I'm coming back!

The blog title says it all! I shall be returning on Thursday, September 6th so watch out! It's going to be some more of the amazing-ness I had before I took a break. I believe I have figured out the balance of blogging and keeping a personal life. I will no longer be putting pressure on myself to post as many reviews a week as I was before and will stop trying to keep up with how often other blogs post. My blog is my blog and I should run it the way I feel comfortable. I love blogging and want to continue doing so. So I am! Oh, how I have missed it!

Taking Some Vacation Time

Dear readers,

As you may have noticed, this blog has been lacking in posts recently. This is due to two reasons:

1. Burnout. Recently, reviewing and posting have begun to feel like homework. Blogging has lost the fun it used to have for me so I'll be taking a step back from my blog and giving myself a rest. I think this is what's best for me and my readers.

2. I am currently helping a friend who is in charge of many book clubs and this has taken up more of my time. That sounds like a complaint, but it's not. It's fun. And I like being helpful. Anyway, this has led to a drop in the number of YA titles I'm currently able to read.

What does all of this mean? I'm taking a vacation. I'm not stopping, I'm just taking a break. Do I know when I'll be back? No. But I'll still be visiting blogs, interacting on Twitter, and posting here when I feel inspired. So I'll still be around!! I'm not disappearing for forevers! I appreciate your patience and hope I don't lose the support of the followers, readers, and friends that I have made since I began blogging.

I LOVE YOU! <--creepy on purpose

-Angie

Review: ReVamped

ReVamped by Ada Adams
Publication date: February 20, 2012
Publisher: Copy provided by the author

Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of Angel Creek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue. When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in Angel Creek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.

Tired of emo vampires? Ada Adams takes the vampire genre and turns it on its head. ReVamped is funny, lighter in style, and I found myself laughing out loud at moments. Is Ada the first to change it up? No. I can think of other vampire titles that take on the lighter side, but it's a nice addition to the minority.

For a self-published book, it's one of the best ones that I have read. It was the synopsis that originally drew me to ReVamped. I'll also admit that the cover did too. Gorgeous! I didn't know what to expect and, honestly, was a little worried but it all turned out wonderfully! I really like the world that Ada built: humans know that vampires exist and love them. It also has its own mythology which I enjoyed. The story, itself, I found to be a bit predictable but I couldn't guess the how or why, so I was pleasantly surprised by the twists.

The characters in ReVamped came across as a bit stereotypical to me, minus Hunter who is not a vampire I've read about before. Even for the small part he plays, I found him fascinating. The book has quite a few characters, so putting a lot of back story for EVERYONE into one book would make it pretty long and boring, right? Good thing there's going to be a second one! I want to learn more about these people. Particularly, Sophie. I like her. And of course, it wouldn't be a YA supernatural novel or vampire book without some swoon-worthy gentlemen. Legal-age gentlemen, might I add, that I don't feel so guilty swooning over! Yay!

Read ReVamped for the well-written action scenes, the snarky and kind-hearted kick-butt heroine, the boys (Team Sebastian), the funny, and definitely if you're looking for something different in your vampires.

Llama Llama Hates the Drama

I'm not going to throw in my "two cents" about the drama that has been going on in the book blogging community this week. Others have said all there is to say. What I will say, is that I don't want to belong to a community where I have to choose sides. If I choose to do In My Mailbox, I "support" The Story Siren and people who don't "support" The Story Siren will assume I support plagiarism. If I don't choose to do IMM...well, you get what I'm trying to say.

I started my blog because I wanted to share my opinions on books. I read because it's fun. I post reviews and interact with readers and other bloggers because it's fun. Well, this week, it has turned into something not so fun anymore. For the first time, I've been embarrassed to belong to a community I love to be a part of. I don't want to feel like I have to choose a side in this "war." I just want to blog, dammit, without worrying about who I'll offend.

I'm actually thinking about stopping. I'm thinking about stopping. That kind of freaks me out! I get and understand where the anger is coming from. I'm upset, too. What I don't get, is where the hate and personal attacks belong in all of this. I don't stand for that and refuse to participate in a community that seems to be overrun with it, as shown this week.  I'm almost 28 and I don't want to deal with stuff like this. Bloggers who I used to respect have shown their claws and now I'm frightened of them. I'm a Hufflepuff, guys. ;P Yet there are other bloggers who have treated this whole situation with the maturity it should have been handled with in the first place. I thank and respect these people.

I've had a really difficult week just in my own life, so thinking about quitting is probably overreacting right now. In fact, I know it is. I'm just disappointed that the situation couldn't have been handled better and was reduced to personal attacks and name-calling (I'm referring to both sides, by the way). What happens to those who just want to stay in the middle?

I'm going to go and listen to lots of MIKA to build my spirits. Specifically, We Are Golden and Grace Kelly because they make me want to dance like THIS! Except where the music artist and viewer apparently have an acid trip halfway through...that's just scary. Oh, I may also dance to this one, too.

You caught me. This post was just an excuse to introduce you to MIKA.

P.S. I have closed comments out of fear and due to lack of energy to debate anything.

In My Mailbox (20)

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren to share books we got in the mail or the library or the bookstore, etc. that week!

Nothing came in the mail specifically for me this week, but what I have to show are books I checked out from work! I'm very excited to read these!

FROM WORK:

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis

Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London

Ten by Gretchen McNeil

What did you get this week?

Review: Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson
Publication date: September 1, 2011
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.

This is not her story.

Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?

What a different and enjoyable read this was! I don't think I've ever experienced anything like it. I'd tell you more, but then I'd be spoiling it for you. This is one of those books that one must go into knowing nothing more than the publisher generated plot description.

First, I was like "Oh, mental institution book! I like!" Then I was like "Heeellooo, doctor." Then I reached little more than the halfway point and was like "HUBBA WHAAA?" <---my reaction through the rest of the book. Ultraviolet isn't what you think it is.

It is obvious that R.J. Anderson did her research on synesthesia and psychiatric institutions. Serious research. I found Alison and the other patients at the hospital to be incredibly three-dimensional and the environment was well used. Anderson blends Alison's condition perfectly with the story. If taken out of it, the book would be something completely different. I just found the whole book to be something fascinating and intense and I couldn't put it down. Stupid work prevented me from reading it in one sitting.

I apologize for the not-so-detailed review, but I think most people, whether they liked Ultraviolet or not, would recommend that it be read without knowing much about it (again, correct me if I'm wrong). I loved it and I can't wait for the sequel! Check this one out if you feel like you've been reading the same YA over and over again.

Top Ten Tuesday: Tips For New Book Bloggers

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish Every week focuses on a different topic and you make a top ten list from it! This week: My Top Ten Tips For New Book Bloggers

I've been blogging for about 7 months now (this still makes me new, right?), but I've definitely learned some things even if I sometimes forget them, myself. I could only come up with seven, but these seven I chose are what keep me going everyday.

1. Don't freak out about numbers. I still do this at times, but then remember that I'm blogging because I enjoy it. If other people enjoy what I write then that's great! Sure, it's nice to have tons of followers, but I think it's also nice to have people who truly appreciate what I do. Besides, those bloggers who have a lot of followers and hits...most of them have been around a while. I think any of them can tell you that building a following takes time.

2. Don't compare yourself to other bloggers. Just don't. For reasons, see numbers one and three.

3. Be who you are. Your blog is yours, so make it yours. If you end up trying to be like your favorite blog, it may not work out in your favor. I love visiting blogs and being able to get a peak inside the personality of that blogger.

4. Comment. If you want to gain followers and readers, I recommend commenting on other blogs and talking to others. Be sure to make your comments thoughtful and not just "hey, great post! Follow me!" If you feel you have nothing to say on a most recent post, go find one where you can add an opinion. I love it when I still get comments on something I wrote months ago. Also, posting a genuine comment makes people more likely to check out your own blog. Or so I think. How else will others know you're there?

5. Talk to other bloggers. This can be done through email (no spam!) or Facebook or Twitter or even in their comments sections. I can't recommend Twitter enough. I think that's really where I've built my audience and pulled in readers. Plus, it's fun. :)

6. Ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask other bloggers questions. I still do this and have yet to have anyone treat me with condescension or not be helpful. Don't be scared! We're all in this to help and support each other. I know I'm not scary, are you?

7. Don't put pressure on yourself to post everyday. I say this and yet I still do it. You'll burn yourself out and blogging will no longer be fun. You started doing it because you like it. There was a point a while back where I'd been forcing myself to read so much I couldn't read anything for two weeks. Take your time. No one should expect a book review every single day. I try to post 2-3 book reviews a week, but have been lacking on this recently because of...wait for it...burnout.

What tips do you have?