Feature and Follow Friday (10)

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read!

Welcome to another Book Brats installment of Feature and Follow Friday! If you are new to Book Brats, then welcome, and if you are a returning guest, welcome back! Did you know I have my 200 Followers Contest going on right now? No?! Click on the flamingo on the sidebar to find out more and enter to win!

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

 Well, I think this is pretty obvious. Doormats. A female heroine or love interest or whatever who is clingy, obsessive, weak, etc. I mean, the entire point of Book Brats is to bring to my readers strong heroines who don't need a man to complete them.

So it's time for my rant, but if you follow me on Twitter, you've heard it. Presenting relationships where the love interest is borderline abusive to the girl - controlling her, stalking her, actually harming her - is not something I want to read, nor is it something I want to support as a reader. And as a writer, too, but that's for my other blog. If I read another book with a doormat, I might hurl. Ladies, it's time to stand up and realize that romance is good and all, but girls standing up for themselves, their rights, and being kickass is better.

Let me know what your pet peeves are! As long as it isn't the opposite of what I said, I'd love to know :D

Feature and Follow Friday (9...ish?)

Hello everyone for another week of Feature and Follow Friday! I actually have not kept up with how many of these I have done, so let's assume this is the 9th one for our purposes.

Firstly, I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I had a great friend of mine over along with a lot of relatives, so we will now be having leftovers for years. I took a 3.5 hour nap afterwards so I will be awake until next week. But enough about that and all the pie. Three types! And cookies. And pudding. BANANA pudding. I'm serious now. Oh, and sweet potato casserole and...

Q: It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. so we want to know what you are Thankful for – blogging related of course! Who has helped you out along the way? What books are you thankful for reading?

 Damn you, question! I was trying to make everyone drool. Firstly, I am thankful for the lovely Jenny of Books to the Sky for putting up with my crap on a daily basis and Andi at Rywn for helping me procrastinate on weekdays until 6 PM. I am thankful for my awesome critique partners/beta readers who know who they are, LOL. Totally not blogging related really, except most of them are bloggers and aspiring authors like me! Namely the hours long ramblings that are sarcastic meets weird meets extremely weird. I am thankful for everyone who has welcomed me to the blogging community, because I know I am a strange creature. I am thankful for my READERS (yes, kind of like that TIME Person of the Year where it was the mirror and you were the person of the year and I'm rambling aren't I?). You guys have made this possible! Really, I love you. A lot.

Books wise? That's hard. Harry Potter. Animorphs (being 12, a girl, and kickass is totally possible). Confessions of a Shopaholic (that book has brought so many laughs to my life, and told me that yes, I do have a shopping problem). China Mieville's The Scar for teaching me that thinking outside the box is preferable to thinking inside of it. James Alan Gardner's Expendable for teaching me that anyone is capable of saving the day. And Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain for scaring the pants off me when I needed a good scare.

Thanks again to everyone that has made Book Brats possible, even despite my recent slacking thanks to NaNoWriMo. I've hit 50,000 words, but this thing still has life left in it and I'd like to get as much done before my brain liquefies. I promise a review ASAP, though. I am almost done with several books so you guys will not be waiting for much longer. Until then, enjoy Black Friday!

Feature and Follow Friday and TGIF!

You read the title of this post right. Book Brats is back in the Feature and Follow Friday and TGIF fun! Wow, I bet you never saw this one coming, mwahaha. Just kidding. It's just that I've been busy with writing and editing and reading and applying for jobs that I haven't had time to dedicate to F&FF and TGIF and many of the other blog hop follow things. But at least for this week, I am back. Click READ MORE below to find out my answers to this week's questions and to catch up on all the fun stuff that I have posted this week! PS, it includes contests!

Follow Friday! (7)

Follow Friday is an awesome meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where you go around the blogosphere, meet new bloggers, follow as many as you like, and say hello to your fellow book bloggers! This week's featured bloggers are Steph Likes Books and Teen Fiction Centre, so go and check them out!

Q. How has your reading habits changed since you were a teen? or If you are still a teen what new genres are you in love with currently?

When I was a teen, I mostly read ADULT fiction. Paranormal romance, urban fantasy, lots of Stephen King and Michael Crichton (my love of Michael Crichton knows no bounds, TRUST ME). I've started reading a lot more of Oprah's Book Club, LOL. Okay, time for Megan's Book Club aka what I've read since I turned 20.

Best books I think you should read - Middlesex, The Time Traveler's Wife, She's Come Undone, Snow Falling on Cedars, The Other Boleyn Girl, Stones from the River (my second favorite book of all time)... YA has been a recent thing for me really. Reading wise, though, I still do read mostly adult books and contemporary literature.

Oh! Remember to enter my 100 Followers Contest! It closes at 11:59 PM on Sunday and I will pick a winner Monday morning. Check it out here! While you're here, check out my review of Glow and my discussion about YA romances.

Coming next Thursday will be another Book Brat's View, so mark your calendars now!

Follow Friday! (6)

Follow Friday is an awesome meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read where you meet new bloggers, say hello to old followers, etc etc. This week's featured bloggers are Bonnie at Hands and Home and Me, My Shelf, and I. Go check them all out and wave hello! And while you're here, make sure you click the little button to your right and enter in my 100 Followers Contest, please? :D

Q. Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?).

Umm... I really don't know how to answer this because I've been an avid reader as long as I know. Um... Really, I'm sorry guys, I don't know how to answer this. I have no answer because there is no book in my life that really fits this description! The AP Stylebook maybe? Confessions of a Shopaholic? Yeah, let's go with Confessions of a Shopaholic and you can all judge me because that's all I've got.

So what did you guys say? I hope it's more creative than my lameness!

Follow Friday! (5)

Follow Friday is of course an awesome meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. This is Follow Friday number five for me, and I've discovered so many awesome blogs and found some really great followers through it!

Remember, if we reach 100 followers by Monday that means we'll be assured a giveaway! I'm just kidding, even if we don't get there I'll start the giveaway. I love you guys that much! *squeeee*

And make sure to check out the two featured bloggers this week, The Book Addicted Girl and The Little Book Blog!

Okay, time for the question!

Q Let's step away from books for a second and get personal. What T-Shirt slogan best describes you?

Maybe it doesn't describe me as much as how I treat the world, LOL. I'm always vague and shifty eyed and weird. I keep it vague!

So how about you guys? Let me know!

Follow Friday! (4)

FOLLOW FRIDAY! And this is my FOURTH ONE! Wow, it feels like yesterday was my first! How time flies, eh?

Follow Friday is a meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, so check them out, and this week's featured blogs are We Fancy Books and A Novella's Tale, so CHECK THEM OUT! Awesome sauce!

Q. Name 3 authors that you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking about either their books or get advice on writing from?

Wow, this is a tough question, and I am going to have some weird answers, so stay with me.

1.) ANNE MCCAFFREY
While most teens read YA, I read the Dragonriders of Pern. And if you haven't read the Dragonriders of Pern, you are missing out. This series changed my life and got me into actually writing.

2.) JOAN SLONCZEWSKI
The closest I ever got to meeting her was having lunch with someone who took a class with her in college. She's actually a microbiology professor in addition to being a science fiction writer.

3.) HARUKI MURAKAMI
I didn't start out with his fiction, but it's just amazingly breathtaking. And I DEVOURED Underground a couple years ago. It was just heartbreaking, and true. Check it out.

So what are your answers? I'm curious to find out!

Follow Friday! (3)

And first, a word from our sponsors, Meggie's Brain. Meggie has been working on her magnum opus for the past week nonstop, which is why Megan has still not finishes ASHES, ASHES. Trust me when I say that this will be resolved soon. Until then, please enjoy Follow Friday and maybe a Review from the Goodreads Archives tomorrow!



Q. What do I do when I are not reading?

I am currently working on my own YA project, editing an adult urban fantasy manuscript and readying it for querying, and I am looking for a job in the NYC or DC areas (anyone have any ideas? LOL). I have six years of higher education and have yet to productively use it. I also make jewelry for my cats and watch Netflix like a madwoman! I knit, scrapbook, collect postcards via Postcrossing, collect stamps, collect souvenir fridge magnets, and travel. I enjoy long walks on the beach and moonlit strolls through the park. Oh, wait, not a dating ad? Crap. (Any potential suitors, particularly hot single NHL players, please email me.)

I will actually get out there and do some following tomorrow, but right now I am about to pass out. Just thought I would do this before I forgot! Can't wait to hear what everyone else does with their non-blogging time :D

Friday is Here! Follow Friday!

Well, it's only been Friday for 7 minutes, but oh well, Friday Friday Friday, ohhhh! That means time for the fun activities that Friday brings to the book blogging world, even if this is only week 2 for me, the Diva Extraordinaire. Okay, I haven't been very diva-y this week. After only a week, being a writer has called me back to a manuscript that I should have started querying two months ago. But yep, that's not for this blog. Let's continue! And I'll post more of these tomorrow morning when I wake up, which is when I'll ACTUALLY do some hopping and following. Until then, I will leave you with the first question and answer of the day


Q. Let's step away from besties...What is the worst book that you've ever read and actually finished?

This is not a difficult question for me. Sharon Green's CONVERGENCE. Read it, hated it, hated the characters, hated the five POVs of the exact same mundane events, but I liked the plot. She just ruined it with a heavy hand for tea drinking scenes. When in doubt, tea makes everything better. Remember this when you decide to write a book. Just say no to tea.

Book Blogger Hops and Follow Fridays and TGIF!

As you guys are probably well aware, I'm new to the scene, but I'm trying! So I'll be participating in the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Crazy-For-Books.com and the Follow My Blog Friday hosted by Parajunkee (who I also follow on Goodreads - if you're a girl like me who loves paranormal stuff, this is the blog to follow besides my own of course).

Q. ACK! Your favorite book/movie character (example Hermione Granger played by the Emma chick) just walked into the room! Who is it and what would be your first reaction? You get extra points if you include visual stimulation.

A: I think most people will probably go with something younger, but I must admit, my favorite fictional character is Lieutenant Ellen Ripley, ain't even going to lie.



Me: I WANT TO FIGHT ALIENS WITH YOU.
Ripley: Who the hell are you and what the hell are you doing on my ship?
Me: I have come to kick ass and chew bubble gum and lose my bubble gum.
Ripley: *kicks out airlock*
Me: Noooooooooooooooo!

THE END!

Edited in a new one!


TGIF is hosted by Ginger and GReads (which I recently have discovered and love). Be sure to follow her - there are some good reviews to be had!

Mr & Mrs: Who are your favorite book couples?

I am going to be strange and go away from what the vast majority of bloggers have said. In all honesty, I can't stand half the romances in YA (for some reasons that you might just see one day, or ask me and I'll let you in on why I dislike YA romances half the time). So yes, you'll see some strange books here, forgive me!

Sookie & Sam from the Southern Vampire Mysteries: Most people disagree with me, but they are just adorable together! For ten books I have been rooting for them to get together but Alan Ball on True Blood is just trolling me, I swear.

Ron & Hermione from Harry Potter: Unlike most of my friends, I really do like these two together. Yes, he's not as smart as she is and he whines, but they make a great couple.

Dante & Japhrimel from the Dante Valentine series: Haven't read this series yet? Why not?! Demons, hello! Okay, yes, I love demons in stories (my own novels have to do with demons, love love love) so I love this pair, even if I loved Dante and Jace more. That didn't end up well at all.

Katniss & Nobody from The Hunger Games: Yeah, I liked the idea of Katniss being on her own. Why do girls who are 16 and 17 always need a man in their lives? Ladies, it's time to stand up and be free! Maybe this is because I'm a cynical 24 year old.