March Blogging Awards

Okay! I am so excited to announce this new thing....

I have decided to hold an award ceremony type thing. What this is, is you can nominate different blogs for different awards. A lot of the categories are on the sillier side of things.

With any luck this will be a goofy award thing that will show off different blogs as well as help people discover new blogs!
The rules for this is that each person can nominate a blog for each category ONCE!
Each blog will only get a final nomination and make it to the voting round for one category. This is to make it so that the maximum number of blogs possible get the chance to participate.
Filling out the form below will mean that you nominated blogs/bloggers. When filling out the form please include the bloggers name and the name of their blog!

In order to make this even more fun (as I'm sure you're already thinking of all of it's amazingness) it would be really helpful if you helped spread the word! I know that potentially I might not get enough nominations to have some for every category. I know that potentially there might not be enough nominations for each category to get it to come to a vote, so even just letting other people know would be really appreciated! 

What I plan to do is leave nominations open until March 15th. I will then have people vote for the blogs that they think deserve the award!

If you can only think of a blogger/bog for one or two categories, that's totally fine! Fill out the form anyways!

Also if you want to let the person who you nominated know, that would be awesome and really would help spread the word about this!

Hopefully this will be a fun event for everyone! Let me know what you think of it and make sure that you fill out the form below!
I really hope that I get a good response to this and also find out about some new fantastic blogs! My goal is for people to nominate blogs that they are closer to instead of going straight to nominating the well known blogs. (I mean that's awesome if you do that, but I would love to get the word out about smaller blogs!)

So feel free to nominate WHOEVER YOU want!

SO LETS GO AND HAVE A BLAST! I can't wait to see who you all nominate!

Did I read it wrong?

My question today for you all, is have you ever read a book and completely hated it. You found flaws EVERYWHERE and it you have actual textual evidence to support why you despised the book SO MUCH! But then you look on Amazon and you see 132 five star reviews, 25 four star reviews, 4 three star reviews, 1 two star review, and 1 one star review. And WAIT FOR IT....

The one star review was just a review about the injustices of kindle books and how they couldn't lend the ebook to other people.....

Well, right now this happened to me. I read this book that shall currently remain unnamed, and I completely hated it. I had so many issues with it and I have so many sections highlighted and notated with problems I found in the book.
So my question is DID I READ THE BOOK WRONG?

I mean 132/163 reviews ADORED it on AMAZON! How is that possible. So then I headed over to Goodreads to see if maybe the reviews over there were more on my side. 1202 people gave it five stars, 656 people gave it 4 stars, 282 people gave it 3 stars, 52 gave it 2 stars, and EIGHT PEOPLE gave it one star (One of which was me...)

My first response was a snort. Because it had to be a mistake, right? But then I started reading reviews. Some of my favorite authors LOVED it. The reviews for it were positively glowing. EVERYONE, but me loved it. And at first I just couldn't understand why.

For the most part I'm a pretty favorable reviewer. I didn't feel out to get the book, I actually for the most part enjoyed the first one. (There were major flaws, but I gave it a solid three stars) And then this happened.

I am the black sheep of this book. I have to say I'm a bit surprised. This is definitely a new... shall we say experience for me.

My second reaction for this entire experience was: Did I read the book wrong? How can this really be possible?

The truth is I still have no clue how this happened. Even as I reread sections of the book while writing my review, I found that extreme dislike I had for it again and again.  I tried and I tried to look at it with fresh eye, but all I could see were the obvious flaws.

Like FOXGLOVE is poisonous, not a tea that will instantly heal you.
Or the incredibly high pain tolerance of this chick. If I broke and bruised a few ribs and then pulled a muscle or something (can't remember quite what) in my thigh, you would see me on the ground, screaming in pain, not scaling walls and killing (or should I say trying to kill) people like a boss.
Or the blatant trashing of agnostics and atheists.

Yeah... that all plus a lot more.

And I'm not saying that I can't understand why people DO like this book, because if I could overlook some of this I think I might find it a bit more enjoyable, It's the fact that NO ONE else sees it my way. This book has been out for about three years, and yet no one has written a review that even remotely agrees with my opinion. (The one two star Amazon reviewer did comment on the high pain tolerance though...)

I guess that this post was more of a rant post. It's been a few months since I actually read the book, but today I was going over some old draft posts and saw my review. (Which is a whopping 3,000 words) I never posted the review just because I hate being the back sheep. I don't like being wrong. And somehow it just kind of scares me that my views were SO DIFFERENT then everyone else's. (I also mentioned some issues with the bashing of people who don't believe in G*d, and I didn't want to get any hate about that part....)

So have any of you read a book and been the black sheep? 

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Title: Lady Thief

Author: A.C. Gaughen

Genre: YA, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance

Series: Scarlet #2

Rating: 5 trees

***Warning: This review might contain spoilers for Scarlet so consider yourselves forewarned....***

The Premise

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.
(Summary via Goodreads)

My Thoughts
STORY TIME! Yesterday I was in Barnes and Noble and I was contemplating buying a few different books. Lady Thief was one of them. For me Scarlet was nearly perfect. I completely adored the book, but I wasn't sure about Lady Thief. I am not a person who likes series that much and as much as I was anticipating Lady Thief, I wasn't sure I was ready, as I was so sure I was about to be disappointed.

I really should have more faith in the author.

There is so much I could say about Lady Thief. So many extremely spoilerly things, like: OMG THAT ENDING?! But since I don't want to ruin it I shall refrain from saying anything that could potentially ruin it for you... (But on a side note: OMG THAT ENDING?!)

One of the things that I really enjoyed about the book was Robin and Scarlet. Robin and Scarlet are my OTP. I love the two of them together and watching their relationship grow and change throughout the book made me become an emotional mess. Robin was always there for Scar whenever she needed him. She went through so much and suffered so much more than anyone ever should. Rob was also suffering from some MAJOR PTSD from the Crusades. He slowly opened up to Scar about his fears and slowly began to get over his insane nightmares. 
The two of them would always run to each other when they needed comfort and help. The two of them have gone through so much and I desperately wanted them to just get that happy ending so that they could run off into the sunset together. 

I think that the fact that they were willing to put so much effort and risk their lives just so they could end up together was beyond amazing. In the first book, for all that I loved them and shipped them together, I never really saw that they trusted each other beyond all else. I mean they clearly loved each other a ton, and they trusted each other with their lies, but they never seemed to develop a strong emotional trust. I could see that they really loved each other, but in this book their devotion and growth as a couple was both believable and just... perfect.

The characters of Lady Thief made me remember one of the reasons why Scarlet happened to be one of my all tie favorite books. I loved Much and his devotion to the band. I love how he fought through so much even though he was at a disadvantage so often. I loved his devotion and love to Scar. I pretty much love everything about Much. And then there was John Little, his character growth and the change that the reader saw made me fall that much more in love with him. He made choices that I fully supported and I just adore him.And then there were all the people that Scar was forced to deal with in the castle. They each had their distinct personalities and I loved the layers and depth to each of them. 

Gaughen is the master of twists and turns. In Scarlet, I had guessed the twist pretty early on and was completely prepared, but in Lady Thief I figured it out the page before it was actually stated. Looking back it was completely obvious with all of Gaughen's subtly placed clues and hints, and personally it completely made the book for me. There is no doubt in my mind that Gaughen is a masterful author and I am so excited to see what she does with the last book.

I think the author has managed to stay remarkably close to the legend of Robin Hood, but at the same time has put her own twists and turns on the legend and made the story unique and completely her own. She has once again left the book at a complete cliff hanger, one that makes me desperately NEED the next book. The ending left me heartbroken and a complete emotional mess. What makes it worse is I finished it at 1:30 in the morning and I could not fall asleep for forever just because the entire thing was just TOO BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT. 

In Conclusion
Lady Thief was an emotional roller coaster. It was dark with bits of happiness shining through leaving you rooting for the success of Scar and Rob. Each page had happy and sad and hope and despair and it seem so... possible. You know when you read a book and it's just sunshine and daisies and everything works out and everyone gets a happy ending, but you know that it's not possible? Lady Thief is not that book. There is pain, but there is hope and it is all so beautifully interwoven that it gives you hope in the darkest of times. For me, I found no fault in Lady Thief. It was beautiful. It was a journey. It was perfect. And it gave me hope. 
At the end I cried.... I never ever, ever cry when I read books and even right now I'm tearing up a bit. Because this book was beautiful. I don't think there is anything more I can say to try and convince you that you need to read it even more. There was so much that I never even touched upon in this review, but for me this was the perfect next installment to one of my favorite series based on my all time favorite legend. I am highly anticipating the final book and I think that fans of Scarlet will be extremely pleased with this fast paced, gripping sequel.

Two of my favorite quotes:

He broke it off with a heavy sighing. "I love you Scarlet. Go on, now, before you steal my sanity too," he said.
"Too?" I questioned
His grin by the moon were wicked and handsome. "Thief of my heart." 

"Scarlet," he murmured. His hands squeezed my waist. "I've told you all along, I knew who you were from the first. I know your heart. Names, titles, hair, odd clothing choices, none of that changes who you are. And I am madly in love with who you are."

My Rating

Waiting on Wednesday: Prisoner of Night and Fog

Waiting by Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine!
This post highlights a book that I am dying to be released!!

THIS WEEK I'M WAITING ON:
 

Prisoner of Night and Fog
By Anne Blankman



In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.

And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

RELEASE DATE: April 22nd, 2014
Why I'm Waiting: I really love reading about World War II books and the Holocaust. It's a super interesting topic and this book sounds beyond fantastic. I definitely want to read it! 

Bookish Myths Debunked:

BAM! New feature! Shocking I know, after all I have disappeared from the blogging world for quite a while. Basically this is a feature I've been planning to start for a while and well hopefully it will be something fun for me to do. 

Have you ever read a book and then wondered about parts of it... Like could that really happen in real life? I don't mean dragons becoming human or something but like is it possible to climb a 50 foot wall in 3.8 seconds if you're just a regular human?  (I would say no... but I have yet to test this....)

Basically this feature is based on Mythbusters.

I am going to help you either prove something true or show that most likely in real life it's not going to happen. This is a feature that I will hopefully have up on Mondays and most likely it's going to be a biweekly feature.

I have a ton of ideas for this feature, but if you have something you want proved or disproved just fill out the form below! 

With any luck this is going to be a blast!\

Top Ten Reasons why I love Book Blogging

Top Ten Tuesdays is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC IS: Top Ten Reasons why I love being a book blogger/Reader...

BLOGGERS

1.) The other bloggers... This is one of those duh moments... Getting to talk to people who love books and genuinely care about what you're saying is an amazing feeling. I love the fact that I have friends that I can so easily relate to, even if I've never met them in person before!

2.) Sharing my opinion~ I love being vocal and telling people what I think so for me that's a big part of blogging, being able to say that this book was AWFUL or that this book was AMAZING.

3.) Being able to work with authors~ For most of my life I've idolized authors. To me authors are kind of like movie stars. And as a blogger, I've been able to work with some amazing ones and that has been incredible!

4.) It gives me something to do in my spare time besides reading. If I didn't blog I would read... Or more likely I would just end up wasting even more time on my computer doing who knows what! (I know that seems impossible right?)

5.) I love working with other bloggers. Yes this is different then blogging friends. Working with other bloggers has been a spectacular experience, and some of those other bloggers I barely know, but quickly they have become friends!

READER
6.) As a reader I LOVE being able to escape into other worlds. Getting the chance to read about things that would never happen in real life is a great feeling. 

7.) I also love getting the time to read because I kid you not, I am that much more prepared in English class. I learn some of the randomest things while reading and sometimes in school a question about one of those things comes up and I look like a genius because no one else knows it but me. I also understand things A LOT better because of reading. For example: Without reading 1984 I would NEVER have understood any of the societal problems throughout the Soviet Union.

8.) I also love being a reader because I feel really safe at night. As a reader I have a bazillion books just chilling in my room and if anyone ever broke into my house and came into my room in the dead of the night I have many things to swing at them.... SUCCESS!!!

9.) As a reader I can experience things that non-readers CAN'T. I mean can they say that they've traveled on a flying beast during World War One, or seen angels fall from the sky as the world ends, or a million other things? NO THEY CAN'T, BUT I CAN!!!!

10.) I'm like, 30000000 times more prepared for the apocalypse than they are. Sure they might watch Walking Dead and know a few measly things about survival, but I? I know it all. I could so survive this apocalypse.....

ANYHOW... That's why I love reading and blogging... 

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Why do you LOVE it????