De ce citesc?

Acest asticol este publicat in cadrul concursului organizat de Libris.ro, cea mai diversificata librarie online, unde putem gasi carti online in romana, dar si in engleza.

Asta da intrebare! Voi incerca  sa enumar mai jos principalele motive care imi stimuleaza dorinta de a citi.

Sa incepem:

1. CITESC pentru … PLACERE si RELAXARE. Pentru placerea ce vine cu fiecare pagina data, pentru acest sentiment de confort si stare de bine.

2. CITESC pentru…a EVADA din realitatea ce ne inconjoara. Citind, poti patrunde in lumi diferite si vieti diferite. Poti fi un cavaler in cele mai aprige batalii, poti invata la Hogwarts sau poti fi un detectiv. Poti avea aripi sa poti zbura sau puteri supranaturale sa te poti distra. Ideea e ca niciodata nu te vei plictisi. Posibilitatile sunt nelimitate si pe toate gusturile. Dupa cum afirma si George R.R.Martin:  „Un cititor traieste o mie de vieti inainte de a muri…Omul care nu citeste, traieste una singura”

3. CITESC pentru… un VOCABULAR bogat. Citind, descoperi in fiecare zi noi cuvinte, iti formezi un limbaj. Este foarte impornta sa stii sa vorbesti  corect si sa nu gafezi. Cel putin prima impresie conteaza, nu? Si sa fim seriosi, exista multi analfabeti in tara noastra.

4. CITESC pentru … a putea IMPARTASI cu voi opinii. Acesta este si principalul motiv pentru care mi-am infiintat si blogul.  Am fost placut surprinsa sa descopar un univers cu multi impatimiti de lectura. E placut sa ai cu cine sa discuti despre o carte care te-a revoltat sau emotionat.

5. CITESC pentru… INFORMATII. Cartile contin multe informatii utile si necesare. Daca ai o problema in dragoste..apelezi la o carte de psihologie practica; daca nu stii cu ce mancare sa iti cuceresti familia..dai fuga la o carte de bucate; daca vrei sa afli despre trecutul tarii noastre..pui mana pe o carte de istorie si exemplele pot continua. Concluzia:  cititul este necesar.

6. CITESC pentru…a COMBATE STRESUL. Ei bine, cand vii de la o zi plina de munca, sau facultate, sa pui mana pe o carte si o cana buna de cafea este tot ce iti trebuie. Este un remediu perfect pentru combaterea stresului, deoarece te ajuta sa te deconectezi de la toate problemele avute.

7. CITESC pentru… a-mi dezvolta IMAGINATIA. Cum as putea sa imi impresionez seful cu oferte turistice sau profesorii de la facultate…cu proiecte deosebite?? Raspunsul este: cu o imaginatie bogata! 😀

8. CITESC pentru … a alunga PLICTISEALA. Astfel, drumul cu trenul va trece mai repede, iar vara, statul pe plaja in asteptarea bronzului va fi mai agreabil.

9. CITESC pentru… DEZVOLTAREA PERSONALA SI PROFESIONALA. Am terminat facultatea de Psihologie. Pentru a putea profesa, principala regula este Dezvoltarea Personala. Iar pentru ca aceasta sa fie posibila, ati ghicit: trebuie sa citesti foarte mult! Dar, e foarte placut!

10. CITESC pentru ca…e AMUZANT. Poti sta cu inima in dinti de frica sau iti pot da lacrimile de ras…sau plans!

PS: Am nevoie de comentarii. Astept parerile si motivele voastre! 😀

Spor la citit!

Book Blog Tour : FIREFLY by Belle Whittington! Guest Post + Easter Egg Hunt + Giveaways!

I’m very happy to be a part of this book Blog Tour hosted by Books & Broomsticks, and I hope you’ll like my post! As part of the promotional tour, I have a fun guest post written by the author and some giveaways!

 From Goodreads:

  “The darkest days are ahead of us,” Andrew whispered as the drape of shadows slipped away, allowing Blair to awaken. And in her heart of hearts she knew it was true. The unmistakable signs were all around her, growing within her. She was becoming something more than human. All she could do was accept the inevitable.

“I’ve become a freak … an alien. I no longer belong to the human world,” Blair told her true love, and he held her close, determined never to give her up.

“I’d stay in this darkness forever as long as I could be with you. Wherever you are … that’s my home.” Everett meant every word. In fact, he’d willingly give up his own life to protect the girl he’d always loved.

But there was a storm brewing … a firestorm so strong and catastrophic that it could keep them apart forever.

That storm roared into town wearing a brown leather bomber jacket and riding a motorcycle.

Ash was like a secret in human clothing … a dangerous secret. Everything about him was mesmerizing – right down to the swirls of ink that flowed over the smooth muscles across his chest and around his arms. Being with him was like playing with fire.

Blair knew all about playing with fire.

She knew something else, too. A small quiet voice deep within whispered that she really would be separated from everyone and everything she’d known and loved. Because some secrets run too deep.

Love Lessons I’ve Learned from Books

There are many types of love: familial love, friendship, romantic love, love of pets, religious devotion, love of home, patriotism, love of possessions.  The list really is endless.  As a student of Literature at University of Houston, I had the chance to read a wide variety of stories, books, and plays covering all types of love.

For instance, the love of honor is strongly threaded throughout my favorite old heroic poem, Beowulf.  If you’ve had the chance to read it, you’ll know what I mean.  Beowulf is steadfast in his conviction to do the right and honorable thing.  It’s one of my favorite things about that tale.  And not only that, Hrothgar the king of the Danes, loved his people and generously shared rings of gold in his mead hall.  What I took away from these two types of love in Beowulf is that one should be true to his/her morals and ethics and also be kind and generous to team members, fellow country-men, and those he/she leads.

But, I digress… I could talk British Literature all day.

In Hunger Games, the friendship between Katniss and Rue is so touching.  Together, they forge a bond, which they are both willing to keep intact no matter the cost … even if the price is one of their lives.  That enormous price is actually paid when Rue stays behind to create a diversion so Katniss can destroy the cache of goods Kato and his group have accumulated.  Pardon me while I wipe the tears from my eyes.  I can’t tell you how hard that scene made me cry when I read Hunger Games!

I think Ender’s Game contains a good example of familial love.  Ender adores his sister, Valentine.  And even though they are separated for years as he attends training, their love remains steadfast between them.  This, also, was a heart wrenching storyline to read.

Little Women has a strong thread of love of family and home embroidered through it.  And the same goes with Anne of Green Gables.  Of course, in that book, you’ll find love of literature, too.  In both of these, I think what I leaned most about love was that it does not always have to be wild and rampant.  It can be love of comfort and home.  After a long hard day at work or school, isn’t that what we all long for … to go home and be surrounded by our loved ones?

The summer I turned ten years old, I read Where the Red Fern grows and cried my eyes out.  If you haven’t read this book, you should.  It’s the heart warming and heart wrenching tale about a boy and his two prize-winning hunting dogs and how both master and canine are willing to fight to the death for each other.  In the end, one dog dies and the other morns herself to death over the loss of her littermate.  And you’ll cry your eyes out when you read it!

Oh, but then there’s romantic love.  Don’t we all adore it?  In Pride and Prejudice, romantic love doesn’t come on swift wings, but grows as Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy come to know each other more.  It’s a love born out of respect and commonality.  It’s probably my favorite love story of all time.  It’s like the best flavor of cupcake topped with an extra dollop of my favorite butter cream frosting.  Reading it once just isn’t enough!

However, there’s a different type of romantic love in books.  I’m currently finishing up Beautiful Creatures, and the fated love between Ethan and Lena is fantastic.  Their relationship, like most fated loves in books, ebbs and flows until they become inseparable.  I haven’t gotten to the end of this book yet, so I don’t have the final outcome.  But I have my suspicions.

What love lessons have I learned from books?  I learned that no matter how far I roam, there’s no place like home; that loyalty, honor, and patriotism is important; that friends are an extension of family, and it’s important to nurture and protect those friendships; that family and pets love with a love fierce enough to fight and die for me; that the kind of love that springs from mutual respect is the most beautiful of all. And I’ve also learned something else.  I’ve got the most wonderful readers in the whole wide world, and I really mean it when I say, “I love my readers!”

Here are the rules for the Easter Egg Hunt:

1. Search participating blogs for hidden eggs like this one.

2. Go to any Roflcopter Easter Egg Hunt and input the URL of the exact page you found the above image on.

3. You may input 15 unique URLs into the Roflecopter per day to increase your odds of winning the ultimate prize!

You can enter HERE

GOOD LUCK!

SUPER Concurs LIBRIS

Am primit ieri un mail foarte dragut, cu detaliile acestui concurs pentru bloggeri. Am decis sa ma inscriu si eu.

Libris.ro, cea mai diversificata librarie online, da startul unui concurs de zile mari. Aici putem gasi carti online in romana, dar si in engleza.

Regulile participarii: trebuie sa public pe blog un post in care anunt inscrierea in acest concurs (indeplinit), siii un articol cu tema „De ce citesc?” in care va trebui sa prezint 10 motive pentru care lumea ar trebui sa citeasca.

Premiile sunt pe masura:

Locul 1: carti la alegere in valoare de, tine-te bine, 900 lei!

Locul 2: carti la alegere in valoare de 400 lei!

Locul 3: carti la alegere in valoare de 200 lei!

Cum castigi?

O instanta binevoitoare, inarmata cu inteligenta, rabdare si simtul umorului va aprecia urmatoarele:

1. Cel mai interesant raspuns la la intrebarea „De ce citesc?” (pondere 50%)

2. Cele mai multe comentari la postul „De ce citesc?” de pe blogul tau (pondere 50%)

PS: Cand voi posta articolul, va rog sa ma bombardati cu comentarii! Pretty please! :))

Multumim Loredana!

TOBY says Hi

TREBUIE sa va prezint noul membru al familiei! TREBUIE!!!

Abia acum l-am adus, deci in urmatoarele ore si zile imi va capta toata atentia.

Va las sa va minunati! 😀

Divergent – Veronica Roth

Dupa cum puteti vedea din ultimele recenzii postate, continui sa misun prin febra distopiilor. Sunt curioasa cat ma va mai tine aceasta obsesie si cat timp voi mai putea suporta acelasi tipar: o societate postapocaliptica, o putera care guverneaza actiunile oamenilor si le ingradeste libertatile, un grup care se revolta si preia controlul, un triunghi amoros, si bineinteles un final fericit. Bun, probabil ati inteles ca urasc tiparele si actiunile previzibile. Cu toate acestea, am o lista imensaaaaaa de YA-uri si distopii pe care abia astept sa le citesc. Se intampla ceva foarte dubios cu mine.

Dar sa revenim la oile noastre: Divergent. Ei bine, m-am apucat de aceasta carte deoarece era muuult prea laudata in blogosfera. Cred ca sunt printre ultimele persoane care a ajuns sa o citeasca (asta si muulte alte distopii). Abia am terminat-o si inca imi mai  rumeg ideile. Nu pot sa zic ca a fost woww, probabil aveam asteptari prea mari de la ea. Dar nici nu pot sa afirm ca a fost oribila sau ca nu am agreat-o.  Cel mai potrivit ar fi sa zic ca: mi-a placut.

A fost draguta, antrenanta, si pe alocuri amuzanta. Mi-a placut faptul ca au fost introduse factiunile. O idee destul de originala. Au fost captivante si in acelasi timp intrigante caracteristicile fiecarei factiuni in parte. Nu o sa stau sa le descriu pe fiecare , deoarece majoritatea dintre voi le stiti deja. O sa va spun totusi ce mi s-a parut mai interesant. In Abnegatie, de exemplu, oamenilor le era impus sa poarte haine si incaltaminte gri, sa fie toti tunsi intr-un anumit stil, copii (pana dadeau testul de aptitudini) nu aveau voie sa vorbeasca in timpul mesei (seeerios??), in concluzie nu trebuiau sa iasa in evidenta. Trasatura lor cea mai importanta era Altruismul. Tocmai din acest motiv, ei erau cei alesi in consilii (de ar fi si politicienii zilelor noastre asa :))). La polul opus se afla factiunea „Neinfricare”. Ei bine, aici se schimba treburile. Daca aveai mult curaj, daca ti-ar fi placut sa sari din trenuri in miscare sau sa faci bungee jumping de pe bloc de 100 de etaje, sa te tatuezi si sa iti pui piercing-uri in locuri care mai de care mai „atragatoare” atunci aici de incadrai. Bineinteles ca treceai printr-un ritual de integrare, cu tot soiul de probe dureroase si emotionale.

Personajul principal al romanului este Beatrice Prios sau Tris. Parca nu s-a folosit acelasi stereotip in realizarea ei. Singurul lucrul previzil l-ar constitui relatia cu Four. Tris este determinata sa isi atinga scopul, este puternica, dar in acelasi timp vulnerabila. Nu s-a considerat niciodata altruista (ahaha) cu toate ca provenea din Abnegatie. Are ceva special, ceva ce veti descoperi in momentul in care aceasta da testul de aptitudini. Totodata veti descoperi si din ce cauza cartea se numeste DIVERGENT (cel putin pentru mine, acest lucru ma agasa).

In concluzie, romanul nu a fost exceptional, dar mi-a placut. Abia astept sa citesc si Insurgent. Mai avem insa muuuult pana sa apara si Convergent. Are o coperta dementiala, btw!!

Nota: 5/5

O zi frumoasa!

Maratonul Concursurilor de Primavara / I. Interviu + Random giveaway

Dupa cum v-am spus in posturile precedente, m-am gandit sa organizez un mini maraton de concursuri!

Am ales ca primul concurs sa fie ceva usurel, si anume random. Vor urma concursuri de creatie si alte surprize.

Avem un interviu, realizat de catre Kristin Bailey si un premiu constituit din swag-uri, oferit de catre autoare (ea va va trimite pachetul).

1.   Hello Kristin! Thank you for granting me this interview. I’d like to talk first about your book Legacy of the Clockwork Key. How did this story come into being?

Legacy of the Clockwork Key began when I saw a picture of a steampunk raven that someone had created. I was fascinated by it, and I wondered who would put the effort into creating it and why.  I remember being in the car and seeing a large crow fly overhead and then I began to think about how amazing it would be if a mechanical bird could imitate a live one.  At that point my secret society of inventors was born.  I’ve always loved Victorian children’s literature, and I thought it would be fun to create a story that reflected the sweeping sense of whimsy and adventure of those classic books.

2.  What was the most challenging aspect of creating this character of Meg?

Meg is an extremely challenging character to deal with as an author. I knew first and foremost, in order for her to be convincingly brave enough to face all the enormous physical and mental challenges I was about to throw at her, she’d have to be exceptionally bold and really intelligent. The problem was, I had placed her in a time where being a bold and intelligent female often landed one in an insane asylum. Consequently, Meg is very constrained by her social position as a young women who has a certain sense of herself, but no means to act on it at the moment. The rashness that she needs to break through her social constraints and seize the reins of adventure can give her a harsh edge to her personality.

I didn’t intend to use a Zodiac sign as a strict personality guide, but I had to choose a birthday for Meg to make some of the timeline work out. It turns out, she’s and Aries through and through. She tends to shoot first and aim later.

The benefit of this is that Meg starts out in book one as a fairly flawed character. She’s naive, she’s stubborn, she jumps to conclusions, and she can be pushy. That has given her a lot of room to learn and grow through the course of the three books, and I’ve had fun seeing her mature into a composed and powerful character by book three.

3.  How did you approach the research needed for the book?

I tried to take the research one step at a time. First I did a lot of general reading on the Victorian era, and even broke out a lot of my favorite Charles Dickens novels to gain a sense of the contemporary language of the era, and also for setting details. I did a lot of reading on how households were run, and the rolls that servants had to play. Once I felt I had enough of the big picture in place, every time I needed a specific detail for the book, I looked that up individually to make sure it fit into my setting, and also that it was plausible. Looking up slang terms in particular was very interesting.

4.  What are your current/future projects?

I am currently writing book three, and it is fun to finally bring all the big picture pieces of the story together. I’m not thinking too much ahead of that, but I’d like to write something with a boy as a protagonist sometime in the future.

5.  If you had to be one of your protagonists, who would it be?

I can be really mean to my characters. I don’t think I’d want to be any of them. I put them in danger and injure them frequently.  I think if I had to be anyone, I’d be Oliver, just because he lives a fairly charmed life, unless I’m causing him immediate physical pain.

6. Who are your favourite writers and why?

I love Jim C. Hines, his fantasies are fun and his characters are fantastic. I love Julia Quinn novels because she writes such fun romance, and I’m a huge fan of the Harry Potter books.

7.  What was the book that most influenced your life — and why?

Honestly, it was probably Black Beauty by Anne Sewell. I think it started my life long obsession with horses, but I think reading a book as a young girl written from the perspective of an animal, then following along through much of the joy, heartbreak, and abuse that animal suffered, left a mark on my spirit that can never be erased. Through my life, I have never doubted that animals have thoughts and feelings and I continue to try to live my life in a way to help as many animals as I can.

8. What are your 5 favorite books —and why?

I love Frankenstein, because it is thought provoking. I love Harry Potter because it is so much fun. I love Lord of the Rings for the world building. I really adoreGoblin Quest by Jim C. Hines because it is hysterically funny and touching at the same time. And I love Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson because it is one of those books that everyone should read.

9. What is the greatest challenge you have faced in your career as an author?

I’ve had some fairly serious writing setbacks that at the time seemed „career ending.” Picking myself up and recovering from those took a lot of mental fortitude. I guess in that way, I’m a little like Meg. I can be really stubborn and I don’t like to give up.

10. Describe your writing room 

I’m going to be moving soon, so it’s really a mess at the minute. I have a tiny desk in our greatroom. There’s a futon behind me, and some bookshelves, and the pool table down here. Mostly I’m staring at a messy desk and a blank wall in our cold basement. It’s not very glamorous. There are certain whimsical things in the room though, like this animation cell replica of the Pink Panther.

11. Take us through a typical day in the life of Kristin Bailey.

Most of the day is taken up just being a mom. I have to get the kids to school, feed everyone, clean the house, then if I get some time in the afternoon, I answer emails and try to do interviews and blog posts. Once everyone is asleep, that’s my time to write. I’m a night owl, and I hate mornings. Having the house dark and quiet is best for my concentration.

12. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I hope everyone enjoys Legacy of the Clockwork Key. I had a great time writing it and celebrating invention and engineering. More than anything, thank you for being readers and enjoying books.  If you would like to know more about The Secret Order, you can visit my website at http://www.kristinbailey.com, follow me on Twitter @KBaileyBooks or stop by and „like” my Facebook page.

Happy reading everyone!

Kristin Bailey

Premiu: pachetul de swag-uri din imagine

Va fi 1 castigator

Premiul va fi expediat de catre autoare.

Concursul incepe  azi si se termina pe data de 14 aprilie.

Castigatorul va  fi ales prin random.org

Reguli: Tot ce trebuie sa faceti este sa imi lasati intr-un comentariu numele vostru si sa imi urmariti blog-ul.

Pentru 1 intrare in plus, trebuie sa anuntati despre concurs pe orice retea sociala sau pe blog.