Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday

Book Blogger Hop: 
The Question of the Week is: 
In honor of Banned Books Week, what is your favorite “banned or frequently challenged book”? 


Answer: Of the 2010-2011 banned reads, the only one I've read is 'Hunger Games'. They banned the book for supposedly giving children nightmares and numbing readers to violent acts. I may be in the minority here, but I didn't find Hunger Games to be violent. It was depressing and some dark things did happen, but we never really saw the heroes of the novel do many violent things, just saw their reaction to the violence around them. 


Plus, the news is filled with far more violent acts, so I don't see why parents choose to blame this book for 'numbing' their children's reaction to violent acts. (A good movie to see if you liked Hunger Games is Battle Royale. It's a Japanese flick that I found similar and just as entertaining as 'Hunger Games'!) 

The Question of the Week is: 
What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character? 


Answer: I'd like to see the 'Stravaganza' series (by Mary Hoffman) made into a movie. The books take place in the contemporary world, as well as Talia, a fantastical version of Italy. I'd love to see the 'Stravaganza' series come to life on film! I don't know who'd I cast as the main characters... That is sure something to think about!

Updates/Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday

Hello again to all my friends, I'm glad you came to play, fun and learning never ends-- oops, sorry channeled Barney there for a moment!  Thanks for stopping by the blog.  This past week was pretty centered on 'Divergent'.  


New This Week:
Divergent Fantasy Cast
Divergent Review


And the hops...
The Book Blogger Hop: 

The Question of the Week is: As a book blogger, how do you introduce yourself in your profile? 


Answer: Do I have a profile? Hmm. Not so much.. I may have to work on that. In my soon to be updated profile, I'm sure I'll mention my love of reading, my goal to work in television or at least get a script or two produced, and my other hobbies (ie: doll collecting).  Maybe all in Q and A style?  I'll probably have some silly little quote in there from Doctor Who. I think that it's important for people to know who the writer is on blogs. That's why I do these hops and why I do the fantasy casts. Those two things give a little more insight into me, I think. I'll have to make my profile reflect that, too. 


Follow Friday:
The Question of the Week is: It's that pesky magic book fairy again! She has another wish: What imaginary book world would you like to make a reality? 

Answer: Does 'The Neverending Story' count? I've always wanted to hold a book with the Auryn on the cover and the whole idea of being part of the book while reading it? One word-- Awesome!

Thanks for stopping by this week. See you again soon!!!

Updates/Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday

Hello friends! Down a laptop, I haven't been able to post my usual three posts a week here. Apologies. It didn't help that my reading schedule has been off this past month. You know when you're in a reading rut? Yep, that was me. :-) 


Now, I'm back. I have two book reviews 'in the wings' and am going to start another book tomorrow. 


As far as the reality TV show front, things are looking good!!! Keep your fingers crossed for me. I think I made a good choice to stay behind the camera in television. I've read recently reality 'stars' don't get very much money compared to the creative team. 


Anyone watching Falling Skies? I think that wins for my new favorite show of the summer. 


See you all next week!

The Question of the Week is:  What are you most looking forward to this fall/autumn season – A particular book release? Halloween? The leaves changing color? Cooler temperatures? A vacation? (If your next season is other than fall/autumn, tell us about it and what you are most looking forward to in your part of the world!) 

Answer: I really enjoy Halloween. I'm a ham at heart, so dressing up and pretending to be something new and exciting for an evening, even if I'm too old for trick or treating, always makes me happy!



The Question of the Week is: If you could change the ending of any book (or series), which book would you choose? And, why? 

Answer: There are a few, actually! 

I would have told Stephenie Meyer to stop at 'Twilight', first off! There are bits of the sequels I like, but it would have been fine as a standalone! 

I'd probably have to go to K.A Applegate and get her to make a happy ending for the 'Animorphs' series. (Wiki to synopsis of the final book) I remember really disliking the negative vibe the last books in the series had. So not the way to end it!

I'd also like to knock on George Lucas' door and tell him that he needs to find a way to get Chewie back from the dead and to redeem Jacen from his dark downfall (I'm thinking, we can do JR and call it all a dream!) in the EU Star Wars novels! There was no reason for Star Wars to get so darn dark, in my opinion.

Updates/Contest Reminder/Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday

It's another weekly hop already? Wow. This week flew by! Be sure to check out the happening's on the blog this week. Lots of fun stuff happened!  


I'd like to thank Stacey Kade for taking the time to fill out the author interview! Thanks!


This Week on the Blog:
Review: Passion by Lauren Kate
Author Interview: Stacey Kade
Contest Info: Win 'Queen of the Dead' by Stacey Kade


Reminder: Are you a follower of the blog? Enter to win Stacey Kade's 'Queen of the Dead' or a handful of promotional keychains! All the details can be found in the contest post! Enter soon-- the contest ends on the 7th!


And onto the hops...


Book Blogger Hop

The Question of the Week is:
What is the one ARC you would love to get your hands on right now?


Answer: I was JUST talking to my mom about a book that I wished I had received! Very timely question! 'Darkness Falls' is my pick. It's by author Cate Tiernan and is the sequel to the wonderful 'Immortal Beloved'. I'm really looking forward to stepping back into that world!  


While this isn't an ARC, I would love to get my hands on 'Immortal War' (final book in 'Vampirates' series) by Justin Somper. It was released by Simon and Schuster UK in June, but we don't get it in the States until January. Do I think I'll make it to January to read this? Not a chance. I'll be placing my order on Amazon.uk soon!!!  It's just so irritating knowing that it can be found on bookstore shelves now, just not in my country!!!


Follow Friday:




The Question of the Week is:
Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?).


Answer: While I can't think of a book that really changed my life drastically, I have a few 'comfort' reads. If I'm feeling down, I usually pick up 'Twilight', 'The Host', or 'The Grey King'. They always seem to get me through tough times. It helps that they are some of my favorite reads. 'Twilight' is pure popcorn-- corny in a good way. 'The Host' has the cutest love story. 'The Grey King' has some great settings-- mostly Welsh locations that have some connection to King Arthur. After reading one of these books, I'm usually out of whatever funk I was in!


Thanks for hopping by this week!  See you next time!

Updates/Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday

Hello, my friends. How are you all this week? I've been in a Doctor Who'y sort of mood, myself. It's my own fault. I ordered the 10th Doctor doll (made by Tonner) and it arrived this week. Which then made me have to watch 'The End of Time Parts 1 +2' (aka the final two episodes of David Tennant as The Doctor). Do you want to see the doll that started me in this mood? You do? Okay, let me pull up a picture....

The factory version of this doll looks different than this one. Tonner styled his hair really funky right out of the box. I bought this from a kind seller who was willing to fix his hair. It really helps in seeing the resemblance between this face mold and David Tennant's face, I think.


And keeping on this Whovian tangent, if you have watched the entire David Tennant era, watch the video below. It's quite funny!



And This Week on the Blog...
SDCC 2011: Merlin, Being Human
SDCC 2011: Avatar: Legend of Korra
SDCC 2011: Doctor Who, Supernatural
Review: Illusions
SDCC 2011: Vampire Diaries
SDCC 2011: Breaking Dawn
Friday Five Favorites


And the Hops...
Book Blogger Hop:



The Question of the Week is:
Highlight one book you have received this week (for review, from the library, purchased at the store, etc.) that you can’t wait to dig into!


Answer: Well, I just borrowed 'Wolfsbane', sequel to 'Nightshade'. While I highly doubt I'll be able to start it anytime soon, it's good to *finally* have it in my hands!


Follow Friday:

The Question of the Week is:
Let's step away from books for a second and get personal. What T-Shirt slogan best describes you?


Answer: Well, I've always liked the t-shirt that says, 'I used to be schizophrenic, but we're okay now'. While I'm not schizophrenic, I do have a tendency to talk to myself and you could say that writers themselves have their fair share of schizophrenic tendencies. :-)

See you all next week!

Updates/Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday

Happy Hop! This week has been crazy hot in the midwest. We hit 103 degrees in our garage yesterday. Yikes! Thankfully, our air conditioning is kind of working-- keeping it at 80 degree's, which isn't great, but is better than 95!


Looking ahead, make sure to stop by the blog August 1-7th. I'll be participating in the August contest hop. :-) I have some fun things to giveaway. While I'm not going to give away any spoilers just yet, I'll give you a hint. The prizes have something to do with Stacey Kade's 'Queen of the Dead', the sequel to 'The Ghost and the Goth'. More details to be posted soon!


I'd like to post my condolences to Borders Books and Music. I worked at a Borders for six months. It was my introduction into retail, actually. While I was there for a short time, I will always have fond memories of my time spent there. Borders differs from Barnes and Noble in a few key ways. I'll miss the fantastic manga section that most Borders have. In the same respect, I'll miss the little extra bobbles that Borders sold-- anime figures, t-shirts, purses, Pocky, etc. I spent most of my paychecks on the extra's that my Borders sold than books, I think! Even today, I go in and buy some of their 'extra's from time to time. And let's not forget the Hand Crafted Black Cherry Soda...  Yum.  Whatever happens, I hope that the thousands of Borders employees who are eventually losing their job aren't shafted and end up where ever they have to end up to be happy.


This Week on the Blog:
Review: Ashes, Ashes
Top Ten Tuesday: Required Teen Reading
Borders Liquidation


And onto the hops:
Book Blogger Hop:

The question of the week is:
What’s the ONE GENRE that you wish you could get into, but just can’t?

Answer: I'm not very good with contemporary fiction, teen or otherwise. There are some times I wish I could venture from my traditional suit of supernatural genre's, but nothing ever works out in my favor when I do that, so I've pretty much stopped.

Follow Friday:


The Question of the week is:
Name 3 Authors that you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking about either their books or get advice on writing from.


Answer:
Susan Cooper- b/c she rocks. Seriously, The Dark is Rising Sequence is far too underrated here in the States. I would love to just hang out with her for a while and talk about Wales, writing, and The Old Ones!


Laura Whitcomb- b/c she seems like a pretty interesting lady. Her blog is filled with some great posts, including those on her Supernatural Tea Parties. All in all, she seems like a fun person to hang with for an hour. (Author of 'A Certain Slant of Light')


Stephenie Meyer- Yes. Make fun of me all you want, but I would love to meet Stephenie Meyer. And believe it or not, I would probably ask far more about 'The Host' than the Twilight Saga! Stephenie seems far more down to earth than other writers, so I think she'd be a blast to hang with. Plus, it would give me a chance to ask some questions about 'The Host' that have bugged me since reading it!


And that's this week in a nutshell.  See you all next week!

Updates/Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday

After an interesting week of having very little electricity, we are finally on the grid again. This week was originally dubbed 'Harry Potter Week', but it was cut short due to the power outage. I will be continuing to update with my scheduled Harry Potter updates, however!


This week on the blog:
Review: Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Kids
Harry Potter Meme Fun!
Video Rewind: Sorcerer's Stone
Fun Harry Potter Facts: Movie's 1 and 2
Funny or Die Trailer for Field of Dreams 2


I saw this video on Yahoo! and it made me laugh... I thought I'd share it here!

And on to the Hops!

The question of the week is:
How/Where do you get your books? Do you buy them or go to the library? Is there a certain website you use like paperbackswap?


Answer: I usually get my books from the library first. I hardly ever buy debut titles from a store until I've read them and decided I want to collect the series.



The question of the week is:
What do you do when you're not reading?


Answer: Tons. I usually will chill in front of the tv watching something on Netflix (currently: re-watching old school Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the K-drama Boys Over Flowers) or be on the computer killing time doing this or that. Aside from staring at screens, I love shopping, re-rooting dolly heads (aka giving them new hair), or taking photos of things! You can see my some of my re-roots/photos on flickr! Recently, I've decided to go back into directing short documentaries and oral histories for fun...


Happy hop!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Updates

Oh, another Friday is here and with that comes another hop post! As I sit here watching 'Let's Make a Deal', I am reminded that I didn't get to post much this week! That will be fixed this upcoming week, I assure you! Good news on the reality show front, we're ready to pitch! And because of that, check back for a new mini series on what it takes to create a reality show and more about my upcoming California Adventure!


This Week on the Blog:
Heads UP! Twilight: The Graphic Novel Vol. 2
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Trailer


And now, the Hops...

The Question of the Week is: 

When did you realize reading was your passion and a truly important part of your life? 

Answer: I've loved reading since third grade-- the year I participated in Battle of the Books. While I occasionally (*cough*this week*cough*) take a short break, reading has gotten me through the best of times and the worst of times. You can always count on a book, I think! There's not one moment that I can mention that made me realize my 'passion' for reading. It has always been such a constant that I couldn't imagine NOT loving reading and loving talking about things I've read.

The Question of the Week is:
What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?


Answer: As far as my favorite fairytale is concerned, I think I'd have to go with Beauty and the Beast alla Walt Disney or Thumbelina. I just love the stories.

I also quite like the original Brothers Grimm stuff-- so macabre! When it comes to reads, 'Tithe' is a great fae tale. Aprilynne Pike's series is quite addicting.


Till next week!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Updates

It's that time again! I've passed over the last few hops b/c I wasn't a huge fan of the question. This week has some interesting questions, so I thought I'd participate...


This Week on the Blog:
Review: Tigers Quest
Review: Legend
PotterMore?



The Question of the Week is:
Genre Wars! What's your favorite genre and which book in that genre made it your favorite?


Answer: My favorite genre's are fantasy and supernatural, usually the kind that mixes with the real world a bit! There are so many. Originally, the works of Bruce Coville (Magic Shop series) and Elizabeth Winthrop (Castle in the Attic) brought me into the genre. Since then I've discovered a ton more awesome titles! Happy fiftieth feature, ParaJunkee!

The Question of the Week is:
How many books are currently in your To-Be-Read (TBR) Pile?


Answer: Too many! Most are older titles that I have been told are really good that I just haven't gotten to you! For the full list, check out my goodreads account-- link located on this site's side bar!


See ya next week!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Updates

Why, hello there, readers! Not a huge amount of updates this week. For those following my reality show news, the digitized footage is in and on its way to the editor for the 3rd pass! I now understand why producers handle five projects at once-- television pre-production is such a waiting game!!!


This Week on the Blog:
Review: Enclave
Hunger Games Movie News


I'd like to remind you all about the review I did of Stacey Kade's 'Queen of the Dead'. It just arrived at the bookstore (mine, at least!). It comes highly recommended from Brooke's Box of Books!


Also, congrats to Ricki at Reading Challenged! Ricki recently won a copy of 'Sweet Valley Confidential' courtesy of Francine and Ann Marie!


And onto the Hops...

The Question of the Week is:
What book-to-movie adaption have you most liked? Which have you disliked?


Answer: By far the worst adaptation known to man (or me at least) happened to one of my favorite book series-- The Dark is Rising sequence. Susan Cooper's 'The Dark is Rising' was adapted into the travesty that is known to movie folks as 'The Seeker'. *shudder* I don't blame acting, directing, or the decision to cast an American lead instead of a British one. I blame the script writer, John Hodge. John, just so you know, I'm never hiring you-- for anything-- ever. Mr. Hodge decided the term adaption meant keeping the main characters names the same as in the book, but re-writing everything else. And I mean everything. Heck, he invented a twin brother for Will and decided that Will, the human boy, would be one of the signs! How ridiculous. John Hodge, you suck. (Oddly enough, he hasn't actually worked on anything according to IMDB since 'The Seeker'. Just desserts? I think so...)  His excuse was that the book originally didn't have enough action to keep the story entertaining.  Well, I agree to an extent.  But that means using your brain to enhance the features in the book or, if you want to add something, add something that makes sense.


Ironically enough, my favorite movie that was adapted from a book is 'The Neverending Story'. I know it jumps from the book in large ways, but I think it's fantastic. While it may not play out entirely like the book, the feeling of the book was definitely present. And seriously, Atreyu trying to get Artax to cross the the Sea's of Sadness (or whatever it was called-- I forget at the moment)-- so sad!!!





The Question of the Week is:
How many books do you read in a week? And in what format do you read them, or listen to them?


Answer: I typically bank one book a week. 99% of the time it is a physical book, not an ebook. I don't really have an e-reader, though I'm considering getting the new Nook Simple Touch eventually... I'd love an e-reader I could put my manga scans on, but I don't know how in the heck I'd ever do that!


And that's it for this week!  See ya again soon!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Updates

Hi all!  Brooke here!  This week kind of flew by, didn't it?!  No hard core updates this week.  I finished watching 'Hikaru no Go'.  While I hated to see it end, the ending was quite fitting.  One of my favorite things with anime finale's is when they bring back the characters-- all the characters-- that played a part and 'Hikaru no Go's finale did that perfectly.  


Also ending this week is 'Smallville'. In reality, I probably only watched the pilot and this two hour finale, but after ten years of seeing promo's during other WB/CW shows, I felt I needed to be there to watch the finale.  Again, it was a nice ending.


And 'Vampire Diaries' had its season finale.  It wasn't as crazy an 'oh my gosh' moment as seasons one's cliffhanger, but still this finale was very, very good.  I already miss it.  It needs to start season 3 soon!!!


This week on the blog:
Review: The Lens and the Looker


I missed my usual meme this week, so I plan on adding another post to the blog tomorrow or during the weekend to make up for it.  I'm thinking it's about time to post my review of 'Enclave' or 'Immortal Beloved'!


Onto the Hop's...








The Question of the Week is:
Tell us FIVE quirky habits...
Answer: 
1- I don't mind wearing matching earrings of different colors or two colors of nail polish at the same time.
2- I can only take one book at a time.  Multiple books and me don't mix!!!
3- If you were to call me, 8/10 times it will go to VM and I'll call you back!  If I don't know a number, 10/10 times it will go to VM.  I totally screen my calls. 
4- I talk with my hands, even when I'm on the phone.  At work, someone will call and ask about where their hold will be held and I'll be pointing to the registers while telling them.  What can I say?  I'm Italian...
5- I have a knack for remembering the names of toys/dolls from years past.  For example, I can spot a Spectra from a mile away, can name all the Jem dolls, and can pretty much judge what decade a doll came out by looking at it!

The Question of the Week is:

If you were given the chance to spend one day in a fictional world (from a book), which book would it be from and what would that place be?

Answer:  Two answers.  First, I'd love to spend time in JK Rowlings Wizarding world.  Heck, I'm even looking forward to one day going to the Florida amusement park!  

Second, a little more down to Earth, I'd like to see Susan Cooper's Wales.  I know, she pretty much took it from the actual Wales, but I'd love to see the places described in the book!!!  One day, I really do plan on making a trip around the Dark is Rising sites!

That's it for this week.  I promise, more updates will pop up in the days ahead!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Updates

Hello, folks! Fun week? Busy week for me! Remember that reality show I mentioned I was working on? Well, we finally got the re-shoots for the sizzle reel done. I believe it will be smooth sailing from here. Pitch meetings, here we come!


As for reading, most recently I finished 'Enclave' and 'Abandon'. You can read my review of 'Abandon' on the blog already. 'Enclave' will be up later. I'll let you in on a secret-- I enjoyed it!


This Week on the Blog:
Book-alike: A Doppleganger meme
Review: Abandon
Contest Reminder: Sweet Valley Confidential-- Ends May 19th


And onto the hops...

The Question of the Week is:
Are you going to Book Expo America (BEA) and/or the Book Blogger Convention (BBC) this year?


Answer: Alas, I am not attending. I can't afford to go to NY at the moment. I'd love to attend both of those conventions, though. I'm totally addicted to attending conventions of all kinds-- anime, comic cons, ala's... And conventions that give away free books?! *wide eyed* Love them. Maybe one day I'll get to attend BEA or BBC. Just not this year.





The Question of the Week is:
What is the most emotional scene in a book that you have read lately?


Answer: My family jokes that I'm made of ice. I'm not a crazy emotional person, but certain books have made my eyes water a twinge. The ending of 'A Certain Slant of Light' gets me every time I read it-- it's just beautifully done. 'The Hunger Games' has some real tear jerkers. The first book had a moment with a sweet, young character meeting her demise-- it was depressing. Oh, and let's not forget the entire 'Life as we Knew It' trilogy. That series had a whole undercurrent of depressing!


And that's it for this week! See you again soon!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Updates

To start off this weeks update post, I'd like to congratulate Meredith M. Meredith has won ebook 'Seeing for the First Time'. Please check your e-mail, Meredith, for an message from me! This week has been filled with work, meetings, and Hikaru no Go watching, but not so much reading. This weekend, I'm really going to pick up my pace and read something!


This Week on the Blog:
Review: Till Death Do Us Bark
Happy Star Wars Day
Contest: Win Sweet Valley Confidential
Author Interview: Francine Pascal of SVH fame


Make this blogger happy and check out some of the above posts and leave a comment? A bunch of fun content was published this week, including a contest, author interview, and some fun Star Warsy links!


Now onto the Hops...

The question of the week is:
Which book blogger would you most like to meet in real life?


Answer: Any, really! I don't have any specific people in mind. All the blogs I follow are great!


The question of the week is:
Circle time! Time to share. What character in a book would you most like to be, what character in a book would you most like to date?


Answer: I'm not sure!!! In terms of what character I'd like to be, I'd love to experience Hogwarts. Count me in as an unnamed Gryffindor! Not Harry Potter or even Hermione, but just a nameless student who gets to deal with magic everyday, but isn't being hunted by you-know-who. 


I would also love to be a Stravaganti from the Stravaganza series (Mary Hoffman). It would be fantastic to be able to go back and forth to Talia.


As for the perfect YA boyfriend... Oh, goodness, who to choose! At the moment, Archer from 'Hex Hall' has my heart. He seems perfect. Strong, hot, romantic, and funny. A perfect combo! St.Clair from 'Anna and the French Kiss' is a close second. I mean, come one, he has an accent!!!


And that's it for this week, folks!  See ya next hop!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Update

Hi gang! Hope everyone's week went well! This passed week has been both excellent and troublesome. Reading wise, it was a bit dry. I have started a book called 'Silver Smoke'. It's a YA Supernatural novel dealing with angels. So far, so good!


This Week on the Blog:
Review: Anna and the French Kiss
Top Ten Tuesday: Mean Girls
Ebook Giveaway- Ends May 5th! (Low Entries!)


And on to the Hops!

The Question of the Week is:
Summer is coming quickly - what 2011 summer release are you are most looking forward to?


Answer: So many books are coming out this year I want to read. Sticking to the summer months, I am most looking forward to the sequel to 'Knightley Academy' entitled 'The Secret Prince'. 'Immortal War', the next book in the Vampirates series should be coming out soon, too, though the release date on Goodreads has it as earlier this month. 'Tigers Quest', sequel to 'Tigers Curse', comes out in July. Oh, and let's not forget 'Wolfsbane', sequel to 'Nightshade', also due out in July.





The Question of the Week is:
Keeping with the dystopian and apocalypse theme that seems to be running rampant on parajunkee.com, I have one very hard question for you: If you were stocking your bomb shelter, what books would you HAVE to include if you only had space for ten?


Answer: This is hard b/c most of what I read are series and I can't imagine only bringing one book from a series into my shelter!


1: The Dark is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper (five books, bound as one novel paperback)*
2: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer*
3: The Host by Stephenie Meyer*
4: Aliens Ate My Homework by Bruce Coville
5: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
6: Dramacon: The Mega Edition by Svetlana Chmakova (All three volumes bound as one!)
7: An Atlas or world travel guide (to remember what the world was like before whatever made me enter the shelter)
8: The Skipper Doll reference guide*
9: A Barbie collectors book
10: Shutterfly photo books printed with pictures from my childhood, California, and Italy.
11: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by, well, you know who


And there you have it. My nine choices for what books I would take to sustain me if I were in a shelter, unsure of how long I'd be down there. I'm sure some people think I wasted space with the S. Meyer titles, but 'Twilight' and 'the Host' never get old for me. The Dark is Rising Sequence holds my favorite book in the whole wide world, 'The Grey King'. I'd need the Skipper and Barbie collectors guides to remember what my collection held if, in fact, my collection was gone. 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' and 'Prisoner of Azkaban' are my favorite H.P books. Books with *'s by them are what I would need to bring if I were moving somewhere or if I were flying somewhere and needed a book I knew I would enjoy re-reading.


So there you have it, That's it for the hops this week! See you next week!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Update

Wow, what a week! There's been a bit of a commotion on this little blog this week as I posted my first ebook review, along with a Q/A with its author and a giveaway post!


I also made a few less happy posts this week-- one about the closing of the North American Tokyopop offices and one about the passing of Doctor Who actress Lis Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith to Who'vians). I found a nice tribute on youtube.  My layout cuts off the right side of the screen.  Click the video to watch via youtube.

I'll link to those posts in a moment, but first, are any of you Star Wars fans? If you haven't checked out 'Star Wars: The Musical', then, sorry, but you have to now. The link is HERE. If you go to 'The Musical' link on the right sidebar, you can play and download all the fantastic songs that these guys put together. Kind of wish LucasFilm would have done something with these songs or the concept!!!


This Week on the Blog:
Contest: Win 'Seeing for the First Time
Author Interview: Nicole Zoltack
Review: Seeing for the First Time
Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I'd Name a Kid After...
You Will Be Missed, Lis Sladen
Bye, Bye Tokyopop


And On With The Hops...

The Question of the week is:
If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?


Answer: I try, but many times I'll only enjoy a handful of books by the author. Universally, I love Bruce Coville's works. As far as other series, I thought I'd love DJ Machale's new series, but didn't. While I loved Cirque Du Freak (by Darren Shan), I didn't love Demonata. Even Stephenie Meyer. Loved Twilight and The Host, but the sequels, not so much! And finally, while Susan Coooper wrote my favorite book, I really could never get into anything else she wrote.



The Question of the Week is:
What is on your current playlist right now?


Answer: I'm a bit weird when it comes to music. I don't have a playlist, persay. I usually turn on a radio station and listen to random mix's. I'm a huge fan of Pandora radio and recently, groove shark.


If you were listening to a mix of my Ipod, you'd hear at lot of: The Monkee's, Hanson (yes, they still make records!), various showtunes, my favorite anime/drama themes, hits from the 90's pop era, and tons of regular pop/rock (from all decades).


Actually, a lot of my taste in music comes from my mom. Odds are if she played or plays it, I tend to enjoy it. That would be one of the many reasons I know lyrics to many a Barry Manilow songs and Bobby Sherman song. (The Monkee's was totally Nick@Nite's fault!)


That's it for now, folks! See you next week and don't forget to enter my contest!!!!! (If any of you'd like to help me out on this, I'd love a bit of advertising for it! Let your readers know!!!)

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Update

This Week on the Blog:

Review: Sweet Valley Confidential

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'd like to see as Movies

The Question of the week is:
Outside of books, what is your guilty pleasure?


Answer: I DVR 'My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic' for myself and if ever it comes on DVD, I plan on buying it! I've been a MLP fan since the 80's and had doubts about this new cartoon that premiered on the Hub this year. Never would I have thought I would love it as much as I do! It's actually quite funny for kids of all ages (20 somethings included!).


And that's it for this mid-week hop!


Question of the Week:
Do you have anyone that you can discuss books with IRL? Tell us about him/her...


Answer: Does IRL stand for 'in real life'? I've never heard of it before! In real life, I talk to many people about books. Most of the time, I talk to my mom. We read the same books. Recommend them to eachother all the time. I discuss books with friends and co-workers, too.

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Update

Hi there, readers! It's that time again! Another week, another hop/update post! This week has been quite a busy week for the blog. I did my first IMM meme and have some neat stuff planned for upcoming weeks. :-) Plus, I received my first 'review copy' from a publisher. All in all, it's been a good week!


This Week on the Blog:
Review: Filling The Family Tree
Review: Queen of the Dead
In My Mailbox meme


Now, onto the hops!

The Question of the Week is:
Since today is April Fool's Day in the USA, what is the best prank you have ever played on someone OR that someone has played on you?


Answer: I don't really remember pulling any real pranks... Kind of boring of me, right?  On the same note, I don't remember anyone really pulling a prank on me.  


I don't see a follow friday for this week, so I'll leave you here for the week!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Update

Happy Hop! I'm due in at work in an hour, so this will be a quick one!


This Week on the Blog:
Review: Afterlife
At The Movies...

The Question of the week is:
If you could physically put yourself into a book or series…which one would it be and why?


Answer: I want to choose a few stories for this weeks answer. First, I'd love to be part of the world created in 'The Dark is Rising Series'. Their adventures are beyond cool. Also, sign me up for 'The Neverending Story' tour. How neat would it be to be in Bastians position and be able to have adventures in Fantasia, meet Falcor and Atrayu, and all in all have a fun place to always go if you need to? And last, Harry Potter. Who doesn't wish they were a wizard now and then? I don't know how many times I've tried 'lumos' to no avail. I've always wanted to go to a boarding school (for real!) and Hogwarts seems like a great choice!!!





The Question of the Week is:
Inspired by the inane twitter trend of #100FACTSABOUTME, GIVE US FIVE BOOK RELATED SILLY FACTS ABOUT YOU.


Answer:
1- While I'm a twenty-something, I have yet to find a good 'adult' book (aka any book out of the basic 'fiction' section of a library or bookstore). YA and Juvi are still my favorite age ranges. Every book I've read from the adult fiction arena has been one that could easily crossover to a younger audience ('Ender's Game', 'The Host', to name a few!)
2- I don't like smelly books or books that have circulated in libraries for too long. Books that look old or used just turn me off!
3- Believe it or not, I tried my hand at fan fiction years ago. I wrote fan fiction for the 'Dark is Rising' series and 'Pendragon'. All very short stories. I think they're still floating around the web on my LJ somewhere...
4- I tend to like books with Arthurian legend to them.
5- I totally judge books by their covers...  A bad habit, but it's hard to read a book that has an ugly cover...


That's it for this edition of the Friday Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Update! Till next week!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Update

Hey Hoppers! Hope the week has treated you well! Hard to believe we're in the third week of March already, huh? Before I go on, I'd like to wish you all a 'Happy St. Patrick's Day' and a Happy Birthday to my grandmother, who is currently celebrating in Heaven! It's been a few years, but you are still missed!

This Week on the Blog:
Review: Radiance
At The Movies...
Review: Demonglass


Onto the Hops...

The Question of the Week is:
Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?


Answer: I typically read one book at a time. I like being able to concentrate on one story instead of many! Too many books means too many plotlines running together!!!





The Question of the Week is:
How did you come up with your blog name?


Answer: Brooke = One of my various names. Box of Books = Something I always love to pick through because I love seeing what's new and exciting in the book world! Hense, Brooke's Box of Books. My name came about pretty quickly. As I mentioned last week, I like alliteration. I wanted a name that had that going for it, too.  All in all, it was pretty painless!


That's it for this week. I just came back from a comic convention and am wiped! See ya next week!

Book Blogger Hop/Follow Friday/Update

Wow, I almost forgot! Today's Friday! Good news, folks, I've caught up on my reading and have new reviews set to pop up on Tuesday for the next three weeks. Yay! Also good news, the paper edit of my reality show promo reel is done and ready for the editor. After we get the finished product edited, it's off to the races, er, pitches!


To all those in Japan, Hawaii, and everywhere else affected by mother nature, my thoughts are with you! I've been a fan of Japanese entertainment, manga, dolls and overall culture for so many years that I feel a bit connected to the country, even though I've got no real ties to it. The images of the earthquakes and water overtaking whole towns is quite sad. My thoughts are with you!!!


This Week on the Blog:
Review: Dramacon
At The Movies...


And onto the hops!

The Question of the Week is:
If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?


Answer: If I were given $80.00 for books, I would probably have these:


-A hardcover copy of 'Hex Hall' (retail: 17.00)
-A hardcover copy of 'Blackheart: Vampirates 4' (retail 17.00)
-A hardcover copy of '43 Old Cemetery Road' (retail together at around 20.00)
-A hardcover copy of 'Matched' (retail: 17.00)
-A paperback copy of 'The Host' (retail: 10.00)


That's 81.00 right there. Then I'd probably head to the DVD dept and see if they had anything cheap. :-) Course, this is all assuming I didn't have a staff discount at said store. If I did, I would probably pre-order the the newest Knightley Academy book. :-)


Most of the books in my cart would be hardcover copies of books that I've read as ARC's and want in a more durable binding.






The Question of the Week is:
Just like Ashley said (love it) "Ashley the girl..." who are You the Boy/Girl, instead of You the Blogger?


Answer: I had to decipher this question, but now I get it! Brooke the girl? I'm a college graduate (2007) with a BA in Television Directing. (Yes, that is what it says on my transcripts!) I want to work in the television/film industry as a writer or producer. You might ask why I, a college grad, am still looking for work in my chosen field... Well, it's because I can't seem to get enough money together to live in California. Television and Film projects all come out of that state, whether or not they shoot in that state. To get solid footing in the industry, I'll need to move. I'm in the works of trying to get out there sometime this year to really start my career path. At the moment, however, I'm content with working at a bookstore as a minion (whoops, I mean part time employee) and working on my reality show.


I live at home with my family and two adorable dogs. You might wonder how in the heck I can survive my family, but I can. I quite enjoy them... most of the time! I'm still looking for my prince charming, but am sure one day we'll find each other. It wouldn't hurt if he turned out to be Zac Efron or Gregory Smith! :-)


I collect many things, but my largest collection is dolls. Mainly, I collect Skipper (Barbie's Little Sister), Asian Ball Jointed Dolls, Monster High, and My Little Ponies. Recently, I've learned how to re-root dolls who have suffered bad hair cuts. It's so much fun giving them a new look. If you have any gently used Barbie dolls that you want to donate to my hobby, please let me know. :-)


Anywho, there's so much more I could talk about, but that's it for now! I hope you all enjoyed the hops this week and I hope to see you again next week!!!