Book Blogger Hop Question

How do you spread the word about your blog?

(e.g. Social Networking sites, Book Blog Directories, comments on other blogs...)

When I first started BBOB, I had no idea how to advertise it and get it out there.  First things first, I hit the search engines and made sure my link was in their system.  I also started editing my reviews on Goodreads to only hold a blurb and then link to this blog.  It brought a lot of traffic in and usually helps those who only go on Goodreads find the blog!  This past few months, I have been joining hops like this, been tweeting about various posts, and have joined Ning's made especially for book bloggers.  

The Final Two installments of 'Banned Book Week! Read, Review, and Recommend your favorite banned book!'

As you know, it's Banned Book Week!  This is the week we celebrate the books that are wrongly banned from books, libraries, and schools!


Guess who missed their update yesterday?  I did!  Here are the final two banned book's I've chosen to highlight this week!!!

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling is the most challenged book series of the decade.  And it gets that honor because it teaches children about the occult!  *insert laugh track here*  Seriously, I've tried turning a light on by saying 'lumos' and it doesn't work.  Repairing glasses by shouting 'occulus repairo' doesn't work either, folks.  If the challengers had even looked into what Wicca actually entails, they'd realize that practicing the 'harry potter' method of magic will really get you no where.

This, 'Wrinkle in Time' by Madeleine L'Engle, is the final book I'm showcasing this week.  Here's the reason why.  I have no idea, no inkling whatsoever, what a parent would find wrong with this title.  I haven't read it recently but remember this being a good fantasy/adventure tale about friendship and family.  Okay, I remember Gregory Smith, too, but that's another story all together.  I really don't recall anything that anyone could blow out of proportion (like the magic in Harry Potter or the religious themes in Chronicles of Narnia).  Do you know why it's one of the most challenged books of this past decade?  I don't, but honestly even if I did, it wouldn't make me recommend this title less to anyone looking for a good, classic read.


And this ends my Banned Book Week festivities. I hope you've enjoyed these past few posts and I really hope that you will continue to read, review, recommend and celebrate these titles year round.  :-)

S.O.S Book of the Week

The S.O.S Book of the Week is where I'll let you in on what new releases I'm looking forward to! S.O.S comes from the term 'Strict on Sale'. It's bookseller speak for a title that you can't sell before a specific date-- think Harry Potter. While the books I have here may not be S.O.S titles specifically, they are all new!

The S.O.S. Book of the Week is:

Quick bit of info here-- I collect dolls, mainly Skipper.  After too many years of inflated (outrageous, completely ridiculous) prices on the only Skipper doll price guide around, we finally have a second edition!  Released September 29th and now out of stock on Amazon.com (!!!), the 2nd edition of ‘Skipper- Barbie Doll’s Little Sister’ is here!  Put together by Trina Cottingham, Scott Arend, and Karla Hemingway, this book is roughly 250 pages long and looks to have a ton of information!

Here’s a quick blurb from Amazon about ‘Skipper- Barbie Doll’s Little Sister’.

“This long-awaited second edition of Skipper – Barbie Doll’s Little Sister features 16 additional pages of never-before-seen items including rare dolls, prototypes, and gift sets, and a new, updated price guide. Included are U.S. and foreign market Skipper dolls and friends, their clothing, licensed products, and gift sets manufactured from 1964 through 1978, the last year the first face mold was used. An entire chapter features all domestic and foreign issues of Skipper doll’s tiny twin brother and sister, Tutti and Todd, spanning their production years from 1967 through 1980.”

I really wish they would have gone into the 80′s/90′s Skipper lines, but for some reason, they were ignored.

Check back for a more detailed review of the book when I finally get my hands on it!!!  Have you read it?  What did you think?

Have You Seen This Trailer?

I was looking for info on those awesome Torment t-shirts Borders has and stumbled upon the book trailer for Lauren Kate's 'Torment', sequel to 'Fallen'.



I have a bit of a problem with the size of Daniels wings in the trailer, but it's not too shabby a trailer. Yes, it doesn't go into the plot of the book at all, but at least they used real actors.  I really like it when publishers go the extra mile and at least try to make it look like a movie trailer.  

What do you think?

The Third Installment of 'Banned Book Week! Read, Review, and Recommend your favorite banned book!'

As you know, it's Banned Book Week!  This is the week we celebrate the books that are wrongly banned from books, libraries, and schools!

It's Wednesday!  Time to celebrate another 'banned book'.  In this case, we're celebrating a series-- Goosebumps by R.L. Stine.  I don't know about you, but I grew up reading the Goosebumps series.  Every Christmas, I'd receive a handful of new titles. Heck, I still own most of the ones I received those Christmas's!

'Night Of the Living Dummy' and the two books that follow are by far my favorites in the series because they're just so creepy!  That being said, because something is creepy, should it be banned?  Because something may frighten the faint (very faint) at heart, should we pull it off of library shelves?  Bluntly, no.  I get it, some kids might be freaked out by a book about a ventriloquist dummy coming to life, but that is no reason to pull it from library or bookstore shelves.  Just because one kid, or rather one parent, can't understand the macabre style R.L Stine brings to the Goosebumps series doesn't mean another kid won't gobble it it up like there's no tomorrow and thirst for more.  

Thoughts?

Review: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Title: The Replacement
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Genre: YA, urban fantasy, slight romance
Perfect for: readers looking for a slightly dark urban fantasy
Star Rating: 3/5 stars

Summery from Goodreads:

"Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants."

First things first, this cover is amazing.  From the imagery to the glossy, metallic look, everything about it shouts 'read me'.  I was sucked in by the cover, not the blurb on the back.  The cover sold me on this title and made me look forward to reading it.  They say you shouldn't judge books by covers, but in this case, the cover totally lives up to the text.

I was a bit worried about the story when I saw it being compared to 'Catcher in the Rye'.  Long time readers know that I despise 'Catcher in the Rye', so you understand why I had my doubts.  While I can see the connections, I believe 'The Replacement' has a completely different feel from the classic it's compared to.

The story is dark, more urban fantasy than I'm used to reading.  It was a nice change, actually.  Starting with the characters, I felt them to be pretty unique.  The title character, Mackie, had a very difficult problem to deal with and felt pretty fleshed out to me.  You really do feel for the kid-- knowing that you're dying and having to hide your true identity from your best friend? Mackie brings an interesting perspective to the whole fae thing, different from other characters in other urban fantasy titles.

Mackie's best friend, Roswell, left me with a few question marks over my head.  I loved his character and really loved his name, but his family history was never really explained.  Knowing a bit about that would have definitely fleshed out Roswell a lot more as a character.  It makes me wonder if his family history was left out for a reason?  A possible companion novel of sorts?  We shall have to see...

And then there is Tate, the token love interest.  As far as token love interests go, Tate was a pretty solid character.  Like Roswell, I would have liked to see a bit more her backstory.  The romance between her and Mackie, well, it felt a bit rushed to me, but what YA novel doesn't have a rushed romance now a days?

You'll notice my star rating is 3/5.  I had to take a few points off due to the story.  The story itself is fun and intriguing.  However, just like with the romance, the plot elements seemed a bit rushed.  Everything happened so quickly.  It's felt like we went from 'major plot point to major plot point', instead of 'major plot point to rising action to major plot point'.  The elements were unique, yes, but it was almost too simple for the characters to achieve what they were seeking.

I suggest picking up 'The Replacement'.  Minus the quick plot, it is a different sort of read and is perfect if you feel stuck in a supernatural romance rut!  'The Replacement' is on store shelves now!

The Second Installment of 'Banned Book Week! Read, Review, and Recommend your favorite banned book!'

As you know, it's Banned Book Week!  This is the week we celebrate the books that are wrongly banned from books, libraries, and schools!

Tuesday's Banned Book pick?  'Fahrenheit 451' by Ray Bradbury tells the story of a society in which books are not allowed.  They are, in fact, burned at 451 degrees Fahrenheit.  It's a classic story that preaches against banning books, music, etc.  (Kind of ironic that it's one of the most frequently challenged book of the past decade!)  Plus, it's a really entertaining read.  If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you pick it up!

Banned Book Week! Read, Review, and Recommend your favorite banned book!

It's that time again-- Banned Book Week.  This is the week we celebrate the books that are wrongly banned from libraries, bookstores, and schools everyday.  I'm a huge believer that you should not ban any book, regardless of your thoughts on it.

Each day this week, I'll be posting a banned book or series I happen to love.  I encourage you to do the same!

Mondays Banned Book/Series is none other than C.S. Lewis's 'Chronicles of Narnia', banned usually due to the religious themes in the titles.  There are two ways to read this series.  It's quite easy to read it purely as a fun fantasy tale and just as easy to read it as a fun fantasy with religious themes.  In my opinion, this book isn't preaching anything unless you read it looking for religious references.  And even if you are, what harm comes from thinking of Aslan as God or Narnia as Heaven?  I've read many books about characters that have drastically different religions than me and I would never think of banning them just for that reason.

What's your banned book for Monday?