Random Ramblings

we have a winner!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Thanks to everyone that entered the Christmas + Blog Anniversary Giveaway. Through randomized drawing, we have already picked a winner.

Jess M.
of Tangled in Blue

The main rule of the contest is to tell me your favorite thing about the holidays/Christmas/December. I loved hearing everyone's answers! Jess says,

"Christmas is my favorite holiday, so it's pretty hard to narrow down things I love about it! I think if I had to choose, I'd say just the general feel of the season. Y'know, spending time with family, how everyone's cheery, how it's such a peaceful time...I guess just the warm and fuzziness of the season :)"

Congrats, Jess! I will be sending you an e-mail to confirm. Please respond as soon as you get it :) Thanks again to everyone for all the blogoversary greeting and entries!

First Impressions: Fall for Anything

I don't usually do a whole post dedicated to my "first impressions" on a book, but I feel like if I was going to start doing it, this book would be the perfect one to do it on. I have been wanting to read this after hearing many rave reviews about it. For Christmas, somebody got it for me as a gift. Let's just I was excited.

Fall for Anything is a YA novel about a teenage girl, Eddie Reeves, whose dad commits suicide, leaving her consumed by the nagging questions of whys and what ifs?

Sounds dark and mysterious -- sounds interesting to me! I mean, look at that cover! (It's actually quite creepy looking) I am only 1/4 through the book, and I have to say, I am already liking it. I have never read anything from Courtney Summers before, but now I wonder if I'm missing out, because I have to say, I really like the way she writes. It feels a bit like reading someone's diary -- I know I should mind my own business and not read it, but it's also one of those things; how can I pass up the chance? So yes, it's not only intriguing but it's also a fast-paced, and readable page-turner.

Please no spoilers, but if you have read this book, what rating did or would you give it? Did you or did you not like it? Personally, so far, I'm really liking it. Here's to hoping it stays that way!

guess who's officially one today?

Monday, January 10, 2011

Happy Birthday to this little old blog right here!! She is officially a year old. There's a lot of things I didn't expect to come out of this book blogging thing, but mostly, what I never expected was for anybody else -- who isn't a family member or a friend haha -- to care about what I have to say. Believe me, I still get so excited when I see a new follower or when I read a new comment from you.

So... thank you so very much if you have followed, read, and if you have ever left me a comment in 2010. For the conversations here on the blog and even on Twitter! You made book blogging not only fun, but a way for me to relax, unwind, and cope during stressful times. I look forward to many more book talks (and many more conversations in general) with all of you!

reminder: giveaway ends tomorrow

Sunday, January 9, 2011

This little old blog turns 1 on January 10th, which also means the end of the Christmas + Blog Anniversary Giveaway. Entries are accepted until Jan.10, 11:59 PM Pacific! Clickclickclickclick.

I broke up with reading.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Kind of. For some reason, I am in a huge "I-don't-know-what-to-read-I'm-so-bored-with-everything!" phase. I have spent a lot of time stalking the shelves in my local library and nearby bookstores, even picking up random books just to try them out. Somehow, I just end up disliking them. I know I need a book -- or several books -- to bring me back to my normal self again, but I am at a loss. I don't know which book to read next. So the reason I wrote this post is to ask for the perfect remedy from you. Please recommend me a book. Something that you liked, something you thought was perfectly readable, engaging, and just plain entertaining. Any book at all, as long as you absolutely loved it.

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

This post isn't going to be long at all, but I wanted to say it anyway. I'm pretty sure everyone knows by now; Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is the target of yet another case of censorship. The 'n' word, considered as a very offensive slang term, is to be replaced by the word, 'slave.' Since when did the word 'slave' become less offensive anyway? They don't even have the same meaning.

People argue that it's just 1-2 words that have been changed -- they would ask, "So what?" I just think, whether it's one word or an entire chapter, it's still going to make a huge difference to the reading experience. Why mess with something that's perfectly fine the way it is? I say, let the readers today read how it was read yesterday. Classics should not be altered to match contemporary ideology, and Literature should never feel the need to adjust itself for anybody.

Thoughts?