SBPT 2016: Always Opinionated Girl

So the Summer Blogger Promo Tour 2016 continues...

This week my guest is Emily from Always Opinionated Girl.

About Emily (from her blog):
"I’ve been book blogging for almost two years now and I can’t think of anything I’d rather do in my pyjamas, with a cup of tea, late at night. Books are my way of escaping reality, going on adventures and falling in love, over and over again.
Some of my favourite books from this year so far include The Winner’s Curse series, The Revenge Playbook, Walk the Edge and Rebel of the Sands. I’m always eager to fangirl with other book lovers so don’t be afraid to say hi!
As well as being an avid reader, I love TV shows and films, in particular The Flash, Arrow, Scorpion, Zoo, The Last Ship and Agent Carter.

I am a contributor to the blog The Feministas as which can be found at http://www.thefeministas.wordpress.com"

When getting to know people, I am always curious about their reading preferences so I was really happy that Emily was willing to answer some random bookish questions to help us get to know her and her reading choices better.

Let's see what she had to say...

What is your favorite genre to read?
I'm not quite sure if I have a favourite genre. I think it changes regularly. A couple of years ago I would have said dystopia without a doubt and then I went through a period of loving fantasy. Now, I'm really enjoying contemporary but I still read pretty widely and don't tend to stick to one genre.

Do you have a comfort read or reads?  Books you love to re-read?
I love rereading books that I can read quickly and without much effort. My favourite books to re-read are the Finding Sky series as well as Percy Jackson and Rites of Passage. These are all books I can read in one sitting and are just thoroughly enjoyable every time you pick them up.

You are picking books to go in a time capsule and can only select 3, which 3 do you choose?
I'd have to pick books that teach people in the future something important to make the decision. I'd love to put all my books into the time capsule but since I can only pick three, I'll have to go with Harry Potter, All the Rage, and Am I Normal Yet? I feel like all of these books teach something important as they tackle tough issues like feminism, mental health, sexual assault, friendship, grief and love.

Which character(s) would you want as a best friend and why?
For me, the answer to this one is obvious. 100% Hermione Granger. I relate to her so much and I have ever since I first read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. She is geeky, bookish but opinionated and stubborn so I think we're quite alike. I'd definitely be able to have so many interesting conversations with her and she's such a kind, loyal friend.

If you could live in any book world, where would you choose and why?
In my mind, the answer to this one is easy, the Wizarding world. I mean, who wouldn't want to go to Hogwarts. I'd love to visit Hogsmeade, taste Bertie Bott's every flavour beans, receive post by owl and find out what my patronus is. There's so much to explore and find out in the Wizarding world that it would definitely be my number one choice.

What books have been your favorite so far this year?
My five star reads so far this year have been The Winner's Crime, The Winner's Kiss, Rebel of the Sands, Walk the Edge, The Revenge Playbook, Eat Sweat Play and How Hard Can Love Be?

What book(s) are you most looking forward to reading?
I'm really looking forward to reading both The Cursed Child and A Torch Against the Night. I'm so interested to see what J.K. Rowling has managed to come up with and whether she meets the high bar set by the Harry Potter series. I read An Ember in the Ashes earlier this year and I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel as I can't wait to find out what is going to happen next and how the characters are going to continue to develop.


Thank you so much to Emily for indulging me and answering my random questions!
I really enjoyed reading her answers and was happy to see that we had quite a bit in common. I mean, who doesn't want to live in the Wizarding World? And Hermione and I would definitely be buddies in real life.
Plus, I just added a few books to my ever-growing TBR list.

Now everyone go show Emily some love over at Always Opinonated Girl!
You can also follow her on Twitter and Goodreads!

And if you want to visit EVERY blog participating in the SBPT, click here for a list!

Blogger Summer Reading Program Week One!

Well, Week One of Bekka and Whitley's Blogger Summer Reading Challenge has come to a close and I am proud to say that I have met my personal goal for the week!  Despite the world (and my body) conspiring against me, I read both a print (Two Summers) and an ebook (Second Chance Summer) with the the word "summer" in the title. I'll be posting my reviews of these two books in the next few days so be sure to check back if you want to know my thoughts!

And of course, crafty me made a Blogger Summer Reading Program Goals card for this challenge...I couldn't help myself.

So glad I was able to check two books off the list, but it was close though...

If you follow me on Twitter, you might know that last weekend, while watching my nephew play baseball, I got a sunburn so bad that my hands were swollen and I couldn't open and close them without pain. It is not easy to hold or read a book when that happens.  To top that off, I ended up with a migraine a couple of days ago and...well, it was just not a great week.

But I met my goal and I can hold a book now, so that's progress! Yay! And get this, I even managed to finish a couple of other books I was reading at the same time.

Now I am looking forward to my next "summer" reads...

The Sqaure Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

and

The Dead of Summer by Heather Balog

Wish me luck!  Maybe this week will be a little less eventful (and less painful)!

Good luck to everyone else on their summer reading!

Reading anything good?  Any recommendations?

Spoiler Alert?

Hard to believe there was a time when the phrase “Spoiler Alert!” didn’t really exist. There was no Internet, Twitter, Facebook, or whatever to post what happened in a book,  movie, TV show, etc.  People didn’t go online to tell you who ended up with who in whatever book was popular at the time. Movies were able to keep their twist endings secret. And people on the West Coast were just as surprised by a character’s death on a TV Show as people on the East Coast.

But now, it seems like it is very hard to avoid hearing or reading spoilers for anything.  I personally don’t mind being spoiled (I sometimes even skip to the end of the book), but don’t worry, I respect those that do. I will try my best not to post anything I think might be a spoiler. I know there are some that don’t like them and will go to extreme lengths to avoid all spoilers for books, movies, and TV shows and I would hate to ruin their enjoyment.

I have even seen people get angry online when books come out when people post about what happens as they read or watch a TV Show.  Or when someone tweets or posts about the ending or characters from an upcoming or newly released book.  I also have seen some people, like myself, who aren’t bothered by reading or hearing spoilers. Then there are others who post or discuss things in public forums without the warning and don’t seem to be bothered by the fact that there are people who don’t want to know about key events, twists, turns, or whatever you define as a spoiler.

But that’s just it…how do you define a spoiler? Do people define it differently? And at what point does a spoiler stop being a spoiler? Or does it?

I get that major events and plot twists are definitely spoilers. Or something not mentioned in the description. But what else would you consider a spoiler?  What might be a spoiler for you, someone else might not even think twice about posting or discussing.

And when does revealing or saying something about a book, movie, or TV show stop being a spoiler…I am especially curious about people’s thoughts on this one.

For books, is there a set time limit?  Or is it always going to be a spoiler? What if an author/publisher puts it in a blurb for a sequel or posts an excerpt? Should they post a warning or just assume if you're reading it, you know what happened earlier? I wouldn't think a warning would be necessary, but I'm sure some might feel differently.

How about movies?  Is it a month after the release?  A year? 10 years?  More?  What if the movie is based on a book? What if people quote famous lines from movies that could be spoilers (um...specifically one from Star Wars films)? Do quotes stop being spoilers once they enter our regular conversations?

And what about TV shows?  In the age of Netflix, OnDemand, and DVRs, when can you safely discuss or post about a TV Show without it being a spoiler? What about older TV shows or seasons?

Is posting a GIF a spoiler? What about a quote?

These are the random thoughts that run through my mind.  Any thoughts?

SBPT 2016: The Reader and the Chef

As I mentioned yesterday, today (and every Sunday this Summer) I'll be spotlighting a different bookish blogger/blog as part of the Summer Blogger Promo Tour!

Up first is Melissa from The Reader and the Chef! 

Photo courtesy of Melissa

Melissa (also known as Melissa de Montigny on Twitter) is a book blogger and reviewer, currently living in Mexico with a degree in Foreign Trade and Customs. Her favorite genres are fantasy, contemporary, and all things Young Adult with a hint of romance (if it has book princes, the better). When she’s not reading, Melissa loves to hang around Twitter professing her love for books, eating sweets, and staring at her collection of books. You can find her at The Reader and the Chef  (her blog), YA Books Central (staff reviewer), and on Kate Tilton, Connecting Authors & Readers.

You can also follow her on Twitter, Instagram, & Facebook!

I thought it would be fun to get to know Melissa and her reading habits a little better by giving her a little multiple choice quiz.  So let's see what Melissa had to say...her answers are in blue with her explanations in parentheses.

1) My favorite genre to read is

A. Contemporary

B. Fantasy (because magic +new worlds + possible swoony princes!)

C. Historical

D. None of the Above

E. All of the Above

2) I prefer to read…

A. Ebooks

B. Hardcover Books

C. Paperback Books

D. Audiobooks

E. Doesn’t matter, I just want to read, read, read! (I LOVE my physical books, but then again, I also love my e-readers and how I can read in the darkness)

3) I usually read ____ books a month.

A. 1

B. 2-5 (sometimes more! I'm definitely aiming for more the following months because I have to catch up with my challenge)

C. 5-10

D. 10-15

E. 15+

4) Which do you prefer to read?

A. Standalone books

B. Trilogies

C. Short series (4-5 books)

D. Never-ending series (6+ books)

E. It doesn’t matter, if it is something I want to read, I’ll read it.(My favorite books are trilogies, but I also love so many standalones and series)

5) It’s late at night and you know you need to sleep, but you are at a good part of the story. Do you…

A. Stop reading? The book is not going anywhere.

B. Keep reading?  Who needs sleep? (SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK)

C. Try to go to sleep, but end up getting up and reading anyway?

D. Go online to read spoilers so you can sleep knowing what happens?

E. Skip ahead to see what happens, so you can go to sleep?

6) You are interrupted while reading and can’t find a book mark.  What do you do?

A. Dog-ear the page. 

B. Use whatever is handy…gum wrapper, receipt, banana peel, etc. (I sometimes use tissues, they serve double purpose when reading emotional books!)

C. Close the book, you’ll remember where you were.

D. Write the page number down somewhere.

E. Can’t find a bookmark?  I never go anywhere without a bookmark!

7) A friend wants to borrow your absolute, most favorite book, do you…

A. Refuse? That book is your precious. 

B. Buy her a copy?  After all, you want to share the book love and keep a friend.(I SHALL NEVER LEND BOOKS EVER AGAIN. This way is better)

C. Gladly let her borrow it with no fuss? It’s your favorite and you want everyone to read and it.

D. Let her borrow it, but make her sign away her first born if any harm comes to it?

E. Let her borrow it and hound her every day asking if she’s read it yet?

8) When you read a book, the part that really captures your interest and makes it a good read for you is…

A. Characters (Characters always come first to me, then world-building and plot)

B. Plot

C. Setting

D. Writing

E. It really depends on the book.

9) What makes you pick up a book and say, “Yeah, I want to read that!”?

A. Cover (GIMME THE PRETTIES) 

B. Blurb 

C. Author

D. Reviews

E. All of the Above

10) My favorite part about blogging and the bookish community is…

A. the books 

B. the people

C. sharing my thoughts and creativity with others

D. the authors

E. All of the Above (I love every single aspect of the bookish community ♥)

Well, that was a lot of fun! Thanks Melissa!

Now everyone show Melissa some love here and over at The Reader and the Chef!

Summer Blogger Promo Tour 2016

I am thrilled to be taking part in this year's Summer Blogger Promo Tour!

To learn more about this awesome event check out The Book Bratz blog!

Every Sunday this Summer, I'll be featuring a different bookish blog/blogger! I have some fun and interesting things planned and it all starts tomorrow! So be sure to check back each week to meet some of my fellow bloggers!

Here is my schedule along with links to the blogs...

July 3 - The Reader and the Chef

July 10 - Always Opinionated Girl

July 17 - Quality Fangirls

July 24 - Living in a World of Book Quotes

July 31 - Confessions of Carlisa

August 7 - Bibliophile Soprano

August 14 - Bookaholic Banter

August 21 - Wrap-up Post

 I'll also be featured on one of their blogs each week, so if you want to learn more about me then check out their blogs every Sunday as well because you never know where I might pop up...plus you can learn even more about them!!!

And if you want to visit EVERY blog participating (which I highly encourage) check out the complete list here!

Blogger Summer Reading Program 2016

Tomorrow kicks off the Blogger Summer Reading Program hosted by Bekka from Pretty Deadly Reviews and Whitley from Reading with a Vengeance.  You can check out their blogs for more info and there is a Twitter chat tonight at 8 pm EST (#BloggerSRP).

I blogged about my goals for this month’s challenge earlier this month along with a list on my “Summer” reads.  My goals for the first week of the program are to read:

Two Summers by Aimee Friedman (print)

AND

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson (ebook)

I am reading other books as well, but these are the two I have chosen for the first of the week of the challenge.

Wish me luck! I haven’t read anything by either author so I am looking forward to them.

Anybody else doing the Blogger Summer Reading Program (you don’t have to be a blogger, by the way)?

Anybody have a summer reading list or goals?

Review: Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler

Title: Vinegar Girl

Author: Anne Tyler

Format: Hardcover

Source: Blogging For Books

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"The Taming of the Shrew" is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. I’ve seen several adaptations performed live and it inspired one of my favorite teen comedies, “10 Things I Hate About You.” So when I saw that Vinegar Girl was a modern retelling of this Shakespearean comedy, I knew I had to read it. And while it might not have been my favorite adaptation, this was definitely an enjoyable story full of the spirit of the play.

Vinegar Girl tells the story of Kate, a straight forward and often blunt (to the point of rudeness) preschool teacher whose eccentric father has decided that she should marry his research assistant so that the assistant can remain in the country. What follows is a humorous story as both Kate’s father and her would-be suitor try to win her over.  Complicating matters is Kate’s much younger sister, Bunny, who is attempting to spread her wings a bit and experience a little love and freedom for herself, much to her sister’s dismay.

The story is fast-paced and a quick read that I was able to finish in one day mostly because the colorful cast of characters won me over and kept me reading. I couldn’t wait to see what they’d do next and what Kate had to say.  And while I enjoyed Kate’s blunt and honest manner, it often got her into trouble with her job and family and sometimes to me just seemed plain rude and unnecessary.  Despite this, I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to others who enjoy a good Shakespearean retelling or are looking for a quick read.

My Rating: 4 Stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review from Blogging for Books.