Clock Rewinders on a Book Binge is the weekly recap feature created by
Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Tara @ 25 Hour Books
In the life of Smash
Hello, bloggers and readers! I apologize for being so distant lately. I have not been interested in the internet or social media, but I think it will pass. I have just been doing so many other things lately, and enjoying life, in general. I am also in a review slump, so staying away from the computer at night has a lot to do with me not wanting to face reviews. Ha. I’ve been in a scrapbook mood and have really not cared about writing reviews. It’s ok. I’m not punishing myself for it. They will get done.
Let’s see. There is ONE WEEK left of school. I will be sad to see some of these mucnkins go, but I am SO PROUD of many of them for overcoming shit this year.
I’ve been Smash Booking, which is just a variation of scrapbooking. I am enjoying it.
I also made a Mother’s Day gift that I am truly proud of. It’s a memory file!
I took this adorable photo of Dr. Smash. ♥
And he competed in a burger cook off last weekend. He made a pork and andouille sausage burger with a melty cheese, a pepper sauce, cilantro and a fried egg! And and he made his own masa cake buns!
and TODAY, I AM HERE. Nomnomnomnooooooooooom.
Smash Attack Reads Recap
- Smash reviews The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
- Top Ten Tuesdays: Light & Fun
- Blog Tour Review: The Tale of Raw Head and Bloody Bones by Jack Wolf + GIVEAWAY
- Smash reviews The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
- Let’s Talk: Freebies
- Bout of Books 7.0 Starting Line.
- Top Ten Tuesdays: Books Dealing With Tough Subjects
- Mel reviews A Vampire’s Salvation (Beyond Human #1) by Virna DePaul
- Let’s Talk: Creative Inspiration
- Bout of Books Challenge: Genre Book Spine Poetry
2013 Reading Goals
It’s all about the series, yo!
Let’s see…I’ve finished The Lunar Chronicles, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Seven Realms, Under the Never Sky, Jasper Dent, The Night Prince and Elemental Assassins! YAHOOO! Once I read Unravel Me, that series is done, too. Woot! Speaking of that series, I read Destroy Me this week and I want MOAR from Warren’s POV. I was so engrossed in that novells!
The Web 411
- OMG! *flails* They released the author lineup for YALLFEST!!!!!!!!!!!! FANGIRL MODE ACTIVATED! I am doing everything in my power to go this November.
- On a Book Bender: I Know My Why…Now What?
- Reading in Winter: Discussion: If I Had a Time Machine
- Epic Reads: Destination Romance: SMALL TOWNS
- The SITS Girls: Keep Calm & Understand the New FTC Guidelines
- Kelly talks about what she’s learned from reading monster erotica
- Go tell Amanda about your favorite audiobooks!
Favorite Quotes of the Week
“I’ve developed a reputation as cold, unfeeling monster who fears nothing and cares for less. But this is all very deceiving. Because the truth is, I am nothing but a coward.”
― Tahereh Mafi, Destroy Me
“Stop what?” Howie demanded. “Stop loving you, Jazz? I wish I could quit you, but I can’t. Someday, we’ll run off to New York and get married, the way God intended it.”
Despite himself, Jasper cracked a grin. “Sorry, man — my nips only go out this far.” He mimmed a quarter inch.
“Oh, well, in that case, nice to know ya…”
-Barry Lyga, Career Day
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team
Good day, Bout Of Bookers! You are almost to the finish line. I hope you have met or exceeded your goals, and if you haven’t, I hope you had fun anyway because that is the ENTIRE point. Right, Amanda? And now, let’s get on to the challenge at hand, shall we. I present thee with…
GENRE BOOK SPINE POETRY
Yes, I said GENRE Book Spine Poetry. That means you have to choose one GENRE, any genre, and use only those books to create your poem. It sounds difficult but it’s hella fun going through your books and trying to figure something out. You can only use as many extra words as you have books. For example, if you have 10 books, you can only use 10 extra words in your poem. I chose Young Adult as a whole, no sub-genres. Here is my example:
Got questions? Tweet them to me.
Giveaway Details
- This challenge and prize is open to Bout of Books 7.0 participants only. I will be checking on the validity of your entry. Don’t cheat, yo.
- The challenge will be open for 24 hours, so at midnight CST on Sunday 5/19/13, the pumpkin shall cease to exist!
- To enter, please post your awesome creation on your blog, Goodreads page, Facebook page, etc, and post your link in the comments here. Or, if you don’t have a place to post it, you can put the poem in the comment.
- A picture helps me determine that you used only one genre of books because I can easily investigate a book I do not know. If you chose not to do a picture, please make sure you have book titles and authors listed.
- ONE (1) winner will be chosen randomly (via the WordPress plugin “Pick Giveaway Winner”) to win a book of their choice under $10 from Amazon or Book Depository, as long as they ship to you.
- The winner will be contacted Sunday 5/19/13 and will have 48 hours to respond with their book choice, link and address.
HAVE FUN AND GET CREATIVE.
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CONGRATULATIONS MELISSA @ Harley Bear Book Blog!
Originally hosted by Melissa from i swim for oceans, Smash & Kt took her original inspiration, and made it their own, expanding it to more than just books. Let’s get personal (but respectfully so) and learn more about one another! Each week, a different question will be posted along with a place to link up your posts and visit other people’s responses. This meme is definitely meant to bring out conversation and meet new people. So, Let’s Talk!
Today’s Question:
Have you ever been inspired to do something creative by reading about it in a book? Examples cooking, baking, trying a new food or drink, making jewelry, designing clothes or shoes and even bookish inspired vacations.
YES! I think Gin Blanco is to blame for my sudden interest in baking! Of course, they only thing I’ve tried is cupcakes, which I don’t ever recall Gin making, actually, but I’m blaming her anyway. :Þ I also salivate over BBQ in her books but I do NOT like sweet Southern BBQ. I like my BBQ vinegar-based. As far as vacations go, I want to go back to London after reading Meant to Be, and I want to go to Ireland and Scotland and learn more about ancient Celtic culture after reading Iron Druid books, and I DEFINITELY want to head to Australia and meet up with Gavin and Sinnder from Just Breathe trilogy. No telling what would happen… 
If you have questions/ideas for future topics, feel free to share them here.
A Vampire's Salvation (Beyond Human #1) by Virna DePaul Series: Beyond Human
Published by Loveswept on 04/22/13
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Add to your Goodreads TBR Pile
Francesca Marie Stewart has never wanted any man as much as she wants Jake Rios. His chiseled body and dark, intensely masculine energy draw her like a moth to a flame. But Frankie has been burned before, and now a mysterious figure from her troubled past has resurfaced with a terrifying new threat. Can she trust Jake not only with her heart but with her very life?
Jake’s hunger to possess this beautiful redhead goes beyond searing desire. He’s a vampire, and his very existence depends on bonding with a mate. He aches to ravish Frankie, but he must take it slow—for what he will ask of her will require profound sacrifice even as it gives her unimaginable pleasure. And once he has claimed her—body and soul—Jake will go to any lengths to protect her.
A Vampire’s Salvation is the first novella in Virna DePaul’s Beyond Human series and tells the story of Jake and Frankie.
Jake is a vampire who is almost 200 years old and reaching a very important stage in his life. In the Beyond Human world a vampire who lives over 200 years without finding his or her mate lose their immortality and go insane. Fortunately for Jake, he found his mate, Franscesca, six months ago. He’s spent the last six months trying to keep his vampiric nature in check and let Frankie get to know him in the traditional human way.
Frankie is a human who works as a consultant for the Governor. She has spent her life dedicated to her career and has found it very rewarding. She had a traumatic event happen to her when she was a teenager which left her both emotionally and physically scarred. Her intimacy issues were never a problem until Jake started working security for the Governor. Now she can’t stop fantasizing about the huge, alpha male who makes her knees go weak without even trying. But Frankie is flawed so why would this big, gorgeous male ever want her?
With the novella format, world building was minimal so you don’t learn a lot about the vampires or their traditions. A Vampire’s Salvation was short, sweet, and smexy. The vampire mythology was a bit different than other books I’ve read and I immediately liked both Jake and Frankie. I look forward to reading more in the Beyond Human world and am curious who the next novella will be about. I give A Vampire’s Salvation 3 stars.
Top Ten Tuesdays is an original feature created because The Broke and The Bookish is fond of lists. They love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see other’s top ten lists! Each week, they will post a new Top Ten list and everyone is welcome to join. Please link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your post AND add your name to the Linky widget.
This Week’s Question:
Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects
Ohhh. I do love a good tough issue book. This is my list on Goodreads, and I’ve only read a smidgen of them.
- A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah: This is a real life account of a young boy in Sierra Leone who was unwillingly recruited as a child soldier in the civil war. It’s an ugly story with an incredible ending.
- What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day by Pearl Cleage: I had to read this book for an elective course I took on public health issues. It’s a story about a woman who is HIV positive and makes her way back to the small town she left years ago, to rekindle relationships and find herself.
- House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III: You may have seen this movie, starring Jennifer Connelly and Sir Ben Kingsley. I enjoyed the movie a lot, but it is not as good as the book, which is chock full of intense emotions.
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky: Awww. This book is so special. I want to hug Charlie close and never let him go.
- Crank by Ellen Hopkins: I still can’t believe I haven’t read the rest of this series! This was my first venture into reading a novel written entirely in prose but it really adds to the intensity. Seeing the character slowly fall into bed with “the monster” was pretty horrifying.
- White Oleander by Janet Fitch: I had to read this book for my Child Welfare elective. It was supposed to show the extreme side of foster care, but also proves that resiliency does exist.
- Scars by Cheryl Rainfield: This book is worth a read, especially when you find out why this young lady harms herself they way she does. It’s horrifying but rings true about real life.
- Stolen by Lucy Christopher: Holy Mindfuck, Batman. A book about a young girl who is kidnapped and taken to a secluded spot in the Australian desert to live with her captor will leave you feeling extremely uncomfortable. The way the book is written truly makes you flip the last page and feel the effects of Stockholm Syndrome.
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: WOW. This is a recent read for me and it packs a serious punch. A book about kids with cancer that is really a book about living life to the fullest. Lots of emotions, people.
- Ordinary Beauty by Laura Wiess: One of the many books that book club chose that I would never have picked up otherwise, and I am so pleased that it graced my life. It shows the truly ugly side of mental illness and family discord, only to show that one caring person in a child’s life can truly make a difference.
