Showing posts with label Carey Corp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carey Corp. Show all posts

Sunday, December 23, 2018

The Backlist Reader Challenge 2019

The Backlist Reader Challenge 2019
January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019
hosted by The Bookwrym’s Hoard
Details | Review links | #BacklistReader


The Backlist Reader Challenge encourages you to read all those older books that have been piling up on your TBR pile or list—not just the books you already own, but also the books you’ve wanted to read for a long time but haven’t gotten around to yet.

This is the perfect challenge to really get into my ever growing tbr list.

I plan to pick out books from my bookshelves based on my mood.


Reading list:

Calypso
by David Sedaris
translated by Jonathan Lloyd-Davies
-Essays, Humor
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

The Jane Austen Project
by Kathleen A. Flynn
-SciFi, Historical, Jane Austen-related
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4

Six Four
by Hideo Yokoyama
translated by Jonathan Lloyd-Davies
-Mystery, Thriller, Japan
Goodreads | my review | my rating: 4

3/28/19 - discontinued challenge

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Dewey's Readathon: October 2015

Dewey's 24 hour Readathon
October 17, 2015 (details)

Pre-Dewey post with reading list (here)
Dewey post pt 2: Hours 13-24 and Wrap-Up (here)

HOUR 1: 5am PDT (start time)
Got up 5 minutes before the alarm and read in bed for about 20 minutes. Then finished up a solo game of Words with Friends that I started last night.

HOUR 2: 6am

Made breakfast and went to check out the Dewey site.

Read some history about Dewey (The Hidden Side of the Leaf – Dewey’s archived blog).

INTRO SURVEY says:

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? --> California
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? --> Illuminae
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? --> chips
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! --> Recently became an empty nest-er, as my daughter went off to college last month. So, immersing myself in books and movies these days.
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? --> I participated back in 2009 and found that I really like the interaction bit with the read-a-thon. So, I will not push to hard on getting a high reading page count.

Started reading...

Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Amazon | Goodreads

Mini Challenge: Cover Escape! (here)

Doon (book 1) by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
Amazon | Goodreads

HOUR 3: 7am
Updated blog. Checked email. Worked on mini-challenges. Read.

Mini Challenge: Diversity Shelfie (here)

The Red Sheet by Mia Kerick
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
=====> Loved the superhero theme used to drive the main character throughout this coming of age (closet) story.

HOUR 4: 8am
Caught up on mini-challenges. Read.

Mini Challenge: Kids Challenge (here)

Little Miss Austen: Pride & Prejudice by Jennifer Adams
Amazon | Goodreads
Little Miss Austen: Sense & Sensibility by Jennifer Adams
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> Never too early to introduce the amazing Jane Austen!

HOUR 5: 9am
Visit fellow read-a-thon-ers. Read.

Mini Challenge: Goodreads Road Trip (here)

=====> My postcard entry:
Hey Sweetie,
I am currently on a wild truck ride with Kady and Ezra (of Illuminae). They just broke up so tensions are strained and it feels awkward. But, I am having a great time getting to know these two and look forward to where they take me in the next 24 hours. I might be going into outer space.
See you soon.
--vvb

HOUR 6: 10am
Went to the gym and read while cycling. Picked up a sandwich, chips, slice of cheesecake and small mocha at the deli.

Mini Challenge: Power of Love (here)

Describe how a book (or books) have made you fall in love with them.

Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger series) by V.C. Andrews
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
=====> This is the ONE that hooked me to reading. It was a book I found in the library in the adult section of the library. At the time I was a tween. What got me first was the super cool keyhole cover on the paperback version. And then, the story about the forbidden.

Funny thing to note: my blog started because of a V.C. Andrews reading challenge post I came across.

Mini-Challenge: Top 10 list of something that has to do with the read-a-thon (here)

1. READ
2. Change reading seat location
3. Do mini challenges
4. Visit fellow read-a-thon-ers
5. Eat and drink favorites
6. Take a short walk outside
7. Watch/listen to a couple of the Dewey youtube videos shared
8. Take a quick nap
9. Take a shower or freshen up
10. Continue to READ

HOUR 7: 11am
Back home and lunching while catching up on reading fellow read-a-thon-er posts. And then, back to reading.

Mini Challenge: Halloween Prepartion (here)

Night Film
by Marisha Pessl
-Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Amazon | Goodreads
=====> I plan to crack this one open this Halloween season. Been wanting to read it since last year.

HOUR 8: 12pm
Worked on tweaking this post.
Still reading Illuminae and loving it.

Mini Challenge: Armchair Traveling (here)

I would like to travel to Paris of this book and definitely visit book and chocolate shops.
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
Amazon | Goodreads

HOUR 9: 1pm
Seems like the time is flying by.
Working on more mini-challenges and then back to reading.

Mini Challenge: Book Scavenger Hunt List (here)

from: Illuminae by Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
1. Something hard - Battlecarrier Alexander - 78V
2. Something fast - Kady Grant and her mad survival skills
3. Something sweet - Ezra Mason and his soft spot for Kady
4. Something high - Hypatia -a long range scientific exploration vessel, ideally suited for deep space recon/assessment
5. Something funny - verbal exchanges between Ezra and Sgt. J. McNulty

HOUR 10: 2pm
Spent the hour on the couch reading Illuminae. Almost halfway through the book out of 600 pages - a chunkster. Couple cat naps snuck in.

I should mention the morning was cold with spitting rain now and then. Now, the sun is shining and the sky is a beautiful blue.

Mini Challenge: Classics and Comics (here)

In Search of Lost Time: Swann's Way: A Graphic Novel by Marcel Proust
Amazon | Goodreads
=====>Would like to read this as an introduction to Proust works.

HOUR 11: 3pm
Changed the reading venue to a local cafe. People and background music help keep the eyes from drooping. And, got a Pumpkin Spice Latte inspired by the hour's mini challenge.

Mini Challenge: Pumpkin Spice or Naw (here)

Thumbs up for a Pumpkin Spice Latte with book ;-)

HOUR 12: 4pm -half way mark! woo hoo!

Mid-Event Survey: (here)

1. What are you reading right now? --> Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (past the half-way point)
2. How many books have you read so far? --> working on one chunkster
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon? --> A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
4. Have you had many interruptions? --> just one phone call which was a quickie
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? --> how fast time flies when doing mini challenges along with reading

~*~

* created a part 2 Dewey post (here) - for Hours 13-24 and Wrap-Up

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I'd Love to Read With My Book Club/If I Had A Book Club

Top Ten Tuesday
meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish -details

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

~*~

January 27: Ten Books I'd Love to Read With My Book Club/If I Had A Book Club (or you could pick a specific kind of book club -- like if you had a YA book club or an adult book club or a science fiction book club etc.)

For my fantasy vvb32 reads book club here are my picks for the year - most of which are in my TBR pile.

Come to think of it, I think I will go ahead and make this official. I will post review links here as posts go up.


JANUARY: for Celebrity Read a Book Week (last full week of January)

and Ewan McGregor is reading...

Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales (Peter Rabbit)
by Beatrix Potter
Amazon | Goodreads

=====> I will pick out at least two stories from the collection as January is already booked.

FEBRUARY:
The Secret of Pembrooke Park
by Julie Klassen
-Christian, Historical, Jane Austen theme
Just released: December 2014
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

=====> part of a book tour

MARCH:
Razorhurst
by Justine Larbalestier
-Paranormal, YA
Release date: March 3, 2015
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

APRIL: for National Poetry Month
Brown Girl Dreaming
by Jacqueline Woodson
-Poetry, Memoir
Amazon | Goodreads | dnf

MAY: for Zombies Awareness Month
Outpost
Razorland #2
by Ann Aguirre
Amazon | Goodreads

JUNE: for Dirty Book Day (June 11)
Fear of Flying
by Erica Jong
Amazon | Goodreads

=====> NPR picked this as a dirty book last year and I'm curious why

JULY: summer/road trip theme
Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
by Morgan Matson
-YA
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

AUGUST:
Ruin and Rising
The Grisha #3
by Leigh Bardugo
-Fantasy, YA
Release date: August 18, 2015
Amazon | Goodreads

SEPTEMBER:
Shades of Doon
Doon #3
by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
-Fantasy, YA
Release date: September 1, 2015
Amazon | Goodreads

OCTOBER:
Night Film
by Marisha Pessl
-Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Amazon | Goodreads

NOVEMBER:
A Fairy Tale
by Jonas T. Bengtsson
-Coming of Age, Scandinavian
Amazon | Goodreads

DECEMBER: for Jane Austen's Birthday
Persuasion
by Jane Austen
edited by Robert Morrison
-annotated
Amazon | Goodreads | my review

~*~

* source for themes found here

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - 11.1.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

Bought:

Etiquette & Espionage
(Finishing School book 1)
by Gail Carrier
Amazon | Goodreads

-----> for Finishing School Read Along

What I Know For Sure
by Oprah Winfrey
-inspirational, memoir
Amazon | Goodreads

-----> for some positive inspiration and feel good moments

Station Eleven
by Emily St. John Mandel
-dystopia
Amazon | Goodreads

-----> the hype and good reviews for this made this irresistible

Doon
by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
-fantasy, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

-----> after reading book 2, i just HAD to read this one too ;-)

For Review:

Lies We Tell Ourselves
by Robin Talley
-LGBTQ, YA
courtesy of Media Masters Publicity
Thanks Casey!
Amazon | Goodreads

Hunting in Bruges
(Hunters' Guild #1)
by E.J. Stevens
-paranormal, urban fantasy
courtesy of author
Thanks E.J.!
Amazon | Goodreads

Hit
by Lorie Ann Grover
-YA
courtesy of BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge 2014
Thanks Janay!
Amazon | Goodreads

Library:

Shadow of Night
(All Souls Trilogy #2)
by Deborah Harkness
-demons, vampires, witches
Amazon | Goodreads

Book of Life
(All Souls Trilogy #3)
by Deborah Harkness
-demons, vampires, witches
Amazon | Goodreads

-----> HAD to pick up the rest of this trilogy after experiencing A Discovery of Witches which I really loved, listening to the audio versions

Dreaming about getting soon:

Neil Patrick Harris:
Choose Your Own Autobiography

by Neil Patrick Harris
Amazon | Goodreads

Tired of memoirs that only tell you what really happened?

Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u” back in “aUtobiography”? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based-life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. You will be born to New Mexico. You will get your big break at an acting camp. You will get into a bizarre confrontation outside a nightclub with actor Scott Caan. Even better, at each critical juncture of your life you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John’s yacht.

Choose correctly and you’ll find fame, fortune, and true love. Choose incorrectly and you’ll find misery, heartbreak, and a hideous death by piranhas. All this, plus magic tricks, cocktail recipes, embarrassing pictures from your time as a child actor, and even a closing song. Yes, if you buy one book this year, congratulations on being above the American average, and make that book Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography!


-----> really curious to read this format for an autobiography AND really fell for NHP's character, Barney in How I Met Your Mother tv series

OTHER things on my shelf: kinda book-related

Started listening to another book podcast...


I got turned on to this U.K. duo, Adventure With Words, after listening their Gone Girl episode where Simon from The Readers is a guest.

~*~

* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Monday, October 6, 2014

Destined for Doon by Laurie Langdon and Carey Corp


~*~

Destined for Doon
by Laurie Langdon and Carey Corp

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Facebook
Website
Pinterest
Tumblr
YouTube

Just released: September 2, 2014
Publisher: Blink
Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Romance, YA
Hardback: 352 pages
Rating: 5

Doon series:
Doon
Destined for Doon
Book 3 - 2015
Book 4 - 2016

In this sequel to Doon, Mackenna Reid realizes she made a horrible mistake in choosing to follow her dreams of Broadway instead of staying in the enchanted land of Doon. To make everything worse, she's received her Calling—proof she and Duncan are each other's one true love—and it's pure torment, especially when visions of the very alluring Scottish prince appear right before she goes on stage.

So when Duncan tells her an ancient curse threatens to overtake Doon and the new queen and Kenna’s best friend, Veronica, needs her to return, Kenna doesn't have to think twice. With darkness closing in on all sides, Kenna and Vee must battle a world of nightmares in order to protect the kingdom. But it will take the ultimate test of courage for Kenna to salvage her happily ever after.


Zombie sighting:
Zombies! I'd had an irrational fear of them since Vee and I snuck into an r-rated movie when we were twelve — at my insistence, of course.
-chapter 2, page 29


My two-bits:

Wonderful blend of adventure and romance with a fairy tale like vibe.

I am reading backwards. I have not read book one and now have it on my tbr pile as I really enjoyed falling into this world and want to know more.

I was taken at the start with the character, Duncan and his swoon-inducing Scottish accent.

side note: I have become biased after reading Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series (waaaay back when). I fell in love with Scotland (have yet to visit there) and things related.

Being the second in the series, the story goes into what happens after the happily ever after comes about - as one of the characters from book one is now a Queen and has nabbed her Prince Charming.

What made this story fun to read was that there were two spunky female protagonists to follow along. Both with equally interesting personalities, love interests and story lines.

Loved the banter between both sets of couples and found myself chuckling here and there throughout the read.

About the authors:

Carey Corp lives in the metropolitan Midwest with her loveable yet out-of-control family. Carey wrote her first book at the age of seven, and currently begins each morning consuming copious amounts of coffee while weaving stories that capture her exhaustive imagination.

She harbors a voracious passion (in no consistent order) for mohawks, Italy, musical theater, chocolate, and Jane Austen.

Carey’s debut novel for teens, The Halo Chronicles: The Guardian, earned her national recognition as 2010 Golden Heart finalist for best young adult fiction and was recently featured at the 2012 RT Booklovers Convention in Chicago in YA Alley.
Facebook | Twitter @careycorp | Website | Goodreads

Lorie Langdon has over ten years of experience writing online and print advertising for a Fortune 500 company, and left her thriving corporate career to satisfy the voices in her head.

Now as a full-time author and stay-at-home mom, she spends her summers editing poolside while dodging automatic water-gun fire, and the rest of the year tucked into her cozy office, Havanese puppy by her side, working to translate her effusive imagination into the written word and continue to build the young-adult-focused blog, Honestly YA.
Facebook | Twitter @LorieLangdon | Website | Goodreads

~*~

* review copy courtesy of Fall Reading Challenge 2014. @booksparks #FRC2014


Saturday, September 20, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - 9.20.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

Bought:

Frozen
by Meljean Brook
-paranormal, romance
Amazon | Goodreads

Dead Over Heels
by Alison Kemper
-zombies, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

FREE kindle version:

The Curious Case Of The Clockwork Menace
(London Steampunk) novella
by Bec McMaster
-romance, steampunk
thanks for the heads up: Sophia Rose of Delighted Reader
(see her review here)
Amazon | Goodreads

Raker
by Christopher A. Gray
-sci-fi, robots
thanks for the heads up: Laura of fuonlyknew
Amazon | Goodreads

For Review:

Destined for Doon
by Carey Corp
-fantasy, YA
courtesy of BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge 2014
Thanks Janay!
Amazon | Goodreads

Library:

Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life:
Because You Can't Go Naked
by George Brescia
-fashion, how-to
Amazon | Goodreads

Open the door to harmonious, powerful, and positive dressing with a guide that’s like The Secret—for your wardrobe. In this groundbreaking how-to book, style expert George Brescia shows you how to transform yourself from the inside out.

More than a style guide, this revolutionary book by a seasoned stylist teaches a method of conscious dressing that begins with a powerful internal change. Instead of just grabbing for whatever’s on hand, you’ll learn to set your goals for the day, determining how you want to be perceived, and then dress in a way that helps manifest those intentions. Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life reveals the true power your clothing has to affect your life, showing how this second skin impacts your job prospects, your romantic life, your income, and even your deepest sense of self. Translating his styling methods into a philosophy anyone can apply on her own, Brescia also delivers tips and tricks of the trade to help convert even the most hapless dresser into a happy and educated shopper. Because the goal is to have you not only looking great, but feeling more confident, too. From major closet overhauls to a whole new philosophy on color, this is a comprehensive manual for anyone who’s ever looked at her closet in despair.

Accessible, direct, honest, and thought-provoking, Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life takes an eye-opening look at the intersection between our clothing and our emotions, hopes, and dreams, showing us how improving our external appearance can have life-changing effects on how we’re perceived by others—and more importantly, on how we perceive ourselves.


-----> wanting to add more style and fashion to my life

Dreaming about getting soon:

The Jewel
by Amy Ewing
-dystopia, romance
Amazon | Goodreads

The Selection meets The Handmaid's Tale in this darkly riveting debut filled with twists and turns, where all that glitters may not be gold.

The Jewel means wealth, the Jewel means beauty—but for Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Born and raised in the Marsh, Violet finds herself living in the Jewel as a servant at the estate of the Duchess of the Lake. Addressed only by her number—#197—Violet is quickly thrown into the royal way of life. But behind its opulent and glittering facade, the Jewel hides its cruel and brutal truth, filled with violence, manipulation, and death.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her life . . . all while trying to stay alive. But before she can accept her fate, Violet meets a handsome boy who is also under the Duchess's control, and a forbidden love erupts. But their illicit affair has consequences, which will cost them both more than they bargained for. And toeing the line between being calculating and rebellious, Violet must decide what, and who, she is willing to risk for her own freedom.


-----> can't resist the cover every time i see it

~*~

* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

 
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