For Book Nerds...

Today I "Stumbled Upon" a cute little cartoon that I thought I'd share.

 You can check it out here.

“What an astonishing thing a book is.
It's a flat object made from a tree with flexible parts on which are imprinted lots of funny dark squiggles.
But one glance at it and you're inside the mind of another person, maybe somebody dead for thousands of years.
Across the millennia, an author is speaking clearly and silently inside your head, directly to you.
Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs.
Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.”

― Carl Sagan

Waiting on Wednesday 10.10.12

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

 

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

 

A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay
When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

What are you waiting on this week?

Mini Book Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Title: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Series: Delirium #2
Finished on: October 2, 2012
Released: February 28th 2012 by HarperCollins
Source: Local public library ebook

[add to Goodreads]
Summary from Goodreads:

I’m pushing aside
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, ' Delirium.' This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

**The use of "now" and "then" sequences was perfect. It kept the story moving smoothly and made me want to keep reading to get back to the previous moment.
**So.many.new.characters! And (most of them) are wonderful.
**I recommend reading this on a totally free day. This isn't one easily walked away from.
**This one was just as amazing at the first and I absolutely can not wait to get my hands on the third.
**I'm a little disappointed with Julian. Am I the only one who thought he came across too much like a 12-13 year old?
**I hate cliffhangers :( and this one... why? Perfect example of why I don't like to start series until each book is already released.

You can read my review of Delirium here.

Top Ten Tuesday [1]

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

 

Top Ten Tuesday REWIND (pick a past topic that we've done that you missed or just want round 2 of!)
I chose:

Top Ten Characters I’d Like To Switch Places With For 24 Hours

1] Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
2] Auden from Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
3] Scarlett from Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
4] Alice from Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
5] Anna from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephenie Perkins
6] Hermione from Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
7] Eliot North from For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
8] Tinkerbell from Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
9] Emma from One Day by David Nicholls
10] Skeeter from The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Feature & Follow Friday 10.5.2012

Hosted by Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read
Today’s features are Angela’s Anxious Life and Book Liaison.

What do you hope to accomplish with your blog? Is it to one day become an author yourself, just for fun, maybe get some online attention, or maybe something very different?

My blog is definitely just for fun. It's nice to take a break from the stress of school and work to get into one of my favorite things: reading! I don't really have anyone "in real life" who is interested in books like I am. Book blogging is a great way to talk about what I'm reading with others and hear what they have to say, too. I really have no interest in becoming a writer myself or gaining "attention". I just want to be able to share my love of books with others who have the same love.

Waiting On Wednesday 10.3.2012

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Can't wait for...

Asunder (New Soul #2)
Jodi Meadows
Release Date: January 29, 2013

From Goodreads:

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

Book Review: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Title: Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Series: Stand-Alone
Finished on: October 2, 2012
Released: May 9, 2009 from Multnomah Books
Source: Local public library ebook

[add to Goodreads]

Summary from Goodreads:

California's gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.

Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.

Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father's heart in everything, Michael obeys God's call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel's every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.

But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband's pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does ... the One who will never let her go.
 

Absolutely beautiful. One of the most inspiring stories I have ever read. Portions of this book had me in complete shock, sometimes anger, and sometimes uplifting happiness. This is one of the greatest stories of unconditional love and forgiveness out there. The characters are unforgettable; ones that will stick with me for a long time to come.

Warning: this book deals with some pretty heavy issues [prostitution, rape, etc..] and may not be for everyone. Francine Rivers does an excellent job at allowing the reader to understand what is happening without becoming too graphic.

We get an excellent portrayal of a women [Angel] who is completely consumed by bitterness, hopelessness, and guilt. She believes that she is at fault for every terrible thing that others have inflicted on her just by being born. It is so amazing to watch how far she comes.

A timeless story of self-destruction and rebirth, betrayal and forgiveness, hopeless despair to deep faith, and the gain that can come from even the hardest sacrifices. I urge everyone to pick this one up, whether spiritual or not. There is something for anyone to gain from this one.