Armchair BEA Day 1: Introductions

Armchair BEA is for those people who cannot visit Book Expo America but still want to join in the fun. I really wish I was in NYC with my fellow bloggers who are attending BEA (Book Expo America), but sadly I can't. It all good though I’m more than happy to be a part of Armchair BEA! Over the next few days I will be joining in with this event and their daily blog post topic suggestions.


I am . . . Melissa a book nerd who also really digs crocheting.
Currently . . . Trying to figure this whole life thing out...one existential crisis at a time.
I love . . . Yarn,pizza,life, and occasionally battling dragons of all kinds.
My favorite . . .Song at this moment is May I Have This Dance by Francis and The Lights
 feat. Chance the Rapper
My least favorite . . . book trope is the older man or woman teacher hooking up with a student
My current read . . . A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas
My summer plans . . .Catching up on my TBR pile and soaking up some sun
My buddy . . .is my dog
My blog/channel/social media . . .is sporadic at best and kinda odd
The best . . .thing to drink on a rainy day is Abuelita's  Hot Chocolate

 For the full agenda, check out the Armchair BEA Agenda & Schedule page.

Armchair BEA Day 3: Character Chatter

Armchair BEA is for those people who cannot visit Book Expo America but still want to join in the fun. 

Day 3 Character Chatter

Character Chatter!! Todays Armchair BEA topic is all about the book characters.So I'm going to talk/write about some of my favorite types of book character. I like my book characters like I like my life lessons awkward,bitter sweet and makes me feel all the feels.

It's not just about a good plot and setting if I can't relate to a character in the first couple chapters then I’m DNFing whatever book I’m reading. Sometimes I’ll stick it out think the character will change for the better but it's always a let down when that doesn't happens. I'm a huge fan of the whole redemption thing so give me a character with some angst that turns their s**t around and I’m happy. However what I dislike is when a character has no type of growth. You know the type the character starts out awful ie: selfish,whinny,a liar,or etc and then the climax/life alternating thing happens and boom nothing maybe the character is slightly less awful but you finish the book and are just like that's it...what was that why..??Stuff like that bugs the hell out of me.

Another thing I enjoy in relation to book characters is when there's snark in abundance a well written snarky character is the best. For examples see Puck from The Iron Fey Series,Adrian from the Vampire Academy books and the Bloodline spin off series ,as well as Bianca from the DUFF. Snarky slightly bitchy characters and people in IRL make my soul happy,the reason for this is I always enjoy meeting/reading about kindred spirits.

Basically the type of character I enjoy reading about no matter the genre or if it's a main character or secondary second has to be relate-able. I have to feel like every thing that that characters going though is similar to my issues. Me feeling this way all comes down to a lot of different variables that I’d rather not get in to mainly because I like keeping my post short and sweet. Comment and let me know what you think?

What is your favorite type of character? Brooding?Male or Female?Let me know in the comment section along with the link to your Armchair BEA post on Characters or Blogging Q&A

Have a Happy Armchair BEA 2015!!Thnks for stopping by.

Armchair BEA Day 2:Social Media

Armchair BEA is for those people who cannot visit Book Expo America but still want to join in the fun. 

Day 2 Social Media 

Okay so the topic of the days are social media or Visual expressions. I thought about doing both but decided on social media. So in this day and age there's a lot of sites for social media Twitter, Facebook,Google+ and if your feeling nostalgic and out dated there's good ole MySpace plus a bunch more that I have no clue about.

When it comes to using social media to expand my blogging/writing horizon I am seriously lacking. I know blogging and life in general is all about making connection and networking but I'm just an awkward turtle all around. The only social media sites I use in relation to my blog are blogger and twitter. I have a Facebook but I keep that separate from my blogging world I do this mainly because Fb is more personal and I’m a bit shy/awkward when it come to sharing my blog with people I know. 

Strangers no prob people I know every day..mehh not as cool with it. 

I like using twitter a lot when it come to interacting with author and fellow bloggers verses comments on blogger mainly because it more of an instant  interaction. 

 I think social media and the whole instant  interaction is great but also when misused can be pretty awful. What makes it awful is sometimes people for get that the are sending these mean comments toward a real person not just  a little picture icon. Also what you post online stays online even if you think it doesn't. I recently read a blog post talking about how bloggers  interact with them authors on social media and the person brought up a lot of good points.(If I can find the blog/post I’ll link it to give her credit where credits due) 

Her post got me thinking about when I should and shouldn't link/tag/etc an author. I tend to do so only if the review is 4 or up and on occasion a 3.The whole sending mean comment online can go both ways authors to blogger to bloggers to authors and etc. So with all that being said I tend to be causes with my online presence. I like to  make more connection with others though any tips would be appreciated. Find me on Twitter @talamelis 

Hope you enjoyed my rambling slightly non cohesive post on social media. Thanks for stopping by and have a great Armchair BEA 2015!! :D 

Armchair BEA Day 1:Introduction

Armchair BEA is for those people who cannot visit Book Expo America but still want to join in the fun. I really wish I was in NYC with my fellow bloggers who are attending BEA (Book Expo America), but sadly I can't. It all good though I’m more than happy to be a part of Armchair BEA!

Day 1 Introductions.

Tell us a bit about yourself: How long have you been blogging? Where are you from? How did you get into blogging?

Hello fellow bloggers/blog readers my name is Melissa and I've been blogging for the last 5 yrs give or take since 2011.I'm from Chicago and I got into blogging after discovering one of my friends blog. From there I started reading different book blogs and decided to start my own.So far I have 3 blogs two for personal uses and on for a college class. I really only keep my book blog up to date and the other personal on only every now and then.

Why do you loving reading and blogging?

I love to read because it gets me out of my own head and I can just explore the mind of someone else s for a little bit. I I enjoy blogging because I like giving my opinions on something I love be it mainly books,music,or something else entirely

What is your theme song?

Okay so in an awesome world my theme song would be the opening music for the Harry Potter movies but alas while the world is awesome it is not that awesome.*Le sigh* I can dream though.

What is one book everyone should read?

One book everyone should read especially if your interested in becoming a educator is Educating Esme:Diary of A Teacher's First Year by Esmé Raji Codell. I loved this book on so many levels its not even funny. If your not into memoirs than the next must read is The Realm of Possibilities by David Levithan.

What is your favorite genre and why?

I like a bit of every genre but if I had to chose a favorite it would be fantasy followed closely by YA/NA contemporary.

What book are you reading right now?

As of right now I’m rereading Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn.

What book are you most looking forward to reading this summer?

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids Sarah Ockler. I adore Sarah's books!!!

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what author would you want to bring with you? Why?

Tough question I’m really tempted to say J.K Rowling just so i can pick her brain about all things Harry potter  but my pick would be Maureen Johnson because based of her twitter she seems like a fun time.

*Apparently we were only supposed to pick/answer  5 questions...I was so excited that i skimmed the instructions. Oh well enjoy my Armchair BEA intro.

Armchaie BEA Day 2:Author Interaction/More Than Just Words

 Armchair BEA is for those people who cannot visit Book Expo America but still want to join in the fun.

Author Interaction 
Let’s talk interacting with authors IRL (in real life) or online. This is your opportunity to talk about your favorite author readings that you have attended. Or, you can feature your favorite author fan moment (i.e., an author sent you a tweet or commented on your blog). Maybe you even want to share how your interactions have changed since becoming a blogger or share your own tips that you have learned along the way when interacting with authors as a blogger. 

Sadly I haven't had the chance to meet any of my favorite authors but when I do I'll probably freak out and fangirl. I feel like more book tours need to come swing by Chicago.
So far all my author interaction have happened online mostly on twitter.My favorite author was when i sent a tweet to Mindy McGinnis the tweet had my review about her book Not A Drop To Drink.In the review I mention how i didn't really want to read the book because there was so much hype about it.So replied back stating that she did that a lot with books and even wrote a blog post about it and how she was a LitBitch.(i recommend you check it out) I loved the post and that brief interaction made me like her more especially for the fact that she actually engaged in conversation. 

My interactions changed because I actually make and effort to connect to the authors and fellow bloggers.For a while i would stick to just posting reviews and commenting here and there on other blogs.Then I started following authors on twitter and their blogs.I did the same with fellow bloggers and i regular comment on other blogs not just my own when i have time.What I found out is that the bookish world is for the most part friendly and welcoming. It may seem daunting or awkward to email an author asking for an interview or even just to saying hi on twitter and commenting on their books but it's not that crazy to do authors are just normal people who a lot of the time enjoy the feed back.

More Than Just Words 
There are so many mediums that feature more than just words and enhance a story in a multitude of ways. Examples may include graphic novels and comics, audiobooks, or even multimedia novels. On this day, we will be talking about those books and formats that move beyond just the words and use other ways to experience a story. Which books stand out to you in these different formats? 

I'm not really a comic or graphic novel type of person. Audiobooks seem great but I haven't listed to many honestly. Multimedia books are pretty are pretty great unlike my experience with audiobook,comics,and graphic novels which is very little I actually have a bit of experience with them. Chopsticks by Jessica Anthoy is told though photos,pictures and a page or two of words and it lovely.At first I scoffed and was like this is weid but after I started reading and took a chance I loved it.I like that  each picture and photo was breath taking and helped shap the story.Theres a few other book like Sarahs book*  and a few others but I can't remeber the exact titles.

Comment with any graphic novel suggestion for a newbie or any multimedia books I always like to read new things. :)

Armchair BEA

Armchair BEA is for those people who cannot visit Book Expo America but still want to join in the fun. I really wish I was in NYC with my fellow bloggers who are attending BEA (Book Expo America), but sadly I can't. It all good though I’m more than happy to be a part of Armchair BEA!

1.Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? Where in the world are you blogging from? 
Hey fellow bloggers I'm Melissa and i've been blogging since 2011. I started  blogging with a personal blog about poetry and a bunch of random stuff then i decided to  move onto book blogging after checking out a blog call The Book Butterfly it was one of my favorites but sadly is no longer active.I'm blogging from Chicago while my labordor Chicgo is freaking out because it is currently raining.

2.Describe your blog in just one sentence. Then, list your social details -- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. -- so we can connect more online.

My blog has post sporadically and it's somewhere I can rant about books I enjoy/ slighty enjoy.
Find me on Twitter at @talamelis then Follow me. :)

3.Share your favorite book or reading related quote. 
“You get close to people.You get farther from them.You learn how much you love them, and then you say good-bye believing that you will be together again, someday, when your lives curve back into one another’s." -The Disenchantments,Nina Lacour

 4.What book would you love to see as a movie? 
The standalone book i would love to see as a movie is The Messenger and the series would be The Iron Fey series by Julie Kawanga
5.If you were stranded on a deserted island, what 3 books would you bring? Why? What 3 non-book items would you bring? Why?
This questions tricky it's hard to deiced which 3 books to bring to a deserted island.. I would bring How they Met and Other Stories and The Realm Of Possibilities by David Levition because both have  a mixture of different stories and I love David Levithan's books. Also the last harry potter book it's one of my favorites from the series my other favorite is The Prison of Azkaban

Armchair BEA! Day 4: Non-fiction

Armchair BEA is for those people who cannot visit Book Expo America but still want to join in the fun.
Today the topic for discussion is g non-fiction books.This includes things like autobiographies/biographies,books on history to travel books and other thing that I'm probably missing.So i'm not really big a huge fan of non-fictionbut on ocassion I do enjoy reading a good non-fic book.So I'm going to share the two of last  non-fiction books I've read and two that I want to read..Enjoy! :)

 

The Girl`Who Loved the Sswastika Maria Anne

You can read about Maria Anne Hirschmann's amazing life in Nazi occupied Czechoslovakia, her blind devotion to Hitler and the atheistic Nazi system. Her story will take you through the horror of World War II, her escape from the Communists, her chance at romance, and the reawakening of her love for Jesus Christ. See the United States with Maria's eyes when she immigrates to this country with her small family. Through it all, you will see the hand of God. This commemorative edition includes a new chapter updating Hansi's life as well as photos not included in the first editions. Go with her to Belarus as she finds a new calling from God.



I picked this book up and borrowed it from a friend on a whim and as soon as i started reading it I couldn't put it down.I have always found Nazi history interesting.I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

GI Jews Deborah dash Moore

Whether they came from Sioux Falls or the Bronx, over half a million Jews entered the U.S. armed forces during the Second World War. Uprooted from their working- and middle-class neighborhoods, they joined every branch of the military and saw action on all fronts. Deborah Dash Moore offers an unprecedented view of the struggles these GI Jews faced, having to battle not only the enemy but also the prejudices of their fellow soldiers.
Through memoirs, oral histories, and letters, Moore charts the lives of fifteen young Jewish men as they faced military service and tried to make sense of its demands. From confronting pork chops to enduring front-line combat, from the temporary solace of Jewish worship to harrowing encounters with death camp survivors, we come to understand how these soldiers wrestled with what it meant to be an American and a Jew.
This books was assigned for class and I didn't think I'd like it but I really enjoyed it and leaning about what Jewish soldiers went though at that time.

On The Road Jack Kerouac
On the Road chronicles Jack Kerouac's years traveling the North American continent with his friend Neal Cassady, "a sideburned hero of the snowy West." As "Sal Paradise" and "Dean Moriarty," the two roam the country in a quest for self-knowledge and experience. Kerouac's love of America, his compassion for humanity, and his sense of language as jazz combine to make On the Road an inspirational work of lasting importance.

So I have yet to read this book it's just hanging out on my book shelf and honestly I'm not really sure sure if this is non-fiction.Is it?Or not?

An eloquent memoir of a young man's life transformed by literature.

In A Jane Austen Education, Austen scholar William Deresiewicz turns to the author's novels to reveal the remarkable life lessons hidden within. With humor and candor, Deresiewicz employs his own experiences to demonstrate the enduring power of Austen's teachings. Progressing from his days as an immature student to a happily married man, Deresiewicz's A Jane Austen Education is the story of one man's discovery of the world outside himself.

If you have checked out my Classics post you know I have yet to read any thing by Austen so I think after I've read a few of her books this would be a great book to read.

Armchair BEA Day 1 :Classics!

Armchair BEA is for those people who cannot visit Book Expo America but still want to join in the fun. I really wish I was in NYC with my fellow bloggers who are attending BEA (Book Expo America), but sadly I can't. It all good though I’m more than happy to be a part of Armchair BEA! Over the next few days I will be joining in with this event and their daily blog post topic suggestions.

 So as an English major you'd think that I've read a lot of classics and as a self proclaimed book nerd you'd come to the assumption that I've thoroughly enjoyed the classics I've read..Right? Well in a way you'd be slightly wrong.I've read the classics assigned for class and a few picked on my own but honestly it's not my thing.*Gasp* I know some may say blasphemy but it's true.Now I'm not trash talking the classics because I do enjoy the old school books on occasion  it's a once in a blue moon type of thing.

There are so many classic books that I think I would enjoy I just have yet to sit down and read them.I've seen so many Jane Austen adaptions but I have yet to read any thing by her.Tragic I know..Just like how I've seen many Jane Austan adaptions I've seen many adaptions about the character Sherlock and feel like the books/short stories would be an excellent read.

What are your favorite classics?
If  I had to pick a favorite it would be The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Is this even considered a classic? Also I'd say almost all things Shakespeare Hamlet is my favorite from him.
If you could give a list of classics to someone who claims to hate them to make them change their mind, what would be on it?
 If I could give a list of classics to some one who claims to hate them I'd include any thing by Shakespeare.The Great Gatsby,The Scarlet Letter.Les Miserables,The Alchemist,Tom Sawyer,
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.I could come up with a few more but  these are the ones i really liked.

How would you convince them to give classics a try?
I'd ask them why the didn't like it and after we discussed it I'd tell them the story of when i read Les Miserables for the first time.I read it in the 7th grade and since it was required reading I skimmed alot and half read the book pretty much just enough to pass.At that point I wasn't big on reading so called old school books.Fast forward to me in high school when I had to read it again and guess what I loved that book.After I gave it a fair shot I realized what a great book it was.

So basically the advice I'd give is just to keep your options open.Just because you read a classic in school and disliked it that doesnt mean you should give it another go.Yeah not all stories turn out like mine sometimes you'll read a book and just not like it.If you don't like one classic don't let it turn you away from all the othe options out there.

Armchair BEA Day 1: Introductions

 

Armchair BEA is for those people who cannot visit Book Expo America but still want to join in the fun. I really wish I was in NYC with my fellow bloggers who are attending BEA (Book Expo America), but sadly I can't. It all good though I’m more than happy to be a part of Armchair BEA!

1.Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging? 
Hello There fellow blogger and oddball book enthusiasts My name is Melissa,I'm 20 years old and Ive been blogging sporadically since June 2011. I started blogging because of a Blog called The Book Butterfly(The site is now down) I constantly read the post and looked forward to new ones being put up.After being introduced to that blog I started looking at more and more.Eventually I got the idea into my head that creating a blog would be fun.(SN: It definitely is.)
The first blog I started was a personal one on that I posted up poems I created and things like that.After awhile though  I started the Book blog  and the rest, as they say, is history. :)

2.Where in the world are you blogging from? Tell a random fact or something special about your current location. Feel free to share pictures. 
I'm blogging from the south east-side in Chicago and as of this moment my puggle is on my lap being a pest.It raining and my Labrador is freaking out trying to hind behind the couch even though he's obviously too big.Something special about my location is that it almost takes a 12 step program to tell people where I live.

3.If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?  
Alright so if I could have dinner with any author it would be J.K Rowling and I would Politely hound her about all things Harry Potter and her life.
If I had to pick a fictional character to have dinner with it would be Magnus Bane from all the shadowhunter series by Cassandra Clare.. He seems like he'd be a fun time and since he's immortal have tons of stories to share.

4.Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA? What brought you back for another year? If you have not previously participated, what drew you to the event?
No,I have never participated in Armchair BEA and I honestly just found out about it a few hours ago. I decided to participated because of slight BEA envy and I wanted to become more connected out in the blogger community.From what i've seen bloggers are a friendly bunch.

5.Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.
In case you haven't guessed it already I'm a huge dog lover.I have three and each one is like my furry baby.Also I'm partially named after the actress from the little house on the prairie "Melissa Gilbert" My dads name is also Gilbert.