Top Ten Tuesday: My Top [Five] Best Bookish Memories

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, and it features top ten lists of various topics.

So, I really couldn’t come up with ten bookish memories so I just stuck to the nice number that is five. Don’t know if they really fit but here they are:

1) Dead Poet’s Christmas

Maybe this is a little outside the box of this category but it is one of my favorite bookish memories. The English club I was in at my college put on an event called the Dead Poet’s Christmas. It was where some English professors dressed up like famous authors (Jane Austen, Mark Twain, Hans Christian Anderson, ect) and they would read some of that authors work. I was in a dreamland hearing “Jane Austen” read from Pride and Prejudice (and then the same scene from Pride, Prejudice and Zombies), and “Charles Dickens” reading from a Christmas Carol with The Ghost of Christmas Present right next to him (actually, Dickens was one of my female professors.lol). It was the perfect night.

2) Winning a book t-shirt from an author on my birthday

Okay, so it was the night before my birthday that I got the e-mail but it totally made my day winning a t-shirt for one of my most anticipated reads (Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen). Then later the next month I actually won an autographed copy of the book! The author put in different notes throughout it about her favorite parts, what she was thinking when she wrote it, or little bit of history. The best part is that I totally loved the book and went all fangirl when reading it. It was very cool!

3) Standing in line for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows

2007 was a very Harry Potter summer for me. It was the first time I had read any of the books or seen any of the movies (I was 18). I waited in line at B&N for hours waiting for my very own copy of the last book (first and only time I waited in line for a book release). That summer I also went to a Harry Potter movie marathon and saw movies 1-4 and then the 5^th one at midnight. That was a great summer.

4) Listening to an audiobook with my sister

I don’t listen to audiobooks that often but for some reason I checked out The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong on audiobook from my library. One day when we were cleaning, my sister and I put it on and started listening to it. For the next few days, we would just sit together and listen to this audiobook while knitting or cleaning or resting and it was just really cool being able to experience the book at the same time. No one had to keep their mouth shut for fear of giving a spoiler.lol

5) The Library Booksale

The library booksale is something I look forward to every spring and fall. It’s where I buy the majority of my books. Our county has one giant sale that lasts for a week. My family goes to the preview sale every time, then once during the week, at the ½ price sale on Saturday, and then on bag day ($1 to $5 a bag) on Sunday. Last fall I think I came out of it with 50-60 books or more (most books were $0.50 to $1). It was a good sale!

Review for The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3)

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3)

Author: Rick Riordan

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy/Mythology

Pages: 586

Summary from Goodreads…

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close—the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare....

The Good, The Bad, The Krazyness…

YEEEE!!!!! This was my most anticipated book of 2012! I bought it right when it came out (I know, I’m really late getting this review up) and I almost never do that. Rick Riordan is one of my favorite authors so I had a lot of expectations… it was beyond all I could have ever hope for!!! Great characterizations, plot, descriptions, and, like all of Riordan’s books, very quotable! His best book so far!

The two groups of demigods have finally come together to become the seven heroes of the prophecy. As with all hero journeys, this one is filled with great peril; monsters, ghosts, and reflections, oh my! And don’t even get me started on the spiders. I think they’re the most vile and evil of all monsters, I can barely read when they’re on the page. Why did there have to be spiders??? … moving on. The issues between Rome and Greece are far from being reconciled and there is a lot of tension as the Argo II tries to land in Camp Jupiter. We are told more about the quarrel between the two groups and how it began. We were just talking about the Roman Empire in my world history class the other day and I think the author really captured the paranoia of the ancient Romans and how a mob forms.

As in the other books in this series, there are multiple narrators. I’m glad Riordan made all of them from Camp Half-Blood (Percy, Annabeth, Piper, and Leo) in this book. The Camp Jupiter characters are cool but I’m a bit biased, I prefer reading from the Greeks POV. Camp Half-Blood forever!

And for the first time we get to hear things from Annabeth’s POV! Besides Percy, Annabeth is my favorite character and I went all fangirl when I got to hear her side of things; especially her thoughts on her relationship with a certain green-eyed son of Poseidon. They have got to be one of the cutest couples I have ever read! There were many times I would start smiling like krazy, or go “aww” at some of the stuff they did. I thought their relationship was done very well. Not overdone, or unrealistic, but for two warrior demigods it was perfect. There actually was a lot of couples in this book, more so than his previous series. I didn’t mind some of them but there was just the slight impression of a love triangle. Or at least it was imagined from a jealous almost-boyfriend. That I could have done without.

If I had to nitpick one thing, I would say that I thought the middle could have been cut down a little. It seemed that some of the stops the demigods made were just so we could meet up with some new mythological characters. They were great scenes but some of them seemed to slow down the main story just a bit.

This book has a brilliant opening with reunions and battles, a fantastic journey in the middle with introductions to new gods, visits from familiar ones and more battles, and a mind blowing finale that leave you begging for the next installment. The Mark of Athena is everything a fan could want out a book.

Q: Who is your favorite character in The Mark of Athena?
A. As awesome as Percy is I think the prize goes to Annabeth in this book! She definitely makes one of the top five on my "awesome, kick-butt chicks" list!

Get Real: Why Printed Books are Better than E-Readers

So there's this debate going on about printed books vs. e-readers. I don't have an e-reader and I don't plan to get one if I can help it (some college classes actually require you to buy one). So, I thought I'd throw my two cents into this debate. Here are my top 10 reasons why I prefer the printed word over e-readers. In no particular order I bring you my list…

1) Self-Defense

     -You too can be like Jason Bourne and use your hardbacks to beat-up the bad guys. Or just use them to beat-up on your friends who trash your favorite book (but beware, they will retaliate. Possibly with Little House in the Big Woods.) =D

2) 1 Star Print Books Make Good Coasters

     -You ever had a book you just wanted to throw against the wall? Couldn’t get rid of it or can’t bring yourself to? Never fear! It can be useful in other ways!

 3) Print Books Make Great Barbie Forts

     -Low on cash and you/your daughter/sister/niece want to create a castle or fort for their Barbie’s? Never look farther then your bookshelf. 

 4) Great Home Decorations

     -What better furniture can your home have than a bookshelf? You can show off all your print books to your friends and tell stories about how you came about them. Yes, bragging is a big part of this.

 5) Multiple Editions/Covers

     -Your spending the day browsing books (at a bookstore or booksale) and you come across your favorite novel. You already own the book but the cover is something you’ve never seen before and you are drawn to it. It hypnotizes you and whispers, “buy meee!” This is how you end up with six copies of A Christmas Carol and four copies of Pride and Prejudice.

 6) Print Books Hold Memories

     -You don’t need a pensive to contain your memories, just flip through the pages of a book you have read. Autographs from the authors stare up at you from the first page and you remember the hand that marked it. You can see the tears drops where you wept for the characters, the coffee stains and crumbs of the comfort food you brought with you on the journey.

7) Print Books Smell Good

     -Who can resist the smell of an adventure! Buildings with books carry a wonderful aroma with it. You can walk from a bakery directly into a library, take a deep breath and say, “ahh, this smells nice.” (True story)

8) Print Books Can Dry Easily

     -Ever feel like reading at the beach or in the bathtub? When you’re surrounded with water you want to make sure you have something that could survive an impromptu shower. If your print book gets wet don’t worry, Just hang it out to dry and you be able to read it the next day (mostly true.)

 9) Great Place To Hide Secret Codes

     -Just like in National Treasure, you too can create an Ottendorf (book) Cipher to send messages to your friends. Just make sure you both have the same edition of the book!

10) No Recharging Required

     -In the event of time travel or an apocalypse you don’t need to worry about forgetting your charger or having no electricity. Your print books run on their own power.

Krazy Elf's Favorite Reads of 2012

For 2012 I have reached my goal of reading 50 books and have got a bit beyond. While it’s nothing next to my sister's (Caaleros) 130 books it’s quite an accomplishment for me.lol It’s so hard to put any books in order of my favorite so only my top three favorites are in order, the rest aren’t. This list also does not count books that I have reread this year. So without further ado, I give you the krazy elf’s list of favorite reads of 2012.

1. The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan

Easily my favorite book of the year! Riordan is simply MAGNIFICENT and gave readers (or just me at least) exactly what they wanted. Also, nothing can beat the sugary sweetness of Percybeth!

2. Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

My first mermaid book and I was totally in love with all the characters and the world. I couldn’t help but smile every time the main characters were on the page together; I also couldn’t stop smiling long after I had set the book down, it was just one of those books!

3. Rebel Heart (Dustlands #2) by Moira Young

Young’s unique way of storytelling is so captivating that once you get pulled in you don’t want to leave. Saba’s the reluctant hero who keeps getting pulled into messes that she would rather have avoided and I love seeing the relationships in the book get tried and tested.

 
Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Loads of action, lots of desperation, characters at their weakest and strongest, what’s not to love? Tris is awesome and I must say that I enjoyed this much better than Divergent.

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

A female thief in Robin Hood’s band of Merry Men? I LOVE IT!!! I totally went all fangirl reading this book!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

A futuristic retelling a Cinderella? Yes please! Cinder is a cyborg mechanic and totally cool. A must read for those who love fairytales!

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Finally jumped on the bandwagon and read it and I was hooked. There’s just something about it that made me keep turning the pages faster and faster; and then there was my huge crush on Luke.lol

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Another retelling, this time of one of favorite books: Persuasion by Jane Austen. While, for those who have read Persuasion, there are many similarities, and Peterfreund really captures the feelings and essence Austen’s book, it holds its own and brings us an amazing story of love, heartache, and forgiveness. It’s also got some cool sci-fi stuff too!

Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2) by Richelle Mead

I don’t actually read many vampire books but I must say Mead does it perfectly! I love the whole world and with a snarky, sometimes violent, but loyal, main character what’s not to love?

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

My sister has been trying for years to get me to read this book. She finally just sat down in the kitchen while I was cooking and started reading it out loud. I was quickly hooked. I haven’t read many faerie books yet but this is easily my favorite!

Hey, it's Friday! Follow Friday

This is a meme hosted by Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read.  It's a blog hop to help expand your readership.

This week's question:

Christmas in July! Someone gives you a gift card for two books (whatever that costs). What two books will you buy?

 

 OK, so both of the books I really want right now are not out yet, The Mark of Athena (Rick Riordan) and Rebel Heart (Moira Young), both come out in October. I love the other books in their series' so much and I can't wait to read these. However, if I had to choose books that were already out I would pick For Darkness Shows the Stars (A beautiful retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion by Diana Peterfreund) and Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I seem to have a lot of dystopians on my list but thats cool ^_^


Sorry that I haven't been updating in a while. I meant to then things just kept getting in the way and I haven't been reading as much. I'll try to get back to it.