Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

About the Book: Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High-from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance.

Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death-and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

About the Author: Lauren Oliver is the author of Before I Fall, which ALA Booklist called a "compelling book with a powerful message [that] should not be missed." A graduate of the University of Chicago and the MFA program at New York University, Lauren is now a full-time writer and lives in Brooklyn, New York. Delirium is her second novel.

My Thoughts:  Initially I found pieces of Before I Fall to be a little bit unrealistic. The behaviors of the teenagers weren't what I found unrealistic but the fact that it seemed like the parents were never around and all the kids did was get drunk. Then I thought back to when I was in high school and realized that I did go to high school with a lot of people like that. After that realization, it was easier for me to get through the book.
Throughout the book, I kept thinking that I would never want to relive the same day over again seven times. I liked that the author didn't have Sam automatically become this nice person on day one of her recurring days. Sam had to go through a number of days going through different emotions and realizing different things, even at the risk of losing her best friends. 
Before I Fall was very well written and I think each and everyone of us can relate to what went on in the halls of Thomas Jefferson High School in some way shape or form. I was hoping that it would have ended differently and that be the only thing that I didn't really like about the book.  It wasn't a bad ending but I wanted it to be different :-)

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.

Random Thought

I hope everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving had a wonderful day. This is my favorite time of year besides summer. Although I hate the commercialization of Christmas, I love the holiday. I like the smell of Christmas trees, I love holiday music and I love to look at the lights and decorations on people's houses. I also like that it's a low period at work for me...LOL


Anyway, the point of this post is to find out how often people go through dry spells in reading. When they do go through one, what do they do to get back in the swing of things? I think I may be going through a dry spell. Everything I've tried to read in the last two weeks have been nothing but the sound of Charlie Brown's teacher in my head. The bad part about it is that these books have gotten great reviews and under normal circumstances would catch my interest. I'm not sure what's wrong. I thought that once I was done with school I would have so much more time to read and would be able to put a dent in my TBR pile. Anyone have any advice?

Totally Postal Thursday

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Well, this week was once again a fantastic week. I did not spend any money on books this week. Some great things happened this week though. Barnes and Noble started shipping their Nook color, no I didn't get one but I'm such a gadget freak I feel like I WANT one. I've been good though. My giveaway seems to be going well so far...thanks everyone who have entered so far. This is a short week for work and even though Thanksgiving isn't technically a holiday I grew up with, I'm happy to celebrate and give thanks. Oh, and I almost forgot, Barnes and Noble provided us with an upgrade to our Nooks that I think is a pretty neat upgrade. 

• Three Seconds - Anders Roslund (B&N First Look book club ARC)
• Skinny Cocktails - Free Friday Nook Book

So what made you totally postal this week? You can make a post on your own blog, list all the books you’ve received since last Friday and then tell us how you got them and where on your TBR list they will be and then link up (direct URL, please) here:

Random Thought

I've been trying to read Room by Emma Donoghue for the past month and haven't been able to. I know the book has gotten great reviews and I'm really not that far into it but I cannot get over how the little boy Jack speaks. I was suppose to read it for a Nook book club but the dialogue is very difficult. Is that bad? Has anyone else had trouble not being able to read a book that got great reviews because of some reason or another. If so give me some tips. I think I'm going to set it aside and come back. Any encouragement to keep going is welcome :-)

Night of the Vampire - Heather Graham

About the book: As a soldier, Cole Granger fights to restore peace to a world divided by war and evil. His extraordinary talents are enlisted to prevent the president's horrific premonition from becoming reality. Nothing—and no one—will stop him from fulfilling his duty. Especially the mysterious young woman who claims to be his comrade's sister. Enemy or ally, he can't yet determine. But one thing he knows for certain is that he must keep her close. Very close.
Megan Fox's quest to uncover a family secret leads her to the center of vampire riots in West Virginia. To find the answers she needs—and clear herself of suspicion—she must join forces with Cole. They work undercover to bring justice, but they can't disguise the potent attraction and need that draw them together. Yet trust doesn't come easily for Cole…and when Megan unearths the grim, dark truth, can she trust him to believe her?


About the author: New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels, many of which have been featured by the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild. An avid scuba diver, ballroom dancer and mother of five, she still enjoys her south Florida home, but loves to travel as well.


My Thoughts: This is my very first time reading Heather Graham although I do have a couple of her books sitting in my TBR pile. I found this story to be full of action and a very easy read. I also found that with the setting being during the Civil War, it was interesting to read how she combined history, mystery/thriller, romance and paranormal all in one to make a captivating story of a sheriff, an ex-military, a half-breed vampire fighting the war, not the war of the North v. South, but a war against the spread of the blood disease that humans are being infected with. Then we meet the sister of the half-breed vampire who tries to gain the trust of these men and help them fight the war.
Although there were a few times where the incorrect name was being used in a scene, the story flowed very well. The characters were well developed and the historical pieces of the story seemed to be well researched. What I enjoyed much about the book was that it was not predictable and although I'm known to read the end of a book before I get to the end, I did not do that with this books. The story moved quick enough that I didn't have time to think about who was changing people into vampires. At the end, I did not expect it to have been the person it was.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I from Harlequin through NetGalley.

Totally Postal Thursday

I am EXTREMELY proud of myself this past week. I did not purchase ANY books. Yes that's right, none. But I did download one free book on my Nook. I figure, it's free so why not that still counts as me being good. I think the fact that I'm trying to read a couple books at once got me distracted. The book I downloaded is

• Michael Tolliver Lives - Armistead Maupin

So what made you totally postal this week? You can make a post on your own blog, list all the books you’ve received since last Friday and then tell us how you got them and where on your TBR list they will be and then link up (direct URL, please) here:

50 Followers Giveaway

Well, I’ve made it to 50 followers. I know to some that’s not a big deal but I was excited when I noticed that I had 50 followers. Due to this, I decided to do a giveaway, to show my thanks to my followers. In honor of reaching that benchmark, I will be giving away a $20 gift card to Amazon(e-card), Borders(physical card) or Barnes and Noble(physical card). This giveaway is open to U.S residents only and will end on December 5th. Winner will be announced on December 6th.

Mandatory Entry: (you must do this one first or I will be forced to remove all of your entries)

Become a Follower of One Page At A Time

Please include your email address in your comment. (feel free to use the antiSPAM version - yourname[at]yourserver[dot]com)
Get More Entries: (LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY)

2. Follow me on Twitter: @SapphireReads

3. Either tweet about the giveaway or post it on your blog and let me know where your tweet or post is about it.

 Good Luck







Friday Blog Hop

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Crazy for Books is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun!  This is a weekly event!  And stop back throughout the weekend to see all the new blogs that are added!  We get over 200 links every week!! 

RULES:

Your blog should have content related to books, including, but not limited to book reviews.
 

1.  Enter your book blog link in the Linky List below

In your link, please state the main genre that you review:  eclectic, contemp. fiction, ya, paranormal, mystery, non-fiction, etc.

Please do not list every genre you review - if you are review a variety, please put eclectic!  The Hop gets jumbled up if the title is too long, so please limit to one genre.  I will be limiting the number of characters in the title to ensure the Hop doesn't look messy!  Thank you!

Example:  Crazy-for-Books (eclectic adult fiction) 

NOTE:   You no longer have to enter the length of time you've been blogging, but do let us know if this is your first time hopping with us! 

2. Post about the Hop on your blog.  Spread the word about the book party!  The more the merrier!  In your blog post, answer the following question (new question each week!).  If you have a suggestion for a future HOP question, click here to fill out the form!  Thanks!

This week's question comes from Christina who blogs at All About YA Books:

"If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?"

My answer:  Yes.  I cannot read books out of order. I will sometimes even buy the whole series just to make sure that I have them all at once.

3.  Visit other blogs in the Linky List!  Make new friends!  Follow new book bloggers!  Talk about books!  Rave about authors!  Take the time to make a quality visit!  Check out other posts and content, make a new friend!  Don't randomly follow someone if you never intend on actually following them!  No spamming please!  (Please do not leave your link and not visit other blogs - it's just not cool and not in the spirit of the Hop!)


And just as an FYI - this event is not something you should feel that you have to participate in every week.  If you want to join in and link up once a month, GREAT!  It's up to you how often you participate!

So, have fun HOPPING and enjoy your BOOK PARTY weekend!!!

House of Night Series #5 - Hunted - P.C Cast & Kristen Cast

About the Book: What if the hottest guy in the world was hiding a nameless evil and all he wanted was you?
At the start of this heart-pounding new installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey's friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren't Neferet's secrets any longer.  But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses.  Kalona looks gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life shows Zoey secrets she doesn't want to hear and truths she can't face?
On the run and holed up in Tulsa's Prohibition-era tunnels, Zoey and her gang must discover a way to deal with something that might bring them all down.  Meanwhile, Zoey has a few other little problems.  The red fledglings have cleaned up well--they've even managed to make the dark, creepy tunnels feel more like home--but are they really as friendly as they seem?  On the boyfriend front, Zoey has a chance to make things right with super-hot ex-, Eric, but she can't stop thinking about Stark, the archer who died in her arms after one unforgettable night, and she is driven to try to save him from Neferet's sinister influence at all costs.  Will anyone believe the power evil has to hide among us?
About the Authors:

P. C. Cast is an award-winning fantasy and paranormal romance author as well as an experienced speaker and teacher.  Her novels have been awarded the prestigious Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers, Prism, Daphne du Maurier, and Affaire de Coeur, as well as others.  She lives and teaches in Oklahoma.

Her daughter, Kristin Cast, has won awards for her poetry and journalism.  She also lives in Oklahoma, where she attends college in Tulsa.

My Thoughts: I don't exactly like reviewing books in a series but for some reason I felt the need to review Hunted. First off, before Hunted I really couldn't understand why in the world there was this big craze over the House of Night Series. I started reading the series a few months back and stopped at book three and didn't feel the need to go on. Well, of course my very good friend and I would say probably my reading partner if I were to choose one started the series and was enjoying it so I thought to give it another try. I read #4, Untamed and then borrowed #5, Burned from her. This is the point where I realize it's a turning point for me and for the series. This is where the book actually starts making me feel like it's worth me spending my money on. This is where I felt there was a decent plot that I would like to follow and there was some action in the story. The one thing I did not like about this book however was the way the author(s) wrote how the one black girl in the book spoke. It wasn't that she had an urban vernacular, she just sounded downright stupid and ignorant which is not suppose to be the case of these 'Marked' teenagers. Other than that and the obvious typos, it was worth reading and leaves me interested to read the rest of the series.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book in which I purchased on my own.

Totally Postal Thursday

Now that Halloween is over, it seems all I can keep seeing is Christmas stuff. I LOVE the holiday season. I think what I need to ask for are BN giftcards for Christmas...LOL. I thought I was being really good this week because I almost got through the week without buying a book. However, I wasn't very successful, I accidentally bought a book a few nights ago. Don't ask how it was an accident because I'm still trying to figure it out myself.

• House of Night Series #7 - Burned
• House of Night Series #5 - Hunted
• Deceit - Brandilyn Collins
• Perfect - Harry Kraus
• Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine

So what made you totally postal this week? You can make a post on your own blog, list all the books you’ve received since last Friday and then tell us how you got them and where on your TBR list they will be and then link up (direct URL, please) here:

Watcha' Reading Wednesday

Whatcha Reading Wednesday brought to you by Busy Moms who Love To Read.

This week's Whatcha Reading Wednesday Teaser works like this:

Type in the last two complete sentences on page 98.

Remember to alert any Spoilers

"Make sure it doesn't." Heath's voice had lost the charming, easygoing tone with which he usually spoke. It had gone hard and dangerous. "Because if you let anything happen to her, I'm going to find you, and vampyre or no vampyre, I am going to kick your ass." Hunted - House of Night Series #5 - P.C Cast & Kristen Cast

Book Blog News on Fridays

This is a meme I just found on Bookaddict's blog. I think it's awesome because I'm still fairly new although I've been at this for 3 months. I just didn't have the time to dedicate 100%. Now that school's out I have more time :-)

Totally Postal Thursday

I am so happy Halloween is OVER. Anyway, I thought I was going to be good this last week but I guess I wasn't. I bought a few books but I wasn't totally selfish, I bought 3 for my son as well.

• Disintegration - Scott Nicholson
• Under the Black Ensign - L. Ron Hubbard (Free BN book)
• Letters from Wheatfield - Patrick Shannon (for review)
• Incarceron - Catherine Fisher
• Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher

So what made you totally postal this week? You can make a post on your own blog List all the books you’ve received since last Friday and then tell us how you got them and where on your TBR list they will be and then link up (direct URL, please) here:

Do Witches Make Fishes? - Jason Mayo

About the book: "Do Witches Make Fishes?" is the moral tale of a young boy who favors candy over his mother's outlandish but healthy dishes. When faced with an ultimatum from his mother, the boy has to make a difficult choice. What ensues is a series of extraordinary and fantastical events that will take the reader on a magical journey through the imagination of a child. In the end, you will find yourself asking, Do Witches Make Fishes? 
About the author: Jason Mayo is the Author of the Children’s book, “Do Witches Make Fishes?”. He is also the author and creator of the Dad Blog, Out-Numbered. He has written for the pop culture website, MamaPop and is a regularly featured blogger at www.honestbaby.com. In real life, he is the Managing Director and Partner of the award winning Digital Media Boutique, Click 3X. Jason is married and has two amazingly smart and beautiful daughters. They all live together and give each other much love and headaches. Out-Numbered has been featured on several online publications including Momversations, The Examiner, Today’s Mama, Bizy Moms and Parents R People. “Do Witches Make Fishes?” is his first children’s book. Jason never thought he’d have daughters and now he’ll always be, Outnumbered.

My Thoughts: I absolutely enjoyed this book. I enjoyed reading it to my four year old son and he enjoyed listening. I think a good children book is one where you can ask the child being read to questions about what you read and they can tell you the story in their words. The illustration was fantastic and the emotions of the little boy in the story was very vivid. I think any parent of young kids should read this book because it also has a very good message based on nutrition.

I GIVE THIS BOOK

DISCLAIMER: I was in no way compensated to review this book. These are my opinions of a book sent to me by AuthorHouse and Jason Mayo.