TGIF @ GReads

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TGIF is hosted by Ginger over at GReads

This Weeks Question


Friday, Sept. 30th - Banned Books: How do you feel about the censorship of the freedom to read? Do you think the education system needs to be more strict on what children are exposed to in books?

My take on this… Censorship is dumb on all sorts of levels. I’m all about parents looking out for their children’s well being, because there are some that don’t give a crap, but you cannot shelter your children from everything. Why would you want too?

When I was really young, I wouldn’t go near a book. Sure, I always saw my mom reading… she had shelves and shelves of books. I remember our weekly trips to the book store, where I usually stood around being bored. When I hit 5th grade, I started to get curious. My mom always had a book in her hands, so what was so good about reading… I wanted to know. One day my mother told me.. “April, you can read any books on my shelf… except… the V.C. Andrews ones. They  are a little to mature for you.” So I grabbed a book, read a little and couldn’t really get into it. One day that week, while my mom was still at work, I snuck a VC Andrews book into my room. Dawn, to be specific. That summer, I read every VC Andrews book on the shelf. What ones my mom didn’t have, I begged my grandmother to lend me. Since then, I have been an avid reader. Maybe my mom didn’t think I was mature enough for it, but I was and it sparked a love in me I never thought possible. And that's an adult book... much more mature then some of the YA books getting banned out there.

Schools and parents, they can ban books all they want but it’s not going to do jack shit. It’s like saying.. “johny, don’t you ever let me catch you smoking.” But he’s out back with his friends puffing up, just like I was in my room, under the covers reading a book with “SEX” in it.  Kids are going to do what they want to do. They are going to learn things you don’t want them to learn. I don’t know about the rest of society out there, but I would rather my daughter was reading about inappropriate stuff, then out doing it behind my back.

So no, I don’t think the schools need to be more strict on what children are exposed to in books. I think they should concentrate more on what’s going on in their hallways. I think parents should be more interactive with their children. These people trying to get books banned, all the effort and time that takes? I just don’t get it.. that time could be spent sitting on the sofa explaining these things to your child. *shakes head* I could go on and on forever.. lol

Oh, and my mother knew I was reading those books.  I didn’t hide them very well, and she never said a word. I think she forbade me from reading them on purpose, reverse psychology. Well, it worked, and it’s still working.

Okay, I'm done blabbing now. :)

Tune In Tuesday (1)

A weekly feature hosted by me that showcases music - my other passion in life besides books! Each week I will post a new or old song in hopes to gain more interest. Help me in spreading the love of music!

Feel free to get involved with this feature by linking up at the bottom of this post, thanks!

I have never done one of these posts, but I have been meaning to. I love music. I dont think I could live without it. :)

So for my first post! One of my fav bands.. I have tons of favs, but I really love these guys. Trust Company.. This is  " Heart in my Hands" off their latest Album Dreaming in Black and White. I have actually been toying around with making them a Sims music video.. maybe when I get caught up on the trailers I'm working on. :) So if you like this song, check out some of their other stuff and buy them! :) Official Facebook Page. :)

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi {Review} + Full Length Sims Trailer ! :)

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting asThe Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel

This is an extremely hard review to write, because I seriously have no words. That is just how great it was. I was lucky to be a part of an arc tour for this, thank you so much Tara. I have heard so many good things about Shatter Me through other bloggers, so I was anxious to get my hands on it.

I honestly don’t know what I expected when starting. A lot of times when a book is played up as much as this one, it doesn’t live up to its reputation. This is definitely not the case here. I was captured from the first few sentences.

Mafi’s writing is so beautiful. I felt like I was reading a piece of art. Every word is filled with so much passion.  The character development was done perfectly. I felt so connected to Juliette.

Shatter Me is fast moving, exciting, and down right sexy.  The ending will leave you begging for more, but not in the WTF cliff hanger type of way. I was very satisfied, and I cannot wait to read more! Marking this one as one of my favorite reads for this year, hands down.  I highly recommend it.

Now here is my Sims Trailer, I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.

  

[ REVIEW ] Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton

 

Goodreads Description
It starts off simply. Draw a circle ... place a dead leaf in the center ... sprinkle some salt ... recite a little Latin ... add a drop of blood ...

Maybe that last part isn't exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents' horrific deaths. She's willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.

The book isn't the only recent arrival in Silla's life. There's Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She's not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick's first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can't deny their attraction. And they can't ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.

Tessa Gratton's intoxicating first novel will keep pulses racing, minds reeling, and pages turning right up to the very last drop of blood.

Where to even start with this book, I just don’t know… there are so many elements to Blood Magic that I just adored. It’s told mainly from two different points of views. Silla and Nick…

I really liked Silla. The best way to describe her would be beautifully broken.. Her pain was so raw, it bled through the pages. Nick, he was a great supporting male role. I loved them together. Their love had a bit of an old ancient connection feel to it.. Like they were meant to be with each other but not in that love at first sight sappy way.  If that makes any sense, if not, it will when you read it.

This whole story was so original. It sucked me in from the very first pages. I loved how the back story was told throughout the book through journal entries. I was so excited every time I saw those Italicized letters… that meant I was going to find out more of the history.

Blood Magic has this great creepy feel to it. A few chapters in, and I was ready to drag out my orange rope lights and ceramic pumpkin knick naks. I was able to restrain myself, only because it was August when I started reading it. lol The idea of using blood to do magic... Brilliant. And the end.. wow.. I didn’t see that little twist.

Basically, I loved this book to death.. I can ramble on and on about how awesome it is.. but I would rather you close my blog and read Blood Magic instead. So get going!

As a last note, Stay tuned in October… I have something special involving Blood Magic to celebrate one of my favorite holidays.

Teaser Trailer Tuesday - Lola and the Boy Next Door

Hey everyone! This weeks teaser is Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. Now, I haven't even read Anna and the French Kiss yet.. but I will be buying this companion.. Just for the praise I have heard already so far.. I'm a sucker for a great romance.. I'm must mushy that way.. And since today is my 8 year wedding Anniversary, I wanted to do one that was sweet and lovable. :) I will post the video below the description.. Enjoy!

Goodreads Description

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

IMM # 3

 

IN MY MAILBOX is hosted by The storysiren.

This week I got a ton of stuff, because of all the huge borders sales going on.

I will list them because my vlog is super long.. sorry. My little princess helped me out with this one.

From Borders..

A Need so Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Surviving Serendipity by Jacquelyn Sylvan

White Cat by Holly Black

Red Glove by Holly Black

All you Desire by Kirsten Miller – While typing this I realize I might

have called her Kristen Miller in the

vlog. Sorry, I'm a winner

From Amazon, preorder...

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

From Andrea over at The Bookish Babes to borrow. Thank

you so so much!                                                     Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent

Ember by Carol Oates

Teaser Trailer Tuesday ( Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay )

Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't have a teaser for you last week. We went to the shore for a few days. This weeks is Juliet Immortal. I know that it's already out in stores, I'm a little late on doing this.. I saw the cover a while back and the book sounds super interesting.. so I figured I would feature it one week. :)

Anyway, enjoy. I really like how this trailer came out. Hope you all do too! I put it under the description. :)

 

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION

"These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume."—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott (REVIEW AND TEASER TRAILER)

 

Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.

Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.

She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she’d never seen.

Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could...

First off, I normally would not pick up this kind of book off the shelf to buy.. Nothing against contemporary, it's just not my favorite. I'm more into the paranormal or end of the world stuff right now. I thought this sounded interesting though, so I entered a contest on the Authors blog to win it.

Luckily I did win it.. I'm so glad I did. It really was a great book. I figured out the secret pretty early on.. but that didn't ruin the story at all. I enjoyed the main character Abby. She had a very spunky personality, and I couldn't help but fall in love with her.

I don't to say to much, and give anything away. It's not a very long book, it was a quick read. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. I started reading it on lunch at work one Friday, then accidentally forgot it when I went home that night. I couldn't stop thinking about it all weekend.

Between Here and Forever has taught me to step out of the box a little bit.. and I will definitely be picking up more similar books and probably some more of Elizabeth Scotts.

I really liked this book, so I decided to throw together a quick little teaser trailer for it! Enjoy!