Today is a Wrap Up of all the activities I participated in this week for  Armchair BEA 2014 . I have enjoyed this year's Armchair BEA. I was a "cheerleader" where I had a set # of blogs to comment on every day. This was something new for me to try from last year. By doing this I was able to interact and meet a lot of participants that I probably wouldn't have otherwise. I briefly participated in one Twitter party (Friday's). And when I say "briefly" I mean for about 30 minutes and commented a couple of times. I had wanted to make more but timing didn't work out for me to. And of course I participated in one or both of the topics every day. Mostly I chose only one topic to do. In case you missed any of my posts from the week here ya go: Day 1: Introduction and Literature Day 2: Author Interaction Day 3: Part 1 - Novellas/Short Stories Day 3: Part 2 - Expanding Blogging Horizons Day 4: Giveaways - win your choice of b...

Welcome to Day 5 of Armchair BEA 2014 ! Today's topic that I'm participating in is: MIDDLE GRADE/YOUNG ADULT I could seriously camp out in the Young Adult part of this topic because that is primarily what I read, with a heavy dose of New Adult mixed in. There is something uniquely special about Young Adult books that covers a wide range of ages. People from ages 13 to those in their 50's that I've personally talked with read Young Adult books. I'm sure there are those even older than that. The point is that it's the one genre of books that spans many age groups, bringing us all closer together to bond over. How many other genres of books can have the same thing said about it?  I wanted to chime in about Middle Grade books for the rest of my post. My children are ages 12 (entering 7th grade) and 10 (entering 5th grade) and they are both big readers - like their Mama! Granted - I had to push my older child (a boy) to read more but within the last 2 ...

Welcome to Day 4 of Armchair BEA 2014 . Today's part 1 topic is  GIVEAWAYS!! A ton of participants will be hosting their own giveaway on their blogs.  So be sure to visit everyone who links up! I love giveaways, don't you?!  For my giveaway you have the chance to  WIN ONE (1) BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE   (print or Kindle) valued up to $15. This is open internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to your location OR you choose a Kindle option from Amazon. For full giveaway rules, please visit HERE . Winner has 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen so be watching your email closely! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome to Day 3 of Armchair BEA 2014 . Today's topic I'm participating in is  Expanding Blogging Horizons "What do you think about when you think about going beyond blogging or expanding your horizons? Is it a redesign of your blog? Have you branched out into freelance writing or even published a novel of your very own? Or, have you moved into a different venue like podcasts or vlogging? This is the day to tell us about how you have expanded on blogging in your own unique way." I certainly can't take any credit for this AT ALL, but I wanted to plug it anyway. Many of you know that I have a sister-n-law who also blogs (she was my reason for starting my blog). Sandy and I talked a great deal last year about wanting to cohost some kind of challenge or read-a-thon or event to get connected with other bloggers. Who knew coming up with an idea that seemed even half way original would be sooooo difficult! Being the programmer by day that she is, Sandy creat...

Welcome to Day 3 of Armchair BEA 2014 . Today's topic I'm participating in is  Novellas/Short Stories After looking back over the last 2 1/2 years of books I've read and reviewed I came to realize these were literally the only novellas I have read. I was shocked by that! I have a few more in my possession that I haven't yet read as well.  I like novellas because they are typically super short, less than 100 pages, and usually quick reads - which is a bonus because they still count towards my reading challenge. If done well they really wet your appetite for a series coming out (as in the case of Bitter Sweet Love) or they delve deeper into a character who doesn't take center stage (as in Shadows) or they give more insight into a mysterious character (as in No Mercy). I loved all three of these! I can think of one other that I have that I didn't get until after I finished the series and by then (though it was a freebie) I didn't really want ...

Welcome to Day 2 of Armchair BEA 2014 .  Today's topic I'm participating in is  Author Interactions. Who doesn't love getting a retweet, tweet, Twitter follow; FB comment, like or follow; Goodreads comment or like; blog post comment or follow from a favorite author?! Seeing any of those from an author whose books I read and review always make my day! Sometimes the more meaningful comments are the ones non-book related. Richelle Mead and I talked about how to make southern grits on Twitter once. Have you ever had an author that you've communicated with say - "I'm so glad to see your name on the list! I hope you enjoy xx book!" - Those are special moments.  So to conclude I'm going to give a "shout-out" to a few of the authors that have been really great at communicating with me through various social media sites. Some have gone above and beyond and make it personal when chatting. I KNOW they are busy. We all are - but we are anx...

Welcome to day 1 of Armchair BEA 2014 . Today's activity post is two parts: Introductions and Literature. Each blog participating will be introducing themselves and their blog to everyone. PART 1: INTRODUCTIONS 1. Please tell us a little about yourself. Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? Where in the world are you blogging from? Hi! I'm Holly and I'm a book addict. PROUD OF IT TOO! (wink wink) For those who've visited my blog before this isn't any new information. But for any new friends visiting for the first time, I've been blogging since October 2012. I started blogging after watching my SNL blog for a year. She and I shared a lot of the same tastes in books and I decided to jump on the bandwagon - one that I very much still enjoy. I read books that interest me, not books that are necessarily the "popular" or "critically acclaimed". I have learned the careful art of only requesting b...

It's time for our fifth Monthly Wrap Up for the 2014 Series Enders Reading Challenge hosted by Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know and Holly @ Words Fueled by Love ! Since posting the April Wrap Up , Sandy finished Five Ways to Fall (Ten Tiny Breaths, # 4) by KA Tucker.  Holly wasn't able to finish any series enders this month. Which series enders did you finish? Link up below. Don't forget to include the title, your name, & your blog name (Ex: Requiem - Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know) Also, the May giveaway runs from May 25th - June 25th. On May 25th we will use random.org and the linky entries to pull a winner.

Sunday Post is a weekly post hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer . Each week bloggers participate to share any books received and news from their week. Click on the book covers to be taken to its Goodreads page. The Buy Link , if available, is below each book cover. ~PURCHASED OR FREEBIES~ Pieces of Lies #1 by Angela Richardson Buy Link: Amazon  ($.99 deal!) Passionately driven artist, Norah Ross, has been banished from New York to Morewell for her final semester of graphic design at McLaren University. Her move allows her to reconnect with Josh, her best friend, who is more then thrilled at Norah's appearance back into his life.  At the same time that Norah steps back into Josh's heart, she learns that he is in the process of being accepted into McLaren's uber exclusive secret society, the 'Lappell'. Josh takes Norah to the Lappell's glamorous parties in the hope of taking their friendship to the next level, but when Norah meets...

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Breaking the Spine . Each week bloggers participate to share a book they are eagerly anticipating. This week I'm waiting on: The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2) by Rick Yancey Expected Publication: September 16, 2014 by Putnam Juvenile Preorder Buy Link: Amazon The riveting follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The 5th Wave, hailed by Justin Cronin as “wildly entertaining.” How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity. Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race. Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which hum...

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly post hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading . Anyone can play along. Just go HERE to learn how to participate. This week MizB took the week off to read but I'm sharing a teaser anyway. This week my teasers come from  Of Scars and Stardust by Andrea Hannah: Teasers: My heart pounded and sweat webbed between my gloved fingers and I thought that if there really were wolves like Rae said, and they knew all of my secrets, then they knew that my answer was already "yes" before I whispered it into the cornfield. What are you reading this week? Share a teaser with me!

Sunday Post is a weekly post hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer . Each week bloggers participate to share about any books received and any news from their week. Click on the book covers to be taken to its Goodreads page. The Buy Link , if available, is below each book cover. ~PURCHASED OR FREEBIES~ Entice (Eagle Elite #3) by Rachel Van Dyken Buy Link: Amazon  ($.99 deal!) RECAP OF WEEK: SUNDAY: Sunday Post #78 MONDAY: Review - Reason to Breathe (Breathing #1) by Rebecca Donovan WEDNESDAY: Waiting on Wednesday featuring Waiting on Beautiful Oblivion   THURSDAY: ARC Thursday Review - Nova and Quinton: No Regrets by Jessica Sorensen FRIDAY: Feature & Follow {52} featuring the question: Have you met a favorite author and have a picture? Share. SATURDAY: From Books to Movies, Take 4 : featuring Fallen by Lauren Kate and If I Stay by Gayle Forman WHAT'S AHEAD: Tentative Posts: Teaser Tuesday Waiting...

(Please note: the above image was found at Bobbins and Books ) For this edition of From Books to Movies I'm going to feature a couple of book to movie adaptations coming soon to a theater near you, one in just a few short months and the other not till 2015. I listed them with the latter release first because I've read that book. The other is on my TBR list.  Fallen (Fallen #1)  by Lauren Kate Book Description:  There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce – he goes out of his way to make that very clear. But she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, Luce has to find out what Da...

Feature and Follow is a weekly post hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read . "The goal is to increase blog followers and make new friends." The Rules: Follow the 2 hosts. Follow the 2 features. Hop around and follow others who are participating, leaving a comment to let them know. Answer this week's question in your own blog post. This week's question: HAVE YOU MET A FAVORITE AUTHOR AND HAVE A PICTURE? SHARE. From left to right: Richelle Mead, me, Sister-n-law Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know . This was a super spontaneous trip in May of 2010, after being at the ballpark all morning we decided to drive 4 hours south to meet Richelle Mead and get our books signed by her. She was visiting a small quaint bookstore in Fairhope, AL called Page and Palette for the release of her book Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) . It was a fabulous experience and she was super sweet. I wish I could meet more authors but the reality is that not many co...

Nova and Quinton: No Regrets (Nova #3) By: Jessica Sorensen Published: April 15, 2014 by Grand Central Publishing 384 pages Source: ARC via publisher from Netgalley ( Goodreads / Amazon ) Summary: Today is the first day of Quinton Carter's new life. The toxic guilt of his past left him in pieces-but one girl unexpectedly put him back together. Thanks to Nova Reed, Quinton can finally see the world with clear eyes. She's the reason his heart is still kicking behind the jagged scar on his chest. And he would love to have her in his arms every minute of the day . . . but he's not ready yet. Playing drums in a band and living with her best friends are just some of the highlights of Nova's life. But the best new development? Talking to Quinton on the phone each night. She wishes she could touch him, kiss him, though she knows he needs time to heal. Yet shocking news is on the way-a reminder of life's dark side-and Nova will need Quinton like he once n...

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Breaking the Spine . Each week bloggers participate to share any new book they are eagerly anticipating. This week I'm waiting on: Beautiful Oblivion (Maddox Brothers #1) by Jamie McGuire Expected Publication: July 1, 2014 by Atria Books Preorder Buy Link:  Amazon The  Beautiful Disaster  and  Walking Disaster  phenomenon continues in the first heart-pounding new adult romance in The Maddox Brothers series. Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year. Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds b...

Reason to Breathe (Breathing #1) By: Rebecca Donovan Published: May 10, 2011 377 pages Source: Borrowed from snl Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know ( Goodreads / Amazon ) Summary: "No one tried to get involved with me, and I kept to myself. This was the place where everything was supposed to be safe and easy. How could Evan Mathews unravel my constant universe in just one day?" In the affluent town of Weslyn, Connecticut, where most people worry about what to be seen in and who to be seen with, Emma Thomas would rather not be seen at all. She’s more concerned with feigning perfection while pulling down her sleeves to conceal the bruises - not wanting anyone to know how far from perfect her life truly is. Without expecting it, she finds love. It challenges her to recognize her own worth - but at the risk of revealing the terrible secret she’s desperate to hide.  Reason to Breathe is an electrifying page turner from start to finish, a unique tale of life-changin...