Fictional Priorities

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Hope you're all having a great week!

I came across this little gem on Facebook a while ago and thought I'd share it with you. "Going to the grocery store just isn't a priority when the fate of a fictional character is hanging in the balance."

So I was wondering, have you ever neglected priorities, obligations, or even just your 'to-do' list for the sake of a fictional character? If you're really enjoying the book your reading, do you have a hard time putting it down until you're finished?

For me, a book that I love that made me neglect my priorities was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I bought the book right after Thanksgiving of 2010, when I was still an undergraduate student. I decided to open it and read a few pages one day, during the middle of semester finals week. Boy, was that a mistake! I had a 16 page paper to write for a class on postcolonial fiction. I'd procrastinated and it was due in two days! But I could NOT put The Hunger Games down! So what did I do? Well...I spent a day reading The Hunger Games and then wrote a 16 page research paper in one day. Surprisingly enough, I got a B+ on the paper. Moral of the story: I don't know, you tell me lol.

Someday, I hope that my books, like SHADOW HUNTER, will be enough of a page-turner that someone can't put it down either.

What's a book that's done this to you? Leave your answer in the comments. Til Friday ;-)

How a Harlequin Book is Made

Happy Wednesday, to all you book lovers out there!

I stumbled across this video online and thought I would share it with you guys. As a proud Harlequin author, if you ask me how a Harlequin (specifically, an HQN) book is made, I would tell you: I sit my butt down on my couch, turn my laptop on, open a word document, and write.

Though I suppose that wouldn't be very interesting to watch now, would it? ;-)

But since I can't show you a video of how I create a Harlequin novel--well, I could, but it'd be really boring--I thought I'd share with you a video of how the professionals at Harlequin's distribution center do it. Enjoy!

I hope when my Harlequin novel is printed like that, I'll find you guys at the bookstore supporting me and the sexy, badass hunters of the Execution Underground series.

Check out our next post on Friday! Til then

Review: Crossed by Ally Condie

Happy Monday, everyone! Today I’ve posted a review of Ally Condie’s young adult dystopian novel, Crossed, the second novel in the Matched Trilogy. Enjoy!

 

Synopsis: "Rules are different outside the society.

 

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the outer provinces in search of Ky--taken by the Society to his certain death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices everything to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again.

 

Narrated from both Cassia and Ky's points of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of the Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever.”

Genre: Young Adult--dystopian

First Sentences: "I'm standing in a river. It's blue. Dark blue. Reflecting the color of the evening sky. I don't move. The river does. It pushes against me and hisses through the grass at the water's edge. 'Get out of there,' the officer says. He shines a flashlight on us from his position on the bank." Crossed begins in Ky's point-of-view. Since the first novel was from Cassia's point-of-view entirely, this was an intriguing opening. Nevertheless, I wasn't hooked as well as I was in the first novel.

Brownie Points: I don't have much to say for brownie points on this novel. I found myself rather disappointed in it. I didn't find any parts particularly compelling. I did think the new information revealed about Xander was interesting and I felt like Cassia's relationship with him took a turn for the better. That aside, I don't have many praises.

Beefs: My main problem with this novel is that it felt like a lot of filler, like I was getting the set up for what is going to be an interesting third novel rather than getting both that AND an enjoyable sequel. Nothing was compelling me to continue reading forward, other than my hope that the story was going to improve. I was particularly disappointed in the romantic aspects of the story. Having Ky's point-of-view was interesting at first, but ultimately it made me dislike his character and revealed a lot of flaws that I simply couldn't look past. Also, Cassia seemed like less of a complex character in this novel. Her obsession with Ky goes to new heights and reminded me too much of Bella's mindless obsession with Edward in the Twilight series. At least for Cassia, unlike Bella, she still has a bit of back bone to her. But personally, I believe the ignorant 'society-girl' angle was played up too much.

Ending: I don't have too much to say about it. I was hoping the novel would improve at the end, but found it to be mediocre.

Recommendation and General Comments: Though I thoroughly enjoyed Matched, I was not a fan of Crossed. While I still remain interested enough to want to read the third novel, ultimately, I'm not as enthusiastic about moving forward in the series as I was before.

For this reason, I give Crossed by Ally Condie a rating of first-quarter moon.

 

 

This book was okay and I neither recommend it nor do I not recommend it. I will read the final novel in the trilogy when it is released with the hopes that Reached will be better than Crossed.

Don't forget to check in on Wednesday! I have another giveaway to announce! See you then ;-)

Review: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Happy Monday, everyone! Today I’ve posted a review of Rebecca Stead’s young adult novel, When You Reach Me. Enjoy!

 
Synopsis: "Four mysterious letters change Miranda’s world forever.

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper:

I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter.

The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late.”

Genre: Young Adult—contemporary, light sci-fi, time-travel

First Sentences: "So Mom got the postcard today. It says Congratulations in big curly letters, and at the very top is the address of the Studio TV-15 on West 58^th Street. After three years of trying, she has actually made it. She’s going to be a contestant on The $20,000 Pyramid, which is hosted by Dick Clark." I must admit, this book didn’t grab me from the very opening. Once I kept reading for a little while, I slowly got into the book more and more. The voice is what kept me going, even when in the beginning the plot didn’t keep me intrigued. For those who plan to read it, I suggest that you don’t give up and set it down too quickly.

Brownie Points: I love Rebecca Stead’s voice—it was strong from the very beginning and by the end of the book I really felt like I knew the heroine, Miranda. She and her friends were compelling and interesting. Also, despite that the story takes place in 1978, I never once felt as if the time period of the novel was being thrown in my face, which I find can sometimes happen with historical novels. In When You Reach Me, the setting and time period comes second, as it should, to the characters, plot, and overall story. Because of this, the setting only added to the novel; it did not detract.

Beefs: Directly after I finished When You Reach Me, I was so pleased with the ending that I didn’t have any beefs with the book. However, looking back now, I wish the plot in the beginning had been slightly more compelling. This is just a matter of personal taste—though I ultimately adore character driven novels, I like action packed plots, and at the beginning of this novel there wasn’t quite enough action for me.

Ending: The ending of this book was PHENOMENAL!—by far its best part. All the mysteries of the novel became clear in the end in a way that was totally unexpected to me. I could not have predicted the ending, but I also couldn’t have been any more pleased with it. One of the testaments to Rebecca Stead’s abilities is that she’ll keep you guessing throughout your whole reading experience. Though I was sad for the story to end, the ending was my favorite section of the book.

Recommendation and General Comments: This novel is truly like a puzzle. At the beginning, you see all the scattered pieces and you might not be very interested in working to get to the finish line. But if you keep going, the picture starts to slowly come together, and you become more and more intrigued until at the very end you’re on the edge of your seat, waiting to see the whole picture. When You Reach Me may start out on the slower side, but the strong voice of the novel hooks you and will keep you reading until the grand finale.

I loved this novel and I recommend it to all who enjoy the young adult genre, especially those interested in light sci-fi and time-travel. Despite that the novel pays homage to Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time, even if you didn’t enjoy L’Engle’s work, you’re sure to love this one.For this reason, I give When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead a rating of full moon.

 

This is the mother of all ratings! Full moon means you HAVE to read this book. I have a feeling you won't regret it =)

Thank you to all of you who entered the FB Fan Page giveaway! Don't forget to check in when I announce the winner of Laura Kaye's paranormal romance novella, In the Service of the King at 11AM today!  See you on Wednesday for our regular post! =D