Gratitude Giveaway - We have a winner

First all the names get mixed into the SpongeBob lunch box.

                                          Then they get shaken all up.
And the winner is...

Sentence Sneak Peek - How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu

The first sentence from before the first chapter, each chapter after that, and the first sentence from Appendix A of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, it's a mini summary of what you can expect to read.

"When it happens, this is what happens: I shoot myself."

"There is just enough space inside here for one person to live indefinitely, or at least that's what the operation manual says."

"Client call."

"The earliest memory I have of my own dad is the two of us, sit-ing on my bed as he reads me a book we have checked out from the local library."

"Universe 31 can feel claustrophobic some nights, like it's an overgrown city of insomniacs, crowded and noisy and suffused with a background illumination that glows purple in the sky, in the east sky and the west sky and in the north and the south, in the early sky and the late, high and low and in every corner of every sky, and on nights like these, no one ever sleeps in this city-sized universe, everyone just stares up at their vast yet tiny piece of the connected sky, listening to the still-humming hum of the primordial radiation."

"When you are a kid, playing with the other kids on your street, and everyone is fighting over who they are going to be, you have to call dibs early, as soon as you see one another, pretty much as soon as you step outside your house, even if you're halfway down the block."

"Chronodiegetics is the branch of science fictional science focus-ing on the physical and metaphysical properties of times given a finite and bounded diegesis."

"My manager IMs me."

"Client call."

"Sometimes I think back to when my father and I were first start-ing to sketch it out in his study at home, just ideas on a pad, just lines and vectors and tentative inequalities, first starting to realize what might be possible, and I suspect that he knew even then that he would get lost."

"Phil was right."

"The hub is jammed, so subspace traffic control pushes us out into a holding pattern, where we end up spending almost two hours of bio-time in the XPO loop."

"Once upon a time, I am ten years old and my dad is driving me home from the park."

"You can get into a lot of trouble in the city when you live like I do."

"When it happens, this is what happens: I shoot myself."

"Back in my time machine."

"It's a slim, silver-colored volume with a metallic-looking sheen, relatively modest in size but with a surprising heft, as if it acquired some amount of relativistic mass in its journeys around time."

"At the present moment, I am, in fact, reading the text display generated by TOAD on the main screen in front of me, going along through the words and, noticing, here and there, that the words seem to slightly adjust themselves, sometimes a little ahead of where I'm reading, but usually just behind what I've read, as if the device is self-editing, modifying the text to fit as closely as possible the actual throughput of my conscious act of reading it."

"Why can't I just give up now?"

"Not a good idea."

"I wake up in an enormous Buddhist temple."

"We're in your childhood," TAMMY says."

"It was a moonshot, that first trip."

"My mother was calling for me when we got back."

"A call comes in from Dispatch."

"I am seventeen years old."

"TAMMY makes a face at me I haven't seen before."

'TAMMY's crying again."

"TAMMY opens the panel and the TOAD pops out, and I see on the display that the story is still tracking, has been all along."

"The key fits, thank goodness, because otherwise I'd have been all out of ideas, and I open up the secret compartment to find the eighteenth item."

"When it happens, this is what happens: I shoot myself."

"I get out of the time machine."

"Look in the box."

Merchandise Monday - Gnome Edition

Since I named my blog Bibliognome you've probably inferred that I like books and gnomes so here are some books and merchandise that feature gnomes.

This books looks like a lot of fun to read and I really like the cover.

I think I actually own an edition of this book somewhere.

I would love to have this gnome to leave around the library.

This DVD cover is creepy yet it draws you in at the same time.

A cute gnome puppet for whatever puppet needs you may have.

A cute looking calendar because January will be here before you know it.

Top 5 Sundays - Fictional Characters You Wish Were Your Best Friends!

Top 5 Sundays is a weekly feature hosted by Larissa's Bookish Life. and runs every Sunday. If you want to know more click here.

Rules:

1. Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme chosen for the week.
2. Mention Larissa's Bookish Life on the post and link back to it.
3. Feel free to use the Feature's image.
4. After you've finished your post, add your link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.

Top 5 - Fictional Characters You Wish Were Your Best Friends!

It would be awesome to be friends with just about anybody from the Harry Potter universe, I'd probably get along best with Neville or Luna.

I would love to be friends with Reader from the Alien series because some of the funniest lines/moments happen when he's around.

Simon Canderous would be an awesome best friend because he has a great sense of humor and of course knows a lot about the paranormal.

Mina would be a great best friend because she likes to break the rules and knows a lot about vampires.

Jenna the vampire who loves the color pink would be quite the interesting best friend.

Black Friday Book Buys

I got a $5 gift card because I was one of the first 100 people in line at Half Price Books.  Also got everything I bought for 20% off which was very nice.  I got some books I've been looking for and also a couple for the Book Blogger Holiday Swap I'm taking part in.

The final book in this very interesting trilogy, I hope it ends well.

I've been wanting to read this book because of the great title and because it takes place in Omaha, NE.

Got this awesome calendar because between me and my sister we spent $30.

This story intrigues me because it's like a combination of a comic and a book.

Black Friday Fun

I'll be off fighting the mobs at Target to find some great deals, mostly in DVDs and maybe some books too, all depending on how crazy it is.

If only I had a helmet like this to intimidate fellow shoppers.  :)

Then I'll be off to Half Price Books and hopefully find some great books to read and review.  Also going to cross my fingers that I'm one of the first 100 people there so I have a chance to get a $100 gift card.

:)

Happy Thanksgiving from Bibliognome

Happy Thanksgiving 

I'm thankful to everybody that reads my blog, and hopefully enjoys it.  I'm very glad to have discovered the world of book blogging and have found many cool people, authors and books that I might have not even noticed before.  Here's hoping everyone has a great day and a nice long weekend.

Sincerely yours,

Becky B./Bibliognome

Tee-rific Thursday - Shirts I would be thankful for

Shirts I would be the most grateful to receive from the superb site who always has cool shirts, Threadless:

An awesome take on Scooby Doo.

One of the coolest shirts I've seen in a while.

Wish List Wednesday - Knot Gneiss

This book came out out yesterday, I look forward to reading it because even though Anthony's books are full of puns, they're always fun to read.  Just look at the cover where some monarch winged lady is riding a blue unicorn, sure looks like an interesting read.

Vivacious Vampire Vacation *(Review and giveaway)now closed*

Vampire Vacation by C.J. Ellisson

I give this book 4 bats with tiaras out of 5 bats because it was a great read and always leaves you wanting more.

This little gem of a story has been a great find and read. I am one of those people that usually if a book doesn't interest me by the end of the first chapter, it is doomed to have to work the rest of the book to hold my interest. Vampire Vacation on the other hand had my attention by the end of the little glossary of people in the front of the book. it makes you look twice when the description for one of the people is “the dead guy in the first chapter.”

I would have to say that Jonathan is my favorite character. Gotta love the sexy werewolf with a heart of gold and a sense of humor that would make Loki proud. Plus he makes a hell of an exit, ;)

This book is a nice mix of mystery and a new look at a situation with vamps and weres. There's also a glimpse into how seethes and other parts of vampire lives in this world work.

If you are looking for a good read mixing mystery, paranormal,and erotica this is the book you should find.

I can't wait for the next one and a big part of me is hoping for a prequel to get all the details of Vivi’s back story.

**************************************************************************************
In keeping with the spirit of Thanksgiving and to honor the holiday, author C.J. Ellisson has agreed to give a free ebook to everyone that comments on this review within 48 hours. So be sure to leave your email or some way to contact you in the comments by 8:00 AM Thursday (Central Time).

C.J. also has a review giveaway going on so if you enjoy your free copy of Vampire Vacation make sure to check out her review giveaway, the rules and information can be found here.

Interview - Jeremy Shipp author of "Fungus of the Heart"

 

Today at Bibliognome we have author Jeremy Shipp.  Jeremy is here as a part of his Gnomic Blog Tour to support his newest work Fungus of the Heart.  I haven't read his newest work yet but I've read a lot of his free stories that he has posted online.  Jeremy seems like a weird yet funny guy if his interview answers are any indication :).  I know I plan to read more of his work in the future.

 

Bibliognome:  I love your title Fungus of the Heart, so what is your favorite type of fungus? 

Jeremy Shipp: I’m a big fan of Laetiporus sulphureus, especially the anthropomorphic variety that sings show tunes.

 

 

Bibliognome: Which character that you've written about has been your favorite?

Jeremy Shipp: I love Cicely from my novel Cursed. She’s weird, silly, passionate, and brave. I also quite like Never the Mold Fairy from my short story “Ula Morales.”

Bibliognome:  What's the shortest short story you've ever written?

Jeremy Shipp: This one: Once upon a time there was a guy who died. The end.

Bibliognome: What's a good name for a gnome, do you prefer fairy tale sounding names like Lan Thistledown or plain names like Gus or Bob?

Jeremy Shipp: I love classic gnomic names like Feather Thundersoul, but I also enjoy the more exotic names such as Charlie the Gnome.

Bibliognome: When is your favorite time to write?

Jeremy Shipp: I love writing during the witching hour, when attic clowns nap and Vaudevillian ghosts dance a jig and chicken mushrooms sing songs from The Music Man.

Bibliognome: Do you prefer gnomes in traditional red hats or more along the lines of fedoras or football helmets?

Jeremy Shipp: There’s nothing quite as beautiful as a yard gnome wearing a tri-cornered hat. And under the hat is traditional red hat. And under the traditional hate is a tiny yard gnome. And under the tiny yard gnome’s hat is a tinier yard gnome. And so on.

Bibliognome: What are you writing currently or percolating in your mind to write soon?

Jeremy Shipp: I’m writing a new horror story collection and a middle grade fantasy book. I also have a few new novels scratching at the inside of my skull trying to work their way out.

Bibliognome: What is your favorite word to say or write?

Jeremy Shipp: Some words I love: rigmarole, flapjack, chthonic, hullabaloo, agowilt.

Bibliognome: Who is your favorite author to read?

Jeremy Shipp: I have many favorites, including Haruki Murakami, Lois Lowry, Kurt Vonnegut, George Orwell, Gregory Maguire, Amy Tan, Arundhati Roy.

Bibliognome:  Anything else you would like people to know?

Jeremy Shipp: The best part about being in a pickle is eating your way out.

Quick Questions:
   1.) zombie or vampire?

Zombies. Especially zombie polar bears.
   2.) penguin or puffin?

Penguins. Especially when they’re wearing tuxedos.

   3.) polka dot or stripes?

I like to wear stripes, and I like to eat polka dots.
   4.) Starbursts or Skittles?

Starbursts. Little known fact: starbursts taste like attic clown spleens. Don’t ask me how I   
            know.
   5.) pen or pencil?

           Pens. Especially when they’re zombie pens wearing tuxedos.

Top 5 Sundays - Favorite Vampires

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 comments =)     

Since the two options this week tied, I chose to list my Top 5 Favorite Vampires.

Top 5 Favorite Vampires

Lenah, one of the most intriguing vampire characters that I've read about.  This version of vampires that can't really feel makes the other aspects of the book all the more potent.

Eric, one of the best looking vampires out there and in my opinion a lot better then Bill the other vampire interested in Sookie.

Mina, one of the funniest vampires that I've read about in a long time.

This book has Jenna the vampire who loves the color pink and is a very good friend to Sophie.

Angel, one of my favorite vampires.  He has quite the back story, I've read the books based on the TV show and watched the show too.

Sentence Sneak Peek - Vampire Vacation

Vampire Vacation by C.J. Ellisson

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

*highlighted portions contain spoilers.

"I open the door to find a body at my feet."

"My black spike heels sink into the carpet runner as I head down the hall."

"Welcome to The V V Inn. I’m Vivian, one of the owners."

"I head away from the lobby, pleased that I’ve had a chance to greet them all by name and shake their hands."

"When our glow has worn off, Rafe flicks on the worktable light."

"I close the office door behind me to join Rafe’s warm laughter in the kitchen."

“Can I help you?” inquires the tall, leather-clad Asian man."

"I move to have my own chair and fill Rafe in on all I’ve learned, and done, to our new arrivals."

"Once I’ve touched a mind I can zero in on it pretty much anywhere on the property."

"We straighten our clothes and head off for the bar."

"Rafe and I stare at the remains of the table in front of us."

“Not to worry everyone!” I call out cheerfully. “Antonio will be fine."

"I head back down the corridor to the main wrap-around landing, advancing to the east wing, this time going the shorter route through the reading nooks in the loft over the lobby."

"I could spend endless hours drinking in the sight of this strong, breathtaking man."

"Miranda’s still on shift at the front desk when I enter the lobby."

"It’s a delicate balance sorting through someone’s ravaged mind."

"I knew the woman looked familiar when I saw her in Drew’s mind, but I couldn’t quite place her face."

"Together we traipse downstairs, the animosity a palatable thing hanging in the air between us."

“What the fuck is wrong with you, lady?” Asa chokes out."

“Olivia, only you can determine which man is right for you.”

“Viv, the power is out,” says an abrupt voice coming over the phone."

"After working outside for several hours, moving aboveground cables, I’m feeling stiff and cranky."

"It's Paul."

"I’m not going to pleasure Olivia with my bite."

"With the plan in place, Rafe heads back to our apartment to get all the winter gear he can find."

"The next few hours prove to be very stressful with rapidfire reports of conflicting information keeping us all on our toes."

"Recent phone calls from Asa, Liam and Antonio have informed me of Ivan’s whereabouts."

"I bolt up from my spot at the kitchen table."

“Well, of course I want to know what happened, you ass.”

Introducing a new reviewer to Bibliognome: Tiny Reverse Vampire aka my sister

Tiny Reverse Vampire

The legend of the tiny reverse vampire is a strange one indeed.  For you see this vampire likes to go in the sunlight yet her skin reflects the light away, glowing eerily most days.  She does burn eventually but not into flames like most vampires would.  It has been foretold that her greatest weakness is being stabbed in the nose by a toothpick but so far nobody has had the cajones to try it.  

She has quite the love for reading and Chinese food, sometimes at the same time.  So be on the lookout for reviews and Sentence Sneak Peeks from The Tiny Reverse Vampire.

Tee-rific Thursday - Plus more cool Harry Potter merchandise (because Harry Potter is awesome)

Here are more cool Harry Potter shirts to celebrate the first half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which I'm going to see tonight at midnight.  :)

Such a cool shirt where you can recognize the mascots from all the houses.

A scarf for those cold days where you still want to demonstrate your love for all things Harry Potter.

Also found some very cool Harry Potter wand merchandise at ThinkGeek the other day.

quite possibly the coolest flashlight ever.

A demonstration of the wand flashlight.

These look like a lot of fun.

The various wands you can fight with.

Video of the wands in action

Wish List Wednesday - Full Dark, No Stars

I love short stories by Stephen King so I'm very tempted to go out and buy this book.  His short stories are always a plus because you get the great characters and stories without having to read hundreds of pages like some of his books. :)

CLOSED Gratitude Giveaway :)

Welcome to Gratitude Giveaways hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer .

Bibliognome is just one of the over 160 blogs you can visit and win prizes from.  I hope you take a look around Bibliognome and enjoy all the giveaways that are offered.  

Here at Bibliognome for the giveaway I'll offer the winner a choice of any book they want from The Book Depository as long as it is under $15 and they have to live in a country that the Book Depository ships to.


One entry per person so everyone has an equal chance and because I don't like to count up multiple entries. :)
Rules to enter:
1.) Just leave a comment with your name and email address.  If you don't want to leave your email address leave your Twitter, or Facebook details.  Just make sure I'm able to contact you if you win.
2.) You don't have to follow the blog to win, but feel free to follow if you like what you see and leave any comments on reviews or posts that you find interesting.  :)
3.) Giveaway will end on November 28th at 11:59 PM. (Central Time)

*I'll pick the name of the winner out of a hat/box or whatever jar is convenient.
Winner will be posted November 30th.

Now check out all the other awesome blogs and their giveaways: