Tuesday, October 18, 2011

2 Weeks, 3 Book Signings, Total Awesomeness

This has been a great couple of weeks, and it makes me so happy that I live in Lansing.
It started out with the "Smart Girls Kick It" tour, which made its final stop in Lansing. I was thrilled when I heard they were coming, since I missed Kelley Armstrong the first time she came through this area. I was beyond thrilled when I realized that this was the only stop where Carrie Ryan joined them. I got there an hour before the signing, and stayed four hours after it started, so I could get all of my Armstrong books signed. It was a great signing, they women were all entertaining, and had a great banter. I really hope that they make it this way again sometime. I don't want to go into what they discussed since I can't remember what they wanted kept secret. I will say that they did a lightening round of questions, where you could ask anything (the more embarrassing the better) that they could answer in thirty seconds. Very amusing. One of the great things about the signing (and there were many) is that almost all of the authors there had a story in Enthralled, so it was like having a souvenir of this signing in particular, getting them all to sign it.
This signing was followed by a signing last Thursday with Lisa McMann, promoting her new books, The Unwanteds.
It was really interesting listening to her talk about how involved her family is in her writing process.  Her son even drew a postcard that she is giving away as a limited edition with the book, and she's hoping that will be giving away new limited edition cards with each subsequent book in the series (looking like 7 right now).  I was so worried that my copy of The Unwanteds wouldn't arrive in time for the signing, since I ordered it from Barnes & Noble's website, on a 1-3 day shipping, and it took 5 days to arrive!  It arrived the day of the signing. 

Today, I was lucky enough to go to another signing.  This time Mike Mullin came promoting his debut novel, Ashfall.  Only four people showed up for the signing, but this meant that we really got to have a great discussion with him, learning a lot about his passion for Super Volcanoes, his writing process, his research, and what dystopian novels he'd recommend (including The Hunger Games, Epitaph Road, XVI, and Bumped, as well as classics like Z is for Zachariah).  He did a taekwondo brick break for us, at the beginning and the end of our discussion.  When he signed our books, he also signed a piece of the broken cement for us all, its definitely the most unique souvenir from a signing that I've ever gotten.  It might make a good bookend. 

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Collection of Ball-Jointed Dolls

Another contest on Princess Bookie's blog.  This time you write about what you collect and why. 
Well, I do love to collect books and manga of course, and I have tons of them.
 The one thing that I really love to collect though, is Asian Ball Jointed Dolls.  I adore all of mine, and often wonder where I can get money to buy more.  
Here are a few pictures of my collection:

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cause this is a book blog, how about a doll in front of a book (cause my little vampire looked cute in front of it)

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Trying to help me get money for more dolls and books...lol

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some of my dolls and some of my manga

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a large part of my collection

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just cause he's cute...lol

Yeah, I love my collection of dolls.

Mini-challenge: Favorite 5 of 2011

Another challenge at Princess Bookie.  This time, you have to tell the top five books that you've read in 2011.  And the winner will receive a mystery box of books.

My favorites are:

1. The Hunger Games (the whole series, I'm counting it as one)
I don't really think that I have to explain why this made my list.  My friend kept telling me that I needed to read these books, and I kept thinking I would eventually.  I'm really glad I finally did.

2. Leviathan (and Behemoth)
I bought this book because I loved the cover.  When I finally read it I absolutely fell in love with it.  The whole world is beautifully built and described, and I love the pictures in it.

3. Firelight
I seriously wanted to read this book, and couldn't really explain why.  I'm just glad that I did, because i really enjoyed it.

4. Forgotten
At first I didn't have any interest in this book, but I picked up a free sample of it at my local bookstore and it intrigued me.  To my surprise I really enjoyed it. 

5. The Gathering
I am a huge Kelley Armstrong fan, and this first book in her new YA series was not a disappointment.  It just makes me want to read more.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Mini-Challenge: Scariest Word

As Part of Princess Bookie's Contest Craze, The Non Reluctant Reader is hosting a mini-contest called Scariest Word.

For this mini-contest you had to:
  • Open a book you are currently reading.
  • Turn to page 13th Chapter.
  • Scan for the scariest word.
  • Type the word into a Google Images search, and select a picture that you can stand.
My Book is Spell Bound by Kelley Armstrong.
The scariest word in my chapter was Zombie

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Mini-Challenge: Lucky Number 7

As Part of Princess Bookie's Contest Craze, The Elliot Review is hosting a mini-contest called Lucky Number 7.
For this mini contest you have to:
  • Open a book you are currently reading.
  • Turn to page 7.
  • Count to the 7th word.
  • If the word is an article (a, an, the, etc), go to the next real word.
  • Type the word into a Google Images search, and select a picture that you can stand.
My book is Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
The 7th word was to, so I went to the next word: Constantinople.
My picture:

Saturday, September 17, 2011

How I said goodbye to Borders

Borders hasn't exactly been my bookstore of choice for years.  There was never an actual Borders here, and Waldenbooks closed about four years ago.  Still, I would go to Ann Arbor frequently for the shopping (gotta love the used bookstore there...Dawn Treader) and we never failed to stop at Borders.  So when I heard it was closing I vowed to visit there as much as I could before they closed.  My total savings at Borders was about $700.

When the sale was at 60% I didn't pick up much, just three books (not pictured):
       Changeless by Gail Carriger;  Blameless by Gail Carriger; Rampant by Diana Peterfreund





When I went back the signs said 70%, but I actually got everything for 80% so I bought quite a bit more (Oh and by buying 10 or more items I saved an extra 15%).  Including these YA books:
         Wither by Lauren DeStefano;                   Possession by Elana Johnson; 
          Forgotten by Cat Patrick;                        Hourglass by Myra McEntire; 
         The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith;      Crossing Over by Anna Kendall
         Rotters by Daniel Krauss
And these manga:
       Arisa 4-5; Love*Com - 6; Shaman King - 24




The final time that I went back all YA books and manga were $1.00 so my friend and I hit up three different Borders (one was still at 80%) and I totally cleaned house (at the two stores with $1.00 books I also saved an extra 15%)  The most I paid was 3.30 on three manga, the least I paid was only $0.40!!! 
I picked up these books (all for $1 or less): 

     The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier              Heartless by Gail Carriger
     Silver Zombie by Carole Nelson Douglas           Timeless by Alexandra Monir
     Spice & Wolf vol. 2 by Isuna Hasekura             Gone by Lisa McMann
     Red is for Remembrance     AND        Silver is for Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz
     The Line by Teri Hall                                        
     Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
     Monster High                      AND        The Ghoul Next Door by Lisi Harrison
     Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep                               
     The Twelve Kingdoms: The Vast Spread of the seas by Fuyumi Ono
     Daywatch by Sergei Lukyanenko                                
     Leven Thumps and the Ruins of Alder by Obert Skye
     Original Sin by Lisa Desrochers                          XVI by Julia Karr
     Misfit by Jon Skovron                                        Siren by Tricia Rayburn
     Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton           
     In Dreams Begin by Skyler White
     The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver; The Dark Devine by Bree Despain
     Angelfire by Cournety Allison Moulton              
     Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz
     13 to Life by Shannon Delany                           
     Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

And these manga at 80%:
Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle - 28; Love*Com - 5; Peace Maker Kurogane - 4

And these manga at $1.00 or less!
             13th Boy - 2;                   Angel Diary - 13;                Black Bird 2, 5; 
             B.O.D.Y. 5-8, 10;            Demon Sacred 1-3;            Dengeki Daisy 1-3;  
             Dragon Girl -1;                Hero Tales - 2;                    Honey Hunt - 5; 
             Legend - 3, 6, 9-10;        Oh My Goddess 36-37;      Mixed Vegetables 7-8; 
             Nana 17, 19;                   Ouran High School Host Club - 14; 
             Panic X Panic - 2;           Papillon - 5/6;                    Portrait of M & N 1, 3
             Rin-ne - 4-5;                   S*A - 9-12;                        Sakura Hime - 3; 
             Sand Chronicles - 8;        Shaman King - 27-29, 31;   
             Spiral Bond of Reasoning - 6-7;                              
             The Stellar Six - 1         
             Stepping on Roses - 2-4;                                           Sugarholic - 2; 
             Tsubasa those with wings - 2-3;                                 Vampire Knight 8-9; 
             Very! Very! Sweet - 1, 6;                                          Zombie-loan 7-8, 10

Mini-Challenge: Top five 2012 books

As part of a mini challenge at http://www.princessbookie.com/2011/09/contest-craze-mini-challenge.html

I'm writing a post about the top five books that I'm looking forward to in 2012.
1. The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong due out April 2012


2. Fever by