Friday, December 7, 2012

25 Days of Christmas: Favorite Christmas Movies

One of the things I love about December is that you never have to worry about having nothing to watch  because there is always at least one Christmas movie on, if not more. This is both wonderful and depending on which channel your watching, awful =P (there are some pretty cheesy movies out there) Anyways, I have a list of favorites that I absolutely must watch every. single. year. 
Here's my top 10:

1. Eloise at Christmastime

2. Christmas In Boston

3. The Christmas List

4. On The Second Day of Christmas

5. It's A Wonderful Life

6. Year Without A Santa Clause

7. How The Grinch Stole Christmas 

8. Jingle All The Way

9. A Boyfriend for Christmas

10. Annabelle's Wish


What are some of your favorite Christmas movies? I would love recommendations!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

25 Days of Christmas: Playlist-Christmas in Diverse City

If your looking for a fresh new twist on some Christmas classics along with some originals than you should check out TobyMac.
His christmas album  Christmas in Diverse City is GREAT!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Blog for Regine Tour Stop

Today is my stop on the Blogging for Regine tour hosted by Zest Books. I was provided with a review copy by Zest Books but due to time constraints wasn't able to finish it in time to review it today. However I still want to take the time to share a little bit about Regina,  and show some of her artwork. 

First lets learn about Regine...

Regine Stokke began her blog after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia in 2008. Her goal was to paint a realistic picture of what it is like battling a life-threatening illness—and to share her experience with the world. During the 15 months Regine was sick and to her death she transformed from an average teenage girl, upset that she doesn't have a private hospital room, to a grateful and humble young woman with a deep appreciation for the beauty all around her. 


Regine's Book, new from Zest Books, is Regine’s personal story as it was written on her blog and features her own photography and artwork, as well as 
comments from blog readers and entries from those who loved her most. The book deals with every facet of living with cancer, from the good days to the bad and everything in between. At an age when Regine's biggest concern should have been what dress she was going to wear to prom, she was worrying about whether or not the wig she wears looks natural and about all the things she may soon be leaving behind.


As an artist myself, I really loved that Regine's photography and poetry was incorporated into the book and that is what I want to focus on today. Regine definitely had a gift when it came to photography that's for sure! 




I'm gonna end with a self portrait by Regine and a quote from her book.

"You don't necessarily need a good camera to take good pictures, and you don't really need an expensive editing program either. Creativity is the most important thing"

Giveaway:
Zest Books has provided the below prize pack including: a copy of Regine's Book, a bookmark, and a poster to be given to one lucky winner.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Author Interview: Emma Carlson Berne

Today Never Let You Go by Emma Carlson Berne hit stores! 
Wahooooooooo!

Synopsis:
A love triangle goes horribly wrong in this dark, romantic suspense-thriller from the author of Still Waters. Megan never meant to hurt her best friend, Anna. She made a mistake, and she’s spent all year trying to regain Anna’s trust. So when Anna invites her to spend the summer on her uncle’s farm, Megan is excited…and relieved. The past is finally behind them.

On the farm, Anna quickly falls for Jordan, a rugged summer-hand. Megan and Jordan have their own spark, but Megan’s betrayed Anna once before and she’s not about to do it again.

Still, the more time that Megan and Jordan spend together, the harder it is to deny their chemistry. But Anna doesn’t like to be ignored—and she doesn’t forgive and forget. What started out as the perfect summer is about to take a very dark turn...



To celebrate, I interviewed Emma and found out a little bit about the new book. 

BornBookish: Who would play you in a movie?

Maggie Smith. 80 year-old British dame, that's me.

BornBookish: In addition to your YA novels, I see that you’ve written a lot of non-fiction. Do you prefer one to the other?

The non-fiction satisfies my huge inner nerd - I love reading long biographies of Sacagawea or articles about the Marines. And the fiction takes care of my active imagination.

BornBookish: You did such a great job creating a creepy atmosphere in Still Waters. When you're writing those scenes do you ever scare yourself? Find yourself looking behind doors and hearing noises?

Oh yeah. I remember finishing a scene at dusk when we were living out in the country. My husband and son were at my parents' house so I could write. I had to go outside and walk around a little to de-freak myself.

BornBookish: Which character was easiest for you to write? Why? 

Both Megan and Anna were easy in that I felt like I'd met them both before--Anna in particular is an amalgam of all the mean girls I've met. 

BornBookish: Do you find it hard to throw obstacles in your characters way or make life difficult for them? 

No, I love it. What story would be good without juicy conflict?

BornBookish: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process? Do you make yourself write a certain amount of words a day, etc.? 

Yes, I'm a big scheduler. I set myself a word quota per day and I write it all down in the same brand of planner I've been using since college.

BornBookish: Your second YA novel, Never Let You Go, hits stores on December 4th. Are you doing anything special to celebrate? 

Biting my nails, most likely.

BornBookish: Do you have any new books in the works that you can tell us a little bit about? 

I'm moving back into the sweet end of things this spring with a new romance that will be out in 2014--a girl, two boys, and a ranch in Colorado.


BornBookish: Here at Born Bookish I have a weekly segment called, Breathtaking Book Covers, where I post the cover image of a book that I think is just stunning. Is there a book cover that has ever taken your breath away? If so, what book?

I just love the cover of 50th anniversary edition of To Kill a Mockingbird--it looks like a woodcut.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

25 Days of Christmas: Christmas Flash Mobs

 I can't even put my love of flash mobs into words! They are just pure awesomeness!! Whether they be dancing or singing I just love 'em. So today I thought I would share with you some of the coolest Christmas flash mobs I've seen. 



I wish my school was this cool =)

Saturday, December 1, 2012

25 Days of Christmas: December Releases!


Here are a few books releasing this month that will surely make it onto my Christmas list! 


Coming December 1st . . .


The Lies That Bind (Liar Society #2)
by 
Lisa & Laura Roecker

Just when Kate Lowry thought she had life at elite private school Pemberly Brown figured out, she cracks open a fortune cookie to find a message from her best friend Grace--who's supposed to be dead.

Another Sister Gone

A classmate has gone missing, and Kate soon realizes that the disappearance is tied to the secret societies that rule her private school. Her best friend died for their secrets, and there's no way she'll let them get away with it twice. It's up to quirky outsider Kate to get some answers, but in a school where every answer leads to more questions and nothing's as it seems, who can she trust?



Coming December 4th . . .


Never Let You Go
by
Emma Carlson Berne

A love triangle goes horribly wrong in this dark, romantic suspense-thriller from the author of Still Waters. Megan never meant to hurt her best friend, Anna. She made a mistake, and she’s spent all year trying to regain Anna’s trust. So when Anna invites her to spend the summer on her uncle’s farm, Megan is excited…and relieved. The past is finally behind them.

On the farm, Anna quickly falls for Jordan, a rugged summer-hand. Megan and Jordan have their own spark, but Megan’s betrayed Anna once before and she’s not about to do it again.

Still, the more time that Megan and Jordan spend together, the harder it is to deny their chemistry. But Anna doesn’t like to be ignored—and she doesn’t forgive and forget. What started out as the perfect summer is about to take a very dark turn...


The Almost Truth
by
Eileen Cook

From the author of Unraveling Isobel and The Education of Hailey Kendrick, a smart, romantic novel about a teenage con artist who might be in over her head. Sadie can’t wait to get away from her backwards small town, her delusional mom, her jailbird dad, and the tiny trailer where she was raised…even though leaving those things behind also means leaving Brendan. Sadie wants a better life, and she has been working steadily toward it, one con at a time.

But when Sadie’s mother wipes out Sadie’s savings, her escape plan is suddenly gone. She needs to come up with a lot of cash—and fast—or she’ll be stuck in this town forever. 

With Brendan’s help, she devises a plan—the ultimate con—to get the money. But the more lies Sadie spins, the more she starts falling for her own hoax…and perhaps for the wrong boy. Sadie wanted to change her life, but she wasn't prepared to have it flipped upside down by her own deception. With her future at stake and her heart on the line, suddenly it seems like she has a lot more than just money to lose...

Coming December 11th . . . 


Falling Kingdoms
by
Morgan Rhodes

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Are any of these on your Christmas wish list?