Ready! GET SET! I've read that!: 2011

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Dystopian: 2011

Human .4 by Mike Lancaster
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson

All links go to the books Goodreads page to learn more.

Solid by Shelley Workinger
Human .4 by Mike Lancaster
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson
Starcrossed by Tracey L. Campbell

Thriller/Mystery: 2011

Choker by Elizabeth Woods
Tighter by Adele Griffin
Cross my heart and hope to spy by Ally Carter (Spies)
Only the good Spy Young by Ally Carter (Spies)
Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter (Spies)
Shadow Hills by A. Hopcus
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Horror: 2011

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris (Zombies)
Drowning in the dark by Allison Karras (Zombies)

Chick-Lit: 2011

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Contemporary: 2011

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
The Julian Game by Adele Griffin
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
Sean Griswolds Head by Lindsey Leavitt
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler
Plan B by Charnan Simons

PNR/UF: 2011

2011 Reads
This is just an fyi not all these are actual Paranormal Romance. Some are just regular Paranormals. :)
If they have a certain type of Paranormal I'll put it out beside the book.

(All books link to goodreads)

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young (Angels)
Everlasting by Alyson Noel (Immortals)
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (Vampires)
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (Angels)
Between by Cyndi Tefft
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Sucks to be me by Kimberly Pauley (Vampires)
Through her eyes by Jennifer Archer (Ghosts)
A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford (Angels)
Starcrossed by Tracey L. Campbell (Hybrids,Aliens)
Six Moon Summer by S.M Reine (Werewolves)
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
Haven by Kristi Cook
Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
The Candidates by Inara Scott
Never cry werewolf by Heather Davis

PNR/UF: 2010

Misguided Angel by Melissa De la Cruz (vampires)
Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (vampires)
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (witches)
Strange Angels by Lili St.Crow (zombies,weres,vamps, and others)
Wake by Lisa McMann
Kisses from Hell by Various Authors

Horror: Before 2010

These are the horror books I read before 2010.
If you're looking for reviews check out my book blog at Bookaholics Anonymous.

The links will take it to Goodreads.

The Godsend by Bernard Taylor

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If you have found this page then it is by error. More then likely it is under construction. Please check back soon! :)

I am..

<--This is me. Yeah, that's right. Me, Myself, and My books. :0)

I've done one of these about me pages for every blog I've made. (Which if you don't know has been like 2 or so in the past week, and not to mention the other 2 I already had. I'm a blog whore?)

Read,Write, Design this way (My official Design Site)
Bookaholics Anonymous (My Book Blog)
AngelicNytmare (Personal Blog)
Once upon a writer (My Writing Blog)

My Official Blurb yo!
Ashley aka AngelicNytmare is a 25 year old Pharmacy Tech from Texas who enjoys reading, writing, designing, and other stuff. She buys way to many books a week. She'd rather live in one of her book worlds then the real one, but seeing as how that's impossible she'll have to settle. Writing has become something she likes to do whenever the mood hits, and in the future (very far future) hopes to be able to finish a MS and get published. She's knows how likely that is though. She's not holding her breath. Designing sites was a major part of her high school life. She was pretty much a nerd, and enjoyed being home on the computer rather then out. She's had numerous site which she's created using free web hosting sites such as angelfire and yahoo, many of which are still operational. Although, they haven't been worked on in years. She recently just found her love again for design which you can see at RWDesign. If you haven't noticed she likes to talk in third person sometimes. Deal! That is all for now. Visit her other sites to learn more about her, books, writing, or just the general-ness of life.

How did I come about reading?
I started off reading mainly mystery/thrillers. Then I got hooked on the Harry Potter train, and then the Twilight bus. Now I'm just riding the YA plane. So that's where I'm at for the moment. If you want a more in depth look at how/why I became hooked on reading visit my other sites. :)

How do I navigate your tabs?

I know if your looking at my tabs you're probably wondering WTF right? What are all these shorthanded abbreviations (Question: Why is abbreviation a long word when it means to shorten?) It's the only way I could make my menu stay pretty. :) Here is the break down though...

About- You should know what this is. :)

PNR/UF- Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy
Chick Lit- Self explanatory
Contemp- Contemporary Fiction
SciFi/Fant- Science Fiction and Fantasy and Steampunk
NonFic-Non fiction This pretty much has all the boring things.
Dystop- Dystopian. I'm not sure this is an actual genre, but I made it into one on my site.
HistFic- Historical fiction. It will probably be rare to see me reading this. just saying.
Hor- Horror. Get your mind out of the gutter people. >:P
Thril/Mys- Thriller and Mystery.

If you click on the actual tab itself (and not a sub menu) it will take you to a page that describes in better detail what the genre is about. It will provide more details like what authors write in that genre, what are some books in that genre, and more.

The books I've read will be put into categories I see best that they fit into, so something that you may think is a thriller maybe a horror to me. I'll try and go by what other book sites say as well, but just know that if you can't find it in one it maybe another. With that being said they could just as well cross over into more than one category. It could be a Dystopian with Zombies which then could be put under Dystopian and/or horror. You just never know.

Enjoy and if you have any questions leave me a comment.

History is repeating itself

Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional. Writers of stories in this genre, while penning fiction, attempt to capture the manners and social conditions of the persons or time(s) presented in the story, with due attention paid to period detail and fidelity.^[1] Historical fiction is found in books, magazines,^[2] art, television programming, film, theater, and other media.

(Info obtained at Wikipedia)

I'm telling you it's real!

Non-fiction (or nonfiction) is the form of any account, narrative, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact. This presentation may be accurate or not—that is, it can give either a true or a false account of the subject in question—however, it is generally assumed that authors of such accounts believe them to be truthful at the time of their composition or, at least, pose them to their audience as historically or empirically true. Note that reporting the beliefs of others in a non-fiction format is not necessarily an endorsement of the ultimate veracity of those beliefs, it is simply saying it is true that people believe them (for such topics as mythology, religion). Non-fiction can also be written about fiction, giving information about these other works.

Non-fiction is one of the two main divisions in writing, particularly used in libraries, the other form being fiction. However, non-fiction need not be written text necessarily, since pictures and film can also purport to present a factual account of a subject.

Specific types of Non-fiction
(Information obtained from Wikipedia)

Don't look under the bed and leave on that light!

Horror fiction is, broadly, fiction intended to scare, unsettle or horrify the reader. Although a good deal of it is about the supernatural, any fiction with a morbid, gruesome, surreal, suspenseful or frightening theme may be termed "horror"; conversely, many stories of the supernatural are not horror. Horror fiction often overlaps with science fiction and fantasy, all of which form the umbrella category.

The Horror fiction genre requires that the reader engages in a conspiracy that agrees to suspend the rules of everyday. Readers must invest strong psychological belief in the literary worlds that are presented.

Horror is an experience of safety and conservatism. Readers are allowed to risk it all from the pleasurable nook of their protected and rule-governed psychological "home" through contrast with the terrifying and the chaotic.

As may naturally be expected of a form so closely connected with primal emotion, the horror-tale is as old as both human thought and speech themselves. Let's face it: Horror has been around as long as man and his fear of the dark.

The inhabitants of the horror fiction genre are also as old as storytelling itself. Most familiar are ghosts, demons, vampires, zombies, etc, that seemingly inhabit a twilight zone that occasionally seeps into our own reality, especially around times like Halloween. The thin membrane that separates the living from the dead opens fleetingly and something, usually evil, slips through.

(Information obtained at Find Me an Author)

I'm about to fall off my seat..

According to the International Thriller Writers, the definition of thriller novel is a novel that has "the sudden rush of emotions, the excitement, sense of suspense, apprehension, and exhilaration that drive the narrative, sometimes subtly with peaks and lulls, sometimes at a constant, breakneck pace." In other words, a thriller novel will thrill you.

Definition of Thriller Novel

Thriller novels have villains, suspense, and action in settings such as espionage, medicine, crime, politics, and high tech, to name a few. They often involve life and death situations and have high stakes, like the control of the world or the possibility of widespread death or destruction. Many times innocent people are victimized, stalked, or caught in situations that are beyond their control. They have to overcome obstacles, either alone or with a small group of people, and stop some catastrophe from happening. Usually, thrillers have a happy ending.
What makes a novel a thriller is not just the situations and the things that can or may happen to the characters, but the way the plot is written. A skillful author can excite, surprise, worry, and influence your emotions in many ways. He can keep you on your toes and engaged with nonstop action, plot twists, and a fast pace.

Now that you have a definition of thriller novels you may be interested in knowing some of the types of thrillers. Here is a list of some of them with an explanation:

Psychological thriller novels deal with people who are insane or disturbed. Some times this fact is revealed later in the book. The emphasis is on the character as much or more than the plot. The inherent danger in a psychological thriller is mental rather than physical, and mental resources are needed to overcome obstacles.
Mystery thriller books focus on the actions of a character as he tries to solve a crime by using clues and deduction. Sometimes the reader knows “who did it” at the beginning and follows the sleuth on his journey to unravel the truth. Other times, the reader does not know the perpetrator until the character does.
Spy thriller novels deal with the world of espionage and the actions of secret agents. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John le Carré is an excellent example of this type of thriller.
Sci-Fi Thrillers add the world of science fiction to the mix. A good example is Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain.
Military thriller books are sometimes based on real war stories. Some good authors of this kind of thriller are: Paul Brickhill, Lee Child, and Stephen Hunter.

(Information obtained at Your Dictionary)

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Contemporary because it's real

Wikipedia defines Contemporary as literature with its setting generally after World War II.

All these genres give me a headache

Have you ever wondered with all the books out there what ones would interest you? Well I know I did I was completely lost trying to figure out what I wanted or what I liked for that matter. I still can't put a definite answer to what I like, but I think my main focus is YA, or Young adult books. With that comes what genres in that category do I like. You would think there wouldn't be but a few. I learned that there are ALOT! Just like any books Adult or Young Adult they have themes. You have Horror, mystery, science fiction, historical fiction, urban fantasy (UF), Paranormal Romance (PNR), chick lit, Dystopian (this one I'm not sure if it's an actual genre. If not it might as well be) and these are ones I can think of off the top of my head. (although I'm not quite sure if I'm completely right)

I know it can be confusing if you're not a reader because I was like that. (Half the time I think I still am..confused that is!) I want to be able to help those who were like me a few years ago. Not so much of a reader. I'll admit I didn't really like reading. Shocker huh? I will also admit that I owe my love of reading now to The twilight movie. (yes the movie not the books because I read the books after and then I went and picked out other books which I'll mention later.) Although I did read a few mystery books (Mary Higgins Clark books to be exact), the harry potter books, and what not before. So here's to hoping I can help you become a reader, and if not at least you know a little more right?

If I can't help you I'll definitely try and point you in the direction to someone that can. If I've learned anything over the past 9 months or so I've been book blogging it's this the book blogging community is an awesome group of people. I owe them so much.

To Infinity and beyond..(Sci-fi/Fantasy)

Wikipedia defines Sci-Fi as

Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible (or at least non-supernatural) content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities. Exploring the consequences of scientific innovations is one purpose of science fiction, making it a "literature of ideas".^[1]

Science fiction is largely based on writing rationally about alternative possible worlds or futures.^[2] It is similar to, but differs from, fantasy in that, within the context of the story, its imaginary elements are largely possible within scientifically established or scientifically postulated laws of nature (though some elements in a story might still be pure imaginative speculation).
The settings for science fiction are often contrary to known reality, but most science fiction relies on a considerable degree of suspension of disbelief, which is facilitated in the reader's mind by potential scientific explanations or solutions to various fictional elements. Science fiction criteria include:

A time setting in the future, in alternative timelines, or in a historical past that contradicts known facts of history or the archaeological record.

A spatial setting or scenes in outer space (e.g., spaceflight), on other worlds, or on subterranean earth.^[3]

Characters that include aliens, mutants, androids, or humanoid robots.

Technology that is futuristic (e.g., ray guns, teleportation machines, humanoid computers).^[4]

Scientific principles that are new or that contradict known laws of nature, for example time travel, wormholes, or faster-than-light travel.

New and different political or social systems (e.g. dystopia, post-scarcity, or a post-apocalyptic situation where organized society has collapsed).^[5]

Paranormal abilities such as mind control, telepathy, telekinesis, and teleportation.

Fantasy is defined as .....

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s.^[1] Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain—that incorporates elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them, based on a Victorian perspective on fashion, culture, architectural style, art, etc. This technology may include such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne.
Other examples of steampunk contain alternative history-style presentations of such technology as lighter-than-air airships, analog computers, or such digital mechanical computers as Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace's Analytical engine.
Various modern utilitarian objects have been modded by individual artisans into a pseudo-Victorian mechanical "steampunk" style, and a number of visual and musical artists have been described as steampunk.

Dystopians really are that bad!

Dystopia is defined as a society characterized by poverty, squalor, or oppression. Most authors of dystopian fiction explore at least one reason why things are that way.
Dystopias usually extrapolate elements of contemporary society and are read by many as political warnings. Many purported utopias reveal a dystopian character by suppressing justice, freedom and happiness.

EXAMPLES: Samuel Butler's Erewhon can be seen as a dystopia because of the way sick people are punished as criminals while thieves are cured in hospitals, which the inhabitants of Erewhon see as natural and right, i.e. utopian (as mocked in Voltaire's Candide.) Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World is a more subtle and more threatening dystopia because he projected into the year 2540 industrial and social changes he perceived in 1931, leading to a fascist hierarchy of society, industrially successful by exploiting a slave class conditioned and drugged to obey and enjoy their servitude. George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four is a dystopian novel about a coercive and impoverished totalitarian society, conditioning its population through propaganda rather than drugs. Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale describes a future North America governed by strict religious rules which only the privileged dare defy.

What is PNR/UF?

PNR stands for Paranormal Romance which is defined as a literary subgenre of the romance novel. A type of speculative fiction, paranormal romance focuses on romance and included elements beyond the range of scientific explanation, blending together themes from the genres of traditional fantasy, science fiction, or horror. Paranormal romance may range from traditional category romances, such as those published by Harlequin Mills & Boon, with a paranormal setting to stories where the main emphasis is on a science fiction or fantasy based plot with a romantic subplot included. Common hallmarks are romantic relationships between humans and vampires, shapeshifters, or fantastical beings (the Fae, Elves, etc.). Novels of the genre include the Dark Guardian series by Rachel Hawthorne, and Paranormalcy by Kiersten White.
Beyond the more prevalent themes involving vampires, shapeshifters, ghosts, or time travel, paranormal romances can also include books featuring characters with psychic abilities, like telekinesis or telepathy.
Paranormal romance has its roots in Gothic fiction. Its most recent revival has been spurred by turn of the century technology, e.g. the internet and electronic publishing. Paranormal romances are one of the fastest growing trends in the romance genre.^[1]

UF stands for Urban Fantasy which is defined as a sub-genre of fantasy defined by place; the fantastic narrative has an urban setting. Many urban fantasies are set in contemporary times and contain supernatural elements. However, the stories can take place in historical, modern, or futuristic periods. The prerequisite is that they must be primarily set in a city.
Urban fantasy describes a work that is set primarily in a city and contains aspects of fantasy. These matters may involve the arrivals of alien races, the discovery of earthbound mythological creatures, coexistence between humans and paranormal beings, conflicts between humans and malicious paranormals, and subsequent changes in city management.^[2]^[3]
Several characters of urban fantasy are shown to have self-esteem issues or tragic pasts.^[4]^[5] These matters often tie into the larger story or the development of the protagonist. Though stories may be set in contemporary times, this characteristic is not necessary for the fiction to be considered urban fantasy,^[1] as works of the genre may also take place in futuristic and historical settings, real or imagined

(Information obtained here is from Wikipedia.org)

Chick-Lit

Definition taken from Wikipedia.

Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly.^[1] The genre sells well, with chick lit titles topping bestseller lists and the creation of imprints devoted entirely to chick lit.^{[citation needed]} Although it sometimes includes romantic elements, chick lit is generally not considered a direct subcategory of the romance novel genre, because the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as important as her romantic relationships.^[2]

Yeah, I actually don't read much of this particular sub-genre. You'll be lucky to find any.

This is what it's about...

I noticed somewhere that another blogger had their own side blog for the books they've read. No other posts just that, and while I use pages on my book blog to do that. I figure why not give it...it's own blog. Not to mention I'm in a creative, design mood, and I adore my banner.

Although, I have an actual list of books I've read on my book blog I figured I would try and put them into their own categories. (Note that what I consider one thing someone else might think it's another. This is just from research that I've done.)

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