Geek Chic This Week - May 10th, 2014

Hello everyone, and welcome to a wonderful edition of Geek Chic This Week, a usually-weekly feature where I come out and talk about all the lovely bookish things I've been up to in the past week, from my book haul to what I actually read to reviews written and posts posted.

Basically I just blather on for a while and you all pretend to listen.

If you can't watch the video, here's the quick version! School is coming to an end, I'm almost finished with all AP tests and some final projects, and more books and book blogging are on the horizon! Plus! BOOKS!

My Recent Book Haul

From the Library:

-The Darkest Minds / Never Fade

 

I'M IN LOVE WITH THESE BOOKS. The writing. The plot. The characters. The premise. It's all perfect. I'm dying waiting for the next book. Go read them. Now.

Purchased:

-Rebel Belle

Another amAZING BOOK from Rachel Hawkins!! This one is not witches and warlocks and vampires, but paladins and oracles. And it's as cool as it sounds. Also: SNARK. SNARK AND CUTE HIPSTER NERD BOYS. SNARK AND CUTE HIPSTER NERD BOYS AND AMAZING HEROINES WHO KICK BUTT AND APPLY MAKEUP WITH EQUAL FINESSE. 

E-books:

-In Time

Novella for the Darkest Minds series! I'm super excited to read it. And nervous. I've heard it's heartbreaking.

-Destroy Me

Since filming this video I read Destroy Me, and wow. I understand so much more about Warner now. And I still have some concerns about him but........................oh, my poor sweet Warner. I need the next books. Now.

For review:

-Common Descent

The first books were really great, and I'm looking forward to reading this one. Plus, LOOK AT THAT COVER. WOW. 

So what are you reading this week? Get in touch with me and let me know!!

~Mag

DIRTY BLOOD 1-LINER CONTEST

Hello fellow readers! Mag here to tell you about a fantastic and fun contest from author Heather Hildenbrand, to come up with a line for the fifth book in her Dirty Blood series!

I've only read the first book (you can read my review here) but I loved it, and hopefully I'll get to read the rest soon. And when I get to the fifth one, maybe your line will be in it! Details below:

Author Heather Hildenbrand is having a 1-liner contest for a chance to win a line printed in Dirty Blood #5!

Do you have a funny pick up line you want one of the characters from Dirty Blood to say? What about a great love quote? Well now is your chance to get your line published! Author Heather Hildenbrand is holding a contest for 1-liners for a chance at getting into the 5th book in her Dirty Blood series! Sounds like something you want to be apart of? Then enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway   

Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. Since 2011, she’s published more than eight YA & NA novels including the bestselling Dirty Blood series. She splits her time between coastal Virginia and the island of Guam and loves having a mobile career and outrageous lifestyle of living in two places. Heather is also a publishing and success coach bent on equipping and educating artists who call themselves authors. She loves teaching fellow writers how to create the same freedom-based lifestyle she enjoys. For more information visit www.phoenixauthorink.com and find out how to create your own OutRAGEous Life.   She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.  

Website Facebook Facebook Fan Page Twitter Goodreads Newsletter

Good luck, and happy reading!

~Mag 

Geek Chic This Week - March 22, 2014

Hello everyone, and welcome to a wonderful edition of Geek Chic This Week, the part of the show where I come out and talk about all the lovely bookish things I've been up to in the past week, from my book haul to what I actually read to reviews written and posts posted. 

Basically I just blather on for a while and you all pretend to listen.

Obviously I haven't been around much lately, and I won't go into a big long insistence that, don't worry, I'm coming back. I'm just going to do it this time, without the monologue. It'll save us all time. Suffice it to say I'm happy to be back, if a bit disconcerted at the attempt to get back in the swing of things, like forcing oneself into conversations on Twitter and getting people to, ya know, acknowledge my existence in general.

I sure hope you guys haven't forgotten about me (and Tor) in my absence!

The big new thing I'm trying out at this point is...drumroll...a video Geek Chic This Week. I know a lot of bloggers do video book hauls, and I thought it might be fun to give it a go! For me, at least, the result was positive. I had an absolute blast both filming and editing the video, so I hope you like watching it, as well.

Also, I know that some people like reading a lot of book haul posts and don't like bogging down their time with video versions, so I'll also list and link with pictures below!

Without further ado...

Things discussed in the video:


My Book Haul This Week For Approximately the Last Million Years

Christmas Books I Still Haven't Read:

-Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

My siblings got me this for Christmas! I love the movie and I've been dying to read the book.


-Doctor Who and Philosophy

I love Doctor Who. I love philosophy. 'Nuff said.


Loans From Friends:

-The Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer (shown: In the Belly of the Bloodhound)

Thanks Pauli!

-The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Thanks Colleen!

-The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan

Thanks Scott!

From the Library:

-Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel

Also mentioned:

-The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
-The Dream Thieves by Maggie Steifvater
-Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
-Life of Pi by Yann Martel


Reviews and Posts This Week

-REVIEW: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
-Teaser Tuesday: The Royal Ranger by John Flanagan
-Waiting on Wednesday: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Waiting on Wednesday: 3/19/14

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine, spotlighting books that have not yet been released but are being greatly anticipated! What are we waiting on this week? Let's find out!!

Mag is waiting on...

ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER by STEPHANIE PERKINS

releasing AUGUST 14th, 2014

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever. 

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

I'm so excited to find out what happens to dear sweet Isla and Josh, not to mention Anna, Etienne, Lola, and Cricket! Though at the same time I'm very sad for this to be the end of our part in their stories. Hopefully the happily-ever-after comes through!

What are you waiting on this week? Leave us your WoW links!

Teaser Tuesday: 3/18/14

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play, and the rules are simple:

• 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 other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mag's Teasers:

My teasers this week are from the Royal Ranger, the twelfth book in John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series. It claims to be the last, which  makes me sad, but then again, the last two books in the series said the same, so we'll see what actually happens!

1.
     "What does she do in the forest?" Halt asked her.
     "She tracks animals. And she hunts."
     "Is she any good?"
     Cassandra shrugged uncertainly. Horace answered before he could stop to think.
     "Apparently yes. She never comes back empty-handed. But she gives the game to the castle guards."
             -pg 39

2.
     "He fell on his knife. He's dead." the steward said. He looked up at the Ranger, but saw neither guilt nor regret in his dark eyes.
     "What a shame," said Will Treaty. Then, gathering his cloak around him, he turned and strode from the tent.
             -pg 9

I'm really liking this book so far, despite not being too far in and it being a while since I read the old ones! Also, knowing what I know about the premise of the book, I know it's going to be heartbreaking. Still, I must press on, because I need more of Will's story.

What are you reading this week? Leave us your TT links, or just some quotes!

-Mag

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Okay, may I start by saying: this book. This BOOK, man. I’m not quite sure what else I can say.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Released September 10th, 2013
Source of my copy: Gift

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.
A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. 

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . . 

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. 

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. 

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to. 

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? 

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? 

Writing her own stories? 

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

--- 

I loved this book. I loved the concept. I loved the touch of college life (That’s next year for me. Who’s scared? Ha. Ha.), the pieces of Simon Snow, the world of fanfiction. Having delved a bit into fic myself, it was really fun to see it brought out in a novel—akin to Jennifer L Armentrout’s book-blogging MC Katy in the Lux series.

Moving beyond that, I absolutely loved the characters. They were lovely, and yet they were flawed. Extremely so. Cath is smart and loyal and supportive, but she can also be cowardly and a bit selfish. Wren, at first glance, seems reckless and hurtful and self-centered—and she is, but she also cares about her sister a lot and is just looking for her own identity, if in the wrong places. You have Reagan, standoffish but always there to lend a helping hand to a struggling freshman or friend; Nick, who’s sweet and fun but focused on his own needs; and Levi, who is kind and friendly, but who isn’t perfect and certainly isn’t above making mistakes. That’s without even getting into the cans of worms that are Cather and Wren’s parents. (I will say, however, that I approve of their choices in twin names.)

As mentioned above, one of the most interesting parts of this book was the Simon Snow snippets and fanfiction. Before I read Fangirl, I saw a lot of people complaining about these drifts from the main story, and many reviewers admitting they skimmed or even skipped these. Though they could be a bit annoying or confusing at times, however, they ended up being one of my favorite parts. I found myself irritated when a Simon Snow chapter or a Carry On, Simon update interrupted Cath’s story, but as soon as she tried to reclaim my attention I was dying to know what happened to Simon and Baz. The way Simon Snow’s world (both canon and fanon) intertwined with and complemented Cather’s story added a new layer to the story that I absolutely adored.

Overall, I just found the story gorgeous. Rainbow Rowell’s writing is interesting and lovely, the story was fresh and interesting, the characters were relatable and real, and the book was, in my eyes, quite near perfection. Since finishing Fangirl I read Rowell’s novel Attachments and loved it as well, so I can’t wait to check out more from her!

Altogether, Fangirl absolutely gets <*><*><*><*><*>

~Mag

Review: Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Well, I’ve finally entered my Austen phase (maybe 5 or 6 years late) thanks in no small part to the delightful Pride and Prejudice modernization webseries—the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. (Really, if you haven’t, you should check it out. It’s amazing.) My love for LBD inspired me to pick back up P&P, which I had previously tried and failed to get into. This time, though, I did. Soon after, craving more of Lizzy and Darcy and the hate-you-love-you trope they do so well, I turned to book modernizations.

Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
Released January 4, 2011
Source of my copy: Library

From the much-buzzed-about author of THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB (already blurbed by Stephenie Meyer, Lauren Myracle, and Jen Calonita), a prom-season delight of Jane Austen proportions. 

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date. 

After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn't interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be - especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London. 

Lizzie is happy about her friend's burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles's friend, Will Darcy, who's snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn't seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it's because her family doesn't have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk - so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

-Goodreads-

--- 

The P&P retellings I read first were nice, but I haven’t  found one I like so much as Prom and Prejudice. It’s a cute, class story that captured the original characters and plot nicely while still keeping them fresh, and keeping me up way too late reading.

A big problem I’ve found with P&P modern adaptions (print and otherwise) is flopped attempt at Pride and Prejudice style speech and/or direct quotes coming out stilted or out of character for modern teens. Elizabeth Eulberg nearly fell into this a few times, but overall I didn’t find the dialogue especially cringe-worthy, even when it directly reflected the original text.

But on to the most important part: the characters. In a modernization of a classic novel, the characters are vital. We need to be able to see the characters we know and already love shine through in a new environment, yet they need to stand on their own. Eulberg captured a nice balance. The same goes for the plot, which needed to and did reflect Pride and Prejudice while making sense within a modern context. I loved guessing and seeing how each character and plot point would come through.

To finish, Darcy and Lizzie. Obviously, they ought to be perhaps the most wonderful part of the story, and I think they were. Sometimes I could be, as I always am, a bit frustrated by the stubborn and blind dislike between them (or maybe just on Lizzie’s side)—but hey, no one ever claimed they were perfect. Either way, I could understand where they were coming from; Lizzie had been required to get by without much extra cash, not to mention was tormented by the “upper class” and was reasonably mistrustful of money as a fix-it-all solution or as a no-strings-attached gift. On the other hand, Darcy had been taken advantage of and burned for his trust and helpfulness to those who had less than him, and reacted accordingly.

In the end, though, it’ll work out…won’t it?

Overall, Prom and Prejudice was a lovely story that’s great if you’re looking for a light, mostly happy read that will keep you reading and caring, whether you’re a P&P fan or not.

<*><*><*><*><*>

~Mag