In My Mailbox {35}

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It features books acquired over the past week no matter the source (bookstore, publisher, friend, library, etc.)


No video this week because 1) I kind of forgot until 11 last night and 2) I only have two books this week. That's perfectly okay since I have about a bajillion books in my physical TBR right now. Some holds came and I'm pretty excited about them :]

Library:

New Girl by Paige Harbison

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

What did you get in your mailbox?

Middle Grade March Challenge

This is just a quick little post to tell you about the Middle Grade March challenge I decided (just now) to sign up for. I'm not really good at compacting info, so you can find it all here: The Non-Reluctant Reader and Starry Sky Books




I read quite a bit of MG and I've kind of unofficially dubbed this Middle Grade March on the blog anyway, but I'm still not sure how many I can do in a month, so I'm going with the "Mayor" level which is 4-8 MGs.
So, if you're interested hop on over and check out this challenge. I'm looking forward to it :]

Tag, I'm it!

I was tagged by Erika at Rescue Reads

Here's how you play:

1. Answer the questions that the blogger set for you in their post.

2. Create 11 questions for 11 people that you tag to answer.

3. Tag 11 people and link them to your post. 

4. Let them know that you've tagged them.

5. Include these rules and add a link to the person who tagged you with your post. 

Here are the questions I was given:

1. What did you think of blogs before you were a blogger?

Before I started my blog I thought all blogs were just people writing about their lives or food. I was only following one book blog and I just kind of thought it was a fluke or something :P It was only about a week after I discovered book blogging was a big thing that I started my own.

2. Do you prefer books in the past, present, or future?

Fantastic question! I think I'm going to have to go with future. I like that anything is possible for the future so you never really know what you're going to get.

3. Paperback or Hardcover?

Hardcover for sure. I would rather have one hardcover than 2 paperbacks. I can't help it, I just adore hardcover books. Especially when the book itself has something special on it.

4. Buy or Borrow?

Hmm. I would like to buy more books, but it's simply not in the budget right now, so I mostly stick to the library. When I get the chance, I'll definitely buy the book, though.

5. Why did you decide to start a blog?

A combination of sheer boredom, Husband's encouragement, and the need for some sort of outlet for all my reading.

6. Which book(s) have your favorite covers?

Oh now this question is just impossible. I'm going to be a cheater here and just say the Barnes and Noble Classics. Yes, all of them :P

7. Do you listen to music while reading?

Not usually. I often end up following along with the music instead of my book, but I'll use it if the outside world is too distracting. 

8. Have you read the Hunger Games, and if so, are you excited for the movie?

I read it forever ago and I'm SO beyond excited for the movie. I kind of want to reread the book before watching, but I'm also afraid I'll just pick the movie apart more if the book is fresh in my mind.

9. What are some websites you use for your blogging/reading (Ex: goodreads)

Blogger (didn't see that one coming, did you :P)

Twitter: I'm basically on here all day. It's kind of sad, really.

Goodreads: I love being able to keep a list of all the books I want to read/have read.

Random Buzzers: This is a great way to be in a book community while earning points towards books and book swag.

10. What do you do when you're not reading?

Mostly just tv. I watch a lot of stuff on Netlix Instant and try keeping up with other things on Hulu. I also hang out with Husband, go out to eat (yes, this is a hobby), and play with my dog, Pugsy :]

11. Which book do you wish had more publicity? 

The Heroes of Olympus series/ Percy Jackson. These books are amazing, but I know a lot of people actually haven't read any of them.

I tag (Feel free to take it if you're not tagged.):

Katie's Book Blog

Bunbury in the Stacks

Into the Hall of Books

Lisa is Busy Nerding

The Book Cellar

The Book Life

My Questions for The next people:

1. What do you like to do besides read/blog?

2. Print or ebook? Any particular reason?

3. Paperback or Hardcover?

4. Do you have a favorite bookstore? If so, can we see a pic?

5. Why did you decide to start a blog?

6. How long does it take you to finish a book on average?

7. Look at your bookshelf (not goodreads, but your physical bookshelf) and quickly pick your top five.

8. Favorite places on the internet?

9. Coffee, tea, juice, or soda?

10. What's your favorite thing about blogging?

11. Favorite of your past 5 books read, plus the next 5 you plan to read. 

TGIF {19}

 TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by Ginger at GReads. Each week she poses a question and everyone is invited to join in and share their answers :]


This week's question: Book Moments: What has been your favorite moment (scene) in a book that you've read so far in 2012? Please be kind & not include spoilers.


I'm not going to lie, I don't have to best memory when it comes to books. I can remember my overall feelings about a book and sometimes I can even remember characters, but the details never really stick with me for very long. It's heartbreaking, I know, but it is what it is.


One scene from my recent reads does stick out, though. Born Wicked is probably my favorite read of the year thus far, so it's only natural that one of my favorite and most memorable scenes happens to come from it. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just leave it at "the feather scene" with Cate and Finn. Anybody know what I'm talking about? We can totally gush together if you do ;]

Above World by Jenn Reese {Review}

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publish Date: February 14, 2012

Source: Publisher for honest review

Goodreads

Thirteen-year-old Aluna has lived her entire life under the ocean, just like all the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides. But after remaining hidden from the Above World for centuries, her colony is now in trouble, its survival in doubt -- the tech that allows the Kampii to breathe underwater is beginning to fail. Yet the colony's elders are unwilling to venture to the dry and dangerous Above World to search for answers.
So it's up to Aluna and her friend Hoku to face the terrors of land to find a solution. Will Aluna's warrior spirit and Hoku's intelligence be enough not only to keep themselves safe but also to find a way to save their city and possibly the world?

Above World was a fast and crazy wild ride. When the book first starts you’re thrown into a shark attack within the first 5 pages! It was a bit jarring since my last book was pretty slow, but once I got used to it, it was rather enjoyable.

Jenn Reese creates a completely different world I never saw coming. I knew Above World would be a little different than anything else I’d read since the synopsis seemed to point to an underwater world without mermaids, but there’s so much more to the world than that. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, though, so I won’t get into too much. Reese’s descriptions of all the technology and how it was used kept blowing my mind, but in a good way.

Hoku was definitely my favorite character of the bunch. He was timid, but still managed to be strong when he needed to be. His character growth was the most natural. Aluna did grow as a character, but it seemed almost too manufactured. I really, really enjoyed the Aviars as a whole, but I don’t want to spoil them.

Zorro was so cool! I want one for myself :]

The Nutshell: Above World holds much more than an underwater world and its inhabitants view of the world above. There’s adventure, action, awesome characters, and a totally new earth in a strange future. From the instant you open the book you’re thrown into a whirlwind of activity and it doesn’t let up until you turn the last page. If you enjoy quick-paced middle grade and crazy futuristic worlds, you should definitely give this book a try.

Pages: 368

Series: Above World #1

Rating: 3.5 stars