Review | The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss

Title: The Thorn and the Blossom
Author: Theodora Goss
Series: None
Publication: 01.17.2012 by Quirk Books
Source: Publisher
Challenges: None

Summary: One enchanting romance. Two lovers keeping secrets. And a uniquely crafted book that binds their stories forever.

When Evelyn Morgan walked into the village bookstore, she didn’t know she would meet the love of her life. When Brendan Thorne handed her a medieval romance, he didn’t know it would change the course of his future. It was almost as if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself . . .

The Thorn and the Blossom is a remarkable literary artifact: You can open the book in either direction to decide whether you’ll first read Brendan’s, or Evelyn’s account of the mysterious love affair. Choose a side, read it like a regular novel—and when you get to the end, you’ll find yourself at a whole new beginning.

Thoughts: This book was short and sweet, just like it sounds. The unique format is what intrigued me at first, and since I like anything with a love story, I was really looking forward to see what this would be like. Like mentioned, this is a two-sided love story which I thought was great because we got both sides of the story. How often does that happen? I started with Evelyn's side because I felt I would connect with the female character easier (obviously) and I am glad I did.

Evelyn decides to take a week off from school to "find herself" and ends up in the small town of Cornwall, where she meets Brendan Thorne. Instantly, they hit it off and spend every day together. An unexpected event causes Evelyn to flee though, leaving Brendan behind with just the memory of what they shared. Later in the book they meet again and even though it feels like there might be a happy ending, the author leaves it up to your imagination to figure out where the rest of the story goes.

Reading Evelyn's account left me feeling unsatisfied and I was really disappointed there wasn't more to the story. But there was! I waited about a day or so before flipping over to Brendan's side of the story. While reading his side, there were a few things that started making that hadn't before and other small details that changed the story a bit. The Tale of the Green Knight, a story that Brendan shares with Evelyn when they first meet, plays an important role throughout the book. It not only shapes the their careers in the story, but as a reader, you can't help but wonder if like the summary says: "...if they were the cursed lovers in the old book itself ."

The only problem I had with this was that I wish it would've been longer! It was too short I think, and even though it was a great story, I think it could've been developed just a little more by adding a few more pages. I thought the author did a great job though, in intertwining the tale and the lives of Brendan and Evelyn, piecing everything together beautifully. I definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a short fairytale to quickly dive into.

About the author:

Theodora Goss's publications include the short story collection In the Forest of Forgetting (2006); Interfictions (2007), a short story anthology coedited with Delia Sherman; and Voices from Fairyland (2008), a poetry anthology with critical essays and a selection of her own poems. She has been finalist for the Nebula Award, Crawford Award, and Mythopoeic Award, and on the Tiptree Award Honor List. She has won the World Fantasy and Rhysling Awards.
Website | Twitter
Buy the book: Amazon

In My Mailbox 49 | Vlog

Hey everyone! I haven't done an IMM in forever, so I decided to make a quick silent video (with music) of the books I have gotten in the last few weeks. Some of it is fast, but I think it turned out okay.

 I am really tired and I stayed up late making the video so I don't look too great...and I feel really silly showing my books to a camera. Plus my video making skills aren't very good. Anyways, enjoy :)

Have a great week!

Book Tour: Excerpt | Pride's Run by Cat Kalen

Title: Pride's Run
Series: Book 1
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Publication: 11.01.2011 [Self-Published]
Pages: 310

Seventeen year old Pride is a tracker—a werewolf with a hunger for blood. Taught to trick and to lure, she is the perfect killing machine.

Kept leashed in the cellar by a master who is as ruthless as he is powerful, Pride dreams of freedom, of living a normal life, but escape from the compound is near impossible and disobedience comes with a price.

When she learns her master intends to breed her she knows she has to run.

Pride soon learns if she is to survive in the wild, she must trust in the boy who promises her freedom, the same boy she was sent to hunt.

With life and death hanging in the balance the two find themselves on the run from the Paranormal Task Force—officers who shoot first and ask questions later—as well as her master’s handlers.

Can Pride flee the man who has held her captive since birth and find sanctuary in the arms of a boy who has captured her heart? Or will her master find her first?

I am currently reading Pride's Run and enjoying it. Look for my review in the near future and a giveaway as well. Enjoy this little sneak peek :)

Chapter One

California Wine Country
August 23rd, six days until full moon


The click of the lock at the top of the stairwell is my only indication that morning is upon me. My ears perk up and I listen for the coming footfalls. The weight on the stairs combined with the creaking of each wooden step will let me know which handler has come for us this time, which unlucky puppet has drawn the short straw and is stuck with letting the dogs out, or in this case, the werewolves.


Sure, he’ll come sauntering down the stairs sporting a brave face and looking at me with cold, dark eyes meant to intimidate. But the wolf inside me can smell his inner fear. Despite the fact that I’m the one caged, underneath the handler’s cool, superficial shell he’s the one who’s truly afraid.


A long column of light filters down the stairs and I blink my eyes into focus as the bright rays infiltrate the pitch black cellar. I don’t really need to blink. Not with my exceptional vision. But I do it anyway because sometimes I simply like to pretend I’m a normal seventeen-year-old girl, one who can’t see in the dark. It’s nonsense, I know. I’m not fooling anyone. Least of all myself.


The door yawns wider and before the first heavy boot, soiled with old blood that he’ll pass off as wine stains, hits the top step, my senses go on high alert. I never know what morning will bring—or who will bring it.


A breeze rushes down the stairs ahead of the handler, carrying the aroma of the grand estate with it. I push past the metallic scent of dried blood to catch traces of grape juice in the air, a common smell on the majestic vineyard—that and illegal drugs, the estate’s real source of income. Going beyond those familiar fragrances, I breathe deeper and get hints of fresh bread baking in the upstairs kitchen. It must be Thursday. Mica, the estate’s cook, always bakes on Thursday.


In my human form I roll onto my side and lean toward the smell. Wistfully, my tongue darts out and brushes over my bottom lip. There is something about that scent that always entices me and before I can help it I envision myself eating a warm slice covered in rich creamy butter, crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside.


My nostrils widen, but I know the bread isn’t meant for me and not even one delicious crumb will pass over my dry lips. Not unless Mica sneaks it to me. As much as I’d love to taste her offerings I don’t like it when she takes chances for me. Disobedience is far too risky for the aging housekeeper. Despite that, my stomach growls in response to the aroma and I fight off the cravings. I can’t hope for bread when it’s unlikely that I’ll even be given a scrap of food today, especially if I can’t please him.


My master.


A boot hits the second step—the handlers always descend slowly—and as I stretch my legs out on my dusty mattress I hear the waking groans of Jace and Clover stirring in their own cages beside me. I glance their way, and that’s when my attention falls on the one empty cage in the cellar. My mother’s den. I breathe deep and fight off a pang of sadness that I cannot afford to feel.


I turn away from the empty cage and stare at the gray cement walls. I can’t bear to look at her den any longer. It only reminds me of how they killed her and how all the pups were forced to watch—to learn that disobedience comes with a price. Guilt and sorrow eat at me to think that she’d died trying to free me.


When step number five creaks, I diligently try to shake off the memories. The handler is close which means I can’t think about my mother right now. I push all thoughts of her aside, knowing that right now I have to think about my father and what he taught me before the master killed him. Never let them see your fear.


I harden myself.


Prepare.


Before my master’s puppet even reaches the bottom step, I know it’s the one they call Lawrence, the handler I hate the most. The one with a weak mind, strong back, teeth like baked beans and beady eyes that fit his ugly rat face.


He likes to call me kitten. I have a few choice names that I’d like to call him in return, but I always bite the inside of my cheek to resist the urge. Partly because I’d be whipped and partly because Miss Kara educated me and taught me all about manners. I realize that an educated wolf with manners might sound laughable. In my line of work, however, education and manners are as lethal as a bear trap to those I hunt. That’s how I lure my marks, how I bait my prey. A pretty face and good grace go a long way for a trained killer like me.


My glance wanders to my leg, the one peeking out from beneath my ratty blanket, and my eyes are drawn to the long jagged scar tracking the length of my calf. I grimace. Even with my education and manners, I never forget what I really am. I’m never allowed to.


“Hey kitten,” Lawrence says. Most would think the nickname is a play on my birth name, Pride. But I know it’s the handler’s way of cutting me down, to find control where he feels none. My parents called me Pride because I was their pride and joy. Lions live in a pride and since lions are cats…


He tosses a collar and chain into my cage. “Leash up.”


I take note of the gun in his holster before my glance locks on his. As I give him a good hard stare, he flinches. The movement is slight, but I notice it. Dressed in my knee length nightgown, long hair loose around my shoulders, I might look like an average seventeen-year-old girl—harmless and innocent—but we all know I’m not.


Even though Lawrence keeps his face blank and stares down at me with those dark eyes of his, he reeks of terror. The scent is like a mixture of hot sweat and rotting compost. Oh, it’s not pretty by any means. Nevertheless, the werewolf slumbering restlessly inside me feeds off his fear, thrives on it, so I inhale and draw it deep into my lungs.


Without taking my eyes off his, I take my time to leash up. My movements are slow and deliberate as I position the collar. Metal grinds metal and the sound cuts the silence as I secure it around my neck. The handler winces. So do the older, more obedient wolves that I bunk with.


Jace cuts me a glance, chocolate eyes now milky from old age warn me to behave. I realize he’s doing it for my own good, but this morning I’m cold and hungry and in no mood for Lawrence’s insults. Clover makes a noise to draw the handler’s attention away from me, and all sets of eyes shift to her.


As Clover tries to pacify Lawrence, averting her gaze in a show of respect and making small talk about the weather, Lawrence opens my mother’s former cage and pulls out her cot. He gives it a good hard shake and the breeze stirs the dust on the unfinished boards masquerading as our ceiling. The particles dance in the stairwell light before falling to the cold, cement floor.
When Lawrence tosses the cot into a corner I stiffen. It can only mean one thing. My mother has been gone for a little over a year now, and I know the master rarely keeps a cell empty for long, which makes me wonder when and how he’s going to fill it?


Who will he breed?


I cringe at the thought of bringing puppies into this world, but know it’s not something I have to worry about. The master would never breed a wolf like me. My mother always said I was a survivor, the only pup in a litter of three to make it, but hey, a runt is a runt. Thanks to Darwin and his theory of ‘natural selection’ a runt is a heritable trait that a pack can do without. When it comes to canine reproduction, only one motto dictates: runts need not apply.
Deep in the bowels of the estate’s basement, the master keeps other wolves, separating the strong and young from one another. I’m smart enough to understand that he distances us so we can’t conspire against him or speak telepathically. Wolves can only use telepathy when in animal form, however. Well, most wolves that is. Oddly enough, I along with Stone, an alpha wolf two years my senior, are able to communicate while in our human forms.


Sometimes the master does in-house breeding, sometimes he sends us out to one of his associates—other drug lords who also harbor werewolves. It’s like he’s running a regular old puppy mill in here. Except his puppies kill for him. Which begs the question, what does my master have in store for me today?

Buy the book: Amazon

"Waiting On" Wednesday: Darkness Before Dawn

Okay so the book cover reminds me of both this one and this one, but it is still gorgeous right? I love it! ♥ I think this sounds really amazing and I hope it is as great as I am hoping it will be :)

What are you waiting for this week?

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine

Giveaway Results!

It has taken me a while to announce a few of these winner, but finally, here are the results:

Populazzi giveaway:
JP @ Elle Lit

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It's My Birthday! giveaway:

Justine @ a bookful of thoughts

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Triangles giveaway:

Julie Witt

Natalie @ Mindful Musings

Gisele Alv

TFrances

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Silence poster giveaway:

Ivy @ Ivy Reads

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Erotic Me series:
Barbara

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The Hunger Games inspired necklace:

Tiffany

All the winners have been contacted and have until the end of the week to respond or new winners will be chosen. I want to thank everyone who participated and sorry for the delay in getting the winners out there. Look out for more giveaways in the future :)

Book Tour Review | Fangs Rule: A Girl's Guide to Being a Vampire by Amy Mah (Vampire)

Title: Fangs Rule
Author: Amy Mah (Vampire)
Series: N/A
Publication: 03.28.2011 by Reardon Publishing
Source: Bewitching Book Tours
Challenges: 2012 YA Reading Challenge

Summary: The guide is fully illustrated by manga Artist Heby and is written in an easy to follow A - Z format explaining everything a teenage vampire girl would need to know about living life as a modern Vampire.

* What is fashionable to wear when eating out?
* Fang maintenance & how to keep your claws sharp.
* Should you let a boy bite you on the first date?

Easy to understand clear advice is given to every day problems.

Example: When you get an urge to bite:

"We all get those normal urges to bite things, and I must point out it is very normal. Claws are all well and good in a fight but a bite gives the extra advantage of getting a refreshing drink at the same time."

Lots of girls worry about showing their Fangs in public believing that to show your fangs is rude, but don't be shy they can be a girls greatest asset (ok second greatest asset) if a boy is being rude to you, don't just snarl at him, just bite him! You are a vampire why do you think you have sharp teeth if not for sinking them into a boy that is being rude to you.

Thoughts: I jumped at the chance to review Fangs Rule because it sounded like something that would be fun and enjoyable, but also because I liked the cover. I was right because not only was it fun, but it was a humorous, cynical, journal-like guide on what it is like to be teenage vampire girls these days. And let me tell you, all those movies don't have it right. It is obvious from the start that we humans really know nothing.

Lady Amelia Mistress of the Night Mare and Alpha Female from the Family of the Pink Bat, or Amy Mah for short, has been a teenage vampire for quite a few hundred years now. She was raised by humans until adopted by the Pink Bat family, and then had a lot of things to learn. To help all the teenage vampire girls on how to handle being a vampire, she decided to create this enjoyable guide that pretty much explains what you need to know.

Fangs Rule was a quick read for me, but it is a fun book to get into. There is no real story, but we get to learn a little bit of Amy here and there with her explanations and suggestions. She is definitely a witty and sarcastic girl that you can't help but bond with. There are also great illustrations throughout the pages that are very colorful and eye-catching.

There are some grammatical and spelling errors in the book that bothered me a bit, but they didn't really interrupt the flow of the book. There is also plenty of sexual references that are not too explicit, lots of sarcasm, and many definitions that will have you laughing out loud.

Fangs Rule is an great and beautifully illustrated book that I am sure vampire fanatics (like myself) can enjoy and learn from! I definitely recommend this to 13 + readers and anyone looking for a quick, manga style book that teaches a thing or two about vampires. I look forward to learning more about Amy Mah in future books.

About the author:

Amy is a new and very funny author who blogs about her life as a modern vampire trying to put up with both humans and fellow vampires. The author Amy has been transformed into a manga character by the art of Heby Sim, real photos were changed into the wonderful images you will see in her books.
Website | Blog
Buy the Book: Amazon | Book Depository

Review | Christine by Stephen King

Title: Christine
Author: Stephen King
Series: None
Publication: 09.07.2004 by Signet (first published 1981)
Source: Library
Challenge: None

Summary: It was love at first sight.

Just another lovers' triangle, you say? Not quite. There's a fourth here, the second lady, the dark lady. "Cars are girls," Leigh Cabot says, and the dark force in Stephen King's new novel is a 1958 Plymouth named Christine.

She is no ordinary car, this white-over-red two-toned survivor of a time when high-test gasoline was priced at a quarter a gallon and speedometers were calibrated all the way up to a hundred and twenty miles an hour...a time when rock and roll in all its first crude power ruled America...a time when speed was king.

Arnie Cunningham is determined to have Christine at any price, and little by little, Dennis and Leigh begin to suspect that the price of his growing obsession may be terrifyingly high, its result blackly evil. As Arnie sets feverishly to work on the seemingly hopeless job of resorting Christine, Christine begins to develop a terrible life of her own. Or is that only imagination? Dennis continues to hope so...and then people begin to die on Libertyville's dark suburban streets and roads...and the time comes when Dennis can no longer deny the horrifying truth: Christine is alive.

Thoughts: This was officially my first Stephen King novel. I am proud of myself for getting through this. I listened to it, yes. It took me three check out's at the library to get through the whole thing and it took me months. Was it worth it? Oh, yes. Stephen King is popularly known for being awesome. He has a bunch of books and is really famous and everything. Everyone has heard of him. So obviously, I needed to read at least one of his novels in my life. And I am glad I did.

What I liked:

• Christine is a creepy book: Really, I wasn't sure what to expect when reading this type of horror novel, but I am usually not scared easily when it comes to books. But this book, although not really scary, is really creepy. It takes about half of the book before things really start getting spooky and even though we all know what Christine is capable of, I was horrified by how graphic the killing scenes were. It made me freak out a bit and at night I thought about it once or twice while laying in the dark.

• The characters: Dennis was my favorite character pretty much and Arnie's best friend. He narrates the whole book and although he is missing from a chunk of it, he is probably the best character to describe what happens throughout the story. He is there from beginning to end, and sees it all. I instantly liked Dennis because of his relationship with Arnie. They have best friends all their lives and it was obvious that even though Dennis was slightly popular while Arnie was not, they were true friends that remained together.

Arnie, the main character of the book, is obsessed with Christine. He falls in love with her the moment he sees her and although his personality changes a lot throughout the book, I felt sorry for him and really wanted him to be okay. I know that what was happening to him was something he tried to fight, but couldn't.

Leigh, Arnie's parents, Dennis parents, and all the others (because there was a lot!) added a lot to the book and I never had trouble with keeping track of who was who. This is partly because they all had unique names, but each character was described with such detail that their differences were immediately notable.

• The writing: Stephen King's novels are long and so detailed, but I think that pretty much made Christine a great book. Some might think that there is way too much detail, but I don't think so. I enjoyed every word and am glad I got through the whole thing. It was definitely a lengthy read, but worth it.

What I didn't like:
• The ending: Christine has a this-is-the-end-but-not-really kind of ending where you are left wondering if there will ever be a second book or something. I couldn't decide if this was a good or bad thing, because in the end, I was sort of left with a creepy feeling that she's still out there ready to keep killing...

• The different POV: This changes constantly throughout the book, going from third to first, switching characters often. It didn't confuse me or anything, but I wish this would have remained consistent throughout the book instead of changing so much.

Overall: Christine was a great first book to read by a new author to me. Stephen King obviously knows what he is doing and wrote a fantastic book that I was captivated by. I was able to understand and connect with all the characters and couldn't stop listening to learn what would happen next. Very detailed and lengthy, Christine feels very real. I definitely recommend this to those who enjoy horror novels and King's novels.

About the author:
Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine in 1947. He made his first professional short story sale in 1967 to Startling Mystery Stories. In the fall of 1973, he began teaching high school English classes at Hampden Academy, the public high school in Hampden, Maine. Writing in the evenings and on the weekends, he continued to produce short stories and to work on novels. In the spring of 1973, Doubleday & Co., accepted the novel Carrie for publication, providing him the means to leave teaching and write full-time. He has since published over 50 books and has become one of the world's most successful writers.
Website | Amazon 

Random Thoughts | Threaded Comments!

So, I finally switched over to the new interface on blogger. It is really weird because I have used the old one for years. Why did I finally switch over? Well, I figured eventually they would make everyone do it and I might as well get used to it now, right?

Also, I heard about threaded comments. I was doing my daily reading and I noticed one of my favorite bloggers posted a little note about now having threaded comments...what is that, I wondered? I know, I'm still a noob after all these years...anyways, I usually open a bunch a tabs at once to read blogs and I knew I had seen someone else had posted about threaded comments. I decided to go read what this was all about. Emily from Emily's Reading Room wrote up a helpful post that provided information on how to add threaded comments to a customized design.

Amazing! I had no idea Blogger offered this feature now. I instantly gave it a try and voilà! I have threaded comments too :) I am really happy about this new feature and went off and replied to past comments. I always read my comments and I do read every single one of them, but always felt weird replying back with another comment. Now I can reply to your comments this way, yay!

Book Buzz: The Joy of Books

"Waiting On" Wednesday: The Disenchantments

There have only been a few reviews on this one, all saying awesome things about it, and I think it sounds great. I didn't get a chance to read this author's first book, Hold Still, so I am really looking forward to trying this one out. Just a little over a month away! I also love that cover ♥

What are you waiting for this week?

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine

Monday Recap (01.02 - 01.08)

Hello friends! Happy Monday :) I hope everyone had an awesome weekend. I spent mine working and working. I've been at work since Wednesday and don't have a day off until this Friday. I am exhausted. But then, I have the next five days off and I am going to Las Vegas, baby! Woo, super excited.

Anyways, reading was a bit on hold for me, but I have gotten through one book. Here's the breakdown...

Here's what I plan to read/finish this week:

    
 

Last week I read:
- The Thorn and the Blossom: A Two-Sided Love Story by Theodora Goss

I reviewed:
Nothing!

Other Posts:
+ New Look + other new stuff
+ Random Thoughts | Followers and Following
+ Random Reads: Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne
+ The TBR Pile: January

I hope you all have a great week! Happy reading everyone :)

The TBR Pile: January

I know it's a few days into January, almost a week already, but I really wanted to post a monthly TBR list that would help me keep track of what I want to read and hopefully help push me through the months. So here goes...

• The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss
• Bound by Kira Saito
• Fangs Rule: A Girl's Guide to Being a Vampire by Amy Mah
• Everneath by Brodi Ashton
• Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne [Random Reads]
• Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake [The Paperbrick Wall]
• The Word Gang by Mark McKenna
• Happy Birthday to Me Again by Brian Rowe
• The Shadow (Borrowing Abby Grace, #1) by Kelly Green

Random Reads: Youth in Revolt by C.D. Payne

"Basically it’s a meme where we pick a random book from our shelf to read. I’m on Goodreads so I’m using a combination of the sorting feature and Random.org to pick the book I’m going to read."

Since this meme was mentioned in the first post, I was looking forward to it. I think it's a great and fun new way to pick at least one of the books on my TBR list each month. I am always adding more books, but the list never seems to decrease. So I decided to give this a go! Like Sarah, I also used Goodreads and Random.org to pick my new read. Here's what I got:

I have owned Youth in Revolt since 2010 and I still haven't read it! I am glad I got a book I own this time, because for my first Random Reads post, I got Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen and I didn't read it. I placed a hold at the library, but they never contacted me so I knew they didn't have by the end of the month. This month, I will definitely be reading this book. I am excited. Especially since I also have the movie recorded on my DVR and haven't watched because I haven't read the book. Yay! Want to join in? Check out this month's Random Reads post.

Random Thoughts | Followers and Following

This has been a topic that has been talked about quite a bit because of the Google Friend Connect widget being removed from non-Blogger blogs. First off, I want to say I love the GFC button. Not because of the number of followers I gain, but because it is the easiest way for me to follow others. I am sad to see it go because some of the blogs I love are removing it and honestly, I don't know how to use any of the other feed readers. They confuse me and I haven't had time to sit and figure them out. I like going to my Dashboard and being able to see all the blogs there and follow the link for each post from there. I've tried subscribing by email, but I don't like getting so many emails into my inbox either.

I follow blogs because I like to read them. I know everyone says that the numbers don't matter, and I truly believe that because I know that I don't follow blogs to get a "follow back." I also don't follow because of giveaways. I mean, sure, I love to get free books (who doesn't?) and it is always nice to see awesome books, gift cards, swag and other good stuff being given away, but I don't follow blogs because of that. I keep the number of blogs I follow at a low number (less than 100...usually) because I take my time to read and comment on the blogs that I read.

I follow blogs because I enjoy what they have to say and sometimes because I really like the way they look too. I don't feel bad about this because blogs that look good inspire me, make me want to visit and read them. I follow because I want to. I find it a bit weird when people follow every book blog because I know there is no way they are reading them all. I also don't like following blogs that everyone is following. If I really like their stuff, of course, I will anyways. But for example, The Story Siren. I love her blog, it is just awesome. But everyone is always up on her blog...why? Because she is the YA book blogger. Everyone knows that. That's why everyone follows. I know that she is a person who does not care about her number of followers, so if I am one who doesn't follow her on GFC...well, so what? I visit her blog constantly, yes, because I enjoy checking back on her content. I like reading what she has to say and share with everyone about her experiences. Does that mean I follow her? Yes. But I am not a follower. And isn't that what really matters?

I am guilty about being why sometimes your numbers decrease by one. I stop following blogs. Yep. I love a blog, follow it and then months later, I might stop following it. Every few months I will clean out my Google Reader and click that "Stop following this site" link and I stop following. There is one main reason why I do this: inactivity. I feel like the number of blogs I follow is limited. I try to keep it somewhere around or under 100 because I know I won't read more than that. So, every several months, I go and check this guy →

I scroll down the list and check what blogs haven't been posting. By not posting, I mean...months. I wait for months of inactivity before I actually leave a blog. And yes, maybe you think I am totally unfair because I always stop blogging for weeks, but again, I wait months. Sometimes a blogger will leave a last post saying that they are sorry, that they'll be back and I stick around. But sometimes, bloggers just leave their blogs without an explanation...and dammit, I feel like I need to know if they are coming back. If they're not and they don't say that they are, I stop following. I always end up wandering back to old blogs. It's hard not to run into book blogs because it's like we all know each other right? So if I come back to a blog I used to follow and I look around and...hey, they're back! I head on over to that little GFC widget and click "Follow" and there you go. Seems fair enough to me.

I love my followers. Yes, yes, I do. All 400+ of them, even the ones that have no images, or blogs and the ones that never comment. Of course, I especially love the ones that take the time to read my posts and leave a comment every once in a while and have been with me since the beginning. Those have a dear place in my heart. But, I am not all about the numbers. 

If you have been around my blog for a while you know I don't host a lot of giveaways. Sure, once in a while I do and I hope I will have a chance to host more this year. But they are never super-awesome-everyone-is-dying-to-get-their-hands-on-this kind of giveaway. They are either an ARC copy of an uncommon book, a low amount gift card or some swag. And usually it's for followers I already have. So I don't host giveaways because I want to gain more numbers. Nope.

I started my blog almost three years ago and I have less than 500 followers. And that is totally okay with me. I blog and sit in front of the computer for hours every day because I enjoy it. I like that there are people reading what I have to say, but mostly, I do it for me. I love reading, always have, so I want to talk about them. I want to enjoy them and hear other gush in the comments about how much they loved them too. I love blogging. I have a personal blog and tumblrs (5 of them!) and other social networking stuff because I can't get enough of the internet. Really, I love it. 

I also don't hop, because I don't follow every blog. I liked the Blog Hop every Friday and participated for a few weeks. Then I realized my GFC numbers going up like woah...and all these new followers would leave a comment saying they were new and they loved my blog and blah. And then, they'd disappear. So I was done with the hopping. I think it's a great idea to finding new blogs, yeah, and I totally respect if that is your thing. Those are just not for me.

✓ I have been wanting to write this post for some time now, but I wasn't sure what the point of it really was. These were just a few things I wanted to let others know, about why I follow and why my followers are great but the numbers don't mean much to me. I have been doing this for quite some time, and I still love it. That's why I still do it. I don't do it for free books.

New Look + other new stuff

I decided to change up the blog a bit for the new year. The header and layout are pretty much the same, except the change in colors and now everything is on the right. I wanted something girly, so the flowered background seems perfect for me right now. What do you all think? I think I love it, but I might change it here and there every once in a while.

Another new thing I added are reading badges:

I've actually wanted some of these guys for a while now, but just had the chance to create my own. I read lots of different kinds of books and although I stick mainly to Young Adult, I am always reading adult novels and others. So I decided to add a few reading badges to my reviews. I am changing the layout of my reviews a bit as well and you'll see that in my next review. 

I am really happy with the changes I have made and am also looking forward to all the new books I will read this year. Happy reading everyone :)

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great first day of the new year. I was out with my family the whole day and just now had a chance to wish everyone a happy new year! 

Here are my book related goals for this year:

• Read 75+ books
I only read 54 last year. I was really sad. I hope this year I have more time to read.

• Read only 1 book at a time 
I have the habit of reading too may books at once and sometimes I don't finish all of them.

• Complete challenges 
I joined them to complete, so I hope I can do that

• Comment & comment
I always take the time to comment and I definitely want to continue that

• Keep up with reviews
I tend to fall behind A LOT on reviews.

• Attend author events:

I got to go to a few in 2011. I want to make that a lot in 2012 :)

I think that's most of them. Of course, my goals for the blog change all the time. We'll just see how the year goes. I'll be posting regularly again soon. Hope you all had a great weekend!