Updates and Poll result

Hey, everyone! I hope you are having a great New Years Eve! I'm on call :-( So I'll have to live vicariously through you all.

First of all, the book that won the poll is Cinder by Marissa Meyer! I'm really excited because this book has been getting such great reviews. Lauren Oliver (as a teaser for her upcoming interview) has said that her favorite YA book of the year was Cinder. If I enjoy it as much as all of you (which I'd be surprised if I don't), I'll see what I can do to arrange an interview and giveaway for my loyal readers!


Regardless, I'll read Raven Boys after that, the runner up.

Other Updates
1. Don't forget to enter the great giveaways going on (click the tab above to see current giveaways), including a few more hours for Rot and Ruin, and a few more days for Streamline and Splintered!

2. Sign up for my first contest, link is to the right side bar. You can win a chance to pick a YA author of your choice for me to interview. I will read their book (if I haven't already), and then request an interview. The winner also gets to ask the author 3 questions! You can also request an author that I've already interviewed. There's only ONE entry so far, so good odds of winning!

3. I have gotten a huge deluge of review requests recently, so I'm going to have to ask you guys to wait to request any more for the next two weeks so I can get caught up. I reopen for review requests on 1/13/13! If I happen to get caught up earlier, I'll let you all know.

4. Next interview/giveaway is of Prophecy by Ellen Oh, which is coming out soon. It's terrific, and you all should read it!

5. I just snagged an interview and giveaway with Debra Driza, who is coming out with the fantastic Mila 2.0. I'll post a review of that tomorrow. Stay posted!

If you guys ever have any suggestions of what you want to see on my blog, please let me know! Leave a comment or shoot me an email. I read them all and take all comments under serious consideration!

Happy New Year's Eve, and stay safe!

Current Giveaways
1. Interview with Jennifer Lane, author of Streamline, US giveaway of signed paperback + bookmark and International giveaway of e-copy, 12/16
Streamline Giveaway

2. The Best of 2012 Giveaway Hop Featuring Jonathan Maberry, Author of the Rot and Ruin series (one INT and one US winner of signed copies of Flesh and Bone), 12/27-12/31
Rot and Ruin giveaway

3. New Years 2013 Blog Hop, featuring Interview with Morpheus from Splintered by A.G. Howard and Giveaway, 1/1/13-1/7/13 (INT)
Splintered giveaway

Saturday Updates, Poll Results, and NEW international Giveaway

Happy Saturday everyone! Some updates for you...
1) I have extended the Krista Holle giveaway for another week because of the terrific response. Keep entering to try to win this great giveaway!
2) I have been blown away from the response to the Venom giveaway. Thanks so much for all of your support for these great authors.
3) Our next giveaway starts today and stars a sister duo. Please show the same support for them as you did all the rest :-) They have written the Shardwell Series (so far that contains two books, The Phoenix Angel and The Guardian of Time) and have generously offered up a gift certificate as well and three Prize Packs to three lucky winners! Their interview will go up tomorrow so stay posted.
4) I have snagged a couple of great interviews with Beth Revis, the author of Across the Universe, and Caragh O'Brien who is coming out with the final entry in the Birthmarked Trilogy in a few days, Promised. Stay tuned!
5) I just heard from a publisher that I'll be getting my hands on ASUNDER by Jodi Meadows. Depending on when I receive the book, I'll either post a review or add it to her awesome interview that's coming up really soon!

Poll results: Apparently you guys prefer Zombies and Natural disaster (tied at 16%) when it comes to your apocalyptic scenarios. Don't forget to check out the new poll going up today, which has to do with the new giveaway! :-)

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And don't forget to sign up for the other two great giveaways!

1) The Lure of Shapinsay by Krista Holle International Giveaway- giving away a Prize pack containing signed book, T-shirt, and swag OR $20 Amazon gift certificate
 Shapinsay Giveaway

2) International Giveaway of Signed and personalized hard back copy of Venom by Fiona Paul
Venom Giveaway

Updates and Poll results are in for "What do you look for most in a book?"

Addendum: Just wanted to let you all know some exciting news!!! Kendare Blake, author of Anna Dressed In Blood has agreed to give away a copy of her new book, Girl of Nightmares and do an interview! It's tentatively scheduled for Sept 4th! Stay tuned!!!

What do you look for most in a book?

The top answer was:
3 dimensional characters 66%

I totally agree with this. If I think about what I enjoy most more than anything else in the book, is very interesting and thoughtful characters that have explainable personalities and actions. There's nothing I dislike more than a character that is just there to be "filler." Like the token "mean girl" or the "bad boy" that everyone is drooling over.

Second place was:
Great unexpected twists 54%

This is another very important aspect for me in a book. I love being surprised-- by characters, plot, and decisions. This keeps a book from getting boring and keeping the reader sucked in and engaged.

Third place:
World Building 37%
I think this can elevate or sink a book very quickly. If I don't believe the world I'm reading about, I quickly get frustrated and stop reading. Since I'm in medicine, dystopians have a hard time winning me over-- but when they do... they usually get me for good!

Fourth place:
A great villain 29%
This isn't a necessity for me, but a terrific villain can really add brownie points for me. I like to see that an author has made this person very real and believable, and I can empathize and understand why this person made the wrong decisions he/she did.

Fifth place:
A great love story 25%
I'm a girl, so I am a sucker for well done romances. But I absolutely hate cheesiness. If it's cheesy at all, I get very frustrated very quickly. So this can really work against a novel.

Last place
Beautiful prose and other 12%
The prose also isn't a necessity-- the book DOES have to be well written, however. I think of Lauren Oliver when I think of beautiful prose. Don't get me wrong, it's a huge plus, especially when I sigh after each phrase. Shiver by Maggie S also comes to mind.

Thanks, and don't forget to enter the next poll! Hunger games versus Twilight!

One more day to enter the Pretty Amy bookmark/bracelet giveaway!
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Poll Results... the Favorite Disney Heroine is...

 

Belle! Belle has always been a favorite of mine and my sister's. We loved the fact that she was a bookworm (and a bit of a nerd) like we were, and the fact that her favorite part of the castle was the library. The songs in the movie were contagious: "You never know it's him, till Chapter 3!" Not to mention, she fell in love with the Beast despite his scary exterior. What's not to love?

Mulan. I love that this character came in second! Talk about one kick butt Asian chick. You've gotta love a girl who dresses as a guy but can fight as well or better than any of them. I love her relationship with her father and how she sacrifices so much to keep him safe.






Ariel, who was in a very close third place behind Mulan, is another favorite of mine. I think I've always wanted to be a mermaid. And I was one of those kids who embarrassingly bellowed "Part of Your World" in every swimming pool and puffed out my non-existent chest at the end of the song (yes, yes, the Reprise). If you haven't seen the musical, you must. I think Ariel is even cooler because she chooses to save everyone instead of fulfilling her greatest desire-- to be with Prince Eric.

Lilo, from Lilo and Stitch, is another favorite. Although the combination of her and Stitch together is what is precious. I love how fearless and loyal she is no matter what. Talk about unconditional love (as Stitch is destroying everything in the house). Not to mention how she feeds Pudge, the fish, with peanut butter.














Giselle. Love her. Enchanted is one of my all time favorite movies. I love how it pokes fun lovingly at all the princess Disney movies that have come before. And I love how she develops and grows up throughout the movie. I died laughing during her songs, especially the ones where she makes all the nasty creatures to do her cleaning!



And last but not least, Tiana from Princess and the Frog. I didn't see this movie until much later, but she is pretty awesome-- she works so hard for a living, and really makes a future for herself. I love how she is such a great model to all little girls out there.

So there you have it! I'll have another poll up very soon! Thanks to all who voted!






Don't forget to sign up for the awesome giveaway of either The Intern's Tale by Shawn Keenan or Insurgent by Veronica Roth!
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