Bloody Bookaholic

It’s midnight. On a school night. And I’m writing a post. Amazing, right? Well, coffee isn’t the best thing to have before going to bed. My excuse: I was cold and the only warm drink within reach was coffee. A piss poor excuse? Absolutely! But that’s just me.

So, the actual purpose to this post is to spread the word about Bloody Bookaholic’s Christmas/Hanukkah/Whatever You Believe in Blowout! And what do the winners receive? Well this is my favorite part. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a contest this big. Anyway, back to the prizes.

* 3 Winners *
Winner Number 1 Gets 3 Books, A Ninja Gift Card... And a Borders gift card with 30$ or more.
Winner Number 2 Gets 3 Books Plus a Ninja Gift Card.
Winner Number 3 Gets 1 Book Plus a Ninja Gift Card.
That's not all...
Random winners will be drawn at the end. Though it's a mystery how many will be drawn and what the prizes will be.

So, yes. This is a very big contest, and if I were you, I would head on over to her website and learn how to enter for a chance to win. Click here for Bloody Bookaholic’s page.

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. Unfortunately, it’s over and we all go back to school/work/reality tomorrow. *sigh* I wish weekends could go on forever. I would spend my days reading, drinking Starbucks, and writing whatever came to mind. All my favorite things. :)

~Brianne

Books, Books, Books...

At the moment, there are many books on my shelf that are crying for attention. I plan to read them soon, but I really can’t help my excitement when I hear about a new book that really catches my attention. Some are or have been in bookstores for a while now, but others haven’t come out yet.

Books that I’m excited to read, though they’ve been out for a while:


Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher-

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker--his classmate and crush--who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers. (Side Note - The cover alone had me curious. Then I read the synopsis and was hooked. I need to read this book.)


I know it's over by C.K. Kelly Martin-

Pure. Unplanned. Perfect. Those were Nick's summer plans before Sasha stepped into the picture. With the collateral damage from his parent's divorce still settling and Dani (his girl of the moment) up for nearly anything, complications are the last thing he needs. All that changes, though, when Nick runs into Sasha at the beach in July. Suddenly he's neck-deep in a relationship and surprised to find he doesn't mind in the least. But Nick's world shifts again when Sasha breaks up with him. Then weeks later, while Nick's still reeling from the breakup, she turns up at his doorstep and tells him she's pregnant, and with his emotions and hopes crashing in around him, Nick finds himself struggling once more to understand the girl he can't stop caring for, the girl who insists that it's still over. (Side Note - I’ve always been curious about how a guy would react in such a situation as this. Which is mainly why I’ve been wanting to read this book. But I read a couple reviews on it and heard that Nick has a powerful voice, which is a huge plus.)


Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti-

Derek is clearly the boy Marisa has been waiting for, but there's just one problem. He has a girlfriend. Nash, Marisa's neighbor and childhood friend, is totally geeked out, with zero boyfriend potential. So of course Nash wants to take his friendship with Marisa to the next level. Beyond her boy drama, Marisa is also dealing with overcoming a major problem from her past, a family that's falling apart, and a best friend who won't stop talking to sketchy guys online. Only the anonymous DJ, who has the school hooked on his underground podcasts, seems to get what Marisa's going through. But she has no idea who he is...or does she? (Side Note - I realize this sounds average, but Susane Colasanti is amazing. In her first two books, Take Me There and When is Happens, her characters amazed me. The writing, character development, and unique voice of each of her characters make her one of my favorite authors. I think I may write a review of When if Happens, though I read it a while ago. Still, I feel that it’s necessary to give such an amazing book credit for simply being amazing.)


Okay, these are some of the books that have yet to come out, but I’m definitely excited for them.

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Shroeder-

Restless souls and empty hearts Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams. Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface. As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest. (Side Note - This looks amazing. I really just can’t wait. I’m sure it’s going to be amazing.)



But really, I need to be focusing on my book shelf books. They look at me with such sad eyes. I feel guilty; like I’m cheating on them with newer books. ;)


Oh, I’ve also signed up for the 100+ Reading Challenge. If you’d like to sign up for the 100+ Reading Challenge, head over to J. Kaye’s Book Blog.

It's time to start using my Library card more, too! I'll be overlapping this challenge with the Support Your Local Library Reading Challenge. You can find more information about this challenge on J. Kaye's Book Blog.

Fun challenges over there!

~Brianne

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I do believe the last time I was one here, I promised to post more. Well, that was back in September. I am definitely disappointed in myself for not making more time for this. I always have the excuse of homework - which is true - but it sounds so lame. The problem is laziness. I am reading a lot and making mental notes in which to go over in future reviews, but that does no good if I never write them. So, - though my promises are no longer worth anything - I am going to start posting more. To start off, I have my Catching Fire review.


Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Number of Pages: 391
Rating: 5/5
Strongly Recomended


Summery: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumours of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Review: If you read The Hunger Games, then you already know what an amazing writer and story teller Suzanne Collins is. But the question isn’t whether she can write a good book. The question is whether she can satisfy her readers with a sequel. The answer is yes. She can not only satisfy her readers, but go above and beyond.
Catching Fire was better than what I was expecting. The second book in any series is generally not as good as the first. But Catching Fire is an exception. The same amount of passion, anxiety, and adventure is in this installment in the series as the very first. Similar to the first book, the twists and turns in plot are completely unexpected. Usually adding to the overall suspense.

I really don’t want to give anything away if you haven’t read it, but a comment on the ending is a must. If you’ve read The Hunger Games, then you know about the insane cliff hanger ending. Expect the same thing when reading Catching Fire. It will infuriate you. The need to know what happens next will eat away at you until insanity overtakes you. ;)

This book is recommended above everything else. If you haven’t read The Hunger Games, I would advise you read that first and then continue on to this one. Whether or not you like to read doesn’t even matter. The story, characters, writing, - everything! - is simply amazing. Everyone should read this series. Everyone.