Lazy Book Lovers

Saturday, June 7, 2014

The Book Con Wrap Up!

It has been a week since the first ever Book Con in New York City, and to say I'm still tired is an understatement! Held at the Jacob Javits Center, it was basically a mini convention of books.

Before it started on Saturday, that Friday night there was a kickoff event. A panel geared toward This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper and the upcoming movie adaptation of it. Along with Jonathan he was joined by the film's stars Tina Fey and Jason Bateman and the director Shawn Levy. It was a great panel. Jonathan ended up reading a few passages from the book and they showed the scenes from the movie. I really suggest reading the book before the movie comes out because this movie is going to be amazing.

The next day was book con! And let me say, the amount of people there was shocking. It didn't really help that it felt like two different conventions going on because technically BEA was still happening. I got there super early and planned my whole day around author signings. I wish I could have taken some pictures of the lines that were there because they were massive! Mostly everyone wanted tickets for Cassie Clare/Holly Black signings. I ended up getting a ticket for them and Maggie Stiefvater but when I saw all the other authors I wanted to meet, I gave the tickets to some girls who really wanted to meet them. All about paying it forward.

The moment I walked in, I was herded through the exhibit hall. I had books basically thrust into my face which wasn't all so bad. That was the only time that day that I felt like things were semi normal because after that everywhere I walked there were people just there.

A friend of mine, who was actually a BEA attendee, advised me to start making choices. I started the day with a list of 23 different signings I wanted to go to. Out of 23 I made it to 7. The lines were long but fun. The amount of people I got to meet who were just book lovers was amazing. Even one girl who had a BEA badge, let me borrow it so I could sneak over to the BEA only side of the center so I could get some Pinkberry. I hadn't eaten anything since the day before and by 10 am I was already exhausted.

Danielle Fishel (left) and Sylvia Day (below)

These were two of my favorite signings that happened. Danielle was extremely nice and Sylvia was a doll. (Sidenote: The button I'm wearing says "My book boyfriend is _____" I put Augustus as in Waters. Apparently I wasn't so original in that choice.)

Because of my choice to do more signings, I didn't get to go to any panels except one. My friend got to go to the Veronica Roth and Alex London conversation though. From the pictures she took, it seemed like it was a good time. Again, with the amount of people present, I don't know how anyone go anywhere. The lines to just get into the rooms for any of the panels was horrendous. There was a panel for The Fault in Our Stars, which I wanted to go to but because everyone wanted to go to that, the line was maybe over 1,000 people it felt like. My friends and I decided to leave the line and go to a panel with Danielle Page, Marie Lu, Alaya Dawn Johnson and moderated by Veronica Roth where they discussed dystopias. The line for that panel was also extremely long but not as bad as some others. We ended up meeting a couple of new authors among the crowd. Erica Cameron, author of Sing Sweet Nightingale, who described her book as a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Beetlejuice. I was sold! The other was A.R. Kahler, author of The Immortal Circus and Martyr. He even told us that he used to be a circus performer. How cool is that?!

The panel ended up being really good and made me want to read more dystopias and their books. The ladies talked about what things they took from real life to mold the worlds of their books which I thought was really interesting. Marie Lu talked about how in Legend series, it is basically California. Alaya went into a deep explanation of how she came up with the concept of The Summer Prince. Danielle even talked how she used to work as a writer on a popular soap opera and the differences between that and writing books.

Overall, I would say Book Con was a success and it will probably be something I do again. Maybe next year I will be part of BEA instead.

I ended up getting a lot of books as well. Some I already had in my head to get and others I had never heard of but that is the fun of something like this. Discovering new reads.

My Book Haul

Here are a couple more pictures I took while there. (It isn't much)

(Taken by my friend)

Until Next Time!

Friday, June 6, 2014

The Fault in Our Stars... It's a metaphor! Write up!

"Some infinities are bigger than other infinities."

My little infinity started a little over a year ago when Keira kept suggesting I read this book called The Fault in Our Stars. I had no idea what it was really about, only that a lot of people seemed to really love it. I had shortly before just finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower, so I didn't want to get emotionally invested into another book that I knew I would. Fast forward to May of 2013 and my life changed. The moment I finished the book, in less than a day mind you, my view and heart had expanded. Having a cousin who was a cancer survivor really resonated with me but it wasn't that empathy or even the wistfulness of Hazel and Augustus falling in love that captivated me. John Green's beautiful use of words and storytelling showed me how different things could be in the world of reading. And as they say, the rest was history.

Last summer when the film started filming in Pittsburgh, I was all over any information I could get my hands on. Pictures popped up every other day and I saved them. Videos that John posted of him on set with the cast was replayed many times on youtube. Not since Twilight had I been so invested in a movie before its release. There were days where I would look up bus schedules to see if I could make it to Pittsburgh and back to New York without missing work. Unfortunately I didn't go. However, it was incredible to see something that only existed in my imagination come to life and soon be put together for the world to enjoy.

Fast forward to May 3, 2014 and the first fan screening of the movie in NYC. This wasn't even going to happen for me. I had tickets to go see Chris Hardwick live but because of some traveling issues, I got to camp out with my friends so we could be some of the first to actually see the book we have come to love adapted on the big screen. We waited through the blaring sun and even some rain, but we were part of the first 100 to get in and were able to hear the cast talk and answer our questions. But first we sat through the 126 minutes of what we were all there to see. The amount of sobbing in the theater was so loud, I wasn't even sure people could hear the dialogue. But it touched me deeply. When reading the book, it's a solo act. You read the words and it is a very individualized experience. To be in a theater where everyone is collectively experiencing something that we once did alone. Moving. Anyway, after the movie there was the Q&A with John, the cast, and Josh Boone the director. I was the first person to ask a question from the audience! John called me amazing and I swear I almost died.

The next day I ended up meeting both Nat Wolff and Sam Trammell at the press junket. It was really nice to see how nice the cast were being to fans. Even when they were filming, you would see pictures surfacing of them taking time to meet them. My friends and I ended up seeing the movie for a second time a couple of weeks later and the reactions were pretty much the same. I think I cried harder the second time rather than the first time seeing it.

The moment that Josh Boone said that the world premiere would be in NYC, I was going. I knew that it had to be fate that it happened to be in my city. As the day approached and things were being announced, I grew so nervous. The Sunday before the premiere, the cast was scheduled to do a talk at the Apple Store. I had to go and go I went. What I didn't really expect was the other hundreds of people to go as well. Having met most of the cast already (I met Ansel and Shailene when they did Divergent press) I really wanted to meet John Green. Unfortunately, it did not happen that day but I did get to meet Josh Boone! I ran basically a city block to get a picture with him before he left the store.

Premiere day! But first, The Today Show! My friends and I got there super early. Like I was up from 3am early lol. That morning was a blur because we waited and there were moments we didn't think we would get to meet John because we didn't have a poster or were standing in the prime spot. We even got to meet Wyck Godfrey, the producer, which was amazing. Having been huge Twilight fans, we knew exactly who he was. The stars aligned for us though and this happened...

Me and John Green!

Me and Ansel Elgort!

After this happened, we headed over to the premiere site and waited ALL day, but it was worth it. Hanging out with other fans and Nerdfighters was fun. I won't go into full recap of the premiere because most of the time it is us just standing there, but we were able to get on the 'blue' carpet!

We had gotten tickets to the movie but having seen it twice already, we opted out because we had tickets to The Night before Our Stars!

I might as well talk about the movie now, right? As far as adaptations go, this was one of the best I have seen, and I've seen a ton. What the screenwriters did was capture the essence that is TFIOS and translated it in a way non book fans could latch on. Both Shailene and Ansel held their own as Hazel and Gus. What I was pleasantly surprised with was Laura Dern and Sam Trammell as Hazel's parents. When reading the book they were very secondary to Hazel's story for me. But watching both actors really step into the roles as parents and especially parents of a terminally ill child was spectacular.

The breakout star among many many stars in the film was Nat Wolff as Issac. Nat's comedic timing was so spot on. Issac, along with Gus, use humor as a coping mechanism to help with their diseases and hardships. Both Ansel and Nat captured that beautifully. The one scene (which I'm sure you've seen by now) where Hazel comes over after Issac and Monica break up and Gus lets Issac let all that frustration out, seeing Nat, Ansel and even Shailene work so well and feed off each other in the best possible way.

The love story comes through so beautifully that by the time you're watching Hazel speak about her time with Augustus, you can't help but get a little misty eyed. Or if you're like me or the other movie goers, ugly crying your face off.

So I leave you with this, I fell in love with this book, with this author and with this movie the way you fall asleep: Slowly, and then all at once.

DFTBA!

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Book Review: Get Happy by Mary Amato (@maryamato)

Get Happy by Mary Amato
Publication Date: October 28, 2014
Published: EgmontUSA
Source: eARC from Netgalley

My Rating:

In this poignant, realistic, contemporary YA by a state master list star, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Gayle Forman, a young songwriter builds a substitute family with her friends in place of the broken family she grew up with.
A hip high school girl who loves music, writes songs, and is desperate for a ukelele, learns to her shock that her father did not abandon her years ago and has been trying to keep in touch. She begins to investigate him, only to discover that he has a new life with a new family, including the perfect stepdaughter, a girl who Minerva despises.

Waiting on Wednesday #3

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

We're back! And with two new books, both by collaborating authors, we're salivating to get our hands on as well.

Title: Ashes to Ashes

Author: Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Release Date: September 16, 2014

New Year's Eve ended with a bang and Mary, Kat and Lillia may not be prepared for what is to come.
After Rennie's death, Kat and Lillia try to put the pieces together of what happened to her. They both blame themselves. If Lillia hadn't left with Reeve... If Kat had only stayed with Rennie... Things could have been different. Now they will never be the same.
Only Mary knows the truth about that night. About what she is. She also knows the truth about Lillia and Reeve falling in love, about Reeve being happy when all he deserves is misery, just like the misery he caused her. Now their childish attempts at revenge are a thing of the past and Mary is out for blood. Will she leave anything in her wake or will all that remain be ashes?

The end of Fire with Fire left much to be desired. I can't be the only one wondering if Bitchzilla is truly dead, or if maybe she'll pop back up a la Mary style (Mary, who gives me the heebie-jeebies, by the way.) I'll be sad to see this trilogy end, but am looking forward to the conclusion. Han and Vivian compliment each other. If we're lucky this won't be the last collaboration we see from these two.

Title: Sublime

Author: Christina LaurenRelease Date: October 14, 2014

When Lucy walks out of a frozen forest, wearing only a silk dress and sandals, she isn't sure how she got there. But when she sees Colin, she knows for sure that she’s here for him.
Colin has never been captivated by a girl the way he is by Lucy. With each passing day their lives intertwine, and even as Lucy begins to remember more of her life—and her death—neither of them is willing to give up what they have, no matter how impossible it is. And when Colin finds a way to physically be with Lucy, taking himself to the brink of death where his reality and Lucy’s overlap, the joy of being together for those brief stolen moments drowns out everything in the outside world. But some lines weren't meant to be crossed…

When I went to their recent book signing (write up to come), they talked about this book. There aren't many ghost books that I have read out there but this one pulled me in from just the title. I have read their more adult work and I am really excited to see how they tackle YA.

Until Next Time!

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday! Books That Should Be In Your Beach Bag!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The summer is upon us and what does that mean? BBQ's, amusement parks, fireworks, and lounging on the beach or by the pool with a great book. Here are some of our choices.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin - It's been a while since I've read Something Borrowed, but I remember devouring it in one sitting.
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - Admittedly, this isn't my favorite book in Rainbow Rowell's collection of works. It was, however, light and sweet. I would definitely reread it. Preferably with a beach-side margarita in hand.
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley - Art and love. Love and art. This book is funny and a tad suspenseful as you wait for the protagonist to realize that...well, you'll have to read it.
The Boyfriend Thief by Shana Norris - A recent read, I was wary of TBT. From the get go I wasn't a fan of Avery, but in the end this story came together nicely.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - The book on everyone's tongue, huh? This would have been perfect for my end of summer trip to St. George Island. I like it a lot more now that I've sat on it, and do plan to reread eventually.
Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren - This is a recent read for me and part of me can't get over it. It is a great book to fall in love with and let your inhibitions go a bit. You might just need a dip into the water after reading some of the steamy scenes in the book too.
Wallbanger by Alice Clayton - Another light read cut from the same cloth as SFB. Lots of sexual tension and finding love in unexpected places. And a hilarious cat you will swear is part human.
The Distance Between Us by Kasie West - I think I've already explained my love affair with Kasie's writing. But this was the first book I read of hers. The story is short and sweet. About falling for the unlikely choice and finding yourself in the process.
Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman - Not really a work of fiction but a collection of essays ranging from internet porn to Saved by the Bell. They are hilarious and really get you to see pop culture in a different way.
The Host by Stephenie Meyer - Science Fiction lite. That is the best way to describe this book for me. I adored it and wasn't really into SF before reading it. I know some people don't like the author for various reasons, but this felt different from her other work. And the story was something you could get really lost in.

Until Next Time

Book Blitz and Giveaway: Gypsy by Trisha Leigh (@trishaleighkc)

Gypsy (The Cavy Files #1)
by Trisha Leigh
Release Date: 05/13/14
378 pages

Inconsequential: not important or significant.
Synonyms: insignificant, unimportant, nonessential, irrelevant
In the world of genetic mutation, Gypsy’s talent of knowing a person’s age of death is considered a failure. Her peers, the other Cavies, have powers that range from curdling a blood still in the vein to being able to overhear a conversation taking place three miles away, but when they’re taken from the sanctuary where they grew up and forced into the real world, Gypsy, with her all-but-invisible gift, is the one with the advantage.
The only one who’s safe, if the world finds out what they can do.
When the Cavies are attacked and inoculated with an unidentified virus, that illusion is shattered. Whatever was attached to the virus causes their abilities to change. Grow. In some cases, to escape their control.
Gypsy dreamed of normal high school, normal friends, a normal life, for years. Instead, the Cavies are sucked under a sea of government intrigue, weaponized genetic mutation, and crushing secrets that will reframe everything they’ve ever been told about how their "talents" came to be in the first place.
When they find out one of their own has been appropriated by the government, mistreated and forced to run dangerous missions, their desire for information becomes a pressing need. With only a series of guesses about their origins, the path to the truth becomes quickly littered with friends, enemies, and in the end, the Cavies ability to trust anyone at all.

Available from:

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Book Depository

EXCERPT

The door buzzer rings around four thirty, two hours earlier than Maya's supposed to get here and way earlier than my father has ever come home. Not that he would ring the buzzer.

I haul myself off the bed and out of Gravity's Rainbow, down the stairs, and peer out the peephole.

“I can see your shadow, you creeper. Open the door.”

A smile twists my lips and I yank on the knob. “You're early.”

“Obviously. What's wrong with your hair? It looks like a bird made a nest in it.” Maya steps over the threshold, looking as put together as she had at school except she’s in jeans and a CA T-shirt instead of a uniform.

“Not all of us are lucky enough to be as naturally adorable as you.”

“Yeah, well, don't knock your long legs and nice chest combo. Short and cute as a button aren't all they're cracked up to be.”

Even though it's my house, I trail Maya into the kitchen and find her with her head stuck in the fridge. She emerges with two apples, a jar of Nutella, and two bottles of water. We perch at the island, in the same spot where Jude and I sat the other afternoon. She slices away while I stop myself from asking why she's here early, a little afraid that she'll take it the wrong way, like it's a problem or something, which it's not.

“Aren't you going to ask me why I'm here early?” Her keen eyes sparkle, like she can read my thoughts.

I shrug. “I'm too busy counting my lucky stars.”

“Smartass. Two reasons, actually. The first is that my father got your blood test results back, and since there's nothing wrong with you, he said I could spill.”

“Nothing?” The relief gushing through my ears makes the words sound far away. Hot on its heels is disappointment—because we need a lead. Something that can tell us what those people know and how they changed our mutations with a single injection. “Nothing's wrong with me?”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” she laughs. “I mean, I hardly know you and there’s totally something wrong with you.”

“Hilarious.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Trisha Leigh is a product of the Midwest, which means it’s pop, not soda, garage sales, not tag sales, and you guys as opposed to y’all. Most of the time. She’s been writing seriously for five years now, and has published 4 young adult novels and 4 new adult novels (under her pen name Lyla Payne). Her favorite things, in no particular order, include: reading, Game of Thrones, Hershey’s kisses, reading, her dogs (Yoda and Jilly), summer, movies, reading, Jude Law, coffee, and rewatching WB series from the 90’s-00’s.

Her family is made up of farmers and/or almost rock stars from Iowa, people who numerous, loud, full of love, and the kind of people that make the world better. Trisha tries her best to honor them, and the lessons they’ve taught, through characters and stories—made up, of course, but true enough in their way.

Author Links: