Feature and Follow Friday

Q: What is the first thing you would do if you woke up to find yourself in your favorite book?

If I were to wake up in Tuesdays with Morrie, I'd run over to Morrie's house and spend the entire day with him, every day. I'd ask him how he liked working with Mitch, and how ALS has impacted his emotions. 

Re-introduce myself Blogfest

I'm thrilled to be participating in this blogfest! :) Instead of making this post incredibly drawn out, I figured it'd be best to just get on with it. I'll just post some interesting facts about myself on here- I guarantee each of you will learn something new! :)

1. I have a huge fear of needles. I can't even stand the thought or sight of them! Yikes!!
2. I was born at 35 weeks gestation. I had bleeding in my brain, and had to spend three weeks in the hospital because of it.
3. I am an only child.
4. I love The Middle, Teen Mom, and 16 and Pregnant (all t.v shows). And no- I don't want to be a mom (yet)- I'm only 16! Ask me again in another ten years!
5. I love cats, and am terrified of dogs.
6. I am a cancer survivor.
7. I love to cook, and I have a terrible sweet tooth.
8. My dream is to go to DePaul University.
9. My favorite fruits are strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries.
10. I am a Chinese food fanatic!
11. I love the color pink.
12. I've always had an interest in the human body, yet I abhor science.
13. My personal role model is my former english teacher.
14. I cannot ride a bike ( see #2).
15. I have been on 5 cruises.
16. I love helping others who are less fortunate than I.
17. I am left-handed.
18. I am a fan of caramel corn.
19. I love swimming, but not competitively!
20. My favorite holidays are Halloween, Valentines Day, and Cinco de Mayo ( my birthday).

Feature and Follow Friday

Q: What is the last book that kept you up late into the night just to finish it?

Wow, this is a tough one.. I have many answers. Just for the fun of it, I'll name them all! 

1. A Time for Dancing

2. Tuesdays with Morrie - I've read this many times, and each time I love it even more and learn something new!

3. A Child called "It"- True story about child abuse that is both emotional and inspiring. 

18 Things Blogfest

I know I'm late, but I just came across this.
1. Find more time to write.
2. Gain more self confidence
3. Conquer my medical anxiety problem
4. Become a CCLS ( Certified Child Life Specialist)
5. Go to DePaul University
6. Get better at math ( keep dreaming!!)
7. Meet President Obama!
8. Find a cure for cancer
9. Make more friends
10. Read. Read. Read.
11. Do Relay for Life in June 2013
12. Meet Justin Beiber
13. Meet Colbie Calliat
14. Get rid of my ridiculous sweet tooth
15. Get my Driver's License
16. Meet Michelle Obama
17. Meet Jodi Piccoult
18.  Be the best person I can be!

My Favorite Martian Bloghop

My favorite Martian has to be E.T from Spielberg's "E.T the Extra Terrestrial". I love the storyline, plot, and characters. There's even a ride in Florida's Universal Studio theme park that features him on a ride.

Follow Friday

Q: Who is your favorite villain from a book?

I love Ursula from the Little Mermaid 

Thankful Thursday

Today's Thankful Thursday is about a mentor that I have had for the past 4 years, since 7th grade. When I had my surgeries last year, she was the one who was my main confidante. I never thought that I'd have such a rewarding relationship with a teacher before! Originally, I was terrified of telling her that I had skin cancer, but nowadays I think to myself, " What was I thinking? What did I have to be nervous about?". I have been fortunate enough to receive the gift of a mentor. I'm incredibly thankful! Happy Thursday!

Book Review: The Perks of being a Wallflower

The Perks of being a Wallflower is about a boy named Charlie, who is a high school student, and a wallflower as well. A wallflower is someone who does not socialize and is usually quiet. I have to admit- I am a wallflower, and I'm not ashamed of it! I really don't care what others think of me. After having cancer last year, I've sort of adapted a 'to-hell-with-it' attitude. I march to the beat of my own drum, and people respect me for it. I don't talk to people much, yet a lot of people know and appreciate me for who I am. I have a lot of friends, and, as Dr. Seuss says, " Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind".
  High school is hard, and each one of us has our own unique way of getting throough it. I am a junior in high school, and I've certainly changed in ways that I probably don't even know since freshman year. But I accept and embrace that I am a wallflower!

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs! 

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you! 

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

Q: If you could choose one supernatural being/creature to really exists what would it be and why? ex. fae { submitted by @SeeingNight }

Hmm.... this is a tough one. I'd have to say that I'd want the power to be invisible. It'd be awesome!

2013 Blogging Goals

2013 represents a whole new start for me. I wasn't the best blogger in 2012, but I'm determined to change that. For starters, I need more time to actually sit down and READ rather than just say, "I'm going to spend half an hour tonight reading". Then the reading never gets done. Along with that....

1. Find a book that I actually like. I have a bad habit of just picking up any random book and deciding to read it. 99% of the time, the book puts me to sleep. I need to wake up and smell the words! (That was my lame attempt at being funny)

2. Actually finish a book. Lately, I've been ending books in the middle due to boredom. Or maybe just have a really short attention span? In any case, I need to make myself actually finish what I start instead of just casually throwing the book down and giving up.

3. Gain as many new Followers as I can. Need I say more on this one?

4. Start a blog hop. Due to goal #3, I really want to start a blog hop. Allison Can Read and Parajunkee have set the bar very high with their Follow Friday, which is wildly popular. How do you even start a bloghop?

Know Me Better #1

What's your favorite word?
I've always liked the word koinkydink. It's really 'coincidence', but I think my version is funny, too.

What words or expressions do you overuse?
bogus, also, whatever, like

If you were on Death Row, what would your last meal be?
Walker Bro's Apple Pancake

Pets?
Up until age 12, I had a cat named Winnie. She died in 2008. She was a sweet cat who was almost like a human!

Facebook or Twitter?
Facebook!!

Follow Friday

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.
Q: What book do you think everyone should read? If you could gift the entire population with one book?

I absolutely love Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. It has so many good life lessons in it, and everyone should read it!

Thankful Thursday

I invite you to join me....  Put up your own post, leave a comment or just take a minute to think of something you are grateful for.

I am thankful for being a cancer survivor. I am thankful for my family and friends. I am thankful for my wonderful teachers, both past and present. I am thankful for libraries and books.

Book Review: The Fault in Our Stars

Today, I'm reviewing The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. It's about a teenage cancer patient, Hazel, who meets fellow patient Augustus in a support group. Although they are both terminal, they still love each other. I give this book  3 out of 5 stars, because the plot was slow and a bit confusing. I liked the book, but I've seen better written novels.

What's Next? Number 1

Here's how it works (for those of you who want to participate):
-Every Thursday, starting tomorrow, select three-five books (not too many, not too little!) that you want to read but can't decide which one to read first. 

-Post the cover, and if you want, the synopsis or even a random line from the book, for each of your selections. 

-At the end of your post, ask readers to vote on which one you should read next! 
My Book Choices: 

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ( and I'm sure you all know that one!)

2. Crewel

Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl controls other’s destinies, but not her ownSixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die. But Adelice is forced to into this powerful group, and she must learn to navigate the dangerous politics at play. Caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power. Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it—or destroy it.

3. Big Girl Smal

 lJudy Lohden is your above-average sixteen-year-old, with a voice that can shake an auditorium. She should be the star of Darcy Arts Academy, so why is she hiding in a seedy motel room? Perhaps it has something to do with a devastating scandal---and the fact that Judy is three feet nine inches tall.

Please enter your choice in the "comments" section- thanks!

Feature and Follow #128!

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

---

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs! 

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you! 

Q: What have you learned from book blogging that you didn't know before about the publishing industry?

It takes hard work, dedication, patience, time, and lots of caffeine!

Book Review: Blink Once

I just finished the novel entitled Blink Once by Cylin Busby. It's a romantic love story, that, weirdly enough, takes place in a hospital. West loves Olivia. West was in a biking accident, and is in the hospital because of it. Everything changes when he meets Olivia. It never occurs to him that Olivia might not be real...

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

So, this week, I borrowed two books from the library. I started one of them, and now I can't stop reading it! This book is called Blink Once,and it's about a boy and a girl who are both patients in a hospital. They fall in love. The boy, West, has a breathing tube, so he can't communicate well. However, the girl, Olivia, still comes in on a daily basis to keep him company and to talk. The title comes from the communication system that they set up: Blink Once for "yes" and twice for "No". It's a new release, and it's a great read!

Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs! 

Q: What is the last book that made you cry? Tell us about the scene...

Well, I have multiple answers for this one. My first one is the last scene in Tuesdays with Morrie, where Mitch is saying goodbye to Morrie. Morrie is barely able to speak at this point- the ALS reached his lungs. Second on this list is A Time for Dancing- and I really can't choose a specific scene- the whole book made me cry, because I can partially relate to it! Sometimes things that we can relate to make us very emotional.  Last but not least is My Sister's Keeper, particularly the scene where Kate is about to die, but then she suddenly comes back to the world. The irony is that while Anna sued her parents to try and get medically emancipated, she ultimately gets killed in a car accident! Kate miraculously survives cancer. Hope I don't spoil this book for anyone.....

Book Review: Smile

Today, I'll be reviewing Smile. It's a grapic novel about a girl who knocks her two front teeth out after falling on the ground. She has to have a root canal, other dental surgeries, braces, headgear and a retainer. For all of you out there who've had braces, this one's a must read! I had braces for 3 and a half years... not fun!!