Reviews
Posts:
Discussion - Our Thoughts On Giveaway
A Year Gone By -
Sorry there was no post (A Year Gone By) on Saturday, I had a terrible migraine =(
4.9.11
*Review* : The Scorpio Races - Maggie Stiefvater
No IMM today and sorry for lack of post yesterday, wasn't feeling too great!
.................................... The Blurb ....................................
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
.................................... My Thoughts ....................................
After I read ‘The Wolves Of Mercy Falls’ series which I fell in love with I knew that I was going to be a big fan of Maggie for a long time and always read her books. When I heard about The Scorpio Races I couldn’t wait to read it even though I am not into horses and wouldn’t usually read a book with horses in. My first thought when reading the blurb were how unique this book sounded and certainty that Maggie could pull this off and make me believe. Maggie didn’t let me down. I believed everything which Maggie wrote in this book and I am left feeling like I was part of a magical event.When I started to read this book for some reason I thought Puck was a boy so when I realised she wasn’t I then realised I had been getting Puck and Sean confused. When I had it all cleared up in my head I was able to enjoy the book much more without getting as confused. I really warmed to both Puck and Sean, I felt Maggie created two main characters that the readers would either be able to relate to or feel sorry for and I definitely felt sorry for them.
I liked the relationships in this book and because of how mysterious Sean felt (which I loved!) I never quite knew what was going on between Puck and Sean, this was another thing which kept me gripped to this book. Also I felt because Maggie did this book from both Puck’s and Sean’s point of view I was able to get to know them both through each other’s eyes and their own.
While reading this book I felt Maggie had everything so clear in her head it made it so much easier for me to see it clearly in mine and along with the descriptions Maggie wrote I was rarely confused and never disinterested. I loved this as it helped me believe in what I was reading. I felt if I didn’t believe in what Maggie was writing (the characters and the storyline) then it would have completely ruined this book but because I truly believed I was able to get dragged into the world which Maggie had created.
Because this story was just so unique I could never predict where Maggie was going to go either with the characters or the storyline and I really enjoyed this. If I am honest it’s quite rare that you actually have no idea where the story is going. The further I got into the book I found myself never being disappointed, just more engrossed!
Over-all Scorpio Races is a book you will not be disappointed with nor will you ever come across a book like it. Maggie has created a unique book based in a normal yet magical town with characters who you straight away fall in love with. Do not give this one a miss.
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Ratings :
Plot : 5/5
Plot : 5/5
Cover : 4/5
Page Turner : 4.5/5
Characters : 5/5
Ending : 5/5
2.9.11
Discussion Post - Our Thoughts On Giveaways
PART 1 (1/4)
Last week I did a form for you all to fill out on your thoughts about giveaways.
My general idea was to find out what you love and hate about giveaways and what you think the best way to run giveaways are.
I am not sure how many posts I will be doing for this discussion but at least 3, more than likely 4!
What's the main thing which puts you off giveaways?
Commenting
I don't mind leaving a little comment on the post about the giveaway and often do but I don't feel it should mean you get an extra entry for doing so.
If you want to leave a meaningful comment then you will do so without doing it to get an extra point! Although I can see it from the other point of view that you are running a giveaway and it doesn't take long to leave a little comment to show your thanks.
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Dannielle said - I tend to not enter ones that require a "meaningful" comment or question.
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Karina said -. Secondly, when you comment on reviews to get extra points instead of because you have something to say - it's just FAKE.
Mandatory Entries and Following
Yiota said - If it has many mandatory entries or extraordinary weird mandatory entries (like change your pic into a certain book for a month)
Birgit said - A gazillion entry options ... I realize it boosts your chances to win something, but I like it sweet and simple, preferably one entry per person, or at least not exceeding two or three additional entry options. Extra entries have this tendency to be unfair - not everyone is on Facebook (to like the fan page) or Twitter (to tweet away).
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Jules said - Way too many extra entries, sometimes I just want a simple form to fill in.
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Carol said - Having to follow several ways to get extra entries.
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Nat said - All the extras you have to do. I dont mind sharing but a lot of people dont have blogs and its hard when they say you get 10 extra points for blogging. I find that unfair.
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Eva said - Ridiculously long lists of extra entries.
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Donna said - Too many extra entries.
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Dannielle said - I tend to not enter ones that require a "meaningful" comment or question.
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Karina said -. Secondly, when you comment on reviews to get extra points instead of because you have something to say - it's just FAKE.
Mandatory Entries and Following
Being honest, I love giveaways where you don't have to follow a blog BUT I totally understand why people make it so you do have to follow. At the end of the day they are paying for a book for the winner. What I do dislike it other mandatory entries like 'Comment on this' or 'Do that'. It's boring more than anything else!
I have actually have a few people email me about putting giveaways up on my UK Book Giveaways blog which are running a giveaway with lots of things you have to do and I have explained how it will put people off.
Mary said - If there are too many steps to the mandatory.
Viven said -I'm really frustrated with the mandatory facebook or twitter giveaways.
Laura said - Being required to follow in order to enter. I think it should be an option, and if I like the blog I won't hesitate to follow.
Lieder said - I dislike mandatory following except on follower-related giveaways. If someone is going to follow me, I want it to be because they like what I write, not because I am giving away a book they want.
Optional Entries
I think something like tweeting a giveaway for +2 is fine but sometimes when there is around 10 optional things it's too much. I used to do it so there was just too many and I now won't, it definitely ruins it for everyone who only have one entry.
Birgit said - A gazillion entry options ... I realize it boosts your chances to win something, but I like it sweet and simple, preferably one entry per person, or at least not exceeding two or three additional entry options. Extra entries have this tendency to be unfair - not everyone is on Facebook (to like the fan page) or Twitter (to tweet away)..
Jules said - Way too many extra entries, sometimes I just want a simple form to fill in.
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Carol said - Having to follow several ways to get extra entries.
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Nat said - All the extras you have to do. I dont mind sharing but a lot of people dont have blogs and its hard when they say you get 10 extra points for blogging. I find that unfair.
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Eva said - Ridiculously long lists of extra entries.
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Donna said - Too many extra entries.
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Kate said - I often just don't want the book(s)
No Choice
I think if you do a giveaway for a certain book you are limiting very much the amount of people who will join. Some people will probably already have the book and others may not want it. If you notice with my giveaways I tend to do it so you have a lot of choice!.
Kate said - I often just don't want the book(s)
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Random
Random
Tiffany said something which is a main thing which I wanted to point out due in this post!!
Tiffany said - Not being able to easily find the GFC button on the sidebar. For whatever reason, the top bar on blogs does not let me follow new blogs. Even when I click follow, it says I am now following, but I'm not. Then I have to search forever to find the link on the sidebar. A lot of times I give up.
Well said Tiffany!
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I also think this is well said Small Review, there is some people I don't mind putting my address down for as they know it already but I hate doing it for random bloggers! It's just not needed, especially when they end up emailing you anyway (:/)
Small Review said - The requirement to include your address and full name. I don't mind it if I know the blogger well, but if I don't know them well then I usually pass on these giveaways.
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Arielle said - The only thing is probably when the post has lots and lots of text, making it hard to find where the giveaway is. This probably only occurs when it's combined with author interviews, reviews and things. Or if the text font of the blog is conventionally small, that's a bit annoying!
Thank you!
Thanks so much to these people for fill out the form :
Yiota - Splash Of Our Worlds
Birgit - The Book Garden
Karina - Nocturnal Book Reviews
Jules - The Great, The Good and The Bad
Theresa - Fade Into Fantasy
Kate - That Book Blog
Small Review - Small Review
Laura - All of Everything
Arielle - Chimneys and Magic
Donna - Book Passion for Life
Carol - Dizzy C's Little Book Blog
Lieder Madchen - Songs and Stories
Tiffany, Mary, Vivien, Eva, Nat, Dannielle
Come back next week for the next part!!
1.9.11
August 2011 Round Up
Stats
My Aim : 10 Books
Total number of read books : 8
Average : A book every 3 days
Comments
I set my aim to 10 books a month so that if I missed around 1/2 a month it didn't matter so I am happy that I read 8, especially when sometimes I was working long days and wouldn't get to read much. Although I do admit Without Mercy isn't a proper book as it's around 25 pages so I actually read 7!
Some great books here which I would find hard to choose between. I think around 4 of them are 5 stars each.
Favourite Cover & Book of August
To be honest this is a draw with The Scorpio Races and Girl, Missing but because I love the cover I thought I could do both of them together =)
Anyway I loved Anna and The French Kiss, it's definitely as good as everyone says and deserves all the hype which it has.
The Time Will Come #32
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The Time Will Come -
Every Thursday l am going to list a book which l really want to read/keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books which have been on my shelf for awhile now but don't have to be, maybe you got it two weeks ago and really want to read it!
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Want to join in?
- Pick a book you have been meaning to read
- Do a post telling us about the book
- Link the post up in the linky
- Visit the other blogs!
Numbers - Rachel WardI got this book for review a long time ago and actually started to read it a few months back when I felt quite picky with what I wanted to read. Sadly after a few pages I realised it wasn't something I wanted to read at that time and wanted a different sort of genre. When I put a book down it takes more for me to pick it up again although I know the only reason i couldn't get into it was because I wasn't in the mood for it! Strange, I know!
Anyway this book has quite mixed reviews so I definitely want to give it a go and see for myself. I think it sounds fantastic!
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