Feature and Follow Friday - January 30th, 2015

So, I went from not doing this meme at all the last half of 2014, to now I started my first Friday of 2015, and now the last Friday of January 2015 doing a meme I used to be pretty regular with.  But I am definitely open to new followers, so this will be a fun time to join in again. And once again, I'm in between reviews.

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week's question/activity is:

Hard print (real thing) or Kindle/Nook, which is your favorite?

This is an easy, but detailed answer for me.  I prefer to own an actual book.  I want to put it on my shelf and be able to look at it.  However, what I love about my Nook is that I can get so many more advanced e-galleys that way than I ever did as actual physical ARCs.  Plus, I've gotten a lot of free e-books, ones that I've been excited to hear about, as well as once in awhile ones that I've wanted to read but just haven't had the money to buy.  So, give me a real book first, but don't take away my Nook!  

What about you?  Which do you prefer?  And if you don't mind, if you're not already following me, I've listed my preferred methods of being followed below.

Feature and Follow Friday - January 2nd, 2015

It's been over 6 months since I last participated in this meme.  But I just realized even if I finish the current book I'm reading, I have to wait till next week to post my review for my stop on the blog tour.  So I decided I'd join in to Feature and Follow Friday for the first time in 2015.  Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week's question/activity is:

Happy New Year!!!! What was your favorite book of 2014 – or books if you can’t name just one? – via AlisonCanRead

Well, it is always impossible for me to pick just one favorite, so I'm going to try to narrow it down to six.  Here goes:

So many more good ones this year!  I could have listed more, but tried to limit myself.  What were your favorite books?   I have two ways I prefer followers, shown below, and you can follow over on the right side of my blog!

Sunday Post #11 and Stacking the Shelves June

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

I had planned to do this last Sunday as I had downloaded several e-galleys. But, I was still kind of working on recovering from my surgery.  I think Sunday was the first day I tried to take a shower and really get around.  And the shower kind of wore me out.  So instead I saved and will do a two week Sunday post.  This past Tuesday though, I finally got to come back to my own house.  Doing that gave me more time to just sit and read, and I was able to get almost a book a day read!  And then when I felt up to it, I tried to blog every day as well.

Last week on the blog:

• Review:  Conversion by Katherine Howe
• Review:  Grasshopper Jungle  by Andrew Smith 
• Review:  Just Like the Movies by Kelly Fiore
• Feature and Follow Friday:  Your favorite coffee mug
• Review:  Eat, Brains, Love by Jeff Hart

This week on the blog:

Well, I'm sure I will have several reviews as I continue to read about one book a day.  Thursday I go back to see my doctor for my 2 week post-op visit.  So I'm hoping that I can start driving myself again! That is one of the things that has been the biggest annoyance as I begin to feel more like myself.  Not being able to jump in the car and go get some french fries when I see a commercial on tv that makes me want them!  Maybe I'll try this week to get  through another book for my Big Book Challenge.  Maybe Light by Michael Grant, to finally finish that series, which will also help me for my Prequel and Sequel Challenge.  Actually, I'll probably need to do an update for that last challenge, as I've been doing those updates about every two months instead of every month.  So that will probably be a post this coming week as well.  There may be a Waiting on Wednesday as I have a couple books I'm really waiting on, but didn't get at BEA.

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a way for us to share the new books we have collected.  I didn't do this post last weekend, so this will include everything for the past two weeks.  

E-galleys from Edelweiss:



The first one is by an author I love.  And while I want a third book in her Transcendence series, I am happy for any other books by her. And this one sounds pretty good.  The 2nd one is a sequel to the book Gated, which was really good.  And the 3rd one is also a sequel, to Tandem, and I'm ready to read on in that series as well.

E-galley from Netgalley:

This is one I'm definitely thinking sounds pretty good.  Can't wait to read it!

Free download:

I got this from the awesome Parajunkee's View.  It is a free download of what might be a very helpful organizer for my blog.  Currently I am using a spiral calendar, and it mostly works. But I like the way this is set up, and I am going to print it out and try to use it this year.  Next year she will probably charge for one, so I figure I'll try out the free one and see if it will be worth buying. 

Now, my dreams have been really interesting lately. And I think it must be because I'm having major jealousy over those at the big ALA convention in Las Vegas right now.  But I dreamed last night I was going to have a whole stack of actual physical books to post about today when I blogged.  But alas, I woke up, and no big stack of books, at least not that I hadn't already shared from BEA.

So, what are your plans for this week?  Did you add anything awesome to your shelves?

Feature and Follow Friday - June 27th, 2014

Once again I've realized that this is a meme I used to participate in all the time last year, but this year, well I don't think I've done one since January!  Crazy!  Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week's question/activity is:

Post a photo of your favorite coffee mug (or mugs if you can’t choose just one).

The dachshund of course is my favorite part of this.  Target had some awesome stuff one Valentine's Day a year or so ago. And then the color of the handle matches perfectly with the color of my Keurig coffee maker (used for hot chocolate mostly).

What does your favorite mug look like?

Feature and Follow Friday - January 10th, 2014

Wow!  I just realized I haven't participated in this meme since last August!  So time to start it off for the year.  Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week's question/activity is:

Resolutions: Put together your blogger resolution list for all of us to see!

Well, I actually kind of did this already HERE.  But I'll go ahead and list them again below:

1.  Have a giveaway every time I reach another milestone in followers, like for my 1800 followers I had an $18 gift card giveaway.

2.  Change my post titles.  For example, if it is a review, put that first in the title, as well as mentioning if it is to complete a challenge.

3.  Possible redesign of background/images.

4.  Continue my September is for Sequels Challenge and November is for Novellas Challenge.

So really the 2nd one is my main thing to work on.  That and I really want to have at least two reviews a week if not more.

What about you?  What are your resolutions for the year?

Feature and Follow #12 2013

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week's question/activity is:

If you could only have ONE – one book – for the rest of your life. Don’t cheat…what would it be?

I'm guessing that cheating would be saying I'd pick my Nook.  So, hmm.  That's hard!  I would have to say, and I know many of you will groan, but I'd have to pick Twilight.  It is a book I can read over and over.  Or, maybe, no, that's it.  One book.  Wow, that would not be a happy life!  I need more!  

So how about you?  What book would you pick?

While you're here, make sure you check out these other posts:

• My 4th Blogoversary Giveaway: Which is only open for one more day!  Don't miss out on a chance for a $40 gift card!
• And, those of you who like to set reading challenges, maybe join my September is for Sequels Challenge.  Not only do you get to set a challenge for yourself, you might win a $20 gift card as well!  And the odds are good at the moment, only one person besides myself has signed up, so since I can't win my own contest, that means there are a lot of chances for others!

Feature and Follow #11 2013

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week's question/activity is:

Share something you’ve learned about book blogging or just blogging in general in the last month.

Hmm, this is a hard one.  I guess I learned that THE "Linky" site costs money, and I don't have money to pay for it, so I found a different one in order to run my September is for Sequels giveaway hop.

Speaking of giveaways, make sure while you're here that you check out my 4th Blogoversary Giveaway, as well as my Authors are Rock Stars Featuring Tessa Gratton giveaway.

Feature and Follow #10 2013

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week's question/activity is:

How do you handle a book you don’t like? Do you DNF or do you power through?

Wow, this is such a great question this week!  I've been actually thinking of posting something asking all my followers to give their opinions about this.  I used to feel like if I didn't finish a book I'd started, I wasn't really giving it a chance.  But now, I have so many books I want to read, and that I have to review, that I just don't have the time to finish something that I'm not enjoying.  About the only time I'll finish a book I'm really not enjoying is if it is to help choose or nominate a book for an award or something like that.  Now, I don't have a policy, which everyone says I need, on what kinds of books I will accept for review.  I've had a couple authors lately who have offered to send me their books without me necessarily soliciting them.  In one case it was a book I had entered a contest for on Goodreads, and then I was offered a copy by the author.  The others have been authors who just sent me messages on Goodreads and asked me to read it.  Two of them I've not really enjoyed.  One I quit, and emailed the author to tell them I wouldn't be able to finish it or give a good review.  I really prefer to post about books that I've enjoyed or can recommend in some way.  Is that wrong do you think?  I know it is good for people to see why someone might not like a book, as it might help them decide whether to read it.  But, I don't feel like spending my time on that, and I don't like to be mean or hurt people's feelings.  I hate it when people bash my favorite books, example:  Twilight.  I always tell people if they don't like something, why waste time thinking or talking about it?  I'd rather talk about what I like, and wish people would do that too.  

So, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.  Do you think it is okay if I DNF when I don't enjoy?  I usually give it at least 50 pages, if not more.

Feature and Follow Friday #9 2013

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week's question/activity is:

What do you do with your books after you’re done reading them?

Well, I keep most of them.  I love my books!  Some I loan to my friends to read, but then they come back home to me.  I'm trying to get better about some though.  If it's something I don't know that I'll read again, and maybe I can trade it for a book that I really want, I will often put them on YA Book Exchange.  I've also used some as giveaways too.  When I was a classroom teacher, sometimes I would put them in my classroom for the students to read.

How about you, where do your books go?

OR

Feature and Follow Friday #8 2013

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week's question/activity is:

Book Vacay: Where is the best destination reading spot for you? (Where do you like to go to read other then your home)

I actually can read anywhere, so it doesn't matter to me.  The beach isn't always nice because of getting sand everywhere.  And right now, until I lose weight, I'm not going to be caught dead in a swimsuit anyway, so no pool either.  Now when I'm eating by myself, which is a lot since I live alone, I like to read.  And sometimes the puppies bother me, bark at me, beg for food, etc.  So I often like to take my book and go eat out, even just a cheap fast food, or a Panera, just to be able to get out and read in peace.  One thing I liked when I visited my sister in NYC is that it is pretty normal for people to eat out by themselves and be reading, and I didn't feel as weird doing that there, as I do sometimes here in Kansas City.

What about you, where is your destination reading spot?

I prefer a GFC or Bloglovin' follow, but any way you choose is fine with me!  And while you're here, make sure to enter my Reading Road Trip giveaway HERE.

Feature and Follow Friday #7 2013

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week's question/activity is:

Q: What is your preferred reading format? Hardcover, eBooks, paperback etc?

Honestly, I still love actual, physical books.  Up to this point, I've mostly used my Nook e-reader for reading e-galleys.  I am beginning, with having overflowing bookshelves, to see that honestly, it might be just as good to get some books as e-books.  But so far, I really hate to spend on an e-book what it costs for a paperback.  So mostly I only buy e-books if they are on sale, or the little in between stories that only cost from $1-3.  I used to only enter giveaways that were for specific books too.  But now I've begun to see that if it is a GC for Barnes and Noble, so that I can order for my Nook, I will enter for it.  I also figure from now on, I may not buy actual books unless it is an author that I always buy for, or if I know I'll get a chance to meet them and get it autographed.  I say that, but we'll see how long that lasts.

How about you?  What kind of books do you prefer?

As for what type of follow I prefer, probably GFC.  But if you want to do something else, I like Networked Blogs and Bloglovin.

Feature and Follow Friday #6 2013

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week's question/activity is:

Q: Share your favorite literary quote!

There are so many that I love.  The one that I include in my signature line in my email is:

• Quot libros, quam breve tempus which means So many books, so little time.

So what is your favorite literary quote?  Also, I like the new buttons they have for how blogs prefer to be followed.  But since I have two preferred ways, I'll just put both, prefer GFC or Bloglovin.  But any kind of follow is fine!  At the moment I'm not sure how to set it up for email follows, so there is no option for that.  But Networked Blogs or Linky Followers work too!  I'm just glad to have new followers!

Feature and Follow Friday 2013 #5

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun! This week looks like we're doing something different, and it's something I've even done once before.  Instead of just answering a question, we have an activity:

Q: Activity: Spine Poetry. Create a line of poetry with your book spines (take a picture). Not feeling creative? Tell us about your favorite poem.

So, since I think the spine poem thing is kinda fun, here is a new one from me:

So, have you tried this before?  Leave me a link to your FF post so I can check out your Spine poem!

Feature and Follow Friday 2013 #4

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun!  Looks like I've been kind of lax with this meme this year.  Yikes!  Here's to participating more often now that school is out for the summer!  And now, this week's question:

Q: What blogger would you most like to meet in real life? Tell us about him or her.

So, this is a REALLY hard question. Because honestly, I would love it if I could meet ALL my blogger friends that I follow, or that follow me, or both, at some point.  And I've gotten to meet several, first at BEA last summer, then at RT Convention earlier this month.  I think, to go along with this event, I'm going to say that I really would love to meet the hosts of Feature and Follow Friday, Parajunkee and Alison Can Read!!  I've followed them both because of FF, and how they bring us bloggers together through this is just an awesome thing!  One other blogger I'd love to meet because of how much she does for bringing other bloggers together is Kathy at I Am a Reader, Not a Writer.  She was so busy last year with some kind of giveaway, or two running pretty much every day of the year!  She's taking some time off this year, and I say it is well deserved!  Oh yeah, and I'd also like to meet Mary at Bookhounds, because she is a dachshund lover like me!!

How about you?  What blogger would you like to meet?  Or maybe who are some cool bloggers that you have already met?

Feature and Follow Friday 2013 #3

Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun!  Here is this week's question:

Q: What is your guilty pleasure as far as reading? Is it a genre, or is it a certain type of book?

First I have to say that after last night's episode of Glee being about guilty pleasures, I LOVE this questions.  But, this is a hard question, as I don't feel guilty about anything I read really.  I guess I could say it is the books that are published that go along with tv shows that I like.  Such as the Supernatural tv show, or the SyFy show Eureka, to name a few.  At one point I was on a mission to acquire every single book that was written with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer show, and I think I have most of them, that were still available to order online new.  I also got as many of the books that went with the short-lived show The 4400, and those with The X-Files.  So I guess my need to read any story that goes with my favorite shows would be my guilty pleasure.

What about you?  Do you have any guilty pleasures?

Feature and Follow Friday 2013 #2

Wow, only the 2nd time I've done this in 2013!!  I guess that's once a month, but I really like to participate in this more!  So, new goal, try to do this weekly!  This time of year is so crazy with school, but having a snow day yesterday and today has really helped!  Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun!  Here is this week's question:

We always talk about books that WE want. Let’s turn it on its head. What books have you given other people lately?

Well, this is a hard one.  I don't have a lot of people that I share books with.  Other than students at school and my friend Kim, and occasionally my sister Sarah.  But I'll talk about some students I've given books to I guess.  I've really been promoting some books that are going to be on the state award nominee list for next school year, not just because they're going to be on that list, but because I really enjoyed them.  Those books I've really been promoting are:  The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, Legend by Marie Lu, and Variant by Robison Wells.  I'm trying to get my sister to read Beautiful Creatures and City of Bones, since they're coming out in movies and I think she'd really like them.

So, what books have you shared lately?

Feature and Follow Friday 2013 #1

My first one of the new year!  One of my goals is to try to make sure I post more each month this year than I did each month last year.  So let's see how that goes.  Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun!  Here is this week's question:

Q: Who is your favorite villain from a book?

Hmm, this question is hard.  Most of the time I don't really like the villains.  I've always been a good girl.  So,  maybe it is Eric from the Sookie Stackhouse books, at times he kind of is the bad guy.  And I did always love Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, he was such a good villain!  And I say he counts as from a book, because I've read all the Buffy books.  From Harry Potter I'd have to go with Snape, even though he didn't turn out to be the villain really truly.  

So, what do you think?  Do you have a favorite villain?

And hey, while you're here, don't forget to go check out my 1000 Follower Giveaway!

Feature and Follow Friday 12/2812

 

This is the last one of 2012!!  Next time I participate in this it will be 2013.  Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkie and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun!  Here is this week's question:

Q: What book do you think everyone should read? If you could gift the entire population with one book?

That's an easy one.  It's not even a novel, it's a nonfiction, kind of self-improvement type book.  It's called How Full is Your Bucket:  Positive Strategies for Work and Life by Tom Rath.  It was a book the school district that I teach in used as kind of a focus a few years back.  It's a quick, short read.  But it is so important I think.  It is so easy to let one person ruin your mood.  It helped me to see that just one thing I say to someone, even innocently, could be the last straw for them, based on what is going on in their life.  Whenever someone is rude, just because they're having a bad day or something, I want to hand them this book, and ask them to read it.  I just think it really brings up some good points and things to consider when you're dealing with other people.

So what about you?  What book do you think everyone should read?

Feature and Follow Friday 12/21/12 AND Gift Card Giveaway Winner AND I've reached a four-digit following!

In honor of the fact that the world has not ended, I decided to take the time to participate in one of my favorite weekly events.  As usual, Feature and Follow Friday is sponsored by Parajunkie and Alison Can Read.  The purpose of this event is to learn about the two featured bloggers each week, as well as to increase your own blog following by joining in on the fun!  Here is this week's question:

What have you learned from book blogging that you didn't know before about the publishing industry?

Hmm, this is kind of a hard one for me.  First off I guess I've learned about when publishers want you to review their ARCs.  I've worked at a bookstore since 2000 I think.  And at one point when I started getting the ARCs at the store, I didn't pay a lot of attention to the little letters about sending in my thoughts, or any of that.  Once I joined NetGalley I learned how important it is to give the publishers your review.  It is kind of what they expect or kind of ask for in return for letting you have a chance to read the book early.  I've also learned from other bloggers about how you can contact publishers themselves to request ARCs.  Not that I've done much of that.  I guess I figure I already get so many from NetGalley and the bookstore where I work that I don't want to be greedy.  But some series that I wouldn't have probably began if it wasn't for ARCs, well, I should get more into requesting those so I can continue reading the whole series in the same way.

So, what are some things you've learned?

I'd also like to announce my winner from the recent Gift Card Giveaway Hop sponsored by Kathy at I Am a Reader Not a Writer, and Mary from Sweeping Me.  The winner of the $20 gift card to Barnes and Noble was Cheryl M.  She has been contacted and replied, so I'll be getting her prize out to her in the next day or so.

And last, but not least, thanks to the giveaway, my GFC follower number is over 1000!!  So now, I've got to figure out what kind of prize to give away for that.  There has to be a prize!! I wish I could do something really big, but I probably can't afford more than a $20 gift card or a single book.  But I'm thinking of just leaving it open to the followers, maybe a choice of book from The Book Depository?  What do you think?  I'd love to hear what my followers would like.

YA Mythology Giveaway Hop Winner AND Feature and Follow Friday 11/9/12

AND, the winner of my YA Mythology Giveaway Hop is: Megan B.!  And she has requested to have a copy of The Goddess Test, which I'm sure she won't be disappointed in!!  Congratulations Megan, and thanks to all my new followers, as well as the long time followers, for participating!

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where you get to learn about two featured bloggers each week, and then can gain new followers as well by joining in to the fun. This week's question is:

Q: Do you mind books with similar ideas to other books? Similar concepts, backgrounds, retellings or pulled-to-publish fanfic?

I don't mind similar ideas, there are so many similar books out there that I like.  One thing I do get tired of is when the actual story is exactly like the other.  I do know I'm getting a bit tired of love triangles in what seems almost to be just for the sake of having one.  I mean, come on, I know it's fiction, but in real life, how often do two awesome guys fight over a girl, and honestly, she'd be just great with either one?  Sometimes it just gets to be too much.  The first time I really remember it is of course, Twilight.  But since then, it gets old. I don't actually read a lot of fan-fiction.  Now, I guess the Buffy the Vampire Slayer novels could possibly be considered fan fiction in a way.  But, I have to say, part of what I couldn't stand about the Fifty Shades of Grey book was how similar it was to Twilight.  But who am I to talk?  When I was in middle school, I used to write stories about my friends, but the stories were basically just copied from the books I was reading at the time, Sweet Valley High, etc.  Anyway, I guess overall I don't mind it, it just depends.  :-)

So, what is your opinion on these types of books?