Follow Friday #2

Yup, it's that time of the week again. Follow Friday with Parajunkee!! She's got a great contest going on this week so be sure to hop on through and check her out!!

This week's Follow Friday:

Genre Wars! What's your favorite genre and which book in that genre made it your favorite?

I am going to have to say Paranormal Romance. I was always into romance novels, and loved the paranormal side of things...but then I read the Night Huntress Series by Jeaniene Frost (also, my Author of the Month!!) and I was hooked. Something about Bones and his sarcastic, witty humor and Cat with her awesome comebacks and kick-ass-ness just drew me in. Now I just can't get enough!!

Can't wait to hop around and see which genre beats all!! Happy weekend bloggers!!!!

Theatrical Thursday!!

I missed Theatrical Thursday last week due to not watching any interesting movies. Meh, it happens, so here I am with a brand new post!! Yay Me!!

Gnomeo & Juliet

Starring: James McAvoy (as Gnomeo) and Emily Blunt (as Juliet

Release date: February 11, 2011

Running Time: 84 mins

Rated: G

My Rating: 5 Stars *****

Ok, so this is a children’s movie, but let me tell you…it is awesome!! I have sat down with my kids and watched it tons of times (and at least once by myself) since we got it. The movie is a modern day Romeo and Juliet with a twist…are you ready for this? The whole great Shakespearean tragedy is played out completely…by…GARDEN GNOMES!!! I thought this would be the most irritating movie ever, but it was soo, soo awesome.

So the story begins with the perfect opening…”Two households, both alike in dignity. In fair Verona, where we lay our scene…” Come on, this is right out of the original play (Love it!!). The story continues to follow the backyard gardens of neighbors Montague and Capulet. These humans are constantly trying to better each other’s gardens with fountains, more gnomes, and whatever else they can come up with….yeah, perfect feud…I can think of something better to fight with my neighbor over, but hey…it works here.

This feud continues on to the garden gnomes that live in the gardens. One side is Red, the other…Blue. They are always at each other and striving to ruin each others works of art. Out of all of this, comes Juliet, a Red, and (wait for it…this was hysterical) Gnomeo (can you freaking believe it???), obviously a Blue.

Naturally, these two enemies meet by chance and discover that they are enemies, but does that stop them from having a great love affair (PG of course, but you can totally feel the tension on the screen…I am way too into this aren’t I?) in secret?? Not a bloody chance!

 I loved how they made this movie reflect Shakespeare’s work so much. Not only Romeo and Juliet, but his other plays too. There are references to Hamlet (house numbers 2B and Not 2B), MacBeth (Juliet says “Out, Out” and the male neighbor, talking to his dog says “Damn Spot”), and tons of other great plays. William Shakespeare is even involved. What better way to introduce the classics to children? Pure genius!!

There was one part that didn’t thrill me, and that was this one little Sweedish (I think he was Sweedish) gnome who was decked out in a thong bathing suit so that you could see his little gnome bum. I could have lived the rest of my life without ever witnessing that, but…you take win some, you lose some I guess.

The icing on the cake, though? The entire soundtrack is classic Elton John, with…even an Elton John look-alike gnome to sing at one point!!! This could not get any better!!!

So, yeah…I freaking loved this movie! I might be a huge Shakespeare fanatic, but that just made me appreciate all the subtle references. A Freakin’ Plus Plus Plus!!!

To find out more about this movie, check ot out at IMDB!!

Small Bogs, Big Giveaways Winners Announced!!

We have our winners!!! This was a great giveaway and I want to thank all of those who particpated to make this event what it was. It was AWESOME!!!

Congratulations! You'll receive an email soon!

1st Winner: xxsquigglesxx

2nd: Michelle W

3rd: jeanette8042

And the following people will win a giftcard:

Bekka @ Pretty Deadly Reviews, Carol Luciano, Library Lady, Krystal Larson and Jessica @ Book Passion for Life

The remaining prizes will go to The Magic Attic!

Click here to watch the video of the draw!!

Congrats to all those who won! The prizes are great and we will be in touch soon :)

Guilty Pleasure #2

Guilty Pleasures is a weekly meme that CJ Duggan came up with. It's tons of fun and I love checking out the posts each week.

This week guilty pleasure is something I am constantly ragging at my kids and hubby over. From the time the kids get home from school, the first thing they ask..."Can I play the PS3?". Ugh. It's like a sickness for these guys. Always new games coming out, hours upon hours of playtime, and tons of money spent. I don't remember playing games so often when I was a kid. So naturally, when everyone goes to bed, and I have some alone time...I love to unwind with a good game.

Now, I'm not obsessed with getting the latest and greatest (although the other half and the kids insist on getting the latest releases) games, or frantic about getting a new high score...but I gotta tell ya, there is something about ending a stressful day with a great round of Call of Duty. This is better than therapy (and cheaper too)!! I mean, you get to go to all these places with your team, you get guns, and are told to shoot, shoot, shoot. It took me a long time to get into it, but it is definitely a great stress-reliever. If I'm feeling really energetic? Yeah, I totally have Zumba for PS3...works every time too :)

When I am not so stressed out, I like to just relax sometimes with a great RPG (I am a bit of a Final Fantasy geek...played them all) or something along those lines. I don't know what it is about them, but I thoroughly enjoy playing sometimes. Not daily, mind you...but the occasional game on the weekends or the infrequent night through the week when I had a rough day at work and reading just isn't cutting it...yeah, a little shoot-em-up or completing my latest quest will be sure to put me in a better mood.

It's also a great way to spend time with the hubby. A glass of wine and a round of COD together after the kidlets are sound asleep....sometimes much better than just watching a movie.

So there you have it...I'm a closet gaming geek. Who woulda thunk it?

The Great Canadian Giveaway

That's right! I will be hosting a giveaway to celebrate Canada Day along with some other great hosts! Yay us!! This will be held from June 30 to July 4! If you are interested in signing up to join along, please fill out the sign up form and I will be in touch. Authors welcome to join in for interviews, guest posts and giveaways!



Sign Up HERE!!

Review: The Gifted Ones

Summary: Lisa was conservatively raised in a Catholic family in no-where middle America, where excitement is scarce and dreams are for sleeping. Little did she know, at age thirteen, she would suddenly find herself on a totally different path.

Through an unlikely chance meeting of a fellow classmate, she's surprisingly mesmerized, almost consumed, to befriend a girl who is obviously from the other side of the tracks...the cool side. Lisa does whatever she has to just to be accepted into this small club of coolness. Little did she realize, she was signing up for a lot more than social status. The two best friends find themselves innocently taking their relationship to a foreign level neither had experienced or saw coming.

My Thoughts: I have issues with reviewing memoirs. So much so that I almost turned this book away at first. I think there is a lot of pressure to try and enjoy a memoir because it is actually the story of someone's life. If you don't like the book...was their life not good enough? Were thier hardships not entertaining enough to keep you interested? Was their story not heartfelt enough to make you tear up? These are the thoughts that go through my mind when I read a book about someone else's life. I can't stand the pressure of feeling so obligated to like a book, that I am not even thinking about the story as I read. It's a total turn-off. Luckily, Lisa had me so immersed in her story that I didn't even have a chance to think about that pressure. I was completely into the story and aware of nothing else (my poor children were forced into video games all day to keep them quiet while I read. Such good little monkeys they are). Lisa is a fantastic storyteller and I love the way she writes. Not only from the heart, but like a REAL person. She writes the way most of us think...except it makes sense. Love it!!

During a time when being gay meant being shunned by the world, a young Lisa met her soul mate and hung on to her principles throughout the hardships of hiding her relationship from the world; her parents, her friends, and later...her co-workers. Her life was forged before she even finished high school when she didn't see what others saw..."How could loving someone be wrong?".

From her parents not understanding her (and practically imprisoning her), to a little more understanding, to eventually moving out of home and beginning her life with her true love Lisa's view on her life never wavered. She had it all planned out, and it was to be great. Like most teenage dreams, however, life became a living nightmare. We see her through her rise to freedom and her party scene, to her undeniable confusion with her own identity and sexuality and her eventual fall from high to the depressing low. This is life. No pretty pictures. No hiding what's real. This is what I loved about this book. She tells it how it is. Nothing is as important as that.

One things that got me about Lisa's story was how she names herself and her partner, Selina, Special, Gifted, Prophets...living in The Place. I loved it. She took her relationship with another female, when they were young and living in a world where this was soo not the norm, and she put such a terrific spin on it. Like this was their time to shine, their special secret, their right above all others. This showed me so much into Lisa's personality and views on homosexuality. If only everyone thought that way then (and now, come to think of it), what a Place it would be.

You have to give it to Lisa Vaughn. She threw her entire adolescent experience, from the naive pre-teen to the fall-from-grace as a young adult, into this tell-all book. It is the perfect coming-of-age story for any confused youth because it takes us into the mind of a teenage girl in the midst of an identity crisis. It shows us what we can overcome if we stick with our beliefs. It tells us that life may not be what it seems from the outside looking in. What story is there that is more powerful than that? None that I can think of.

Would I recommend this book? Absolutely without a doubt. I would read it again and when my daughter comes to an age where the language is appropriate (although let's face it...kids grow up too quick and know all about sex and drugs WAY too early for my taste as it is) this would definitely be considered a staple for her reading list. What teenager doesn't have the same thoughts and feelings Lisa had in this book? None that I know of. That's what makes it so special.

If you are looking for a read that is quick, easy and speaks volumes...The Gifted Ones if defintely a must-read. I have not read a more powerful and inspiring book yet this year, or last...maybe even ever. This is for sure a new favorite on my list...where will it place on yours?

I want to thank Lisa Vaughn for the opportunity to read and review The Gifted Ones. It was a pleasure to read (in one day...wow).


For more information on Lisa Vaughn or to get your own copy of The Gifted Ones (do it, do it now) click here!!

My Rating: 5 Stars *****

Phobic Dawn Coupon Codes

What did you think of the review for Phobic Dawn by Katy Walters? I enjoyed the book, and you might too so for a limited time I am giving you all the opportunity to buy this great new release at 30% off! Woo Hoo!!

Simply use the codes below to get your copy at 30% off. These codes are availble now, but only useable on release week (July 4 - July 10).

Here are the codes: Smashwords: BG43C Dam Good Publishing: KTJZ8M8H

I will have these codes posted on my sidebar until they expire, so don't miss your chance at getting this great book at lower than low prices!

Big thanks to Dam Good Publishing and Katy Walters for providing these codes and allowing me to read and review her book. It was a great time and a wonderful read.

Didn't get to check out my review? No problem...just click here to get into my head! Also, don't forget to have a peek at my interview with Katy herself to find out what she was thinking when she wrote Phobic Dawn...here.

For another point of view on Katy, make sure to have a look at her website and browse around. You will find excerpts from Phobic Dawn, plus some new works, great links, and lots of information on Katy herself.