Books to Movies Giveaway Hop #2 (INT) #TheMartian #SciFi #Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the Books to Movies Giveaway Hop hosted by Mary at Book Hounds and Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

This hop features books that have been made into movies, television series, etc. I recently went to the movies (which I never do) on a book to movie adaptation's release day (I do this even more rarely), and I was very pleased. I loved the book (read my review here), I enjoyed the movie tremendously, and I would like to share it with you.

What You Can Win



Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Publisher: Crown Publishing (Penguin Random House)
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?


Giveaway

We Gonna Party Like It's My Birthday #Giveaway

Because it IS my birthday!

Since I can't have all of you guys over at my house this weekend (I'll being doing my annual Mardi Gras business), I'm bringing the party to you. And you'll be getting the present!

Well, one of you will.

Giveaway

Audiobook Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

Title: The Martian
Author: Andy Weir
Narrator: R.C. Bray
Publisher: Crown Publishing (Random House)
Release Date: February 11, 2014
Acquired Via: Personal Collection
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.

Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

My Review

The Martian had been on my radar since its release last year, but I never felt too strong of an inclination to read it. It winning the Goodreads Choice Award for Science Fiction didn't really affect me either. It was not until The Martian stayed checked out for so long from my library that I was concerned it was lost did I finally decide to give it a shot. I already had a Kindle copy because I have no self control when it comes to Daily Deals, but per my Goodreads friend Damili's recommendation, I went for the audiobook.

I am telling you all of this because my review could be nothing but GIFs and/or emoticons otherwise.

Blog Tour (Review): Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Title: Bitter Greens
Author: Kate Forsyth
Publisher: Thomas Dunne (Macmillan)
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Acquired Via: Historical Fiction Blog Tours
The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love

French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens...

After Margherita’s father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition.

Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does.

Award-winning author Kate Forsyth braids together the stories of Margherita, Selena, and Charlotte-Rose, the woman who penned Rapunzel as we now know it, to create what is a sumptuous historical novel, an enchanting fairy tale retelling, and a loving tribute to the imagination of one remarkable woman.

My Review

Rapunzel was always one of my favorite fairy tales growing up, so it was only natural that I leap at the opportunity to review Kate Forsyth's retelling, Bitter Greens. It weaves the stories of three very different women in such a way that every page turned is like peeling back another layer of depth. In all honesty, I'm at a loss for words because this is one of the best books that I've read in 2014.

Audiobook Review: A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

Title: A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire #2)
Author: George R.R. Martin
Narrator: Roy Dotrice
Publisher: Bantam Spectra (Random House)
Acquired Via: Personal Collection
Release Date: November 16, 1998
George R. R. Martin, a writer of unsurpassed vision, power, and imagination, has created a landmark of fantasy fiction. In his widely acclaimed A Game of Thrones, he introduced us to an extraordinary world of wonder, intrigue, and adventure. Now, in the eagerly awaited second volume in this epic saga, he once again proves himself a master myth-maker, setting a standard against which all other fantasy novels will be measured for years to come.

Time is out of joint. The summer of peace and plenty, ten years long, is drawing to a close, and the harsh, chill winter approaches like an angry beast. Two great leaders—Lord Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon—who held sway over an age of enforced peace are dead...victims of royal treachery. Now, from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns, as pretenders to the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms prepare to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war.

As a prophecy of doom cuts across the sky—a comet the color of blood and flame—six factions struggle for control of a divided land. Eddard’s son Robb has declared himself King in the North. In the south, Joffrey, the heir apparent, rules in name only, victim of the scheming courtiers who teem over King’s Landing. Robert’s two brothers each seek their own dominion, while a disfavored house turns once more to conquest. And a continent away, an exiled queen, the Mother of Dragons, risks everything to lead her precious brood across a hard hot desert to win back the crown that is rightfully hers.

A Clash of Kings transports us into a magnificent, forgotten land of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare. It is a tale in which maidens cavort with madmen, brother plots against brother, and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside.

Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, the price of glory may be measured in blood. And the spoils of victory may just go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel . . . and the coldest hearts. For when rulers clash, all of the land feels the tremors.

Audacious, inventive, brilliantly imagined, A Clash of Kings is a novel of dazzling beauty and boundless enchantment—a tale of pure excitement you will never forget.

My Review

You can read my review of book one, A Game of Thrones, HERE.

If you are wondering about the look of concentration on my face and the strange little dance that I'm doing, that would just be me kicking myself in the ass for not picking up these books sooner. Yes, these volumes are large and intimidating, but A Song of Ice and Fire is one of the best fantasy series that I've ever read.

Audiobook Review: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Title: A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1)
Author: George R.R. Martin
Narrator: Roy Dotrice
Publisher: Bantam Spectra (Random House)
Acquired Via: Personal Collection
Release Date: August 6, 1996
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

My Review

Hello there, am I late to the party?

*looks around*

I suspected as much.

Yes, I realize that I'm coming into a series nearly two decades after its ascent into awesomedom, but I finally made it you guys! That's what counts, right? I mean, I'm one of those people who wants to wait until the series is finished to begin it because, hello? After eighteen years, there are only five books out. Kayla is not patient enough to wait so long to find out what happens to characters. But that's neither here nor there.

Bibliophilia, Please's Second Blogoversary (Top Books, Giveaway, & More!)

Though my literal blogoversary was back in June, I hardly think two posts between then and December 31, 2011 constitutes being an active blog. I had another blog that I spent a lot more time with, and I was doing a lot of writing on my own projects, so I never really took this one seriously. Then I took it TOO SERIOUSLY once I started. Anywho, my first post was Top Books of 2011 And Why I'm Glad They Haven't Pressed Charges. I suppose it's only right that I do a top books for this year. Hell, let's do it going back to the first post! (Okay, that's mostly because I was too lazy to do a wrap-up post last year, but that's neither here nor there.) On with it, then, and click on the covers to read my reviews!

Favorite Science Fiction


Favorite Fantasy

Review: A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan

Title: A Long, Long Sleep
Author: Anna Sheehan
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Acquired Via: Personal Collection
Release Date: August 9, 2011
It should have been a short suspended-animation sleep. But this time Rose wakes up to find her past is long gone-- and her future full of peril.

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose--hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire--is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes--or be left without any future at all.

My Review

Christina at A Reader of Fictions said that she told me ages ago to read A Long, Long Sleep but, sadly, my memory is shite, and I forgot that I needed to read it. Thankfully, the book was on my TBR in my Kindle and in my Audible library because I lack self control. After finishing my Grave Mercy reread, I needed an audiobook, and A Long, Long Sleep never looked so good.

Review: Poison by Bridget Zinn

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart… misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

Title: Poison
Author: Bridget Zinn
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Release Date: March 12, 2013
Acquired Via: NetGalley
My Review

You know that feeling you get sometimes when you start a book, that it will be impossible to put down? My friends, Poison was just that. The world-building was rich, the characters were lovable, and the writing was perfect for readers of all ages.

Kyra was one of the Master Trio of Potioners, and a highly respected citizen of the Kingdom of Mohr. Princess Ariana, the heir to the throne, is her best friend and the reason that she is on the run. Apparently it is frowned upon to try to murder a princess, even if she's your best friend. The story begins three months after the attempted assasination with Kyra starving and desperate. She is willing to do whatever it takes to kill Ariana because she thinks that she will save the kingdom by doing so. She's also one of those characters that wants to protect everyone she loves, and while doing that, closes everyone out. Yes, Kyra is a person guilty of the whole "I'm doing it to keep you safe" silliness. She also believes in doing what she thinks is the right thing, even at a personal cost. Kyra does end up growing a lot in Poison.

Review: Destiny, Rewritten by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

Des·tin·y: (noun) The hidden power believed to control what will happen in the future; fate.

Eleven-year-old Emily Elizabeth Davis has been told for her entire life that her destiny is to become a poet, just like her famous namesake, Emily Dickinson. But Emily doesn't even really like poetry, and she has a secret career ambition that she suspects her English-professor mother will frown on. Then, shortly after discovering that it contains an important family secret, she loses the special volume of Emily Dickinson's poetry that was given to her at birth. As Emily and her friends search for the lost book in used-book stores all across town, Emily's understanding of destiny begins to unravel and then rewrite itself, in a marvelous new way.

In her third novel, Kathryn Fitzmaurice again weaves a richly textured and delightful story about unexpected connections, about the ways that friends can help us see ourselves for who we truly are, about the stories that shape our lives, and about the most perfect kinds of happy endings: those that happen just on time.

Title: Destiny, Rewritten
Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: February 19, 2012
Acquired Via: edelweiss
My Review

I read this book over the holidays, and it's fitting. I knew that I had to be the Grinch because my heart grew two sizes the day I finished reading Destiny, Rewritten. It felt as if it would burst right out of my chest because I was felt with such overwhelming happiness and love for the characters, who are some of my all-time literary favorites. There is not one person in the book that I did not want to scoop up and squeeze into a bear hug.

Destiny, Rewritten taught me something that I have been overlooking about myself - I LOVE stories that make references to other stories or pieces of pop culture. I found myself giggling several times throughout the book because of arguments that Emily Elizabeth Davis and Wavey St. Clair, her best friend, would have about female roles in Star Wars, Little House on the Prairie, or even paper towel commercials. This was a perfect little running joke (it has to be a joke because it was so hilarious!) to go along with Emily while she searched to find her lost book, unknown father, and herself. Emily's letters to Danielle Steele and love of romance novels' happy endings are also so brilliantly woven into the story. There are also tree-huggers, used bookstores, a cashier from Goodwill who is all things awesome, and more minor characters who kept me beaming.

Top Ten Tuesday: REWIND

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Favorite Books I've Read During The Lifespan Of My Blog
Believe it or not, but my blog has been around for roughly a year. I have only been blogging consistently (if you want to call it that) since December, and I even used to do the Top Ten Tuesday meme fairly regularly over at Krazy Book Lady (who is fabulous, by the way). Anyways, this is a freebie week, and I thought this would be a great post to get back into the swing of things. (Yes, there will be more reviews, but I just have to type up what I've written on paper and wander away from. I know how awful I am.) So on to my Top Ten in chronological order!

1. Silver-Tongued Devil by Jaye Wells

I LOVE urban fantasy as a genre, and this book is probably one of my all-time favorites in the genre. It is #4 in the series following half-mage/half-vampire, Sabina Kane, and it is the best of the group. The character-building is awesome, and the book never read like it was just a bridge to the end. The last book, Blue-Blooded Vamp is out, but I haven't read it yet because I'm not ready to say goodbye. (Yes, I'm really bad about things like that.)

Fun bit of trivia: I have the entire series signed because I guess I stalk Jaye Wells. She is HILARIOUS and totally worth it. Just don't tell her I said that. (My Review)

Review: Tricked by Kevin Hearne

 

Title: Tricked
Author: Kevin Hearne
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Acquired Via: Purchase
Tricked by Kevin Hearne is the fourth installment in his urban fantasy series, The Iron Druid Chronicles. In this book, our hero (and my book boyfriend), Atticus O'Sullivan; his dog, Oberon; and his apprentice, Granuaile face the repercussions of Atticus' trip to Asgard, as well as a few new issues thanks to the Navajo trickster god, Coyote.

The Writing of Tricked reminded me of precisely why I love to read. It's easy for me to lose interest in books because I'm such a picky reader. (Yes, I am an avid reader, but I'm not an easy one to please. I try to tone that down here on the blog.) Kevin Hearne's quirky humor and heavy use of both nerdy pop culture and literary references lovingly caresses the inner dweeb in me. Tricked is also obviously heavily researched. The book (and series) is loaded with facts about various mythologies and poisons, as well many other trivial knowledge that went over my head (such as mining equipment) - not that it was boring. I just used that time to pretended that I could beat up Granuaile and take her place roaming the world with Atticus and Oberon. Anywho, research is always appreciated, even if it's something I do not exactly understand. At least someone does, right?

Books to Movies Giveaway Hop (INT)

Welcome to my stop on the Books to Movies Giveaway Hop hosted by the fantastical Sweeping the USA and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer! I've chosen to give away a book that is one that is being made into three films, with the first of which being released this year. This is a very important book to me because - as I have said many times in the past - it is the reason that I am a reader.

What You Can Win

NPR Books: 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels

So, I know that a lot of people are posting about the NPR Top 100 Teen Books that was actually posted earlier this month. (I always miss everything, so bear with me.) I actually voted in the poll, so I’m going to jump on the bandwagon and share with you which of these books I’ve actually read. The ones in BLUE are going to be those, and the ones I loved or really have stayed with me over the years will have the fantastic little ♥ beside them. Also, I stole this idea from everyone, so please feel free to grab a handful of credit for being fantastic. *hugs*

1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling ♥

2. The Hunger Games (series), by Suzanne Collins ♥

3. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee ♥

4. The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

5. The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien ♥

6. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

7. The Lord of the Rings (series), by J.R.R. Tolkien ♥

8. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

9. Looking for Alaska, by John Green

10. The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

11. The Giver (series), by Lois Lowry

12. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (series), by Douglas Adams ♥ (Every. Single. Book. Yeah.)

13. The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton

14. Anne of Green Gables (series), by Lucy Maud Montgomery

15. His Dark Materials (series), by Philip Pullman ♥

16. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

17. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

18. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

19. Divergent (series), by Veronica Roth (I have not read Insurgent yet.)

20. Paper Towns, by John Green

My First Review of the First Book I Ever Read

I’ve been struggling with the choice of what book to review first. I tried deciding by genre. Urban fantasy maybe? I LOVE The Dresden Files series (Jim Butcher). Or a space opera? I just finished A Rising Thunder (David Weber). The thought kept rattling around my empty skull, until a thought made its presence known. Since this is our first review, let’s make it about the first book we ever read. You may have noticed a plural or two there. Nothing to see here. This is not the multiple personality disorder you’re looking for. *waves Jedi arm thingy frantically*

I have read books before The Lord of the Rings. I even remember a few titles. Sandokan, The House of the Spirits, and that’s ALL I remember! And I only remember the titles at that. I do know there were some pirates in Sandokan. Maybe some jungle. Maybe a turban or three? And The House of the Spirits was about a... haunted house or something. I wasn’t paying attention. Ghostbusters anyone?(Whoyougonnacall!?)

So, even though I have read books before, they obviously left no impression whatsoever. The Lord of the Rings on the other hand, changed me. It gave me magic, wizards, elves, dwarves, quests, evil overlords. It’s important to me. It’s (dare I say?) precious. Jeje*.

Books That Changed Me

Sometimes I look back at my teenage self, and it makes me want to slap the back of my younger self’s head. I’m sure you get that feeling too, 'cause if you don't then I’m a weirdo. Not that I’m not weird in other aspects... but I digress.

The reason for this is that I used to hate reading. Oh, I can hear gasps! Yeah. Basically, I sucked. My most disliked subjects in school were – first up – Math, because math is evil *whisperandIgotreallybadgradeswhisper*. Evil! They should make you do fractions and calculus and all that crap instead of waterboarding and pliers and probes... but I digress. Another one was Spanish (Spanish is my native language, olé!) because it meant reading books. I used to not even try to read them and got constant Fs and Ds on book tests. Not only did I suck because I didn't like to read, but I also was kinda stupid. All that changed one time when I was walking down the street, and I saw The Fellowship of the Ring for 4 bucks. For some reason, I had to have it. My family wasn't in the best of economic conditions, and 4 bucks meant something even if now it doesn't, but I had to get it. So I did. And it changed my life. I read it in one day, and when I finished, I read it again. I was hooked.

My Favorite Reads Giveaway Hop (INT)

It's blog hop time again! I won't wax poetic today and just get down to business. First things first - thank you to I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Rachelle Writes for hosting! Secondly, here is what you can win:

These are my some of favorite reads released in 2012 so far. You can choose any ONE of those books as your prize. (Note: Dust Girl will be a preorder, as it has not been released yet.) You can also choose Silver-Tongued Devil by Jaye Wells if you win.

Giveaway Requirements

• Be thirteen (13) years old, have parental consent, or lie about it. (Please don't do that.)
• Live somewhere that can get shipments from Amazon or the Book Depository for free.
• Be Awesome (and fill out the Rafflecopter).
• Following is NOT required, but it is always appreciated. Your options are on my sidebar, but I will tell you that I am yet to figure out Linky.
• You can help me spread the word, but it isn't required.

J is for Juvenile

I have found that there are two kinds of voracious readers - those who read from childhood on and those who read after finding a special book once they get a little older. (Don't shoot holes in this today - just roll with it.) I know if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, that I began reading when I was little. Instead of me going crazy and writing a novel-length post about great juvenile literature (I could very easily), I will list a FEW that were my favorites* as a child. Yes, I know I am leaving great ones out. It is going to hurt me to do it, but these are the ones that I found myself reading over. And over. And over. Also, the ones that I've listed which are the first in a series represent the entire series.

I am perfectly aware what a strange mixture it is that you see, but this is what I read and reread that qualifies as juvenile. (Click on the titles to find out more about them.)

Midnight in the Dollhouse by Marjorie Filley Stover
A Certain Magic by Doris Orgel
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Jennifer Murdley's Toad by Bruce Coville
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

You can fill in your favorites in the comments. It will help us both cope with this short post. I am also trying to play catch-up on returning visits and comments. I was out of town over the weekend, so I'm a little (okay, a lot) behind on All The Things. :-)


*I began reading adult level literature when I was seven or eight, so most juvenile fiction that I have read was as an adult. Yes, I know that is odd. Blame Piers Anthony.

My A to Z Master List