Books & Bytes: An e-book Giveaway Hop (international)

Welcome to the Books & Bytes blog hop hosted by Oh, Chrys! This blog hop has been organized so that some awesome bloggers can give away e-books to lucky entrants worldwide! We anticipate your entries, and hope you enjoy hopping away to the participating blogs!

Words cannot describe how EXCITED I am to be hosting my very own blog hop! Though there are few participants, I hope you will find our giveaways interesting. Last week, I had a US giveaway for a paperback from Amazon, and I promised to have an INTERNATIONAL giveaway - here it is! This hop will run from October 1st to October 6th!

Giveaway Wednesday: Kindle from Maple Casino

Hey, fellow readers!

Welcome to Giveaway Wednesday. The point of these posts is to direct my followers to awesome book-related giveaways around the web. I am always hunting for giveaways, and I would love for you all to join in on the opportunities.

So this week's giveaway is an Amazon Kindle from Maple Casino. It ends in TWO DAYS (September 30)!

ENTER HERE

New Rating Scale

Oh, Chrys! has been in existence for nearly a month (yay!), and I must say I am pretty proud of the progress I have made. Initially, I had no intentions of having a book blog - it was an idea I had thought about, but never decided on.

So far, I only have one review. Now, I think that review was a bit too technical. The rating was based on literary elements and the like - nothing personal. To an extent, that was quite unfair to the author. Coincidentally, however, the rating I gave is equivalent to my emotional attachment as well.

With that in mind I have decided to make my reviews more personal, and this can be reflected in my new rating scale. It is very simple - maybe too simple - but it will be more accurate to what I really think the book was worth.

I will still comment on literary style, plot, and elements of course, but they will no longer be the weight of the review. I hope this modification benefits not only the authors, but also the readers who would consider purchasing the book.

Here is my new rating scale below:

What do you think of technical reviews versus more personal ones? Comment below.

Blog Hop Sign-Up: Books & Bytes

I am very pleased to announce my first blog hop named "Books & Bytes". From its title, you have probably figured out that this entails some sort of technology. If so, you guessed right!

Here are some more details:

Giveaway: Any paperback from Amazon for $10 or less! (CLOSED)

Congratulations, Samantha G. Your email has been sent. You have 48 hours to claim your prize!

Booksniffing

One major downfall of e-books is that they have no book smell. I know I might sound crazy, but the typical bibliophile knows exactly what I am referring too. It is the first thing I do when I get a book - yes, I sniff it. Some may call it a habit, an obsession or even an anomaly, but I know I am not alone.

Book Promo + Giveaway: Dante's Girl by Courtney Cole

Title: Dante’s Girl
Genre and Age Group: Young Adult
Author: Courtney Cole
Release date: July 2012
Event dates: Sept. 10-29, 2012
Do you want a copy of Dante's Girl? Purchase it from these sites: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
I have spent every summer since I was ten years old with my father in London. Every summer, since I was ten years old, has been uneventful and boring.
Until this year.
And this year, after a freak volcanic eruption strands me far from home, I have learned these things:
1. I can make do with one outfit for three days before I buy new clothes.
2. If I hear the phrase, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto,” even one more time, I might become a homicidal maniac.

Book Review: Atomic Summer by Elaine. D. Walsh

This review may contain slight spoilers. The reviewer ensures that any first reading experience is not intended to be diminished.
Though Atomic Summer is based on the United States in the 1950s - a time of nuclear threats and communist-phobia – one will be surprised to learn that it is no anachronistic read. In fact, its authentic characters and fast-paced plot are quite relevant in our aging world. Readers are introduced to a trio of young girls at the height of their puberty. There is Faith McNulty, the protagonist whose name is no misnomer. She has just entered the dating arena, and is determined to remain chaste until she marries her boyfriend, Allen. Faith’s best friend is Bernadette Vaughn, a character Walsh probably crafts as the antithesis of Faith. Coupled with a wealthy background and physical maturity, Bernadette delights in being “informed” in the ways of womanhood. Unfortunately, Bernadette refuses to see beyond biological function, and is even determined to have a sexual encounter before a nuclear bomb destroys humanity. Octavia Mansfield, however, is not fond of Bernadette and frequently reads to her bedridden brother, Archie out of duty.