Showing posts with label meme. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meme. Show all posts

Monday, November 19, 2012

a book history since working

My reading habits have changed a bit since I started working regularly; I still read a lot, but it's mostly relegated to nights and lunch breaks now. I thought it might be interesting, in light of this, to take a look at my book history since starting my new job.

Books Read Since Oct. 5th: 6
This is not a ton. But I'd say that six books in about a month and a half is still pretty good - averages to a book a week. 3 of these were YA (2 contemporary & 1 sci-fi); 1 was middle grade; 1 was adult/mainstream fiction; and 1 was nonfiction/memoir.

Books Abandoned since Oct. 5th: 4
This is actually not as big a number as it seems; all of these were purchased from the used bookstore and as great as used is for finding rare gems, I end up abandoning a fair number of the books I purchase secondhand. 1 historical fiction; 1 steampunk YA; 1 middle grade; and 1 nonfiction.

The Best Book I Read: This one's a tie. The Secret Race: Inside the Hidden World of the Tour de France: Doping, Cover-Ups, and Winning at All Costs, by Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle. I'm not really a cycling fan (though watching the cycling during the Olympics this year was amazing), but this book was still brilliant for so many reasons. Also For Darkness Shows the Stars, by Diana Peterfreund, which made me wish I'd read Persuasion, by Jane Austen, before reading this futuristic sci-fi take on it. As with The Secret Race, it was utterly brilliant. And I'm so glad to find a great sci-fi that isn't the start of a trilogy.

Books Bought: 5 new & 5 used
The 5 new books were 3 YA; 1 nonfiction; and 1 adult/mainstream. The 5 used were 2 YA; 1 nonfiction; 1 middle grade; and 1 historical fiction.

Up Next: 
Either a reread of Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi (now that I finally have the paperback!) or I'll read Jellicoe Road, by Melina Marchetta.

Friday, August 31, 2012

contemporary ya questions

I found this book survey over at the tumblr Bookshop.Girl (yes, another survey/meme thing okay, I know, I like these).  The topic is YA contemporary (realistic) fiction and it's so impossible for me to choose just one for each of these questions, so I'm going to choose 2-3.

Also, I'm not going to repeat any books (because there are so many good ones), even if a book fits into multiple answers for me.

1. Favorite YA contemporary novel? 
(Please note here that it was really, really hard to narrow this down even to three. But these are the ones that I probably have the deepest love for.)
serafina67 *urgently requires life*, by Susie Day - This one is my absolute favorite YA novel in the sense that I can read it again and again, flip open to random pages and passages, and always end up smiling. I love it.
Sweethearts, by Sara Zarr - In addition to being truly one of the masterpieces of YA lit and character-driven novels this one also has my all-time favorite quote from a novel. (I've mentioned that before.)
The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen - I believe this was probably the first YA novel I read, or at least one of the first, and in reading it I found an incredible author as well as the sort of sweet, emotional, character-driven stories that I wanted to write.

2. Contemporary YA that deserves more recognition?
After the Kiss, by Terra Elan McVoy - This author in general deserves more recognition. Of course I have no idea how many readers are actually reading her books, but it's pretty rare for me to see them on blogs and she's got such a unique voice. After the Kiss is by far my favorite of hers and I'd love to see more people reading it.
What Happens Here, by Tara Altebrando - I just... sigh. I know this one is a few years old (maybe more than a few? I don't know), but it's a brilliant little book and one that I absolutely love. A unique, yet straightforward take on "grief YA" before If I Stay or Twenty Boy Summer came about.
I Now Pronounce You Someone Else, by Erin McCahan - This one is just so different from so much of what's out there. The writing and characters are top-notch and it's got that slightly-literary quality I just love.

3. What contemporary YA novel made you the saddest?
Twenty Boy Summer, by Sarah Ockler - It's rare for me to all-out sob over a book, but this one had me in major tears by page 18. And while it definitely has a lot to do with the specifics of how/why Matt died, it still totally counts. A very personal kind of sadness.
Hold Still, by Nina LaCour - This book went beyond sad. It went deep into the psyche of an incredibly depressed girl and it was just impossible not to feel for her and what she went through.
Fall For Anything, by Courtney Summers - Gut-wrenching is all I can say.

4. Cutest contemporary YA you've ever read?
Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins. Honestly, nothing else even comes close.

5. What contemporary YA made you feel all of the feels?
Love and Other Perishable Items, by Laura Buzo - This one's actually not out yet but OMG, guys. Way more emotion and way more complexness than I was expecting.
We'll Always Have Summer, by Jenny Han - The whole series really, but this last book really tied everything together and brought it to a new level of emotional-ness. Is that a word? I don't know.

6. Who is your favorite character from a contemporary YA?
Kurt Brodsky, from Leverage, by Joshua C. Cohen - THIS GUY IS WAY AMAZING.

7. What character do you relate to the most?
Well, my real answer would be one of the characters from a book I've already mentioned, but since I'm trying not to repeat books I'm going to choose a second choice.
Ari, from Other Words for Love, by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal - Quiet, loyal, etc etc. I saw so much of myself in this character.
Eleanor Crowe, from Pregnant Pause, by Han Nolan - Not her situation (pregnant teen), but certain aspects of Eleanor's personality just reminded me so, so much of myself.

8. What contemporary YA surprised you the most?
Fangirl, by Ken Baker - Another one that's not out yet (October!); I expected a cute story from this one but did not expect it to be so incredibly well-executed or for me to absolutely obsessively love it as much as I do.

9. Why do you enjoy the contemporary fiction genre?
So many reasons. I like finding characters I can relate to, like to see how they handle situations, like getting a glimpse of a life that's maybe not mine but that's real enough that it could be somebody's life. I've always loved reading about people, emotions, and relationships more than anything else, and contemporary YA offers character-driven, emotional stories in spades.

10. What contemporary YA are you most looking forward to being released this year?
Honestly the two books I'm most looking forward to are ones I've already read the ARC of, but I'm also really wanting to get my hands on a copy of:
Meant to Be, by Lauren Morrill - It looks adorable and great in a sort of retro way (this is just from the cover, mind you), and I love the whole idea behind it. High hopes.

Monday, August 27, 2012

a bookish survey

I found this survey over at The Broke and the Bookish and, hey if there's one thing I like it's book surveys! (Actually, there are many things I like and book surveys don't even crack the top 20. But I do like them.)

1. The book I'm currently reading: I'm not! I guess I should quick grab one off the shelf and start reading it, right? Actually I'm 50-something pages into Burn for Burn, but I've already decided to give up on it. Just not my cup of tea, despite how big a fan I am of both of the authors.

2. The last book I finished: Flawless Ruins, by Kieryn Nicolas. A different sort of dystopian. The parents in this one were named after a popular pop culture couple with alliterative names. Any guesses? (No seriously, guess. Winner gets the GLORY OF WINNING.) Review to come on this one.

3. The next book I want to read: I have ARCs of both Scarlet, by Marissa Meyer, and Prodigy, by Marie Lu, that I'm wanting to read. But I'm not sure which I'll pick up first.

4. The last book I bought: I finally found book 9 of The Series of Unfortunate Events at my local used bookstore. And I AM JAZZED. Now I just need number eleven and MY COLLECTION WILL BE COMPLETE, BWAHAHA AND I CAN COMMENCE READING THEM ALL IN ORDER.

5. The last book I was given: Not counting books sent by publishers, of course. The last book I was given was actually four books that my mom got for me while she was in the UK recently. The second and third books of Sophia Bennett's awesome Threads trilogy, The Look, by the same author, and Kiss, Date, Love, Hate, by Luisa Plaja, which was an odd read for me.

As always, I'd love to see your answers.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Currently, Again...

I did this same meme/post nearly a year ago and since I'm bored for something to post today, here it is again. Enjoy!

Current Book: Terra Elan McVoy's The Summer of Firsts and Lasts. I really loved the first book of hers I read (After the Kiss) and have had this one sitting on my shelves for months and months, just waiting until I wasn't working on my own novel about sisters so I could finally read it. It's one I've sort of been saving just because I've been looking forward to it so much and a little over 50 pages in it's totally living up to my hopes. Fingers crossed that this continues.

Current Playlist: At this exact moment I'm listening to the new Ingrid Michaelson album, Human Again (specific song? "Always You"). I've also been listening to 21 a lot (mostly "I'll Be Waiting") and my playlist(s) for my current WIP.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: I don't like the idea of guilty pleasures. If something makes you guilty either you shouldn't be doing it or you're just being silly. So yeah, I don't have one.

Current Color: Purple!

Current Drink: I'm not drinking anything at the moment. I meant to have a Ginger Ale but I don't feel like going downstairs to grab one.

Current Food: None, but the last thing I ate was a chicken sandwich and pepperocinis. Delicious!

Current Favorite Show: Downton Abbey, which as we all know JUST ENDED. (Look for me to go into DA withdrawals any day now. THAT SHOW!! Also that ending. Just so... sigh.) And also Cougar Town, which just came back on the air and is not at all about what you think it's about.

Current Wishlist: Secret big things, of course.

Current Needs: I don't know, maybe sleep?

Current Bane of My Existence: Thinking about having to go to the dentist. Even just typing the words makes me want to hide and never come out of hiding ever ever ever.

Current Celebrity Girl-Crush: Ugh, celebrities. I LIKE FICTIONAL PEOPLE BETTER THAN FAMOUS ONES, MOSTLY.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Faves of 2011 (so far): The Books

Inkcrush has started a three-part survey of favorite/best/most winning-est books read in 2011 (so far) and I love all the categories (and lists, duh) so much that I just have to join in the fun. (Days 2 and 3 will come in the next week or so.)

You may notice a few books kind of take over this list, but that's okay -- it's only because they're brilliant.




1. Favorite Book Read So Far in 2011 Where She Went by Gayle Forman. As much as I absolutely adore a few other books out there (most notably Anna & the French Kiss), there's just nothing like the love and angst and heartbreak and hope and just plain brilliance of the continuing story of Mia and Adam. Gayle Forman is a powerhouse. 


2. Most Powerful Book: Without a doubt, Leverage, by Joshua C. Cohen. There's something incredible about a book that I'm still thinking about months (and dozens of books) later. Even the cover is powerful and that's only a fraction of the raw story inside.

3. Brilliantly Funny: Flirt Club by Cathleen Daly. OH. MY GOODNESS. You guys, there's no way to actually explain in words how great and funny and sunshiney and hilario this book is. It's just... just brilliant. And it helps, of course, that the characters are completely and hopelessly geeky. Love. It.

4. Best Ache-y, Heart-Breaking, Tear-Jerker Read: Again I have to go with Where She Went. There's something so agonizing about Adam's pain and the lost love that this story revolves around. That, compounded with all the pain we already know from Mia's story in If I Stay makes this category no contest.

5. Most Beautiful Story: Where She Went, again. Now, I get the feeling it's starting to seem like Where She Went has an unfair advantage here, and maybe it does. But only because the book is so brilliant, so perfect, so wonderful, so sad and hopeful and redemptive all at once, and because I love it so completely. 

6. Delicious Rainy Day Comfort Read: Anna & the French Kiss. This book is almost too perfect for words and part of its perfection comes from the fact that it's just so cozy, like sinking into the absolute best pile of pillows or hiding in a blanket fort drinking hot chocolate on a rainy day. Adorable and sweet.

7. Adrenaline-Fueled, Unputdownable Award: Glow, by Amy Kathleen Ryan. Maybe because I had a bound MS with no cover and no description, but this story really struck me as being incredible and complicated and intensely interesting. I meant to read a couple pages on the trolley and ended up unable to stop reading.

8. The Most Beautiful Prose Award: Imaginary Girls, by Nova Ren Suma. Nova has talked a bit about her more "literary" style of writing, and this book definitely fits the bill but in the best possible way. Unpretentious but beautiful with prose that begs to be read and reread, the writing here is just... astonishing.

9. Most Atmospheric and Vivid Setting: Anna & the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins. For a total settings-junkie like me, Anna was a gift. The setting is just... just... THERE ARE NO WORDS.

10. I-So-Want-To-Go-There Award: Again, Anna & the French Kiss. I just want to pull a blue-skidoo and jump into the book and live there forever.

11. Most Original and Imaginative: Popular, by Alissa Grosso. Maybe you saw the twist coming, but I definitely didn't and thought it was incredibly imaginative. I want to re-read it knowing what happens and see how different the story seems, but I just haven't had time yet.

12. Best Under-Appreciated, Hidden-Gem Award: Rival, by Sara Bennett Wealer. I have a feeling that people are probably reading this one as your standard story of lost friendship or high school competition, but man, it is just so much more than that. So much better than anything "standard." There's a depth to this novel, a real heart that sets it heads and shoulders above so many other similar novels. It's smart and true and wonderful and I want you all to read it, okay?

13. I-Had-No-Idea-I-Would-Love-This-So Award: Anna & the French Kiss, which I was seriously planning to be disappointed by. SPOILER ALERT: I was totally wrong.

14. Most Haunting Story: Leverage, again. Haunting in that scary, heading-to-your-car-at-night-and-looking-over-your-shoulder sort of way. I mean, obviously the characters here are fictional, but they're so real that I was a little freaked out what if they were following me? 

15. Outside My Comfort Zone but Gosh How I Loved It: Imaginary Girls. I am so not a fan of fantasy or paranormal or anything supernatural, but this book actually pulled off a fantastical twist in a way that didn't creep me out too much and I could still read it and I actually ended up loving the book. 

16. Series That I'm Loving: I haven't read many series books this year, but I did read a few starts of trilogies and the one I'm most looking forward to being continued is Across the Universe, by Beth Revis. There's such a great world and story set-up here that I'll definitely definitely be reading the second book.

17. Most Memorable Voice Award: Where She Went, yet again. I just... it's so... I love it, okay?

18. Completely Awesome Premise Award: The only nonfiction book on here, Odd Girl Out, by Rachel Simmons. I love love love that it's set up around girl bullying and that it tackles the subject so head on. I really should have read it around age fifteen, but whatever. READ IT, GIRLS.

19. Would Make the Best Movie: Ugh, I suck at knowing what books would make good movies because I'm not good at actually watching movies, but that said I really think it would be awesome to see The Last Little Blue Envelope, by Maureen Johnson, as a movie. It has the right blend of heart and funny and sadness and kookyness, I think.

20. Want to re-Read Already: OMG SO MANY, but mostly probably Anna & the French Kiss just because it's so great, you know? Like, just happy-making to the extreme. 

Parts 2 and 3 will be up in the next couple weeks and I'm really looking forward to them. Thanks to Nomes for creating this awesome idea. :)

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Currently I'm...

I'm stealing this post from the wonderful Alexa over at Not Enough Bookshelves. I love these types of lists.

Current Book: The Sweetest Thing, by Christina Mandelski. It's being compared to Sarah Dessen's books and while this is a great great compliment, it also means I'm continually comparing it to her books. And, because nothing compares to Dessen, it keeps falling short. Putting a bestselling author's name on a book is not always a great idea.

Current Playlist: This song (Break Even, by The Script) came on the radio today and I'm sort of suddenly in love with it. It's just the perfect song for my WIP, especially the scenes I've been working on lately. It's inspiring me.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Uhhhh, I don't know. I don't have one? I was watching Ally McBeal for a while, but it got too annoying.

Current Color: Purple!

Current Drink: Black iced tea, of course, always.

Current Food: I just had a Heath candy bar, which is delicious.

Current Favorite Show: Right now? Parks and Recreation, which is definitely firing on all cylinders lately. But of course even more than that Friday Night Lights. It's kind of the highlight of my week.

Current Wishlist: Secret things. Also: a job. One I like. A good one.

Current Needs: To finish this draft of the WIP.

Current Bane of My Existance: The email boxy box. Also the clothes on my floor. Oh, and my car. And school. And what happens after school. Can we stop talking about this now?

Current Celebrity Girl-Crush: Leslie Knope. I MEAN I KNOW SHE'S FICTIONAL, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

Also, I promise promise promise that the book stuff is coming back tomorrow. But for now, what are your currentlies? Post in the comments or leave links. :)