Hop & Follow + Weekly Recap {20}

Happy Friday new & old followers!  Today I am participating in the Book Bloggers Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books & Follow My Book Blog Friday, hosted at Parajunkee's View.

If you're a new follower, please leave me a link to your blog in the comments below so that I can return the hello!

This week's question from The Hop:

...Coming Soon!

This week's question from Follow Friday:

If you are a fan of Science Fiction what is your favorite book? If you haven't read Science Fiction before...any inkling to? Anything catch your eye?

Unfortunately, I am not a science-fiction fan.  However, I did read The Host by Stephenie Meyer & really enjoyed that book.  Not sure if that's considered true "science fiction" ..but for me, it was pretty darn close!  Don't let the thickness of that book scare you either.  The story plays out like a movie while you're reading it.  I had a hard time putting it down!  And for those not fans of Twilight, I think this book may redeem Stephenie Meyer in your eyes!

Authors We ♥: Jennifer Echols

In My Mailbox {21}

The Best Love Stories Ever Told ♥

Tune in Tuesday {17} - "Nothingman" by Pearl Jam 

Book Bloggers DO sell books 

Waiting on Wednesday {21} - Amplified by Tara Kelly

Review: Recovery Road by Blake Nelson 
Authors We ♥: Lisa McMann

Hop & Follow + This Week's Recap {19}

Happy Friday new & old followers!  Today I am participating in the Book Bloggers Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books & Follow My Book Blog Friday, hosted at Parajunkee's View.

If you're a new follower, please leave me a link to your blog in the comments below so that I can return the hello!

This week's question from The Hop:

Tell us about one of your posts from this week so we can see it!

Well if you look at the bottom of this post you can see a link to all my posts from this week :-) but to answer the question, I'll highlight just one.  Tune in Tuesday!  Every Tuesday I like to post a new or old song that's been stuck in my head.  Music is my 2nd passion, next to books of course!  I love introducing people to music they may have never heard before.  We all need soundtracks for our books, right??!!  Check out this week's tune, "Welcome Home" by Radical Face here & enjoy!


This week's question from Follow Friday:
What is your favorite romance hero-type?

I love me the kinda guy that can save the day with a bit of humor, sweetness, & steaminess!  Jace from The Mortal Instruments series is my #1 literary love!  Aside from his gorgeousness, he has that sweetness that only Clary knows about.  He also carries around that sarcastic humor that is hard to resist! 

In My Mailbox {20}

Daily Dose Monday {18}

Review: Charmed Thirds by Megan McCafferty

Tune in Tuesday {16}

Waiting on Wednesday {20}

Discussion: When Do You Stop Reading?

Hop & Follow + This Week's Recap {18}

Happy Friday new & old followers!  Today I am participating in the Book Bloggers Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books & Follow My Book Blog Friday, hosted at Parajunkee's View.

If you're a new follower, please leave me a link to your blog in the comments below so that I can return the hello!

This week's question from The Hop:
What are you reading now? and why are you reading it?

Well that would be the Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty, of course!!  I am currently on Charmed Thirds (the 3rd book in the series).  My bookish BFF's who have read this series kept encouraging me to pick these up.  I must say.. I am VERY glad I did! And now I am encouraging YOU. YES. YOU. to read them as well ;-)

This week's question from Follow Friday:
What is the current book that you are "pushing" - trying to get people to read?

I could list so, so many. For those just getting in to YA paranormal I always recommend The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare.  For those wanting something a bit more contemporary, lately I've been recommending Jennifer Echols books. I read Forget You earlier in January & LOVED it. I may need to do a re-read.  And of course - if you're a dystopian fan: DELIRIUM!! I can't push that book enough.

Review: Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

In My Mailbox {19}

Daily Dose Monday (17)

Review: Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Tune in Tuesday {15}

Competition: A 7th Grader's Definition

Waiting on Wednesday {19}

Lauren Oliver Signing -canceled :(

Review: Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty

Hop & Follow + This Week's Recap {17}

Happy Friday new & old followers!  Today I am participating in the Book Bloggers Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books & Follow My Book Blog Friday, hosted at Parajunkee's View.

If you're a new follower, please leave me a link to your blog in the comments below so that I can return the hello!

This week's question from The Hop:
What book are you most looking forward to seeing published in 2011? Why are you anticipating that book?

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare.  If you really need to know why, then obviously you haven't read the first 3 books in The Mortal Instruments series & obviously you don't know who the heck Jace is!  I suggest you get that problem fixed IMMEDIATELY! :-)

Another book I am eager to read is The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.  Check out the cover here, if you haven't already seen it.  It's amazing!  Beyond the cover, the story line really intrigues me.  I will try my best to wait patiently until September when it is published (aaaahhh!).


This week's question from Follow Friday:
What is/was your favorite subject in school?

I loved art class.  I really got in to it in middle school & I wish I would have kept with it in high school.  I let my social life become more important (blah! lol).  I always enjoyed history too (still do).  Right now my fav subject would be my Education classes.  They're "teaching me" how to teach!  I'm pretty sure that's something I'll learn once I'm actually teaching though ;-)

In My Mailbox - Vlog Style!

Delirium Giveaway *Signed*

Tune in Tuesday

Top 10 Tuesday

Waiting on Wednesday
...To Be Continued (Sequels of 2011)

The Vampire Diaries - get "sucked" back in! 
Review: Beastly by Alex Flinn

Hop & Follow + This Week's Re-cap

Happy Friday new & old followers!  Today I am participating in the Book Bloggers Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books & Follow My Book Blog Friday, hosted at Parajunkee's View.

If you're a new follower, please leave me a link to your blog in the comments below so that I can return the hello!

This week's question from The Hop:

...Nothing for today! Check back next week!

This week's question from Follow Friday:

Who do you cheer for?

I'm not much of a sports fan.  I usually just cheer for the hometown team.. whether it be the Houston Astros (baseball), Texans (football), or Rockets (basketball).  Those are our 3 professional teams here.  Though I do have a soft spot for the Minnesota Twins (baseball) - mainly Joe Mauer - yummy!!

In My Mailbox

Daily Dose Monday

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Tune in Tuesday

Waiting on Wednesday

A Letter to my Readers...

Hop & Follow + This Week's Re-cap

Happy Friday new & old followers!  Today I am participating in the Book Bloggers Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books & Follow My Book Blog Friday, hosted at Parajunkee's View.

If you're a new follower, please leave me a link to your blog in the comments below so that I can return the hello!

This week's question from The Hop:
Why do you read the genre that you do? What draws you to it?

I read young adult fiction because I love the innocence & the "first time" feelings that a lot of YA characters experience.  That first kiss, that first best friend, that first loss, and even that first gain.  Its like I get to relive my youth through their eyes.  I love it!  Another reason why I love reading YA so much is because I want to some day be teaching it & reading it along side other young adults.  I love being able to connect with people through books!

This week's question from Follow Friday:

What makes up your non-human family?

That would be my beautiful german shepard mix, Daisy Mae :-) I adopted her from the Houston SPCA 7 years ago.  She IS my child since I don't have any yet.  I love her to pieces.  She has the sweetest disposition & she is so dang smart.  I swear she understands the english language ;-)

In My Mailbox

Daily Dose Monday

Tune in Tuesday

Waiting on Wednesday

Dark Days Tour - Come to TX!

(arc)Tour: All You Get Is Me by Yvonne Prinz

Hop & Follow Friday + Weekly Re-cap

Happy Friday new & old followers!  Today I am participating in the Book Bloggers Hop, hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books & Follow My Book Blog Friday, hosted at Parajunkee's View.  If you're a new follower, please leave me a link to your blog in the comments below so that I can return the hello!

This week's question from the Hop:

What book influenced or changed your life? & How so?

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.  It introduced me to my love for reading YA books.  I've met some pretty amazing people along the way & have found a new path in "what I want to be when I grow up" - a Teacher!  This book opened so many doors for me & I love my life now because of it.

This week's question from Follow Me Friday:

What books have you discovered lately from someone's book blog?

I read the review for Unearthly by Cynthia Hand at Anna Reads & just knew I had to get my hands on this book!  I trust her reviews, especially since our reading tastes are very similar.  As soon as I read her review, I went on to B&N's website & ordered myself a copy!  And guess what? It arrived yesterday!  My good friend over at Cari's Book Blogs also recommended The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa, which increased my desire to read those books too.

In My Mailbox

Daily Dose Monday

Review: Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Tune in Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday

Waiting on Wednesday

Discussion: Recipe for Hotness

GIVEAWAY: City of Bones

Review: Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers

Book Bloggers Hop & Follow My Book Blog Friday

Hello to all my wonderful followers and to hopefully some potential new ones! This Friday I’m participating in The Book Bloggers Hop which is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and Follow my Book Blog Friday that’s hosted over at Parajunkee's View. If you wish to take part please stop by there and sign the Mr Linky.

This week's question from The Hop:
What do you consider the most important in a story: the plot or the characters?

My answer:
For me, it is the characters.  If I can not connect with them, then there is no plot to follow.  I'm all about the person (or people) while I'm reading.  I need some sort of emotional or thoughtful connection to them.  It doesn't always have to be a positive one either.  Just something!

This week's question from Follow Me Friday:
What did you study in college, or are currently studying and did it lead to your current 9 to 5 or are you doing something totally different?

My answer:
I received a Liberal Arts degree my first attempt at college (which is as basic as you can get!) and have found jobs through word of mouth or references.  After doing that for about 5 years, I decided I need something more.  I don't want a job that just pays the bills, I want to feel like I am actually making something of myself.  So now I am going back to college for the 2nd time to receive my degree in Education.  My goal is to teach middle school Language Arts or Reading.  You can call me Ms. Ginger in about... 2 years! ;-)

Thank you for stopping by my blog!! Please leave me a link back to yours 

if you are a new follower so I can return the hello :-)

Book Bloggers Hop & Follow My Book Blog Friday

Hello to all my wonderful followers and to hopefully some potential new ones! This Friday I’m participating in The Book Bloggers Hop which is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and Follow my Book Blog Friday that’s hosted over at Parajunkee's View. If you wish to take part please stop by there and sign the Mr Linky.

This week's question from The Hop:
What is the thing you like most about reading book blogs? Is it the reviews, author guest posts, articles, giveaways, or something else entirely?

My Answer:
I love reading it all! But I think I get the most from the reviews & recommendations.  I've come across so many new books because of other book bloggers mentioning them.  I think I would still be lost on Amazon or goodreads if it wasn't for them! lol  Aside from the books, I really enjoy getting to know the book bloggers behind the screen.  Twitter has become a soundboard just for that!  It makes those reviews & recommendations more special when I know more about the person writing them.

This week's question from Follow My Book Blog:
Is there an under-noticed author that you think we should all know about?

My Answer:

Mindi Scott, author of Freefall. 
I read her debut novel shortly after it came out, not knowing a lot about it.  And I was simply blown away.  I am so eager to read more from her soon!  She is outstanding :-)  Her writing style is real & she doesn't sugar-coat much.  I can appreciate that in a YA novelist.

Thank you for stopping by my blog!! Please leave me a link back to yours 

if you are a new follower so I can return the hello :-)

Book Bloggers Hop & Follow My Book Blog Friday

Hello to all my wonderful followers and to hopefully some potential new ones! This Friday I’m participating in The Book Bloggers Hop which is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and Follow my Book Blog Friday that’s hosted over at Parajunkee's View. If you wish to take part please stop by there and sign the Mr Linky.

This week's question from The Hop:
What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?

My answer:
I had heard awesome things about Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, so I was dying to get my hands on that book.  When I finally did - I was surprisingly let down.  I just didn't get the same reaction from it that most others did.  The review I wrote for it was honest & respectful.  You can read it here.  I enjoyed the author's writing style & I am curious to read more by her - but the storyline fell flat for me on this one.  It was very repetitive & I caught myself almost skimming the pages in a few spots.  The main character did not sit well with me either.  When I can't connect to the protagonist, it usually means bad signs ahead.

This week's Follow Me Friday question:
What do you do besides reading / reviewing as a hobby??

My answer:
When I'm not reading (which is rare!) I like to play around on the internet.  I'm a huge social network fiend.  I can never get enough of staying connected. It's a horrible habit (I mean hobby lol!) that I have created for myself.  When a book, or computer/iphone is not connected to me - I like decorating.  Though my apartment is small & my budget is even smaller, I still enjoy picking things out.  My sister loves to take me shopping! haha

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Don't forget to vote & sign up for my give-away... BEST YA READ OF 2010!

Book Bloggers Hop & Follow My Book Blog Friday

Hello to all my wonderful followers and to hopefully some potential new ones! This Friday I’m participating in The Book Bloggers Hop which is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and Follow my Book Blog Friday that’s hosted over at Parajunkee's View. If you wish to take part please stop by there and sign the Mr Linky.

This week's question from The Hop:
What is your favorite book cover?

My Answer:
My fav book cover is always changing. Sometimes I may not think twice about a cover until I read the book - then the cover becomes amazing to me!  I love the use of colors and whimsy on Cassandra Clare's covers.  Those have always stood out to me.  There is one cover by Lauren Barnholdt that did not make it to the final cut & I always wondered why.  Because I really liked this cover, yet the publisher (or whoever responsible) went with another one.  Here is the first cover of One Night That Changes Everything - isn't it beautiful? I love the use of colors, the distorted back ground (almost bokeh), and the large to small type.

Thank you for stopping by my blog this week! I appreciate all new & old followers - Happy Friday! and as always, Happy Reading!

Book Bloggers Hop & Follow My Book Blog Friday

Hello to all my wonderful followers and to hopefully some potential new ones! This Friday I’m participating in The Book Bloggers Hop which is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and Follow my Book Blog Friday that’s hosted over at Parajunkee's View. If you wish to take part please stop by there and sign the Mr Linky.

This week's question from The Hop:
Since Thanksgiving is coming up next week, let's use this week's Hop to share what we are most thankful for and what our holiday traditions are!

My Answer:
I'm thankful for so, so many things this year... one in particular, I made the decision to go back to school (I'm 29 yrs old) and get my Bachelors degree in Education.  I could not have followed through with this decision if it weren't for the support of my family, both mentally & financially.  It's tough changing career paths this late in the game, but I know I have chosen a direction that was meant for me!  As for traditions, my family gathers on Thanksgiving day to enjoy a feast!  We all contribute to the dinner by bringing a side dish, while the host offers the turkey or ham.  My specialty: sweet potato casserole!  It's to die for =)


This week's Follow My Book Blog question:
How long have you been blogging?

My Answer:
I started my personal blog, Every Mile. A Memory. back in 2008.  Once my blogging started to shift towards books, I decided it was time to create a separate blog for all things bookish.  And so GReads was born on September 26, 2010. 

A huge THANK YOU to Parajunkee for featuring me this week on Follow My Book Blog Friday. Make sure you stop by there & read my little excerpt =)

Book Bloggers Hop & Follow My Book Blog Friday

Hello to all my wonderful followers and to hopefully some potential new ones! This Friday I’m participating in The Book Bloggers Hop which is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and Follow my Book Blog Friday that’s hosted over at Parajunkee's View. If you wish to take part please stop by there and sign the Mr Linky.

This week's question from The Hop:
If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?

My answer:
Of course! Why would anyone start in the middle of a book series? Do you press fast forward when you're watching a movie & start in the middle? That's crazy!

This week's Follow Me Friday question:
What is your usual monthly book budget?

My answer:
Um.. I don't have one? I know that sounds terrible, but really I don't.  If there's a book I want to purchase & I know I have a little extra spending money at the time, then I'll buy it.  If I don't have the money for it - then I don't buy it! Simple as that.

Thanks for stopping by my blog! Hope everyone has a FANTABULOUS weekend! =)

Book Bloggers Hop & Follow My Book Blog Friday

Hello to all my wonderful followers and to hopefully some potential new ones! This Friday I’m participating in The Book Bloggers Hop which is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and Follow my Book Blog Friday that’s hosted over at Parajunkee's View if you wish to take part please stop by there and sign the Mr Linky.

This week's question from the hop:
What are your feelings on losing followers? Have you ever stopped following a blog?

My answer:
Interesting that this question gets asked this week because it's something that's been on my mind lately... if someone finds my blog & reads it, great!  If they like it enough to follow, even better!  I'm not sure why someone would "unfollow" a blog though.  Unless they are cleaning house & want to delete those blogs that they do not check often.  I can understand that.  If they do choose to unfollow me, so be it.  I was amazed to reach 100 followers! and if I make it to 200, I'll be even more grateful.  I run this blog because I love books & I want to share it with whoever wants to read it.  I have never unfollowed a blog.  If I click follow, I did it for a reason - because I want to come back & check it out often!  Which I hope my followers are choosing to do with my blog.

This week's question from Follow my Book Blog:
Who are your favorite authors?

My answer:
I have a list on my right side bar of a few, but the more I'm reading, the more I'm discovering new favs! 

* Becca Fitzpatrick

* Cassandra Clare

* Lauren Barnholdt

* Laurie Halse Anderson

* Maggie Stiefvater

* Sarah Dessen

* Simone Elkeles

* Stephenie Meyer

* Suzanne Collins

a new fav of mine that I recently discovered: Kody Keplinger.  If you haven't read The Duff, I suggest you go pick it up NOW.  You can find my review for it here.

Book Bloggers Hop & Follow My Book Blog Friday

Hello to all my wonderful followers and to hopefully some potential new ones! This Friday I’m participating in The Book Bloggers Hop which is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books and Follow my Book Blog Friday that’s hosted over at Parajunkee's View if you wish to take part please stop by there and sign the Mr Linky.

This week's question from the Hop:

What is the one bookish thing you would love to have, no matter the cost?

My Answer:
This is a no-brainer for me... the Library from Disney's Beauty & the Beast!!  In case you are not familiar with it, here's a pic:

I would LIVE in that place!! So many endless books to choose from!  Of course I'd throw in some comfy couches & a coffee maker too :-)

This week's question from Follow Me Friday:
If you have, or would have a daughter, what book would you want your daughter to read?

My Answer:
This is a tough question! There are so many.  Depending on the age, I would want her to read anything that gets her imagination going, but something that teaches her morals too.  Anything by Suzanne Collins, Laurie Halse Anderson, Stephenie Meyer, Simone Elkeles, or Sarah Dessen.

**New Followers: Don't forget to check out my End of the Year Re-Read Challenge!

Happy Halloween Weekend!!!