Feature and Follow Friday (8)

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

Q:  Jumping Genres: Ever pick up a book from a genre you usually don't like and LOVE it? Tell us about it and why you picked it up in the first place?

A: Love this question, this definitely happens with me from time to time.  I usually am not huge on contemporaries, I'll read them but they aren't my first pick.  But I recently read "What I Didn't Say" by Keary Taylor and it was so good that I'm reconsidering and thinking about giving contemporaries a higher consideration on my shelves.

Feature and Follow Friday (7) and TGIF (3)

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

Q: Who is best father figure in a book you have read and why?

A: I feel like there are a lot more great dads in books than moms so you would think this would be easy but no such luck.  I had a really hard time with this one too.  Here's what I came up with...

1. The King - Entwined:  Okay, at first he's not the best parent in the world but I really love how his relationships with his daughters develops toward the end of the book.  Huge Aww-factor there.

2. Carlisle and Charlie in Twilight - I mean seriously.  They are both so perfect in their own ways.

That's it, all I could come up with.  Let me know what you got below and make sure to follow via GFC and Facebook!

TGIF is a weekly blog hop hosted by GReads.  It helps bloggers gain exposure and it gives us all one more thing to talk about on Fridays!

Q: Most Valuable Book: From your personal collection of books, which ones hold the most value to you - is it signed by the author? or maybe it's your favorite story of all time? Share it with us.

A:  My favorite is a very early edition of Longfellow's collected poems.  It was one of my grandfather's favorite books and we used to read it when I was little.  He gave it to me before he passed away.  I love poetry and antique books so with the sentimental value added in it's pretty much priceless to me.

Feature and Follow Friday (6) and TGIF (2)

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

Q:You're a matchmaker—your goal, hook up two characters from two of your favorite books. Who would it be? How do you think it would go?

A: Hmm this is a hard one. Can one be a TV show? Dean from Supernatural and Evie from Paranormally would be an awesome match.  Oh the snappy  comebacks that would ensue.  They are both pretty similar, they are brave and loyal, but also snarky and like to have a good time.  Maybe they could have rollie-chair races down the halls of the Center together :)

TGIF is a weekly blog hop hosted by GReads.  It helps bloggers gain exposure and it gives us all one more thing to talk about on Fridays!

Q:  Issue Books: Which books have you found to be very rewarding when it comes to tackling tougher issues? 

A:  Oh gosh, I'm really going to dig into the past with this one, and maybe it's cliche but I really would have to say Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl.  For countless children the subject of the holocaust was made real and approachable by the words of Anne Frank.  Just a child, she endured the unthinkable with grace, courage and outspokenness and created what is, to this day, one of the most beautiful and tragic pieces of modern literature the world has seen.  Reading this book as a kid both shattered my view of the world and drove me to try and understand why evil people act the way they do and how we, as human beings, can, even in the most dire of circumstances persevere and do good for one another.  

"I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are still truly good at heart." ~ Anne Frank

Feature and Follow Friday (5) and TGIF (1)

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

Q: Summer Break is upon us! What would be the perfect vacation spot for you to catch up on your reading & relax?

A: I would love to have a beach house somewhere on the the East Coast, preferably Maine or North Carolina.  I have not actually been to these place, mind you, however I love the idea of a weather-beaten little beach cottage and watching a summer storm come in over the ocean while safe in my little reading nook. Ahhh.  Oh and there would also be coffee...and cookies.  That is all.

TGIF is a weekly blog hop hosted by GReads.  It helps bloggers gain exposure and it gives us all one more thing to talk about on Fridays!

Q: A Book Blogger is Born: What made you decide to start your very own book blog?

A:  First of all, I had annoyed my friends and family to the point of insanity jabbering about books (at least I'm pretty sure I did, they're fairly nice people so no one really said anything) but I still needed an outlet.  I had been reading several YA book blogs for awhile and I really like the community feeling and wanted to become part of it.  That's pretty much it, not to mention all of the great books I've been introduced to through blogging the last couple of months.

Feature and Follow Friday (4)

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.


Q: This Sunday in the U.S. is Mother's Day, in celebration, what are some of your favorite books with strong mother/child relationships?


A: Oh my gosh, I love this question.  I adore my mom, she is my very best friend!  So, naturally I love it when mother-daughter (or son) relationships are highlighted in books.  Here are some of my faves:

• A Great and Terrible Beauty:  Even though Gemma's mother is dead, their connection is so strong.  It literally transcends death!  
• Sweet Evil:  One of the thing that I really liked about this book was Anna's relationship with her adoptive mother Patti.  It was so loving and was a great strength in the book.
• Angela's Ashes:  Okay I know this one sounds weird, but I adore Frank's ability to love his mother and be loyal to her despite her damaged life and poor choices.  In turn she really suffers for her children while still trying to instill a sense of pride in them.
• Little Women:  Oh how I love Mrs. March.  She is so strong and capable and there is such and overpowering love between her and her girls.

Those are the ones that come to mind at the moment.  Let me know what you think in the comments and leave your FF links and please follow me via, GFC, Twitter and FB.

Thanks guys!

Feature and Follow Friday (3)

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

Q: What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?


A: Alison Weir:  I am so glad there is someone out there as obsessed with English history as I am.  Thanks for triggering my life-long obsession with the Tudors and draining my bank account in the process.

Friday Feature and Follow (2)

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

This week's question is:  Have you had a character that disappointed you? One that you fell in love with and then “broke up” with later on in either the series or a stand-alone book? Tell us about him or her.

A:  Lina Broud from The Luxe series.  Yes, another answer from the same series.  It's just so good I can't get it out of my head!  I really liked Lina at first and saw the potential for her to be more than just a shallow, social climber.  I suppose in the end she grew a little but it took so long that by the time she got around to growing up I was totally disgusted with her.  She had so many people throughout the book that really wanted to help her, that wanted her to succeed or that just loved her and she never seemed to get it.  She only cared about herself.  The worst part is that even when she finally had all the money and security she could ever want, she didn't immediately insist that her sister quit her job as a maid and move into the mansion.  I was literally huffing as I was reading the last book during Lina's chapters.  Even though she ends up changing, it was just too late for me. 

Friday Feature and Follow

RULES

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• (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog  Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}
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• Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
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Q: Fight! Fight! If you could have two fictional characters battle it out (preferably from books), who would they be and who do you think would win?  


A:  Penelope Hayes from The Luxe series VS.  Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl!
The whole time I was reading The Luxe series I couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if Blair were plopped down in 1899 Manhattan and had to go up against Penelope.  I think Miss Hayes would definitely be given a run for her money.  However, in the end I think Penelope would win.  She's just more ruthless than Blair and doesn't have the obstacles of compassion or conscience to stand in her way.  You can bet though that they would be (very ladylike of course) frienemies.  The witty banter and catty plotting would be worth it for me!