Mini reviews-yay or nay?

There are some books I haven't reviewed yet and I was considering doing mini, bite-sized reviews for them. I usually try to give each book I read a thorough review (I hate how I keep saying "review"! Is there no other word to replace it with?) but now with college exams coming up, I have to manage my time wisely. So I'd like to know what you all think! I'd greatly appreciate your thoughts.

And did you see this trailer for Courtney Summers' Fall For Anything?

It's sufficiently creepy yet alluring at the same time....

(Good) Upcoming news for the blog

Hi everyone! I hope you're having a good week. Has anyone started school already? I go back next Monday and I admit I'm kind of pleased about that--it means that I'll have to focus on something other than books. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being in the know about future releases and whatnot but I'm ready to tackle school assignments and essays. This summer was long and not having a fixed scheduele to adhere to has made me a lazy sack of bones. xD Of course, that means my blog will get less attention but it won't die, I promise. I'll feed it and water the plants ;P

Now. As the title of my post suggests, I have some news to share with you, my fellow readers! A few weeks ago I was contacted by CSN stores to review one of their products and naturally, I chose a bookshelf.  Tomorrow I'll have that review up and I know you guys will be there because you'll be able to get a peek at what I have on my shelves ;) Also....Interviews! Giveaways! They are coming! I'll  let you know that I have two confirmed interviews/giveaways for you and I hope you'll stop by for them!

Oh, and one more thing:

                                                   

I'll be doing a post about the signing I went to where I, uh, saw this lovely lady. She's written this really popular series, what's it called...something about hunger and games? Where the characters have strange names like Katniss and Peeta? Right. You know where I'm going with this.

Have you seen the trailer for "Tangled"?

This movie looks so cutesy that it might be bordering on cheesy. But I still want to watch it ;) Especially the scene where she beats him up and the iguana is all badass xD

It comes out November 24! Twelve days after my birthday and um, six days before Ally Condie's Matched will be officially released. I'm excited for November ♥

Book love is endless...

Which is why my book blog isn't just about YA. I realize that most of my reviews have been for YA novels but after book blogging for over a year (a year! I can't believe so much time has gone by) my taste in reading has broadened into other genres as well. I've noticed that lately, whenever I vist a bookstore, (and try to fight the clawing need to buy more books) I find myself circling the YA section because I'm not sure what to read anymore. Then before I know it I start gravitating towards the sci-fi/fantasy section of Barnes & Noble and then I'm pulled over to the historical section... I think it's because I'm ready to dive into other books that aren't YA. Don't get me wrong, I love YA; I started reading it when I was like ten or eleven years old and there are so many things to be discovered; I've learned many things through YA and it's undoubtedly my favorite section of my library. But I think it's time to nourish my appetite for books that aren't young adult books. Which is why in the future I'll be featuring books like these two for example...

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

How good does this sound? I know it's at my library because I've seen it a thousand times but now? I. want. it.

A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love...

Err. *WANT* I've been in this mood for historical-type romance novels and here's one that sounds excellent! It's been getting great reviews and I haz to read it.

Two years ago, I probably never would've picked up these kinds of books. But book blogging has opened up my eyes thousands of books I've been missing out on and I'm ready to explore those sections of the library that I've ignored in the past... or take a chance on that paperback I've eyed but ended up not buying because it wasn't YA.

The cat picture says it all....

I just want to apologize for being so MIA lately on the blog-I've been having terrible writer's block and because of it I just can't seem to generate any decently written reviews (and if you're like me, you AGONIZE over this kind of thing) But it seems that I'm starting to slowly inch out of my writing funk... I can't say when exactly I'll post a review (because I iz a moody writer) but... I'm hoping inspiration will hit me over the head with a mallet really soon. Like, really, really, soon. *wishes* 

Oh, and because I want to deflect the attention from me being a terrible blogger, I want to tell you all about this awesome person who's hosting an amazing contest. Thank goodness I stumbled upon it the other day:   

Visit her at tessagraton.com! (Tessa Graton is being amazingly generous by giving away a super special arc of Maggie Steifvater's Linger. I suggest you check her out-she's pretty epic-and no, I'm not just saying that because she happens to have a book that I'm dying for. She's got some impressive writing skillz. See for yourself :D)

Ow, ow, ow.

So every inch of my body is screaming at me to go lie down and NOT MOVE for the next twenty years....

but I wanted to update my little neglected blog. I just came back from BEA (yes, book expo of freakin' america) and it was....incredible. Simply incredible. I met a bunch of bloggers (TASCHIMA! Finally I know what you look like! And vice versa!) that I knew and some that I didn't but now will be following :D

And the books. Ohhhh, the books. I'll talk more about that later....along with the Teen Author Carnival which I attended on Monday. It was awesome :)

Now I'm going to rest my screaming muscles-they really hurt from carrying so many books.

Random little things

Hello my lovely followers! I hope you had a great weekend filled with many IMM goodies. I haven't received all of my contest wins so I'm not going to put up an IMM post for this week. I'm too preoccupied with other things.... like this:

As BEA's going to start VERY soon, I'm feeling a mixture of emotions.

I'm

nervous,

hopeful,

extremely curious,

and a little worried.

But mostly I'm exhilarated.

I honestly cannot wait for BEA 2010! There are so many events that are going on and I wish I could clone myself just so I don't miss anything! I'm making my scheduele so I know exactly where to go; I'm also excited to meet the bloggers attending: I get to see the people behind the words I read daily. If you're not attending BEA this year, perhaps you'd be interested in checking out Armchair BEA Central?

Also... today I spent most of the day with an old friend watching movies. Our theme was originally romantic movies but it inadverdently became Jane Austen-themed. She never watched Pride & Prejudice (don't worry fellow Austenites, I fixed that problem!) and I never watched Becoming Jane (I know.... shameful.)

    Anne Hathaway made a good Jane Austen. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

     "You have bewitched me, body and soul. "  Ah, Mr. Darcy. ♥

And I tried velvet cake for the first time today!

    Yummy stuff. Very red though.

I'll end the randomness here. ;)

Friday AGAIN. YES!

The weekend has arrived! After staying up until 4 AM last night writing up my research paper*, my brain welcomes the mini break from school.  This time my english class was allowed to choose what topic our paper could be based on (only that it be pertinent to the course) and I chose Anton Chekhov's The Lady with the Dog. I'm not sure why I chose it; those of you who have been following me for a while know that I hate when a story has no set resolution and leaves the reader hanging. The Lady with the Dog is one of those unresolved stories that I dislike very much...and yet I still chose it. The plot intrigued me and I found it terribly romantic. And tragic. So the ending really got to me. I don't want to spoil it for anyone that hasn't read the story so I WON'T tell you how it ends. If you are interested, you can find the story on your own. But as I was writing up my paper, I fell into a melancholy state** and couldn't stop thinking about the outcome for the two characters involved. This song kept playing over in my mind:

(From one of my favorite shows EVER. Watch it if you haven't! I actually missed the entire first season and I was still able to watch the second season without any problems.) :D

So yeah... clearly I get attached to the novels and few short stories that I read. (the ones that I like, at least)The good thing about books though is that when one ends, there's thousands more to be found. :)

To end this on a more upbeat note, my interview at Today's Adventure is up! Go check it out and discover if I've ever actually worn make-up or if I've ever eaten snake meat. o.o

*I'm still, unfortunately, stuck in my old habits. I'll stop procrastinating... for next semester. Yes. That's right. Next semester.

** I get attached to the characters when I like a story. Why am I such a softie?!

Happy Friday!

Hi everyone! I hope your week's been great; mine has been hectic and let me just say THANK GOD that it's Friday. I'm ready for the weekend! This post has nothing to do with books but I'm in a good mood (which is odd considering I've only had four hours of sleep and I'm kind of ready to pass out...) so I wanted to share this great video I saw starring one of my favorite musical artists, Shakira. If you don't already know, I'm obsessed with a huge fan of hers. Here's a wonderful performance of her latest hit, Gypsy. (it's not the official music video but it's just as good!) I hope you guys watch it! It's such a catchy song and if you listen closely, the lyrics are simple but so very awesome.

"Walking gets too boring...when you learn how to fly..." ♥

A few changes here and there

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas/Hannukah/Whatever you celebrate! My plans this holiday season didn't quite pan out this year but... *shrugs* life is life sometimes. I ended up having a very quiet Christmas Eve and baked sugar cookies for my mom and me to snack on. As for book-related news, I only received one book in the mail but I have been DYING to get my hands on it and lucky for me, I won it at Melanie's!

*drum roll*

An ARC of Tangled by Carolyn Mackler! I've read most of her books and I really enjoy her style of writing: she writes so simply but manages to convey wonderful imagery and feeling. I suggest you pick up her books if you haven't already familiarized yourself with her!

Now onto some news relating to my site. I am now officially a part of....

The YA Book Blog Directory which is a reference site for YA blogs. I'm on the list! (you can find me waaaaay down on that list...but I'm there!)

The YA Blogosphere, little sister to The YA Book Blog Directory. I'm featured there as well.

I am also a Bloody Affiliate over at Bloody Bookaholic's site. I feel incredibly honored since Taschima's only going to have seven affiliates; the fact that she considered (and then chose) me makes me feel so special<3

I like to think of these things as a Christmas presents from the blogging community :D

Stuff pertaining to my blog.

Ever since Krisi from The Story Siren mentioned that a concerned parent contacted her about a privacy policy, I thought about all the times I've left my contact information on tons of contests posts and never thought twice about it. It was one of those moments where I slapped my forehead thinking, "Idiot!"

So now I'm considering using forms for future contests...but I'd like to know what you all think. I personally love getting comments but I have to do what's best for my followers so I can ensure your privacy.  I promise you all that for whatever reasons (contests, ARC tours, etc) I don't keep/give out your physical addresses. After sending out a book to someone, I immediately delete the email containing the info. Although I'm uncertain about contest forms (I'm going to wait for your opinions, everybody!), I'm definetely following Kristi's footsteps and writing out a privacy/contest policy. I want my readers to feel safe here at Pirate Penguin's Reads :)

What else... oh yes. I haven't been doing any IMM posts because I've been restraining myself from buying/borrowing any books since I'm intent on trimming down my TBR pile (I'm down to one book!). In these past two (three?) weeks, I've only received one book in the mail: Food, Girls and Other Things I Can't Have by Allen Zadoff. I won it over at Princess Bookie's when she was having all those amazing contests (I entered at least fifteen of them...I knew I had to win AT LEAST one, lol).

Winner of Prada & Prejudice is....

Ashley over at Books Obsession!

I sent you an email and you have 48 hours to respond otherwise you forfeit your prize! Thanks to everyone who entered my contest* :) if you didn't win this time, don't get discouraged. I actually have another one right around the corner so keep visiting!

*I liked reading everyone's favorite literary guys. Some of them I'd never even heard of so you've got me curious on why they're so amazing, lol.

Una pregunta para los seguidores...

I'm hoping someone will read this.

Anyways, I'll cut to the chase.

I've been thinking about writing reviews both in english and spanish. I don't know how frequently I'd write out spanish reviews but I'm going to try to post one once a week... just to see how it goes. This is experimental xD. I'd like to do this so I can practice my writing skills and because I know I have some followers that while they understand bits of english, would feel much comfortable with their first language.

But really, I just like talking about books. I'd like to expand my love of books to both worlds that I was raised in :)

Questions? Comments? What do you guys think? o.O

Mini-update for everyone! (this contest is closed!)

Hey everyone, I hope you're having a good weekend, whether it's just reading for the readathon or just hanging out! I'm not participating in the readathon since I've got a lot to do (and no time for books, I'm afraid) So... has anyone been over to Cindy's? Because holy crap, she has a ton of fabulous contests! If you haven't gone to her site DO IT NOW! She's giving away amazing stuff and I'm pretty sure I've entered almost all of her contests. No joke. Like this one. You get:

This...

It gets better...

Why look, it's only one of the most ANTICIPATED BOOKS of this year. But that's not all...

and wait for it...*drum roll*

*cymbals clash*

It's an ARC bundle. An ARC BUNDLE!  She's giving away four!

See why I'm excited?!?! Go here for your chance.

My number one reason for wanting these? I would love love love to get them because they all look like something I'd read. Especially The Dark Divine and The Unwritten Rule. Each one looks awesome :)

100 Followers Contest (NOW CLOSED)

Did the "100 Followers Contest" reel you in?

Because that's what I was hoping for ;D

Anyways, Pirate Penguin's Reads has finally reached 100+ Followers! (I'm still in shock. Quick, pinch me!)So I'm happily giving away one copy of Prada & Prejudice for anyone that wants it ;)

How to enter (required):

-Just leave a comment with your email address. NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY. Simple as that. I can't waste my time tracking you down. If you're uncomfortable leaving your contact info here, just shoot me an email. I like getting email anyways :D

For extra points:

+ 3 for being a follower

+2 for becoming a follower

+1 linking the contest somewhere (sidebars, blog posts, twitter, etc. Please leave a link.)

+2 Add me to your blog roll ;)

+1 tell me one of your favorite guy characters from any book!

+1 for being creative and not saying Edward Cullen. I'm so sick of glittery vampires.

This contest is only open to the US (sorry, international bloggers! but if you have someone in the states who I can ship the book to, I'd be willing to do that. Email me if that's an option for you) and will run from October 16th until October 31st. I'll announce the winner on November 1st. Okay everybody? Good luck!

Oops.

Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of posts. I've been going crazy with studying for tests (especially math... a test every other week, urgh!) and battling a horrible case of writer's block. But still, epic fail on my part. -_-;

To change the subject, I just want to point out the awesome buttons Laina's supplied me with. I lurve them! :D the only thing is that if you click them, they won't go anywhere; you'll just be refreshing the page. So...I have to change that! I'll tell you when I've got that done. Also, I currently have 102 followers! Yay! So, you know what that means.... contest! I already have something in mind, so keep coming back here to see that "100 Followers Contest" post...

What else? Nothing new, other than I have three reviews backed up in my brain and that I need to write them out. Plus, I've found a new book that I really really want! Meg Cabot says it's awesome, so you know it's gotta be good if she says so.

Your Life Is A Book 2009

Using only books you have read this year (2009), cleverly answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title. It's a lot harder than you think!

Describe Yourself: Marked
How do you feel: Stargazer
Describe where you currently live: City of Bones
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Howl's Moving Castle
Your favorite form of transportation: Along for the Ride
Your best friend is: Such A Pretty Girl
You and your friends are: The Juliet Club
What's the weather like: Good Enough
Favorite time of day: Dawn
What is life to you: Evolution, Me and Other Freaks
Your fear: Need
What is the best advice you have to give: Hush hush
Thought for the Day: Art geeks and prom queens
How I would like to die: When It Happens
My soul's present condition: Betwixt

Tagged by Eli<3. I invite anyone to give this a try (it's really a lot of fun)

butterflies!

Awarded to me by Taschima! All I know is that I have to choose seven blogs that I like very much.
1. Eli
2. Taschima
3. Bri
4. Melanie
5. Lizzy
6. Sarbear
7. Liyana

<3 these blogs.

Also.... I want to thank everyone for the positive feedback on my review for Hush Hush! Every comment means the world for me :) I can't wait until the book is officially out. (I can only imagine the slew of reviews that'll pop up in the blogosphere...) I'll especially look forward to all the reactions to Patch... I still lurve him and hopefully there will be others that share my appreciation for him. Hmm, maybe I could be the president of the "We Love Patch!" Club? xD!

Award time :)

The rules are simple: pick seven favorite things, then nominate seven favorite blogs.

Favorite things:
1. Reading (duh. this answer will never change.)
2. Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy (I rewatched the movie last night in spanish!)
3. As of late, bellydancing music. xD
4. cinnamon raisin bagels
5. fun/fuzzy/colorful scarves
6. people that have interesting tattooes (Skulls n' Roses is so generic! The other day I saw a man drive past my car with a trail of cute-yet-beautifully drawn fish swimming up his forearm. I was impressed.)
7. Internet (read my post under this one and you'll get why!)

Blogs (I'm cheating and only choosing five):
1. My Life is an Effing Fairy Tale
2. OMG! Books!
3. Romantic Harbor
4. Cornucopia of Reviews
5. The Fictionistas

Internet, I have missed thee.

Imagine that for a day, you weren't able to use your computer. You can't check your emails, you can't IM with your friends nor can you blog about the awesome book you just finished. So instead, while the problem's getting fixed you just turn on the t.v. or chat with your friend on the phone. Simple right?

I DIDN'T HAVE ANY OF THESE OPTIONS! Some stupid cable man cut off my three services. I didn't think anything of it as I watched the man climb up the pole three days ago(!), I just imagined that one of my neighbors was getting their access installed. If I had known that the man was accidently tinkering with my access, I would've run outside and shook the ladder he was using. *tremendous sigh* I know that people nowadays are dependent on technology but I never knew how anxious (and bored) I would be without it. Daaaang. But everything's good since I got my service back ^____^

All thanks to the beautiful bald man that came and shimmied up the telephone pole to reconnect me. Thank you, beautiful bald man<3.

sidenote: I just read my email and found out I'm nominated for the Best Blog Name! Which one of you did this? lol. Thank you! :) Oh, and I ended up getting another book in the mail. The Mark Hopper one I requested on the arc tour. Ahhh, so much to do! Gotta go! *flies away*