Okay, I know this is supposed to be a book blog, but I have to talk about The Hunger Games!
I watched it last Saturday with my friends, and it was amazing, though unsatisfying in some minor parts. Jennifer Lawrence definitely makes a good Katniss, she's strong and all that, she even sorta matches the Katniss in my mind. As for Josh, he's a little too short for me and he just wears this mouth gaping expression for most of the movie. Liam, on the other hand, is good but barely has any scenes in the movie, and the dark brown hair looks odd on him. I love me blonde Liam. The other supporting actors and actresses are stellar, Rue and Haymitch are particularly memorable.
It's excellent for me with most of the plot sticking close to the book, though I still get a little angry with the changed arcs. Another complaint is that my friends who didn't read The Hunger Games, don't understand some parts such as the three finger salute, career tributes and the appearances of Capitol people. I just can't wait for the next installment with the flaws it now possess.
And ya know what, my blog nearly get deleted. I opened my blog site to sign in, but was informed that it was deleted. So I searched. So I ponder. After much deal of hassle and worry, I finally logged into my blog. Phew, that was a close call! I'm glad my blog wasn't deleted like some others blogs, but man am I pissed!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Winner of Emerald City Giveaway
The winner if Emerald City international eBook Giveaway is: Jess! My hotmail is not working now, so I'll try to send her a conformation email later. If you happen to know her, please tell her that she has two days to confirm the winning.
XOXO
Jez
Friday, March 30, 2012
Feature and Follow Friday: 30 March
Now to make this #FF interesting we do a FEATURE blogger. The
Feature bloggers are chosen randomly from participants in the Follow
Friday or through twitter and blog introductions. If you are
interested in becoming a Feature let me know! It is also required to
follow the host blog (parajunkee.com) and the Feature blog to participate in the #FF.
Today's feature: Justin's Book Blog
Q: Do you read one book at a time or do you switch back and forth between two or more?
Erm, one at school, one at home, one during dinner outs, one when I'm extremely bored, one re-read, one ebook on my laptop...Don't forget to enter my int. giveaway of Emerald City!
Here are the links for the author interview and the giveaway, and also the review.
Monday, March 26, 2012
The New Death and Others Free on Amazon!
A while ago I hosted a giveaway and interview and guest post for the author of the ebook The New Death and Others, James Hutchings. Now, for a limited time, the New Death and Others is FREE on Amazon. Do not miss out on the link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005Q8Q8DY
Jez XOXO
Here are the links for the author interview of Alicia K. Leppert and the giveaway for Emerald City, and also the review.
Emerald City Giveaway and Other Links
So this is the fourth giveaway I have, and by far this is the book I most liked, yet no one seems to take notice of the international giveaway... There's links for the interview, review and giveaway on this post.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Here are the links for the author interview and the giveaway, and also the review.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Friday, March 23, 2012
Feature and Follow Friday: 23 March
Now to make this #FF interesting we do a FEATURE blogger. The
Feature bloggers are chosen randomly from participants in the Follow
Friday or through twitter and blog introductions. If you are
interested in becoming a Feature let me know! It is also required to
follow the host blog (parajunkee.com) and the Feature blog to participate in the #FF.
Today's feature: Short and Sweet
Q: What is the longest book you’ve read? What are your favorite 600+ page reads?
Eragon by Paolini. It's a compilation of Eragon and Eldest, leading to more than 1000 pages. Brisigr is 1000 pages plus and I'm still reading it. Everyone should read the Inheritance series, it's one of the best. Any self respecting YA paranormal fanatic would say last book of Vampire Academy, Last Sacrifice(my review here), and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series is highly recommended.Don't forget to enter my giveaway!
Here are the links for the author interview and the giveaway, and also the review.
Alicia's Facebook
Alicia on Goodreads
Pre-order Emerald City on Amazon
Cedar Fort Blog
Cedar Fort Facebook
Cedar Fort Twitter
Cedar Fort on Goodreads
Review: EMERALD CITY by Alicia K. Leppert
Emerald City is a
tale about a young girl going through tough times, but was saved by a stranger.
Olivia Tate is haunted by a past she couldn’t escape. Sad and
despaired, she takes one pill too many and is saved by her neighbor, Jude. When
she comes home, she decides to pick up her life, with some help from Jude, of
course. Jude seems elusive at first but as time grows, they both find
themselves opening to each other. Soon, the two falls deeply for each other and
Olivia seems be healthier. However, Jude’s sudden disappearance and appearance
leaves Oliver wondering about their relationship and who Jude really is.
Leppert’s new fantasy tale takes a spin on mythology and the
romance between young people.
I absolutely love the characters! Oliver is so sad and bleak
at the beginning of the novel, having dealt with (I suspect) depression. That
is a feeling most of us can relate to, one way or another. She grows and
matures more than the other female and male lead characters I’d came across. It’s
amazing to watch her blossom and come out of her cocoon. In the end, she is the
youngster she’s supposed to be, vibrating with life and hopeful, and most
important, she’s finally able to take a chance on love. Jude on the other hand,
is an enigmatic person, though he is secretive about his past and not very open
about his true feelings. He too blossomed into a very fine young man. He is
also fiercely protective of Olivia, and I was constantly surprised by the
sensitive side of Jude. There wasn’t much extra character except for Hal, a beggar
and a provider for Jude. Confusing, I know, but you’ll understand if you read
the story. The other characters are relatively minor.
Emerald City is
told in Olivia’s view but sometimes in an omnipresent view when Jude is doing stuff
not known by Olivia. This is not something new as I read this before in The
Pledge(my review here) but not as often in my reading range. Olivia’s voice leapt
out of the page and Jude’s view really provides some (minimal) insight.
What’s interesting about Emerald
City is its take on the usual mythology. I can’t say much without revealing
the surprise, all I can say is you wouldn’t expect it at all. Leppert keep you
guessing until the very end. Really! Just when I thought I know what was
happening, she threw in another element to throw me off the scent. So it was an
intriguing read right from the start.
However, there were some minor complaints. I think Jude is a
little preachy sometimes, a few of his explanation too long at times. I would like
to see the romance part tone down a little and the actual actions vamped up.
If you want something
fresh, don’t miss Emerald City. I
have a feeling that this is going to be the first of a successful series.
Absolutely loved the cover! So simple and dark and
atmospheric. Not many cover can rock the green!
Ratings: 4 stars
Here are the links for the author interview and the giveaway.
Alicia's websiteAlicia's Facebook
Alicia on Goodreads
Pre-order Emerald City on Amazon
Cedar Fort Blog
Cedar Fort Facebook
Cedar Fort Twitter
Cedar Fort on Goodreads
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Feature & Follow Friday: 16 March
Feature & Follow Friday
is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort
between bloggers. First you leave your name here, then you create a
post on your own blog that links back here 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!
Now to make this #FF interesting we do a FEATURE blogger. The
Feature bloggers are chosen randomly from participants in the Follow
Friday or through twitter and blog introductions. If you are
interested in becoming a Feature let me know! It is also required to
follow the host blog (parajunkee.com) and the Feature blog to participate in the #FF.
Today's feature: Liza @ Reading with ABC
Q: What is the best book you’ve read in the last month? What is the worst book you’ve read in the last month?
Er... Best book read is Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick, worst is... none? Does a chemistry reference book counts?
* add on: best book is WANDERLOVE by Kirstin Hubbard(my review here). Can't believe I forgot that!
* add on: best book is WANDERLOVE by Kirstin Hubbard(my review here). Can't believe I forgot that!
Here are the links for the author interview with Alicia K. Leppert and the giveaway of Emerald City.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Waiting On Wednesday: 14 March
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
EMERALD CITY by Alicia K. Leppert
Publish by: April 10, Cedarfort
One city of 600,000 people.
One broken girl.
One mysterious boy.
One fateful night,
Two worlds collide.
Seattle, Washington. The sprawling, industrious city set in a blanket of pine. I have never known a day that wasn’t spent inside this concrete jungle. It’s my home, and for that I love it. But it’s also the setting for the tragedy called my life, and so I loathe it.
I live alone in a cold, empty studio apartment. The tiny square room closely resembles a cell. That’s my life: solitary confinement.
Here, in this desolate place that perfectly reflects my soul, my story begins.
I'm on the tour for this one! It's actually great, especially the atmosphere.
Here are the links for the author interview and the giveaway.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Author Interview: Alicia K. Leppert
Let's
welcome debut author, Alicia K. Leppert for an interview today. This is
one of the stops in her book tour. Enjoy the insight on her life and
book, and the beautiful romance in her life. Thanks you, Alicia, for
being here with us!
One city of 600,000 people.
One broken girl.One mysterious boy.One fateful night,Two worlds collide.
____________________________________________________Seattle, Washington. The sprawling, industrious city set in a blanket of pine. I have never known a day that wasn’t spent inside this concrete jungle. It’s my home, and for that I love it. But it’s also the setting for the tragedy called my life, and so I loathe it.I live alone in a cold, empty studio apartment. The tiny square room closely resembles a cell. That’s my life: solitary confinement.Here, in this desolate place that perfectly reflects my soul, my story begins.
1. Tell us about your novel first in five words then a whole sentence/few sentences.
Young adult urban fantasy romance. It's about a girl who lives in Seattle who is alone and broken and ready to give up on life. After an exceptionally rough night, she meets Jude, a mysterious but kind guy who shows an unnatural interest in her well-being. Let's just say after that her life is flipped upside down.
2. I see that Washington has made an impact on your novel. How is that so?
I have lived in Washington state my entire life, and I have a deep love for it. I was born in Seattle, and have been back countless times throughout my life, and all the surrounding areas. My dad loves the outdoors, and when I was growing up he took us all over the state, camping, hiking, four-wheeling. So I feel I got to know it very well. And although it feels like two very different places--the green forested west side and the brown desert that's the east side, where I live--I love them both. When I started writing Emerald City, I knew right away I would set in somewhere in Washington, because it's all I've ever known.
3. Your love story with your husband was incredible. Can you share it with us? And can we find some bits and pieces of your love in Emerald City?
Our story is amazing, one of those things that's so incredible you just couldn't make it up. It would make for one heck of a novel, and I've always thought maybe I'll write it one day. We "met" online in a chat room almost exactly 12 years ago. We saw we were both from Washington, so we started instant messaging privately within the chat room. At first it was pretty casual, but quickly went beyond that, and it wasn't long before it was very apparent we both felt something. We exchanged email addresses and chatted online all night long, every day for four or five days, by which time we had told each other how we felt. By day three I knew this was the guy I was going to spend the rest of my life with. This was back when technology didn't allow for sharing pictures online as easily as it does now, so we had no pictures of each other. On day six we spoke on the phone for the first time and he told me he loved me. On day seven we spoke on the phone again, and this time he proposed. I said yes without hesitation. We were unable to meet in person for almost another week due to our work schedules, but when we did, we started a whirlwind romance and began planning our wedding, which happened just over three months later. 12 years later we are happily married with 2 amazing kids and he is my best friend in the world.
There are definite bits and pieces of us sprinkled throughout Emerald City, like our first date on the pier and Jude's dimples. I couldn't write a love story without adding some of my own in!
Young adult urban fantasy romance. It's about a girl who lives in Seattle who is alone and broken and ready to give up on life. After an exceptionally rough night, she meets Jude, a mysterious but kind guy who shows an unnatural interest in her well-being. Let's just say after that her life is flipped upside down.
2. I see that Washington has made an impact on your novel. How is that so?
I have lived in Washington state my entire life, and I have a deep love for it. I was born in Seattle, and have been back countless times throughout my life, and all the surrounding areas. My dad loves the outdoors, and when I was growing up he took us all over the state, camping, hiking, four-wheeling. So I feel I got to know it very well. And although it feels like two very different places--the green forested west side and the brown desert that's the east side, where I live--I love them both. When I started writing Emerald City, I knew right away I would set in somewhere in Washington, because it's all I've ever known.
3. Your love story with your husband was incredible. Can you share it with us? And can we find some bits and pieces of your love in Emerald City?
Our story is amazing, one of those things that's so incredible you just couldn't make it up. It would make for one heck of a novel, and I've always thought maybe I'll write it one day. We "met" online in a chat room almost exactly 12 years ago. We saw we were both from Washington, so we started instant messaging privately within the chat room. At first it was pretty casual, but quickly went beyond that, and it wasn't long before it was very apparent we both felt something. We exchanged email addresses and chatted online all night long, every day for four or five days, by which time we had told each other how we felt. By day three I knew this was the guy I was going to spend the rest of my life with. This was back when technology didn't allow for sharing pictures online as easily as it does now, so we had no pictures of each other. On day six we spoke on the phone for the first time and he told me he loved me. On day seven we spoke on the phone again, and this time he proposed. I said yes without hesitation. We were unable to meet in person for almost another week due to our work schedules, but when we did, we started a whirlwind romance and began planning our wedding, which happened just over three months later. 12 years later we are happily married with 2 amazing kids and he is my best friend in the world.
There are definite bits and pieces of us sprinkled throughout Emerald City, like our first date on the pier and Jude's dimples. I couldn't write a love story without adding some of my own in!
4. What are the crazy stuffs you do everyday?
I don't know if anything I do every day would qualify as crazy! Boring, maybe. Typical stay at home mom stuff: carpooling, grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, volunteering at my kids' school. Exciting stuff like that. I do take a nap, usually the highlight of my day. And right now I'm almost constantly working on some kind of marketing for my book. Soon it will be back to writing all day long!
5. Can we get an idea of what you were writing before Emerald City?
Bits and pieces of such insignificant stuff I can't even remember. Nothing that could even be considered a story.
Write what you love, and make that your focus--not getting
published, not while you're still writing. When you've written your
masterpiece and have it exactly where you want it, there will be plenty
of time to worry about getting published. If you're spending all your
energy on getting published while you're trying to write, it will come
across in your work. If you put everything you have into your work,
every drop of blood, sweat and tears, you'll have something amazing that
you're proud of that people should want to publish. And you'll believe in it so much that you'll do whatever it takes to make that happen.
____________________________________________________
Here's the calender for the book tour. Be sure to visit other blogs!
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| March | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
| Getting Your Read On/ Literary Time Out/ | Love of Books 409/ | Krazy Book Lady/ | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Daisy Chain’s Chocolate-Covered Books/ | Twisting The Lens/ LDS Women’s Book Review/ | It’s All About Me/ | Curiosity Killed the Book/ | A Daydreamer’s Thoughts/ Lovey Dovey Books/ | A Casual Reader’s Blog/
|
Book Spark/ |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Blackbird in my Window/ | Jessy’s Bookends/ | Totally Booked Solid/ | Small Southern Girl Writing in A Big Big World/ | Bookworm Lisa/
The Write Web/ Roro Is Reading/ |
Book Briefs/
Jera’s Jamboree/ Blooming with Books/ |
So Simple Sara/ |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| Author Cindy C. Bennett/ | Dandee Designs/ | Family Reads/ Fiction Fascination/ | Diana’s Amazing Book Adventures/ | Bonnie Gets a Say/ Bloggin’ ’bout Books/ | Book Lover’s Paradise/ | Let Them Read Books/ Becky’s Barmy Book Blog/ |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |
| Fire and Ice Photos/ | Sweet Southern Home/ | Mundie Moms/ |
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Review: WANDERLOVE by Kirsten Hubbard
Bria tries to escape her present when she signed up for a
tour group by herself. She was in the Guatemelian (is that right?) airport when
she meet Rowan and Starling, to backpackers who thought she was one too. But
when they meet again in a wet market, the truth was out. Rowan then invited
Bria to his hotel for the night, not thinking Bria would go. His expectations
proves wrong when Bria shows up, abandoning her tour group. She soon finds out
that Rowan was just pulling her lake, only that she couldn’t go back to the
hotel because the last boat is gone. Bria was compelled to stay, but swears
that she’s outta there first thing in the morning. Starling, the wild
backpacker who’s the sister of Rowan, asks Bria to stay and keep an eye on her
brother. Eager to really experience backpacking, Bria agrees, only to find
herself on an unexpectedly fruitful journey, making her understand the core
destination: Wanderlove.
Wanderlove is a
beautifully crafted novel of travelling, falling in love and essentially
finding your own self.
I love the characters! Bria is sensitive and thoughtful, and
the fact that she draws made her even more endearing to me. I understand her
hunger to draw, and how the longer you dropped your pencil, the longer it takes
you to pick up the pencil again. I connected with her and pitied her past,
while yelling at her and Rowan to just kiss already. It was amazing to watch
her grow from one who travels just to escape the past into a young woman who’s
brave to live her life. Rowan, on the other hand, is an experienced backpacker
with a sketchy past. I like his fun and semi-reckless personality, and the good
guy hiding beneath that uncaring exterior. He, might have top my list of
favorite guys. Starling is a charitable backpacker, in a doing charity work
kind of way (she teaches in Guatemala). She is truly memorable, a caring elder
sister to Rowan, a strong and slightly comedic presence in the novel. The other
characters, such as the bead maker and Jack, are also enjoyable, but a little
less crafted as their screen time is less. Hubbard did an excellent job of
crafting the characters, especially the leads, her extreme details making the
characters even more alive.
The author also made the relationship between Bria and Rowan
realistically. There are awkward moments, insecure, feelings, wonderings,
intimate moments and the romance scenes. Their relationship was a good one,
slowly blossoming and growing. It was fun to see them engage each other, and to
plain yell at them sometimes for being so, secretive. The dance around the
truth for both of them is frustrating at times.
Another thing I love for in the novel is the scenes: carefree
backpackers tracking the roads, beautiful lakes, children running along the
streets. These are the vivid pictures Hubbard painted in my mind. Bria’s
insight is in tuned with the scenery, complementing the pictures perfectly.
There are drawings between the pages, showing how well Hubbard could draw. This
is another favorite point of mine in Wanderlove.
The drawings are able to portray Bria’s mood at that exact moment.
The prose, oh the prose! It was beautiful and mesmerizing.
Hubbard is a really talented writer. She made my eyes water and laugh at the
laptop screen like a mad woman. I felt the hollow of Bria, the ecstasy of
travelling, the urge to flee, both literally and metaphorically. I felt Bria’s
hesitation, Rowan’s elusiveness, Starling’s concern. I felt everything. I was
so sad when the characters are hurting, and my heart ached when they ached, and
when the story ended.
The only thing I didn’t like is the way clues were dropped
but addressed way too late in the novel. Since it’s narrated completely by
Bria, we don’t know anything else that she doesn’t know, but the clues were
clear, yet somehow Bria couldn’t figure out the truth. In other words, the
writer wishes to create suspense, but it wasn’t as successful as intended. Perhaps
the clues should be a few lesser or more subtle.
Wanderlove is less
a YA romance, but more about the concept itself: the love of endless travel to experience
life, to understand yourself. In the end, I end up more than I bargained for.
There are no exact words to describe this novel, you’ll have to read it to
really get it.
The cover is beautiful, simple and warm, though I would
prefer a hand drawn picture as a cover over this.
Ratings: 4.5
stars (I’ll be the first one in the bookstore to buy it!)
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Giveaway and Book Tour
One broken girl.One mysterious boy.One fateful night,Two worlds collide.
Seattle, Washington. The sprawling, industrious city set in a blanket of pine. I have never known a day that wasn’t spent inside this concrete jungle. It’s my home, and for that I love it. But it’s also the setting for the tragedy called my life, and so I loathe it.I live alone in a cold, empty studio apartment. The tiny square room closely resembles a cell. That’s my life: solitary confinement.Here, in this desolate place that perfectly reflects my soul, my story begins.
The Book Tour of Emerald City has started! There will be an author interview on March 9, be sure to come back for it. The giveaway's to be started on March 9, and ends on March 31. Here's the Rafflecopter:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Alicia's Website
Here's the calender for the book tour. Be sure to visit other blogs!
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| March | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
| Getting Your Read On/ Literary Time Out/ | Love of Books 409/ | Krazy Book Lady/ | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Daisy Chain’s Chocolate-Covered Books/ | Twisting The Lens/ LDS Women’s Book Review/ | It’s All About Me/ | Curiosity Killed the Book/ | A Daydreamer’s Thoughts/ Lovey Dovey Books/ | A Casual Reader’s Blog/
|
Book Spark/ |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| Blackbird in my Window/ | Jessy’s Bookends/ | Totally Booked Solid/ | Small Southern Girl Writing in A Big Big World/ | Bookworm Lisa/
The Write Web/ Roro Is Reading/ |
Book Briefs/
Jera’s Jamboree/ Blooming with Books/ |
So Simple Sara/ |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| Author Cindy C. Bennett/ | Dandee Designs/ | Family Reads/ Fiction Fascination/ | Diana’s Amazing Book Adventures/ | Bonnie Gets a Say/ Bloggin’ ’bout Books/ | Book Lover’s Paradise/ | Let Them Read Books/ Becky’s Barmy Book Blog/ |
| 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | |
| Fire and Ice Photos/ | Sweet Southern Home/ | Mundie Moms/ |
Friday, March 2, 2012
Feature and Follow Friday: March 2
Feature & Follow Friday
is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort
between bloggers. First you leave your name here, then you create a
post on your own blog that links back here 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!
Now to make this #FF interesting we do a FEATURE blogger. The
Feature bloggers are chosen randomly from participants in the Follow
Friday or through twitter and blog introductions. If you are
interested in becoming a Feature let me know! It is also required to
follow the host blog (parajunkee.com) and the Feature blog to participate in the #FF.
Today's feature:Oh! For the Love of Books!
Q: What book would you love to see made into a movie or television show and do you have actors/actresses in mind to play the main characters?
Since The Hunger Games was made into a movie, The House of Night series is too long, I would like to recommend a recently new found gem to be made into a movie.The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. The special effects would be awesome. And I googled some casts:
Below are the casts for Sean Kendrick and Kate "Puck" Connolly.
Cameron Bright: his hair's dark enough
Alexander Ludwig: He's cute, and all he has to do is dye his hair.
Dakota Fanning : near perfect
Emma Roberts: a little old, I know, but she's great talent.
Josh Hutcherson: Cute and aloof. Enough for ya'll?
Molly C.Quinn: I love her acting in Castle and she is a redhead already.
Deborah Ann Woll: she's beautiful, though a little old.
Gaspard Ulliel: dark, tall, handsome, piercing eyes. Need I say more?
New Winner for The New Death and Others eBook Giveaway!
Since Kris didn't reply my email, there's a newly picked winner for this giveaway:
Shari Jung!
Congrats! Please make sure t reply my email in two days.
XOXO
Jez
Shari Jung!
Congrats! Please make sure t reply my email in two days.
XOXO
Jez
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
