BEA links & tips

this is just a resource page for all the posts about Book Expo America

Tips, Advice, Etc.

BEA: All You Need to Know +More! (2)
^^ Thank you La Femme Readers & Red House Books
Reading with Tequila: Advice for Bloggers Attending Book Expo
^^I loved this so much, I printed it out. Will probably laminate.
Poisoned Rationality: Do's and Don'ts
Miss Remmers' Reviews: What to Bring, What to Wear, Questions Answered
^^ these are so thorough! and they're vlogs, too!
Bookjourney: What I Learned at BEA
^^so many good tips here!
Evil Wylie's Blog: Ultimate BEA Party Guide 2011
^^hilarious!

2010 Recaps, Pictures. Etc
By date:
Book Faery: Pictures from BEA, (2)
Bloody Bookaholic: BEA Day 2 Part II - The Books, BEA Day 2 Part I - The Content and the Buzz, BEA Day 2 Part III - The People
La Femme Readers: In My Mailbox - BEA Edition

if I hear of or see any other links, I'll put 'em in here.

the "Don't Worry, I Still Love You" Reading list

If there's one thing having a Goodreads account teaches, it's that we all have different tastes.
Some books that we may love, other folks...not so much with the lovin'. And vice versa.
Have you ever found yourself loving a book that you'd seen not-so-hot reviews for?

A couple books I love and love to defend are...

The Dark Divine - Bree Despain
I read this over the summer, and it was easily one of my favorites of 2010.

Reasons why I liked it: I loved the main character, Grace, and really clicked with her. I liked her family (even if they were portrayed a little stereotypically), I liked that she was assertive but still compassionate and empathetic of other people, and of course, the story world. I loved Despain's take on "werewolves" and overall, The Dark Divine was a surprisingly good book! Haven't read The Lost Saint yet, but it's on my shelf.

Skellig - Dave Almand
I remember reading this in high school, and besides being one of the first young adult books I ever read (in the last few years), it's also one of the very few books that made me cry.

Reasons why I liked it: Almand's writing style is so effective: lyrical, poignant, but also crisp and to-the-point. And the imagery - oh my! A boy walks into a dilapidated shed and finds a creature that resembles an angel... just remembering the ins and outs of the story gives me goosebumps. I've seen quite a lot of negative reviews for it, but honestly, it's one of my absolute favorites. No matter what grade I end up teaching, I *will* have a class copy of Skellig in my room!

Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
Another of my favorite 2010 reads (not forgetting the sequel, Linger, which I enjoyed just as much). I think that my the review that most sticks out in my mind - though I can't remember if I saw it on Goodreads or on one of the Amazons - was "a boring book for boring readers." Well if that's true, I'll gladly post a sign on my back that says "I'm a boring reader!"

Reasons why I liked it: Maggie's writing style. It's just so...wait, stop. Stop a minute. If you haven't read a book by author Maggie Stiefvater (preferably her Wolves of Mercy Falls books, which Shiver is), I'd like for you to go right now and make a note to either buy one or check one out of the library. Every author is talented, yeah, but I can literally count on my fingers the number of truly beautiful, lyrically-possessed-writing-style authors out there. No Dante Aligheri, sorry dude but you don't count. You're kinda dead.
Next, her characters. They're real: capable of growth and change, which I love. Don't give me screwed up characters, authors! Give me ones who are *dynamic* and capable of growth! And last but not least, Sam. Sam, Sam, Sam, Sam, etc. Want to know what I think qualifies as the ideal love interest in YA lit? Well, read the Percy Jackson series, cause Percy's my favorite. Or read about Taran in the Chronicles of Prydain. But the third guy? Sam. All the way.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
(this is mostly based on what folks I know in real life say)
This is another book I read way back in the day, way back before my book-blog, way back before Twilight and Percy Jackson. In fact, I think I was waiting on the next Harry Potter installment when I picked this up. Holy flying guano, Batman! That was a *long* time ago!
But duuuude...most of the sweet darlings I know at school can't stand this book. "It's weird." "It's pointless." "Christopher talks like a weirdo." "It didn't make any sense."

Reasons Why I Liked It: If you haven't heard of this book, it's a fictional book written in journal-format and tells the story of Christopher, an autistic teenager, as he investigates the death, Sherlock Holmes-style, of his neighbor's dog. Author Mark Haddon not only wrote the voice of a teenage boy, but an autistic one. Yes, friends-in-real-life, Christopher sounds a little different than we do. That's kind of the point of the book, and the fact that it reads so believable is a credit to the author's incredible talent. I loved this book. It didn't make me cry Skellig-style, but it was moving.

and of course...

Twilight - Stephenie Meyer

No, Twilight is not the best book ever written. No, it's not the best book I've ever read. But for what it was, at the time, it was fun and enjoyable. I remember reading this book back in the day, before a third of today's hottest and bestselling series books were out. And yeah, bashing Twilight seems to be a cool thing to do, and yeah, Bella sure was whiny and a little on the boring side, but...there were more things I liked about Twilight than didn't like. As the series went along, it did get a little repetitive and anti-climactic, but...gosh darn it, I still think Stephenie is a pretty awesome gal. And she is definitely someone in the literary world (in addition to the Planet Earth world) that I admire. So yes, I liked Twilight when I read it back in 2007, and I still have a good opinion of it. Just sayin.

So those are 5 that I just thought of! I'd love to know what you guys thought of any of these books. If you were to do a post on books you loved (but felt like you were the *only* one who loved it), what books would be listed?

Book Blogger Hop!

Hippity Hoppity Hoo!
The Book Blogger Hop (hosted by Crazy for Books) is a weekly opportunity for bloggers to hop over to each others sites, say hi, follow, etc. If you're new to my blog, Welcome! Be sure to leave the link to your blog so I can return the visit! I am always looking for awesome new blogs to follow, and I'd love to see yours!

This week's question: "Which book blogger would you most like to read in real life?"
What a cool question! I actually have two (I know, I'm going to give two names instead of one):
Stephanie @ StephtheBookworm
&
Eleni @ La Femme Readers

And this is even cooler...I actually will get a chance to meet these lovely ladies at BEA in a few weeks! Super stoked. Steph was one of my first followers, literally, back when I had like 10 or so, and she's been a friend ever since. Eleni also started following me when I was a lil' backwoodsie blogger just starting out, and both are ladies I really look up to! You could not ask for nicer blog buddies. Go visit them, if you haven't already!

xoxoxo!

Thank you followers GRADUATION GIVEAWAY!

Hey guys!
So...in 10 days, I will officially end my college days. Finally, after five years (ssshhh) and several changes in major, it's going to be over! Woo-hoo!
To celebrate, I'm going to give YOU a present. One winner will receive a $20 amazon e-card (that way you can use it on any book you want!). Contest ends 5/15/11.

Let's keep it easy and simple! To enter, you...
1. Must be a follower
2. Comment with your email address
Winner will be announced Sunday, May 16.

Thank you all for being the best bloggy friends - those who stop by, those who comment - I read every single one and love them all! Thanks for sticking by me this past semester especially, even when I haven't been the best at posting, reviewing, blogging...

*hugs all around*

do you have rEaDiNg HaBiTs?

I originally asked you guys this last summer. I don't know about you, but several of my reading habits have undergone drastic makeovers over the last (almost) year.

I used to have this rule that I wouldn't begin a series until all the books were out, or until the second-to-last book was out. The reason? Pretty much the anticipation... if I got started reading a series and I had to wait like over a year for the next book to be published, I seriously would go out of my mind. I can't let the story go! I will seriously stay awake at night wondering "what's going to happen next? WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN?!?"
And actually, the majority of the books I read this year are the first in a series/trilogy. I think I just realized that if I waited around until all the books in a series were out, I'd have nothing new to read! So that's one thing that's changed.

And because I am such a major planner, I try to plan out which books I'm going to read, in what order. Very rarely will I just pick up a book and just start reading, because I like having an order (as weird as that may sound). The problem with this is that I buy a lot of books thinking that I'll read them down the road, and then I don't get around to them, and they just sit all by their lonesome on my shelves. I think I need to try and be a bit more spontaneous.
Anybody else plan out the books they're going to read in advance?

This is kind of a bad habit, considering that I read a lot, but...I have to have a snack when I read. I don't know, but something about reading and eating just goes together. It's hard though to try and jumble a book in one hand and a cookie in the other, or a handful of goldfish, or (uh-oh) cheese puffs! It's especially tricky when I'm out in public with my book and I get the munchies...

I still have a hard time reading during the day, as weird as that may seem. It is just so much easier for me to concentrate at night...and nighttime seems like the time most associated with imagination! You know, I just can't imagine Edgar Allan Poe composing some of his most famous poems outside in the midmorning, with Mister Golden Sunshine out in all his bright glory. I know, moving on...

Oh! and one other thing that has almost entirely changed. See, I used to operate this way...no matter, I had to finish a book. Had to. Right then and there. I could not put it down, find something else, and then go back to it later. I had to plow on through. Now, though, I find it a lot easier to say 'no thank you' to certain stories that I just can't get into and set it aside for later (or not). But yeah, that's almost completely different than how I started out. Now, if I can't get into it, I set it aside. No big deal. I've actually done that 5 times already just since January. Just sayin'.

So what about you all? What are your reading habits, and have they changed over time?

Review - VAMPIRE CRUSH

Vampire Crush - A.M. Robinson
Genre: YA Paranormal
# of pages: 416 (pb)
Publisher: Harper Teen
Recommended for: HS & Beyond!
Vampire Crush Quick Check

I swear, my life was always totally normal.

Normal house, normal family, normal school. My looks are average, I don't have any superpowers, no one's showing up to tell me I'm a princess—you get the picture. But when my junior year started, something not normal happened. There were new kids at school . . . new kids with a wardrobe straight out of a 19th-century romance novel, and an inexplicable desire to stay at school until sundown. And on top of that, James Hallowell showed up. James, who stole my sandwiches in fourth grade and teased me mercilessly through middle school. James, who now seems to have the power to make my heart race any time he comes near. But something weird is going on. Because James rarely goes out during the day. And he seems stronger than your typical guy. And he knows the new kids, all of whom seem to be harboring some kind of deep secret. . . .

First of all, a **huge** shout-out and thank you to Eleni from La Femme Readers for spotlighting Vampire Crush here. I hadn't even heard of this book till I saw it on her site, and I probably would have missed it otherwise!
My favorite review of Vampire Crush (one I read on Goodreads) called this book the 'anti-Twilight' and I think, on so many levels, that is a very apt description (nothing against Twilight that is--I actually like that book). For one thing, the humor in this novel was ah-mazing. I mean, incredibly smart and witty. The author's tone grabbed me from the first chapter and did not let go. By contrast, Twilight and a lot of other vampire-centric novels aren't all that humorous, so that's one thing that gave this book an extra edge, in my opinion.
In fact, the tone of the whole novel was very light-hearted and just fun. Not that it's a silly book or anything - there were still tense situations and moments of suspense, but this was just one of those books that is so easy to enjoy and lose yourself in.
Much of the tone of the novel was set through the voice of the main character, a practical and driven journalism student, Sophie, whose only concern at the story's beginning was being named editor of her high school yearbook. Needless to say, she soon finds that she has a lot more to worry about. I liked her narrative voice, especially at the beginning of the novel, when she was churning out witty commentaries on daily life and being all kinds of hilarious. She also impressed me, as a narrator, with her strong sense of identity. Unlike a lot of other protagonists out there, Sophie seemed to know exactly who she was, what she wanted, and what she was willing, or unwilling, to do to get what she wanted. And I found that very refreshing. I will say, though, that she had a tendency to be a teeny weeny bit 'me-centered.' I'm all for characters having hobbies and being driven and all that, but there were a few cases where she deliberately sabotaged or manipulated people around her to get her own way, which contrasted with her usual maturity and made her seem (occasionally) shallow. But as the story progressed, so did Sophie, so that was good. Besides Sophie's personality, I would have liked a little more emphasis on the love story element, just because it seemed like Sophie and James (the boy next door who used to tease her mercilessly) went from bickering all the time to being lovey-dovey. Wuuuuuut?

Supporting characters were fun, as well. Again, if Vampire Crush is the 'anti Twilight' then you'd expect characters who are more humorous and (dare I say?) entertaining. And they were, overall.
Not only was the overall tone of the story rather satirical (and the vampires here reminded me of a play on the Cullen clan), the characters were as well. Some characters I liked more than others, but overall, they all brought something to the table and they all had their own identities.
And the "villain." Easily the most entertaining character of the story. I haven't seen a villain this diabolically delightful since Queen Redd from the Looking Glass Wars series. I absolutely loved his personality.
Yall, I am so glad I picked up this book. What a fun piece of entertainment! If you're looking for a YA book that offers something just a little different from the norm, you'll want to check out Vampire Crush!

Final Rating

In My Mailbox [8]

In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.

I actually got a few books this week!
For Review
Dark Eden - Patrick Carman
Special thanks to Harper Collins

Bought
Red Riding Hood - Sarah Blakley-Cartwright
The Goddess Test - Aimee Carter

Yeah, I had to go to the mall one day, and my plan was just to walk right past the bookstore...but I couldn't. And so my little broke self bought two books. I've put myself back on a book buying ban until I hit up Books of Wonder and Strand in a few weeks!
What did everyone else get this past week? And has anybody read any of these yet? What did you all think?!