really loved the re-interpretation of a classic story, especially one that hasn't been done a million times. Tackling something like this for a debut book was brave, and it definitely paid off. Beth Fantaskey was able to throw me into a world of sinister evil, moral questioning, and hopeful love, and it was a great journey!

Extras

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Quote from Jekel Loves Hyde

“On the stage Tristen bent over the piano, his fingers swift and sure, his blond hair gleaming under the spotlight. I glanced around at the audience, watching their faces, gratified that they were as captivated as I was by the dark, thunderous song that Tristen conjured.” - Jill Jekel

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 4/5

Book Title: 4/5

Plot: 8/10

Characters: 9/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 9/10

Overall: 43/50: B

In My Mailbox (36)

2012-02-05T00:00:00.001-05:00

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and inspired by one of her friends, Alea of Pop Culture Junkie, where we get to post about the books we receive each week through publishers/authors, our own purchases, contests won, and libraries.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Story Re-Mixes (http://youtu.be/tu6DoG12mTA)

Random Buzzers (http://www.randombuzzers.com)

Elisquared's Epic Birthday Giveaway!!!

2012-02-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hello followers! If you haven't heard already, IT IS MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!!!

That's right, on January 20 I will be turning 24 years old!! Which is very exciting!!

In order to celebrate I am hosting a HUGE, EPIC, CRAZY giveaway!

(This also commemorates my 1 year blogoversy from November which I wasn't able to celebrate)

So that means that there is going to be a prize each weekend of January, starting January 7th!
Each giveaway will be open a week, and a new giveaway will open up.
The whole giveaway will be running from January 7th thru February 4th (in order to give each giveaway a FULL week!)

Below you will find the links to all the giveaways!
You can also use the button below to advertise!!

Good luck, and I hope you win something awesome!!

January 7th-14th: Stephanie Perkins Pack OR Ransom Riggs Pack
January 14th-21st: A Box of ARCs
January 21st-28th: Finished Edition Packs
January 28th-February 4th: $25 from The Book Depository

TTMMS: Hunger Games Edition

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

On this episode of Things That Make Me Smile, we're talking The Hunger Games!

The Hunger Games movie is probably one of the most talked about movies happening right now after Harry Potter. And it is well deserved! This is one of the most intense series I've read and it looks like the adaptation is going to be just as intense.

I give you Example A:

This is the newest trailer out and it is even more fantastic then the first!

Example B:

This is such a KICK ASS poster; it inspires such energy!!!

But the ultimate example of awesome coming out with the arrival of the movie has to do with my other obsession: nail polish!

Example C: That's right, China Glaze is releasing a Hunger Games collection mid-March in anticipation for the movie!

It may be called Capitol Colours, but are obvious representations of the different Districts.

Luxe and Lush - District 1: Luxury

Stone Cold - District 2: Masonry

Riveting - District 3: Technology

Hook and Line - District 4: Fishing

Electrify - District 5: Power

Fast Track - District 6: Transportation

Mahogany Magic - District 7 - Lumber

Dress Me Up - District 8: Textiles

Harvest Moon - District 9: Grain

Foie Gras - District 10: Livestock

Argo - District 11: Agriculture

Smoke and Ashes - District 12: Mining

Aren't all the colors fantastic? My favorites are Electrify, Luxe and Lush, and Riveting.

But all the colors look so much better on the nails. You can check out a review at All Lacquered Up, one of my favorite nail polish review/resource sites!

So what are your thoughts on the movie? Are any of you excited about the polish collection?

Follow Friday (16)

2012-02-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee at Parajunkee's View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is an awesome opportunity to network other book blogs.

Welcome to Follow Friday! Let me tell you what is going on today.

First Parajunkee & Alison will be featuring one blogger from this great community each Friday along with having the Follow My Book Blog feature.

Each week one blogger will be selected as a feature, so sign up for the Follow Feature. Future features are picked randomly.

This week's question is: Define what characteristics your favorite books share. Do they all have a kick ass heroine or is the hot love interest the Alpha Male?

This is actually a really good question. The biggest characteristic is good writing. Now that may sound really vague, but you know when something is well written. The curse of being an English Lit and a Creative Writing major is that you study good writing. You annotate good writing. You live good writing. So no matter how fun the plot is or how interesting the characters, if the writing is mediocre it affects everything.

Other characteristics stick out too. A strong female character. I like when my girls reflect the vision I have for females in my own head, and that is one of strength, independence, and intelligence I dislike simpering females immensely. I also appreciate fast-paced plots. I like to get sucked in and it just keeps going. But I do try to open my horizons when I read, and I think every one should do that as well!

What are some of your book characteristics?

Teaser Tuesday (30)

2012-01-31T00:00:00.001-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

Grab your current read.

Open to a random page.

Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.

MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)

Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

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Love, Football, and Other Contact Sports
by Alden R. Carter

Publication Date: March 28, 2006

A Football Player's Guide to Love

By the Argyle West Football Team

"Love. Well, you see it's, uh, sort of, you know, kinda like when...Hey, can we talk about this later?"

(Page 10)

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Love, Football, and Other Contact Sports is another book that I discovered while making my reading list for my Books & Related Materials for Young Adults class. It was one of the books listed under the Sports column that we could pick for our list. Sports is not a genre I often read. I suppose it's cliche to say it's because I'm a girl, but I've never had a lot of interest in sports. But the title caught my interest with the world LOVE! And so far it is very funny! I'd suggest this book, if, like me, you don't read many Sports books; it will change your mind.

Nook Bargins (10)

2012-01-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have a nook color, which I love! But whenever I see e-books on sale, they're always for the Kindle.

So I thought I might start my own round-up of sales on e-books that are for the nook to help my fellow nookers (yes I've just made that word up).

The catch is that some of these books are on-sale for a limited time, so get 'em while they're hot!

All of these books are pretty awesome and cheap, but some are only on-sale for a limited time, so you better hurry and get them before it's to late:

THESE ARE ONLY ON SALE THROUGH JANUARY 31ST! SO HOP TO IT!

10 BOOKS FOR $10 IS A STEAL!

Bumped by Megan McCafferty - $0.99

Entwined by Heather Dixon - $0.99

Hereafter by Tara Hudson - $0.99

Lucky by Rachel Vail - $0.99

Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have)

by Sarah Mlynowski - $0.99

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood - $0.99

The Unidentified by Rae Mariz - $0.99

Vesper by Jeff Sampson - $0.99

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison - $0.99

In My Mailbox: January Edition

2012-01-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and inspired by one of her friends, Alea of Pop Culture Junkie where we get to post about the books we receive each week through publishers/authors, our own purchases, contests won, and libraries.

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Elisquared's Epic Birthday Giveaway: The Book Depository

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the FOURTH giveaway!

This is the LAST giveaway of my Epic Birthday Giveaway! I just want to thank everyone so much for celebrating with me! My actual birthday was awesome, and I had so much fun! I hope all of you have has much fun on your birthdays as I had on mine. And thank you for leaving all the awesome comments; I've loved reading all your answers.

So what's up to win?
There are will be ONE winner this go around! And that lucky person will have their pick of books from The Book Depository totaling $25! This giveaway is open internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to your country! Easy!

Some of my book suggestions:
Across the Universe or A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Anna and the French Kiss or Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
ANY John Green Book
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
ANY Tamora Pierce Book

Just enter below, and GOOD LUCK!
(Runs from 1/28/12 - 2/4/12; International)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Trailer Thursday

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

Glitch

by Heather Anastasiu

Release Date: 08/07/2012

Love the premise of the book! I like when it all seems like a utopia until things turn bad! The way that the tech controls people is cool, and I can't wait to dive in!

My Book Wish List

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

I think I'm going to do this once a month or every couple weeks. I'm going to list the books I'm most excited about and want to own! They can be old or new or not even published yet, but they are all awesome! You can join in the fun if you want as well! By reading your lists, I'll get more ideas for mine.

Pink Smog by Francesca Lia Block

The girl in the mirror wasn’t who I wanted to be, and her life wasn’t the one I wanted to have.

Despite how much Louise insists, no one will call her Weetzie. It’s her dad’s nickname for her, but it won’t stay put. Neither will her dad. Charlie left Louise and her mom and he took everything with him: her family, her home—and her understanding of who she’s meant to be.

But Los Angeles is a city full of strange angels, and Louise embarks on a journey to sift through the smog of her heartbreak, to grow her own wings, to become Weetzie.

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

Keys to the Repository by Melissa De La Cruz

Lavish parties. Passionate meetings in the night. Bone-chilling murders. Midterms. The day-to-day life of Schuyler Van Alen and her Blue Bloods friends (and enemies) is never boring. But there's oh-so-much more to know about these beautiful and powerful teens. Below the streets of Manhattan, within the walls of the Repository, exists a wealth of revealing information about the vampire elite that dates back before the Mayflower. In a series of short stories, journal entries, and never-before-seen letters, New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz gives her hungry fans the keys to the Repository and an even more in-depth look into the secret world of the Blue Bloods. Won't you come inside?

Waiting on Wednesday (30)

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:

Dark Destiny

by M. J. Putney

Release date: July 3, 2012

Tory and her friends are celebrating the success of a second mission to aid WWII Britain when an urgent summons calls them back to their own time: Napoleon is on the brink of invading England. Can a handful of young mages stop an army?

In desperation, Merlin’s Irregulars ask Rebecca Weiss, an untrained telepath from 1940, to come back to 1804 and change Napoleon’s mind before it’s too late. As Tory and Allarde make a commitment that will cost him his inheritance, Rebecca promises to do what she can to stop Napoleon even though she is unsure of her magical abilities. But Tory and her friends saved the Weiss family from Nazi imprisonment, and Rebecca will risk anything, even her life and her budding relationship with Nick Rainford, to repay them.

A daring mission takes Tory and Rebecca and their friends into the heart of the Army of Boulogne, where Napoleon is plotting invasion. But while their success may save England, they must still face the bittersweet consequences of their decisions when they return home.

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I absolutely loved the first two books, and I can't WAIT for the third. This is the one series that really got me into historical fiction. The richness of detail is there, all wrapped around this great magical subplot. It's really amazing, and everyone should at least read through the first book. You'll be hooked if you do!

Top Ten Tuesday (9)

2012-01-24T00:00:00.001-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of their bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

The topic this week is: Top ~~Ten~~ TWELVE Re-mixes/Re-tellings/Re-interpretations

Trying out a video version of this, so let me know what you think!

I love re-mixes/re-tellings/re-interpretations so much. I think it's fascinating how authors are able to craft their own story from another work with varied results. I enjoy both close re-tellings with an updated plot or complete re-imagining with elements of the original story! Let me know what books I missed that you absolutely love!

Teaser Tuesday (29)

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

Grab your current read.

Open to a random page.

Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.

MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)

Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

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Romeo's Ex: Rosaline's Story by Lisa Fiedler

Publication Date: September 19, 2006

As we walk, I roll the sleeves of my gown to my elbows, the soft linen creasing easily in the crook of my arm. Then I unlace the cording at the neckline of my dress–one firm tug and my shoulders are bared!
"Roz, that is scandalous!"
"No more scandalous than this mischief we are about," I remind her. "God's truth, it is so hot that I am a mere moment from removing my garters and hose! These clothes are more constricting than the rules we ladies must abide!"

(Page 13)

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Romeo's Ex: Rosaline's Story is a book I discovered while making my reading list for my Books & Related Materials for Young Adults class. It was one of the books listed under the Historical Fiction column that we could pick from for our list. I'm excited to read it, because if you checked out my Top Ten Tuesday for this week, you'd know that I LOVE re-tellings/re-mixes of stories. The fact that Lisa has re-told the tale of Romeo & Juliet from Rosaline's perspective makes me really excited to finish the book!

Elisquared's Epic Birthday Giveaway: Finished Edition Packs

2012-01-21T00:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the THIRD giveaway!

As this is the OFFICIAL day after my birthday giveaway, it's going to be the biggest!
I had all these awesome signed and finished editions plus some cool swag that I've been stock piling, and so for this giveaway, I've put together TWO boxes of some great choices!

So what's up to win?
There are TWO prize packs which means there will be TWO winners! Some books are signed, some are finished editions, either hardcover or paperback. I tried to make the packs as even in awesome as possible!

Here is a picture of all the awesome books (each side will be one of the packs), and lists of titles are in the Rafflecopters.

Just enter below, and GOOD LUCK!
(Runs from 1/21/12 - 1/28/12; US only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank You All!

2012-01-14T00:51:00.000-05:00

I've reached over 300 followers!! That is really amazing, and I appreciate you all so very much!

Thank you for making my first year of book blogging so very awesome!!

I'd love to know your opinions on my blog - reviews, features, giveaways, design, anything. What I should add, what I should do more of! Just drop me a comment; I'd love to read them!

Again, WOW you are all amazing! Thank you so much!

(Don't forget to enter my Epic Birthday Giveaway! The first giveaway ends tonight!)

Elisquared's Epic Birthday Giveaway: A Box of ARCs

2012-01-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the SECOND giveaway!

I had all these awesome ARCs from NCTE that I want a lucky person to be the new owner of them! They've never been read, & are just waiting to go to a good home!

So what's up to win?

Here is a picture of all the awesome books, and a list of titles is in the Rafflecopter.

(Picture missing Between Shades of Gray, The Letter Q, & Girl Meets Boy)

Just enter below, and GOOD LUCK!
(Runs from 1/14/12 - 1/21/12; US only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Friday (15)

2012-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee at Parajunkee's View and Alison at Alison Can Read. It is an awesome opportunity to network other book blogs.

Welcome to Follow Friday! Let me tell you what is going on today.

First Parajunkee & Alison will be featuring one blogger from this great community each Friday along with having the Follow My Book Blog feature.

Each week one blogger will be selected as a feature, so sign up for the Follow Feature. Future features are picked randomly.

This week's question is: Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

This is an awesome question, as I really love music.

I'm going to try and pick things that I really enjoy and I hope that you will as well!

Drumming Song - Florence and the Machine

Saskia Hamilton - Ben Folds with Nick Hornby

Galaxies - Owl City

Safe & Sound - Taylor Swift with The Civil Wars

I hope you all enjoy the music!

Trailer Thursday

2012-01-12T14:11:00.003-05:00

Tempest

by Julie Cross

Release Date: 1/17/12

This book looks really good! It is the first in a 3-part series by author Julie Cross. I think the premise is really interesting, and the trailer is totally gorgeous! Love!

The Goddess Test (Review)

2012-01-11T16:03:00.000-05:00

Title: The Goddess Test

Author(s): Aimee Carter
Edition: Paperback, 293 pages

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: April 19, 2011

Source: Borrowed from library

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

(Goodreads)

My Opinion
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter was a really sweet story. I loved the change in mythology that Carter made within the book, and each character was different from each other, but still retained a part of the original mythos for that god or goddess. The Greek Gods are some of my favorite mythological systems, and I love reading books that take the original stories and remix them!

I felt like Carter put a lot of heart into this book. There was a focus on family and what you would do for a someone that you loved, that really added a layer of urgency and importance to each thing within the story. I felt the way the plot was quiet with pops of action really made the story exciting. I liked the focus on feelings because what Kate goes through is much more of an internal change, rather than an external.

Speaking of Kate, I felt she was a great protagonist. She is a young women struggling to keep her mother alive, giving up a lot of things to do so. I think this is what makes her so great. She isn't some demi-god or superhero or a warrior; she is a scared girl fighting for the one person that means the world to her. I thought Kate's reactions to everything happening to her were very realistic, and I love when authors manage to do this. It makes the story, even though it's filled with crazy stuff, much more relatable.

Each character, as I mentioned, were interesting in their own way, but I have a huge crush on Henry! He is just so intense, but in such a great way. He cares so deeply, and you can see the struggle he has between caring for Kate and holding on to his love of Persephone. The way that Carter re-imagined the myth of Hades into Henry was fantastic. Yes, he is still dark and intimidating, but overall he is protective and so giving. I love him so much!

Overall, I really loved The Goddess Test! I thought it was a really original story, and used a mix of character development and action sequences really well. I thought the writing was solid, and I loved the way Carter focused inward, letting the reader's feel the emotional struggle Kate was going through, rather than focusing on the physical things. Very beautiful, and very romantic. I think The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter is well worth a read, and the next book in the series, Goddess Interrupted (coming out March 27th 2012), is going to be just as good.

Extras

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some of my favorite quotes!

“No matter what happens, I will always be there for you, even if you do not remember who I am.” - Henry

“It has been a very long time since I've received a gift as extraordinary as you.” - Henry

I don't want to have too many as to not spoil anything, but come one! Henry is one eloquent guy, right? I am, literally, melting.

Final Rating

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Book Cover: 5/5

Book Title: 4/5

Plot: 9.5/10

Characters: 9/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 9/10

Overall: 45.5/50: A-

Waiting on Wednesday (29)

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:

Sweet Shadows

by Tera Lynn Childs

Release date: Fall 2012

------------------------------------------
I can't wait until the new book in the Medusa Girls series by Tera Lynn Childs comes ut! Sweet Venom was so awesome, and I loved the way Childs put a spin on the mythology in the first book, and I'm interested to see where the story goes. There isn't a summary up yet, but when it does I'll add it. In the meantime, you should read Sweet Venom (if you have, re-read it! That book is so good!).

Help Celebrate John Green Week!!!!

2012-01-10T09:58:00.000-05:00

Starting tomorrow, a ton of blogs will be celebrating John Green Week! This celebration counts down to the release of his new book, The Fault in Our Stars, releasing on January 10th (PS, there's still time to pre-order the book!). I am really excited to be a part of the celebration!

I'm going to be hosting some posts about John Green's books, the Vlog Brothers Youtube channel he does with his brother Hank Green, and a giveaway where you can win some amazing prizes!! Awesome right?

Here's a list of the great host blogs who helped conceive this awesome ode to such an awesome author!

Brittany & Farrah (I. Eat. Words.)

Ginger - (GReads Books)

Anna - (Anna Reads Books)

Lindsi (Books, Sweets, and other Treats)

Melanie (Reclusive Bibliophile)

Tara (Fiction Folio)

Yani (The Secret Life of an Avid Reader)

Jamie (The Perpetual Page-Turner)

Liz (ElizzieBooks)

Heidi (YA Bibliophile)

Priscilla (The Readables)

You can head over to any of these fantastic blogs, and sign-up to participate, or if you personally don't want to write anything, definitely read a John Green book, check out all the awesome blog posts, and enter the many giveaways being hosted!

My posts for John Green Week:

January 3-10: John Green Giveaway
January 4: How John Green Changed My Classroom
January 4: Waiting on Wednesday: The Fault in Our Stars
January 5: Trailer Thursday: The Fault in Our Stars
January 5: Truth Or Fail: John Green Books
January 7: How to be a Nerdfighter
January 8: Bookin' Round the Web: John Green Edition
January 9: The Pretty Covers
January 10: Happy The Fault in Our Stars Day

HAPPY THE FAULT IN OUR STARS DAY!!

2012-01-10T00:00:00.000-05:00

HAPPY THE FAULT IN OUR STARS RELEASE DAY!!!!!

I'm ending John Green Week with some awesome VlogBrothers videos which have something to do with John's books! LOTS of videos are listed! But each one of them is awesome and will help indoctrinate you into the world of Nerdfighteria that much more!

I hope you are all enjoying reading your copies of The Fault in Our Stars (unless you're like me, who has to wait for Amazon to ship it to you...damn you postal service!!)

And as always, DON'T FORGET TO BE AWESOME!!

(p.s. I will announce the winner of my giveaway on Thursday!)

Looking for Alaska

An Abundance of Katherines

Paper Towns

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

The Fault in Our Stars

All the Books

John Green Week: The Pretty Covers

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

There is ONE MORE DAY until The Fault in Our Stars comes out! (Of course, some of my friends in Europe already got their grubby hands on it :shakes fist:...just kidding!)

Today, I thought it would be fun to look at all the very pretty covers of John's books!

Looking for Alaska

(Hardcover) (Paperback)

An Abundance of Katherines

(Hardcover) (Paperback)

Paper Towns

(Hardcover)

(Paperback)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

(Hardcover/Paperback)

The Fault in Our Stars

(Hardcover)

What I really love about each of these covers (which are all the American covers, either hardcover or paperback) is that they are really thoughtful and gorgeous. I think each are really long lasting, even with the ones with pictures of girls.

But my absolute favorites are the ones which rely more on symbols/text. I've always thought the hardcover of An Abundance of Katherines was so perfect. It is striking with the mix of math symbols used within the title. I also really, really love the paperback cover of Paper Towns. The big red push pin is very eye-catching while still being so appropriate for the story.

Of course my new favorite it The Fault in Our Stars. When it was very first released, it was much less polished. I felt the text chosen was very simple, and the quote from Jodi Picoult was just across the top. I love the design that was settled on, and I think the text and overall design is very arresting. Definitely the best desgin that could have been done with the subject matter at hand!

What do you think of the covers?

Enclave (Review)

2012-01-08T15:53:00.001-05:00

Title: Enclave

Author(s): Ann Aguirre
Edition: Hardcover, 259 pages

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: April 12, 2011

Source: Borrowed from library

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

(Goodreads)

My Opinion
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I could not put Enclave down the moment I started reading it! I literally stayed up till 2:00am after I started at 11:00pm to finish it. It sucks you in and spits you out; just the way I like a good action book! Ann Aguirre has made her young adult debut memorable.

Deuce is one of the strongest, but still most vulnerable heroines. I love love love this mix of hard and soft. The world she grows up in requires her to develop the skills necessary to survive, but she still maintains her innocence in certain aspects of life. Every time Deuce ran out into the corridors to do her patrol, my heart was in my chest, anxious for her to make it out alive.

Then there's Fade, one of the most swoon-worthy boys I've read. I want him to swoop in and rescue me from the Freaks any day. He's intense and, even though he was adopted by the Enclave, he still maintains his own views and opinions. Fade is the perfect compliment to Deuce, and they make an amazing team.

Speaking of the Freaks, Aguirre has written a terrifying villain. They remind me of the mutated humans from I Am Legend, but more terrifying because they can go every where. The mystery of why they're like that also creates a more sinister air around them; then throw in the fact that they dwell underground in tunnels I freaked out every time they were on page.

The journey of Deuce and Fade is extensive for such a short book, but Aguirre doesn't waste words, creating a fleshed out world with real danger, and clear living systems. Not everything is as it appears, and Deuce has to come to terms with the disappointments and deaths from the exposure to these lies. Overall, Enclave was an amazingly entertaining read, and I can't wait until Outpost, Book 2, comes out in September of this year! So for all you lovers of dystopia, you CAN'T miss Enclave by Ann Aguirre because it is fantastic!

Extras

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trailer for Enclave

Read the first two chapters of Enclave

Final Rating

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Book Cover: 5/5

Book Title: 5/5

Plot: 10/10

Characters: 10/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 9/10

Overall: 48/50: A+

Bookin' It Round the Web: John Green Edition

2012-01-08T00:00:00.000-05:00

Everything about books intrigues me. Because of this I'm subscribed to couple magazines, like American Libraries and the Chronicle of Higher Education, as well as a frequent troller of Publishers Weekly, NPR Books, and The New York Times Book section.

Through these awesome resources, I've gathered a few interesting articles having to do with the book world! I'm calling this feature Bookin' It Round the Web, and it will be periodically posted when I find some interesting news to share!

This edition of Bookin' It Round the Web is going to be featuring John Green, the author we all know and love (or have learned about and started to love thanks to this awesome week!!).

If you haven't already figured it out, John is a pretty smart guy. He gives really interesting interviews, and I don't really think he repeats himself as often as some authors I've read interviews about. Just like his books, he tries to give a different perspective on things, which is so cool!

Below, I've compiled a collection of interviews all around the web! I hope you all enjoy them as much as I did (some are even videos! Bonus!).

How To Be a Nerdfighter!

2012-01-07T19:24:00.001-05:00

After I was done reading Looking for Alaska for the first time in Fall 2007 (I know, I was late to the party), I went online and searched for information about John Green to see if he had written any other books I could get my hands on. Lo and behold, I found An Abundance of Katherines (which I immediately bought), but also this other thing called Brotherhood 2.0 on Youtube.

Brotherhood 2.0 was started on January 1 2007, by John and Hank Green, with the premise that the brothers would cease all text-based communication for a year and instead converse by video blogs every weekday. For a whole year, John and Hank communicated this way, and it was fascinating! Their channel, Vlogbrothers, has since gone beyond Brotherhood 2.0, and is now in it's 5th year of inception!

Through Brotherhood 2.0 a community was created called Nerdfitheria. Nerdfighters are people who are full of awesome, who can be: other YouTube users; fans of John Green, Hank Green, or the Vlogbrothers show; as well as people who adopt the term because they believe they fit in with the community. Pretty much if you follow the two rules: 1) Don’t be mean, and 2) DFTBA (Don't Forget to be Awesome) then you are also a Nerdfighter!

To learn more about the Vlogbrothers & Nerdfighteria, check out the videos below, & DFTBA!

Elisquared's Epic Giveaway: Book Packs

2012-01-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the FIRST giveaway!

I really really LOVED these three following books, and I wanted to share them with my followers!!

So what's up to win?

Well there are TWO packs of awesome books, so there will be TWO winners!!

Stephanie Perkins Pack:

SIGNED copy of Anna and the French Kiss

SIGNED copy of Lola and the Boy Next Door

(1 winner will win BOTH books!)

Ransom Riggs Pack:

Copy of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Book cover poster

Bookmark

(1 winner will win each item!)

See the rafflecopters below to enter, and good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Let's Play Truth Or Fail: John Green Books

2012-01-05T00:30:00.000-05:00

John and Hank Green (who, for all you newbies to their awesome, are brothers) have this amazing Youtube channel called Vlogbrothers. Through this channel, we, as fans of either John or Hank or Both (I'd go with both!), get to learn some crazy things, go on adventures, and just immerse in the awesome of Nerdfighteria (we'll learn more about this later in the week!)

But through their channel, Hank invented this awesome game called Truth Or Fail:

"An online test of your brain power, Truth or Fail is YouTube's first game show. Hosted by a variety of YouTube celebrities, Truth or Fail presents you with two supposed facts. All you have to do is click on the true one, or you fail."

And thus, entertainment for nerds around the world was born!

Below you will find the Truth Or Fail episode which is the most apt for John Green Week!

If you fancy yourself a true John Green fan (or you just know a lot about a lot of stuff) then I urge you to try your hand at the game, and DFTBA!

Trailer Thursday: The Fault in Our Stars

2012-01-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

For this week's Trailer Thursday, I have an awesome one to show off!

Entertainment Weekly debuted the trailer for John Green's new book, The Fault in Our Stars, today and I have it here to share with all of you!!

Oh wait, I have the LINK to it because it is exclusive to EW.com for right now. But you can bet as soon it goes up on Youtube I'm embedding it right HERE!

As promised, the trailer:

(Still check out the nice interview with John)

Wasn't it awesome?

I think it's the first book trailer that is officially for one of his books; as far as I can tell others are fanmade.

I hope this is helping wet your appetite for this amazing book, and don't forget I'm hosting a giveaway in celebration of John Green Week (enter!), and "Don't forget to be awesome!"

Waiting on Wednesday: John Green Week Edition

2012-01-04T01:23:00.000-05:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:

------------------------------------------

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

------------------------------------------
There is SEVEN days (counting today) until The Fault in Our Stars comes out!!! I've had mine on pre-order for quite a while, and I can't wait until I get to read it. I got to read the first two chapters, and they are just as good as all of John's other books, if not better.

The exciting thing is that you can still pre-order the book! I know that John was super generous and signed each copy of the first printing, so if you go pre-order now you may get a signed book (some of them are even embellished with Hankler fishes and Yetis, which would be so sweet to get). I, for one, cannot wait. Best thing about it, it's like a birthday present to me!! Huzzah!

Go help support such an amazing author as John Green. And in the words of our esteemed writer: DFTBA!

Pre-order: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository, Books-A-Million, or at an indie bookstore

John Green Week: How Looking for Alaska Changed My Classroom!

2012-01-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

For today's post I'd like to expound the awesome that is John Green and his book Looking for Alaska!!

+++++++++++

John Green: yes, I’m sure many of you have heard of him, have read hisbooks, and think he’s awesome. Well I do too. (In case youare one of the few readers who have yet to read a John Green novel, you canfind out more about him here or here). In fact, John’s first novel, Looking for Alaska, is number two in my TopFavorite Books of All Time list. Looking for Alaska follows Miles Halter,a.k.a Pudge, as he starts his junior year of high school at Culver CreekPreparatory. There he meets themysterious and compelling Alaska Young, and, with her, Miles’ life takes aprofound turn.

To understand the importance that John Green played within my internship classroom, and where I really learned the effect of books, I’ve got to set the scene. In my class, I noticed that many of the boys gravitated to non-fictionbooks. I asked them why that was,and repeatedly they responded, “It’s real life. We can see ourselves and our families in the characters.” Fair enough. This put a challenge to me because it is hard enough tomotivate boys to read, and while I love non-fiction, I didn’t want them to be cutoff from such a huge chunk of reading options.

LuckilyJohn’s books, especially Alaska, wereall sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me to gather them and give themaway. John is able to put forthcharacters that feel real. This isespecially important in contemporary YA. Students, especially boys, want to be able to relate to a character, asI mentioned above. My male juniorscould immediately pick out the struggle for independence that Pudge goesthrough and the type of bravado that seems to fuel high schooltestosterone. And of course acrush on the one unattainable girl is always relatable. John explores themes in a safe andfamiliar way, through the eyes of an adolescent male. The fact that it is a male writing a male character alsocreates a novel that boys can dive into (That’s not to say females can’t writein male perspective, but I always feel we miss a piece of that particularpuzzle). The best thing that JohnGreen offers is a familiar boy in a familiar position. Luckily, the girls in my class reallylove his books as well; win for everyone!

The introduction of contemporary literature is so important in today's schools, and I think John's books, and Looking for Alaska in particular, are a great way to bridge the gap between readers and books! So to everyone looking to change a person's view of books, let me suggest any one of this John Green's amazing works. And in the words of our esteemed writer: "Don't Forget To Be Awesome!"

Top Ten Tuesday (8)

2012-01-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of their bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

The topic this week is: Top Ten Books I'm Excited To Read in 2012

A Million Suns by Beth Revis: I loved Across the Universe SO SO much that I rally can't wait to find out what happens. I was even lucky enough to get to hear the first four chapters back in September read by Beth herself! It is so good!
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: I own each of John's books, and I need to have this one! His writing is fantastic and relatable and hilarious and heartbreaking and and and...I could go on for the rest of the post! I was lucky to grab a chapter sampler of the first two chapters at NCTE, and it immediately hooked me! Can't wait!
Cinder by Marissa Meyer: I know it came out today, but I have an ARC to dig into immediately! My Teaser Tuesday is on Cinder. It is really funny so far, and a great premise! Too excited!
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver: LOVED Delirium, it was one of my Top Books for 2011. Pandemonium looks like it's going to be as amazing! And I have an ARC so I don't have to wait!!! It's next on my TBR list!
Fever by Lauren DeStefano: Speaking of books I can't wait to read! I was blown away by Wither, and I need to know what happens to Rhine!!! I loved her so much, and was terrified of House Governor Vaughn that I need need to read this NOOOOW!
Above by Leah Bobet: It sounds so good! A mix between fantasy and dystopia with exploration of the underground and the above ground! Also the cover is gorgeous, and I'm always a sucker for pretty covers!
Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler: I loved her first book Hunger, am currently reading her second book Rage, and can't wait to continue to read about the Riders of Apocolypse in Loss!
Truth by Julia Karr: I feel like XVI was an underrated book, which is sad because it was so good! Truth, the second book in the series, sounds like it's going to be just as good and more intense! I can't wait to see what happens to Nina and the Resistance!
The Selection by Kiera Cass: Another cover that caught my attention immediately! The premise is like The Hunger Games with dancing and becoming the princess! I'm really intrigued by it and can't wait!
Fracture by Megan Miranda: Another great book that has an interesting premise. Coming back from the dead with a weird pull toward the dead? Awesome!

So that's my list! I'm going to have a lot of fun reading all of the books! Link me to your Top Ten List or leave the list in the comments! If you've read any of the books above, let me know what you thought! DFTBA!

Vloguary Day 2: Disneytastic!

2012-01-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Day 2 of Vloguary, the thing where I (try to) vlog every day in January!

PSSST!

Come celebrate John Green Week with me and other awesome Book Bloggers!

http://bit.ly/ul4kvg

Teaser Tuesday (28)

2012-01-03T00:58:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

Grab your current read.

Open to a random page.

Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.

MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)

Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: January 3, 2012

"We'll leave when the flames start, when they're distracted."
"Are we in trouble?"
No. I just can't be bothered with a trip to the quarantines today."

(Page 18)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cinder is the 2012 debut book I have been looking forward to THE MOST!!!! It is Cinderella re-imagined with cyborgs, New Shanghai, Space, and a plague. YES!!!!
And today, you can all go out a buy your very own copy of the book, like I plan to do!
Here's some handy links to get you started: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

John Green Week Giveaway!

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

If you didn't know, this week, January 3rd thru January 10th, a bunch of awesome book bloggers are celebrating the release of John Green's new book, The Fault in Our Stars, with John Green Week!

I am kicking off my celebration of all things John Green with a giveaway of some of his books!

I have a:

SIGNED copy of the Chapter Sampler from The Fault in Our Stars
SIGNED copy of Papertowns
A copy of Will Grayson, Will Grayson
A copy of An Abundance of Katherines

All of these prizes will be going to ONE lucky winner!!

Some stipulations:

Must have a mailing address within the U.S. (Sorry, but I cannot afford shipping internationally right now!)
No P.O. Boxes please
Must be 13 years old or older
Must respond with address within 48 hours or a new winner will be picked

Thanks for entering! I hope you guys check out my home post for more ways to celebrate the awesome that is John Green, and DFTBA!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In My Mailbox (35)

2012-01-02T09:32:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and inspired by one of her friends, Alea of Pop Culture Junkie where we get to post about the books we receive each week through publishers/authors, our own purchases, contests won, and libraries.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and received some great books to enjoy!
---------------------
John Green Week: http://bit.ly/udo2em
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Ivy Reads Books for Grabs: http://bit.ly/tqEGgo

Incarnate (Review)

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Incarnate

Author(s): Jodi Meadows
Edition: ARC, 384 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

Publication Date: January 31, 2012

Source: Part of Book Tour

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEWSOUL

Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL

Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART

Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

(Goodreads)

My Opinion
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Incarnate by Jodi Meadows has been one of the big talked about debut books of 2012, and I was really excited to be a part of the awesome book tour that Yara over at Once Upon a Twilight hosted. It was exciting for two reasons: (1) I really wanted to read the book, (2) It is on my 2012 Debut Author Challenge. Score!

I had mixed feelings about the book after reading it. I really liked the premise, and I felt there were some interesting moral/ethical questions brought up with the introduction of this "newsoul" in this city filled by reincarnated people. The plot was most likely my favorite part, even if the "action" was slow coming. As the first book in a series, I often expect there to be more world development and less action, so that didn't bother me.

I really liked Ana as a protagonist. The reader sees her grow into herself, and find a place within Heart, but at the same time, compared to the other residents, she is still a baby. It's an interesting juxtaposition. I also like Sam. He isn't a really "swoon-worthy" male lead, but he is so sweet to Ana. I think the other interesting thing that Meadows did was not keep the characters one sex. In each incarnation they could switch from male to female, female to male, or stay the same. It's interesting because the characters will often have memories and opinions based on that previous incarnation. It's also interesting to think of gender this way because what really makes you, you?

But the thing that kept tripping me up was the writing style. It was all at once archaic sounding but very simplistic. I felt it had a lot of exposition and not much feeling. It was stilted in places and never really flowed the way I wish it did. It just didn't groove, and because of that I kept being jolted out of the story.

Overall, I think it was a solid debut. It didn't blow me away, but I did enjoy it. Because this is the first book in the planned series, I definitely want to see where Meadows ends up. I think Incarnate had a ton of potential, and hopefully, in book two, it will shine a little more.

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 5/5

Book Title: 5/5

Plot: 8/10

Characters: 8/10

Writing: 6/10

Ending: 7/10

Overall: 39/50: C+

Vloguary Day 1 - Happy New Year and Whatever....

2012-01-01T21:33:00.000-05:00

This is something I've been wanting to do. Vlogging everyday for a month seems pretty extreme, I'm not sure I'll be able to keep it up. But nonetheless, I will attempt to do just that in celebration of VLOGUARY!

This is a special month because it is my birth month, and I also forgot to celebrate my 1 year blogoversary in November. So this is both of those things wrapped in one.

I hope you enjoy it, and if there is anything you want me to talk about or ask me about, leave me a comment! I'm so thankful for all my awesome fellow book bloggers and followers!

2012-01-01T14:15:00.000-05:00

A little late, but I sincerely wish each of my awesome followers a very happy New Year!!!

Thanks for being such an amazing bunch of people!

DFTBA!

2011 End of the Year Book Survey

2012-01-01T14:06:00.000-05:00

Jaime over at The Perpetual Pageturner has brought back her awesome End of the Year Survey that she started last year. I wasn't able to be a part of it last year, but I am excited to participate this year! Of course I had a hard time remembering exactly what I read, so I'm only answering some of the questions. But I suggest you all head over to her blog and check out the survey for yourself. There's also a linky with a bunch of other blogs' posts, so go check it out and maybe get some ideas to read for next year!

1. Best Book You Read In 2011?

This is probably one of the hardest questions, as I've loved so many this year. But my Top 5 would have to be:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Each of these books were fantastic, and really sucked me in like no other books!

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?

This one would have to be:
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
I wanted to love it so bad! Everyone else seems to, but I just could not get into the story at all. Which sucks because the new covers are so gorgeous, and I'd love for them to be on my shelf!

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?

This goes to:
Evernight by Claudia Gray
I was hesitant to read another "romantic" vampire story because it seems many of them are copies of Twilight (which I hate), but Evernight was so good, and was more about finding out who you are then sappy love.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?

This is definitely:
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
I absolutely loved this book! I couldn't put it down the minute I started reading. I stalked Beth at DragonCon (I literally went to each of her panels) and clapped rather enthusiastically for her each time she was introduced. At NCTE I stalked the Penguin booth trying to see if they had an ARC I could grab (alas not so much). I've had the book pre-ordered for months. I'm literally vibrating with excitement. So yeah, I've chatted about it a bit.

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?

This one is all about the:
River of Time series by Lisa T. Bergren
I was lucky enough to be a part of the book tour for Waterfall, the first book in the series. I fell in love immediately. I was really pleasantly surprised to enjoy this series so much because it is historical fiction and "christian" fiction, but there was time-travel, 16th century Italy, cute boys, and kick ass girls! What more could you possibly want? Definitely check this series out in 2012 if you haven't already!

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?

This will have to be a 5 part list as well:
Lauren DeStefano - Author of Wither and Fever
Beth Revis - Author of Across the Universe and A Million Suns
M. J. Putney - Author of Dark Mirror and Dark Passage
Lauren Oliver - Author of Before I Fall, Delirium, and Pandemonium
Jonathan Maberry - Author of Rot & Ruin and Dust & Decay
Not all of these authors are new to the writing scene, but they were all new to me this year. I loved each and every one of the books I've read of their's, and I encourage you all to go check them out too!

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Hmmmm, this is hard because I usually read across genres, but I'd say any of the historical fiction I read, in particular Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper. This book sounded interesting, but not really something I'm use to reading. It was fantastic though, and I was so glad I got my hands on this book!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?

This one has has has to go to:
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
I couldn't put this book down! It was so awesome and fast paced. Even when it was quiet, it contained a sense of urgency. It was really very good, and just the kind of book I love.

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?

It would have to be:
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
I was so excited for this book! As soon as it went on pre-order, I bought my own copy right away. Of course, I was lucky enough to get my hands on an ARC. IT WAS SO GREAT I DIDN'T PUT IT DOWN! I literally had to pee so bad when I was done, but I refused to take a break while reading

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

The cover of Across the Universe is one of the most beautiful I've seen! And look! Look! It has TWO covers! It's REVERSIBLE!!!!!! So so so cool!

Looking into the Future:

1. One Book You Didn't Get To In 2011 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2012?

This one goes to two fabulous books:
City of Fallen Angels & Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
I know, I know, how could I neglect such awesome? In my defense there were a TON of amazing books in 2011!!! But I'm definitely going to be cracking these open right away!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2012?

This is definitely a toss-up between John Green's The Fault in Our Stars and Beth Revis's A Million Suns. Both are by two of my favorite authors and I can't wait! I have both on pre-order and cannot wait to get them for my early birthday present!!

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2012?

I really hope to gather the courage to contact publishers and authors I admire. I'd like to be able to be a part of book tours and do author interviews! I just love books so much, and want to share them with everyone!!

So that's it for 2011. I know I'm a little late, but better late then never! Obviously I really loved Across the Universe, but who wouldn't? You guys have time to read it before A Million Suns comes out on January 10! I hope you all have an amazing new year, read some great books, and don't forget to be awesome!!

Nearly New Books for You!

2011-12-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

I Am a Reader, Not a Writer hosts this awesome feature each Tuesday. I too love to receive books in the mail, and to buy the books I want to read, then I hoard them! Muhahahah...uh hem. And while I might not get rid of the books I read (I re-read them all the time), there are some books that don't have a place on my shelves. I figure giving them away would be nice! This won't be a feature every Tuesday, it might even be on other days, but it'll pop up now and then.

So without further ado, here's the books I have to giveaway!

Both have never been read, and are in good condition!

Click on the covers to read more about each.

To enter just fill out the Rafflecopter below! Easy Peasy!

Please remember this is U.S. ONLY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Hobbit Trailer Released!

2011-12-21T17:13:00.000-05:00

There has been some awesome movies being made based on great new books, BUT a classic everyone should be aware of is The Hobbit. It is being released next year on December 14, 2012 (which is an awfully long way away...:sad tears:)

Here's the trailer! It looks so so so great!

Hunger (Review)

2011-12-21T12:16:00.000-05:00

Title: Hunger

Author(s): Jackie Morse Kessler
Edition: Paperback, 117 pages

Publisher: Harcourt Graphia

Publication Date: October 18, 2010

Source: Borrowed from library

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

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“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

(Goodreads)

My Opinion
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I came across Hunger in a random way (the way I love to find books). When I was in Chicago, I went to an author event at Anderson's Bookshop which had 10 amazing YA authors in attendance. I went for two people in particular: David Leviathan and Stephanie Perkins. But many other awesome authors were there, including Jackie Kessler. Each author gave a book talk, and Kessler was there talking about Rage, the second book in the Riders of the Apocalypse series. I was so intrigued by it, I picked up Rage, but couldn't find a copy of Hunger. Luckily, I found it at my library!

Hunger is an intense story; a really intense story. Revolving around anorexia and bulimia, Kessler does an amazing job delving into the psyche of Lisa, the protagonist. One of the reasons that it is so true to life is that Kessler herself suffered from an eating disorder. Then, besides the fact that Hunger could be a fantastic contemporary novel all by itself, she throws in the Riders of the Apocalypse for good measure. This just adds another fantastical element to the story, which really makes it sing. This is what I love about fantasy/paranormal books. The author is able to bring the psyche forward and manifest it in a form, making it become a tangible character.

Not only was the story heartbreaking, it was also very funny! This is such an important aspect because if it wasn't funny, I'd literally be crying the entire time. Books should reflect real life, and often heartbreak and humor go hand-in-hand. Surprisingly, Death himself was the funniest part of the whole book! Can you even imagine? I loved that Kessler took these frightening biblical characters and turned each into something more. Not exactly humanizing them, but giving each personalities which could be related to in some way.

The only problem I had with the book was the ending. I felt it was too short and rushed. The readers didn't really get to see any recovery being done by Lisa and I felt her journey as Famine was a little to short. I would have liked to see more. But luckily, I will get to read more about this world Kessler has created in Rage! I urge everyone to go out and read Hunger by Jackie Kessler; I really enjoyed it! And if possible buy a copy because a portion of proceeds will be donated to the National Eating Disorders Association (all of Kessler's books have this fantastic donation aspect to them.

Extras

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Cool Interviews about Hunger!

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 5/5

Book Title: 5/5

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 9/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 7/10

Overall: 44/50: B+

Eli to the nth is taking a breather!!

2011-12-21T11:08:00.001-05:00

Hey guys! I am on hiatus until after the holidays! There will still be some posts that I've gotten ready, but nothing every single day! So look for me in January, when I'll be coming back with a BIG giveaway (especially if I reach 300 subscribers by then!) and some other fun stuff! Thanks for always being awesome, and have a very happy holiday!!!

Wither (Review)

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

Title: Wither

Author(s): Lauren DeStefano
Edition: Hardcover, 358 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Publication Date: March 22, 2011

Source: Borrowed from library

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

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By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape–before her time runs out?

(Goodreads)

My Opinion
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I am so slow on the bandwagon sometimes! Wither has been on my To Be Read list since it came out this spring, but I just got to it now. First let me tell you, if you're in the same situation drop whatever book you're reading and pick Wither up now!! It was fantastic. I loved the mix of the horrible and beautiful, the realistic and the fantasy. It was a great dystopian that didn't need to involve killing zombies or surviving in the middle of nowhere (not that I don't LOVE those dystopians).

Lauren DeStefano hooked me in chapter one with one of the most chilling parts of the whole book. I mean, there are so many creepy parts throughout, but this was the worst for me because it was executed with a simple sentence. That's what I loved the most about the book. DeStefano writes beautifully, which juxtaposes just right with the violence and terror that is underlying everything in the novel. There was never a part which I felt was dull or extraneous; all the chapters told me something new about the plot, pushing the story along.

Rhine is one of the strongest protagonists I've read in a long time. I never doubted her decisions or that she would make what she wanted happen. I believed in her, rooted for her, screamed with her, just as if I was right along side of her. I also really loved her sister wives, Cecily, Jenna, and for a short time, Rose. Each girl showed a different facet of feelings towards their predicament. And each sister wife showed what Rhine could become if she either gave in or gave up. The sister wives were an interesting aspect of the novel as well. I love that a part of our world which is hidden away or looked down on has become common practice in the light of extinction.

World building was another thing DeStefano had done pat. It was just that far from what we knew that it made it dystopic without being completely alien. It shows that these types of novels don't have to change the society completely to make a dystopian work. It also makes it a lot scarier to think about that this is a possibility. The explanation DeStefano gives to how this society evolved is so simple, and that is why the solution to solve the problem turns out to be so horrific. The result of this "sickness" is hundreds of orphans dying, young girls being plucked from the streets and impregnated, and everyone except first generations are trapped in the endless cycle of life and death in their 20s.

Wither is one book I could not put down, and read it in 2 hours. I can't wait to read Fever, the second book in The Chemical Garden series, which is sitting on my bookshelf waiting for me. Overall, it is an amazing dystopia filled with violence and romance, and the pursuit of freedom. Not to be missed, you should pick it up immediately!

Extras

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Book Trailer for Wither

Final Rating

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Book Cover: 5/5

Book Title: 4/5

Plot: 9/10

Characters: 10/10

Writing: 10/10

Ending: 8.5/10

Overall: 46.5/50: A-