Feature and Follow Friday: All Fun and Games

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Snap it time!! A picture is worth a thousand words. Just give us a pic. 

Since all my pics are on instagram, I decided to play a little game. Below is a picture (worth a thousand words) of characters with books on screen. Can you guess the movies?

Give it a shot!!

Review: For Keeps

Josie and her mom Kate are very close. Their age difference -- Kate is only 33 -- allows them to spend friday nights together watching movies and talking about boys. Until Kate starts dating again. Now Josie has to start sharing her, dealing with a new job, and the possibility that her biological father is back in town. The worst part is that he isn't even looking for her. Why? Doesn't he know Josie exists?

Dealing with a parent's dating life is a tough subject on its own, and yet, Natasha Friend just had to add more drama by bringing back Josie's father into the picture. Josie's despise for him isn't set in stone, but understandable after never hearing from him -- not even a letter after all those years. The story wouldn't be complete without a quirky best friend, and Matt Rigby, a cute boy who might just show Josie a thing or two about trust.

A warm, emotional read to keep close to heart. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Pinch Me

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP TEN BOOKISH RELATED DREAMS

10. Go back to WWOHP also known as Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Once is not enough.  This Voldemort wand pic was taken from my Instagram. I'd probably get another memorabilia for my bookcase.



9. Purchase more Classics such as Gone with the Wind.

8. Watch Vampire Academy. Feel terrible for missing it. Wonder when the DVD is coming out.

7. Read all the books in my bookcase I've been ignoring.

6. Attend BEA. Things are looking good for this year.

5. Meet some authors and get more autographs.

4. Get a tattoo. (How is this book related? Have you seen Divergent lately O_o What a great tattoo)

3. Finish reading the series I've started.

2. Meet fellow book bloggers.

1. Publish my first story!! The Steampunk Anthology published by Curiosity Quills is coming out soon. I can't wait to share it with you.

Review: Unwind

Have you grown tired of your teens? Are they always getting in school fights, or failing to merit an A+ in art class? Well, in Unwind abortion is legal for born babies up to the age of 18. 

Connor, Risa, and Levi met on a bus that was taking them to their death sentence. Connor's parents just couldn't handle his troubled attitude, and Risa, an orphan who lost the monetary support of the orphanage, were sentenced to execution with the promise that their organs will go to the needy. Unlike the others, Levi is a tithe. His parents condemned him from birth and he is sent to fulfill a religious belief. As they manage to escape, the teens will need to hide from the authorities, but also learn to get past the hurt of abandonment. 

Neal Shusterman digs deep with this story. The age of consent is unconsciously analyzed in so many ways, I could write a thesis after reading this book. At what age do humans reach the maturity level to make decisions about their own bodies? And if we dig even deeper, does part of the soul remain with the transplant organ? 

All in all, a disturbingly appealing read. 

Did You Know: Most states allow teens to consent donating their organs at the age of 13 and yet their parents can decide otherwise until they turn 18. 

Caught my arrow # 32

Caught my Arrow is a meme similar to In my mailbox and  Stalking the Shelves featuring books that were purchased, borrowed or received that week.

Snow storm means cozy time for me. Yesterday, I was lucky enough to go see Divergent, and today I get to lay in bed with these two gorgeous looking books.

Received from BookSneeze and Hachette Book Group

Like Moonlight at Low Tide

The Ring and the Crown

What are you reading this week?

Feature and Follow Friday: Breaking Cupid

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Have your reading habits changed in the past few years?

Glad some of us are good at math. After going through my Goodreads reading challenges, Mr.White and I concluded that:

2012: Paranormal ranked at number 1
2013: YA won me over

and finally this year:

2014: graphic novels top my read list.

Yup, I'm Divergent. And now, onto to Chemistry class.

Review: Allegiant

Divergent captivated the heart of many, therefore, Allegiant had to conclude the series with splendor. Talk about pressure for Veronica Roth.

The first thing she did was answer the question that has been tormenting readers and Tris for a long time: What is the true meaning of Divergent? This knowledge will not only propulse the story forward but create lots of discomfort between the characters that were already troubled by the factionless. Sides are taken once more. Particularly after tests show that Four might not be divergent after all.

Roth may not have given her fans a fairy-tale ending, but she compensated by filling the book with non-stop action. It's honest, hopelessly romantic, and impossible to put down.

Top Ten Tuesday: Talking to the Sun

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP TEN 2014 SPRING TBR PILE

This morning I woke up to hungry  happy birds chirping!! Spring is almost here. Better make sure my to-read pile is filled for spring, because nothing relaxes me more than reading outside.

The One by Kiera Cass

Comes out in May. We'll finally get to see how the series ends.

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Have kept this book on my nightstand for too long. Need to see what the hype is all about. 

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

The plot seems different from what she usually writes. Intrigued by the change. 

Feed by Mira Grant

Been watching too many Walking Dead episodes lately. I need another zombie fix. 

After the End by Amy Plum

Loved the whole Revenants series and am looking forward to her new book in May.  

Easy by Tammara Webber

Came highly recommended from so many of you, so I just ordered my copy. Looking forward to it. 

Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane

Haven't read a Chick-lit in a looong time. Hope this one is good. 

Review: Don't Even Think About it

Ever wonder what your friends really think about you? Or if your crush wants to ask you out? 

Well, one high school group no longer has to wonder about the many thoughts of others. After receiving a bad flu shot batch, one class that includes Mackenzie, Olivia, and Tess, become telepathic. For Mackenzie this couldn't come at a worst time. She cheated on her boyfriend -- crowd lover Cooper -- and now has an entire classroom judging her actions and threatening to tell him. All the while, Olivia uses her powers to get ahead in class, and Tess tries to get a friend to see her with different eyes. 

There are lots of heartbreak and hurt feelings in the book, but nevertheless, Mlynowski brings that humoristic touch that has made her popular over the years. It's nice to read a ''supernatural'' story without the terrible bad guy written into the plot. 

Feature and Follow Friday: Librarian Wanted

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Spring is in the air! Show off your favorite outdoor reading spot.

Got stuck in the snow today. Thankfully, three men were there to push my car, and make my terrible day not so bad after all.

At this point, I do not believe in Spring coming to Montreal. Ever! And feel selfish enough to ask for a cozy indoor place where someone would read to me.

Alive: Cover Reveal and Giveaway

A New Adult zombie/romance novel with an intrepid female lead that ponders on: What’s more dangerous—the man who broke her heart or those trying to eat it?

Fighting to survive, Eve finds herself alone in the world after the Crave—the only parallel of her former life. On the hunt for her sister, she runs into Gage—the first and only boy to have her heart and break it. It’s been four years and he isn’t a boy anymore, nor is he the same person he used to be. Against her better judgment, Eve agrees to stay with him when he divulges information on a safe haven near the small town they grew up in—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it… 

Returning home elicits a myriad of emotions that both Eve and Gage thought they had buried. The past and present collide and they are forced to the face bitter deceits that ruined them in the before and threaten to destroy them now…

Amazon            Goodreads

About The Author

Megan D. Martin is a multi-published author, mother, student and editor. In her spare time she enjoys decorating her house with strange things that do not match, playing her old school Nintendo Entertainment System, and buying fish for her many fish tanks.

Feel free to follow Megan on Facebook  and Twitter. And don't forget to try your luck at the giveaway. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Blankets

Blankets are the image of warmth, shelter and comfort. But in Craig Thompson's graphic memoir, blankets are a synonym for ''personal demons.'' From his childhood memories of sharing a bed with his sibling and fighting for the blanket that brought on his father's unreasonable anger, to receiving a blanket from a love gone wrong.

Although incredibly gorgeous, the illustrations were black and white, allowing tough subjects like: bullying, the sexual guilt that Christian upbringing can have on children, and long-distance relationships to become the center of attention.

I recommend reading this book on a good day.

Top Ten Tuesday: Picture me this

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP FAVORITE GRAPHIC NOVELS

I discovered Graphic Novels last year and turned into an addict. Oh well!!

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Touching story set during the Islamic Revolution.

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Holocaust account. Considered a classic in the Graphic Novel genre.

Blankets by Craig Thompson

I'm about to review this book. It's well-drawn and retells the pain of a first heartbreak from a dude's point of view.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Growing up means learning how to love yourself no matter where you come from. 

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

One of my all time favorites. I can't count how many times it has made my top ten. 

Are you my Mother by Alison Bechdel

I was grateful that the writer exposed so much -- past the wound, the hurt, the pain.

YKids Collection

Collection also includes Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Leonardo Da Vinci, Einstein and Marie Curie. Depicts their life from birth to death. Well-illustrated. 

Review: Hollow City

Who's to say a sequel can't be better than the first?

Jacob and the peculiar children find themselves stranded on an island. This time with a quest on their hands: to find a way to bring Miss Peregrine back to her physical form. If Miss Peregrine doesn't change soon, she will remain a bird forever and Jacob will never be able to see his parents again.

Ransom Riggs placed a lot more action into the plot this time, introducing Gypsies and a war; making certain to keep us on our toes. Somewhere along the lines, I didn't really feel the lust between Jacob and Emma. Did their feelings start to fall apart, I wondered? Then I realized their relationship went deeper than that. Even Emma doesn't know what to make of it anymore.

In fact, the chaos of the situation brought a lot of changes to the peculiars. Forcing them to use their powers. To understand just how special they all are.

Looking forward to book number three.

Review: Cloaked

One day my princess will come -- yeah, one can safely say that this a great modern plot twist from the original boy romances girl fairy-tales. Victoriana is beautiful and loaded with royal money. She could have any other boy, but wants shoemaker Johnny to be her savior and search the town for her lost brother who's been turned into a frog. If he succeeds, she will marry him and make him prince of Aloria. Johnny doesn't really want to marry the princess, whom he's never met before, but agrees for the money. And so begins his magical quest. 

I love Alex Flinn for books like Beastly and A Kiss in Time. For her ability to take fantasy fairy-tale elements and give them a modern take. But alas, in this book she took the tales too far. I could barely recognize the human world at all. Even the characters kept changing, developing powers when it suited them, falling in and out of love at will. 

Sadly, kissing a frog would be more entertaining. 

Top Ten Tuesday: This is my confession

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP AUTHORS I'VE NEVER READ

Nothing personal. I'm certain that one day this post will be old news as I update my to-read list.

    Jane Austen   Dan Brown      Lewis Caroll    J.R.R.Tolkien

  Jennifer L. Armentrout  

Who made your list?

Review: Grim

I'm not one to name drop, but Hawkins, Smith-Ready, Kagawa and Hopkins, are all authors any YA lover would instantly recognize. Grim contains 17 stories in all, each one by a different writer. Although the fairy-tale theme is always present, you will find paranormal, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, romance and even humorous tales throughout the anthology, maintaining a pleasant diversity.

Some stories were very short and lacked the tension and twisted endings the others shared. But most did stand out, such as Key (psychic intuitions), The Raven Princess (transformation), Better (cyborgs), Sharper than a Serpent's Tongue (curses.)

Retelling also took place in The Twelfth Girl, reminiscent of the Twelve Dancing Princesses except this time around they escape to go clubbing and drinking. Hansel and Gretel become Hansen and Greta in Light it Up as the siblings face a torture cabin in the woods. Thinner than Water retells Peau D'Ane with an ending worth reading twice. But the most intriguing retell goes to Julie Kagawa with The Brothers Piggett or as most know them, the three little pigs.

A fast and amusing read.