The Army of Ten

It should come as no surprise to any of my readers that I am a BIG fan of Gretchen McNeil.  I read her first book, Possess, and LOVED IT!  

Trying to match the cover, not sure I got it quite right....


Gretchen's sophomore novel, Ten, is set to hit shelves September 18 and in honor of her upcoming release Gretchen has set up a great contest.  Coined The Army of Ten, there are five different levels of participation and five different ways to win some amazing prizes, including bookmarks, signed books, gift cards, and even a chance to have your name in the aknowledgements of Gretchen's third book, 3:59! 

Want more information?  Watch Gretchen's video!



Still here!?  What are you waiting for, head over to  The Army of Ten right now!



Top Ten Tuesday 8/28/2012: Bookish Confessions

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

This week we're confessing our bookish dirty secret.  Our little cheats, habits, and shameful behaviours.

1.  Sometimes I go back and change my star ratings. 

After I finish a book I always go on goodreads and immediately mark it as finished and give it a star rating.  But then after reading other reviews and talking to people about the book sometimes my mind will be swayed and I'll change my star rating (usually lower).  I think I initially rate books too high and other people's opinions change my mind.

2.  I totally judge books by their covers.

If the cover doesn't grab my attention the chances of me reading it are pretty slim.  It has to get good enough reviews for the book to really stand out to convince me to buy it.

3.  I am a drama fiend.

I'll admit it, I love to read super snarky reviews and all of the bat-shit crazy comment wars that ensue.  I secretly love reading about authors losing their shit on reviewers or people fighting over arcs or journalists making sweeping assumptions about the book blogging community.  What can I say, I'm a Libra!

4.  I buy way more books than I can ever hope to actually read.

I love to go book shopping the way other women go clothes and shoes shopping.  I have such excitement for ALL THE NEW RELEASES!  and I go out and buy them but then get bogged down and never get around to reading them.  It really stresses me out because I feel like they all deserve to be read but I'm just too slow.

5.  I suck at netgalley.

See above.  I get so excited for new books and when I see them on netgalley and I get into a frothing frenzy and request all the books...then never read them.  o.O

6.  I don't trust anybody with my books.

I hate lending my books to people because I always get them back completely trashed!  It's so annoying and completely disrespectful and I really hate it (URGH!).

7.  I am a book peeker.

Whenever I see someone reading in public I try and surreptitiously figure out what they're reading, but I think I've been caught a few times. 

8.  I'm not a real fan 

I tell people I'm a Jane Austen fan, but I've only read Pride and Prejudice.  I don't know what is wrong with me

8.  I have a secret desire to be a writer, but I think people judge me for it.

I'm really afraid to talk about my desire to be an author, because then I get this reaction:



And it makes me feel like shit.

9.  People in my life constantly make fun of me about my reading habit.

I get a lot of flack for how much I enjoy reading and other nerdy things, such as video games and obscure movies, and I have to admit it makes me feel pretty bad sometimes. 

So those are my bookish confessions, what are some of yours?  Post in the comments!

Friday Face Off Cover Reveal: This is What Happy Looks Like

Friday Face Off is a meme hosted by one of my favorite book bloggers Misty over at The Book Rat.  Usually this meme focuses on different cover designs for the same book and decides which is better for the story.  I wanted to take this meme and add a little twist to it today by discussing a cover reveal!

Jennifer E. Smith is the queen of long titles!  Her book, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, has an adorable title and cover.  Her upcoming book, This is What Happy Looks Like, follows in suit.

These books aren't a series, but the covers look SO cute together!  I love the premise for both books and I really want to read them.  This is What Happy Looks Like comes out April 2013, and I'm really excited!

Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Published September 2009 by Simon Pulse
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
This is Alice.
She was taken by Ray five years ago.
She thought she knew how her story would end.
She was wrong.

Review:  I can't really say I liked this book, because who really does like a book about such a horrible topic? However Scott treated this subject well, and while she didn't shy away from the graphic and horrific aspects of the story, she did it in a way that doesn't exploit or glamorize the situation. It's raw, dirty, and painful.

The best part of Living Dead Girl is the writing style.  I normally don't care too much about writing style, but in this case it's what makes the novel.  It's almost like reading poetry and I feel like it really lends to the narrative.  I can completely understand Alice and why she thinks the way she does and why she can't "just escape".  The mental and physical abuse has completely drained her will to live.  Alice has comes to believe that she deserves to live with her captor.  I think fans of Ellen Hopkins books will really like Living Dead Girl.

Overall Living Dead Girl is a very dark story about a young girl's horrifying kidnapping that could have easily felt exploitative but was handled very well.  It is a heart breaking story that will haunt you for a long time.  Sidenote:  I would say that this book is for mature teen and adult readers only. 

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Published in 2006 by Ember
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be—and where the next great band is playing.

Told in alternating chapters, teeming with music references, humor, angst, and endearing side characters, this is a love story you’ll wish were your very own. Working together for the first time, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have combined forces to create a book that is sure to grab readers of all ages and never let them go.

Review:  Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is the first book written by the duo Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, and it has a witty, punk rock feel that makes it a quick yet poignant read.  It has that same kind of teenage expectation and excitement you get from The Breakfast Club and My So Called Life. (For serious though, there's enough angst to fill the grand canyon and ride a boat across it). There's plenty of teenage antics and some sexy times, but there's also a deeper context too.  It's a story where two strangers can come together and have an immediate connection and share parts of themselves that they usually keep bottled inside.  It's about letting go of the past and realizing that this time, with this person, it doesn't have to be that way again.

Summer Wrap Up Read-a-Thon Update #3 and WINNER!

Well the read-a-thon is officially over and I don't know about you, but I had a blast!  First let's get to the most important thing, the winner of the giveaway.  I want to extend a hearty congratulations to:

Christina Marie Madison @BiblioThoughts

YAY!  So if you could email me your mailing address asap I'll get your ARC in the mail! 

Now, on to what I read during this challenge.  I rocked it out during the beginning of the week, but then kind of slack on the last few days so I only read three full books, finished two that I had been working on, and one manga.

This read-a-thon was a blast and I'm really glad I was able to host a challenge.  It's the first time I've ever hosted anything on my blog and I really want to do more now.  I hope everyone had a great summer and now on to the fall read-a-thons (amiright!?).

Summer Wrap Up Read-a-Thon Update #2

Since my last update I have finished Bumped by Megan McCafferty and I'm 50% through Thumped, also by Megan McCafferty.  Hey, I figured I should read the ARC before I give it away.  Speaking of the giveaway, I've had some fantastic entries so far!  All of the puzzles have been great fun but boy are some of them really hard!  If you're still interested in the giveaway it's not too late to sign up for the read-a-thon and enter!