Blogger Profile: Melanie (& Contest)

If you're interested in winning an Arc of When the Whistle Blows, keep on reading! Alexa is the winner of The Eye of the Hawk & Out of Thin Air.

Melanie blogs at Melanie's Musings. Below you can find out more about her and her blog:
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Name: Melanie
Alias: A few people call me Mel.
Blog Name: Melanie's Musings
Blog URL: http://melaniesmusings.net/

Can you give us a quick bio about yourself?
Well, I'm a fifteen year old teen in the state of Florida. I'm in the tenth grade and spend a lot of time reading. When I'm not doing that, I can usually be found riding my horse, Ranger, playing the piano, blogging, knitting, taking pictures, or just randomly hanging out with a few friends.

Name & describe your blog features:
Melanie's Musings is comprised mainly of book reviews, but I add other things, like movie reviews, author interviews, blogger interviews, and discussion posts, in order to keep things varied and interesting. Also, my reviews are a mix of both YA and Adult books.

Describe your review system:
In my reviews, I generally write my own summary. Although the majority of the time the official summary is accurate, I like to show what I perceived the book to be about. Then, I simply give my honest opinion on what I thought of the book. I point out what I liked and disliked about a particular book, as well as why I felt that way.

How is your blog unique from other blogs?
I occasionally review movies that were based on books. I just recently started doing this, and I plan on doing more in the future. I didn't know how many movie adaptations there were! I also attempt to make my personality come through as much as possible. I can be a bit shy at first, so it can be a struggle to put myself out there, even in blogging.

How do you market your blog?
I can't count how many people I've met through Twitter. It's a great way to make friends and contacts, as well as get the word out about my blog. I also comment on other blogs and connect with bloggers, authors, and other readers on Goodreads.

Can you give us three tips about content?

1. Variety is truly the spice of life, so do your best to keep things diversified.

2. Have fun. People can tell whether or not you are, so make sure you enjoy what you do!

3. Be yourself. No two people's voice is exactly alike, so by just being yourself, you can make your content stand out.

Can you give us three tips about blog promotion?

1. Everyone loves insightful comments, so by leaving comments on other blogs, you can catch other blogger's attention.

2. Social networking is a great way to promote your blog. Currently, I use Twitter and Goodreads. Both are great way to meet new friends!

3. A lot of people, including me, enjoy contests, and it can be a great way to drive traffic to your site.
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Thanks so much, Melanie!

To win an ARC of When the Whistle Blows, leave a comment on this post with your name and email address. You MUST follow both my blog and Melanie's blog to enter. To get an extra entry, link to this contest. I'll announce the winner on December 3. Read more...

Movie Monday & Contest: Year of the Horse

Interested in winning a copy of Year of the Horse? Keep reading!

The winner of the Things Are Gonna Get Ugly is Milka.

Click here to read the text review of Year of the Horse.


To win a copy of Year of the Horse, all you have to do to enter is watch the video above from beginning to end- it's only about a minute- and leave a comment on this post with your email address. For an extra entry, link to this contest. For another, follow my blog. I will announce the winner on Monday, November 16.

Read more...

Retrospective (27)

Monday: I posted a review video of Things are Gonna Get Ugly, along with a contest to win a copy. The contest ends tomorrow, so hurry over!

Tuesday: I posted the new First Line poll and posted a contest to win both volumes of the Encyclopedia of Immaturity.

Thursday: I reviewed Hate List by Jennifer Brown.

Friday: I reviewed Not Like You by Deborah Davis.

Saturday: I interviewed Justin Allen, author of Year of the Horse. Read more...

Saturday's Scribe: Justin Allen

Today's scribe: Justin Allen
Author of: Year of the Horse
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Year of the Horse is a mix of western, fantasy, and historical fiction. If you had to pick just one of the three genres to write in, which would you choose and why?

Darn! That’s a beast of a question. The whole basis of what I do, writing-wise, amounts to finding or making connections. How is fantasy connected to western? How is history related to fantasy? I think they’re all intertwined. Have you ever seen any of the old Clint Eastwood spaghetti-western movies? If you’re at all like me, you watch those movies and think – wait a minute, when exactly is this supposed to be taking place? You show me the Civil War, but don’t give me any details. And where are they anyway? How can that great big desert be right outside a Confederate Prisoner of War camp? That doesn’t look like any part of Georgia I’ve ever seen. Plus, how in heaven’s name does Clint’s gun always have just the right number of shells in it?

The realization you come to, if you ponder on such bits of malarkey for long enough, is that those movies are actually fantasies. The whole western genre is a sort of fantasy, I reckon. The heroes are stronger than normal, nobler, purer, faster on the draw, or just plain chuck full of bravery. Sometimes they get hurt or killed, sometimes they even fail. But they never give up, never give in, and always meet every challenge with their head up, their eyes open, and a sneer on their lips. It scarcely matters whether they carry the Sword of Gryffindor or an old brass revolver. We count on them to do what they think is right, to struggle against nearly impossible odds, and to remind us that being on the side of goodness and decency, while not always easy, is a thing to be revered and respected.

I guess that what I am trying to say is that for me these genres can not be separated. They are one and the same. They are ALL fantasy.

Which of the characters in your novel do you most relate to?

You know, I’d like to say Lu. I really, really like Lu. Plus, he is the boy who gets chosen. But facts being what they are, I guess I am probably most like Sadie. Her upbringing is not so very different from mine. She grew up in the west, and so has a generous dollop of that coarseness that we westerners so like and admire. I think I am fairly loyal, as Sadie most assuredly is, and I hope I am as open to new ideas, new people, and new experiences (maybe I’m not, but at least I’m trying). Plus, I gave Sadie my desire to travel. I wish I could be as good-looking as Sadie, and could wind up with all her money, but those are just surface things. Money and looks aren’t everything - they’re not even the most important things. Sadie knows that, I think. I think she would agree with me in saying that character, the deepest most core attributes of a person, are what really count.

Have you ever had any adventures similar to Lu's?

Well, as I said before, I have certainly done my fair share of camping. And I have actually ridden a mule into the Grand Canyon. I hunted as a kid, though I never actually shot anything (never wanted to – don’t tell my Dad). But thus far I have managed to avoid any actual confrontations with either horse-riding fire demons or the devil. I count myself lucky in both regards.

Can you describe your writing process?

I always begin with some overarching idea, some point I am trying to make. I just can’t see how you can begin trying to say a thing until you have decided what it is you want to say. I don’t write any of this down, as a rule, I just have a strong inclination to say something about patriotism, or race relations, or whatever. And with that inclination is an image of a place, a time, and likely a single character. The character that started Year of the Horse was Jack Straw. All of this I think up well in advance. After that, writing for me is nothing more than sitting in front of my computer hitting the keys.

I know, I know, some writers have elaborate rituals they perform before, during and after sitting down to work. I don’t do any of that. Every day, soon as I get up, I make breakfast for my wife and myself, and then I go to work!!!! There is nothing for writing than just to WRITE. You are sure to write a huge amount of nonsense, trash, filler and crap. Far as I can see, there is no way to avoid this. So why spend your time thinking up ways of tricking yourself into writing the exact right word every time? Eventually, you are sure to hit on something that feels right. Then you will hasten along that path for a bit, until the next lot of trash begins to spew out, and you will have to regroup, back up, and search for that clear path once more. Writing is no magic trick. It is just work. It is clearing a path through a jungle of mistakes (sometimes you just can’t clear the path and the mistake stays – deal with it). And that path, that one semi-clear road through the wilderness of your mind, once put to paper, is a book.

What advice would you give to any aspiring young writers?

I’ll give you two pieces of advice - no extra charge.

First of all, read! And don’t just keep reading the same thing over and over. Read widely. New insights will come from reading books, articles and stories that seemingly have nothing whatsoever to do with the subject you think you are trying to hack out of the jungle of your mind. Read comic books and medical manuals, newspapers, blogs, the backs of cereal boxes, children’s picture books, mysteries, science fiction, the textbooks you are supposed to read for school anyway (but often don’t), plays and movie scripts, books that feel beyond your level, and books that are too young for you by far. Doesn’t hardly matter WHAT you read, merely that you READ.

And second, strike adverbs from your writing. The adverb is the single most poisonous thing to be injected into any sentence. It steals from your verb, leaving it wimpy and weak. Worse yet, the adverb seldom (maybe never) adds any useful information to a sentence. The context of most any story or novel is such that the adverb is almost always superfluous. I tell you, adverbs ought to be declared illegal.

But maybe you don’t believe me? Fine, so let’s have an example:

“Good luck,” said Ron quietly. Harry walked into the Great Hall, clutching his wand so tightly his hand shook. “Professor Tofty is free, Potter,” squeaked Professor Flitwick…

Now, as to that first sentence… Looking at it, we can’t help but feel badly for that poor little word ‘said.’ Oh how it has been abused with that ‘quietly.’ And as for ‘quietly’… what does it even mean? Has Ron’s volume been turned down? Is he speaking in a voice such that he hopes other won’t hear? Maybe Ron whispered? Imagine for a moment that ‘Ron whispered.’ Is our sentence any different? Yes, we now have put that poor little ‘said’ out of its - and our - misery. Plus, we have a perfectly marvelous verb now, a verb which itself seems to whisper.

I say, in our writing let’s look for words like whisper, and avoid abusing words like poor little ‘said.’ ‘Said’ is a perfectly lovely word, when allowed to stand alone. Let ‘said’ be ‘said’, and ‘whisper’ be ‘whisper’, and lets us keep the adverbs out of things, shall we?

The above example also offers, in the very next sentence, an opportunity for you to try your own hand at criticizing the adverb. I ask you, what do you think about ‘so tightly?’ How would you eliminate the adverb? Go ahead, be brutal. It’s fun to abuse your literary betters (JK Rowling is most assuredly my better), and so to learn to avoid their mistakes.
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Thanks, Mr. Allen, for such a great interview! Read more...

Not Like You

Title: Not Like You
Author: Deborah Davis
Grade: A-
Ideal Audience: Girls & Some Boys, 13+

Summary: At fifteen years old, Kayla has grown accustomed to her mother's alternative way of life. Every few months, her mom decides to stay off the alcohol (Kayla now knows not to get her hopes up), and pack up and move. Now, they've moved to a dumpy trailer in New Mexico. Both are trying to start accomplishing something with their lives, although Kayla isn't sure how long the kick will last.

Quickly, Kayla garners clients to dog-walk for. Her business is successful and she loves the job: she feels connected to the dogs, and forms friendships with one dog's owners in particular: Shirley and Sherrie, two middle-aged women who run a clothing store. The women listen to Kayla's problems and offer her advice when she needs it.

Kayla is also forming a- could she call it a relationship?- with Remy, who, at twenty-four, is much too old for her. It also doesn't help that she told him she's seventeen instead of fifteen. Can Kayla make sense of her emotions, and work out the rocky connection she has with her mother?

My thoughts: Not Like You is moving and touching, and paints a realistic portrait of a young woman struggling to find out who she is in life. Many girls, even if their situation is unlike Kayla's, will be able to relate to her honesty and hopefulness.

Deborah Davis has proven herself as a talented writer in this impressive novel.

Buy Not Like You from Amazon

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Hate List

Title: Hate List
Author: Jennifer Brown
Grade: B+
Ideal Audience: Boys & Girls, 14-18

Summary: When Valerie's boyfriend, Nick, came to school and shot students and a teacher, and then committed suicide, Valerie was sure she was just having a nightmare. Now, five months later, Valerie has to deal with the fact that the school shooting was very much a horrendous reality.

But she has even more to deal with that just being Nick's former girlfriend. Nick picked his victims from a list he and Valerie created together: a hate list. Now, some people believe that Valerie was involved with planning the shooting, and perhaps even pulled the trigger a time or two herself. Valerie is now surrounded by suspicions, held even by her own family.

Despite these accusations, everyone knows that Valerie was shot in the leg when she stopped the shooting, and saved the life of a student, by jumping on Nick. Now, Jessica, the girl whom Valerie saved, is trying to create a fragile friendship between the two.

Valerie has to find a way to navigate her forever-changed world, and must find a way to gain other's trust... and see if she can even trust herself.

My thoughts: Hate List is an emotional novel, featuring a believable main character, and, yes, even a believable situation. Jennifer Brown carefully explores the driving force behind Nick, and the confusion, guilt, and pain that Valerie is feeling.

Many teenagers will be able to relate to this novel, and may even be able to learn a lesson or two from it.

Buy Hate List from Amazon

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Win Encyclopedia of Immaturity Vol. 2!

First, the winners of the Cirque du Freak set are Tracee and Ann Diana Dinh.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF IMMATURITY VOL 2
Recommended for ages 9-99!
Klutz Book Release

THREE winners will win The Encyclopedia of Immaturity AND The Encyclopedia of Immaturity Volume 2!



Product Page
Facebook Fan Page

From Klutz: The Encyclopedia of Immaturity has been such a hit that Klutz is following up with a second book! The Encyclopedia of Immaturity Volume 2 includes thought-provoking topics such as how to slide down a banister, what we talk about when we talk about wedgies, how to send a toiletgram, and more. It’s all new and all hopelessly goofy.

To get an entry, leave a comment on this post with your name and email address. For additional entries:

+1 Follow this blog
+1 Follow me on twitter
+1 Link to this contest
+1 Vote here
+3 Buy something from one of these stores

Be sure to list everything you have done in your comment! Also remember that simply commenting- even if you do none of the above- still gets you an entry. I will announce the winner on December 1st. Good luck!

Note: it's extremely helpful to me if you format your comment like this:

Email: whatever@something.com
+1 Comment here
+1 Following the blog
+1 I voted in poll
+3 I bought Twilight from your store
(Or whatever it is you did.) Read more...

October: Best First Lines

The winner of September's First Line contest is "You would think it'd be easy to get along with a person after she's dead.", from Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe.

Here are the first lines of all the books I read in October 2009. Please vote on which you think is the best! You can check to see which book they are from here.



Thanks for voting! The winning first line will be announced on December 1. Read more...

Movie Monday & Contest: Things Are Gonna Get Ugly

Interested in winning a copy of Things Are Gonna Get Ugly? Keep reading!

The winner of the Give Up the Ghost swag bag is Sheere.

Click here to read the text review of Things Are Gonna Get Ugly.


To win a copy of Things Are Gonna Get Ugly, all you have to do to enter is watch the video above from beginning to end- it's about a minute and a half- and leave a comment on this post with your email address. For an extra entry, link to this contest. For another, follow my blog. I will announce the winner on Monday, November 9. Read more...

Retrospective (26)

Monday: I posted a review video of Give Up the Ghost, along with a contest to win a "swag bag". The contest ends tomorrow, so hurry over!

Tuesday: I hit the 400 follower mark! Thank you, everybody!!

Wednesday: I reviewed the movie Valkyrie. I also received an award from Donna!! Thanks!

Thursday: I reviewed Ash by Malinda Lo.

Friday: I reviewed Invisible I by Stella Lennon.

Also, don't forget to check out my interview with Sara Bareilles! Read more...

Invisible I

Title: Invisible I: The Amanda Project
Author: Stella Lennon
Grade: A-
Ideal Audience: Girls, 12-16

Summary: Callie is a member of the I girls, the most popular girls in her school's ninth grade. Lately, she's also been hanging out with Amanda, a free spirit unlike anybody Callie's ever known... and somebody who is definitely not liked by the I girls.

But then Amanda mysteriously disappears, right after she graffitied the vice principal's car... and implicated Callie as an accomplice in her "crime", along with Nia, the school geek, and Hal, a recovering dork. Although the three don't understand why they've been thrown together, they realize that Amanda wants them to work together to find her.

As Callie struggles to decipher Amanda's cryptic clues, she realizes that she knew Amanda even less than she thought she did. Finally, the search begins to center around identity- not only questioning who Amanda truly was, but wondering who Callie herself is.

My thoughts: Invisible I was engaging and suspenseful, and many readers will be tearing through the pages. Part of an eight-book series, Invisible I provides a delightful beginning to the search for Amanda. However, I wish the novel could have provided more information about Amanda's personality, so that we could have gotten to know her a little better.

Also part of an online project (click here to view the site), The Amanda Project will appeal to many teenage girls.

But Invisible I from Amazon

Buy Invisible I from IndieBound Read more...

Ash

Title: Ash
Author: Malinda Lo
Grade: A
Ideal Audience: Girls & Some Boys, 13+

Summary: After Ash's mother dies- providing quite a blow to the young girl- Ash is quite surprised to see her father remarry within a few months. But nothing at all can prepare her for the death of her father, leaving Ash to the mercy of her stepmother and stepsisters. Soon, Ash has gone from looking upon a bright future to being her stepfamily's maid.

While mourning the deaths of her parents, especially her mother's, Ash seeks refuge in the magical, forbidden dream world of the fairies. Traipsing through the forest near her home, Ash encounters Sidhean, a mysterious fairy who is determined to claim the girl for his own- and Ash is not inclined to refuse him.

But then Ash meets Kaisa, the king's huntress. The two begin meeting everyday, and Kaisa even teaches Ash how to ride a horse, how to hunt. As Ash's heart is torn in two, she has to discover the difference between magical bindings and her true feelings.

My thoughts: Ash is a darker retelling of Cinderella. Ash herself is nothing like the bouncy, happy Cinderella seen in Disney movies: rather, she mourns the death of her parents, and yearns to escape her harsh reality by retreating into strange and forbidden worlds.

Furthermore, there is a twist in Ash's love interests: in Malinda Lo's novel, the heroine does not fall for the handsome and rich prince. However, she is still conflicted about where her heart lies. Teenagers and adults alike will find Ash to be a lyrical, honest fairy tale.

Buy Ash from Amazon

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Valkyrie

Colonel Stauffenberg is determined to serve Germany during World War II. However, after considering what Hitler is doing, he decides that it would be better for Germany if Hitler were to be defeated. Out of loyalty to his country, Stauffenberg enters into a dangerous scheme to assassinate Hitler and take control of the German government without triggering the SS.

Based off of a true story, Valkyrie portrays German soldiers' plot to kill Hitler, all while pretending to be loyal to Hitler and "Hitler's Germany". The lines are spoken in English rather than German, and it is up to the viewer to suspend disbelief.

Valkyrie was a fast-paced and suspenseful movie, perfect for film and action lovers. I also found it to be a unique World War II movie as I had never before heard of Stauffenberg or the German attempts to assassinate Hitler. Read more...

Movie Monday & Contest: Give Up the Ghost

Interested in winning some Give Up the Ghost swag? Keep reading!

The winner of Dreaming Anastasia is elaing8!

Click here to read the text review of Give Up the Ghost.


To win one ghost scent sample, a mini paper lantern, a friendship bracelet, a bookmark, a sticker set, and a button, all you have to do to enter is watch the video above from beginning to end- it's about a minute and a half- and leave a comment on this post with your email address. For an extra entry, link to this contest. For another, follow my blog. I will announce the winner on Monday, November 2. Read more...

Retrospective (25)

Monday: I posted a review video of Dreaming Anastasia, along with a contest to win a copy. The contest ends tomorrow, so hurry over!

Tuesday: I reviewed the movie An Education.

Wednesday: Mini Magoo reviewed Secrets of a Christmas Box by Steven Hornby.

Thursday: I profiled the blogger Steph Bowe along with a contest to win a copy of Intertwined.

Friday: I reviewed The Horrifying Tale of Mrs. Trollope by Martin Dubow.

Saturday: Daniel Nayeri, co-author of Another Faust, wrote a guest blog.

Also, don't forget to check out my interview with Sara Bareilles! Read more...