Can you believe that it’s already that time of year again? Book Expo of America is happening in New York City this week, which means that hundreds of authors, publishers, editors, bloggers, librarians, and other book-minded folks are converging on the city. For those of us who weren’t able to make the trip, we’ll be participating in the home version of the event, Armchair BEA! What’s Armchair BEA you ask? Well, it’s a week of events where we discuss books, genres, ourselves, and what we love about book blogging! If you’d like a bit more information on BEA or Armchair BEA, take a look here.

I’m even more excited about participating in Armchair BEA as it marks my return to blogging. I’ve been sort of MIA for the past six months, due to work eating all of my time an energy, but I’m using this week as a way to cannonball back into the blogging world! Today’s topic is introductions Q&A style with a side of Classic Literature. So, here we goooo!

Sarah’s Introduction

Tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? 

Well, I’m Sarah, I’m 28 (soon to be 29), and I’m a technical writer in Atlanta, Georgia. I’ve been blogging off and on for about 2 and a half years now. It’s something I love and I regret that I haven’t been doing it as much as I should have been lately. I first got into blogging as a way to avoid overwhelming my friends and family with all of my gushing over books, and it’s snowballed into a way to meet friends, share interests, find new books, and develop my writing skills.

Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA? What brought you back for another year? If you have not previously participated, what drew you to the event? 

Last year was my first year participating! I had so much fun over the course of the week that I absolutely had to make sure I fit it into my schedule this year. I had a blast reading everyone’s posts, finding new blogs to follow, and making new friends. I’m hoping to make even more this year, so please introduce yourself in the comments, link to your posts, and join in on the fun!

Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you. 

Well, I’m pretty nerdy. Which is actually not news to anyone who has been following my blog/twitter for any length of time, but it’s best to put that right out there for all the new folks. I attend DragonCon here in Atlanta every year, usually in costume. This year I am already hard at work on my Black Widow cosplay, so expect pictures of that sometime in September! I’m a die-hard Star Wars fan, so odds are you’ll see a few of the EU books pop up in my review list.

If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why? 

This is a tough one, but I honestly think it would be JK Rowling. I’m impressed by her as a person and an author and I’ve love the chance to sit down and pick her brain over some delicious food and good wine. She always impresses me in interviews and I think she’d be friendly, witty, and extremely insightful. Plus, I’d get to ask all my burning character questions like “What would have happened if Neville was the chosen one?”, “why do you think Ron and Hermione would have a table marriage?”, and “What happened to McGonogall after the Battle of Hogwarts?”.

Runners up:

William Shakespeare
Fred and George Weasley
Anne Shirley
Leia Organa Solo
Jane Austen

What literary location would you most like to visit? Why? 

This one is really difficult, as it’s a toss up between a few places! Hogwarts if of course right at the top of the list and I’m sure most bloggers would agree. But, not too far behind it, is Mirkwood and The Shire from The Lord of the Rings, Avonlea from Anne of Green Gables, Stark Tower/Mansion from The Avenges comicbook series and ALL OF THE PLANETS from Star Wars. Err, okay maybe not ALL of them. But most of them.

These are all places I remember reading about when I was younger and wishing desperately that I was able to visit. It’d be a dream come true for my bookish, nerdy heart to step foot in any of the places even if only for a moment. Bonus points if I got to meet any of the inhabitants.

The Classics

Here’s today’s post prompt: Today, tell us all the reasons why you love classic literature. What are your favorite classics? If you could give a list of classics to someone who claims to hate them to make them change their mind, what would be on it? How would you convince them to give classics a try? And why do you keep coming back to those old favorites?

I have long been a fan of classic literature, some of the first books I remember reading on my own fall under this heading: The Little House Series, A Little Princess, Little Women, Black Beauty, The Swiss Family Robinson, Tom Sawyer, Pride and Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Secret Garden, The Hobbit. They are books I have returned to over and over again. I’d challenge anyone who says they dislike the classics to pick up one of the aforementioned books and at least give it a try. Try to read it as if you are a child making your first foray into the great wide world of literature. It puts everything into perspective for you.

These books are directly associated with my childhood and young adult life, but it’s always fascinating to me to revisit them with a more adult eye. In fact, I was talking to my best friend the other day about Little Women and she was adamant in her hatred of the Laurie/Amy pairing, a hatred I used to understand all too well. Until a re-read about a year ago, when looking at the book from an adult point of view it was all too obvious that this pairing made far more sense than Jo and Laurie ever would have. It was an interesting moment, throwing my childhood rage and indignation over his choosing Amy over Jo right out the window.

I think that right there is why I will always love and return time and time to the classics of my childhood. The stories grow and change along with you, giving you a new reading experience each time you crack one open. There’s a reason they are labeled classics, it’s because they will always be relevant in some way and there is always something to be gained from reading them.

I’m really looking forward to this week of Armchair BEA posts, so be sure to stop by and tell me in the comments if you’re participating!

It’s Tuesday and that means that over at The Broke and the Bookish it’s time for another Tuesday Top Ten!

This week’s topic is the Top Ten 2013 Debuts I’m Looking Forward To! I’m excited about this one because I tend to overlook the debut books in my excitement about what’s coming out. I always tend to hone in on the books by my favorite authors, or  the eagerly anticipated next book in a series. It’s good to check out the books by new authors, you never know when you’ll find a new favorite!

Prophecy (The Dragon King Chronicles #1) by Ellen Oh.

The Madman’s Daughter  by Megan Shepherd

Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles #1) by Lenore Appelhans

Starglass by Phoebe North

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson.

The Last Burning of New London by Danielle Myers

Prophecy Of Oz (Prophecy of Oz Trilogy #1) by Megan Shan (Cover not yet released)

The Oathbreaker’s Shadow by Amy McCulloch (Cover not yet released)

What debut books are you most excited about for 2013? Let me know in the comments, I may have to add them to my TBR list!

It’s Tuesday and that means that over at The Broke and the Bookish it’s time for another Tuesday Top Ten!

This week’s topic is my Top Ten Bookish Goals For 2013! I kinda touched on this last week with my bookish resolutions, but I figured I’d expand on it a bit. I’m gonna cheat a little and also include my writing goals for the year. I figure they’re bookish as well, right?

Well, here goes nothing!

Reading/Blogging Resolutions

1. Continue to read an average of a book a week. I usually average more than this, but I figure 52 books this year is a perfectly respective number. And if I happen to go over it I will feel even more accomplished.

2. Write a review a week. If I’m reading a book a week, it stands to reason that I’ll be able to writer a review a week. On top of any memes and discussion posts I put up. I may need some friendly nudges during the first part of the year to make sure I’m staying on track with this, so feel free to harass me via twitter. :-)

3. Give the site a makeover! Kristilyn did a fantastic job creating the header logo I’m currently using, but I’m getting tired of the theme I’ve got going on. A new year calls for a new look, so look for this to happen hopefully by March-ish

4. Remember that I’m reading because I enjoy it. For a while there I got so caught up in reviewing and stressing out over what to post, that I forgot to read for just the fun of it. I don’t want all of the other things to impact my love of reading.

5. Get a non-bookish friend to read at least one book I recommend this year. It’s easy to get my bookish friends to read things I’ve loved, but I want to try to get a non-reader excited about at least one book this year.

6. Attend more bookish events! I’m extremely lucky that I live in a city that has so many tour stops, book festivals, and other bookish things happening nearby. So I resolve to attend as many as I can, and blog about them all!

Writing Resolutions

7. Finish the first draft of my historical fiction novel. I’ve been working on this for a while now, but I haven’t really gotten anywhere. But that will all change by this year! I’m starting this one off right too, I spent the past weekend at a writing retreat and was able to spend a lot of time focusing on my story and what I want it to be.

8. Revise the heck ut of my draft. Writing it is only the first step, then I’ve got to revise, revise, revise. But I can do it. I hope.

9. Apply for a WIP grant. This one is a longshot, but I figured, go big or go home! Since my WIP is an historical fiction, it’d be nice to win some money to help me travel and do a bit more research.

10. Send out queries for agents. This will only happen if I’m ever able to get the draft finished and polished, but it is the end goal! It’d be nice to finish off the year with this :-)

What are your goals for the year? Do you have any words of wisdom for me? Let me hear it in the comments!

Ever wish a big YA book tour would come to YOUR city or town? That’s exactly what Beth Revis, Marissa Meyer, Marie Lu, Victoria Schwab, and Megan Shepherd have set out to do! You can enter their contest to bring FIVE awesome, best-selling, award-winning authors to YOUR home town. The hometown with the most votes will win a tour stop from all five of them at one time for an unforgettable event.

I have been lucky enough to meet both Victoria and Beth more than once, but I’d love the chance to see the other three! I just voted to have them come to Atlanta or Nashville, so you better hurry up and place your vote! (Especially if you’re voting for one of my two choices ;-) )

Can you believe it’s already 2013?? I honestly can’t. I feel like 2012 had just started, then I blinked and it was over! I suppose this is the price I pay of getting older, time moves faster and faster.

I have high hopes for this year though, it’s going to be a good one. So, without further adieu here are my most anticipated reads of the year and then my bookish resolutions.

Anticipated Reads

On to fun things! A new year starting means there are tons of new and exciting releases that I cannot wait to get my hands on. From debut novels from exciting new authors, to new releases from authors that I already love, and the next book in a trilogy of series, there’s always something to look forward to. So, here are the books I am most anticipating at the moment:

Bookish Resolutions 2013

I know I’ve been a horrible book blogger over the second half of this year and I let a lot of things get away from me. But it’s a new year and time to set new goals and priorities in place! So, here are my bookish resolutions for 2013!

• Continue to read an average of a book a week. I usually average more than this, but I figure 52 books this year is a perfectly respective number. And if I happen to go over it I will feel even more accomplished!
• Write a review a week. If I’m reading a book a week, it stands to reason that I’ll be able to writer a review a week. On top of any memes and discussion posts I put up. I may need some friendly nudges during the first part of the year to make sure I’m staying on track with this, so feel free to harass me via twitter. :-)
• Give the site a makeover! Kristilyn did a fantastic job creating the header logo I’m currently using, but I’m getting tired of the theme I’ve got going on. A new year calls for a new look, so look for this to happen hopefully by March-ish.
• Remember that I’m reading because I enjoy it. For a while there I got so caught up in reviewing and stressing out over what to post, that I forgot to read for just the fun of it. I don’t want all of the other things to impact my love of reading.

I think those are a solid set of resolutions to start off the year with! I’ll check back in around mid-year to see how I’m doing. And feel free to call me out if you see me not following anything listed above!

What books are you most anticipating? What are your bookish resolutions? Share them with me in the comments1

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. The idea is that it spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. So, let’s get on with my pick for the week!

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson

The Madness Underneath
Maureen Johnson
Publication Date: February 26th 2013 by Razorbill

From Amazon: After her near-fatal run-in with the Jack the Ripper copycat, Rory Devereaux has been living in Bristol under the close watch of her parents. So when her therapist suddenly suggests she return to Wexford, Rory jumps at the chance to get back to her friends. But Rory’s brush with the Ripper touched her more than she thought possible: she’s become a human terminus, with the power to eliminate ghosts on contact. She soon finds out that the Shades—the city’s secret ghost-fighting police—are responsible for her return. The Ripper may be gone, but now there is a string of new inexplicable deaths threatening London. Rory has evidence that the deaths are no coincidence. Something much more sinister is going on, and now she must convince the squad to listen to her before it’s too late.

In this follow-up to the Edgar Award-nominated THE NAME OF THE STAR, Maureen Johnson adds another layer of spectacularly gruesome details to the streets of London that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Why I’m Waiting: The first book in this series, The Name of the Star, was one of my favorite books of 2011 and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the sequel ever since! The books are set in London, and feature a kickass female protagonist, how can I not love them? As i said in my review back in October of 2011:

The book is set in London and follows an American girl going to school there, so I can totally relate to that, but it was also an amazing story. There’s enough mystery and intrigue to keep you turning pages (far later than you intended to still be awake!), there just enough of a romance to make you slightly giddy and both the main and supporting characters are pretty kick ass.

 So, I have super high hopes for the second book in the series and I doubt Maureen is going to let me down! *crosses fingers*

ALSO! If you are planning to read this book Maureen has a super awesomely amazing giveaway for those who pre-order. See all the details on her tumblr! Trust me, you want to do this. It gets you fun swag, a signed copy of the book AND you support some indie book stores!

Title: For Darkness Shows the Stars

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Publication: June 12th 2012 by Balzer + Bray

Rating: 5 stars

Summary (Amazon): It’s been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot’s estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she’s lost him forever.

My Review: When Sarah told me that Diana Peterfreund had written a dystopian retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, I knew I had to read it. I’d loved Rampant, Peterfreund’s killer unicorns book, and I have been a lifelong fan of Jane Austen. It was only a matter of time before I got to read the book.

Enter my honeymoon, and a bunch of free time sitting in airports. Before nearly any time had passed, I was in Peterfreund’s world with Kai and Elliot, watching the knothole in the old barn for more gliders. She did an amazing job of world-building and of constructing her own mythology and her own unique story within the framework of Austen’s. While I recognized the plot for what it was, it was easy to forget as I was reading that this was a retelling. The story was so fresh and so interesting, which is pretty much what you want a retelling to be — there’s no point in retelling a story if you can’t make it worth reading on its own merit. And here, Diana Peterfreund succeeded. Really, she more than succeeded — she wrote one of the best YA novels I have ever read.

This book is definitely worth all the hype it’s been gathering in reader’s circles. Pick it up and see for yourself!

—

Teija is a very happy soul. She has a corncob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal… oh, wait, that’s not right. Anyway, she can also be found blogging at tekkah.net.

Book: Dark Star, by Bethany Frenette

Publication: October 23, 2012 by Hyperion

Rating: 4 stars

Summary (Amazon): Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it’s hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she’s lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human—something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile. 

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn’t fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers—livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape.  And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person’s memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers’ next move. But Leon, her mother’s bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won’t let Audrey out of his sight. 

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything—and everyone—she loves.

My Review: I have to be up-front, first of all — I know Bethany Frenette personally, as she has been one of my DragonCon companions for many years. This is her debut novel, and I think she did an outstanding job. Her characters are rich, and her world-building is amazing. I love that she jumped in head-first with her mythology and did not hand-hold the reader to get them to understand it, like some YA novels do. It’s always a promising YA novel when the author trusts the reader to have a brain! I also really like that she leaves some of the mythology for later — introducing the groundwork in this novel, but clearly holding back some pretty cool things for later.

Audrey is a fantastic protagonist — strong but flawed, someone you can relate to as a reader. Her friends and family are equally great to read, and I will say that without naming names, the love interest in this book is fantastic — the feelings of “I want them t get together!” pretty much slammed right into me about 120 pages in and after that I was completely lost.

I cannot wait to read the next installment in Audrey’s story. This one ended just as I was really getting attached to these characters, and I’m sure the flailing tweets I sent to Bethany were enough to say, “I’m hooked!” I’m sure that this series will only get better, and I will be first in line to pick up the next book in the series!

—

Teija woke up the other day and found herself in a desert land with two suns. Someone nearby was whining about Toschi Station? Something about power converters? She can also be found blogging at tekkah.net.

It’s Tuesday and that means that over at The Broke and the Bookish it’s time for another Tuesday Top Ten!

This week’s topic is the Top Ten Kick-Ass Heroines! I’m super pumped about this topic, because kick-ass heroines are one of my favorite things to read about. I usually seek out books that have super strong female leads, and I tend to ignore books *cough Twilight cough* that feature wimpy,  or underdeveloped female  characters. So, this list may go over ten. Possibly. I’ll try to limit myself.

1. Mara Jade from Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy and multiple other EU books). Mara is an amazing character: she’s a Jedi, a smuggler, the Emperor’s Hand, and she gets to marry Luke Skywalker! And I’ve been lucky enough to personally thank Timothy Zahn for creating my all time favorite kick-ass heroine.

2. Aerin Dragon-Killer from the Hero and the Crown. I mean, she’s give the nickname Dragon-Killer, how can she not be utterly kick-ass? Aerin is one of my all time favorite characters and her journey in this book is absolutely incredible, moving from a weak young girl to an impressive force of a woman who becomes her country’s champion.

3. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Really, does this one even need an explanation? I mean, girl could take you down with a bow and arrow before you could even blink. I’m pretty sure that’s the definition of kick-ass. At least it is in my book.

4. Rose Hathaway from the Vampire Academy series. I have so much love for Rose and her ability to kill vampires without even breaking a sweat. This girl is tough and she is fiercely protective of those she loves, so I’d suggest steering clear of pissing her off. I mean, she can take down her freakishly tall Russian boyfriend, so most normal people wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

5. Raisa ana’Marianna from the Seven Realms series. I have so much love for this book and a lot of that has to do with it’s incredible heroine. She’s a princess, but don’t let that fool you. She can fight, ride, and plot better than anyone else she comes across. She is a truly kick-ass woman and her country doesn’t know what hit them.

6. Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. I knwo I could’ve said Hermione, or Ginny, or McGonogall, or Molly, or Tonks, or really any of the female characters that JK Rowling brought to life. But, I picked Luna because she is the one character who is kicks ass at being smart, caring, thoughtful, powerful, and genuinely does not care what anyone else thinks of her. She is her own person and that takes so much courage.

7. Celaena Sardothien from  Throne of Glass. She’s a teenage girl who is also the most feared assassin in the kingdom. How could I leave her off my list of kick-ass chicks? I’d seriously like to take lessons from her and learn some ninja assassin skills. Where do I sign up?

8. Triss from Divergent and Insurgent. Triss was a difficult character for me to love at first, but once I got to know her I was amazed at how strong she was. She walked away from her parents, knowing she’d probably never really talk to them again, in order to prove to herself that she had courage and that she belonged in Dauntless. Sure she was kick-ass because that’s what they train you to be there, but it was her willingness to learn, to fight and protect those she loved that really mattered.

9. Katsa from Graceling. I love all of the female characters from Kristin Cashore’s series, but Katsa takes the top prize. She’s tough, and yes part of it is her Grace, but part of it is because that’s who she is. And she will hurt anyone who harms any of the people she cares about. I think that’s admirable.

10. Princess Leia from all of the Star Wars EU. Leia was my first introduction to non cartoony kick-ass females. And she’s still one of my all time favorites. This comic about sums up my feelings:

Throwback Thursday is a weekly meme hosted by The Housework Can Wait and Never Too Fond of Books! It’s the nature of book blogging to focus mainly on new releases, but there are thousands of great books out there that haven’t seen the “New Releases” shelf in years. Through Throwback Thursdays THCW and NTFB hope to be able to bring attention to some older titles that may not be at the top of the current bestseller list, but still deserve a spot in your To-Be-Read pile.

This week’s Throwback Thursday selection is The Stand by Stephen King.

Summary: This is the way the world ends: with a nanosecond of computer error in a Defense Department laboratory and a million casual contacts that form the links in a chain letter of death.

And here is the bleak new world of the day after: a world stripped of its institutions and emptied of 99 percent of its people. A world in which a handful of panicky survivors choose sides — or are chosen. A world in which good rides on the frail shoulders of the 108-year-old Mother Abagail — and the worst nightmares of evil are embodied in a man with a lethal smile and unspeakable powers: Randall Flagg, the dark man.

Why You Should Read This Book: So, I’ll be perfectly honest, I don’t read a lot of Stephen King. Or really, any Stephen King. I’m not a fan of horror so I tend to steer clear of most of his works, but this book falls more in the post-apocalyptic genre than it does in the horror. In fact, I think this was my first introduction to the post-apocalyptic genre! It’sno wonder that it’s a genre I return to time and time again, my first foray into it was a fantastic one.

I loved this book because it felt so real. The virus, the death, the destruction, the characters, and the world they lived in. They all seemed to pop off the page and becoming living, breathing realities. While the book is incredibly long, I managed to read it in a matter of days as I wasn’t able to put it down.

If you think the book may be too long for you, I highly recommend reading the mini-series starring Gary Sinse, Molly Ringwald, and Rob Lowe, among many others.