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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Book Review: Dreamer by Jane Susann MacCarter


"Everything Happens... now in my life... in God's perfect order. Yeah right..."- Stella Denton

My Rating:
Book: Dreamer
Author: Jane Susann MacCarter
Page Numbers: 155 pages
Publication date: February 7th, 2013
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My Review:
I received a copy from the author to read and review in return. 

The story starts off with a bucket full of suspense and originality, which immediately drew me close to the characters and the entire story. The story was often filled with descriptions rather than dialogues, which is practically nothing bad about the book itself, as I realized throughout and especially towards the end of the book, that this information is paramount to the events that were to come. Once I had almost reached the midpoint of the book, the action, romance, and suspense started to peak again, and I could not stop from reading the remaining 60% of the book within a couple of hours. Dreamer has such a unique concept to it, and it was the first time I had ever read or heard anything about the world the main character was thrown in. It is one of those worlds which is so beautifully molded and created by the author, that it makes you desperately wishing throughout that you were right there with the protagonist in this world. Let's get into the details!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Peachy Trick: How to add the 'Percentage Read' bar widget to your Sidebar

Many of you have asked me how I established my  "Percentage Read" in the side bar below under my books which I am currently reading. So I thought, why not add this to my Tips & Tricks and share it with you all :)


This is super handy to have, simply if you want to show your readers how far you are into your book and perhaps when they can expect your review, or also for when you have received a book from an (independent) author and you can give them a clear indication how you are coming along with their book, and likewise for them to see when they can perhaps expect their book review to be on your blog! I believe communication with your readers and those you work alongside with is key, and this is just one tool (out of the maaany) to just keep people informed on your progress.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Book Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

My Rating: 
Book: The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
Author: Julie Kagawa
Page Numbers: 485 pages
Publication date: April 24th, 2012



Synopsis:
In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever—and possibly end human and vampire existence. There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago—and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time. Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make.

Peachy Tip: Is your Blog Viewable and Accessible through Other Browsers?

As I was on my mother's work computer, I opened her Internet Explorer browser and came to the horrific discovery that my entire blog template was cut in half and completely shifted and distorted! Once I came home, I wanted to check how my blog was viewed through other browsers, and my sad discovery was confirmed: my blog was simply not accessible and viewable for all my readers who use a different browser other than Google Chrome!!

Due to the fact that I always worked on my blog content and layout through the Google Chrome browser, I never once thought about the fact that my layout might look completely different on another browser. And that was indeed for me the horrific situation I had on my hands...

This was a huge dilemma for me as 21% of my viewers come through the Internet Explorer browser, and 19% from Firefox. This basically meant that 40% of my visitors were not able to view my blog properly! 

When I viewed my blog on IE or FireFox, my entire header did not show up, hence all my buttons such as 'About', 'Archive', 'Testimonials', etc, were either completely scrambled all over the page or simply did NOT show up. How could I have ever had a chance to gain any more readers if my blog was not even viewable through other browsers?! 

I imagined how many potential readers I might have lost as they must have simply glanced at my blog once, saw that it looked all messed up, and clicked my blog away to never look back again... 

After working so hard on my layout, and building my content, this is the last thing that any blogger would want. Of course traffic isn't everything when it comes to blogging, but it is clearly something rewarding when your content is appreciated and shared with people who share the same hobby and likes as you. I therefore want to make sure everyone is aware of this and not run into the same mistake I had.

This is therefor something you should and need to ask yourself: is my blog viewable for all my readers? If you take your blog serious, and want to continue building and growing it, you need to think about your audience. Don't count on all your readers to simply use the exact same browser as you do, because in the meantime, you may be losing traffic, potential returning readers, and most importantly of all: your reputation and image of your blog may be completely put into a negative and bad light. 

After recovering from my mini panic attack, I decided to take the reigns in my hands and start completely over! In order to prevent myself from making the same mistake, I put things in reverse, and decided to work in the FireFox browser while re-installing my layout. And throughout each installment and change of my layout, I would check back and forth between other browsers (i.e. Google Chrome and IE), to see if my blog came out exactly like I wanted it to.

After 3-4 hours of work I puzzled my layout back together, widget by widget, image by image. All of this could've have been avoided if I simply checked my blog on different internet browsers. Hence, I want to help YOU through informing you on how to prevent this mistake by sharing my own experience on the matter.

One quick way for you to check whether your blog is viewable and properly accessible for all readers is by visiting www.browserstack.com. Here you can create an account in a few seconds and sign up for a trial version! All you have to do is run a free Test and paste in your blog link and you will have the opportunity to check how your blog looks on various browsers
If you are someone, like me, who changes your blog layout from one drastic version to another, you may want to consider making a permanent account. 

I hope this has informed you well and hopefully this has helped you in anyway possible! 

Share me your thoughts or if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask them below!



Friday, April 19, 2013

Peachy News: Victoria Scott unveils more information on her New Series: Fire & Flood

Seriously after reading The Collector by Victoria Scott, I have been completely obsessed by the story and the author! I am simply a little stalker, haha, but the good thing about being a little stalker is that you will quickly find out the most awesome and freshest news about the author herself and her new developments on her books and series!

One of the most 'fresh from the press' news I have just discovered (straight from Veronica Scott's blog) was that she was finally allowed to reveal more information on her new upcoming series called Fire & Flood. According to Ms. Scott, the Fire & Floor series is the complete contrary of the Dante Walker series. She states that the Fire & Flood series is more considered a teen thriller, whereas Dante Walker Series is more of a paranormal romance.

Victoria is such a funny and great blogger, so I want to share a piece of her post:



I had the idea for FIRE & FLOOD after reading a book that wasn't what I expected it to be. It wasn't a bad book. In fact, it was quite the opposite. But I had this vision in my head of what it would be…and it wasn't that. 
...I started outlining, and a few days later, I began writing the first draft. I’m not sure I wrote it “like a boss,” but it did feel…right. I sent out completed drafts to my agent, to my husband, to my sister and mom. They all called and said the same thing. “THE COLLECTOR is good. But this is better.”                                                   


Now this is very, very exciting news! I am already excessively obsessed with The Collector... I can't even begin to imagine how much more awesome the Fire & Flood series will be!

One of the biggest news that Victoria had to share with us, about Fire & Flood in her post, was that a more precise publication date was finally announced:

Fire & Flood will Release March 2014

The Synopsis:

In a perilous race across the world, having the best Pandora can be the difference between life and death.

Sixteen-year-old Tella Holloway isn’t happy. Her mother rushed them out of Boston and into a craptastic house nestled in no-man’s-land. To make matters worse, Tella’s brother is sick, and though a dozen doctors can’t determine the cause, her mother is sure Montana’s “fresh air” will help. Now Tella spends her days being homeschooled, and uses her imagination as entertainment.

But when a small blue box appears on her bed, Tella’s world is rocked. Inside the strange package she finds a white ear bud—and after she fits it into place and touches its blinking button—an unknown voice fills her head. Tella is invited to join the Brimstone Bleed, a race across four ecosystems: desert, sea, mountains, jungle. The voice in Tella’s ear explains she has 48 hours to retrieve her Pandora, an animal designed by the Creators to help her win.

Tella has never been the sporty type; she’s more a cheerleader than an athlete. But despite her mother’s warnings, she’s determined to compete in the race. And she’ll do anything to win, because if she’s the Brimstone Bleed victor, the Creators will grant her a specific gift—the cure to save her brother’s life.

FIRE & FLOOD is a teen thriller set in modern day.


This sounds so extremely original and exciting!!

You can now add the book to Goodreads and visit Victoria's blog by clicking the buttons below.

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Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments below! Do you like the sound of the synopsis of Fire& Flood? Will this be something to put on your HELL YES TBR list?


Thursday, April 18, 2013

Peachy News: Alligiant: New Title of final book of Divergent Series

The moment has finally come that the final book out of the Divergent series by Veronica Roth is announced! The name of the final book will be: Allegiant! The final book of the series will come out on October 22nd. I am quite surprised about the publish date as for some reason I had the feeling that it was going to be much later. But I'm not complaining!:)
So more about the word Allegiant itself, I for one was not so familiar with it. But once I looked it up in trustworthy Dictionary.com, it all made sense:
               
               al·le·giant [uh-lee-juhnt]     
                     adjective
                     1. loyal; faithful.    
                     noun            
                     2. a faithful follower; adherent: allegiants of religious cults.

I think many of us expected the title of the last book of the series to also end in the '-gent' trend. Close enough though, '-giant' definitely sounds similar when spoken out and I think it suits the titles of the rest of the series well: Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant. 


Fans will soon be able to show their allegiance at the box office. The Divergent movie started filming in Chicago in this month and stars Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) and Kate Winslet. It's directed by Neil Burger and will be released by Summit Entertainment (Twilight). - usatoday.com


(source: usatoday.com) 
Now we just need to eagerly wait for the cover to be revealed! I can't wait!!
So what do you readers think of the name? Were you expected something like this? 
Share me your thoughts in the comments below!

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Feature: W...W...W... Wednesday




Meme name:
Waiting on Wednesday

Hosted by:
Breaking the Spine

Description:
Waiting on Wednesday is a fun meme where the blogger 'spotlights' 1-3 books which are upcoming releases which they eagerly anticipate.

Rules:
1. Introduce 1-3 (or as many as you want) books which are soon to be released which you are eagerly anticipating
2. Explain as to why you are anticipating the release of this/these book(s)




So it is time for another W...W...W... Wednesday! I decided to switch my method of reading since last week. Due to the fact that I have so many book review requests to go through (not only from NetGalley but also from independent authors), I decided I needed to up my pace a little. Hence, I will be reading two books at once (one book from a request of an independent author and one from NetGalley)! I will see how that works out for me after a while of doing it, but so far so good! So let's start with the W...W...W...!








I am currently reading Dreamer by Jane Susann MacCarterI received this book from the author herself and it is so far very exciting! I find it so far such an interesting and original story line and I can't wait to see where the story will bring the characters to!

I hope to have my review up by next week, but in the mean time if you want to know more about Dreamer, then please click the "Goodreads" button below or check out more information on the author herself! 





I would like to present my next book which I have gleefully received from NetGalley: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa! I have read and heard so much praise about this book. I started reading this book months ago when I received it via NetGalley, but since I did not have Kindle back in those days I had to read it on my laptop... and that just did not work for me.

Now that I have a Kindle I requested it again and I was lucky to receive a copy once again!
The beginning of the book already sucks you into the story and I have a confident feeling that this series might become one of my favorite ones!
If you are interested and want to know more, check out the book on Goodreads and more information about the author!






My last book which I finished reading was The Collector by Victoria Scott. I was so happy to have received this book via NetGalley since I had read a few reviews about this book. The moment I got into it I was completely in love with the story and the characters. Please read my review HERE. I seriously can't wait until Victoria's second book comes out from this series (The Liberator).










Oh, there is so much to choose from, I am a very lucky reader ;) I believe my next two books which I will read are:


The next book which I will be reading, which I have received from an independent author, is The Forgotten Queen by Annette Mackey. I accepted to take on this book due to the great synopsis, so make sure to check it out on Goodreads. Also make sure to check out the author's page.





The second book which I will be reading next is the second book out of the Blood of Eden The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa. Once I start with a series, if I can, I try to follow with the next book right after finishing the first book. In this way I can keep in the mood of the story. And besides that, I am sure that I will be depserate to continue reading (seeing the praise this series has received). 







Let me know what you what you think and if you have read or heard of any of the books mentioned above! Also, share with me your WWW-Wednesday in the comments below! 



Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Feature: Teaser Tuesday (from the book Dreamer)



Meme name:  
Teaser Tuesday

Day:
Tuesday

Hosted by
MizB @ Should Be Reading

Description
Teaser Tuesday is a great feature in which take a sentence from the current page and book you're reading to so to speak entice, engage, and promote the book to your readers.

Rules:
1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) or so “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.




I haven't done a Teaser Tuesday in SUCH a long time, so I though why not start it up again! I know I am only supposed to use a few sentences, but I want to give you readers a good impression of the book I am reading at the moment, so I took out a little tiny section from the second chapter.


"Almost there now. Easy, now, don't try to get up."
City lights stream by, neon signs and street lights a horizontal blur. A vision of fire ants chewing their way to my femur, suddenly leaves me suddently cold. My teeth begin to clatter. Shit, shit...

"Mort, this one's circling the drain, I need a couple bottles of saline or 5% albumin if you've got 'em". An EMT-- I don't remember which one, it doesn't matter anyways-- Jabs a big needle into my IV port and starts the solution.

I'm squeezing Miss Drenton's hand as we pull up to the Emergency Room Door...




Synopsis:

When homely college student Stella Denton and nerdy professor Harry Vale find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time during a convenience store hold-up, the result turns deadly. A ricocheted bullet enters Stella’s brain, causing her to sink into a coma.

But Stella is actually more ‘alive’ than doctors realize. Though outwardly unresponsive, she’s actually ‘awakening’ in Jarmo, an Eden-like paradise that actually existed 9000 years ago.

In this alternate world, the New Stella is beautiful and desirable, while the hunky chief of the tribe turns out to be a notched-up version of her Anthro professor, Harry Vale. Stella flourishes in Jarmo, where Harry teaches her the finer points of sex, romance, and passion.

But is Jarmo and all its delights truly an alternative reality? Or is it just a dream, and Stella the Dreamer? Is her beloved Jarmo (as well as New Harry) nonexistent, just a figment of her severely injured brain? When Stella emerges suddenly from the coma, she must make an irrevocable choice between two lives… one of which may not really exist—and the choosing of which might lead to her obliteration.




How does that sound;)?  Let me know what your Teaser Tuesday is in the comments below!

Monday, April 15, 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Teaser Released!

So I stayed up until 5:15 AM Amsterdam (Dutch) time to catch The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Teaser Trailer live! Yes it is fiiiinally here, and it was definitely worth staying up into the early morning hours!

The Teaser Trailer was definitely longer than I expected! I thought it was really going to be some vague shots just revealing little things here and there... but we actually got to see way more! We saw for example how Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Melark witness the riot starting, Effie Trinket in one of her most awesome outfit ever seen yet, some SMOOTCHING between Katniss and Gale... but what the trailer urgently reminded me the most was how I desperately need to reread the book before I watch the movie! But of course, I will do that with pleasure 




Let me know what you guys think! Is it everything you expected it to be and are you looking
forward to the movie now even more (I sure as heck am!!)?

Share me your thoughts in the comment section below!