Hiatus

Hi guys. I just wanted to let you all know that I will be going on a short hiatus. I only plan on going away for a week or two. I really just need some time to relax from my blog and create more scheduled posts, so I won’t feel so behind and inactive all the time. =)

Michelle Moran Contest WINNER

The winner of the Michelle Moran contest is…

Charity!

Congratulations! Please e-mail me at towerofbooks(at)gmail(dot)com within 5 days to claim your prize. Thanks to everyone that entered.

Youtube Connection 17

Every Thursday, I will post a video (or more) that is somehow connected to a book I’ve read. I’ve also included a Mr. Linky widget at the bottom for anyone that’s interested in posting videos of their own.

This week’s book is one you have all heard of: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. The video I decided to show is the 1994 movie version of Frankenstein. Admittedly, I mostly chose this video because it has Helena Bonham Carter in it. Enjoy!

The White Queen – Philippa Gregory

Elizabeth Woodville is a widow who attracts the attention of Edward, the recently crowned King of England. Edward marries Elizabeth in secret. When the secret is revealed, Elizabeth ascends into royalty. She uses her power to put her relatives in high positions. Before long, Elizabeth gives birth to several daughters. However, her family will only remain on the court if she gives birth to a male heir. Then, Elizabeth becomes pregnant again, and this time, it’s a son! After that son, she gives birth to another boy. Suddenly, England is caught in another war, and both her sons are kidnapped!

Before I read The White Queen, I had never even heard of the Plantagenets. As you can imagine, my knowledge of world history is rather limited. Anyway, I read The White Queen with an open mind, and I had no idea if Gregory remained historically accurate or not. After I finished reading the novel, I wikipedia’d and learned exactly what was fact and what was fiction. Did my lack of knowledge about the Plantagenets affect my likes for this novel? I don’t think they did. When I learned the actual history, I realized that the changes Gregory made felt necessary. Of course, if you like your historical fiction to be accurate, then this may not be the book for you.

I enjoyed reading The White Queen. Elizabeth Woodville is a great protagonist. I can definitely see why Gregory would write a novel about her. Readers will enjoy her rags-to-riches story. Picking the time period with the Cousins’ War was also a smart move. This time period really gave Gregory a lot of material to work with and helped create a fascinating story. The only real complaint I had was that the story dragged around the middle. The novel became boring. Here’s an allegory: Have you ever sat in a history class where the teacher discussed something that should have been interesting like a war, but the teacher made it dull? The White Queen was like that in parts of the novel. However, the novel was definitely more interesting than boring, and I look forward to the rest of the series.

Overall, The White Queen is a fascinating story about a little known queen.

Related Links
Youtube Connection 15
Philippa Gregory’s Website
Amazon
Powell’s

Michelle Moran Contest UPDATE

I just wanted to let everyone know that I have extended the deadline for the Michelle Moran contest. The new deadline is September 25, so if you have not entered, check it out.

The Amanda Project: Invisible I – Stella Lennon

When Amanda Valentino enrolled in Endeavor High School, she chose a person to be her guide.  That person was Callie Leary. Then, Callie is called up to the principal’s office along with Hal Bennett and Nia Rivera. They learn that Amanda has disappeared, and she’s left each of them clues to find her. Together, they also learn that Amanda secretly chose each of them as her guide. Why would Amanda choose all of them, yet keep it a secret until now? And most importantly, where has Amanda gone? As the trio attempt to unravel the truth, they realize the mystery of Amanda is larger than any of them ever suspected…

Before I begin with my thoughts, I should explain The Amanda Project. The Amanda Project is a collaborative project between several YA authors, all under the alias Stella Lennon. The author of Invisible I, the first book of the series, is actually Melissa Kantor. The series is also interactive. Readers can go to The Amanda Project (theamandaproject.com), where they can help Nia, Callie, and Hal find Amanda and do other fun stuff. The pages of Invisible I are also filled with fun doodles, which create a unique reading experience. The setup is a great idea, and I have to admit, somewhat ballsy.

Overall, I enjoyed Invisible I, but I did have a few problems with the novel. Other than the basic setup, I really liked the characters of Nia, Callie, and Hal. Clearly, Amanda chose these three as her guide because they are all very different. Callie is a part of the popular group, Nia embraces the fact she’s unpopular, and Hal is artsy. Putting these completely different people together helped create a unique group of characters, and these characters will keep readers entertained throughout this novel and hopefully the rest of the series.

Now, for my dislikes. While I realize because Invisible I is the first of a series, many of the questions will not be answered. However, it seemed that all the questions at the beginning of the novel lead to about ten others. So basically, the whole novel is basically just a bunch of questions that never get answered. The lack of closure really frustrated me, but I think the next novels in The Amanda Project series will not have that problem.

I recommed this novel to anyone looking for a unique reading experience.

Related Links
The Amanda Project
Amazon
Powell’s

Upcoming Books – September Part 2

This is the second half of September releases I am looking forward to. For the first half, go here. Each book cover is linked to the amazon page for the novel.

Wishlist

Already Received

Youtube Connection 16

Every Thursday, I will post a video (or more) that is somehow connected to a book I’ve read. I’ve also included a Mr. Linky widget at the bottom for anyone that’s interested in posting videos of their own.

This week’s book is Second Skin by Jessica Wollman. The novel deals with high school popularity, so I chose to show a scene from a movie about high school popularity. The movie is Mean Girls, which most of you have probably seen. Enjoy!

BBAW Interview

As you hopefully know, this week is Book Blogger Appreciation Week. As a part of the festivities, I have the pleasure of interviewing a fellow book blogger. I was paired with Donna of Bites. Enjoy!

1. First of all, tell me about yourself and your blog.

Well, my name’s Donna, I’m 26, I work in insurance by day and the writing world by night. I’ve been writing since I was 9 and I’m currently on the final (hopefully) edit of a book I’m going to query. I have a BA in English with a minor in creative writing so I need to use the degree somehow! Plus if I don’t write, I just might go insane. Sanity is fun.

As for my blog, I like to define it as a Doberman Pinscher on meth. I review books, obviously, but I like to do my own thing. I have a weekly thingy I do spotlighting something from the 80s because, well, I can and I love the 80s. I also do Freaky Fridays which highlights a YA horror book published between 1980 and 1999 just because YA horror doesn’t really exist anymore and I don’t want the good stuff getting lost. I’m anti-Twilight and my readers know that and I’m not afraid to say it. I’m also not afraid to say exactly what I feel about a book. I was always taught, with my writing, that it’s ok to say something sucks so long as the claim is substantiated. So that’s what I do when I review. It can create some . . . interesting posts, to say the least.

2. What inspired you to start blogging?

I’ve had my writing blog for closing in on 2 years now (a year and a half? I have no idea) and I used to review books over there. I wanted to sign up for this book review program with one of the publishers but they wanted strictly review sites so I sat on that for a little while and eventually came to the conclusion that I was going to split the reviews and my writing.

I also got into it as a kind of off-kilter advice from an agent to start looking into review blogs and develop rapports prior to even querying in the hopes of, you know, getting published one day. So I had that as a little bit of ulterior motive as well but the blog has taken on a life of its own and has become its own beast. I think my original intentions were not to get this involved but kind of infiltrate but the community’s so awesome it’s sucked me in completely.

3. What is your favorite thing about blogging?

Hmmm . . . basically the freedom to do my own thing and entertain other people. I like it when my posts make people laugh. And I like interacting with the greater community as a whole.

4. What is your least favorite thing about blogging?

It is time consuming and, in all honesty, the time I spend on my blog could go to writing but I think it’s a good piece of procrastination. Better than be playing Tetris! But I think the worst part about it are those that consider themselves part of the community but are using it just to whore for free ARCs or shit on other bloggers because they’re jealous and basically make the rest of us that play by the rules look bad. I don’t like that. Blogger trolls need to be thwarted with Miak.

5. Have you read any good books lately?

Actually, yes! Surprisingly enough I have three reviews in a row that were rather glowing. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (I personally thought it was better than Hunger Games), The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo (very beautifully written and a wonderful story) and A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz (a must-read for any dog lover).

6. How big is your TBR pile?

Ridiculously big. I’m not sitting in front of it at the moment but I can tell you it’s six separate piles that equal dozens and dozens of books. It’s nuts. And then there’s the paper TBR pile that’s the back up to the tangible TBR pile. I’m surprised I can actually walk around in my room.

7. How did you come up with your blog’s name?

Because I bite on books and spit out reviews! I think it just went along with my review style. I chew on them, every once in a while I rip them apart, and then I hork the review out. Not exactly feminine, but at least I’m honest with myself.

8. Who is your literature crush?

Uh, huh? Are you talking about characters? I don’t really get those on the books I read. I guess maybe Lucius Malfoy but I think that’s only because Jason Isaacs plays him in the movies. But really, I don’t get those. I heart authors like Stephen King but I really wouldn’t call that a literature crush.

Thank you Donna! I had a great time getting to know you!

In My Mailbox Sept. 8-11

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi of The Story Siren. Also, be sure to enter my Michelle Moran contest. Thanks!

Refresh, Refresh – Danica Novgorodoff, Benjamin Percy, and James Ponsoldt
Fathers, sons, and the war that comes between them.

There’s nothing Josh, Cody, and Gordon want more than their fathers home safely from the war in Iraq — unless it’s to get out of their dead-end town. Refresh, Refresh is the story of three teenagers on the cusp of high school graduation and their struggle to make hard decisions with no role models to follow; to discover the possibilities for the future when all the doors are slamming in their faces; and to believe their fathers will come home alive so they can be boys again.