Top 5 Sundays - 2013 Sequels I'm Dying to Read!

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 - Feel free to use the Features 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.

5 – If you don’t have a blog to post, just leave your list in the comments =)    


Top 5 Sundays - 2013 Sequels I'm Dying to Read!

This is the final book in the Across the Universe trilogy.  Shades of Earth looks to be a really intense/suspenseful finale and it's probably the book in 2013 that I'm most excited for/nervous to read.  I just hope that it ends strong and not crazy or disappointingly.

Pure was such a surprising book, the dark situations and plethora of characters made for a chilling/scary/addictive read.  Fuse looks to continue that engrossing/intriguing story, I know I can't wait to read what happens next.

I'm looking forward to Asunder because this world and characters are so interesting.  The whole thing with everyone having been reincarnated before except for Ana has already led to some great character moments and things can only get better.  

The endings of the previous two books have been insane so I am very curious to see how this series, where love is a disease, ends.  I don't know how Requiem could have a happy ending but I am crossing my fingers that there is one.

Sever is another final book in a series where I am again worried that there won't be a happy ending.  I can't wait to see if a cure is found and who exactly Rhine ends up with.

Terrific Tee

Check out this sweet tee from shirt woot!.  It's called Lose Yourself and was made by ste7enl.  This is another one which I knew right away that I needed to buy.  I'm starting to get quite the collection of bookish shirts.  :)

A close up of all those interesting details.

Weekend Read - Alchemystic by Anton Strout

Alchemystic by Anton Strout

I've started this book and so far it's really interesting.  The point of view of Stanis is intriguing because well he's a gargoyle.  I've loved gargoyles ever since the cartoon show Gargoyles.  It looks like it's going to be quite the cool start to a new series.

Slapdash Road Trip Book Tour - Met author Gina Damico in Omaha, NE

Today was an awesome day because I got to meet Gina Damico, the author of Croak and Scorch.  She came to Omaha as part of her Slapdash Road Trip Book Tour and actually agreed to meet at 9 a.m. at Barnes & Noble.  It was great to meet Gina in person and am glad the store had at least one copy of the first book for her to sign and one copy of the sequel for me to buy/get signed.  

As always it was kind of surreal to meet an author in person but fun too because she was super nice and even gave me a bunch of bookmarks and magnets for a giveaway here on Bibliognome.  This was definitely a great way to start my day.

Make sure to go see Gina Damico if you're anywhere on the tour route.

Here are my reviews of Croak and Scorch   

 Croak and Scorch together at last, along with lots of cool bookmarks.

Me and Gina Damico :) (don't mind my crazy eyes, I'd woken up less then an hour before and had to go to work right after this)  :)

A plethora of bookmarks and magnets, I may just have to have a giveaway soon, perhaps around Halloween.  

 My double signed Croak :)

Signed Scorch

My Favorite Quotes/Lines - Outpost by Ann Aguirre

Here are just some of my favorite quotes and lines from Outpost by Ann Aguirre
 

“People took reputa-tions seriously, and mine was already bruised, due to my insis-tence on being myself.” (pg. 1)

“Though I had been in the light for months, the shadows still troubled me.” (pg. 17)

“In my world, lady, I’m al-ready as good as I need to be, and I don’t like your tone.” (pg. 19)

“Then speak louder, girl.  Don’t let them put out your spark.” (pg. 37)

“They also didn’t like it when I called people Breeders, even when they had young.” (pg. 43)

“So you felt . . . glowy about me, even then?” (pg. 55)

“Whether you can isn’t the point.  I’ll always have your back.” (pg. 198)

“Yet I had two broken halves—and each quietly waged war against the other.” (pg. 209)

“Like most, I was a mix of good and bad, anger and protectiveness, kindness and pride.” (pg. 224)

Outgoing Outpost

Outpost by Ann Aguirre

* ARC provided by the publisher via the Shelf Awareness Newsletter

5 out of 5 gnomes

Now, this is what I call a superb sequel.  It looked like the group was headed into a safe place after all the trouble in the first book.  The safe place they are in now might not stay safe for long.  The people on the surface live a much different life then Deuce, Fade, Striker, and Tegan are used to.

Deuce is a Huntress but in this new place that kind of title holds no sway, especially since she’s a woman.  The other problem is that before she was considered an adult and ready to make her own decisions but now in the town of Salvation, she’s considered a child.  She was taken in by a family and now has to go to a traditional school.

Deuce is not so good at making friends but she slowly begins to understand people and I think herself too throughout this book.  She has to come to terms with the two ways that she sees herself.  She is afraid to just be the girly version of herself and feel feelings, the Huntress version of herself seems to be a lot more comfortable for her.  

The freaks are made, if it’s even possible, more truly scary.  These aren’t just your run or the mill mindless zombies either, they are even creepier in this book.  There is one singular spoilertastic type thing that you find out that may just change your outlook on these creatures.  I know that the more I read about them the scarier they became.  Thinking about all the scenarios that could have led to this world and why everything is like it is may just keep you awake and contemplating.   

There is an overwhelming palpable tension throughout Outpost that will leave you freaking out waiting for everything to boil over.  The tension doesn’t just abound while fighting freaks either, the attitudes of others are extremely problematic.  This feeling of foreboding makes this book even scarier than its predecessor.

The ending is pretty darn perfect.  It leaves it in a place where there’s the group dynamic again but you also have even more people and responsibilites to worry about.  Caring about a place and even more people adds a real edge to everything.  I am looking forward to the next book Horde because I can’t wait to see how this series ends.

Sentence Sneak Peek - Outpost

 Outpost by Ann Aguirre

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

* ARC provided by the publisher via the Shelf Awareness Newsletter
* Spoilers are highlighted like so :)
 

“I woke to the cold kiss of steel on my throat.”  

“The school was the size of a large house, the interior space divided up by age groups.”

“After school, I checked in with Momma Oaks, who was cooking when I arrived.”

“The next two weeks passed in a trickle of sameness.”

“Pleasure streamed through me.”

“The following week passed quickly.”

“The surviving growers rallied enough to go about their business, at least, but they did it with a mournful air.”

“Over a fine meal of fried meat and potatoes, my foster fam-ily made an effort to get to know Fade.”

“Tegan came to visit me a week later, and I felt glad of the break, as I was mending with Momma Oaks.”

“Walking home with Tegan after the party, I listened to her chatter with half an ear.”

“A week after the party, I convened at the barracks before dawn along with the rest of the summer patrol.”

“There was no building big enough to hold the combined mass of the concerned citizenry, so Salvation assembled on the green.”

“When I came through the front door, the Oakses’ house smelled of home.”

“The sky was dark when I woke.”

“The night passed in shifts, and there were enough guards that I wasn’t chosen to stand watch.”

“For the next week—as we built fortifications and put up tents—the others treated me with a combination of anger and distrust.”

“I didn’t have an opportunity to confess what we knew and how we’d learned it until the next afternoon.”

“A week trickled by in relative quiet, though I sensed trou-ble brewing from Gary Miles.”

“I followed Fade through town, expecting we’d wind up in the swing behind my house, but instead he led me in a direction that became more familiar with each step.”

“The rain came on just before our furlough ended.”

“That awful day, I’d gone about my normal morning rou-tine, cleaned my teeth, and spot washed in my tent.”

“Stalker led the way with his keen eyes and as we walked, he scanned for more signs of passage.”

“It wasn’t quite dawn, faint light filtered by the leaves above.”

“So much water always amazed me.”

“So many times, I shoved Fade ahead of me, dodged a lung-ing, snarling Freak, or leapt over the corpse of a person who hadn’t been so lucky, and we ran.”

“Longshot sent Fade and Stalker back to Salvation the next day.”

“Tegan found me first.”

“Doc Tuttle came later in the week to remove my stitches.”

“You were gone awhile,” Momma Oaks said.”

“What on earth is going on here?”

Top 5 Sundays - Fave On-Going TV Series!

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 - Feel free to use the Features 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.

5 – If you don’t have a blog to post, just leave your list in the comments =)    

Top 5 Sundays - Fave On-Going TV Series!

I love Community and usually end up buying the episodes on Amazon.  It's a hilarious show and really re-watchable.  I also have a soft spot for it because I work in a community college library.

Once Upon a Time is a really fun show.  I love fairy tales and the reimagining of all these familiar stories can be cheesy but still once again eminently rewatchable.  

I was just an every now and then kind of Doctor Who watcher before and I really liked the 10th doctor.  Then my sister said that she loved the 11th doctor and kept talking about how good the new episodes have been.  I watched the first episode of the 7th season and am now hooked, I've watched the entire 5th season and am pretty much watching an episode a day along with all the new ones. 

Pscyh is one of my favorite shows, I've been hooked on it since the first episode.  It's got to be one of the funniest shows out there.  I've even bought and read all the tie-in novels.  I recommend it to anyone that likes a good detective show or a good laugh.  :)

Oh Glee, I don't care how awkward or weird this show gets, I inevitably find myself watching it.  I even own most of the music from the show.  

Author Event/Signing - Andrea Cremer

I was beyond excited when I heard that Andrea Cremer would be having an author event/signing in Omaha.  Her first book Nightshade is one of my favorite books that I've discovered since I began blogging.  Her take on werewolves and the mythology she builds is intriguing.

I'm always kind of terrified to meet authors because I never know what to expect or if I'll be too nervous to even say anything.  I'm happy to report though that the event was a lot of fun and I actually asked the first question which was whether the end of the third book was always going to be written that way, she said yes it was.  Also that of course that ending was not easy to write.

She talked about how she got started writing and overall was very engaging and funny during the talk.  I felt bad that there weren't a ton of people there but not having a ton of people made it feel all the more special and anybody who had a question go it answered.  She talked about her upcoming books and said that the short novella Aftermath may just hint at upcoming books (I highly recommend you read this novella especially if certain scenes in Bloodrose upset you.  It's a short story but it has some very interesting information.)

Overall this was a laid back fun event, so if Andrea Cremer has an event in your town be sure to go, you won't regret it.

Here are all my pictures from the event:

Various photos from when Andrea was talking.  :)

Me posing with Andrea Cremer for pictures, (the book is one of the puzzle books sent out before Nightshade came out with clues in it about what the series was going to be about). Also various pictures of me and one of Tiny Reverse Vampire.

Got my new Nightshade cover signed.

I call this picture the signed pile of Awesomeness.  :)

Tiny Reverse Vampire Interviews Rose from ANGST by David J. Pedersen

Tiny Reverse Vampire is happy to present an interview with Rose from the story Angst by David J. Pedersen

- Some spoilers are highlighted like so :)


Tiny Reverse Vampire - *When and how did you discover your abilities?*

Rose - My dad was attacked by an animal when I was twelve.  My mother and I found him and he was dying.  I remember being so angry...I was furious that this had happened.  I just wanted the injuries to go away, and I would have done anything.  I was holding his hand even though it was covered in blood.  The
cuts on his arms started to fade, but they began to appear on my arm.  I didn't understand, but for some reason I thought it would be okay, so I tried to do more.

When my mom saw what was happening, she hit me.  I don't remember much after that I must have been unconscious.  When I woke he was dead.  I hated her for that, so I left and haven't seen her since.


Tiny Reverse Vampire - *What do you think of the queen!?*

Rose - She's fine.  I don't hate her as much as Angst does, but his impression is skewed by Princess Victoria.  I don't agree with all of the Queen's policies, especially those about Magic, but she seems to be a competent leader.


Tiny Reverse Vampire - *How do you feel about the magic restrictions?*

Rose - People complain about how wielding magic is wrong, that it's unnatural and dangerous... but then they make it legal to use 'practical magic' at work.  It's like saying you can ride a horse on some roads and not others - it makes no sense.  There is nothing unnatural about it if someone is born with the ability to wield magic.  These restrictions are made by ignorant people who fear what they don't understand.


Tiny Reverse Vampire - *When did you meet Angst and the others?*

Rose - I met Angst after I started working at the castle.  He introduced himself right away and offered to show me around.  I thought he was nice, though a little strange.  Once and awhile I would catch him staring.  I finally asked him why and he started making fun of me, he said there was something wrong with my face!  I hit him in the arm.  He invited me out to drinks with his friends and I've been hanging out with them ever since.


Tiny Reverse Vampire - *If you could have any magic ability you have seen instead of yours, which
would you choose?*

Rose - The ability to be left alone by stupid people.  I swear, they are everywhere.


Tiny Reverse Vampire - *Did you get to keep your swifen and if you did, what did you name it?*

Rose - I can summon my swifen any time I need her, she's pretty handy but I hadn't considered naming her.  I'm not even sure she's alive, so naming her sounds a little strange.


Tiny Reverse Vampire- *What was your favorite part of your recent adventure?*

Rose - Watching Angst panic when I pretended to fall over the stairs. For some reason I can't seem to remember all of the details, but I do recal the look on his face.  He deserved that, it still makes me laugh!


Tiny Reverse Vampire - *How did you first start working in the castle?*

Rose - I was only 18 and trying to live on my own, there was a rumor around Unsel about jobs at the castle so I went to find out more.  They immediately turned me away because I was too young, but Princess Victoria came in, whispered something to the person who interviewed me, and they hired me.  I couldn't believe it.  I need to ask her if she recommended me or if the guy just changed his mind, because it was really odd.


Tiny Reverse Vampire - *Is life very different since you became a hand maiden for the princess?*

Rose - Yes.  I'm now privy to all the court intrigue, and it's not that interesting.  What do these people actually do for a living?  I just don't get what her job is and I can't even imagine what kind of Queen she will end up being.  She needs to decide to focus on more important things than gossip and boys if she is going to end up leading us.


Tiny Reverse Vampire - *What future journeys do you plan?*

Rose - I'm pretty sure I'll tag along with the boys whenever they go adventuring.  Obviously they can't do it without me.


Tiny Reverse Vampire - *Who would win in a fight Hector or Tarness?*

Rose - I'm just glad they get along so well, because that would be an awful fight.  Tarness can take a beating, but I really think Hector would win.  He knows so much about fighting and has been training people for years.  Something about what he does with magic would give him the edge, he's just so fast.


Tiny Reverse Vampire - *Anything else you would like to let everyone know?*

Rose - I've had the worst headdache since healing the stupid Queen.  I almost can't stand it, some days I have to stay home from work and rest until it goes away.  I've always healed fast, it's what I do.  I wish I could figure out how to get rid of it.

Necropolis Blog Tour Giveaway Winner

Congrats to Erin F., winner of the Necropolis Blog tour's giveaway of The Night Beat by Gini Koch.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Erin will have a week to contact me and if I don't hear back a new winner will be chosen.

Winner of the PUSHING THE LIMITS Giveaway

**Congrats to Maria V.**

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks again to everyone that entered the giveaway.

I've emailed Maria and she'll have until September 25th to claim her prize of 1 copy of Pushing the Limits. If I don't hear from her by then a new winner will be chosen.

The Army of Ten - Happy Book Birthday TEN

Make sure to check out Gretchen McNeil's awesome campaign for her book here.  I know I'm happy to be a member of the army of Ten because it looks like this is going to be a scary/fun book. 

* Celebrate the book birthday today of Ten by spreading the word and as Reading Rainbow said best, "Take a look, It's in a book..."

Me posing with Ten, it was delivered a day early.  :)