Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (14).

I came across the Hop and Follow Friday while I was blog hopping - how appropriate! - and decided to join in on the fun.

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly thing going on over at Crazy-for-Books. Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. If you're a new blogger, like I am, or have been blogging for a while, stop by the sites and get involved!

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Weekly question: If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?


Of course.  The only time I may not start with the first title is if I pick up a particular book, not knowing it's part of a series.

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Daily Dose (1).

First time participating in Good Golly Miss Holly's Daily Dose meme.  I'm a sucker for spending hours searching through photographs.  These are the pics inspiring me today:

REVIEW! Shelf Life.

Shelf Life
Robert Corbet



FROM THE COVER:

Check this out for quality, value, and freshness.

A cart full of stories about life in the fast aisle.

Louisa never stops working.
Adam has only just started.
Jared & Dylan are out of control.
Chloe dreams of being a dancer.
Rachel is marrying a stranger.
Abdi has a temporary visa.
Tessa is planning her funeral.
Stephen has disappeared.

My rating: 3 hearts.



MY THOUGHTS:

This isn’t a total disappointment, but it didn’t leave any impression on me whatsoever. It’s a quick read; the story continually moves through the characters and you’re never stuck on one for long. Yet, that’s the problem. There’s no character to attach or relate to. Some are simply never brought up again after they’re introduced.

The entire story felt impersonal, yet depressing. Some characters come from broken homes, have broken love lives, or are just feeling broken. There are comedic moments, especially concerning Jared and Dylan, but it’s not enough to brighten the rest of the story, which feels as though it’s lacking a plot. It just reads as brief glimpses into the lives of grocers.

Shelf Life is written well, though. The descriptions are nice and purposeful, and the dialogue reflects the personalities of the characters. However, it’s not enough to save the novel as a whole.

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (13).

I came across the Hop and Follow Friday while I was blog hopping - how appropriate! - and decided to join in on the fun.

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly thing going on over at Crazy-for-Books. Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. If you're a new blogger, like I am, or have been blogging for a while, stop by the sites and get involved!

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Weekly question: What are your feelings on losing followers? Have you ever stopped following a blog?


I don't think anyone personally likes to lose followers. At first, seeing I've lost followers feels like a slap in the face - like personal rejection.  Then I realize that I'd rather have followers who are genuinely interested in following my blog, and who actively show their interest through comments. Sure, having a greater number of followers would be nice, if they were all interested. I'm not going to say I'd rather have less followers, because who honestly wants that?


And yes, I've previously stopped following blogs - it only happens if the blog becomes inactive or I lose interest in their posts. 



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Waiting On Wednesday (4).

Waiting On Wednesday is from Jill, at Breaking the Spine.





So what am I waiting on?  [PHOTO IS NOT AVAILABLE.] The Lover's Dictionary: A Novel by David LevithanRelease: 1/4/2011.
 
From Amazon:

A sweet and touching modern love story, told through dictionary entries

basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.


I absolutely love David Levithan's stand-alone, uncollaborated novels, and cannot wait for this one. It sounds so unique, promising and insightful. So excited!

YA Love Triangle Week: TEAM PUCK!

That's right. This week is YA Love Triangle Week. 

Still don't know what that is?

Stop by Down the Rabbit Hole.

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So why am I telling you again?

Well, today is Wednesday, which means it's

TEAM PUCK VS. TEAM ASH

from the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa.

And I am representing Team Puck.

You can see both posts here.

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Puck AKA Robin Goodfellow AKA Robbie [noun]: Best friend to Meghan, beloved jester to Oberon, grinning prankster to all.

As a character stemming from both English mythology and Shakespeare’s play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck is historical, popular, pure kickass. He’s got the whole kit and caboodle:
He’s a best friend.

He’s a pining best friend – Insert “Awww.”

He’s a devoted best friend – That’s worth some brownie points.

He’s got brains – He’s been around the block once or twice or thrice and isn’t afraid to let you (We’re looking at YOU, Ash) know it.

He’s willing to risk his life for the girl he loves – It doesn’t get much better than that. Insert another “Awww.”

He’s got a wicked sense of humor – Think sarcastic, melodramatic, snarky, witty banter.

He’s got an “in” with Oberon – Sure comes in handy sometimes. You know. When you need permission to protect the girl from that … Prince dude. (We’re still looking at you, Ash.)

He’s got brains – Oh, this was already mentioned? Well now you know again. Girls sure love their men to be smart and funny…



Don’t think that’s the whole kit and caboodle? Puck can speak for himself:

“I’ve always wanted the IQ of a rock. No, wait. That would be an insult to the rock.”


“It’s okay. Don’t let go of me, and don’t say anything to anyone.”


“Really? That’s what you’re going with? How predictable.”


“If you’ve read A Midsummer Night’s Dream, you might remember me. There was this unfortunate incident, completely unplanned, where I gave someone a donkey’s head and made Titania fall in love with him.”


“That’s what makes it fun. You can die in so many interesting ways – skewered on a glass sword, dragged underwater and eaten by a kelpie, turned into a spider or a rosebush for all time – Well, are you coming or not?”


“Hi, princess. Sorry I’m late. Traffic was a bitch.”


“Freedom is highly overrated, anyway.”


“Me? Die? Didn’t they tell you, princess? I’m Robin Goodfellow.”

Still haven’t convinced you?
Try to imagine the story without him. It all becomes a bit bleak and heavy. As much of a nuisance Puck can be, he makes up for it by being loyal, dependable, and comic relief. Without him, your princess would be dead. And with no princess, you haven’t got a story.

*All quotes provided by The Iron King, by Julie Kagawa.

NaNoWriMo: How I Plan to Beat Writer's Block.

The thought of participating in NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, has always made me nervous and wary – nervous because there’s no way I can crank out 50,000 words by the end of November without paying any attention to my schoolwork, and wary because I feel like being pushed to write will suppress creativity and turn it into a chore. And with the amount of papers I write, writing already feels like a chore.

But I’ve been doing little-to-no creative writing, and constantly abandon story ideas after the first few pages. I want that to change. So this year, for the month of November, I’m throwing myself into the NaNoWriMo frenzy.

And yes, I’m still nervous and wary about it.

Don’t know what NaNoWriMo is?

“National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30.”

So what about you? Are you participating? Any worries about stress, writer’s block, etc.? Are any of you NaNoWriMo veterans?
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* Also, just a quick reminder that this week is YA LOVE TRIANGLE WEEK!
Be sure to stop by - there will be awesome arguments for your favorite YA guys, and giveaways!

I think my argument for Puck from the Iron Fey series will speak for itself.