Review: Pastworld by Ian Beck

I know it's been a long time coming, so without further ado, I give you my review for Pastworld By Ian Beck!

My review and thoughts:
Imagine London in a huge dome of sorts where all civilization is reproduced in the Victorian age, while the outside world is in the year 2048. Not only is London living in the past, but it's know as the Pastworld Theme Park for all the outside world. Tourists, also know as the Gawkers, come from all over the world as they pay big money to live the life of a Victorian, and enjoy the many entertainments of Pastworld.

Eve, a girl who's only known the life of London as it is-horse run carriages, harsh laws, gas lamps, and old buildings-decides to set out in the streets of Pastworld on her own. As she does she's met with the realization of what her home really is--a theme park, and money maker for the man in charge. Not only does she have to reassess her home, but herself as well.

Caleb, a boy from the outside world, brought to Pastworld by his father on Halloween, is left awe struck by how fascinating everything around him really is. But soon enough, when he sees his face on wanted posters for a murder he didn't commit, he's all but ready to return to his strict home life in the outside world.

But this seems to be the least of Eve's and Caleb's problems when the most dangerous and biggest attraction of Pastworld decides to show his face and destruction once again. They call him, The Fantom....

Intricate, compelling, and one masterfully told story. Pastworld is a place where many haunting worries are hiding in the streets, and around the darkest of corners. There is much adventure to be had, and many fun , interesting, and spooky characters to follow. You will find romance, friends, thieves, and many shocking murder mysteries to witness in the streets of Pastworld. This was definitely a page turner for me to the very end, and I find myself recommending it to you all! :)

:) More about Pastworld here :) I will also leave you with the trailer for the book below. It's pretty cool, if I do say so myself! Enjoy, and have a wonderful day every one :)





(Off topic---Man, it's been awhile since I last posted, but in my defence it's been crazy around here :) Also, with the way life is going right now the best time it seems for me to post will be on the weekends... What can I say, I'm a reader of all your blogs and I love it! How you guys keep up with posts and comments I'll never know! You're all awesome!)

Sharin' the Fun!!

I thought I'd share some of the pictures and fun we had!!! I hope everyone else had a wonderful Halloween too! Halloween was tons of fun for us and I even had two costumes for Little Miss Aubriannah.

Ah, My Little Miss Snow White :) She was Snow White for the Trick Or Treating part of the day, and boy did she have fun! She couldn't keep her little fingers out of her candy, lol!

Here is Aubriannah in her Pirate costume getting ready to head to the Fair, which was tons of fun! :)

"Why so serious?" lol! :) My little Pirate ridding a Pony all by herself!

My little Pirate's first time ridding a ride ALL by herself! She was so serious on all the rides, I think, because she was a little nervous about falling off, lol! :)

This was taken a few days before Halloween with her Pumpkin. She really enjoyed carving them. :)

Ah, so sweet! My little knuckle heads!

Well, that's all she wrote, Folks! I hope you enjoyed them and your Halloween! :)

Happy Halloween!! Who's it gonna be....

Man, that picture is so cool! :)

It's time to announce my very first giveaways winners!! I had four awesome books to giveaway to four awesome bloggers, so who's it gonna be.... I used the Random Name Picker at Classtools.net, so without further ado I give you my Halloween Winners!

Drum Roll Please.........

The Winner of Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson is

David Wagner

The winner of Lamentation by Ken Scholes is

Logankstewart

The winner of The Naming By Alison Croggon is

Michelle (Red Headed Book Child)

And the winner of Pastworld by Ian Beck is

Ryan G.

Yay! Congrats to all the Winners! I have a busy day today (we're going to the fair and Trick or Treating, of course! :), but I will make sure and email each of you before the day is over!

Happy Halloween to you all!

FireFlies and Randomness...

So tonight's post is brought to you by Fireflies! (Book stuff and links are at the bottom for those who want to skip my Randomness for the day....)

( I love music you can sing along too.... Not that I'm saying I'm any good at it! lol! :)

Wow, right! *Sigh* I love it! For those of us who love our dreams and fantasy worlds this song speaks volumes. I'm sure different music affects people in many different ways, though. His voice is so amazingly soothing, when I close my eyes I feel as though I'm eight, maybe younger, maybe older, running around trying to catch fireflies in a jar.

Favorite quote:

" 'Cause I get a thousand hugs

From ten thousand lightening bugs

As they try and teach me how to dance"

Fireflies are amazing in their own right, so it'd be something marvelous to see and feel, indeed. Ah, the joy of dreaming....

If you haven't already noticed, I really feel that today I'm all up for a blog post that has only a little to do with books, so this is my attempt at randomness, or lack there of ...

So, as many of my faithful followers know I've moved into a new house, a wonderful house, I might add. My favorite part about my new house is our Huge fenced in backyard. It's not only my favorite part, but my little girls and her puppies(Eskimo Spitz, Nala and a Husky, Roxie) , too. You should see them run around! CRAZINESS! It's very amusing and nice. Now the only problem left is figuring out where everything will go and what junk I need to ditch. Okay, okay, I admit it, I'm a pack rat, and no, I don't mean the actual pack rat! LOL! It's so hard to just throw things out. You end up losing or breaking so many things over the years anyway, right? I have so much stuff that I "could" get rid of, but how do I know what exactly to ditch? That, my friend, is why I'm a pack rat! I'm just thankful it's NOT the overbearing kind of pack ratness..LOL! It's definitely not that bad it's just too many boxes in the garage. I'm also a big Book Hoarder! Now I just need more bookshelves (Peter I'll let you know.... :)




On other news, my little girl is getting WAY too big for her own good! Her birthday is just around the corner, she'll be 2 on November 17th. Can you believe it? It feels as though just yesterday I was in the hospital holding her for the first time. Where has the time gone? Being a mother can be hard business, but it's all worth it! The smiles and laughs you get by the simplest of things is most definitely my favorite part about being a mother. Not to mention all the smiles and laughs she gets from me. Anyway, her favorite word right now is Apple. I never thought a word could be so cute! She loves to dance, especially to Hannah Montana or The Backyardigans. I am very serious, we have the Hannah Montana movie sound track CD in our car and we have to listen to it always. She really does get down to the music in her Car seat, and sometimes you can even catch her trying to sing. It's lovely. Kids are most definitely Gods gift to us.

Okay, now onto book news. Lets start with books I've finished over the past couple weeks that I haven't been able to write reviews for yet. Sorry, moving is tough work! :)

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins- All I can say is Awesomeness! If you are up for solid characters, great action, and crazy plot twists, then I would highly recommend you pick this one up! Anyway, here are a couple Blogger friends reviews for this title, Melissa @ My World and JuJu @ A Tales of Whimsy...

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie-- The first book in the First Law Trilogy-- Wow! It was one heck of a ride. This book was basically just the set up for a new world and well rounded, fantastic characters. Not to mention all the fight scenes that will leave your mouth hanging open. One thing I will say is The Blade Itself is definitely not a book for the feint of heart. Anyway, here are a few blogging buddies who have done wonderful reviews for this title, Melissa @ My World, Logan @ Rememorandom, and Alec @ Only The Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy.

:):):)

PastWorld by Ian Beck-- Wow, it was such an experience hanging out in the amusement park of London! I don't want to say too much about this one as I will be doing a review as soon as I am able. You can also enter my giveaway to win a Hardcover copy of it here!

Now onto books I am reading and want to read over the next few weeks....

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines -- Many thanks to J. Kaye @ J. Kaye's Book Blog for this ARC! Just started this one and so far so good.

Dune by Frank Herbert-- Many thanks to Alec @ Only The Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy for producing such a fantastic review that I just had to pick this one up. I'm really looking forward to starting this title.

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice-- Many thanks to Deb @ Bookmagic for recommending this title.

And last, but not least, Embellish by R.L. Sloan -- Many thanks to R.L. Sloan for this review copy. I'm definitely hoping it's as good as it sounds!

(If you have a link to reviews for any of these titles, and I missed you, then feel free to leave the link to your review in the comment section.)

Well, that's it! Krista's Randomness 101! Hope you enjoyed it! If your in the mood for more and more Awesome Randomness, then I highly suggest you check out David's blog @ My Little Corner of the World.

Don't forget on your way out the door to check out all the wonderful blogs and the many reviews I mentioned! They're Great!

Teaser Tuesdays--Catching Fire

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
Here is how it works.

• Grab your current read


• Open to a random page Share 2 or 3 “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page


• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)


• Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm just now getting around to starting Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins! So far it's great, I might add!

"If a pack of wild dogs were to appear at this moment, the odds of scaling a tree before they attacked are not in my favor. I should get up, move around, and work the stiffness from my limbs." pg. 3

So there you have it, my Teaser Tuesday! Now it's your turn! What are you reading and have any quotes caught your attention more than the next...?

2009- My Top Favorites- Giveaway!!

I thought that since this is the 1st of October I'd get my FIRST contest up and running..... 4 books, 4 winners!!!!

This giveaway is going to consist of four books I've read over this year-2009- that have been some of MY favorites! What better way to get your favorites and favorite authors out there, then by giving one away?

Here are my four favorite reads so far this year.... In order of most enjoyable for ME...

My favorite read so far this year has been Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson! View my review and book synopsis here.

Lamentation by Ken Scholes is the first book in The Psalms of Isaak series, wonderful read! View Synopsis here.

The Naming is the 1st book of the Pellinor series by Alison Croggon. I loved this whole series! And Guess what? If you happen to have this book and are missing one of the other three, no worries, I'll send you which ever book you are missing....

I just finished reading Pastworld by Ian Beck and I must say it rocked! I haven't read any other books by him before now, but I'm sure to go and find more of his titles now!


To Enter:
US and Canada only- sorry!

All you have to do to enter my giveaway is leave the title of the book you would like to win and your email address so I can contact you.


Extra Entries:
+2 New followers
+3 Old followers
+4 Linking this contest to sidebar, Twitter, blog post. (Include links please!)


This contest will end on Halloween(BOO!) October 31st! I will email the winners (a winner for each book) and they will have 72 hours to contact me with their shipping info or a new winner will be chosen! I wish you all the best of luck!

Moving and First Giveaway Info....

Hello fellow followers! I just wanted to let you all know that over the next week or so I'll be moving into a new house. What does this mean, you ask? Well, my Internet and computer access will be on hold for awhile. :-( Alas, no new posts, and sorry to say, but I won't be able to comment much either.... Very sad, indeed! Don't worry, though, I'll be back soon enough to stalk you all!

But hey, with bad news comes good news, right? Or, at least, that's how it should be! So, I am as happy as this little puppy to announce that I have decided when I get back I'll be having my very first and 60 follower giveaway! Woot! Woot! That will be something to look forward to, right? I haven't decided what exactly this giveaway will contain, so I'm up for any and all advice if you have it?

Have a great Week all! Stay cool!

Book Review: Oh. My. Gods.

Which one? They both seem to fit the book perfectly, but being the girlie girl I am, I have to say I like the wing sneakers best (the one I bought..LOL!)! Both are very fun covers, though!

Author: Tera Lynn Childs
Genre(s): YA, Fantasy
Publisher: The Penguin Group
Publication date: May 2008

Recommended? Yes, especially to those looking for a good run!
Reread? For sure, this was such a fun read, so I don't see why not!

My Review:
Phoebe Castro has just crossed the finish line in hopes of making all her dreams come true--a chance at the full track scholarship to USC with her best friends, Nola and Cesca. Little does she know her Mom's waiting at the finish line with news that could destroy all these plans. Her Mom has decided to marry a man Phoebe has never meet before and move them across the world to Greece. But this is the least of her problems. She finds herself on a secretive Island known as Aegean and attending the elite Academy, run by her stepfather, full of students that are anything BUT normal--they're descendants of the Greek Gods, where superpowers are a given. Not to mention the fact they're not fond of mundanes and want to make her time at the Academy total pandemonium! How can she possibly win the race to total freedom?......

I went into this book looking for something really fun, laid back, and entertaining and I was highly rewarded with this tale. This was such a fun book to read! Phoebe, the narrator, is a really fun character who seems to be able to handle herself quite well. She may have a few bullies, but there's no way she's going down without a fight! She even has the guts to go after Griffin, descendant of Hercules, and the boyfriend of her arch enemy!

The story line is very entertaining and at times I found myself laughing-out-loud. Oh. My. Gods. is definitely a book that could really help anyone get out of a funky mood, that's for sure! I recommend this book if you're looking for a good laugh, a fan of Greek mythology, want to reminisce on old high school days, and especially to those that love the feel of a good run: "the steady rhythm of my sneakers hitting the ground, the adrenaline and endorphins pulsing through my bloodstream, the cotton of my PAIN IS WEAKNESS LEAVING THE BODY tee rubbing against my skin with every step." ( Favorite Oh. My. Gods. quote)

Other Favorite quotes:
"wondering what Plato meant when he said, We can easily forgive a child who is scared of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."

"You," I say, leaning in and giving him a peck on the cheek, "are a rock star in coward's clothing."

My Rating: 4/5 Wonderfully fun!!!


Thanks to JuJu at Tales of whimsy.... for recommending this book! She has tons of great book reviews!


(All comments welcome!)

Teaser Tuesday.....

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

• Here is how it works.
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page Share two (2 or 3) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm reading The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

If Logen had been the one clinging to Shanka's foot, he would most likely have thought, "My life depends on this leg I'm hanging from--best not take my chances." A man would rather save himself than kill his enemy. Trouble was that the Shanka didn't think that way, and Logen knew it.

Awards, you say!

I received this award from my dear friend Melissa at My world! Thank you, Mel! Be sure to check her blog out it's pure awesomeness!

This award is designed with one purpose in mind. Pass this on to other bloggers who have awarded you in the past.

I would love to say thanks to all you awesome bloggers who have presented me with wonderful awards! I haven't been able to pass on and say thanks for a few awards I have been given by very dear friends and wonderful bloggers lately due to a busy schedule, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to say thanks!

Jessica at A BookLover's Diary

Michelle at The Book Addict

Teddyree at The Eclectic Reader

Sara at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale!

Alexia at Alexia's Books and Such...

Deb at Bookmagic

Froggy at Froggaritaville's Bookcase

Ryan at Wordsmithonia

Alyssa, Gregory and the Gang at Teens Read and Write


Thank you all very much! And If you haven't been by these blogs please visit them all, they're all very wonderful blogs that I enjoy every day!

A Special Thanks....

I just wanted to say Thank you to all of you awesome followers that sent an email to Maria for me! I just received an Email saying she is sending me a signed copy of Storm Glass today, how exciting!! So, expect a picture and a review sometime soon! You guys rock!!!!

Storm Glass

From Amazon.com:
As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed…powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

(Thank you so much!!!!!)

I have a favor to ask, please!

Hi guys! I'm going to ask a very special favor of 5(or more) of you. I am absolutely dying to read Maria Synder's book - Storm Glass - and I can get a signed copy of it from Maria, if five of you email her telling her that Krista from Life or Something Like It... chatted up her books with you.

Maria has this great referral program that anyone can participate in. You just have to talk to FIVE people about her books and then have them send an email to her saying you did. You get to pick one of her books and she'll send it to you signed! How cool is that?

Check it out on Maria's website.

Her email is maria@mariavsnyder.com

Please, Let me know in a comment below if you're willing to do this for me! Thanks! And, if you haven't heard about her books, here's a little bit about them:

The Study Series - consists of Poison Study, Magic Study, and Fire Study.

Poison Study

From Publishers Weekly.

Shivers, obsession, sleepless nights—these are the results not of one of the milder poisons that novice food-taster Yelena must learn during her harrowing job training but of newcomer Snyder's riveting fantasy that unites the intelligent political focus of George R.R. Martin with a subtle yet potent romance. Through a stroke of luck, Yelena escapes execution in exchange for tasting the food of the Commander, ruler of Ixia. Though confined to a dank prison cell and doomed to a painful death, Yelena slowly blooms again, caught up in castle politics. But some people are too impatient to wait for poison to finish off Yelena. With the help of Valek, her steely-nerved, cool-eyed boss and the Commander's head of security, she soon discovers that she has a starring role to play in Ixia's future—a role that could lead to her being put to death as a budding magician even if she hits each cue perfectly. The first in a series, this is one of those rare books that will keep readers dreaming long after they've read it.

Magic Study

From Publishers Weekly.

Family betrayal, a power-mad serial killer and a potential diplomatic crisis threaten the independent-minded heroine of Snyder's fine sequel to Poison Study (2005). With the overthrow of the royal family of Ixia, 20-year-old Yelena Zaltana, who was kidnapped as a child by the evil magician Mogkan, is now free to return home to Sitia. Her reunion with the family she hasn't seen in 14 years palls when her brother spreads rumors she's actually a spy from Ixia. At the Magician's Citadel, where Yelena enrolls to hone her prodigious magical talents, her powers raise concern that she might be a rare, powerful Soulfinder. Then a string of ugly murders reveals the presence of a rogue magician in the area. As Yelena joins the hunt for the killer, complications grow with the arrival of a diplomatic mission from Ixia—including her lover, Valek, a notorious spy and assassin, sure to be executed if anyone sees through his disguise. Snyder's lively, charming mix of romance and fantasy is sure to gain her new fans.

Fire Study
From Publishers Weekly
Fans of high-spirited adventure, intrigue and romance will celebrate the third book (after 2007's Magic Study) in the saga of reluctant mage and diplomat Yelena Zaltana. The news that Yelena is a Soulfinder, able to manipulate the spirits of the dead and the living, hasn't made her popular with the inhabitants of Sitia's Magician's Keep, since the last Soulfinder turned people into mindless slaves. First Magician Roze Featherstone's hostility toward Yelena increases until the Sitian Council decides to send Yelena north as diplomatic liaison to the rival nation of Ixia. When Roze takes over the council, imprisoning her rivals and driving the nation to the brink of war with Ixia, Yelena is caught between her duties as liaison, her love for Ixian intelligence officer Valek and her fear of her own power, which she must embrace fully to defeat Roze and restore the council. Snyder delivers another excellent adventure, deftly balancing international and local hostilities against Yelena's personal struggles.Glass series: Storm Glass and Sea Glass

These next two books are from Maria's newest series.

Storm Glass

From Amazon.com:

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed…powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

Sea Glass
Student glass magician Opal Cowan's newfound ability to steal a magician's powers makes her too powerful. Ordered to house arrest by the Council, Opal dares defy them, traveling to the Moon Clan's lands in search of Ulrick, the man she thinks she loves. Thinks because she is sure another man now her prisoner has switched souls with Ulrick.In hostile territory, without proof or allies, Opal isn't sure whom to trust. She can't forget Kade, the handsome Stormdancer who doesn't want to let her get close. And now everyone is after Opal's special powers for their own deadly gain....

(Thank you so much, guys!)

Book Review: Legacy!

Author: Cayla Kluver
Genre(s): YA, Fantasy
Publisher:AmazonEncore
Publication date: August 18, 2009

Recommended? Yes, anyone looking for a good Historical Romance.

My Review:

Legacy is a tale narrated by Princess Alera in the unbearable position of an arranged marriage by her father, King of Hytanica, to the egotistical and irascible man known as Steldor. Alera finds herself in the position to defy her father when Narnia, a secretive boy from Cokyri, is brought before her father as an enemy. While trying to find a way out of this potential marriage, a century old war erupts between Hytanica, her home land, and the kingdom of Cokyri. Heroine Alera now must chose between becoming Queen of her homeland, or her hearts true love.....

Legacy is the first book in a trilogy written by the young author of 16, Cayla Kluver. This story is very much a romance with fun characters that all have their own unique personality's. Kluver has done a wonderful job with the plot of her story and keeps you engaged and wondering what will happen next. We are left with a cliffhanger ending, which leaves you stupefied and ready for book 2, Allegiance. While I really enjoyed Legacy there was one downside. Kluver's writing, while good, was lacking and over descriptive at times to where I found myself skimming over useless information. But as a first novel (not to mention her age) I think she did an exceptionally good job and has tons of room to grow into a wonderful author! I'll be looking froward to continuing this series.

My Rating: 3.5/5 Very good

About Author:

Cayla wrote the first draft of Legacy during her sophomore year in public high school. She then worked very hard to combine her junior and senior years so she could graduate early. She completed the first draft of Allegiance, which continues the story begun in Legacy, the following year. She is sixteen years old, and lives with her family and her muse (Nina, her cat) in Wisconsin, where only the hardy survive. Legacy is her first novel. The first edition of Legacy won first place in the 2008 Reader Views Literary Awards, and a bronze medal in 2008 Moonbeam Children's Book Award for young adults.

Thanks to Eleni at /- LA FEMME READERS -/ for this wonderful book!

(All comments welcome!)

In my Mailbox!

So I just received a few new books in my mailbox and have seen this meme floating around so I thought I'd give it a go. The Credit goes to: Story Siren for 'In My Mailbox'! Okay, on to what I got this week in my wonderful Mailbox:

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Synopsis (spoilers if you have not read The Hunger Games):

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
Synopsis:
When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

Synopsis:
For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art-and he is the city's most accomplished artist. For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint.But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death.

My ABC's!

Sara at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale!, Christine at booktumbling , and Lori at Psychotic State tagged me for this ABC meme so here goes.

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you

2. Share your ABCs

3. Tag three people at the end by linking to their blogs

4. Let the three tagged people know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website

5. Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag

Available or single? To be determined, ha, ha!

Best Friend? Yep, Christina and my Mom!!

Cake or Pie? Cake all the way, baby!

Drink of choice? Water always! Root beer, too, but only in a glass bottle. Don't know why but it taste much better that way!

Essential item for every day use? Ummmm.... Computer and my hair dryer..LOL~!

Favorite color? Red

Google? Not really. I'm a yahoo kind of girl! LOL!

Hometown? I'm not telling you, ha, ha!

Indulgences? Books and movies.

January or February? January

Kids and their names? Aubriannah and my little puppy Nala!

Life is incomplete without…? Family, friends, books, chocolate, laughs, and my little puppy!

Marriage? Once upon a time.....*Shrug*

Number of siblings? 2 brothers

Oranges or apples? Oranges and Green apples! I hate red apples, yuck!

Phobias and fears? Ummmm......Like Sara, I'm super scared of things I can't see in the ocean, sharks, stinging jellyfish, and such. Yikes!

Quote for the day? Life is much too short!

Reason to smile? All the great people I've met through my blog! (I stole this answer from Lori, but it's true!)

Season? Summer and Winter...Ha, Ha, I can't decide I love the Fall too!

Tag 3 people?

Ryan at Wordsmithonia

Mel at My world

Michelle at The Book Addict

And anyone else who would like to join in!

Unknown fact about me? I can't go anywhere without a book in my purse, you never know when you may need it! I also Love to do makeup, it's so enjoyable!

Vegetable you hate? Squash, yuck!

Worst habit? Procrastination!

X-rays you’ve had? Back, and teeth!

Your fave food? Chicken!

Zodiac sign? Cancer!

Well, there you have it, My ABC's!

I won my first Book Contest! Woot! Woot!

Thanks to...MY NAME IS ELENI AND I AM A BOOKAHOLIC... at /- LA FEMME READERS -/ I just won my First book contest! Woot! Woot! I really can't wait to read this! I can't even believe I won! Thank you so much, Eleni!

Legacy by Cayla Kluver!

Summary for those of you who aren't familiar with the book:
"An award-winning YA fantasy debut, 16-year-old novelist Cayla Kluver brings a magical touch to an unrelentingly suspenseful coming-of-age tale. Duty-bound to wed her father’s choice in successor to the throne, Princess Alera of Hytanica believes that she is being forced into the worst of all possible fates—a marriage to the arrogant and hot-tempered suitor, Steldor. When a mysterious boy from enemy Cokyri appears bearing secrets and an entirely different view of what's appropriate behavior for a young lady, Alera learns that her private desires threaten to destroy the kingdom. When Narian’s shocking past comes to light, Alera finds herself in a shadowy world of palace intrigue and ancient blood feuds, facing an uncertain future with dwindling options—and must learn to decide between right and wrong all alone. Marked by witty, rapid-fire dialogue and dramatic complexity that belie the writer’s age, Legacy brings a fresh, new sensibility to age-old questions of duty and inheritance and to a young heroine’s quest to find her true voice."

Teaser Tuesdays: Graphic Novel

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

• Here is how it works.
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm reading The Discworld Grahpic Novels - The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett! See the inside here

"Great A'Tuin the Turtle comes, swimming through the interstellar gulf.... Through sea-sized eyes, he stares fixedly at the destination. In a brain bigger than a city, he thinks only of the weight. Most of the weight is, of course, accounted for by Berilia, Tubul, Great T'phon, and Jerakeen, on whose star-tanned sholders the Disc of the world rests."

This is a picture of the scene of my Teaser Tuesday. Awesome, eh?

Blogger Friends!

Jamie at Revenge of the Book Nerds! posted a really fun blogger activity, that I found on My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale!:

"I'd Like To See What My Blogger Friends Look Like, Wouldn't You???"

"I just think it's fun to share what we look like with each other. Sure, we have our profile photos, but they are tiny! Let's have some fun and see what we look like."

I thought this was a really cool idea and I'm also glad to participate in Jaime's feature, so here I go! By the way, if you do this, link me to your post in my comments, please! I'd love to see you all : )

Me, of course! LOL!

This is my Little girl Aubriannah! She will be two in November! They grow so fast, I'm telling you!

Me again!

Aubriannah and me last Halloween!

This is my little puppy, Nala! She is an Eskimo Spitz and the cutest thing ever...LOL!

Book Review: The Graveyard Book!

Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Dave McKean
Genre(s): Fantasy, Horror
Age Rank: 9 and up
Publisher:Harper Collins
Publication date:September 30, 2008

Re-read? Sure. Like any children's book, you could read this many times over.
Recommended? Highly. Anyone looking for a fun, fast, and enjoyable read.


My Synopsis:
A boy they call Nobody Owens, Bod for short, is a normal boy like you and me. Well, except for the fact he's raised and taught by ghosts in a Graveyard. When I say taught, I don't just mean the normal things you learn in school like English, History, and Science. Oh, no, there's also fading, dream-walking, and how to put fear into your classmate bullies. Like any young boy there's mischief and trouble to be had, especially in a graveyard-- a secret gateway to long forgotten ghouls, a mysterious grave of the oldest inhabitant that if you enter you may never return. But what awaits Bod on the outside of the Graveyard could be even more dangerous then whats on the inside....

My Thoughts:
The Graveyard Book, a wonderful tale of a boys adventure through life that I found to be absolutely delightful and fun. This is a children's book, but it does have a darker, gritter side, like a ghost story told to children around a campfire. (There is a smaller children's version of the book found here, maybe not so gritty.) But, of course, all books have there villains, and Gaiman does a brilliant job of giving you just enough to give you the shivers. He has a very sound writing style with a dialogue that's perfect for anyone. Engaging world, fun characters, and the tale exceeds at a rapid pace with adventure steady to the very end. To top it all off we're left with an ending like no other! Now I know why The Graveyard Book won a John Newbery Medal, and in the end I was very happy to have read it!

Also, here's a link to Neil Gaiman on The Colbert Report: It's funny and tells a little bit about The Graveyard Book. Enjoy!

(P.S. I've changed my review up a little - I did my own Synopsis this time. All comments welcome!!)

The Wonderful World of Awards!

I would like to thank Miranda over at Paige Turners (great new blog, by the way!) for This One Lovely Blog Award! Thank you, Miranda! I would like to pass it on to the following:

• SarBear over at My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale
• JuJu over at Tales of whimsy...
• Debbook over at Bookmagic

All beautiful and intelligent blogs, so be sure to check them out!

Thank you, BookAddict, Pageturners and Teen Read and Write (awesome blogs, by the way!), for this great award! The Lemonade Award is a feel good award that shows great attitude or gratitude. I'd like to pass this award on to:

• Ryan over at Wordsmithonia
• Miranda over at Paige Turners
• Alexia over at Alexia's Books and Such...

Be sure to check out all of these Blogs as well, they're all fantastic!!!

I received the Human Award from my dear friend Ryan over at Wordsmithonia! Thank you, Ryan! The Humane Award is to honor certain bloggers that I feel are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn’t for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendships through the blog world. This award I pass on to:

• Logan over at Rememorandom
• Book Addict over at The Book Addict
• Kim over at The Twirling Dragon

Everyone of these Blogs are super cool as well as the Bloggers, so be sure to check'em out!