Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays - Voluspa: A Magical World


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 what you share doesn't give away too much! You don't want to ruin the book for others.)
  • Share the title & author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser.

This week's teaser comes from Voluspa: A Magical World by Sam D. & Ray East. 
Voluspa: A Magical World



"'How can a mountain shift and change?' asked Amy exasperatedly. 
'Next you guys will be telling me that it can also move from one place to 
the other.'"

Add to your Goodreads shelf.

Check back soon for the review!

Monday, July 30, 2012

City of Bones Review

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)**4.5 Stars**


BIG SPOILER ALERT

MY OVERVIEW: I love how the author perfectly wove a fantasy world into NYC and created new ones just under the surface. 

PROS: All the characters were great. Although, I was annoyed with Simon a few times when he was following Isabella around. I really thought it was great how the author built the relationship between all the characters and really strengthened their bond towards the end of the book. Luke was one of my favorite characters and I am glad the author gave him a key role in Clary’s life pre- and post-“seeing”. 

CONS: SPOILER [I almost cried when the book confirmed that Jace is Clary’s brother, even though I had figured it out a chapter before when Luke was giving his background. I didn’t want Clary to end up with Simon, I wanted her to end up with Jace – but that is no longer possible.]

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: A really enjoyable story. One which I can’t wait to continue in the next book. 


SIDE NOTE: I did see that this book is going to be made into a movie, and I am not sure how I feel about this. I don’t think the movie will give the book justice and I don’t like/agree with most of the casting choices (especially Jace). (IMDB Link to Movie Info)


Stacking the Shelves #1


Ok, so this is my first Stacking the Shelves. This weekly meme was started by Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews.

From the Library:

Hereafter (Hereafter, #1)Arise (Hereafter, #2)Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1)
Hereafter on Goodreads      Arise on Goodreads         Grave Mercy on Goodreads

For Review: 
(These are books that have been provided by authors, I have received through a ARR or R2R program, or received through NetGalley)


Red Leaves and the Living TokenTwo and Twenty Dark Tales: Dark Retellings of Mother Goose RhymesGiftCrushed (The Witch-Game #1)
Red Leaves on Goodreads     2 and 20 on Goodreads      Gift on Goodreads       Crushed on Goodreads
Author requested review           Netgalley find                    Netgalley find              We <3 YA ARR Book


Purchased:


Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna, #1)City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3)
Anna on Goodreads          City of Glass on Goodreads
  LOVE this book!                Reading book 1 right now 
                                            and it is fantastic! Couldn't resist
                                          picking up this book when I saw it. 


Check back soon for the reviews on these great book

Friday, July 27, 2012

Shadow and Bone Review

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy, #1)
**5 Stars**


MY OVERVIEW: Wow. This is the first book in a long time to have gotten a rare 5 star rating from me. I loved it. It was such a beautifully woven story.

PROS: Everything! :) The author did a fantastic job creating a whole world and race of people. I know some people will hate me for saying this, but her world rivals Narnia in just how amazing it is. 

All of the characters were written beautifully! I don’t think there was one character that didn’t fit. You really felt what Alina was feeling. 

I really don’t want to go too much more into the Pros because I will start giving everything away. 

CONS: The only thing I wish the author had written was the Darkling’s actual name. It would have been interesting to have found out what it was before he changed it. 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a book that I really didn’t ever want to put down. I am so excited for the next book and am heartbroken that I have to wait a whole year for it to come out. 



Thursday, July 26, 2012

The Secret Life of Copernicus H Stringfellow: Surreptitious Superhero Review

The Secret Life of Copernicus H. Stringfellow: Surreptitious Superhero
**3 Stars**

I would like to thank the author, Lorin K. Barber for sending this book to me for an honest review. 

MY OVERVIEW: I thought the concept behind this book was really interesting and original. However, it was a little hard to get through in some areas. I did how you could really tell the author did a lot of research for his book. 

PROS: I really liked Nick. He actually reminded me a little bit of Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory; only, if you can believe it, smarter. I actually liked how each chapter was different and you not only followed Nick but every one else whose lives he touched. As I said above, the concept was really interesting and I will never look at Twinkies the same way again. If Twinkies didn’t make me sick, I would sooo be tempted to start eating them to see if I remember things better. :)

CONS: There were a few times that I had to skim a little bit. These parts reminded me of a Michael Crichton novel, where he has obviously done his research and included a lot information on whatever subject his character is talking about at the time. The book read like a middle-grade novel, but had a lot of big words and information more appropriate to young adult. I felt like I had to keep a dictionary handy just to understand some parts and I think that maybe the words could have been explained a little better in the book. Especially when most of the people around Nick didn’t understand what he was saying sometimes too.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Overall, a good book. If this becomes a series, I will definitely be reading the next. I just rated it a 3 because I had a little bit of a hard time getting through some high information areas.



Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Waiting on Wednesdays - Asunder

Waiting on Wednesdays is a weekly book meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. This is where I get to show off a book that I can't wait for its release.

This week's WoW is Asunder by Jodi Meadows.
Asunder (Newsoul, #2)
DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls-and the newsouls who may be born in their place. 


SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana's presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves. 


LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can't love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection. 


In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy. 


Expected publication date: January 29th 2013 


Ok, first I just have to say: Oh. My. God. Look at that cover! Now that that is done, I can move on. :) 


I loved the first book in this series and a short time after reading it I went online and bought it. (Very rare for me to do this.) I will be asking for the pre-order of Asunder for Christmas and if I don't get it, I will be using the money I do to pre-order it myself. 


If you have not read the first book in the series, Incarnate, you need to! It is not at all what I expected. It was better! 

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays - The Secret Life of Copernicus H Stringfellow


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 what you share doesn't give away too much! You don't want to ruin the book for others.)
  • Share the title & author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser.

This week's teaser comes from The Secret Life of Copernicus H Stringfellow: Surreptitious Superhero by Lorin Barber. 
The Secret Life of Copernicus H. Stringfellow: Surreptitious Superhero


"Press's curiosity about Nick hadn't been sated. She decided to get as much as she could from each member of the lunch group."

Monday, July 23, 2012

The New Haven Project: Anomaly Review

The New Haven Project: Anomaly
**4 Stars**


SPOILER ALERT

MY OVERVIEW: I was given this book from the authors for an honest review and was very excited to read it. 

PROS: Caity was a great character. I like how the authors gave her two different powers as apposed to the normal one power per abnormal/anomaly/superhero; whatever you want to call them. I enjoyed all the character you were supposed to and disliked all the ones you weren’t supposed to like. SPOILER [I would have liked to have seen a reason as to why Stone actually adopted Chase, rather than just recruiting him for a new project.]

CONS: There were really only two things that I didn’t like about this book. The first was that it seemed really long. It was a really good story, but felt like it took a little longer than it should have. Secondly, SPOILER [I didn’t like that Caity still wanted Chase even after all he had done. He had know that children were being used and tortured and was defending the actions. Especially when she had someone better who came along who really cared about her.]

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: A really good story that isn’t necessarily original, but it is done in an original way. I look forward to the next in the series, and will probably end up buying a hardcopy of this book at some point. 



Sunday, July 22, 2012

Born Wicked Review

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, #1)
**2 Stars**


SPOILER ALERT

MY OVERVIEW: This book really didn’t grab my attention. I really had no idea when/where I was through about the first half of the book. I didn’t know if this was supposed to be Dystopian or Victorian. (Turns out it is 1800 America – just not the 1800 America we know). 

PROS: Tess! I really liked Tess. She was so full of energy. I also liked Finn. He was a really good pick for a love interest and you could tell that he cared for Cate from the beginning. 

CONS: Maura is a horrible character. She is very annoying and doesn’t seem to care that her sister is trying to help. Cate is also an annoying character in the fact that she isn’t that believable. Actually, now that I think about it, I really didn’t like anyone except for the two stated above. No one else was really written well.
Even for when this is supposed to take place, I feel like the Brotherhood (extreme religious leaders) takes everything way to far. SPOILER [I also think it is odd that they made the Sisterhood all secret witches. That doesn’t make any sense when this is the only place girls can go to learn. You would think that they would not welcome girls so openly as to avoid being turned in as witches.]

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Not a book I would recommend. I almost gave it up about 100 pages in because I just was too annoyed with the characters and with not knowing where/when this took place. 



Thursday, July 19, 2012

Sovereign Hope Review

Sovereign Hope (The Hope Series #1)
**4 Stars**

MY OVERVIEW: If you are looking for a quick read, this book isn’t for you. It is packed full of a wonderful story. 

PROS: I liked the original idea this book took on. I have read books about fallen angels, the underworld, etc. but this wasn’t like any of them. This was a completely different and refreshing story. Farley’s character was great, although I think I liked Agatha the best. She fit perfectly into the motherly type.

CONS: I think my biggest con was Daniel. I felt like the author should have written his character a little differently in the fact that he wasn’t angry all the time (or seemed to be). I also think that he should have come clean to Farley about a lot of stuff instead of hiding it from her. 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I enjoyed the book. I am looking forward to the next one.

I won this book through a giveaway at The Starry-Eyed Revue.


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The Selection Review

The Selection (The Selection, #1)
**3.5 Stars**


SPOILER ALERT

MY OVERVIEW: I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I really wasn’t expecting to like it as I am not a big reality tv fan and do not like The Bachelor (or even the concept of it) at all. However, I did enjoy the book.

PROS: Even though the plot of the story isn’t original, the setting is. It is a future dystopian society and it is very interesting how the hierarchy is set up. I do like how the author went into a little bit of how the society came into being after the 3rd and 4th World Wars. I thought Maxon was a great character, and exactly what you would want in a prince. When confronted with the reality of what his subjects were going through, he made changes.

CONS: Oh my god, the names in this book are horrible. Why would you name a character, never mind the main character, America Singer? I think the author might be too big of an American Idol fan, especially since the King’s name is King Clarkson. SPOILER I also did not like how America reacted to Aspen when she saw him again. He broke her heart and instead of pointing it out, she falls for him all over again.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: As I said, I was pleasantly surprised by this book and I look forward to reading the next one.



Waiting on Wednesdays - Girl of Nightmares


Waiting on Wednesdays is a weekly book meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. This is where I get to show off a book that I am anxiously awaiting the release date for.

This week's WoW is Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake.

Girl of Nightmares (Anna, #2)
It has been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. 

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live-not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in CAs's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with. Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong... these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears. 

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor. 

Expected Publication Date: August 7th 2012

I absolutely loved the first book in this series, Anna Dressed in Blood. I have been waiting for this next book to come out since I finished Anna. The cover on this book is just as eye catching and beautiful as the first one. I rarely pre-order books (Harry Potter being the exception), but I have actually pre-ordered this one.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Fallen Review

Fallen (Fallen, #1)
**2.5 Stars**

MY OVERVIEW: Well, I don’t really know how I feel about this book. I liked it at some points, and really didn’t at others. 

PROS: All the characters are fantastic. Penn and Arriane were the best. Both really great friends in completely different ways. I think the two characters I didn’t like were Molly (who you aren’t supposed to like) and Gabbe. But Gabbe’s character did change towards the end and I have a feeling I will like her more in the next book. 

CONS: There were a few cons for me. The biggest being the fact that the book didn’t answer everything. You still have no real idea what is going on at the end of the book. A few things are answered in the last 100 pages or so, but not enough. Most books would have had the main character’s revelation happen at least halfway through, but this one left everything to the end. I also didn’t like the whole Cam/Daniel – how do I choose thing. I wasn’t rooting for either of them, and I feel like I should have been. 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Normally, when I rate a book this low, I wouldn’t consider reading the next in the series. However, I do plan on making an exception in this case. I think it is more out of wanting to know what is going and getting the answers that should have been in this book. 



Teaser Tuesday - The New Haven Project


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 what you share doesn't give away too much! You don't want to ruin the book for others.)
  • Share the title & author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser.

Ok, so this is the first time I am taking part in this book meme. I am excited to start doing this every week!

This week's teaser comes from The New Haven Project: Anomaly by Jessica Marie Gilliland and Kimberly Gourgon. 

The New Haven Project: Anomaly

"Ms. Stone had a notoriously frigid demeanor to match her cold gray eyes. As she approached, I froze as though she had me in her icy grips again."

Friday, July 13, 2012

The Immortal Rules Review

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden, #1)
**4 Stars**

MY OVERVIEW: As always, Julie Kagawa weaves a fantastic tale. This book is filled with vampires and zombie vampires. It is a fantastic story of hope and of never giving up.

PROS: Allison’s character was written beautifully. She is such a strong character and one who just keeps pushing on, no matter what is thrown at her. I think my favorite character though is Caleb. He is so young and innocent and he brings a different light to the book. Zeke is amazing as well, and is one of those people who is always helpful and almost always cheerful no matter what he has seen.

CONS: There aren’t too many cons in this book. It wasn’t a quick read like I am used to with the author’s books, but I really didn’t mind. I think one con I had was that I would have liked to have seen more of Kanin. I think there should have been a little bit more background on him, but maybe she is saving that for the next book.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed the story and look forward to the next book in the series.



Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Versatile Blogger Award



I want to thank Chelsea over at Little Miss Book Freak for nominating me for this award.  If you don't already follow her blog, please head on over there and check it out!

Versatile Blogger Award Official Rules: (yes, there always has to be rules - rules are good)
** You can find out more about this award here.**
1. Thank the person who gave you this award. That is common courtesy.
2. Include a link to their blog. That's also common courtesy - if you can figure out how to do it.
3. Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you've recently discovered or follow regularly. (Chelsea's rules state that these should be blogs/bloggers who are relatively new, and I will follow that rule as I like it and it will bring more attention to these well deserved blogs/bloggers.)
4. Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself (I will follow in Chelsea's footsteps and post these facts here for you all to see).

7 Facts about me: 
1. I live in Groton, Connecticut (right next to Mystic, and yes, near the casinos).
2. I have a three month old baby boy that stay home to take care of.
3. I really, really want to eventually travel overseas to England, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, and France. I think that is it... maybe. :)
4. LOVE Disney. Would take a vacation to Orlando every year if I could.
5. I have a crazy cat who thinks he is a dog. (I think part of the problem is the brain damage he was born with - it causes him to walk funny too). Oh, and he is also OCD and steals stuff from us and hords it under the coffee table and kitchen mat.
6. I check waaaay too many books out from the library at once and have to rush to read them all before they are due. (I have 13 right now.)
7. I am the oldest and shortest of three girls.

Blogs I have tagged (Please, please go check them out!):
1. Between the Pages
2. The Cover Contessa
3. I Have Lived a Thousand Lives (Bookie Wookie)
4. Wake Up at Seven
5. You Only Write So Much
6. Behind a Million and One Pages
7. Ensconced in YA
8. Books for YA!
9. Whenever Life Gets Tough
10. Rotten Apple Reads
11. The Page Turner
12. Char + Marissa Book Reviews
13. Two Girls Reading
14. Sarah's Reviews
15. Mostly Reviews

To the bloggers I tagged above, please check out the VBA website here where I have also tagged all of you for the official VBA list. (Yes, Chelsea, that includes you as well).

Thanks!!!!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Pandemonium Review

Pandemonium (Delirium, #2)
**1.5 Stars** 

!!SPOILER ALERT!!

MY OVERVIEW: Ok, so I need to just say that the cover creeps me out. The girl’s eyes seem like they are staring through you and every time I put the book down I had to put it face down to keep from looking at the creepy cover. It took a while to get into this book, but I finally did around page 100. The book lost me again around page 170 and picked back up in the 200’s. 

PROS: Um, not too many pros for this one. Raven. Raven and Tack were great characters and I am glad the author brought them in. I would have loved to hear more about Tack’s story, but reading Raven’s was emotional. 

CONS: I don’t like how the author changed the time frame every chapter. Every other chapter was either “now” or “then” and it got really annoying. She should have just stuck with the same format as the last book. Also, the beginning was too “emo poetry” for me. ”Crawling, insides curled into dust, mouth full of the taste of smoke. Fingernail by fingernail, like a worm. That is how she comes into the world, the new Lena.” Blech. Also, I don’t like the author brought in another love interest SPOILER [especially when everyone knows Alex is still alive.] But then again, it is a dystopian novel, so I guess there has to be a love interest. I just didn’t believe the relationship that was formed between Lena and Julian. It was very fake. 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I am glad the book is over. It was a struggle to finish it and I was really excited for this one as I thought Delirium was great. Even though this book left on a cliff hanger, I don’t think I will be reading the next one, especially if the author follows the same format as this book.



Monday, July 9, 2012

Starcrossed Review

Starcrossed (Starcrossed, #1)
**3.5 Stars**

MY OVERVIEW: Well, I was really torn about whether to give this 3.5 stars or 4, and I finally settled on 3.5. The reason why is that I think the book should have ended much sooner.

PROS: I really enjoyed the story line. The whole take on Greek gods and Troy was really interesting and I can’t wait to see where the author takes it in the next book. Claire was fantastic! I hope we see more of her and Jason in the next book. Helen and Lucas' characters are really great as well. (Although it did get pretty obvious whose lives they were mirroring). Helen is such a strong character, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. I can't wait to see how she handles her journey in the next book.

CONS: There were a lot of things that were made very obvious to readers, but the characters didn’t realize them until chapters later. I really think the book should have ended around page 325 or so. It started to get a little drawn out, and would have been a good stopping point for a continuation in the next book. However, I do understand why the book ended where it did, but still think it could have been made into 2 books instead of 1. 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next one. I just hope the next book isn’t as drawn out as this one was.



Saturday, July 7, 2012

Of Poseidon Review

Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon, #1)
**4 Stars**

MY OVERVIEW: Aaa! That can’t be the ending! Wait… there has to be another chapter in here somewhere right? No? What am I going to do until the next one? 

PROS: I really enjoyed the story. It was a different type of mermaid Syrena story that what I have read before. I like how it also takes a stab at the common complaints as to why mermaids Syrena can’t be real (water too cold, too dark, etc.). The romance that was in it was the perfect amount too. Oh… and I really liked Rayna! She is a great character. 

CONS: Hmm, I don’t have too many bad things to say about this book, other than the fact that it just ended. It felt like it cut off right in the middle of a thought. But then again, it is the first book in the series, so you kinda have to leave it with a cliff hanger to bring people back. Also, for everything Emma seems to question, there is a lot of obvious things that she doesn’t. Like: why does Galen go to school, but not his obviously younger sister? 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: Really good book, I can’t wait to read the next one. I hope to see more of Rayna in the next one too!




Thursday, July 5, 2012

The Reckoning Review


** 3.5 Stars**

Spoiler alert!

MY OVERVIEW: The best book out of the series. I did have to keep reminding myself that Chloe is only 15 and everyone else isn’t much older. It really did seem like they were all at least 16 or 17. 

PROS: The character development in this book was so much better than the other two. I know I said I liked Derek in the first one, but not in the second – well, I am back to liking him again. **Spoiler**[It is a really nice change to have the heroine end up with the “not-hot” guy. I am really glad Chloe and Derek ended up together.] This book had the right amount of action, suspense, and cover-up. 

CONS: It was a little confusing at some points trying to remember who is good and who is bad. It was also a little hard to follow what was going on when Chloe was temporarily trapped in the dark room back at the Edison Group building. (No – I did not just give anything away. You all knew there was a rescue plan for Rae and Aunt Lauren). ☺ 

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I am actually disappointed that this is the last book in the series. The ending really didn’t “end”. There are still a lot of questions left unanswered, but I guess maybe they will be answered in the last Darkness Rising book. My overall opinion on the series is that it was good, but not great. I really like Darkness Rising better. 



Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Liebster Award


Hi everyone! Josie over at You Only Write So Much tagged me for the Leibster Award. I had never heard of it before and here is the information on what it is: 

Basically it is an award given to bloggers who currently have under 200 followers. The award winners are to:
(a) share eleven facts about themselves
(b) answer eleven questions asked by the blogger who tagged them.
(c) come up with their own set of eleven questions to ask bloggers and 
(d) tag eleven bloggers who they think are worthy of this award.
Rules from Here.  

11 Facts about who I am: 
1. I am 26 years old and live in Connecticut. (Ok, so that was 2 facts - but who's counting) :)
2. My husband and I just had a baby boy 3 months ago.
3. Before my son was born, the only baby in the house was our crazy cat Frodo. 
4. Yes, as you can tell by my cat's name, I am a big Tolkien fan. 
5.  I am also a huge Star Wars fan and even own a lot of the books. 
6.  I am also a big Stargate SG-1 fan and own actual replicator blocks used in the show and have the Stargate symbol tattoo'd on my ankle.
7.  I am the oldest of three girls... and sorry to say... the shortest.
8. My favorite band is Skillet and I have seen them 4 times in concert, and hope to see them again!
9.  I went to a technical school for Photography and graduated with not only a certificate in Photography, but also with a boyfriend who became my husband a year later. 
10. My favorite animal is the Orca, and it is my dream to touch one (obviously not in the wild, but at Sea World or something). 
11. I guess the last fact you should know about me is that, even though I am 26, I still prefer YA books to a lot of the adult ones out there. 

Here are my questions from Josie: 

1. Paranormal fiction or realistic fiction? Why?
I prefer paranormal/fantasy/sci-fi books to realistic. It give me a chance to escape from everyday life and think about something completely different. Especially now that I have a son, I don't really want to be reading about gruesome murders and such.

2. Your Top 5 Favorite books right now?
My absolute favorite book is The Giver. Then, hmm... does the Harry Potter series and LOTR series each count as one book? :)  So, after The Giver it would be Lord of the Rings (yes I am counting it as one), Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Harry Potter Series (again, yes counting as one), and last but not least The Hobbit.

3. If you had to spend one day with a character from a book, who would it be and why?
Uh oh. Questions are getting harder. :)  Maybe Dumbledore, so I could ask him why he put Harry through so much without any explanation. 

4. Thoughts about insta-love? (Love at first sight in books)
Ok, I'm back - just had to go throw up. :)  I think it is misleading to teenagers out there. I really don't think there is any such thing as "Love" at first sight. I do believe in attraction at first sight - which can eventually lead to love. Love is such a strong emotion and one that takes time to build in a relationship.

5. Have you ever read a book that you just wanted to throw across the room? What book and why?
Hmm, that is a hard one. There have been books that I haven't finished, but one that I wanted to throw across the room?  Probably A Midsummer Night's Dream. I don't understand Shakespeare, and was only able to get about 3 pages into this book before getting too frustrated and putting it down. I am waiting for the No Fear Shakespeare version of this book to come in at the library so I can try again. Hopefully it will go better next time. 

6. Do you read in one sitting, or very little in multiple times?
A combo of both. I will tend to read for an hour or two at once, then put a book down for a little bit while I feed and play with my son. Then, once he is asleep, I will pick the book back up again. 

7. Coke or Pepsi?
No contest.... Pepsi!!! I can't stand the taste of Coke and have only bought it to use with mentos and to clean my toilet (yes - it works!). 

8. Twilight or Hunger Games? Why?
Again, no contest. The answer is Hunger Games. I won't go into my whole spiel about how much I hate Twilight, but lets just leave it at the fact that I am a huge Buffy fan and VAMPIRES DO. NOT. SPARKLE! Oh... and don't get me wrong, I read the first book in the Hunger Games series and really enjoyed it. I plan on reading the other two very soon.

9. Do you like the brooding, tough bad guys or the good- natured and caring guys in books? Why?
The good natured guy wins in by book (pun intended)! Sorry, but I don't feel like the brooding tough guy will ever treat a girl like she should be treated. 

10. Coffee or Tea?
Depends on my mood and the time of day. I like Iced Tea in the summer, but also am guilty of being addicted to Starbucks' Coconut Mocha Frapp. :)

11. Kindle/Nook or Printed Books (real books)? Why?
Printed will always win in my opinion (even though I have recently been borrowing a Kindle). I love the feel and smell of printed books. People have said that scent is the strongest memory trigger, and I agree. I remember certain books by the way they smelled when I first read them. The best scent is a brand new book that hasn't been touched yet. 

**These were all great questions. Thank you Josie for tagging me!**

Here are my questions for the blogs I have tagged (below):

1. What genre of book do you read the most of? Why?
2. Printed book or eBook? Why?
3. What is your favorite book series right now and why?
4. Romance in books? Yea or nay? And how much do you think is appropriate?
5. Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts (or neither)?
6. Who is your favorite villan (book or movie) and why?
7. If you could be one character from any book, who would it be and why?
8. If you could change the ending of any book (or series), what book would it be and how would you change it?
9. If you could take a vacation (not live there) into any book world, where would it be and why?
10. What is your favorite and least favorite movie based on a book (elaborate please)?
11. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?