LIBESTER Award Tag

My lovely friend, Brittnee, tagged me a few weeks ago to do a fun tag for new bloggers. Sadly, it has taken me forever to get this done, but without further delay, here it is! 

 

You can go here to see Brittnee's questions and answers if you would like. I would suggest you take a look, they are fun to read! 

Like with most tags, there are a few rules to follow, here they are:

1. Link the ones that nominate you. (Not sure why you wouldn't do this, but ok.)

2. Answer the 11 questions given to you. 

3. Nominate 11 people's blogs with less than 200 followers and ask them 11 questions.

4. Inform the bloggers of the nomination! 

Well, now that the rules have been covered...LET THE FUN BEGIN! 

1. Who is your ultimate book crush? OTP?

Ok, this one is pretty easy for me. I would have to say my main book crush (for now anyway) would have to be Percy Jackson. Which, also leads to my OTP...PercyBeth! Reading their story makes my heart melt! 

2. Which book will you not pick up because someone spoiled it for you?

I don't really have one I haven't read because of this, but I took forever to read Mockingjay because someone spoiled pretty much the entire book for me. I knew everything that was gonna happen....if you read the book you know what I'm talking about. 

3. Favorite Author? 

Any author that has written a book. I have too many writers I love for different reasons. Either writing styles or story/character forming. But, if I had to pick one.....Nope, I just couldn't do it. 

4. Are there any books you absolutely just won't read? Why?

I can't say I have a specific book I just won't read, but I usually won't pick up and read anything dealing with evil spirit possession. I love me a good horror book, and I don't even mind reading ones about ghosts, but when it's something about the person being possessed, I usually stay away. That stuff creeps me out too much to enjoy it. 

5. Who would your book parents be?

This question has really no answer. Any book I have read, usually has the parents as small mentionable characters or they are dead. So I have no parents to pick from. Unless I use dead parents...which means I wouldn't have any. So yeah....

6. What book made you cry the most?

I have had a few books make me cry. Most are pretty much all on the same level when it comes to the crying meter, but I'll just pick the book most recently heartbreaking for me. It's a tie between Mockingjay or The Fault in our Stars. Both were great reads for me, but both heartbreaking at the same time.

7. What Hogwarts House would you be sorted into? 

I am proud to admit I have been sorted into Gryfindor! This is not because I want to be (which I do!), but the house given to me on Pottermore. If you have an account, look for me! 

8. Which book do you wish you could rewrite?

I wouldn't mind rewriting Allegiant. I like the story well enough, but I had a few problems with the way a few parts were written. It seemed rushed and not as well done in my opinion as the other 2 in the series. 

9. What character would be your best friend?

Let us gravitate back to Harry Potter shall we... Oh look! There is Hermione Granger, you know, My Best Friend! *crosses fingers and wishes hopefully to be true*

10. What book is your absolute least favorite book of all time? 

Ok, so I hope no one who loves this book will hate me for saying this, but 1984 by George Orwell. I had to read this one for school, and I have to say I didn't enjoy it as much as others seemed to. To each their own I guess. 

11. Favorite book of all time? 

I'll have to go along with my answer for favorite author on this one. I have so many books I have read and fell in love with I couldn't possibly choose just one. But here are a few I would say off the top of my head:

1. Harry Potter series

2. Percy Jackson series

3. The Hunger Games

4. The Rock Harbor series

5. The Assassin's Curse duology  

Now here comes my turn to nominate 11 bloggers..only problem is, I don't know any. All the people I know that would qualify for this tag have already been nominated and I would hate to tag them again. So here is my proposal, if you want to use me as the person who tagged you, just let me know! I'll make up 11 questions for you to answer! 

I hope you enjoyed reading my answers, and if you would like to answer any, just leave your reply in the comments below! 

A small update!

Hello my wonderful bloggers!

I just wanted to make a quick post to let you know I haven't completely abandoned ship here. Being absent for a few days or a week may not seem long, but for blogging....well that is a whole different thing!

I am currently trying to get the dreaded routine of homework down. I recently stared back to college classes and homework has now slowly begun to take over my life. For all those in school, college or high school, I'm sure you can understand. On top of that, I have been slightly busy helping get ready for my brother's wedding. So much to do, and we only have 3 weeks before the big day!

  Just because classes have started back up does not mean I have lost my desire to read or do other hobbies I enjoy! I need something to help me procrastinate. ;)  With that being said, I do have a couple of books I am reading/going to be reading. Those are:

* The Pirate's Wish, by Cassandra Rose Clarke
* City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare
* Sway, by Kat Spears

  A couple of reviews will be posted soon!

*The Assassin's Curse/ The Pirate's Wish, by Cassandra Rose Clarke 
           Since this is a duology, I have decided to make a combined review that will cover the entire story.  This will be posted as soon as I am done reading The Pirate's Wish.

* Sway, by Kat Spears
            This is an ARC I received. I was hoping to get this posted before the release date, but time slipped away so I didn't make that deadline, but a review will be up shortly.


Along with reviews, I have a fun tag to do! My nice blogger friend, Brittnee over at Brittnee Bryan, tagged me to do the Liebester Award tag. I was thrilled to know she tagged me, but unfortunately I have not had the time to post my reply! Look forward to seeing this post soon!

   I hope everyone is doing well and hope to talk again with everyone soon!

Let me know if you have read any of the books mentioned, I would love to know your thoughts on them!!!

What do you have planned to read this week?

So long for now! Time to go get lost between the pages. :)

The Giver

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community.

  When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back. 

Author: Lois Lowry
Page Count: 180
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult.
Series? Yes (Book 1)

* BOOK and MOVIE review! *

We all know the saying, "never judge a book by the cover." Sad to say,  I didn't listen to this piece of advice when I was younger. I had the option many times in school to actually read, The Giver; but I would pick up the book and just sit it back down. I never tried to read the summary or held any interest in choosing this particular book. How could a book with an old man on the front be interesting?

  Needless to say, I was wrong. Like many people, I decided to finally read this book knowing a movie was going to be coming out based on it. My plans were to read the book then go watch the movie; however, that didn't actually happen. I ended up watching the movie first. Enjoying the movie only made me want to read this story more. For the first time in years of seeing this book around, my interest for this story was piqued.

  Dystopian books and movies seem to be taking the prime spot in today's culture. While there are some really good stories out there, sometimes it just gets tiring reading this genre. It was nice to see where some of these stories may have started. The Giver was probably one of the first dystopian books to be made popular before most people even knew what that genre of story was.  This gave The Giver a unique quality that I really enjoyed.

  I really enjoyed the aspect of the people being controlled, but not in a sinister way. There was truly no single person, or group, that wanted to control how the people of the community acted and felt. To make a better life for everyone, simple pleasures and pain humans feel were taken away. This allowed generations of people to live "happy" lives. No war. No pain. No emotional hurt. On the negative side of this concept, people couldn't feel love, true happiness, creativeness, desire, ambitions.  Even the simple joy of seeing colors and hearing music was stripped from the lives of people. Although this was a Utopia for the people, what true joy was there? Even a person's spouse and children were chosen for them by the Elders.

   On a completely different note, it was nice to see the struggle between The Giver and the receiver. Not only were they responsible for keeping the memories of all the world, they couldn't express any thoughts or feelings with their fellow citizens. How would you like to be the only person to feel love? How could you describe colors to someone who has no understanding of such a thing? Imagine not being able to read stories of magic and adventures. To live life only with what was considered practical and safe.

  Taking a look on the other side of things, the movie was a pretty good interpretation of the book. My favorite part of watching the movie was being able to see the black and white movie slowly add colors. As Jonas began seeing colors, so did the viewers. I think this was a great way to help the audience understand and connect with the characters.

  The casts of actors were a great choice, and I don't have any complaints about any of them. However, like most from book to movie adaptations, there were some differences between them. Here are a few major differences between the book and movie:
 
*Book                                                                      *Movie
- Jonas was 11, eventually turning 12.                    - Jonas and friends were 16.
- No love relationship.                                            - Jonas and Fiona have a relationship.
- Fiona and Asher were not always together          - Jonas, Fiona, Asher always together.
- Giver never shares the memory of music.            - Jonas gets the memory of music early on.
- The Chief Elder is hardly a character.                  - The Chief Elder is a major character.

  There are a few more differences between the book and movie, but the core of the story remained the same. The overall plot never changed, just a few of the details. Even though the book goes into deeper details about a few things, the movie has a nice was of showing the city and city life. The addition of Fiona and The Chief Elder's roles to the story really made the movie a bit more interesting.

  Overall, I enjoyed them both and would recommend fans of the book to see the movie. It was actually pretty good and worth a watch. If you haven't read the book, I would recommend this one to you. I would rate this a 4 out of 5 stars. Great story and it's a short, easy read.

What are your thoughts on the book or movie?

The Girl and the Clockwork Cat

Feisty teenage thief Maeko and her maybe-more-than-friend Chaff have scraped out an existence in Victorian London’s gritty streets, but after a near-disastrous heist leads her to a mysterious clockwork cat and two dead bodies, she’s thrust into a murder mystery that may cost her everything she holds dear.

Her only allies are Chaff, the cat, and Ash, the son of the only murder suspect, who offers her enough money to finally get off the streets if she’ll help him find the real killer. 

What starts as a simple search ultimately reveals a conspiracy stretching across the entire city. And as Maeko and Chaff discover feelings for each other neither was prepared to admit, she’s forced to choose whether she’ll stay with him or finally escape the life of a street rat. But with danger closing in around them, the only way any of them will get out of this alive is if all of them work together.

Author: Nikki McCormack
Page Count: 224 pages.
Genre: YA, Steampunk, Adventure.
Series? No.



* I received this as an eARC for review from Entangled Publishing *

  When the email came in that informed me that I was getting a chance to read this for review, I have to admit, I was pretty excited. The cover caught my eye right off! Can you blame me? there is a cat on the front! But, that was not the only reason I was excited. The three reasons I was pretty excited:

1. First accepted request for a book review by a publisher! 
2. First ARC to review before the release date.
3. First Steampunk novel to read! 

As you can tell, quite a few firsts there! So with that being said, let me get on with the actual book review...

  Being my first Steampunk novel, I wasn't too sure how the world was going to be set up. I know a little about the steampunk genre, but never actual read a story based on it. I was relieved to find out it wasn't something too crazy or unrealistic. Don't take me wrong, I love a good fantasy novel, but knowing this was supposed to take place in Victorian London, I was wanting something more believable. That is exactly what I got! The writing style used my McCormack made everything clear and the descriptions she used allowed me to picture everything in my head. I could almost see this as clear as a movie.

   Along with the beautiful settings, I really enjoyed the characters. Maeko was a great character to follow along with, and the way she handled the situations she was dealing with was well thought out and written. I fell in love with her pretty much right away, but she wasn't the only lovable character. Chaff, the protective, dependable mentor was also a pretty good character. Strong and loyal friend, Chaff made sure to protect those he viewed as family, and that included Maeko. Then we have Ash, the son of pirates and new found friend for Maeko. Each character is unique and has specific characteristics that end up making you enjoy them even more. Not sure if he counts but we can't for get Macak..the cat! 

   I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles, but I think this one works out pretty well. The underlining tone of romance is weaved into the story, but it's not the most dominate factor. Maeko has feelings for both boys, Ash and Chaff, and the reader will soon see they have feelings for her. I personally can't decide which one I would rather Maeko end up with. Each could be good for her on different aspects, which makes picking quite hard. Guess you'll have to read and decide for yourself. ;)

  Suspense and mystery is a personal favorite genre I enjoy, and this story had a great deal of both. When someone has been murdered and a group of teens have to figure out who did it and why, you know you are going to be in for a ride. I really enjoyed the mystery and loved how it kept you intrigued throughout the story. Each success led to another question, and new complications. It was a fast-paced story and hardly gave you a moment to put the book down. 

   While reading this story set in Victorian London with a group of teens on the trail of a mystery, I couldn't help but think of Sherlock Holmes. A younger, steampunk version that is. I enjoy a good mystery and I guess that is why I really enjoyed reading The Girl and the Clockwork Cat. I would give this book a 4 our 5 stars. Definitely one I recommend reading if you like a good suspense, mystery, steampunk novel. While any age would enjoy this, I have a feeling Young Adults would be the best age group for this book. 

The book went on sale September 2, so be sure to find you a copy! 

Have you read this book? Do you want to? Leave a comment below to let me know! 

Top Ten Tuesday #3

Top

Ten

Tuesday!

This is hosted by the lovely, The Broke and the Bookish.  Couldn't do this weekly post without them, so be sure to check out the other links on their page!

This week's Top Ten is:

Top Ten Book Characters That Would Be Sitting At My Lunch Table!

Since school is getting back in session, it seems only right that this week's Top Ten would feature a school related theme.

To be honest, I kinda like the way this is phrased. Maybe it will be just me that takes it this way, but to me this question is not asking who I would want at my table, but rather, who would actually be more likely at my table. So I have no problem admitting I'm not the coolest person out there, so some of your major "cool" characters...probably NOT at my table. They would wish they were, but hey..we can't all be awesome, right?

So let's get down to listing who I would be striking up a conversation with over a slice of school lunch..

1. Cath Avery (Fangirl) 
Cath is a quiet, introvert type of person. She loves to read Simon Snow, and even writes award winning fanfiction for it. Even though I'm not quite as sociably shy as Cath, we are a lot alike. We both have a great love for the characters in a story, the only difference...I have never written a story with those said characters. Imagined them? Of course, but never actually written them down. However, her writing advice could come in handy to someone like me.

2. Leo Valdez (Heroes of Olympus) 
He may be an awesome demigod on an adventure to save the world..but poor Leo is just a lovable klutz of a guy. His humor would bring a great amount of joy to the table, and not to mention we would have some pretty good stories.

3. Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson & Heroes of Olympus) 
A book loving, strategy planning, architecture obsessed demigod. I don't have a specific reason as to why she would be at my table, just seemed like a good fit.

4. Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson & Heroes of Olympus) 
The only reason Percy is included is for the fact he wouldn't be anywhere without Annabeth.

5. Luna Lovegood ( Harry Potter)
Do I really need to say more than Luna?

6. Neville Longbottom (Harry Potter)
Sweet, loyal Neville. He would definitely find a place at our table!

7. Piper McClain (Heroes of Olympus)
Piper is a daughter of Aphrodite, yet she doesn't care for fashion, nor being the center of attention. Sounds like she could fit right into our little table.

8. Jason Grace ( Heroes of Olympus) 
Same reason as Percy on this one. He will be wherever Piper is.

9. Matilda Wormwood (Matilda)
Another book loving girl. With the rest of us book lovers, I'm sure she will feel right at home.

10. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)  *Add Ron too, just because they're married!
Cares about getting expelled more than dying, can find any answers you need from a library, and has all the teachers questions answered before class...Yep, she fits perfectly at this table!

So there are the 10 characters I would be eating with. Not a bad selection if I say so. I personally would love to have eaten lunch with them. Definitely the makings of a great group.

**Sorry for all the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson people. (Guess being my favorites it was bound to happen.)

Would you want to eat with any of these 10?
Leave me a link to your Top Ten and I'll be sure to check it out!!