Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Across the Universe Creative Contest Entry

Here's my entry for the Creative contest Beth Revis is having.  I made a haiku up for most of the important characters or aspects of the story.  I had a lot of fun making this (I won't even tell you how long it took me to choose which version I wanted to send in).  Hopefully people like it and it makes them want to read Across the Universe and its sequel A Million Suns:


You can find out more about the contest here:  http://bethrevis.blogspot.com/2011/08/august-giveaway.html

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sweet Venom 2 Title Hunt

Sorry for not putting up this post right away this morning : )

I'm very happy to be part of the Sweet Venom 2 title hunt.  I'm looking forward to reading Sweet Venom because I love Greek mythology and it looks like a great read.

You can find out all the details about the hunt for the title and the prizes at Tera Lynn Childs' blog, http://teralynnchilds.blogspot.com

My letter is O

The prizes for the hunt are five signed copies of Sweet Venom and a grand prize $50 bookstore gift card.

The hunt is open internationally.Make sure to visit all the other blogs that are a part of the hunt.

Good Luck and have a great day.  :)

Legendary Legend

Legend by Marie Lu

* ARC I read via Around The World ARC Tours
* Book will be released on November 29, 2011

This lovely book receives a superb 5 out of 5 gnomes for a crazy dystopian story that feels fresh/new and is full of surprises. 

The Republic is at war with the Colonies and there’s also a terrorist group against the Republic called the Patriots.  These Patriots leave graffitti behind of what sounds like the US flag.  Living under this military rule means that you follow the rules or else.

There are two main characters in this story.  Day, the most wanted criminal in the Republic and June, one of the Republic’s prized pupils.

Day is from a slum/poor district.  He fights against the injustice of the Republic because of what he’s personally seen and experienced.  He excels at doing unexpected things and the Republic has no clue what he looks like.

June has grown up in the rich section of the Republic and is well on her way to earning a very high position/ranking in the military.  This means she could pretty much do whatever she wanted because the military practically runs the government and their leader is the kind of guy who forces every citizen to have a picture of him in their homes.

They’ve grown up in extremely different ways and that’s all they have known.  There are plenty of surprises just below the surface for both of them.  At first I thought it was just going to be a Romeo and Juliet kind of situation but it’s so much more.

This story is greatly helped by having two points of view.  I don’t think it would have worked as well if only seen from one view.  Having the perspective change on each chapter helps enhance the empathy with the characters and rachets up the tension.  The color of the type even changes depending on who’s talking.  Day’s chapters are gold and Junes are in black.

This is also one of those books where it takes a while for all the pieces to come together but when they do it’s intense.  There’s one thing about the book that I don’t quite understand but that might be clues for events to happen later.  I think this because the titles of section ones and section two intrigue me but I’m not sure what significance they have.

This world has so much to explore and is full of mysteries.  Parts of the book are gut wrenching and may just have you tearing up or as my sister said I was doing, making tiny screaming noises.  I love that these two characters are a strong couple together and individually.  Their skills are evenly matched and June doesn’t need anyone to save her, she kicks some serious butt.

I can’t say much more without spoiling things.  The ending was especially fitting but does leave the couple in an interesting place with a dangerous plan.  I cannot wait to see what happens next.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Sentence Sneak Peek - Legend

Legend by Marie Lu

The first sentence from each chapter of Legend, it's a mini summary of what you can expect to read.

* All first sentences are from an ARC I read via Around The World ARC Tours

* Book will be released on November 29, 2011
* Spoilers are highlighted like this :)

“MY MOTHER THINKS I’M DEAD.”

I’M SITTING IN MY DEAN SECRETARY’S OFFICE.

“WHEN I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD, MY FATHER CAME home from the warfront for a week’s leave.”

I STILL REMEMBER THE DAY THAT MY BROTHER MISSED HIS induction ceremony into the Republic military.”

“I’M DREAMING THAT I’M HOME AGAIN.”

I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S BECAUSE COMMANDER JAMESON has taken pity on me, or if she really does feel the loss of Metias, one of her most valued soldiers, but she helps me arrange his funeral—even though she’s never done that for one of her soldiers before.”

“IT’S GODDY HOT EVEN THIS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON.”

THE LIGHTS IN BATALLA HALL ARE COLD AND FLUORESCENT.

“EAT SOMETHING, YEAH?”

I SHOULD BE THE ONE GOING OUT THERE.

“THE RULES FOR WATCHING—AND BETTING ON—a Skiz fight are simple enough.”

I’M NOT WORRIED ABOUT LOSING THE FIGHT.

“SHE WON’T TELL ME HER NAME.”

I WAKE UP AT DAWN.

“I ALMOST KISSED THE GIRL LAST NIGHT.”

“The boy and I sit together in the back of another alley while Tess sleeps a short distance away.”

“WHEN THE GIRL HAS FINALLY FALLEN ASLEEP, I LEAVE her with Tess and head off to visit my family again.”

DAY MUST HAVE THOUGHT I’D FALLEN ASLEEP.

“DURING THE FEW HOURS OF SLEEP I MANAGE TO GET before dawn, I dream of home.”

I DON’T HAVE TO SAY MUCH MORE TO CONVINCE DAY TO move.”

“USUALLY I’M GRATEFUL FOR THE CROWDS ON THE streets of Lake.”

THE WOMAN THOMAS SHOOTS HASN’T EVEN CRUMPLED TO the ground yet when I see the boy launch himself from the rooftop.”

“THE WORLD’S A BLUR.”

THAT EVENING, I FORCE MYSELF INTO A DRESS TO ATTEND an impromptu ball with Thomas on my arm.”

“GET ON YOUR FEET.”

I HARDLY RECOGNIZE DAY, EVEN THOUGH IT’S ONLY BEEN seven hours since the sentencing.”

“I HAVE NIGHTMARES AGAIN.”

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, METIAS WAS SOMETIMES CALLED away to deal with minor rebellions, and afterward he’d tell me about them.”

“WE RIDE UP SEVERAL FLOORS UNTIL I HEAR THE elevator’s chains come to a scraping halt.”

THAT NIGHT, THOMAS SPENDS HALF AN HOUR STANDING outside my door, trying out a dozen different kinds of apologies.”

“WHEN JUNE VISITS ME AGAIN THE NEXT MORNING, even she looks shocked—if just for a second—at my figure, slumped against one wall of my cell.”

I CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT DAY.

“I TRY TO BREAK OUT OF MY PRISON TONIGHT.”

I LEARNED AT DRAKE THAT THE BEST WAY TO TRAVEL UNSEEN at night is by rooftop.”

TWO NIGHTS BEFORE MY EXECUTION DATE, I HAVE a slew of dreams while trying to sleep against my cell’s wall.”

DAY WILL BE EXECUTED TOMORROW EVENING.

MY NEW EXECUTION TIME COMES WITHOUT ANY fanfare but the occasional crack of thunder coming from outside the building.”

MY FIRST INSTINCT IS TO ATTACK THOMAS.

“A CRACK OF LIGHTNING, AN EXPLOSION OF THUNDER, the sound of pounding rain.”

HURRICANE EVONIA HAS FINALLY STARTED TO CALM DOWN, but the rain, heavy and cold, continues to fall in sheets.”

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Top 5 Sundays - Most Awaited Books 2nd Half 2011!

This feature was thought up by the awesome Larissa's Bookish Life
Rules:
1 - Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme I chose (or was chosen on a poll) for the week.

2 - Mention this Blog on the post and link back to it.
3 - Fell free to use the Feature's image (there is a smaller size version of it bellow)
4 - After you've finished your post, add you link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.5 - If you don't have a blog to post, just leave your list in the coments =)
Top 5 Sundays - Most Awaited Books 2nd Half 2011!

This book looks creepy and awesome.

I read an ARC of this via a tour site but can't wait to get my own finished copy, it's such a good book.

This is one of those books that I knew I wanted to read after just seeing the cover and I loved her first book The Replacement so I'm looking forward to seeing what else she writes.

Read this book via an ARC tour but can't wait to read it again.  This book is insane and I want to read it again to see if I pick up on any new clues.

This is one of my favorite series and I can't wait to see what happens next.  Also I really want to know whether the baby on the cover belongs to the main character and whether it's a boy or girl.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Monster Mile

Mile 81 by Stephen King

* Read this short story early because of Klout Perks.
* Story will be released September 1, 2011


Sentence Sneak Peek
"You can't come, his older brother said."

"Doug Clayton was an insurance man from Bangor, bound for Portland, where he had a reservation at the Sheraton Hotel."

"Julie Vernon didn't need King James to teach her how to be a good Samaritan."

"Six-year-old Rachel Lussier shouted, " Look, Mommy!"

"A child's scream may be one of Mother Nature's more efficient survival mechanisms, but one of mankind'sat least when it comes to automotive traffic on roads with high speed limitsis the parked State Police cruiser, especially if the black bulb of the radar detector is facing the oncoming traffic."

"From where he was standing, seventy yards away, Pete saw it all."

Mini Review
This short story is a definite must read, I give it 4 gnomes out of 5 gnomesThis is a delightfully creepy story where you never know what's going to happen next. 
The structure of the story is set up as mini chapters told from different narrators.  The pieces don't seem to fit together at first but then they all converge. It starts with little brother Pete being left behind while his brother goes out to mess around with his friends.  Of course Pete has to prove to himself that he's not a little kid and should be included.  He ends off going exploring because of a story he heard.  This leads him to Mile 81, a closed rest area.  I thought it was going to go in one direction and then that all changes when a mysterious car shows up.  This car has no driver yet somehow crashed through some cones and is just sitting there.  I won't say anymore because I don't want to spoil anything.  Overall a great story about how sometimes kids can overcome outside forces much better than adults.

Favorite Quotes/Lines
"Elementary, my dear fucksticks."
"Once you started eating shit, it had a way of becoming your regular diet."

Friday, August 26, 2011

Blogiversary Giveaway Winners

Congrats to all the winners of my Blogiversary giveaway :)  Thanks so much for all the entries and for checking out Bibliognome.


Bibliognome Pack Winner:
Amy (ArtsyBookishGal) who wrote:

He left garden life
For schooling and love of books
The gnome reads alone

She wins this mystery pack,

Tiny Reverse Vampire Pack Winner:
A.M. Tuomala who drew this awesome bat in a tiara:

She wins this mystery pack,



International Winner: winner of $20 to The Book Depository
Llehn who wrote,

He was different.
Reading while other gnomes play
He hoards words like gems.



Winners have until August 29th to contact me/claim their prize
Prizes will be shipped August 31st

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Bookperk Bodaciousness

Got another great book from Bookperk along with some cool pins.
I love Lemony Snicket's books so I knew that I wanted to read this one.  The story is really funny and if you love words then you need to read this book about a despondent bird and how her friends try to make her happy again.





The buttons that came with the book.  I especially love the Dog one, the way it's looking just makes me laugh.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Super Star

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
* Arc read via Around The World ARC Tours
* Book will be released on September 29, 2011

This is a super star of a book, a definite 4 gnomes and a gnome hat out of 5 gnomes.  It has a main character who’s full of surprises and quite the interesting new take on Jack the Ripper.  

Aurora aka Rory is going to boarding school for a year in London while her parents teach in a different town.  Everything seems normal at first but her first day in London is also the same day that a killer mimicking Jack the Ripper strikes again.  

Seeing Rory trying to fit in at school and seeing the friends she makes is fun since she’s the only American at the school.  This means that there’s plenty of cultural differences and misunderstandings to be had.  I like how she uses her Southern charm to mess with people.  She becomes fast friends with her room mate Jazza and she finds out that her classes are a lot harder then she thought they’d be.  

The humor and the voice of the book is great and really draws you into the story.  When you add in the mystery of the new Jack the Ripper and a dash of paranormal goodness, it makes for a great story.  


There’s the hint that there may be a love triangle in later books.  She meets a guy at school and they do get along very well.  He’s a bit obsessed with Jack the Ripper, seems to know everything about the case and theories about who did it.  Rory may have more in common with a new guy that she meets.  I guess it all depends on how Rory handles the new paranormal part of her life.

I wasn’t sure what to think about this book at first but then all the pieces come together.  This book has a spooky atmosphere throughout because of the interludes before some of the chapters about the murders.  There’s also a giant dose of paranoia too because everyone knows the dates that the killer will strike if he follows the original Jack the Ripper’s schedule.  This is no ordinary killer though.

Rory has new skills that are hard to believe but may be the only way to catch the killer.  The new people she meets are dysfunctional but also extremely good at what they do.  I really want to know more about the group and especially whoever the big bosses are.  

The ending was so so good and leaves some major questions about Rory’s future.  I can’t wait to see what happens next in this mysterious and spooky series.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Sentence Sneak Peek - The Name of the Star

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The first sentence from each chapter of The Name of the Star, it's a mini summary of what you can expect to read.

* All first sentences are from an ARC I read via Around The World ARC Tours

* Book will be released on September 29, 2011
* Spoilers are highlighted like this :)

THE EYES OF LONDON WERE WATCHING CLAIRE JENKINS.”

IF YOU LIVE AROUND NEW ORLEANS AND THEY THINK a hurricane might be coming, all hell brakes loose.”

I WAS IN A FOYER PANELED IN DARK WOOD WITH A mosaic floor.”

SO,” CHARLOTTE CHIRPED, AS I STUMBLED AND SLID over the cobblestones, “where are you from.?”

I WOKE UP THE NEXT MORNING TO FIND TWO STRANGERS in my room—one mom-looking type, and the other a girl with long, honey-blond hair wearing a sensible gray cashmere sweater and a pair of jeans.”

LIFE AT WEXFORD BEGAN PROMPTLY AT SIX THE NEXT morning, when Jazza’s alarm went off seconds before mine.”

THE SAN WAS THE SANATORIUM—BASICALLY, THE nurse’s office.”

THE NEXT DAY, IT RAINED.”

WHEN YOU LIVE AT SCHOOL, YOU GET CLOSE TO people really quickly.”

IT DIDN’T TAKE A GREAT DEAL OF INSIGHT TO KNOW that Jazza was not going to want to go to a crime scene that evening.”

“Veronica Atkins sat at her desk in her top floor flat, overlooking the Flowers and Archers.”

THE AUTUMN OF 1888 WAS KNOWN AS THE AUTUMN of Terror.”

THE POLICE ENCOURAGE LONDONERS TO TAKE EXTRA caution this evening.

IT HAD TURNED INTO A CRISP, PERFECT AUTUMN night.”

THE NEXT MORNING STARTED WAY TOO EARLY, WITH someone pounding wildly at our door.”

JAZZA WAS PACING OUR ROOM WHEN I RETURNED.”

THE WHITE TENT WAS THERE ALL WEEKEND, AS WAS the press.”

THE BBC IS USED TO DEALING WITH FREAKS, CRANKS, and psychos.”

THE POLICE PACKED UP BY MONDAY MORNING, AND the press left as soon as the white tent came down.”

THE NEXT MORNING, WE TOOK A FINAL LOOK AT OUR room as it was before we headed off to breakfast.”

GATORS ARE JUST SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT where I come from.”

THE NEXT MORNING, I HEADED OFF TO ART HISTORY with Boo at my side.”

SO I GOT TO RIDE IN A LONDON POLICE CAR.”

AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AT THE UNIVERSITY where my parents teach, you can see parakeets in the trees.”

JEROME DIDN’T FORGET.”

CLEARLY, JEROME AND I HAD A COMPLICATED THING going on.”

GHOSTS, ACCORDING TO THE INTERNET:
     Souls, spooks, shades, poltergeists, reverants.”

DAMN, IT FELT GOOD TO BE A RIPPEROLOGIST.”

STEPHEN WAS DRIVING WITH A GRIM, FIXED INTENSITY.”

IT WAS ALMOST THREE IN THE MORNING WHEN STEPHEN dropped me off at Wexford, but there were lots of lights on in the windows.

ON SUNDAY, I WOKE AROUND FIVE IN THE MORNING.”

WE WERE IN A SMALL SQUARE OUTSIDE OF A CHURCH.”

AGAIN, I WOKE UP AROUND FIVE IN THE MORNING.”

IT WAS A LONG NIGHT, AND I WASN’T SURE WHAT WAS worse—the terror I was just managing to keep at bay or the boredom.”

A LONG SILENCE GREETED THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.”

ONE THING ABOUT STEPHEN—HE COULD REALLY drive.”

IN 1888, MILLER’S COURT WAS A DARK OFFSHOOT OF Dorset Street, known as “the worst street in London.”

WE WERE SITTING IN THE POLICE CAR ACROSS THE street from Regis House.”

THE SPIRAL EMERGENCY STAIRS , MADE AROUND 1890, hadn’t been improved since then.”

THERE WAS A SOUND FROM THE STEPS, ONE SMALL groan from Stephen as he heard me say these words.”

AT HEALING ANGEL MINISTRIES, COUSIN DIANE reads people’s auras.”

WHEN I WOKE AGAIN, IT WAS DAYLIGHT.”

SO MY UNCLE WILL HAS THESE EIGHT FREEZERS UP IN his spare bedroom.”

Monday, August 22, 2011

Bibliognome Vacation - Cornfest

Had a great vacation in Minnesota.  It wasn't too windy or hot this year and yet I still managed to get sunburned.  :)

A view of the Cornfest sign, the lake, the steam powered corn cooker, and some delicious sweet corn.  :)




Some of my favorite cars from the car show.  The first two are my favorite because they're cool looking/older and the last picture I took is a favorite because it reminded me of the car from the Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets movie.

Some pictures from the Wildlife preserve that you can drive through.  There's a lot of really pretty scenery and plenty of deer, ducks, etc

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Bibliognome Vacation

I'm gone on vacation yesterday and today.  Expect lots of pictures from the lovely land of Minnesota and the Cornfest celebration.

So feel free to check out any of my posts and make sure to enter my Blogiversary Giveaway which ends August 23rd.  You can win two different mystery packs or if you're international $20 to The Book Depository.  As of today the Tiny Reverse Vampire Pack where you have to email us at geckyboz[at]gmail[dot]com your best drawing of a gnome or a bat wearing a tiara still has no entries, so why not take a chance.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Binding Blood

Half-Blood by Jennifer Armentrout
*
Read via Around The World ARC Tours

* Book will be released on September 15, 2011
This book gets a good 3 gnomes and a gnome hat out of 5 gnomes for having a pretty great mythology and characters that you can root for.

Alexandria aka Alex is a half-blood, which means that she’s much faster and stronger then a normal person.  She’s not as powerful as pure bloods are though and pure bloods are the ones that run her society.  

The pures are able to control an element like fire, air, etc.  Pures use half-bloods basically as guards or servants.  This means the half-bloods don’t exactly have many options in life.  There is also a strictly enforced law that there can never be a relationship between a half-blood and a pure.  The top job that a half-blood can have is to be a sentinel and fight daemons  (I usually prefer the other spelling of demon because when I see the word daemon I think of The Golden Compass).  Alex’s dream is to be a sentinel and fight daemons but there are some major obstacles in her way.  

I like the story but parts of it are way too predictable.  For example when Alex reads a certain myth out of a book, there’s some blatant foreshadowing that leaves you just waiting for her to find out the information.  The main relationship feels like a well duh of course that is going to happen kind of moment.  Thankfully though there are some surprises with the relationship angle later on.  

The love triangle aspect feels forced at times.  I know I really prefer her with the first person she falls for.  The ending will also make things very awkward for the future and leave you with an oh well kind of feeling.

The bad guys in this book and how they become bad guys is one of the most interesting aspects of the story.  The good guys face villains that are in most cases a darker/eviler version of themselves.  This story is just full of good psychological goodness like that.  There isn’t a concrete ending either so the reader knows that the bad guy will be back.


Overall a tad bit predictable but also fun to read. Alex has a future that will likely get her killed but first she has to live that long.  Things are changing but not seemingly for the better.  The ending of the book looks like it promises some problems and plenty of intrigue for the future.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Sentence Sneak Peek - Half-Blood

Half-Blood by Jennifer Armentrout

The first sentence from each chapter of Half-Blood, it's a mini summary of what you can expect to read.

* All first sentences are from an ARC I read via Around The World ARC Tours

* Book will be released on September 15, 2011
* Spoilers are highlighted like this :)



“MY EYES SNAPPED OPEN AS THE FREAKISH SIXTH sense kicked my fight or flight response into overdrive.”

“WHATEVER MY HEAD RESTED ON FELT FIRM, BUT ODDLY comfortable.”

“THOSE WORDS SHOCKED ME INTO SILENCE.”

“THE WAY HER MOUTH DROPPED OPEN AS SHE FELL backwards almost made up for her cruel words.”

“THE FOLLOWING DAY WAS LIKE GOING BACK IN TIME for me—up way too early to think straight and wearing clothes made to get my butt kicked in.”

“I WANTED TO CURL UP IN A HOLE AND DIE.”

“I TOOK A STEP BACK.”

“I WAS BEING PUNISHED.”

“ALEX!”

“SPRAWLED ACROSS THE MATS, GOING THROUGH THE motions of the cool-down stretches a couple of days later, Aiden decided to let me in on why Marcus had wanted to see him.”

“NOTHING EXISTED BUT THOSE WORDS.”

“BY SUNDAY EVENING, I COULDN’T HIDE IN MY ROOM anymore.”

“PRACTICE WAS EPICALLY AWKWARD THE FOLLOWING day.”

“I PRETENDED NOTHING WAS WRONG THE NEXT DAY IN practice.”

“JUST BEFORE DAWN,
THE FUNERAL FOR THOSE MUR-derered at Lake Lure began and … well, it sucked in the way all funerals did.”

AS AIDEN GUIDED ME TO HIS COUCH AND SAT ME DOWN, he had this look about him.”

“BESIDES BEING ABNORMALLY PALE, KAIN LOOKED like … Kain.”

“HOLY CRAP.”

“JUST LIKE THAT.”

“I WOKE UP STARING AT THE SOFT GLOW OF FLUOR-escent ceiling lights.”

“IT WAS POSSIBLY THE FIRST TIME I’D EVER SEEN HIM show any extreme emotion.”