Twitter!

I've succumbed. Twitter just looked like too much fun to not be a part of. I'm not sure how diligent I will be about updating but if you want to follow me and see what I'm doing at random times during the week click here. Do any of you Twitter? Thinking of Twittering? Tell me your thoughts about it!

Bits 'n Pieces - Lisa Ann Sandell

Lisa Ann Sandell is the author of the YA novels Song Of The Sparrow and The Weight Of The Sky. Song of the Sparrow is next on the list of my books to review, but I have to read faster; is that getting redundant at all? Anyways, Lisa is probably the sweetest author ever, and I love, love, love her answers to the questions. You can find her website here. It's chalk full of fun info!

Enjoy the interview!

This or that:
Rain or shine? 

Shine--but a summer rainstorm, especially with lots of loud, raucous thunder, feels wonderful, too.
iPod or mp3 player? 

iPod. I'm addicted to all things Apple.
Movies or TV?

Movies.
City or country? 

Both.
Mountains or beaches? 

Beaches--I always prefer to be by water.Dots or stripes? 

I like solids.
Dogs or cats? 

Both.
Cooking or eating out? 

Eating out.
Coffee or tea? 

Tea.
Books or magazines? 

Books.

Favorites:Book- 

This answer changes with some frequency, but currently it is Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.
Book store- 

Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, WA.
Movie- 

Also ever-changing, but I will always, always love "The Philadelphia Story" with Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
Music artist- 

Bob Dylan.
Website- 

Gmail.
Designer- 

Miuccia Prada.
Coffee chain- 

Well, I don't drink much coffee, but I suppose it's Peet's.
Guilty pleasure- 

TV crime dramas.
Restaurant- 

The Charcoal Pit, a diner/greasy spoon in my hometown, Wilmington, Delaware. The best burgers and milkshakes ever.
Color- 

Blue-green.

Have you ever:Lived abroad? 

Yes.
Gotten a tattoo? 

No.
Stayed up for the midnight release of a movie or book? 

Yes.
Disliked your job? 

Hasn't everyone, at some point?
Cried during a movie? 

Pretty much every time I go to a movie--even if it's a comedy.
Sang karaoke? 

Yes, and it wasn't pretty.

Questions:
If you were on a desert island, what 5 things would you bring with you? 

A copy of In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust (it's really long, so I'd have something to read for a very long time), a really big Swiss Army knife, a transistor radio, a large glass jelly jar, and a water filter.
What's on the list of things you have to do during your life? 

Ride in a hot air balloon, write a book, see a yak, visit the Taj Mahal, see the Himalayas, drive cross-country (in the US), and go on safari across the Serengeti.
If you could have one super power what would it be? 

Flight.
What's your perfect music playlist? 

A mix of sad songs that make me feel mellow and contemplative, and some upbeat ones that make me want to jump around and dance.
What's the one food you could eat day after day and not get sick of? 

Pineapple.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? 

Oh my gosh, there are so many places, but I think, right now, Thailand is at the top of my list.
What moment in history do you wish you could've experienced? 

I wish I could have heard Lincoln deliver the Gettysburg Address. I also wish I could have marched with the suffragettes, the Silent Sentinels, during their protests in Washington, D.C., in the early 1900s.



What does your dream library look like?

It's huge, at least three stories tall, and circular. There are massive oak bookcases built into the walls, and a ladder on wheels and a track that can spin around the entire circumference of the room. All of the books are alphabetized and shelved according to subject. And there are great big windows, as tall as the room itself, that let plenty of sunlight in, and huge cushiony chairs for curling up in. I think there's a fireplace, too.
When you walk into a bookstore, where do you head first? 

The new arrivals in literary fiction, and then I head straight for the young adult section.
If everyone had to read one book, what would you have it be? 

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. It captures so much about the human experience, that tumultuous and hope-filled and wonderful time when a young man comes into his own and discovers who he wants to be, what he wants to do, and how he can master his creative powers.Thank you so much Lisa! If you'd like to win a signed copy of Song of the Sparrow, leave a comment on this post saying what you thought of the interview!

I'm thinking of starting a rotating schedule with the questions so there's some "new" ones each time and it doesn't get so repetitive and boring. Thoughts?

Authors; want to be featured in a Bits 'n Pieces Interview? Email me at livsbookreviews@yahoo.com and we'll make it happen!

Booking Through Thursday/Saturday #2: Villainy

On Saturday

Today is the 7th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I know that not all of you who read are in the U.S., but still, it’s vital that none of us who are decent people forget the scope of disaster that a few, evil people can cause–anywhere in the world. It’s not about religion, it’s not about politics, it’s about the acknowledgment that humans should try to work together, not tear each other apart, even when they disagree.
So, feeling my way to a question here … Terrorists aren’t just movie villains any more. Do real-world catastrophes such as 9/11 (and the bombs in Madrid, and the ones in London, and the war in Darfur, and … really, all the human-driven, mass loss-of-life events) affect what you choose to read? Personally, I used to enjoy reading Tom Clancy, but haven’t been able to stomach his fight-terrorist kinds of books since.
And, does the reality of that kind of heartless, vicious attack–which happen on smaller scales ALL the time–change the way you feel about villains in the books you read? Are they scarier? Or more two-dimensional and cookie-cutter in the face of the things you see on the news?

I've never really read any war-based books before, but because of the war and the terror going on right now, I'm even less likely to pick up a book like that, I think. I'm reading Lord Of The Flies in school right now, and I think when you put it into today's world, it's rather disturbing. The book deals with questions like; are humans innately good or evil? And that kind of thing is something that's really difficult to answer, especially with what's going on around the world in this day and age.

And to answer the last question, I think the "evil" characters in books seem so much more mild and single-focuse to me. When you listen to the news and hear about bombings, suicides, struggles, and the like, it does get rather confusing, and when you compare it to YA novel villains, I like the latter so much more. It's easy to see who's good and bad and what they're doing wrong. When I read, that's what I need, something where it's easy to tell what the right path is.

What are your thoughts?

Aaah!

You guys have no idea how pumped up I am right now. I'm really really excited. Why, you might ask? Well, it's because one of the coolest authors ever, John Green, is coming to my state. And not just once, but three times. Yes, three. Once on Friday, September 26 at the Loft, which is a fantastically cool literary center, once on the following day at the Hennepin County Library in Minnetonka, which is where I get all of my marvelous reading materials, and then once on November 28 at Metro State University. You have no idea how amazingly cool that is. Minnesota is actually the most visited state on his tour (I think)! Whoever said us Minnesotans weren't cool?! I think I'm planning to go to the event at the Loft, because that place is really neat. I've been to workshops there before and I loved it. And it's small, which I like. :) You can check out John's complete tour schedule here. He's going to a ton of places, so hopefully he'll be coming somewhere near you! I'm hoping to get some of my friends to go with me, and we'll make a night of it. It should be a blast. My third author event! Yay! I'll definitely post pictures, and let you guys know all of the little details. 

And I'm trying so hard to get some reading in, but the whole beginning of the school year madness is killing me! Please bear with me and I'll give you guys a review or two as soon as I can! I'm so sorry for my lame-ness. :(

Bits 'n Pieces - Daria Snadowsky

Daria Snadowsky is the author of the novel Anatomy of a Boyfriend which will be released in paperback September 23rd. I am going to be reviewing it in the very near future and am looking forward to it. It promises to be a great book! You can visit Daria's website by clicking here and her fun blog by clicking here. She provided some really great answers to my questions; I hope you guys enjoy them! And look out for a review of Anatomy of a Boyfriend soon!

This or that:
Rain or shine? 

Definitely shine, so it's a good thing I currently live in sunny Las Vegas.
iPod or mp3 player? 

They both are great. Honestly, I'm not sure how I ever existed happily back when I had to schlep around a walkman and cassette tapes all the time.
Movies or TV? 

I wasn't allowed to have a TV when I was a kid, so I grew up going to the movies. I majored in film I loved it so much!
City or country?

I love ordering in dinner, so I have to say city.
Mountains or beaches? 

Beaches, preferably with a big umbrella and a pina colada nearby.
Dots or stripes?

Stripes, as long as they're vertical.
Dogs or cats?

 Not sure. I was never allowed to have pets, either, but I always envied my friends with bunnies, especially the floppy-eared ones.
Cooking or eating out? 

Although nothing is more enjoyable than a home-cooked meal made with love, when you live in a city known for its cuisine, it's practically a sin not to take advantage of it at every opportunity. For better or for worse, you can find me at restaurants more often than in my kitchen.
Coffee or tea? 

I can't take much caffeine, so neither.Books or magazines? 

Books! No advertisements.

Favorites:
Book- 

Judy Blume's Forever, which inspired Anatomy of a Boyfriend.

Book store- 

The NeverEnding Story here in Las Vegas. It's the only independent children's bookstore in Nevada.
Movie-

One of my faves is Big. The more I watch it, the more I appreciate what a perfectly-told little story it is.

Music artist- 

Billy Joel. I'm amazed how prolific his career has been.
Website- 

Project Rungay is pretty hilarious.
Designer- 

Anne Klein, for the eyeware.
Coffee chain-

Any place with free WiFi.
Guilty pleasure- 

Project Runway.Restaurant- 

Fix in the Bellagio. Their fried mac and cheese makes your tongue tingle it's so ambrosial.
Color- 

Burgundy. There's just something dramatic and sophisticated about it.

Have you ever:
Lived abroad? 

The summer of '00 I studied in Italy and England. I miss the gelato, but not the haggis.
Gotten a tattoo? 

No. Considering I've been battling acne for nearly twenty years, the idea of permanently marking my skin never appealed to me.

Stayed up for the midnight release of a movie or book?

In the summer of '99, my then bf dragged me to the midnight screening of Star Wars Episode 1. We stopped dating shortly thereafter.
Disliked your job? 

Once I was the teleprompter girl for a local news station. That was pretty soul-deadening.
Cried during a movie? 

All the time.
Sang karaoke? 

No, but I have done Dance Dance Revolution in high-heeled boots.

Questions:

If you were on a desert island, what 5 things would you bring with you?
Bottled water, antibiotics, sunblock, a fully-charged satellite phone, and the actor Richard Chamberlain (so he and I could reenact the beach scenes in The Thorn Birds while we're waiting for the rescue plane to pick us up). 

What's on the list of things you have to do during your life? 

Score stage-seating at Spring Awakening on Broadway.
If you could have one super power what would it be? 

Turning back time.
What's your perfect music playlist? 

The soundtrack to The Fantasticks, my all-time favorite musical.
What's the one food you could eat day after day and not get sick of? 

Caprese salad, with lots of balsamic vinegar.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? 

Antarctica. How cool to be in a place where there's virtually no human history or culture, just nature and science? Their twenty-four hour sunny summer days would be nice, too.

What moment in history do you wish you could've experienced? 

When Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon. I still get chills whenever I see the video footage.
What does your dream library look like? 

First editions of every Judy Blume book ever written.
When you walk into a bookstore, where do you head first? 

The coffee stand for a hot cocoa with whipped cream.If everyone had to read one book, what would you have it be? 

Dorothy Tennov's "Love and Limerence." Love is the driving force behind most of our major life decisions, yet we never take the time to study love in a scientific and non-sensationalized way. Tennov finally put love under the microscope, and the result is one of the most illuminating and groundbreaking treatsies ever written.

Thank you so much Daria! And I just have to say that Piano Man by Billy Joel happens to be my all time favorite song, so we have that in common. :) He really is a fantastic artist. 

The winner of a signed copy of Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott is Alessandra! Congratulations! Look out for an email from Elizabeth soon.

Authors; want to be featured in a Bits 'n Pieces interview? Email me at livsbookreviews@yahoo.com and we'll make it happen!

Something Cool

Okay, so I just want to point you guys over to a new forum started by Kristi and Harmony. There's a ton of fun discussions to be had and awesome people to meet, and we really need some more members, so if you want to be a part of a very cool book loving community go visit City of Books and create an account! It'll be worth it. :)

And I'm trying my very hardest to get some reading time in. I hope to get a review of Dream Girl up in a day or two. Wish me luck!

Sound Off!

One of the things I incorporated into my previous contest was a survey about various things pertaining to my blog. I got a ton of responses to it and I loved reading about what you guys thought. I enjoyed reading what people liked and even what people didn't like. The whole point to it was finding out what I could do better on and what I should keep the same. So now that I've got a few people's opinions on my blog, I'm asking for those of you who didn't fill out a survey to let me know what you think. 

When I asked for your favorite thing about the blog, the majority of the answers said something along the lines of:
The quality of the reviews...they almost always match up with my opinion of the books.
I like how your reviews are short and to the point. They seem honest like you would say if you totally hated a book, which a lot of reviewers just won't do.
The book reviews
It's got like everything! You pick some awesome books to review =)
I enjoy reading your reviews.
I really love the book reviews of course. You seem to read pretty fast and have some really good reviews posted.
My favorite thing about Liv's Book Reviews are the reviews. They are great and and I like how you sometimes compare the book or tell why you did or didn't liked it.
You don't choose the same as everyone else all the time like other book blogs I visit. I like that when I check out your site I know that the book you review isn't going to be the same as any site that week or so.

I'm so glad to hear that! :) I work really hard on my reviews and I'm glad you guys like them!

One of the big issues seemed to be with my layout. I, personally, love it. But I there are some people out there that aren't too fond of it. 

When I asked about your least favorite thing about the blog, a lot of people said:
I would suggest changing up the color of the layout. It kind looks washed out to me.
the design isn't creative enough. can you kick it up a notch? kind of just a suggestion.
the background isn't my favorite color??
The layout is a little boring. Maybe a little more eye catching colors.
I would love to see a more exciting background/color scheme.
I don't particularly like the teal/sea green background
All the green gives me a headache.

But then I got comments like this:
I love the background color
I love your color scheme! Seriously! :P
I love the colors and your blog just has a really welcoming feel to it.

I think that was probably the biggest issue. What do you guys think? For the colors/layout or against them? 

The other thing which people were split on was the music player.
I have a confession. When I am at school and I can't get on my itunes I go to your site for music! We have similar taste in music and I constantly need music for typing anything!
The Music! While your book reviews are awesome, I think the fact that your site has music really sets you apart. 

Verses

I must say I'm not a fan of the music. I don't know if there is an option where the music doesn't play immediately upon entering the site, but if there is, I would like it if the blogs with the music implemented it. It's not I don't like music or the selection you choose, it's just often loud and not really what I want when reading reviews.
the music player scares me out of my mind when it starts playing automatically, but maybe I'm just jumpy.

I want to keep the music, but I've set it so that you have to actually click play to hear it so that those of you who are jumpy don't get scared. :D

Reading the surveys was just a really good way for me to get feedback; it was through that that I got the idea for the Bits 'n Pieces feature and the new banner at the top of the blog.

Also, I don't think a ton of readers comment regularily so it was a cool thing to see what a bunch of people, who I didn't even knew read my blog, thought!

If you guys would let me know what you thought of the comments and suggestions and your opinions on them, I would be so grateful. I want to get everyone's opinions. And I promise, if you say you hate something I won't hold it against you. :) I want constructive criticism, so the harsh opinions are the most valuable ones.