Feature and Follow Friday

Check out Parajunkee & Alison Can Read for more information on this Friday blog hop and to sign up and join the fun.

This week a question.

How important is good writing to you? In an ideal world, a book would be beautifully written AND have great character development, plot, etc. But in the real world, which do you prefer: (1) Great characters and plot with lousy writing or (2) Middling character development and plot but gorgeous writing

Great characters. If a book doesn't have characters that I care about and love, then it doesn't matter how fantastic the plot is or how beautiful the writing...I'm out. 

Happy Friday!

Feature & Follow Friday

Check out Parajunkee & Alison Can Read for more information on this Friday blog hop and to sign up and join the fun.

This week a question.

Where would be your favorite destination spot if you could join the Spring Break festivities?



Well, since I live in Florida my dream spring break location would be somewhere cold, with snow, and mountains. Maybe either Colorado, or somewhere further away like Norway or Sweden. 

Feature & Follow Friday

Check out Parajunkee & Alison Can Read for more information on this Friday blog hop and to sign up and join the fun.

This week a question.

Tell us about a book that you didn’t like and why we shouldn’t read it (as nicely and respectfully as possible)

Ok, I admit it. I didn't like The Hunger Games.

*hides*

Truth be told, it depressed the ever-living daylights out of me. I had trouble sleeping I was so upset over it. I forced myself to get through the first one, but chickened out on the other two. I ended up reading the synopsis for both though because I wanted to know what happened. And just reading that still depressed me. 

Now don't get me wrong, I think it's written incredibly well and that Suzanne Collins is full of amazing creativity. And technically she wrote something that truly affected me. That's pretty darn powerful. But I just couldn't get through it. I love a good dystopian, and yes I know there will be death and destruction...duh. But this one just brought me down way too much. 

Feature & Follow Friday

Check out Parajunkee & Alison Can Read for more information on this Friday blog hop and to sign up and join the fun.

This week a question.

Recommend some of your favorite back-list books – books that are at least a few years old.

Although technically, I'd recommend the entire Harry Potter series ;)

Feature & Follow Friday...Don't Cry!

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This week a question.

What was the last book that made you cry?

Breaking the Reins

by Juliana Haygert

If you haven't read this one, you can read my review HERE. It's a fantastic read!

Happy Friday!

Feature & Follow Friday

Check out Parajunkee & Alison Can Read for more information on this Friday blog hop and to sign up and join the fun.

This week a question.
If you could read a book for the “first time” again, which book would it be? Why?


Oooo this is a tough one. There are so many books I wish I could read all over again as if it were the first time. But I think I may have to go with *gasp* Twilight.

I know, I know this one either elicits a collective groan or sigh. BUT all it's faults, this book opened my eyes to the YA genre. Prior to reading it, I stuck to the romance, general fiction, chit-lit books. But I do wonder sometimes if I hadn't read Twilight, would I have read so many other amazing books that came after? And whatever, I admit it. I just loved Edward and Bella's story. Sure she irritated me and he was a bit stalkerish, but it stirred emotions and honestly, isn't that what a good book does?

Happy Friday all and Stay Gold!

Feature & Follow Friday-Book Spine Poetry!

Check out Parajunkee & Alison Can Read for more information on this Friday blog hop and to sign up and join the fun.

This week an activity.
Time for Book Spine Poetry again! Take a picture of your book spines spelling out something epic.

My Poem:

Introductions

Pretty Amy

First Days

After Eden

Friends Vs. Family

Unraveling

Deceived

Muahahahaha! 

Feature & Follow-Our blogger BFF

Check out Parajunkee & Alison Can Read for more information on this Friday blog hop and to sign up and join the fun.

This week a question:

Who is your blogger BFF? Tell us a little bit about him or her? 



Our blogger BFF is Mel, Erin, & Regina Read-A-Alot!

Why??

Well, we bonded one night over the cover reveal for a little book called Origin!
And the rest is history.

Seriously, we share a love for all things Lux and The Academy
(and really all things aliens, apollyons, demi-gods, or involving 9 boys)

We've had a blast doing joint reviews and giveaways with them and look forward to doing more. 

So check out their site and get ready to crack up at their honest and thought-provoking reviews ;)

Tell them we sent you over!





Happy Friday and Stay Gold!

Feature & Follow Resolution Edition!

Check out Parajunkee & Alison Can Read for more information on this Friday blog hop and to sign up and join the fun.

This week an activity:

Put together your Blogger Resolution list and share.

Do I dare admit I haven't really thought about it? I've never been one to make resolutions, but maybe that's because I break them too quickly. But now that I've thought about it, there are a few things I'd like to do with the blog and blogging in general this year:

1) Comment more on other blogger posts.

     I used to be so much better at this, but then that little thing called life got in the way. For 

     record, I do visit a LOT of blogs each week. I just haven't commented as much as I like. I 

     hope to change that and really give meaningful comments more often. 

2)  Offer more posts for writers.

     I LOVE reviewing books. That's why I started all of this. But with the day job, I also feel 

     like I could really do things to help out aspiring writers out there. I've been in the

     submission pile, I've seen the mistakes. I would love to help writers on their road to 

     publication whether through posts about querying or maybe even a few pitch contests.

3)  Get back to reviewing the books I want to read.

     Ok, I know that sounds weird. It's not like I don't like the books I review, but I've spent a lot

     of time signing up for blog tours (that I love doing). My TBR list has gotten way to long and

     there are books I've been DYING to read for a long time. I want to go back to that list and

     read those books that I want to read just for me and share my thoughts on them. I'm not

     saying I don't want to do tours, because I love doing them. But I want to remember to 

     read other books too LOL.

4)  Do more joint blog contests or review parties.

      I love doing things with other bloggers! Especially when it has to do with books we both

      adore. I think it's so much fun to offer a joint giveaway or fun posts about a book or new

      release with other blogs. It's great exposure for everyone involved and it's just fun.

Well, those are my top four resolutions. There are a lot of things I want to do with the blog and hopefully there will be some fun changes coming soon. I can't wait to read what everyone else came up with. I'm sure I'll be "borrowing" some of the resolutions!!

Happy Friday and Stay Gold!

Feature & Follow Friday 2013 Top Picks Edition

Check out Parajunkee & Alison Can Read for more information on this Friday blog hop and to sign up and join the fun.

This week a question:

What were your favorite books of 2013?

This is an easy one (well, technically it isn't...but we did just do a post on this).

Here is our New Year's Eve post on our Top Picks for 2013!

But here is a taste of the books we LOVED this year:

 

2013 was a FANTASTIC year for books. Can't wait to see what 2014 holds!

Cheers, and Stay Gold.

Feature and Follow Friday

What were your favorite books of 2013?

Feature & Follow Friday

Check out Parajunkee & Alison Can Read for more information on this Friday blog hop and to sign up and join the fun.

This week an activity:

Pick a book in your favorite genre that you’d recommend to a reluctant reader.

When Cepheus, a dark god, forces seventeen-year-old Ally Ashworth off an isolated overlook, she has no idea she's falling into his world, or that the necklace she's wearing is actually a key--one with the power to ignite the next world war. But she's carried beyond his reach and into the one place where he's powerless... the forest of Gilgamesh.

Ally's never been Miss Popularity, but her outsider status takes on new meaning when she's rescued by Liam Cheveyo and his peculiar friends. After seeing them shape-shift into their freaky animal counterparts, Ally smacks hard into a few truths--magic really does exist and, although getting there took no effort, finding her way back might be impossible.

Feelings between her and Liam begin to grow along with the realization that, in this world, she's stronger and better... until she's caught in a trap set by the creepy spider-boy Cepheus sends to retrieve her. But Ally's not going down without a fight, not after learning the horrible truth about the passageways.

The survival of both worlds depends on it.




You can read my full review on Double Star HERE.  It's one of the first books I ever reviewed on the blog. It's a great YA. I would say it's a contemporary fantasy. It's set in present day, but the heroine suddenly finds herself in another world filled with magic, shape-shifters, and all sorts of bizarre occurrences she just can't explain away. The characters are so well-developed you will fall in love with them all. I'm anxiously awaiting the second book in this series, but you can catch up now with Ally and Liam. Happy Reading!

As always, Happy Friday and Stay Gold

Feature & Follow Friday-Academy Edition!

Check out Parajunkee & Alison Can Read for more information on this Friday blog hop and to sign up and join the fun.

This week an activity:

Bookselling Time: Go to your biggest bookcases. Go to the second shelf from the top and pick out the sixth book from the left. Hardsell that book to us – even if you haven’t read it or if you hated it. (if you don’t have bookcases, don’t have six books on one shelf, etc, pick a book at random)

Okay, this week I'm going with The Academy series by C.L. Stone.

      

If you are looking for a new book boyfriend, this is your new favorite series! Why you ask? Well, there are NINE boys to choose from. Enough said. This series is absolutely fantastic. The characters are all so amazing, you won't be able to chose just one favorite boy. And in book four, the author takes us somewhere I've NEVER seen a book go before. So go get this series NOW. Book one, Introductions, is FREE on Amazon. So what are you waiting for? Click on one of the above books to check out more information. And just in case you're still on the fence (seriously how is that even possible), here is our dream cast!

Find C.L. Stone on 

Website, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, & Tumblr.

                        

                   

          

And to show Mr. Blackbourne with his glasses:

Happy Friday! Stay Gold! And go get these books ;)