Resolute Renegade

This super book gets an awesome 4 gnomes and a gnome hat out of 5 gnomes.  This book is a great mix of a rather snarky yet relatable main character and a comic book type world full of superheroes and villains.

This book kind of feels like a comic book as you read it, it's easy to visualize the characters and everything that goes on.  In this world superheroes and villains are everywhere and easy to identify.  I love the explanation about how it's decided whether a person will be a hero or villain.  Both sides created a virus to reveal what a person will be at the age of sixteen, a person will either get an H or a V, it all depends on their parentage.  Damien is all set to celebrate receiving his V when something unexpected happens.  Apparently his Mom has a secret.

Damien is the kind of villain that funny enough I imagine my sister being.  He always has something to say and is finding a way out of bad situations.  He has some brilliant ways of seeking revenge that are also pretty darn funny.  His use of scorpions and tricks with shampoo are both vindictive yet fitting for the situation.

Both the villains and heroes have prejudices against the other and they even have their own universities.  Damien thinks that he's a shoe-in to get into the best villain school but not everyone feels the same way.  This story raises some interesting thoughts about the whole nature versus nurture debate and the gray areas that are a part of being a villain or a hero.  I think that this will probably continue in future books, at least from how the story ends.  

The friends that Damien makes are also intriguing.  His ex-girlfriend Kat is a villain who can shapeshift, which gets her into plenty of trouble.  The other girl he shows an interest in is kind of the class weirdo, so the contrast between the two is another great quirk to the story.  

Damien's one weakness/fear is wonderfully ironic with the events that happen in the story.  The story also has a kind of a choose your own adventure type feel to it and the reader finds out that because of Damien's unique situation, the choices he makes will greatly impact his future.  

Overall this is a great book with a story that flies by, I would highly recommend this book to anyone that likes the superhero genre/comics.  This story will leave you wondering what choices Damien will make next and where those choices will lead.

Sentence Sneak Peek - The Rise of Renegade X

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea M. Campbell

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

*Spoilers are highlighted like so :)

"Golden City isn't your average tourist trap."

"Mother," I call out, knocking a couple times as I open her lab door, "do you have a moment?"

"The Gallant Gentleman, a superhero in one of those red fox-hunting outfits British people wear, twirls his riding crop and scowls at me."

"The next morning, I'm on the trail of the Crimson Flash."

"Mom sold me out."

"You want to tell me about this?"

"Sarah presses forward, forcing me against the wall outside the school, and whispers in my ear."

"Kidnapped."

"Monday afternoon, Sarah and I share an armrest on the train."

"I have to wave my gun around a bit more, but eventually I got the train to stop and let us off."

"When we get to Vilmore, I call up everyone I know who goes to school here."

"We stop by the main office—which is deserted at this time of night—and grab the key to Dr. Kink's room."

"I'm so glad you didn't let me come home," I tell Mom Tues-day morning before school."

"In tonight's scheme, I will be playing the parts of both the Midnight Marvel—the supervillain partner to the lovely Shapeshifter—and, simultaneously, that of Renegade X, the super cool superhero, looked up to by his brilliant sidekick, the Cosine Kid."

"I look like some sort of ragamuffin."

"I'm sorry, Damien."

"I didn't think I'd ever be back at the Tines house, but this is important."

"The Banking and Finances building is dark when I arrive, but I don't doubt Pete's up there."

"We burst onto the roof, and I don't look too far to the edge, afraid of getting dizzy and blowing this."

"Kat and I are sitting on a cement planter outside the Banking and Finances building."

"That," Kat says, looking up at the shark swimming by behind the glass, "is a triangle, mister."

Marvelous Mail of the Week

Thanks to Scholastic's On Our Minds blog, I won this really cool poster signed by the illustrator Stephen Savage.

Isn't it awesome?  Now I just have to find the perfect place to hang it. :)

Armchair BEA - Recap of the Week

This was a really fun event to take part in.  This week I got to learn some more about the different ways people blog and meet a lot of really cool people.  The highlights for me were the Twitter parties, the interviews, meeting new bloggers, and finding more blogs to follow.  I would definitely take part in this event again because it's a great look at what does happen at BEA and at the many different kinds of people that write book blogs. :)

Here's everything I posted this week so feel free to read any posts you might have missed and of course enter my Book Haiku Contest for $25 to The Book Depository:

- Bibliognome - Armchair BEA Introduction

- Armchair BEA Day 2 Giveaway: Book Haiku Contest

- Armchair BEA Day 3 Interviews - Book Bloggers Deborah and Liz

- Armchair BEA Day 4 Nurturing Relationships - Candlemark & Gleam

- Armchair BEA Day 5 Blogging about Blogging - How I Blog

Armchair BEA Day 5 Blogging about Blogging - How I Blog

These are some of my views on blogging: 

Social networking and blogging are really intertwined in my mind.  I don't think I would have started blogging if I wasn't on Twitter and had never seen all the different book blogs on there.  I of course had heard about blogging but never thought I'd be blogging.   I love how easy networking on Twitter is and how it lets you interact with authors.  Interacting with authors using this platform lets you see more of their personalities and well, that authors are indeed people too.

Rules of Blogging that I Follow

• Try to blog at the same time everyday.
• Try to leave time to write a Sentence Sneak Peek for the book so you can post it the day before the review.
• Try to write a review or some notes as soon as I finish reading a book.
• Write a thorough review with no spoilers (if there are spoilers make sure they're blanked out) 
• Post a link on Twitter to my post
• Try to write a post at least the afternoon before, if not try to schedule ahead of time by more than a day.
• Try to reply to every comment on a post.
• Remember that you don't have to review every book that you read.
• Know that there is always more to learn about blogging.
• Have Fun.  :)

Armchair BEA Day 4 Nurturing Relationships - Candlemark & Gleam

Candlemark & Gleam publishing is special to me because they are the first publisher that sent me a review request.  They also put me in contact with the author of the book which led me to my first author interview thus letting me see how fun it is to interview an author.  It just really made my day when I got that email asking if I would review a book, I guess getting that request just made Bibliognome feel more real/official to me.  

Kate, the founder of Candlemark & Gleam, is great to work with, very understanding and replies quickly to any questions or emails.  Having this publisher contact me has led me to read more of what they publish and has even got me requests to review other books because they saw my review mentioned on the publisher's website.  

Social media has also helped nurture this and many other blogging relationships, especially Twitter.  I find myself knowing about books more because I tweet the authors on Twitter.  I talk to Kate on Twitter all the time and I also talk/tweet to some of the authors of books that Candlemark & Gleam has published.

I find that the best way to have good book blogging relationships with people is to just talk or email them.  Twitter and Facebook have also enhanced how often and how bloggers, publishers, etc. can interact with each other.  I guess what I'm saying is that it's just very important how both sides interact and how you present yourself to the world.

Armchair BEA Day 3 Interviews - Book Bloggers Deborah and Liz

Armchair BEA Interview: Deborah from Books, Movies and Chinese Food

Bibliognome: What do you enjoy most about blogging?

Deborah: It allows me to be able to talk about the books that I read.  And shockingly, there are people who are actually interested in what I say!

Bibliognome:What’s your favorite Chinese food?

Deborah: Does a Chinese buffet count? No? Ok, then roast pork lo mein.  I could eat a whole dish of this but there’s too many carbs so half a dish.

Bibliognome: What author do you enjoy reading the most?

Deborah:I have several. JK Rowling overall…then others like Siri Mitchell, Jen Calonita, Susan Meissner and Ann M. Martin (gotta love those Baby Sitter Club books.)

Bibliognome:What would your dream book shelf look like?

Deborah: The library that the Beast gives Belle in Beauty and the Beast.  I would marry the Beast for all those shelves.

Bibliognome: If you were Peter Piper how many pickled peppers would you have picked?

Deborah: A peck?  Though I’m not even sure how much a peck is.  Also can you actually pick a pepper that’s already pickled?

Bibliognome: What book series is your favorite?

Deborah: Hands down, Harry Potter. I read or listen to them on audiobook every year.  In fact I just finished Deathly Hallows again just a few weeks ago. Sobbed during the last few chapters.

2nd Place goes to the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. I’ve been reading it since I was in 3rd grade..so it’s been almost 20 years and she’s STILL writing it!

Bibliognome: Do you prefer traditional names for gnomes like Thaddeus Thunderhat or more modern names like Bob the gnome?

Deborah: Gnomes actually scare me TBH. I’d rather not get close enough to find out that it has a name.

Bibliognome: What is your favorite paranormal creature?

Deborah: Um I have no idea. Do creatures from Harry Potter count?

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

Deborah: Currently…scrumdiddlyumptious

Bibliognome: What’s the best book you’ve recently read?

Deborah: Born Under a Lucky Moon by Dana Precious.  I could not put the book down.

Bibliognome: What is your zombie apocalypse weapon of choice?

Deborah: A lightsaber.

Bibliognome: How do you feel about having love triangles in books?

Deborah: I’m not really a fan of them.  Like the whole Hunger Games and Twilight triangles, I am totally Team Katniss and Team Bella.

Bibliognome: Anything else that you would like to let people know?

Deborah: Star Wars is the best movie series ever! Geeks rule!

Quick Questions:

1.) Nonfiction or Fiction : Fiction

2.) pop or soda? : Soda

3.) silver or gold?  White gold

4.) Starbursts or Skittles?  Starbursts – Tropical Flavors

5.) egg roll or crab ragoon?  Lumpia (Filipino egg rolls)

6.) eReader or book?  Book (I actually own a Nook Color but it’s still taking me a while to start reading things on there)

Armchair BEA Interview: Liz from Consumed by Books

Bibliognome: What do you enjoy most about blogging?

Liz: Hands down the friendships I’ve developed.  Blogging and Twitter give me a chance to talk about YA literature with other people who are passionate about it.  The conversation often strays books and reading, which is great.

Aside from just meeting in person, blogging has gotten me to check out more of the local independent bookstores in my area.  This is awesome because it makes me more aware of all of the author signings happening around me.  I’ve had the chance to meet some authors and bloggers in person, and when you get a bunch of book lovers in the same room, fun always ensues.

Bibliognome: Are you a plan every post a week ahead of time kind of blogger or do you write things up the night before/on the fly?

Liz: I would love to schedule everything in advance and always has a post waiting to go up, but I usually wind up writing things up the night before or on the fly.  I’m a bit of a procrastinator.

Bibliognome: What author do you enjoy reading the most?

Liz: It depends on what I’m in the mood for.  Meg Cabot’s books almost always put me in a good mood.

Bibliognome: What would your dream book shelf look like?

Liz: The library from Beauty and the Beast.  It would contain all of my books and still leave plenty of room for acquiring more.

Bibliognome: If you were Peter Piper how many pickled peppers would you have picked?

Liz: I think the only food that tastes good pickled is pickles themselves, so probably none.

Bibliognome: What book series is your favorite?

Liz: Harry Potter, but I also love The Lord of the Rings, anything by Tamora Pierce and the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Bibliognome: Do you prefer traditional names for gnomes like Thaddeus Thunderhat or more modern names like Bob the gnome?

Liz: Definitely more traditional names, as they suit gnomes better.

Bibliognome: What is your favorite paranormal creature?

Liz: I’m not really sure.  I’ll go with werewolves since I loved Shiver and was also a fan of The Dark Divine.

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

Liz: Diaphanous.

Bibliognome: What’s the best book you’ve recently read?

Liz: Emma by Jane Austen.  I’ve read a lot of great books this spring, though.

Bibliognome: How do you feel about having love triangles in books?

Liz: I think it all depends on whether or not it’s done well.

Bibliognome: Anything else that you would like to let people know?

Liz: I would say that’s about it.  Thanks so much for having me! :)

Quick Questions:

1.) Nonfiction or Fiction :

Fiction

2.) pop or soda? :

Soda

3.) silver or gold?  

Both, but not together.

4.) Starbursts or Skittles?  

Starbursts

5.) Long book or short book?

I typically like longer books, but it depends on the book itself.

6.) eReader or book?  

Book, although I’d consider getting an eReader for travel.