Follow Friday 20

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. This week's question is:
Q:  If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book which book would you choose and why?

My Answer: I would love, love, love to spend eternity with Christy Miller and the gang! If you haven't read the Christy Miller Collection I highly recommend. I would love getting hugs from Doug and learning to surf with Todd!, growing in my faith with Tracy, and spontaneously dashing out on daring  adventures with Katie, and hopefully someday visiting Eli in Africa! 

Yep, I can see it. :)

Where would you spend eternity?

And as it is getting closer and closer to the holiday season, what are you doing for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other holiday? :)

Do you have any snow? I sure wish I did! Happy Holidays!

My Antonia

My Ãntonia by Willa Cather





Set on the Nebraska prairie of the 1880s, My Ántonia tells the story of Ántonia Shimerda, daughter of a Bohemian immigrant.Through the eyes of Jim Burden, her tutor and admirer, we follow Ántonia's struggles and triumphs in the face of life's relentless hardships.


Ramblings: (Yes I admit, I had to read this for school, this was not a first choice read) but I'm so glad I had to read this book! At first I was a little put off by this book because I had to read it for school and I thought it would be boring and educational, but I soon realized that this book is much, much, more.

Characters: I soon connected with Jim and Antonia as I read about their life on the prairie. I love Jim and Anotnia's relationship. They grow up together and they have this love that is so amazing--more than a brother sister love, or any other love. It's an agape love which I absolutely loved reading about. So few people ever find that kind of love in their lifetimes and reading about this agape love just opened my heart.

Plot: Taking place out in Nebraska, such an open and unsuspecting place, was a great, unique way to open up the story. Jim lives out on the prairie, in town, and eventually goes off to college, but the people that he meets along the way influence him for the rest of his life. This story has many twists and turns I wasn't suspecting and Cather really carries the story through quite well.

Overall: I was just captured by Cather's writing style and her descriptions. There were a few passages in this book that just blew me away and I was utterly fascinated by her writing. She has raised my standards on books and I'm just in love with this story. Don't pass it up!

Overall Rating: 5 Stars

BTT: Character or Plot?

Booking Through Thursday:

What’s more important to you? Real, three-dimensional, fleshed-out fascinating characters? Or an amazing, page-turning plot?

(Yes, I know, they are both important. But if you had to pick one as being more important than the other?

My Answer: These are both important, although I would definitely say an amazing, page-turning plot. I can't stand it when books move slow and even though I love really connecting with characters, I can get through a book without that and actually enjoy the book more than if the plot drags.

How about you? Leave a blog address, follow, & comment and I'll follow back! :)

The Scorpio Races

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stievfater

Pages: 405
Published: October 18, 2011
Some race to win. Others race to survive.
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. 
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. 
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience.

Ramblings: I've heard such great things about this book! I've heard it's a heat-pounding, page-turning read that compares to The Hunger Games, but I honestly didn't feel that way.

Characters: Puck and Sean were pretty great main characters. I loved that they were total opposites and how slowly their lives weave together. They were very similar at the same time and at points I had to look back to the beginning of the chapter to see who was speaking! *Spoiler* But, the kiss at the race lines I felt was so random and sudden! I was really disappointed with how their love relationship came together. I felt as though Stiefvater slapped that into the plot because most stories today have romances between the main characters. *Spoiler Over*

Plot: I can't say that this isn't unique! I love the concept of this book, although I wish the story behind the water horses and how they act and why they eat humans had been explained better. I felt confused throughout most of the book because I was trying to figure out why something was happening. On the plus side, I loved the concept of the races and how upset they were that a girl was joining! The plot was pretty slow moving except for the 20 pages of racing. I really only wanted to keep reading to see how the races turned out. It wasn't very exciting to me.

Overall: I am happy to finally have read this book, although I am disappointed in the overall experience of reading this book. I wouldn't pass it up, just don't have too high of expectations for it.

Overall Rating: 3 Stars
Cover Love 2 Hearts

The Magi Christmas Giveaway

It's getting closer to the holiday season (although I've been singing Christmas carols for weeks now) and i'm extending my giveaway of The Magi! One winner will receive and ebook of The Magi by Kevin Turner, and let me tell you--5 Stars!

Follow Friday 19

Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted by Parajunke & Alison Can Read. This week's question is:

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

My Answer: My biggest pet peeve is when a book automatically jumps into the middle of the plot and then they don't explain well what's happening! It is tough to catch up and causes for a very unhappy Katie ): 
On the other hand, I love when you jump right into all the action, as long as it is explained! You know, just a few paragraphs in the second chapter to explain all the rules in this new society would be nice is a;l I'm saying.


What is your biggest pet peeve?? Comment & Follow and I'll follow back!
Also, I'm giving away a copy of the Magi (A 5 STAR BOOK!), just go the top of my side bar!
Have a great weekend :)