At this point in the Read-A-Thon Challenge, I am debating on whether or not to give up! Why you ask? Well...its not because I'm tired. Just because its one of those days/weeks/months where everything that can go wrong, DID!

I totally forgot I had signed up to participate in the Read-A-Thon so...I got a super late start! Like...13 hrs in. lol I had a blast starting it tho and was excited! At hour 15 I decided to go to my favorite reading spot. The bathtub! I turned the water on, filled the tub with my favorite bubble bath from bath and body works, turned on same candles and hopped in. I was getting really into my book, Carried of the Mark. My tub got to that perfectly full spot, and I reached over the bubbles to turn the water off, and the handle broke off in my hand. Yep! Thats right!

I jumped out, threw on clothes and ran for my dad before the entire bathroom flooded. Sad to say, I really broke it. As in, beyond repair and we had to shut the water off. I not only broke the handle off, I broke the little part inside the pipe that shuts the water off. So we literally had to shut the water off to get it to stop pouring out of the spout. *sigh*

So...I have in 3 hours read 102 of the 342 pages in my book. At this point, I'd be lucky to finish reading ONE book. So...I'm really debating calling the Read-A-Thon quits. I really don't want to, but...seriously? This girl just broke a shower!!! I'm thinking its time to grab a pint of ben and jerry's, pop in You've Got Mail and cry. Anyone else agree with me here???

Well...I'm still undecided. So I will say while participating in the 14th, 15th, and 16th hour of the Read-A-Thon I have LOVED it!! I learned how to do the starfish dance! I watched music videos of DollY Parton singing 9 to 5 while dancing with various Disney characters. And learned how to make an awesome oragami heart bookmarker!

So now onto the 16 hour Mini Challenge! Re-reading!

I doubt I will be able to make it through one book tonight, much less reread any books. SO here is my list of books that I could read over and over and over again!

First up, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. This has seriously got to be the most awesome book in existance! If you haven't read it yet, shame on you! You must do so, NOW! Yes, put down the bowl of popcorn, and run to the store right now and buy a copy!

Second on my list is, Impossible by Nancy Werlin. I honestly don't even have words for how incredible this book is! I read it a while back, but I really need to reread this one and do a blog post about it. This book deserves it! If you've never read it, while your out there, buying Miss Peregrine's, pick this one up too! If for no other reason than the cover is gorgeous! And...I said so!

My third pick is Jane by April Linder. This is another book I read before I started my blog, and its so good I need to go back and reread it and dedicate an entire blog entry to! This is a modern take on Jane. This book left me utterly speechles! I stayed up all night long and finished the book in one sitting! It was that GOOD! I talked about it so much, my friends all wanted to read it. So they would borrow it, and we'd text constantly going OMG Mr. Rochester just did this! OMG I know!!! His wife was totally locked upstairs the whole time!! This book got passed from friend, to friend to friend! And everyone LOVEd it! So again, BUY IT!! P.S. I have this habit, when I read books I sort of play the whole thing out in my head like a movie. Which is probably why I'm such a slow reader, anyhow..Johnny Depp totally got the part of the rockstar Mr. Rochester in my book! Soooo dreamy!!! So if you've read this book, who would you pick to play Mr. Rochester the rockstar?

Ok so, I could probably go on and on. But I will stop here. These are probably my 3 favorite books of all time! So if you havne't read them  yet, DO IT!

Dewey's October 2011 Readathon!

Ok, so quite some time back I signed up to participate in a Read-a-thon! Sounded fun at the time. And I am actually super excited about it! For personal reasons, my entire month has been, insane to say the least. And sadly I forgot all about the readathon that started...ummm 13 hrs ago. lol So I am just NOW checking my emails and realizing that it was TODAY! So...I am starting NOW! Better late than never right? You can read info about the awesome read-a-thon, rules, prizes (yes I said prizes!!!) , etc. HERE

So to start my Read-A-Thon my first book I am reading is Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon. I've heard so many great things about it and have been dying to read it! It has a totally gorgeous cover!!! I am currently on page 79 and loving it so far! If you are participating in the read-a-thon leave me a comment and let me know what books you've read, and what your reading now!

Happy Reading!


Mid- Event Survery!

1. What are you reading right now?
Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

2. How many books have you read so far?
Still working on my first one! =/ I am ashasmed to admit that! I signed up for this quite a while back and totally forgot about it :(

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
hmm...If I can finish the first one *fingers crossed* I think I will be reading....Shatter Me! It needs to be read! lol

4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
The sad thing is I actually had the entire day off! I  totally forgot about this, and didn't get the email until just now! :(  I have been reading throughout the day, just...not as dedicated as I would have been if I had realized it was the day of the READATHON!!! Ahhh!! I'm so behind!!!

5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
hahahaha Yes!! I have had many! I didn't realize it was the readathon today. So this morning I went out in my ministry work. Then ran errands with my mom. And then cooked and went to a picnic at a friend's house, full of food, volley ball, and pictionary . lol I did read in between everything, which is good since I forgot I signed up to participate! lol

6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
Umm...that it was today! lol SUPRISE! And that so many ppl are participating! And the prizes!! Oh my goodness!!

7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
YES!!! Can you pleeeease remind us more than just ONE time that its coming up! Pleeeease! I only got the ONE reminder, and don't check my email everyday so I didn't get it until today, when it was half way over. :( Otherwise I would've had my stack of books and a big pile of snacks all ready!

8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Well hopefully there will be more shout outs, or reminds about it. And I will have a game plan! I'm hoping to get together with some other book lovin friends, or bloggers for the next one. All camp out at my house at 7 am! With goodies, sleeping bags, etc! Sounds awesome to me!

9. Are you getting tired yet?
I'm tired, but only because I've had a full day. Not from reading lol

10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?Umm...don't forget to check your email! LOL

The Strawberry Picker

The Strawberry Picker by Monika Feth
Relase Date: September 16, 2008
Publisher: Transworld Publishers
Age Group: YA
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Intrest: Muder Mystery
Challenge: 2011 Reading Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

Eighteen-year-old Jenna is sharing an apartment in Bröhl, Germany, with her friends Caro and Merle when a girl is killed nearby. The murder seems to have parallels with two other frightening crimes. Then one day Caro is found murdered—stabbed seven times and with her necklace missing, just like the other girls. At the funeral Jenna swears revenge in front of everybody, and in turn attracts the attention of Nat, a handsome and mysterious strawberry picker. With Jenna sidetracked by love, Merle sets about solving Caro’s murder herself. But as the answer dawns on her, another horrifying reality emerges.

I've had my eye on this book for quite a while. I always love a good murdery mystery! Monika Feth is a German author who has actually written quite a few novels. However, this is the only one that was printed in english. Which is sad, because now after reading this one I want to read more from her! I guess I will have to start learning German in my spare time!

The Strawberry Picker is about 3 best friends who share a flat in Germany. Jenna, Caro, and Merle. Merle is the fiesty one, Caro is the silent one with the mysterious boyfriend, and Jenna has a famous author for a mother!

The girls become concerned when they notice their best friend Caro starting to self harm again. She's been pulling away from her best friends, and is extremely secrative about her new boyfriend. Jenna and Merle become even more alarmed when Caro doesn't come home one night. Caro, has become the latest victum of a seriel killer!

The police investigating the murders seem to be getting nowhere with the case. At Caro's funeral Jenna vows to go after the killer herself! Merle and Jenna begin their own investigation into Caro's murder! Durring their investigation they learn a lot of things about their best friend that they didn't know! Who was this guy she was dating, and why did she keep so many secrets from them?

Jenna become the next target of the seriel killer, but will the police figure it out before its too late?

I thought the author did an amazing job setting up the story and the characters! Every character had its own distinct voice, which made it helpful because the story is told from each of their perspectives, including the killer! When it switched from one narrator to the next, there were no questions as to who was talking. It was scary how charismatic the killer was, you could almost see yourself or your own best friend falling for his charm and good looks. The story really flowed and kept progressing. Towards the end of the book I was literally biting my nails! I was on edge the entire time!

Next time your in the mood for a good murder mystery pick this one up! You won't be sorry!

Does Anyone Else Play With Their Books???

Ok so I felt like this video deserved its very own post! And after you watch it , you will probably understand! I sort of have this habbit of, playing with my books from time to time. lol See video below!

It got worse. lol I also began to act out characters in diffrent voices, etc. So...I choose not to upload those videos as someone may come to cart me off for a little vacation involving an all white room and special little jackets.

I wonder though, does anyone else play with their books too? Or is it just me? I mean, this is totally normal! Right???

I am thinking of making this a weekly MEME on my blog. Like, Cristina Plays With Her Books or something. What do you think? Creepy or entertaining? If you'd like to see these every week, leave a comment and let me know!

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is where we share the books we got through the week.

I was pretty lazy and didn't do one last week. So I had to make sure I did one this week! Its done in 2 parts. With a third video of me....gooofing off...and playing with my books! lol What can I say? You'll have to see it for yourself! lol

IMM -Part ONE!

Halfway through my IMM post I had to pause it. While it was paused, I had a bit of an accident. lol I fell, in a very embarassing manner.  And this was the result...

So boys and girls, the moral of the story is...don't EVER wear high heels when your dizzy! So...after cleaning myself up, a bag of frozen peas and a few advil, the vlog continues!

And after this it all basically goes downhill...lol This will be a seperate post, because...well, you'll understand why when you see the video!

Bought
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Willow by Julia Hoban
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Elixir by Hillary Duff

Gifted ( thank you Mommy!!!)
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespear
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Need by Carrie Jones
Flawless by Sara Shephard
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Piercy Jackson and the Olympians The Lighting Thief by Rick Riordan
Matched by Ally Condie

For Giveaway
Anna and the French Kiss- Signed by Stephanie Perkins!!!!

Won
Dreamland by Alyson Noel

Special thanks to Stephanie Perkins! You made this an awesome giveaway! Wendy from A Cupcake and a Latte blog. Thank you so much for the giveaway! It was my first time entering, and I won! Eeek! And also a special thanks to my Mommy ( I <3 her ) for all of the books she got me!!!

Well folks, thats all I got in my mailbox this week! I'd love to hear what you got in your mailbox this week! Leave me a comment or a link to your blog! Hope your all having a fantastic week ! And beware of highheels!

TBR Intervention Challenge (1)

When I saw this challenge I was really excited about it! I have over 200 books in my TBR list! I am ashamed to admit that! lol So yes, I am in need of an intervention! Don't worry though, I don't own all the books on my TBR list! They are just books I've been wanting to read! So this is the perfect challenge!

TBR Intervention is a weekly challenge
hosted by Dani@RefractedLight , Ayanami@Whatever you Can Still Betray, and April@Books4Juliet


The goal of this challenge is to help each other (fellow readers and bloggers) manage our enormous and constantly growing TBR (To-Be-Read) List

When Clay Jenson plays the casette tapes he received in a mysterious package, he's surprised to hear the voice of dead classmate Hannah Baker. He's one of 13 people who receive Hannah's story, which details the circumstances that led to her suicide. Clay spends the rest of the day and long into the night listening to Hannah's voice and going to the locations she wants him to visit. The text alternates, sometimes quickly, between Hannah's voice (italicized) and Clay's thoughts as he listens to her words, which illuminate betrayals and secrets that demonstrate the consequences of even small actions. Hannah, herself, is not free from guilt, her own inaction having played a part in an accidental auto death and a rape. The message about how we treat one another, although sometimes heavy, makes for compelling reading. Give this to fans of Gail Giles psychological thrillers. Dobrez, Cindy

Why I picked this book? I picked Thirteen Reasons Why because I have had it sitting on my shelf for more than 6 months! I've heard so many good things about it and everytime I read the synopsis it sounds like a haunting story! I always wonder, why do I never get around to reading that one! So this week it is going to the top of my TBR list!

Have YOU read it yet? If so I'd love to know what you think! And don't forget to leave me a comment and let me know what you've bumped up to the top of your TBR list this week!

October Giveaway!

Hey Everyone!

I had a really hard time thinking of what my giveaway would be for this month. It just didn't seem like there would be anyway to top last months. But, I think I came up with a pretty awesome giveaway that I'm really excited about! And I hope you will be too!

It's been really hard to keep it a secret and not spill the beans. lol But I have dropped a few hints here and there!

I am also trying out a new way of entering. It should be MUCH easier to use! So I'm hoping it will! If so it will make doing many more giveaways possible!

So for the October Giveaway, I will be giving away ONE autographed copy of Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, plus a matching bookmark! Eeek!!! Are you excired??? You should be!

Anna Oliphant has big plans for her senior year in Atlanta: hang out with her best friend, Bridgette, and flirt with her coworker at the Royal Midtown 14 multiplex. So she is none too happy when her father sends her off to boarding school in Paris. However, things begin to look up when she meets Étienne St. Clair, a gorgeous guy–with a girlfriend. As he and Anna become closer friends, things get infinitely more complicated. Will Anna get her French kiss? Or are some things just not meant to be?



"Magical. Anna and the French Kiss really captures the feeling of being in love." - Cassandra Clare, author of The Mortal Instruments series

"From the magical streets of Paris to its charming narrator, Anna and the French Kiss has it all. A wonderfully winning book!" --Robin Benway, author of Audrey, Wait! and The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June

"No one captures the exhilarating and exhausting `but-does-he-like-me?!' question better than Stephanie Perkins. A scrumptious read." --Justina Chen, author of North of Beautiful

"Very sly. Very funny. Very romantic. You should date this book." --Maureen Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes and Scarlett Fever

"Smart and sensual, Anna and the French Kiss is everything your heart is longing for. You'll want to live inside this story forever. More, s'il vous pla”t!" --Lisa McMann, New York Times bestselling author of the Wake Trilogy

"Imagine a mug of rich, thick hot chocolate. Now add a swirl of sweet whipped cream. Yummy? Oui. Well, Anna and the French Kiss is richer, sweeter, and--yes--even hotter. You're in for a very special treat." --Lauren Myracle, New York Times bestselling author of Peace, Love and Baby Ducks and Let It Snow

"Perkins's debut surpasses the usual chick-lit fare with smart dialogue, fresh characters and plenty of tingly interactions . . . Sarah Dessen fans will welcome another author who gracefully combines love and realism." --Kirkus, starred review

There will only be ONE winner this time! So make sure you take advantage of the extra ways to enter and goodluck!