I've Been Tagged - Your It!

I've been tagged by Kerry-Ann over at Reading A Little of Everything! This is my first time hearing of this game, and so, here goes. :)

Rules

• You must post the rules.
• Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
• Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
• Let them know you’ve tagged them!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below are the questions Kerry-Ann asked me:

1. Who's your favourite Fictional Hottie?

That would be....CHRISTIAN GREY from the Fifty Shades series by E.L. James!! Seriously, he is hotter than hot, and he will forever be my number one. :P Second on the list, not far from Christian, is Raphael and Jason from the Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh. Seriously, if you haven't read either of the two, you're not a romance geekfan. Cause seriously, those two are the MUST-READS of this genre. :)

2. What is your favourite book that has made quite an impact on you?

Hm, I'd say Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan, Graceling by Kristin Cashore and The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran. PJ was the one that started my reading and Greek myth craze-slash-obsession. Graceling was the one that led me to realise that I should start writing reviews for every book I read to preserve my feelings as I do feel a lot for books. The Heretic Queen was the one which started my Ancient Egypt craze. I started recording and watching Egyptian documentaries and researching on their culture and Pharoahs. I mean, me and documentaries? So to have me start watching them surely constitutes as a BIG impact.





3. What are your top 3 dreams or aspirations?

To do well for my 'A' Level Exams next year, get into a good Uni course, and then get a good job. And maybe add in lots of books, reviews, and blogging....and maybe a boy? :D


4. How long have you been blogging for?

I've been blogging since mid-August of 2011, but started for real in September. So that makes it around 4 to 5 months.


5. What's your favourite colour?

White and blue. As you can see, my blog's mainly white. Purple cause the only acceptable banner picture I found was purple, so oh well. I'm still trying to find a blog template/background/theme that's white but not that plain. If anyone knows some nice xml blogger template, please share!!


6. Who's your favourite Author?

In terms of personality, the top of my list would be Jus Accardo (author of the Denazen series), Amanda Bonilla (author of the Shaede Assassin series), Christina Henry (author of the Madeline Black series), and Amber Garr (author of the Syrenka series). In terms of the novels they've written, then it would definitely be E.L. James (author of the Fifty Shades series), and Nalini Singh (author the Guild Hunter series). Long list, but oh well. :P




7. Favourite social networking site?

Twitter, maybe? Or Facebook. These two are the ones that I go to mainly. (Is Blogger counted as a social networking site? If so, then GO BLOGGER!:D)


8. If you could meet one author who would it be?

Hmm, I'd love to meet Michelle Moran! She's an archaelogist for Egyptian artefacts, and the novels she's written ARE DOWNRIGHT AWESOME!!!! I'd love to be able to spend just 10 min in her brain, and I can die a happy geekfan. :P (Haha, kidding!)


9. Favourite mythical creature?

Pegasi? Or maybe sea horses. The ones that were created out of sea foam by Poseidon. :D




10. Morning Bird or Night Owl?

Night owl, sadly. :(


11. What time it where you are?

I'm guessing what Kerry-Ann means is "what time IS it where you are", so it's 1.13am now here in Singapore. So, I'm going right to bed after this post. :P

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are my questions:

1. Which character would you most love to be?
2. Who is your Fictional Hottie?
3. Which character and author do you most want to meet?
4. Which is your favourite publisher?
5. Favourite mythical creature?
6. Favourite myth?
7. Most hated character?
8. Favourite movie or novel-adapted film or novelised movie? (Is novelised a word?)
9. What's your dream job?
10. What's your dream home like? Classic, modern, cosy, traditional, grand, or...?
11. Favourite blogger? (*hint hint* :P)

The bloggers that I'm tagging are:

Sam @ Realm of Fiction
Beckie @ Bittersweet Enchantment
Vic @ Always a Booklover
Arianne Cruz @ Arianna Cruz (lol)
Cassie @ Shadow Kisses
Dani @ Pen to Paper
Jenny @ Chocolate Chunky Monkey
Carina @ Fictional Distraction
MaryAnn @ Chapter by Chapter
Stephanie @ Misfit Salon

THANKS for dropping by the blog, and if you're participating, leave your links so that I can check them out too! It's ok if you don't want to cause this game is for fun. I think. Haha. :)

Merry Christmas + Best of 2011

Merry Christmas, good readers!

What a special, magical day. It's been a crazy time this year - I've had my 'O' Level Examinations, started my reading obsession for real, started writing reviews, and started this book blog up. I won't take up much of your time so you can go eat some turkey or chicken or open presents or hug your Christmas tree, so all I want to say is..

Merry Christmas, have a happy holiday, happy new year, and all around good tidings in the coming year!




Now for...

Those that I've read in 2011, may be released in previous years.

Best Paranormal Romance... Lover Eternal by J.R.Ward!

Best Urban Fantasy... Black Night by Christina Henry!

Best Young Adult Literature... Cascade by Lisa Tawn Bergren!

Best Adult Fiction... Angel's Blood by Nalini Singh!

[Tied] Best Fantasy... Altered Destiny by Shawna Thomas / Eona by Alison Goodman!

Best Historical Romance... The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran!

Best Erotica... Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James!!

[Triple tied] Best Series... Fifty Shades series by E.L. James / The River of Time series by Lisa Tawn Bergren / Guild Hunter by Nalini Singh!!!

Best Books of the Year...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I notice I keep revolving around the same few books, but that just goes to show how much they rocked my socks! Haha, anyway, that's all for this post. Good night (it's 2.55am Dec 25th in Singapore now!:D), Merry Christmas, and happy holidays!

Teaser Tuesday (7)

Not many people are into the Egyptian myth hype like Percy Jackson's Greek myth hype, and I want to correct that! Cause to me, Ancient Egypt was a much more civilised and romantic place than the misogynistic Ancient Greeks and Romans.


Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

And one of my favourite and one of the more factual ones I've come across is The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran. Oh, and uh, it's going to be a long teaser.^^"

The Blurb

In ancient Egypt, a forgotten princess must overcome her family’s past and remake history.

The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the Eighteenth Dynasty’s royal family—all with the exception of Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen, Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. A relic of a previous reign, Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But this changes when she is taken under the wing of the Pharaoh’s aunt, then brought to the Temple of Hathor, where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the Crown Prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful Pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history.

Sweeping in scope and meticulous in detail, The Heretic Queen is a novel of passion and power, heartbreak and redemption.

My Teaser

"It's true," he whispered.

Suddenly, I was aware of how close we were standing, so close I could touch the square of his jaw or the chiseled planes of his face. "What's true?"

"You are as beautiful as I remembered. Nefer," he said, and his breath came quickly. "Perhaps you want to simply remain my friend, but when I was gone, all I could think about was you. When I was supposed to be thinking about the rebellion, or how my men would find fresh water in the desert, all I could think of was how you wanted to be hidden away in the Temple of Hathor. Nefer," he said passionately, "you can't be a priestess."

I wanted to close my eyes and step into the shelter of his embrace, but beyond the column the entire court was gathering. "But if I'm not to be a priestess," I asked him, "where will my place be in Thebes?" I held my breath, waiting for the right answer to come, willing it into his heart. Then he took me in his arms and brushed his lips against mine.

"With me," he said firmly. "As my queen."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I loved this book with all my heart, and well, I think it's as good as any urban fantasy out there. And coming from me, that's really saying something.

Thanks for stopping by! Remember to leave your teaser links or teasers in the comments section so I can go check it out!