Friday, September 30, 2011

Now That September Has Come To A Close...

SEPTEMBER WRAP UP 2011


This month I accomplished a lot less than I was hoping, but that's okay! I did finish the Summer Romance Challenge, so that is a plus. AND I broke 300 followers, so that was AWESOME. ^_^ (And Gossip Girl Season 5 started, so that's definitely made of WIN!)

Total # of books read:   5

List of books read...

The Grand Escape by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
That Summer by Sarah Dessen (Summer Romance Challenge)
Garfield Minus Garfield by Jim Davis 
Persuasion by Jane Austen (Summer Romance Challenge)
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Summer Romance Challenge)

List of articles posted...

Pseudonym, Maybe
Misguided Romanticizing Of First Love
Top Ten Things You Find At A Garage Sale
The Parental Dilemma: Put Yourself In Their Place
The Psychology of the Irony of Book Banning

Total # of book reviews:  4

List of book reviews... 

That Summer by Sarah Dessen (09/20/2011)
Heart On A Chain by Cindy C. Bennett (09/13/2011)
The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (09/06/2011)
Persuasion by Jane Austen (09/27/2011)

WHAT TO EXPECT IN OCTOBER

Ah, October. Expect plenty. Um... I have no idea what I'm doing yet! I think it's catch up time to make up for the slacking of September. Don't worry, I'll come up with some fun stuff! I have this list going of book blog and book related stuff that I need to accomplish. Outside of this blog, I will be doing a guest post for somebody mid-October. Keep a lookout, I'll be posting a link to it the day it's up!

~Jessica

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Follow Friday #23



Alright! Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read and is a way for book bloggers to get to know each other better. Just go to their pages and follow the directions, and you'll be making some new friends! Our featured bloggers are the following Starcrossed & The Bookaholic. Congrats to being featured this week! ^_^

Q. What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character? 


A. Oooh, well, I have been wanting to see the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty done, and it will be apparently according to Megan's Facebook page. So... that probably doesn't count. Lol. There are so many I could go with... I still have a soft spot for Madeleine L'Engle's And Both Were Young. It's just so cute and romantic. I love it. It's my go-to extremely sweet romance. Who would I cast as Flip? That's a toughie. I have no idea. Get back to me on that one. :P

Happy Follow Friday!

~Jessica

Update Thursday #26

Update Thursday #26

Welcome to Update Thursday, my own personal meme of sorts where I post an update of the goings on at my blog, with reading, with writing, and beyond. Feel free to borrow the idea from me for your own bookish musings.

~*~
Reading, Writing...

Books I finished this week: 

~Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Summer Romance Challenge)

Books I'm reading now (and some still):
~Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
~Virals by Kathy Reich
~Portal by Imogen Rose
~Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott (Off The Shelf Challenge)

Summer Romance Challenge Progress Link (8 of 8 finished) ~ends 09/30/11 *COMPLETED!!!*
Off The Shelf Reading Challenge Progress Link (1 of 5 finished) ~ends 12/31/11

Finished Summer Romance Challenge!! YAY! Thank goodness, I was getting worried. Onto the next one...

Writing: I added in about 800 words in my rewrite one chapter. It's going alright. I've come up with some nice dialogue ideas to add near the end.

And Otherwise...

CAN YOU BELIEVE I BROKE 300 FOLLOWERS??? I can't! This is thanks to the Banned Books Week Hop Giveaway. It's insane how fast it happened. Apparently a lot of people wanted to participate in my giveaway! Lol. I am so thankful for everyone that has made this possible. THANK YOU ALL! <3

Banned Books Week in general has been pretty awesome. I love the togetherness and the amazing conversations and discussions that it creates. It really gets everyone to think. What does everyone else think of Banned Books Week?

Ah, Gossip Girl premiered on Monday, finally watched it last night. I thought the CW would have had the episode available online like all my other favorite shows do for me... no such luck there! I had to rely on the wonderful copyright infringement folks on You Tube to watch the episode. Sure, they're going to get their accounts deleted, but they saved the day, for now. I'm setting up the VCR next week. The episode: pretty much expected all around. Can't wait to see how it continues!

Anyways... that's about it! Talk more to you guys later. :)

~Jessica

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

The Psychology of the Irony of Book Banning

When a book gets banned, the people who are behind the ban are satisfied. Their children, their friend’s children, their children’s friends--none of them will be exposed to this book at their school library. Usually a book banning generates a good deal of publicity. Newspaper articles, school newspaper articles, online articles, online blog posts, online blog rants, sometimes a local radio or television show video or interview. Pretty much everyone who stays in the know about the news is aware of what happens.

Including the children.

If you tell a child they can’t have a cookie before dinner, that child wants a cookie even more. Sometimes the child may even find a way to sneak a cookie while your back is turned. This even goes for anytime a child shouldn’t have a cookie. For crying out loud, I remember sneaking into the kitchen at midnight to get a cookie out of our cookie jar at least once.

My point being…

Even "big kids" do this, as the picture clearly shows.
You tell a kid a book is bad for them and that kid is going to RUN to the nearest bookstore or library that has it and snatch it up and read it behind your back.

I thought this was quite amusing, since it is very true. I wanted to understand why we get reactions like this. So I Googled it. Apparently it’s called psychological reactance. According to Wikipedia: “Reactance is an emotional reaction in direct contradiction to rules or regulations that threaten or eliminate specific behavioral freedoms.” In other words, people don’t like when other people tell them what they should do or that they can’t have something. Try to control people, and they are bound to rebel eventually.

It's just like on How I Met Your Mother when Barney wanted Robin back:


Ted: You only want her because you can't have her. It's like if I said "You can sit anywhere in this room except... that chair." Are you so petty that...
Barney: My chair! My chair!


If somebody doesn’t want someone to read a book, they should just tell all the kids it’s a REALLY BORING book. Then they might have a little bit more success in getting them to not read it. Although, in what universe will kids ever listen to that either?

I just thought it was interesting that banning books will sometimes have more of a reverse effect. It almost makes the idea of book banning laughable.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Review: Persuasion by Jane Austen

Title: Persuasion
Author: Jane Austen
Summary: Read Goodreads Synopsis
Source: Purchased paperback
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Caution: May contain spoilers


My Thoughts:

Persuasion is one of my favorite movie adaptations in the world. I could watch the Masterpiece Theater version over and over without getting sick of it. That’s how much I love it. Since I had never read a Jane Austen book before, I decided to go with that one for my Summer Romance Challenge. I have to admit it was not easy at first. The very beginning with the details on the family and friends of the family was a struggle to get through. I think the reason why is because I know the story so well from the movie. Once more dialogue came about, it became very enjoyable.

Anne Elliot was once engaged to Frederick Wentworth when she was very young. Since her friend Lady Russell didn’t approve of the match, she persuaded Anne to break off the engagement. Fast forward eight years later. Anne’s father Sir Walter and sister Elizabeth have nearly brought the family to bankruptcy. They have to let the house to someone while they get things back to where it should be financially. The person who takes up residency is Admiral and Mrs. Croft. And guess who happens to be the brother of Mrs. Croft? You guessed it--Frederick, now Captain Wentworth.

So now Anne is forced into being around him often, watching him from afar, imagining him as not wanting anything to do with her. Especially when it seems he is preferring the company of another. As time goes on, he gets to see a different side of her, how selfless she is.  And when it seems he is attentive to her, Mr. Elliot, her cousin, seems to be very interested in Anne. But where does Anne stand? Does she have a chance with Frederick again?

Like I said, this is one of my favorite movie adaptations. Reading the book was like icing on the cake, completely put it all into perspective, getting into the mind of the characters. Jane Austen really is an amazing author. I wish I hadn’t taken so long to read one of her novels. Definitely one of the best classics I’ve read so far.

My Rating:

 Very Good... Stay up late

~Jessica

Monday, September 26, 2011

The Parental Dilemma: Put Yourself In Their Place

Kids may come into contact with "strange" people in books.
Often, books get banned because a parent picks up the book their kid is reading and the content shocks them. I can understand the shock. I think about certain books I’ve read and know that children of certain ages should not be reading them yet. Even though I understand doesn’t mean I condone book banning.

It’s funny, I always had the personal opinion about how I’d handle book reading with my own children. I know a lot about various books, whether from personal reading or synopsis and review reading. All this information is stored in the back of my mind and I have things sorted by category (genre/age group). Take Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White for example. I do know the book pretty well but what if I didn’t? I’d know it’s about animals and it’s for children. On the other end of the spectrum--Ellen Hopkins’ Crank. If I didn’t know this book, I’d categorize it as a coming of age novel featuring prominent drug usage and it’s for teens.

Then, at our garage sale, some friends stopped by and the one daughter (she’s about 14) bought three books. Her mom proceeded to say to me, “She loves to read, but I always worry about whether the books are appropriate for her age. It’s not like I can read all of them.” What she said kind of hit me later:

Most parents don’t know books like I do.

It has to be hard for parents nowadays to know what kind of books are age appropriate. Sure, they could read the synopsis on the back, but do they always tell you what the book is about? Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes it’s vague. Sometimes it barely gives any relevant information at all. The cover doesn’t always portray what the content includes. You don’t know whether the book will contain swearing, drug use, or sex. You may get the impression that it’s a possibility, but it’s not always concrete. It’s not like movie ratings that specify what you’ll see if you watch it.

Which brings me to my next point: Ratings. It’s too bad there isn’t a system for rating books as to age appropriateness or content warning. I mean, even CD’s at least say Parental Advisory if it’s explicit. It would probably be pretty hard to put books into categories like that. I could list several books that would be rated R based on swear words alone. Add in all the books with the drug content and sex and you’ve got a huge stack of rated R books, and a slightly smaller stack of PG-13... and a tiny stack of PG, and a handful of G. Everything would be mass chaos.

I assured her mom I could recommend some age appropriate books for her daughter. That seemed to put her at ease. I have to say I’m glad I know as much as I do about books. If I didn’t, I would be at a loss, like a lot of parents seem to be these days.

Ever since my childhood friend had her baby, I’ve thought about how it would be to have children. What if my twelve year old son was reading Crank? I might worry about him experimenting with drugs. What if my thirteen year old daughter was reading Thirteen Reasons Why? I might worry about her relating to Hannah so much that she may justify suicide as an easy way to escape pain.

Simply put, being a parent would be scary. I can understand when parents are concerned about books. I wish they would take a step back and think about what banning a book means. Think about a basic plot in a typical dystopian for a moment: A society has strict regulations on simple life choices they deem shouldn’t be choices because of bad consequences that may happen. Book banning is like a dystopian society dictating how we should live. While it may prevent some bad consequences, they forget about what kind of influence movies, TV, music, and peers have on their children too.

This is why I love Banned Books Week. It’s a way to express personal thoughts and to understand all points of view. We may not all agree about a book being proper for an age group, but we do agree that banning is extreme. There needs to be a balance and a respect for others rather than a focus on our own agenda. It is good to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes though. A little understanding can go a long way to help the cause.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Banned Books Week! Sept. 24-Oct. 1...

Banned Books Week is here!

Isn't it exciting? I think it is. It's the first time I've been able to really participate in it. Since I became a book blogger I've gotten more "in the know" about upcoming book related anyeverythings.

What is Banned Books Week? Well, I am glad you asked! Here's a quote from the American Library Association's website:

Banned Books Week (BBW) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read and the importance of the First Amendment. Held during the last week of September, Banned Books Week highlights the benefits of free and open access to information while drawing attention to the harms of censorship by spotlighting actual or attempted bannings of books across the United States.

Intellectual freedom—the freedom to access information and express ideas, even if the information and ideas might be considered unorthodox or unpopular—provides the foundation for Banned Books Week. BBW stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints for all who wish to read and access them.

The books featured during Banned Books Week have been targets of attempted bannings. Fortunately, while some books were banned or restricted, in a majority of cases the books were not banned, all thanks to the efforts of librarians, teachers, booksellers, and members of the community to retain the books in the library collections. Imagine how many more books might be challenged—and possibly banned or restricted—if librarians, teachers, and booksellers across the country did not use Banned Books Week each year to teach the importance of our First Amendment rights and the power of literature, and to draw attention to the danger that exists when restraints are imposed on the availability of information in a free society.

~ALA on Banned Books

In honor of Banned Books Week, I've got a few fun articles prepared for my blog AND I'm going to read and review a banned book. My banned book of choice is Sarah Ockler’s Twenty Boy Summer. I'm also attending Banned Books Week on Facebook.

What are you doing for Banned Books Week? Are you planning on reading a banned book? If not, why don't you join me now?

Here are some links I've found with information and discussions on banned books and BBW:

* Banned Books Week Website
* Book banning, coming to a library near you?
* Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read

Want to WIN a banned book? Check out this link and discover 256 blogs hosting a Banned Books Week Giveaway! (Including us here at Thoughts At One In The Morning ^_^)

Anyways, Happy Banned Books Week! Let's all join together in bringing attention to the importance of banned books in our lives.


~Jessica

Banned Books Week Hop GIVEAWAY!!!

This giveaway has ended.


Banned Books Week Hop!!

Hey everyone! Welcome to one of the many stops on the Banned Books Week Hop! This is hosted by the wonderful people at I Read Banned Books and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. The point of this hop is to give away an awesome Banned Book (or gift card) and to spread the word about banned books! I am giving away one Banned Book from a list of 12 choices. ^_^ Get the details AND check out all the other blogs participating in this hop by clicking the highlighted links above for the blog hosts.

And on to the giveaway! It's simple, you fill out the form here--name, email address, and choose the book you'd like to win. Piece of cake. (One entry per person.)


Here are the "official rules":

1. You must be a follower.
2. You must be 15 years old or older.
3. This is open to international followers. (Only if The Book Depository will ship to you; please check this link to see if you are eligible.)
 4. This contest runs from September 24th to October 1st.
5. Winner will be selected via random.org no later than October 3rd 2011 and will be notified by a blog post and via email.

I have selected TWELVE different banned books for you to choose from. *

Here they are:



The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie (Goodreads)
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (Goodreads) **
Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks (as "Anonymous") (Goodreads)
Forever... by Judy Blume (Goodreads) **
Gossip Girl by Cecily Von Ziegesar (Goodreads) **
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler (Goodreads)
ttyl by Lauren Myracle (Goodreads) **
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones (Goodreads) **
Cut by Patricia McCormick (Goodreads)
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler (Goodreads)
Crank by Ellen Hopkins (Goodreads) **
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen (Goodreads) **


* Disclaimer: Cover of book you receive may vary based on what The Book Depository has available.
** Books I have read!

Sound good? GREAT! Fill out the form here!!!



Happy Banned Books Week!

~Jessica

Friday, September 23, 2011

Spending too much time online?

Well, apparently I am. My mom and I have discussed this often. I keep telling her that I'm trying to cut back and make excuses. Truth is, I am addicted to being online.

So, I'm planning on cutting back a bit on my online time. To be honest, there are times I just get stuck in a loop of various links or just find myself browsing aimlessly around on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, You Tube, and recently iTunes.

What does this mean for my blog? Oh, not too much. I'm still going to be here. I have a whole week of fun planned for Banned Books Week. Two things are already scheduled. The rest I'll finish writing and schedule today. That will fix some of the problem. The other part is cutting back on my blog reading. I'll keep up to date, but have to skim through them more. I'll still be commenting on other blogs when I can (and have something relevant to say), and I'll still comment when you stop by here too. I love my blog friends, I can't stop talking to you!

This has been a long time coming. I end up getting obsessive about something and other things in real life get pushed aside. And that's not really good in general for a person, staring at a computer screen for hours upon hours a day.

The bottom line: I might not be here as much as I used to be BUT I will  be here and I will  respond to your comments. I promise!

With much book blogger love,
~Jessica

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Follow Friday #22



Alright! Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read and is a way for book bloggers to get to know each other better. Just go to their pages and follow the directions, and you'll be making some new friends! Our featured bloggers are the following: The World Of The Spork MasterObsession With Books. Congrats to being featured this week! ^_^

Q. Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?


I don't think I've read a series over and over again. The only one I can think would qualify is Anne Of Green Gables because I believe I read the first four books at least a couple times over, and the first probably more than that. I think most people know about it... if not... click this link! Otherwise, I haven't had a chance to reread many of my favorites!


How about you? Happy Follow Friday! <3

~Jessica

Update Thursday #25

Update Thursday #25

Welcome to Update Thursday, my own personal meme of sorts where I post an update of the goings on at my blog, with reading, with writing, and beyond. Feel free to borrow the idea from me for your own bookish musings.

~*~
Reading, Writing...

Books I finished this week:
~Garfield Minus Garfield by Jim Davis
~Persuasion by Jane Austen (Summer Romance Challenge)

Books I'm reading now (and some still):

~Virals by Kathy Reich
~Portal by Imogen Rose
~Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Summer Romance Challenge)
~Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott (Off The Shelf Challenge)

Summer Romance Challenge Progress Link (7 of 8 finished) ~ends 09/30/11
Off The Shelf Reading Challenge Progress Link (1 of 5 finished) ~ends 12/31/11

AHHH!! Almost done with Summer Romance Challenge. Can't wait to move on to the rest of the books I have lined up. Including my Banned Books Week personal read.

Speaking of Banned Books Week, we're only TWO DAYS AWAY! Get yourselves ready, I've got stuff lined up to get you to think and get involved. ^_^

Writing: Totally came up with another story idea. I still need to copy it out of my phone into my writing notebook. Other than that, not much happening this week. The focus has been reading, and blog writing and plotting. (Speaking of which, I had this great idea last night for a blog post dealing with balancing, I was up until 2 AM writing it...)

And Otherwise...

After I read some blog posts the other day, I was compelled to look up the audiobook Ed Westwick read for on You Tube, just for grins. I didn't think I'd find anything on it... I was so wrong...



I nearly fell off my chair upon hearing the first seconds of his voice. He probably had barely read a paragraph and I was opening a new tab to buy the audiobook. I couldn't wait to finish the other books first before buying the 4th. I don't care if I hate the series. I'd still listen to the audiobook. Even if I don't know what's going on. That's how crazy I am.

Speaking of Gossip Girl... the new season is starting NEXT MONDAY!!! Of course, they HAD to change the time to 8:00 PM instead of keeping it at 9:00 PM. This means I won't be able to watch it until next TUESDAY online. (Stupid new work schedule...) I need to buy a TiVo. In any case... I'll be posting a Gossip Girl mini party post Sunday. There will be links and videos and spoilers galore.


All for now lovelies!

~Jessica

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Review: That Summer by Sarah Dessen

Title: That SummerAuthor: Sarah Dessen
Summary: Read Goodreads Synopsis
Source: Purchased paperback
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Caution: May contain spoilers


My Thoughts:

When I picked this book out for the Summer Romance Challenge, I was under the assumption that it was a romance type book. Don’t get me wrong, there are romantic elements all over in it. Just not how I expected them to be.

Haven’s dad is getting remarried… to the local television weather girl, Lorna. Her sister Ashley is marrying Lewis, this guy that Haven doesn’t think is right for her. Her mother is still dealing with the aftermath of the divorce. And Haven--well she’s in the middle of everything and doesn’t know who she is or what’s going on. Then Ashley’s ex-boyfriend Sumner Lee shows up and Haven is reminded of the summer they all spent together. All the good times, and happy memories. As she recalls these, she doesn’t understand how her sister could have stopped being with him.

The journey that Haven takes in the current summer (when she’s fifteen) is a pretty amazing one. There is a lot of reminiscing of times past, which I think adds a sweet family and friends childhood type element to the story. Haven is going through one of those adolescent moments, unsure of everything you used to be so sure of. By the end of the story, she’s coming to terms with things, and she grows up a little bit more.

I thought it was a very cute story, even though it wasn’t the type of story I am used to from Sarah Dessen. It’s one of those simple books with a good lesson.

My Rating:

Pretty Good... Stay up until your bedtime

 ~Jessica

Monday, September 19, 2011

200 Follower Giveaway WINNER!

.....(drumroll please).....

CONGRATULATIONS
Jessilyn22 (YA Book Haven)

I'm emailing you right after posting this to get your address and which book you'd like to receive.

A huge thank you to all of my wonderful followers that have made this all possible. To those who didn't win, don't worry! There are plenty more giveaways to come! Including one in LESS THAN ONE WEEK in honor of Banned Books Week. Expect a post on Saturday, September 24th (first day of BBW).


Thank you again everyone for being so awesome to talk to and share the love of reading and writing with. You're amazing! <3


~Jessica

Saturday, September 17, 2011

The Top Ten Things You Find At A Garage Sale

In honor of our garage sale today, I'm posting a list of the top ten things you can find at garage sales. It's honestly going to be part of an unending list of the random and absolute weird. Times change though, and these "things" may vary depending on your area. This is what I discovered as common and expected...

1. Dances With Wolves. (On VHS or DVD)
2. Self Help books. (Many Dr. Phil)
3. Dieting books. (Dr. Atkins anyone?)
4. Romance novels. (These are usually very reasonably priced at 25 cents)
5. 90's music CD's. (Always the CD's you bought when they came out, or Spice Girls)
6. Any VHS. (All overpriced; one sale had them at $2.00 apiece when you're more likely to get 25 cents, if you're lucky.)
7. Beanie Babies. (Still overpriced considering they're worth nothing to collectors)
8. Cowboy boots. (Oddly enough)
9. Baskets. (Everywhere.)
10. Buzz Lightyear McDonalds Toys. (What about Woody?!)

We'll see how many get added to this list today. Have a good one!

~Jessica

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Follow Friday #21



Alright! Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read and is a way for book bloggers to get to know each other better. Just go to their pages and follow the directions, and you'll be making some new friends! Our featured bloggers are the following: Alaskan Book Cafe & Librarian Mouse. Congrats to being featured this week! ^_^

Q. It's that pesky magic book fairy again! She has another wish: What imaginary book world would you like to make a reality?


Today I'm feeling like being part of the Gossip Girl world. I can't think of any other alternate reality that appeals at the moment. I want to go to swanky parties and wear cocktail dresses and high heels and drink champagne... and date Chuck Bass... BUT that's beside the point. Actually, that may be the point. I'm not even sure anymore. Yes. I am obsessed.


Happy Follow Friday everybody!!! <3

~Jessica

Update Thursday #24

Update Thursday #24

Welcome to Update Thursday, my own personal meme of sorts where I post an update of the goings on at my blog, with reading, with writing, and beyond. Feel free to borrow the idea from me for your own bookish musings.

~*~
Reminders...

I still have my Giveaway going so please, don't forget to enter! If you accidentally enter twice, don't worry, you still qualify. So please! Enter! You've got ONLY DAYS left!

Reading, Writing...

Books I finished this week:
~That Summer by Sarah Dessen (Summer Romance Challenge)

Books I'm reading now (and some still):
~Persuasion by Jane Austen (Summer Romance Challenge)
~Virals by Kathy Reich
~Portal by Imogen Rose
~Garfield Minus Garfield by Jim Davis
~Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (Summer Romance Challenge)

Almost done with the Summer Romance Challenge! I'm cutting it close. I should've picked some lighter and quicker reads for it... oh well. Lol. I'm thinking it might be in my best interest to only do the Goodreads Challenge. Maybe another if it counts toward it and lasts through the year (instead of just summer). I blame my trips to the library! Bah! Too many good books!

Writing = Getting there! I've added a few more paragraphs piece by piece. A couple hundred words here, a couple hundred words there. I'm getting anxious to finish. But I know, it doesn't happen overnight. It's a journey of words and sentences.

And Otherwise...

My family is having a garage sale on Saturday! I'm kinda excited, I like the idea of making a few extra bucks. It's going to be during our town's "fall fest", so there's booths and food and junk up in town around the corner from us. I'll be selling some of my handmade goodies too. What kind of handmade goodies? I'm glad you asked!
Pic 1: Pony Plushie; Pic 2: Mini Scarves; Pic 3: Mini Scoodies (scarf/hoodies);
Pic 4: Hemp Bracelet; Pic 5: Painted Kraft Box;  Pic 6: Knotted Zigzag Bracelet

I love making crafty stuff. I even used to have a bunch of those things for sale on Etsy. I ended up letting all the listings expire and didn't renew them. If I want to make any money on my handmade stuff, I need to rework everything--pictures and listings and prices. Even if I didn't make much in profit off of them, making stuff is quite relaxing. I've actually been crocheting plushies lately.

Did you read the Crossed preview? Ally Condie had the first two chapters of the sequel to Matched put online for our reading pleasure. It's also available in the paperback edition of Matched. Reading it got me excited to read the whole thing. I was curious about what happens next, but now I'm much more excited than before.

Oh yeah! I added to the bottom of this page all the Facebook pages I created. I kinda had an obsession with starting pages for awhile and only so many of my friends liked and passed them on. Take a look if you'd like, they're just fun pages. I don't really write much on them anymore. I used to be more diligent about that. Some of them are just more stand alone and don't need additional updates.


Anyways... That's all... Ta-ta for now!

~Jessica

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Review: Heart On A Chain by Cindy C. Bennett

Title: Heart On A Chain
Author: Cindy C. Bennett
Summary: Read Goodreads Synopsis
Source: Purchased E-book
Buy: Amazon (Kindle) ~*~ Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Caution: May contain spoilers


My Thoughts:

Kate has a very rough life. At home, she deals with a drug addicted mother and alcoholic father. She is basically a slave in her own home--cleaning and cooking for her parents, getting barely anything in return from them. She is in a constant state of worry as to what will happen if things aren’t just so, because there are consequences to mistakes, even the smallest. Those consequences are being abused by her mother while her father is gone getting drunk. At school she is bullied and teased and tortured, and she just lets it happen. She has no friends anymore.

And then Henry returns. He and Kate shared a special bond a few years back. They even shared a kiss before he moved away. Henry tries to get close to Kate again, but she distrusts his motive. There were many times that the kids at school would pull a fake friendship on her, and just when she starts to believe she has a friend, they humiliate her. Even though Kate resists, Henry persists until he wins her over. She doesn’t fully trust him though, but as his kindness is expressed over and over in different ways, she lets him in more and more.

While Kate’s friendship with Henry begins to turn into something deeper, she faces some intense trials. One of them involves a former friend at school, the other involving a confrontation by her mother. Henry and his family take Kate under their wing and nurture her like she has never been by her own parents. She begins to understand what family and love should be like.

Suddenly, disaster strikes Kate and threatens to make her whole life crumble before her. She is in disbelief over what has happened and is reluctant to allow Henry’s family to intervene and help. Kate lets go of some things, even though it breaks her heart, while at the same time letting others build that were never there to begin with. But the things once left behind always have a way of returning. No matter how much Kate fights it, she knows what her future should hold.

This story is intense and enormously absorbing. Kate and Henry are the most amazing couple I’ve ever read about. Henry’s deep affection for Kate is so touching. You can’t help but be brought to tears as you read of the pains and struggles Kate faces--physically and emotionally. One thing that touched me on a personal level was her relationship with her father. It hits close to home and I wish I could have that same ending Kate had. I found myself sobbing in happiness over the joy of her father’s epiphany. I also hope to find a love like Kate and Henry's--powerful and timeless--someday.

Cindy C. Bennett has definitely hit the mark when it comes to story telling. Her words evoke the depth of the character’s feelings. Heart On A Chain has become one of the best books I have ever read.

My Rating:

Exceptional...Stay up until at least 1 AM

~Jessica

Monday, September 12, 2011

Misguided Romanticizing of First Love

It’s not that I don’t believe it’s possible. I know it’s possible. I’ve seen plenty of people fall in love for the first time in their lives, get married, and are still living happily ever after. My issue is with the glamorizing of a first love to the point where, if you’ve never fallen in love yet, you believe the first love will definitely be your true love.

I had this notion back in the day. I was convinced my first love was The One. Every time something wasn’t working, I just ignored the warning signs and forced myself to stay with him. He wasn’t a bad person, but (hindsight being 20/20 and all) he wasn’t the RIGHT person for me. When we broke up, even though I was sad, I felt liberated as well. Also thoroughly frustrated. I thought it over and realized books and TV and movies have done a number on me. If only I had known ahead of time the possibility of a first love not always being true love, I may have had a more balanced view of what love is. Sure, we should learn from experience. I just wish I had all the facts.

A lot of novels (but not all) focus on putting the main character’s first love on a pedestal. They’ve either never been in a relationship before, or they’ve only gone on a handful of “dates” with random people. It’s rare to find a novel with a main character who’s been in love before.

Why is this? For starters, I think a lot of authors like to write about, and readers like to read about, first loves. It is just SO ROMANTIC to see them fall in love for the first time. (Cue the sqwee’s and awww’s) Also, it seems like an easy story to write. Less background, less complicated, less ex’s, less likely the character will seem like a slut.

There are some that work, ones that make complete sense, ones that make the story what it is. Then there are others… that make absolutely no sense. Hey look! Jane just met John five seconds ago and she thinks he’s so hot and it would be so awesome to date him. One or two weeks later they’re dating. A month after they meet they’re in love and inseparable and will be in love forever.

Um. Sure. That’s… believable.

Well, it’s possible. Just, not possible THAT MANY TIMES.

I admit, I love to read them. I have some story ideas surrounding this notion. But I also have some story ideas where the girl falls out of love and finds a new love.

My point, I believe, is this: It would just be nice to see more characters that have been in love more than just once. Because, let’s face it, not everybody picks out a good one the first time. Not only that, but a novel can delve deeper than just the falling in love part. Character’s seem more multidimensional and you get to watch them take their past mistakes and either learn from them or make more mistakes to learn from. They learn to be hopeful. It’s more interesting. It’s different.

What do you think? Are there too many “first love is true love” books out there? Have you read any good books featuring a character that’s been in love once before? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Friday, September 9, 2011

NetGalley and My Nook... (help, please)

... they just don't want to get along.

Seriously. I downloaded Adobe Digital Reader, I dragged the books over to the Nook while it was plugged in, I unplugged it properly... then I try to open the file.

Nothing.

Well, not nothing, just blank black screen. Which is essentially nothing, since that's what it looks like while turned off.

I read up on different forums and blog posts about this, and apparently the Nook has a problem with PDF's. I also read that there's a way to change PDF's to the EPUB type file so that the Nook will allow you to read it. My only problem is the following: Our computer has already crashed twice this year and we just replaced the hard drive to fix this. I do not want to go to some random site without knowing it is safe and won't download a virus to this computer.

I'm sure there's an easy way of fixing this situation. Otherwise there's no point in me getting these books from NetGalley. I want to read and review them! Do my part!

Anyone else face this situation before? Could you help me please?

Thank you all so very much in advance from the bottom of my heart!!!

~Jessica

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Follow Friday #20



Alright! Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read and is a way for book bloggers to get to know each other better. Just go to their pages and follow the directions, and you'll be making some new friends!


Q. Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one?


That's an interesting question! I'm gonna have to say no, and that's because I don't like villains. I want to punch villains. Bad boys on the other hand... *swoon*


RULES To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

  1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
  2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - Pedantic PhookaDrying Ink
  3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
  4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
  5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
  6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
  7. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!


Happy Follow Friday my lovely followers! <3

~Jessica

Update Thursday #23

Update Thursday #23

Welcome to Update Thursday, my own personal meme of sorts where I post an update of the goings on at my blog, with reading, with writing, and beyond. Feel free to borrow the idea from me for your own bookish musings.

~*~
Reminders...

I still have my Giveaway going so please, don't forget to enter! If you accidentally enter twice, don't worry, you still qualify. So please! Enter! You've got a week and a half left!

Reading, Writing...

Books I finished this week:
~The Grand Escape by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Books I'm reading now (and some still):
~Persuasion by Jane Austen (Summer Romance Challenge)
~Virals by Kathy Reich
~Portal by Imogen Rose
~That Summer by Sarah Dessen (Summer Romance Challenge)

I am seriously behind on my reading. My attempt at finishing the Summer Romance Challenge kind of has me at a standstill. I am enjoying it, but it's taking a long time. Persuasion is very detailed and unlike most books I read, so it's difficult. I think the only thing keeping me going on it is the fact that I love the movie and know it top to bottom. I want to try and read something else in between, but the end of September is the end of the Challenge, and I WANT TO FINISH!! I will not let the Challenge go by without completion.

I was FINALLY able to put together the beginning with an important scene in my YA romance story. I was even able to tweak the scene easily to input a new variation on the reason why it happened. So satisfying. Of course, since then I haven't done a thing. That's okay. One small step at a time.

And Otherwise...

Not much going on otherwise. Visited with family on Sunday, shopping with my mom and a friend Monday. There's been a huge baby boom within my family and friends circle. A girl I grew up with is having a boy, the couple we rented our old house from is having a girl, a cousin just found out she is pregnant, and another cousin is having twin girls. I have to admit, I am LOVING baby gift shopping! All the little tiny cute clothes and toys and shoes... AWWW...


Anyways, that's it for now. TTYL!

~Jessica

PS: Don't forget the Giveaway!!! ;)

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Waiting On Wednesday #12: Pandemonium

WoW: Hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine

Title: Pandemonium (Delirium #2)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Read the Goodreads Synopsis


I know, me and a bazillion others are anxiously awaiting the release of this one. I can't help it. Delirium was awesome. It introduced me to the world of dytopian novels. If you haven't had the chance to read Delirium yet, I highly recommend it. Read more about Lauren Oliver's Delirium through this link.


What are you waiting on?


~Jessica

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Review: The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Title: The Sky Is Everywhere
Author: Jandy Nelson
Summary: Read Goodreads Synopsis
Source: Purchased paperback
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Caution: May contain spoilers


My Thoughts:

Lennie Walker lost her sister Bailey. She lives with Gram (mom’s mom) and Big, her uncle. They share in the grieving of Bailey, along with Bailey’s boyfriend Toby, who’s always around. In the midst of the pain and sadness, Lennie and Toby get drawn together into something more. While this is going on, she meets Joe, the new guy who is an amazing clarinet player (just like Lennie is). He starts to take an interest in her, visiting with her and her family. She finds this secretly thrilling.

Of course, two guys and one girl is not a good thing to have going on. With both Toby and Joe showing up all the time, their paths are bound to cross.

Lennie deals with losing Bailey by smelling her clothes, calling her cell phone and leaving messages, and she writes poems and scatters them everywhere. She faces it and doesn’t at the same time. She holds back on her potential as a clarinetist. Upon reaching the moment of truth at the end of Part One, my heart had a real life reaction, guilt washing over. In Part Two everything comes together--new chapters open in Lennie’s life and her heart opens and she lets people in again.

The Sky Is Everywhere is an absolutely potent read. You can sense it upon reading the first few pages how much it’s going to make you hurt and then glue you back together in the end. The love Lennie feels, you can feel it breathe inside yourself. It’s purely amazing. AMAZING. The poems getting scattered is the coolest thing. Jandy Nelson definitely makes a strong and wonderfully beautiful debut in this novel. It’s impact will change your life and thinking. This goes on a  list of MUST reads, along with novels like Gayle Forman’s If I Stay and Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why.


My Rating:

Exceptional... Stay up until AT LEAST 1 AM!

~Jessica

Sunday, September 4, 2011

In My Mailbox #11: Monthly Edition

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

It's where we post about the latest books we've purchased, gotten from the library, or received for review... it doesn't necessarily have to be ones you got in the mail. Although a lot of mine DO come from my mailbox. :)


This is actually not bad for a month. Not too overboard. A bunch were on sale and clearance priced. I'm planning on cutting back until I get caught up. ^_^


Amazon:

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler (really excited about this one)
Nightlight: A Parody by Harvard Lampoon
Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs (book 3 in the Temperance Brennan series)
City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare
City Of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
City Of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Falling In Love With English Boys by Melissa Jensen
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
Breathe My Name by R.A. Nelson
Rosebush by Michele Jaffe
Fantasy Encyclopedia by Judy Allen & Richard Hook (for reference for a couple book ideas I have)

Nook Book:

Dream Smashers by Angela Carlie

Thrift Store:

The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene
The Sisterhood Of The Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares
I Want To Be The Kitty: Mutts 8 by Patrick McDonnell 
Bratfest At Tiffany's by Lisi Harrison
P.S. I Loathe You by Lisi Harrison
The Secret Language of Girls by Frances O'Roark Dowell
Into the Wild (Warriors #1) by Erin Hunter


Library:

So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti


Won In A Contest:

PineLight by Jillian Peery


 What did you get this week/this month?

~Jessica

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Pseudonym, Maybe

In lieu of a book review (that I still haven’t finished), I’m going to talk about pseudonyms for authors.

This is something I have thought about over and over and over again. Should I use a pseudonym or not? And if I DO use a pseudonym, what should it be? I’ve read articles about it, I’ve noted the reasons to use one or not use one. I really have no answer yet. The only way I can come up with an answer to this is to discuss my reasons pro-pseudonym and con-pseudonym. So, let’s discuss!

First off,. I like the idea of the anonymity. I'm a shy person in real life so I pretty much keep to myself for the most part. In fact, I'm indoors so much that even a customer at the pharmacy told me I needed a tan. So, I like the idea of not being easily found in the phone book.

Second, my last name. It’s long, has ten letters, and it’s Polish. Just think of a Polish name you know, and how much you can’t pronounce it. You won't believe how badly the name is said by telemarketers. I do love my last name, it would be nice to carry on a legacy with my real name for the family. But if nobody can pronounce it, what’s the point? I do realize there are authors with not so easy to pronounce names. I’m sure it's possible for people to figure it out.

And THEN! What should my pseudonym BE? I used to want to change both my first and last name. But now I just want to change my last name (because I like being called "Jessica"). Last names are hard. Especially when it’s going to be one that needs to match the name Jessica nicely, but also not already be taken. Like, I can’t use the last name Simpson without being confused with the pop star of the same moniker. And then there are those names you can’t use because it’s the same last name of someone you know. I have one last name I keep going to. I shall not name it now though. I’m still in debate.

Any thoughts anyone? On anything--pseudonyms in general, what you think I should do, any last name suggestions… I’m open to anything!

~Jessica

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Follow Friday #19



Alright! Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read and is a way for book bloggers to get to know each other better. Just go to their pages and follow the directions, and you'll be making some new friends!

Q. If you could change the ending of any book (or series), which book would you choose? And, why?


A. Change a book, eh? Well, there are some books that had these awful endings where somebody important dies and it's really upsetting. I'm not going to say which though because I do not want to ruin a good book. Yes, I said Good Book. Because, despite my sadness, the books meant something outside of the sadness. Sometimes you wish you could rewrite things, but, for the most part, you can't help but want them to stay the same.


RULES To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:



  1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
  2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - Once Upon A Prologue & Lisa Loves Literature.
  3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
  4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
  5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
  6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
  7. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!


Happy Follow Friday, my dears!

~Jessica

Update Thursday #22

Update Thursday #22

Welcome to Update Thursday, my own personal meme of sorts where I post an update of the goings on at my blog, with reading, with writing, and beyond. Feel free to borrow the idea from me for your own bookish musings.

~*~

Reading, Writing...

Books I finished this week:
~Heart On A Chain by Cindy C. Bennett (Summer Romance Challenge)

Books I'm reading now (and some still):
~Persuasion by Jane Austen (Summer Romance Challenge)
~The Grand Escape by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
~Virals by Kathy Reich
~Portal by Imogen Rose 


Due to, ahem, a little bit of a distraction (more on that below), I accomplished very little in both aspects this week. Although I am almost done with my wildlife research for another future novel. It's pretty interesting stuff, and it will be perfect for the story. Thank goodness, those books are due back at the library very soon. I am planning on giving myself a boot in the behind (possibly literally, since that seems to be the only way) to get back to writing. Otherwise I'm not living up to my word of finishing on time. I don't want to procrastinate longer.

I keep coming up with new ideas for the stories I'm not working on. This is frustrating, since I'd like to focus on the one book, finish that, THEN move on to a new one. I blame my weird dreams for these odd revelations. Seriously, I had this one scene happen in my dream, it was a really sweet scene, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. So, I kept thinking about it, and kept thinking about it, and then came up with an epic story idea. I was able to use scraps of another story that I decided against because my feelings have changed on the person the story was originally surrounding. Now I still can't stop thinking about it. And it's becoming annoying because as much as I would like to start on it right after the current one, that would mean setting aside the other two ideas I have next in line. And I don't want to do that.

Talk about confusing. What to do, what to do... I think I'll just finish my current WIP, then see where my mind is by then.

And Otherwise...

My distraction... DO YOU EVEN NEED TO GUESS?! Gossip Girl Season 4..... FINISHED. Today, actually, right before I went online. As I was watching this season, I realized something... I need to start blogging about it. There are so many things I need to say but can't say without bringing out the blogger in me. There is just TOO MUCH to say! Too many thoughts swirling around in my head, too many jokes, too many quotes. I even started a chart of who dated/kissed who last night (at 2 AM) and it had me giggling like crazy. So anyways, I'm thinking about starting a once in awhile posting about Gossip Girl thoughts. Not necessarily "what happened on the episode last night" posts, but commentary in general.

I've gotta stop being obsessed with things.

Speaking of 'being obsessed with things'-slash-'TV series', it's that time of the year for me to go nuts... That's right, our favorite shows are releasing their last season to DVD. This means, I'll be onto some more TV on DVD marathons come mid-September to late-October. This also means, I will have no money by the end of October. Why are there so many good TV shows out there?! Why?!?! (Oh, and the TV shows I'm talking about are the following: How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory, Bones, Law & Order: SVU). Soon to follow the release of last season is the start of a new season. Since my work schedule is all messed up, I'll have to watch every one of my shows online the next day.


Took me a little bit longer than usual to get this up... I only had it half started last night.

~Jessica

PS: Don't forget the Giveaway!!! ;)