TGIF!

This has been what seems like a really loooooong week!  I'm still trying to recover from oral surgery last week, and the slow process is driving me nuts!!!  I cannot even explain how much I want to eat popcorn and nachos, just because my mouth still hurts and has holes in it, so I can't.  Ugh.  I'm going to have a junk food buffet when I'm all better again!  Plus, it was a lot harder than I expected to get back on schedule after being loopy and medicated for so long - I am exhausted by the end of the day, so I'm really glad it's Friday and I can (sort of) relax!  I can guarantee I'll be spending some time with my new bed chair this weekend trying to get caught back up with school and still rest and relax.

Our TGIF question from GReads this week involves the dreaded required reading from school!  Most of you know that I really don't like being told what to read (or what to do when it comes down to it), so there were not very many books that were required reading that I actually enjoyed when I was in school.  In fact, the only one I can think of that I enjoyed at the time is Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1) - I tore through this book, and the rest of the series, like nobody's business.  I still can't honestly believe that it was required reading for an Honors class, but hey, I'm not gonna argue.

That being said, there's lots of required reading books that I read that I look back on now and think "hey, that wasn't so bad, I could reread that and be ok with it" that I hated at the time.  Remember, don't tell me what to read, it almost guarantee's I won't like it!

What books that were required reading did you like?  Were there any???

Spring Exchange!

So really, it's no secret that I like books, right?  And also, that I like presents!  If you're shocked by this, I'm going to wonder where you've been hiding, because well, these things are just a given when dealing with this librarian.  Since books and surprise gifts are two of my favorite things in the whole wide world, what better way to do a little (self) encouragement than to sign up for another fabulous seasonal exchange over at Ruby's Reads?????

That's right guys, it's almost spring, which means it's time for the Spring Exchange!!!!

Miss Ruby has been hosting these exchanges for a bit now, and I absolutely love to participate in them!  And no, it's not just because I like books and gifts - I love to "meet" my Santee and spread the love as well!  Not to mention that Ruby's an awesome host and her blog is green.  Go look, I'm not lying!

By now, if you didn't go check out Ruby's Reads, you're probably wondering what this exchange thing I'm rambling about is, aren't you?  I thought so.  So here's the deets (completely and totally plagiarized from Ruby, so I promise they're accurate!):

Here are the rules:

1. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate. Everyone's welcome!
2. International participants are welcome, too, anywhere that the Book Depository ships. Please be aware, when you sign up, that you may be assigned an international santee. 
3. You will need wishlist in order to participate. Where you keep your wishlist--on Goodreads, Amazon, or your blog--is up to you and you will be able to link to two wishlists in the form. If you need help setting up a wishlist, email me and I'll help you figure it out. Though I am by no means a technical genius.
4. PLEASE NOTE: Spring Santas (SSs--) will chose TWO books from your wishlist for a total of around $18-20. If you want one book for that price, it's up to you--let your SS know.
5. Pre-ordered items are acceptable ONLY if this is agreed upon by both parties.
6. You may purchase your books from whatever source you choose, but please do not send used books. Ebooks must be okayed with the santee before purchasing.
7. Once santas and santees are assigned, addresses will be exchanged between individuals. If you're not comfortable with this, please do not sign up.
8. Sign ups begin on February 20, and end on March 20. 
9. After you send the books to your santee, you must fill out the tracking information form I will provide for you.
10. To join the exchange, you must fill out THIS form.

And, while the Spring Exchange is pretty freakin' awesome on it's own, I also have a giveaway going on, and I'm going to sweeten the deal for one lucky reader!  If the winner of my giveaway has also signed up for the Spring Exchange, I'll kick the prize up to $20 - think of all the books you'd have between the exchange and the prize!!!  I will be envious of the winner, trust me.  So, if you haven't already entered my giveaway, go do that.  And if you haven't signed up for the Spring Exchange, go do that too!  

*Please note that your sign up for the Spring Exchange is between you and Ruby, the lovely hostess, so all communication regarding your Santee and whatnot will come from her.  And any questions should be directed to her.  I just think this event is awesome.  :-) 

Top Ten: Books I'd Save from Zombies!

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly event hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, and the topic this week is books we'd save from zombies!!!!!

My short answer...  Is save all the books!!!!!

Actually, that is my answer.  Because while I don't like or want to read every book out there, I don't think zombies should eat any of them.

However, I have some pretty awesome books in my personal library that I would save for various reasons, such as:

• My signed copy of Twilight
• My signed copy of Nights in Rodanthe
• First edition of The Name of the Wind
• Signed first edition of Wise Man's Fear
• Signed copy of Linger
• Super fancy copy of one of the Beauty books 
• The Lover's Dictionary
• My entire Richard Paul Evans collection, some of them signed or book plated
• My Orson Scott Card collection, because they're awesome and I have several really old books
• Signed copy of Inside Out
• Signed Anne Rice book

I don't often put in the effort to get first editions or signed copies of books, because I am lazy, but when I do, I want to keep them with me forever.  What about you?  What would you save from zombies????

Book Review: Everneath

Title:  Everneath
Author:  Brodi Ashton
Where I got it:  From the library

Amazon Summary:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.


As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.
Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.

My Thoughts:
I have been absolutely dying to read Everneath ever since I saw it was coming out, and I was not at all disappointed!

Nikki went to the Everneath six months ago, and now has returned to her old life for just six months before she's reclaimed by the Everneath forever.  She's using that six months to try to make things right with her family and her boyfriend, who she never forgot, even after all that time being drained of emotion in the Everneath.

This modern retelling of the Persephone myth is amazing - it combines a variety of mythical references with completely believable modern situations and characters.  I completely loved Nikki and Jake and their relationship - it was so realistic and sweet.  The problems they had both in the past and present were just so normal, but you could see how easily they could mess up a teenager's head.

The combination of believable characters, cool mythology, and some added mystery kept me reading to the very last page, and I cannot wait for more!  If you haven't read this yet, what the heck are you waiting for???  

Meet Me on Monday!

Acting Balanced has started hosting our Meet Me on Monday fun, and I'm so excited!!!  Don't forget to head over there to see what others are saying!

1. What is your favorite kind of soup?

Right now, I am so tired of soup I could scream - I've been eating what feels like nothing but soup since Thursday since I had my wisdom teeth pulled!  In general, I like just about any soup, except for the kind with the fish...

 

2. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?

Heck I don't know, I hardly ever go to the movies.

 

3. What is your least favorite TV program?

Anything scary I guess.  Or stupid.  I don't know, I don't watch much TV because I usually would rather read.

4. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?

I am not creative enough to write a book about myself, or even come up with a title.  

 

5. What 3 places that are on your bucket list to visit?

Ireland, New York, Canada

Linky Followers + Giveaway!

So there's been all kinds of talk about the drawbacks of GFC and the whole problem where GFC is going away for WordPress blogs in the next couple weeks or something crazy like that.  And while Cat's Thoughts won't lose it's GFC button, lots of others will, and like many bloggers, I'm trying to make sure I don't lose track of blogs that I love just because GFC wants to be difficult.

Enter....  Linky Followers!

I've seen lots of awesome WordPress blogs switching to this tool in addition to RSS feeds so that there's a cool follower widget still available.  And better yet, it's free!  And it's hosted by the awesome folks that make Linky Tools!

So anyway, since I finally got myself in gear and got all set up with Linky Followers, I'm hosting a giveaway for all of the awesome folks who join me there!  Just use the Rafflecopter form below to enter to win a book of your choice, valued up to $15 from either Amazon or Book Depository.  Easy peasy! (open internationally, to anywhere Book Depository ships)

a Rafflecopter giveaway >

Book Review: Secrets of the Lost Summer

Title:  Secrets of the Lost Summer
Author:  Carla Neggers
Where I got it:  From NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review

Amazon Summary:
A wave of hope carries Olivia Frost back to her small New England hometown nestled in the beautiful Swift River Valley. She's transforming a historic home into an idyllic getaway. Picturesque and perfect, if only the absentee owner will fix up the eyesore next door.…

Dylan McCaffrey's ramshackle house is an inheritance he never counted on. It also holds the key to a generations-old lost treasure he can't resist…any more than he can resist his new neighbor. Against this breathtaking landscape, Dylan and Olivia pursue long-buried secrets and discover a mystery wrapped in a love story…past and present.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed the mystery and multiple love story theme in Secrets of the Lost Summer.  Olivia gets fantastically burned in her current career, and elects to move home to work on making her dream of opening a getaway location in her hometown a reality.  She meets Dylan when she asks him to clean up the mess on his property, which he didn't even realize was his.

Turns out, there's a pretty sweet and instant attraction between the two of them...  And a mystery to boot!  The book alternates between the present, and diary type entries into the past and the history of the area.  I loved both aspects, and found the development of both the relationship, and the mystery, to be very well done.  This isn't a super mind bending read, but it's a fun and sweet story that will keep you guessing what's going on until the very end.