Friday Finds

No I'm not fully back yet though I hope I will be soon! I'm at a friend's house today and I can post a quick something.

Friday Finds is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading where we post about the books we've "found" and added to our TBR pile this week.

This week I've gotten a few books from the library and one review request from an author.
Library:

  

Review Requested:

What do you have in your TBR pile this week? Have you read any of the books in my TBR pile? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Teaser Tuesday

Thank goodness for the library! I'm hoping to get a computer from a friend later this week or next, but as of now I have to make due using the public library's computers. They are a little ancient and don't want to let me compose a blog post the usual way, but it's better than nothing.

I would like to post a Teaser Tuesday from one of the books I'll be checking out today. I haven't started any so the sentences will be as much a surprise to me as anyone else.

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme posted by Should Be Reading. In this meme, you grab your current read and open it up to a random page, and post two teaser sentences from it. I think the first book I'm going to read from this bunch of library books is Shine by Lauren Myracle.

At this time, Blogger (or the library computer) won't let me insert pictures. So, I will instead post the GoodReads summary and the teasers alone. I can't wait to get my own computer!

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice. Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

Because I have 90 GFC followers, I flipped to page 90.

Mama Sweetie had taught Patrick and me about handling bad emotions. If you breathed deep and set your mind to it, you could rise above your anger.

"Yes, that man acted ugly," she told us in plain English. "But throwing more ugliness back at him ain't the answer."

I'm really looking forward to reading this book! It seems to be about prejudice and gay rights and this is one of the issues I get most upset about. I just don't understand why everyone gets so concerned about what other people do in the bedroom. But that is a discussion for another day.

What do you think about realist books on everyday issues? Do you like them or do you prefer to read fantasy to escape reality? Leave me a comment and let me know! I've missed you all so much!

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros

This is a meme I found as I was visiting other members of the Teaser Tuesday meme. In the future I hope to combine the memes but since I posted about The Testing for Teaser Tuesday I'm going to post about the other book I'm reading now.

First Chapter/First Paragraph is hosted by Bibliophile By the Sea, and in this meme you post the first (few) chapters from your current read.


In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer. 


Sarah 
8:00 AM

Today is the day I've been waiting for my entire life- the beginning of normal.
    I reach for the latest Seventeen and flip through its glossy pages until I find the perfect face. The girl is pretty, with wide green eyes, hollow cheekbones, and full, pouty lips. But what I notice most is her smooth, unblemished skin. It's perfect. I cut photo out and stick it above my bed, in the last of the space. Now I can't even see the sunlight yellow of my walls- but the confidence that shines in these faces is even brighter. And today I'm going to get so much closer to that. I don't care how much the treatments hurt; it'll be worth it. It can't hurt as much as the stares and rude comments I get everyday. 

What do you think about books about bullying? What do you think of the synopsis and opening paragraphs of Stained? Would you keep reading? Leave me a comment and let me know!

*This is an uncorrected galley from NetGalley so it might still change. 

Teaser Tuesday

 Teaser Tuesdays is a meme from Should Be Reading. Each week we take our current read and flip to a random page. Then we get to post two non-spoiler sentences from that page to whet your curiosity.

Today I'm reading The Testing by Joelle Charboneau.

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

Random.org decided that I should share from page 32.

"That night I started having dreams. I'd wake up sweating, heart racing, not knowing why. Not a night would pass uninterrupted."

"A few minutes later he yells he's found something. Then the world explodes." 

I know I posted a few sentences more than I was supposed to but I wanted to provide SOME context for the quotes. So far I'm 71 pages in The Testing and I'm enjoying it. I hope to post a review later this week.

What do you think of book memes? Do you think they're interesting or a waste of blog space? Do you think the quotes above are interesting? Are you interested in the book now? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Cover Characteristic- Blue

Today I discovered a new meme- Cover Characteristic! This meme is hosted by Sugar and Snark.

Each week Sugar and Snark posts a characteristic and everyone picks 5 favorite covers with that characteristic. I love how it gives us permission to judge a book by its cover. All book covers link to the GoodReads page.

 This week's characteristic is: BLUE. 

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker- I love how serene she looks under the water.

Fallen by Lauren Kate- I love how the colors and pose convey a sense of despair

Blue Moon by Alyson Noel- This cover just seems so mysterious yet magical

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain- I love how striking this cover is without giving away any hint of the contents inside

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson- I love the icy sea glass blue on this cover and how you can't clearly see the girl's face on the cover

I think these are all amazing covers and when I saw them they made me want to know what the book is about. What do you think of these covers? Have you ever picked a book simply because of the cover? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Dirty Little Secret with Zombies!

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by us at Under the Covers. Every Thursday we get to know other bloggers and our readers more intimately by asking them a question hoping to reveal their dirty little secrets.  We hope that you will all join us!

To participate in the meme all you need to do is:1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.

2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image (code above) and copy instructions. 

3. Answer the question we propose! This can be done in any way you like, post a video, write a post etc.

4. Then add your link below.

This weeks question: 

"Zombies are attacking your house! 
What do you grab first?"

This is actually a good question for me! I have thought of the zombie apocalypse a lot actually and I've even devised a plan for when this happens. The first thing I would grab is my car keys, then my papa's rifle, and finally my phone. My plan is to hit Walmart's sporting good section and stock up on weapon's, a tent, and everything I need to survive if I needed to hit the woods or somewhere to  escape the zombies. The next part of my plan is to hit headquarters of my library, which also happens to be right beside Lowes where I can find supplies to reinforce the library. From there I can pick off the zombies from the second floor windows, wait for my boyfriend and our families to join me, and try to live out the rest of our zombie apocalyptic lives! Of course, I probably won't survive to this point and if I do, the zombies will just surround the library and starve me out, but at least I'll die with some good reading material! Hahahahaha :) 

So what do you think of my zombie plan? Amazing or not so much? Leave me a comment with your opinion and your own zombie plan!