Introducing... BITES

Bites
Donna

When I set out to first do book blogging, I wanted the blog to reflect my style. When I reviewed on my writing blog, I had a tendency of shredding books like a Doberman if I found enough issues with them. So I tossed around a few names and Bites stuck. And I pretty much chomp on books and spit out reviews as my tagline says. More to my style, it's snarky and unique. I'm not a huge fan of following in line of all those daily memes out there so I created a lot of my own; Book Wars, 80s Awesomeness!, Freaky Friday (which was based on a meme Sharon over at Sharon Loves Books and Cats used to do), Things I've Learned from Books. In a world where people tend to blend together, I like to stand out. I speak my mind thoroughly and honestly and I bite my way through blogging the best I can. You can come along for the ride if you're adventurous enough but I'm not for the faint of heart.

What drew you into the book blogging world?
Ulterior motives. :) I've been a writer for a while and I read a few agent blogs. Many of them recommended to start networking publicity sources in advance of selling a book so I started peeking around some book review blogs. What actually got me blogging, though, was when I was turned down for a review program with my writing blog because the publisher wanted strictly review blogs. So I moved all of my reviews from my writing blog to what is now Bites and I've been hooked ever since!

What's your favorite part about book blogging?
Interacting with all of the other book bloggers and sharing my thoughts with the greater reading world. As a self-proclaimed hermit, the pseudo-social interaction is a plus for me. :)

Who's your favorite author?
I have many but Tim O'Brien stands out in my head, as does Stephen King. For YA probably Suzanne Collins, Susan Cooper and Ellen Hopkins. Darren Shan's good too.

What kind of fiction are you into? or are you a nonfiction reader?
Definitely a fiction-phile. :) I like my horror but I've been reading more and more fantasy (as that's what I write). Lately the YA world has been neutered of good horror books of yore so I've been scrounging up old Christopher Pike and RL Stine books to sate my true YA horror appetite. Glitterpires and socially friendly zombies just aren't my thing. I like urban fantasy and, depending on the book, high fantasy (although it's not my favorite cup of tea). Historical fiction piques my interest if the topic's right and, every once in a while, a non-fiction, like the book I just read, Your Neighborhood Gives Me the Creeps by Adam Selzer. It's a sort of mini-autobiography of him getting into the ghost hunting business. Obviously not your typical non-fiction.

If you could change your name what would you go by?
Well that's a rather random question! I do have a pen name but I'm not giving that one up. I like the name Madeline but my name-fondness changes every few years. I'm content with mine although my last name alludes a lot of people. Not sure why. It's entirely phonetic. Nevertheless I'd have telemarketers attempt to pronounce my name and slur into a mumble after the first 4 letters. Ugh.

IF you could have an AWESOME super power what would it be?
Another beacon of randomness. Um, astral projection. It would save on travel expenses.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Cheesy 80s movies (and early 90s movies). They're oh so terrible but my collection's full of them. They're like a drug.

why should I visit your blog?
Because if you don't I'll send Vinny and Johnny to bust your knee caps with their pet sledgehammers? I guess if you're looking for something honest, and perhaps a little snarky, then come on over. I don't sugarcoat anything (which can sometimes equate to some light brutality depending on the opinion) and I'm just going to tell it like it is. Life's too short for anything else. Plus I have 80s Awesomeness! It has 'awesome' in the title therefore it defaults to a win.

And.. anything else you'd like to add?
I don't like Twilight. Twitards (and I'm talking the bat shitty level that maul people at shopping malls for having dissenting opinions and attempt to hump Rpattz's leg should they see him, not your normal fan) beware. I also don't like trolls. Nor anonymous commenters who's a pussy bigger than a 900 pound porn star's and can't tell me I suck while revealing their "face." Trolls and anonynerds will be dealt with using varying levels of snark and intelligence that are, pretty sure, far beyond their comprehension which will make them either A) run away and never come back or B) attempt to bite back using even poorer grammar than the initial offending comment and idiotic come-backs, usually littered with some kind of text talk. I also have Miak if all else fails. You've been warned.

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Don't forget to visit Donna 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.

And the winner is.....

Leaving Gee's Bend
Irene Latham

Sorry this is like a week late. But we've got a winner! Yay.

So there were 12entries and each entrant got 1 entry. I had my little brother pick a number from 1-12 and he picked number SEVEN! It just so happens for ________________ to be the 7th entrant. So Congratulations to.......

Dramatistwriter!

yay! you are the winner!! YOu should be getting an email in the next day or two, but if you don't go ahead and email me your name and address so you can get your prize.

thanks to everyone who entered and spread the word. it was much appreciated!!

Introducing... INSERT BOOK TITLE HERE

Insert Book Title Here
Christina

Insert Book Title Here is a YA Book Blog where you can read reviews, interviews, enter contests, and stay up to date on the hottest YA books out there!


What drew you into the book blogging world?
It was more like who. I discovered The Story Siren's site when I was hunting for a review on a novel that I was considering reading. I was amazed at how well her site was doing and how many people seemed to enjoy it. I then began finding other book reviewing blogs, and I saw how many people seemed interested in their reviews.
Insert Book Title Here was not my first book reviewing site. I had another site called Bookreviewer411 which I poured my time into only to see lack of visitors as well as interest. My hope of being a book reviewer was renewed when I found the growing community of YA reviewers. I am so glad that I have had the opportunity to meet the amazing people that I have. I hope to continue blogging for a long time.

What's your favorite part about book blogging?
The best part of book blogging is getting to discuss the novels with other people who have a genuine love of reading.

Who's your favorite author?
Gosh, that's hard. I would have to say that my favorite favorite author is Julia Quinn. I have read all her novels, and I am currently waiting on her newest release.

What kind of fiction are you into? or are you a nonfiction reader?
I love Young Adult Paranormal. That genre is my weakness, and I have found that it makes me blind to other types of novels sometimes. I am currently working on that.
I usually only read nonfiction if it is history related. Other than that, no.

If you could change your name what would you go by?
I kind of like my name. After 21 years, I'm stuck on it. ;)

IF you could have an AWESOME super power what would it be?
I would love to become invisible.

What is your guilty pleasure?
I would have to say Fable 2. It's my weakness.

Why should I visit your blog?
I would hope that you would visit my blog because you are interested in reading and see that interest reflected on my site.

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Don't forget to visit Christina 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.

The Sky is Everywhere
Jandy Nelson

288pages
Dial (March 9, 2010)

"Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. But when Bailey dies abruptly, Lennie is catapulted to center stage of her own life—and, despite her nonexistent history with boys, suddenly finds herself struggling to balance two. Toby was Bailey’s boyfriend; his grief mirrors Lennie’s own. Joe is the new boy in town, a transplant from Paris whose nearly magical grin is matched only by his musical talent. For Lennie, they’re the sun and the moon; one boy takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But just like their celestial counterparts, they can’t collide without the whole wide world exploding." (Amazon)

This kinda reminds me of Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. I loved that one.

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!
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Waiting For You
Susan Colasanti


pg 208


"You know how people talk about red flags? And how if you see one, it means stay away from that boy? I'm seeing a whole troop of red flags, flapping wildly and screaming, Danger!"

Audrey Wait! by Robin Benway

Audrey Wait!
Robin Benway

Overview

"California high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called The Do-Gooders. Evan writes, "Audrey, Wait!," a break-up song that's so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous!

Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every move!) Audrey can't hang out with her best friend or get with her new crush without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi.

Take a wild ride with Audrey as she makes headlines, has outrageous amounts of fun, confronts her ex on MTV, and gets the chance to show the world who she really is." LINK

Review
I really loved Audrey Wait. I liked the idea of it, becoming a celebrity overnight. And it wasn't overrated either. The whole paparazzi scene was very realistic. So were the endorsements and such. Audrey handled being a celebrity like any other person would, by just ignoring it and trying to live her life like it was before. Because it wasn't like she wanted it or anything. Victoria was also a pretty cool friend. At first, I thought she was just using Audrey to get to stuff but I guess she was just being more realistic than Audrey, she just kinda went about it the wrong way, at times. And Audrey and James' relationship was really cute. It was surreal but nice.

I also love how Robin named the chapters with lyrics of songs that described what was going to happen in the chapter. It's so cool how she could do that.
Overall, Audrey Wait was and entire roller coaster ride. I would definitely recommend it to everyone.
The only thing that really bothered me was the ending. It was too much of a fairytale, but it's all good.

Introducing... READING ROCKS

Reading Rocks
Ariel and Elise

Reading Rocks is.....

Since Reading Rocks is co-hosted by Ariel and Elise, I was able to interview both of them, which is pretty sweet. So the answers in blue are Ariel's while Elise's are in green.





What drew you into the book blogging world?
Elise's friend Jill (Reading is Bliss) originally inspired her to start her own blog. I joined in after a few months, at first just helping out and then becoming a full-time administrator. I was hooked immediately on the book blogging world. It's such a wonderful community, full of the kind of people that I can really connect with on a special level. :-)
Thanks, Jill!

What's your favorite part about book blogging?
Book blogging seems to be made for me! I love everything about it! Deciding to join Reading Rocks was the best decision I have ever made. Though it's a huge responsibility, it gives me many opportunities that have changed my life. It's given me contacts in the publishing world, personal relationships with authors, experience in the professional world, a new respect for other bookaholics across the globe, and the chance to write about and share what I most love. Who could ask for a better pastime?
I agree with Ariel 100% on all of that. Book blogging is a fantastic experience.

Who's your favorite author?
Wow, that's a tough one. I have several. Shannon Hale, Libba Bray, Maria V. Snyder, J. K. Rowling, and Kristin Cashore are just a few of my author heroes. :-)
In addition to Ariel's, I also love Suzanne Collins and Lisa Ann Sandell.

What kind of fiction are you into? or are you a nonfiction reader?
I like a variety of fiction. Since becoming a book blogger, my range of genres has definitely increased. My horizons have broadened. Before, I was most likely to be reading a fantasy novel or gothic romance, but now I can often be found reading sci-fi, historical fiction, modern fiction, and paranormal romance. While the fantasy genre is still very close to my heart, some of my favorite books have come from other, more surprising directions.
Usually, my favorite books are those that don't take place in the modern world. I like to escape when I read... travel to another place and time. But now I have learned that in all genres, there are those special books that dig into my skin and find a special place in my heart.

If you could change your name what would you go by?
Hmmm... What an interesting question! I have always had a fascination with names. I'm not sure I could choose just one. I think, though, that it would have to be Alice.
I'm going to pull names from my old buddy, William Shakespeare... I'd very much like to be named Ophelia, or Isabella, perhaps even Miranda. They all sound so elegant, simple but pretty.

IF you could have an AWESOME super power what would it be?
The ability to stop time and go into any book world I chose. Is that a super power? :-)
The ability to stop/pause time and, in adittion, go into any book world I choose. (Do you hear an echo?)
Don't you mean great minds think alike?

What is your guilty pleasure?
Chocolate. Always chocolate.
Other than reading books when there are more important things I need to be doing? Coffee... and chocolate. (British chocolate, to be precise. Cadbury's carmel chocolate bars... yum...), oh, and there's also cookies...

Why should I visit your blog?
Reading Rocks is a very professional establishment. Elise and I see it as our job as well as our hobby. We strive to post regularly, review in an honest, unbiased way, and keep our site and our reviews as user-friendly as possible. Our goal is not to gather as large of a following as possible, but to reach out to readers and provide a dependable source of information about what we all have in common -- books, books, and more books! So if you want to share in our passion, that's a good enough reason as any to visit our blog.
Reading rocks our world and hopefully... our blog will rock yours.

Is it difficult having to share your blog? How did you guys decide to co-op it? Was it difficult or did you guys know what you were getting yourselves into?
Elise and I are both very busy people. We are in AP classes, dedicated theatre folks, and are constantly bogged down with endless homework and projects and family duties. Early on in Reading Rocks, Elise realized how impossible it was to upkeep a blog AND do everything else. She had two options: get help or give up. So....I came to the rescue! : ) As soon as we both started working on it full-time, we realized how much easier it was. We were able to divide the work and post double what we would have been able to otherwise. With each of us constantly reading, twice the number of reviews go up. We are also able to do more housekeeping, proofreading, and contacting authors and publishers. I don't think I would be able to do this without Elise. Sharing Reading Rocks with her is definitely the other best decision of my life. We obviously had very little idea of the scope of what we were doing, but it worked out beautifully. I cannot imagine what it would be like to take on alone. I admire the courage and the tenacity of all those lovely bloggers out there who manage it!
Yep! Ariel has summed it up.
I wish I had a friend to share in the fun and responsibility.

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Don't forget to visit Ariel and Elise at their 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 and ARC Contest.

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.

The Unwritten Rule

Elizabeth Scott

224pages

Simon Pulse (March 16, 2010)

"Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like you best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more..." LINK

I have definitely been in Sarah's shoes before so I know it'll be easy to relate. The Unwritten Rule sounds really cute and like something I'd enjoy. Also it doesn't hurt that it's Elizabeth Scott. Plus Persnickety Snark gave it an AWESOME review so you know, it has to be good. LINK

Author Elizabeth Scott is having a mega HUGE-O giveaway and all you have to do is spread the word about her upcoming novel, The Unwritten Rules. There's a really huge prize involved. Let's just say, the winner will get more than they can handle. But it's pretty cool so go enter, NOW. Contest ends March 2! LINK

A(nother) Contest Of Olympic Proportion

Author Tera Lynn Childs is hosting another COOP contest. You guys might remember her last COOP Contest which was inspired by the release of Oh.My.Gods. Well this one is in honor of the Winter Olympics but it's the same deal. 17days of nothing but free stuff, which is pretty cool and generous of her and participating authors if you ask me. and an ARC of Forgive My Fins will also be up for grabs. So GO Check it out!

Here's what's being giving away so far

Gold Medal Contest
COOP2 1 HEIST SOCIETY by Ally Carter
COOP2 2 MY SOUL TO TAKE and MY SOUL TO SAVE by Rachel Vincent
COOP2 3 TATTOO and FATE by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
COOP2 4 BALLADS OF SUBURBIA by Stephanie Kuehnert

COOP2 5 LOVESTRUCK SUMMER by Melissa Walker

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!


Hate List
Jennifer Brown

pg165

"This may sound stupid, but I think I was embarrassed. You know, like when you're a little kid and your mom or dad yells at you in front of your friends, and you feel really humiliated, like your friends had just seen something really private about you and it totally takes way from the 'got it under control' persona you're trying to project into this world. It was like that, only times a billion or something."