Cliques, Hicks and Ugly Sticks by KD McCrite

Cliques, Hicks and Ugly Sticks by KD McCrite


Release Date: December 6, 2011
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Series: Confessions of April Grace, Book 2
Rated: MG 11+
Format: eGalley
Source: NetGalley
Buy: Amazon ❘ The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Just when April Grace thought the drama was over. . .

After an automobile accident, Isabel St. James-resident drama coach and drama queen-needs help putting together the church play. Mama insists April Grace and Myra Sue will help. April's fall is now devoted to spending every afternoon with Isabel and Myra Sue-if anyone is as big of a drama queen as Isabel, it's Myra Sue. Plus, she's dumb. (Okay, not dumb, but "older sister dumb.") If that's not enough, Isabel is wreaking havoc in the community trying to get Rough Creek Road paved, the new boy at school will "not" leave her alone, and then Mama drops the biggest bombshell of all . . . April Grace is no longer going to be the baby of the family . . .

Girls will completely relate to April and love her sense of humor as she deals with siblings, boys, and the many changes that come with growing up.

April Grace is ADORABLE. I tend not to read too much MG, but she is one irresistible heroine. She reminds me of a southern and slightly older version of Junie B. Jones! I absolutely love this series, and the sequel to the first, In Front of God and Everybody, is clearly no exception. Cliques, Hicks and Ugly Sticks shows April Grace's move from elementary to middle school, get through mean girls, and try to cope with Myra Sue and Isabel.

I can't see myself hating April Grace– it's just too hard! She's got that innocence of a young child, and I can clearly see my younger self in her: thinks she knows better than everyone else, doesn't stand for no nonsense and will see it through that things go her way, or to help others. You can't help but admire her as she deals with everything that goes on in this book.
April's Grandma has to be one of the modern ones I can think of. She (and yes, you're not reading me wrong here) is stuck in a love triangle. But OH GODS, the food she makes had my stomach growling throughout. Nevermind that I'd never eaten it before or have no idea what it looked like– it sounded amazing. Okay, enough ramblings about the food. I love the rest of April's family as well: her mother, who's pretty mood swingy in this book, her father, who's understanding and kind...and then there's Myra Sue, her sister. I'm an older sister, but Myra Sue sounds really awful in some parts. I guess that's just the way April Grace sees it, so now I'm wondering how my younger siblings feel about me...
Isabel is one interesting character. Probably the one that'll stick with you the most when you're reading and when you've read this book. She's sharp, but totally has a soft side. It's great to see Isabel's character transform from the previous book as well as in this one.

If you're looking for a fabulous middle grade series to start reading, or even hesitant about this age-level's books, READ THIS NOW. April Grace will make you laugh and snort 'till tears run down your face. It's hilarious, fresh and sweet– KD McCrite's writing describes the south beautifully, and makes me long for some biscuits and gravy. Can't wait to read more of the Confessions of April Grace.

If you like this, try...

• Absolutely Normal Chaos by Shannon Creech ◆ Goodreads
• Dizzy by Cathy Cassidy ◆ Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday – Week 61

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight on upcoming books which I'm DYING to get my hands on.

This week's WoW is:

Splintered by A.G. Howard

For sixteen years, Alyssa Gardner has lived with the stigma of being descended from Alice Liddell -- the real life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's famed novel, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But cruel jokes about dormice and tea parties can’t compare to the fact that Alyssa hears the whispers of bugs and flowers ... the same quirk which sent her mother to a mental institution years before.

When her mother takes a turn for the worse and the whispers grow too strong for Alyssa to bear, she seeks the origins of their family curse. A set of heirlooms and a moth tied to an unusual website lead Alyssa and her gorgeous best friend / secret crush, Jeb, down the rabbit hole into the real Wonderland, a place more twisted and eerie than Lewis Carroll ever let on.

There, creepy counterparts of the original fairytale crew reveal the purpose for Alyssa’s journey, and unless she fixes the things her great-great-great grandmother Alice put wrong, Wonderland will have her head.

Goodreads ◆ January 2013

I am a HUGE Alice in Wonderland fan, and so this one is one that I've been wanting for quite some time. I need to know what happens! I love the sound of this take on the classic.

What are you waiting on?

Interview with Caroline Starr Rose

Caroline Starr Rose

Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. As a girl she danced ballet, raced through books, composed poetry on an ancient typewriter, and put on magic shows in a homemade cape. She’s taught both social studies and English in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. In her classroom she worked to instill in her students a passion for books, the freedom to experiment with words, and a curiosity about the past.

Caroline has recently returned to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she lives with her husband and two sons.

Website ❘ Blog ❘ Goodreads ❘ Facebook

Books

May B. (2012) ◆ My Review ❘ Goodreads ❘ Amazon ❘ The Book Depository

❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

Hi! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer questions about yourself and your amazing novel May B. on Confessions of a Readaholic. It's great to have you here :)

Thank you, Rabiah. It’s lovely to be here.

Books are like cakes– they have ingredients to make a final product. What's the recipe for MAY B.?

Lots of research, trust, and time.

I’d only read two verse novels before writing May B. and didn’t originally plan to write verse at all. The more research I did, verse felt like the most truthful way to tell the story.

Your book touches on problems which many children and teens alike face today, such as dyslexia. What gave you the idea to write a historical novel about this?

My experience as a teacher. I’ve always wondered how children with learning disabilities would have been treated in an era before their struggles would have been understood. Once I determined May’s ambition to be a teacher, I decided the biggest obstacle I could throw at her to keep her from her goal (authors are mean that way) was to give her a learning disability.

What's the main message you hope readers will take from your book?

The idea that our worth comes from who we are, not what we can or cannot do.

What and/or who were your influences in writing MAY B.?

A number of things!

The book READ THIS ONLY TO YOURSELF: THE PRIVATE WRITINGS OF MIDWESTERN WOMEN showed me how pioneer women wrote of their own lives in very contained, matter-of-fact, spare language. Trying to mirror their voices is what led me to verse.

From the beginning, I wanted to tell a frontier survival story and pictured MAY B. as LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE meets HATCHET. 

The movie CASTAWAY made me curious about telling a story with a character largely on her own. In a lot of ways, MAY B. was an experiment in learning how such a story could be told.

Which books are you currently reading? Which 5 books are your all-time favorites?

Right now I’m reading fellow 2k12 member Sarvenaz Tash’s THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST with my boys. I’m almost finished with NEW FOUND LAND, a verse novel about the Lewis and Clark expedition and am halfway through Rick Bragg’s memoir, ALL OVER BUT THE SHOUTIN’.

And here are my all-time favorites (six...I couldn’t resist!)

THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas

POSSESSION by A. S. Byatt

KATHERINE by Anya Seton

A SEPARATE PEACE by John Knowles

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS by Maya Angelou

THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster

Is there a certain song that you think fits your novel?

The Ludlows from the movie LEGENDS OF THE FALL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BSNU2ZLyKM

■ ■ ■

PICK THIS OR THAT

A Blizzard or a Sandstorm?

Sandstorm, most definitely. I can’t stand the cold.

Cats or Dogs?

I love both.

Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt? (and which flavor? I'm really curious :D)

Ice cream. Anything with peanut butter. I also love peppermint with hot fudge.

Early Bird or Night Owl?

I used to be an early bird before children. Now I’m neither!

■ ■ ■

What do you do when you're not writing?

Read, run, cook, work crosswords, laugh at ridiculous things, spend time with my family.

And lastly, do you have any tips for aspiring writers out there?

These two ideas kept me writing for twelve years before making a sale: 

I have something unique to say.

My writing can only improve if I keep working at it.

❖ ❖ ❖ ❖ ❖

Thank you so much to Caroline Starr Rose for answering questions on herself and her debut novel, May B. I seriously loved this book. It's a quick read, in verse, and has a VERY likable heroine– what more do you need?

I've known it since last night:
It's been too long to expect them to return.
Something's happened.

May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose's fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.

Loving Summer by Kailin Gow

Loving Summer by Kailin Gow


Release Date: May 28, 2012
Publisher: theEDGEbooks.com
Series: Loving Summer, Book 1
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eBook
Source: SupaGurl Books (for Blog Tour)
Buy: Amazon
Goodreads ● Website

After not having seen childhood family friends, Rachel and her brothers Nathaniel and Drew in three years, sixteen year old Summer Jones, who has always spent her summers with the Donovans at her Aunt Sookie's Malibu beach house, discovers there is more to her long-time 
crush on one of the Donovan brothers this summer than meets the eye, especially when Astor Fairway, the handsome television star taking her aunt's acting coaching sessions, notices her. 

This summer, the summer she is noticed, would be the summer no one could forget.

Another perfect summer read!

I've been reading them by the dozen, all of them excellent, and Loving Summer is definitely one NOT to miss! I jumped at the chance to be apart of this blog tour. Why? Well, for starters, Kailin Gow's books have caught my attention for AGES and I've never been able to get my hands on one uptil now. Another reason: the cover. GOR. GE. OUS. Love it! And it totally made me curious as to who she'd end up with.
I found a lot of similarities to other "summery" books, one example being the Summer trilogy by Jenny Han. There's the whole love triangle thing...although it's a one girl with three guys instead of the two. Totally spices up the story!

I liked Summer. I didn't LOVE her, but she's likeable, and I enjoyed hearing her part of the story. From the slight switch in perspectives, while it was interesting to hear from Drew, the main story definitely did come from Summer (hence the title!). I just wish that Rachel had a bigger role though– she's one character I'd have DEFINITELY liked to know better.
And now, the part which will definitely perk up your interest: the love triangle/square... thing. Boy no. 1) Astor. Definitely like him. Charming, sweet and did I mention movie star? *swoon*. Boy no. 2) Drew. "Bad Boy", yet has a softer side. Don't they always? Love him though– he really does change during the book. and Boy no. 3) Nat. The boy Summer has always loved (sounds like Belly and Conrad, huh?), yet it's really complicated. This has to be the most complicated love triangle-square I've ever read about. Because just when you think Summer's going to fall for one or the other, it always changes! I can't wait to find out who the final one is though...I'm on Team Drew so far :D

Loving Summer is the summer full of friendship, love and heartbreak. I loved this story, and can't wait to find out more in the sequel, Perfect Summer, and of course, who Summer ends up with!

**Thank you so much to SupaGirl Books for making me apart of the tour and sending Loving Summer for review**

BIG LOVING SUMMER PROMOTION!

Included in Loving Summer's Kindle version is a full-length Loving Summer Healthy Summer Recipes Cookbook written by Kailin Gow, and will be released as a seperate book valued at $9.99

PLUS, anyone who purchases a copy of Loving Summer from Amazon.com (HERE), they get a chance to win Kailin's gently used Coach Bag SIGNED by her, valued at $500!!

So what are you waiting for? GO GO GO!

If you like this, try...

• The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han ◆ Goodreads
• Being Friends with Boys by Tera Elan McVoy ◆ Goodreads
• The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland ◆ Goodreads

Check out the rest of the Blog Tour!

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry


Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Amulet Books
Rated: YA/MG 12+
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Buy: Amazon ❘ The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

This dark and thrilling adventure, with an unforgettable heroine, will captivate fans of steampunk, fantasy, and romance. On her 18th birthday, Lena Mattacascar decides to search for her father, who disappeared into the northern wilderness of Scree when Lena was young. Scree is inhabited by Peculiars, people whose unusual characteristics make them unacceptable to modern society. Lena wonders if her father is the source of her own extraordinary characteristics and if she, too, is Peculiar. On the train she meets a young librarian, Jimson Quiggley, who is traveling to a town on the edge of Scree to work in the home and library of the inventor Mr. Beasley. The train is stopped by men being chased by the handsome young marshal Thomas Saltre. When Saltre learns who Lena’s father is, he convinces her to spy on Mr. Beasley and the strange folk who disappear into his home, Zephyr House. A daring escape in an aerocopter leads Lena into the wilds of Scree to confront her deepest fears.

I'd only recently started reading steampunk novels, and even then, it's pretty rare that I do. So far, all the ones that I have read have all been brilliant, and The Peculiars is certainly no exception. When I saw the fabulous cover, I knew, with the gears and the wings that this book was going to be different.
I really love the detail in which McQuerry illustrates this world. I have no idea if it was based on a real place (for the non-Scree places), but the world is so much more different than ours. The way the machines are described really shows the power of industry during that time period. Even the historical part of the novel seemed accurate, with no flaws in the way the characters talked, the way Lena perceives things– I could not find anything more descriptively captivating. There's something much more delectable about a story when history, steampunk and fantasy are all blended together.

I loved the characters. All of them were easy to warm up to. I loved Jimson! He's so friendly and so open, it was hard not to like him. I found Lena's character most of the time likable. At some parts however, she was reckless and did things before thinking. This made me frustrated, but her flaws are what make her the better character. I liked her determination to find out her past, and to find a way to get into Scree.
Thomas Saltre...ew. Okay, did not like him. Even though "ew" is not the right way to describe him, I hated him from the moment he arrives in this novel. I mean sure, he has that appeal to him with his looks and all, but please. With Jimson in this novel, I didn't even give Saltre a second glance.
For some reason, I kept on likening Mr. Beasley to Mr. Magorium (from Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium). They're both quite eccentric and love what they do. Nonetheless, he was a great character, and stood out from the others to be quite the original one. And of course, love Mrs. Mumbles the cat!

What I enjoyed the most about this book is that it's actually focused on the story. There's romance in this book, but I like that it wasn't the main storyline. I thought this allowed me more to actually get sucked into this world, without the influence of the characters or completely diverting all my attention to them. The beginning of the novel is a little slow though, but I love the way McQuerry builds it up to a fast-paced climatic scene.

The Peculiars is one novel not to miss. I'm not sure if there will be a sequel to it or not, but I feel that even if there isn't one, the story ended with enough substance to leave the reader content. I personally felt that it was enough, but of course, me being me, I can't resist if there's another one coming up! We'll just have to see. Don't skip over this one, you'll only regret it! Readers of all ages will love this one with it's gorgeous (yet dangerous) world and characters like none other.

**Thank you so much to Amulet Books (ABRAMS) for sending me The Peculiars for review!**

If you like this, try...

• The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross ◆ Goodreads
• Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear ◆ Goodreads
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs ◆ Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday – Week 60

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's to spotlight books which I'm DYING to get my hands on!

This week's WoW is:

Fuse by Julianna Baggott

(may contain spoilers if you haven't read Pure the first book)

After a young Wretch is abducted by the Dome and “cleansed” of her fusings and imperfections, she is only able to repeat the Dome’s latest message: “We want our son returned. This girl is proof that we can save you all. If you ignore our plea, we will kill our hostages one at a time.” Willux will go to any lengths to get his son Partridge back, including murder.

Partridge sacrifices himself and returns, in the hope of taking over the Dome from within, only to uncover more of his father’s chilling, dark secrets. Outside the Dome, Pressia, Bradwell, and El Capitan are decoding the secrets from the past—tucked away in one of the Black Boxes—to uncover the truth that might set the wretches free of their fusings forever.

Those fighting Willux will be pushed over boundaries, both land and sea, heart and mind, in their quest—further than they ever imagined.

Goodreads ◆ February 19, 2013

WHY DOES 2013 HAVE TO BE SO FAR AWAY?!?! I loved Pure (review coming soon!) and can't wait for this one. The cover for this one is absolutely gorgeous :D

What are you waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday – Week 36

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by the bloggers over at The Broke and the Bookish. Today's top ten is:

Top Ten Books on my Summer TBR List

absolutely perfect one isn't it? I'm now in India on holidays, and I've got quite a few books I need to read (other than the ones for review), so here we go:


1. Divergent by Veronica Roth. This is a MUST. People have been telling me how amazing this one is and I was lucky enough to win, not only Divergent, but Insurgent as well :D


2. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi. Likewise with Divergent, people have been going crazy over this book, it's been all over the blogosphere, and so I desperately need to read this one.


3. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows. This is another book I won (you'll be seeing that a LOT of the books here on this list I did win from giveaways), and I want to read it because of a) the gorgeous cover and b) the raving reviews. This has clearly been a much talked about debut!


4. Cinder by Marissa Meyer. Dystopian re-telling of Cinderella? HELL YES. I bought this a while ago, and it's been lying on my shelf for a while. Therefore... TO READ.


5. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I have read this series (don't worry– I haven't been missing out on this!), but I only read the first three books...around 3 years ago. I have City of Fallen Angels (fourth book) and City of Lost Souls (fifth [which I won]) on my shelf waiting, but because I can't remember, I'm gonna have to go through the whole series again.


6. Slide by Jill Hathaway. During my exams, I will admit, I took a little sneak peek. It arrived during the March Break (YES, another book won) and it's been eyeing me from my shelf. But it took me all my will to stop myself from reading it, because exam time is well, exam time! Now I can read it with no worries and commitments ahead of me (other than blogging of course).


7. Tempest by Julie Cross. Received this one from my parents for my birthday, and because the cover is intoxicatingly gorgeous and the premise is so original, I can't wait to dive into it.


8. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. WOW. Okay, didn't know how long it would take to type that title. Quick briefing: won the book, heard John Green say it was amazing, cover is oh-la-la and now, BAM! Need to read.


9. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson. I've read Suite Scarlett and this one has been out for ages, so I'd better give this a go!


10. Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. I just bought this one recently, and because I'm a HUGEEEE fan of John Green's (and I've heard plenty of amazing things about Levithan's books :D) I will need to get to this one...before finally hitting The Fault in Our Stars (which I have yet to get my hands on).


SO that is my list for my TBR pile, hopefully I'll be able to chomp through these quickly in order to get *gasp* more books! :D

What's on your Summer TBR pile?

Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein

Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein


Release Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Rated: YA 14+
Format: eGalley
Source: Author
Buy: Amazon ❘ The Book Depository
Goodreads ● Website

Amy is fine living in the shadows of beautiful Lila and uber-cool Cassie, because at least she’s somewhat beautiful and uber-cool by association. But when their dates stand them up for prom, and the girls take matters into their own hands—earning them a night in jail outfitted in satin, stilettos, and Spanx—Amy discovers even a prom spent in handcuffs might be better than the humiliating “rehabilitation techniques” now filling up her summer. Worse, with Lila and Cassie parentally banned, Amy feels like she has nothing—like she is nothing.

Navigating unlikely alliances with her new coworker, two very different boys, and possibly even her parents, Amy struggles to decide if it’s worth being a best friend when it makes you a public enemy. Bringing readers along on an often hilarious and heartwarming journey, Amy finds that maybe getting a life only happens once you think your life is over.

When I saw Pretty Amy's cover on Goodreads, it immediately caught my interest. That dress is GORGEOUS! I then went on to reading the blurb and then further went on to request for a review copy from Lisa Burstein because this sounded like an original premise for a contemporary YA novel. And it was just that. Pretty Amy explores what every teen would never dream of: being arrested on prom night. That alone makes you curious doesn't it?

While I enjoyed most of the story, I did find many faults with the characters. Some of the absolute worst people are in this book, ones that I would never want to meet in real life. 
The only thing I really liked about Amy was her humor. She's got quite the knack to have smart comebacks from time to time. She really lacked self-confidence though. I hated how she constantly had to put other people down most of the time to make herself feel better. This does relate to teens now days I completely understand, but it somewhat annoyed me when she took pleasure in other people's problems and faults. Her whining really did put me on an edge!
Her mother, on the other hand, is a different story altogether. I seriously think, that out of all the YA novel moms out there, she's the worst of the worst. A pain in the butt this lady is.  Her dad was one character I liked though. He, Joe and AJ (her parrott) were probably the most likeable ones in the story. But the unlikeable ones? You gotta love to hate 'em!

This story was very character-driven, so if you don't like the characters, it's going to be one bumpy ride. I liked the ups and downs though, it made me really get to understand Amy's character even more. Pretty Amy is definitely one contemporary not to pass up! Lisa Burstein's writing is amazing, and can't wait for more from her. One debut definitely not to miss.

**Thank you to Lisa Burstein for sending me Pretty Amy for review!**

If you like this, try...

• Prom Night: All the Way by Megan Stine ◆ Goodreads

YES. Once again.

Hey everyone!


Because my family's so big on taking vacations, here's my summer: I'm going to India! Which is gonna be quite relaxing, but lemme tell you, the internet there is pretty sketchy. SO... what to do? I'm sure I'll get internet at one point, but until then, I'm scheduling some posts along the way, mostly memes and reviews, but also a blog tour post and a couple of interviews. So fingers crossed, hope everything goes as planned, and here's to the summer break.


**UPDATE: Okay, well, I'm in India now, and there's internet! YIPPEEEE! But it's pretty slow :P BUT, I'll still be able to use it!**


Have a great summer and happy reading!


Rabiah

Books, Blogging and Everything Else: Summer, Memes, and more Summer!

I've tried out "Rants" before as a meme, but I found one problem: despite many problems that can occur in one day, I never felt it necessary to rant about it! So I'm giving this a try, more of a discussion meme rather than me blabbing out my feelings. Well, there's that, but you guys should most definitely join in.
HENCE, I've created Books, Blogging and Everything Else: A meme where I pick a random discussion question for the three topics listed above– Books, Blogging, and Everything Else! See, it's quite fun :)


Books...

Since summer is coming up, here's one question that I'm sure everyone's thinking about:

What books are you planning to read on vacation?

Some of you may be quite familiar with my ranting, but let me state the obvious: I have a huge TBR pile. And I'm sure that almost all of you do. For those of you who don't, please let me know your secret!

I've got quite a large chunk of my pile that I want to chomp down on this summer! Mostly it's "fun reads" which I've never gotten the time to read, but also includes some eGalleys for review. Grade 11 is coming up, and because I'm taking Higher English Literature as part of the IB system, I also have to read three "Wider Reading novels" these include several books from all over the globe, including some which I have read (ie. The Lovely Bones, To Kill a Mockingbird). I might have to stop at a bookstore to see what else on the huge list they've provided quirks my interest. I've yet to actually go through the entire list, and I should be doing so very, very soon.

I can only really fit so much in my suitcase, so I'm flipping through pages like mad, trying to cut down the pile as much as I can before I leave this saturday. I've successfully gone through a couple books, so it looks promising!

Blogging...

Well, since I've just "created" (or rather adapted) a meme, let's focus the question of the very same topic, shall we?

Do you take part in memes? If so, how many/which do you participate in?

I'm a sucker for memes. But that's the terrible part: somewhere along the way, I end up stopping the meme and completely let it go! I've done this to several (Teaser Tuesday and my very own meme Rants, for example) and I'm quite horrified at the rate I'm doing so. I currently do partake very regularly in Waiting on Wednesday, and sometimes in Top Ten Tuesday and In My Mailbox. Even rarer is Books to Pine For, Dust Collectors and Fairest of  Them All. Listing these actually makes my heart pang for them, so hopefully you might see some posts of these coming up!

I honestly find that the harder and the more effort that the meme takes, my interest and regularity for posting goes downhill. Which I really hate. I'm terrible at motivating and sticking to something (it's a miracle how I'm still blogging) and need to plan WAY ahead of time before posting. I guess this is the problem. The only reason why Waiting on Wednesday occurs frequently is because it's quite easy to post. I'm really trying hard to increase the amount of reviews, as well as interact with you all by taking part in memes, and there's only so many days in a week. I'm still trying to work around it, so sorry for the confusion, if there was any: I'll definitely sort this out in the end, I promise you.


and Everything Else...

NOW, onto something completely non-book-or-blog related! It's again to do with summer:

What TV shows are you planning on watching during the summer? Are there any good TV shows which you're addicted to?

I will admit this: I'm a TV newbie. I only really started watching TV shows in Grade 10 (this year...isn't that sad?!) and it's been a great new interest for me. Before I used to watch whatever was coming on TV when my sister and brother were watching it (which usually included Spongebob Squarepants) but now, I'm like ADDICTED.

I've gone through many shows this past year: How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, Suburgatory, Modern Family, Glee, State of Georgia, I Hate My Teenage Daughter. Even recapped on some old ones: 10 Things I Hate About You (WHY DID THEY CANCEL?!?) and a little bit of Friends. I'm also trying to catch up on some now: Gossip Girl (Season 5, nearly finished... but so far, probably my least favorite season) and Pretty Little Liars (I have yet to reach the season 2 finale. It's killing me!). So as you can see, I am a TV virgin no more.

Yet, I have so many more shows I want to give a chance. I've watched the pilot episode for Are You There, Chelsea? and even though I know it's cancelled, I'm loving it, and probably will finish the 12 episodes. Other shows that I mean to watch include: Once Upon a Time, Revenge, Last Man Standing, Up All Night, Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 29, The Secret Circle, The Big Bang Theory, and so much more. Gah, this is probably gonna kill me.

And then there's two TV shows which I totally need your opinion on. 1) Game of Thrones. I've heard amazing things about it from so many people, and it really sounds good. Then my friend, who watched it, tells me what happens (not in so much detail) but from what she says there's a ton of profanity. So my question is: is it really worth watching? Like, will I go WOW just from watching a couple of episodes?
And 2) The Vampire Diaries. Everyone's been either YES or NO for this one, and I need some good opinions. I watched the first couple of episodes, but it's been so slow, and I've not found it really interesting. But people keep telling me that it gets better, but trust me, I don't want to keep watching just to see WHEN it gets better. So another question for you is: Is it worth continuing this series?

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Some questions to totally think about (and totally answer in the comments!) and I guess this is one of the last posts before it goes all scheduled on you. More on that later. Hope you're all having a fab summer full of books, blogging, and (well) everything else!

Enchanted Dream Cast by Alethea Kontis

Alethea Kontis

New York Times bestselling author Alethea Kontis is a princess, a goddess, a force of nature, and a mess. She’s known for screwing up the alphabet, scolding vampire hunters, turning garden gnomes into mad scientists, and making sense out of fairy tales. Alethea is the co-author of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter Companion, and penned the AlphaOops series of picture books. She has done multiple collaborations with Eisner winning artist J.K. Lee, including The Wonderland Alphabet,The Umbrella of Fun, and the illustrated Twitter serial “Diary of a Mad Scientist Garden Gnome.” Her debut YA fairy tale novel, Enchanted, was published by HMH (Harcourt Books) in May 2012. Her short fiction, essays, and poetry have appeared in over ten anthologies, as well as venues such as Realms of Fantasy, Clarkesworld, and Apex Magazine, and she is the monthly book reviewer at Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show. You can find Princess Alethea online at: www.aletheakontis.com. Born in Burlington, Vermont, Alethea now lives in Northern Virginia with her Fairy Godfamily. She makes the best baklava you’ve ever tasted and sleeps with a teddy bear named Charlie.

Website ❘ Goodreads ❘ Twitter ❘ Facebook

Enchanted ◆ My Review ❘ Goodreads ❘ Amazon ❘ The Book Depository  

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I'm so excited to be apart of the Enchanted blog tour with Alethea Kontis! Today I have her over on the blog, displaying her choices for (some) of the characters from her novel.

Meaghan Jette Martin (left) as Sunday. Elle Fanning (right) would also make a good Sunday.

Ben Barnes as Rumbold.

[OMG, my thoughts exactly!]

Rooney Mara as Wednesday.

I imagine Velius as a cross between Manganiello and Mandy Patinkin in The Princess Bride...

Kenneth Branagh as The King of Arilland. Totally.

Isabelle Adjani as Joy (and possibly Sorrow...)

Check out more of Alethea Kontis' Dream Cast HERE!

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Okay, I'm absolutely in LOVE with this dreamcast right now. I want this made in a movie STAT. Anyway, thank you so much to Alethea Kontis for stopping by and for making me apart of the blog tour! Enchanted is an AMAZING book, and if you haven't read it yet, well, I suggest you go do so now before somebody gets hurt.

It isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past - and hers?