~Sunday Stew - July 31st, 2011~

Sunday Stew is a Weekly Meme hosted at Books Devoured

Bookmark of the Week

I received some literature about Rosetta Stone as part of the pamphlets/flyers in a Barnes & Nobles order that I received. This was a bookmark with a perforated edge, to be separated from the literature itself and used. Of course, I jumped at that opportunity, because I think the message depicted is so absolutely adorable. "More than words. Understanding." which here applies to learning a new language, but could be applied to many other aspects of life as well. Come to think of it, although the expression of love is grand, there is often times one does not need any words at all to express love, or desire. I wish the whole world understood and accepted that concept - rather than creating rifts between one another based on caste, creed, color and language. 

Book of the Week

Dominance by Will Lavender

I have a review coming up tomorrow for this absolutely riveting mystery, so keep an eye out for that. But in the mean time, make sure to go and check out this amazing novel! 

Around The Web

Rosetta Stone is offering a chance for you to win an iPad if you just try out their demo. I think this is a delightful little opportunity, because I absolutely LOVE learning new languages. I tried out the Spanish (Latin American) demo and it absolutely ROCKED!!! I had so much fun, and having tried it out, I am convinced that one of the first things I'll buy once I have a job is the full set of Rosetta Stone learning CD's to learn Spanish. I also want to try out the Italian demo, so that may be next. What language would YOU like to learn, or try to learn via demo? For the love of language, or merely for the love of an iPad, click on the picture above, and go and try out the demo, and enter yourself in the race to win an iPad :)

Another absolutely wonderful giveaway hop. I had REALLY wanted to be part of this giveaway, but the truth is, with the Kindle giveaway, I am currently in no financial situation to be hosting a giveaway. So, I refrained from this one. I've been told, time and time again, that a giveaway hop is the BEST way to gain followers, but try as I may, something always comes up. But I'm not too worried, I've gained a lot of friends along the way...I'm sure it won't hurt me any. Next time, I promise! Click on the banner above, happy hopping :) Oh, and all of you...make sure to check out my Kindle giveaway!

All you people who have loved me, and supported me, shown me kindness, respect and encouragement - all this, my blog, is possible because of YOU! So I thought, why not give one of you the chance to win this e-reader...so here it is, just click on the banner above, and it'll take you to the giveaway post. Make sure to enter, pass the info along, etc. Wishing you ALL the BEST OF LUCK!!!

Around Me

For those of you who are Muslim and/or observing Ramadan (which starts tomorrow):

It's been a really busy week/weekend for me. With my mom home for the summers, she tends to want me to not sit still for even a second! So there's been a lot of cleaning. Also, this past week, I did most of the cooking.

I made "Chicken Haandi", a very flavorful, creamy chicken curry. In addition to that, I made a Pakistani/Indian rice dish called "Biryani" with beef and potatoes. And finally, yesterday, I made a Pan-Seared 7-Bone steaks along with Pepper Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, and Sauteed Mixed Veggies. You can see pictures of the fare below - they're not very clear since I used my cell phone to take the pictures. And the steaks, well, I was searing them and serving them right away, so I really didn't stop to take pictures! lol :P

 Beef Biryani with Potatoes

Chicken Haandi Curry

Lastly, my bestie Fei-Fei and I are doing a "True Blood" night again, for which I am SOOOOOOO excited. It's kind of become a ritual every Sunday, except last Sunday both she and I were busy (her boyfriend was moving, and it was my mom's birthday). But the Truebies unite, and we're planning on having a blast...AGAIN! :) For all you Truebies out there, here's a bit of a treat! :D 

First Eric gets naked, and splashes around in the water...during...the DAYTIME!

Then Alcide & Sookie come to his aid, and Alcide growls at Eric the way I'd like for him to growl at ME. Not to mention, there's two almost naked men in ONE frame - needless to say, it was the equivalent of multiple orgasms that Sunday! ;-)

But then, this past Sunday, it got even better...because first we saw Eric Northman, the absolutely and insanely sexy Sheriff of Area 5, become totally vulnerable and cry...

And then, to my utter shock and delight, the following happened!!!

So what measure of madness is going to take place tonight? If you're not following the show (and question that begs to be asked is, WHY THE HECK NOT!?!?) I'm sure you'll hear all about it next Sunday!!!! ;-) 

Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this week's ~Sunday Stew~, I definitely enjoyed writing it. With this, I conclude this week's Sunday Stew post! Thank you for reading, feel free to leave me any comments/feedback you may like. I wish you a blessed rest of the week, and that you'll continue to visit! :)

~Happy 1st Blogoversary Mod Podge Bookshelf~

Today, July 26th 2011, is the 1st Blogoversary of the Mod Podge Bookshelf, and I just want to take this opportunity to congratulate my darling friend Gabrielle on this wonderful milestone. 

I know that all you readers, internet/social media users, and bloggers can absolutely relate when I say that there are people in this world, regardless of where you are and where they may be, who you may have never met, but you still love and respect as much as those that you have met. Gabrielle, to me, is just one of those many people. Our blogging community is absolutely fantastic, and amongst that, the book blogging community, even more so. The camaraderie and the comfort they have all provided to me, and that I have witnessed them provide to each other, is a testament to the fact that there are lots of amazing people in this world. 

But coming back to Gabrielle, who I once made the mistake of calling Gabby (God help he/she who makes that mistake). Haha, I'm joking. But, I still remember that Gabrielle gently reprimanded me, and told me that she did not like being called Gabby. Now, most of you may be wondering...out of all the memories that you could run with, THAT'S the one you're gonna choose to talk about? Well, yes! Because I knew, in that exact moment, that I was speaking to someone who was completely honest, without malice in her heart, and someone who would always be as truthful as can be. We'd been tweeting before that, but I realized that something that could have potentially made me despise her, actually made me love and respect Gabrielle that much more. Since then, there have been many various interactions with her, and an extremely interesting night where we decided to get #LoveFest trending, along with Adam of Roof Beam Reader, where we could people to share with the world whatever it was that they were grateful for. Hands down, one of the best nights on Twitter...EVER! :) I hope and pray that such beautiful moments continue taking place in my life, and that Gabrielle is always a part of them.

With all those memories, and all that gratitude - I just wanted to congratulate Gabrielle, and wish her all the success, joy and happiness in the world. Thank you for being YOU, Gabrielle - you didn't learn about being lovely from me, or my tweets...the truth is, I learned it from YOU! Love you SO much....and Happy Bloversary! =)

Make sure you click on the picture below, and wish Gabrielle a very Happy 1st Blogoversary! ♥

~Sunday Stew - July 24th, 2011~

Sunday Stew is a Weekly Meme hosted at Books Devoured

 

 

 

 

Wishing a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my beautiful MOTHER :)

Bookmark of the Week

I have been using this Post-It note, written beautifully by and sent to me, by Melissa from The Feminist Texican [Reads]. Darling Melissa, bless her magnanimous heart, sent me HER ARC of "The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. And you want to know why? Only because I was going crazy over it, and gushing all over the internet about how badly I wanted to read it! Our book blogging community reminds me, EVERY DANG DAY, that there are wonderful and immensely generous people all around us - which makes the world seem a lot less bleaker (Thank God!). I just want to take this opportunity to thank her from the bottom of my heart, for being so very generous, kind and thoughtful. And since the book's arrived, I've been using this beautifully penned post-it note as my bookmark (although I haven't really gotten into "The Language of Flowers" yet, because I wanted to make sure I began reading it when I could give it all my time!). So, thank you Melissa...I <3 YOU!!! :)

Around The Web:

~Mega Awesome Giveaway - Win a Kindle~

As you all may very well know, today is my mother's BIRTHDAY. Day before yesterday, it was both my parents' WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. Also, I recently noticed that I'd been nearing 200 Followers - and it all makes me so very happy. I know I had to celebrate this momentous occasion in an EPIC manner, so I decided to have a giveaway. As you all know, my first giveaway was inspired by my best friend's birthday (in April), so it only made sense that this giveaway would be inspired by my parents. 

Both my parents strove really hard to educate me, provide to me all the opportunities that they could afford (and some they probably could not), and made me the person I am today. Most people are astounded by my need to read before I go to bed, even if it is merely one single page, or just a few lines. What most people don't know, however, is that I acquired this habit through my mother. To this day, she grabs a book (nowadays, mostly women's magazines) and reads a little before she turns the lights out. So it only made sense for the prize to be "reading" related. Also, some of you may not know this, but I don't have an e-reader. I won a Nook a little while ago, and donated it for charity. Then, I won this Kindle, and I just wasn't sure if I would use it or sell it for charity (I could always read those books on my computer; although staring at the screen perpetually is, literally, a headache). But when this giveaway came around, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my Kindle - I wanted to do a giveaway so that I could share it with YOU!

All you people who have loved me, and supported me, shown me kindness, respect and encouragement - all this, my blog, is possible because of YOU! So I thought, why not give one of you the chance to win this e-reader...so here it is, just click on the banner above, and it'll take you to the giveaway post. Make sure to enter, pass the info along, etc. Wishing you ALL the BEST OF LUCK!!!

Around Me:

 My mother, who's known amongst her peers, family as being impeccably dressed and "matched" to PERFECTION!

From around 3 years ago - I'd just returned from Med. School

I know, I know...I've overdone the whole "it's my Mom's birthday" thing - but I cannot even begin to emphasize what my mother means to me. She is literally my ROCK, my ANCHOR, the wind beneath my wings...so I thought I'd share with you guys, something that I wrote for a Mother's Day special a few years ago:

They say mothers are God’s gift to mankind. That they are angels without wings. This is not true, because ladies and gentlemen, I think I see my mother’s wings. To me, she is the ultimate angel. As far back as it runs my memory holds my mother being an enchantingly positive person. Full of mirth, even amidst the most difficult hardships of life, I’ve seen her exude love & warmth. Losing her father when young, she helped her mother raise her siblings, & is one of the most self-sacrificing people I know. Yet, I’ve never heard her complain of her childhood & strove to make my childhood a happy one. Her sacrifices didn’t end there, literally working day & night, she supported me through medical school. Teaching for more than 20 yrs now, she is one of the most engaging & involved elementary school teachers I know. Invested in the well-being of each of her students, I’ve seen her stay up late at night devising lesson plans & activities for her class. Even during her summers, I've seen her stand in line in the heat so that she can get great deals on school supplies for her students. Her kindness is not limited to her disciples; it extends to her colleagues as well. Be it helping them with their lesson plans, guiding a new teacher, encouraging them,& even being there for them outside of work-she does it all. She’s my best friend, an unbelievably understanding mother. She taught me that elegance & grace is a woman's asset. That looks matter less than how you treat others. My favorite lesson from her has been that in life people are like walls & your behavior towards them, like a ball. What you throw at them is likely to bounce back-so be careful what you release into the world, for it will inevitably find its way back to you. She’s the glue that holds our family together. Her humor, her positivity, her incandescence are all part of her beauty. To me, my mother is the most beautiful woman on the face of this planet and she inspires me to live beautifully too. My mother is the penumbra of inspiration & positivity in my life.

My dad and I are taking her out for lunch today, and we're going to celebrate as a family. I leave you with the hope and the prayer that may your life FOREVER have the cool shade of a Mother's love. For those of you who may have lost their mothers, I wish and pray that you always feel their love, and that their absence never detracts from your love for them, and doesn't make you forget the love that they had for you. And above all, for all of you who ARE mothers yourselves, bless you and bless your heart. You may not fully understand this, but YOU are the most important being in your child's life...and not a million thank yous would be enough to truly appreciate all that you do, and all that you are! I love you ALL :)

Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this week's ~Sunday Stew~, I definitely enjoyed writing it. With this, I conclude this week's Sunday Stew post! Thank you for reading, feel free to leave me any comments/feedback you may like. I wish you a blessed rest of the week, and that you'll continue to visit! :)

~Mega Awesome Giveaway - Win a Kindle~

That's right!!! You read correct...I'm giving away a KINDLE! 

You see, it's a special, special week for me, since tomorrow (July 22nd) is the 28th Wedding Anniversary of my parents, and my Mother's Birthday (Happy Birthday, Mama!) on July 24th! If I am a heart, my parents are the beat...If I am the body, my parents are my soul. So, really...I am everything I am, because of them. Also, I realized, I am super close to 200 Followers on the blog (when did THAT happen!?!?), and since I didn't do a 100 Follower Appreciation Giveaway, I thought this also was cause for celebration! 

I mean, this week is SO epic for me, that although I don't have/use an e-reader myself, I am going to do a giveaway for YOU GUYS (my favorites!) for an e-reader. So, in order to celebrate this EPIC week, I am hosting a giveaway for YOU to win a brand-spankin'-new Kindle!!!

Giveaway Details :

1) You must fill out the Rafflecopter form below. (Make SURE you supply me with your Twitter follower names/email address you subscribed with/email address you joined my Bookperk team with)

2) This giveaway is open to US Followers ONLY: I am so sorry my INTERNATIONAL followers and friends - but since I am the one shopping the e-reader, I simply cannot afford to ship it Internationally. Next giveaway will be an international giveaway - I promise!

Legal Disclaimer

1. I am not responsible for items lost or damaged in shipping or items shipped from 3rd party sponsors. Also, I am not responsible for any damage or loss incurred during the shipping of the won item, if I am the person responsible for shipping it.
2. Winners are chosen using a random number generator based on the comment number.
3. Any cheating or misuse of information, or harassing of other parties, or bullying of any sort will not be tolerated. Please respect the blog owner and all participants and/or followers.  
4. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me from the time that I email them - if they do not respond, another winner will be chosen.

~Sunday Stew - July 17th, 2011~

Sunday Stew is a Weekly Meme hosted Here at Books Devoured

Bookmark of the Week

Okay, so it's not an actual bookmark. I found this saying on the internet (Tumblr), and I just printed it out, and have been using it ever since (the past three days) as a bookmark. I know it seems funny, and at times, even juvenile...but the message is a powerful one. Learn to be flexible. Love is important, but heartbreak is as much a part of life, as love is - and worth enduring if the ultimate result is achieving love in your life. But learn to deal with the trials that come with finding love in your life. I hope you like it, and if you do...feel free to print a reminder for yourself! :)

Around The Web:

MOVIEFONE is hosting an incredible "Win Free Movie Tickets Summer Giveaway Extravaganza" - all it requires is for you to go and enter your email, and you could be the lucky winner of a movie ticket this summer. The promotion extends all the way till August 31st, 2011 and is absolutely FREE. So make sure to click on the banner above, and enter the giveaway - EVERY DAY! :)

Around Me: 

Okay, so my mom has gone "shopping" crazy. Well, in her defense, she's a really wonderful and practical lady, but every summer we shop for our family abroad, to try and send them presents for holidays, and now that she's off from work (she's a teacher on summer vacations) - I'm her designated driver. *groan*. I mean I love the woman...I do...but shopping is SO not my thing (unless we're talking books, or shoes!).  As a matter of fact, one of the reasons why this ~Sunday Stew~ post is so short and concise is because I am absolutely bedraggled after having roamed around in the heat with her all day yesterday, and I am on my way out right now as well! 

On the BRIGHT side, I get to see my best friend Fei tonight. We're going out for dinner, and then watching "True Blood" together. We're total and complete Bloodies! I don't think that's even a word - well, Fang Bangers, then! My Gosh, I would give an ARM, a LEG, and my LEFT BOOB just to breathe the same air as Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard). Anyhow, long story short...best friend, good food, and then an episode of True Blood...regardless of the tiredness, it's going to be a good day! 

Don't tell me this guy isn't an automatic VISUAL ORGASM! 

Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this week's ~Sunday Stew~, I definitely enjoyed writing it. With this, I conclude this week's Sunday Stew post! Thank you for reading, feel free to leave me any comments/feedback you may like. I wish you a blessed rest of the week, and that you'll continue to visit! :)

~Once Upon a Read-a-Thon - FINAL Update~

"Once Upon a Read-a-Thon" is hosted by Angela at Reading Angel, Lori at Pure Imagination, Candace at Candace's Book Blog. It runs from 12:01 AM on July 11 to 11:59 PM on July 13th. 

I ended the Read-a-Thon reading: "Iron House" by John Hart

# of Pages Read (of last book): 278 (out of 432 pages) 

  

Total # Pages Read: 1,908 pages

Total # of Books Read (completed during Read-a-Thon): 5

Names of Books Completed: "The Human Race" by O.C. Heaton, "The Mistress's Revenge" by Tamar Cohen, "The Peach Keeper" by Sarah Addison Allen, "Divergent" by Veronica Roth, "Protect the Heart" by LK Hunsaker, and "Iron House" by John Hart (Incomplete).

 

 

 

Comments/Concerns (about the Read-a-Thon and/or your book selections): This was my second read-a-thon ever, and I had done extremely poorly on my first one, so when I signed up for this one, I tried to be as prepared as possible. Last time I didn't choose my books before hand, and ended up spending an insane amount of time trying to pick what I'd read next. This time, I made my TBR pile for the #OUreadathon and vowed that I'd only read any other title if/when I get done with the books I'd already picked. The other strategy that really worked for me was to read as much as possible at night. During the day I keep getting interrupted by family, for errands, housework, conversations, etc - so night time is the prime time for me to get ahead of my goals, and this strategy worked out really well, for the most part. The tactic that I didn't really employ, which I wish I had, was to choose shorter books - these allow for you to flit from different subject to different subject, keeping everything sort of fresh. I mostly chose my books based on how fast-paced I'd thought they'd be - or "mysteries" so that I'd remain glued to the book in pursuit of what would happen next. This also worked in my favor; further proof of this was, when I picked up the historical fiction novel "Protect the Heart", although it was a pretty good book, it took me longer than it would normally take for me to read 198 pages, because the pace in the book was far slower than the pace in the ones before it. Anyhow, OVERALL, it was a delightful experience, and I absolutely LOVED IT! A very big THANK YOU to all the people who helped arrange this read-a-thon, hosted mini-challenges, etc. You all know who you are...and you all deserve a big *squishy* hug! :)

Books I'd Planned To Read:

• Iron House by John Hart (432 pg.)
• The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen (273 pg.)
• The Human Race by O.C. Heaton (448 pg.)
• The Mistress's Revenge by Tamar Cohen (224 pg.)
• Divergent by Veronica Roth (487 pg.)
• Protect the Heart by LK Hunsaker (198 pg.)
• What You See in the Dark by Manuel Muñoz (272 pg.)
• Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (eq. of 385 pg.) - Audiobook

In Conclusion:  If you're on Twitter, make sure to add me and say hello! Maybe we can discuss some of the books we read during the #OUreadathon . Also, AGAIN, I want to THANK all the people involved with the Read-a-Thon, and all the people who participated. Special hugs & love to all those who visited my blog/updates and commented - you make my blogging-world go round!

~Once Upon a Read-a-Thon - Update#4~

 

"Once Upon a Read-a-Thon" is hosted by Angela at Reading Angel, Lori at Pure Imagination, Candace at Candace's Book Blog. It runs from 12:01 AM on July 11 to 11:59 PM on July 13th.

Book I'm Currently Reading: "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

  

# of Pages Read (of book currently reading): 413 pages (out of 487 pages)

  

Total # Pages Read:  1,358 pages

Total # of Books Read (completed during Read-a-Thon): 3

Names of Books Completed: "The Human Race" by O.C. Heaton, "The Mistress's Revenge" bt Tamar Cohen and "The Peach Keeper" by Sarah Addison Allen. (for pictures/book-covers check out the Update#3).

Comments/Concerns (about the book currently reading): When I made my last update, I'd stated that I was a little underwhelmed by the action in the book, and that although I liked the writing, it hadn't "gripped" me yet. Boy, was I wrong. Moving just a little forward, the action hit me LIKE A TON OF BRICKS - and I'm not even complaining. This book totally sucked me in! I know a book is worth it, when every bone in my body is aching (yesterday was a super-busy day), and my eyes are heavy with sleep, yet all I keep doing is telling myself, "just one more page...just one more!" LOL :P

Book I Plan To Read Next: "What You See In The Dark" by Manuel Muñoz.(Although, since it's the last day, I really want to challenge myself to pick up "Iron House" by John Hart and try to finsih it!).

Mini Challenge#1

Ok, well, the challenge is to play MATCHMAKER to characters that would otherwise not land together in a romantic tryst. I'm terrible at matchmaking (which is why I'm single, see!? LoL) but the following characters that I have picked, I think would work really well with each other. So, I'm pairing together:

Peter Pevensie (or High King, Peter the Magnificent) of The Chronicles of Narnia series  

 

❤  

 

Luna Lovegood of The Harry Potter series.

Why? : Well, Luna and Peter are, inadvertently, the same person. Inherently good, always looking out for their loved ones, always trying to do the right thing, and unfazed by the world to change who and how they are. Peter is good at making decisions, and Luna is excellent at sticking to her decisions. Plus, with Luna's beautiful eyes, and Peter's unruly crop of hair...can you imagine the offspring of this couple? lol =P I think they'd make an excellent couple, don't you? 

A big thank you to Nikki from Wicked Awesome Books for hosting this amazing Mini-Challenge. Make sure to check it out here. 

Mini-Challenge#2

Book Recommendations:

1) Any Book of Choice: Have you ever picked up a book completely unaware as to how it is going to be instrumental in changing your life, and then being truly and inexplicably bamboozled and overwhelmed by it's beauty? "19 Minutes" by Jodi Picoult was just such a book, for me. If you're looking for a contemporary read that incorporates real life, family drama, pivotal social issues, mystery, crime and even courtroom drama into one absolutely heartrending and gut-wrenching novel, "19 Minutes" is the book to pick up. Mind you, Jodi Picoult does not sugar-coat the subjects that she writes about, and as it is, the subjects she chooses are heavy-hitting ones - so this is not a book for you, if you're looking for a light, summery read. However, if you want to read a book on an important social issue such as teen-hazing, bullying, and teenage frustrations and the consequences of such actions, presented in an unbiased, multi-perspective and multi-faceted manner, then I highly doubt you'll find a better book than "19 Minutes" by Jodi Picoult out there. Full of rich characters, both beautiful and flawed, and a storyline that will break your heart and mend it, leaving you full of wonder and amazement, but ultimately this book is sure to change your life.

2) Favorite Book from Read-a-Thon Pile: You have definitely heard about this book before if you're a book lover. You've heard book-lovers gush about it's awesomeness, you've seen bloggers write reviews full of praises for it, and you've heard critics are duped to find fault with it. And believe me when I say, all of that hype, was not for nothing. "Divergent" by Veronica Roth is the kind of book that absolutely transports you from reality into a dystopian world full of action and drama. In this dark, and stark, time the society has been divided into five factions. Each faction is dedicated to the cultivation and edification of a certain virtue; Abnegation are the selfless ones, Candor value honesty above all, Erudite spend their life in the pursuit of knowledge and intelligence, Amity are dedicated to perpetuating peace and the Dauntless are the brave ones. When you reach a certain age, you take a test that tells you which faction your nature is best suited for. For Beatrice, this choice is harder than others, because she is a "divergent", someone who fits into more than one group - but this secret can be life-threatening for Beatrice. But Beatrice makes her choice; a choice that surprises everyone and changes her entire life. What follows next, is an action-packed, thrilling-ride that keeps the reader wanting more.

A big thank you to Ashley from Bleh to Basically Amazing Books for hosting this amazing Mini-Challenge. Make sure to check it out here. 

~Once Upon a Read-a-Thon - Update #3~

 "Once Upon a Read-a-Thon" is hosted by Angela at Reading Angel, Lori at Pure Imagination, Candace at Candace's Book Blog. It runs from 12:01 AM on July 11 to 11:59 PM on July 13th.

Book I'm Currently Reading: "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

  

# of Pages Read (of book currently reading): 59 pages (out of 487 pages)

  

Total # Pages Read:  1004 pages

Total # of Books Read (completed during Read-a-Thon): 3

Names of Books Completed: "The Human Race" by O.C. Heaton, "The Mistress's Revenge" bt Tamar Cohen and "The Peach Keeper" by Sarah Addison Allen.

Comments/Concerns (about the book currently reading): I had planned on reading "What You See In The Dark" by Manuel Muñoz next, however, "Divergent" kept calling to me from amidst the pile of books I'd planned. I just couldn't help but pick it up. In all honesty, it hasn't totally "gripped" me yet...but that's only because I'm about 60 pages in. It seems to be in an intriguing concept, and I suppose all the "action" is yet to arrive in the book; I am really looking forward to it! :)

Book I Plan To Read Next: "What You See In The Dark" by Manuel Muñoz.

Mini Challenge#1

Love Triangles

1) Edward Cullen vs. Jacob Black from the Twilight Series

2) Bill Compton vs. Eric Northman from the Southern Vampire (Sookie Stackhouse) Series

3) Linden vs. Gabriel from The Chemical Garden Trilogy

A big thank you to Sabrina from YA Bliss for hosting this amazing Mini-Challenge. Make sure to check it out here. 

Mini-Challenge#2

Synopsis (Fake): 

 

"The pace of evolution is murder..." in The Human Race. All those notions that we had about the planet and the universe have all been wrong; Mother Earth is, in fact, Daddy Earth and he's NOT a happy camper. He has slowly begun to devour the world, and has threatened extinction of the human race until they do as Daddy Earth desires. Money is no longer the currency of the world, leaves are. If you have maple leaves, good...if you have redwood leaves, even better. Animals are no longer fit for consumption and have all been marked with a virus that results in the growing of horns on the head of anyone who consumes their flesh. Cars are banned, and even the mention of an airplane results in an earthquake! 

 

Humans are absolutely mortified at the difficulties that they're facing, and cannot fathom why Daddy Earth is being so callous towards the human race. Until one of their political leaders, Captain Prince Sir Hump-A-Lot comes across the secret that Daddy Earth's beloved wife Gaia has threatened to leave him for not having run a tight-ship, for allowing Earth to come to disarray and harm her beauty, and for generally being a sloth. When humans come to find this, they suddenly realize that they've not only brought this upon themselves but have committed a grave injustice in the process. Can they redeem themselves, beautify the Earth, change slovenly and slothful Daddy Earth and please Gaia so that her love can become the emollient for Daddy Earth's wrath? You must read...to find out! 

 

A big thank you to Casey of The Bookish Type for hosting this amazing Mini-Challenge. Make sure to check it out here.