Topic:Top Ten Books I Think Would Make Great Book Club Picks
This meme is created by The Broke and the Bookish, anyone can participle telling about their top 10 topic items are.
I have never been to a book club so I have no idea what good books for book clubs are. These books are books that I think would make for interesting discussions.
Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
Carey has created a beautiful world of free love and it would be interesting to see people's take on this book.
The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel
The 1st book I ever read with a strong female character, I would love to see what other people think of Ayla.
Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon
A different/happier version of Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid.
Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn
The use of all types of gods/goddesses is so interesting, plus the world is ending.
Eon & Eona by Alison Goodman
Strong female character with an interesting situation for the Eona.
A Season of Eden by Jennifer Laurens
Student and teacher relationships, always an interesting discussion.
The story of two very different women, one mortal, one mermaid, and the clash between worlds best kept apart... It is a cold day at the end of the world when a young woman, a princess in hiding, looks out across a Northern sea and sees something she could not have seen. It looks...it can't be. It looks like a mermaid's tail. And, as she looks more closely, she sees that the mermaid is dragging a drowning sailor in her arms. Because, only hours before, another princess, the daughter of the sea queen, has decided to risk everything and take a look at the world above the sea: the world of mortals. And there she finds a storm, a shipwreck, a sailor, and sets in train events which will change both women's worlds forever.
What I Loved
An Andersen Based Mermaid Story
This follows the Hans Christian Andersen version not the Disney Little Mermaid. The Anderson version is much more dark and tragic with no HEA (happily ever after) for the mermaid. Carolyn's version gives us the point of view of both the mermaid Lenia and the Prince's eventual fiance Margrethe. Carolyn paints this beautiful underwater world filled with magic and mermaids, I don't think I would be able to leave it.
Characters
The Mermaid Lenia: The fascination with the world above, saving a prince, falling in love with him and trading her powerful fin for weak human legs and constant pain. Lenia is both passionate and beautiful and she will risk everything for true love.
The Princess Margrethe: In Andersen's version she is only introduced at the very end for the wedding for she the death of the mermaid. Instead in Carolyn's version we get to know this princess, who she is, her passions and her point of view. We get to know her as a kind-hearted future ruler who does believe in magic and mermaids after her encounter with Lenia.
Ending
This story was wonderful and I loved it completely. I was happy with the ending even though it didn't end an a perfect HEA, it had a bittersweet ending of contentment.
Confusion
I felt like I was betraying Lenia because I liked Margrethe and since Andersen's mermaid's life ended so tragically I wanted it to end differently somehow. I wanted both of them to be happy, but I had no idea how that was going to happen when both of them love the same man and the dictation of the kingdom.
Recommendation
If you like the original Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, but are sad with how it ended you need to try this story out. This isn't a romance read so there is very little romantic stuff.
Information
Genre: Fiction
Other Novels by Turgeon
Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story
Rain Village
The Next Full Moon
What is your favorite retelling of The Little Mermaid?
Bookography is a fun new way to share the beauty of books with photography. Take a picture with the book being the focus or inspiration and share the picture(s) you have created for the week.
Book
The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
Collector's Edition
Warm Your Heart
Which version do you like? The top one with the curtains open and a little bit of purple hues in the shadows? Or the bottom one with the curtains closed and a little brighter saturation? I like both of them, but I just can't choose which one I like more.
If you would like to participate please do. I will post my Bookography post each week on Wednesdays. I would love if you would link back to my blog and share your own link in the comments.
To see my previous weeks pictures check out my Bookography tab
This meme is created by The Broke and the Bookish, anyone can participle telling about their top 10 topic items are.
I love meeting authors, it is one of my favorite things to do. I have already met a lot, but I want to meet more.
My List
(in alphabetical order)
Sarah Addison Allen
I love all of her sweet magically touched southern books
Josephine Angelini
She was part of the dark days tour in the summer, but she wasn't at the OR stop and I really wish she was. I love her book and I hope I will get to meet her one day
PC Cast
I love her adult Goddess Summoning series. If she ever come near WA I will be there!
Kendra Leigh Castle
Love love love Kendra and all of her books, she is on of my favorite PR authors
Karsten Knight
I love his vlogs and I think his signings would be so entertaining
Lesly Livingston
Love her series and I want to meet her
Tahereh Mafi
Love Shatter Me and I hope that I will be able to meet her one day
Stephanie Meyer
I will never be able to meet her, but I would love too
JK Rowling
This is one that will never happen, but I how cool would that be if I could
Gena Showalter
Love her books as well, I have a friend that would take a trip with me to go and see her.
In all actually I would like to meet every author and I go to every signing that I can.
I have two tab pages dedicated to events, one tab Signing Event that is the list of events I will and have attended. The other is Event Recaps, the events I have attended and have written a post about it.
Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life.
Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go.
But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.
What I Loved
Emotion
The book contained so much emotion, for the main character Austin who is going to die soon and all the friends and family surrounding him. At the end I cried a lot, usually it will just be runny nose, but this was book had tears streaming down my cheek. Typically I say away from these types of books, but it was so worth the read and tears. A bittersweet read.
Timeline
The timeline for this book was really short. The whole book except for the last 20 pages took place over Saturday and Sunday. Within those two days we really did get to understand Austin and his mission to help people realize why they needed to live their life while they have it.
The Places
Austin wants to go do some of the typical Seattle stuff like have lunch at the Space Needle and walk through the EMP (Experience Music Project) a museum-esk thing dedicated to music. He also took a hike on Mt Rainer up to Comet Falls, I want to go on that hike this summer. All of the rest of the description on Tacoma makes me want to go there as well.
What I Didn't Like
It was short book and I would have read more, but at the same time the amount of information you got was just right for the story and the feel of the book.
Recommendation
Worth the read just make sure you have a box of tissues with you by the end of the book.
Information
Genre: YA Contemporary
Debut novel
I went to Megan's Launch party on January 17th, you should check out my Recap of the event.
The event started with a meet and great, buying books and eating some food and awesome cookies. There was some issues with the snow and getting the books that were to be sold to the library. There ended up being a limited number of books (2 boxes, her stock) and each person got a number (some a few numbers) to count off how many books they were to buy.
After the initially meet and great the schedule got changed around and Megan started signing books so that people could leave early due to the bad weather.
After almost everyone got their books signed and many people were there the book presentation started. The librarian introduced Megan and told a little bit about her. Megan took the stage (figuratively) and had a speech prepared to thank people for coming, family, friends and the rest of the support group for her writing.
After Megan's speech we got to have the book trailer shown to us.
Next we got to listen to reading of a chapter in the book. This was the first time I have ever seen two people reading in dialogue at a book event. Originally a younger boy was going to voicing Austin, but due to the snow a last minute replacement had to be found. Austin's replacement ended up being a librarian who is an actor and taught at a school.
To wrap up we were able to do some Q&A for Megan before the actually signing line started. (answers are summarized)
What was your influence to start writing?
Megan started writing after her mother in law was diagnosed with terminal cancer and they said she had a few months to live but only lived for a few weeks. Because Megan was grieving she wrote to cope with her loss. Her first story was a super hero story, but she isn't sure if that will ever be published. Megan ended up writing Never Eighteen during NaNoWriMO (National November Writers Month). Originally the title was called Mending Fences and the book went through 15 revisions before it ended in its final state. Megan received a call when she was in Disneyland that she was getting a book deal to be published.
How much changed from the first to the final draft?
A lot changed actually. Originally the characters were adult aged, but since the book was going to be for teens and teen don't like to typically read about adult characters they went to being teenagers. Another chunk was taken out because the publisher said Austen didn't need to learn all the other characters secrets.
Who would you cast for your characters?
Austen: Aaron Johnson (from Kick Ass)
Kaylee: Amanda Seyfried
Even though your book is in your local home town did you have to do any research?
Yes, since Megan had never been to the Space Needle (many locals haven't) she went with her husband and kids and they went to the top and had lunch. They also went to the EMP (Experience Music Project) as well. With the falls she ended up redoing the description because she didn't remember it all.
What is your writing style?
Megan just learned recently that she can call herself a "panser", she thrives on organized chaos as long as she has pen, paper and sticky notes she has everything in her head and just goes where the story takes her. Megan likes to write a lot of description, dialog and internal thoughts, she finds the other stuff boring.
Do you write with messages in mind?
To live life. You never know when it will all be gone. Reach out to others that are hurting.
Next work?
Working on getting her next book published called Sliced, a story of love, loathing and cutting.
The event ended with the last people getting there books signed and people mingling and talking. There was 3 raffles, 2 copies of the book and a goodie basket filled with lots of cool things. Sadly I didn't win. The event was a lot of fun and I'm glad the streets were clear enough to allow for the event to still proceed.
I went to the event having not read the book yet, but after the event I was even more interested since they were handing out little tissues. I read Never Eighteen the day after and yes I used those tissues, they are completely necessary when reading this book.
Two separate worlds ... One passion that binds them
Wild and passionate by nature, Lyra Black is not just any werewolf. She's the future leader of the powerful pack of the Thorn - if she can stay alive long enough to inherit the title.
One of the Cait Sith bloodline of vampire cat-shifters, Jaden Harrison has no interest in the wars plaguing the world of night. But when he rescues Lyra from a violent attack, they're both captured by an insatiable desire that threatens to overwhelm them and bind them together for eternity... just as ancient enemies prepare to strike. And when they do, the Thorn and the Cait Sith - and Lyra and Jaden's love - may never recover from the deadly blow.
What I Loved
The Series
This is book 2 in the Dark Dynasties series, Kendra writes her series with each book having a different couple but an arching storyline connecting them all together. I love how she writes her series, even though I come to love the previous couple I always look forward to getting to know other characters that have been introduced and slightly talked about. Plus we still get to see how the previous characters are doing because they are still interacting with the new characters.
Characters
Lyra: She is my favorite female character type, she is strong, feisty and an independent young werewolf. Lyra is will to fight to become alpha when females aren't respected nor strong enough to be the alpha werewolf.
Jaden: What a hunk of a cat shifting broody tortured vampire that has always had a soft side. He made a little appearance in book one, but this book is all his story and I completely love him.
Romance
Forbidden love. Vampires and werewolves do NOT have relations of any sort together. For werewolf society it is prohibited and that werewolf would be caste out of the pack. For the vampire it is dirty and slumming. But the physical undeniable attraction these to have for each other can't be denied forever.
Paranormal
I love the history that Kendra has created for her vampires and werewolves. The vampires abilities are so different than anything I have ever read before and I completely love it.
Didn't Like
NOTHING I just want more
Recommendation
Must read for paranormal romance readers, this world is awesome and the characters are amazing.
Bookography is a fun new way to share the beauty of books with photography. Take a picture with the book being the focus or inspiration and share the picture(s) you have created for the week.
Book
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Book Love
I actually took this picture to possibly use as part of my header, along with the Bookography picture above, but I figured out I'm not that good with working with Elements yet.
What better book to use with this heart necklace than with Pride and Prejudice an all time classic romance story. I did some post processing with the color, but not that much because well there isn't that much color for this photo. It is simplistic but I love it.
If you would like to participate please do. I will post my Bookography post each week on Wednesdays. I would love if you would link back to my blog and share your own link in the comments.
To see my previous weeks pictures check out my Bookography tab
Topic: Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To Someone Who Doesn't Read Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy and/or Fiction
This meme is created by The Broke and the Bookish, anyone can participle telling about their top 10 topic items are.
These are my recommends to readers who don't want to get away from the YA scene (it is hard, I know), but there are a lot of other great books out there.
Paranormal Romance
Dark Dynasties series by Kendra Leigh Castle
Love all of Kendra's books, they boys are delicious, the girl are strong, the romance is amazing and the story is awesome.
Woman of the Other World by Yasmine Galenorn
3 sisters living in Seattle and kicking some ass and have amazing lovers
Goddess Summoning series by PC Cast
Wonderful romance with Greek gods and goddesses with modern women
Atlantis series by Gena Showalter
Sexy as hell and love the paranormal characters.
Urban Fantasy
Bloodshot and Hellbent by Cherie Priest
Kick ass and so funny
Moon Called series by Patricia Briggs
Mercy is one of my favorite female characters, she is awesome
Magic Bites and On the Edge Series series by Ilona Andrews
Another kick ass strong female character series of books
Fantasy
Kushiel's Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey
WOW! Beautiful, sexual, intriguing and intense
Fiction
Earth Children series by Jean M. Auel
Fantastic series, the 1st series I ever read with a strong female leading character
Garden Spells, Sugar Queen, The Girl Who Chased the Moon and Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
Sweet and touching, modern day with a dash of magic
These are the books I would recommend to people who won't read outside of the YA genre.
