Waiting on Wednesday: Pink is for Blobfish

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog

This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: Pink is for Blobfish by Jess Keating

Pinkalicious meets National Geographic in this nonfiction picture book introducing the weirdest, wildest, pinkest critters in the animal kingdom!

Some people think pink is a pretty color. A fluffy, sparkly, princess-y color. But it's so much more.
Sure, pink is the color of princesses and bubblegum, but it's also the color of monster slugs and poisonous insects. Not to mention ultra-intelligent dolphins, naked mole rats and bizarre, bloated blobfish.

Isn't it about time to rethink pink?

Slip on your rose-colored glasses and take a walk on the wild side with zoologist Jess Keating, author of How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied, and cartoonist David DeGrand.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

I love the Zoo series this author wrote, and I'm looking forward to read her first non-fiction picture book! :)

Top Ten of My Favorite Comics

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog

At first I was having a hard time figuring out what to do with this weeks freebie Top Ten Tuesday, but then I began to read a Foxtrot book that I had gotten and I realized that listing my favorite comics would be a perfect TTT for me this week! :)

Top Ten of My Favorite Comics

Foxtrot by Bill Amend

Garfield by Jim Davis

Sally Forth by Francesco Marciuliano

Baby Blues by Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman

Dustin by Steve Kelley and Jeff Parker

Blondie by Dean Young and John Marshall

Judge Parker by Woody Wilson and Eduardo Barreto

Peanuts by Charles Schulz

The Family Circus by Bil Keane

Mark Trail by Jack Elrod

Bonus: And one that I just discovered, that I'm liking, is Heaven's Love Thrift Shop by Kevin Frank! :)

What are your favorite comics to read? :)

Interview and Giveaway With Middle Grade and YA Author Jen Calonita!

Today on the blog I'm very happy to present an interview with Middle Grade and YA author Jen Calonita! Getting to talk to her about her newest book, VIP: I'm With The Band was a lot of fun! I enjoyed reading this book a lot! (Here's my review!) And make sure to read all the way to the bottom of the post, because Ms. Calonita is giving away a personalized copy of VIP: I'm With the Band! Yay! :)

The bold writing is the questions I asked, the regular writing is her answers, and the bold italic writing is my comments about her answers!


1. I'm With the Band looks like a lot of fun! And as a boy band fan (One Direction!) myself, I'm sure I will love it! What was the inspiration for writing it? 
Thank you! I am a lifelong boy band fan myself. Writing this book and the main character, Mackenzie, is the closest I've ever come to putting myself on paper. I was as obsessed with boy bands as Mac is and I lived and breathed the band New Kids on the Block and Joey McIntyre. Boy bands are always changing, but one that that never changes are the fans. Boy band fans are loyal and they love their band for all its worth. I thought it would be fun to tell a story like that and yet also show how different a band can be once you really meet them.

2. Even though I'm sure you have been asked this question a lot, I have to ask it. Who is your FAVORITE boy band? And, your favorite song by them? :)

New Kids on the Block, hands down! But I also loved 'Nsync too. But my heart belonged to Joey McIntrye, so I would say my favorite song from them is still I'll Be Loving You from the Hanging Tough album. Fun fact: I met Joey when I was an editor at Teen People magazine and cannot find the photo! What I do remember is that I was starstruck. I could barely speak and I kept thinking, "I slept with my head on a pillowcase with your face on it for years!"

That is awesome! :)

3. I know from your Twitter account you're a big Disney fan (I am too!), what is your favorite Disney movie? :)

I am truly a Disney girl! I can't get enough of the parks, the movies, the whole Disney universe. We are a Disney family! My favorite Disney animated flick is Toy Story 2 (3 makes me cry so hard I get a headache). I am also partial to Tangled, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Frozen, of course. I could go on and on!

Yay for Disney fans! You just named a bunch of my favorite Disney movies! :)

4. If you're able to talk about it, what are you working on now?

I'm working on the third book in the Fairy Tale Reform School series, which is going to be called TRICKED. Rumplestiltskin has come to town and, as you know, that little guy is always up to some tricks! It's so much fun to be back in that world. Also, the second book in the VIP series, BATTLE OF THE BANDS, will be out in July 2016 so I'm excited for that too.

5. What are some of your favorite Middle Grade books?

Do the Percy Jackson books count? I love those. The whole house is into Harry Potter, of course, but I also just read Gitty Danveshari's The League of Unexceptional Children and roared with laughter!

I just looked up The League of Unexceptional Children and it looks funny! :)


Thank you to Jen Calonita for letting me interview her! :)

Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Instagram

Her Tumblr

Her Goodreads Page

And now here is the giveaway! Good luck to everyone who enters! :)

Giveaway Rules:
US Only!
One winner will win VIP: I'm With The Band, personalized.
Giveaway runs from January 25th through February 7th.
After the giveaway is over, I'll contact the winner and get their information for the author.
The winner will have 48 hours to reply. If they do not, I will pick a new winner.
And no cheating!

Good luck! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: VIP: I'm With The Band

Review: VIP: I'm With the Band by Jen Calonita

Twelve-year-old Mackenzie "Mac" Lowell's dreams have come true. Thanks to her mom scoring the coolest job EVER, Mac is going from boy band fanatic to official tour member of her favorite group, Perfect Storm. Good thing she's brought along her journal so she can record every moment, every breath, and every one of lead singer Zander Welling's killer smiles in written detail and daydreamy doodles.

But between a zillion tour stops and pranks gone wrong, Zander and his fellow band members, Heath Holland and Kyle Beyer, become more like brothers to Mac. When the boys' differences start to drive them apart, can Perfect Storm's biggest fan remind them why they're perfect together? It'll be up to Mac--and her comic-book alter ego, Mac Attack--to keep the band together and on the road to stardom

Chronicling her experiences on tour, Mac's journal springs to life with black-and-white illustrations and comic-book panels throughout its pages.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Plot: Very fun! Mac getting to live every boy band fans dream was entertaining to read about! :)

Characters: Mac was a very fun and entertaining main character in the book! And I LOVE that she loves comic books and drawing, which is something that I'm definitely able to relate to! And Perfect Storm (The band in the book.) was fun! Kyle, Heath, and Zander were fun characters to get to read about! And Mac's friends Jilly, Iris, and Scarlet were fun, too! :)

The cover: I like it! And I like how the purple part of the cover actually looks like the texture of a diary!

Overall: Very fun book, with a fun main character to read about! I love the illustrations through-out it. Definitely recommend this book for boy band fans, and also to anyone who just wants an entertaining read! And now I'm looking forward to the next book! :)

(And be sure to read my post on Monday, in which I interview the author and she gives away the book!) :)

I received this book from the author.

Top Ten Books I've Recently Added To My TBR

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog

Top Ten Books I've Recently Added To My TBR

(Listed in no particular order.)

The League of Unexceptional Children by Gitty Daneshvari

Sit, Stay, Love by J.J. Howard

Undeniable by Liz Bankes

How It Feels To Fly by Kathryn Holmes

Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell

This is My Brain on Boys by Sarah Strohmeyer

Waiting for Callback by Perdita and Honor Cargill

And three that don't have covers yet!

The Art of the Swap by Jen Malone and Kristine Carlson Asselin

Changes in Latitude by Jen Malone

Untitled (Keeper of the Lost Cities #5) by Shannon Messenger

What books have you recently added to your TBR list? :)

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things 2015!

This is my third year doing this post! And even though it's a little late this year, I just had to post it anyway! Here are my top TV shows, movies, and music from 2015! :)  

Favorite TV Shows In 2015?
Here are me and my Mom's favorite shows to watch together.

Favorite Drama:
The Librarians (Fun!)
Scorpion (My Mom got me to try the first season last summer, and I loved it! Now watching it as it airs.)
Madam Secretary
Supergirl (Love this whole show!)
The Bold and the Beautiful
The Young and the Restless

Favorite Reality TV:
The Amazing Race
Survivor
Dancing With The Stars
Guy's Grocery Games
(And more Food Network shows, but I won't list them all here.)

Favorite Animated Show:
Star Wars Rebels (This is honestly one of my top three shows this year!)
Phineas and Ferb (I'm sad it ended, but very happy with the final episode!)
Sonic Boom (Liked this more than I expected to, it's funny!)
Avengers Assemble!
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Be Cool, Scooby Doo

Favorite Music (That was released in 2015 or That I Didn't Discover Until 2015)?

Favorite Album:
One Direction: Made in The A.M. (Deluxe Edition)
I have listened to this album a lot! Love! Favorite songs from it? Drag Me Down, Perfect, If I Could Fly, Never Enough, Olivia, History, and Wolves! There isn't a song on it I don't like, though. :)

Favorite Individual Songs:
Hunter Hayes: I Mean You, Someday Girl, 21
Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello: I Know What You Did Last Summer
Shawn Mendes: Stitches, Believe
Andy Grammar: Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah), Honey, I'm Good
5 Seconds of Summer: End Up Here, Fly Away, Safety Pin, Just Saying,
Meghan Trainor: Better When I'm Dancin'
Pentatonix: Sing
Lauren Alaina: Road Less Traveled
The cast of Descendants: Rotten to the Core and Set it Off
R5: All Night, F.E.E.L.G.O.O.D, Let's Not Be Alone Tonight
Rachel Platten: Fight Song
Owl City featuring Hanson: Unbelievable
The cast of Teen Beach 2: Twist Your Frown Upside Down, Right Where I Wanna Be, Best Summer Ever, Gotta Be Me
Raelynn: For a Boy
Walk the Moon: Shut Up and Dance
MKTO: Classic
Sheppard: Geronimo
Little Mix: Black Magic
Lady Antebellum: Freestyle
Francesca Battistelli: He Knows My Name
Kelly Clarkson: Heartbeat Song
Maroon 5: Sugar
Tobymac: Beyond Me


Favorite Movies In 2015?

Theater Movie:
We didn't watch many movies in theaters in 2015, but one we did watch and love was Cinderella! That whole movie was gorgeous! And I think the actress and actor who played Cinderella and Prince Kit were perfect for their roles! And getting to watch the Frozen Fever short (Which I loved!) at the beginning of the movie was fun, too! :)

TV Movie:
The Descendants (I thought it was fun, and the music gets stuck in your head.)
Teen Beach 2 (Even though the ending was a little bit disappointing to me, it was still fun and I love the music in it!)
And a lot of Hallmark movies!


What were your favorite things in 2015? :)

Top Ten Resolutions I Have For 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog

Top Ten Five Resolutions I Have For 2016


Bookish:

* I make the same bookish resolution every year! To read 12 books, 12 graphic novels, and 15 picture books. It may not seem like a lot, but I like to do a goal that won't be too hard for me to reach. :)

* To push myself out of my comfort zone a little bit when it comes to my blog this year. An example: To not be as afraid to ask an author for an interview. :)

Both:

* This next resolution is a mixture of both bookish and personal! I want to get more organized in 2016! I got better at it in 2015, but I want to get even better at it this year! :)


Personal:

* To learn a new hobby this year. Probably something craft related, but I just want to learn a new hobby. :)

* To try to just be a nicer, better person in general. I know that's not really an exact thing, but more of just a goal in general. :)


What are your resolutions for 2016? :)

Review: Neverseen by Shannon Messenger

Review: Neverseen by Shannon Messenger

(If you haven't read the previous books, then DO NOT read the summary and review below! MAJOR spoilers in it!)

Sophie Foster is on the run—but at least she's not alone.

Her closest friends from the Lost Cities have gone with her to join the Black Swan. They still have doubts about the shadowy organization, but the only way to find answers is to start working with them. And as they settle into their new lives, they uncover secrets far bigger than anything they’d imagined.

But their enemies are far from done, and unleash a terrifying plague that threatens the safety of an entire species. Sophie and her friends fight with everything they have—with new allies joining them—but every choice has consequences. And trusting the wrong person could prove deadly.

In this game-changing fourth book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must question everything to find a truth that will either save her world—or shatter it.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Plot: Each book gets more adventurous! I got answers to a lot of the questions I had been wondering about! And what was wonderful was that I never felt that the book got slow. I mean, I never felt bored while reading it, which I sometimes feel while reading books in a series. But I'm very happy to say that each book in this series just gets better! :)

Characters: Sophie is very fun to read about! And I love all of her friends, Keefe (My favorite to Sophie.), Biana, Fitz, and Dex! And all the members from the Black Swan! And I liked the two new characters introduced in this book, Tam and Linh a lot! (Not going to say anything more about for fear of spoiling people!)

The cover: Very good! :)

Overall: I had very high expectations for this book, and it managed to exceed them! It was even better than I hoped it would be! And THAT ENDING! Need the next book! This is one of my favorite series ever! If you're looking for an amazing Middle Grade series, definitely read these books! Now the wait begins for book #5! :)

I checked this book out from my library.

Books I Want to Read in 2016!

Last January I listed what Middle Grade and YA books I was looking forward to reading in 2015, in order of release date. It was helpful to me for helping me keep track of what books I was looking forward to reading and when they released each month! I also got a very good response from people about the post, with them saying they found out about books from the post to add to their TBR lists! (Made me happy to hear that!) And I thought it would be fun to do another post this year! :)

Here we go! :)

Books listed by Middle Grade Debut, YA Debut, Middle Grade, and YA. Listed in order of release date. except for books where I was not able to find an exact day, and I just listed them at the bottom of one of the lists below. If a release date is not accurate, I apologize. :)

Also, these are not the only books I'm going to want to read this year! Just the ones that at the moment I know about! (And the ones that I remembered to add to this list!) :)

(I only added a few book covers to this post because if I added all of them, this post would be waaay too long. It was so hard to pick which covers I was going to add! And just because I didn't add a cover to this post, doesn't mean I don't like it. There are multiple covers I love that I didn't add, but I just didn't have room for all of them.)


Middle Grade Debut:

January
Bounders by Monica Tesler (5th)



February
The Last Boy at St. Edith's by Lee Gjertsen Malone (23rd)


April
The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society by Janet Sumner Johnson


July
The Voyage to Magical North by Claire Fayers (5th)

Sticks and Stones by Abby Cooper (19th)


August
The Rat Prince by Bridget Hodder (23rd)


September
Poppy  Mayberry, the Monday by Jennie K Brown (13th)


The Friendship Experiment by Erin Teagan


YA Debut:

January
Bookisihly Ever After by Isabel Bandeira (12th)

The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright (18th)


February
Blackhearts by Nicole Castroman (9th)


March
Holding Court by K.C. Held (1st)

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor (1st)

Magnetic Shift by Lucy D. Briand (15th)


April
Dreamology by Lucy Keating (12th)

Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey (19th)

Emerge by Tobie Easton (19th)


May
Summer of Sloane Erin L. Schneider (3rd)

Even If the Sky Falls by Mia Garcia (10th)

26 Kisses by Anna Michels (24th)


June
Sing by Vivi Greene (7th)


Saving Hamlet by Molly Booth


Alterations by Stephanie Scott


Non-Fiction:

February
Pink is For Blobfish by Jess Keating (2nd)


Middle Grade:

January
A Tiny Piece of Sky by Shawn Stout (19th)

Sit, Stay, Love by J.J. Howard (26th)


February
Sweet Home Alaska by Carol Estby Dagg (2nd)

Fridays With the Wizards by Jessica Day George (11th)

Pilfer Academy: A School So Bad It's Criminal by Lauren Magaziner (16th)

You're Invited Too by Jen Malone and Gail Nall (16th)


Red Moon Rising by K.A. Holt (23rd)

The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd (23rd)


March
Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter by Beth Fantaskey (1st)

The Secrets of Solace by Jaleigh Johnson (8th)


April
The Second Guard by J.D. Vaughn (14th)

Paris for Two by Phoebe Stone (26th)


May
The Sleepover by Jen Malone (17th)

Princess Juniper of the Anju by Ammi-Joan Paquette (24th)


August
A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee (2nd)


Untitled (Keeper of the Lost Cities #5) by Shannon Messenger

Out of Tune by Gail Nall

One Hundred Dresses by Susan Maupin Schmid

The Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd



YA:

January
Curio by Evangeline Denmark (5th)

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard (5th)

Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMilan (19th)

The Possibility of Now by Kim Culbertson (26th)

Geek Girl: Picture Perfect by Holly Smale (26th)



February
Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan (9th)

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury (23rd)


March
A Tyranny of Petticoats edited by Jessica Spotswood (8th)

The Forbidden Orchid by Sharon Biggs Waller (8th)

What You Always Wanted by Kristin Rae (29th)


April
Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell (5th)

Two Summers by Aimee Friedman (26th)


May
Double Down (Lois Lane #2) by Gwenda Bond (1st)

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson (3rd)

Shuffle, Repeat by Jen Klein (3rd)

This is My Brain on Boys by Sarah Strohmeyer (10th)

Exile for Dreamers by Kathleen Baldwin (24th)


Wanderlost by Jen Malone (31st)


June
All the Feels by Danika Stone (7th)

One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank (7th)

How It Feels to Fly by Kathryn Holmes (14th)

Summer Day & Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins (14th)

Summer in the Invisible City by Juliana Romano (21st)

And I Darken by Kiersten White (28th)



July
P.S. I Like You by Kasie West (26th)


November
Heartless by Marissa Meyer (8th)


Untitled (Stolen Crowns #1) by Jessica Day George

Untitled by Marissa Meyer


What books are you looking forward to in 2016? Tell me here or on Twitter! I'm always looking for books to add to my TBR list! :)

Happy New Year 2016!

Happy New Year!!!!!!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful, fun, and happy new year! :)