Feature & Follow (21): Book characters on Twitter

 

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

This week’s feature:

Book character(s) you’d like to see with their own Twitter page

 

My vote: Janie Morris from Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid (and the Knitting in the City series)

 

I love Janie! Janie is so funny and so quirky with such an abundance of random trivia. I think she would be a hoot to follow, not only because she is awkward and humorous, but it would be an educational experience as well.

 

 

  

Feature & Follow (20): I'm embarrassed to admit...

 

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

What book are you embarrassed to admit you LOVED? (try to think beyond Twilight).

I can't say that I'm embarrassed, but I couldn't think of anything else. I admit, I read the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy by E.L. James and loved it. I've actually read it more than once. But it's not just about the sex. I loved the storyline and the characters. But hubbie and I will be skipping the movie. Don't need those visuals, lol.

 

 

Feature & Follow (19): Bookagram!

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Bookagram:

Photograph your fave read in a funny place.

 

Picking a favorite book is like picking a favorite child. Since I don't want to offend my three sons or my shelf of books, I will just pick six OF my favorites, but in no particular order or preference. (Two books per child equals six books, displayed in my son's drawers. Yes, I'm cheating and justifying, but I'm okay with it. You're lucky I didn't just take a photo of an entire book shelf.)

 

 

MY PICKS:

The Bible (with the ladybug cover)

Vain by Fisher Amelie

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

600 Hours of Edward by Craig Lancaster

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters

 

 

Feature & Follow (18): Not Read, Not Seen

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Q: What book (or TV show or movie) have you not read that seemingly everyone else has?

Books: In the YA category, some popular books I haven't read are The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Thirteen Reasons Why, Matched, Wither, Graceling, The Book Thief. Most of these are on my TBR pile, and I even have several on my bookshelf, but I keep finding books to read before them. I did finally start Ender's Game, so that's one bit of progress for me.

TV: Of the popular shows I've heard about out there, a few I've never seen are Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, and True Blood. I'm not a big TV watcher in the first place, so having to commit to a series really pushes someone like me who has a short attention span. I rarely make it through an entire series. I do better with comedic sitcoms.

Can you relate, or do you think I'm missing out?

Feature & Follow (17): My Bookshelves

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

This week's assignment:

Bookshelf Tour. Give us a tour of your bookshelf.

I have several bookshelves, because outside of being an avid reader, I also have three children and homeschool them, so between school books, living books, research books, non-fiction books, children's books, and my books, we have lots and lots of books. But I will limit this post to my personal books and our middle school shelves, and not inundate you with our other overflowing shelves :)

I also found, as I was photographing these shelves, that these shelves include 254 signed books. I guess I have official proof - I really do have book issues.
  
My Predominantly Young Adult and Indie shelves. Indie or Indie-ish are the shelves on the right column. The non-Indie shelves are double-parked, so this photo is the back row. The next photo is the front row of mostly YA but also other genre books. And I'm super boring and put them in alphabetical order.



 

 

Our Classics and Adult shelves, though additional Classics are on a kid shelf not pictured. Yes, book segregation is live and kicking in my house (which IKEA shelves are great for enabling me).

 



 

Our Middle School shelves, with the next photo showing our overflow area. Plus we've got an additional shelf, not pictured, containing more well loved children's classics. These are not ordered alphabetically, but according to whatever way I felt they were visually appealing at the time. Plus, we keep the signed books on the top away from dirty fingers and flying Legos. 

 

 

 
Thanks for visiting my shelves! Do you have a special way of organizing your books?

Feature & Follow (16): Back to School

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Q: Back to School time! Create a reading list for the imaginary English Lit class you'll be teaching this semester.
(Since I didn't participate last week, I realized late that this was actually last week's question, but I had already organized the post and didn't have time to update it. Oops! Well, now you know I'm in school planning mode, lol.)

I actually will be leading a middle school English Lit class this year with a group of homeschoolers, including my 13 year old son, so I already have the list of books we will be reading monthly. I'm looking forward to the discussions with the kids and our literary analysis. Plus, I've read some, but not all, of these books, so I'm looking forward to some new ones on my list as well. Here's our list:

 

   

 

   

 

   

 

Feature & Follow (15): Reading Spot

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Q: Book Vacay: Where is the best destination reading spot for you? (Where do you like to go to read other then your home?)

 

I'll be honest. I can read just about anywhere. With three loud, active, fun-loving sons, I don't exactly get a lot of quiet time at home, and vacations tend to be family-oriented, so I have learned to adapt. I can read in the bathroom or the kitchen; I can read while my husband is driving or listen to an audiobook with the kids; I can read in a grocery store aisle or while my in-laws watch a western on TV. But what is really the best is a quiet place, somewhere outdoors with a comfy seat and cool drink or at a café on a big cozy chair with a cup of hot tea, without the usual distractions.

 

Feature & Follow (14): Opposing View

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.
 

Q: What is a book you didn't like that all your friends raved about?

 
The first book that comes to mind that I didn't like was Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally. Overall I just didn't care for it or the characters or the story. I also didn't care much for That Boy by Jillian Dodd, and could only get through half of That Wedding before I finally gave up. And I also did not love Dare You To by Katie McGarry, which isn't out yet, but I read the ARC and am still pondering my so-so review of it (although it's too soon to tell if I'll be in the minority or not). Oh well, can't win them all.

Feature & Follow (13): Character Letter

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Q: Write a letter to your favorite character. Rant, rave or gush…just pretend like they are real and you just want to let them know a "few things". - Activity courtesy of author, Kelly Walker

Dear Adrian,

First, I want to tell you how great I think you and Sydney are as friends and as a couple. I'm so glad you got over Rose. She just wasn't the right one for you. Now, what are your plans to keep you and Sydney safe and together in the future? Because I love you two together and worry about your obstacles.

With love and support,
Jenny

Feature & Follow (12): Mardi Gras

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Q: Happy Mardi Gras! If they were throwing the HOTTEST books off of a Mardi Gras float -- what would you do to have them throw to you…?

I've never been to New Orleans or a big Mardi Gras parade (only a small, child-friendly one), but the little glimpses I've had (of the adult ones) are the reason I've steered clear. I'm not willing to do anything super embarrassing or illegal for a book. I know...boring. But I'm okay with that. I will continue to stalk authors in legal ways and attend their book signings (because I love signed books and meeting authors). Right now I really want Jamie McGuire to attend the Los Angeles book signing in April that Colleen Hoover, Jessica Park, Rebecca Donovan, Abbi Glines, and more will be at. I've asked her already (because it's right after Walking Disaster comes out... perfect timing if you ask me). But I won't be flashing her Mardi-Gras-style, lol (which I'm sure she appreciates). Unfortunately, I found out from her that she thinks the signing is full (boo, insert super sad face).

Feature & Follow (11): In Your Favorite Book

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Q: What is the first thing you would do if you woke up to find yourself in your favorite book?

Oh, this is a difficult question. I have many favorite books, but some of them I really wouldn't want to wake up in the middle of, especially those dystopians (yikes!).

My most recent favorite book was Vain by Fisher Amelie. First, I would like to wake up as one of the workers at the orphanage and not as one of Sophie's former friends. Then, I would probably get overwhelmed to start with, and then get to work helping those kids. I would probably also fall in love with all of their accents, especially Ian's (my California accent is kinda bland, unless you count speaking "valley"). If I were single, then maybe Sophie and Ian could introduce me to a nice boy like Ian. If I were myself now, then I'd have my whole family along for the ride :)

Feature & Follow (10): Late Night Reading

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Q: What is the last book that kept you up late into the night to finish it?

I tend to read late at night anyway, but the last books I loved and didn't want to put down were: Vain by Fisher Amelie and Snow Bound by Elizabeth Kirke. I loved both these books for different reasons and had to finish them quickly. They are definitely a couple of books I recommend checking out.

Feature & Follow (9): Favorite Villain

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Q: Who is your favorite villain from a book?

The villain I find completely repulsive, and still would not want to associate the word "favorite" anywhere near her, would be Carol, Emma's abusive aunt from Reason to Breathe by Rebecca Donovan. Seriously, she's an absolutely horrible character with no redeeming qualities. I can't wait for the last book in this amazing series, Out of Breath, which is supposed to come out in June!

The villain I find compelling in that odd-sort-of-way is Warner from Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (and even more so in Unravel Me and Destroy Me). He's a villain with a backstory and intriguing qualities. After reading Unravel Me and Destroy Me, I'm feeling drawn toward the dark side, lol. Oh the choices! Team Adam vs Team Warner? I really don't want to wait until 2014 for the last book!
 

Feature & Follow (8): Blogging/Writing Resolutions

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Q: What New Years Blogging or Writing resolution have you placed on yourself?

For blogging: I'm a new blogger, so I can't really think of anything specific. I just want to keep blogging because I enjoy it. And I want to keep enjoying it. So whatever helps this journey to remain enjoyable is good for me.

For writing: I am still trying to finish a book I started a while ago (my first book). I have a lot of plates spinning in my real life, so it is easy to set writing aside, since at this point it's just a hobby. I'm more than halfway through the first draft, so that feels really good. But I definitely want to finish writing my book this year, if just to relish in the sense of accomplishment.

Also, I've resolved to host my first GIVEAWAY:

Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness!! 

(Just click to link to the giveaway page.)

 

Feature & Follow (7): Publishing

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

 

Q: What have you learned from book blogging that you didn't know before about the publishing industry?

I feel like I've learned lots, but am still learning since I'm new to the whole book blogging thing. I didn't realize what a huge impact social media had on book marketing. I love how accessible some authors and publishers are, and how it is such an integrative community. I personally love attending book signings. I've also fallen in love with the Indie world. I love that anyone can publish their own book if they really want to.

Feature & Follow (6): Cry Baby

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

 

Q: What is the last book that made you cry?

Tell us about the scene...

I don't tend to be a big crier, although I will definitely get emotional feelings while reading books (I'm not completely heartless). I may even consider getting teary-eyed, perhaps shed a few tears. There were two books this year that I remember making me sob like a big old baby - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and The Opportunist by Tarryn Fisher. Yep, cried big, fat, ridiculously embarassing, mounds-of-tissue-needed, sound-effects-included tears at the end of both these books, for entirely different reasons (of which I won't share because it would be way too spoilery - you'll have to read them for yourself).

  

 

Feature & Follow (5): Choose Your Character

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read  and Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Q: Activity! Who do you want to be? If you could choose any character from a book. What do you think that character looks like and what do you have in common?

I'm going to go with Maggie from Shelly Crane's Significance series. Maggie has just the right mix of love story and drama, family support and supernatural abilities, making for a very interesting life. I think Maggie is pretty, yet regular, not a supermodel, which I really appreciate in a heroine. Yet, of course, Caleb finds her to be the most beautiful person in the world, because that's what we think when we're in love, right? Love makes everyone more beautiful. What we have in common is that, like Maggie, I have also found my soul-mate and love of my life, and that is the most beautiful thing of all :)

Feature & Follow (4): Blogger Friends

Feature & Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read & Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

 

Q: Are you thankful for a fellow blogger?

Tell us about him or her.

I have a special group of book friends that I am very thankful for - my Starbooks friends. I've actually never met any of them in person, as most of us don't live near each other (including living in different countries). This, however, has not stopped me from feeling the closeness of their friendship beyond our mutual love of books and reading. We may have bonded originally over books, but the depth of our friendship has gone to areas far beyond that. Several of my Starbooks gals have blogs, so instead of choosing one blog, I chose all of their blogs as one's I am thankful for (I know, I'm cheating, but I couldn't help myself).

My Starbooks Girls' Blogs

April at Books 4 Juliet

Lis at The Reader Lines

Angela at Reading Angel

Shellie at Creative Reads

Ron at Stories of My Life

Bailey at IB Book Blogging

Amanda at Stuck in YA Books
Brittani at Hope, Faith, & Books

Mariam at There Once Was a Girl

Dani and Heather at Refracted Light

Kristin and Kelly at Better Read Than Dead

 

 

Feature & Follow (3): Movies to Books

Feature & Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read & Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

 

Q: Books are turned into movies all the time! Turn it around. What movie would make a great book?

This is actually a hard question, because there are so many books that turn into movies. I kept trying to think of movies I've liked and then they turned out to be books first. The opposite is that there are some great movies out there, but I can't see them translating into a good book I'd want to read. But then I thought through some of my favorite go-to movies, and came up with a couple that I absolutely love watching and would probably be just as awesome to read:

  

Grosse Pointe Blank               &                  Hot Fuzz

Seriously, these movies make me laugh out loud, have great action, multi-dimentional characters, quality one-liners galore, and make me want to wear down my DVDs watching them over and over. I translate that into very good book material.

Feature & Follow (2): Similarities

Feature & Follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read & Parakunkee’s View. This is a great way to gain blog followers for book bloggers, follow other blogs, and get to know each other. Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we get to answer. You can find more info about this meme here.

Question: Do you mind books with similar ideas to other books? Similar concepts, backgrounds, retellings or pulled-to-publish fanfic?

My on-the-spot answer is, not necessarily. The reality is that there are very few, if any, original ideas out there. I actually enjoy reading an author's twist on a particular subject, myth, etc, or even their version of an old story being retold. I love that when my kids ask me about zombie or vampire stories, for example, (and they do, which is quite funny), and want to know about them, I can say it depends on who is talking about them or who wrote about them. That's the fun of writing and reading fiction. You can create what you want and make it your own. But authors should still make the attempt to be as original as they can and not rip-off someone else's creativity. As for contemporary novels, I guess the same holds true. How many different ways can someone fall in love? Mix around the characters and the settings and you've got a new story. But they are fun to read and get lost in. Now, there are many "bad boys" falling for "virgins" out there, and that story can get a bit old. But if an author can create something fresh or is just an exceptional writer and can put their own personal touch on it, I don't have a problem with a little similarity. I've not read much fan-fiction, so I don't have much of an opinion there. Just don't be a straight-up copycat or plaigarist - that's just not cool or professional.