Thirsty for Comments Thursdays

Welcome to Thirsty for Comments Thursday

Click the image above to join in :)

What is Thirsty for Comments?

This is a blog hop dedicated to giving good comment - please, when you are visiting, actually READ the post that is linked and make a thoughtful comment!

This is NOT a hop for "I'm here from the hop, follow me back" comments!

Link up your own SPECIFIC POST that you'd like comments on - remember - no giveaways!

The rules are simple -

1. Link up a SPECIFIC POST (NOT just your blog URL) that you'd like to have more comments on - NO  GIVEAWAYS or OTHER BLOG HOPS - they will be deleted

2. Visit AT LEAST THREE other blogs and READ the posts and then comment thoughtfully on the post.

 

It's a fun idea, and I like that it's meant to generate thoughtful comments.

I've gotten... and given... my fair share of 

"Oh wow, I've never read that"

or 

"Yup, I loved that book too"

 

... yeah... 

 

it's time to step it up a notch. :)

So stop on over and check it out!

A Weird Girl Reading List: 10 of the Best Outsider Books for Teenagers from Flavorwire

Check out this interesting article from Flavorwire that offers 10 alternatives to mainstream YA novels:

http://flavorwire.com/377524/a-weird-girl-reading-list-10-of-the-best-outsider-books-for-teenagers

And just for the sake of being concise, here's a list of the books they're recommending... click on the article link to find out more about each one:

1. The Orange Eats Creeps, Grace Krilanovich
2. Weetzie Bat, Francesca Lia Block
3. Rose of No Man’s Land, Michelle Tea
4. No One Belongs Here More Than You, Miranda July
5. The Vanishers, Heidi Julavits
6. Geek Love, Katherine Dunn
7. Vida, Patricia Engel
8. Magic for Beginners, Kelly Link
9. Out, Natsuo Kirino
10. Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, Danielle Evans

Of this list, I have only read Out by Natsuo Kirino, but it was definitely an interesting, strange book that I would recommend. 

Feature and Follow #130

I've been waiting for this one! The inevitable "New Year's Resolutions" question.

Q: What New Years Blogging or Writing resolution have you placed on yourself?

My resolution for book blogging is to actually share all the books I've read. I read non-stop... so when I flicked open my blog this morning, I was shocked to see I hadn't actually updated since November.

WHAT?!

Do you know how many books I've read since then?
My resolution is to stay on the ball when it comes to sharing what I've read... if for no other reason, because *I* want to remember what I thought of a book, and what the characters names were. It really irks me that I forget to update here so often, despite the fact that I'm still reading like a demon!

To help me with this, I'm joining:

 FiftyFifty.me
This is a 2013 Challenge to read 50 new books and watch 50 new movies in 2013!

I've even started a Pinterest board to keep track of my accomplishments:
http://pinterest.com/littlebearries/fiftyfifty-me/

If you decide to take up this challenge and start a Pinterest board of your own, please let me know! I'd love to follow it!



When it comes to writing... my resolution is to try to write EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I have the same resolution for photo-taking and drawing. I'm not going to get better unless I dedicate myself to the  practice of it... so it's time to get crackin'.

Wish me luck, as I wish you luck with any and all of your resolutions!

Bloggiesta

Yup, there is some maintenance

I've been wanting to do on my blog,

so this weekend, I'm taking part in:

Click the image to join in!

Things I want to accomplish:

1. Update my pages to reflect the reviews actually available

2. fix any broken links

3. *maybe* implement a Halloween theme... maybe.

Top Ten Tuesday

To join in the fun of Top Ten Tuesday, click the image below:

When I first sat down to make this week's top 10 list of

The Top 10 Series I have Yet to Finish,

I thought it would be really hard...

then I realized... NOPE.

I have more unfinished series than I thought! 

If the title is in RED, it means that's a series I don't intend to ever pick back up again!

1. The Matched Trilogy by Ally Condie

I read the first book in this series... but I probably won't read the rest unless someone gives them to
me for free. I just wasn't impressed.This was a series where I expected more because of all the hype, and all the talk of the author's contract.

2. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare

I've read the first book, which I enjoyed... but then I stumbled on a spoiler on someone's blog (someone not considerate enough to mark that their post contained spoilers) and it just sort of killed my desire to read any more of it. Will I pick it up again someday? Yes, I already own the first three, so I might as well read them.

3. The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini

Here is a book that I felt was just over hyped all around. I mean, yeah, it's really cool that a kid got published (but it wasn't like he didn't have connections), or dedicated himself to something so passionately... but the writing, plot and pacing are all very beginner when it comes to fantasy. His book was a vivid map of all the greater fantasy writers that came before him. It offered nothing original. I won't be reading the rest of this series.. I did *try* to read book two... but when I was hit with the million page recap of book one, I gave up.

4. The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik

I really loved the first book in this series... but the second book was *literally* a slow boat to China. It bored me to tears, nothing happened, and reading it was tedious. THEN I was told that about every other book in this series is a slow trip to somewhere... so I stopped reading it after book two.

5. The First Law series by Joe Abercrombie

I have no excuse. I've read book one and two, and only have book three left to read... and this series is AWESOME... I mean it, if you like fantasy, pick this series up. NOW. Obviously I will read book three... but for whatever reason, I've put it off... since I read book one and two over 2 years ago now.

6. The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan

I will never pick this series back up. I read it through the beginning of book three and realized it was just the same story over and over and over. Not to mention that the author didn't know when to quit, and went well beyond the original number of books that were supposed to be published.

7. The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin

I LOVE this series... LOVE IT. I have been reading it since long before the hype, and after the wait for this last book (and the wait was a doozy)... I just can't bring myself to rush into the latest release in this series... because I absolutely fear it'll be another almost decade long wait for the next one ;_;
Will I read it? Heck yeah... but I'm in no hurry.

8. The Abarat series by Clive Barker

Another series I really, really love... but it took Barker 8 years to release the third book. Now... granted, the man had an excellent excuse (very traumatic health issues)... but I am in no hurry to read the third book (which I own, it's sitting on my shelf at this very moment) until the next one comes out.

9. The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich

I've read through book 17 in this series... but have just kind of lost my momentum on it. They're fun, light summer reads,  and I'm sure I'll read another one someday... but at the moment, I just don't feel like picking them back up.

10. The Age of Unreason series by Gregory Keyes

I've read the first book, Newton's Cannon, and loved it... and I will read the rest, eventually... but every time I go to buy it or check it out, my boyfriend goes, "But I OWN that entire series!" Unfortunately, they're packed in a box in our basement somewhere, so until he gets off his duff and finds them, I won't be reading them, LOL.

Please feel free to stop by and check out my reviews of two other series:

Barnaby Grimes

Anna Dressed in Blood

Waiting On Wednesday

Hosted by Breaking the Spine! Click HERE to join in!
This Wednesday I am waiting on...

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce


The cover I'm showing is actually the cover of the first book in the series, Terrier... because as far as I can find, Mastiff doesn't have cover art yet!
Beka Cooper is one of my all time favorite YA heroines! She is an amazingly strong, likable character and would be a wonderful role model for any young girl.
Not to mention that the supporting cast is AWESOME.

If you've never heard of these books, if you've never picked them up... DO IT NOW.

Also, stop by Tamora Pierce's website and check out what she's up to, what she reads, and what else she's done!!

http://www.tamorapierce.com/

Bitten by Books Kindle Giveaway! Also, Anya Bast KIndle Giveaway!

Bitten by Books is having an awesome giveaway... for a KINDLE!


Click the picture to go check it out!

And next... Anya Bast is also giving away a Kindle!!!

Click the picture below to be taken to the contest!