Teaser Tuesday (55) and Top Ten Tuesday (2)

TEAser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

Happy Birthday To Me by Brian Rowe

"Ok," Dr.Carol said. "Let's not beat around the bush." He looked up at my parents and refrained to look at me for the next part. "Mr. and Mrs. Martin, this is the conclusion we've come to. Your son appears to be a normal, healthy twenty-eight-year-old man."

--Pg. 104 of "Happy Birthday To Me" by Brian Rowe

I've got to say, I'm about halfway done with this novel and the writing is really good. The male lead is funny and charming and the voice is just wonderful. I can't wait to see how it ends!

What's your teaser?

Top Ten Tuesday is a 10's list meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. There is a different question every week!

Top Ten Book Endings That Left Me With My Mouth Hanging Open (because of the cliffhanger or because it the ending was MINDBLOWING, etc.)

I'm choosing all the books that had cliffhangers that left me crying for more. So there are definitely some great endings to books like The Harry Potter series and the Gemma Doyle series but this list is strictly for cliffhangers.

1) The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkins- The major question is who is Mara Dyer? I though I knew until this book ended with a sucker punch to the jaw. Now I'm going to have to wait for the next installment to figure out.

2) Nightshade by Andrea Cremer- Everything is going to work out and your characters that you love are all going to be safe. Just kidding! This ending left me scared crapless for Calla.

3) Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers- I was recently talking to Ms. Desrochers on Twitter and said that OS has a "curled up naked in the shower biting your knees wishing you were dead kinda" ending and I wasn't lying. I got to the end of this book and promptly shook it for more details. Is Luc alright? What about Frannie and Luc together? I honestly just don't know.

4) Torment by Lauren Kate- The name fits pretty perfectly. Again, I'm left not knowing whether Luce is okay or not and I'm not okay with it!

5) Eve by Anna Carey- Eve is questing for the place where everything will be okay. She gets there and then nothing is what we thought it would be.

6) Divergent by Veronica Roth- One faction has fallen and they are fleeing from another. I'm glad that Four and Tris were okay and standing tall together but I'm not sure how they are going to pick up all those crumbling pieces.

7) Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins- The Hunger Games started the balling rolling and catching fire busted through the gates. It was torture waiting for Mockingjay to come out and tell me which of my beloved characters weren't going to make it. 

8) Linger by Maggie Stiefvater- We've got another ending where everything seems like it's going to be okay and the conclusion is so shocking it left me quivering in the snow for Forever.

9) Illusions by Aprilynne Pike- It's all up in the air. I know who Laurel should pick but I have no idea who she will end up choosing. The tension was so good in this one that I can't wait for the final installment!

10) Soul Thief by Jana Oliver- Uh, Riley? Beck? What the heck is happening and would you two stop freaking out and talk with each other? Also, hello surprise character at the ending!Q Did you enjoy making me freak out out loud?

Which books had endings that made you scream?

Book Review: Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon


Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (October 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062027875
ISBN-13: 978-0062027870
Series: Carrier of the Mark #1
Source: ARC provided by publisher
Cover: This cover is amazing. It's gorgeous to look at and makes sense in the book too. I love the wisps of blue floating up to meet her dress and I love the pose of the model. Absolutely amazing!
First Sentence: "Flames engulf the boat, and my lungs ached as a dark noxious smoke filled the air."


Mini-Review: Carrier of the Mark had some things going for it but also left things to be desired.


Summary:

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRís.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

Review:


Simply put, Carrier of the Mark let me down. I had high expectations for this novel because it was set in the one place I'd always dreamed of going... Ireland. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the story because it felt like something I read before. There were a fair amount of good things about this story but I also had a lot of things that bothered me so this review is sort of split down the middle.


The setting is what drew me to the story and in that aspect, I wasn't let down. I had loads of fun picturing everyone accept Megan and her Dad with an accent and reading them in that lyrical tone that I love. There were also a fair amount to do with the boating and horseback writing. I liked the lingo a lot and thought Megan's group of friends were wonderful because of how colorful they were.


I was also drawn to the mythology in the book. I'm also interested in the elements and thought that the Order and the Marked were interesting. I was actually expecting faeries and was pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be something different. I was also surprised by all the science blending with magic and liked that aspect too. 


My problems where with the lead characters. I thought Adam and Megan were alright but I had no idea why they felt connected to each other. All I got was longing stares because he was pretty, him saving her and then them kissing after they'd only seriously talked once. I didn't understand what connected them on a deeper level. They talked but it was about the mission and the magic. I don't really know either of them as characters and their insta-love thing really bothered me. As I mentioned above, my biggest thing was that I felt I'd read this story before. It reminded me of Twilight but for me, it lacked the magic of that story. The plot just felt a little formulaic. I thought, oh this is going to happen and then it did.


I liked the other people in Adam's family. I thought Aine was the most believable out of the others. Fionn's history was definitely interesting and I felt the most for his character. Man, it's killing me because I wanted to feel more for this story but I just don't. I found myself anger with Megan for hiding a bunch of stuff from Adam and then realized it didn't matter because I was connected with them.


There were some things about this story that worked for me and other really important things that didn't. In the end, I'm happy I read this one but I really wish I liked it more. If you're really looking forward to this book then I'd definitely recommend getting it but if you read a lot of paranormal and are looking for something a little different, Carrier of the Mark probably isn't for you.

Rating: 

Character Interview: Kat from Frost by Wendy Delsol

Today, I've got Kat from Stork and Frost by Wendy Delsol on the blog! We're here to talk a little bit about everything with Kat from her favorite myth as a child to which star she'd like to dress and why! In case you haven't read about Kat's adventures yet, Id suggest doing so. Hopefully meeting her will help make up your minds!

Kat, thanks for coming on the blog today!

Kat Leblanc here. You know, human Stork. My friend Amber over at Down the Rabbit Hole had some fun questions for me. So fun, I just had to share.

1) Kat, in your adventures, you hear a lot of stories. Will you tell us your favorite story/myth as a girl?

As a girl, I couldn’t hear enough or watch enough of Cinderella. The gown, the makeover, the dreamy prince. It’s a little embarrassing now, but I had some serious fan-girl stuff going on. I even crammed my foot into an empty pickle jar to simulate the whole glass-slipper experience. Like trouble, it was easier get in than out. And forget duct tape, it’s Vaseline that has 1001 uses.

2) You grew up around your French grandmother but had a lot of Nordic background there too. What is your favorite French word? Nordic word? Why?

Pamplemousse is French for grapefruit. Isn’t that a great word? And at least it’s distinctive. Our English word makes no sense; the tiny grape has nothing to do with the rock-heavy member of the citrus family.

A Nordic word, hmmm. My grandfather, my afi, once had a wiry-haired old dog named Igull, which he said was Icelandic for porcupine. That dog had a personality as prickly as its namesake, but he was a good guard dog and could howl the Ee-I-Ee-I-Oh of Old MacDonald Had a Farm.

3) What's your idea of a perfect day?

A year ago I’d have said it was shopping on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. But nowadays I’d have to say hanging out with my boyfriend, Jack. He’s the outdoorsy type and likes nothing more than a hike up some hill or through some state park. Given the right weather, this combination of fresh air, pretty scenery, and the buddy system does make for an ideal day.

4) You're designing a gown for your favorite actress. Who is the star, what does the dress look like and why did you choose the color/style you did?

So which under-a-rock dweller out there hasn’t heard that Jennifer Lawrence is going to play Katniss Eberdeen in the Hunger Games movie? When she walks the red carpet and picks up her first Oscar, I’ve got just the dress for her. Red, naturally. I’m thinking off-the-shoulder and hip-hugging with a flared, full-length swisher of a ruched hemline. And how cool would it be for one Kat to dress another!

5) If you could pick any fictional character in the world and get to spend a day in their life, who are you choosing and why?

Hmmm. Good question. I’m thinking Hermione Granger. It’d be fun to live at Hogwarts for a day. I think Harry would be fun to hang with, as would Ron. And I’d have a crack at both Hermione’s hair (I’m packing a flat iron) and robes (I’m bringing belts). Now that I’m on the HP subject, wouldn’t Dumbledore and my Hulda make a cute couple??? (I'm pretty much pretending it's so even though Dumbledore is gay.)

6) What's the last text in your cellphone?

U left the milk out again. (from my mom, of course)

7) I know you hate the whole "capping" thing for the Stork Society. If you could change it to some other magical way to communicate, what would the new message be?

Twitter, naturally. It’s not magical, but at least it’s bird themed. I’d just love to send Fru Grimilla an @ message, something along the lines of: @thepeacock Hey soul sistah, C U 2night 4 another gulls night out. Same time, same place.

Note regarding the little blue bird twitter icon: Has anyone else heard that his name is Larry? Larry? So not a good bird name. Come on Twitterverse, we can come up with something better than Larry. Is Tweety Bird copyrighted? 

Big thanks to Kat and Wendy Delsol for coming on my blog! Here's a brief bio about Frost:

Frost by Wendy Delsol

In this sequel to STORK, Katla Leblanc has to employ her grit, spirit, and special gifts to rescue the boy she loves.

After the drama of finding out that she’s a Stork, a member of an ancient and mystical order of women, and that her boyfriend, Jack, is a descendent of the Winter People able to control the weather, Katla Leblanc is delighted when all signs point to a busy and peaceful Christmas. That is, until the snowstorm Jack summons as a gift to Katla turns into the storm of the century, attracting Brigid, a gorgeous scientist who, in turn, attracts Jack. Between the school play, a bedridden, pregnant mother’s to-do lists, and keeping an eye on her aging grandfather, Katla doesn’t have time to question Brigid’s motives or deal with Jack’s increasingly cold behavior. But Katla’s suspicions mount when Jack joins Brigid on a research expedition to Greenland, and when the two of them go missing, it becomes clear that Katla is the only one who can save her beloved Jack from the Snow Queen who holds him prisoner. Adventure, romance, and myth combine in this winter escapade for teens who like a bit of fire with their ice.

Big thanks to: 

Big Sis/Little Sis Program- My Awesome Little Sis & Giveaway!

I stumbled across this program here and signed up for it a few months ago. Then, a couple of weeks ago I was contacted and asked to choose between several bloggers to be my little sis! I wanted to let you know a bit about this program and introduce you all to my little sis!


Hafsah, Ivy, Katie, and Kelsey started a program for more experienced bloggers to help out others that are newer to the whole blogging thing. All you have to do is fill out a form and they will contact you! Here's a link to Ivy's page (since it's the first one I found) but you can check them out on all the blogs!


Now I'd like to introduce you to my super fantastic Little Sis. We've been chatting via e-mail for the past couple of weeks and I love her so much it hurts! I'm pleased to introduce you to Jessica from The Midnight Bookworm.

I picked her blog because of the lovely design, the fact that we had similar reading tastes and she seemed like a generally awesome human being. And you know what? I was right on all levels. She's teaching me about the merits of Grey Anatomy and dual majoring in college and I'm...well... I'm answering back! I decided that in order to get to know her a bit better, I'd interview her. So here are my questions and her answers:

1) Why did you sign up for the Big Sis/Little Sis program?
I think this is a super fun way to meet other bloggers around the country, one that’s into the same type of books I am. And I’m glad you found me! :)

2) What were you hoping to get out of it?
A blogging buddy. :) I don’t talk to many people in real life, I go to school in a small town & I hate the school for the most part. I like the girl I live with though :)

3) What made you decide to start blogging?
I needed something to keep me motivated to keep reading while up at school, so now I read for the blogging.

4) What's your best experience with blogging? Is there anything you don't like about it?
I don’t know if I’ve had a “best” experience yet. The only thing I don’t like about blogging is keeping up with it, and keeping it interesting (which I don’t think I am right now). My school work is insane right now and I never thought I’d have this much to do for a semester.

5) What does your blog focus on?
Young Adult books. Right now it’s mostly weekly memes to showcase different books, and reviews. I plan to eventually start doing more events, interviews, giveaways (when/if I ever get money to afford it), and more reviews.

6) What are you top 10 must reads?
These are probably going to change within the next few months because I haven’t read a LARGE majority of the books I’m hearing awesome things about. Most of these are series because that tends to be what I read a lot. 

In no particular order:

1. Anything by Tera Lynn Childs (Fins series, Oh. My. Gods. series, Medusa Girls trilogy)

2. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (yes, I am a half-hypocrite here because I’ve only read 4.5 of these books, but I do think they’re a necessity in life, and I will read them sometime).

3. Twilight Series (Saga? I’m not sure what the difference between a series and a saga is.) by Stephenie Meyer (Yea… I’m one of THOSE people, I’m obsessed, and have read all of them multiple times)

4. TTYL Series by Lauren Myracle (The FIRST books to be written entirely in IMs, they’re so much fun, and super quick reads. I would categorize these as Tween books, somewhere between middle grade and YA).

5. Pretty Little Liars Series by Sara Shepard (because they’re freaking awesome! And if you’ve seen the ABCFamily TV show it’s completely different from the books so far so I can’t figure out where they’re going with the show which is good).

6. The Gallagher Girls Series by Ally Carter (One of my favorite authors of all time, and

7. Speak/Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (both are issues books, and super inspiring. I absolutely loved these stories, and they both made me more aware of what some people have to go through).

8. The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson (First ever dystopian I read, I am still trying to track down a copy of this book because I want to re-read it. I had to read this for school in 6th or 7th grade, it’s definitely an amazing book).

9. The Giver by Lois Lowry (Another dystopian I read, and I loved but didn’t know what dystopians were at that point).

10. Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan (I don’t even know how to describe this book, it’s just amazing. Twins switched at birth with the power to project their spirits from their bodies).

7) Favorite word?
Fantastic – I use this word a lot in normal conversation, I don’t know why, it’s a weird word to use to describe EVERYTHING, but that’s what I do with it. :)

8) If you could be best friends with one or two characters, who would you choose and why?
SO HARD! I would have to say the girls from Lauren Myracle’s TTYL Series because they’re super fun. Between the three of them (I cheated, I pick 3), I don’t think there would ever be a dull moment. (There's probably others that I'd love to be friends with, but I can't think of them right now).

Do you guys see why I love her? She cheats! And she has awesome taste in reading!

I'm telling you all about this to introduce my amazing Little Sis and to encourage you to sign up. It's a big old blogosphere out there and I can't express to you how epic it is to have someone who has your back. Now to celebrate, I'm giving away a book!

You can pick a book of your choice (for up to $12) from The Book Depository. Some choices could be:

Rules:

• Must be 13 years or older
• This is an international giveaway (as long as The Book Depository ships to you)
• Must fill out the form below
• Giveaway ends October 24, 2011

In My Mailbox (56)

In my mailbox is a weekly meme created by The Story Siren that encourages other book bloggers to share what they bought, won, begged for or borrowed. It is usually held on Sundays!





From Books & Books:

• Signed finish copy of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

From Books-A-Million:

• Dear Bully edited by Megan Kelly Hall & Carrie Jones
• There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones
• Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
• The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegan
• The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
• You Against Me by Jenny Downham

From Shirt Woot.com:

What did you get in your mailbox?

Happily Ever Endings... Stork by Wendy Delsol

Happily Ever Endings... was born out of sheer frustration. You know how when you read a series and you love it but the last book takes a little while to come out and then you sort of forget parts of the novel? That's what these posts are going to serve to remedy. Happily Ever Ending... is a short post about what happened at the ending of each book that is going to be in a series for people who need a quick reminder of what happened in the previous installment. I hope this saves someone else the frustration that I went through!

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Family secrets. Lost memories. And the arrival of an ancient magical ability that will reveal everything. 

Sixteen-year-old Katla LeBlanc has just moved from Los Angeles to Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, Katla soon finds out that she’s a Stork, a member of a mysterious order of women tasked with a very unique duty. But Katla’s biggest challenge may be finding her flock at a new school. Between being ignored by Wade, the arrogant jock she stupidly fooled around with, and constantly arguing with gorgeous farm boy and editor-in-chief Jack, Katla is relieved when her assignment as the school paper’s fashion columnist brings with it some much-needed friendship. But as Homecoming approaches, Katla uncovers a shocking secret about her past — a secret that binds her fate to Jack’s in a way neither could have ever anticipated. With a nod to Hans Christian Andersen and inspired by Norse lore, Wendy Delsol’s debut novel introduces a hip and witty heroine who finds herself tail-feathers deep in small-town life.

Click "Read more" to read the ending of Stork so you'll be ready for the next installment of the series! 

Saturday Discussion: Reading vs Viewing

Last week, I wanted to lay out the reasons why I read. This week, I wanted to get a little deeper into that topic and talk about reading vs television. The reason I'm not lumping movies into this category is because movies are in a two hour package and once you walk out, you're through. Books and television, on the other hand, have a lot of staying power. So here's the question: books or television?

My answer is going to be both. I love to read and watch my television shows equally as much. Books and t.v. are alike because:

1) The length

T.V. gets the luxury of a season. They get 12, 22, 24 episodes to slowly build relationships, plot line, a fantastic world and each character. They can show you each little scene and feeling, and follow more than one person.

Books can also do that, not just with the length of one novel but with series. They can have 1, 2 or ever 4 characters that they follow in first or third point of view.

2) The character development/relationship development

Sometimes t.v. shows will spend all their season teasing the viewer to see if their favorite characters (who we know are perfect for each other) end up together. 

Books totally do this too, teasing us with the character's feelings towards another person.

I'm sure there are a million other ways they are alike but right now, that's all I got.

The thing is, these art forms are both very different too. I'd like to talk a little bit about pluses for each side.

Television shows have the benefit of being touched by so many hands. There are a whole group of writers working to make sure the dialog is snappy and the plot line is always full of bigger and better surprises right around the corner. It also has the benefit of being able to cast real people for the characters. We get to see how they are feeling through the actors glances and facial expressions. Because of the real people, we also get to see details that we take for granted in books like a characters personal style and bedrooms. The action can be bigger because the viewer gets to watch.

On the other hand, books are also passed through different hands from writer to beta readers to agent to editor and so on. And sometimes, it's beautiful seeing something that came from a single person's mind, watching them stretch the limits of their imagination to the breaking point. Books allow us to immerse ourselves into the characters and have what they are feeling literally spelled out for us. We can make up what the characters look like, casting our own favorites in the roles. And books are so much more personal. When I'm reading a hot make out scene, I'm not thinking about how many other people have read it/are reading it too. 

In the end, I'll always pick a good book over a t.v. show even though I enjoy them too. Being with a book, getting that hands on, active experience has always held more appeal to me. I love, love, love watching Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries as much as the next girl but if I'm reading a good book, none of it really matters. At the end of the hour the show is up and guess what's waiting there for me still?

That's right, the book!

So tell me, what do you like better: television or reading (and you are allowed to pick both!)?