Top Ten Tuesday: Deserted Island

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic:

Top Ten Books I'd Want on a Deserted Island:

I've included series and indulged in some lumping. It's my list and I'll cheat if I want to!

 

I feel like I repeat myself a lot on these lists...but some things will NEVER change. Like my absolute unending love for #1...

 

1. HARRY POTTER SERIES (J.K. Rowling)- Yeah. I think that's all that needs to be said.

 

2. The Princess Diaries Series (Meg Cabot)- I figure if I'm on a deserted island I'm gonna need to find ways to lighten the mood. This series would DEF accomplish that.

 

3. Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Laini Taylor)- I figure I need a book to get my mind off of my vampire skin peeling off and the bugs feasting on my flesh. What better way to do that then one of the most amazing books I've ever read.

 

4. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (David Levithan & Rachel Cohn)- A way to bring a little snow to my island of tropic.

 

5. Black Dagger Brotherhood Series (J.R. Ward) and Vampire Academy Series (Richelle Mead)- I've lumped these 2 series together because both include my favorite creature of the night: VAMPIRES. I LOVE both of these series for different reasons. The first one offers a bit more heat and the second is just...oohh so good.

 

 

6. Graceling (Kristen Cashore) and Poison Study Series (Maria V. Snyder)- I've lumped these amazing books together because they both contain awesome kick-ass heroines that I could learn a thing or 2 from. ALSO PO AND VALEK.

 

7. A Song of Ice & Fire Series (George R.R. Martin)- Since I'm gonna have a little free time..

 

 

8. Blank journals/pens/pencils- So I can write my own book!

 

9. BIBLE-I figure I'm going to need a little reassurance and comfort that I'm not completely alone.

 

10. SAS Survival Handbook: How to survive in the Wild, in any Climate, on Land or at Sea- I mean, it had to be done. I need to know how to turn my pee into drinking water and how to make a shelter out of a toothpick.

These might be handy as well:

Desert Island Fishing
Hut Making 101
211 Recipes for Coconuts and Fish

 

 

So who cares if my 10 books actually turned in to almost 40. I NEED them ALL!

 

Leave a link with your list in the comments so I can come visit!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

I'm currently in Charleston, South Carolina and will have gone to Yallfest yesterday!! Hopefully I liked it :) I won't be back until Monday, so in the mean time I'm pre-scheduling this post to show off my latest book gets.

Kindle For REVIEW:

From Netgalley: Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder


I was contacted by a rep for Musa Publishing to review some young adult titles for them. I was given a list of all the possible summaries and I picked 7 from the list that interested me. I was sent all 7 of them at once.

From Musa Publishing (Thanks Liz!):

First Frost (Liz DeJesus)                                           Dragon Night (Stephanie Campbell)
                                                            

There are Giants in this Valley (Jack Hillman)                  Normalish (Margaret Lesh)
                                                            

Persephone (Kaitlin Bevis)                                             Lost in the Bayou (Cornell Deville)
                                                           

                                  The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis (Sharon Ledwith)
                                                   

Some of the covers are a bit questionable..but the summaries sound good!!

Okay. SO I WON ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!! WOOT! This one was hosted by Rummanah @ Books in the Spotlight and the author E.K. Henry was giving away a e-copy of their book Freak. Love the cover! Thanks to Rummanah and the author!!
WON:

 

 

That's it for the e-books. I bought a couple books from Barnes & Noble and Target last week. It had to be done.

Let it Snow (John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myracle) and a bookmark- I bought these for a friend for her birthday. Although I do want to read this book :)

Days of Blood & Starlight (Laini Taylor)- OMG this cover is GORGEOUS!!! I Can't wait to start this one, but I want to get the full effect and am planning on re-reading Daughter of Smoke & Bone first.

Perfect Chemistry (Simone Elkeles)- I've already read this (on my Kindle I think), and LOVED it. Loved all 3 in the series. I mainly bought this one to take to Yallfest with me to get signed.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (Mindy Kaling)- I LOVE Mindy Kaling and her new tv show The Mindy Project. She's soo funny. I generally don't buy books like this but I just couldn't resist.

AND I bought a second bookmark for myself. I LOVE Jack!

 

 

That's it for me. I'm sure I have more new books in my possession thanks to Yallfest, I'll post those next week.

 

Leave a comment with your IMM link so I can check out your goodies :) I'll comment people back upon my return!

 

 

 

                                                 

Feature and Follow (#2)

 

Feature & Follow is a way to gain new followers and meet new people! You follow them, they follow you and vice versa!  For more information visit the hosts: Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

 

This week's question is:

 

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

 

My answer to this would be it depends.  There are LOTS of books out there that have general concepts that are similar. It's up to the author to spin it in their own way. For example: coming-of-age stories. These can get repetitive and boorish but if done right, amazing. It's up to the author to put their own spin on things, make their characters interesting and suck us in with their writing. Take a common theme and make it their own. However, I do NOT want to read about the same worlds over and over. I need variety and imagination and creativity. I don't want the book I'm reading to remind me of another book. I want it to be all its own.

 

I've read a bunch of retellings, and pretty much all of them thus far have been very disappointing.

 

Anyways,  follow me and I will follow you back!

I'll be leaving for Charleston, South Carolina this morning (going to YALLFEST on Saturday!!) and will not have computer access until I get back on Monday. So everyone who comments/follows my blog THANK YOU and I PROMISE to follow you back upon my return! !

 

AND if you have any ideas of some good book retellings please let me know :)

 

My Thoughts: Jekel Loves Hyde (Beth Fantaskey)

Goodreads Summary

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents rules; especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father's office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be the key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To improve her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen's sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill's accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything, even Tristen's love just for the thrill of being . . . bad.







Cover: I LOVE green and purple together thus I dig this cover
.
Why I read it: The idea of a Jekyll and Hyde retelling with a romantic twist.

Source: Purchased


My Thoughts:

I had high hopes going in to this book. I find the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to be very interesting and this book held the promise of a loose retelling with a romantic twist. Sounds great right?

Well. I was disappointed.
I loved the initial idea and the story started off well enough. I initially liked the characters, but something happened and everything seemed to go to pieces. The serious case of insta-love in this book was a big put off. It just did not work. Within that, the story got lost. I felt like it was choppy and that there were actually 2 separate stories going on. The beginning with Tristen and then towards the end with Jill. The story didn't flow very well.  And soon after starting, the characters, especially Tristen, got on my nerves. It had to do with their interactions with each other as well as with others. I just couldn't connect.

The POV is from the 2 main characters; Tristen Hyde and Jill Jekel. It's a little weird. It doesn't go by chapter, but it's also not alternating within the chapters either. The author could have several passages in a row labeled Jill. I didn't get it.  The meat idea of the story was initially very interesting to me but it was taken down the wrong road and ultimately, just did not come together for me.

Favorite Quotes: None

Bottom Line:  This story was more Hyde then Jekel. And not in a good way.  3/5
 (Very difficult to decide between a 2.5 or 3 star rating.)


On a separate note, I did read a review written by someone who did not like this book but did like the authors other book (Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side).  She stated that the writing of this one was definitely sub par to her other series. I already own Jessica's Guide, so I will give this author another try.

Waiting on Wednesday: Dragon King Chronicles

This little gem is hosted over at Breaking the Spine.

One book I CAN'T WAIT to sink my grubby little claws into is:

Prophecy (The Dragon Chronicles #1) by Ellen Oh

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king.

Intrigue and mystery, ancient lore and action-packed fantasy come together in this heart-stopping first book in a trilogy.

(Goodreads link/blurb)

The Why: I LOVE strong female heroine characters, and this one sounds like she fits the bill! Everything about this summary makes me desperate to read this book!! Sounds amazing!
Expected Publication: 1/2/13

Top Ten Tuesday: Sniffle Sniffle

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This is a freebie week so I chose the topic of

Top Ten Books That Broke My Heart a Little (or a lot):

 

1. Every Day (David Levithan)- I just finished this book days ago. Wow. Amazing book. I can't even put into words how this book made me feel. Did it break my heart a little? Oh yeah. But I was totally okay with it.

 

2. Before I Die (Jenny Downham)- I legit sobbed while reading this book. I totally busted out the blubbering, snot-dripping ugly cry.  This book didn't just break my heart a little. It ripped it to shreds. 

 

3. Harry Potter 5-7 (J.K. Rowling)- It wasn't until the 5th book in this series when I realized J.K. wasn't holding anything back and was very okay with breaking my heart into a million little pieces.SO MANY DEATHS. AHHH.  I don't want to say which deaths especially squished my heart in a vise in case there are still people who haven't read it. (IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS SERIES DO IT NOW!!).  I shed a few tears (or a hundred) over this series. Both human and non-human.  YOU KNOW who I'm talking about.  Sniff Sniff.

 

4. The Book Thief (Markus Zusak)- This book is powerful. It's haunting and incredible and amazing. And yes, it broke my heart.

 

5. EVERY Nicholas Sparks book I've EVER read. I mean seriously. I think this guy needs some anti-depressants or therapy or something. WHY!?!??!?!



6. Sisterhood Everlasting (Anne Brashares) (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants #5)- Oh. My. Gosh. This book. This book broke my heart a thousand times over. But it was soooo freaking good. An amazing conclusion to a great series.

 

7. Black Dagger Brotherhood Series (J.R. Ward)- so i freaking LOVE this series, and I love these brothers. Each book has broken my heart in some little way. Each of these brothers is damaged and broken in some way and my heart breaks with them. Especially when it comes to Zsadist. He makes me feel all sorts of feelings.



8. Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Laini Taylor)- I mean. I can't even. I just. This book.

 

 

9. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)- YOU KNOW which part I'm talking about!! sniffle.sniffle.

 

 

 

 

The next book(s) broke my heart a little for very different reasons then the previously mentioned. I really wanted to love them, I did.... but sadly...my heart just couldn't take it.

 

Books that broke my heart a little due to the disappointment they caused:

 

1. The Goddess Test (Aimee Carter)- Oh man. You can read my review here.Warning: it's not positive.

 

2. Abandon (Meg Cabot)- Sadface.  Strike 2 against Greek mythology re-tellings.

 

3. Wildefire (Karsten Knight)- This book set me up to love it and then kicked me in the ventricle.

You can read my review HERE if you'd like.

 

 

 

That's it for me! Leave me comment with your link so I can check out what YOU chose for your freebie list :)

The Raven Boys Signed Bookplate

SO if you're a fan of Maggie Stiefvater on Facebook you prolly already have seen this. She has some leftover limited edition bookplates for The Raven Boys that she's giving away for free! FREE PEOPLE FREE!! All you have to do is follow the instructions in her video. I sent mine off today!

Here's my pics of The Raven Boys with a few of my roomies:

 

 

 



 

They're gonna go quick, so if you want you a piece of Maggie Stiefvater awesome I suggest you send your envelopes soon! :)

YALLFEST 2012

DUDES!! I'll be leaving for Yallfest in 5 days!! 

For those who don't know, Yallfest is an annual young adult festival held in Charleston, South Carolina. It's my first time going and I'm soo freaking excited! I'm going with my friend Jessica and her mom, who I've known my whole life. We're driving down Friday and coming back Monday. The  festival itself is on Saturday, November 10th. There's going to be 49 authors there, with panels and signings galore!
I have in mind the authors I HAVE to see and then the ones I'd like to see if there's time. I just have no idea what to expect, as I've never been there.

Here's the list of authors going (I've highlighted the authors who I've read books by):

Kwame Alexander 

Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

Holly Black

Pseudonymous Bosch

Sarah Rees Brennan

Kiera Cass 

Cinda Chima

Cassandra Clare 

Andrea Cremer 

Gitty Daneshvari 

Melissa de la Cruz 

Kimberly Derting 

Simone Elkeles 

Elizabeth Eulberg 

Gayle Forman 
Kami Garcia

Adam Gidwitz

David Macinnis Gill

Adele Griffin
Jenny Han

Deborah Harkness

Grady Hendrix

Michelle Hodkin

Ellen Hopkins

Tonya Hurley

Michele Jaffe

Kami Kinard

Caitlin Kittredge

David Levithan

Wendy Mass

Alex Morel

Alyson Noel

Stephanie Perkins
Diana Peterfreund

Kathy Reichs

Brendan Reichs

Beth Revis

Jess Rothenberg
Carrie Ryan

Eliot Schrefer

Natalie Standiford

Trenton Lee Stewart

Margaret Stohl

John Thompson

Cate Tiernan

Siobhan Vivian

Robin Wasserman

Marjory Wentworth

John Corey Whaley

Kathryn Williams

 

The authors on my MUST-SEE/sign list are:

 

1. David Levithan (Every Day, Dash & Lily's Book of Dares)

2. Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices)

3. Carry Ryan (The Forest of Hands and Teeth)

4. Jenny Han (The Summer I Turned Pretty)

5. Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss; Lola and the Boy Next Door)

6. Simone Elkeles (Perfect Chemistry)

7. Ellen Hopkins (Perfect, Crank, Impulse, etc.)

 

Those are my tops. I don't know how the timing of everything is going to work. There will be panels throughout the day and the authors only sign at certain times. There's also a keynote presentation with Cassandra Clare and Holly Black that morning and then at the end of the day there is the YA Smackdown. I'll be going to both of those.   So. I'm soo excited and a little bit terrified. I don't think I've ever been to Charleston. I've been to Myrtle Beach plenty of times as a kid. SO I'm also excited to go someplace new and do a little sightseeing. Not sure what else is on the agenda at this point yet.

 

If there's anyone who has gone to Yallfest in the past I would LOVE to get some pointers from you! As far as what to expect, thoughts on bringing books from home to have signed, etc. I already own books on all the above authors that I want signings from..I was thinking of just bringing a bookbag?

 

I'll DEF be doing a post-Yallfest post! I'm going to try and do some pre-scheduled posts for this weekend when I'm not around. I, unfortunately, am one of few people who actually does NOT have a smart phone.  So I am going to be unable to get on the Internet while I'm away. Twitter is a completely foreign concept to me.

 

Yay! 4 day workweek!! :)

November TBR

NOVEMBER! The weather is getting colder, the leaves are falling, and Thanksgiving is almost upon us.  This is my favorite time of year.  October went by in a blur. I'm only day 3 into my brand new job. It's going to be a couple weeks before I can say how things are going. It's a LOT of new stuff to learn. I just hope I can learn it fast enough. It's a completely different atmosphere. In good and bad ways. ANYWAYS.  I have SOO many new books. I know I tell myself this monthly...but...no more book buying unless it's one I HAVE to have. Such as Days of Blood & Starlight. I HAVE to have that one as soon as it comes out. Otherwise, it's gonna have to go on my Christmas list. 

I ALWAYS stray from a TBR list when I make one...but they're fun to make anyways.
So my list is going to be 2 parts.
The first part is books I hope to read in the next 10 days. Why you ask? BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN I'M GOING TO YALLFEST!!!

 

 

 

 I plan on doing a separate post about my excitement for that. Anyways, there's going to be like 49 authors there, and I have a bunch of books (that I already owned) that I want to try and read before I go.

Part 1: (I hope to read as many as possible from this list, all these authors will be at Yallfest)
1. Every Day (David Levithan)-already started this one, hope to finish tomorrow
2. Lover's Dictionary (David Levithan)
3. Perfect (Ellen Hopkins)
4. Beautiful Creatures (Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl)-I've actually read this, but all I remember    is  that I was confused. Need to re-read.
5. Beautiful Darkness (Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl)
6. Will Grayson, Will Grayson (John Green & David Levithan)
7. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Michelle Hodkin)
8. White Cat (Holly Black)
9. Red Glove (Holly Black)
10. Eighth Grade Bites (Heather Brewer)

I totally realize, realistically, I will probably be able to get through like 5 of these. But I'm gonna try my hardest to get through as many as I can.  I already have in mind which ones I'm going to start with. 

SO. After Yallfest, I have a part 2 list of books to get through, some of them being for review.

PART 2:
For Review:
1. Of Light & Darkness (The Vampire's Daughter) (Shayne Leighton)-Netgalley
2. Scent of Magic (Maria V. Snyder)- Netgalley
3. Persephone (Kaitlin Bevis)- Musa Publishing (Thanks Liz!)
For Fun:
4. Specials (Scott Westerfeld)
5. Extras (Scott Westerfeld)
6. The Raven Boys (Maggie Stiefvater)
7. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side (Beth Fantaskey)
8. Paper Towns (John Green)

WELL that's MORE than enough. I'm sure I'll stray like I always do. We shall see. So BASICALLY, I think November might rock a little :)