Merry Wanderer of the Night [Search results for favorite books] 

Ah I feel like whenever I put this list in writing I want to go back and change something. So perhaps this isn't a perfected list of all-time favorite books but I will try my best.

1. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I just really love this book and every time I read it I find something new. The main reason I love Jane Eyre is that it's a book that grows with you. Every time I've read it's been a different experience, my focus changes and I read a different story.
2. On the Road by Jack Kerouc. This was my favorite book through most of high school. I have wanderlust and I was always attracted to Kerouac's free, uncaring attitude.
3. Notes From No Man's Land by Eula Biss. Okay, I'm really going to shut up about this book soon, but I just love these essays. It's a wonderful collection and I remember reading the essays in it multiple times and still not wanting to put the book down.
4. Middlemarch by George Eliot. I read this last year for class and one look at the size of it made me want to run away. It's actually a really engaging multiplot Victorian novel that made me experience an array of emotions.
5. Moments of Being by Virginia Woolf. Woolf's personal essays and stories. I think this was actually the first book I read for my Virginia Woolf class and I loved learning about this famous author in such a personal way.
6. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. I read a ton of Nick Hornby in high school but this book has always been the one that stood out to me. It chronicles a group of people who met on the top of a building, all intending to kill themselves. They decide to wait a year and then see if they still want to die.
7. Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Every time I sit down with this graphic novel I want to read it from cover-to-cover. I love the simple images because they say so much about what the characters feel and it's amazing how many actions she can show in just a few panels.
8. Killing Yourself to Live by Chuck Klosterman. Chuck Klosterman is another author I was really into in high school and I just recently got a newer book by him since I haven't been keeping up since I got out of high school. Not really sure why that was because Killing Yourself to Live is a fantastic book about rock stars and how they are more successful in death. He talks about a ton of music I hate in this book and I still loved it. So there you go.
9. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. This was a childhood favorite of mine. Anne was weird and kind of magical almost. Not that she had magical powers but she just had a special personality. This is one of the few books that has really stuck with me through my whole life. I need to reread it soon.
10. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I'll be honest, I still have 100 pages left in this book but I honestly think it is one of my favorite books of all-time. I would move it higher up on the list but I feel that would be unfair since I still haven't finished it. When I picked up Middlesex I thought it was going to be a bit of a chore, but I've been surprised by how excited I got with this book.

Honestly though, I don't think some of these books are my favorite books of all-time because I just haven't read ten books that made me go WOW! yet. There are a lot of books I love but when I think of favorite books of all-time I think of books that made a serious imprint on my life and that I really enjoyed. I think maybe I've read six books like that. Time will tell what my favorites really are. What are some of your favorites? You can join the conversation at The Broke and the Bookish!

This week's Booking Through Thursday is all of these questions!

1. Favorite childhood book?
Lily's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes was my favorite picture book. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery was my favorite chapter bok.

2. What are you reading right now?
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, The Best American Essays 2008, and The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger.

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion.

4. Bad book habit?
Putting them down on the table with the spine up.

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
The Catcher in the Rye, About a Mountain by John D'Agata, Sleeping Naked is Green by Vanessa Farguharson, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

6. Do you have an e-reader?
Yes, I have a nook.

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Several, although lately I've been focusing more on one at a time.

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Oh yeah, I read a lot more and I'm more conscious about what I think while I'm reading.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not very often.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
Genres I know I can count on like literary nonfiction, graphic novels, young adult series, and classics.

13. Can you read on the bus?
Yeah I do it all the time.

14. Favorite place to read?
Outside as long as I don't have the sun to my back.

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I'll lend to anyone I'm friends with.

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
I used to but now I use bookmarks and sticky notes.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Often.

18. Not even with text books?
Still do it here.

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
English though I can read some French.

20. What makes you love a book?
Strong female characters, strong characters of any kind, detailed description but not flowery language.

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If I come away from a book thinking it either changed the way I look at something or helped me learn a lot about a subject or life.

22. Favorite genre?
Literary nonfiction.

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Current literary fiction.

24. Favorite biography?
Wild Child: Life with Jim Morrison by Linda Ashcroft.

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I've read fitness walking books and study books.

26. Favorite cookbook?
Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

28. Favorite reading snack?
Popcorn or oranges.

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation. I think I expected too much from it.

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
Depends on the critic. I usually agree with book reviews from the Believer. Bookmarks is more touch and go.

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I feel that I always give reasons for why I don't like a book so I don't mind giving negative reviews. I try to find something good even in books I dont like.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Dutch.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Middlemarch by George Eliot.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.

35. Favorite Poet?
Emily Dickinson.

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
I didn't have a library card until last week (I know, I know!) but including the university library I would say about 3 or 4.

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Frequently when I was younger, which is why I didn't get a library card again until last week.

38. Favorite fictional character?
I have way too many! One I always remember fondly is Marcus in About a Boy by Nick Hornby.

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Lydia Gwilt from Armadale by Wilkie Collins.

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Some literary nonfiction and historical fiction.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Three or four months probably.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Most recently I have been very challenged by Surviving Paradise. Not sure if I'll finish it or not.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
Noise, other conversations, my own nagging thoughts.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Jane Eyre! The PBS version.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I wasn't too fond of The Lightning Thief.

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Oh boy, no clue. Definitely upwards $150 dollars.

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Not that often, surprisingly.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Boring plot.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
I like to keep them on shelves, but in no particular order.

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I prefer to keep them.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Gone With the Wind, even though I said I'd read it by the end of the summer.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
I can name an essay that made me angry. Ticket to the Fair by David Foster Wallace.

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
I wasn't sure if I'd like Candy Girl by Diablo Cody and really enjoyed it.

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere by Jan Morris.

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
The Luxe series.

Did any of my answers surprise you?

So, this post is going to be going up quite a bit later than I had originally planned... Sorry about that...

I've been wanting to write a "Why I Blog" post for a while now. It's been a pretty popular topic among the blogging world lately, and I wanted to mention how I feel about blogging, especially because what I have to say seems different than what other people say. I figured my first blogging birthday would be the perfect time to say what I have to say. So, even though the day is getting close to being over, I wanted to share my views on blogging, and why it is that I blog.

In almost every single "Why I Blog" post I've read, the blogger in question mentions never believing they would have any following, let alone the number that currently follows their blog, and that they would continue blogging even if there wasn't a single person reading their posts, so every new follower/reader/commenter means something extra special. And, honestly, I don't believe them. Sounds harsh I know. But think about it — blogging is a huge time commitment and it isn't easy. There are days when it's really hard to find the motivation or desire to post anything and times when words or reviews just won't come.

I personally would not keep blogging if no one read my reviews. If I never had a single reader, I would stop blogging. I got more feedback than that posting my reviews only on Goodreads. I do need to say this is not about numbers to me. I rarely check my blogging stats. I don't even know where to find a lot of the information bloggers talk about for their blogs. Why? Because I don't care. Stats, views, unique hits and all that other stuff has never been important to me.

Confusing, right? I wouldn't keep blogging if I had zero people reading my reviews, but I don't actually care about numbers and statistics. So, how does this work?

Because I would blog if I had one reader. That's all I need to feel like my blog is worth my time. One person who thinks what I have to say is worth reading.

I started blogging because I love books. I love to talk about books. I could talk about my favorite books for hours on end, going over my favorite parts, what I liked, what I didn't over and over and over. And I do. My best friend has heard about my favorite books so many times now that I'm pretty sure she can quote what I think about them verbatim with all the same inflections that I would use. My sister and my mom can probably make the same claim.

I started this blog because there were aspects to the reading community on Goodreads that I loved, and I wanted more of that. I wanted more people online, who also loved books as much as I do to sit and chat with. I wanted to meet more people who I could go to if I needed more recommendations, and I wanted to find people I could push my favorites on. I can't tell you what an amazingly gratifying feeling it is to recommend an absolute favorite book to someone and have them come back glowing and gushing to tell you how amazing the book was and how thankful they are that you recommended it. But, I bet that most of you have felt that before. I imagine that a lot of you bloggers out there have had a similar experience, so you know.

I started blogging because I wanted to be there for the conversation. I wanted to be there hearing about all these great new books coming out, and I wanted to meet people like me. I've always been around people who enjoy reading, but don't know anyone in real life who feels about reading the same way I do. My mom reads a lot, and we do share books (although she's not as 'nice' to books as I am, so I'm always a little leery lending her my copies.: P) but she doesn't really do the 'book talk' thing. She will tell me if she liked it, and maybe a little bit of why, but there isn't a ton of discussion there. My sister also loves reading, and we have a lot more discussion than my mom. But, she has three little kids, 5 and under, so she (understandably) doesn't have a ton of time to read. My best friend listens to me rave, or rant about particular books, and it's always part of our conversations, but although she enjoys reading, it isn't something she does a lot of. And on and on.

So, I wanted to find a place where I could go to talk about books when and how I wanted, and to meet other people that felt the same. My whole motivation behind blogging. If I didn't have any blogger friends to talk to, why would I do it?

And, since this is a post about why I blog, and I'm being honest here, I also have to say that it's pretty awesome to have someone, especially someone you don't know and have never met stop by and tell you that they think what you have to say is pretty great. Who doesn't like to hear that what they had to say touched someone, changed their opinion of a book, or influenced them to buy a copy? Come on. If you say you don't like hearing people think you are great/smart/well-spoken/awesome/insightful and etc, then I'm going to say I think you lie.

So this, dear readers and friends, is why I blog. I blog to spread the word about books that I love, and get other people to read and fall in love with them too, to make new friends, find new favorite books and to talk about books.

I'm warning you right now — this is going to be a bit of a long post. But I promise it will be well worth it!

For all of those participating in the Award Winning Reads Challenge hosted by myself and Jacinda at The Reading Housewives, or any of you thinking you might want to participate but haven't decided yet, this post is for you.

<a><img src="//farm4.static.flickr.com/3614/5719786060_70bba0f7fe_m.jpg" alt="button1" /></a>
In our intro post to the Challenge, both Jacinda and I made promises for lots of great prizes and giveaways for participants. This post is just to offer a little more detail and explanation for how each giveaway will work.

To start — The most basic:

For each level of participation, there will be a specific giveaway. So those who sign up to read three books will have a drawing independent of those who sign up to read nine. Each of the four levels will have one winner.

Jacinda and I both have a selection of books that we are going to donate, with titles from both the Newbery and the Printz list. Some are brand new, some look brand new, and some are gently used. This forms our prize pool. A full list will be provided at a later date.

To be chosen as the winner from your reading level, you must complete your goal. You can read more than your challenge level, but you must at least reach it. This will earn you one entry.

For every book you read past your reading goal, you will gain an additional entry.

For every review you post a Newbery or Printz honor or award, you will gain an additional entry.

To encourage people to sign up for the reading level they think they are capable of, and not just sign up for level one and then read 100 books, the number of books you can win increases with each level increase.

The winner from Level one will receive 2 books from the prize pack.
Level two will receive 3.
Level three will receive 4.
And Level four will receive 5.

We are also going to have a giveaway for one random participant, whether you complete your level or not. Everyone who signs up and agrees to participate will be eligible for this prize, although if you win the prize pack for your reading level, you will not be able to win this one.

The final giveaway that is for sure going to happen is a special giveaway, just from me. Jacinda and I are on the same page with the whole challenge, and are working very well together, but I wanted to include this giveaway, because I am a book pusher. I like the idea that other people are reading my favorite books, and that authors I find especially gifted are getting extra love.

So, I decided to offer the participants of this challenge a special incentive for reading my favorite books. Below, I have compiled a list of 10 (ish) books each from both the Newbery and the Printz award lists. I've included a Goodreads and Amazon link to each title for your convenience. If you want more information about a book, or if you want to know why I seriously think you should read it, just ask! Comment, email, tweet, whatever!:) I love talking up my favorite books!

Anyone who reads any of these books will be entered in to win a special drawing. Reviewing the book will gain you an additional entry as well. (Note — if you don't have a blog, that's totally okay! Posting a review anywhere will count! Goodreads, Shelfari, LibraryThing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books A Million etc etc etc. As long as it's a review, it's online and you can link me, it counts!)

The number of winners and the prizes to be won for this giveaway are yet to be determined. Part of this is going to depend on the number of participants, some will depend on how my pocket book is feeling come September, and some will depend on how excited I am that (hopefully) so many people are reading my favorites. At this point, it's likely to include at the very least a book of your choice from the complete awards lists, but I might also include some of my own personal favorites in there as well. Suggestions and preferences are welcomed. And now:

THE LIST: Printz: * Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta (amazon; goodreads) (2009 Award) * The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (amazon; goodreads) (2009 Honor) * The Book Thief (amazon; goodreads) / I am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak (amazon; goodreads) (2007 Honor/ 2006 honor, respectively) * Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (amazon; goodreads) (2000 Honor) * Monster by Walter Dean Meyers (amazon; goodreads) (2000 Award) * The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (amazon; goodreads) (2003 Honor) * Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger (amazon; goodreads) (2000 Honor) * Going Boving by Libba Bray (amazon; goodreads) (2010 Award)
* how i live now by Meg Rosoff (amazon; goodreads) (2005 Award)
* The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci (amazon; goodreads) (2001 Honor)

Newbery: * When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (amazon; goodreads) (2010 Award) * Rules by Cynthia Lord (amazon; goodreads) (2007 Honor) * The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Spear (amazon; goodreads) (1959 Award) * Dicey's Song (amazon; goodreads) / A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt (amazon; goodreads) (Books 2 and 3 of the Tillerman Saga) (1983 Award/ 1984 Honor, respectively) * Walk Two Moons (amazon; goodreads) / The Wanderer by Sharon Creech (amazon; goodreads) (1995 Award/ 2001 Honor, respectively) * Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff (amazon; goodreads) (2003 Honor) *Enchantress from the Stars by Sylvia Engdahl (amazon; goodreads) (1971 Honor) * The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt (amazon; goodreads) (2008 Honor) * The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi (amazon; goodreads) (1991 Honor) * The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (amazon; goodreads) (2009 Award)
I can't wait to see what everyone plans to read! Stop by here or over at The Reading Housewives tomorrow for our kick off posts. I'll be including links to previous Newbery/Printz reviews here on the blog and giving you a peek at my tentative reading pile. I believe we will also have a linky with the post, so feel free to link up your starting post!
Tomorrows the day! Happy reading!
*Ashley and Jacinda reserve the right to change the number of prizes for each level. We will keep you informed of any and all decisions regarding prizes. Three months is a long time. I can't guarantee that everything in this post is going to remain exactly the same. But take heart. This also means we can give you more books!:)

This week at the Broke and Bookish we're talking about our top ten favorite book blogs. Since I was listed on their top ten I will definitely have to share the love! These are in no particular order.

1. The Broke and Bookish. I love the idea for this blog! It's great that they have multiple bloggers because each one has a different way of reviewing and reads different books. Lots of variety here!
2. Reading on a Rainy Day. Quite a few reviews of books dealing with India, which is different from other blogs out there. She really has eclectic taste and has reviewed some great books this year, including The Bell Jar which I love. I always come away with something I want to read.
3. 1330V. You can always count on this blog for really thoughtful posts about reading and great reviews on an assortment of books. Quite a few graphic novel reviews and lots of books I've never heard of before!
4. Sophisticated Dorkiness. A journalist and book lover blogs about mostly nonfiction. This is the only book review blog I can think of that focuses on nonfiction and that is part of the reason I love it. Since I found Sophisticated Dorkiness I have started to review more nonfiction myself because it's my favorite genre as well!
5. Sasha & the Silverfish. Sasha was one of the first blogs I read when I started blogging. Her posts are long but wonderful. It's like discussion in an English class, except you don't have to worry about getting a grade! Lots of great books here.
6. A Literary Odyssey. This blog attempts to read 250 classics and does multiple posts on quite a few of them. I like that about this blog because you get to hear so much more about her thoughts on a book than you would with just one post. With classics I think that works really well.
7. Drunk Literature. On a bit of a hiatus right now but still one of my favorite book blogs. Rebecca blogs about more than books, that includes art, music, and just what's she into at the moment. She has great taste!
8. A Guy's Moleskine Notebook. He reviews quite a few classics but also a lot of newer books so there is a lot of variety. The reviews are very thoughtful and specific, and he is great at starting discussions.
9. The Displaced English Major. Similarly to A Literary Odyssey this blog is trying to read a list of 100 books. I've been amazed at how patient she can be with books she doesn't really care for. She's read some fairly obscure titles so be sure to check out her thoughts!
10. Iris on Books. I didn't find Iris until this summer but it's quickly become one of my favorite book blogs. She reviews mostly literature and classics, but I really enjoy her posts about reading. She's funny too!

There are a lot more I'd like to list. Basically, check out any blog in my blogroll and know that I love what they do!

Choose a time of your life--childhood, middle school, high school, college, etc--and create a time-capsule post to share with your readers. Include anything you like--favorite books, favorite authors, favorite series, favorite genres, favorite songs, favorite albums, favorite musicians, favorite movies, favorite tv shows, favorite toys, favorite games, favorite styles, etc. You can make it as general--or as personal--as you like. If you're brave, you might even include personal pictures! (Though that is NOT a requirement!)

If your focus is on books, on reading, perhaps you'd like to mention if you've ever reread any of your 'favorite' books from this time. And if you have, what did you think? Have you out-grown any favorites? Or do you love them still? What do you think makes a book timeless or dated? Perhaps your favorites are out of print, which ones would you love to see brought back into print?

This is a 'post in progress' I wanted a chance to spotlight and talk about what other bloggers are doing to celebrate the awesome that is Contemporary YA. This is never going to be a comprehensive list. I am only one person and I just can't do it. BUT I will update it, hoping to get as much talk about the other Contemp happenings as possible!!

Awesome Reading Challenge!

Kat @ I Write, I Read, I Review is hosting the Keeping it Real Reading Challenge! The goal is to read Contemporary YA during the month of November and there are PRIZES! Seriously guys — Check it out!

REVIEWS:

Candace @ Candace's Book Blog — Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez, Shut Out by Kody Keplinger, Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott, and Looking for Alaska by John Green.

April @ Good Books and Good Wine — Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen, Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala, Lovestruck Summer by Melissa C. Walker, and Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (which is... mostly Contemporary:) )

Shannon @ Books Devoured — Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert (one of my favorite books) and Subway Girl by P.J. Converse

Anna @ Anna Reads — The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder (another favorite!!)

Sarah @ Storybound Girl — Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott

Tara @ Hobbitsies — Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Allison @ The Allure of Books — Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

Liz @ Consumed by Books — Looking For Alaska by John Green

Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner — Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Asheley @ Into the Hall of Books — Kiss, Crush, Collide by Christina Meredith

Jennifer @ Novel Thoughts — Without Tess by Marcella Pixley

Jenny @ The Mimosa Stimulous — Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

Robin @ Nice Girls Read Books — Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Page @ One Book at a time — Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly (again, mostly Contemporary:) )

Angela @ Reading Angel — How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Lindsi @ Books, Sweets and Other Treats — If I Tell by Janet Gurtler

Jordyn @ Ten Cent Notes — Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell

AUTHORS:

Carla @ The Crooked Shelf interviewed Melina Marchetta (AHH!!! LOVE Melina! My interview with her will go up soon:) )

GIVEAWAYS:

Mary @ Anxirium is giving away some Contemporary YA books!!!

DISCUSSION/THOUGHT POSTS:
Note — Many of these are guest posts, so rather than write both the blog hosted and the blogger writing, I've just identified the writer of the post, not the host blog:

Topic: Why I Love Contemporary:

Katelyn @ Katelyn's Blog
Jacinda @ Reading Housewives
Candace @ Candace's Book Blog
Sarah @ Storybound Girl
Kathy @ I Write, I Read, I Review
Cara @ Chasing Words
Jordyn @ Ten Cent Notes
Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Alissa @ The Grammarian's Reviews
Ariel @ The Librarian's Bookshelf
Kailia @ Reading the Best of the Best

Callie @ Read, Write, Blog compiled her list of favorite Dark Contemporary YA books.

I'm going to keep searching for more to add to this list. If YOU or someone you know has posted anything this week (from November first through Saturday, November 5) please either leave me a comment or send me a message on Twitter with the link so that I can stop by and add it to my list!

For the second day of Book Blogger Appreciation Week I was paired with Melody of Melody's Reading Corner to do an interview swap. Melody's blog is new to me but I'm excited to start reading it more regularly! Here are Melody's answers to my questions.

Ash: Do you like to eat or drink anything while you read?
Melody: While I’d love to munch on snacks (my favourite snack is chips!) and drink green tea while reading, I try not to do so whenever I can as there is the risk of dirtying my books.

Ash: We've read a few of the same books this year and I noticed some of them were YA titles. Why do you think adults are attracted to reading young adult books? What attracts you to them?
Melody: There was once a bookstore assistant who asked me why I read YA books when I should be reading adult theme books. Her question had sparked some thoughts in me then and I remember telling her this: “I enjoy reading books. Books, to me are a great escapism and also another channel where I can broaden my horizons. I believe we have things to learn and think about from any books, no matter if it is a literary fiction or a children’s book. Also, I find some YA books cover important topics and contain some wonderful messages and I like it that they create awareness and make young adults think.”
I am not sure about other readers, but I do think my above reply are just some of the few reasons why adults would pick up YA books and read them.

Ash: I noticed in your review guidelines you said you do not read nonfiction or memoir. What turns you away from those genres?
Melody: I used to read non-fiction and memoirs some years back, but they have all taken a back seat since the day I started my blog and reading so many wonderful reviews on fictions. I have a huge TBR pile due to that and thus my current main focus is on them. I will still read a non-fiction or memoir from time to time, but that will have to depend if the topic interests me or not.

Ash: You've been blogging for a long time! About four years it looks like. How has the blogging world changed since you started and how have you changed as a blogger? What do you recommend other bloggers do to create such great longevity?
Melody: I started blogging in July 2006, and at that time I was not aware of the book blogging community. I started my blog because I think it is an excellent place where I can record the books I read and how I felt about them without misplacing it like a journal. At that time, I didn’t even care if anyone read it until I received my very first comment from a fellow blogger. It then made me realise that there are people who read my blog and from there onwards, I strive to work hard on my writing. And as for the rest, as they say, is history.

Besides the above, I have to say being a blogger has definitely widen my reading horizons as there are so many wonderful bookbloggers and recommendations out there, waiting for my exploration! It is through reading these blogs that made me read out of my comfort zone, and I cannot imagine how many books I have missed during my pre-blogging days! That said, it is always better to be late than never, right?

As for ways for creating longevity for blogs, I don’t have any good recommendations except that to blog whatever you like and also to take some time in visiting and commenting on other blogs. After all what other ways to start a friendship other than saying hello and reading a new book blog you have visited? That said, I need to remind myself to comment as much as possible but sometimes, it sure is hard when you have about 250+ blogs to read and you can only read and comment so much in a day, but I will try to remedy that!

Ash: Is there any specific message you want your readers to take away from your blog?
Melody: Have fun and be yourself.


Ash: What are your three favorite books you've read in the past year?
Melody: Just three? That’s a hard one since I had read a few good books in the past year. Anyway, here are just a few which I loved (not in any order):

1) Ritual by Mo Hayder
2) Skin by Mo Hayder (Now can you tell I’m a huge fan of her?)
3) Fallen Skies by Philippa Gregory
4) The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
5) The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
6) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
7) Sweethearts by Sara Zarr
8) The Lost Hours by Karen White
9) Stolen by Lucy Christopher
>10) The Ghost Writer by John Harwood

I could go on and on, but I think listing 10 books will suffice (after all I have added 7 books instead of listing only three to the list, haven’t I?).


Ash: Are you from a family of readers, or is reading something that sets you apart from other people in your family?
Melody: This is sad but true that I am the only reader in my family. My parents read the papers but rarely books, and as for my husband he mostly read books which are related to his work. My younger sister doesn’t have the interest of reading books, so that left only me. Though they are not as much as a voracious reader as I, they are supportive of my reading habits (read: buying books and occupying much of our room space) and I am thankful for that.


Ash: If you were to start a blog about anything besides books, what would it be?
Melody: I absolutely have no idea! Frankly speaking, I cannot think of anything else besides blogging about books and my reading. I don’t think anyone would want to read about my personal life anyway, haha.

You can read my answers to Melody's questions at her blog, Melody's Reading Corner!

Top Ten Tuesday is one of my favorite memes/features. It's hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I don't participate all that often, but sometimes the topic just speaks to me, and I just have to participate. Getting some attention on 10 of my favorite books that I don't think enough people read isn't something I can pass up.:)

So here are my Top Ten AWESOME books that I think more people need to know about:

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder — While I do prefer Lisa's The Day Before, it's been getting a lot of attention lately. Lisa is one of my very favorite verse writers. She's incredible, and I don't think enough people have read her.

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert — It's not often that a writer can make a solid & life long fan of me in just one book, but this book did that and more. It's such a strong and powerful book. The book itself is marvelous, but the addition of the individual character Ballads — absolutely stunning. (My review)

Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick — I don't really know how many people are aware of this book, but I can tell you right now that it's not enough. This is one of the most phenomenally written books I've ever read. The relationship between the main character and his four year old brother just touched my heart. I love the strength of family here. I probably won't recommend this one to moms... Something about reading four year old with cancer is harder for moms with young kids (my sister avoids them like the plague) but for everyone else — This book is amazing.

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta — Well, Melina Marchetta in general actually. Her better known book, Jellicoe Road is one of my favorite books of all time. And, given that it won a Printz award, I'm surprised it's not better known. But, given that Saving Francesca isn't as well know, it's my 'official' pick for Ms. Marchetta. But really, if I could get every person on the planet to read a Marchetta book, I'm pretty sure I could die happy. She's... She's... Well, words just can't describe her. I LOVE her books. So go read it. (Here is my review if you need more convincing.)

Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott — This could just as easily have been The Swan Kingdom (my review) , because both are legitimately amazing novels, but I think I like Daughter just a teensy bit more. But Zoe is another of those writers that I just gush over. And guess what, she's not contemporary! Gasp, I know! She writes fantasy! The Swan Kingdom is a fairy tale retelling, but Daughter is straight up fantasy, and boy does it rock my socks off! So, you should go read it!!

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson — Laurie is incredibly well known for her amazing novel, Speak and I feel that sometimes, her other books get lost in its wake. But if I'm being honest, I think that Twisted is even better than Speak. There is no argument on the importance of Speak and the fact that it's amazing, powerful and important. But Twisted is all of those things too, but somehow, just a little bit stronger. It is also one of the absolute best male pov characters I have ever read from a female author.

Wise Child by Monica Furlong — I don't know that I've ever talked to another person who has read this book (other than my sister, who I stole it from as a kid) but it's a great book. It's fantasy, but it's not heavy or intense like much fantasy tends to be. As I've mentioned before, I did not like fantasy when I was a kid and if I knew a book was fantasy, I usually wouldn't even start it. But I loved this book. I've read it numerous times and love it just as much every time.

The Novels of a Kingdom by Cynthia Voigt — Best known for her brilliant Tillerman Saga, Cynthia Voigt also wrote a series of novels set within the same kingdom, each about two generations apart. And again, I don't know very many people who have read them. But they are phenomenal! Strong characters, believable interactions and wonderful plot lines. There are 4 novels, Jackaroo, On Fortune's Wheel, The Wings of a Falcon and Elske. Each is its own story, but there are subtle traces that carry over from one to the next. I loved finding each of these connections and am definitely due for a reread of these four soon.

Tenderness by Robert Cormier — This is such a strange and interesting book that left me incredibly conflicted. The bad guy here is also the main character and he is very, very bad. He rapes and murders women and his manipulation of the system made my stomach turn. But somehow, I also liked him. It shocked me immensely, but I was left very conflicted by the end. (My review)

You Don't Know Me by David Klass — This is another book I haven't heard anything from anyone else about. I bought it on impulse at the library during my internship, because it looked barely used, I didn't have hardly any of my own books with me, and it was only like 50 cents. And it's probably one of the best impulse buys ever. It's a very well written book, one that definitely touched me and one that I want to read again soon. Give this one a chance. It is so worth it.

There you have it. My top ten, today at least. I thought about, and almost included an honorable mention list for the titles I couldn't include, but when that became longer than my actual list, I figured I had to stop.

Have you read any of my ten? Link me to yours so I can come check 'em out! I'm always looking for new hidden gems to read and love!

It's Banned Books Week!

I don't know about you guys, but it seems like an awful lot of my favorite books or authors have been banned or challenged at some point. I always have two reactions when I hear about the removal of a book from a school or public library — On one hand, I'm always saddened and annoyed by the desire to keep information from kids, but on the other — I'm kinda glad, because it means that a whole bunch of people are now going to pass the name of that book or author around, and it's going to go on lists like these, and be bought and read and given away by people like us and... Yay for publicity... But mostly, I'm sad and angry and wish that instead of saying — NO ONE CAN TOUCH THIS BOOK, people would instead say — I don't want MY family reading this book, but you people can do whatever...
But alas.
ANYWAY — To celebrate the fact that the US doesn't actually ban books, even if some local and school libraries do remove them, and to celebrate the fact that we can read, we can read whatever we want and that the internet allows anyone to find pretty much any book at anytime, I'd like to give away a book today.:)

I will give away either an ARC of Perfect by Ellen Hopkins (who herself has been banned... True story really happened) OR a book of your choice that has been banned or challenged, or even — called too 'dark' and 'lurid' and 'dangerous'. Gotta give a chance to all those newer books out there, who just plain haven't had much chance to get their feet wet...
The ARC will only be shipping to the US, but anyone can enter. If The Book Depository ships to you, enter away!:)
To enter — Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite banned or challenged book (or books) are. AND I'm gonna be a meany and tell you that you cannot use Harry Potter. (If you absolutely have to include the awesomeness that is Harry Potter, you must also include another title.)

Also, please leave me a way to contact you, or make SURE that your email is also linked to the profile you commented with. You can't win if I can't find you...

If you have a favorite book that you know could be pretty controversial, but aren't sure it's been officially challenged or not, that works too.:)

The giveaway will run from now, until Oct 1, as per the linky/hop rules. Comment away and enjoyed reading those banned books!:)

ALSO — Be sure to check out I Read Banned Books and I Am a Reader, Not a Writer, the lovely ladies who coordinated this hop. You can check out their blogs for the full list of blogs participating! Also, stop by the rest of the week! I'm really hoping to have lots of reviews and posts talking about banned books, why I love them and some very definite recommended reading lists.:)

The Spring into Summer Read-a-Thon is over! It did end about 3 hours ago, but I was off hanging with a friend... So, I'm just now getting it posted.: P

Survey:

Give us an end of read-a-thon status update:

Total Books Read: 10 Total Pages Read: 2129
Books Read Since Last Update: 1 Pages Read since last update: 80 Total time read: 17 hours How I'm currently feeling: Awesome!! I got a lot of reading done, and I'm definitely feeling good about the progress that I made! List of books read- 1 — I Heart You, You Haunt Me — Lisa Schroeder 2 — Fog Magic — Julia L. Sauer (Newbery Honor) 3 — Monster — Walter Dean Meyers (Printz Award, Reread) 4 — The Five People You Meet in Heaven — Mitch Albom 5 — Dobry- Monica Shannon (Newbery Award) 6 — Repossessed — A.M. Jenkins (Printz Honor) 7 — Where the Red Fern Grows — Wilson Rawls (Reread) 8 — After the Kiss — Terra Elan McVoy 9 — Scars — Cheryl Rainfield 10 — Animal Stories Daddy Told Us — Innocent Emechete
What is your favorite book you read during the read-a-thon? Such an impossibly difficult question to answer! I read and really enjoyed quite a few books! Where the Red Fern Grows is one of my favorite books of all time, but it's also a reread, so I feel kind of like I'm cheating to mention that one, so I'll have to keep it with I Heart You, You Haunt Me. Seriously folks, Lisa Schroeder is awesome! Did you participate in any mini-challenges? Which ones? Not too many. I did the book titles, which book I think should be taught in schools and... I think that might have been it... : / Which mini-challenge was your favorite? Probably the book titles. It's always a fun one to see what people come up with. What has been your favorite thing about the read-a-thon? Having a reason/motivation/excuse to sit around and read. Read-a-thons are incredibly motivating to me. Especially when I talk with a lot of other people, sharing progress, cheering and being cheered etc. Are you satisfied with how much reading you got done? Did you do more/less than you expected? I am pretty satisfied, yes! Although, I do wish that I had spent more time reading. I spent 17 hours reading, which is a lot, but out of 36, it's just about half. Which means, I could have gotten a lot more read if I hadn't wasted so much time. I spent more time that I would have liked on Twitter & checking/writing updates.: P But, I still got 10 books read in 2 days, and I refuse to feel bad about that progress.:) As for expectations, I intentionally didn't give myself any, other than read a lot, because if I meet my goal, I feel like I can stop. But if I don't meet my goal, I feel really bummed and down. So, my only official goal was to 'read. A lot.' I did make a few smaller goals after I had judged my current progress, and that seemed to work really well. What did you think of the updates? I liked them okay, but as I mentioned before, I thought there were too many of them. For the most part, I was more interested in reading my books than other peoples updates or writing my own. I really like end of day/end of event/mid-point surveys, but don't love regular updates, which I'm sure you can tell, because I didn't post very many of them. I feel like so many updates forces me to take artificial breaks in my reading time. If you could change one thing about the read-a-thon, what would it be? See above. Would you participate again? Most definitely!! Any last comments? Thank you! I had a lot of fun & would definitely participate again, so... You should definitely host again!:)

So, I'm actually doing a winners post!! I know, right?! I'm terrible at actually getting these things up.: P

First, I had a giveaway from Jill Alexander for a signed copy of her book The Sweetheart of Prosper County. I read and (mostly) enjoyed Paradise, so I'm jealous of this winner! And — it is:

MARY!!
I've already heard back from Mary and will get her book mailed as soon as I hear back from the read-a-thon winners! (So be fast peeps!)

Alright — So... This contest was WAY harder to judge than I thought! I thought I was being all awesome, deciding to pick my favorite recommendation as a winner, but it was hard!! Like, really hard!! So... I'm really sorry if I didn't pick you. There were just WAY too many!

Also, I think random.org is MAGICAL!! I SWEAR!! Because while I was struggling to pick one favorite, random.org picked the recommendation that had my favorite line. That's pretty awesome!

So — The random winner is: UPDATED

Nikki @ Wicked Awesome Books actually already owns each of the books I was offering, so the new random winner is:

Raelena @ Through the Haze She has been emailed!:)

My favorite rec winner is:

Momo @ Books Over Boys
Why did I pick this one? Because Momo took two books that I didn't previously have any interest in reading and made me WANT to read them. Which is unusual for me. And, really, isn't that the point of a book recommendation?! To match a reader with something they might have overlooked? So, yay for Momo! I'll have to see about finding copies soon!:)
Rather than put full recommendations in this post, I do want to give a shout-out to some of my favorites by including my favorite lines from their recs so here are my top favorite lines: All names will link to their posts.

Nikki @ Wicked Awesome Books said of The Near Witch:

It's like a bedtime story come to life... Ya'll know how I feel about fairy tales, yes?

Usagi @ Birth of a New Witch said of Wasteland:

I emotionally connected with the characters and I’m sure you will, too. And I have the heart of a Vulcan. Or maybe no heart at all, I’m not sure. But I felt like I had one while reading this book. Hahaha! This seriously had me laughing. And it made me want to give Francesca Lia Block another try even though I was so not impressed with the one I've read.

Jenna @ Jenna's Blog said of The Book Thief, regarding Death (the narrator):

Any author who can make me feel emotion for a personified abstract noun writes extremely well. Umm. This is truth. Plus I also just really love that book!

Zoe @ A Corner of My Bookshelf said of One Night that Changes Everything:
It was a quick, fun read that was cute and catchy. (Kinda like a Disney movie, but who's asking anyway;) ) Because who doesn't love Disney movies!?: P

Rachel @ Endless Reading said of Les Miserables and The Counte of Monte Cristo:
Les Mis is all about redemption and love and war. Just phenomenal. Monte Cristo is about betrayal and revenge being best served cold. These are two of my very favorite classics and I love that her recs for them are short, to the point and definitely peak my interest.

There were SO many more that I could have chosen quotes from and tons that came close to be favorites! I have tons of new books to add to my tbr now! Thank you to everyone who participated!!: D

This week Suey wanted to hear about antique books. She wrote:

So this week, write a post sharing with us what old antique books you may have on your shelves, and tell us the story behind them. Did you inherit from a relative? Are you a collector of old and rare books? Did you just discover a certain book in a used book store and couldn't pass it up? What's the very oldest book you have? Do you even like old books? Or do they creep you out? Do you read and enjoy your old books, or is it more a "look and don't touch" thing?
A few people took up the prompt to tell readers about old books on their shelves.

Elena from All Booked Up writes: "I could easily see myself becoming a collector (if I only had the income)." She has a couple of older books, but wishes they were in a language she could read!

Naida at The Bookworm writes: "I don't mind reading old books, but it depends. If the copy is a collectable type book, I won't let anyone touch it..." My favorite book on Naida's shelf would be her 1964 book club edition of Gone With the Wind...which she classifies as one of her "look but don't touch" books!

Bernadette at Reactions to Reading doesn't much care about the container a book comes in, but she has a great collection of leather bound classic books published sometime around 1950. Bernadette is especially attached to these books because they used to belong to her paternal grandmother...and the best part? If you promise not to drop one in the bathtub, she'll even let you read one!

Amat Libris from Between the Covers loves old books because: "They bring a history with them which you can’t get in a paperback fresh off the shelves. Especially when they contain inscriptions or second-hand bookstore labels or other marks of their past, they invite you to wonder about who read them before you, and how they ended up moving on to someone else’s collection." The oldest book she owns is Jonathan Swift’s Journal to Stella printed in 1948.

Margaret at Books Please writes about the old books that grace her shelves: "I don’t value them just as objects, but for their content and some of my old books are not in prime condition. They are well used and well loved." She shares several much loved books which belonged to her parents. I would love to look at her copy of The Girl Guides Book which her mother received as an award for 1st Prize for Sewing!

Alex at The Children's War claims that although her old books are neither antiquarian nor valuable, they hold a lot of sentimental value for her. I covet her collection of Nancy Drew mysteries from the 1930s and 40s. She also has several other childhood favorites...and includes photos of her collection on her post.

Kimberly at Rouquine Reads has one treasured tome: "an 1884 hardcover edition of The Poetical Works of Jean Ingelow: Including the Shepard Lady and Other Poems." She loved her work as an intern at the library where she worked in the rare books room and got to "occasionally dust down the whole room and each volume."

Finally, Suey at It's All About Books weighed in sharing some awesome photos of the old books on her shelves. She has some great books from her grandfather and grandmother, and also The Bobbsey Twins book she found at a thrift store and fell in love with it.

If you haven't already done so, stop by these wonderful posts and be catapulted back in literary time! It is also not too late to join in the fun. If you decide to write a post of your own, visit the Weekly Geeks post #38 to link up!

Background on my guest reviewer: John is my 9 year old son. After several years of reading problems due to his ADD, John was a very reluctant reader. Reading was always difficult for him and whenever he was asked to read, he would get upset and shut down. Then one day, I happened to discover the Horrid Henry books. They hadn't been released in the States yet, but I believe I found an excerpt online. I showed it to John, who showed a bit of reluctance at first. Then I read the few pages aloud to him. And he was instantly drawn in to Horrid Henry's world! Ok, now back to John's review!

This is my review of Horrid Horrid Henry's Stinkbomb

. Horrid Henry is rude, impolite, and thinks that the pranks he pulls are funny. He thinks only of himself. Henry has a little brother named Perfect Peter. Peter is perfect. He is very polite and isn't selfish.

Horrid Henry's Stinkbomb

is made up of four stories. I'm going to tell you about my favorite story:Henry Reads a Book.

Horrid Henry's class is going to have a reading competition. Whoever reads the most books wins a trip to a brand new amusement park. Henry gets excited when he hears this and asks if comic books count. His teacher, Miss Battle-Axe shouts "NO!" I don't understand why comic books don't count; they are books afterall! Oh, and they also have to write a book report for every book they read.

Henry plans to start reading as soon as he gets home. Instead, he reads comics (not allowed!), watches TV and plays a computer game. Suddenly, it is the end of the competition and Henry hasn't read one SINGLE book! He tries to steal Perfect Peter's books from him but can't. He goes to his room and thinks he can just write down the names of all the books in his room, but remembers he has to write a report for all the books he reads. Miss Battle-Axe would recognize the books and would know that Henry didn't read them. So he makes up the titles of books and adds them to his list.

The next day at school, the winner is announced. It is Clever Clare! She read 28 books! Henry is so mad! Then, Miss Battle Axe notices that Clare accidentally wrote one book down twice! There is now a tie between Clever Clare and Horrid Henry, so they both win tickets. The tickets are to Book World (this doesn't sound like a very exciting amusement park to me, Mom, but you'd probably like it!). The story ends with Henry screaming "ARRRGGGHH!!" So, even though Henry wins the tickets, he sort of also learns a lesson about lying about the books he read. The prize is one that Clare will like because she loves books, but it's punishment for Henry because he doesn't like to read.

I then asked John why he liked the Horrid Henry books:

I like the Horrid Henry books because it has nice people in it as well as Horrid Henry. It reminds me of me and my little brother, Justin. (I ask, which character are you in the book? His response: I am Perfect Peter and Justin is Horrid Henry. I always act polite, and Justin is not.) I like the Horrid Henry books because they are chapter books that are easy to read. They make me laugh! And Horrid Henry does do some mean things, but at the end of each story he usually learns his lesson! I want to read the rest of the Horrid Henry books and hope my library at school will get them. I think my friends will like them too. Besides Henry and Peter, there are some other characters with funny names like Moody Margaret, Rude Ralph, and Beefy Bart. I think the names are funny but it's good because they also describe that person!

I just want to wrap up by reiterating what John said about why the Horrid Henry books are so fabulous. Children are drawn to Horrid Henry because he is bad, but don't think that the Horrid Henry books promote or encourage bad behavior. They don't..Horrid Henry in some manner does get punished or suffer repercussions for his actions. In addition, the illustrations are humorous and at a level that early readers can comprehend. I found that while my son loves to read these to himself, they are best experienced if read aloud!

To learn more about the other Horrid Henry books, please visit Horrid Henry's Facebook page! Thank you to Sourcebooks for providing John copies of the Horrid Henry books!

For the majority of this summer I have been gravitating towards shorter books. Two hundred to three hundred pages has seemed to be my limit, and because of that I have already read quite a stack of books in June. I have always been a big fan of short books. I like to be deeply involved in something for a short amount of time, and then put it aside. As teenager and child I would sometimes go after a larger book and really enjoy it, but it would always be sandwiched by several smaller books. I think my favorite book length is about 250 pages- but this, of course, depends on the book. Some books demand more and some demand less. Some books I get to the end I think to myself No! You can't end yet! I want you to keep going! But in general I like books I can finish in a weeks' time. I can't explain it, I just do.

But since I've read so many short books lately and I've been reading several quick books this summer, I have decided to end out the month by reading two humongous bricks (accompanied by two medium length books of course). I've been reading lots of posts about Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell lately, in particular the recent posts at A Literary Odyssey. I have wanted to read this book since Christmas and I am finally going to do it, I'm finally going to discover if I like Scarlett O'Hara or not. A word I have often heard used to describe Gone With the Wind is "epic," and I really don't know the last time I read 1037 pages of epic so this seems like a sure bet.

The other brick I've decided to pick up is The Passage by Justin Cronin. Usually I don't pick up books just because I see them everywhere, but that is basically the case with this one. Books on the Nightstand made a real fuss over this book back in early spring (I remember listening to the podcast while walking back from the library with a stack of art books that wouldn't fit in my backpack and I was terrified I would drop them in the snow). I don't read just anything Books on the Nightstand suggests, but I think Michael and Ann are pretty convincing and they were especially convincing about this book. They might have described this book as epic as well, but don't quote me on that. When they first described this book on the podcast I wasn't entirely sure I would end up reading it, and I think what put me off was actually the length of 766 pages. I can't be sure what made me decide to commit to this book but I think it was Michael and Ann's reassurance that the book reads fairly quickly. Let's hope they're right!

I remember when I read the Harry Potter books in sixth grade and how proud I was that I read a book that was really long. The Goblet of Fire especially (my favorite) was a great source of pride for me. I realized I could finish a ridiculously long novel and that made me feel like a grown up reader. I had been reader my whole life just to reach the point where I could read something that was 400 pages plus. And really that is my definition of long to this day, maybe 500 plus. And now even though I know I can read a long novel, I rarely do. Part of me recent distaste for them might be rooted in the three Wilkie Collins novels I read for my English class in the Spring though (his are too long in my opinion).

Accompanying me in my brick reads are No one belongs here more than you. Stories by Miranda July, and The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. I mostly need to read two smaller books because The Passage and Gone With the Wind will not fit in my purse, and I simply can't walk around without a book in my purse. Also, I tried to pull both of the books off my bookshelf to do this post and I quite possibly twisted my wrist. That's how big these books are. If I got several I could probably build a home.

So what about you? Do you love long books, or do you prefer short ones? Do you remember what your first really long book was? What is a long book?

I don't participate in the meme over at The Broke and the Bookish very often — it's pretty sporadic. But every so often, the topic is such that I must share. Today's topic is the Top Ten Books that Came Recommended. Basically, those books I never would have read without someone pushing it into my hands and demanding that I 'go'. To be honest, most of the books I read, especially before I started blogging, are books that I found for myself. But, there definitely are some books out there that I wouldn't have read without that extra little push. So — here they are.

1) Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta — Anyone who has followed me on Twitter for any length of time knows that I am almost obsessively in love with this book. It's one of those books that ruins you for anything else for a while, because nothing, and I mean nothing can match the brilliance that is this book. I read this book because it won the 2009 Printz Award. So, it's not really a recommendation, because it didn't come from a specific person, but I'm counting it, because I love it. With all my heart I love it, and I would never have known about it without that list.
(The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart gets an honorable mention for the exact same reason)

2) Pretend You Don't See Her by Mary Higgins Clark — I've talked about this one before, but my mom handed me this book when I was 11/12 because I wouldn't stop whining about needing something to read. I devoured it and went right back to my mom begging for more. I was in love with MHC for years. I've read all but her newest couple releases, and there is still something comforting about going back and reading those old favorites again.

3) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak — This is one that I probably would have picked up on my own without a recommendation, but it would have taken me a lot longer to learn about it, and to get it actually read. It was all over Goodreads for a long time, and it seemed like everyone I talked to on that site constantly raved about this book. I remember checking it out from the library at least three times, but never managing to get it read before it was came due again. I finally just sat down to read it, and it blew my mind away. I loved it. Thank you random Goodread friends.

4) Twilight by Stephenie Meyer — I don't care what all you haters say. In my experience, most of those who profess deep and undying hatred for this series were among the most ardent fans when it was 'cool' to like these books. This is not my normal read. When my friend recommended the book to me, I didn't even need to give her the 'look' before she was stumbling over her words, telling me why it wasn't as bad as it sounded. So, I read it. And I really enjoyed it. It's not some great piece of literary fiction. But it's never claimed to be. It's a teenage vampire love story for crying out loud! Read it to be entertained. Stephenie Meyer tells a great story, even if her characters would totally suck in real life. This is also the book that made me decide it was okay to give Paranormal fiction a chance. (still don't love it, but I enjoy it upon occasion)

5) The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley — This is another set I've mentioned before. I hated fantasy when I was younger. I thought I was 'above' the genre, and refused to read it. My friend in 8th grade bribed me to read these two books and I loved them. They changed the way I read.

6) Enchantment by Orson Scott Card — This is one of my older sister's very favorite books. (She actually talks about it in a guest post) It's a retelling of Sleeping Beauty set between ancient Ukranie/Russia and modern America. It's a powerful read and one that has become one of my favorite fairy tale retellings. It's amazing.

7) The Kite Runner- by Khaled Hosseini — This is another book that I saw mentioned on Goodreads all the time. Everyone who read it seemed moved by it, and I wanted to better understand what everyone was talking about. So I read it, and let me tell you — I didn't remember the last time that I had been so incredibly moved by a book. It broke my heart. And Hosseini's second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns just might be even better.

8) Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan — This is a series that was first recommended to my by my 15 year old brother. He loves this series, and has been trying to convince me to read it for a while now. Then, one of my groups on Goodreads read it as a group read, and I decided that I might as well read it. I wasn't expecting anything more than moderate enjoyment, but wow! I haven't been this caught up in a fantasy story like this in a long while. There were some inconsistencies and things in the story, but I was so caught up in the lives of these young characters that I didn't really care. It was such a fun read, and now I can't wait to continue the series!

9) The Book by M. Clifford — This is a by-choice self-published novel (as in, the author didn't seek and doesn't want an actual publishing contract) that I would never have heard of without Lori from The Next Best Book Blog. She reviewed this book, a dystopian novel about a society where the government has taken complete control of the written word by making printed books illegal (environmental hazard/damage) and put all literature into one e-reader, called 'The Book'. The main character accidentally learns that they are really censoring the books, removing 'undesireable' words, phrases, or pages **cough**newHuckFinntranslation**cough**. This is an especially scary dystopian novel, because it could really happen. I won a copy on Lori's blog and read straight through this one. It would have been a shame to have missed this.

10) A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb — This is a book that I didn't expect to like. I had heard a lot of people on Goodreads talk about it, and grabbed it from the library on a whim. (this is something I do regularly. I have over 300 books sitting in my bedroom right now that I could/should be reading, but I will go to the library fairly often and just walk up and down the aisles, grabbing books that look interesting. Some I read right away, some I never read at all...) Anyway... I grabbed a copy of this and brought it home, but didn't expect much. A few days later, I was getting ready for bed and needed to pick out my book for the next day. (I was living in Arlington, VA at the time, and worked in DC). I had an hour+ commute to and from work, and a book was a must. So, I grabbed a few library books from the piles in my room and decided that I would read the first few pages and take whatever book grabbed my attention. I started with this book and told myself I'd stop after 3 6 10 20 one more chapter just one more okay, one more maybe two more just one more just till this part is over. And then, suddenly, the book was done, it was way later than I should have been going to bed, and I still didn't have anything to read on my commute. This one was awesome!

So, there you have it. Those are my top ten books I'm so glad you forced me to read. What are yours?! I'd love to hear from you! Leave me a comment, so I can come check out your top lists and add some more books to my insanely large tbr pile!

Alright guys — Seriously. Today's Memory Monday blogger is one of my favorite people to chat with. Shannon blogs at Books Devoured and I love reading her posts. She's made of win. Like, for realz folks. If you don't already talk to her or follow her, you should (link to her Twitter) . She has an awesome post today!

Bio:

I read and I blog about it. My Life motto... What would Jackie O do?

My name is Shannon and I am the one to blame for Books Devoured. I am a pretty eclectic reader but I have been reading a lot of YA lately. I'm 32 & a Home Schooling Mom to 2 children.
Post:

I was excited to be asked to guest post for Memory Monday. There is only one problem, my memory is awful! I had an idea to change it up a bit so I hope you will indulge me.

I had a great childhood mostly because I had an amazing Mom. She indulged my love of reading with tons of books! I do at least remember having tons of Babysitters club books! They were my favorite. Besides buying me books, I remember seeing my mother read throughout my childhood. It was always ingrained in me that reading was important. Now that I am a mother, I do whatever I can to form those book memories for my children. I make sure that they see me reading. Not only that but they see that I make it my free time priority. I don't just read by myself though, I read to them and with them as well.

When each of my children were really little, their favorite book was But Not the Hippopotamus by Sandra Boynton. I read that book so many times that I can still recite it. I never minded because I knew at the end of the book when I got to their favorite part (But, YES the hippopotamus! But not the Armadillo) I would be rewarded with their laughter. There is no sweeter sound to a Mother than her child's laughter. The more we read that story the more of it they remembered and before long they could recite it too. Their favorite book series for me to read to them now is Skippyjon Jones by Jufy Schachner. Though I have a suspicion they only like it because I do my best to use lots of funny accents when I read them!

I value the time that I get to read to them because I know that soon they will be able to do it on their own. I try to find books that I can read to them that they will both enjoy. Sometimes that means that I might not be as much of a fan of it as they are. There has been one book that I liked more than the others and I think it made an impression on them as well. It is The Bake Shop Ghost by Jacqueline K. Ogburn. I picked that book up because it was on sale, I knew nothing about it. I might have had it in the house for a while before I even ended up choosing to read it to them. The first time I read them that book was incredibly memorable for me. It started out a bit funny, a ghost who was not leaving her bake shop and causing chaos for anyone who tried to take her place. By the end of that story I was in tears and not the funny kind; the sad, surprised, heartbreaking and sweet kind. It was probably the first time that my children had seen me cry over a book. I am truly grateful for this experience. It opened up a dialogue with my children that was priceless, both about the themes of the book and about why a book could make mommy cry. If you have children I can not recommend this book highly enough. I do suggest reading it first just to make sure your children are ready for it's contents though.

I have tried to make sure that they always have books that they like to read more than worry about what they should be reading. I homeschool them so I have complete control over their reading lives. I learned early that forcing my son to read something he does not like is not helpful. I hated seeing a book he wasn't into take away his joy of reading. Once he gets a little older that might change some but if he is not ready for The Giver by Lois Lowry then we will put it away for now and read James Patterson's The Gift Instead! My daughter picked up reading very quickly so I do hope that she loves it as much as I do. One thing is for sure, she will inherit quite a collection of books from her mother if she does!

Thank you SO much for sharing with us Shannon! I LOVE that you are so involved in reading with your kids! I think it's awesome! I'm definitely going to be looking up those two favorites of your kids!

Today, I have Kody Keplinger, author of The Duff (my review) and the upcoming Shut Out (review soon) visiting to share some of her favorite books from childhood with us!

My Childhood Bookshelf

I was a big reader as a kid, and I had a lot of favorites that I just could not have survived without. Looking back, I still love most of the books I loved back then. So I wanted to share some of the best books from my “childhood library” with all of you, and whether you are young or just young at heart, you should check them out!

One of my favorite books as a kid, and one I could not have survived without, was Are You there, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. I read this book when I was about ten years old, and it was just so real. I reread it last year, even, and wow, it holds up! Judy Blume dominated most of my childhood reading list, actually. Deenie, Blubber, and Just As Long As We’re Together were other favorites, all of which are
still totally awesome, even without being a kid anymore.

Another book I loved (that I just reread last month, actually) was Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit. In middle school this book blew my mind. I loved the prose, the characters, the gentle, fantastical premise. I read it over and over and over again, and when I reread it last month, it was still captivating, steal beautiful. This is one children’s book I recommend to everyone, no matter what age you are.

And, of course, this would not be a complete post without Harry Potter. I was in a major reading slump when I was in the fourth grade. Then someone gave me a Harry Potter book, and I devoured it. My mom read the first three aloud to me, then I plowed through the fourth and waited impatiently for the fifth. I can honestly
say I wouldn’t be the reader I am today without Rowling and her wizarding world. My “childhood library” would have a whole shelf devoted only to Harry Potter books. They are, by far, the best of the best.

So that’s what was on my childhood bookshelf (and still on my bookshelf today, actually!) I have to say, I’m surprised by pleased that all of my favorites still hold up today. Now, I think I’ll go reread some of my Harry Potter books. If you’ll excuse me...

A few years ago, I made the goal to read every book that has been, or will be, awarded the Newbery Award and as many of the honors as possible. Every year, beginning in 1922, the Medal is awarded to the book considered to be the most distinguished contribution to children's literature of that year. A year or so after I decided to read all of the books on the Newbery list, I decided to add the winners of the Printz Award as well, which is the YA equivalent of the Newbery.

I've never been quite about this goal, and it's actually been, for the most part, an amazing and rewarding experience for me. Although I've read some winners that I feel less than favorable towards, for the most part I've loved the experience, and I've discovered some very, very favorite books through these two lists. I mentioned something about these lists on Twitter and Jacinda from The Reading Housewives mentioned that it would make a great challenge idea. And so, here we are.

<a><img src="//farm4.static.flickr.com/3614/5719786060_70bba0f7fe_m.jpg" alt="button1" /></a>
For a long time, this has been an individual and personal goal for me. My sister mocks me regularly for being stuck to a list, citing The Story of Mankind, Gay-Neck and Hitty for reasons I should stop, overlooking the absolute love I now have for The House of the Scorpion, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and Jellicoe Road, all books I would have either overlooked, ignored or never heard of without these lists.
So now, along with The Reading Housewives, I am extending an invitation to all of you to join me in my quest to read these two amazing book lists. I want to share the love I have for these lists, and I've gotten Jacinda all excited about it too!
So — onto the *Rules *Details *Guidelines *General Information
The challenge will run from Memorial Day to Labor Day — May 30th until September 5th.
There will be 4 levels of participation-
Level 1 — Underachiever: Read 3 books
Level 2 — Nerd: Read 6 books
Level 3 — Brainiac: Read 9 books
Level 4 — Teacher's Pet: Read 12 books

No matter which level you chose to participate in, you must read at least one book from each of the award lists. You can focus primarily on one or the other, but there must be at least one Printz honor/award and one Newbery honor/award.
There will be giveaways throughout the challenge as well. There are a lot of giveaway details, so there will be separate post specifically for the giveaway information. But, I will tell you now, that there is a guaranteed winner from each of the 4 levels, as well as a few other winners, including a super special giveaway that you can enter only by reading some of my very favorite titles from the list.:) Ya, I'm a book pimp. So what?!
Anyway — We would LOVE to have a lot of participants in this challenge. We have decided to keep it pretty low key — You can sign up for whatever level you think you can make (everyone should be able to handle one book a month!) and reviews are completely optional — although they will gain you an extra entry into the giveaways!
So what are you waiting for?! I'm staring a lovely pile that constitutes less than half of the books I'm going to be giving away, my lovely friends at The Reading Housewives have books to offer as well, and if no one enters, we are just going to have to keep all these lovelies for ourselves! Each of the following links will take you to a Goodreads page listing each of the winners of both the award and honor for the Newbery and Printz. Makes it really easy to just pop over and add it to your tbr!
Newbery Winners Newbery Honors Printz Winners Printz Honors
Come on and fill out the form, grab a button and start prepping those lists!

Because this is a much bigger post than an update, I'm going to post it separately.

Click the image to learn more!
I decided that midnight would be my stopping point for this post because (unless my math is horribly off) this is the midway point, halfway between start and finish. So, here is my first official reporting!

First of all, give us an end-of-day status update.

Total Books Read: 6
Total Pages Read: 1218 Books Read Since Last Update: 2 Pages Read since last update: 394 Total time read: 9 hours How I'm currently feeling: SO great! I think I'll read for a while longer, but I'll probably go to bed at a semi-reasonable time (meaning, of course that it's still going to be around 2 or 3 before I finally turn off the lights)
Books read:
1 — I Heart You, You Haunt Me — Lisa Schroeder
2 — Fog Magic — Julia L. Sauer (Newbery Honor)
3 — Monster — Walter Dean Meyers (Printz Award, reread)
4 — The Five People You Meet in Heaven — Mitch Albom
5 — Dobry — Monica Shannon (Newbery Award)
6 — Repossessed- A.M. Jenkins (Printz Honor)

What is the favorite thing you have read today? I've actually been quite pleased with everything I've read today, except for book five. But, if I had to pick a favorite, I'd say it was probably I Heart You, You Haunt Me. It's the second book by Schroeder I've read and I've officially decided that I love her. She's incredibly talented and she is a perfect example of why novels written in verse can be so powerful.

Which mini-challenge was your favorite? I haven't really participated in the mini-challenges today. I've been too busy reading.:) The only one I actually participated in was the book title sentence, so I guess I'll pick that one.

What has been your favorite thing about the read-a-thon? An excuse to just sit and read and munch on junk food.: P I also love that it gives me more motivation. I'm motivated to read more, so I get more done. It's not everyday you get through 6 books!:)

What has been your LEAST favorite thing about the read-a-thon? Nothing really. The only thing that I don't love is how quickly and often the update posts are up. When I'm reading, especially during a read-a-thon, I don't want to be stopping. My preferred way to read is straight through, getting the whole book read in one sitting. Which means I either miss the updates or I have to pause my book, which throws off my reading groove. I think I'd have liked it better if they were either spaced out more, of left 'open' longer.

Are you on track to meet your goals? Yes! Completely! It's actually quite the rush!: P I initially just wanted to get as many books read as I could, not really putting a number to it. But shortly after my third book, I realized I was only 3 books behind on my GR challenge, something I've been far behind on all year because I started the year in a reading slump.: ( So, I decided that I was going to try and get all caught up today, and I finished my 6th book 15 minutes before midnight!:)

Will you be participating tomorrow? Do you have any new goals? Definitely!! I'm am most certainly going to be participating tomorrow!! I'm not all the way sure about goals yet, although 6 more books would definitely be amazing! Not sure I can manage that though, because I do plan to get some sleep tonight, so really, I just want to read as possible! I'm thinking I will probably read one more book tonight, two at the most before I need to go to bed, and then waking up at a (hopefully) decent hour and getting more reading done.