Popcorn Saturday

This is a post where I start out a story then I tag two other people. These two people will then continue writing. Once done, they'll tag two more people. And those two people will continue writing then tag two more people and ...... you get the point. It goes on till it reaches the 16th person. The 16th person gets to finish the story. I guess it's kinda like a meme.
I remember doing this back in grade school and it was always interesting what the finished product looked like. It's also a great exercise to sharpen your writing skills. Hopefully, everyone will be willing to participate in this. You don't need to write more than 5sentences or something. and Add as many twists as you can.

I'll start. Link your blog to the list as your add to the story. Be sure to also change the text color as you add to the story. This way your addition will be yours and be copy righted. So no one can steal our work. I think you get what I'm trying to get at here.

Starry Night

Today was the day of the big competition and Marley was barely ready. Having gotten up late this morning, everything just seemed to fall out of place. She couldn't let anything stop her though. She'd been practicing for this moment her entire life, and there was no time to waste. Literally, because at the moment, the blaring of her name over the speaker signaled that it was her time to shine.....

Here's who I tag to continue where I left off.
Stacked
Serenehours

Be sure to let the person know that you have tagged them. and also if you're the 16th person, please tag me. If you could tag everyone who worked on the story then that would be great too. I'm sure they'd also love to see how the story turned out too.

Teaser Tuesday (01/26/10)

I saw this over at Fizzy Thoughts and I thought it was interesting, so I decided to try it.

GRAB your current read OR the closest book to you
LET the book fall open to a random page.
SHARE with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
YOU also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
PLEASE avoid spoilers!


Hot Girl
Dream Jordan

pg 72

"Then in a flash, she was all smiles. Felt like a false rebound to me. But, I was about to be laced from head to toe, so I didn't have time to be worrying about what was really on Naleejah's mind. Call me shallow if you want. I don't give a snap. I haven't been fly since the day I was born."



it's kinda late but better late than never. =)

Introducing... BOOKS MAKE GREAT LOVERS

Books Make Great Lovers
Ashley

Books Make Great Lovers is written in a friendly way. I want to be inviting so anyone will feel comfortable starting to read my blog at any point. I review new books but I also review many old books so we can give them the love they deserve

What drew you into the book blogging world?

The realization that other people loved books as much as me. Who else could understand the incredible connections I feel to authors and characters?

What's your favorite part about book blogging?

The other bloggers! I love meeting new people and there is nothing better than the ones that have so much in common with you.

Who's your favorite author?

The classic YA author, Judy Blume. She is amazing!

What kind of fiction are you into? or are you a nonfiction reader?

Realistic fiction. I love things that can happen, and living vicariously through characters.

If you could change your name what would you go by?

I kinda like the name Annabelle.

IF you could have an AWESOME super power what would it be?

The speeding up of time. I hate High School and am ready to be done!
AMEN to that!

What is your guilty pleasure?

Smutty tv like desperate housewives. Oooh and fancy coffee.

Why should I visit your blog?

Because I want you to get to know me!

And.. anything else you'd like to add?

Thanks for the interview!

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Don't forget to visit Ashley at her blog!

If you're interested in being feature on Introducing...YOU email me or leave a comment with you're email and I'll get you set up

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a topic brought to life by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. In it, you get to introduce to everyone the books you're looking forward in the upcoming year and such.

Spring Fling
Sabrina James

352pages
Point (February 1, 2010)

"Spending the week in Florida with her two best friends is the perfect opportunity for 17-year-old Danielle to shed her shy-girl image. And it turns out she'll be getting lots of help from a houseful of cute guys staying right next door ...

Romantic twists, turns, and comic mishaps abound! Will Danielle find love -- and discover who she really is -- before spring break ends?" (Amazon)

This one sounds like a light fun read! I HEART RoComs.

Popcorn Saturday

This is a post where I start out a story then I tag two other people. These two people will then continue writing. Once done, they'll tag two more people. And those two people will continue writing then tag two more people and ...... you get the point. It goes on till it reaches the 16th person. The 16th person gets to finish the story. I guess it's kinda like a meme.
I remember doing this back in grade school and it was always interesting what the finished product looked like. It's also a great exercise to sharpen your writing skills. Hopefully, everyone will be willing to participate in this. You don't need to write more than 5sentences or something. and Add as many twists as you can.

I'll start. Link your blog to the list as your add to the story. Be sure to also change the text color as you add to the story. This way your addition will be yours and be copy righted. So no one can steal our work. I think you get what I'm trying to get at here.

Starry Night

The snowy mountain top took my breath away. I couldn't believe I had really make it to the top. "Yes!" I pumped my fists. The feeling was sensational.
"While we're up here, what do you want to do?" dad asked.
"How about a nap? I'm exhausted." Mom was never into the out doors.
"How about a picture?" I said taking my camera out. The view was definitely worth capturing. I only hoped that my camera would do it justice.......

Here's who I tag to continue where I left off.
Laina Has Too Much Spare Time
Mis(h)takes

Be sure to let the person know that you have tagged them. and also if you're the 16th person, please tag me. If you could tag everyone who worked on the story then that would be great too. I'm sure they'd also love to see how the story turned out too.

Wherever Nina Lies by Lynn Weingarten

Wherever Nina Lies(ARC) Lynn Weingarten

Overview[from the back cover]
Have you seen Nina? Nina was beautiful, artistic, wild…and adored by her younger sister, Ellie. But one day, without any warning, Nina disappeared. Two years later, Ellie can’t stop thinking about her sister. Although everyone else has given up hope that Nina will return, Ellie just knows her sister is out there, somewhere. If only Ellie had a clue where to look. And then she gets one, in the form of a mysterious drawing tucked into the pages of a book. Determined to find her sister, Ellie takes off on a crazy, sexy, cross-country road trip with the only person who believes she’s got a chance – her hot, adventurous new crush. Along the way, Ellie finds a few things she wasn’t planning on. Like love. Mysteries. Lies. And something far more shocking… the truth.

Just So You Know
I won this book in a contest and was neither bribed nor threatened to give my thoughts on the book.

Review
Wherever Nina Lies was terribly amazing. Lynn Weingarten is terribly amazing. I greatly enjoyed this book, such an original plot and story line. The way the plot carried out, I’m pretty sure I’ve never read anything like it before. I was impressed, especially at how some of the minor details played a greater role later on in the book, and how each clue presented before Ellie was truly connected to the next.
I like how Lynn wrote about finding a lost sister, instead of a lost love or something cliché. Although love did play a part in Ellie’s life, it took a back seat to her finding Nina.
Sean was definitely a psychopath. He was too good to be true. I knew there wasn’t a girl out there who could stumble upon the perfect guy, even it books, there always turns out to be something wrong with then, and in Sean’s case, let’s just say Ellie was a brave, brave girl. Amanda was a true friend, and so was Brad. They were both just very worried for Ellie, and Amanda was probably jealous too. Nina sounded like lots of fun. One of those people you’d love to be associated with. Ellie was pretty cool too. I loved that she followed her heart, and mind and also how she kept hope alive.
Overall, I really really really really liked this book. I would definitely recommend it to everyone. Its really sweet.
I also liked the pictures, who doesn’t love a pictured chapter book? Since this was an ARC, I only saw the first picture, but I think they are a great way to get the reader to see what Ellie saw and just make it easier for the reader to connect.
One thing I just don’t get is why Nina never called. I mean she didn’t have to disclose her location or anything like that but just to call or even leave a message saying, “Hello mom and Ellie, I’m fine. Don’t worry about.” I mean it would have made all the difference to Ellie. Also I don't really understand the cover. Like I guess that's Ellie on the front, but why does she have her finger to her lips as if she's the one with secrets you know?

Introducing... THE PAGE FLIPPER

The Page Flipper
Chelsea

"The Page Flipper is a blog dedicated to everything YA - both the books and the authors that write them."


What drew you into the book blogging world?
Books! Okay, that's kind of a given. But I was so incredibly sick of the glazed eyes I got from people who didn't read. I'd always have to talk about the book I was reading, and I'd take it out on my poor unsuspecting family. And then I went online in 2007 and found all these cool book websites like Book Divas, etc. Somehow, I came into contact with a publisher at Penguin who was looking for reader feedback. She sent me the book, I emailed her my thoughts, etc. And then I found blogspot and realized I could freely talk about the books I read to the world. And, since then, I haven't shut up.

What's your favorite part about book blogging?
I know this is probably a standard answer, but the community. It's awesome getting to talk to other readers - and even authors - about books. And there is generally no eye-glazing, because they're as excited about books as I am. It's awesome.

Who's your favorite author?
Laurie Halse Anderson. She rocks.

What kind of fiction are you into? or are you a nonfiction reader?
Despite having written a nonfiction memoir, I'm more of a fiction reader. But I love nonfiction that reads like fiction, like David Sedaris' books or I Don't Want to Be Crazy by Samantha Schutz. As far as fiction goes, I'm totally varied. One day, I'll be reading fantasy, and the next contemporary. After that, I'll pick up science fiction and wash it down with chick lit. If it's YA and the summary sounds appealing, no matter the genre, I'll scarf it down. Bon appetit.

If you could change your name what would you go by?
Jade. I love that name. I read The Nature of Jade by Deb Caletti solely because of that, and found an awesome author.

IF you could have an AWESOME super power what would it be?
I'd want to control the elements. I mean, really, think about it. Telekenisis? If you master wind, it's basically the same thing. Flying? Wind. Who needs mind control when you can just threaten people with blasts of fire? I think it's just as effective. Plus, how fun would it be to make earthquakes and stuff? Okay, obviously I've thought about this too much for my own good.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Writing fan fiction. Guilty as charged.

Why should I visit your blog?
Because I'll give you a cookie? :) Bribing always works. In that vein, I also have contests for awesome books, like prize packs of YA. And because, if you're reading this, you probably love books as much as I do. So come chat with me about them!

And.. anything else you'd like to add?
That loose-leafed jasmine tea is the best thing to drink alongside a book.

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Don't forget to visit Chelsea at her blog!
*Pictured from left to right is Chelsea, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Sarah Dessen.

If you're interested in being feature on Introducing...YOU email me or leave a comment with you're email and I'll get you set up

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a topic brought to life by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. In it, you get to introduce to everyone the books you're looking forward in the upcoming year and such.

Pop Princess
Isabelle Merlin

336pages
Random House Australia (February 1,2010)

"A simple twist of fate catapults Lucie Rees from her ordinary life in an ordinary town to a strange, exciting job in Paris as friend to the ultra-famous but troubled young pop star Arizona Kingdom. At first she is more than excited, but soon Lucie finds herself entangled in mysterious happenings that put her and Arizona in terrible danger. Lucie must discover the source of her troubles before it’s too late. Who can she trust? Will the holiday of a lifetime in Paris turn into her last days on Earth?" (Amazon)

Teaser Tuesday

I saw this over at Fizzy Thoughts and I thought it was interesting, so I decided to try it.

GRAB your current read OR the closest book to you
LET the book fall open to a random page.
SHARE with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
YOU also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
PLEASE avoid spoilers!

Suite Scarlett
Maureen Johnson

pg74

"When he didn't reply for a moment, Scarlett thought he was trying to think of a polite way of backing out of this sudden invitation. But then he looked to them both, smiling broadly."

2010 Reading Challenges

So I attempted two reading challenges last year, and am embarassed to say I didn't complete either one of them. It was my first year participating in challenges so let's just say that I took on more than I could handle? Yea, I think that works.

This Year, I will continue both challenges, trying to finish them up, cause I'm not one to give up... most of the time.

But I also signed up for a new challenge, cause it sounds like fun. The What's In A Name Challenge. Here's what I have to do/read.

1. A book with a food in the title: Clockwork Orange, Grapes of Wrath, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
2. A book with a body of water in the title: A River Runs through It, Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, The Lake House
3. A book with a title (queen, president) in the title: The Murder of King Tut, The Count of Monte Cristo, Lady Susan
4. A book with a plant in the title: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Wind in the Willows, The Name of the Rose
5. A book with a place name (city, country) in the title: Out of Africa; London; Between, Georgia
6. A book with a music term in the title: Song of Solomon, Ragtime, The Piano Teacher

I'm pretty excited about this one, and finishing last year's remnants!

and Happy Martin Luther Day!

Popcorn Saturday I

This is a post where I start out a story then I tag two other people. These two people will then continue writing. Once done, they'll tag two more people. And those two people will continue writing then tag two more people and ...... you get the point. It goes on till it reaches the 16th person. The 16th person gets to finish the story. I guess it's kinda like a meme.
I remember doing this back in grade school and it was always interesting what the finished product looked like. It's also a great exercise to sharpen your writing skills. Hopefully, everyone will be willing to participate in this. You don't need to write more than 5sentences or something. and Add as many twists as you can.

I'll start. Link your blog to the list as your add to the story. Be sure to also change the text color as you add to the story. This way your addition will be yours and be copy righted. So no one can steal our work. I think you get what I'm trying to get at here.

Starry Night

Sam could not believe his eyes. He knew something was bound to happen once he'd opened the box but this was definitely unexpected. The rain didn't do much to claim his excitement either. As he looked down, he caught a dirty reflection of himself in the puddle that was accumulating at his feet........

Here's who I tag to continue where I left off.
Hope's Bookshelf
Books Make Great Lovers

Be sure to let the person know that you have tagged them. and also if you're the 16th person, please tag me. If you could tag everyone who worked on the story then that would be great too. I'm sure they'd also love to see how the story turned out too.

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Flipped
Wendelin Van Draanen

Overview
Juli Baker is more than excited for the new neighbors to move in, especially since they have a boy her age. Finally, she’ll have someone to play with. When Bryce Loski first meets Juli, it is a totally disaster. She shows him off in front of his dad, then runs into his house before they can send her home. During the following years, Juli has a hard time hiding her crush on Bryce. Bryce has an even harder time hiding from Juli, especially since they have every class together. These neighbors have barely shared a full conversation with each other, but that’s about to change. When Bryce’s grandfather moves in with the Loski’s, all these secrets start emerging from the Baker home while the Loski’s house becomes uneasy. Things get said that cannot be taken back, and feelings start emerging that were never there. Are things just stiring up, or is it finally time the Loskis and Bakers have dinner together?

Just So You Know
I’ve wanted to read this book since I first saw it in the scholastic catalog thingys years ago. It was just a couple of months back that I finally got my hands on a copy, and I wasn’t leaving without buying it! It took me a while, but then I picked it up, and then I couldn’t put it back down.

Review
Bryce and Juli were such great characters to read about. Especially since the book it written from both their point of views, it was really easy to relate. I could understand why Bryce thought Juli was an annoyance at first, but if he’d just given Juli the time to explain herself, there would have never been a problem at all. Juli is the typical girl. She reads into everything that Bryce says and does, and interprets it the complete wrong way. It had me laughing because I could totally relate. Why do we girls do this to ourselves? The other characters were typical, ones that we can pick out in our everyday lives.
Flipped was a really cute story about first love and how things aren’t always what they seem. The story line was great, it really sucked me in. I really liked how it was expanded from the first day Bryce and Juli met, to present day. Flipped was a quick and easy read. And a really interesting, yet simiple cover.

Introducing... LA FEMME READERS

La Femme Readers
Eleni

La Femme Readers is a book review blog that mainly focuses on Young Adult but sometimes I veer of into Adult Fiction as well. I also have author interviews, fun giveaways and try my best to keep my followers updated on all the amazing up and coming YA book releases.

What drew you into the book blogging world?
The main reason I joined the book blogging community was to share my love for reading with others. The blogging world is a great way to network with individuals who share the same passion with me.

What's your favorite part about book blogging?
I love pushing my limit on how many books I can read, I try my best to have at least 1-2 book reviews a week. Also again, the relationships that I built with a lot of the bloggers.

Who's your favorite author?
Oh boy, I have so many! Here are a few: Simone Elkeles, Stephenie Meyer, Cassandra Clare, Maggie Stiefvater, Jennifer Brown, etc.

What kind of fiction are you into? or are you a nonfiction reader?
I love YA fiction, especially Urban Fantasy and Supernatural. I'm especially intrigued with vampire books :) Um, as for non-fiction I don't normally go for that genre.

If you could change your name what would you go by?
Hm, interesting question. I kind of like my name, Eleni, it's already unique, well unless your Greek then it's common lol.

IF you could have an AWESOME super power what would it be?
I'd love to manipulate people's minds, I mean who wouldn't want to get everything they want? :D

What is your guilty pleasure?
Korean Pop Music haha - I know random right? I don't know what their saying most of the time but I just love the beats...and they are pretty catchy! Google G Dragon or Big Bang :) They're awesome!

Why should I visit your blog?
I think it would appeal to YA lovers and I'm sure I have some cool giveaway going on at the time :) Also, I'd greatly appreciate it :)

And.. anything else you'd like to add?
Thanks to Nadine-Stella for giving blogs the chance to promote themselves, you asked some great questions!

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Don't forget to visit Eleni at her blog!

If you're interested in being feature on Introducing...YOU email me or leave a comment with you're email and I'll get you set up.

Waiting on Wednesday XIV

Waiting on Wednesday is a topic brought to life by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. In it, you get to introduce to everyone the books you're looking forward in the upcoming year and such.

Boys, Girls, and other Hazardous Materials
Rosalind Wiseman

288pages
Putnam Juvenile (January 12, 2010---YESTERDAY)

"Looking for a new beginning after a terrible mean girl past, Charlie Healey realizes there’s no escaping high school drama. Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle school was brutal. But high school is Charlie’s big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day she runs into Will, her ex–best friend, who had moved away. Now a varsity athlete and hotter than Charlie remembered, Will hangs with the crowd running the school. But Charlie doesn’t understand their power until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank. Torn between doing what’s right and her secret feelings for Will, Charlie must decide whether to turn in her very best friend or live with the guilt of knowing what he did. Rosalind Wiseman’s first novel for young adults is a fresh, funny, and juicy read about friendship, betrayal, and how far some will go to be accepted."(Amazon)


and La Femme Readers gave it a great review too so I'm excited. LINK

Teaser Tuesday 23

I saw this over at Fizzy Thoughts and I thought it was interesting, so I decided to try it.

GRAB your current read OR the closest book to you
LET the book fall open to a random page.
SHARE with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
YOU also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
PLEASE avoid spoilers!



Wherever Nina Lies
Lynn Weingarten

pg. 94


"She returned sometime before dawn that morning, and cried quietly into her pillow until it was time for us to board the train. somehow I knew I was supposed to pretend to be asleep."

Happy Birhtday!!!

Happy 17th birthday to me. Yay. I will be going to eat then to the movies with my family. I think we're going to see Avatar, so I'm pretty excited!
Happy 16th birthday to Ashely over at Books Make Great Lovers. Yay for her too!
Happy Blog Birthday to Just You Typical Book Blog, hosted by Amber. Yay for her and her blog!

Library Fundraiser!

Hope over at Hope's Bookshelf is having a young adult book sale at her library. The money raised will go towards increasing the young adult and childrens' section in the library. The fundraiser is being run on donations only. So, if you're interested in donating book, new, used, ARC, unwanted, and the list goes on. Email Hope at hopesblog[AT]hotmail[DOT]com for more details and such.

Thanks and be sure to spread the word about this. It's for such a good cause.

Teen Radio Chat

During the month of January, Barry Eva's A Book and A Chat Radio will feature only YA themed shows. This is pretty cool, especially since some of our blogging friends and favorite authors will be hosting!!! Be sure to check it out! Here's the schedule.

<http://abookandachat.blogspot.com/>
<http://www.blogtalkradio.com/across-the-pond>

Jan 2nd – 11:00am Rhonda Stapleton (Stupid Cupid) 1hr

Jan 5th – 7:00pm Bree Despain (The Dark Divine) 1hr

Jan 7th – 6:30pm Tirzah Price - “Compulsive Reader Blog”

Jan 9th – 11:00am Michelle Zink (Prophecy of the Sisters) 1hr

Jan 12th – 6:30pm Kristi – “The Story Siren”

Jan 14th – 6:30pm Alyssa – “Shady Glade Blog”

Jan 16th – 11:00am Sarah MacLean (The Season) 1hr

Jan 18th – 6:30pm Kyle – “Goodreads”

Jan 19th – 6:30pm Jessica Reese – “Chick Lit Teens Blog”

Jan 21st – 6:30pm Sharon Somers – “Sharon Loves Books & Cats”

Jan 23rd – 11:00am Heidi R Kling (Sea) 1hr

Jan 26th – 7pm Carol Lynch Williams (The Chosen One) 1hr

Jan 28th – 6:30pm The Cindy Loves Books Show

Jan 30th – 11:00am Lisa Schroedar (Chasing Brooklyn) 1hr

New Year Resolutions! Yay

Boy do I have things to work on, but here are just a few.

-Finish last year's challenges! yea, I'm still working on them.
-Blog More. I am wayyyyy BEHIND
-Read a WHOLE lot more. I took this really unnecessary long break last year. (doesn't it feel weird calling yesterday last year? lol)
-Run faster and practice HARDER. Track season is just around the corner
-Be more laxed.
-Just enjoy the days as they come.


HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE. HOPE IT GETS BETTER THAN 2009 WAS!

Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging

Did anyone else enjoy their viewing of Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging last night? It was purely marvelous. I missed like the first 3omins of it but that didn't stop me from understanding what was going on. Which was great cause usually I can only miss the first 10mins of a movie and still understand it's motive. Georgia was a fun character and great protagonist. I thought each actor played their part well. The movie was very real. It was funny and sad at the same time, the perfect chick-flick. And it was also very educational, a great motive. "Don't run away from your problems," among many others. Although I have yet to read the book/series by Louise Rennison, this movie just made me want to run out to the store and get a copy right away. Since the movies can usually never compare to it's book, I know that I'm definitely missing out on a great book/series here. I really don't think the movie would be a disappointment for those who have read the book. I really enjoyed the story line, and the british accents, it just made the guys more dreamy. =)

For those who missed it, there will be another showing on Teen-Nick (The-N) Friday January 15!

I've got a question though for those who have read Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging and have seen this movie. Is the movie just based on the first book in the series or the entire series?