apple snob

Got a new computer today--it's an macbook and I haven't used a mac since the 90s, so it'll take me a few days to get used to how to do things on here, and with finishing up finals I may not be able to make regular posts until the weekend.

Because of this, I'm EXTENDING the deadline on my Last Olympian giveaway till Friday. Due to all the entries, there will be two winners!

Thanks for your patience while I go through this "maintenance mode" and if you have final exams this week...

In My Mailbox [9]

Okay, so it's been since April 4 since I've bought any books - not bad! I'm recovering slowly.

I'm super psyched that this book arrived today, because it originally wasn't supposed to be released until May 14 or something like that - but it just arrived on my doorstop not five minutes ago. I love you, Amazon!

Here is The Golden Spiral, next to its predecessor, The Hourglass Door, which I plan to read as soon as icky finals go away. The Hourglass series is by Lisa Mangum, who is extra cool because she's worked in the publishing business for awhile and now is an author, as well! And Shadow Mountain is an awesome publishing group - I would love for them to publish one of my books one day!

What books did you get this week?

INCARCERON/SAPPHIQUE WINNERS!

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest, and there were LOTS!

The winner of my copy of Incarceron is...

Jennifer G

and the winner of my copy of Sapphique (this book won't be released in the US till December!) is...

Chelle

Okay winners, you have 48 hours to send me an email with your mailing address, or another winner will be drawn.

And don't forget to enter my Last Olympian anniversary giveaway, which ends TONIGHT.

Love myths?!

Here are two books on Greek mythology that I absolutely love!

Last year I was on a major Greek mythology binge and I scoured amazon looking for books that had myth retellings. I'm so glad I found these two, and now I want to pass on the info!

Aphrodite's Blessing - Clemence McLaren

Genre: marketed to adults, but suitable for the over-14 crowd (I admit to blushing a little when I read this!)

# of pages: 202 (hardcover)

This is a collection of 3 short stories dealing with some of Greek mythology's happier love stories - the tale of Atalanta, the tale of Perseus and Andromeda, and the tale of Eros and Psyche. Because these are short stories, characters fall in love rather fast, and everything ends happily. This book is a perfect for when you're in the mood for a fun, quick read that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside!

Cupid: A Tale of Love and Desire - Julius Lester

Genre: Adult fiction/fantasy

# of pages: 186 (hardcover)

Amelia's Age-Level Recommendation: I think this book is okay for 12+. :)

I'm not going to lie - I am completely fascinated by the story of Cupid and Psyche: it's my favorite Greco-Roman myth and so naturally I'm a sucker for [some] retellings (CS Lewis' Till We Have Faces didn't really do anything for me, but that's because it doesn't focus on the love story...*yawn*) I also really like this story because Lester really seems to do justice to the traditional elements of the myth while adding a sort of modern-day commentary. When you read about myths, sometimes they feel kind of cardboard: not really explained in detail, not exhibiting a lot of emotion.... but Lester's retelling adds heart and a deeper level to this timeless tale. He also uses a double-perspective which is a breath of fresh air, because most stories (including the above book) only focus on Psyche, so Cupid is either really unrelatable or really inconsiderate.

Favorite passage from the book?

"It was all Cupid could do not to turn around, go to her, and apologize for being such a fathead." (pg 124) <--- hahaha! I love Cupid, but yeah he is a fathead sometimes!

I don't usually like to talk about my writing, but one of my MSs has to do with this myth - I just love it so much! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes 1) myths, and/or 2) sweet romances that don't have a lot of angst. Don't get me wrong, angst is necessary sometimes - I'm not dissing angst! But sometimes, "sweet" is good too!

book-swapping...I need a break :(

Wow. I officially suck. :(

Last night I started Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side and I loved it. Tonight...hmmmm. Without being too "spoilery," I got to the 'accident' part and then it just all went downhill from there. I'm on page 225 right now (a little over 100 pages left!) and I just have to take a break from this. For those of you who've read this book, I think you may know what part I'm having a hard time with. The last 50 or so pages I've just been skimming over and I feel kind of annoyed, like my time's being wasted.

I know it gets better - heck, I know about the thing on Beth Fantaskey's website - you know, the thing she posted that you're supposed to read after you finish the story... I know how it ends, but man this is just brutal. I feel so sucky, too (no pun intended) because I know that everybody loves this book - I've seen so many people read it and enjoy it, so I'm embarassed that I'm having such a hard time with it.

There's an almost identical scenario to this one in City of Glass (for those who have read it)--only that lasted like 2-3 pages, whereas this has dragged out for over 100. And I must be an ultra-loser or something, because I just can't bring myself to read any more at this point. So I'll be reading something else this week, and after awhile I'll definitely come back to this, because I am curious for the resolution. I just can't take any more of the current story - the plot has totally degenerated, in my opinion...

Sorry for the drama. I guess I'm just curious if this has happened to any of you before? Like, having to take a break from a book, or maybe just not finishing it at all...?

SUGGESTION BOX: stand-alone YA books?!

Hey all -
I'm pulling out the suggestion box, wanting to know if anyone can recommend a YA stand-alone book?!
It seems like every book is being turned into a series, so I was wondering if any of you have read a YA stand alone book recently that you would recommend to others!

Right now I've got
Brightly Woven - Alexandra Bracken
The Queen's Dollmaker - Christine Trent
Ever - Gail Carson Levine
Heart's Blood - Juliet Marillier (not YA, but still fantasy)
Forgive My Fins - Tera Lynn Childs (when it comes out!)
Anxious Hearts - Tucker Shaw
Impossible - Nancy Werlin

This could maybe be a good way to get the word out on certain books by genre, like a bloggy Wanted Pages or something

:)

Friday Finds [8]

Friday Finds are books that you've heard about during the past week. For me, I'm taking it a step further: these are books I heard about and may potentially read. Friday Finds is hosted by MizB @ Should be Reading.

Forgive My Fins - Tera Lyn Childs; released May 19, 2010

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush. Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life. When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

This one looks interesting, and so I'll probably walk my happy little self to the bookstore on the 19th and pick it up... there's something cool about mermaids, and honestly I don't know of that many other good'ol mermaid books (SUGGESTIONS?) And the cover design looks cool...that's always a plus! I'm not sure, though - this book looks a little "cutesy" and that seems to be a style of Childs'...I'm kinda staying away from Oh My Gods because of that (and because Rick Riordan PWNS the greek-myth-in-modern-culture scenario! BOOM!)

and this one won't come out until the fall :(

Tyger, Tyger (Goblin Wars, #1) by Kersten Hamilton

Teagan Wyllston grew up hearing about Celtic mythology, night crawlers and banshees, and how the Irish Travelers have been at war with goblin kind since before time. One of her favorite stories is the legend of Fionn Mac Cumhaill, the great hero who defended his people and was cursed by the goblin god for all eternity. It's a good one, full of powerful beings and romance, but it is just that . . . a story, and nothing more. That is, until eighteen-year-old Finn comes unexpectedly into her life. Then, suddenly, the stuff of Irish legend doesn't seem quite so fantastical. Could Finn be her hero, like his namesake in the stories? Or is Teagan destined to fight the forces of evil herself?

Myth in the modern world - that's so Percy Jackson! I seriously love this formula and I'm excited to see what it'll be like with Celtic mythology this time. Usually authors who do Celtic stuff concentrate only on faeries and even then they kind of "play around with the facts." So I can't wait for this one! It's slated to be released November 15.