Waiting on Wednesday -- They All Fall Down

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.  
  This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is They All Fall Down. 

They All Fall Down

by Roxanne St. Claire
Publication date: October 14, 2014

From Goodreads:

Pretty Little Liars meets Final Destination in this YA psychological thriller that will have readers' hearts racing right till the very end!

Every year, the lives of ten girls at Vienna High are transformed.

All because of the list.

Kenzie Summerall can't imagine how she's been voted onto a list of the hottest girls in school, but when she lands at number five, her average life becomes dazzling. Doors open to the best parties, new friends surround her, the cutest jock in school is after her.

This is the power of the list. If you're on it, your life changes.

If you're on it this year? Your life ends.

February's Reader Interview -- Asma from IceyBooks

Welcome to Reader Interviews, an exciting new feature the last Friday of every month here at Let Me Tell You A Story. 

This week's reader is Asma from IceyBooks! *cue applause* (Or, should I say, ap-paws?!?!?! Get it? Cat pun! Ahem. Moving on...) I love  Asma's reviews (including the dual reviews with her sister, Hafsah), and she recently started a new meme called Once Upon a Gif that's pretty cool, too! Her blog bio:

Girl. 13. Sister. Homeschooled Student. Reviewer. Book Blogger. Cat Lover.

Asma began reviewing for her sister’s blog in summer of 2011, when life just got way too boring. Now, she has more books that she can keep track of and reads more than she expected to when she applied for the job. Not that she can complain.

If you see Asma’s profile anywhere on the web, she will be depicted as a cat. Because, frankly, she is obsessed with cats. It might be becoming a problem.

Thanks for being here, Asma! And now on to the interview! :)

Judging by the books you tend to squee over at IceyBooks, I’d say you enjoy fantasy most, or at least books with fantastical elements. Is this true? Why or why not?

Well, mainly because fantasy books are awesome :P But I love made up worlds, with lands that don't exist elsewhere, characters you can't find anywhere else, and usually a plot that screams action and magic. That's what makes a fantasy novel unique and different.  

Name one of your favorite male characters and tell us what makes him stand out.

Hmmm, how am I supposed to choose? I mean there's Legolas, the Darkling, James from THE PROGRAM. But if I had to choose from those three, I'd say the Darkling. What I really love about him is that he finds a way to get over every obstacle, and well, he sort of has a special aura about him. Oh yeah, and he's incredibly good-looking ;)

Now, a favorite female character. What made her so special?  

I'd say Kestrel from THE WINNER'S CURSE (which I LOVED), she's independent, strong, and lovable.  

Do you like to see the author's version of his/her characters (like when they share a dream cast, for instance) or do you prefer to see the character the way you've imagined them? 

I don't mind getting a different view on characters, but if they look nothing like the character I pictured in my mind... I just really hope that's not how they were meant to be.

I recently read a series where the secondary character is so fun and realistic that readers have expressed they'd like to have him as their very own friend. Have you ever connected with a secondary character in this way? If so, who was it, and what made them so special?

I do have a few secondary characters that I loved a lot.  One of them would be Sturmhound from SIEGE AND STORM, I would love to hang out with him. He's funny, charming, never gives up, and strong. 

As a blogger, you have the opportunity to get your hands on tons of retellings. Aside from your recent co-gushing post about Cruel Beauty (by Rosamund Hodge) with Hafsah, name another retelling you loved. What elements stuck with you most?

CINDER by Marissa Meyer, I LOVE this series (The Lunar Chronicles) so far. I love how it's a combination of fairytales, sci-fi, and a little bit of fantasy. And pretty much all the characters are lovable, unique, and important.  

I’m sure you have other hobbies besides reading and writing. Tell us something you enjoy that we never would have guessed by reading your blog.

I'm trying to learn coding in my spare time, because I want to be a programmer when I grow up. Part time writer and programmer :D 

I also like baking!

Name the most recent book that made you laugh:

THE HERO'S GUIDE TO BEING AN OUTLAW by Christopher Healy. I'm still reading it (I've only read like ten pages), but it is HILARIOUS, just like the rest of the series. I love the entire idea of the trilogy. I mean, come on, haven't you ever wondered why every Prince is called Charming? 

How about a book you didn’t think you would like, but ended up being pleasantly surprised by?

There a few books that I was sure I would dislike, but the one that turned out to be a favorite was THE PROGRAM by Suzanne Young. I read that it was about depression and suicide, so yeah, I was rather reluctant. But in the end it was awesome. 

A lot of us readers like to save our favorite quotes. Do you have one you would like to share? (If so, please tell us what book it is from and state the author.) 

“Sometimes, to regain sanity, one had to acknowledge and embrace the madness.” - REBEL SPRINGS by Morgan Rhodes. I've got quite a few favorites, but this is one that always stood out to me.

  
1st or 3rd person -- do you have a preference?

Not really, as long as the characters can grow on me and are well done, it doesn't matter ;) 

  
Favorite cover of all time:

I'm not sure, but one of my faves would be THIS DARK ENDEAVOR by Kenneth Oppel. I have yet to read the book, but I love the vintage key hole and the boy you can see through it. (I have a thing for knee-length black coats).

What's the strangest storyline you’ve read and why:

I'd say THE WINNER'S CURSE, she buys the boy. Not exactly something you see in your everyday YA. 

  

Do you collect anything? (Besides books, of course.)

Haha, I collect stamps. I wouldn't say my collection is impressive but I'm getting there. I also collect coins I'm almost through with my 50-states and I have an Arabic Dinar, several South American coins, Canadian coins, and a few other coins from across the world. 

Favorite snack food? 

Ummmm, I'd say potato chips. I don't really have any favorite though.

Tell us the worst ever cliffhanger (can be a series you have or have not yet finished):

THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin. I love the books, but I hated that ending. I still do.  

If you were to meet your favorite author, what would you ask them?

I'm not sure I'll remember how to speak :P

Name a character you would hate to be stranded with on a deserted island.

I'm aiming for any character who looks good. Because in most books, the person the main character is stuck with, they end up falling in love with, too. And I wouldn't want to fall in love with someone utterly ugly, y'know? Good-looking and good-hearted. *goes through list* Do I really have to choose?

There are a LOT of books coming out this spring. List one (or two or three) you are looking forward to being released:

THE RETRIBUTION OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin, because of the second one's ending.

DOROTHY MUST DIE by Danielle Paige

DREAMS OF GODS AND MONSTERS by Laini Taylor. I haven't read the first two yet, but I've heard great things, and I think I'll save myself from any emotional rollercoasters (I'm looking at you, Michelle Hodkin), by waiting for the third.

Well, I think that concludes today's interro--I mean, reader interview! Thanks for sharing your love of books with us, Asma! Happy reading! 

 

ABOUT ASMA

Asma is a cat-loving co-blogger at IceyBooks. She's a 13 year old homeschooler who spends her time blogging (obviously), reading, and whatever else strikes her fancy.

New blog schedule/features for 2014 + this week's writerly news

A post? On a Saturday? Whoaz.

I know I lagged a bit the past two weeks with posts (sorry guys), but the IIST blog tour had just ended and I was quite social all over the interwebs that whole time and frankly, I was plumb out of words. (I know. I didn't think that could happen, either.) The good news is, in that time, I was able to go over my blog and come up with some new features for the year that I think ya'll are going to love! (Including a monthly DVD giveaway! WHAT.)

A quick breakdown...

My main thing is that I'm going to do a monthly theme (uh, er... starting in March, obviously). This won't be super-obvious or anything, but one or two features I do and the DVD featured that month and, at times, the other new thing (getting to that in a moment, please be patient, darlings... here snack on this cookie until I get there) will all loosely correspond with one another. Here's how it'll look:

First Monday of the Month:

DVD announcement & beginning of Rafflecopter giveaway

Second Monday of the Month:

Book cover feature

Last Monday of the month 
(here it is now, thank you for your patience):

Reader Interviews!!!

I had a lot of fun doing the one with Kate Tilton recently, and decided it would be fun do continue doing them once a month. And, ya'll are so awesome that I've almost booked the entire year already! *throws coffee bean confetti*

So that's my main new thing. I'm still going to do the occasional Top Ten Tuesdays and/or Teaser Tuesdays, still doing Waiting on Wednesdays, still doing writerly news on Fridays. But my Mondays are going to get a whole lot more exciting. :) And I'm hoping that you guys will have fun interacting and we can share stuff that goes with each month's theme, and also that you guys will like the classic movies I'm bringing back (or want to experience them yourself for the first time). 

And.. that's it! I could tell you other stuff (like the fact that I now have a tab UP THERE where you can order signed paperbacks or that I'm currently on my second coffee of the morning or that I'm getting ready to watch Romeo and Juliet and know I'll probably wish I'd also bought the Leo/Clare Danes version) but it is Saturday, which means we all have a lot going on. So bye! Have fun doing whatever it is you gotta do!

Have a blessed weekend, guys (and see you Monday with the first reader interview of 2014)!

Waiting on Wednesday -- Free to Fall

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.  
  This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is Free to Fall. 

Free to Fall

by Lauren Miller
Publication date: May 13, 2014

From Goodreads:

What if there was an app that told you what song to listen to, what coffee to order, who to date, even what to do with your life—an app that could ensure your complete and utter happiness? What if you never had to fail or make a wrong choice?

What if you never had to fall?

Fast-forward to a time when Apple and Google have been replaced by Gnosis, a monolith corporation that has developed the most life-changing technology to ever hit the market: Lux, an app that flawlessly optimizes decision making for the best personal results. Just like everyone else, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn knows the key to a happy, healthy life is following what Lux recommends. When she’s accepted to the elite boarding school Theden Academy, her future happiness seems all the more assured. But once on campus, something feels wrong beneath the polished surface of her prestigious dream school. Then she meets North, a handsome townie who doesn’t use Lux, and begins to fall for him and his outsider way of life. Soon, Rory is going against Lux’s recommendations, listening instead to the inner voice that everyone has been taught to ignore — a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming.

Waiting on Wednesday -- Understudy

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.  
  This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is Understudy. 

Understudy

by Cheyanne Young
Publication date: February 14, 2014

From Goodreads:

The high school play is in two months and senior Wren Barlow just became director. Wren still isn't over the fact that she got stiffed as a stagehand instead of the lead role that she totally deserved. Now she is in charge of rehearsals, costumes, navigating around cast member hookups and managing the real life drama at home.

The principal counts on her to succeed because tickets have been sold and the money has been spent. But when he drops a gorgeous bad boy on her and wants him to help the play for extra credit, she falls hard for someone she knows she can't date. With everything spinning out of control, the mysterious and secretive detention king named Derek has a few tricks up his sleeve and wants to help—too bad Wren is scared to give him a chance to prove himself.

11 Reasons Why I Love Book Bloggers

Recently, as I went through my favorite books, couples, and quotes looking for fun things fun to share on an feature at  Kayla's The Bibliophilic Nerds, it occurred to me that I was limiting the post to only authors and their fictional characters. But what about love with the readers? And love shared by those readers, with everyone else, all over the interwebs?

 Whoa! I thought. I’ve got an idea for a feature.

Which turns out to be quite apropos, considering If I Speak True’s blog tour just ended and I am seeing (for a second time) just how much work bloggers do on a daily basis. (Not that I didn't see it before... but when you're watching the process of a post from start to finish you definitely appreciate it more.)

So, without further ado, here’s my “love” list for Valentine's Day, because I love all ya'll, and you are SO appreciated:

11 Reasons Why I Love Book Bloggers

1) Book bloggers are the best. Eclectic group. Ever. Doesn't matter if they're thirteen and from the US or ninety-two and from Costa Rica; tall or short; love coffee or don't (gasp), all of them rock and share one thing: Their love for books. Therefore, they are equally amazing.

2) Book bloggers take time out of their busy schedules to share the books they’ve read with others. Not just once, not just twice, but time and time again, week after week, month after month, year after year. That's dedication, folks. 

3) Sometimes, after sharing the books they've read, they even recommend them, so others can fall in love with them, too.

4) Book bloggers love to squee about favorite characters. Which then gives the rest of us permission to squee with them. And then we all get to squee, and everybody’s happy. Until we read the next book. Then, we do it all over again. (Repeat this for every other emotion, too.)

5) Not only do book bloggers share their feelings about the books they’ve read on their blogs, but a lot of times they go that extra mile and share those thoughts on websites (like Barnes and Noble or Amazon or Goodreads, for example). This is two-fold awesome: a) it helps lead readers to books and b) enables readers to make informed decisions regarding whether a book is their kind of thing. 

6) Book bloggers host giveaways constantly. Have you noticed this? I mean, nowhere else except in the blogosphere can you click around and enter book/swag giveaway after giveaway for free, just BECAUSE. They are like, full of sweet-book-sharing-awesomeness that never stops. (I don't know about you, but I imagine my favorite circus music when I see giveaways. Come one, come all, to the greatest giveaways on our blogs! Ahem. Anyway...)

7) Book bloggers bring their personalities to the table. You hardly ever see the same blog design twice, which is crazy, considering how many bloggers there are! I love checking out everyone’s designs. (I also tend to swoon over owl ones, as well as anything that mentions coffee. But you already knew that, didn't you, friends?)

8) Book bloggers do cool cover features (like this one, or this one) and make fan art and sometimes even start Pinterest boards (which sends #booklove fans into crazy town and makes authors feel so stinking special).

9) Some of the best memes have been thought up by book bloggers, like Top Ten Tuesday, Waiting on Wednesday, What's Next, New Releases, GIF posts, Hot Off the Presses, and so on. (If you're looking for more/new memes, holy canole does Bookshelf Fantasies have a list for you.)

10) Their blog titles are so stinkin' unique. Here are just a minute few, so you can see what I mean:

Perpetual Page Turner
Such a Novel Idea

Chasm of Books

Turning Pages

The NerdHerd Reads

A Day Dreamer's World 

The Book Addict's Guide

Feed Me Books Now

Oops I Read A Book Again

A Book and a Latte

Page Turner's Blog 

The Story Siren

Me My Shelf and I

Lit Up Review

YA Midnight Reads

Geeky Chiquitas

The Escapist

I'd So Rather Be Reading 

11) Not only do bloggers come up with/do fun memes and have great blog titles, but they do reading challenges, too! Like, all the time! A tiny smithereen of examples:

Standalone Reading Challenge 

2014 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge

2014 Reading Challenge: Indie-Fever

2014 TBR Pile Challenge

(This isn't on a blog, per se, but I even came across a reading challenge board on Pinterest and it lists quite a few.)

Now of course, there are way more than eleven reasons why book bloggers are awesome, but these are the ones that came to me. I know a LOT of us appreciate the book blogging community for various reasons, so everyone please feel free to add your reasons in the comments (or, better yet, do your own post on 11 reasons why you love book bloggers--using the banner the lovely Hafsah (@iceybooks/@iceydesigns) made)!

Okay now, fall in, everyone! Time to give all of the bloggers one big ***SQUEEZE***!!! 

Thank you for everything you guys do! *throws coffee bean confetti*


Disclaimers:

* as stated, there are many more bloggers who equally deserve thanks and credit. Each and every one of you is greatly appreciated, full of awesome, and most of you smell nice, too. If you aren't mentioned on this post, it's only because Lovemuffin put too many shots of espresso in my coffee and I'm on caffeine overload and my brain is going a thousand places at once and I can hardly even concen

** sometimes, authors are book bloggers, too, which means that they count as both. So to all of you authors who also blog and share the love of books with fellow authors/readers, you are totes included in the bloggerly love.

*** bloggers! If you have something you'd like to share, like a meme or reading challenge, ect. please feel free to do it in the comments! (YA and up appropriateness, please) 

**** when I said it would be cool of you to do your own 11 Reasons Why I Love Book Bloggers post, I wasn't kidding. It's Valentine's week. Heck, it's Valentine's month. Which means, basically... Go forth, and do it. Do it NOW.

***** wasn't trying to be demanding in that last comment... go forth and do it... please? Also: Here's a cookie.

International Book Giving Day 2014

To download a printable version of this bookmark, go HERE. 

Just a quick note to share that Friday, the 14th (Valentine's Day) is International Book Giving Day, which I think is a pretty awesome thing! :D There are *so* many ways to get books in this day and age (dollar stores, the dollar section at Target, used book stores, your kid's bookshelf, and so on) that it's easier than ever to share the book love. :)

Not sure how to participate? I've copied and pasted this straight from their website:

Three simple ways to celebrate International Book Giving Day!

1. Give a Book to a Friend or Relative.

Celebrate International Book Giving Day by giving a child a new, used or borrowed book.

2. Leave a Book in a Waiting Room or Lobby.

Choose a waiting room where kids are stuck waiting and there are few to no good books available. Purchase a good book, and deposit your book covertly or overtly in your waiting room of choice. The goal here is to spread the love of reading to kids, so choose a fun book, nothing controversial.

3. Donate a Book.

Wrap up a box of children’s books that your kids have outgrown and get them in the hands of children who could really use a book or two. Donate your books to your local second hand store, library, children’s hospital, or shelter. Alternatively, donate your books to an organization working internationally to get books in the hands of kids, such as Books for Africa.

You can find posters in other languages and a brief explanation of International Book Giving Day and this year's artist, HERE. Let's share the book love, ya'll! (And make sure to use the hashtag #giveabook when talking about International Book Giving Day on Twitter!) (LINK) 

This week's writerly news + #giveaway update

Friday + the beginning of a three day weekend + the last day of If I Speak True's blog tour + I'm expecting a book in the mail = this face!!! Excitement overload!!!

Here's a quick rundown to keep everyone in the "know":

1) I was blessed to be interviewed by Kristen Jett (@KristenJett) for a feature on Pub Hub (formerly YA Stands), and had the pleasure of discussing many things, including the similarities and differences between Pity Isn't An Option and If I Speak True; which YA book has affected me most; and (probably most importantly), a popular fandom question: Gale, or Peeta? (You know you want to know! *winks*) (LINK)


2) If you have taken the time to review Pity Isn't An Option or If I Speak True on a purchase site like Amazon or Barnes and Noble (or plan to in the future), I would love to send you some bookmarks as a thank you! Just email me at coffeelvnmom (at) gmail (dot) com with a link to your review, and I will pop some in the mail! :) Reviews help readers choose what to read next, which, in turn, helps authors, as it gets our books into readers' hands! (Yay!) 

3) Though the blog tour ends today, the giveaway goes on until Monday the 10th, so if you're looking to get in a few more entries before the winner is drawn, here ya go! :) 

US giveaways:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

International giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Well, I think that's it... have a blessed weekend, everyone, and READ/WRITE ALL THE THINGS!!! :D

~Jessica

Waiting on Wednesday -- The Winner's Curse

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine.  
  This week's can't-wait-to-read pre-publication book is The Winner's Curse. 

The Winner's Curse

by Marie Rutkoski
Publication date: March 4, 2014

From Goodreads:

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.