photo by William D. Moss

"That's what it takes to be a hero, a little gem of innocence inside you that makes you want to believe that there still exists a right and wrong, that decency will somehow triumph in the end."



Lise Hand

Dream - online book giveaways!

Online book giveaways! Book lovers can get new book releases for free if they share the book on Facebook & Twitter and write a short review. Dream enables authors and publishers to giveaway promotional copies of upcoming book releases.
 
Sign up HERE:

How many books do you read at a time?

Harry Potter Cast - Sum Up The Experience in One Word

Empire  posted this clip with the cast of

Harry Potter describing HP in one word.

(grab a tissue)

 
What is your one word to describe Harry Potter?
UNFORGETTABLE

Armchair BEA: Belated Blogger Interview

Blogger interviews were suppose be done on Wednesday. Yup I am a little behind but wanted to post anyway. I am very happy to introduce you to the lovely Kristi who runs the Peetswea blog. I hope you enjoy getting to know Kristi as much as I have.

1) Tell us a little about yourself.


I am a wife of 10 years to a wonderful man, and a mom to a beautiful little girl who is almost six years old. I work full time as a project manager in IT. In my free time, I love to read, cook and even sew a little bit when I have a few spare hours. Our family moved last summer from Central Florida to Northern Virginia, so I'm adjusting to all the life changes that come with a big move.


2) How did you come up with the name peetswea?

My husband gave me the nickname when we were dating - it's a mixed up version of sweet pea. I thought that it summed me up pretty well!


3) What do you love most about book blogging?

I love writing about the books that I've read and being able to share my thoughts with other people. My blog started as a random collection of thoughts, but has evolved over the past year to focus primarily on books.


4) What is your favorite genre to read?

My favorite is historical fiction. I was a Political Science major in college, so I enjoy tapping into my history-loving brain. I also like mainstream fiction and dabble a bit with memoirs and non-fiction.


5) Do you prefer print books or ebooks?

I like both. This past year I have been using my Kindle more frequently, because it's easier to pack lots of books when I travel for work. Nothing will ever replace print books though - there is something about the smell and feel that is heavenly to me!


6) What is the best book you have read this year?

Right now it's a tie between The Four Ms. Bradwells by Meg Waite Clayton and Exit the Actress by Priya Parmar.


7) What author would you most love to meet?

I would love to meet Ken Follett. His novel The Pillars of the Earth has been my favorite for years. I saw him speak in September at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. and would love to get some insight into what he has coming up.


8) You mention on your blog that you love to cook and like cookbooks. Do you have a favorite cookbook or recipe?

My favorite cookbook, by far, is the Cooks Illustrated Magazine's The New Best Recipe Cookbook. The chefs test recipes over and over until they get the right formula. I've yet to find a recipe in that cookbook that I didn't love.


9) You are a loving wife, mommy, blogger AND career woman! I always marvel at the unique balance book bloggers have between life and blogging. How do you find time to get everything done and read too?

That's funny - most of the time I feel like I'm not getting everything done! Reading has become an escape for me. When I find that I am getting stressed about work or home, I dive into a book. Blogging is very similar in that way. You'll always be able to tell when I am having a hard time balancing too many things - unfortunately, my posting frequency goes way down!


10) What is your favorite thing to read on other blogs? (reviews, personal info, memes)

I get most of my book recommendations by reading reviews on other blogs, but I also enjoy stories that book bloggers share about their lives or their interaction with books.


11) What have you enjoyed most about armchair BEA?

On the first day of BEA I asked commenter's to tell me about their favorite book in 2011 - I have loved seeing the recommendations. I know that everyone says this, but I think that Armchair BEA has been a great way for me to meet new book bloggers. It's always fun to find new and interesting perspectives.


12) Do you plan on attending BEA or is the Armchair perfect for you?

I think that this year, Armchair BEA was perfect for me, but I would love to have the opportunity to attend BEA in person one year in the future. I hope that it works out!
 
Thank you Kristi for letting me interview you!

Utah Festival of Books - Utah Author Events

 Utah Festival of Books
(information from utahfestivalofbooks.com)

Welcome Readers!

Come join us at the Utah Festival of Books Saturday, June 4th, 2011 on Brigham Square adjacent to the Wilkinson Center at BYU! This is a FREE event! Fans of literature from throughout the state will be celebrating the beauty and power of the written word while enjoying a venue of wholesome entertainment for the entire family. The fun includes author signings, performances, booths, literacy activities, guest speakers, food and more! Mark your calendar today
The Utah Festival of Books is proud to support the Read Today literacy program. We invite you to help children’s literacy by attending the Festival and by encouraging children to read today!

Festival Authors

June 4th: Authors & Artists
•James Dashner
•Ally Condie
•Kiersten White
•Brandon Mull
•Kristen Landon
•Doug Thayer
•Jessica Day George
•Paige Shelton
•Kristin Randle
•Aprilynne Pike
•Ann Cannon
•Rick Walton
•Kristen Chandler
•Jeff Savage
•Ann Dee Ellis
•Julie Olsen
•Tracy Hickman
•Sara Zarr
•Dave Wolverton
•Aaron Hawkins
•many more check back for details

Find more information here: 

What I'm Reading and L♥ving

Rachel Caine's UNDONE

A brand new series from the author of the weather warden NOVEL S, WHO’S AS “Swift, sassy, and sexy as Laurell K. Hamilton.” (Mary Jo Putney)Once she was Cassiel, a Djinn of limitless power. Now, she has been reshaped in human flesh as punishment for defying her master—and living among the Weather Wardens, whose power she must tap into regularly or she will die. And as she copes with the emotions and frailties of her human condition, a malevolent entity threatens her new existence...

Blogger Comment Drama

Is anyone else having problems leaving comments? Blogger keeps telling me I need to sign in, but I am signed in. I have checked my cookies and javascript and everyhting is set correctly.

Any tips?

Oh, I guess if you are having a difficult time leaving a comment you wouldn't be able to comment and tell me would ya? You can email me at   kjovus at gmail dot com

Thanks
Jennifer

I am loving armchair BEA.

You book bloggers are even more amazing than I had previously thought!
You are fun people!
This get to know you day has felt like a big party and I am mingling with such cool people. I want to make it to everyone’s links from the Armchair website but am feeling overwhelmed - there are like 298 of you! Don't worry, I will get there, probably after Wednesday - but it will happen. In the meantime, thank you for making this book blogging community feel more like a big book blogging family.
You are all awesome!
x <3 x <3
Jennifer

Who are you, and how do you Armchair?

Hi! I am Jennifer, a book obsessing stay at home mom. I have had so much fun reading everyone’s introduction post this morning and hope that you all are having a good time too!

Some Randomness about me:

I have been married 12 years, have two beautiful adopted children (age 4 and 3) and a black lab named Sadie the smiling dog.

In those 12 years of marriage I have never had a dishwasher.

I went a year without a microwave just to see if I could do it. After getting a new microwave I wondered what the heck I was thinking - microwaves are a luxury. My new adventure is no cable TV. It’s going great so far, I now have more reading time. :D

I shoot guns and shoot them competitively. For the sake of nothing to do I entered a pistol shooting competition with my husband. I was the only women out of 55 competitors. I won the competition and ticked off a lot of men in the process while creating quite a cheering squad for the upcoming shooting events. (I had more fun watching the reactions of everyone than winning!)

I read young adult, paranormal and urban fantasy books. I have been blogging since July 2010 and have enjoyed every minute of it. I am actually quite shy and find myself lurking around blogs more than commenting, but I am trying hard to change that. It’s been fun getting to know everyone today with their “all about me post” and I look forword to getting to know you better.

I will be partcipating from my lazy boy, probably with a kid perched on each armrest and a dog keeping my feet warm in this nasty wet Utah weather. I hope that ya’all have a great week participating in Armchair BEA! I know I will.

Survey Saturday

zombie apocalypse -

I stumbled upon this news article today on foxnews.com. This was not written by me - but after reading it there are a few staples missing from my emergency kit. ;)

CDC Warns Public to Prepare for 'Zombie Apocalypse'


By Joshua Rhett Miller
Published May 18, 2011
FoxNews.com


"Are you prepared for the impending zombie invasion?
That's the question posed by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention in a Monday blog posting gruesomely titled, "Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse." And while it's no joke, CDC officials say it's all about emergency preparation.


"There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for," the posting reads. "Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That's right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you'll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you'll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency."


The post, written by Assistant Surgeon General Ali Khan, instructs readers how to prepare for "flesh-eating zombies" much like how they appeared in Hollywood hits like "Night of the Living Dead" and video games like Resident Evil. Perhaps surprisingly, the same steps you'd take in preparation for an onslaught of ravenous monsters are similar to those suggested in advance of a hurricane or pandemic.


"First of all, you should have an emergency kit in your house," the posting continues. "This includes things like water, food, and other supplies to get you through the first couple of days before you can locate a zombie-free refugee camp (or in the event of a natural disaster, it will buy you some time until you are able to make your way to an evacuation shelter or utility lines are restored)."


Other items to be stashed in such a kit include medications, duct tape, a battery-powered radio, clothes, copies of important documents and first aid supplies.



"Once you've made your emergency kit, you should sit down with your family and come up with an emergency plan," the posting continues. "This includes where you would go and who you would call if zombies started appearing outside your doorstep. You can also implement this plan if there is a flood, earthquake or other emergency."

The idea behind the campaign stemmed from concerns of radiation fears following the earthquake and tsunami that rocked Japan in March. CDC spokesman Dave Daigle told FoxNews.com that someone had asked CDC officials if zombies would be a concern due to radiation fears in Japan and traffic spiked following that mention.


"It's kind of a tongue-in-cheek campaign," Daigle said Wednesday. "We were talking about hurricane preparedness and someone bemoaned that we kept putting out the same messages."


While metrics for the post are not yet available, Daigle said it has become the most popular CDC blog entry in just two days.


"People are so tuned into zombies," he said. "People are really dialed in on zombies. The idea is we're reaching an audience or a segment we'd never reach with typical messages." "

Lindsey Leavitt - Utah Author Event May 21

Saturday, May 21, 4 p.m. @ The Kings English in Salt Lake City Utah, (information from The Kings English Website)

Lindsey Leavitt, author of the Princess For Hire series, will read from and sign her two new novels for young adults, Sean Griswold's Head and The Royal Treatment. Desi Bascomb's job as a princess substitute has just gotten a whole lot more glamorous...

The King's English Bookshop

1511 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, Utah 84105
801-484-9100

 

According to her guidance counselor, fifteen-year-old Payton Gritas needs a focus object-an item to concentrate her emotions on. It's supposed to be something inanimate, but Payton decides to use the thing she stares at during class: Sean Griswold's head. They've been linked since third grade (Griswold-Gritas-it's an alphabetical order thing), but she's never really known him.

The focus object is intended to help Payton deal with her father's newly diagnosed multiple sclerosis. And it's working. With the help of her boy-crazy best friend Jac, Payton starts stalking-er, focusing on-Sean Griswold . . . all of him! He's cute, he shares her Seinfeld obsession (nobody else gets it!) and he may have a secret or two of his own.

In this sweet story of first love, Lindsey Leavitt seamlessly balances heartfelt family moments, spot-on sarcastic humor, and a budding young romance.

Books That Have Changed My Life

As a child my parents would tuck me in and sit by my bed reading to me until I fell asleep every night. The soothing rhythm of their voices reading my favorite adventure insured a deep rooted love of reading as well as an invaluable trust and love towards my parents.

Now as I read to my own children I ponder the impact the stories will have on their lives. I hope I give them the same sense of security my parents gave me, while I spend time with them doing something we both love, reading.

My friends and family all know that I am a connoisseur of books. Because of this reputation I have many recommendation requests wanting to know what my favorite book is. They don’t understand that asking me this is like asking me which child I love more, my son or daughter. It’s impossible to say, or depending on the day and moment I might change my mind favoring one or the other. Truly, I have a favorite book in each genre I read.

While contemplating the statement “Books that have changed my life”, I feel the same sentiment; I cannot choose just one book because they have all impacted my life. Each story affects me (and others) differently. Even the simplest books can be used as education tools giving me as a parent, wife, mother and individual the opportunity to discuss humorous stories, morals, ethics and values.

The love of reading isn’t pure entertainment at our house. Every book I read is entered into a reading journal. I write down my thoughts on the book as well as my favorite lines and reflect on them periodically. One of the most quoted books at our house is Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone. So many life lessons are hidden on the pages of the wizarding world. Dumbledore teaches Harry mercy, a subject that is probably not discussed in many classrooms or homes. Self worth is simply put when Dumbledore tells Harry that “It is not our abilities that determine who we are, it is our choices.” And finally the value of friendship “There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.”

Two years ago I was laid off of my full time job. In the sorrow and despair of this loss I found comfort and escape in books. I would check out audio books from the library and send them to work with my dyslexic husband. I in turn would read the print copy and when we each finished the book we would discuss the story. Because of my husbands reading disability he has never had much interest, entertainment or confidence with reading. Now he too is a book connoisseur, ready and willing to discuss classic literature and current New York Best Sellers books.

At this point in my life a better question for me would be “How will books change my life?” In the future, I can only see positive outcome for me and my family when it comes to reading books. Together we can sail the high seas, wrestle crocodiles, ride a broom and feel the thrill of first loves, loss and friendships. We can revisit unfavorable social issues in the worlds past in hopes that we do not repeat the mistakes of our forefathers. We can humorously read books that predict the future and discuss the accuracy of said prediction. We will fight zombies, ride horses, kung fu fight and fly to the moon. We will have adventures, solidify our relationships with time spent together and develop a sense of empathy for others when we read books. My hope is that with books, we can change the world and make it a better place – for the world is truly better because of books and those that love them.

***What book has changed your life?***

What I'm Reading and L♥ving

Sometimes playing cat and mouse is no game.
Play? Right. My Pride is under fire from all sides, my father's authority is in question and my lover is in exile. Which means I haven't laid eyes on Marc's gorgeous face in months. And with a new mother and an I-know-everything teenager under my protection, I don't exactly have time to fantasize about ever seeing him again.
Then our long-awaited reunion is ruined by a vicious ambush by strays. Now our group is under attack, Marc is missing and I will need every bit of skill and smarts to keep my family from being torn apart. Forever.

* Photo and blurb from Barnsandnoble.com

Book Review: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
(product details, blurb and photo are from barnesandnoble.com)

Product Details
Pub. Date: March 2007
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Format: Mass Market Paperback , 272pp
Sales Rank: 36,155
Series: Kate Daniels Series , #1
ISBN-13: 9780441014897

Synopsis:
Mercenary Kate Daniels cleans up urban problems of a paranormal kind. But her latest prey, a pack of undead warriors, presents her greatest challenge.

My Thoughts:
My attention to Ilona Andrews Kate Daniels series began because of a random note from Amazon recommending the series based on books I have previously purchased. I never really trust Amazon recommendations but I noticed that the first book, Magic Bites had a 5 star rating. So I scrolled through the reviews and noticed some book bloggers reviews and decided to check out the reviews on the websites of those BB’s that I trust. The reviews were ALL positive! And who says book bloggers don’t sell books? (People that don’t read book blogs maybe?)
Magic Bites, the Kate Daniels series is a new standard in which I will judge paranormal urban fantasy. The story has everything I like, mystery, a strong independent and likable (and relatable) female warrior/character that has a sense of responsibility to the world and her. She respects who she is and those around her. Takes pride in her work and does her best to make good choices. While she is a little impulsive, a key ingredient to an excellent heroine, I find that those impulsive choices are most likely ones I would make in the same situation, the choice to help others.
I walk a fine line reading adult paranormal and urban fantasy books. I never know if our heroine will jump into bed with the first stranger or first five strangers she meets. Kate Daniels is not that girl. As hard as Kate try’s to keep herself distanced from caring about people, she seems drawn to Curran the Alpha of the local shifters pack. The emotional and sexual tension with Curran is playful and intense at the same time. I never know if she is going to punch him in the face and I find myself wanting her to just smack him with a kiss instead.

Magic Bites is exciting, surprising and intense. It is set in a future time where Magic exists publicly. The Kate Daniels series is unlike anything I have ever read and I loved every moment of it!
Would I buy this book? HECK YEAH!

Would I read it again? HECK YEAH!

Would I recommend it to my teen? YES, and my neighbor, sister, mother, strangers....

< 3 Forever Trailer < 3

There are two books that set me on the path to book blogger, insane book collector; all I talk about is books and book obsessions. One of them is Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Admittedly, I judged a book by its cover and won with Shiver. Yes the blurb turned me on too, but the cover is breathtaking, all the more beautiful because the author created it.

Forever the last book in the Shiver trilogy will be out this summer. I am both excited and sad when one of my favorite series comes to a close. Knowing the fate of Sam, Grace and Cole will settle my Shiver "what ifs" but I will, like many other books, miss the characters and the story they share. Lucky for me I can revisit Sam and Grace any time I want to.

For now, check out Maggie's Forever video. Yes she writes music, writes stories and painstakingly cuts out wolves, leaves, trees and then does still shots to make the video. I am glad she shares her talents with the world. – because Maggie has made my world a better place. <3

Buy Forever here: http://www.fountainbookstore.com/autograph-maggie.

Utah Author Event - Sarah Dessen

Sarah Dessen will be at The Kings English tonight @7 p.m.  in SLC Utah to promote her book What Happened To Goodbye.

The Kings English
1511 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City,
Utah
84105

Friday, May 13, 7 p.m.

Meet the amazing Sarah Dessen!

Sarah will read from and sign her new young adult novel, What Happened to Goodbye.

Award-winning author of Someone Like You, Dreamland and the New York Times bestselling Along for the Ride, Dessen has done it again, another book you don't want to miss.

UPDATE:

This event is free and open to the public; the doors will open at 6:30 for general admission seating. Signing line tickets (also free) will be available at the door.

*ALL INFORMATION LISTED IS FROM THE KINGS ENGLISH WEBSITE.

Sarah Dessen - Utah Author Event

May 13 2011 7:00 pm

The Kings English

1511 South 1500 East

Salt Lake City,
Meet the amazing Sarah Dessen!

Sarah will read from and sign her new young adult novel, What Happened to Goodbye.

Award-winning author of Someone Like You, Dreamland and the New York Times bestselling Along for the Ride, Dessen has done it again, another book you don't want to miss.

UPDATE:

This event is free and open to the public; the doors will open at 6:30 for general admission seating. Signing line tickets (also free) will be available at the door.

Curse you cursor, you keep staring at me and blinking on and off. My mind is a flood of thoughts but is too erratic to funnel into one singular thought.


Bear with me; I am sure the bloggers block will be over soon.