Feature and Follow Friday #216

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

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Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Thought Gathering: When do you write book reviews?

How long do you wait after finishing a book before writing a review? Do you need time to gather your thoughts or do you do it right away?

This topic came to mind, because I finished Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins this afternoon. I'd been planning to write a review of it for today. I spent a frenzied twenty minutes sitting in my car in the Target parking lot finishing up the book (partly to get it done, but mostly because I couldn't put it down). Then when I got home, I found that I couldn't write a review. Not because I didn't have anything to say, but because I couldn't decide how I felt.

Waiting on Wednesdays: The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Maureen Johnson, and Sarah Rees Brennan

Publish Date: November 11, 2014

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Magnus Bane is one of my favorite characters from Cassandra Clare's books. I've managed to resist buying the short stories individually in favor of waiting for the full book to be released. It's almost here!

Re-Reading Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Release Date: December 2, 2010
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Source: Purchased

Summary

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited? (courtesy of Goodreads)

TV for Book Addicts: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Kate Rorick and Bernie Su

Have you watched the Youtube series "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries?" If not stop reading this blog and start watching the shows immediately! It is a year long web series of 3-5 minute videos posted twice a week. As the title implies, it is a modern interpretation of Pride and Prejudice.


The series does a wonderful job of bringing the beloved novel to life. Lizzie meets Darcy. Lizzie hates Darcy. Darcy loves Lizzie. Lizzie still hates Darcy. Lizzie loves Darcy. Plus add in genteel poverty and family problems. The show does a great job of portraying Lizzie as a cool, strong young woman and also updating the plot by changing the antiquated ideas that a woman's only role is to be married and that if a woman dares have sex outside of marriage, she and her entire family are ruined forever.

Recently, the showrunners came out with a companion novel to the show. Here are my thoughts about it.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Kate Rorick and Bernie Su

Release Date: June 24, 2014
Publisher: Touchstone
Source: Purchased on audio

Summary

Based on the Emmy Award–winning YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Twenty‑four‑year‑old grad student Lizzie Bennet is saddled with student loan debt and still living at home along with her two sisters—beautiful Jane and reckless Lydia. When she records her reflections on life for her thesis project and posts them on YouTube, she has no idea The Lizzie Bennet Diaries will soon take on a life of their own, turning the Bennet sisters into internet celebrities seemingly overnight.

When rich and handsome Bing Lee comes to town, along with his stuck‑up friend William Darcy, things really start to get interesting for the Bennets—and for Lizzie’s viewers. But not everything happens on‑screen. Lucky for us, Lizzie has a secret diary.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet takes readers deep inside Lizzie’s world and well beyond the confines of her camera—from the wedding where she first meets William Darcy to the local hangout of Carter’s bar, and much more. Lizzie’s private musings are filled with revealing details about the Bennet household, including her growing suspicions about her parents’ unstable financial situation, her sister’s budding relationship with Bing Lee, the perils of her unexpected fame, and her uncertainty over her future—and whom she wants to share it with.

Featuring plenty of fresh twists to delight fans and new readers alike, The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet expands on the web series phenomenon that captivated a generation and reimagines the Pride and Prejudice story like never before.(courtesy of Goodreads)

Feature and Follow Friday #215

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Waiting on Wednesdays: This Shattered World (Starbound #2) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

This Shattered World (Starbound #2) by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Publish Date: December 23, 2014

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

I loved the first book in this series. I can't wait to start the second!

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

Release Date: August 26, 2014
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Source: BEA

Summary

The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out. But somehow even when nothing is going on, something is happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.

Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together....(courtesy of Goodreads)

Manga Mondays: Voice Over! Academy vol. 3 by Maki Minami

Manga Mondays Meme

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 4 years ago. It started out as a personal feature, but I decided to turn it into a meme last year. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme is a great way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

Voice Over! Academy vol. 3 by Maki Minami

Summary

Kino Hime is a 15 year-old girl who just started her first year in a high school for voice actors (Seiyuu) called Hiiragi Academy. She dreams of becoming the voice of the main character in one of the most popular series in Japan, "Magic Fighter Lovely Blazers". The academy is the number one school which allows students to make their voice acting debuts and also includes other departments such as general education, sports, music, acting, and art.

Of course this Academy is full of celebrities, too. Two of Hime's upperclassmen are none other than the two rising idols of the group "Idol Unit AQUA".

But Hime's dream is hard to fulfill. Her voice is not really suitable for a voice actress and her new classmate Kudou Senri doesn't waste time in pointing that out. Will Hime prove everybody, especially Senri, what she is capable of despite the first appearance? (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

New Feature! TV for Book Addicts: Intro

It's about time I started a new feature.

In May 2013, I started watching Doctor Who. It was somewhat of a whim, largely motivated by a few friends who talked about the show obsessively on Facebook. I was hooked with the first episode. I began watching 3-4 episodes per day and finished all seven seasons of New Who in less than a month.

Doctor Who was my re-introduction to TV and pop culture in general. When I started law school, I swore of TV. There were only so many hours in the day and I much preferred wasting time on the Internet than vegging out in front of the TV. Nearly ten years passed where I hardly watched any TV. Thanks to Doctor Who, I suddenly wanted to know what shows I'd been missing.

Feature and Follow Friday #214

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

Release Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Press
Source: BEA

Summary

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something... unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is. (courtesy of Goodreads)

Waiting on Wednesdays: The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

Publish Date: September 9, 2014

Publisher: Doubleday Children's Books

I can't remember if I've featured this one before but either way, it's well worth doing again. Two authors I love teaming up?! What can get better?

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Release Date: July 3, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Source: BEA

Summary

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened? (courtesy of Goodreads)

Feature and Follow Friday #213

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.



The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!



How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!



What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and ayou must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

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Canadian Vacation

Hello all!

Dropping by from my Canadian vacation. We spent the weekend in Banff, which was beautiful. My favorite place was Lake Louise. I also really enjoyed Lake Moraine and the Athabaska Glacier. 

Here are a few pics:

Now I'm in Edmonton and gearing up for some hardcore shopping at the West Edmonton Mall, the largest mall in North America, the next two days. 

Back to regular blogging soon!