Thursday, January 6, 2011

Blog Hop Friday

It's time for the weekly book blogger hops again! A great opportunity to meet new bloggers and say hi to old.

Crazy For Books' Book Blogger Hop

Book Blogger Hop

Parajunkee's Follow My Book Blog Friday.





I'm Alison. I've been blogging for seven months. I review mainly YA with a few MG books and a weekly manga feature.

2010 Book Lists:

For the end of the year, I put together an extensive list of the books I've read in 2010 separated into categories. Check out the posts:

Introductory Post
Part 1: Contemporary Fiction
Part 2: Best Writing, Twilight Lovers; Edgy Fiction; Foodie Fiction
Part 3: Boy POV; Middle Grade; Something Different; Kick-Butt Girls
Part 4: Paranormal Day
Part 5: Cross-Over Adult; High Fantasy; Makes You Think; Historical Fiction
Part 6: Gossipy; Romance; POC; Sobbing; Fluff
Part 7: Top Tens: Books, Cover, Albums, Songs

Review

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Manga Mondays: Vampire Knight vol. 2 by Matsuri Hino

Questions of the Week:

Blog Hop: What book influenced or changed your life? How did it influence/change you?

I don't know that any book has changed my life, but I can think of several that have influenced it. I think of them as Gateway Books:

Babysitters-Club - These books got me into reading all those years back
Ann Rinaldi's books - Really developed a love for historical fiction
Harry Potter - The first fantasy books I ever loved
Twilight - Introduced me to the world of paranormal romance

Follow Friday: What book(s) have you discovered lately from someone's book blog?

What books haven't I discovered from a blog? Let's see...in the last few months I learned about the following books from blogging: Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires; Morganville Vampires; Anna and the French Kiss; Hush by Eishes Chayil (just finished); the Iron Fey series; Girl, Stolen by April Henry; Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moutlon; Unearthly by Cynthia Hand...and many, many more.

82 comments:

  1. I love how you have this all organized. I keep hearing great things about Anna and the French Kiss but my pile to read is so big already that it will have to wait. I am a new follower. :-)

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  2. Wow love the new blog design :)
    www.blackfingernailedreviews.blogspot.com

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  3. Happy Friday, Alison!

    I'm like you...SO much of what I've read is from fellow bloggers. It's a nasty cycle of enabling we've got here, eh? ;)

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  4. Happy Friday Alison! Almost all the books I read are based on recommendations from other bloggers:) Anna and the French Kiss is probably the most memorable one for me, I would have passed right over it since it's contemporary and that's not really my genre and the cover wasn't all that interesting, but missing out on that one would have been a huge mistake! So glad you're loving the Chicagoland Vamps, I'm read for more Merit and Ethan in May and November!

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  5. here's mine http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-book-blog-follow-friday.html

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  6. Hey Allison, just stopping by on the hop and follow. It never stops being fun. What a way to start the new year. Much luck with ur blog this year. Happy Holidays. Happy Reading!!!
    See ya!
    Readaholics Anonymous

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  7. Hello from your newest follower. I have Anna and the French Kiss on my TBR pile!


    http://mommywantstoread.blogspot.com/2011/01/book-blogger-follow-friday.html

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  8. I feel the same way. There are so many books I've discovered from reading book blogs. I just haven't been able to get to any of them yet!

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  9. Just hopping by for Follow Friday :P Visit my blog and enter the giveaway when you get the chance! www.bethebooks.blogspot.com :)

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  10. Hi Alison! This is one the reasons that I love blogging - finding out about all the great new reads - I just reviewed Hush - I hope you found it as important as I did.

    Also, be sure to check out my giveway for Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar - it's open to U.S. and Canada. Raw Blue can't be bought here in the States, so it's a great giveaway!

    -Linds, bibliophile brouhaha

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  11. This will probably come of something as a surprise but the book that changed/influenced my life (more than any other) is a non-fiction book. I know we all focus on novels and the fanciful fiction we love to read but The Four Work Week is the book that gets all the credit. I know the title sounds fictional but it really isn’t. Hop over to my blog and find out why – http://www.howardsherman.net

    Happy Book Blogger Hop Day!


    Howard A. Sherman

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  12. Love love Harry Potter!!! The Iron Fey series is also REALLY good. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I followed you right back! :)

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  13. My whole family loves the Harry Potter series-I am returning your very welcome hop visit-love the look of your blog.

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  14. Thanks for the follow! We're new followers as well. :) I agree, I love A Thousand Splendid Suns as well.
    Great choices--haven't read Ann Rinaldi in forever. And I still need to read Anna and the French Kiss.

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  15. Have a good weekend!
    If it weren't for all these awesome blogs/bloggers I would never have known about some of the great books out there.

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  16. HI Alison!
    Thanks for the visit! Happy Friday!
    Barb from Sugarbeat's Books

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  17. Visiting you back from the Hop. Nice blog background, very sweet and bright.

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  18. Thanks for stopping by my blog!

    The Baby Sitters Club were really the first books I started reading that got me into reading regularly! I loved collecting them. They bring back some nice memories now!

    Happy weekend

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  19. Hi! Returning the hop... and OMG... your blog design is incredibly awesome! I love Japan, and I nearly hyperventilated with excitement at seeing your gorgeous manga girl at the top :) I am following, and looking forward to Manga Mondays!

    I agree with the gateway thing, when I was younger a lot of book introduced me to what there is in the world.

    Thanks for visiting my blog :)
    -Jean

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  20. Oh, and your question about the Belgium school trip, there is a TON of WW2 sights as the majority of battles took place there - Flanders Fields etc. And we also visited France for a day, too.

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  21. Hi, thanks for hopping on by my blog, here on a return visit! I love the Harry Potter series too, I think it's wonderful that it has such wide appeal.

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  22. Great answers! I couldn't think of a specific book either, but I totally agree with the ones you wrote.
    Thanks for following!!

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  23. Hi, thanks for hopping by my blog! I'm here to return the favor, and I'm a follower :)

    The gateway books you mentioned are really interesting - it's funny to think about how a single book can open up a whole genre.

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  24. alison, I love your blog, it is amazing! I became a follower, and i will grab your button. love your answer to this week's question :)

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  25. New follower here, and the layout really got me poking around to see what the deal was with this blog!

    I hope you'll check out the Iron Fey series soon. It's a beautifully written ya fey-themed series. Same goes for some of the other series you mentioned.

    Have an awesome day/night and enjoy all of your books!

    Asher K.

    Asher K.

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  26. Just hopping by...thanks for hopping my way. Intriguing book choices. I plan to get to Harry Potter this year!

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  27. Thanks for visiting my hop. Before I read Harry Potter, I thought fantasy = yuck! Boy, those books changed my mind!

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  28. The Books which introduce you to a certain genre are always so important l find. Shiver introduced me into paranormal and it will always be important to me in that way!

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  29. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I'm a new follower. :]

    Harry Potter is such a good choice! I thought about picking that series, too.

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  30. Thanks for stopping by my blog! And yeah, after seeing all the people who have been answering Twilight I don't feel so cliche anymore. :) I've seen Harry Potter a lot too. I remember reading that at a young age and being completely obsessed!

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  31. Love your list. :) I would have to agree - Harry Potter was the first fantasy I read and I have loved them ever since.

    Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  32. Hi Allison. I am an old follower and just stopped by to thank you for coming over to visit. But, I love your top ten lists.
    Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust
    email: steph@fangswandsandfairydust.com
    Twitter: @fangswandsfairy

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  33. Thanks for visiting my blog! I'm already a follower of your lovely blog. :)

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  34. Hopping by...old follower. I love getting book recs from other bloggers. I think I get about 90% of the books on my TBR from other readers like me.

    Good answer!

    Jen

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  35. Thanks for becoming my follower:) Here to return the favour. What a lovely blog you have!

    It's nice to hear you like WW II novels, too. To answer your question, my favourite is the Blue Bicycle series by Regine Deforges.

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  36. Thank you for stopping by my blog! And for following! I'm your newest follower :)

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  37. Thanks for stopping by Alison I am following back :).

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  38. I am a new follower. Hopping by, talk about blast from the past, Babysitter's Club, I loved those books. How about Sweet Valley High? You know there are new ones coming out? Crazy, right?

    Twilight was also the book that got me introduced to not only the paranormal romance, the YA genre all together.

    LOVE your blog btw. :-) Have a faboo weekend, dear.

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  39. Thanks for stopping by my blog, i thought i would return the favour. I love your blog design, the header is beautiful. :D

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  40. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I love yours! It is so cute!! I am a new follower.

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  41. Hopping by! I loved the Babysitter's club! Man that takes me back and makes me feel really old all at once! LOL. Great pick though.

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  42. Saw your blog in the hop and am glad I stopped by! It's lovely! Great lists, BTW. I am now a follower!

    NC
    http://trulybookish.blogspot.com/

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  43. Thanks for stopping by and saying hi! There are so many good books to choose from. I love the fact that books can influence life. Have a great weekend.

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  44. Stopping by from the blog hop..

    Happy New Year....

    My answer is at: http://silversolara.blogspot.com

    Elizabeth

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  45. Thanks for dropping by my blog. I think your blog has had a face-lift since the last time I visited. Looks good.
    -Anne

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  46. Thanks for visiting me =D Tamora Pierce is one of those authors that you really have to pick what to start on based on what you like. Based on your blog hop answer of Potter and Rinaldi, I would suggest either the Circle of Magic starting with "Sandry's Book" (my first series of hers and a personal favourite) or the Lioness Quartet starting with Alanna: The First Adventure (her first novel as far as I know, and more about the knight protectorate/history side of her world)

    Good Luck! =)
    ~Anne

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  47. Interesting selection of books! Been seeing a lot of different titles for this post!

    Thanks for visiting my blog!

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  48. I really like your answer, because it's true that many books influence us. And, like you, many of the books currently on my TBR shelves are there because of book bloggers - At Home by Bill Bryson, The Iron Fey Series .. my daughter's House of Night series .. the list could go on and on!

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  49. Hi,
    Just hopping by and following through. Harry Potter and Twilight have a lot to answer for.

    Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out

    PS your top ten post links aren't working

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  50. Thanks for stopping by my blog!

    I smiled at your answer, because it was the Babysitter Club Little Sister books (as well as the American Girl books) that convinced my daughter that reading was worth the effort, in the summer after 1st grade. Now she's always reading!

    I don't remember many of the books that started me on various paths in my reading history, but I remember many of them from along the journey!

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  51. I read Babysitter's Club, too. Wasn't there a TV series for a while, or something?

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  52. Babysitters were totally AWESOME!!! I still have all those books somewhere

    Hopped by

    Kylie

    www.kylie1403.blogspot

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  53. The Iron Fey series is on my wishlist for a while now... I'll probably buy it soon--I gave the books to Guta for Xmas, she's looking forward to reading them too.

    And Potter... Oh, Rowling, if you only knew how much you've changed lives...

    --
    Maeva
    Murphy's Library

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  54. Thanks for dropping by! I kind of thought that life changing was a bit too drastic to say, but I must say that books influence my life every day. :)
    I loved the Harry Potter books and Twilight. They were great at getting me into their respective genres too.
    Have a lovely weekend! :)

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  55. Thanks for the Hop! I remember reading the Baby SIster's Club growing up ~ found memories. New Follower!! :)

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  56. Thanks for hopping by! I'm a new follower.

    Have a great weekend!

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  57. I ended up choosing Twilight because it was one of the first books that I interacted with strangers about. (More on my blog!) It seems to be a popular choice!

    Have a good week!

    ~Brooke
    http://brookesboxofbooks.blogspot.com

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  58. Awesome answers!

    Thanks for taking the time to comment on my blog : )

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  59. Thanks for stopping by my blog! I haven't read any of Ann Rinaldi's books, but I love historical fiction, so I'll definitely check them out!

    Hope you have a good weekend!

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  60. Thanks for stopping by Reading Lark. I am a new follower. :)

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  61. Twilight was one of the books I almost picked myself! Like you, it opened up the paranormal romance genre for me...and gave me Edward. ;) Thanks for stopping by; I'm following!

    Stephanie @ Poetry to Prose

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  62. Stopping by from the hop. Have a great weekend!

    My hop is here

    Happy Reading,
    Zakiya LadyWings

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  63. What a gorgeous blog! Thanks for visiting mine!

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  64. Stopping through via the Hop! Love your blog!! New Follower :)

    Also, wanted to let you know you have an award waiting for you at my Blog: http://patriciasparticularity.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-am-loved.html

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  65. thanks for the hop, now I'm hopping back to your blog and I'm following you

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  66. Hi Alison, It looks like you have had a very active friday Hop :)

    I'm going to take a look at your so-well-organized lists, especially the Fantasy crossovers :)
    Do visit me back!
    -Dee, hopping from e-Volving Books

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  67. Hopping by to say have a great Sunday and a great week further!

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  68. Happy HOP! You know, it was Harry Potter that actually started me reading again after years without picking up a book. Thanks for coming by :)

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  69. I just love all the responses to this week's Book Blogger Hop question! "Gateway Books" is a great way to think of the books that lead us to read more!

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  70. Thanks for stopping by! Have a great Sunday.

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  71. Can you please follow me? i noticed u follow my friends blog and i was wondering if u could follow mine! THanks! love ur blog btw

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  72. Ahh, The Babysitters Club!!! Such happy memories. I used to love those books. I should go back and re-read them sometime. Thanks for stopping by during the hop. I'm following you back!

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  73. Oh my goodness, the Babysitters Club. My best friend and I used to love those. I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed that none of my students today are interested in them. I always enjoyed them so much.

    New Follower,
    Jennifer (An Abundance of Books)

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  74. Thanks for stopping by mi' blog and commenting! It's funny how some of the things we so detest as children are some of the things we absolutely love as adults. ^_^

    -Alisha

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  75. Thanks for stopping by my blog. I refollowed, have a great day!

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  76. Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole – have a great weekend – Happy reading.

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  77. Hey! Sorry for the delay in responding to your comment! I'm happy to see that you hopped on by! I hope you're a new follower as well. I'm not following you!!

    I remember reading the babysitters club. Are those books still available to buy? I may need to go to a used book store and find some.. I'd like to read them again! Lol.

    I also like your categories you've come up with!

    See you around my blog!

    Stephany @ stephanysbookreviews.blogspot.com

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  78. Hopping back....belatedly :-))

    I hope you had a great weekend!

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I love comments. I appreciate every one! Thank you in advance.

This blog is now an award free zone. I just don't have time to pass on the awards as they deserve.