Follow Friday #7

Wow, it's been a long time since I did one of these!  Anyway, this week's Feature & Follow Friday (hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read and Rachel over at Parajunkee) asks bloggers this question:

"What would you do over if you were to start your blog again from scratch?"

My answer?  I kind of already started over, in a way, when I completely revamped my blog.  I finally thought of a name and a theme I loved, and was kind of surprised I hadn't thought of it sooner...I'm terrible like that when it comes to naming things, though.  Since I'm still a relatively young blog, as far as post count goes, I felt it was safe enough to change things up without confusing anyone.

It was easier than I thought it would be to change my username and email account on all the different social media networks, so that was a convenient surprise.

Anyway, if I were to go back in time or something and start my blog knowing what I know now, I would have probably tried to do a little more research and put more thought into the setup and such - I went in thinking no one would ever read this except me and maybe a couple bored people on my Facebook friends list, so I figured I'd just put whatever and it wouldn't matter.

I'd also spend more time on some of my earlier reviews.  I'm not completely happy with some of them, especially some of the sequel reviews.  For me, reviewing a sequel is a little tricky, because no matter how old a book is, there will always be someone who hasn't yet read it, and I worry about inadvertently posting spoilers.  So my earlier sequel reviews were very brief and not nearly as thoughtful or potentially helpful as I would like; I think I've gotten a bit better with this particular thing, but there's still definitely some room for improvement.  Maybe someday I'll go back and review those ones again, but we'll see...after all, I have SO many books I haven't even had a chance to open yet!

What about you?  Is there anything you'd do differently if you were to start your blog again from scratch?  Leave me a comment or a link to your own FF post and let me know!  And don't forget to check out the "features" in Feature & Follow, Michael at The Bookshelf Review and Mandee at Compelled By Words.

And now a shameless plug:  I have a giveaway going on that will end on 18 August!  In celebration of the DVD/Blu-Ray release of The Hunger Games, I am giving away a prop replica of Katniss's mockingjay pin!  

In a couple of days I will be able to know if I can add to this prize the winner's choice of one of the books from the trilogy!  So if getting only the pin doesn't interest you, just check back in a day or two.  This giveaway is open internationally.  Just click the word "giveaway" in the above paragraph, or follow the button in the sidebar.  =]

Wishlist Wednesday #2: Anna Dressed in Blood

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Dani at Pen to Paper.  This is an opportunity to share a book that is on your wishlist - whether it's one that has been on your list for a long time, or one you just found out about.

This Wednesday, I chose to feature Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake.  I've been dying to get this ever since it came out, and since the sequel, I want it even more.  For those who might not be familiar with this one, here is the book description from Goodreads:

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.  

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay. 

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home. 

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life. 

I hope I can manage to add this one to my library sooner rather than later.  What's on your wishlist?

Wishlist Wednesday #1: Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book

It's my first post for Wishlist Wednesday!  This is a meme hosted by Pen to Paper.  The idea, as you may have guessed if you aren't already aware, is to share a book that is on your wishlist!  It can be something that's maybe been sitting in your wishlist for quite some time, or maybe it's something you just discovered and are really anxious to get and start reading!  It isn't really about hoping someone sees your post and grants your wish (though it would be nice if I had a Fairy Godmother for my wishlist!) - it's just another fun way to share books you would like to get on your shelves, and to see what others are wanting for theirs.  You might find something new to add to your own list!

In My Mailbox #9

It's been a little while since I've posted for In My Mailbox, but here it is!  IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, where bloggers can share any bookish loot they've acquired over the past week (or so).

So!  Here's IMM #9, which includes some more Black Friday books and also my Bookworm Santa gifts!

Gifted:
From my Bookworm Santa


The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
& other goodies!

Bought:
From Half Price Books

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Dune by Frank Herbert
Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin
A Lady of His Own by Stephanie Laurens
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
The Icebound Land by John Flanagan

I also got my Moo cards in the mail!  And that is Part the Third of my Black Friday haul, and also the first time I've actually done some editing in the video - so if it's a bit choppy, I apologize!  I also want to say thank you again to everyone who entered my giveaway, Spreading the Gospel of Austen and also to my Bookworm Santa, whoever you are!

So tell me...what was in your mailbox?

Teaser Tuesday #10 - Girl, Interrupted

Has it been a week already?  Things are so hectic right now - it's the last week of classes, then next week is finals week!  So this is going up late - but it's still Tuesday, haha.  Anyway, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.  To join in, just post a couple teaser sentences from whatever book you're currently reading - but careful not to include any spoilers!

Right now I'm re-reading Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen.  It's been quite some time since I've read this one, but I enjoyed it the first time and I enjoy the movie.  So here's a little tease for you:

"After Lisa Cody got her diagnosis, the Lisas started making more trouble.  'Acting out,' the nurses said.

We knew what it was.  The real Lisa was proving that Lisa Cody wasn't a sociopath.

Lisa tongued her sleeping meds for a week, took them all at once, and stayed zonked out for a day and a night.  Lisa Cody managed to save only four of hers, and when she took them, she puked.  Lisa put a cigarette out on her arm at six-thirty in the morning while the nurses were changing shifts.  That afternoon Lisa Cody burned a tiny welt on her wrist and spent the next twenty minutes running cold water on it." (p. 59)

Okay, I know that was more than one or two sentences.  lol.  I can't help it!  What are you reading?  Leave a link to your Teaser Tuesday in the comments!

In My Mailbox #8

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.  Share what you've acquired over the past week (or so), whether it be something you received for review, were gifted, won, or something you purchased.

I really wanted to share all of my Black Friday Half Price Books haul with you guys, so this is sort of a continuation of yesterday's IMM post.  So if you didn't see my post yesterday, and you're curious what else I got, check it out here!  Either way, here is another video for you all, in which I say the words "batch," "which" and "really" a lot.

So, to recap from the video, or if you aren't watching the video but still want to know what I'm sharing today, here's the list...

Bought:

From Half Price Books

Kathleen:  The Celtic Knot by Siobhan Parkinson

Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan by Mary Pope Osborne

Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, A Jewish Immigrant Girl by Kathryn Lasky

Sparks by Laura Bickle

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Enchanter by Sara Douglass

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares

Forever in Blue by Ann Brashares

So that's it for Part the Second of my Black Friday purchases; tune in later on this week for the next of them! Did you get anything this past week?  Let me know in the comments, and feel free to leave a link to your IMM post if you have one!

In My Mailbox #7

I didn't get to do a post for In My Mailbox last week, but here it is now!  This is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, to share what has been won, bought, or otherwise received over the past week (or so).  As I mention in the video, I did get a few things in the mail the other week, but I also went to Half Price Books on Black Friday - if you've seen any of my other IMM posts, you may have noticed that I have a tendency to go a little crazy at that store, and this time was no different.

Won:

Changeless by Gail Carriger

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Thanks to Kim at Baggins's Book Blabber for hosting the giveaway!

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Thanks to Dani at Pen to Paper for hosting the giveaway!

Bought:

From Half Price Books

Scoundrel by Zoe Archer

Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout

Child of Darkness by Jennifer Armintrout

Veil of Shadows by Jennifer Armintrout

Kathleen:  The Celtic Knot by Siobhan Parkinson

Boxed set of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams:

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

Life, the Universe and Everything

Mostly Harmless

So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish

And that's it for today at least!  I'll do another video tomorrow to share some more of my haul from the bookstore.  Have you gotten anything new and bookish?  Tell me in the comments or leave a link!

Teaser Tuesday #9 - Tempest

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading.  To play along, just post a couple of teaser phrases from whatever book you're currently reading!  Just be careful not to include any spoilers - we don't want to ruin the fun of reading the book for ourselves!  Right now, I'm reading an ARC of Tempest by Julie Cross:

"Hours later, I was right back in my spot by the tree, writing down everything I could manage.  It was a desperate attempt to stay connected, grounded to reality.  Plus, this way there'd be a written explanation of my recent adventures for Adam or the future Adam, if someone found me lying dead somewhere." (p. 36)

It was harder than I thought, to find a quote for this book that wouldn't have too much of a spoiler in it!  Tempest is set to release in January of 2012.

Teaser Tuesday #8 - The Memory of Earth

Time for another Teaser Tuesday, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading!  To play along, just post a few sentences from the book you're currently reading - but be careful to not include spoilers!  Right now, I'm reading The Memory of Earth by Orson Scott Card.  It started off a bit slow, but it's beginning to pick up now, so I hope it ends up really good!  So far, my favourite character is Luet, a seer.  So while this is not the most exciting thing in the book so far, it made me smile when I read it, and I hope there will be a lot more of her to come!

" He was alone with Luet.

 'I shouldn't have spoken to you before,' she said.  

'And you shouldn't speak to me again, either,' suggested Nafai.  

'Some people hear a lie when they're told the truth.  You're so proud of your status as the son of Rasa and Wetchik, but obviously whatever genes you got from your parents, they weren't the right ones.'   

'While I'm sure -you- got the finest your parents had to offer.'  

She looked at him with obvious contempt, and then she was gone."   (p. 43)

Post a link to your teaser in the comments!  And on another note, I've created a Formspring account for the blog; there's a link under the Connect sidebar widget.  If you have any questions about the blog, books, or about me in general, feel free ask me there if you'd like!

In My Mailbox #6

Welcome to another In My Mailbox, a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren!  This is a chance for everyone to share what they've acquired in the past week, whether it be something they won, were gifted, or bought for themselves.  And today I have an awkward video for you all!

So, to recap...

Won:
Dark Seeker by Taryn Browning
Thanks to Tiffany at For Those About To Read for the giveaway, and thanks to Taryn for signing and sending out the book!


We All Wore Stars by Theo Coster
Thanks to Library Thing for providing this through LT Early Reviewers and to the publisher, Palgrave MacMillan for sending it to me!

And don't forget to check out my giveaway, Spreading the Gospel of Austen, to enter for a chance to win either a signed copy of Jane Austen for Dummies or two of Jane Austen's novels!  The giveaway will end on 16 December and is open internationally.  Thanks for stopping by, and let me know what's in your mailbox!

Teaser Tuesday #7 - Embers

Welcome to another Teaser Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading!  It's easy to play along, just post a few sentences from whatever book you're currently reading - but be careful not to include any spoilers!  I just started a new book last night,  Embers by Laura Bickle:

"The basement spirit was stronger than she'd thought.  She imagined the owner of the house facing this thing alone, and bristled at its arrogance.  Power like that could have crippled or killed the old woman.  As for what it had done to the pickles...blasphemy." (p. 10)

Yep, anyone who knows someone Polish/of Polish descent knows we love a good a pickle!  I'm only up to chapter three in this book, but I had to tear myself away from it to make sure I at least tried to get some sleep last night.  That is to say, I'm really enjoying it so far!  It's an added bonus that this book is set in Detroit, and the main character, Anya, lives in Hamtramck - my father's mother was from Hamtramck, so even just reading the background and description is fun for me.

What are you reading right now?  Link to your teaser in the comments!

In My Mailbox #5

Happy Sunday, everyone, and welcome to my fifth post for In My Mailbox - a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren!  This is a really fun way to connect weekly with your fellow bloggers, and if you're nosy like me, it's lots of fun to see what books and bookish things everyone's gotten their hands on in the past week!  While the meme is titled "In My Mailbox" though, you can show off items that you got in other ways as well - be it from the library, purchasing in person, maybe something you were gifted, etc.  It's show and tell for bookworms!

I kind of wanted to try doing a video post for this meme every week, but I'll just be doing a regular post today  since I've just got one thing to share with you guys, and I want to make it fairly quick.

So!  I had entered a giveaway hosted by Pixie at The Bookaholic, and won a copy of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater!  It came in the mail this past week, and I'm so excited to have won it - I've seen tons of great things about this book and the author, so I had been wanting to read this for quite a while now.  Thanks again, Pixie!  :)

What did you all get in your mailboxes?  Let me know in the comments!

Follow Friday #6

Follow Friday is back again!  This is a weekly meme co-hosted by Alison at Alison Can Read and Rachel at Parajunkee.  Each week, both Alison and Parajunkee feature a blog as well - this week's featured blogs are:  The Book Nympho and Mother Lode. So go check them out!  This is a great way to connect with your fellow bloggers, and get to know them a little better as well, perhaps - since a part of Follow Friday is answering the question of the week!

This week's question is:

In light of 11.11.11 and Veteran's Day, tell us about your favorite soldier and how he or she is saving the world (fictional or real life).

Teaser Tuesday #6 - Jane Austen for Dummies

I haven't been bloggity-blogging too much lately, since I am at the point in the semester where I have a lot of papers and projects going on, but I can't pass up another Teaser Tuesday!  It's a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading, and it's easy to participate:  just grab your current read and post a couple teaser sentences - be careful not to include any spoilers, though!

I know mine is going up later than I normally would have liked, but it's still Tuesday, so here it is:

 "Introduced to England from Germany in 1812, the waltz had a catchy rhythm, but it required the partners to be in close physical proximity, with the male partner's arm around the female's waist.  Four years after its introduction, the scandalous waltz was approved by England's great dancing arbiter, Thomas Wilson.  Even then, the waltz was only approved for married couples who were dancing together!" (p. 107)

Just one of many fun facts about Georgian England! So if you ever wondered why, in the books or films you never see the characters doing anything but a country dance or a reel, here is your answer! Other dances were likely too risqué.  Can't imagine what people from the Regency would think if they saw how people dance now!

In My Mailbox #4

It's Sunday again, which means it's time yet again for another In My Mailbox, hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren!  In My Mailbox is a weekly meme where bloggers share/show off what they've gotten over the past week, whether it be something you bought, won, were gifted, or were given for review.  They didn't have to have come to you through the mail, necessarily, either - however they came to be on your shelves is fine!

Anyway, on to my mailbox!  This week, I decided to try out doing a vlog for you guys:

IMM Recap:
Sent from author
-  Her Dear and Loving Husband by Meredith Allard

Other mentions
- Medieval Mantles (beautiful handmade fabric bags!)

And that's all I got In My Mailbox this week.  Feel free to link to yours in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday #5 - Jane Austen for Dummies

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.  Just pick up whatever book you're currently reading and post a couple sentences as a teaser - be careful not to use any spoilers, though!

Right now I'm reading Jane Austen for Dummies by Dr. Joan Klingel Ray.  This book will be the main feature of my upcoming giveaway, so I wanted to read it all the way through and get a review up for those of you who may be interested in entering.  Here's a little snippet in case you aren't sure this book would be interesting:

"These letters reveal an Austen who could be cynical, nasty, cruel, and sarcastic.  Here are some examples:  'Mrs. Hall, of Sherborne, was brought to bed yesterday of a dead child, some weeks before she expected, owing to a fright.  I suppose she happened unawares to look at her husband.' (October 27, 1798)"

Very harsh! This was written when Jane was 22, and of course, infant mortality rates and likely also risk of something like a miscarriage were MUCH higher back then, so it would have been more of an everyday occurrence.  Still sad, but probably easier to treat as a commonplace event (especially if it's not someone you're terribly close to).  I wonder who this Mrs. Hall of Sherborne was, and why Jane would say something like this about her or her husband - maybe she's mentioned again later in the book... 

For the record, I'm not into dead baby jokes, but I thought this was a good teaser, because a lot of people tend to shy away from novels and authors from before the 20th century, because they perhaps feel the books will be boring and dry.  But obviously, people back then were not always so polite and boring as one might feel inclined to think!  And with Austen, this cynicism and sarcastic wit is transferred to a great many of her novels' characters.

Follow Friday #5

Another week, another Follow Friday, hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee!  Follow Friday is such a great, fun way to connect with other bloggers.  And each week, our co-hosts each feature one other blog!  This week's features are:  Reading in the Corner and In Which Ems Reviews Books!  So go check them out. :)

Each week, we are also given a fun little question to answer!  This week's question is...

If you could have dinner with your favourite book character, who would you eat with and what would you serve?

This is such an easy question for me:  I would eat with Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter.  I really love Luna!  She's so comfortable with her quirkiness, and I find that kind of self-confidence very admirable, especially in someone so young.  When you're a teenager, there is so much pressure to fit in with whatever group you want to be associated with, but Luna doesn't seem to have those kinds of worries at all.  So while I'm probably more like Hermione, I would totally want to be best friends with Luna, too.

As for the food, I am no cook.  It took me a really long time to master hard-boiled eggs, and I still haven't quite gotten the hang of scrambled eggs.  I've also burned the heck out of many a frozen pizza.  There is only really one dish I'm capable of cooking "for real".  I'm not sure what Luna's cooking abilities are, but it wouldn't matter because you can bet we would be having our meal in the Great Hall.  Where I would be stuffing my freaking face with a sampling of all my favourite foods - the idea of a magical buffet appeals to me more than I would like to admit.  Crab legs, rice (any kind...all kinds?), cod, pasta alfredo with shrimp and scallops, chicken and dumplings, carrots in a butter glaze, cheese pizza and french fries, and more bread than a baker would know what to do with.  Bacon, chicken cooked in a variety of different ways, cornbread stuffing...and now I'm just making myself hungry again!  I think you get the picture, though. XD

In My Mailbox #3

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. I was trying to post this meme the same day each week, but it's coming a little late this time, because on Sunday I went to the Half Price Books Warehouse Clearance in Farmers Branch! HUGE thanks to follower Coren for giving me the heads up about this fantastic event! Basically, you walk in the door to the warehouse, and are handed a giant tote bag. The idea is you fill up the tote bag as much as possible, and you get the bag and its contents for $10 total. Need more bags? The deal applies to each bag you fill up. I only did one bag, though! I mostly got a TON of fantasy novels, and most of those are Dungeons & Dragons. There are so many, I'm not going to post them all here, but you will see them eventually! I found individual copies of R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf Trilogy books, and also an individual copy of The Crystal Shard, so I've swapped out cover images on my reviews for those books.

The non-fantasy books I got were: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold; The Choice by Nicholas Sparks; The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares; The Lake House by James Patterson; The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier.

Follow Friday #4

Another week racked up, another Follow Friday to post! Follow My Book Blog Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee! Visit their sites to join in the fun, and don't forget to check out this week's featured blogs - The Bursting Bookshelf and Book Savvy Babe.

This week's Follow Friday question is:

"What superhero is your alter-ego?"

I don't know that I really have an answer for this question, to be honest! I enjoy comic book heroes and the like, but as far as considering one of them as a possible alter-ego for myself, I really don't know. They are all pretty much my opposite! Very strong, confident, beautiful, talented. Like Red Sonja. Bitch is FIERCE. Though since she's more sword-wielding vigilante than superhero, I guess. Her superpower could be vindictiveness and the ability to wear tiny mail bikinis? An extreme sense of justice? But hell, even Squirrel Girl, then. Making friends with creatures is not easy! I try to make friends with every cat I see and sometimes squirrels, and let me tell you - it doesn't work a vast majority of the time. I think that's why my main avatar on WoW is a hunter with special talents in beast mastery. I just want to be friends with the animals, guys.

I also used to be really obsessed with the Powerpuff Girls and I also love the Sailor Scouts/Sailor Senshi, lol. Don't judge me!

Maybe I AM a superhero. By day, I am College Student - with the developing power to side human bones within a margin of error and the power to distinguish separate phonemes from their allophones with an adequate data set! Also the power to speak French rather poorly! The power to find a space in the front parking lot every day!

By evening and on the weekends I am The Recluse - with the powers to rearrange bookshelves and to escape from reality at will with a book or a computer game!

That, and I guess my avatars on WoW could be considered alter-egos of sorts.

So! Who's YOUR alter-ego?

Edit: I took a "What Superhero Are You" quiz, and it says I am the Invisible Girl from the Fantastic Four.

Teaser Tuesday #4 - Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters

Yes, it is Tuesday yet again - who's ready for a bit of a tease? I'm still reading Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters, so you get another little sneak into this one. Hope you like it!

"Glancing up in her shock, she was confronted with the strangest sight of all: Miss Steele was lacing up her whale-bone corset and there, on the small of her back, was etched a tattoo in scarlet ink; it was the cryptic five-pointed pattern, exactly as had appeared to Elinor so many times, in such darkly portentous fashion, since her arrival on Pestilent Isle."

So it turns out there is a little more than just a simple, absurd rewrite in this book! I'm intrigued; are you? Feel free to leave a link to your teaser in the comments! If you haven't played before, Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Just open the book you're currently reading and post a couple of sentences as a teaser - careful not to include any spoilers, though!