Busting the Newbie Blues

Hosted by Small Review

This event is designed to:

•  Put new YA book bloggers on the map
• Increase blogger interaction
• Start a discussion by sharing our experiences as a new bloggers
• Learn about what it was like for all those impressive established bloggers when they were newbies

So how does this work? Simple:

• Select the questionnaire that best applies to you (there's no "wrong" choice, so just pick whichever one you feel most comfortable answering)
• Create a post on your blog with the questions and your answers
• Grab the banner above or the button below to include in your post or sidebar
• Link back to my post here
• Sign the Mr. Linky below so we can all come and visit your post!
• Spread the word! 

New Blogger Questionnaire:

Pick this questionnaire if you if you feel you're still getting your "blogging legs" and could use some advice and awareness brought to your blog, whether you're a brand new blogger or even if you've been blogging for over a year. 

1. When did you start your blog?  I started the blog in June 2010 but didn't post anything until July.
2. Why did you start your blog?  To make myself write better reviews for the books I read.  Before the blog I was lucky if I wrote a couple of sentences about each book.  I like writing reviews for myself because it helps me remember books.  It's embarrassing when someone asks you what you thought of a book and you can't remember (especially if you only read it a couple months ago).
3. What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?  Writing reviews.  I put too much pressure on myself to write the "perfect" review so it usually takes me at least two days to write one.  Before I publish a review I have tweaked it at least six times.  I get a little anxious before I hit "publish". 
4. What do you find most discouraging about being a new blogger?  I know I shouldn't compare myself to others but it is a little discouraging when I see some blogs who post multiple reviews a week.  How do they read so fast?  I'm lucky if I am able to get one review up a week.
5. What do you find most encouraging?  When people leave comments!  It's nice to know that someone took a minute or so to leave some feedback.  All of the book bloggers I've talked to so far have been so nice!
6. What do you like best about the blogs you read? Have you tried to replicate this in your blog?  I like how all of the blogs are different.  Yes, we're all (mostly) book blogs and we all review the same books sometimes but there's always at least one unique thing about each blog.  Plus, I love how everyone's personality is reflected in their blog.
7. What do you dislike about blogs you’ve read? Do you try to avoid this? I hate it when the blog design and layout is too "busy".  Sometimes it's hard to concentrate on the blog post you're reading because everything flashing on the sidebar.  I definitely avoid this on my blog!  I like nice, simple, "quiet" layouts.  Oh, and I don't like it when music starts to play automatically.  That usually scares me!
8. Any advice for other new bloggers?  Participating in memes is a good way to meet other bloggers and to gain a few followers.  Just try not to only post memes and you don't have to participate in them every week.
9. Anything else you’d like to share about your experience? Be prepared for your blog to take up a lot of time.  I did not realize how much time I would spend working on my blog (there are still parts 'under construction'), writing reviews, participating in different events, visiting other blogs and leaving comments.  It takes a long time! Also, there are times when I have to make myself not participate in a meme.  I see so many fun ones come through my Reader but I'd only have memes on the blog if I joined in every one that looked interesting!
10. Is there anything you’d like to tell us about your blog? I'm still trying to find my blogging "niche" and I'm trying to become more disciplined with posting.  I want to try to set up some type of blogging schedule for myself but first I think I need to have a handful of reviews saved as drafts so I can plan it out better.

Review: The DUFF

Title:  The Duff

Author:  Kody Keplinger

Published: Little, Brown & Company/September 2010

How I Got It: Public library

Rating: 4 stars

Review:

“It was hurtful, and it was one of those titles that just fed off of an inner fear every girl must have from time to time.  Slut, bitch, prude, tease, ditz.  They were all the same.  Every girl felt like one of these sexist labels described her at some point.  So, maybe, every girl felt like the Duff, too?” (page 256). [I love this quote]

Duff = designated ugly fat friend.  Who hasn’t felt like a Duff at some point in their life?  I know I certainly have!  It still happens to me sometimes.  You’re out with some friends or sitting in class and you just feel like every other girl is prettier than you, more confident than you, and you’re thinking you should have used more concealer to cover up the giant pimple that magically appeared overnight.  Now I’m usually pretty secure with myself, but at some point we’ve all felt like the ugly duckling.

Seventeen-year old Bianca is out one night with two friends and she's approached by Wesley, the school womanizer.  He starts up a conversation with her because he considers her to be the Duff out of the three friends.  According to Wesley’s logic this guarantees him some major brownie points with Bianca’s friends (and he is hoping to hook up with at least one of them).   She gets so mad that she throws her drink in his face and storms out.

From this point on the word “duff” haunts Bianca.  Its pretty much all she can think about, the word just consumes her.  Bianca has been having issues at home.  Her mom is always traveling for work and is gone for months at a time, while her dad is like a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode.  To escape from all of this Bianca enters into an “enemies with benefits” relationship with Wesley.  She uses him as a way to forget her problems.

Even though Bianca irritated me at times I loved her.  I did want to yell at her when she first kissed Wesley though (why Bianca?  You hate him and he calls you names!).  But Wesley described her best when he said she is an  “intelligent, sassy, sarcastic, cynical, neurotic, loyal, compassionate girl" (page 175).  That sums up her perfectly, I don't even have to expand on it. 

There is lots swearing in this book (Bianca drops f-bombs quite often) and sex is mentioned a lot.  If either make you a little uncomfortable I'd steer clear of this book.  Otherwise this is a great debut novel and is definitley worth a read.

I’ll leave you with one last quote (it’s a funny one):  

“Wesley Rush may have had the body of a Greek god, but his soul was as black and empty as the inside of my closet” (page 6).

Review: One Day

photo from B&N.com

Title:  One Day
Author:  David Nicholls
Published:  Vintage Books, 2010
How I Got It:  Purchased myself at an independent bookstore
Why I Read It:  Heard good things about the book, plus it's being made into a movie and I almost always read the book before I watch the movie!
Rating:  3.5 stars

Summary:

It's 1988 and Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morely have only just met.  But after only one day together, they cannont stop thinking about one another.  Over twenty years, snapshots of that relationship are revealed on the same day - July 15th - of each year.  Dex and Em face squabbles and fights, hopes and missed opportunites, laughter and tears.  And as the true meaning of this one crucial day is revealed, they must come to grips with the nature of love and life itself (from the back cover).

Review:


The first thing that drew me to this book?  The cover.  I love the silhouettes on the cover.  I read the back synopsis, put it back on the shelf and kept browsing. Then before I left the store I picked it back up and one of the employees came over gushing about how amazing this book was.  So I caved and bought it.


The book tells the story of Emma Morely and Dexter Mayhew by just giving the reader a glimpse into their lives by revealing only what they do on this one day.  Think about what you were doing a year ago today.  Honestly, I have absolutely no idea what I was doing.  But I know a lot changes in a year.  I didn't think that it would be easy to keep up with the characters because of this.  Relationships change, jobs change, living arrangements change, habits can change. It just seemed like too much of a gap.  Surprisingly, I thought it worked for Emma and Dexter's story.  Although there were times when I wanted to know more then just what happened on this one day.


On July 15, 1988, Emma and Dexter meet for the first time, as they're both graduating college.  I felt that I could relate to Emma during the first few years after she graduates:  you have the whole world ahead of you...but where to begin?  She struggles with finding a job that utilizes the degree she worked so hard for.  Emma takes a job as a waitress in a restaurant, not because it's what she wants to do but because it's a source of income (personally, I can relate to this a lot.  I don't work in a restaurant but I have a job that has nothing to do with my degree and I am just there to pay the bills until I can find something else).  As Emma gets older I found it harder to relate to her.  Like how at some point when she was in her thirties she has an affair with a married man who also happens to be her boss.  I wanted to scream at her for that.


For most of the book I couldn't stand Dexter.  He's arrogant After he graduates he goes and travels the world (and the only sights he sees are the insides of the bars and clubs) while is parents are footing the bill.  When he's finally ready to get a job, somehow he lands a job as a TV anchor and continues his lifestyle of drinking and women.  As Dexter gets more fame and notoriety from being on a TV show, his friendship with Emma starts to diminish.  They're growing apart.  Emma is struggling to pay her rent and Dexter is just spending money left and right.  But don't worry, when Dexter's life starts to crumble Emma comes back into his life.  Okay, I'll admit it now:  I kind of hated Dexter.


Even though the two main characters irked me at times, I really enjoyed the story.  It was interesting to be able too see the evolution of Emma and Dexter's friendship.  They're 24 years old when the story begins and you get to know them for the next twenty years.


I thought Emma and Dexter's story seemed very real.  I didn't feel that anything was sugarcoated for them.  Friends grow apart, people make mistakes, your future may turn out drastically different than you imagined, you may have had some missed opportunities, and coping with death.


Planning on seeing the movie when it is in theaters?  Anne Hathaway is playing Emma and Jim Sturgess is playing Dexter.  I have a crush on Jim Sturgess so I'll definitely be going to see the movie adaptation. 



I'll leave you with a favorite quote from the book:  

"Independent adult life.  She didn't feel like an adult.  She was in no way prepared.  It was as if a fire alarm had gone off in the middle of the night and she was standing on the street with her clothes bundled up in her arms.  If she wasn't learning, what was she doing?  How would she fill the days?  She had no idea" (page 12).

Gratitude Giveaway

Gratitude Giveaway - Blog Follower Appreciation

Gratitude Giveaways will begin on November 17th at 12:01 am EST and end on November 28 at 11:59 pm EST.  This giveaway blog hop is hosted by Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

Since this is a follower appreciation giveaway you must follow this blog to enter.

  I decided to participate in the Gratitude Giveaways as a way of saying thank you to my followers.  I know I don't update this blog very often, but unfortunately I get busy!  I never knew blogging took up so much time! I just want to say thanks for sticking around!  Once the holidays are over I am going to try my hardest to post two reviews a week...I feel like I read more in the winter months when I'm stuck inside.

The Prize:

One winner will get to pick one of the following books:

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

The Truth About Forever

Twenty Boy Summer

These are my top three books of 2010 (well...so far anyway, the year's not over yet!) 

RULES:

1.)  You must be a follower of this blog
2.) Fill out this form

  The winner will have 72 hours to respond to my email with a mailing address.

Good luck!

Please visit the other blogs on the linky list.  They're all hosting great giveaways!

Review: Nightshade

Title: Nightshade (Nightshade #1)

Author: Andrea Cremer

Published: Philomel Books, 2010

How I Got It: Purchased myself

Rating: 4 stars

Summary:

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything--including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice? (from the book jacket)

Thoughts:

What caused this book to skyrocket to the top of my to-read list and also convinced me to pre-order the book (and I never pre-order books)?  The ingenious marketing plan.  When I first heard about this book I thought it sounded interesting and of course added it to my constantly growing TBR list.  Then about a month before the book’s release one of the main characters, Shay Doran, started popping up all over the Internet.  You could actually interact with Shay.  He had his own Facebook page, a blog, and he’d post videos that addressed fans by name.  I really enjoyed following Shay’s adventures through Rowan Estate and hearing all of the strange happenings.  

Now onto the book! 

First, the cover is so amazing.  I fall hard for good book covers.  The dust jacket feels pretty.  I’m not sure how to describe it, but the texture is just...pretty!  Side note #1:  I love Calla’s makeup on the cover.  Hey, maybe next Halloween I’ll dress up as Calla. 

Nightshade starts off with Calla, the alpha female of the Nightshade pack, saving a human who was being attacked by a bear.  She didn’t recognize the boy, she thought he was a lost tourist.  Needless to say, Calla got a surprise when the human, Shay, shows up in one of her classes a couple weeks later.

This book has one of the most intense love triangles I’ve come across recently.  Our alpha female is torn between two worthy (but completely different) suitors: Ren, the alpha male of the Bane pack and Shay, the new kid at school.  All of her life Calla has known that she has been ‘arranged’ to marry Ren.  Since they are both alphas their packs will combine to form one larger pack.   Then just before the union Shay comes into the picture.  This makes Calla question if she should just assume her role as Ren’s mate or if she should take a chance and make her own decisions.  Side note #2:  One thing that drove me crazy throughout the book was how Ren was allowed to date different girls but Calla had to stay ‘pure’ until the union.

I don't want to get too much into the paranormal aspect.  It's too hard to not give away any major spoilers.  The Keepers, Guardians and Searchers are all quite fascinating.  The mystery that starts to unravel is riveting (but a little confusing, I had to reread some parts).  The dynamic of the werewolf packs and their traditions is interesting. 

Overall, I really enjoyed Nightshade!  I loved how strong of a character Calla is, yet she still gets flustered by a cute boy.  I'm looking forward to the next installment of the trilogy!

Side note #3:   There is one part of the story that I did not like at all.  It’s a pretty big twist and I did not see it coming.  It takes place in a cave...if you read the book you probably know what I’m talking about.  

*this review is also posted over at The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books That Made Me Cry

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books That Made Me Cry

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak  
2. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
3. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
4. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum 
5. The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher 
7. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
8. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 
9. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
10. A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer  

 *Bonus* A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

  But really, it doesn't take much to make me cry...or at least tear up a little.

 

Review: Twenty Boy Summer

Title:  Twenty Boy Summer

Author:  Sarah Ockler

Published:  Little, Brown and Company, 2009

How I Got It:  Public Library

Rating:  5 stars

Summary:  

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer (from Goodreads).

Review:

Let me start off by saying that I probably wouldn’t have picked up this book if it hadn’t been for all of the controversy over banning it in September (speak loudly).  So I want to thank the horrible person who wants to ban this book from their local school system (don’t even want to mention their name!) and the #Speak Loudly campaign for putting this book on my radar.  I’m so glad you gave this book attention.  I absolutely adored it.

Twenty Boy Summer tells the story of Anna and Frankie.  The majority of the book takes place one year after a tragic accident:  a car accident claimed the life of Matt, Frankie’s older brother and he was also best friends with Anna and Frankie.  Even though it was Frankie’s brother who died, Matt was also Anna’s best friend (and the first boy she was in love with).  It didn’t seem like Anna was given a chance to grieve.  Everyone was always worried about Frankie and they expected Anna to be able to take care of her.  To cope, Anna writes in her journal, it was a birthday present from Matt, and she keeps a picture of the two of them on the first page.  Sometimes she even addresses the journal entries to Matt, telling him how his sister is not dealing with the loss well or how she's afraid she's going to forget him.

I loved this story because it seemed so real.  Although they were consumed by grief, Anna and Frankie were typical teenage girls.  Yes, this includes lying to their parents, sneaking out, underage drinking, wearing too much makeup and clothes their parents wouldn’t approve of, spending an hour in front of a mirror getting ready to go out, and flirting with boys.  While some people (I’m talking about you icky person who shall remain nameless) think that books like this will give teenagers the idea to lie to their parents (trust me, they already do this sometimes), they learn these things from each other- not the books they read.  

  

The cover.  I love it. The heart is made out of blue sea glass with a single piece of red sea glass.  Once you read the book you’ll understand how it ties is with the story so well.  Also, Ockler's descriptions of the ocean were amazing.  I never think about how the salt water feels like you've eaten too many potato chips or how nice it feels to dig your feet into the cool sand.  I grew up ten minutes from the beach so it's also strange (for me) to hear someone say they're never seen the ocean.  

Twenty Boy Summer is Sarah Ockler’s debut book.  I’ll definitely be picking up her second novel when it comes out in December.