Review: Between the Lines

Title: Between the Lines
Author: Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer 
Pages: 352
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: June 26th 2012

Synopsis: 
Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.

And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

Delilah and Oliver work together to attempt to get Oliver out of his book, a challenging task that forces them to examine their perceptions of fate, the world, and their places in it. And as their attraction to each other grows along the way, a romance blossoms that is anything but a fairy tale.


Wow, all I can really say is, wow.

I knew I was going to like this from the start. Having read the synopsis, I knew this was the book for me. After all, I am a lover of fairy tales! I read this in one day, starting in the wee hours of the morning (try 3:00 am, after having fed my daughter) until around mid afternoon. I just did not want to put this book down! I should have been putting up my Christmas decorations like I promised myself, but instead I was so engrossed by this book, I had decided Christmas decorations could wait.

The book is as it sounds. Delilah becomes obsessed with a book, Between the Lines, and becomes attached to Oliver, our handsome prince. Delilah has read this book, a billion times, the same old book, until one day Oliver speaks to Delilah, and she listens. From then on Oliver and Delilah try, with a few fail attempts, to free Oliver from the story. It isn't until we meet a special character does Oliver and Delilah's dream come true.

I absolutely, positively, loved the lay out of the novel! It was unlike any YA book I've read before. Your standard YA books are in the usual; chapters. Not this beauty. Not only was the cover beautiful, but the book was full of beautiful illustrations that just added to the overall tone of the fairy tale. The book wasn't just in Delilah's or Oliver's point of view, instead you had chapters where Delilah spoke, then Oliver, but then you had chapters where it told the story of Between the Lines that Delilah reads and Oliver acts out. It was so much fun reading their story, while also first-hand reading the story Oliver lives in. And can I mention the illustrations again? Beautiful, color drawings of Oliver and his adventures.

Here I am, gushing about the beauty of this book, and I don't even talk about the characters? Well, you'll love them, I know I did! I could totally relate to the characters, especially Delilah. As a fellow book lover, I could relate to her desire to be a fictional character. I'm sure we've all come across a book we loved so dearly that we couldn't help but fantasize about us in that story. Don't lie. And Oliver, he was your handsome prince! What wasn't there to love about him. Handsome, brave, and sweet, I completely understood Delilah's love for him.

I honestly can't say there were any parts in this book I did not love, other than the fact it ended. And so my readers, this has to be one of my favorite reads of 2012. I'm now jealous of those of you who have not read this for you get to experience this new world, where I have already experienced it. Rereading this will never be like the first.

Happy Reading!

My rating:

Waiting on Wednesday (WOW) #6

Ah, I'm doing it, I'm finally making a blog post that's not explaining about my leave of absence. As per usual, Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created and hosted by Breaking the Spine.

There are so many books that will be coming out soon that I cannot wait for. It's kind of hard to choose just one, but here it goes!

The book I'm waiting on is Full Moon Kisses (Full Moon #3) by Ellen Schreiber.
Release date: December 26th 2012

Ellen Schreiber is one of my all time favorite authors, having wrote my beloved Vampire Kisses series. This is her other series about werewolves that I just absolutely adore! Loved the first two and am dying to get my hands on this one!

Until next time!

Why hello there, stranger!

Wow, it has been, how many months? Four and a half months since we last saw each other? I never thought I would be away for so long! But I'm back! I promise.

You see....

If you remember one of my last posts, I talked about how I was pregnant and the such. Well yes, I did have my daughter, on September 19th (10 days early!) and well you see, life got busy. During my last months of  pregnancy I just could not settle down to read a book. I even had a few book tours planned that I never got around to reading and doing...

And then after I had her, Theodora is her name, I was just getting the hang of being a new moon. Late night feedings and bum changes, surviving on 4 hours of sleep left me exhausted with little to no time for reading and blogging fun.

See valid reasons for my leave, I promise.

But that was the past and it is now the present and soon to be future.

I've got a hang of this mom thing now, I think, and can't wait to post more awesome reviews for you guys!!

Love you's!

Stacking the Shelves (#2)

Happy Monday everyone!! For the past little while I haven't gotten any new books, thus there wasn't anything to show for Stacking the Shelves (hosted by Tynga's Reviews) but I finally actually got some books in the mail I'm really excited about! 

The Dead I Know by Scot Gardner
Thank you Razorbill Canada! I'll be participating in a blog tour for this one, so stay tuned!

Wicked Jealous by Robin Palmer
This one came to me as a surprise, but I'm super excited to read it as it sounds like a very fun read for the summer :) Thanks Penguin (Speak)!

What did you guys get this week? Let me know in the comments or leave a link to your post and I'll come check it out!

Until next time,

Follow me Friday (#13)

Hey guys, and happy Friday! Today is another edition of Feature And Follow (or what I like to call, Follow me Friday!) As always, this is a weekly meme hosted by AlisonCanRead and Parajunkee'sView.

Q: Jumping Genres: Ever pick up a book from a genre you usually don't like and LOVE it? Tell us about it and why you picked it up in the first place.

A: Yes, as a matter of fact. I was never into history during Elementary school. Never liked it and I always thought "what's so important about the past anyways?" Little did I know then that the past actually helps our future, but anyways, that's off topic. Well there were these books going around called Dear Canada. I had a few friends reading them telling me they were great. Thing though was that they were historical fiction... HISTORICAL!! I couldn't stand anything historical. Well I picked one of the Dear Canada books up and instantly fell in love! Since then I can't seem to stay away from historical fiction, or even history (that's what I'm majoring in, if you can believe that). Now I read anything historical I can get my hands on, fiction or nonfiction. Because of those books I've seem to fall head over heels for the genre (thank you Dear Canada). 

On to you! Leave your link and I'll come visit your post and follow (if I'm not already a follower, that is).

Until next time,

Have you seen this cover yet? (Scarlet by Marissa Meyer)

Hey guys, so guess what I've just come across!?!?

The SCARLET cover and synopsis! If you don't already know, Scarlet is the second book in the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer.

Can I just say I loved, loved, LOVED the first in the series, Cinder, and cannot wait until 2013 to read this one!

Well anyways, here is an AMAZING picture of the cover for Scarlet:

Synopsis: 

Book two, Scarlet, is based on Little Red Riding Hood. It continues Cinder’s story as she attempts to escape Queen Levana’s vengeance and learn more about her past. The story also introduces readers to Scarlet, a girl living in southern France whose grandmother has mysteriously disappeared. In order to find her, Scarlet seeks the help of Wolf, a street fighter with more than a few mysteries of his own.

What do you guys think of the cover? I absolutely LOVE it! The Cinder cover was so incredibly cool, and I must say this one is too! I love the red cape and the lettering is so eye catching.

How about the synopsis? Does it sound promising to you? I love that it continues Cinder's story but that it also introduces another fairy tale character. I just love fairy-tale re-telling's!

Until next time,

Discussion: Why I don't like LOVE TRIANGLES...!

So recently I've been on the hunt for really great books to read during the summer (not that I don't have A LOT to get through now, but you know, I can't help myself). Anyways, as I was reading the synopsis of a few books on Goodreads, I couldn't help but CRINGE! Jeesh was there ever a vast amount of books that seemed to include love triangles!

Now let me ask you, what is the purpose of a love triangle? Is it there to piss me off? Create suspense? Give the book that extra "umphh?"

No!

I'll tell you what it's for... it's for authors who love to torment their readers by giving the character two love interests.

Okay... who in the world agrees with someone with TWO freaking love interests? It's like cheating, and I don't know about you, but I think cheating is the most disgusting thing a human being can do to another human being. One minute the character is out kissing and thinking about one person, and the next their out kissing or thinking or doing whatever with the other. Really? Is that really appropriate?

I don't mean to rant here, but c'mone. Can't an author find some other way to create suspense or "umphh?" I get sick of having my hopes up that a character ends up with a certain guy, especially one she/he worked really hard to get, but then turn around and freaking make out with another!

Here's my philosophy: If you really loved someone, you wouldn't be thinking or kissing someone else behind their back... simple as that!

For example, Luce from Fallen. If she truly loved Daniel, why was she kissing her best guy friend (for the love of me I can't remember his name)? Hmm? Doesn't she care oh-so-much about him? If so, then  maybe she shouldn't be kissing some other guy! So she was at a confused time, that doesn't mean you go around kissing other people!

Another example: Zara from Need. She works SO freaking hard to be with Nick, and him with her, yet here I am finding out about some "other" guy that she probably ends up with... WTF? When this sort of thing happens it makes me feel like I wasted my time. I went through all that trouble of reading about Zara and Nick trying to be together, just for them NOT end up together? Again, WTF?

Anyways, that is just MY opinion.

What do you guys think? Do you think what the hey, it's just the book, or do you dislike them like me? I'd love yo know!

(Please don't hurt me for having my own opinion. If you want to go ahead a rant in the comments about how I'm wrong and blah blah blah, go right ahead :) I'd love to hear what you have to say!)

Until Next time,

Review: Cold Fury

Title: Cold Fury
Author: T.M. Goeglein
Pages: 313
Format: ARC/Paperback
Publishing Date: July 24th 2012
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile


Please note: I received an advanced reading copy for review. My review is thus then based on this ARC. Please keep in mind that your published copy may differ slightly from my ARC copy. My review is solely based on my opinion of the book. Thanks.

I haven't read a book in 2 months! So you could probably imagine my excitement when I finally had the time to pick up a book. Cold Fury jumped out at me while I was scanning my bookshelf for the perfect after-the-reading-slump-book to read. That and it is released in July, so I new I had to get a move on. Nevertheless, Cold Fury sounded like a pretty entertaining read and I couldn't wait to get started. 

Boy was I wrong! Although the premises sounded promising- The Mob, assassins, a girl on the run with a mysterious brief case- the beginning was nothing I expected. 

Generally when you pick up a book and open that fresh, crisp spine to the first page, you're starting somewhere. Maybe the character is in the middle of a situation or maybe he/she is about to be put into some sort of situation, either way, something usually happens within those first few chapters that hooks you into the story line (that is if the author did his or her job). I'm sorry to say that T.M did NOT do his job. I can't say the beginning hooked me in at all. Let me explain why...

1) First of all, you don't begin a story by explaining everything that's going on (past and present) within the first freaking 100 pages! Jeesh, all throughout those 100 pages I was overwhelmed with SO much information that there were hardly any dialogue. Seriously this isn't a very dialogue-filled book. 

2) Can't say I knew the characters all that well. Not even the main character who spoke to you throughout the story. Sure, we get to know some family secretes, and we get to know about some assholes, but that doesn't mean you FULLY get to know anyone. There was just too much world building and not enough character building. One minute there is a new character introduced, and the next they seem to cease to exist. It's like the main character completely forgot about them! Ugh, now that's infuriating! 

3) I was disappointed with the action. From the sounds of the synopsis: 

"Now on the run from a masked assassin, rogue cops and her turncoat uncle, Sara Jane is chased and attacked at every turn, fighting back with cold fury as she searches for her family."

you'd think there would be quite a bit of it. WRONG-O! In actuality, the author spent so much time TELLING you (instead of showing you) what the mob was about and the Outfits and so on and so fourth that when there was action, it was fast and boring. A jab here, a kick there, and Sara Jane was on the run again, telling us even MORE information. This book is so overwhelming with information it isn't funny.  

4) Did I mention there was A LOT of information in this book. God, the author just went along the entire story line telling you stuff. I can't even remember half of the things that has to do with Sara Jane and her family. 

Okay, so as I clearly stated showed above, the book was kind of crappy. That said, there were a few aspects I enjoyed about the book that earned it its 3 stars.

1) The premise is interesting and I did think the author had something going. The whole Italian-mob aspect of it really intrigued me and I loved learning of all the family secrets- it made me feel like spy!

2) Sara Jane wasn't an entirely bad character. Despite not getting to know her too well she is still one kick-ass characters, and this I admire her for that.

3) Doug, Sara Jane's friend, was hilarious and had me laughing whenever he was in the picture.

So if someone were to ask me (maybe you?) if they should read this book, my answer is... Yes, give it a try. I'm all about finding out for yourself how a book is. Maybe you'll be intrigued by all the information, or maybe you'll be completely turned off. Hard to say, so I think you should read and find out for yourself.

  

Until next time,

BIG Betrayed GIVEAWAY!!! (Win a Kindle Fire and other Betrayed goodies!)

Hey guys, so yesterday I posted my first blog tour post, but unfortunately the giveaway link wasn't working, so if you were trying to enter the giveaway, sorry! Not to worry though because instead I'm just going to link to the post of the host of the tour so that you can enter. 

Here's what's up for grabs:
*5 ARCS of Betrayed
*10 Betrayed TEE shirts
*10 Fridge Magnets
*10 Signed Book Marks
*5 Betrayed Pens
*Kindle Fire

Opened Internationally!


To enter the giveaway click HERE to be redirected to Forbidden Passion Reviews where you can enter the giveaway via Rafflecopter. The link is directed right to the post for the giveaway so all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form and cross your fingers that you'll win!

The post also includes a list of all the bloggers participating in the tour in case you're interested in visiting other bloggers :)

Good luck everyone!

Blog Tour Stop: Betrayed by Ednah Walters + Giveaway + Behind the scenes!

Hey guys! I have an exciting post for you guys today! Today is the first time I'll be participating in a book blog tour! Today's tour is for Betrayed by Ednah Walters.

Here is a synopsis of the book:

 Lil isn't just an average teenager. She's one of the Nephilim--the descendants of humans and angels--which gives her some serious psi skills and a mission for redemption. Just when Lil thinks she's found a balance between her normal life with human friends and her training to become a Guardian, she's warned that someone close to her will betray her. When the boy she loves starts acting strangely and one of her human friends acquires a supernatural ability, Lil begins to realize that someone is manipulating the people she loves... and won't stop until she's been lured to the dark side.

My thoughts: (This is a shorter version of my full review that will be posted on a later date)

Betrayed by Ednah Walters was not a disappointment. I thoroughly enjoyed  the world Ednah has created with Nephilim and angels. Supernatural type books are always fun to read, and Betrayed was no exception. I can't help myself but become so giddy when I open up another angel-type book. That is exactly how I felt when starting Betrayed. Lil, the main character is such a likable character and I loved reading the book in her perspective. The suspense and thrills were outstandingly written and I can't wait to get my hands on the prequel Awakened. All in all I recommend you to pick up the first in the series and start the story of Lil. If you love supernatural type books, and are looking for supernatural type books to read during the summer, this is your series! 

Author Bio (from Goodreads): 

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy boys mysteries and fell in love with books

I enjoy good love stories, tingly mysteries and epic adventures. When I finished my college and decided to be a stay-at-home mother, I devoured books like they were going out of production, until reading just wasn't enough. So I started to write. 

I've written picture books (unpublished), contemporary and romantic suspense (under the pen name E. B. Walters), and finally YA fantasy (as Ednah Walters). 

AWAKENED (2010) is the prequel to the YA series about the Nephilim, The Guardian Legacy series. BETRAYED(book # 1) is now available wherever books are sold, HUNTED(book # 2) will be released in February 2013 and FORGOTTEN(later in the year 2013).

My adult contemporary with or without suspense is about a west coast Irish-American family series. I've published four Fitzgerald books: SLOW BURN (April 5th 2011), MINE UNTIL DAWN (June 29th 2011), KISS ME CRAZY (Sept 25th 2011) and DANGEROUS LOVE (Jan 29th 2012)

When I'm not writing, I do things with my family, five children and my darling husband of 18 years. I live in a picturesque valley in northern Utah, the setting for my YA series.

 Ednah's Website

For your enjoyment, here is a deleted scene:

“I mean it,” I added, going toe-to-toe and nose-to-nose with Bran. 

“He thinks he can sneak behind my back and steal you away from me,” he snarled, glaring at Sykes.

I poked at his chest. “Don’t use that tone with me. I’m…not…a toy…to be stolen.”  

“I didn’t have to sneak, Llyr,” Sykes said with a sneer. “You are never around when she needs you. You keep secrets from her.” 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bran yelled, jabbing a finger in Sykes’ direction. “I should just kick your ass right now.” 

Sykes spread his arms and telepathed, Bring it on.  

Boneheads. I glared at the lock and it slid into place. Without saying a word, I focused on Bran and Sykes, pushing them apart. Gasps filled the room when their backs slammed on opposite walls, heads almost touching the ceiling. I winced, for once hating the ability to feel Bran’s pain, but my hold on them didn’t ease.  

“Now listen to me because I swear, this is the only time I’m going to say this. I’m starting with you.” Bran’s eyes narrowed when I glared at him. “I’m not a toy Sykes can steal from you. I’m a person. I have a mind of my own, and feelings, and a right to choose. And I…chose…you.”
He grinned and shot Sykes’ a triumphant glance.  

“Though at the moment, I don’t know why.”  

Bran’s smile disappeared. 

Turning, I caught Sykes grin. “You have no reason to smile. I’m Bran’s girlfriend. You must accept that. No, don’t say a word,” I added when he opened his mouth. I released him, and he teleported to the floor. “Just leave and tell Izzy I’m ready. She can ping me when Valafar calls. Please,” I added when he hesitated. 

Sykes swaggered to the door without looking at Bran then turned and winked at me. Bran growled something under his breath. I had a feeling if I wasn’t holding him immobile against the wall, he would have decked Sykes.  

Bran cleared his throat and drew my attention. “Are you going to release me too?” he grumbled, still sounding pissed. 

“No. You distract me and I need to focus.” My voice was calm, which only infuriated him more. His eyes flashed. His wounds were already healing. The bruise on his chin was gone and a faint pink line was the only indicator he had a cut on his lip. The pain on his side and back were fading too because I couldn’t feel a thing. I sat on the bed and looked at my watch. Five-to-eight.  

 Plopping on my back, I closed my eyes and focused on the psi energies of my guests. Other than the Guardians’ larger, brighter orbs, there was nothing out of place with the humans’.
“I’m not going to apologize for threatening him,” Bran said, still not apologetic. “He was touching you. He’s lucky I didn’t rip his head off.” 

“First his arm, now his head. Why not just finish him off and every man you think is your competition,” I said with a sigh. 

“You let him touch you,” he added, sounding more hurt than annoyed now.
“I’ll be sure to punch him next time.”  

“There won’t be a next time,” Bran vowed.
Why were guys such boneheads.

GIVEAWAY!
To enter the giveaway visit my giveaway post where you'll then be redirected to enter the Rafflecopter form. You'll also be able to see what goodies are up for grabs (including a Kindle Fire!)


Click HERE to be redirected to the post so you can enter the giveaway!

Until Next Time!!

Review: The Mediator Series

Hey guys!! Long time no see!!

The past few months have been extremely crazy for me. With the pregnancy, my house renovations, my reading slump, finishing up school with exams, and my recent obsession with crochet, I've been extremely busy. Do not fret, for today I have  a book review for you guys! I've noticed that I talk about The Mediator series by Meg Cabot, a lot, and so I thought I'd do a series review for you guys. This is my all time favorite series and I can't wait to tell you guys why.

Last thing: Now that it is summer I'll be getting A LOT of reading time in. What else is a pregnant girl to do in this heat? That said, I also have TWO blog tours I'll be participating in! I've never done a blog tour, and so I'm SUPPER excited to partake in them. Stay tuned for them!

Without further ado...

    



Title: Shadowland, Ninth Key, Reunion, Darkest Hour, Haunted, Twilight
Author: Meg Cabot
Pages: 250-400
Published: December 2004- December 2005
Publisher: Avon Books



The Mediator series by Meg Cabot has been my go-to book for over five years now. The first time I picked up the series was definitely not my last. I think it's safe to say that most of us fall in love with books but never really come back to them. So much to read, so little time. You might completely adore the Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick or The Immortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, but you'll probably never come to read them again because there will always be all those other books you just have to read. The Mediator series an exception. I've reread this series to the extend that my book are actually falling apart. Here's why...

First book, Shadowland, starts off with our main character, Suze, moving to California to live with her mom and new step dad, along with his three boys. However, the day she moves into their beautiful new home, Suze wants nothing to do with California, or her bedroom... There's a ghost living in her room and no matter how much Suze threatens to kick his ass, he won't leave. Meet Jesse, the totally handsome and irresistible ghost that just wont leave Suze alone... But you also get to meet a previous student of Suze's new school that will do just about anything to get Suze out of the way. Suze is a mediator, someone who can see and communicate to the dead (and we can't forget about also kicking ghost ass). So when her hopes of starting her new life fresh, away from ghosts, are shattered, she knows what she's gotta do... well, kick ghost ass. The first book in this series is very catching and alluring. If you love a good ghost story with a hottie, then you will fall head over heels with the first book.

If you decide to then continue the series, Ninth Key, Reunion, Darkest Hour, and Haunted are fantastic series- continue- books that will keep you on your toes. There is always something new happening, more ghosts to send off to where ever they go, new love interests, as well as old (wink, wink) as well as a few shocking discoveries that left me at awe. The series never feels old are to much. Meg Cabot does a great job at continuing the series without overdoing it. Although she does continue some aspects of the books throughout the series, she introduces enough "new" stuff to keep you entertained.

So, if you then go this far into the series, then you have to complete the series with Twilight. What can I say, I'm a sucker for good-happy endings. For me to truly love a series or book it needs to have a satisfying ending. For books that are not the last in the series need to have some sort of hook that snatches me into their world. The entire series was just that and then the last was the perfect ending that left me satisfied. You know how you'll read a series and that last book will always have high expectations. You'll want thing or another to go your way, but when you get certain authors that rather do what the reader completely doesn't expects, well, that gets frustrating. Twilight is nothing like that! Meg Cabot actually takes the readers feelings and hopes into consideration and creates the best ending I've ever read. It's probably one of the reasons why I keep reading the series over and over again. So if you're looking/hoping for a series that will leave you happy, you can count on this series ending just the way you want.

All in all, this series is number one on my favorites list. I'm a big romantic-ghost-story kind of girl, so if you are too then this series is for you. Loved Anna Dressed in Blood? I think you'll love this. Loved Supernatural? I think you'll love this. It's got great, funny characters, a kick- ass heroin and a hot ghost boy. What more could you want this summer?

Follow me Friday (#12)

TGIF everyone! I am SO happy it is finally Friday. I cannot wait for next week to get here. I've got an ultrasound to see baby and I'm just over the top excited about it! Aside from that excitement, I've got a Follow me Friday today, since I haven't done one in a few weeks I figured it was about time I did. As always, this is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee!

Q: You are a matchmaker -- your goal, hook up two characters from two of your favorite books. Who would it be? How do you think it would go?

A: Oh, this sounds like a fun one. I'd go with Suze from The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot and Cas from Anna Dressed in Blood. Why? Because they both fight ghosts and have ghost-love-interests. I think they'd be perfect for each other because they could totally do a Supernatural and kick ghost ass! And I think it'd go great. Cas nor Suze puts up with shit, but I think they'd put up with each other's shit if they had to. I don't know, I can just see these two being together. The thought of it makes me smile... see ---->    :)

Until next time....

Notice anything different?

Hey piggers! How's it going?

I've finally started getting some reading time, which is so exciting because I have a ton of books I can't wait to dive into. But this post isn't about reading, as much fun as reading is. Today I'm here to tell you guys about The Little Blue Pig's blog MAKEOVER and to tell you guys which awesome blogger designed it for me.

The Little Blue Pig has always had bland designs. When I first started blogging I figured I could create my own blog header and go from there. After all, how hard could it be? Little did I know it is actually really hard, especially when you have no knowledge on web design. So after that fail attempt at creating my own blog design, because well, the ones blogger offers are kind of... dull, I set out to find someone to do it for me. At first I only found a handful of bloggers who also did blog designs, but some of the prices got pretty pricey in some cases. In the end I decided to settle on a premade design that one blogger had for free. It was great and all, but it just didn't scream "The Little Blue Pig." This is where the blogger who created my blog design comes in...

I'm sure all if not most of you guys know her, she's the fabulous writer behind LC's Adventures in Libraryland, Lea! I've been following her blog since before I started writing my own blog and always loved her blog design, especially when she totally did a blog makeover. When she started doing blog designs for other people, I figured it was about time to have my blog design done as well.

Her prices are so reasonable, and she is so professional and fun to work with. I truly recommend getting a blog design done by Lea if you're looking to get one done. The designs she does are just amazing and personal. Each blog design she creates fits your blog perfectly. I absolutely LOVE mine and hope you do to.

If you'd like to check out her blog design site click HERE
If you'd like to check out her book blog click HERE

She created the fabulous header showcased up top, the post signature down below, and the rating system and blog button to the right.

If you'd like, add my blog buttom to your blog and I'll add yours back :)

I hope you love The Little Blue Pig's new blog design and will consider Lea to create your blogs new look.

Until next time,

Long time no see...

Hey guys!

Yeah, so I haven't really realised how long its been since last time I posted. The last few weeks have been incredibly busy for me. And when I'm not busy, I just want to rest! My reasons? I've got a good one... I'm pregnant! Yay! I'm 21 weeks along currently and jeesh it's taking a toll on my back. I'm tired all the time. With the back aches, feet aches, and overall tiredness from having to get up at night, I haven't been in the mood for reading. That said, I also haven't bought any books besides a few pregnancy books and Insurgent (yes, I totally got a copy of course). With baby, I've got a lot of expenses to cover, so don't expect to many book hauls from now until around when baby is due. I'll probably be reading a lot in the summer, but right now with so much going on I haven't the time!

Anyways, keep watch on the blog as I'll have a special post coming up soon. I'm so excited to share it with you guys I can hardly contain my excitement.

I just want to let you guys no that I am here.

So now you know why I've been MIA :)

Book Blogger Hop (#1)

Hello, again!

I just recently discovered this hop over at Crazy for Books called Book Blogger Hop. It sounds really fun, so if you're interested stop by and follow along!

So basically there is a question posted every week and you answer it. Just like in Follow me Friday. I really enjoy answering these questions, and it really allows blog readers to get to know the people behind all these amazing blogs. Anyways, here's today's question:

Who is your favorite book character? I’ll give you a maximum of two choices, but they have to be from different genres!

Suz from The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot. Wow, I've already used this book today, but seriously, Suz is a great character! She's a tough-bad-ass kind of girl who doesn't put up with shit. And she's in love with a ghost! I love ghost stories, so with Suz+Ghosts+Romance+totally memorable characters= my favorite series ever!

Angela :)

Follow me Friday (#11)

Good morning little piggies! It's Friday, followed be another follow me Friday. Sorry I've been MIA for the past two weeks. I plane on writing a post about it soon, but I promise I have good reason (if you like babies, anyways). As always, this is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

Today's question is:

Q: This Sunday in the U.S. is Mother's Day. In celebration, what are some of your favorite books with strong mother/child relationships?

A: It's also Mother's Day here in Canada as well on Sunday. Just saying. Anyways, this is a real toughie. Like seriously. Well, I know this is probably cheating, but I used to love those Chicken Soup for the Soul books. I read this one about mother/daughter relationships and it was really touching. If I had to pick a fictional book I'd probably go with Suz and her mother from The Mediator Series by Meg Cabot. The trouble with finding a book with this kind of relationship is that fictional books I read don't generally focus on those types of relationships. But yeah, that's all I can think of.

How about you guys? New follower? Comment below and/or leave a link to your post so I can check it out and follow back!

Angela

Stacking the Shelves (#1)

Good morning piggies! Today I thought I'd try a different meme out for an IMM equivalent. I'm not sure which I'm going to stick with, so we'll see. This meme is hosted by Tynga over at Tynga Reviews. If you'd like, follow a long!

This week was another kind of slow week but still exciting! I didn't pick up Insurgent.... GASP! I know! I plan on picking it up next week though, I'm dying just waiting to get my hands on it. On a second note, although I didn't purchase any books, Penguin Canada was nice enough to send me 2 surprise packages. I'm really excited to read the following books, so enjoy:

and...

This the third book in the Graceling Realm, but I haven't read the other two so this gives me an excuse to purchase the others :) The series sounds really good, so I can't wait to dive in!

What did you get this week. Part of Stacking the Shevles or different meme, leave me a link so I can check your post out. Or, just leave me a comment.

Angela

Follow me Friday (#10)

Hey guys! Yay, it's finally Friday! This week was kind of long and I didn't get ANY reading done. This week was pretty crazy with a lot of personal stuff that went on. On a second note though, I got some books in the mail that I can't wait to show you on Sunday in Showcase Sunday! Until then, enjoy a Follow me Friday hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.

Q: What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?

A: Well, I'm kind of a shy person. When I met Kelley Armstrong last year I was so shy that I didn't say anything to her! Yes, I still kick myself for this everyday since then! Though, on May 17th I'm going to be going to another one of her signings, so maybe I'll take my shoe out of my mouth than.

However, I'd probably tell any of my favorite authors that they are BRILLIANT! AMAZING! THE MAN! (<--- I'm watching School of Rock, so "the man" is kinda in my head, lol). YOUR MY IDOL! But, if I had the chance to tell Barbara Park how much I loved her Junie B Jones books as a kid, I SO would! Seriously, they were probably the books that made me fall in love with reading so much.

How about you guys? Let me know in the comments or leave me a link to your post.



Angela

Showcase Sunday (#1)

Hey everyone! As I'm sure all of you know, there was that big MESS of things that went on with Kristi over at TheStorySiren, and so as a personal choice, I have decided not to partake in the IMM she hosts. So, I've decided to try out a new meme hosted over at Books, Biscuits and Tea. I may try other mailbox type memes or I may just stick with this one. We'll see how it goes :)

This week was a slow week for me. I only got two books because there are a few books I want to get, for sure, next month and so I'm saving up!

I've heard some good and bad things about this one. I though I'd give it a try considering it was paperback and this in the 10 dollar range. If it were hard backed I probably wouldn't have gotten it. Any who, they didn't have Social Suicide, so this one had to do.



and . . .

The only reason why I ended up buying this one was because the Chapters I was at had it for... wait for it... 2 FREAKING DOLLARS! And because I have a 10% discount card, I only spent $1.89. Yeah, I can't say I've only ever spent less than 2 bucks at the book store. (I actually have the first and second one in this series, so it kind of worked out. Now all I need to do is get the third one and I'm set)

What did you get this week? Showcase them off and I'll come take a look.

Follow me Friday (#9)

Hey everyone! Hope you guys are excited for the weekend! Now that my boyfriend has his Internet back I'm able to bring my laptop to his house and produce posts to post on the blog. Yay! Anyways, it's Friday, and as always the feature and follow Friday is hosted by both Alison Can Read and Parajunkee so be sure to check them out!

Today's question is...

Q: Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then "broke up" with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

A: I have to kind of think about this one. Authors for me, anyways, are pretty good at building characters that continue to grow; in a good way. If I had to choose someone, I think I'd go with Lila from Holy Black's The Curse Workers series: White Cat, Red Glove, Black Heart. I know there isn't too much character development for her, but I did start to like her at first. After all, she was a cat for how many years? So I felt bad for her. Did I "love" her in a way I generally fall for those awesome male characters, no. Though, towards the end of the series, my sympathy for her was lost, and so I just ended up hating her completely. What did Cassel ever really see in her? Jeesh, men. They make no sense.

How about you guys? Leave me a link to your post and I'll come check it out! Also, if you're a new follower let me know so I can return the favor!! ^.^

Happy Friday.

Angela

Book Organizaing 101

Hello everyone! How's your week been? Mines been fast, and considering there is a P.A Day tomorrow, short!

Today is just one of those days. You know, the type of day where you wake up and have the urge to organize! So that got me thinking, maybe I'll share with you guys some of the techniques and tips I use when organizing my books. I'm sure other blogs have done something like this, though I can't name any, however I figured I'd do my own spin on it. Now, this isn't necessarily the right way, but it works for me.

Today, since I organized all my to-read books, I thought I'd share with you guys how I keep track of all my to-reads that I own. It's time consuming, but awarding in the end!

I think a lot of you know of this way, or heard of it, but it actually really does help. What I do is go through my book shelves. I write down every book I've yet to read. Yes, this takes a while, especially if you have as many books as I do. You write the book title + the authors last name: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.
Continue to do this until you've got all the books to-read on your list. It took me about 3 and half pages worth, so be sure to do this on a day you have time!

Next, create a blank page on Word or Microsoft or any other writing program you like. Title it Own To-Read so you know what the document is. Next, write the alphabet from top to bottom, like this:

A

B

C

D

...

Now, this is the time consuming part. Under each letter, write a corresponding book title and author name. I did this alphabetically by authors last name, but you could also do it by book title.

When you're done, count all the books you've listed.

Note: I have books on my shelf that I haven't read but did not include on my list. If I'm more than positive that I will never get to that book (because I have way to many to get through), I don't add it, but I do keep it on my shelf.

At the top of the document write the total number of books. Now, every time you buy a new book, all you have to do is open the document and write the book title and author. Also, when ever you finish a book, all you have to do is erase it and change the book total. How easy, right? I like this way because as you continue to erase books, and see that number decrease, it gives you a sense of accomplishment. It's a great way to keep track of all your book.

*This is also great if you don't know what to read. Go to random.org and type in the total amount of books in your list as the maximum. Keep the minimum 1. All you have to do is press GENERATE and it will choose a number for you. This number will represent the book in your list that comes at that place. For example, random.org generated the number 33. All I'd have to do is count down from the top of my list until I get to book 33. Ta-Da! That will be the book I read next.

I hope you guys found this helpful, and encourages you to give it a try. You never know, it might turn out to be a great system for you!

I plan on doing Book Organizing 101 from time to time. But I need your help. I'm not one to plagiarize. If you know of another blog that is doing something similar and has named it "Book Organizing 101" please let me know! Give me their link so I can double check and change my title! As for the content, this is something I thought of doing as I do something similar for my crafting supplies. I don't take full credit as I'm sure other blogger's or readers have thought of this too!

Review: Need

Title: Need
Author: Carrie Jones
Pages: 306
Format: Hardcovered
Published: December 23rd 2008
Publisher: Bloomsbury

So I've had this one sitting on my book shelf since 2009. That was a long time ago. But I figured it was about time I read it. I must admit, I have mixed feelings about this one.

Need was truly a unique and original book. I've never read a book that was pixie based, so the concept was quite new to me. Although I've known about pixies, my favorite cartoon character being Tinker Bell, I had some vague knowledge on them. However, Need takes your green- squeaky-talking-pixie, and adds fangs and tallness to them. Warning, the pixies contained in this novel are not friendly. They'll eat you if you're male.

The beginning was slow and dull. The main character, Zara, is all depressed and gloomy. I get it, she just lost her step dad, but still. Perhaps Carrie, this wasn't a very good starting point? Hm? Who wants to dive into a book that begins all depressing? I sure as hell don't and actually almost gave up on it. But I stuck with it, so you should too.

The book finally takes off and you're sucked into the world of pixies! Ohhh, scary *heh heh heh*

Seriously, I would have given this book such a bad review and rating due to the extremely dull beginning, but I rather enjoyed the pixie aspect of it. Although the book doesn't get too much into pixie things, this book does touch on it and makes you want to continue the series to learn more about their culture. However, I find that there were more wolves than pixies. So if you think this is strictly a pixie book, you're wrong! Their are wolves and bears and eagles, so expect more than what the synopsis lets on.

The characters were alright, I suppose. Zara wasn't completely likable to me at the beginning. She's all depressed, gloomy, comparing everything to death. And she has a weird phobia fetish... weirdo! But eventually I did start to like her. I've read reviews of the later novels to this series and everyone claims that you really see her grow as a character. One can only hope. As for the other characters? There are her friends who are awesome and funny. Her grandma is no exception and you'll just love her. And than there is Nick. Of course he's the love interest in this book. I think everyone when reading this is all for Nick. I know I am. But I cheated and read somewhere *looks away* that Zara starts falling for someone else. Is this going to effect the second book for me? Definitely, but I'll live.

As for everything else, I really enjoyed where it took place. Okay, so I live in Canada where winters can get pretty bad. For the last few years our winters have completely suck, and in all honestly, I miss the snow. Not the gross, grey, slushy stuff. The white, fun, fluffy kind. So I think one day I just might move to Main, which is where the story takes place. It's really cold there and snowy. I like snowy ^.^

The writing was alright as well. Nothing special, maybe just average. The story went by rather fast, but I did feel some parts went by WAY too fast. Seriously, she was kidnapped and rescued in a matter of like 3 pages. What's that? C'mone, you gotta do better than that Carrie!

So the verdict? I'm currently reading the second book, Captivate. So that should slightly speak for itself. This series is definitely worth a look at.

3.5 ounces of pixie dust :)


Angela

Waiting on Wednesday (WoW) #5

Hey there! It's hump day as well as waiting on Wednesday! This, like always, is hosted by Breaking the Spine

It's been a good week for me this week. I just finished Need by Carrie Jones last night, so expect a review for that earlier today, and now I've started Captivate. I'm in such a reading mood this week :) BTW, in case you were wondering, there was no IMM like I usually do on Sunday because, well, I had no books! But I did get something this week, so stay tuned for that! Anyways, onto what I've been waiting on...

Drum Roll Please...




Gah, is that cover not gorgeous or what? I just came across this one the other day, actually. My blood is boiling with the need to read this one. Alas, it doesn't come out until October. Yes, I said OC-FREAKING-TOBER! That is way to long for a book with an amazing cover and mind blowing synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother, EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible.

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Emma-Rose may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.

Now, doesn't that just sound spanking amazing!! Be sure to add it to your goodreads to-read list. I have a feeling it won't be a let down (I hope). Goodreads Page

So, what are you waiting on this fine hump day (hehehe)? Leave me a link to your post below and I'll check it out!

Angela