Welcome Team Bookish!

A little over a week ago I have posted an add here, on Bookish, that I am looking to partner up with some awesome reviewers and book enthusiasts out there to make the blog even more interesting and engaging. The response I received was beyond amazing. I was blown away by the number of emails that poured into my mailbox (THANK YOU so much to everyone who got in touch!). After looking at all the applications, reading through hundreds of reviews, etc, I have chosen 7 people who will from now be contributing to Bookish. Some will be reviewing more often than others, some might even become permanent blog partners.. We'll see how it goes! Expect to see lots and lots of awesomeness, for these are the best of the best that applied! :) 

Without further ado, I introduce you to TEAM BOOKISH! 

My name is Sara and I am a single mother from Southern California. I am a huge fan of Young Adult books and love anything with a love story. I am a cupcake lover and Disneyland addict. I am also Eiffel Tower obsessed. I am a booknerd. Reading is like breathing. I can't survive without it. I am so excited to be a part of Team Bookish.

Hi!

I'm Tiffany and I am a bookaholic... I know this isn't that kind of a meeting but it's talk about me time so I thought we would start there! I have been reading for as long as I can remember and blogging for over a year now. I run Escaping... One Book @ a Time but when I saw Evie (who is the best btw) wanted reviewers on her blog I just couldn't pass that up!! I'm excited to be a part of such an awesome team and to be a part of Bookish!! The reviews you see from me will be a bit of everything and am darn happy about that. I would like to tell you that I stick to one kind of book but I don't, I am diverse when it comes to my reading tastes. Well that should just about do it. Nice meeting you all and I look forward to seeing you around the blog!!

Tiffany

I'm a native Ohioan who would live in Cinderella Castle if it were possible. I kid you not.

I wasn't always an avid reader. It all began when my grandfather bought me Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for Christmas. I know, Harry Potter got me reading, how cliche - but it's true.

I'm not a genre snob, though fantasy/paranormal are my favorite; however, when it really comes down to the nitty-gritty, it’s the story synopsis that has to hook me, not the genre of writing.

I've been writing reviews since October 2012 and I love it. My reviews are honest, unbiased, and fair – I will never slate the author personally or give a totally negative review. Writing is hard, I know. At the same time, I have a huge sense of humor, which occasionally tends to lean on the side of sarcastic, and bleeds into my reviews. I'm not writing for the New York Times, no reason I can't entertain myself and you at the same time.

I am currently running my own blog, Beauty but a Funny Girl. Feel free to click on over there to read some of my older reviews and poke around. You can also find me on Twitter and Goodreads.

When I'm not reading or writing, I enjoy working out and practice a mix of cardio, strength training, and yoga/pilates. I am also a lover of Broadway productions and anything Disney. And thanks to the English teacher in me I also do things like listen to music; hang out with Shakespeare; act out heated arguments, conspiracies, and romances; solve mysteries; debate; convince; question; inspire; ignite and E X P L O D E.

~ Andrea @ Beauty but a Funny Girl

My name is Stephanie Kaye and I come from the beautiful city of Chicago. I am an avid reader and an aspiring writer. I would absolutely LOVE to be a published author one day and I have so many ideas to write about but I'm always looking for more ideas. I just graduated College with a major in English and a minor in Writing. My boyfriend surprised me with the cutest puppy in the world! Her name is Sophie and she is a husky. I love her to death. When I am not reading or writing I will probably be at the bar shooting some darts and watching my favorite teams (Blackhawks, Bears, and White Sox) with a beer in my hand. My top 3 favorite books are: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. They're classics and for good reason. I think that everyone should read them at least once in their lifetime. I read anything YA or NA and as long as it appeals to me. My genre taste is very eclectic but my heart will always love the paranormal genre. Especially vampires! But I love pretty much anything paranormal.I have a personal book blog called In Wonderland and I am also a part of a collaborative book blog called The Raven Readers. I have so much fun getting to know other bloggers and becoming friends, so don't hesitate to shoot me an email or a tweet, I'd love getting to know you too! I am so happy that Evie chose me to help out on her blog and I promise I won't let her down or you (her readers) down either! I promise to do the best that I can and I can only hope that you like me and my reviews as much as Evie and her amazing self!

Hey, y’all! My name’s Jessica. I’m 17, just finishing up my junior year of high school, and hopelessly addicted to book boys who make me swoon. I run my own blog over at Just a Booklover because I, um…yeah. I love books. All books.Including indie books.Which is why I’m here! I am so pumped to be the Indie Enthusiast. Seriously, enthusiasm is, like, my THING. Especially when books are involved. So, yay! 

This is the part where I kind of want to be like “Nancy Straight is fantastic!” or “PriyaKanaparti is my girl!” so that I can go on to tell all about the indie authors I adore/am friends with/ have spoken with/stalk via the interwebz. But then I’d no doubt forget somebody and feel bad. So instead, I’m going to do something totally different that has nothing at all to do with anything I just mentioned. 

Because I like randomness. It’s so much fun! 

I enjoy making tens lists. Notice: I say TENS lists. Not TOP TENS lists. Well, I like those, too. But that’s beside the point. Right now, I’m going to make a TEN (as in not Top Ten) list of random facts about me. Because I feel like that’ll be fun. These facts may or may not be book related. They’ll pretty much be whatever pops into my head right now, because as I said—randomness? Is so awesome. 

Okay? OKAY. 

1. I am Victoria Scott’s super fan. I also like to find random reasons to bring it up without sounding obnoxious on a regular basis. (If you don’t know who Victoria Scott is…well, then. GO HOME.) (I was totally kidding. Google her or something. She wrote this fantastic book called The Collector. The main character is a demon and he’s way hot.) 

2. The first book to ever make me cry (that I can remember, anyway) was The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I just remember reading the end—Johnny’s letter—and thinking about how Dally would never get to see that darn sunset. And then we had Johnny saying “Tell Dally, tell Dally” and I’m just like “BUT THAT’S NOT POSSIBLE, WHY WOULD YOU TORTURE ME LIKE THIS?!?!?!” So. Yeah. (Dally was my favorite character in that book, with Sodapop at a close second. Just saying.) 

3. I never write anything outside of school without music playing. Seriously. Blog posts, English essays, you name it, I’m listening. Even right now. I am currently listening to The Killers. Taking a break from The Cup Song, which has become my newest music obsession, and not because of the cups. I just know all the words. So pretty. 

4. Ever since I read The Hunger Games trilogy, I have had a weird obsession with the word “always.” I scribble it randomly everywhere for no good reason. And THEN, Panic! atthe Disco decided to write a song that not only repeats the word about a GAGILLION times, but is also the title, too. So, yeah. That word is sticking with me. Always. Oh, Peeta. 

5. Whenever I listen to music (i.e. NOW), I always feel the need to sing along. And I do not have a particularly amazing singing voice. It’s not particularly terrible, either, though. But still. Yeah, I’m rocking Spaceman right now. Don’t judge. 

6. I have a tendency to whine about how I’m not a “people” person, but it is sooooo not true. I’m actually very good with people. And a majority of them aren’t that bad. I like to think of everyone as a friend until they give me a reason not to. 

7. I am the worst liar you will ever meet. I just can’t pull it off. I’m more about giving crafty answers that are truthful than plain lies. Which is good, because I hate lying. Then again, who doesn’t? 

8. There’s a book character named after me in Nancy Straight’s TOUCHED series. My character doesn’t come in until book 3—Centaur Rivalry—but she’s still there. And that officially makes the Daniel in that series MINE. Which I lovelovelove. 

9. I say I love tens lists, but then I go to make them and I always want to say way more than ten things. Wah. Then I have to pick and choose the randomness to unleash on you all. Almost takes away from the experience, if you ask me. (Then again, if you had a choice, you probably wouldn’t. Ask me, that is.) 

10. I tend to spaz. Like back with the Outsiders thing. When I’m reading, I respond. Goodness, you should have seen me reading The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. It’s my favorite book EVER now, but let me tell you, that book? It made me crrrrrry. Still does, when I read the ending. Don’t get me wrong, though. The book is amazing and you should read it (hence, my favorite book EVER). I also tend to laugh a lot. And giggle. And, in the right company, talk my face off. Mhm. Yeah. Go, me! 

There are at least five more things floating around in my head for that list, but I said I’d make it a TEN list and gosh darn it, I am keeping my word! 

Plus, I’m lazy. Sad, but true. 

So, that’s it. You learned at least ten random things about me right now. I believe that is progress. 

Oh, and books. I feel like I should say this—if it makes me swoon, I want to read it. Okay? Okay. 

We’re going to have fun, y’all. I can feel it already. ;) 

♥Jessica(:

Hello book lovers! I’m Emily and I’m a new reviewer here. I’m a teenaged homeschooler, and I’ve always had a passion for books ever since I read the Harry Potter series. My mom read my brothers and I the first three books, but then said that if I wanted to know what happens in the rest of the books, I would have to read them by myself, because they would be too scary for my brothers. So I read the books. That was over 8 years ago. Harry Potter got me started on reading, and I haven’t stopped since. I’ve read books most of my life, but I’ve only been reviewing them for about a year and a half. Reviewing books makes you look at them a whole different way because you have to pay attention and look for certain qualities. It’s a challenge to put into writing all your thoughts but, in the end, it pays off.

Okay, enough about books. About me. Like I said, I’m Emily. I have many passions, one of them being soccer. I have played soccer for about 5 years (I play attacking center mid for you soccer players out there). I also enjoy running (actually, that’s a lie – partly. I run to get in shape for soccer) and watching movies. I’m obsessed with Marvel movies (for some reason superheroes are just really interesting to watch ;P ) and the Hunger Games. When I’m not reading I’m either on my phone, practicing for soccer, or watching a movie.

I am a full time accountant but my true passion in life is reading and writing. I review books for several different book blog tours and I'm also the co-owner of a website I am very proud of called Life Love and Music.I can usually be found reading into the wee hours of the morning even when I am supposed to be up in a few hours for work. I enjoy all different genres of books but I will always look at Chick lit first.

Welcome to Bookish girls! :) 

I am super excited about working with you all :) I'm sure we'll have plenty of fun! 

Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green [Review + Giveaway]

Genre:	Young Adult, Contemporary Fiction, Thriller
Publication.Date	May 14th 2013 (Hardcover edition)
Pages:	416
Published By:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Website	Jacqueline Green
	Truth or Dare
My review copy:	Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Where to get:

When a simple round of truth or dare spins out of control, three girls find it’s no longer a party game. It’s do or die.

It all started on a whim: the game was a way for Tenley Reed to reclaim her popularity, a chance for perfect Caitlin “Angel” Thomas to prove she’s more than her Harvard application. Loner Sydney Morgan wasn’t even there; she was hiding behind her camera like usual. But when all three start receiving mysterious dares long after the party has ended, they’re forced to play along—or risk exposing their darkest secrets.

How far will Tenley, Caitlin and Sydney go to keep the truth from surfacing? And who’s behind this twisted game?

Set against the backdrop of Echo Bay, an isolated beach town haunted by misfortune, Truth or Dare is a highly charged debut that will keep readers in suspense from beginning to end.

(Goodreads)

The world was coated in fuzz, shapes shifting in and out of focus. A bookshelf. A couch. Walls as red as blood. And something else - no, someone else. A person, blurry, but there. Fear filled every inch of her. Panic. She tried to back away, but she was too dizzy. too unsteady on her own feet. She tripped, slamming into the wall. Pain shot through her shoulder. And then the blurry figure was there, looming over her, breath warm on her face. She was trapped. Nowhere to go, nowhere to turn. A hand reached out for her, long slender fingers coming closer, closer.

Maybe it's like everyone is always saying: pretty girls come to Echo Bay to drown...

The water was everywhere. It was soaking her clothes and in her ears and burning her eyes. It was down her throat and behind her ribs and inside her bones. It wrapped around her like a cocoon, like arms, like chains. She waited for the terror to hit. But all she could think was: Finally.

     Imagine someone knows all your darkest secrets. Now, imagine that person is not your friend. That person has a grudge against you. And that person wants you to play a game. A dangerous game of truth or dare, with your life at stake. Will you play? 

     I really looked forward to reading Truth or Dare. The plot line sounded very promising, bringing to mind classic teen horror movies like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, or popular series such as Gossip Girl or Pretty Little Liars. Teens forced to play a twisted game in order to protect their secrets? Sounds like a lot of fun! Sadly, my initial excitement quickly turned into disappointment when I realized that Truth or Dare was more of a slow-paced teenage drama and less of an actual thriller. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. For the most part, it was merely an OK read for me. 

      What I really enjoyed about this book is the setting. The story is set in an eerie, isolated town of Echo Bay. I loved the feeling of seclusion and vulnerability this setting offered. Echo Bay is a small town, everyone knows each other. If you make a mistake, everyone will know and remember that. People will talk and point fingers. That alone made the story a lot more exciting. And then there was also the Lost Girls Curse. The story of three beautiful local girls who, over the course of years, had each died in the ocean during Echo Bay's historic Fall Festival is something that both scares and fascinates the local folk. With this year's Fall Festival only days away, everyone in Echo Bay is wondering one thing: Is the Lost Girls Curse finished? Or Will the ocean claim yet another life?

     As much as I loved the premise, I found the plot line to be very convoluted and twisty. Every one of the characters is - at one point or another - a suspect. Personally, I knew right off the bat who the darer was, no surprise there. I thought the "big reveal" was rather predictable - even the cliffhanger ending involving (GASP!) yet another mysterious note was completely foreseeable, considering this was the first in a series of books. The story itself, while a bit short on logic and full of cliches, wouldn't be half as bad if only the pacing was better. While I can handle the flaws in the story and characters, I just can't stand a book that crawls along at a snail-like pace. For a thriller, Truth or Dare was remarkably suspenseless. There was no real sense of danger, no burning need to discover who the "bad guy" was, no feeling of being trapped, cornered or stalked. I expected to be scared, thrilled or - at the very least - thoroughly creeped out, but in the end I wasn't even entertained. I suspect it's partly because a lot of time is spent on talking about characters and their pasts, their personal issues and relationships with others. In the end though, all the lengthy passages, dialogues and flashbacks managed to do one thing (and one thing only): weigh down the plot line, making it dreadfully slow and boring. 

     There were a couple plot threads that had the potential to be something poignant - plot threads involving bullying, infidelity, mental illness, abandonment, homosexuality and more - but the author never explored any of them in depth, preventing me from getting truly invested in the story. This story would have been great as either fast-paced thriller or slow-moving issue book, but as a mixture of both it just didn't work for me.

     I found the characters to be quite stereotypical, underdeveloped and often times unbelievably, unforgivably stupid. Their actions were random and weirdly motivated (if at all). On top of that, it seemed to me that all these kids ever cared about was their social status, popularity and how they're perceived by others. Personally, I find it impossible to care about or relate to characters who only care about themselves. We're talking kids who would gladly destroy your life to make sure their little secrets remain hidden. And the secrets they were trying to protect? With an exception of one person, they were all laughably silly. I know teenagers tend to be overly dramatic. I know their whole lives revolve around school, friends, parties and first crushes. And trust me, I know that when you're sixteen and you spend 80% of your time around your friends / at school, bad reputation and mean gossip can really hurt you (teenagers can be really cruel), but I still find it hard to feel for selfish characters who would rather see others getting hurt than own up to their mistakes or face their ghosts. 

     The ending, while more twisty than a corkscrew lollipop, did not provide any real closure. Nothing much was explained, the characters didn't seem to have learned anything, nor did they become more wise or mature. It was... pretty much punchless. Maybe all that is yet to come, maybe we'll see some character growth in the next instalments, I'm just not sure if I have enough patience to stick around and wait for that to happen.

Little, Brown has generously offered to give away one finished copy of Truth or Dare to one lucky US reader! 

Share with us your most memorable game of Truth or Dare and enter via Rafflecopter below!

Giveaway ends June 3rd

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Reviewers wanted!

UPDATE: Thank you so much to everyone who have applied! I was quite amazed by the overwhelming number of applicants!You guys all rock, I wish I could work with all of you, really!

That being said, all the positions are now filled. Please stay tuned for the introduction post! :) And yay for #TeamBookish!

__________________________________________________________________________

The time has come. 

I've been thinking about getting a blog partner / contributor for quite a while now, and while it's not an easy decision, I decided it's time to give this idea a shot. Life's been getting really busy recently. Between book reviews, blog events, vector and web designs and my personal life, it's been pretty tough keeping up with it all. I love blogging and I do not want this fun experience to turn into a chore, and so I thought I could use a team of devoted book lovers to back me up. Together, we can take Bookish to a next level and build something really cool, plan more exciting events and contribute to the book community in more ways! 

Starting today, I am accepting applications for the following positions:

Teen Reviewer  [position filled]

- Age 15-18, US or Canada based, passionate about YA books. 

Love YA? Want to share your thoughts on books with the rest of the world? I am looking for a dedicated and reliable young person willing to write medium-length reviews of YA books only. Please only apply if you are willing to contribute a minimum of 2 reviews per month (ideally, I'd love to have at least 4, but I understand that high school life is really busy!). Please note: I will not be sending you any books for review personally, though when we have established a partnership (a 2 month trial with at least 5 reviews of your own books), I will begin requesting review copies from the publishers to be sent directly to you. 

Para-lover  [position filled]

- 18 and older, US or Canada based, genre: paranormal (romance), urban fantasy

Love sexy vampires, werewolves and other paranormal creatures? Interested in urban fantasy books? I'm looking for someone with real passion for adult, spicy otherworldly stories! A permanent reviewer position is available. Once we have established a trusted relationship I will be putting you in contact with TOR Books and TOR Fantasy and review copies of the hottest new releases will be arriving right at your doorstep! (please note: a 2 month trial with at least 5 reviews of your own books will apply). You will also have the opportunity to interview authors, arrange guest posts and grow your online presence! Reviewer would have to be willing to accept both eBooks and physical copies for review, as well as occasionally review their own books. Please only apply if you are able to provide a minimum of 4 reviews per month.

Indie Enthusiast  [position filled]

- 16 and older, International, genre: cross-genre (mostly YA and NA)

Love Indie authors? A huge fan of self published books? Want to share some of that love with us?! Apply  today and let your opinion be heard! Reviewer must be willing to accept ebook copies. Please apply only if you are able to provide at least 3 reviews per month. Once we have established a trusted relationship I will arrange review copies for you and/or put you in contact with authors and Indie Press. This is a permanent / long-term position.

General Reviewer  [position filled]

- 18 and older, US or Canada based, cross-genre (Adult, YA, NA, MG)

Are you an eclectic reader? Love YA but also enjoy NA, MG and Adult books? Well, this is the position for you! Full flexibility - you read what you want when you want. You are more than welcome to arrange author interviews and guest posts to go along with your reviews. After we have established a trusted relationship I will arrange review copies to be sent directly to you from the publishers (please note: a 2 month trial with at least 5 reviews of your own books will apply). Reviewer must be willing to accept both ebooks and physical copies. NetGalley and/or Edelweiss account will be required (no worries, it's free!). Please apply only if you are able to provide at least 4 reviews per month. This is a permanent / long-term position with many perks!

APPLY NOW!

These are all the positions available at the moment. 

If you are interested in one of them, please send a short introduction email with a sample review to evieseo@gmail.com 

In your email, please tell me a little bit about yourself, your reading preferences, etc.

Please include links to your Twitter account, Facebook Page, Goodreads and any other social media. 

If you are accepted, you will be asked to provide a picture of yourself for a personalized avatar to go along with all your reviews. You will then get your own signature and a permanent "about me" space in the sidebar. After two month trial, you will be able to contact publishers for review copies and arrange author interviews as a blog contributor at Bookish, but please note that you will be responsible for reviewing any and all books requested in the name of the blog. 

Please do not apply if you are only interested in free books. I am not looking for book collectors, I am looking for reliable blog partners.

Please note: any reviews you write for Bookish can (but don't have to) also be posted on your personal Goodreads/Shelfari account, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Indiebound, Book Depository, etc. Under no circumstances, however, should they be posted on any other blog, website or review platform. 

Looking forward to working with you guys!

"Five Stupid Things" - Guest Post by Geoff Harbach, author of I'm With Stupid

Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you a great guest post by Geoff Harbach, author of I'm With Stupid, the third book in the Stupid Fast series! In his post, Geoff Harbach talks about five stupid things he did in his life!

Five Stupid Things by Geoff Harbach

Herein is a list of five stupid things I did in my life:

1. After putting a ramp by the creek in my front yard, I rode my bike to the top of a hill, gathered as much speed as I possibly could, then jumped over the creek. I was ten-years-old. I flew way past the edge of the creek. I flew through some bushes on the side of my house. I hit the house. I shot off my bike through the picture window of my house. I landed at the foot of the couch, where my mom had been reading. She screamed and screamed. I bled a lot. I had to go to the hospital (still have scars on my hands!).

2. I stood up all my Star Wars action figures on a book-shelf and shot them with rubber bands, which was cool. I got to be a good shot. Then I accidentally shot a rubber band through the shade in the living room. I tried to shoot another rubber band through the hole in the shade. I missed several times, making more holes in the shade. I became frightened about the holes and what my mother would do to me when she found the holes. I became despondent then angry then I shot holes through all the shades in the house. I don’t know why. My mother got very angry. I was grounded and had to do bunches of extra work for over a year to pay for new shades.

3. Dragged a large piece of cardboard to Highway 81. Put on breakdancing exhibition for drivers driving on Highway 81. Got called names and also hit in side of head with rock shot out from under a truck.

4. As 8th grader, answered “yes” to two girls in a Chevy Chevette who asked me and my friend Jason if we wanted to drive out into the country somewhere to make out. Jason and I didn’t know these girls. We got in the car. We drove out into the country. There were no cell phones in the 1980s. No way to call for a ride back when they dropped us off “somewhere” in the country.

5. Let a guy named “Smiles” who had dyed black hair down to the middle of his butt pierce my ear with a stud and an apple. Infection can cause elephantitis.

Thank you so much for this wonderful guest post, Geoff!

I'm With Stupid 

Paperback, 320 pages

Published May 1st 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire

Felton Reinstein has never been good with stress. Which is why he's seriously freaking out. Revealing his college choice on national TV? It's a heart attack waiting to happen. Deciding on a major for the next four years of his life? Ridiculous. He barely even knows who he is outside of football. And so...he embarks on The Epic Quest to Be Meaningful.

Which leads to:

1. Mentoring a freshman called Pig Boy.

2. The state of Wisconsin hating him.

3. His track coach suspending him.

4. The funniest viral video the world has ever seen.

5. A whole new appreciation for his family, his friends, and what's really important in life.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Indiebound  

About the author:

Geoff Herbach is the author of the award winning Stupid Fast YA series. His books have been given the 2011 Cybils Award for best YA novel, selected for the Junior Library Guild, listed in the year's best by the American Library Association, the American Booksellers Association and many state library associations. In the past, he wrote the literary novel, The Miracle Letters of T. Rimberg, produced radio comedy shows and toured rock clubs telling weird stories. Geoff teaches creative writing at Minnesota State, Mankato. He lives in a log cabin with a tall wife.

Connect with Geoff: Website | Facebook