Book BFF Melissa: Search results for which character are you

Quiz: Which Literary Character Are You?

Are you the:

My favorite part of magazines like Cosmo are those silly little quizzes that test What Kind of Girlfriend Are You? and things like that. So I decided it would be fun to make up a bookish one for ya'll. I give mad props to the person who's job it is to create quizzes like these. It's actually not easy!

Also, this is just for funsies so enjoy!

1. You find an old beat up treasure map in your basement under a stack of dusty books. You...

a. smile. You're the one who hid it there in the first place.

b. put it in your pocket and decide to show it to your best friend later.

c. figure out where it begins and come up with a plan to start a search.

d. leave it where it is and keep looking for your weights so you can work on your six pack.

2. It's down pouring outside on a spring day you…

a. laugh at your nemesis who just fell in a puddle and insult them in front of the whole school.

b. take out the umbrella you were carrying just incase and share it with your best friend.

c. take cover in the nearest café where you meet a cute guy.

d. conveniently bump into your crush and start making out in the rain.

3. It's your birthday you celebrate by...

a. opening all the presents your minions…I mean friends…bought you.

b. going out to dinner with your family and best friend.

c. enjoying the surprise party that your best friend threw for you and make out with your crush who brings you the ultimate present.

d. dancing at a club/party with a cute new guy/girl that is fun to flirt with. Happy Birthday to you! ;)

4. A criminal is holding someone you care about hostage. You…

a. bargain with the criminal. You've got lots of tricks up your sleeve.

b. do nothing…you're the one being held hostage.

c. volunteer as tribute.

d. form a plan to save said love person and then declare your love to them that has been building up for months.

5. The popular girl in school just insulted you. You…

a. that wouldn't happen because you're the most popular girl in the whole school.

b. start to tear up and turn away so they don't see you cry as your best friend punches that biz notch in the face.

c. say something snarky back that makes her blush and leave you alone.

d. tell her you're sorry you dumped her, but you're interested in someone else now and she has to get over it.

Now for the fun part...

12:00 AM
8 Comments

Dewey's 24 hr Readathon Goals and Updates

readathon

The last time I stayed up 24 hrs was probably Relay For Life a few years ago. And by hr 24 I was not a fun person to be around. So I haven't decided if I want to do the full readathon. But what matters is that I'm taking part in the Dewey Readathon at all! I knew I'd need lots of caffeine and snacks to keep me awake so I made a video to show everyone what I plan to read and eat today! __________________________________________________ Updates: 2pm: halfway through Asylum by Madeleine Roux and it's pretty good so far. It's Pretty Little Liars meets Shutter Island. That's the only way I can describe it.
7pm: Finished Asylum! It was really fast paced and confusing but so good! I'm gonna start Goodbye Rebel Blue now.
Mini Challenges: 1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today? NJ (USA)
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to? Girl of Fire and Thorns!
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? Muddy Buddy Mix!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! This is the first year I'll be participating in NaNoWriMo!
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? It's my first Dewey's Readathon. I'm most excited to talk with other bloggers. I love events like these because they bring us all together. And of course the snack...who doesn't love readathon snacks?
Favorite Book Trailer: I haven't read this one yet, but I really want to after seeing this:

Out of all the books I've read so far in 2013

11:06 PM
10 Comments

Armchair BEA 2013 Introduction

Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

Hey fellow book nerds! Nice to meet you. My name is Melissa. I'm a 23 year old blogger and I may or may not have an addiction to books. When I'm not reading you can most likely find me baking some new recipe I found on Pinterest or dancing. Sometimes I multitask and do both at the same time...which then leads to my other favorite thing...cleaning!

I started blogging after I graduated college. I had all this free time to read finally, but no one to discuss books with. My dad randomly suggested I try blogging one day and use my reading buddy, Harley Bear, as a mascot. Now I've been actively blogging for a little over a year and it has been an amazing journey.

Where in the world are you blogging from? Tell a random fact or something special about your current location. Feel free to share pictures.

I'm from NJ. Which is why it's killing me that I can't make it to BEA this year since it's only a short ride away. But I plan on going to ALA and BEA next year. Anyone else live in the area? I haven't met any bloggers yet in real life. I have been to Books of Wonder once for a signing though so if you go there let me know because I plan on going back for future events.

Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA? What brought you back for another year? If you have not previously participated, what drew you to the event?

Last year I participated, but didn't take full advantage of it. I'm excited to join in the twitter parties and Instagram thing. I decided to come back this year because I want to meet more bloggers! I met a few last week during Bout of Books and now we talk daily so I think events like these are awesome for connecting with more readers.

Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?

Flow charts and quizzes are my favorite. Whenever I'm reading a magazine I always go for the fun pages first. So I started making them for my blog randomly. Here's a chart to help you decide What Should You Read Next and a quiz to see Which Literary Character Are You?

If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?

I would go on a date...yes a date...with Daemon Black from the Lux Series. If you've read it you know exactly what I'm talking about. If you haven't read it you really need to go do so right now! He's hilariously witty, easy on the eyes, and he loves cookies. What more could you want?

Yum!

Now I want to hear about you! Do we have anything in common?
Leave a link to your intro post and I'll be sure to stop by.

I'll also be on twitter a lot this week @HarleyBearBooks and
if you're doing the instagram thing you can find my photos here.

12:00 AM
61 Comments

Harry Potter Read Along April 1-Nov 25th

Harry Potter

Week 1 Answers
Week 2 Answers
Week 3 Answers
Week 4 Answers
Week 6 Answers
Week 7 Answers

Week 1 Answers

1. At the beginning of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Dumbledore makes the decision to leave Harry in the care of his aunt and uncle. We see the results of that decision when Ron and Harry have a run in with Draco on the Hogwart’s Express. Do you agree with Dumbledore’s decision or do you feel Harry should have been brought up among his own people?

I think he was better off growing up at his Uncle's. Yes, he was bullied and unloved, but he was humble and kind. Two things he would not have been if he grew up in a world where he was famous. He probably wouldn't have made friends with Ron and Hermione and then his whole life would be different.

2. Hagrid comes to rescue Harry from the Dursley’s in a shack on a rock. If you were Harry would you have left with Hagrid?

I was thinking about this. The first time I read this back when I was ten, I didn't see anything wrong with leaving with Hagrid. Hell, if he had shown up at my house and offered me a ride to Hogwarts I would have accepted. But now at 23 I was like wait...he just leaves with a strange giant? I guess anything is more appealing than living with the Dursleys.

3. Harry has a lot of info to digest all at once. He finds out he’s a wizard, there’s a whole magical community, his parents were in fact murdered, and the same wizard you killed his parents attempted to kill him as well. How would you have reacted to all of this?

I don't think I would have taken it as well as he did. I probably would have cried a lot finding out that my parents were murdered. And I probably would have been a lot more worried that this scary wizard would find me.

4. Hogwarts students are allowed an owl, a cat, or a toad. What animal would you choose and why?

I hate cats because they hate me. Toads are slimy. I'd have a pretty owl. Plus they can deliver mail!

5. For the first time in his life, Harry has money and the chance to spend it however he wants. What would you have purchased at Diagon Alley?

I'd buy a wand probably. When you think of witch or wizard you think magic wand!

Week 2 Answers

1. When first years reach Hogwarts they are separated into school houses; Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Which house would you be in?

I wish I'd be in Gryffindor because I love all the characters in that house. And while I do have bravery when something bad is happening, I also have self preservation and avoid dangerous situations all together. In reality, I'd probably be a Ravenclaw because I like to learn and read and be around people who enjoy that too.

2. Were you surprised that bumbling, sweet Neville Longbottom was sorted into Gryffindor and not Hufflepuff?

Well, I already knew he would be, but I think the first time I read this I was confused how he got in there. But then again I was confused why Hermione wasn't in Ravenclaw too.

3. Harry receives the invisibility cloak from a mysterious source on Christmas day. What would you do if you had an invisibility cloak?

I'd probably sneak into the other common rooms to see what they're like or explore the castle in general. It would be nice to have one of those when you just feel like being left alone. Cozy up with a nice book under the cloak so no one will bother you for a few hours.

4. The Sorcerer’s Stone can keep you immortal. Would you chose immortality? Why or why not?

I honestly don't know. The 80-100 years that we all expect to live is already a long time. Not sure I could handle immortality if my loved ones would die and I'd be left to live this crazy world alone. But it's interesting for Harry because he is pretty much a lone still. Yes, he's made friends, but they're bonds are still really new. I wonder if he had been offered the stone in the beginning of the book if he'd take it versus after he met Ron and Hermione.

5. Snape is playing a prevalent role as the baddie teacher. Who was your worse teacher and why?

My Algebra 2 math teacher in High School. I suck at math. Like so bad that I can hardly do simple math in my head. I was getting a C or D in this class (which it was my first C ever) and my teacher pulled me aside one day and was like "You should just give up and drop the class". He didn't offer extra help or anything. I basically was like "F U" (but in nicer terms) because when someone tells me I can't do something then I find every way possible to do it. I went in for extra help and somehow raised my grade to a B, but to this day I still can't believe that old man told me to just give up. He was dead serious too. He fought me when I told him I didn't want to quit the class. He was also about 70 years old and droned on during class making it that much harder to pay attention or want to learn. Anyways, he was the worst teacher I ever had.

Week 3 Answers
1. We find out that Professor Snape is going to referee the next Quidditch match. Thoughts?
I couldn't remember what happened because this isn't in the movie so I was kind of nervous for Harry. I wish I could forget everything that I know from future books lol.

2. Harry, Hermione, Malfoy, and Neville are serving out their detentions in the Forbidden Forest. they have a run in with the centaurs. Were Rowling’s centaurs what you expected?
No, I had never read about centaurs before so I remember being confused as a kid. But then I read The Chronicals of Narnia and I was like ooohh they're a real thing. I thought JK had made them up.

3. Quirrell? Huh. Didn’t see that one coming. What are your thoughts on this?
Always gotta watch out for the quiet ones! I always wondered why he wore a turban, but it all makes sense at the end. He doesn't really have a big role in the book. You'd think he'd be in it more, but I guess she didn't want people to suspect anything.

4. I was all about hating on Snape. How do you feel now that he’s been revealed as the not bad guy?
Snape is such a complex character and JK did an awesome job creating a likeable villain. I hated him too at first and was surprised to find out he didn't curse the broomstick.

5. What are your overall thoughts of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone?
I forgot how much I loved this book. I think a lot happened in such a small book. This is probably one of the few books in third person that I love. But I think JK did a great job of using third person to let the reader explore and connect with other characters. Such a great story!

Week 4 Answers
1. It appears that the Dursleys have hit an all time low after the nightmare dinner. What do you think of Dobby and his actions?
Dobby was kind of annoying. I would have been so mad if I was Harry that he was making all that noise and then got Harry in trouble.

2. We finally get to spend a little bit more time with the Weasleys. Do you have a family like the Weasleys? If not, do you want a family like the Weasleys or are you more of an independent soul?
I love the Weasleys! I only have one older sister and brother, but wonder what it would have been like to have a bigger family growing up. I love that Mrs. Weasley is a really strong woman and Mr. Weasley is really caring.

3. Harry accidentally ends up in Knockturn Alley instead of Diagon Alley. Were there any items described in Borgin and Burkes that peeked your interest?
I loved the foreshadowing for the series in this part. Some of the things that Harry mentioned in the shop come up later. I thought the hand was an interesting thing. Only the person holding it can see light or something. That could come in handy! Pun Intended.

4. If you were Harry or Ron and could not get through the barrier would you have taken the car or waited for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley (as was ever so politely suggested later)?
I would have waited. I would have been scared the car would run out of gas. Also, what if Ron's parents came back and the car was gone. They'd think either it was stolen.

5. What do you think of Gilderoy Lockhart? What Muggle celebrity would you compare him to?
Gilderoy is annoying. I love this question. I think he'd be Scott from Keeping up with the Kardashians. Courtney's baby daddy. They have the exact personality and similar hair!

Week 6 Answers
1. Harry finds the secret of Tom Riddle’s diary and discovers that Hagrid had a secret pet (read monster). Did you believe Tom? Did you think Hagrid could have brought something that dangerous into Hogwarts?
Since I already knew the ending I wasn't surprised, but I never suspected Hagrid of being a bad guy. He's just a big teddy bear.

2. Hermione has been petrified. Did you ever lose faith in Ron and Harry’s ability to save her?
I love that JK did this to Hermione because she's the brains of the operation and it made Harry and Ron have to work at it to solve the mystery without her. It also showed that she taught them a thing or two. And yet, she still helped them get the last piece of the puzzle even though she was out of commission. I knew they'd save her because they're awesome.

3. We see that Lord Voldemort is starting to get more aggressive with his attempts to return to power in the second installment of the Harry Potter series. How surprised were you that his accomplice this time was none other than Ginny Weasley? (Granted it was an unwitting accomplice.)
I remember being so surprised the first time I read it when I was like 12. But now I so all the foreshowding! It's so clever. You'd never suspect little quiet Ginny Weasley to be attacking people...her friends.

4. Dobby is granted his freedom at long last. What did you think of Dobby when it was all said and done?
I'm surprised Harry was so gung-ho to set Dobby free after he almost killed him like ten times, but Harry is such a good person. I was glad Dobby was free because even though he was annoying as hell he didn't deserve the viciousness of Malfoy. I think in a way Harry can relate to Dobby because they are both treated terribly at home. In a way Harry is like the Dursley's house elf.

5. What are your overall thoughts of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets?
Well aside from Lockhart and Dobby being annoying I think I like this book better than the first. I just love that there was more of a mystery to this one and you have to put the pieces together along with the characters. And the character development is phenomenal already and it's only book two. Plus, now knowing how the series ends I'm enjoying seeing everything come together. JK must have planned out all the books in advance because each book really builds on each other and sets up the next book. Brilliant!

Week 7 Answers
1. Aunt Marge insists that there's something wrong with Harry's genes so there is no helping him. Do you believe in Nature or Nurture?
I think nurture has a lot to do with how people turn out. But I do think genetics plays a role in it as well. Like twins that are seperated at birth, but still have similar mannerisms and demeanors. I also would like to say I hate Aunt Marge!

2. Do you think that Arthur Weasley was right in his attempt to warn Harry about Sirius Black?
I have always been a firm believer that you shouldn't hold back important information from kids. I remember when my grandma was sick and I was about 10 I asked my older sister straight up "Is grandma dying?" and she explained what was going on when all the adults would lie to my face. I was more prepared for her death and it wasn't as hard to deal with. So when I have kids I'm going to make sure I don't hide things from them just because they are scary. Plus Harry is 13 at this point. He can handle it.

3. We get our first glimpse of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher R.J. Lupin. What are your thoughts so far?
I like Lupin. He comes off kind of mysterious, but the fact that he knew about the chocolate shows he actually knows what he's doing. Also, I'm pretty sure he was pretending to sleep on the train.

4. In their first Defenst Against the Dark Arts class the third years must take on a boggart. If you were faced with a boggart what would it turn into?
I'd be like Ron and see a spider probably. I hate them!! I'm totally one of those girls that screams and runs away when I see one.

5. Hagrid's first class went horribly wrong. Would you prefer to study some of the more exotic creatures (like hippogriffs) or stick to something safe like flobberworms?
Hippogriffs are pretty cool. I think I'd want to ride one, but only if it promised not to go too high lol.

9:31 PM
26 Comments

The Carrie Diaries Read Along Update #2

Contemporary

It's that time again...time to talk about chapters 6-10 of The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell! And don't forget to scroll down and enter the GIVEAWAY! If you missed it yesterday head over to Queen Ella Bee Reads and see what we thought of the first five chapters!

Queen Ella Bee: Confession time: I kind of read ahead.
Harley Bear: I should have then. I really wanted to.

QEB: I couldn't STOP myself.

HB: It's getting really good!

QEB: Right? PS: I'm totally beginning to see why they cut Lali from the show...She's awful.

HB: ya she really is lol I'm starting to really love Sebastian's character. He seems to really like her

QEB: So I see what you're saying but at the same time I'm like HEY CARRIE LOOK AT GEORGE. Because I totally agree with Carrie about being able to read a person based on their room and Sebastian's just screams "transient" and that's no good.

HB: How old is George though?

QEB: That's a good question. I want to say he's probably only a year older than her

HB: Oh ok. I thought he was a lot older for some reason, but I guess her dad wouldn't be so calm about her dating him if he was

QEB: HOW MUCH did you love that thing with the feminist writer?

HB: haha I was NOT expecting that at all!

QEB: it was amazing

HB: I liked hearing that part because it explains why she is the way she is now

QEB: It felt so very Carrie Bradshaw to me. I feel like a lot of the times I forget she's CARRIE but then there are these little moments when you're like: There's my girl.

HB: Was Maggie annoying to you too? She's just soooo dramatic.

QEB: UGH

Maggie

Magswitch.

How I want to hurt you.

I definitely don't love Maggie in the show but I really dislike her in the book. But then again, I like Walt less in the book too. Which is sad. I think the only characters I feel pretty much the same about in both is Carrie and The Mouse. Although The Mouse feels a little Mary Sue? Like, she's straight edge and smart but also able to adapt to sexytimes really well?

HB: haha ya

QEB: PS: Peter. Ugh. I feel like George is the only worthy boy in the book. Like, Carrie can still be Carrie around him And now become some ind of simpering lovesick girl like she kind of does with Sebastian.

I think in theory it's nice to melt into a puddle because of your feels for a boy but in reality it's kind of a very, very bad thing.

HB: ya it's more lust than love when that happens I think. I died laughing with the clown face scene. And I loved that she wasn't really embarrassed about it. She's a good role model for YA readers

or any age readers for that matter. Like don't let a guy make you feel silly for being yourself

QEB: She really is fearless when she's not trying to impress someone else. Slash a boy. Like, she couldn't care less what Peter thinks

HB: I wouldn't either. He's annoying haha

QEB: well I'm not totally sure why she doesn't like him. He doesn't seem SO TERRIBLE. He just seems like a typical boy. think a lot of the times when I read YA I forget that these boys in these books are 16-18 years old. They're all mostly thoughtless.

So like, I don't know why I think 17 year old Peter should be help to a higher standard.

HB: I never really thought about it like that. I'm 23 too so I tend to judge characters in YA harshly. I wonder if other people our age feel the same

QEB: Well, I try to remember how big of a mess I was at 17 when reading YA and all. Not for funsies. Most of the people I interacted with weren't the greatest people I've ever met But I can't stay I was on my A game either.

HB: That's true. I should really try to channel my inner teen when I read YA. I was a mess, but at the same time I was like Carrie where I didn't let peer pressure ever persuade me. That's why I love Carrie so far

QEB:So true. I feel like she's worth paying attention to both as an adult and a teen. Which is fairly impressive

QEB sums up chapters 6-10 perfectly: "So yeah. Love Carrie, love George, the rest can go." The characters are definitely more captivating than the plot so far, yet it is so fast paced we're left wanting to read past the 5 chapters a day. As we delve deeper into Carrie's past we're learning what experiences shaped her character today. I think it's safe to say so far we're loving it!

Did you read-along with us? How are you feeling about the characters so far...Which are your favorites?

GIVEAWAY RULES:

~ To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. DO NOT enter using the comments.
~ You must be 18 years or older or have a guardian's permission to enter.
~ The winners will be chosen randomly. Once chosen, the winners will be emailed. They will then have 48 HOURSto respond, otherwise another winner will be chosen.
~ This give away is open to all countries the Book Depository ships to. Make sure you qualify before entering!
~ I reserve the right to disqualify anyone who tries to cheat the system. I WILL be checking the winning entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

12:00 AM
0 Comments

{Review} Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

5 Stars

Title: Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Dutton

Publication date: December 2, 2010

How I got the copy: Bought

If I could I would give it ten stars

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris-until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be too, if anythings comes of her almost relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna-and readers-have long awaited?

- The second you finish it you'll want to reread it!

- All the main characters grow and change

- St. Claire is freakin hot! You'll fall in love.

I want to start off by thanking my twitter friend Tabitha (@tabbs55) for recommending I read this book next. It had been on my shelf forever collecting dust which is really a shame since it is probably my favorite contemp ever now.

I'll start with the characters. Anna is a pretty strong character, but she has a vulnerable side that makes her a typical teenage girl. She isn't afraid to be herself wearing batman pj's, loving old films, and bleaching a stripe of her hair. She also has a gap in her two front teeth which that and the bleached hair is not on the girl in the front cover. I wonder why they didn't do that.

Etienne St. Claire is probably the first boy in a YA book that has ever made me wish I was back in high school. Well, lets not get carried away, but I just mean it made me miss falling in love for the first time and the innocence of love at that age. You're not worrying about bills, or work, or could you see yourself marrying him soon, like most of my friends and I are thinking when we like someone. It's pure attraction and chemistry and nothing else matters in high school. St. Claire is just adorable. He's smart, funny, charming, and vulnerable because his dad is emotionally abusive. He's also not flawless which was nice to see in a book because I feel like YA kind of glorifies guys and they're not even close to perfect, especially at 18. St. Claire feels like he can't dump his current girlfriend for the longest time because he's scared of the unknown and it's comfortable to stay with Ellie. It made him feel more real. The other main characters Mer, Rashmi, Josh, Dave, and Amanda all change throughout the year too which was great to see. Sometimes only the main characters change and that's just not realistic.

11:37 AM
12 Comments

Guest Post & Giveaway: Susan Dennard

Blog Tour Stop

I'm so excited to welcome Susan Dennard, author of Something Strange and Deadly, to Harley Bear Book Blog! Thank you Susan for taking time out of your busy schedule to do a guest post!

On this blog tour stop, she will be telling us a little about the main characters in her book and what they wore. Something Strange and Deadly takes place in 1876 so fashion showed your social status and gender.

I wish I had seen this post before I read the book so I could picture the characters even more clearly. If you want to see what I thought about the book my review can be found here. Don't forget to scroll down and enter the GIVEAWAY!

One of the most fun things to research for Something Strange and Deadly was the fashion--at least for
Eleanor. Men's fashion in Victorian days was rather drab. Frock coats, top hats, and a nice tie--boooring.

Fortunately, my three main characters in men's garb are so different, they demand different styles. For Joseph
Boyer--leader of the Spirit-Hunters and son of a plantation owner--only the finest, most elegant clothes will do.

And, as a young gentleman, he would never leave home without his top hat, nor would
he EVER be seen without his gloves. He's a firm believer in cleanliness being next to godliness.

Jie Chen, the Spirit-Hunters' "muscle", said good-bye to Chinese garb in favor of an
American boy's fashion. Trousers, a waist coat--or more often, just suspenders--and a bright red tie leave this brawl-loving character happy...and more importantly, mobile enough to knock skulls when needed.

In fact, the only thing still Chinese about Jie--other than the lovely facial structure, of
course--is the Manchu Queue, which was required for all Chinese men (punishable by death!) and leaves the front
half of the head bald with a long braid behind.

As for Daniel Sheridan--the inventor for the Spirit-Hunters'--fashion is about as important
to him as...well, snowfall in Antarctica (not at all, in other words). That said, he does care what people
think of him, so he's been known to clean up on occasion. But, when it comes to working in the lab, he's most
comfortable in loose trousers and a baggy white shirt--collar scandalously unbuttoned at the top and hands
glove-free (gasp!).

Oh, and we can't forget his flat cap--which he never leaves the lab without. I imagine it
looking exactly like this:

Daniel would NEVER be seen in public without it...at least not in book 1. In A
Darkness Strange and Lovely, well...let's just say, things change.

Finally, we have the heroine of the story, Miss Eleanor Fitt of the
Philadelphia Fitts. Though she was born into privilege, her family has fallen on some seriously hard times. No more
new wardrobe each season; no more scouring the pages of Godey's and Harper's
Bazaar for a new walking gown; and no more worrying about which parasol would look best with which hat.

I had so much fun finding somewhat plain--though still stunning--gowns for
Eleanor since she needs things that will stay as timeless as she can make them. Even though she may
not care about fashion, her Mama does as well as all the people in her social circle. When the book opens, she's
wears something like:

And then later on, she gets to dress up all fancy like this:

But by the end of the book, Eleanor has pretty much taken to no corsets...and no skirts
even! (It's not like it's easy to fight the dead in layers of petticoats and bustle!) Yet, by the end of the
trilogy, Eleanor has gone back to skirts because--despite her love of mobility--she's still a curvy young woman and proud of it. I imagine her dressing in something of her own design, similar to this image by anndr on Deviantart:

Oh, and let's not forget her parasol--the perfect protection against the sun
and zombies! As Jie teaches her, Aim for the Knees!

You tell me: What do you think of Victorian fashion? Are you a
fan of all the ladies' frills or more into the simplicity of men's clothes?

I love dresses and am glad that girls are starting to wear them again. Not sure if I'd like to wear one with all the frills every day though. I don't like corsets so I would probably be like Eleanor and complain about it all the time. The men's clothes are nice. Daniel's hat reminds me of what Noah (Ryan Gosling) wears in The Notebook lol so of course I like that! What do you guys think?

Susan, thank you again for stopping by!
I can't wait to find out what happens next for the spirit hunters in book 2!

Check out other blog tour stops at Itching for Books
or enter the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Spotlight:

Susan Dennard is a reader, writer,

lover of animals, and eater of cookies.

She is a writer turned marine biologist turned

writer again. Among the traits she shares with

her heroine Eleanor are a weakness for

Shakespeare quotes, a healthy appetite for

baked goods, and an insatiable curiosity.

Sadly, Susan does not get to wear a corset or

wave a parasol on a daily basis.

She lives in Germany with her French husband

and Irish setter, and you can learn more about

her crazy thoughts and crippling cookie-addiction on her blog, twitter, facebook, or Goodreads. Something Strange and Deadly is her debut novel.

12:35 AM
4 Comments

Review: Hex Hall by: Rachel Hawkins

5 Stars

Title: Hex Hall

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Publication date: March 2, 2010
# Of Pages: 336 Hardcover
How I got the copies: Library

My Rating: 5/5 Stars (I would give it more if I could)

Goodreads Summary

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

My Review:

þWitches, Demons, Vampires, Shapeshifters, etc.

þMystery

þMagical new world and school

þHumor

To be honest, I didn't expect much from this book. I read it because it was the book of the month for my goodreads group. This is why I love book clubs. If I wasn't in one I would have never read this book and I would have been missing out. Rachel Hawkins was able to produce a new magical world that is unlike Hogwarts or any other magical school you might have read about. What makes it so different? It feels exactly the same as any human boarding school, but the students there just happen to do magic. I loved the different types of students. Elodie is the typical witch with a capital B, well actually she is a witch in a coven, but you get my point that she's the snotty pretty girl who makes the main character's life hell. Archer is your typical hot sexy warlock. He is so swoon worthy Sophie's roommate, Jenna, says there should be a class on it. Jenna, the vampire, was one of my favorite characters. Jenna is really funny and a great friend. Too bad she is also the one being accused of killing her old roommate Holly. We see her through Sophie's eyes which are different than the others at the school, because unlike other students Sophie was raised by a human. Sophie is hilarious with her 16 year old mind and somewhat angsty thoughts. She kind of reminded me of Jessica Darling from Sloppy Firsts. Here are a few lines that had me laughing:

4:03 PM
4 Comments

{Review} Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Fantasy

Title: Half-Blood

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Number of Pgs. 281 (Paperback)

Publication date: October 18, 2011
Publisher: Spencer Press Hill
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy

How I got the copy: bought

From Goodreads:

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

I've been using a new way of reviewing that I saw over at Making the Grade. It breaks the book down and makes it easier to rate. The way it works is each category gets a score out of ten points. Then you add them all up + 50 (50% automatically for each book) and that's your score out of 100.

Plot 6/10: If you go to read this series I suggest you read the prequel. I'm really glad I did because it set up this new world for the first book. While there are some cool aspects like these creepy creatures called Daimons. There were so many things that reminded me of Vampire Academy (Hot guy takes girl back to campus after being gone for awhile and volunteers to train her so she doesn't get kicked out of school. Creatures higher up in society can control power of fire, air, etc. One of the characters is drunk all the time. Having to kill someone you love. Fortune tellers). But once I got past those similarities I realized I didn't really care if they were similar because the writing was just that good. There is a good old lesson about equality tucked in there nicely, along with a really sweet growing romance. No insta-love here, yet it was very different from the Lux series which I was glad. J.L.A really knows how to develop a romance! I was also glad there was no huge cliffhanger, but lucky for me I already bought the next two books so I can start them right away!

Characters 9/10: Whenever I read a book with a kick ass heroine, I wish I could be just like them. Alex acts impulsively, but she's really brave and so strong. And sometimes I wish I could be more like that because these bold characters do not lead boring lives at all. Aiden comes in a very close second to Daemon. And I mean close. He's mature, strong, patient, funny, smart, and kind. His character is a major reason I'm excited to continue the series. Caleb is Alex's friend and it was nice to see a friendship that didn't lead to a love triangle for once. I kept picturing Seth as live version of an Oscar all gold and perfectly chiseled, but then I realized he just looked like a normal person...more like a young Matthew Mcconaughey minus the ridiculous accent.

Setting 9/10: I liked that it started where the prequel ended at her house in the mortal world. There was a lot of different scenery which always makes me happy.

Pacing 9/10: J.L.A's books are always page turners. I get to the end of a chapter and something big happens so I have to continue to find out how it will turn out.

Style 10/10: I love Alex's voice and thoughts. She makes me laugh and is easy to relate to. The only thing that bothered me about the writing was the use of "oh my gods" instead of singular because the world Alex lives in has multiple greek gods. My mind kept getting caught up on that because it's usually singular.

Final Thoughts: I'm pretty sure I still like the Lux series more, but this series is definitely realllllly good! If you haven't read any of J.L.A's books you really need to get on that.

Total: 93/100