BBAW Interview Swap is one of the features which I most look forward to but for some reasons I didn't get to hear from my partner. Needless to say, I was disappointed and I was prepared to post one or two of my previous BBAW Interview Swaps for today's post but Julia, a dear friend, offered to be my swap partner just yesterday so here you go.
Melody: What made you decided to start a book blog and what are your opinions of a good book review?
Julia: In my other reading group, we were doing the 50 Books Challenge. We challenge ourselves to see if we can read 50 books before the end of the year. It then became our tradition to do it every year. I had to find a place where I can record all the books I have read for each month and I thought the blog would be great place to start. I also want to remember details for each book I read, otherwise I won't remember what the books are about and that when I started to review books, but I did it for my own personal use only. Then later I decided to review books for bloggers. Most of the books I reviewed are bought from me. I never get them from publishers. My opinions of a good book review is a well thought out written reviews with good writing depth that gives me ideas and lay down of the story without spoilers (sometime spoilers help) and good judgment; or one that can make me sway and see someone’s opinion in another light and perspective.
M: What is your policy when reviewing books? And would you review every book you have read?
J: I really don't have a policy on reviewing books except that I review books that I bought mostly. And I try to write my thoughts in a positive but nicest way as I can. If at anytime I know that there something in a book that have bothered me or made me mad, I will try to explain it in a positive way. Or I just don't review it at all. I don't mind getting books from authors for review but I would like to be able to write my own reviews the way I want to. I don't want to boo boo my words unless I think it is necessarily to. I don’t always review all the books I read but I do review most of them. I'm slow in posting my reviews these days so sometimes a book I read last month (or few months ago) will be reviewed later; and some of my older reviews are in draft stage that I have yet to post it on my blog but I do try my best to post my reviews as fast as I can. *grin*
M: I noticed you read many romantic suspense and contemporary/erotic romance; could you tell us what are your top 5 favourite books of all times?
J: Romantic Suspense is my favorite genres. I read that genre the most, more than I would read contemporary romance/erotic romance now these days. Even though I am more open to read other genes, it always comes down to these three genes which I read more of. If anyone knows me, then they would know it is hard for me to choose a top 5 favorite books of all time from one genre. I have favorites from different genres. So if it is okay, I would give you my top favorite books of all times from different genres. Below are my list but most are first book from the series or the first book I read by that author. There are a lot more, but these are my favorite books of all times: :)
- All the Queen Men by Linda Howard
- Black Ice by Anne Stuart
- Naked in Death by JD Robb
- Sanctuary by Nora Roberts
- Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann
- Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught
- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
- Behind Closed Door by Shannon Mckenna
- Kill Me Twice by Roxanne St. Claire
M: Onto a non-bookish issue, what do you most enjoy besides reading?
J: Listening to music and singing/dancing. I know I may not have the talent but I just love to do these things, because it relaxes me. I also enjoy taking pictures and scrapbook them. I have one scrapbook album done of my two darling nieces but there are also plenty of other unfinished albums to do. And if I am not reading I would be watching TV of my favorite shows or movies. I can count how many repeat movies/Asian drama movie I had watched over the years *grin*. And last but not least, I love to go book shopping with a nice drink from Starbucks! Can't live without books in my life *grin*.
M: And finally, just out of fun, would you read a badly written book but is highly entertaining, or a well written book with a boring theme?
J: I think I would rather read a badly written but a highly entertaining book because I read books to be entertained and for pleasure. I want to be invested in entertaining characters and plots to keep me interested in the story.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Thank you, Julia, for these great questions and not to mention being my swap partner at the last minute! I really appreciate them all! Finally, thanks for being a wonderful friend to me!
To read my answers to Julia’s questions, please hop over to Julia's site here. Happy BBAW!
Related post:
BBAW: Community (Day 1)
TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
- Grab your current read.
- Let the book fall open to a random page.
- Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
- You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
- Please avoid spoilers!
I do not often come walking, boy, the monster said, only for matters of life and death. I expect to be listened to.
(Pg 45, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness)
Founded by Amy of My Friend Amy in 2008, Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW) is a fun event in which where all book bloggers come together to share their reading experiences and getting to know more about one another, both veteran or new bloggers.
I remember my first time participating in BBAW when Amy first started this event; I had a wonderful time getting to know many book bloggers and read about their experiences of the books they read; some readers also shared a gist of their personal life through the blogger interviews (which is part of the BBAW feature scheduled tomorrow). All in all, it was great fun and I am very glad to see that BBAW continues to be an annual event for this book blogging community and that it is getting bigger as each year goes by.
The theme for this year’s BBAW is "Cultivating a Community of Bloggers and Readers" and while there is a diversity of book bloggers out there, I think the common interest among book bloggers is basically to share our passion for books and reading, and to recommend books to many readers as possible.
Today’s topic is about community and while I subscribed to many book blogs and enjoy reading every one of them, what I like most about reading is the writer’s voice and the style he/she writes and through these elements sometimes you may be able to tell the writer’s personality. Thus, as much as I would like to mention a few bookbloggers, I find it difficult to choose among these blogs as I think each blog is unique (yes, the voice!). I know this may sound old but I want to thank fellow book bloggers, as well as this wonderful community, for broadening my reading horizons through all your influential reviews and not to mention your enthusiasm in spreading the book love.
Before I end this post, I want to thank Amy and the rest of the BBAW team for their time and hard work for organising this event. This community flourishes because of you all, so let’s all give ourselves a pat on this occasion!
Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by Amused by Books.
Here's what I bought from The Book Depository, which I received last week:
1) Blood on the Moon by Jennifer Knight
2) Sweep, Vol. 2 by Cate Tiernan
What books came into your house last week?
Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by Amused by Books.
Here's what I received last week:
1) The Little Bride by Anna Solomon (from the publisher)
2) The Leopard by Jo Nesbo (bought from The Book Depository)
What books came into your house last week?
Well my reading progress may be slow lately, but nothing could stop me from participating in R. I. P. VI Challenge - one of the most popular and most anticipated reading challenge around the blogosphere, hosted by the talented Carl.
This is my third year participating and I am very glad to say that this reading challenge not only allows me to expand my reading horizons but also gives me the opportunity to get to know fellow bookbloggers who are new to me, as well as to see what everyone is reading and to hear their opinions.
As much as I want to read as many books as I can for the challenge, I decided to go with Peril the Third (i.e. to read one book and you may choose from any of these themes: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Dark Fantasy, Gothic, Horror or Supernatural. ). I finally decided on reading A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness after picking out a few books and putting them back onto the shelves. It is so hard to choose just one isn't it. So, I have read lots of glowing reviews on this book so I thought this is it!
R.I.P. VI officially runs from September 1st through October 31st but Carl said we can break the rules and start reading our books now!
Are you participating? If not, what are you waiting for? And for those who are participating, I'd love to hear from you the books you are reading for this challenge.
Hilton Garden Inn
St. Paul, Minnesota
My husband stayed at this hotel for two weeks and despite it was towards the end of March, the weather was still cold.
TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:
- Grab your current read.
- Let the book fall open to a random page.
- Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
- You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
- Please avoid spoilers!
I started reading Simon Van Booy's Everything Beautiful Began After a few days ago and I just find myself entranced by his beautiful writing. I've never read anything by this author but I do read a lot of glowing reviews about this novel as well as his short stories.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
On the walk back home through the dusk, she's going to ask her father for the story of how he met her mother.
All she knows is that someone fell, and that everything beautiful began after.
(Pg 7, Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy)
So my daughters are into Toy Story lately. No, scratch that… they love watching the animations and in fact, my eldest daughter has even pointed out a few characters for us: my husband and I are Mr & Mrs Potato Head (because they are the only couple aside from Barbie and Ken, and she knew we are too old for that, ha!), my youngest one the space alien (the reason given was, she too makes that little ‘Oooh’ sound occasionally), and as for herself she wants to be Jessie just because she thinks she is cool. My husband and I always have a good laugh whenever we watch the DVDs, especially when the three space aliens begin to make that ‘Oooh’ sound, or even on scenes where Mr Potato Head being get squashed or bullied and our two-year-old would squeal with delight and yelled, “Daddy!”.
Anyways, that enthusiasm set our goal for searching the three space aliens toys because all of us think they are the most adorable and yes, the hardest to find in stores. Can you imagine our thrill when we found these three little guys in a box at a shopping mall last Friday and I just grabbed the box without first looking at the price. When that excitement died down a little, I then took a peek at the price tag and was happy to note that it was on sale (costs S$65 and it makes me wonder what the original price was) so of course we bought it. And thereafter, I saw another box that piqued my interest and grabbed that box too (see picture below - a pop up tent that can accommodate two kids, or one adult if you are the petite size).
And finally, not wanting to end this post without a book-related issue, I thought I’d share with you some of the books I bought along the trip:
Sweep Vol I and III by Cate Tiernan (couldn’t find Vol II as it was out of stock)
The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer (Nightshade Series #2)
I also picked up the latest copy of Entertainment Weekly after seeing Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson on the cover and I wonder what is in store with the first part of Breaking Dawn, which is to be released in November.
So there you go on my shopping trip last Friday. Hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead!
Anyways, that enthusiasm set our goal for searching the three space aliens toys because all of us think they are the most adorable and yes, the hardest to find in stores. Can you imagine our thrill when we found these three little guys in a box at a shopping mall last Friday and I just grabbed the box without first looking at the price. When that excitement died down a little, I then took a peek at the price tag and was happy to note that it was on sale (costs S$65 and it makes me wonder what the original price was) so of course we bought it. And thereafter, I saw another box that piqued my interest and grabbed that box too (see picture below - a pop up tent that can accommodate two kids, or one adult if you are the petite size).
And finally, not wanting to end this post without a book-related issue, I thought I’d share with you some of the books I bought along the trip:
Sweep Vol I and III by Cate Tiernan (couldn’t find Vol II as it was out of stock)
The Redeemer by Jo Nesbo
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer (Nightshade Series #2)
I also picked up the latest copy of Entertainment Weekly after seeing Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson on the cover and I wonder what is in store with the first part of Breaking Dawn, which is to be released in November.
So there you go on my shopping trip last Friday. Hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead!
Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by Staci of Life in the Thumb.
Here's what I received last week:
1) The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman (from the publisher)
2) Pompeii: City on Fire by T. L. Higley (from a dear friend, Violet)
3) The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy (from Violet)
What books came into your house last week?
ISBN-13: 978-1407121116
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: July 2011
Format: Paperback, 448 pgs
Source: Personal Library
Forever is the final instalment of Maggie Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls Series and readers who had read Shiver and Linger would be able to understand my anticipation and enthusiasm of reading this long-awaited novel; a series which have enticed many readers into Maggie’s world of werewolves unlike the others.
Forever continues where Linger left off but unlike the previous instalments, this book focused more on the struggles that Grace and Sam faced and how they are finding ways to improve (or hopefully to solve) the tricky situation they have fell into, together with the help of Cole, a friend of both who has the looks and charisma to charm your socks off easily (including myself) and Isabel, who I think has character no matter if you like her or not. Then, there are also Sam’s feelings towards Beck, a father figure whom Sam look up to and goes to whenever he has problems.
The beginning of the story tends to be going on slow in my opinion, but the pace picks up towards the middle and then there is no turning back. The switching point of views enabled me to get into each character’s mind (in particular to Grace, Sam, Cole and Isabel) and to feel the emotions they are through. To avoid spoilers and for other readers who haven’t read this series, I had chosen not to write the premise of what happened to these characters so all I have to say is there is a call for wolves hunting and that the lives of some of these characters are at stake.
While I enjoyed reading the romance between Grace and Sam, I had hoped that there would be romance between Cole and Isabel even though the emotions they felt for each other are subtle. In any ways I felt there is potential between them and I hope the author will write their stories in the near future.
Like any other highly anticipated and well read series, the ending is always the hardest to read because you never know where the author would take you and also, would the readers be able to accept a sad ending should it call for it. Forever, however, is one of those stories that didn’t wrap up with a big red bow. By saying this, I didn’t mean it to be a sad ending but rather an ending which makes you think, hope and to look back on the experience which the characters have been through. All in all, I enjoyed reading this series and I am glad to note that Maggie Stiefvater has a new release, The Scorpio Races, to be out in October in which she will take us into her world of horses and racing.
Well my reading progress may be slow as of late but in a way this is better as compared to reading slump if you ask me. Anyway, I am always thrilled to receive emails from the publishers/publicists on their upcoming books and I thought I’d share with you on the books which have sparked my interest.
The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman – This is the fourth book by Alyson Richman and it is about the reunion of a couple who haven’t seen each other for sixty years for they thought their other half had died in the Holocaust. The author weaves an epic love story that brings her readers to the glamorous pre-war Prague to the horrific Nazi Occupation and I am very curious to know where this story will lead.
So Near by Liza Gyllenhaal – This is a poignant novel about a young couple’s road back from tragedy after their two-year-old daughter was killed in a car accident when the car seat came loose. Cal, the husband, decided to pursue a lawsuit against the car seat manufacturer but his wife, Jenny, has other reasons and this is where complications set in. Their relationship becomes more complicated when a new acquaintance enters their life as they are not sure if his guidance is meant to pull them together or pushes them further apart.
Dry Ice by Bill Evans and Marianna Jameson – This is an intense thriller set in the frozen heart of Antarctica where a secret weather research station is built to ‘create’ the weather to the likes of an agribusiness. But a deal and a replacement set the designer with a vengeful plan into sending fatal weather across the globe targeting the agricultural zones and the protagonists have to crack his code before all are destroyed by the so-called ‘natural’ calamities.
So what books are on your radar? Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman – This is the fourth book by Alyson Richman and it is about the reunion of a couple who haven’t seen each other for sixty years for they thought their other half had died in the Holocaust. The author weaves an epic love story that brings her readers to the glamorous pre-war Prague to the horrific Nazi Occupation and I am very curious to know where this story will lead.
So Near by Liza Gyllenhaal – This is a poignant novel about a young couple’s road back from tragedy after their two-year-old daughter was killed in a car accident when the car seat came loose. Cal, the husband, decided to pursue a lawsuit against the car seat manufacturer but his wife, Jenny, has other reasons and this is where complications set in. Their relationship becomes more complicated when a new acquaintance enters their life as they are not sure if his guidance is meant to pull them together or pushes them further apart.
Dry Ice by Bill Evans and Marianna Jameson – This is an intense thriller set in the frozen heart of Antarctica where a secret weather research station is built to ‘create’ the weather to the likes of an agribusiness. But a deal and a replacement set the designer with a vengeful plan into sending fatal weather across the globe targeting the agricultural zones and the protagonists have to crack his code before all are destroyed by the so-called ‘natural’ calamities.
So what books are on your radar? Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Hello, everyone! Do you miss me? I sure miss you guys, considering that my blog has been so quiet lately and I apologise for that. In case you are wondering, I am still up and reading. For my friends who follow me on Facebook, you must have known that I have been spending too much of my reading time on playing Gardens of Time and Puzzled Hearts and let me tell you that these games are addictive, especially the former! But... do I ever regret of playing it in the first place? Absolutely not. Aside from taking up part of my time, I have to say not only I have fun playing them but I have also made a few friends along the way. To make things better, I just discovered that one of them (Hello, Melinda!) is a reader too and the other day she asked about a book, The Help by Kathryn Stockett and we ended up having a little chat via the comments.
Despite the fact that I have been spending some time on Facebook games, that does not mean that I will be giving up on reading entirely. Absolutely not! For starters, I love reading too much to give it up completely. My reading progress may be slow lately, but let me assure you that I am reading and my reviews will be up once I have finished reading the books, as always!
Anyways, I am currently reading Forever by Maggie Stiefvater and for those of you who follow this series, you would know that this is the final instalment of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series and I can't wait to find out what happened with Sam and Grace, as well as Cole and Isabel, both whom I think have enough chemistry to sizzle the pages also! After this, I have no idea what to read next as I have too many choices in mind - should I read the review copies sent by the wonderful publicists, or should I indulge in those books which have been on my reading list like, forever? Also, I have heard so many good things about The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy, and Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series starting with The Redbreast. What do you think? Any ideas? And to all Jo Nesbo's fans out there, do you know that there will be a film titled Headhunters based on his novel? (Watch the trailer.)
Onto a non-reading issue, I tried preparing a vegan chicken teriyaki steak yesterday afternoon and I am sad to say my attempt was a half success. The preparation took up some time though, since I need to boil the soybeans thoroughly to make them soft so that I could mash them. Frying them wasn't a problem, but I have to say it is surely a challenge to me to get the sauce right. In the end, I find the sauce to be a bit sweet to our taste, but overall it was a great experience and I have my husband to thank for for helping me with the soybeans mashing and listening to all my rants. We both agreed that if we want to make this dish the next time again, we'd better get a mincer quickly, LOL. (If you are interested in preparing this dish, you may wish to check it out on this link.)
Before I end this post, I am glad to note that BBAW (Book Blogger Appreciation Week) is here again! You can be sure that I will be participating and that I have a few bookbloggers I have in mind for the nominations!
Well I hope you all have a great week!
Despite the fact that I have been spending some time on Facebook games, that does not mean that I will be giving up on reading entirely. Absolutely not! For starters, I love reading too much to give it up completely. My reading progress may be slow lately, but let me assure you that I am reading and my reviews will be up once I have finished reading the books, as always!Anyways, I am currently reading Forever by Maggie Stiefvater and for those of you who follow this series, you would know that this is the final instalment of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series and I can't wait to find out what happened with Sam and Grace, as well as Cole and Isabel, both whom I think have enough chemistry to sizzle the pages also! After this, I have no idea what to read next as I have too many choices in mind - should I read the review copies sent by the wonderful publicists, or should I indulge in those books which have been on my reading list like, forever? Also, I have heard so many good things about The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy, and Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series starting with The Redbreast. What do you think? Any ideas? And to all Jo Nesbo's fans out there, do you know that there will be a film titled Headhunters based on his novel? (Watch the trailer.)
Onto a non-reading issue, I tried preparing a vegan chicken teriyaki steak yesterday afternoon and I am sad to say my attempt was a half success. The preparation took up some time though, since I need to boil the soybeans thoroughly to make them soft so that I could mash them. Frying them wasn't a problem, but I have to say it is surely a challenge to me to get the sauce right. In the end, I find the sauce to be a bit sweet to our taste, but overall it was a great experience and I have my husband to thank for for helping me with the soybeans mashing and listening to all my rants. We both agreed that if we want to make this dish the next time again, we'd better get a mincer quickly, LOL. (If you are interested in preparing this dish, you may wish to check it out on this link.)
Before I end this post, I am glad to note that BBAW (Book Blogger Appreciation Week) is here again! You can be sure that I will be participating and that I have a few bookbloggers I have in mind for the nominations!
Well I hope you all have a great week!
Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by Staci of Life in the Thumb.
Here's what I received last week:
1) Love Story by Jennifer Echols (bought from The Book Depository)
What books came into your house last week?
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