This week the official YA Connection can be found at Reviewer X and next week it will be back here at The Story. (Edit: YA Connection will most likely be posted tomorrow at Reviewer X, the secret word for the contest is: ornament.)
The winner of the YA Connection Contest for last week is:
PARADOX
You're book will be sent out ASAP! Thanks to everyone that entered!
I know I say this every week, but I really mean it. Thank you so much everyone for taking the time and leaving a comment on my blog! I get so excited every time I see one! I just want you to know that I really appreciate your support and that you continue to make my work at The Story feel appreciated. THANK YOU!
Visitors of The Story week of November 28 - December 5, 2008!
Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.
Steph of Reviewer X.
Diana Dang of Stop, Drop and Read.
okie of cucullus non facit monachum.
Taren of The Chick Manifesto.
Book Chic
TruBlu93 of Starry Night.
Sarahbear9789 of Sarah's random musings.
Stephanie of Juiciliciousss Reviews.
Lenore of Presenting Lenore.
Jessica Secret of The Delicate Genius.
Just Blinded Book Reviews
Kristin Walker author of Match Made in High School.
Amee of Bookity Book Books.
Valeria of Happy Shrub Friends.
Jennifer Echols author of Going Too Far.
Sara of What a Girl Reads.
Tasha of Another Book Read.
Barrie Summy author of I So Don't Do Mysteries.
Bookgeek of The Book Bind.
Reader Rabbit
Khyrinthia of Frenetic Reader.
Nancy Viau author of Samantha Hansen has Rocks in Her Head.
Amanda of That Teen Can Blog!
Lauren of Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf.
Kimberly Derting author of the upcoming novel, The Body Finder.
Liviania of In Bed With Books.
Chelsie of Read, Read, Read.
Emily of that one girl emily.
Carol of Bookluver-Carol Reviews.
Jessica Burkhart auhtor of The Canterwood Crest Series.
Shooting Stars Mag
sharonanne of Sharon Loves Books and Cats.
Harmony's Book Reviews
Book~Adorer of Book~Adorer Forever Reading.
cat of Beyond Books.
The Solicitous Scribe
Tay-Toe of Taylor's Rambles.
YA Book Realm
Kelsey of Reading Keep You Sane.
Courtney Summers author of Cracked Up to Be.
Meredith of Meredith's Musings.
A.S. King author of The Dust of 100 Dogs.
Speed Reader of My Favorite Author.
Tempestt of Temppatt.
C. Leigh Purtill author of All About Vee.
Tina Ferraro author of The ABC's of Kissing Boys.
Liv of Liv's Book Reviews.
Mrs. Magoo
The Book Girl
Simply_Megan of Simply Books.
Maggie of Bean Bag Books.
Amy of My Friend Amy.
Lexi of Another Page is Used.
Carrie Ryan author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth.
Angiegirl of Angieville.
c-alexis, ambear, pepsivanilla, Amber, Alaina, robin, katayoun, WannabeWriter, Marie, Mag, Becky, donnas, blackroze37, and Eli.
To answer those questions, from this post.
Chelsea asked:
What's your favorite hobby, aside from reading/writing related things?
I love going to the movies! Could that be a hobby? I get a huge drink a large popcorn a box of raisinettes and twizzlers! I also like to scrapbook, which I can’t even remember the last time I did that. I like to cook and bake. I asked for the Personal Trainer: Cooking for my Nintendo DS, for Christmas. Has anyone seen that, too cool! Really that’s about it.
Valeria asked:
1. Where are you from? O:
I live in the United States more specifically in a very small town in Indiana.
2. When you first started The Story, did you get obsessive? Even just a little bit?
Not really, truthfully I’m more obsessive with it now that I used to be. I used to spend A LOT more time reading, and now it seems like I’m on the computer way more than I should be.
Alea asked:
When and where do you do most of your reading?
I really read all the time, everywhere. On a typical work day, If I get up early enough, I might kill a few chapters while eating breakfast, I don’t usually eat and read, that’s really hard for me to do for some reason. I take my books with me every where because you just never know. I usually read on my lunch break too because it doesn’t take me an hour to eat my lunch. I don’t watch much tv, Heroes on Mondays and Pushing Daisies while it lasts on Wednesdays, so instead of watching tv I read. I also read in the car, a lot. But most of my reading is done at home on my couch. I also read in the bath tub, is that weird?
Have you read YA this consistently since you were a young adult?
I’ve really always been a big reader, although I haven’t read consistently throughout my life. I learned to read at an early age and was a fanatic about it in elementary school and even middle school. I did the least reading during high school and college. And I never really read YA novels. By the time I was “old enough” to be interested in YA, I was reading “adult” novels like Jurassic Park, Interview with a Vampire, Congo, and The Andromeda Strain, yes I loved me some Michael Crichton I didn’t actually start reading YA until the first Harry Potter book came out, if you consider Harry Potter, YA. And I didn’t start reading those until I saw the first movie and that was around the time I graduated from high school.
Do you read other types of books?
Most certainly. My favorite adult authors are: Meg Cabot, Audrey Niffengger, Sara Gruen, and Jodi Picoult. I love cheesy paranormal romances, but don’t tell anyone. I’m a huge fan of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood, Karen Marie Moning’s Fae series, and I just started the Lords of the Underworld series by Gena Showalter, she has a new YA novel coming out too, that sounds pretty cool.
J asked:
Do you find that reading so much for review has made reading a less enjoyable, relaxing activity for you?
Surprisingly no. I am more critical now, than what I used to be. I think the more books I read, the more I’m exposed to great writers and it’s hard to surpass those standards they’ve set sometimes. I still have times where I just have to read what I want to, even though I have books in my review pile, but that doesn’t happen too often. I still really enjoy it!
How much time do you spend reading on any given day?
Typically I’d say at least 3-8 hours. On work days it’s usually 3 or less. On the weekends is when I get the most reading done. I don’t by any means sit for eight hours straight and read the whole time, but I read a little here and there.
Do you love your job, or do you think that you might want to change in a few years?
I really like my job, but you never know. Right now I don’t have any plans to change, never say never though. There are other things that I would like to do, eventually, but I’m content right now. I think...
You said you love cooking, What do you like to cook?
I don’t really have specific thing I like to cook, I just like cooking in general. It’s very relaxing and I love making a mess!
TruBlue asked:
What's your favorite thing about reading?
I think I enjoy reading so much it because it’s like a doorway to a different world. Not that mine is so bad that I need to escape from it, but it’s like going on vacation. I get to meet these new people and share in there adventures. And then anytime I want to go back, I can just open it up again.
Like what really got you into reading in the first place?
My grandma. I used to live with my grandparents. Well my mother and I did shortly after I was born, and my grandma read to me every, EVERY night. So, she’s probably the person that got me started. I remember Kroger used to have a new book series every month, and when we’d go to the grocery I’d always get a book. I think one of the series was Raggedy Anne and Andy... I know I still have then somewhere.
WannabeWriter asked:
What's your favorite animal?
I don’t think I have a favorite animal! I actually planned to go to Purdue University, I did get accepted, to be a veterinarian. I’m not sure what happened and why I ended up in dentistry? I still love animals though. I grew up on a farm. I always had a ton of pets! Besides the farm animals. I personally had fish, my favorite where my freshwater puffer fish, so cute! I had a cockatiel named Georgy. He knew the Winnie the Pooh song, I also had a tree frog named Herman and an Anole named Speedy. When I was younger I had Howard, a duck, and Rafael, he was a turtle. Do you remember the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles... he was named after the red one, since he had red on his head, but my favorite TMNT was Michelangelo.
Band?
I really like Paramore! But I don’t know if I have a favorite... can you tell I’m an indecisive person. My playlist consists of mostly alternative, rock and pop. I also like country music. I really listen to just about everything except hard core rap.
Oh & your favorite genre of books?
My favorite genre is fantasy.
Did you actually enjoy high school?
Initially my answer would be no. But it wasn’t really all that bad, I did have some fun while I was there. I just wish I hadn’t cared so much about what people thought of me and had more confidence to be my own person. I was a very shy person and when we moved and I had a new school to go to, let’s just say it took me a while to make friends, and I was really depressed. I wish someone would have told me, just have fun, you’ll probably never see these people again once high school is over, so who cares what the hell they think. Not that I would have listened though.
Eli asked:
What was it that got you into book blogging?
My anal retention. Ha! No really though, I just wanted to keep a record of the book’s I’d read and what I thought about them. If only I would have found Shelfari or GoodReads before I started... I may not even be here!
Courtney Summers asked:
Is it easy to separate leisure reading vs. reading for review?
I actually haven’t had that problem, which really surprises me. But for me I go in with a totally different attitude when I’m leisure reading compared to when I’m reading for a review.
When leisure reading, do you ever find yourself in a reviewer state of mind when you don't particularly want to be?
Occasionally yes! Although it usually doesn’t happen, which is a good thing. As much as I love reviewing, I love simply reading more. I’m actually pretty good at letting my critical eye fade. I just hope that it continues to be that easy.
Where do you hope to see The Story in a year or two?
YA Book World Domination!! Just kidding.
Oh wow, geez. Truthfully I have no idea. When I started I never imagined that I’d be where I am today. I hadn’t even anticipated for it, or really even strived for it. I just new that I was going to read books and post what I thought about them. And maybe that’s a good thing.
Someone told me that I needed to take it to the next level. But I have no idea what that means or what I should do, I’m really just figuring it all out as I go.
I hope to still be going in a year or two, at this point. I think as long as I enjoy it, I’m going to try to keep doing it.