Ra-Ra-Readathon Update #1

It's time to update and the time has been flying by!!  It's hard to believe that Readathon, or Readathong as my fingers KEEP insisting on typing, it already 2 hours old.  But there you have it.  I'll be updating every once in awhile, but not every hour.  So here's what's been going on:

So far I've read:
Bunnicula Strikes Again (audio) by James Howe

Right now I'm reading:
In My Dreams (audio) by Sarah Addison Allen

Challenges done so far:
Challenge 1 : Introduction
Challenge 2: Book Spine Poetry
Challenge 3: Book Appetit!
Challenge 4: Re-title Your Current Read 
Challenge 5: Self-Portrait 

What I've eaten:

Why say it when I can show it?  

Also, some Oikos Greek yogurt- Fruit on the Bottom, Black Cherry because I have to at least make an attempt to hold off on all the chocolate.  Right?

A running tally:
I kind of forgot to do this in the beginning, so several early blogs are missing.  My bad.
Two Canadian Bloggers- Confirming that Canadians are indeed magical! ;) 
Midnyte Reader- my NY angel!  Or devil, it remains to be seen. ;)
Geeky Bloggers Book Blog- Reading for charity!  Go leave a comment!
The Bookish Outsider- adorableness!
Scruffed Slippers and Wormy Books- Book Spine Poetry!!!
Book Journey: Made me want to snack!

For your viewing pleasure: 

 My Harry Potter Tattoo (I have it on both toes)

Alexander Skarsgard, showering.  Or Eric Northman, because why bother to pretend he's a mere mortal.

And I won a prize!!!!  I picked Yelena's Black Dance of Shadows because that is a book cover that must live on my shelves!!

Readathon is On Like Donkey Kong

On your mark, get set, Readathon!

 Challenge 1

 1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Richmond, VA!
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

It's a tie between Nice Girls Don't Live Forever by Molly Harper and Game (Jasper Dent #2) by Barry Lyga.
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to?

Oooh, the mini-quiches I'm nomming on now and my Ritter bar.
4) Tell us a little something about yourself!

I love the World Cup, and by that I mean soccer, since that's the only that matters. ;)
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

The last few readathons I've spent with some of my blogger friends. We don't get much reading done, but it's a lot of fun!  This time I'm on my own.  And instead of reading a lot of physical books, I'm listening to audiobooks so that I can focus on cheering and being social online.  As always, I'm most looking forward to co-hosting Hour 8 mini-challenge- so come back later!! 

Challenge #2 

Book Spine Poetry @ Scuffed Slippers and Wormy Books 

The girl with the dragon tattoo,

soulless,

unbreakable.

Darker still,

death proof.

Pushing the limits

into the dark,

the suburban strange.

Challenge #3

Book Appetit!

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman 

We'd read the book, watch and compare it to the movie!

Food:

Cactus Shaped Pancakes

Homemade syrup which we'd name Witches Brew

Ladyfingers (renamed Dead Man Fingers)

Soup served in a cauldron

Drinks:

Midnight Margaritas!

Created Drink:

Love Potion #9 (basically I'd mix Smirnoff Kissed Caramel Vodka mixed with Orange Juice because it's delicious) 

Challenge #4

Re-Title Your Current Read

 Retitled:

Vampire Bunny Seeking Fanged Birth Mom

Challenge #6

Book Puzzle

  +

Hint: It's a book by one of my favorite authors and it came out last year. ;)

Challenge #7
Best and Worst Covers
I'm reading the graphic novel for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, so here's the worst and best covers:

   Oh, dear God, this cover makes me want to poke my eyes out too, statue man!

 This is effed up.  And not in a good way.  Why is she such a bobble head?  Lisbeth Salander supposed to be kick ass, people! 

 This one works the best for me.  I love the intensity of it.  Plus, it reminds me of the the song Red Dragon Tattoo. 
 
 

 

  

    

 

I'll be starting with an audiobook of Bunnicula Strikes Again by James Howe.

What's up first for you?

Here's my pile for those of you interested:

Readathon: Let the Day Begin!

It's almost here!  And I am going all Carol Ann on this shiz!

You know what I love about Readathon?  It's a chance to let my nerd flag fly. 

I'm on the East Coast, so I'm kicking this off at 8am.  I realize some of you are starting much earlier in the day, or later in the day, or maybe it's already night where you are, but here's a song to get us going nevertheless:

Are you in, midnighters?  Are you ready?  Sorry for the way I am going to BLOW UP YOUR READER AND TWITTER FEED, but hopefully you find my spastic love for books and readathons endearing. I mean, I managed to link Poltergeist, nerd kitties, and an obscure 80's band I love that you've probably never heard of (unless you saw it on a past Readathon post I made) all to Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon.  I also apologize for going all shouty caps at you too, but I'm that excited that lowercase letters just can't convey my feelings.

See ya in an hour, when the readathon shiz will get real and books will be read! 

 (okay, mostly food will get eaten and tweets will be sent, but I'll be listening to an audio book so that totally counts!)

Feature and Follow: Jem!

Feature and Follow time!  Hosted by the lovely Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Now it's question time!

Q:  Is there a song that reminds you of a book? Or vice versa? What is the song & the book?

I should write this shiz down, because sometimes I'll be listening to the perfect song that reminds me of what I'm reading and I'm like yes!  But then I forget all about it. That makes me a sad panda.

 Lucky for this week's question I'm reading Unbreakable (Unraveling #2) by Elizabeth Norris.  The book is very action packed, like a awesome YA mix of X-Files and 24.  Every chapter begins with a countdown of time left for the main heroine to stop major bad shiz from happening so the song that immediately pops in mind is 24 by Jem:

And of course, because of all the X-files love, David Duchovny by Bree Sharp:

 Ignore the fact that Jerry Springer is in the pic, this is a MUST listen song to anyone that's ever dug Mulder and those of us that can't always (or won't) separate an actor from a role they play (Alexander Skarsgard, or should I say, Eric Northman, I'm looking at you).

Readathon Pile and General Excitement!

And now for the moment you've waited months to see: 

In my physical pile of books:

Night School by C. J. Daughtery

Drama by Raina Telgemeier

Soulless Vol.1 by Gail Carriger

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Vol. 1 by Stieg Larsson

Amphigorey by Edward Gorey

Mostly a bunch of graphic novels, because I'll be listening to audiobooks while I cheer, tweet, host a mini-challenge at Hour 8, and basically being more social than I've been in a long time.  

Here's the list of audiobooks I'll be choosing from:

Bunnicula Strikes Again! by James Howe

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

Game (Jasper Dent #2) by Barry Lyga

In My Dreams by Sarah Addison Allen

Nice Girls Don't Live Forever (Jane Jameson #3) by Molly Harper

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

I'm cheering this year, and I'm Team Owl!  Hoot, Readers!

And here's some Readathon Goodies I've made in the past:

A Midnight Quickie #1

This past year I've been really good about taking notes on the books I read, but sometimes I just want a quick, fun read and don't bother to take notes. Or, in the case of audiobooks, I'm listening mostly in my car and can't take notes safely.  Plus, half the time I don't even know how to spell the names of characters.  I've done mini-reviews in the past, but I am hereby calling them Midnight Quickies, which I know sounds mildly dirty.  And I'm okay with that. ;)

"I was sixteen the first time my grandmother died . . ."

Sarah Parsons has never seen Amber House, the grand Maryland estate that's been in her family for three centuries. She's never walked its hedge maze nor found its secret chambers; she's never glimpsed the shades that haunt it, nor hunted for lost diamonds in its walls.

But all of that is about to change. After her grandmother passes away, Sarah and her friend Jackson decide to search for the diamonds--and the house comes alive. She discovers that she can see visions of the house's past, like the eighteenth-century sea captain who hid the jewels, or the glamorous great-grandmother driven mad by grief. She grows closer to both Jackson and a young man named Richard Hathaway, whose family histories are each deeply entwined with her own. But when the visions start to threaten the person she holds most dear, Sarah must do everything she can to get to the bottom of the house's secrets, and stop the course of history before it is cemented forever.

 ~ From Goodreads

Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, Larkin Reed

I listened to this audio at the beginning of the year and loved it!  See that gorgeous cover?  It actually matches what's inside this book. Tucker Reed narrates the audio and she really did a great job, it really felt like Sarah was telling her story.  This is the first book in a series, and I'm officially hooked.  Amber House reminds me of a slightly less sinister Rose Red or Overlook Hotel from Stephen King's writings, but it's got it's fair share of secrets and ghosts.  I'd definitely recommend this to anyone that loves mysteries and haunted houses.  I can imagine myself listening to this again before the next book comes out.  Loved it!!

Amber House gets a Midnight Rating of:

World Book Night 2013

Tonight is World Book Night! It's a night to get books to light to non-readers in hopes of spreading book love.  Much thanks to Midnyte Reader who brought my attention to this amazing event. 

I'm giving away copies of Still Alice by Lisa Genova at a local Assisted Living facility.  Still Alice is about a 50 year old woman who learns that she has early on-set Alzheimers and it's told from her point of view.  I work with many Alzheimer patients, and one of my clients lived at the facility that I'm passing the books out at.  It's bittersweet because my client passed away last week, but I'm so grateful to be doing this in her honor.  Getting people to read is amazing, helping to humanize Alzheimer patients is even better. 

Books are being handed out all over the world, but here's a look at the map of USA givers:

Pretty overwhelming, eh?  Thank you so much, World Book Night, for letting me be a part of this wonderful event!

The Book of Broken Hearts Review

The Book of Broken Hearts
by Sarah Ockler
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: ARC received from Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review, I do get to keep a copy of the book.
Midnight Minute: The summer before college Jude isn't acting in a play or hanging out with her friends, instead she's taking care of her beloved Papi and being tempted by the one boy she's sworn to hate. 
Expected Publication: 05.21.13 (the day before my birthday. Coincidence? I think not!)
From Goodreads:

When all signs point to heartbreak, can love still be a rule of the road? A poignant and romantic novel from the author of Bittersweet and Twenty Boy Summer.

Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.

Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?

Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?

Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.

Midnight Thoughts:

~ Jude is the youngest of four girls, and the only left at home. I loved the relationship she had with her sisters and her parents, how close they all are despite the differences in ages.
~ Papi has early on-set Alzheimers, which is heart-breaking, and especially meaningful to me because I work with so many clients with cognitive impairment.  I'm so glad to see it featured in books, because I really feel that it's easy to dismiss people who suffer from this disease.  Ockler does an amazing job of making Papi a real person, and not just a caricature. 
~ Jude's parents are originally from Argentina, and it's very much a part of this novel.  It made me realize how rarely I read books that deal with different ethnic backgrounds.  I kind of fell in love with the Hernandez family.
~ Oh, the Book of Broken Hearts, it's the real deal!  The whole scene with the sisters, and the pledge they make against the Vargas boys felt very Practical Magic-ish and I loved every minute of it.  I would die for a peek of this book!
~ Jude and Papi call his disease El Demonio, which is the perfect way to describe it. 
~ Although this book does deal with Jude's evolving feelings for Emilio, it's so much more than a romance.  It's really more about Jude coming to terms with her father's illness and her identity separate from her sisters. 
~ Emilio won my heart when he helps Jude calm Papi down during an episode.  He's not afraid or embarrassed by Papi's melt down, and it was wonderful. 
~ LOL moment: when Jude says that the Vargas boys were like Hernandez Lady Kyrptonite.
~ Sad moment: How in denial Jude is in the beginning about her father's illness.  Although it's completely understandable, wanting your loved one to beat an incurable disease.
~ A girl teaching a guy to drive stick shift is dead sexy!
~ My favorite line in the book is about family tragedies, how they smash everything up, but glue it back together at the same time.  It was so true that it made me tear up. 
~ I only have brothers, but everything I know from friends and books only confirms that sisters are extremely complicated.  I both envy and am scared of Jude's relationship with her sisters.  Mostly afraid. 
~ Early on-set Alzheimers is genetic, and there are tests that can determine if you carry the genes.  Jude and her sisters have a 50/50 chance of getting the same disease.  I wish this storyline had featured a bit more, but I get that it would have definitely changed the tone of the book. 
~ I also wanted more of the Vargas boys.  I wanted to know what Emilio's older brothers were up to, but we don't really get to see them.  I wanted to know the reasons behind their decisions to break the Hernandez sister's hearts.  
~ The cover of the book is cute, but a bit generic.  I think showing an actual beat up book with the title of Broken Hearts would have been better.  However, this current cover should appeal to all us book lovers, right?
~ The ending was so good, bittersweet, but so good.  I would love to see a sequel a few years down the road to see how the Hernandez family is, but if I don't get it I won't be upset.

Timeless Characters:

Jude- youngest sister, best daughter imaginable.
Emilio- hot Vargas brother, knows his way around a motorcycle and melts hearts on a daily basis.
Papi- an amazing man losing his memories.
Rita- Jude's wonderful mother.
The Hernandez Sisters: Lourdes, Araceli and Mariposa.
Pancake- Jude's golden retriever, her interpretations of what he's thinking are a much needed comic relief. 
Zoe and Christina- Jude's friends, living the summer Jude thought she'd be having too.
Duke- Emilio's boss at Duchess Custom Cycles.
Valentina- Papi's bike.
Samuel- Emilio's friend, he calls Jude a drama llama, which cracked me up.
 

Midnight Moment:

4th of July, Jude and Emilio's walk in the woods and the butterscotch scented trees.

Stop The Clock:

I own Twenty Boy Summer but haven't read beyond the first chapter, but I already knew I loved her writing, and this book only confirmed that love.  I can't imagine anyone not liking this book!


Sarah Ockler— Website | Sarah Ockler

The Book of Broken Hearts gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

Dare You To Review

Dare You To (Pushing the Limits #2)
by Katie McGarry
Genre: YA Contemporary
Format: ARC received through Around the World ARC Tours in exchange for my honest review.  I do not get to keep a copy of the book.
Midnight Minute: Beth is torn from her friends and her mother, and now she has to deal with good guy Ryan, who dares her to risk opening up. 
Expected Publication: 05.28.13
From Goodreads:
Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....

Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...

Midnight Thoughts:

~I got Pushing the Limits at BEA last year, and I enjoyed it.  My friend Kim said I would love this one even more.   And she was right. 
~ Part of the reason I loved this book so much was Ryan.  He's a good, decent boy who is dealing with many of his own issues.  His relationship with his parents and his brother are very realistic.  Usually the love interests in YA books are bad boys with a heart of gold that's polished to a shine by the girl next door they break all the rules to love.  But Ryan is already shiny, and he actually needs Beth to help scruff him up a bit. 
~ The book flips from Ryan to Beth's pov throughout the novel.  I love this because you get to really see both sides of the things that go down between Beth and Ryan, and get to know both of them. 
~ I thought I'd have a hard time accepting that Beth and Isiah weren't the end game they appeared to be in Pushing the Limits, but Ryan is just too hard to resist. 
~ Beth's relationship with her mom is heartbreaking.  She's in such denial, and she's put so much pressure on herself.  I want to go all The Crow on Beth's mom when he's all like "Mother is the name of God in the lips and hearts of little children" as he's forcing the junkie mom to clean up her act for the sake of her little girl.  
~ It appears that Beth's mom is also a fan of Carrie Underwood, since she goes all medieval on her douchebag boyfriend's El Camino.  And of course, Beth ends up taking the blame.  Which is some major bs, but if it takes her to Ryan I'll keep my mouth shut. 
~ Uncle Scott comes to Beth's rescue, although she doesn't quite see it that way, and proceeds to blackmail her into moving in with him and his new wife (a very pearl-clutching type of woman, who unclenches slightly as time goes by).  I strongly believe in blackmailing to get what you want.  ;)
~ Beth returns with Uncle Scott to the town she was born in, and her old friend Lacy is there, still holding onto the torch of friendship.  Beth is all pricklyish and angry to full appreciate Lacy, especially since Lacy dates one of Ryan's friends.
~ So even though his interest in Beth begins with a dare, I actually really enjoyed the dares the boys challenge each other to.  Especially the car moving one.  I almost always take Truth, since the one time I took a dare as a kid I had to french kiss a tree... before I even knew what french kissing was, so basically I licked bark. 
~ Inside Beth's mom's apartment is a room that no one opens.  For some reason it completely reminded me of briefcase in Pulp Fiction. 
~ I liked Ryan's story line with his brother.  I haven't seen the issue pop up in this way befor but I thought it was handled realistically and that both brothers were to blame for the rift. 
~ I'm sorry, but I am just not buying that Beth's blonde roots really look great as they grow out (Beth dyes her hair black because she's a ball on angst inside).  But since that's my biggest issue witht he book, I'll go ahead and let it go. 
~ Ryan takes a dare to take Beth on a date- and we've now entered the murky waters of teen rom-coms, but I trusted to McGarry not to go all cliche on us, and she didn't. 
~ It's kind of sad that the only thing Beth knows of what a good, loving relationship looks like is what she's witnessed between Echo and Noah.  We do get see the two of them in this book too. 
~ Ya'll are going to melt when you get to the rainwater part of the book.  Seriously, puddles of swooning girls and women on the floor over it. 
~ The lead up to the end was tense and bittersweet and I loved every second of it. 

Timeless Characters:

Beth- are f-bombing heroine with a dark, twisty past.
Ryan- actually made baseball sexy to me, nice, hot guy.
Isiah- Beth's best friend, with the occasional benefits. 
Lacy- Beth's best friend from childhood.
Chris- Ryan's dare buddy, Lacy's boydfriend.
Logan- another of Ryan's friends. 
Noah and Echo- still in love and happy.
Mark- Ryan's older brother.
Gwen- Ryan's ex, bullied Beth and Lacy when they were kids.  Not much has appeared to change with her. 
Scott- Beth's uncle, retired baseball player.
Allison- Scott's uptight wife.
Trent- Beth's mom's evil bastard boyfriend.
Officer Monroe- think Johnny Depp in 21 Jump Street.
Mrs. Rowe- Ryan's nice, if pushy, English teacher.
 

Midnight Moment:

So many!  The barn, the bird that's trapped there which was so parallel to Beth, the pond, the rainwater... I could go on.  But I won't. I need a nap.

Stop The Clock:

I can definitely recommend this, whether you've read Pushing the Limits or Not.  It's mostly sweet, but it's got some heat thrown in!


Katie McGarry — Website |Katie McGarry

Dare You To gets a Midnight Book Rating of: 

Sundays In Bed With... Unbreakable

 Welcome to my Sundays In Bed With... Meme! The meme that dares to ask, what book has been in your bed this morning?  Come share what book you've spent time curled up reading in bed, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

This morning I'm reading:

Unbreakable (Unraveling #2) by Elizabeth Norris

Last year I read an loved Unraveling, which filled the hole that X-Files had left in my heart.  So far Unbreakable is proving to be a great 2nd novel, the action was kind of immediate and I still love how the beginning of each chapter is a countdown.  I'm hoping to read a good chunk of this today.  Many thanks to Wiley from Authors on the Web for sending me a copy!

I'm also picking up the books I'm giving out for World Book Night!  I'm very excited to take part in this, and I will post on Tuesday my plans and what book I chose to hand out. 

What are you reading (or wish you had time to read) this morning? Are you reading the book you thought you'd be reading, or has today found you with a surprise? Link up below!