Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Review: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

Title: The Blue Castle
Author: L.M. Montgomery
Published: 1926
Source: Purchased
Genre: Classic Romance
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

At twenty-nine Valancy had never been in love, and it seemed romance had passed her by. Living with her overbearing mother and meddlesome aunt, she found her only consolations in the " forbidden" books of John Foster and her daydreams of the Blue Castle. Then a letter arrived from Dr. Trent, and Valancy decided to throw caution to the winds. For the first time in her life Valancy did and said exactly what she wanted. Soon she discovered a surprising new world, full of love and adventures far beyond her most secret dreams.
~synopsis from Goodreads

My Thoughts:

This was stated on a synopsis from Goodreads and I thought it was interesting: "One of Lucy Maud Montgomery's only novels intended for an adult audience, The Blue Castle is filled with humour and romance."

As a lover of Anne Of Green Gables since the moment I first saw the movie and then bought the book at school and read it at least six times during my childhood, I’ve been curious about the standalones by L.M. Montgomery. As iconic as Anne Shirley is, could Valancy Stirling win me over? I have to admit, I didn’t think it was possible to come close, but she did.

Valancy in the beginning was always being walked over and taunted. The way she was treated by her family was atrocious. Is that really how people viewed unmarried twenty-nine year old women back then? If it is, thank goodness I don’t live back then! In any case, when Valancy finds something out about her health, she comes to the conclusion that she’s done with it. Done with being treated horribly and going along with everything she’s told to do.

This is when I fell in love with the story. Valancy starts to talk back and say things she shouldn’t. And it was hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. I kept giggling every time she said something out of turn. Then she makes a choice that causes her entire family to wonder where her mind is.

The Blue Castle was a brilliant piece of literature. The love story (which I would touch on, but I’d rather not give away everything) was perfectly arranged, and the ending was everything I wanted it to be. Valancy is one of those protagonists not many people will come to know, but I’m glad that I did. L.M. Montgomery wrote such amazing stories. I believe I’ll be picking up another standalone next year!


My Rating:

Very Good: Stay up late

Monday, October 29, 2012

The Scarlet Read-Along Starts on November 1st!


Are you ready? Marie at Ramblings of a Daydreamer and I are.

Since we're sooo close to getting started we thought we'd fill you in on some of the details of this event so that you can be prepared for the fun that is in store. We will be posting the reading schedule on the first day, but we're giving you your first assignment ahead of time: Read Chapter One. That's it. Read the first chapter on day one, then we'll discuss it the next day. That's all you need to do for the first portion of the read-along.

As far as the rest of it goes, here's a calendar of events for you! Feel free to print off a copy to keep up with the fun stuff we'll be doing.

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~


November 1st: The first day is all about sign-ups!
~Your only assignment is to read the first chapter.
November 2nd: First Thoughts.
~Tell us what you thought of the first chapter.
November 5th: What do you love about Robin Hood?
~Tell us what you like about it or why you were drawn to reading this story.
November 7th: Quote or teaser of the week.
~Share your favorite from the last week.
November 9th: Weekly Link Up.
~Tell us what you thought of the chapters you read this week.
November 10th: Picture of you with your book.
~Let's see those pretty faces with this awesome book!
November 12th: Favorite Robin Hood anything (movie, etc.).
~Tell us about something Robin Hood related that you love.
November 14th: Quote or teaser of the week.
~Share your favorite from the last week.
November 16th: Weekly Link Up.
~Tell us what you thought of the chapters you read this week.
November 18th: Sherwood Forest Feast!
~We're having a feast and you're invited! What would you bring? What would you wear? Who would you bring? What games would you play? Share pictures, recipes, drawings, and/or descriptions of any or all the above!
November 19th: Who is your favorite character?
~Tell us about them and what you like.
November 21st: Quote or teaser of the week.
~Share your favorite from the last week.
November 23rd: Weekly Link Up.
~Tell us what you thought of the chapters you read this week.
November 26th: Could you be one of the merrymen?
~Share your thoughts on this subject!
November 28th: Quote or teaser of the week.
~Share your favorite from the last week.
November 30th: Weekly Link Up.
~Tell us what you thought of the chapters you read this week.

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

~GoodReads ~ Amazon.com ~ Amazon.ca ~ Book Depository ~ Chapters/Indigo~

Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.


~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~

SIGN UP!!!

You know you want to. ;)

Scarlet Read-Along


~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~



~Jessica

Music Monday #9: "Chalk Outline" by Three Days Grace


Music Monday is a new feature over at Ramblings of a Daydreamer where we can talk about music. It can be any sort of music thing on your mind--a song or an artist or music you're listening to while reading or writing or anything else music related. Have fun with it! Just link back to Marie so others can join in. ^_^

I've always got music on my mind, so I'll probably be sharing whatever song has been stuck in my head recently. There's always a song stuck in my head. Enjoy!

~*~

Song of the Moment: 
"Chalk Outline" by Three Days Grace

Three Days Grace is in my top ten favorite musical artists/groups of all time. Why? Um, maybe it's because they are so insanely awesome. Seriously though... you know that band that comes out on the scene at a pivotal point in your adolescence and on many occasions they are the go-to music of choice whether you're in a bad mood or a good mood? That's Three Days Grace for me. They debuted in 2003 when I was eighteen. Everything about them appeals to me--the lyrics, the music, the passion that comes from their pain as they express it to the world.

They just released a new album and, although I am usually SO FAR BEHIND on getting an album until months after the release, I got my hands on this within a month from the release. It arrived in the mail Thursday. I listened to it on the way to and from work. I am FREAKING ADDICTED to this album. It is the only thing I've listened to all weekend. Talk about coming out at a pivotal time, it was the perfect ALBUM of the moment for me. <3

ENJOY!


~*~




Lyrics (chorus):

You left me here like a chalk outline
On the sidewalk waiting for the rain to wash away, wash away
You keep coming back to the scene of the crime
But the dead can't speak and there's nothing left to say anyway
All you left behind is a chalk outline


So what kind of music is on your mind this week? ^_^

~Jessica

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Sunday Replay #10 + The Latest


Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:



In other news elsewhere on the internet..


And.... an LOL of our kitty cat Max who had a striking portrayal to something sinister this week...



~The Latest~

I've been a busy little bee. Once I got home from work Friday night, I got back to work on everything else that needed to be done. I have so many things scheduled and/or started for this next month on the blog. With the Scarlet Read-Along, I knew I needed to get ahead there. So every last one of the posts for the event has been started, and all I need to do for them is add in my thoughts. I was also able to go through my online shop and get that organized. It was such a mess. I'm finally getting to my winter clothes too.

Now that a bunch of things are DONE and I feel like I've accomplished something, I am going to relax and hang with a friend today. Then it's back to work tomorrow!


Much love to all!

~Jessica

Friday, October 26, 2012

I finished my Goodreads Reading Challenge!


This is a little late, and by the time it is posted, I will probably have read one or two more books.

ANYWAYS.

Yay for me! I'm not done with all my other challenges, but I'm getting there. I'll post about all those at the end of the year. But, for now... here's all the books I've read so far to complete this challenge...

~*~



~*~

1. Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology by Larissa Hinton
2. The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodki
3. Get Fuzzy 2: Fuzzy Logic by Darby Conley
4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
5. Notes To Self by Avery Sawyer
6. Reasons To Be Happy by Katrina Kittle
7. Beautiful by Amy Reed
8. I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
9. Divergent by Veronica Roth
10. Confessions Of A Call Center Gal by Lisa Lim
11. PineLight by Jillian Peery
12. It's Always Something by Gilda Radner
13. Survival by A.M. Hargrove
14. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
15. Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin
16. Hana by Lauren Oliver
17. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
18. The Probability Of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
19. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
20. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
21. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
22. Forgotten by Cat Patrick
23. Resurrection by A.M. Hargrove
24. Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
25. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
26. Life's Little Instruction Book by H. Jackson Brown Jr.
27. What I Didn't Say by Keary Taylor
28. Glitch (Glitch #1) by Heather Anastasiu
29. Vampire Kisses: Graveyard Games Volume One by Ellen Schreiber
30. Heat Wave (Nikki Heat #1) by Richard Castle
31. Under The Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hard
32. Determinant by A.M. Hargrove
33. Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupula
34. The Unquiet by Jeannine Garsee
35. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
36. For Darkness Shows The Stars by Diana Peterfreund
37. Safe Landing by Tess Oliver
38. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
39. Jane on Her Own by Ursula K. Le Guin
40. Brightest Kind Of Darkness by P.T. Michelle
41. The Forever Contract by Avery Sawyer
42. Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
43. Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty
44. Defy The Stars by Stephanie Parent
45. Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers
46. On Dublin Street by Samantha Young
47. Overnight Sensation by Hal Eisenberg
48. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
49. Spells (Wings #2) by Aprilynne Pike
50. Untraceable by S.R. Johannes
51. The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
52. Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett

~*~ 

Have you finished your Goodreads challenge this year?

~Jessica

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Update Thursday #82

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



~*~
 
Reading...

Books I Finished:

~None?!?!?!~

Books I'm reading:



Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (-Goodreads-)
dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman (-Goodreads-)
City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare (-Goodreads-)
Uses For Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt (-Goodreads-)


827 of 1026 E.E. Cummings poems finished (28 this week)

~*~
 
Writing...

~ If Only We ~ 37,281 ~
~ Before We Knew ~ 11, 449 ~
~ Whatever This Is ~ outlining ~
~ Under Enchanted Skies ~ 1,550/plotting ~
~ Beyond The Horizon ~ plotting ~
~ So I Thought ~ plotting ~
~ Hold Your Breath ~ plotting ~

The latest = Didn't reach the 2000 word goal like I wanted to, but I managed 1600. It's been a long week and I have gotten behind on a lot of things. I may be enjoying my new job but I have let a lot of things slide lately. I realized last night that I need to go back to making lists to take care of things needing done. Finishing books (as you can tell above, I haven't gotten ahead this week, and I only added one more because I read part of it when I downloaded it from NetGalley), writing reviews, scheduling the Scarlet Read-Along (by the way, don't forget to sign up!), reorganizing my clothes (packing up summer and putting out winter... *facepalm*... if you can't tell, I'm not a fan of winter), online sales... It's all just one big mess that needs straightened out. I'm trying to take it all one step at a time.

I have to say though, that I'm working on two special writing projects. One I've wanted to do for a long time, the other just came to me recently as a possibility and I think it will help me get through moments of writer's block. I'll tell you guys more about it soon. ;)


Until next time!

~Jessica

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Spread the word about The Game Changer by Marie Landry!


Today I want to talk about an amazing book. This amazing book is by a great friend of mine named Marie Landry. She writes awesome books, and this amazing book is no exception.

Did I just use the words "amazing book" three times in three sentences in a row?

Actually, it was four if you count the last one.

ANYWAYS!!!

This book is called The Game Changer. You may have remembered seeing the cover reveal a little while back in here for it. I adore this cover. And I also adore the book. I had the privilege of being a beta reader for The Game Changer and let me tell you, it is worth the read. You'll find out more about that when you see my review for it. And then you'll be running to get your hands on a copy of it.

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~

The Game Changer
by Marie Landry

Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Melody Cartwright has never had a problem with change, but for the first time in her life the changes are beyond her control—she suddenly has a niece she never knew, but has to prove herself to; her best friend is making huge life changes of her own; and she has to deal with her ex and his crazy new girlfriend who has stalker tendencies.

When Melody meets confident, sexy Julian, she’s not interested in a relationship. He tells her it’s possible for a man and a woman to just be friends, and despite his ultra-charming ways there’s something about him that makes Melody believe he could be right.

During a time of change and turmoil, it doesn’t take long for Julian to become everything Melody never knew she needed in her life. But is it possible for them to remain ‘just friends’ or will Melody be a game changer for Julian the playboy?

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~


Find & Follow Marie on:
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
Want to help spread the word about The Game Changer? Marie is offering some great incentive for you to help her promote this upcoming release. It involves winning 1 of 20 awesome books. You also have the chance to get in touch with her to get a review copy of The Game Changer to read and review for yourself. They should be available very soon. OH! And there's also an excerpt from the book, so you must check that out!!!

So... what are you waiting for? Spread the word! You know you want to... ;)

~Jessica

Review: Untraceable by S.R. Johannes

Title: Untraceable
Author: S.R. Johannes
Published: November 29th 2011
Source: Copy given by author for honest review
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

16-year-old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival.

When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.

Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

~synopsis from Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Oh my goodness. When I picked this one up, I figured it would be full of intrigue and mystery. What I didn’t realize is how much I would be given. Or how much I would be sucked into the story. Or how much I want to pick up the next book immediately after finishing.

Grace is one of those characters some people may not like because of her total disregard to following direction. But you have to admire her tenacity and determination to uncover the truth behind her father’s disappearance. She’s a tough girl who knows something isn’t right, and she will stop at nothing to get answers.

During her searches, she meets up with a nice young man named Mo. He’s quite swoonworthy and you guys know how much I love swoonworthy boys. And an English accent? Oh yes. Grace doesn’t know what his story really is, but she does find herself falling for him.

As time goes on, Grace discovers some things that are not adding up. And the stuff that she does add up, could it possibly be true? Is there something bigger than she expected happening in her town? Nobody seems to want to help her, and even if they would, can she trust them? In the end, we find out who she can and can’t trust. And it is nothing she ever could have known possible.

S.R. Johannes has come up with a brilliant story. Just brilliant. I could hardly put it down, or finish one chapter without wanting to go to the next one, even if I needed to get to sleep! Untraceable was the perfect start to a series. I cannot wait to dig into the next book, Uncontrollable, which is out now. I highly, HIGHLY, recommend that you pick up Untraceable.


My Rating:

Exceptional: Stay up until at least 1 AM

Monday, October 22, 2012

Music Monday #8: "We Come Running" by Youngblood Hawke


Music Monday is a new feature over at Ramblings of a Daydreamer where we can talk about music. It can be any sort of music thing on your mind--a song or an artist or music you're listening to while reading or writing or anything else music related. Have fun with it! Just link back to Marie so others can join in. ^_^

I've always got music on my mind, so I'll probably be sharing whatever song has been stuck in my head recently. There's always a song stuck in my head. Enjoy!

~*~

Song of the Moment: 
"We Come Running" by Youngblood Hawke

Yet another 'somebody posted this on Facebook and now I've got it in my head' kind of song. There isn't much of a story behind it this time. I heard it for the first time this last week, and I during that first listen, I was singing the chorus at the end of the song. It's just one of those songs that makes you feel good.

ENJOY!


~*~




Lyrics (chorus):

Headed for the open door
tell me what you're waiting for
look across the great divide
soon they're gunna hear
the sound, the sound, the sound
when we come running
never go where we belong
echoes in the dead of dawn
soon they're gunna know
the sound, the sound, the sound
when we come running


So what kind of music is on your mind this week? ^_^

~Jessica

Winner of The Book Love Giveaway Hop is...


.....(drumroll please).....
 
CONGRATULATIONS
 
Bonnie Yee
 
 
You will be receiving an email from me shortly for more info.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway! *many hugs*


~Jessica

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Sunday Replay #9 + Scarlet Read-Along News!


Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:



In other news elsewhere on the internet..


And.... new LOLcat...



~Official Sign-Ups for the Scarlet Read-Along~

Hey you guys! A few of you showed an interest in participating in the read-along the other day. Marie posted a sign-up linky for everyone in a tab on her book blog, so I did the same on here. You can join on either blog--you only need to enter once. ^_^ We're working out the last minute details and will have a schedule posted very soon of what we will have happening all month long. It would be SO AWESOME to have you on board, so please consider joining in on the fun!



Much love to all!

~Jessica

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Update Thursday #81

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



~*~
 
Reading...

Books I Finished:


The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery (-Goodreads-)
  Confessions Of An Angry Girl by Louise Rozett (-Goodreads-)
Books I'm reading:


Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (-Goodreads-)
dancergirl by Carol M. Tanzman (-Goodreads-)
City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare (-Goodreads-)


799 of 1026 E.E. Cummings poems finished (5 this week)

~*~
 
Writing...

~ If Only We ~ 35,907 ~
~ Before We Knew ~ 11, 449 ~
~ Whatever This Is ~ outlining ~
~ Under Enchanted Skies ~ 1,550/plotting ~
~ Beyond The Horizon ~ plotting ~
~ So I Thought ~ plotting ~
~ Hold Your Breath ~ plotting ~

The latest = Last night when I did the math to see how many words I did this last week, I was shocked to see that it was 1500. I was like YESSSS!!!!! Improvement. Although when I tried to continue last night I ended up having my head on the desk more than I was trying to write. But, 500 more than the last couple weeks makes me happy. Next goal: 2000 words. I think I can do it. The coming scenes are going to be fun to write. Oooh! And I just remembered another idea for one of the chapters to come soon. *writes note to self in phone*


Until next time!

~Jessica

I'm guest posting on Eastern Sunset Reads today...


... so check it out! My good friend Angie at Eastern Sunset Reads asked me to write a post for her month long blogoversary event (go check it out, there's a great giveaway). I jumped at the opportunity to write it!

My post is on The First Time I Read A Book. It's one of those things that is always right there on my mind. It was a nice memory. What happened? Well, you'll have to click the link and find out!

What was your first experience reading a book? Tell me about it!

~Jessica

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Interested in reading A.C. Gaughen's Scarlet along with us?


Marie and I have been wanting to do a read-along for awhile now... after we both purchased Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen in September, we knew this was the one we wanted to read for it!

Marie posted an official post on her blog about the read-along HERE. Now it's my turn to officially spread the word. We'll be starting the book on November 1st (which is a Thursday two weeks from tomorrow). There will be some fun posts over the course of the event about the book and Robin Hood and anything else we can come up with related to it.

AAANNNDDD...

When Marie tweeted about the official post for the read-along, A.C. Gaughen responded... and even offered us some bookmarks to give away! Talk about awesome. So... there will also be a GIVEAWAY!

Um... do you need any more incentive? Join in the fun!!!

~*~



Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.


~synopsis from Goodreads

~*~

We'll have more details to come as we figure them out. It's going to be awesome!!!

~Jessica

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Review: Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Title: Spells
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Published: January 1st 2010
Source: Purchased
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

"I can't just storm in and proclaim my intentions. I can't 'steal' you away. I just have to wait and hope that, someday, you'll ask," Tamani said.

"And if I don't?" Laurel said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Then I guess I'll be waiting forever."


Although Laurel has come to accept her true identity as a faerie, she refuses to turn her back on her human life - and especially her boyfriend, David - to return to the faerie world.

But when she is summoned to Avalon, Laurel's feelings for the charismatic faerie sentry Tamani are undeniable. She is forced to make a choice - a choice that could break her heart.


~synopsis from Goodreads

My Thoughts:

After reading and loving Wings, you would think I would try to get to the second book quickly. Apparently not. I blame all these great books out there, it’s so hard to stick with a series and finish it like you want to. So I finally sat down to finish Spells.

It is time for Laurel to fulfill some of her duties as a Fall Faerie. She gets to experience Avalon and spend time with Tamani. This means she is away from David, her human boyfriend. And as much as she misses him, she cares a lot about Tamani. Yet, she still clings to David and what they have together.

Upon coming home, things are difficult. Her mom seems to be distancing herself from Laurel, which is upsetting. Laurel has trouble trying to mix things together in the proper way, despite her training at the academy. Then some people start to follow her and she is put into danger along with David. Who can she trust? Who is trying to harm her?

Spells wasn’t bad, but I didn’t love it. I think my main issue is the fact that I’m Team Tamani and not Team David. I get it, David was the first guy she fell for. But she has a history with Tamani that goes deeper, and Tamani is just amazing. I just get so frustrated with some love triangles. Aprilynne Pike can write very well though, and her words are captivating. I’ll continue the series for that sake, and the sake of seeing whether she chooses Tamani or not.


My Rating:

Pretty Good: Stay up until your bedtime

Monday, October 15, 2012

Music Monday #7: "Dreaming Wide Awake" by Poets of the Fall


Music Monday is a new feature over at Ramblings of a Daydreamer where we can talk about music. It can be any sort of music thing on your mind--a song or an artist or music you're listening to while reading or writing or anything else music related. Have fun with it! Just link back to Marie so others can join in. ^_^

I've always got music on my mind, so I'll probably be sharing whatever song has been stuck in my head recently. There's always a song stuck in my head. Enjoy!

~*~

Song of the Moment: 
"Dreaming Wide Awake" by Poets of the Fall

Not many people have heard of Poets of the Fall. A good friend of mine put a couple of their early songs on a mix CD for me a few years ago. Then he posted the video below on Facebook when the song was first released. I fell in love with this song. It was the perfect song of the moment back then, and it has not lost any of its meaning now. Poets of the Fall have AMAZING lyrics. Simply amazing. I could probably listen to this one for every single book I ever write in my life. It's so powerful and beautiful... And the video is actually pretty awesome in itself. And it is song of the moment NOW because my friend had to post it AGAIN on Facebook this week... and I've been listening to it nonstop... again. Lol.

ENJOY!


~*~




Lyrics (chorus):

Another place and time
Without a great divide
And we could be flying deadly high
I'll sell my soul to dream you wide awake
Another place and time
Without a warning sign
And we could be dying angels style
I'll sell my soul to dream you wide awake

I'll dream you, I'll dream you, I'll dream you wide awake


So what kind of music is on your mind this week? ^_^

~Jessica

The Book Love Giveaway Hop! Enter to win bookish things...


I am proud to present...

The Book Love Giveaway Hop!

There are only two blogs participating in this hop: mine, here at Thoughts At One In The Morning, and Marie at Ramblings Of A Daydreamer. So, please don't forget to go enter Marie's giveaway too!!! This giveaway runs from today (October 15th) through Sunday, October 21st 2012.

I don't know what Marie is planning on giving away... but here's what you can win on this blog...

Your choice of ONE of the following nine books*:


1.  Confessions of an Angry Girl by Louise Rozett (-Goodreads-)
2.  Every Day by David Levithan (-Goodreads-)
3.  The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin (-Goodreads-)
4.  Live Through This by Mindi Scott (-Goodreads-)
5.  Through To You by Emily Hainsworth (-Goodreads-)
6.  Breathe by Sarah Crossan (-Goodreads-)
7.  Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin (-Goodreads-)
8.  Ten by Gretchen McNeil (-Goodreads-)
9.  Nerve by Jeanne Ryan (-Goodreads-)

*ships from The Book Depository

How does that sound to you? ;)

Here's the official rules/guidelines for the giveaway:

1. You must be a follower.
2. You must be over 15 years old.
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 October 15th through October 21st.
5. You can gain extra entries by "liking" my Facebook page, following me on Twitter @Jess_Sankiewicz, tweeting a message, leaving a blog post comment, and/or blogging about the giveaway hop.
6. Winner will be selected at 12:01 a.m. on October 22nd via Rafflecopter random selection.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Here is the list of participants in The Book Love Giveaway Hop:

1.  Jessica @ Thoughts At One In The Morning (INT)
2.  Marie @ Ramblings Of A Daydreamer (INT)


Thank you so much for reading, following, and entering!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Sunday Replay #8 + The News + Read-Along


Sunday Replay is a weekly recap of the postings on this blog. I will also be sharing other articles and newsworthy items I've found interesting. I may even showcase some pictures I've uploaded.


Stuff from the blog this week:



In other news elsewhere on the internet..


    And.... just a couple pictures from a video game called Paper Mario. This is what happens when the shy guys take over...



    ~The News~

    What news? Oh yeah. At the moment, I'm working on getting things together for the blog. I've only got a handful of things scheduled the rest of the month. I have been running out of steam lately, but I'm beginning to adjust to my new routine. So, October isn't going to have too much going for it. I am still focusing more time on writing, and getting more reading done.

    Plus... this blog is going to be getting... a makeover! Woot! About time. I'm working with a blog designer right now and should have the new design implemented in the coming weeks. It won't be too dramatic (as in a major color change, I'm keeping the colors similar), but it will be different. I will have--wait for it--drop down tabs, and some other awesome buttons for the sidebars. It's going to be great. I can't wait to reveal it all to you. So, it's probably good I'm slowing down at the end of this month.

    ~Read-Along~

    Marie and I have been wanting to read a book together for awhile now. We decided on A.C. Gaughen's novel Scarlet, since we both got it last month and are anxious to read it next. So starting November 1st we'll be reading it at the same time and discussing it. Marie tweeted about it to see if anyone else would be interested in joining us, and the author herself responded asking about what we were doing. Talk about awesome. If you're interested in reading along with us, let one of us know!


    Much love to all!

    ~Jessica