The Awesomeness that is Rachel Vincent

Over a year ago, I created a post explaining why I love Kelley Armstrong. I thought it was about time that show some more author love, and who better to do that with that Rachel Vincent?

The Soul Screamers series is one of my favorite series ever, but it's not the only series that I love of Vincent's. I pretty much devour, love, and obsess over anything she writes. I started contemplating what makes me love her books so much. 

It's true that Rachel can develop some pretty strong female protagonists. They are all different but are kick-ass in their own ways. 

I also love Rachel's writing. She writes maturely and can entice me into her stories. 

But what makes me love her novels so much, is the worlds she creates. 

Rachel Vincent has created some of the most unique worlds that I've come across in all of my years of reading. She can take a concept that has been done many times before, such as shape-shifters and spell-casters, and change them into something that is original and completely her own. She is also, in my opinion, fantastic at world-building. 

With my love of her characters, writing, and worlds, I will follow her into the end of the world and read anything that she puts out. 

Do you in any way feel the same? 

Is that an author whose worlds you love? 

I'd love it if you let me know!

What I Miss

Over the past few weeks while I was off of school, I've had a lot of reading time. Which is great; I got a lot of reading done and caught up on what I needed to. I would tend to read a book all at once. Not necessarily in one sitting, I would take breaks, but I would still be able to finish a book pretty much at once. I was able to get more reading done this way, sometimes even reading more than one book a day. 

But, I realized I miss something that didn't happen when doing this. I miss missing a book. 

You know when you are reading a book, and you have to stop reading to do something else. If the book is really good, all you want to do is get back to that book. You just want to read more. It wasn't until this started happening again that I realized I missed it. 

So, I know this is a short post but I just wanted to share this with you all.

Do you like reading a book all at once, or do you like missing a book?

2012 Book/Blog Resolutions

As the New Year approaches, I decided to make a few bookish resolutions for next year. 

1. Review more non-YA books- Since a big chunk of what I read is adult, I figure I should start to review them more. Not on my blog, since it is strictly YA, but on other sights such as Goodreads. 
2. Interact more with the blogging community- I've actually been doing a pretty good job with this the past month or so. Maybe not since the holidays, but before that. But I figure there is always room to grow in this area. I'll do this by 1) commenting more, and 2) talking more on twitter and such.
3. Get reviews up in a more timely manner- Sometimes I'm good with this, sometimes I'm not. I figure I should try to be more consistent, though.
4. Finish more books than this year- I have to add this one in; I do it every year. My goal this year was to read 200, and assuming I make that, next year will be 201. 
5. Reach my monthly goal- This may be something along the same lines of the one above, but it is something I need to work on. Every month I have a goal of how many books I am going to read. There were many a month this year when I did not reach this goal. I wouldn't be scrambling to reach 200 this year if I had reached this.
6. If I don't like a book, don't read it- This may seem obvious, but when I start a book, even if I don't like it, I still finish it. I'm making it a rule that if I can't get into the first 100 pages of a book, to just set it aside. There are so many other books I could be reading than one that I don't really enjoy.
7. Expand my reading- I tend to read the same genres, so I'm going to try to get out of my comfort zone a little. A part of this is going to be trying to tackle a few classics.

What are some of your bookish New Year's resolutions?

Why I love Kelley Armstrong

When asked who is my favorite answer, I am usually at a loss. There are so many amazing authors out there that I love. But, I have come to saying Kelley Armstrong. While I don't like to limit myself to one favorite author because there are so many great ones, Kelley Armstrong is definitely up there. And I'm here to tell you why.

There are so many reasons why I love her. Of course one of the reasons is because of her writing. I get so swept away with the world she has created. I've read both the adult Otherworld series, The Darkest Powers Trilogy, and The Gathering, which is the start of the  Darkest Rising Trilogy. I love them all.

But there is another reason why she is so amazing. She gets that readers get so into her books, so into the characters, that sometimes we need more than just the books, especially when we are waiting for the next book to come out. And she gives us that. She gives us extra stories with the characters and world while we are waiting. And I think this is pretty amazing. Sometimes you just need more.

To see the full list of free online stories for the Otherworld series, visit here. She has also published 2 anthologies for this series.

If you would like more Chloe, Derek, and the gang, she is in the middle of posting a short story for them here. So cute! She posts a new chapter on the 1st and 15th of every month.

There are also more short stories with the Darkest Powers characters, including how Derek and Simon came to the Lyle House.

There aren't many authors that gives us this much extra. A couple other authors who I know are good about his is Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely series) and Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey Series).

So, thank you, Kelley, for giving us more than just what's needed.

Today is my birthday!

Yay, today is my birthday!

Aren't these robot cupcakes awesome! I wish I had them. 

The only thing I ask for on my birthday is Eileen's Cookies. 

Has anyone else out there been to Eileen's or had their cookies? If you haven't, I feel bad for you, because these are one of the best things on the planet. All of them are just so delicious! You can't even imagine. 

I love their cookie cakes. Better than a regular cake. 

I'm sending out imaginary cookies and cupcakes to everyone!

Obsessed: Chain Reaction

Last week I did a Waiting on Wednesday post on Chain Reaction. Since then, my excitement for this book has grown to an obsessive need. I feel the need to rant and rave about this book and series, so if you are a fan of the Perfect Chemistry series and are excited for this one, please read on. If not, please ignore this post and thank you for stopping by. 

What really got me excited and obsessed with this book again was the trailer. 

I've said this before, but I'm not really a huge fan of the trailer itself. What I do like though is that it reveals more of the story and whats going to happen, does it not? 

Another thing is, if you go on goodreads and go to the google preview, you can read the first 30 pages. That's right, 30 pages! Of course I devoured that.  And guess what.... We get to see the start of Alex and Brit's wedding! How exciting is that?

I do hope that Carlos and Kiarra are in this one a lot, too. I'll be bummed if they aren't. 

I know most people prefer Alex and Brittany, but I actually like Carlos and Kiarra more. That's right, I said it. Crazy, right? I'm probably the only person out there. 

But I do. I love Alex, but I like Carlos more. And I can relate to Kiarra a lot more than I can to Brittany. 

But I still love Alex and Brittany. 

Another reason I like RoA is because of the setting. I live about an hour away from Boulder, so I know it. There aren't many books set in Colorado, let alone the mountains. The only other one that comes to mind is Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. Which I dont' understand. It's absolutely gorgeous up there in the mountains. 

But that's off topic.

So, all in all, I like the characters better in RoA, and the plot and story better in PC.

I can't wait to find out what happens in Chain Reaction!

I'm done rambling, so I'll leave with the Chain Reaction premise, out August 16.

Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

Continuing all the steamy romance of the first two books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles gives fans one more satisfying taste of the irresistible Fuentes boys.

Sounds delicious, no?

Who's excited?

Way to miss my blogoversery....

So, being as stupid as I am, I totally missed my blog's blogoversery!

I can't believe I did that!

Oh, well. Better late than never, I suppose.

I started my blog on July 4, 2009. That seems like so long ago. I'm honestly surprised that I stuck with it for so long. But now, it's part of my life and it would be weird to not have it.

I'm proud of the prgoress that I've made. As a blogger, reviewer, reader. Having this and review has definitely changed my perspective when reading. That can be a bad thing, but overall I think its good.

I hope to have many more blogoverseries!

Happy late birthday, Book Fanatics!

I'll be back...



So, I'm going camping this week. Yay! I'll be gone from Sunday-Monday.

I just wanted to let you know that I won't be posting any. I may try to to have some pre-set posts, but those don't always work out.

Anyway, I'll be back!

Here's where I'm going:

Have a good week everyone!

Series I've been Obsessed with...

Over the years I have read many a book. But, out of all the books I've read, there have been only a few books/series that I've actually been obsessed with. And when I say obsessed, I mean obsessed.  Do you know what I mean? When you think about the book/series/characters constantly. Almost every song you hear you can relate to the book/series. Almsot everything you see in your life reminds of the book/series. Well, that's happened to me.

Anyway, here are a few series that I've been obsessed with:

Yes, I'm ashamed to admit it, but about 3 years ago I read this series and was completely obsessed with it. For a very long time. Now, how big these books have gotten and how popular they are have completely ruined the series for me. But, these books are what really got me into reading.

Then I moved on to:

Now, looking back at these books, I realize that they aren't that good. Entertaining, yes. But there definitely are a few flaws. But, for whatever reason, I was completely obsessed with them.

Oh, I still love these books. I had a complete obsession with them (the first 2, obviously because the 3rd hasn't come out yet) for a while. I obsessed over the first book, then even more so when I read the second. I'm not obsessed anymore, but I'm still excited for the third book.

And here are a few series I've had a mini obsession over, and maybe still do.

At the moment, I am not completely obsessed with anything. I didn't even realize this until I realized it, you know?

Anyway, what are some series you've been obsessed with?

200 Followers!

Sometime last night I have reached 200 followers!

I was so excited when I saw that this morning.

For everyone who reads my blog, thank you. Thank you so much. When I first started Book Fanatics I honestly thought I was the only one out there and no one would ever read my blog. But now look; I've got 200 followers. I'm very proud of how well my blogs done and myself for sticking with it.

I know I've already said this, but thank you everyone. For those of you who have your own blog and know how much work we put into our blogs, I'm sure you have an idea on how much I appreciate all of you.

Also, be sure to check out my Wildwood contest here.

Happy Valentine's Day + Stuff

So first off, I just want to start by saying Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone has a wonderful day, even (especially) if you don't have a special someone in your life at this time!

Also, I apologize if the blog has been slow in  the past week. It will continue to be slow this week. I may not even post anything 'til this weekend, just a heads up. But, while I won't be posting, I'll be keeping up with reading and reviews. By next weekend hopefully I'll have a thousand and one things to share with y'all!

Just fyi, this is my favorite heart ever:

Is it weird to have a favorite heart? Well, I do. You probably recognize it because it's what I use instead of stars to rate books!

So here's Why

So here's why Book Fanatics has been pretty much dead for the last couple weeks: finals. Yes, as I'm sure some of you are too, I am up to my ears with finals. But, as of next Thursday, I will be on break. I'm super excited, so I would really appreciate it if you could just bare with me for four more days. Then, I will be a free woman! I'll finally get some reviews and other posts done.
Thank y'all for your patience and I'll be back and posting soon enough!

I Broke Down...

So I finally broke down. I joined the band wagon and got a Twitter.

I'm still playing around with it a bit but you can follow me here.

New Rating System

Yes, if you haven't noticed already, I have a new rating system. I figured it was time for a change.
So, here it is:

It's pretty much the typical 5 star system, except I'm using hearts not stars. Not only hearts but cool little musical hearts made of clefs. Anyway, this really shouldn't be new to any of you. 5 stars being the best rating and 1 star being the worst. I think so far I like this betting than a out of ten rating. I will also bprobably be using 1/2 stars, too, just because plain whole numbers are boring.

Let me know if you like this or not!

Happy Birthday to me!

Yes, today, September 2, is my Birthday! Yayyyyyyyy! :)

I have no idea what I'm going to do tonight, besides most likely go out to dinner with my family. Luckily, though, its' the last day of school for the week (I never have school on Friday) so that's always exciting.

So, I was just wondering for all of you, what is your favorite part of birthdays?

Mine, of course, is the cake. Or cupcake, rather.

I mean, look at these:

Are they not the cutest things you've ever seen? I want to eat them, but I don't, you know?

Anyway, let me know what you think!

August Book Buying Ban

Yes, it's true. I will not buy any books for the month of August. There are a ton of books that I need to read right now so I will not buy anything. Tara at 25 Hour Books is hosting this. 

Here's my (personal) restrictions:

I can't buy any books, but this does not include books for review, that I've won from a contest, got from the library, traded or got with a gift card. I have a limit of $20 to spend for the month, including shipping.

So, for more information or to sign up, click here.

Contest Update+Apologies+A very late Blogoversery

So, if you haven't noticed I haven't post anything for a long time. I might have done a quick, random post here and there, but over all I've been absent lately. I don't really have a reason for this, other then I've been pretty busy and haven't had internet for a while now. So, there a few things I need to make up for, and I'll try to deep this post quick and sweet, so bare with me.

Contest update:

I'm changing the end date to Friday, July 30. I just need some more time to get more organized and everything, so I'm really sorry about that.

Also, my first blogoversery passed and I wasn't even around to celebrate! I was pretty mad at myself for that. My blogoversery was on July 7! Yay! 

I'm very pround of how far everything has come since last year, and I'm hoping I'll grow a lot more in the next year. I don't just mean more followers, but I'm hoping to grow as a reviewer and blogger as well. I know I've sure come a long ways since July 2009.

So (do you realize how many times I say so? Jeesh, how annoying!) I'd like to apologize for not being around very much, and I promise I'm back. I've got a lot of catching up to do.

I'll stop there. I feel like every time I do a long post no one really reads it all. Like they get bored or something half way through. Is this true? Oh, well. Anyone still reading this I'm greatly appreciative.

So (there it is again : ) ) I really will stop now.

Is everyone having a fantastic summer?

Funny Stories

So hey there. Yeah. My friends started a blog about all of the stories that we have experienced. Trust me, the tings that happen to us you wil not believe for example: fan blades nearly decapictating us because of a pillow and a fight over wether or not you can scream while exploding, and of course the average crazy movie-going experience. Yes, this kind of stuff really happens to us all the time. There are many, many Something epic happens at every birthday party.

So anyway. Yeah. You should go there cuz its funny. to do so, click here.

And you thought you were bad ass.  : )

May Rewind

Books Read in May:

1. Shade by Jeri Ready-Smith
2. The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride
3. Lament by Maggie Striefvator
4. Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves
5. Penitence by Jennifer Laurens
6. Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw
7. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
8. The Clearing by Heather Davis
9. The Line by Teri Hall
10. My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent
11. This World We Live in by Susane Beth Pfeffer
12. Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley
13. Anything but Normal by Melody Carlson
14. I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan

Also Reviewed:
Winter Longing by Tricia Mills
Forget You by Jennifer Echols

I read 14 books in May. Definitely not my best. but since it's summer I hope to read a lot more from now on!
Expect a lot more reviews now also!
           

The Big 100

Hey. I just wanted ya'll to know that I've reached 100 followers! Yay!

Thank you all who followe me, and here's to many more : )

(I really want to eat those cupcakes, don't you?)