Two Year Blogoversary!!!!

Today is the 2 year blogoversary of Actin' Up with Books!! Blogging has brought me great joy and connected me with other book lovers from all over. I'm so happy to be a part of this bookish community.

How it all started: My very first posts were reviews of The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells and Broken Soup by Jenny Valentine. Two reviews in one day. Wow, I was ambitious. I quickly learned that I couldn't keep up with that pace and now I post between 3 to 4 reviews a month (with some months with no reviews at all). For me, book blogging has been more than just reviewing, but sharing books that I love whether that was "spotlighting" them or hosting giveaways. And I love hosting giveaways!

 Connecting with others: Over the past 2 years, I've been to several book launches and signings and had the chance to connect with authors whose books I've loved and meet some awesome bloggers face-to-face. Blogging has allowed me to make some new in-real-life friends like Heather from Buried in Books. We spent a day at her local Barnes and Noble and I just might have convinced her that you are NEVER TOO OLD to spend the afternoon in the Teen Books section. 

I've discovered some new music thanks to Ginger at GReads! and found out that there is more to listened to that Maroon 5. Her love for music and the band SafetySuit is contagious. I went to one of their concerts back in April and I can honestly say that it was one of the best times I ever had at a concert. I had so much fun that I plan to see them again during their upcoming headlining tour. I don't think I would have found out about them if it was for blogging, twitter, and of course, Ginger! 

Blogging accomplishments: I started a feature called Love My Indie where readers, bloggers, and authors share their favorite independent bookstores. When I first started my blog, it was important to me that I help promote independent bookstores. So I put a call out to bloggers with this post, and it took off from there. Love My Indie received more attention than I ever imagined when it was featured on Shelf Awareness. This was HUGE! From hosting bloggers and authors, I discovered some new blogs, new authors, and of course some new bookstores. I even took a road trip with some friends to one of the bookstores, Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC. Lauren Oliver was signing there, so that MAY have had something to do with it too.

Stats:

Blog Posts: 443

Books Read (since blogging): 186

Reviews: 48

Followers: 1503

So now what?! Well, it's time to celebrate!! I'm giveaway $25.00 worth of books to one winner. As always, following is not required. Extra entries can be earned.

Earn extra entries

Read and Comment on a Review (Review List) +2

Read and Comment on a Love My Indie post (LMI list) +2

Follow me on Twitter @ActinUpwb

Open to U.S. and International (wherever Books Depository ships)

Must be at least 16 years old to enter

One winner will be selected using random.org

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love My Indie with Lizzy from Cornucopia of Reviews

Love My Indie is a feature where fellow bloggers, readers, and authors tell me about their favorite independent bookstores. I love the feeling I get when I go into an independent bookstore - like it is filled with hidden treasures just waiting for me to find them.

Showing some Indie Love today is:

Lizzy from Cornucopia of Reviews

There is something magical about independent bookstores, and I'm lucky to have one in my area. The Flying Pig Bookstore has been around since I was ten (the age I grabbed my first Harry Potter). I can still remember the first book I bought there, and how I stumbled onto it, even though it was fourteen years ago. In case anyone is wondering, it was Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce, and it happened to be on a Lazy Susan by the front door filled with an assortment of fantasy books. I've been to every Harry Potter midnight release, and I even got to work with them for the Deathly Hallows party. This bookstore has been a major part of my life. So it seems right that I show it a little love. After all, if it weren't for this store (and my parents supporting me by driving back and forth to it), I wouldn't have developed the love I have for reading.

What is it that makes this store magical? The people who work there. The owners take their time to get to know all of their customers. They've watched kids grow up, graduate, and come back with children of their own. Earlier this month I wandered in on my day off and spent a half hour with one of the owners, Elizabeth. We had a long conversation about my recent reads, all while she was giving me about a dozen recommendations.

There's another thing that always impresses me about my indie, and that's how full the calendar is. We live in a small state, and authors rarely visit. Still, The Flying Pig is packed with events. I've seen great authors, gotten my favorite childhood book signed, and learned to decorate a cupcake to look like a panda. What could be better than that? 

The Flying Pig Bookstore is located in Shelburne, Vermont. Visit their website at flyingpigbooks.com

I want to thank Lizzy for guest blogging today. It always wonderful to learn about your favorite book stores. Flying Pig Books sounds like the place to go for a grand bookish time. 

I'd love to keep this feature going. If you would like to shine the spotlight on your favorite independent book store, just fill out this form.

Review: On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves

On the Island

by Tracey Garvis-Graves

Publisher: self-published

Publication Date: October 11, 2011

Pages: 329

Source: Won from author twitter giveaway

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends.

Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island.

Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man. (from Goodreads)


My Thoughts

I hadn't planned on reviewing On the Island. I thought that it would be a quick, summer read - another book in my ever growing TBR pile that I would read and then move on from. But after finishing it at 5 a.m. this morning because I just could not put it down (thank goodness I'm on vacation), I can't stop thinking about it. I had a 4 hour car ride today and it occupied my thoughts the entire time. 

T.J. and Anna share their own experiences of living and surviving on the island in alternating chapters. This method of story-telling propelled the story ahead in a way that let me know so much about both characters - their thoughts, fears, desires. At times, the voices of both characters were similar in that there wasn't much that distinguished T.J.'s voice (teen male) from Anna's (31 yr old female). A few times, I would refer to the chapter heading to learn who the speaker was supposed to be. This wasn't a distraction and didn't take away from the story in any way. T.J. did sound a bit older than a 16 or 17 year old, but after learning about his struggle with cancer and some life-altering decisions that he made during that time, it is understandable that he sounded older beyond his years. But there are instances, and many of them that remind, me that he is a teenager full of hormones and angst. He is a character who any reader could easily fall in love with!


Going into the novel, I really didn't question the relationship that was destined to develop between Anna and T.J. I just wanted to know how it was all going to play out so that it didn't feel inappropriate. Let me just say author was very smart about how she developed their relationship. I don't want to give anything away because it is crucial to the story development, but I'll admit that I thought it would've happened sooner than it did and I actually wanted it to happen sooner. There is a lot of genuine love and concern between Anna and T.J. and it is easy to believe that they were brought together by more than mere circumstance.

As much as I loved the characters and their story, I cannot say that the book doesn't have it's flaws. A few times when Anna and T.J. were in need of something for survival and even their existence, they would happen upon them easily. And there is an incident involving a shark that I found to be unrealistic, not impossible, but I wasn't buying it. Still, these minor faults (as I see them) didn't take away the enjoyment I had while reading On the Island.


This story was very satisfying. I loved it. I understand the hype about it and highly recommend it. I would warn readers that they should start it early in the day because if not, they will be reading it in the wee hours of the morning.


Disclaimer: I received this book from the author by way of a twitter giveaway. A review was not requested. This review is based on the self-published edition of On the Island. The book has since been published by Penguin. I was not compensated for providing a review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Haven

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Haven

by Carol Lynch Williams

Published by St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date: April 16, 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the teens at The Haven, the outside world, just beyond the towering stone wall that surrounds the premises, is a dangerous unknown. It has always been this way, ever since the hospital was established in the year 2020. But The Haven is more than just a hospital; it is their home. It is all they know. Everything is strictly monitored: education, exercise, food, and rest. The rules must be followed to keep the children healthy, to help control the Disease that has cast them as Terminals, the Disease that claims limbs and lungs—and memories.

But Shiloh is different; she remembers everything. Gideon is different, too. He dreams of a cure, of rebellion against the status quo. What if everything they’ve been told is a lie? What if The Haven is not the safe place it claims to be? And what will happen if Shiloh starts asking dangerous questions? (from Goodreads)

 

Parts of this book sounds a little bit like Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro which floored me. So have the other books by Carol Lynch Williams that I've read. I've already read Glimpse and listened to the audiobook of The Chosen One and I just finished Waiting her latest book about a girl who is trying to continue on after the death of her brother. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to find out what other books she's written that I must read and found The Haven. It doesn't come out until April of 2013, but she has many other for me to read until then. I love discovering an author with an extensive backlist so it makes the waiting for their upcoming titles bearable.

 

 

 

Review: Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

 

Such a Rush

by Jennifer Echols

Published by MTV Books

Publication Date July 10, 2012

Pages 320

Source: Southern Book Bloggers ARC tours

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.    

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business — until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers — and the consequences could be deadly. (from Goodreads)

My Thoughts

It took me quite a while to get into this story and it almost became a did not finish. How is this even possible? At the 100 page mark, I set the book down. Something about the story seemed a bit disconnected. There was a lot of descriptive information but not enough action or dialogue to keep me interested. BUT how is this even possible?!?!  I love Jennifer’s books - her characters and plots always keep me reading furiously until the last page but it just wasn’t happening this time and couldn’t understand why.

I think that it may have been because, in much of the beginning of the book, there was so much focus on Leah’s impoverished home life. While they may be accurate, a lot of the descriptions used for the trailer park seemed cliche, and they were so repetitive that it was off-putting. Leah’s situation was dire, her mother was selfish and neglectful. I didn’t need to be convinced. I got it. (Maybe this hit a little too close to home for me).

Then there was a turn around, I’m not sure the exact moment but it felt like a Jennifer Echols story that I’ve come to know and love. I could have been when there were more interactions with the characters. The story wasn’t so much about Leah’s thoughts and every day routines.

Leah was a character that I respected, rooted for, and cheered on. She knew that she had to make her own way. She decided the life that she wanted for herself - anything completely different from her mother and did what she could without cheapening herself to make it happen. She was strong and willful. But there were times when I was furious with her decisions - I just wanted to yell, “Leah, I know that you are so much smarter than this!” (thinking that Mark had any good intentions toward her at all).

What I did love about Such a Rush is that it was more than story about romance (which was hot and I appreciated, thank you very much), but it was about ambition and determination and family. These kids flying airplanes were pretty kickass. It was exciting to read and to think about doing such a daring job at a young age when most teenagers would work in restaurants or malls.

Not that it needed to redeem itself at the end, but it was a book that upon finishing, I wanted to open up and experience again. I even considered rereading it before posting this review to see how my thoughts changed because I hate that my initial reaction was that I may not even finish this book. While this isn’t my favorite Echols book (that would be Endless Summer), it is definitely a book I would recommend (and plan to convince my book club to read). This is a book I want to talk about some more. 

Disclaimer: I received the book for review as part of the Southern Book Bloggers ARC Tours. Thoughts and opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way for providing a review.

Guest Post and Giveaway: Celia on the Run by Sarah Mandell

Celia on the Run Blurb

Nick Novaczek is a cautious soul, a 17-year old with a quiet thirst for danger. On the eve of his grandmother’s funeral, danger finds him by the motel swimming pool. Her name is Celia and she’s everything he’s not. This foul-mouthed beauty is hitchhiking across the country to make amends with her estranged father and doesn’t carry an ounce of fear or hesitation in her tattered suitcase. 
Hours after meeting Celia, Nick is hopelessly hooked and “borrows” his parents’ car to join her mission, even though her story is full of holes. It’s the mistake he’s been waiting his whole life to make. After weeks of detours, with hundreds of miles left to go, their wild adventure unravels, but she won’t turn back, no matter how desperate things get. Celia’s got a charming smile to pay her way, a willing accomplice, and an endless supply of lies. Not to mention a gun.

I am pleased to host author Sarah Mandell on my blog today. Her debut novel Celia on the Run sounds exactly like the type of book I would want to read. Since I am unable to offer a review right now, Sarah offered to provide a guest post and giveaway. Please welcome Sarah as she describes writing and recycling her characters and then enter the giveaway below.

Character Recycling

I have two dirty secrets. Sometimes I forget to recycle bottles and cans, and sometimes I recycle characters from past stories I’ve written. There’s no excuse for the bottles and cans, but I believe recycling a character can be a good thing. 

It’s almost like an in-depth character study, a trial run. I’ve created a person, compiled quirks, traits, and preferences, then tried them out in a setting or scenario. I’ve had practice with that particular character and really liked them, but the story was sub par, and I hate to lose a good character just because I couldn’t come through on the manuscript. I’ve written about 10 manuscripts over the last 4 years, most of them unfinished junk, a few keepers, and so far, just one that’s made it through publication (with Untreed Reads), but I feel no shame in sharing with you that Nick Noveczek, the main character from my debut novel, Celia on the Run, was a shy but admirable kid that was originally from a novel I’ve since abandoned, which was called The Trampoline. The original story didn’t quite work, but the character did. 

Armed with a great character, one I knew very very well from writing him all the way through a previous manuscript, I tried him out in a new setting, cast him opposite a wild and reckless beauty named Celia, and put them in a sorta stolen car on their way across the country for completely different reasons. Bingo! Nick was made to hopelessly crush on an ungrateful girl like Celia, he was meant to overcome his fears and jump off a bridge (among other things), and he was ready to come-of-age on the road trip of a lifetime. 

Now that Nick Noveczek is out in the world in my first published novel, that’s it, I would never dream of recycling him. As for the countless other characters in my unfinished / unpublished work, they’re likely to get revamped, re-matched, and probably renamed before I’m done with them! 

Sarah Mandell is a professionally trained artist with a background in interior design. She's also the brains and busy hands behind a thriving indie craft business called Once Again Sam, where she sells handmade leather jewelry and quirky fiber art creations online and in local shops. Even with an ever-expanding collection of creative outlets, she's truly the happiest when she's writing. Her debut novel, Celia on the Run, was published in 2012 by Untreed Reads. For more, please visit www.celiaontherun.com

Giveaway

Untreed Reads has generously offered an e-book for giveaway to one lucky reader. To enter for a chance for your own e-book of Celia on the Run, just fill out the form below. 
 

Giveaway Rules:
Must be at least 16 yrs or older
Open to US and Int'l
Following is NOT required
To Enter fill out the form below

Contest ends August 2nd 2012 11:59 EST

One Winner will be selected using random.org

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OVER

Review: Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman

Jersey Angel 

by Beth Ann Bauman

Published by Random House Children's Books

Published May 8, 2012

Pages: 208

Source: Random Buzzers Ambuzzadors/Random House

It's the summer before senior year and the alluring Angel is ready to have fun. She's not like her best friend, Inggy, who has a steady boyfriend, good grades, and college plans. Angel isn't sure what she wants to do yet, but she has confidence and experience beyond her years. Still, her summer doesn't start out as planned. Her good friend Joey doesn't want to fool around anymore, he wants to be her boyfriend, while Angel doesn't want to be tied down. As Joey pulls away, and Inggy tours colleges, Angel finds herself spending more time with Inggy's boyfriend, Cork. With its cast of vivid and memorable characters, this tale from the Jersey shore is sure to make some waves.

My Thoughts

When I first heard about Jersey Angel, I desperately wanted to read it. I loved the fun summertime cover and the premise sounded promising. Then the grumblings started and low starred reviews were popping up. I would gloss over the reviews reading a comment here or there, but never a complete review because I didn't want my decision to read Jersey Angel and my opinion of the book to be swayed entirely. But I did decide that it wasn't an immediate "must-read" for me. I could take it or leave it. So when I received the Jersey Angel from Random Buzzers, I had to take a moment and reconsider because there must be something about this book worth talking about if they are putting it in the hands of their Ambuzzadors (ambassadors) to share.

Jersey Angel had me from the get go. Once I picked it up, I just couldn't put it down. And when I did, I couldn't wait to get back to it. Bauman's writing style is quick, descriptive, and immediately pulled me in.

This book is not for everyone. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. But I'm not indifferent to it either. Beth Ann Bauman has written a book that I want to talk about. Her character Angel is unlike many others in many books I've read because she is very sexually active teenager. Sex in young adult books isn't unheard of. Like most readers, I get swept up in the romance of young love and with the anticipation of will they or won't they. And often we want it to happen. I mean, just look at all of the Twilight readers who stuck through the whole series to see Bella and Edward finally get together. (I am one of them) The difference with Jersey Angel is that, while it isn't graphically described, there is quite a bit of sex throughout the novel. Also, Angel doesn't always make the best choices in who she does have sex with. She does cross the line, in my opinion, and I certainly wouldn't want her to be my best friend. But I am a little forgiving of the characters I read. I wanted to see where her decisions would lead her and what would happen with her friendships.

There is also a level on confusion that Angel experiences as a result of her sexual relationships. She wants to get back with her on-again off-again boyfriend, Joey, but he has other plans. She is just beginning to realize how her actions can affect her future relationships and what people think about her. Bauman only touches the surface of these new feelings Angel is experiencing leaving many situations unsettled. The story ended a little too abruptly for me. I could have imagined a little more resolve than what was given.

Like I said before, this book isn't for everyone. But I do think that readers should forget what they think they know about Jersey girls from watching The Jersey Shore (they really don't compare) and give Jersey Angel a chance.

Other books recommended: Anatomy of a Boyfriend by Daria Snadowsky and The DUFF by Kody Keplinger.

Disclaimer: I received this advanced reading copy for review from Random Buzzers/Random House. Thoughts and opinions are my own.