Let's Play Tag!

Since I was tagged by The Book Faerie, it's now my turn to tag some other bloggers! Thanks, by the way!

THE RULES

1. You must post the rules.
2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
3. Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
4. Let them know you’ve tagged them!

Here are the questions The Book Faerie gave me:

1. What is your favourite 2012 read so far? Ooh, that's pretty impossible, because I read a lot of great books all the time. I'm going to go with either Fateful by Claudia Gray or Need by Carrie Jones.
2. What is your most awaited sequel of 2012? Oh my gosh. Without a doubt Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I can't wait for that!
3. What book can you read over and over again and never get tired of? Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. It's not often that I can finish a book and immediately flip back to the beginning and start again. Twice. But AFK is one of those :)
4. Favourite book to movie or TV show adaptation? Which one? Usually I'm nervous about movie adaptions of books, because I'm very particular about staying true to the books. I read the Avalon High book after I saw the movie, but I liked the movie better. And of course, the Harry Potter movies are always fantastic.
5. Do you have a reading ritual? Something you do before/after/while your reading? Not really. Well, sometimes when I finish a book I'll go back and reread my favorite scenes. Usually romance ones :)
6. Top 5 hottest male characters? Could you have asked a more IMPOSSIBLE question? Gahhh. Tod from Soul Screamers, Zachary from SHADE, Four from Divergent, Will from Infernal Devices, Fang from Maximum Ride. Plus six thousand others.
7. First book you ever remember reading? I've been reading for so long I have no clue. But I do have a really vivid memory of reading Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Clearly during quiet reading in first grade :)
8. Favourite classic? Little Women by Lousia Alcott
9. Zombies or unicorns? Why? Neither is my favorite, but I'm going to go with Zombies. 
10. Vampires or werewolves? Why? Werewolves, for several reasons. A) Vampires are kinda overdone these days. B) A werewolf could rip a vampires head off. Think about it: Bloodsucking demon or giant vicious wolf? C) They're just AWESOME. They turn into WOLVES. And most importantly D) Derek Souza from the Darkest Powers series, Nick Colt from the Need series, Alec Marlowe from Fateful, Jacob Black from Twilight...need I go on? WEREWOLVES ARE HOT.
11. Any awesome books you've read recently and would recommend? Oh my gosh yes. Enclave by Ann Aguirre. The Touch series by Laurie Faria Stolarz. The SHADE series by Jeri Smith-Ready. Haunting Violet by Alyxandria Harvey. I could recommend books for hours straight. Seriously, if you want recommendations let me know and I'll be happy to oblige :)

Okay, now it's time for me to pick some bloggers!

1. Smiling_ina @ Smiling_ina's little corner

2. Ella @ Musings in Ink

3. Jaskirat @ SeeitORreadit

4. Anna @ Literary Exploration

5. Kary @ The Once and Future Librarian

6. Andrea @ The Overstuffed Bookcase

7. Shellie @ Creative Reads

8. Amy N. @ Obsessions of a Bookaholic

9. Jennifer @ Some Like It Paranormal

10. Sam @ Realm of Fiction

11. Shawna @ Dreaming in the Pages

Tag! You guys are it! Here are the questions for you to answer:

1. Who is the author you own the most books by?

2. If you meet ANY author, who would you pick?

3. What book have you reread the most times?

4. What is your favorite book genre?

5. Do you ever listen to music while you're reading?

6. Who is your favorite character from any book?

7. If you could meet (and be friends with!) any character from any book in real life, who would you choose?

8. Five books that made you laugh?

9. Five books with the hottest guys?

10. How many books do you read in the average week?

11. And now for the most impossible question ever: If you had to pick ONE BOOK, what would you say your favorite is (at least, as of right now)?

I'm looking forward to see all of your answers! :)

(:D)

~Mag

In My Mailbox (2/19/12)

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren for talking about what you got in your mailbox each week!

Here's the info on it, copied from The Story Siren.

How IMM works:

1. Make your own IMM post! I post every week, but you don’t have to. You can do one week out of the month or every other week it’s up to you. Be sure to link back to The Story Siren blog, so that other people wanting to participate know where to get the information to do so!

1. I post my IMM on Sunday, but choose a day of the week that works for you.

1. Once you have your IMM posted, come back to The Story Siren on Sunday and add your link to the list.

1. Try to post a comment on other bloggers IMM posts. I don’t expect you to post a comment on every single one, but pick a few!

1. All book bloggers are welcome, while I’d like to keep the theme to YA literature it’s NOT a requirement.

IN MY ACTUAL MAILBOX

-This week I received a copy of Someone Else's Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts for review, so look for that coming soon!

-I also got some lovely bookmarks from Rachel over at Fiktshun! 

FROM THE LIBRARY

-If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I've heard lots of good things about this one. It's next on my TBR list.

-Deadly Little Lies by Laurie Faria Stolarz. I've already read and loved this one! Can't wait to check out the next one.

-Pulling Princes by Tyne O'Connell. My sister found this one for me. It sounds pretty funny, so...

-Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake. This one looks creepy. I'm excited. ;)

Please excuse the glare on the picture!

So, what's in your mailbox this week?

(:D)

~Mag

Novels 'n' Notes #5: Is Anybody Out There by The Downtown Fiction

Novels 'n' Notes is a weekly event I created here at Geek Chic to talk about songs that remind me of books. Feel free to make your own NN post! Just grab the logo (below) and link your post here so I can see it!

Is Anybody Out There by The Downtown Fiction: Ky Markham and Cassia Reyes from Crossed by Ally Condie

*Some Matched spoilers*

The Downtown Fiction is one of my all-time favorite bands, and as soon as I heard this song, I started thinking about Ky and Cassia and Matched and Crossed--but mostly Ky and Crossed.

-"He stands alone, conforming on his own. He's thinking but he does not speak."

Ky, at the Outer Provinces. Ky has always been a very introverted person, and even though he's quiet on the outside, compliant, inside he's full of thoughts and ideas.

-"But she is what he truly seeks, but she is what he truly seeks..."

Ky is looking for Cassia. He'd do anything to find her. 

-"Hey, is anybody out there? I'm reaching out. Hey, is anybody out there? I'm coming down. Hey, is anybody out there? I'm freaking out, I'm freaking out..."

Ky is looking for Cassia. Cassia is looking for Ky. Cassia is looking for the Rising. And both of them are out in the open expanse of desert, where there's basically NOTHING. 


Below, you can listen to Is Anybody Out There? and make your own opinions.

Please note that I do not own this song, the lyrics, or anything related to The Downtown Fiction or Is Anybody Out There?. I also did not post this video, nor am I affiliated with "SleeplessNights7365", who did. *Insert other legal stuff here.*

So, what do you think? Does Is Anybody Out There? make you think of Crossed? What other songs make you think of books?

You can tell me in the comments or your own NN post!

(:D)
~Mag

Review: Entice by Carrie Jones

After reading Need (with an ending that made me happy) and Captivate (with an ending that made me freak out) I knew I needed to read Entice ASAP. So I did :)

*DO NOT READ THIS SYNOPSIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE FIRST TWO BOOKS IN THE SERIES! IT IS SO SUPER SPOILERY, SERIOUSLY!!!*

Entice by Carrie Jones

Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever.
But that's not quite how things have worked out.

For starters, well, Nick is dead.
Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla?

And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't just turned...she's Astley's queen.

------

Let me tell you, folks, Carrie Jones has done the impossible. She has created a love triangle that has me absolutely stumped.

It's no secret that love triangles annoy me. There are some books that I love (The Darkest Powers series, A Beautiful Dark, Hex Hall) that have love triangles, and there are other books that I love (Matched, The Infernal Devices series, SHADE) in which love triangles are major parts of the books, but in general, I despise love triangles, because it seems to me that they are simply overdone. That's why I appreciate a good, love-triangle-less book.

When I first read Need, I was head over heels for Nick. He was the most perfect guy ever, and I loved him. I still do. That's why I was frustrated when Astley entered the picture, because I was so glad to have a book where the heroine and hero could just be together without the complication of another guy. So, throughout Captivate, I made myself hate Astley. But afterward, the more I thought about it, the more I wondered if maybe he wasn't that bad after all.

Then onto Entice. Without Nick there, and WITH Astley there, I remembered that I loved Nick and why, but I also found myself starting to like Astley, too.

And there lies the problem, because for possibly the first time EVER, I can't choose between two boys in a love triangle. I have absolutely no clue which boy I like better, never mind which one I think Zara should or will end up with. 

I don't think this has ever happened before. I love Tod from Soul Screamers, Will from Infernal Devices, Ky from Matched, Zachary from SHADE, Derek from Darkest Powers. But I don't know if I like Nick or Astley better. AND THAT IS FREAKING ME OUT.

So props to you, Carrie Jones. You broke my brain! (:D)

Moving along from the love triangle for a moment, some other things I loved:

-The chapter heads. Those news reports, Twitter updates and blog posts? Hilarious.

-The reference to "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by the Charlie Daniels band, which is one of my favorite songs from when I was little.

-The reference to Rick Astley. Because that did not even connect in my brain, and now "Never Gonna Give You Up" is stuck in my brain for all of eternity.

Some things I didn't love:

-That this book broke my heart. That is all. It is tragic.

Altogether, I give this book <*><*><*><*><*>

(:D)

~Mag

Cover Reveal: Gravity by Melissa West

CHECK THIS OUT:

Gravity by Melissa West

 

In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed—arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention.  She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know—especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.

 

------

Doesn't that sound awesome? Gravity will be released in October and I, personally, can't wait! What do you think?

(:D)

~Mag

Waiting on Wednesday: Insurgent

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. Today, my pick under the category "OMGosh I want this book in my hands like twelve seconds ago" is the sequel to the fantastic book Divergent by Veronica Roth: Insurgent.

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh. I LOOOOVED Divergent! That book rocked like...an avalanche. (Get it? An avalanche is like...rocks. I know, I know, I'm great at awful puns. Please forgive me. ;D) If you haven't read Divergent, you have absolutely NO IDEA what you're missing! It had action! Adventure! Bravery! Excitement! AND FOUR! No, silly, not the number, the PERSON! And he's awesome. Don't take my word for it! Read Divergent, and then you'll be going crazy waiting for Insurgent, too! Plus, check out that pretty countdown widget -->

(:D)
~Mag

Derek Souza is Awesome

Hey there! I don't know if you guys have been keeping up with the awesome Valentine's Event being hosted by Brodie at Eleusinian Mysteries of Reading and Lisa at Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me, but it is TOTALLY awesome.

Today is the last day of the Love Triangle Debates, and I was lucky enough to be able to write a post for DEREK SOUZA, from the Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong. I won't go into depth about WHY that was so fun and easy, because you should just go read the post! Click right HERE.

So go vote for Derek! Well, of course, you should read both posts and vote for Simon if you really want to but then I'll have to come after you be really sad. (;D) Okay, just kidding. But seriously.

VOTE!

(:D)

~Mag