Month: February 2014

Top Ten Worlds I Would Never Want to Live In

Posted February 24, 2014 by Jana in Top Ten Tuesday / 15 Comments

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

I missed this topic a while back because I took too long to think. Haha. So, now I can finally post! Yay for TTT rewind!

Panem in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
I’m sorry, but I would be a nervous wreck for my entire life. I worry about everything. EVERYTHING. I worry about millions of things that don’t even happen. And if I didn’t have to fight, I would worry about having children, because I would not want them to be chosen. I would never stop worrying. That’s not a good way to live.

Internment in Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano
A chunk of rock in the middle of the sky is not my kind of place. Plus, that government is insane. I would also really hate seeing the surface of the Earth and never being allowed to go visit.

Black City in Black City by Elizabeth Richards
This book upset me because it was very dark and the people were very violent. The city is in ruins, ash rains from the skies, and nothing is being re-built. Rubble is everywhere, and that’s where these people live. They can do nothing. The Darklings scare me to death, plus they are mad. Somebody on Goodreads compared this place to the Holocaust in Germany with vampires thrown in. Yes. Totally. *shudder* Don’t make me go.

The shores of Lake Superior in Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
Killer mermaids. I would never leave my house. Well, I guess I could. I would never go near the water.

Under the rule of The Society in Matched by Ally Condie
I’m sorry, but I’m going to pick my own husband, ok?

The future of the USA in Plus One by Elizabeth Fama
I’m reading this one right now, and all humans are divided by day dwellers and night dwellers. The day dwellers live like us, but the night dwellers sleep all day and are up all night. And they are treated soooo badly! I’m a night owl! I love going out at night. And to not be allowed to? But on the other hand, to not be allowed to go out in the sun? EVER? I’d hate this.

The love-is-a-disease world in Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Ok, you can’t tell me I’m not allowed to love a person. Sorry, but no.

The world where books get burned in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
You burn my books, I burn you.

The world ravaged by natural disasters in Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
If you go outside, something terrible happens to you. Like you turn into a monster. All because of the toxic air. Ahhh! No thanks!

The world killed off by robots in Partials by Dan Wells
The human race is pretty much gone. Killed off by a weaponized virus by genetically engineered human-like beings. You live if you’re immune to it. And if you’re immune to it, they hunt you down.

So, what do you think of these worlds? Would you want to live there?
And which topic did you go back and do again? Link me up!


How Book Blogging is a lot Like Online Dating

Posted February 21, 2014 by Jana in About Me / 36 Comments

If you follow me on Twitter, you know I’ve been dealing with the “joys” of online dating lately. Being a full time online student does not leave me many options for meeting men, so I have taken the advice of some friends and started the online thing. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how similar online dating and book blogging are… You’ll see what I mean. :)

This NEW thing is just so new and exciting and I am so excited to be noticed!

When I first started blogging, everything was new and everything excited me. The first comment had me giddy. The first follower had me dancing. The first review request had me singing about how awesome I was. The first granted Netgalley request had me flying to the moon. And ALL THOSE BOOKS. I requested them all! Any and all attention from people other than my family rocked my socks off, because I was SOMEONE.

When I first started online dating, I was so excited because THIS was how I would find Mr. Right. I would look at the list of thousands of eligible men and get all giddy because they were just so cute! And eligible! The first email communication made me bouncy. HE LIKES ME! Any and all attention from anyone had me smiling, because I was SOMEONE.

 

I am LOVING all these emails, and I must respond ALWAYS.

When the first batch of book review request emails came in, I decided that I MUST be a people pleaser and accept them ALL and read them ALL and love them ALL. I did not want to hurt an author or a publisher, so I never wanted to decline anyone. And I ended up reading a lot of junk.

I get a lot of emails from a lot of men. Some of them I get excited about, and some of them make me cringe. But I hate hurting people, so in the beginning I would respond and try to be nice to everyone. And then just run away and hide, hoping they did not write back. I ended up wasting a lot of time.

 

Covers. Not what they may seem.

You know how sometimes you see a book and LOVE the cover, and then the inside sucks so incredibly badly? Yeah. Exactly. Covers, much like pictures, can be super deceiving. Of COURSE, it can go the other way. I’ve read books with terrible covers that I loved. And I’ve met guys who became more attractive as I got to know them better. But sadly, this is kind of rare.

 

Well. THAT was not what I was expecting.

You know how you sometimes go into a book expecting a certain quality? And then you get whiplash because you were SO not expecting that? Like, someone suddenly dies in the book. Or someone just said something really stupid and made you think twice about them. The same goes for online dating. You can expect all you want, but when reality sets in it can be a tricky situation.

 

Can I DNF this?

Yeah, so I have been on many dates from hell. Like, the guy wants to hold your hand when you’re SO not even into him like you were hoping you would be and you can’t fathom why he thinks you ARE into him. Or he says something that makes you want to run away like, “How big is your chest?” or “It’s your job to keep my thoughts and actions pure because I can’t control myself.” Yeah. I have heard both of those multiple times. I only wish DNFing a date were as easy as closing it and throwing it across the room.

 

Clearly, they read nothing I said.

Ever received a review request that goes completely against your review policy? Like, you say in your policy that you hate paranormal romance, and then up pops a review request for one? Or you say you require this, this, and this from the requester in order to make an informed decision? And then you receive an email with no this, no this, and no this? It’s like, “Did they even care enough to read about me first?”

I can’t tell you how many times a man has written to me and asked me questions I had already answered in my online profile. Or… now, I am a very conservative kind of girl. I don’t drink, don’t smoke or do drugs, and don’t want to sleep with anyone until I’m married to him. And so this dude writes to me, asking if I’d like a no-strings-attached hot night involving a bar and a bed. Ick.


They ask you to make an exception because they are awesome.

Even worse than receiving a review request that goes against your policy, is receiving a review request that says, “Please make an exception for my book, because it’s something I just know you will love.”

I remember one day getting an email from a guy who actually said, “If you would just hook up with me tonight, I know you’d never regret it.” Or there’s the charming, “You’re probably just scared of it because you’ve never met a guy who knew what he was doing. Baby, I do.” I mean REALLY.

 

I am no longer accepting requests.

Eventually, you just HAVE to get more selective and start thinking of yourself because you can’t please everyone. Ain’t nobody got time for that! In both blogging and online dating, I have learned to ignore the people who clearly do not care, I have learned to decline if I am not interested, and I have learned to stand up for myself.

The more you do it, the smarter about it you get.

This kind of goes along with the last one, but deserves its own point. As a blogger becomes more and more seasoned, they begin to figure out how to make things better for themselves. I no longer accept everything, and I no longer request everything. I have written out schedules, I have learned to be more creative in my post ideas, I have learned to schedule ahead of time. I’ve learned how to politely decline review requests. I’ve learned how to harden my shell against authors who do not like my reviews. This just happens.

In online dating, I have gotten so much smarter. I know what I’m looking for, and know when not to waste my time. I know when and how to meet up for the first time so that it’s safe. I’ve learned to discover red flags sooner. I’ve learned how to tell a guy I’m just not interested and not feel bad about it. It’s sad to say I’ve become a seasoned online dater, but I have. *cringe*

 

You learn a lot about yourself.

Book blogging has opened me up to so many feelings and realizations. I’ve learned from and been changed by the books I’ve read. I’ve learned to express myself even better.

Online dating has made me realize how important I am. I will not settle for the jerks who only want one thing. I will not be an object or a pet. I will not let anyone make me feel less worthy of what I’m looking for. I will not let anyone tell me my dreams are too big or my expectations are too high. I’m good enough, and I don’t need a man to complete me. I’d love my own love story, but not at the price of my self respect.

 

Someday it may turn into something more.

Blogging has already taken me in a different direction, and changed my life. It helped me decide what I want in a career. It helped me decide to go back to grad school. Heck, it helped me get IN to grad school! And someday my blog might get my foot in some doors I might not have gotten into otherwise. Book blogging has been one of the best decisions of my entire life.

At this point in my life, I do not have a ton of options for meeting men. Regardless of how hard and frustrating online dating can be, I’m still holding out for my Prince Charming. Who knows? Maybe someday I’ll be able to say that jumping into online dating was THE best decision of my entire life.

So, there you have it! I think you know WAY too much about me now. Haha!


Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling | Mini Book Review

Posted February 19, 2014 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 15 Comments

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling | Mini Book ReviewHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #1
Published by Scholastic on September 1, 1998
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 309
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add to Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick. He's never worn a Cloak of Invisibility, befriended a giant, or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny cupboard under the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in ten years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter.

Wow. I know, right? You’re probably thinking, “Wow. It took Jana a REALLY long time to review this book, since SURELY she read this ages ago.” Well, you’re wrong. I just read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone for the first time in my entire life! FINALLY, right? I was scared of this book. I was not a fantasy fan when these books came out, so I could not have cared less about reading them. And then when I finally became a fan of fantasy, the books had received so much praise and proclamations of undying love, that I was too scared to read them! Of course, no book could EVER live up to the hype generated by millions and millions of devoted fans! I wanted to pass that right of passage, though. I’m going to school to be a young adult librarian! How could I not read these? So, I lowered my expectations and forced myself to begin. And much to my surprise…

I LOVED IT.

I SO wish I had been interested in these books as a child, because every child needs to believe in the possibility of magic. Every child who hates their life (not that I did, I’m just sayin’), needs to believe that there’s more waiting for them out there in the world.

Hogwarts is just… magical! This world is so exciting and dynamic and it feels HUGE. I finally know what muggles are! And I finally understand why people are waiting for their Hogwarts letter. And I get the owl thing. And I understand who this creepy Voldemort guy is. And Hagrid! I love him! And Hermione is quite annoying. And Ron is adorable. And I want to smack Draco. And Harry is this sweet little skinny thing who I just want to hug because of his terrible childhood. I love that he became special, and recognized it.

I was not expecting Harry Potter to be a funny story! But it is! Hagrid had me laughing so much. And some of the things these kids say to each other is hilarious. Even the professors have their little jokes. I was not expecting my imagination to be so stimulated. This book made me hope that all this magical stuff is real. I was not expecting Harry Potter to read like such a universal book. I mean, these kids are little young things but I did not feel like I was reading a book for children.

I don’t really know what to do. I’m jumping from thought to thought, and there’s really no organizational schematic to this post. Harry Potter has been reviewed and reviewed and talked about for YEARS. There is nothing else I can say. So basically, I’m going to cut this thing short, say “ditto to all the 5-star reviews”, and go stalk the mail for my really pretty 15th anniversary boxed set I just bought. J.K. Rowling has another fan! I’m a cool kid now! I can’t wait to finish the series. :)


Top Ten Reasons Why I Love Being a Reader and a Book Blogger

Posted February 17, 2014 by Jana in About Me, Top Ten Tuesday / 26 Comments

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at the other blog I write for, The Broke and the Bookish.

This week, we’re getting personal. It’s about time I declared why I love being a reader and book blogger so much, so I am excited about this topic!

 

 

ILoveReading

ILoveBlogging

I really do love reading, and I love being a book blogger so much! I could have listed 100 reasons for both! I am grateful every day for finding such wonderful hobbies! And all my friends make it a million times better!

Why do you love being a reader and/or a book blogger?


Book Blogger Love-A-Thon: Mini Challenge 3 – Mad-Lib

Posted February 15, 2014 by Jana in Uncategorized / 5 Comments

loveathon

The book blogger love-a-thon is a fun little weekend event hosted by Alexa Loves Books and Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands. The point is to spread the love around the book blogosphere and get to know some amazing people!

This challenge is to complete a mad-lib about our book boyfriends! The bolded words are the ones I added in. This was SO much fun! Haha.

One day, I was singing with Sam (Incarnate). Out of the blue, a dragon came out of nowhere! It was so big, fierce and sinister. At first, we were afraid, we were petrified, but we ate. We hopped on a speed boat to make our getaway.

As we escaped, we turned up the radio because S.O.S by Rhianna came on and made me flail. Everything was extremely smooth sailing until an octopus appeared in the middle of the ocean. We swerved to avoid it, but while Sam stayed on the speed boat, I got thrown out into the water.

I couldn’t get up, and felt depressed as I lay there staring up at the stars. What was I going to do? I heard a gurgle among the waves, and felt sad. Surely, this was going to be my end. As my eyes fluttered shut, the last thing I saw was a head of black hair and grey eyes.

When I woke up again, I was on a futon. My body hurt a whole lot less, and I could sit up. There was a TV and a fireplace in the room, along with macaroni and cheese and chamomile tea. The door suddenly opened to reveal Galen (Of Poseidon), a concerned look on his face. I blushed and averted my gaze, but he smiled and said, “Don’t be shy. It’s okay.”

He came over to sit by me, and we started talking after I told him my name. We chatted about swimming, shopping, and singing and realized we had a ton in common! I thought he was super handsome and couldn’t help feeling a little swoony.

Just as he reached out for my hand, the door crashed open and in came Etienne St. Clair. “Don’t let him charm you away, my love!” He yelled, running at Galen. They each had blenders in their hands and began to fight. “Stop!”, I yelled, feeling so upset. They didn’t listen to me. Before I could intervene, Galen fell to the floor and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

“What was that?” I asked, staring at the empty space. St. Clair dropped his weapon, and came over to me. “Magic, but you are safe now, my little chocolate eclair.” He hugged me close, and I suddenly knew that this was the real deal and not just a dream.

Just as You Are Loved by Josh Groban started playing in my head, I woke up. I cursed my stinkin’ luck. Why had it only been just a dream?

Hehe! That was too much fun! If only my book boyfriends really did fight over me like this!