Armchair BEA 2013: YA Recommendations

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2013.

YA Recommendations

I am, in fact, one of those people in my mid-20s who still reads YA. There may be so many reasons for that, but it can mostly be boiled down to the fact that YA is good! I love that YA is very character-focused, in that the books are about character journeys, whether it's about letting go of a toxic friendship, or fighting your way through ancient prophecies to protect your kingdom. As I touched upon in my Genre Fiction post, I love that there are so many different types of YA available.

I decided to be quite specific in my YA recommendations, to show how almost any type of reader can be satisfied reading YA. All of these recommendations are books that I gave 5 stars to:

If you're looking for a cute and romantic contemp that goes deeper than the typical rom-com, consider Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins or Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson.

If you want an incredibly smart girl-power book, check out The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart.

If you're looking for a contemp with a slower-paced plot (but which still contains fabulous characters and a swoony love interest), I absolutely recommend Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta and The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson.


If high fantasy with kick-ass princesses is more your scene, perhaps The Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy by Rae Carson or The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima will be to your liking.

If something stylistic is what you're after, you might enjoy the dialect writing in the post-apocalyptic Blood Red Road by Moira Young or the quiet but lyrical fantasy writing in The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.

If you want a historical filled with political intrigue and the fantastical, Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers may be the one for you (oh and did I mention the assassin nuns?).

If you'd like to try a mixture of sci-fi lite and fairy tale retellings, Cinder and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer will be great for you (ok, this is a pretty specific want, but trust me that these elements are a perfect pairing!).

If you're itching to read romantic tales that take place over 24 hours, look no further than Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley and Where She Went by Gayle Forman. Both of these books feature wonderful romances, but they're also about so much more.

If you think you hate vampires but want to check out a paranormal YA series, then I seriously think you should consider the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. These are vampire books for people who don't like vampires, I swear. Perhaps my spoiler-free series spotlight will convince you?

I seriously hope that you've found something to your liking in these recommendations, and I look forward to seeing which YA titles might be recommended to me in your posts today!

Armchair BEA 2013: Ethics & Non-Fiction

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2013.

Ethics

I don't know a lot about the legality of what things you're allowed to post or not post (even with permission), but I do think I have a pretty firm grasp on ethics. To me it really boils down to asking: "Does this belong to me?" If it does, then use it any way you want. If it doesn't? Then you have to examine your options. For the most part, this means linking back to a website where you might have got a quote or information from. For images it's a bit trickier. For things like ideas? That's getting even more murky.

There are times when you might start up a feature or type of blog post and not even be aware that another blogger has done something similar -- this is legitimately possible, even if you do some Googling ahead of time. But if you do know that someone else has done something similar? I'd say it's always good to link back to that particular person, and even better would be if you let them know ahead of time, or even ask for permission to post. Just being conscientious will go a long way. Think about your own content and how you would feel if someone took it without permission, especially if they didn't give you credit.

I know there are far more specific and intelligent posts out there on this subject, so feel free to link me to those if you have a favourite. Otherwise, I look forward to hearing what you all have to say.

Non-Fiction

I was going to say that I can't even remember the last time I read non-fiction, but upon further reflection I do remember. I have a couple of fandom essay collections on my eReader that I've been slowly working through. Along similar lines, I reviewed the Friday Night Lights Companion back in 2011. So I guess the non-fiction that appeals to me the most is related to my interests (in these cases, essays that analyze TV shows and book series that I enjoy).

Besides those, though? I don't consider myself a reader of non-fiction. I was a history major in university so I read a LOT back then, but only what was required. I still love reading articles about historical figures and strange kind of pop culture events, but I don't tend to seek them out... I'll just click on links if I see them on Twitter or mentioned on someone else's blog.

I feel like I categorize myself as someone who reads to escape, and escaping to me is going into the life of someone fictional, experiencing their existence. But I know that good non-fiction can do that as well. I think I just prefer the form of the novel, rather than straightforward facts. To me the appeal of history was always the stories behind the people and events, not the memorization of dates and statistics.

One non-fiction book that I've always wanted to try is Devil in the White City, because the subject matter interests me, and I've heard that it reads like a novel.

While it might take me a while to get to it, I'd love any of your recommendations for more novelistic non-fiction.

Armchair BEA 2013: Genre Fiction

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2013.

Genre Fiction

As an avid reader of YA, I tend to read a lot of different genres. YA is fabulous because it’s a category filled with books that are so different from one another. This is great because it tends to mean that YA is more open to cross-genre reads. Things aren’t put into genre boxes quite the way they are in adult reads, and this means that when I go looking for a great YA read I could end up with something contemporary, dystopian, paranormal, historical, or even some combination of those (not to mention fantasy, sci-fi, etc).

I know a lot of people hate the fact that YA books are so romance heavy. Personally I’m a big fan of romance, and that element of romance can keep me into a book where I might lose interest otherwise. That being said, I’m not a fan of romance just for the sake of saying your book has a romance. There are books that suffer from the inclusion of romance. If your love interest doesn’t tell you anything about the heroine or move the plot forward in any way, that subplot probably doesn't belong. There are tons of fabulous books about friendship and family that don’t involve romance (Code Name Verity, anyone?).

Within YA I read a lot of contemporary/realistic books. These are the types of novels I read almost exclusively when I was a teenager, and I still continue to enjoy them. I’ve also been reading a lot of adult contemp romances this year, as well as New Adult books (the quality and uniqueness of NA is a whole other post, but there are some good ones out there). Surprisingly I’m also a big fan of paranormal books. I say surprisingly, because up until a couple of years ago I basically wouldn’t read anything paranormal. Now if I’m going to read any adult books outside of contemp romance, I’m likely to pick up a paranormal romance or an urban fantasy title. I also enjoy YA series that are paranormal in nature.

I love how YA has opened me up to so many genres that I never really thought about before. Books like Graceling and Poison Study introduced me to the world of fantasy. Series like Vampire Academy and Morganville Vampires showed me that not only could I enjoy paranormal books, but I could actually love vampire books as well. The Agency books reminded me what I love about historical settings.

I’m planning on writing a post in the future of “Must Read YA Titles” so I’ll save my favourites list for then, but I do have a Favourites Shelf on Goodreads that you can check out.

Can't wait to see which genres are your must-reads and which titles you might want to recommend.

Armchair BEA 2013: An Introduction

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2013.

An Introduction

Welcome to Day 1 of Armchair BEA, everyone! Hello to both my regular visitors and to those of you new to Book Labyrinth. I can't believe it, but this is my 3rd year participating in Armchair BEA!! I always have a lot of fun finding new blogs and seeing what everyone else is chatting about.

Without further ado, here are the questions I chose to answer:

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! I'm Ashley, a 26 year old blogger from Ontario, Canada. I generally review YA, but I also delve into New Adult here on the blog. I've also been considering adding a few adult reviews here and there, as I've been reading a lot more non-teen books this year.

And here I'll crib from my own answer from last year: I've been blogging on Book Labyrinth since August of 2010 and writing reviews on Goodreads since January of that year. I started Book Labyrinth because I wanted a place where I could have bookish discussions with other people who enjoyed the same books as I did. What has kept me blogging is that connection with other book bloggers, because let's face it: no one else understands our book obsessions the way other bloggers do.

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.
As mentioned, I'm from Ontario, Canada. To be more specific, Southwestern Ontario, basically equally distance from Port Huron, Michigan and Niagara Falls, New York. This means that despite all the Canadian stereptypes of igloos and the cold, I actually live in a place that's further south than about 1/3 of the States.

Something special about my location in regards to blogging is that I'm a couple hours from Toronto, which means that (when the timing works out) I get to attend a lot of great book events. There is also a large group of bloggers from the Toronto area, and it's been awesome to get to know them.

3. 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?
Yes!! It's my 3rd year, as stated, which is pretty unbelievable. I think the greatest thing about Armchair BEA is the sense of community. We're all book lovers, and it's so cool to see all the responses to the great topics that the Armchair BEA team comes up with. I also love the Twitter parties and the chance for great prizes -- there's an exciting atmosphere throughout the whole event, which I think is great, considering a lot of people are sad they can't physically be at BEA.

4. What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?
At the moment I'm reading "How I Lost You" by Janet Gurtler. She's a fellow Canadian who writes fabulous contemporary YA titles.

To name only one favourite book of the year is impossible, so I'll list a few. Despite owning The Host since it was published I never read it until the beginning of this year. Surprisingly I really adored it. Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers was an amazing second volume to the 'His Fair Assassin' series. On a completely different note, Me Before You is a book that I can't stop thinking about. It's a tough and controversial read, but the emotions it evokes are crazy intense.

5. Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?
I was lucky enough to interview Marissa Meyer before her event in Toronto this march. I wrote about the event, and you can also listen to or read a transcript of the interview.

Then there was that time that Kelley Armstrong stopped by my house. (RIGHT??)

One post that I found interesting to write, and I think garnered some decent discussion was about favourite types of Book Swag.

Thanks for visiting, everyone! I can't wait to be introduced to all of you.

You can also check out some of my answers from the Armchair BEA 2012 Introduction.

Armchair BEA: The Future of Book Blogging

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2012.

The Future of Book Blogging

What I think is most important about book blogging is that you be yourself. It's a tip we learn for real life application since we're little kids, but I think it's said so often because it's so true. Why I think this applies to blogging is that you need to have your own voice and do what works for you. As much as you want your blog to be popular it will ring false if you try and be hip and funny if that's not your natural voice. You're far more likely to gain a solid following if you write posts in a voice that is honest and natural than if you try to write something you think people want to read.

I also think it's important to schedule your blog and write when you want to. I have to admit I do struggle with this. There was a time when I had a post scheduled for every day, and I loved that consistency and the visitors it brought along with it. But once I was working full time? Not an option for me. The thing is, I'm a high stress person. I need "down time" where I can just relax and do nothing. And as much as I love blogging, I don't want it to take away from my time reading or watching TV or hanging out with family. So sometimes I have posts every other day and sometimes it might be 4 or 5 days in between posts. Would I like to be more consistent? Yes, definitely. But is it worth me stressing over? No. I do struggle with this, like I said, but I'm becoming more and more okay with it. After all, this is a hobby and something I choose to do.

This leads into my questions for everyone:

• How do you keep blogging stress-free?
• How do you balance review books with books you bought/borrowed from the library?

It's hard when you have so many books you have for review and posts that you promised others. I think we all go through "blogging slumps" from time to time as well. It can be hard to say no, and then when you're behind on posts it can be very stressful, so I'd love to hear everyone's tips and advice.

When it comes down to it I think what is most important for me is remembering that "be yourself" tip and just trying to take one post (or one day or one week) at a time. My vision for Book Labyrinth mainly consists of trying to keep providing high quality and honest reviews for my readers, and also continuing to work hard at connecting with fellow book lovers both online and off.

This has been a great week for Armchair BEA -- thanks to everyone who has stopped by, both new and returning visitors.

Armchair BEA: Beyond the Blog

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2012.

Beyond the Blog

When I was younger all I wanted to be was an author. And to be honest I'd still love to be an author. However at the moment I think I might be a better reader than I am a writer. We'll see what happens in the near future. I still love writing, but I want to stumble across a plot I fall in love with before I attempt to write fiction again.

As for monetizing, I've been thinking about doing some ads, but I don't really think I have the stats needed for it. I do have affiliate accounts with Book Depository and Amazon, but so far I haven't actually made enough to cash in on it. I'm definitely curious as to how other people monetize, because I think it can be great to use that income to supplement giveaways on the blog.

So since my non-blog writing is non-existent and I don't really have much else to share in that regard, here's a little bit more about me:

I am a crazy cat lady in training...

(Aww, look at them pretending they're innocent)

I like to bake...

I like to do crafty stuff, including cross stitch...

(I reallllly need to do a bigger, non-bookmark project again soon)

I have an obsession with castles...

And I really love nerdy shows and online fandoms...

(Including, but not limited to, Doctor Who, Firefly, Merlin, Sherlock, Fringe, Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, Friday Night Lights, Downton Abbey)

So how's that for a bit of randomness? Can't wait to see what everyone else has to share today. =)

Armchair BEA: Networking... In Real Life

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2012.

Networking... In Real Life

Probably one of the coolest things that blogging has brought me is a connection with bloggers from my province, and the opportunity to find out about awesome bookish events. Here are some links to posts I've made about events I've been fortunate enough to attend:

• Word on the Street Toronto (2011)
• 1st Annual Ontario Blog Squad Meet Up
• Books 2 Eat (2012)
• Kelley Armstrong signing
• Rochester Teen Book Festival (2012)

The Ontario Blog Squad meet up is one of the coolest book/blogger events I've been to, and I was so happy to be a part of it. A huge group of bloggers got together and talked books, and we were also fortunate enough to get some crazy awesome goody bags with ARCs and swag. I will definitely do everything in my power to attend the 2012 meet up as well, because meeting all my blogger friends in real life was such a cool experience.

I've also met up with Avery a bunch of times because we live relatively close to one another. I don't even know exactly how we found each other's blogs, but we realized that we had gone to the same school and lived almost in the same city. We get together every month or so and trade books and swag and talk all kinds of bookish things. It's definitely fun to have blogging to thank for a real life friendship.

I'd love to do some more "real life networking". I want to branch out a bit and connect with a local high school to see if any teachers might want ARCs or extra books from my library. I'm definitely open to other opportunities as well, so I'm really excited to get some ideas from everyone else's posts today.

Armchair BEA: Best of 2012

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2012.

Best of 2012

For my 'Best of 2012' I'd like to share with you my Top 10 so-far of books published in 2012.

- Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
- Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
- Article 5 by Kristin Simmons

- The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
- Cinder by Marissa Meyer
- Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard
- Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

- Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
- Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
- Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (releases August 7)

I'm very interested to see which books have been your favourites so far this year, as well as which ones you might be looking forward to.

Armchair BEA: Introductions First

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2012.

Introductions First

Hi everyone! This is my second year of doing Armchair BEA, and I'm very excited about it! Last year I had a lot of fun visiting all kind of new-to-me blogs, and I'm sure that this year will be just as great.

That being said, here are my answers to the questions:

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

Hi everyone! I'm Ashley and I'm a 25 year old YA book blogger from Ontario, Canada. I have a degree in Library and Information Science, but as the job market has not been very friendly to me I'm currently working as a receptionist/admin assistant at a non-profit organization that works with both youth at risk and developmentally challenged youth and adults.

I've been blogging on Book Labyrinth since August of 2010 and writing reviews on Goodreads since January of 2010. I started Book Labyrinth because I wanted a place where I could have bookish discussions with other people who enjoyed the same books as I did. What has kept me blogging is that connection with other book bloggers, because let's face it: no one else understands our book obsessions the way other bloggers do.

2. Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?

I'm going to cheat and mention a few. You should check out my Word on the Street Toronto Recap & my recap of the Rochester Teen Book Festival because they were both amazing events, and the posts show how much fun going to book events can be.

I'm also really proud of my post A Book I'm Thankful For, because even though the post was written as part of a contest the content comes from the heart, talking about my absolute favourite book ever, Jellicoe Road.

3. What literary location would you most like to visit? Why?

Can I say Hogwarts? That's so cliche, but like everyone else on the planet I would have *loved* to attend Hogwarts. I'm going to Universal Orlando in September, so I'm hoping that will help with my Potter obsession.

Besides that I'd love to experience the Seven Realms from Cinda Williams Chima's books, Colby from Sarah Dessen's books, and probably a ton of other places.

However, I've actually been to one "real life" book location. I visited the World of Beatrix Potter museum in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria (England), and I spent a lot of time in the Lake District where her Peter Rabbit books are set. Gorgeous!

4. What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years?

I think my favourite part of the book blogging community is what I mentioned above. I love knowing other readers who have the same tastes as me, and whose recommendations I can trust. I love how other book bloggers understand how obsessive I can get about books. I also love the connections that can develop outside of book related subjects.

What I'd most like to see change is less drama, which... I know is pretty much an impossible wish, but hey, I like being a dreamer.

5. Have your reading tastes changed since you started blogging? How?

I actually feel like they have changed a lot. Prior to blogging I read contemporary YA almost exclusively. I also read a lot of those rom com type of books... like the more cheesy ones. Now I will read a lot more serious and/or sad books that I wouldn't have before. I also read a lot more genres. I was always interested in dystopian/science fiction type movies, but I hadn't read a lot of books of that genre. I also started reading paranormal YA, which I had a lot of notions about because of some poorly written books that I had read. Paranormal still isn't my favourite, but I do have some favourites in that genre now. I'm also far more likely to quit reading a book if I don't like it, where as before I always tried to stick it out. Now I feel like there are too many awesome books out there to suffer through one I'm not enjoying.

I had a lot of fun answering those questions, and I can't wait to see what everyone else has to say. Thanks for stopping by Book Labyrinth!

Armchair BEA: Blogging & Social Networking

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2011.





Today’s topic is blogging about blogging, which... is pretty broad. There are lot of different directions this topic can go in, but I thought I would focus in on social networking. I took a social software and libraries class in library school, so I definitely have a lot of thoughts about (and interest in) social networking.

The first thing I want to talk about is Twitter, because Twitter seems to be key in promoting your blog and especially in connecting to other bloggers. Definitely some of the best blogger connections I’ve made have been through Twitter. I’ve also received review book opportunities from being on Twitter. Twitter is a lot of fun, and it is a great source of information about giveaways, upcoming books, etc. There are so many benefits to being on Twitter, but there are also some downsides (or maybe not downsides, but precautions you should take).

You have to realize that when you’re on Twitter as a blogger everything is public (unless you have your tweets set to private, of course, but most bloggers don’t). You might want to think twice before you post really personal information (and I don’t mean just basic Web safety things like your full name and address – you know the kinds of information I mean, right?). Your professional contacts could potentially see anything you post on Twitter, so you probably want your Twitter account to remain relatively professional. This doesn’t mean you need to be boring, but keeping your content at a PG-13(ish) level? Probably a good idea. Do you want your mother to view what you’re posting on Twitter? No? Well, then you probably shouldn’t post it at all. Heck, the Library of Congress is archiving all public tweets. Do you want future generations to see what you’re posting? (Scary thought, right?) Just be intelligent and realize how public everything is. If you have a book blog and you link your blog to your Twitter account then you’re not just tweeting for fun: it’s part of the way you’re presenting yourself to fellow bloggers, authors, publishers, etc.

Another thing I view as social networking is comments. Everyone loves comments, right? I know sometimes commenting can be a drag when you’re seeing reviews for the same books over and over again, or when you’re busy. But commenting really can be simple. If you’re reading a post, why not comment on it? You might be shy or think you don’t have a lot to add to the conversation, but I bet any blogger will tell you that every comment they receive means something to them (minus those “Nice review! Visit my blog [URL here]” comments, because they suck).

I visit the blog of every person who visits my site (minus those people I just referenced - although sometimes I visit them too) and I leave a comment on at least one recent post even if I don’t end up following them in Google Reader. I do this because I appreciate comments so much, and I want to return the favour. You could call this a mutually beneficial relationship, or maybe it’s just reciprocal... I’m not sure, but I know that I think comments are a very important way to connect to other bloggers and to get to know their personalities and preferences.

Blogs are, of course, a form of social software themselves, so I think the whole concept of blogging lends itself well to connecting in other ways. Do you have any rules you try to follow when using social networking sites like Twitter? What are your favourite ways to combine blogging and social networking?

Armchair BEA: Relationships

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2011.





When I think about blogging relationships the first thing that comes to find is connecting with other bloggers. To me that’s the most exciting part about book blogging. That’s the whole reason why Armchair BEA works. We might not be in the same city (heck, we’re all over the world), but we can still connect and form relationships through our blogs. The whole reason I started my blog was to connect into the book blogging community. I had been following blogs for a long time, and I could see the camaraderie between bloggers. I love reading book reviews and discussion posts, and I wanted to be a bigger part of that. That’s why my favourite part of blogging is the community itself.

Most of us probably have friends or family members who enjoy reading, but no one quite gets the book addiction like a fellow book blogger. No one else would understand how EXCITING it is when your favourite author’s new release comes out or, even better, when you get to attend a certain signing or reading. Authors are like our rock stars, and we can freely admit that, because we know there are other people out there who understand.

I love getting comments on my posts so much, and I love seeing the same people return again and again. I think I’ll talk more about that tomorrow for the ‘Blogging About Blogging’ topic, but even those relationships that consist solely of comments can become special and important. Since I’ve been blogging I’ve been able to find so many new blogs to follow, and one of my favourite aspects of this is discovering fellow Canadian (especially Ontarian) book bloggers. I haven’t been able to meet any of them in person yet, but hopefully that might happen if I can attend some bookish events in Toronto this fall.

So how have I found all these awesome people? Various ways, I suppose. A lot of people I’ve followed after seeing them around Twitter. I also find blogs through participating in the ‘In My Mailbox’ meme, or even just by seeing people’s comments on another blog I follow. Of course giveaways are another way of finding blogs. It’s always awesome when you follow through a link for a giveaway and happen upon this ultra cool blog where the person has similar reading taste as you and posts lots of cool content.

I guess this post is more of a vague love letter to the blogging community than a post about a specific blogging relationship I have, but to me, the whole book blogging community is just amazing. It’s made up of such a huge variety of people from all over, yet we all have this common interest that we love. I don’t want to get all sappy (okay, I think I already have), but I think book bloggers are some pretty amazing people for the most part. It seems so rare to be able to “meet” such friendly and awesome people online, and I’m so glad I’m a part of it all.

Armchair BEA: Blogger Interview

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2011.




Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Jacinda and Jasmine from The Reading Housewives of Indiana.



What inspired you to start blogging?
I, Jacinda, was reading and following blogs for about a year before I actually started the blog with my sister. I always thought blogging sounded nice, but I was way to nervous to start my own. Many people I talked to on Twitter thought I was already a blogger, but of course I wasn't. In December of 2010, but sister kept telling me I needed to start a book blog. I told her the only way I would start a blog was if she were to do it with me. In January of 2011, The Reading Housewives of Indiana was born.

What is one piece of blogging advice you wish you had known when you started?
BLOG FOR YOU! Blog about what you would want to read. You'll be more comfortable with blogging if you write reviews or anything else if you'd want to read it yourself. Also, try not to let what any other bloggers or authors say upset you. This one is a tough to get past, because we put so much time and effort into blogging and when someone says something hurtful, it can be hard not to let it bother you.

You recently co-hosted Sarah Dessen Week on your blog. If you had to pick one favourite of her books, which would it be?
Jacinda: The Truth About Forever for the story, but my favorite boy in all of her books would have to be Dexter from This Lullaby.
Jasmine: This Lullaby...It's the only one I've read. :)

What is your favourite type of book or genre to read and review?
Jacinda: I read mainly young adult books. I do read an occasional adult paranormal/urban fantasy or a romance novel. I really enjoy contemporary and dysopian.
Jasmine: I only have read YA so far...I can't think of an adult book that I've read. Haha. I usually stick to more paranormal YA, but I do have some favorite contemporary and dystopian as well!

If you could be BFFs with any fictional character, who would you pick?
Jacinda: Sophie from the Hex Hall series. Sophie is hilarious and fun to be around, so I know she'd always be there when I needed a pick me up. I have a feeling Jasmine might want to chose the same character. Sorry Jasmine!
Jasmine: I was thinking about picking Sophie, but I knew Jacinda would pick her! :) I would probably have to say Evie from Paranormalcy...She's so funny and witty. I think we'd get along just great!

What do you do when you’re not blogging? What are some of your hobbies/interests?
Jacinda: When I'm not blogging, I'm dealing with my husband, 2 kids, and 3 pets. Even without blogging, I feel like I have enough to do since my kids are fairly young, 3 & 4. I enjoy baking, but without the clean-up. I do an occasional craft project and I enjoy watching sports whenever I get the chance and going to baseball games. GO WHITE SOX!
Jasmine: That's a good question...I really enjoy spending time with my husband. We like watching movies--when we can decide on one. :) I also love to swim, even though I don't get to do it often! I used to play softball and would really love to get back into it!

What is something that most people would be surprised to learn about you?
Jacinda: I’m afraid of heights to the point where I will not stay in a hotel room above the 7th floor or drive in mountains unless it’s at night and I cannot tell I'm in the mountains. I dislike milk and anything banana or coconut flavored so I’m limited on my cocktail choices.
Jasmine: Even though right now I'm a housewife and don't get out much, I'd LOVE to travel the world. My dream would be to at least visit every continent once...Well, maybe not Antarctica. :)

I know it’s tough, but what are your Top 5 Favourite Books? (They can be all-time faves, recent faves, or a mixture.)
Jacinda: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols, Stealing Heaven by Elizabeth Scott, and I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan
Jasmine: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Anna and the French Kiss, Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Across the Universe by Beth Revis

• Find JACINDA on Twitter & Goodreads.
• Find JASMINE on Twitter & Goodreads.
• Visit both of these lovely sisters at The Reading Housewives of Indiana.

Thanks so much for answering my questions, ladies! It seems that we have very similar taste in books. =)

You can also check out eclectic/eccentric today, where Trisha will be posting an interview featuring moi. I had a lot of fun answering her questions!

Armchair BEA: 2011 Favourites

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2011.





Since there are zillions of awesome books still to come out this year and next, and I don't want to seethe in jealousy at all the awesome reads that people at BEA are picking up, I thought I would focus on the awesome-ness that I have read. Here are just a few of the great books I've read so far this year, both new releases for 2011 and some "older" books that I've enjoyed.


Favourite 2011 Releases

Divergent by Veronica Roth: This book made my favourite covers, favourite heroines, AND my book boyfriends shelves on Goodreads. Plus if you follow any YA book blogs at all you've probably been tripping over positive reviews for this one. Let me tell you, they don't lie.

The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker: Speaking of liars... I swear this is the book version of Veronica Mars. For serious. And I don't make that comparison lightly. You're welcome in advance. [My Review]

Where She Went by Gayle Forman: Oh, Adam. You're an emo rocker who makes a lot of stupid decisions, but you love Mia SO MUCH that it breaks my heart. Seriously, if you haven't picked up 'If I Stay' or this one, you are missing out big time. Gayle's writing is breathtaking. [My Review]



Favourite "Older" Books Read in 2011

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta: This book is "HOLY CRAP" amazing. If you haven't read it, go read it now. Seriously, you won't regret it. It easily made its way on to my favourite books ever list. [My Review]

Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead: Please ignore the hideous covers and focus on the books, which are amazingly well written. I am not a vampire fan at all, but these books are totally engaging, filled with some of my favourite characters ever. [My Series Spotlight]

Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong: Really enjoyable characters and fast-paced storylines. There's nothing particularly original about the plot, but Kelley makes it all her own. I really fell in love with the characters, and I loved how action-packed the books were.


So, fellow Armchair-ers, what books are your 2011 favourites? I can't wait to get some book recs, as well as check out which titles you're looking forward to yet this year.

Armchair BEA: Introduction

This post is part of my week-long participation in Armchair BEA 2011.

Introducing Me

Hello everyone! I am so excited to take part in Armchair BEA for the first time. For those who don’t know me, I’m Ashley and I’m from Southwestern Ontario, Canada. I’ve been blogging on Book Labyrinth for about 9 months now. In some ways I can’t believe it’s been that long, and in others I feel like I’ve been blogging for forever. Besides on the blog, you can also find me on Twitter and Goodreads.

I graduated from library school at the end of last year, and I’m still hoping to find a library job. In the meantime I’ve been taking some certificate classes online and doing a little bit of part-time administrative work. When I’m not reading you can probably find me watching TV. Yes, I’m a TV addict! You can check out this post to read about some of my favourites.

Book Labyrinth focuses on Young Adult fiction. I’ve always like YA, but I think I read even more of it now in my mid-20s than I did when I was a teenager. To me YA epitomizes good fiction… there are relatable (and generally likeable) main protagonists, fast pacing, and interesting plotlines. I also like how YA encompasses all the different genres. My favourite books are usually contemporary romance or dystopian, but I also read paranormal books, science fiction, fantasy, etc. The YA market is way more open to cross-genre books, which is something that I find interesting and exciting.

Armchair BEA seemed like a great opportunity to connect with other bloggers who couldn’t be in New York for actual BEA but who still wanted to network. My goals for this week are to participate in some great discussions about book blogging and to do a lot of blog hopping to “meet” some new bloggers.

Thanks so much for visiting Book Labyrinth, and I hope that we all have a great Armchair BEA experience!