It's Follow Friday #19 and Blog Hop #13

Yes, it's that time of the week again! It's Follow Friday which is hosted by Parajunkee. The question of the week is:

ACK! Your favorite book/movie character just walked into the room! Who is it and what would be your first reaction? You get extra points if you include visual stimulation.

If Eric Northman from the Sookie Stackhouse series walked into the room? I'd have to try to keep from fainting! And well, I'd be willing to be a fangbanger for him. ;) Plus have you seen the first episode of season four? "You are mine." Anytime, Eric, anytime. ;D











Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen over at Crazy for Books and the question of the week is:

What keeps you reading beyond the first few pages of a book, and what makes you want to stop reading a book and put it back on the shelf?

It really depends. If the storyline was what got me to read the book in the first place, I'll read until the halfway point before deciding if I want to continue it or not. However, I cannot stand choppy sentences all the time. If a book seems choppy to me, I'm inclined to immediately put it back because it's really difficult for me to get past it. Admittedly a lack of quotation marks for speech also irks me, but if the storyline is good enough, I can get past it.

What keeps me reading beyond the first few pages of a book? Again, storyline. Although a fluid or lyrical writing style will also keep me reading; as will a fast paced plot.

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Also, I'm going to be sort of quiet for the weekend, sorry! So I'll be replying to comments on Monday. But yes, there will be an In My Mailbox post from me this weekend--and probably a vlog depending on how tired I am.

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Reviews this week:
Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw
Hourglass by Myra McEntire

It's Follow Friday #18

Yes, it's that time of the week again! It's Follow Friday which is hosted by Parajunkee. The question of the week is:

In light of the Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer... let's talk about fairies. What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?

I'm sure by now everyone is getting tired of me saying it, but I love Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. Seriously, easily hands down my absolute favorite story that revolves around the fae. It is an adult series so you can't say I didn't warn you, but I loved watching Mac evolve and I loved the ending. If you haven't read it yet, I'd definitely suggest it.

It's Follow Friday! #16 and Blog Hop #12

Yes, it's that time of the week again! It's Follow Friday which is hosted by Parajunkee. The question of the week is:

What are you doing to prepare for an upcoming zombie apocalypse and/or the return of Mel Gibson to the silver screen? 

Of the two, I think Mel Gibson would be easier to prepare for; all you'd need to do is avoid the movie he's present in. Zombies on the other hand, I don't think you can ever really be prepared for. Best possible place to get holed up in? I'd say Costco (warehouse store full of food, clothes, etc.). How do you really prepare? Learn to ride a motorcycle, own (and know how to operate/fly) a small plane, or if you live near the beach like me, knowing how to operate a boat would probably come in handy. Living where I do, boats are a nice option. Simply take one out to Catalina Island and depending on the weather (and type of zombie), simply wait it out.





Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen over at Crazy for Books and the question of the week is:

Share your favorite post from the last month and tell us why it's close to your heart! 

This is probably going to sound silly, but I really, really loved getting to do Armchair BEA and my favorite post from it, would have to be The Girl Behind the Blog, my introduction post for Armchair BEA. It was so much fun to let my followers know a bit more about me and to also get the opportunity to see their posts about themselves.

It's Follow Friday! #15 and Blog Hop #11

Yes, it's that time of the week again! It's Follow Friday which is hosted by Parajunkee. The question of the week is:

It's circle time. Time for us to open up and share. Can you tell us FIVE quirky habits or things about you?

1. I prefer to sleep during the day when I can get away with it--because I love staying awake at night--it's the only real quiet time I get at home.
2. Certain words will always have movies, songs, or musicals associated with them (well, to me). An example? The word masquerade will always make me think of the song Masquerade from Phantom of the Opera.
3. If I didn't organize my TBR pile, nothing would ever get read because I go through reading "moods."
4. If I'm going to wear sandals, I have to paint my toe nails.
5. I have enough hair on my head for two--or maybe three--people. I call it "happa" hair (I'm half Asian and half Caucasian). Seriously, it's got a lot of volume, it's thick, and it's wavy so you never really get to see how long it is. 







Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen over at Crazy for Books and the question of the week is:

 If you were given the chance to spend one day in a fictional world (from a book), which book would it be from and what would that place be?

My immediate answer to the question would be Wildefire by Karsten Knight and well, the place would be Blackwood Academy. Why? Because it's exactly like what I wanted high school to be--and literally living amongst gods and goddesses wouldn't exactly be a bad deal either (Ashline would provide endless entertainment, that's for sure). It's not out yet (Wildefire), but when it does come out in July, I hope you'll see what I mean. :D

When it comes to books which are currently out though, then hands down I'd choose Harry Potter as I'd definitely love to visit Hogwarts-although I'd prefer to visit it during the Marauders era. It's not that I have anything against Harry, but I think it'd be more interesting to visit Hogwarts during a time period that J.K. Rowling hasn't really written much about.

It's Follow Friday! #14 and Blog Hop #10

Yes, it's that time of the week again! It's Follow Friday which is hosted by Parajunkee. The question of the week is:

What character in a book would you most like to be? What character in a book would you most like to date?

I would love to be April from Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) because at sixteen, what teenager wouldn't want to have independence from their parents? Or maybe Ginny from 13 Little Blue Envelopes simply because I'd absolutely love to go to Europe! As for what character I'd like to date, I'd have to go with--well, actually I'm drawing a blank (sort of). I want to say Barrons, but I think his relationship with Mac is so perfect that I'd hate to interfere with it!





Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen over at Crazy for Books and the question of the week is:

Which book blogger would you most like to meet in real life?

There are so many great bloggers though! Yes, I'm aware that I just gave a non-answer. xD To be really, really honest, I'd say that I'd love to meet Kristi from The Story Siren, Ginger from GReads, or Caroline from Bon Bons and Reveries.

It's Follow Friday! #13 and Blog Hop #9

Yes, it's that time of the week again! It's Follow Friday which is hosted by Parajunkee. The question of the week is:

What is on your current playlist right now?

Ludo, Coldplay, Greg Laswell, Sara Bareilles, Neon Trees, Imogen Heap, and Luna Halo. Yes, it's a bit of a weird mix, but I love it! ;3





Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen over at Crazy for Books and the question of the week is:

If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?

I'd say that it really depends on what I loved about the book as well as the plots of other books. If it's the author's writing style that I loved, chances are pretty good that I'll go hunt down more books by the same author.

It's Follow Friday! #12 and Blog Hop #8

Yes, it's that time of the week again! It's Follow Friday which is hosted by Parajunkee. The question of the week is:

Do you have anyone that you can discuss books with IRL? Tell us about him/her.

To be completely honest, I don't really. Yes, I have some friends who enjoy reading; however, they're very casual readers and thus, we often don't have much to talk about. They do come to me for book suggestions though--if that makes any difference. :)





Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen over at Crazy for Books and the question of the week is:

Pick a character from a book you are currently reading or have just finished and tell us about him/her.

I've just started reading Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury and thus far in, I really do like Agnes (our lovely main character). Her mother admonishes her for reading so often and she's well spoken. Did I mention that she knows an array of languages? As I said, I've only just begun reading Wrapped and thus I can't say much more about her as a character, only that I've enjoyed her immensely this far in!

It's Follow Friday! #10 and Blog Hop #7

Yes, it's that time of the week again! It's Follow Friday which is hosted by Parajunkee. The question of the week is:

What is/was your favorite subject in school?

Without a doubt, English and in terms of classes? I really, really loved Creative Writing and it makes me not so secretly wish that my focus was Creative Writing instead of Literature. Admittedly the one thing that I don't like about English is essays. I have never liked essays and I never expect to like essays. They've always been the bane of my existence.





Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jen over at Crazy for Books and the question of the week is:

What book are you most looking forward to seeing published in 2011? Why are you anticipating that book?

If we're talking early in the year, I'd say that I'm most looking forward to Wither by Lauren DeStefano. Why? Because I really, really loved the storyline as well as the romance and the sister wives. Later in the year? The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab. I'm loving the storyline and thus far, I've only heard wonderful things about it!

It's Follow Friday! #9 and Blog Hop #6

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and the question of the week is:

Do you have an under-noticed author that you think we should all know about?

So, as you may (or might not) know, I'm really big on historical fiction and I love mysteries with a female lead. Because of this, I'd have to say that if you don't know about Deanna Raybourn's Lady Julia Grey series (mystery) or The Dead Travel Fast (not a part of the Lady Julia Grey series), you might want to check them out. Another mystery/Victorian era writer is Tasha Alexander with her Lady Emily series.






Blog Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books and the question of the week is:

What is the thing you like most about reading book blogs? Is it the reviews, author guest posts, articles, giveaways, or something else entirely?

If I'm perfectly honest, it's a combination of everything mentioned above as well as the voice/writing style of the book blogger. I love the variety of opinions as well as author interviews, giveaways, and other book related news.

In other news, my ALA Midwinter registration badge came in the mail this week! :) If you happen to be going, I shall--hopefully--see you there in January!

It's Follow Friday! #8 and Blog Hop #5

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and the question of the week is:

What do you do besides reading/reviewing as a hobby?

Honestly, reading is my main hobby. However, I also write, sing, play World of Warcraft, and unfortunately, that's about it. D:

Blog Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books and the question of the week is:

What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?

I really wanted to love Wings and I was extremely sad that I didn't love it as much as I thought that I would. I did my best to highlight both things that I liked and disliked before posting my review and I still feel bad about not loving it. Asides from that though, I haven't found a really hyped book that I don't love just yet--I imagine it'll happen soon enough though.

It's Follow Friday! #7 and Blog Hop #4

It's Blog Hop time yet again! Blog Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy for Books. The question of the week is:

What is your favorite book cover?

To be honest, I don't have an absolute favorite, although I do love the paperback cover for Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink and the cover for Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. Honestly, there's just so many great covers out there that it's hard to pick--and harder still to remember all of them! D:

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It's also Follow Friday--which is hosted by Parajunkee. The question of the week is: actually, I don't think there is one this week. o.o

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It's been a bit of a slow week here on the blog and well, a belated "Happy Thanksgiving!" to all who celebrate it. The holiday season is officially upon us and to those who will be going at it for Black Friday, good luck!

Also, I've got a giveaway going on for an ARC of Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (US only). Link here > Revolution Giveaway

It's Follow Friday! #6 and Blog Hop #3

It's Follow Friday yet again and if you don't know by now, Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. The question of the week is:

How long have you been book blogging?

I've been blogging for nearly two months now--I started posting on October 10th, 2010. And although it's not precisely a long period of time, it's been a blast so far!





It's also Blog Hop day! :D And Blog Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books.  The question of the week is:

Since Thanksgiving is coming up next week, let's use this week's Hop to share what we are most thankful for and what our holiday traditions are!

I'm thankful for my family--no, really, I am--and my friends (whom have been with me since the beginning of high school). I know, I know, it sounds cheesy, but I'm thankful for them. And then there's authors--whom of course I'm thankful for--who create the amazing worlds and stories that suck us all right in! Holiday traditions? Not much. Thanksgiving at an aunt's house, open one present on Christmas Eve, and spend half a day on Christmas with family (usually at another aunt's house).
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In other news, my copy of The Iron Daughter finally came in--and my eyes got a little watery in the third chapter. Also, I won a copy of Revolution from Random Buzzers this past week which is sort of interesting since if you've seen my latest In My Mailbox post, you'd see that I actually just bought a copy of Revolution. Because of this, I'll probably have a giveaway for it once actually shows up in my mailbox. Dx

It's Follow Friday! #5 and Blog Hop #2

It's Follow Friday once again and well, if you don't know it by now, Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. 

The Question of the Week is: What is your usual monthly book budget? 

To be honest, I really don't have one set. If I had to estimate or guess, I'd say it's about fifty dollars a month--although depending upon what's getting released during the month, it can go up. My priority is always the new releases--that I've been waiting for--followed by books I've been thinking about getting--usually these books are picked based upon reviews from other bloggers and/or the summaries on the back covers. Er, if I'm painfully honest, covers also do play a part in what books I end up getting from the bookstore. I am a huge sucker for a snazzy cover.





It's also Blog Hop time again and well, Blog Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.

The Question of the Week is: If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title? 

I'm going to admit that I've been guilty of reading a series out of order before. However, I do prefer to read a series in order. Actually, I'm pretty funny about it and I'll buy one book at a time--just in case I fall out of love with the series--unless I'm really, really in love with the series.

And those are the questions this week! Feel free to leave me a comment and if you'd like for me to follow you, please leave a link! Well, you can leave a link anyways--I always love to see other answers to the weekly questions. :D

It's Follow Friday! #4 and Blog Hop #1

Blog Hop is a weekly meme which encourages book bloggers to follow one another and make friends with fellow bloggers--it's hosted by Crazy for Books.

The question of the week is:
"What are your feelings on losing followers? Have you ever stopped following a blog?"

I would be sad to lose followers and personally would like to know why they stopped following, but really, I'd understand if they were culling their blog follow list. I personally have never stopped following a blog since I try to follow blogs that I'm genuinely interested in. I also do enjoy following my fellow bloggers because I love to see what they have to say.

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Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and encourages bloggers to check out other blogs.

The question of the week is:
Who are your favorite authors?

Karen Marie Moning is immediately my top pick because yes, I'm obsessed with her Fever series. Then there's Charlaine Harris, Suzanne Collins, and Deanna Raybourn. And that, is my top four.

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Yes, it's Follow Friday/Blog Hop time! Also, this has been sort of a crazy week for me--I've been juggling NaNoWriMo while trying for San Diego Comic Con tickets (their server crashed, add additional week of waiting because of this) and then purchasing tickets for ALA Midwinter! Why? Because it's in San Diego this year and that's about two hours of driving from my house! Cue excitement.

For those of you who are new to my blog, my name is Kristin and mainly I review Young Adult books although every now and again there's an Adult book tossed into the mix. And I confess, I cannot walk into a bookstore and come out empty handed--or if I do, there is serious willpower at work. Since I love to read, I figured it's only natural that I (finally) set up a book blog. Enjoy!

If you follow me, please leave a link in the comments so I'll be able to find your blog and also, thank you so much for stopping by!