Weekend Blogger Spotlight List

This is my favorite feature. I interview mainly new bloggers and some oldies and share them with my fellow bloggers. Check them out below.

Alphabetical by Blog Name:

-A-

A Bookful of Thoughts
A Passion for Books
A Reader's Adventure
All Things Urban Fantasy
An Addicted Book Reader
And Anything Bookish
April Nichole's Blog
Ashley's Library

-B-
Badass Bookie
Between the Lines
Book Chick City
Book Crazy
Book Dragon's Lair
Booking Through 365
Bookjourney
Booknerds are Pretty Too
booktumbling

-C-
Confessions of a Bookaholic
Consumed by Books
Cover to Cover

-D-
Darkly Reading
DeRaps Reads
Dreamer

-E-
Eating YA Books
Everything to Do with Books

-F-
Fantasys Ink
Feed Your Imagination
Fragments of Life

-G-
Girls in the Stacks
Good Books and Good Wine
Good Golly Miss Holly

-H-
Harmony's Radiant Reviews
Hey! Teenager of the Year
Holes in My Brain

-I-

-J-
JacobsBeloved

-K-

-L-
La Femme Readers
Laina Has Too Much Spare Time
Lisa the Nerd
Loud Words and Sounds
Love to Read for Fun
Lovely Miss Lucy

-M-
Melanie's Musings
Michelle and Leslie's Book Picks
Miss Danaidae
Mrs. Magoo Reads
Mrs Q: Book Addict
My Tea Time is Book Time
My Words Ate Me

-N-
Nyxen's Sidewalk Journey Through Life

-O-

-P-
Page Turners
Park-Avenue Princess
Pepper Ink
Pirate Penguin's Reads

-Q-
QT Bookworm

-R-
Raschel Reads
Read Now, Sleep Later
Reading in Color
Reading the Best of the Best
Reading Through Life
ReadReadRead
Red House Books
Reversing the Monotony
Ruby Loves Adventure
Running for Fiction

-S-
Shut Up! I'm Reading.
Spellbound by Books
Star Shadow Creative Mishaps
Steph the Bookworm
Story on a Page
Storywings
Strange & Random Happenstance

-T-
Tales of a Teenage Book Lover
Tales of Whimsy
That Chick that Reads
That's a Novel Idea
The Allure of Books
The Bodacious Pen
The Book Scout
The Book Vixen
The Book Whisperer
The Bookologist
The Eagle's Aerial Perspective
The Hiding Spot
The Library Lurker
The Life (and lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object
The Lost Entwife
There's a Book
Three Cheers for Literacy
Tin Heart Tomes
Too Many Book, Too Little Time
The Undercover Book Lover
Twin Pigeon
Two and a Half Book Lovers
Tynga's Urban Fantasy Reviews

-U-
Une Parole

-V-

-W-
Wicked Good Books

-X-

-Y-
Yay! Reads
YA Book Queen

-Z-

And tons more coming!

If you're interested in being a spotlighted blogger, please fill out this form.

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List of Author Interviews/Guest posts

Alphabetical by author's last name:

A-C
Nicole Barker
Sean Beaudoin
Jillian Cantor
Kay Cassidy
Megan Crewe

D-F
Bonnie J. Doerr
Marissa Doyle
Clare B. Dunkle
Adam Jay Epstein
Ann Finnin
Kate Forsyth
Lisa Rowe Fraustino
Mark Freeman

G-L
Andrew Jacobson
Trilby Kent
Kitty Keswick
Ron Koertge
Kathryn Lasky
Y.S. Lee (2nd Interview)
Kimberley Griffiths Little
Malinda Lo

M-Z
Kirsten Miller
Chloe Neill x2
Sheila A. Nielson
Brenda Pandos
Christy Raedke
Jack W. Regan
Libby Schmais
Maria V. Snyder
Heather Terrell
Brian Yansky



More to come!

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Review List

Reviews by Title A-K

Reviews by Title L-Z

Reviews by Series

Reviews of Graphic Novels

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Review Policy

Welcome to Bookworming in the 21st Century. Thank you for considering us to become a reviewer of your novel or product. We love accepting novels from authors and publishers as well as hosting giveaways, guest posts, and interviews. It is always nice to get to know other authors and booklovers.

If you are interested in having one of us review your novel or product, host a giveaway, or have us post an author interview or guest post, please fill out this form.

Our reviews of an item always involve our honest opinions. Sending us a product or novel to review does not guarantee a 5 rose review, but will reflect our true thoughts on the item during the review post, including positive and negative feedback and how we felt about the item personally.


Genres that Kristen enjoys:

Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction are the two main types of fiction that I read and blog about on Bookworming in the 21st Century.. I do accept some adult novels if they fall into the category of Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, and some Science Fiction and usually only if the author is familiar to me. My personal favorite genres are paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction and dystopian literature. I also am a big fan of graphic novel and manga. I generally will not rate those types of novels, but will do so if the graphic novel is a review book.

I prefer actual ARCs or physical copies of a review book, but will consider a title in e-book format if the book highly appeals to my tastes in reading.

Here is a complete list of all the books I have reviewed since the start of my blog. My format has changed over the course of my blogging, but the ratings have not.

Genres that April enjoys:

My favorite genres are YA paranormal and fantasy. While books are a good way to escape reality those are my two favorites to use. If it appeals to me I will also check out some science fiction, adult books of paranormal and urban fantasy. I would rather that the book either be an ARC or finished copy. No PDFs or e-books.


What happens when we accept a novel to review:

Accepting an item for review does not guarantee that we will write a review. If the book does not appeal to us after about 50 or so pages, we usually move onto a different book. In our best interest, we do our best to accept books that we think we will enjoy most so that this situation does not arise. While we promise only to give an honest review of the item, we will make sure that there are always positives and negatives in our reviews. Even if we do not like a book, we like to convey the reason to my readers why it did not appeal to us personally and what the novel's stronger points were.

Our reviews generally include:

• The cover art of the novel,
• The Author's name,
• Release Date of the novel,
• A summary of the novel, and
  
• My personal opinion of the book.

If requested, we will also provide any information provided about the author, her website, social networking accounts or any multimedia that coincides with the books - such as a book trailer.

Generally, our reviews are posted here on Bookworming in the 21st Century, as well as on Goodreads. If you want a book reviewed on a website other than these two, please let us know and we will try my best to oblige.


Ratings:

We have created a review rating that suits my love of reading. We will rarely rate a book below 3 Roses because we think all books have merit and something good about them. This is how the Rose Rating is broken down:

5/5 Roses Loved the book

4/5 Roses Liked the book

3/5 Roses Did not enjoy the book personally.

2/5 Roses Skimmed most of the book.

1/5 Roses Gave up on it.

We're very honest, but we try my best to find something good about the book we've just read. You won't end up seeing a lot of 1 or 2 rose books because we won't review them if we haven't read most/all of the book.


How long will it take for a review:

If sent a book for review, we will try our best to read it in a timely manner. We try to review novels that are already published first and then ARCs a week or so before they are due to be published. If you want the review posted by a certain date, please let us know so that we can make sure the book is read and reviewed by that date. Most likely, it will take us about 3 months after receiving a novel, but that is not a guarantee.


Bookmarks and Swag:

We love receiving bookmarks and swag to help promote Young Adult and Middle Grade novels. We tend to send out bookmarks and swag with my contests, so if you would like to send us some, please email me.


Other Products:

If you have a product that you think would appeal to teens and adults that like to read, please feel free to contact us. We are definitely open to reviewing any items that we think our readers will enjoy.
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About

Welcome to Bookworming in the 21st Century. This blog reviews mainly young adult fiction but also includes elementary and middle grade fiction due to the fact that Kristen is an Elementary School Library Media Specialist. All information and policies on this page are current as of November 2010.

Kristen's Contact Information:

Email: dragonzgoil@gmail.com

Find me on:
Twitter
Goodreads
LibraryThing
Shelfari
BookBlogs
Teen Fire
Random Buzzers

April's Contact Information:

Email: theaprilnichole@yahoo.com

Find me on:
Twitter
Goodreads
Random Buzzers

Want to know our review policy? Click here.

Copyright:
All content found on Bookworming in the 21st Century is copyrighted as of 2009, unless otherwise stated. All other pictures, interviews, and guest posts are property of the respected authors and artists unless otherwise stated.

If there is anything you would like to use from our site, please contact us via email.


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Teaser Tuesday - Prophecy of the Sisters

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 two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser is from Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink. I'm going to see her Thursday AND Saturday, so I need to finish her book!

She hesitates, shifting nervously on her feet before answering. "Well, everyon has dreams, Lia. . . ."
-p. 111
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Blog construction

Hi guys! Just wanted to let you know I'm playing with my blog. Say hello to menu bar buttons. Still working on formatting them to my liking and adding the posts to link to them. Let me know what you think! Suggestions, websites to look at for this type of thing and whatnot...

Thanks!
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It's Monday, What are you reading?

J.Kaye hosts this wonderful meme.

Click on titles for my reviews or more info on the book.

Blarg! I only read ONE book this week. *shakes head* I know I'll do better next week...

Read this past week:
Willow by Julia Hoban

Currently Reading:
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap
Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
I, Coriander by Sally Gardner (audiobook)

Upcoming:
Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran
Medina Hill by Trilby Keny

Poll Results!
I asked this past week how many books you thought could be on my TBR pile. Then, I showed a picture later on to give a bit more of a hint.
Well, I counted them up and I have 205 books that I own To-Be-Read!
And here's how the poll results break down:
20 or more - 4%
50 or more - 21%
100 or more - 32%
150 or more - 12%
200 or more - 28%

This week's poll deals with my fiance and his love of books. Check out the sidebar...

Updates:

• I started the process for getting my new apartment. Looks like I'll be picking up the keys a day or two before my wedding (way earliar than I thought we'd get them), but the price was right and the community of these apartments is SUPERB! I mean they have 3 luxury swimming pool, 3 tennis courts, 2 work out centers, 1 business center, a cafe that has free coffee and cookies and community events like ice cream socials and more! I could go on and on about how awesome this apartment is but one thing stood out to me in the actual apartment - a FIREPLACE! How cool is that? *so excited to move*
• I was sick this weekend, so no apple picking - sad, but they picked some apples for me.
  
• I'm attending two signings and a full day YA conference this week. Seeing Maggie Stiefvater on Wednesday, Michelle Zink on Thursday, and about 10 or so different authors on Saturday including Michelle Zink, Libba Bray, Ellen Hopkins, Cynthia Liu and many more!

Well, I think that's it. Gotta bug the fiance about dishes. :)
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Sunday Spotlight - Twin Pigeon

Welcome to the Sunday edition of my Spotlight weekend interviews. Today, we have a fun blogger who wants you to visit her blog. And well, if you're not enticed by the cool graphic below.. well, you will be if you read on!

Name: Corey
Nickname and/or blog name: Twin Pigeon (my blog name...thankfully not my real-life nickname)
Blog URL: http://www.twinpigeon.com/blog



A bit about me: I've loved reading my whole life and was always reading above my age level. Therefore, I had already moved past YA novels (which I felt were less interesting) by the time I started middle school. However, on a whim a couple of years ago, I decided to pick up a book labeled as YA and was instantly hooked. Since then, I have found that a) the YA genre as a whole has improved since I was a teen b) I can read YA books constantly and be pretty freaking happy. Thus, an obsession--and a blog--was born. I am the female Benjamin Button of books.

On a personal front, I am 25, female, and married to the most awesome guy ever (who shall be henceforth dubbed "The Boy"). The Boy and I watch far too many movies and play a horrible amount of video games. Life is grand.


When and why did you start your blog? I uploaded my first post on July 25th, so I am practically a newborn. I started the blog because I was reading so many books that I wanted to keep track of. Then I figured, while I was at it, I might as well let the world know what I think. Plus, I have several friends who regularly ask me for recommendations; now I can guilt them into visiting my website. >: D

What's with the name? The Boy and I like to play a little game called "What do you think of the name _____ for _____." It usually involves the names of our Future Hypothetical Children (e.g. "What do you think of the name Jeffrica for a boy?") and is always horrible and/or hilarious. One day, when we were doing nothing in particular, The Boy busted out with "What do you think of the name Twin Pigeon for...anything." I thought it sounded absolutely hilarious, yet kind of catchy. And here we are. :D

What is your blog all about? Any cool features you want to share? Right now it's mostly about YA book reviews and news. But since I'm a pretty random person, you will probably see a lot of different stuff. Cool features may or may not include: grading the books' aesthetic features, Soundtrack Saturdays, Second-Chance Sundays, Unnamed "Things I Thought Were Awesome When I Was a Young Pigeon" Project, and more. Plus, I plan on flashing back to the children/YA books I actually loved as a kid. Which totally means I'm going to talk about Christopher Pike a lot.


Do you have a review system? If you do, would you like to explain it for us? I SURE WOULD, KRISTEN! ;) My reviews are split into five parts:

The Superficial: Observations on the packaging of the book, such as cover art, page style, typography, size, and title. Less important, but c’mon, you know you think about it.

The Short of It: My review in a nutshell. Usually one sentence long.

The Long of It: Like the Short of It…only longer. I.E. my full review.

Opening Lines: The biggest factor in any bookstore drive-by--the first few sentences.

Score: On a scale of one to ten. I will also address re-readability and buying suggestions (e.g. Buy Hardback, Library It, Wait for Paperback, Run for Your Life).

Any tips or advice for those starting or thinking about starting a blog? Just write. And make friends. :)


What are some of your favorite genres and/or books currently? I am all about the horror and the supernatural. I like any kind of novel with strange things and screaming kids. If it's Gothic (extra points for southern) or dark, I'm there. I also like more "literary" books, satire/comedy, and a little sci-fi.


Thank you to Corey for sharing her fun blog with us today. I really love the look and feel of it, don't you? :-D Check her out and make sure to leave a comment (or a billion) on her blog for her.

Are you a new blogger too? Or just getting back into the swing of blogging? Do you want to be featured on my blog? Shoot me an email at bittahsweetharmony@yahoo.com.

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IMM Vlog (5)

In My Mailbox is hosted by the fun and awesome Kristi from The Story Siren.




People/websites/places mentioned:
Addicted to Books
Reader Rabbit
The Bookstore
Kristi from The Story Siren
Michelle Moran's Literary Scavenger Hunt
Bookmooch
Book Closeouts
Swagbucks

Books/other stuff won:
Prophecy of the Sisters Swag Bag
My Soul To Take by Rachel Vincent

Blog Tour book:
Medina Hill by Trilby Keny

Books mooched:
The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares
Every Which Way But Dead by Kim Harrison
A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton

Books bought:
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
Rapture of the Deep by L.A. Meyer
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Psyche in a Dress by Francesca Lia Block
The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
Here There be Dragons by James A. Owen
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Ely Plot by Joan Lennon
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
War of the Witches by Maite Carranza
Little (Grrl) Lost by Charles DeLint
Love is Hell
The Icebound Land by John Flanagan
Undone by Brooke Taylor
The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison
The Game by Diana Wynne Jones
In the Hall of the Dragon King by Stephen Lawhead
Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

I think I am officially banned from buying any more books. Seriously...
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Saturday Spotlight - Running For Fiction

Hello weekenders! Today, I have for you a RARE species of book blogger - a young man! No no, don't swarm all at once. I know that they exist, but I really don't run into a lot of guy teen book bloggers, so I was super excited when he emailed me about wanting to do a spotlight interview.

So, check out his blog (before or after the interview) and leave some comment love here or there (or both!).

Name: Robert Auld
Nickname: Robby
Blog name: Running For Fiction
Blog URL: http://runningforfiction.blogspot.com

Tell me a bit about yourself.
I'm really bad at talking about myself. Let's see...well, I'm 14 years old and I have three addictions:
1. Books
2. Music
3. Coffee
As long as those three things are in my life, I'm happy. My favorite kind of book is a book that will make me laugh and make me cry. I'm an aspiring author, and those are the kind of books I want to write some day. I love it when books just linger in my head days after I've finished them, even once I've moved on to a new book. Some day, I hope to interview my favorite authors and host giveaways and I also hope that boys realize that reading does not make you a loser.
Reading...it makes me feel alive. That's corny, but it's true. I love escaping to another world that isn't mine, and putting myself in someone else's shoes for a while. Sometimes, I need a break from my life. And getting lost in a book is the perfect remedy.

When and why did you start your blog?
I thought I started Running For Fiction in June, but I guess I really started it in May. Time flies, huh? Well...I started Running For Fiction because when I read a really good book, writing it out helps me understand. Dissecting a novel piece by piece helps me see it easier. I want to know why characters do what they do. And a good book? It just begs to be talked about. And there are quite a few good books in the world, so I think I'm good to go for a while. :)

What is your blog all about? Any cool features you want to share?
Running For Fiction is just about reading, about books, and how a book can change you. A book can be inspiring, a book can just make you see things differently. It's weird, but over the course of a few hundred pages, an author and their creation can leave a lasting impact.
I don't really think i have any cool features. I've been told I'm funny, even though iIfeel like most of my jokes fall flat. Someday, I'll come up with something totally awesome. Until then, it's just me and the books I read.

Do you have a review system? If you do, would you like to explain it for us?
Uh...not really, I don't think. I like to read all of an author's books, to see how they develop from their first book to their current release. I just read, and then i review. I don't take notes or anything. There's probably a special part of my brain devoted to the book I'm currently reading, with plenty of storage space, which is helpful.

Any tips or advice for those starting or thinking about starting a blog?
Just do it. Don't think about it, just take it and run. That's what I did. One day, I just said 'I should start a book review blog.' And I did. And here I am. I don't have a bunch of followers, but the followers I do have comment and give me a lot of good feedback. So don't get discouraged. Just keep going. Don't give up. I give bad advice. Sorry. :-P

What are some of your favorite genres and/or books currently?
I don't really have a favorite genre. I don't really like Fantasy, or Paranormal. I like books about real people. So...realistic fiction, I guess. I read adult books too. And the books that really get my attention are books about people who make mistakes, and how they right them. Falling in love, falling out. I'm a corny person, so I like reading books about corny people like me. I want to feel like I relate.

My favorite book in the whole entire world is Let's Get Lost by Sarra Manning. I've read every single one of her books, and I even had to order a few from Amazon UK, because they're not published in the US. Let's Get Lost is such an inspirational book. It's sad, but it's not depressing. I cried my eyes out, but I laughed, too. Sarra Manning is a master storyteller. I responded to a few of her tweets telling her how much I loved her, and she's just really sweet.

Another favorite book of mine that I just read is Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti. I've read all of her books, and this one is my favorite. It's just about a girl who's not really sure what she wants. She thinks she's in love with one boy, but really, she's in love with another. Waiting For You showed me that you don't always know yourself. On top of that, I've been reading Susane's blog for quite a long time, and she's just so awesome. When I told her I reviewed her books, she linked me in her blog. It was wonderful. I have countless other favorite books, but those are my top two for now.

Contest Alert!
Robby is currently holding a contest for 5 different books. The winner will get all of them! Check out the details here. The contest ends September 30th.

Thank you Robby for sharing more about your blog today! It's really great to know that there are guys out there too reading and blogging about the books they read. Go and check his blog out and make sure to leave a nice comment or follow him!

Are you a new blogger too? Or just getting back into the swing of blogging? Do you want to be featured on my blog? Shoot me an email at bittahsweetharmony@yahoo.com.

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Win a signed harcover copy of Willow by Julia Hoban

Hi there fellow bloggers!

If you hadn't heard already, I went and saw Julia Hoban in Indiana last weekend (See this post).

So, I nabbed an extra copy for a contest and Julia signed it for one lucky winner. I loved it, so I hope you guys are excited to read this one!

I'm going to make this fairly simple (I hope!). Sorry, but I'm a little bit feverish right now so I may screw up this post in some way.. most likely will.

The Rules:
1. Open to US and Canada (sorry! I'm poor for a while here).
2. Please include your email address with your comment(s).
3. Contest ends Saturday, September 26th at 8 pm CST
4. How to get points:

Answer this question:

What is one of the best books that you've read recently?

+1 for answering the question above
+2 for following my blog (whether it's through google connect, email, or RSS)
+1 add my blog to your blogroll
+1 for commenting on my review of Willow HERE
+1 for every time you advertise this contest - You MUST leave a link


Good luck! :)
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Willow by Julia Hoban

Willow
by Julia Hoban

I have to admit, when I first heard the buzz about this book, I sort of passed it by. Not to say I didn't think the book sounded good - but the subject is one that is very sensitive and part of my own personal history.

Willow is a cutter. Her parents were killed in a car accident while she was driving and she blames herself for their deaths. She lives with her brother and his wife and daughter now and she consistently feels that she is a burden that was forced upon them.

Everything changes when Willow meets Guy. He finds out that she's a cutter and almost confronts her brother about it, but she persuades him that it will literally crush him to find out that she harms herself. So Guy sticks around. He hangs around the university library where she works (yet they're both in high school) and keeps involving himself in her life. At first, she pushes him out of her mind and tries to get him to leave her alone. But, they have too much in common and she finds herself liking him and possibly loving him.


After hearing a few reviews of this book and then meeting Julia herself, I had to read this book. I learned a lot about the book before I read it at her reading in Indiana that I attended last weekend. Never once does she describe Willow or Guy, yet you can imagine the characters perfectly. I loved her reasoning behind this concept of not having the character recognizable. It also gives the reader more creative imagination on what they imagine the characters to look like.

I also love some of the added humor. Such as the point at which Willow's brother David figures out she finally is involved with someone and tries to approach the issue of sex with her. I was laughing hysterically throughout that scene.

Also, the fact that the sex involved in the book is safe sex - both physically and spiritually. You rarely see sex portrayed in the correct way in young adult novels - if at all. When it does occur, there seems to be a lack of safe sex. I really applaud Julia for including this vital part of the book and the way it really helped lead Willow to realize there's more than just the blade to keep her going.

My favorite line of the book is towards the end and I think it really captures what cutting can become to young women: "That box of blades can't be your lover anymore, no matter how much they've been there for you in the past." (p. 327) And really, I feel that cutting is an addiction and it definitely releases the same type of endorphins.

I have to applaud Julia for this amazing book - all the research she threw into it to portray a realistic situation in which to express the self-destructive behavior that is cutting.

I can't say it was heavy either - yes, there were some serious issues addressed, but at the root of it all was the evolving relationship between a young man and woman. And well, who can't relate to falling in love?

5/5 Roses


Stay tuned in the next few minutes for my giveaway of this amazing book, signed by the author.

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Lack of Friday Finds

Another week with no Friday Finds. So I'm going to ramble on for a bit.

I've only gotten one of those towering stacks of books put away. I'm staring at them right now and promising myself I'll get them put away or boxed up this weekend.

I'm going apple picking with my family most of the day Saturday and then Sunday is apartment hunting.

Another full weekend. I haven't finished a book yet.. *sigh*. I'm going to try for at least two again, but we'll see. Maybe things will settle down soon and I can have the attention to read more again.

I'm behind on BBAW posts, but I don't think I'll be catching up. If there's a feature you'd like me to do - one of the BBAW deals - let me know and I'll put it up this weekend.

I have to run to work now, but I'll see you all tonight or tomorrow on twitter, blogger, or wherever else. :)
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Link a Contest Thursday!

So... it's that time again.. where you link your contest to promote it and so others can enter!

Rules (or at least STRONG suggestions):
1. Name the item being given away (instead of the blog name)
2. Give the end date in () after the name
3. Make sure to link DIRECTLY to that contest post - if you don't know how to do this - just click on the title of the contest blog and it will give a direct URL you can use.
4. If you want to post a contest you've found, make sure it isn't already posted.

Thanks!

And please steal this! Not all my followers will be following your blog, so if you spread the contest love with a Mr. Linky, all the better for contest-loving-bloggers!


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The TBR Pile

Well, in honor of BBAW week, people are posting pictures of their to-be-read piles. And I have a poll up about how many books you think I have on my TBR pile.

These pictures below may give you a better picture of what the answer will be.

No library books included and all the pictures are of the same stack.. if it were four different ones, I'd really be in trouble!

And there's a few more on their way already! Gah!

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BBAW Interview Exchange - Ulat Buku in the City

For BBAW, I was set up to Interview another blogger and well, I'm a little late, but here it is! One cool thing about Natasha that I learned is we're getting married on the SAME DAY this year! How crazy is that! Oct. 24th. :)

What's your name? Natasha
Alias? My closest friends call me Tash but online I'm known as Ms Ulat Buku
Your Blog Name? Ulat Buku in the City. Ulat Buku is Malay for Book Worm. :)
Your Blog URL? http://ulatbukuinthecity.blogspot.com

Can you give us a quick bio about yourself?
I am a stressed out Account Director in the advertising industry who enjoys reading as a form of escapism from reality (deep no?) LOL. Truly, I am a simple gal who loves city living and loves reading and meeting new people with the same interest. My hours at work are too long and I indulge in book shopping sprees during the weekends as a form of retail therapy... Borders absolutely LOVE me!

What's on your nightstand right now?
OMG. Lets not go there... there's way too many to mention but I am currently reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Am on page 96 and am enjoying the book so far.

When did you start your blog?
One year ago. Its my blogiversary this month, I can't believe I lasted this long!

What is your favorite genre(s)?
Fiction mostly but Beth Fish Reads has got me hooked on vampire fiction. Started reading Sookie and also have Vampire Diaries on my TBR list right now. I also love reading YA books.

Who is your favorite author?
Ooooo this is tough, if I can only choose one I'd choose Neil Gaiman.

What's your favorite book of all time?
Right now, its the Time Travelers Wife. I highly recommend everyone to read it!

What book do you wish you could read all over again for the first time?
The Time Traveler's Wife and maybe the Book Thief.

What are your blog features?
The blog is only one year old so I haven't been able to develop it to the fullest. I'm hoping to write more about city living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Can you describe your review system?
I don't really have a system. Its either I like it or I dont but I normally look at content, plot, style and whether these elements succeed in engaging my interest throughout.

How is your blog unique?
Well, other than reviewing books I also include updates on my experience living in KL City.

How do you market your blog?
Through other social media, twitter, myspace, technorati etc. But I find the best was to market my blog is to communicate with other book review bloggers directly. If they like my content then normally we'll stay in touch to exchange views and ideas which is a big bonus cause I'm always looking to make new friends and exchange new ideas.

I want to thank Natasha for being awesome about this sort of last minute interview I did. I've been so busy with the wedding and new job stuff, I kept on forgetting I had signed up to do this!

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Waiting on Wednesday - The Sky is Everywhere

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

The Sky is Everywhere
by Jandy Nelson
Release Date: March 9, 2010

From Goodreads.com:
Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding.

This remarkable debut is perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Francesca Lia Block. Just as much a celebration of love as it is a portrait of loss, Lennie’s struggle to sort her own melody out of the noise around her is always honest, often hilarious, and ultimately unforgettable.

Any book that is for fans of Francesca Lia Block is for me. This book looks AMAZING!

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Teaser Tuesday - Willow

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 two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

In honor of Julia Hoban and her AWESOME book Willow (which I'm reading), I chose to tease you with the following passage:

Maybe her face isn't any different, but the look in her eyes is. She reaches out a hand to cover them in the mirror. She remembers the reflection that used to stare back at her. Those eyes weren't dead.
-p. 25
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It's Monday, What are you reading?

J.Kaye hosts this wonderful meme.

Click on titles for my reviews or more info on the book.

Blarg! I only read TWO books this week (AGAIN!). *shakes head*

Read this past week:
Emily & the Silent King by Irven Keppen
Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph

Currently Reading:
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap
Willow by Julia Hoban

Upcoming:
Break by Hannah Moskowitz
The Cave by Steve McGill
Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
I, Coriander by Sally Gardner (audiobook)

Poll Results!
Last week I asked what I should buy next. This is what you guys thought I should buy next:
The Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare (16 votes)
Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore (10 votes)
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev (8 votes)
Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr (7 votes)
The Hollow by Jessica Verday (5 votes)
Evermore and Blue Moon by Alyson Noel (5 votes)
Evernight and Stargazer by Claudia Gray (3 votes)

I will admit - I bought Eyes Like Stars this weekend. :) I'm adding up some swagbucks rewards - so when I get enough amazon gift cards.. totally going to start buying these. Thanks guys!

Updates:

• I saw Julia Hoban on Saturday! It was so awesome (see post right below this).
  
• I had my bridal shower on Sunday (Look below for some pics!)
• I barely got sleep this weekend, but I'm still alive, promise. :)
• Apple picking and apartment shopping this coming weekend.
• My sister is working on some Jersey Boys tickets! WOOT! I just love her.
  

Bridal shower pics:

I had SO much fun. :)

The awesome food spread. :)

The future in-laws :)
(My new sister-in-laws read books! My own sisters don't, so I'm excited!)



Embarrassed by the balloon chair and sash.



The matron of honor - my older sis - and me.



My mom and her mother (my Grandma Loot).

There are a bazillion more, but I don't want to bore you. :) We had 27 women there to celebrate with me.

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Book bloggers + Julia Hoban = AWESOME!

Okay, I admit I'm a wee bit nervous about this blog post, because Kristi (The Story Siren) knocked the summary of the event out of the water.

On Saturday, I went to an awesome author signing. Julia Hoban, author of Willow, was signing copies of her book at Barnes & Noble in Valparaiso, Indiana on Saturday.

I heard about it from Kristi and then it grew into a party of four. I ended up staying after work and sleeping over at Andrea's (The Book Blather) apartment and then she drove us to Valparaiso. We stayed up for a few hours chatting books (I mean DUH.. what else would we talk about?).

Then, I passed out on her couch and we headed out the following morning at 11 am to get there. It took us about an hour to get there, which was filled with more book chat.



We arrive at Barnes and Noble around 12 pm and we walk in. We, of course, check out where Julia is signing and promptly beeline for the teen section. Neither of us has a clue what Erica (The Book Cellar) looks like so we whisper "Is that her" when we pass some tall teen girl and then keep walking, not wanting to question the wrong person. And who do I see standing there? Kristi! Then Erica comes up (yep, that tall girl we almost talked to...) and we're a party of four awesome bloggers.

We chat Kristi and Erica up, and when we ask Kristi about lunch, she tells us she's meeting Julia for food at Panera! Kristi promptly calls her and says it's alright if all four of us go!

So, we walk over to Panera - which is right next to the bookstore and we all nervously await Julia's arrival - all that we know is she is wearing a hat and gloves. I was trying my best not to look as nervous as I felt, but I could tell Kristi and Erica were full of nervousness - Kristi outright said it. :)

But, lunch was AMAZING! Julia was so sweet and wonderful, I couldn't believe it. I mean not that I was expecting a horrible person, but she was just amazing, really.

Then, the signing just got better. Julia started off by talking about how book bloggers made her book so successful and promptly introduced all four of us to the rest of the 20 or so people there. We were all slack-jaw shocked! I mean, we really couldn't comment. In fact, all four of us barely could remember the questions we were going to ask during her talk/reading. Luckily, an older librarian dude asked tons of questions and was quite hilarious. Everyone was impressed with us as well after the signing and asked us more questions about blogging and books and asked for our websites!

I mean, none of us saw it coming - Julia really is amazing. I ended up buying 3 books - one for myself, my to-be sister-in-law, and to giveaway. (I started the book last night and am loving it!)

I even received an email this morning from her with another thank-you. Isn't she a sweetie? I'm author-struck and can only really compare this to Brad Pitt asking me out for coffee just to talk about books (which would NEVER happen.. ahaha). We did have some yummy coffee and cheesecake and talked with Julia even MORE after the signing.


It was one of the best experiences of my life. I really hope I bump into Julia again. Oh, and THEN all four of us bloggers went to dinner at Chilis and talked for about an hour or so more. I don't think I got home until 9:30 pm.

I just love days that are that fabulous.
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Shrinking Violet

Shrinking Violet
by Danielle Joseph

From goodreads.com:
High school senior Teresa Adams is so painfully shy that she dreads speaking to anyone in the hallways or getting called on in class. But in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks out -- doing mock broadcasts for Miami's hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up at The SLAM, Tere surprises herself by blossoming behind the mike into confident, sexy Sweet T -- and to everyone's shock, she's a hit! Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ's awesome taste in music. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest -- and a prom date with Sweet T is the grand prize -- Sweet T's dream could turn into Tere's worst nightmare....

I could really relate to this book. I wasn't quite as shy as Tere was in this novel, but I certainly hated public speaking of any kind and would shake all the way through any speeches I had to present to a class of peers.

This novel was amazing, with realistic characters and a plot that could appeal to music lovers, shy girls and boys, or anyone in need of a decent realistic fiction novel.

5/5 Roses

This one is in for the comment contest. :)

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IMM Vlog (4)

In my mailbox is hosted by Kristi from the Story Siren, who rocks. :)

(Please ignore the fact that my youtube vlog video says 3 and not 4 - I was way tired last night)

People/websites mentioned in this blog:
Kristi from The Story Siren
Andrea from The Book Blather
Erica from The Book Cellarx
Julia Hoban
Simply Vamptastic
Jillian Cantor
Word Smithsonia
Kay Cassidy from You 2.0 Blog
Book Mooch (add me! bookgoil)

Books won:
Daniel X Watch the Skies by James Patterson & Ned Rust
The Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor
The Coyote Road Trickster Tales

Books bought:
Willow by Julia Hoban (will post more about that signing soon!)
The Last Summer (of You & Me) by Ann Brashares
Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
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Sunday Spotlight - The Undercover Book Lover

Hello readers!

Welcome to the Sunday edition of my weekend Spotlights. Today, I have for you a newer blogger who is only a few months into blogging and is already clocking some serious hours (and love) into her blog. Take a gander before OR after the interview - enjoy!

Name: Reggie
Nickname and/or blog name: The Undercover Book Lover (Not Really)
Blog URL: http://theundercoverbooklover.blogspot.com

Tell me a bit about yourself.
I'm just a normal 14 year old who is totally book-obsessed. I have a dog named Fluffy (he's a pug and he isn't really fluffy). I like to read (duh!), write, play with my dog, and hang out with my family. My family doesn't really think I'm normal though...they think I'm nuts!

When and why did you start your blog?
I started my blog at the beginning of July. I wanted to start it because I saw this other blog called A Garden of Books by Iryna (her blog is amazing). Her blog inspired me. I want to let people know how great books truly are!

What is your blog all about? Any cool features you want to share?
My blog is basically full of YA book reviews and the occasional adult fiction. There are two non-review-related features in my blog. One is The Weekly Pen and the other one is called Post-its. The Weekly Pen has poems, short stories, or articles written by me. Post-its are quotes from books that are noteworthy.

Do you have a review system? If you do, would you like to explain it for us?
My review system is kind of complicated. This is what it says on my blog:
I'm going to be changing my rating system a little bit. Instead of just having an A+ or a B- or something, I'm going to add ratings for specific aspects of a book.
Here's how I'm going to do it:

Originality: /10
Ending: /10
Characters: /10
Plot: /10
My reaction/enjoyment: /10
Theme: /10
Imagery: /10
Setting: /5
Voice: /5
Style and Tone: /10
Cover: /10
Total Score: /100

A+ = 95-100
A- = 90-94
A- = 85-89
B+ = 80-84
B = 75-79
B- = 70-74
C+ = 65-69
C = 60-64
C- = 55-59
D+ = 50-54
D = 45-49
D- = 40-44

I'm not going to add an 'F' to the list because no author ever deserves an 'F'.
Do you like it? Do you hate it? Give me some suggestions as to what you think of my new system.


Any tips or advice for those starting or thinking about starting a blog?
Don't get discouraged! Even if nobody follows you, keep on bloggin'. For weeks, the only follower I had was my sister but I still maintained my blog. I thought of different ways to make my blog more exposed. Kristen, here, was awesome to give me a Saturday/Sunday Spotlight (Thanks Kristen!).

What are some of your favorite genres and/or books currently?
Currently, I'm still sticking to YA fiction but I LOVE Tom Clancy and John Grisham. My favorite books right now are Twenty Boy Summer, I Heart You, You Haunt Me, and Shrinking Violet. Such amazing authors!

Anything else you want to say:
Kristen ROCKZ!!! Oh, and a shoutout to all my followers! You guys rock too!!!

Thank you Reggie for sharing more about you and your awesome blog today! If you take a look at her blog, you can see she's really putting a lot of love into it and you guys should follow her. :) So go - shoo - look at her blog already! :-D

Are you a new blogger too? Or just getting back into the swing of blogging? Do you want to be featured on my blog? Shoot me an email at bittahsweetharmony@yahoo.com.

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