Sunday, October 30, 2011

I was lucky enough to be able to get an ARC of Michelle Madow's Remembrance to review and post on my blog. Michelle also allowed me to interview her and set up a giveaway of her book. So without further ado, here is my interview with Michelle. Check out the end of the post to see if you won your own copy of the book!

For those who aren't aware, where did you get the idea for Remembrance?

Michelle Madow, author of Remembrance

The idea for Remembrance came to me after I saw Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” music video. In the video, Taylor sees a guy while walking through campus. The moment their eyes connect, the scene flashes to the two of them dancing at a beautiful ball dressed in clothes that appear to be from around the year 1815. After watching the video, the characters and story in Remembrance pieced together in my mind. I started to write it down, and ended up with a finished novel!

I loved the names of the characters, they fit them perfectly. How did you come up with the names?

Thank you! Lizzie relates to Lizzy from Pride and Prejudice, and Drew came from the Taylor Swift song “Teardrops on my Guitar.” I also needed the names to be British (Elizabeth and Andrew), and shorten into modern day nicknames (Lizzie and Drew). For most of my other characters, I imagine them in my head and go with the name that feels right for who they are. I find last names to be harder than first names though, because they have to match the character’s ethnic origins and sound right with the first name.

If Remembrance were made into a movie, who would you want to play Drew and Lizzie?

I LOVE casting celebrities as characters in my book! I picture Lizzie as Taylor Swift, and Drew as Drew Roy. I even have a whole blog entry devoted to this subject, which you can check it out by clicking here.

What is a book from your childhood that you can't wait to read to your children?

My favorite childhood book series is definitely the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis.

What was the last book you read and loved?

Tempest by Julie Cross. You can check out my five star review here on my blog.

Hey everyone. Just wanted to let you all know that we are without power here on the East Coast of Massachusetts. I'm sending this from my phone so I hope it actually posts. Once we get power restored, I'll announce the winners of the Remembrance and Spooktacular giveaways.
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Saturday, October 29, 2011

This is week 3 of TBR Intervention, hosted by Books 4 Juliet. This meme is to try to get you to read books that have been on your TBR list forever. TBR stands for To-Be-Read. My TBR list on goodreads' has over 1000 books on it. I need to get cracking!

Last Week's Challenge

Last week I chose Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I love him and I haven't read enough of his books, so I'm trying to remedy that situation. This is the one that was on my TBR the longest. Plus it's one of only two that I have in my house. I did manage to finish the book, and I loved it. The main character is Richard Mayhew, an average, boring sort of man who lives in London. One day he and his fiance literally trip over a young woman bleeding in the streets. He takes her in to help her and gets sucked into the magical world of London Underground. Literally. I gave the book 5 stars. Loved it. Highly recommend for anyone who is a fan of alternate worlds hidden under our worlds, fantasy lovers, and fans of Neil's. If you aren't a fan of his, you're wrong.

This Week's Challenge

I've had The Golden Compass on my TBR list since April 2008. I have the three-book set, because I got it for my future children. I do that often. CJ has probably over 100 books that he won't be able to read for 10 years. But anywho, I want to read this and see if it is as good as some people think it is or if it is an evil Satan-worshipping book like some other people think it is. I saw the movie and I liked it, but it was obvious they were trying to be the next Harry Potter. Not going to happen people, can't be done.

PS. In other news, I only have 1 more book to read to finish up my goodreads' challenge of 52 books this year. I'm super-proud of myself. It is hard to find time to read with a 1 year old. Really. Really. Hard.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Eastern. If I'm not, my brain refuses to cooperate. Made life in Egypt and Korea kind of tough.

3. What is your favorite part of the holiday season?

Thanksgiving! I love the family, home-y, sort of feeling you get. I can't wait to hold it in my own household.

4. What is your favorite "wintry" drink? (It doesn't have to be an "alcoholic" drink!)

It used to be chocolate milk with peppermint schnapps, but I haven't drank since before I got pregnant. I love egg nog too, but only a little bit. It's so thick. I also love warm apple cidar. Yum.

5. In your opinion, what is the worst job in the world?

President of the US. No matter what, you get blamed for everything. Even things that are completely out of your hands. You're one person fighting against a group of people (Congress and the Senate) just trying to do what's right. I felt this way with Clinton, I felt this way with Bush, and I feel this way with Obama. It is a thankless job.

Anne Boleyn. I just want to go back in time and give her a hug and tell her it's going to be ok. Let her know that her daughter becomes one of the greatest queens that ever lives.

2. Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate definitely.

3. What do you do in your free time?

This blog. And read.

4. What movie are you looking forward to this year?

Hunger Games. I looooved the books so I am really hoping that they do a good job. I was a little apprehensive about their actor choices, but now that I've seen the teaser posters, I feel a little better about it.

5. Spontaneity or planning ahead?

With a baby, there's not really much room for spontaneity. Anything we do requires a fully stocked diaper bag with epi-pen, benadryl, and dairy free snacks.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

In honor of Halloween, CJ and I have been reading Fall and Halloween themed books. Nothing scary, he's only one. We'll wait until next year to pull out the Stephen King for him. One of the books we read was Franklin's Halloween.

First of all, I freaking love Franklin. Where has he been all my life? Everyone who knows me knows I love turtles. I even have a tattoo of one on my leg. How did I not know that there were books about a turtle with the awesome name Franklin?

Secondly, this book was adorable. It starts of with Franklin going through his dress up box to find an amazing costume to wear to the party and haunted house later that day. What will he decide to wear? What will his friends decide to wear? He doesn't have to worry about what Bear is going to be, because Bear is always a ghost! Franklin is also a little worried about getting too scared at the haunted house. What if there are real ghosts there?! Beaver reassures him that there is no such thing as ghosts, but Franklin isn't so sure.

Later, Franklin has lots of fun at the Halloween party. He wins lots of prizes, and gets a ton of candy. He tells Bear what a great ghost costume he's wearing. Finally, the only thing left to do is go to the haunted house. Franklin is very very brave, and even gets a treat for being brave enough to go all the way through the haunted house. Mr. Mole tells him that the ghost came through earlier and got so scared that he flew away. Bear doesn't fly, he thinks. Mr. Mole tells him that Bear is home sick with the sniffles. Oh no! Was that a real ghost!? I won't spoil the ending for you, but this is a really great book for kids. Even my one year old was interested. He loved the pictures, which are really cute.

I would recommend this book for ages 3 and up. While the bambino loved the pictures, he doesn't really have any idea what was going on in the book. Once kids can understand what Halloween is, they'll love the book that much more.

CJ and I gave this book a rating of five happy babies!

I received this book for free from netgalley for the purpose of reviewing it. No other compensation was provided. I was not required to write a positive review.

So if you've been following my blog for a while, you might notice that it looks a little different. I now have an awesome header and button. I decided a few weeks ago that I need one, so I head to my favorite place, etsy, to find an artist to help me out. I found a ton of designers and I loved a lot of their work. I stumbled upon grain. I loved her work so I contacted her regarding a blog header and button. She was extremely patient with me, because I had NO idea what I wanted in a header. No clue. Seriously. So she walked me through it and finally we came up with what I now have.

Because, she was so awesome, I invited Noa, the creator and owner of grain, to guest post here. She's also going to share some examples of her awesome work. So without further ado, here's Noa!

Seven years ago, my life was on a different path. Then, while traveling in India, I met a charming Canadian man… Long story short, I found myself in a new country, not knowing anyone, unable to work for a while. This was my chance to pursue something I’ve always been interested in: graphic design. I spent countless hours perfecting my Photoshop skills, and delving into vector graphics. Finally, when I felt ready, I opened my little Etsy shop.

I offer custom graphic design from blog headers to business cards. I’ve also had the chance to work on other diverse projects, from wedding stationery to political signage. I absolutely love what I do – the creativity, the chance to cooperate with people and learn from them, the ability to work from anywhere in the world. Graphics is an ever-evolving field, and there’s always place for growth.

So, how should you go about finding someone to create your graphics? Etsy is a great place to start, with tons of talented, affordable designers. Look at examples of previous work; try to pinpoint what you like about it. Knowing what you want is wonderful, but so is being open to suggestions: I find that my very best work stems from dialog – see Babies, Books, & Signs' header, for example :)

Many thanks to Lindsey who invited me to be her guest and share my story. I truly appreciate it!

p.47 "Richard wondered where they were. This didn't seem to be a sewer. Perhaps it was tunnel for telephone cables, or for very small trains. Or for.... something else. He realized that he did not know very much about what went on beneath the streets of London."

p.76 "The rat stepped- a little disdainfully it seemed- into the Lord Ratspeaker's grubby hand, and the man held it, respectfully, up in front of Richard's face. It waved its tailed languidly as it inspected Richard's features. "This is Master Longtail, of the clan Gray," said the Lord Ratspeaker. "He says you look exceedingly familiar. He wants to know if he's met you afore."

1. Dracula - I think this is a given. To me, Dracula is the original horror story. Everything else is attempting to reach the same level as this book.

2. The Thirteenth Tale - This book isn't scary per se. But it has that level of eeriness and what is lurking behind that corner that a good scary story has.

3. Frankenstein - Ever have a nightmare and then think that would make an awesome book? Well, Mary Shelley did. I find the monster more sad than scary, but this is still a great Halloween read.

4. Anything by Stephen King - There's a reason he's called the master of horror. No one can give me nightmares like this man. Because of IT, I still hate clowns.

5. Anything by Clive Barker - Clive Barker is like a darker, more wanting to scare the shiz out of you version of Neil Gaiman. Some of his stories are downright terrifying. They're supposed to be for ages 8 and up, but some of them will haunt you for life. (The Thief of Always for example.)

6. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - Thanks to Fishgirl at Nite Lite for reminding me of the title. I could see the cover in my mind but couldn't think of it. It's a collection of stories for kids that'll give you nightmares for months.

7. Anything by Edgar Allen Poe - This dude was seriously creepy. Again in a beautiful haunting way though. I recommend The Tell Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Cask of Amontillado.

8. The Man in the Picture: A Ghost Story - This is delightfully scary. It isn't horrifying, but definitely will put the scares into you. You'll start looking at pictures very closely, trying to find the man.

9. The Goosebumps and Fear Street books by RL Stine - I read the Goosebumps books to my little sister. I lived for scaring her. The Fear Street books were my favorite. I'm pretty sure I read all of them. The Fear Street saga was the best.

10. Christopher Pike's books - These were so scary when I was younger. I remember reading one where these people were walking along a fence or something and it turned into razor blades?! I still have nightmares where I'm trying to walk and it turns into razor blades. Horrifying. I have no idea which book that was, but they're all really scary.

To enter, just like MamaMunky's Barefoot Books on FB and then leave a comment below with your email and which book you'd like to receive. Extra entry if you follow on GFC! Don't forget to like MamaMunky's Barefoot Books. If you don't, your comment doesn't count as an entry.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Goodreads' Synopsis: In Up, Down, or Sideways, Mark Sanborn, author of the bestselling bookThe Fred Factor, prepares you for life’s inevitable cycles of up and down—and, too often, sideways. We tend to be surprised when downturns hit us and treat them as the exception—and when times are good, we act as if they will never change. In this book, Mark shows us what we should always be doing to be prepared for these cycles and events in our lives in order to make the most of them. Mark tells his own story of a downturn he experienced. Then, he identifies the principles and practices that will help you discover opportunities in both good times and bad, in up and sideways years. Mark provides timely wisdom that can’t be ignored no matter where you are in your personal or professional life.

My review: Mark Sanborn's life had taken a turn for the worst. He wasn't getting as many speaking jobs, his investments were tanking, and then to top it off, he found out he had prostate cancer. An average man would have become depressed. Not Mr. Sanborn. He decided to use these events in his life to re-focus on what was important in his life. This led him to new insights into what was truly important. He realized that thought bad things were happening to him, there were many people who have it much worse.

Mr. Sanborn decided to share what he learned during those troubled times with the world. He teaches about "good-shoulds". This is the good advice that you receive from those around you. He shares how success does not equal your net worth. Success should be measured by health, meaningful work, relationships, service, learning, and faith.

This is a really good book on how to face adversity with a positive attitude. Mr. Sanborn is relateable, as is his tale and advice. I recommend this for people going through tough times or people who just want to read an interesting book on what people do when faced with those bad times.

I received this book for free from Tyndale Blog network. I was not required to give a positive review.

If you would like this book, leave a comment below with a tough time you faced in your life and how you got through it. Pin It

This is week 2 of TBR Intervention, hosted by Books 4 Juliet. This meme is to try to get you to read books that have been on your TBR list forever.

Last Week's Challenge
So last week I challenged myself to read The Paladin, which was recommended by my husband. It has over a 4 star rating on goodreads and is historical fiction. Sounds like it is right up my alley right? Uh... nope. I read the first 2 pages probably 10 times and just none of it was getting into my brain. Ever have a book do that to you? I tried, I made it to page 16, but I just could not get into it. I couldn't even really tell you what happened on those 16 pages. So this book was a wash. I'm going to continue to try to pick it up from time to time to get through it, if only to make the hubby happy.

This Week's ChallengeNeverwhere by my main man, Neil Gaiman. I am a big Neil fan, but I've actually only read a few of his books. I follow his blog religiously, because he is hilarious. And British, which just makes him that much more awesome. I got all fan-girl when I saw him on The Guild. (Ps. If you don't watch The Guild, you are wrong.) This book has been on my TBR list since 2008. Also, I have this on my list for books to read for the Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon challenge.

A few weeks ago, Michelle Madow, author of Remembrance was looking for bloggers to read and review her new book. I was lucky enough to get a copy. In addition, Michelle agreed to do an interview and give me a copy to give away! Wahoooo! So without further ado, here's my review for Remembrance.

Goodreads' Synopsis: New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.
Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.

My review:

I'll admit that romance and YA aren't really my forte, but this was a really cute story. Lizzie is your average high school girl. She does happen to be dating a star soccer player who is uber popular, and is of course gorgeous, but other than that is your average teen girl. She begins yet another mundane year of school, expecting the same old same old. Then, in walks Drew Carmichael. This scene almost reminded me of the scene in Twilight when Bella walks into class for the first time and Edward wants to eat her. In this case it is Lizzie sitting down and Drew who walks in. When she sees him, its as if she's known him forever, and yet she can't place him. She finds herself irresistibly drawn to Drew, even though she has a boyfriend and Drew starts dating her best friend. Then there's the fact that Drew is downright mean to her for most of the story.

The supernatural element of the past lives was cute and not overly done. It was almost believable. There were times in the book that I really wanted Lizzie to stand up for herself and stop worrying about what others thought. Then I remembered how much I cared about what others thought when I was her age. I really liked this book, and I gave it 3.5 stars. I think if I was more of a fan of YA and romance, it would have gotten a 4.5. So if YA and romance are your thing, you will love this story.

Now for the giveaway. If you win, Michelle will send you a copy of Remembrance. Just fill out the rafflecopter below for as many entries as you would like. Let me know if you find an error with the rafflecopter. Thanks!

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Too many! I'm really loving Pan Am, Revenge and Ringer. Those are the new shows I'm watching. Plus I'm still watching Supernatural, The Big Bang Theory, etc. Plus the Walking Dead just started up again so I have to watch that too. Too many great shows!!!

3. What was the longest road trip you've ever taken and where did you go?

I've driven from Massachusetts to Colorado three times. The first time when I was 14. My mom and I were moving there. There were like 7 of us in the truck and it was frickan' miserable. The second time it was just my mom and my grandmother and I wanted to shoot myself in the head. My grandmother and I aren't exactly pals. She wanted to listen to Patsy Cline and some other crap for the entire 2 day journey. One time she fell asleep and my mom put on Eminem for maybe two seconds before my grandmother was like "WHAT IS THIS CRAP?!" I'm not afraid to say that I told her to shut the hell up and go back to sleep. The third (and final!) time was when Craig (the hubby) and I drove there to pick up the dog before we moved to Fort Knox, Kenyucky (that's not a typo). I was pregnant and fat and yet it wasn't as bad a trip as when I was with my evil grandmother.

4. Do you plan on taking your kids to Disney World?

Heck yes!! I went when I was in the fifth grade. It's one of my few happy childhood memories. Although I did have to be rushed to the ER. But whatevs. The baby is only 1 so it'll be a while, but I can't wait.

5. What is something that people would be surprised to know about you?

I grew up in the hood. I'm from Lynn MA which is known for the rhyme "Lynn Lynn, the city of sin, you never come out the way you went in." It's not a great place to grow up but hey, it's home. My son will never live there though. My husband even hates visiting my family, although they live (mostly) in the "nice" part of town.

1. If you could travel in a time machine, would you go to the past or the future?

Well obviously, if I'm in a time machine, my life's dream of meeting the Doctor have come true. Hopefully it's number 9-11, preferably 10 (I lovez you David Tennant.). If this is true and I am finally flying around in the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space for those who don't know), then I can go back to the beginning of time (maybe meet the master as an old man :-D) and then forward to the end of the world. It's my blog and I can do what I want.

2. What was your favorite children's book?

I had this awesome hardcover book with gorgeous illustrations that had both The Secret Garden and A Little Princess in it. If I could find that again, my life would be complete. It was amazing. I got lost in it time and time again.

3. If you were a superhero, what would your kryptonite be?

I always joke that old men are my kryptonite. I cannot see a sad old man walking down the street by himself without getting teary eyed. They're just the saddest things ever. I used to drive by this nursing home in Colorado, and the same old man would always be sitting at the window staring out at the road. To this day i can't think about it without balling. I don't know how this would be used against me, but it is my weakness. Otherwise I'd say my son. Anyone messes with my son and it's going to be on like Donkey Kong.

4. Hot or cold?

When I'm really hot, I say I'd rather be cold. When I'm really cold, I say I'd rather be hot. So I'm just a big whiner.

What superhero is your alter ego?

I honestly don't have an answer to this one. I like mostly male superheros. Is there a female Thor? I could be her. Or Loki, he's pretty awesome. Here's my answer, I am Lindsey Winchester, the long lost Winchester sibling (from Supernatural). John got around so it is possible. :)

Thursday, October 20, 2011

I am participating in the Wonderfully Wicked Read-a-thon! The goal is to just read as much as you can in three days. I've decided that for those three days I am going to read "Halloween-y" books. So these are the books I've decided to attempt to read.

It's almost November, so that means it's almost time for Christmas shopping. To help you get a head start, the One Stop Christmas Hop is an amazing giveaway blog hop. Currently there are 44 people signed up. If you'd like to join, go here.
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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Well, I already wrote about my disdain for Wuthering Heights in another post. BTW WUTHERING ISN'T EVEN A WORD! Gah, I really do hate that book.

Another book I hate, is Waiting for Godot. I'm pretty sure I talked about that in the same post though.... But I'll talk about it again.

Here's the Goodreads' description: The story line revolves around two seemingly homeless men waiting for someone or something named Godot. Vladimir and Estragon wait near a tree on a barren stretch of road, inhabiting a drama spun from their own consciousness. The result is a comical wordplay of poetry, dreamscapes, and nonsense, which has been interpreted as a somber summation of mankind's inexhaustible search for meaning. Beckett's language pioneered an expressionistic minimalism that captured the existentialism of post-World War II Europe.

Here's what that description just told you: This book (play) is about nothing. NOTHING. Nothing happens, ever. It's supposed to be existential and deep and meaningful but it really isn't. It's a stupid book and I will never get the 20 minutes of my life back that I spent reading this drivel. I had to read it for some ridiculous English class in college and I hated every second of it. I told the professor that too but she wasn't happy about that. I also wrote my paper on how stupid it was and how wrong Beckett was. I got an A on that because my evidence was irrefutable. That's the key to college kids. You can say whatever you want, you just need to have the evidence to back it up. Pin It

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

This week's topic: Top Ten Books Whose Titles or Covers Made Me Buy It.
Go here for the full list of participants!

First, a confession. I totally judge books by their covers. I do, it's true. I started reading historical fiction originally because a lot of them have amazingly gorgeous covers. Philippa Gregory's books for example have gorgeous and mysterious covers. Now on to the list!