GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: An American Girl in Italy

An American Girl in Italy by Aubrie Dionne

An Italian paradise is the last thing she wants… but the one thing she needs!
 
Surely any girl would kill for the chance to tour Italy’s most famous cities for the summer? To experience the warmth of the Tuscan sun, the culinary delights of the pizzerias and caffés and to stroll along the cobbled streets of the City of Love itself…
 
Any girl apart from ambitious oboist Carly Davis that is! For her, the Easthampton Civic Symphony’s latest European tour is one massive inconvenience. She can’t even put her smartphone down long enough to snap a picture of the Coliseum.
 
Only, there’s one Italian attraction that Carly hadn’t quite expected to be a part of the tourist route…

Tour guide Michelangelo is as dark and delicious as Carly’s morning espresso. And when she needs a few lessons in the language of love to land her an important gig, he’s a more than capable tutor.

But with her promising career back in Boston, can Carly really afford to lose her heart in Italy?

Amazon
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AUTHOR

Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. Her books have received the highest ratings from Romance Times Magazine, as well as Night Owl Reviews and Two Lips Reviews. She has guest blogged on the USA Today Happily Ever After Blog and the Dear Teen Me blog and signed books at the Boston Book Festival, Barnes and Noble, and the Romance Writers of America conference. Her writings have appeared in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Hazard Cat, Moon Drenched Fables, A Fly in Amber, and Aurora Wolf. Her books are published by Astraea Press, Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Publishing, Inkspell Publishing, Lyrical Press, and Gypsy Shadow Publishing. When she’s not writing, Aubrie teaches flute and plays in orchestras.
 
Webiste • Blog • Twitter

REVIEW

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an easy, quick and sweet read. Anyone with a love for Italy and classical music will certainly appreciate this romantic tale!

GIVEAWAY
 
US Only
Three (3) Italy Themed Notepads

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*I received this free copy in return for an honest review, and opinions are mine alone.

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Lore

Lore: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold by Brinda Berry, Cate Dean, Jayne A. Knolls, Karen Y. Bynum, Laura Diamond, Theresa DaLayne
(Anthology)

A collection of six folklore retellings that will twist your mind and claim your heart.

SHIMMER: A heartbroken boy rescues a mermaid... but is it too late to save her?

BETWEEN is about a girl, a genie, and a ton of bad decisions.

SUNSET MOON: Eloise doesn't believe in Native American magic--until the dreamcatcher spiders spin her down an unknown path.

THE MAKER: An incapacitated young man bent on revenge builds a creature to do it for him.

A BEAUTIFUL MOURNING: The story of a Maya goddess torn between duty and love, and the ultimate sacrifice she must make to achieve true happiness.

THE BARRICADES: When a human girl risks everything to save the life of an Eternal prince, will their feelings for each other change the world they know, or tear it apart?

Amazon • B&N

REVIEW

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

ATTENTION: Spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk!

Overall, I liked this anthology. All of the stories were delightfully original, but I enjoyed some better than others.

Shimmer: Sweet summer mer-love at its finest.

Between: I really wanted to like this story (especially since the author is originally from North Carolina), but I found it annoying from beginning to end. It was over the top with designer name dropping and mean girls. Plus, she got over her dead girlfriend[got over her dead girlfriend (hide spoiler)] like it was nothing! Then, to top it all off, shared their favorite movie & even the famous quote with her[shared their favorite movie & even the famous quote with her (hide spoiler)] new love interest? Seemed a bit shallow to me... but I guess that's high school. Another thing, why would a fair-skinned, red-headed Russian girl become a djinn[djinn (hide spoiler)]? The folklore might've been more believable within another demographic. For me, there were just too many ridiculous holes.

Sunset Moon: Some dreams really do come true.

The Maker: A 3D printed golem? I loved this modern twist on such an ancient story.

A Beautiful Mourning: A gorgeous Mayan tale of love and loss among the gods.

The Barricades: Alternate Fae universe? It seemed like a good theory, but the story lacked detail and explanation. I was confused several times throughout and would've been completely lost had I not read the forward.

GIVEAWAYS

Please, read the Terms & Conditions listed in the widget(s) below before entering.

International / Must be 18+ to enter.

One (1) e-book copy of LORE: TALES OF MYTH AND LEGEND RETOLD

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Giveaway is open to US/Canada 
Two (2) $10 B&N Gift Cards + Swag

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*I received this free copy in return for an honest review, and opinions are mine alone.

THE SILVER SIREN: Kindle Paperwhite Giveaway

The Silver Siren (Iron Butterfly Series #3) by Chanda Hahn

Every journey has an end.

Unable to find the answers she sought in Skyfell, Thalia, Joss, and Kael travel to Haven with a prisoner in tow. An attack on the road waylays their plans, and Thalia finds herself traveling alone with Kael to the hidden sanctuary of the SwordBrothers.

But war is on the horizon and the Raven is amassing his army. This time, the target is not Calandry, but the Sirens of Sinnedor. When family ties are revealed, Thalia must choose sides. Desperate to break the final seal on her power and save those she loves, will Thalia willingly taste the bitter pain of the iron butterfly machine one final time?

Amazon
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EXCERPT

The barn burst into flames, the Septori burst into flames, and Talbot screamed as he beat at his clothes to stop the fire. The fire shot across the beams of the barn.

The Septori in a panic, tried to drag me out of the barn.

The shriek of a horse made me glance to Faraway, and I saw him outside of the barn screaming in terror.

He was going to try and run in to save me. With a wave of power, I slammed the barn door closed on him, keeping him out. I was going to end this once and for all. I had a glimpse of what I was becoming and I didn’t like it.

“Burn,” I whispered and watched as the flames licked higher. Energy flowed through my body, and I could hear something just beyond my consciousness. Like a sigh being released. My body became warm, tingling. And then more pain.

“Her eyes. Look at her eyes!” One of my captors backed away from me and ran out the side door.

“Don’t look at her, just grab her!” Talbot screamed.

I felt more hands grasp me and I hated it. I hated them. Looking up along the beams of the barn, I saw the main support beam.

It was time to end this for everyone. I gave in to the pain and anger, reached for a smaller support beam, and pulled at it. Half of the burning roof came down on a large group of the Septori. They screamed and tried to cover their heads as it fell. Too late.

“Stop her! She’s going to kill us all,” Talbot cried waving his hands at me.

I smirked. I was.

AUTHOR

Chanda is a bestselling and award winning author of the UnEnchanted: An Unfortunate Fairy Tale series and the Iron Butterfly series. She’s been a bestseller in five countries and was named one of Amazon’s top 100 customer favorite author. She uses her experience as a children’s pastor, children’s librarian and bookseller to write compelling and popular fiction for teens. She was born in Seattle, WA, grew up in Nebraska and currently resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband and their twin children.

Website • Twitter

GIVEAWAYS

Please, read the Terms & Conditions listed in the widget(s) below before entering.

International / Must be 18+ to enter.

One (1) e-book copy of THE SILVER SIREN

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Giveaway is open to US/Canada

One (1) Kindle Paperwhite

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Snark Attack: Book Snerds #SnarkWeek

MONDAY Snark Attack: Tell us how you really feel about a particular blogging subject, and get it off your chest. This is your chance to EXPLODE!

You asked for it, so here goes...

Image courtesy of BustedTees

Are you a book snerd?

I'm not talking about sexy nerds or super nerds. This post is about snobby nerds!

Bookworms were the first social outcasts before being a geek went mainstream and suddenly became cool. We would rather have our nose in a book than interact with real people. So why does it seem like I am constantly reading about some sort of division within the geek subculture on the Interwebs? Yes, this includes the book blogging world as well (although the information is always secretive and vague). Personally, I believe that we all have a responsibility to positively interact with our readers as well as other bloggers within the community.

Do you respond to comments on your blog?
If not, you might be book snerd.

Do you host a blog hop that requires participants to follow and comment but don't actually lead by example?
You might be a book snerd.

Do you bash authors and/or other bloggers publicly (or at all, for that matter)?
You might be a book snerd.

Do you spout snide remarks about those that do not read at your pace or prefer a certain genre that you deem unfavorable?
You might be a book snerd.

Do you consider yourself an online celebrity, diva, expert, guru or maven?
You might be book snerd.

Do you frequently recommend that other bloggers redesign their blog?
You might be a book snerd.

Do you favorite or retweet the tweets of others but don't actually follow them back or even say thank you (especially when said tweets are sharing your promotional content)?
You might be a book snerd.

Do you follow authors and/or other blogs as part of a giveaway and then promptly unfollow?
You might be a book snerd.

Are you constantly arguing about what is and what is NOT literature?
You might be a book snerd.

Are you more focused on fame and profit than on your love for books and reading?
You might be a book snerd.

Are you a veteran blogger or just another new kid on the block that obsesses over your number of comments, followers or subscribers (or lack thereof)?
You might be a book snerd.

It's time for us to look outward instead of inward. Unfortunately, we live in self-indulgent society bombarded by incessant social media sharing and selfies fueled by overinflated egos. Admittedly, many book bloggers are outgoing introverts, a walking, talking (and blogging) oxymoron. Our online personality usually differs greatly from our offline one. We are all busy with real life, and choosing to be socially responsible is obviously much more time consuming than just being a blogger (which is pretty damn time consuming already).

How are you actively engaging with other book bloggers? Are you proud of your interaction with the book blogging community? Does the positive outweigh the negative? Do you feel that you have a social responsibility to your audience? Do you feel supported by other bloggers or do you often feel alone and ostracized?

I hope that this post encourages everyone to reevaluate their role as a blogger, because honestly...
nobody really wants to be a pretentious book snerd! Do they?

*This post is in homage to all of the you might be a redneck jokes. By definition, snarky is sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner. If you were offended by reading this, I hope that you eventually understand that the concept was to shed light on what's really important versus piss off a bunch of book bloggers. Therefore, go forth and blog dear book nerds for your voice deserves to be heard (even if everyone else completely disagrees with you)!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
 

SHARE THIS POST TO GET MORE BOOK BLOGGERS ON BOARD.
Schedule your snarky posts for each day, Monday-Friday, during #SnarkWeek.

Head on over to Parajunkee every day to link up your post.
Visit participating blogs to read their snarkiness!

VACATION: Lake Life

Image courtesy of Etsy

We are packing up this morning and headed to the lake for a few days with friends and family. The kiddos need one last hurrah before school starts, and the big kids need a couple days of rest and relaxation! Don't worry, I will respond to all comments upon my return.

My goal is to read Fool's Assassin whilst sipping a cold one in the sun (if it doesn't rain the whole time). Summer is fading fast and so is my tan! Hopefully, I can also catch up on The Silmarillion for #NerdistBookClub as well as finish Joss Whedon: The Biography for #ARCAugust.

What are you reading this week?

REVIEW: Guy in Real Life

Guy in Real Life by Steve Brezenoff

From the acclaimed author of Brooklyn, Burning comes Guy in Real Life, an achingly real and profoundly moving love story about two Minnesota teens whose lives become intertwined through school, role-playing games, and a chance two-a.m. bike accident.

It is Labor Day weekend in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and boy and girl collide on a dark street at two thirty in the morning: Lesh, who wears black, listens to metal, and plays MMOs; Svetlana, who embroiders her skirts, listens to Björk and Berlioz, and dungeon masters her own RPG. They should pick themselves up, continue on their way, and never talk to each other again.

But they don't.

This is a story of two people who do not belong in each other's lives, who find each other at a time when they desperately need someone who doesn't belong in their lives. A story of those moments when we act like people we aren't in order to figure out who we are. A story of the roles we all play-at school, at home, with our friends, and without our friends-and the one person who might show us what lies underneath it all.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Above all else, this book is about role-playing. We are all expected to play certain roles for various reasons IRL. Okay, so you've never gamed online or via pen and paper? That doesn't matter. We are all role-players, and it's never simple... especially in high school.

As a gamer (console, PC and table top), this book personally resonated with me. It is pretty tame YA but definitely not lame. Come on now, who doesn't adore pseudo cursing? Sh...ark attack! This book made me snortle more than just a few times.

Lesh and Svetlana are on the cusp of adulthood but still figuring out the details. The characters are genuine and raw, and the awkwardness is consistently palpable. Metal heads and hippies alike should enjoy this one! I sure did.

REVIEW: Shadows of Asphodel

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy

When Ardis discovers a man bleeding to death on the battlefield, she knows she has to walk away.

1913. In her work as a mercenary for Austria-Hungary, Ardis has killed many men without hesitation. One more man shouldn't matter, even if he manages to be a charming bastard while he stands dying in the snow.

But when he raises the dead to fight for him, she realizes she must save his life.

If a necromancer like Wendel dies, he will return as a monster--or so the rumors say. Ardis decides to play it safe and rescues him. What she doesn't expect is Wendel falling to one knee and swearing fealty. Ardis never asked for the undying loyalty of a necromancer, but it's too late now.

Ardis and Wendel forge an uneasy alliance underscored with sexual tension. Together, they confront rebels, assassins, and a conspiracy involving a military secret: robotically-enhanced soldiers for a world on the brink of war. But as Ardis starts to fall for Wendel, she realizes the scars from his past run more deeply than she ever imagined. Can Ardis stop Wendel before his thirst for revenge destroys him and everyone else around him?
 
Dieselpunk romance. Because Steampunk wasn't dirty enough.
Recommended for ages 17 & up.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As my first attempt at Dieselpunk, this book certainly does not disappoint. I am not a huge fan of romance, but it managed to capture just the right amount of bitter versus sweet with a huge dollop of snark. The pages are filled with assassins and archmages bound by a truce that is centuries old but on the brink of complete collapse. War rages under the guise of peace, magic prevents the use of gunpowder and enchanted blades swarm the battlefield with a far more sinister conflict looming on the horizon. I am now completely infatuated with necromancy, technomancy and automatons! Throwing myself headfirst into the next book, Storms of Lazarus.

AUTHOR

Karen Kincy (Redmond, Washington) can be found lurking in her writing cave, though sunshine will lure her outside. When not writing, she stays busy gardening, tinkering with aquariums, or running just one more mile. Karen has a BA in Linguistics and Literature from The Evergreen State College.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

*I received this copy from the author in return for an honest review, and opinions are mine alone.

REVIEW: The Seed & Other Fairy Tales

The Seed & Other Fairy Tales by Joseph Hillenbrand

How do you measure yourself? By family, friends, enemies? By what you fight for? Or what you fight against? Follow the tales of those struggling to find an identity of their own. A little girl with a ghost as a best friend. A woman who hates wishes. A man lost in the secret kingdom of frog people. A girl at war with her god. And a pair of soldiers on a deadly mission of peace. The seeds have been sown. The storm is coming. Who will grow and who will drown?

Amazon • B&N • Kobo
Also available from the iTunes store.

REVIEW

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you are a fan of dark fiction, this is a fun and original collection. Some stories contain strong language, so not recommended for young readers. Overall, these tales were likable... some more so than others.

The Seed: A happy ending that's gross, too? Creepy.

Unwished: Silly and disturbing.

The Girl in the Forest: Tragically romantic.

Two and One: Short and sweet.

Calimire: This one is my favorite!

My All: What? Startling.

Hunger Pangs: A pinch of snark with a dash of clever.

Applebite: Wonderfully weird.

Sand Castles: Soldiers, dragons and ghosts. Oh, my!

AUTHOR

I was born, raised and still live in the outskirts of Chicago. Every few years a move a little further west. Slowly inching my way to California. I love the big sky, the vast plains, the harvest moons of the Midwest. I grew up reading comic books and playing G.I. Joe. Watching wrestling and listening to Led Zeppelin. I drew, I wrote, I strummed. I learned Stone Temple Pilots and I read Beckett. I grew and I withered. I have spent the majority of my time in software - from support to development to management. And with my first book out now, I'm trying to get back to my roots: telling stories.

Website • Blog • Twitter

Top 10 Books for New Readers of Historical Fiction

I almost forgot! It's time for another #Top10Tuesday.

1. Eva Moves the Furniture
2. Baker Towers
3. Girl With a Pearl Earring
4. The Bridges of Madison County
5. Forever Amber
6. The Historian
7. Etiquette & Espionage
8. Labyrinth
9. Henna House
10. ...and, of course, Outlander!

Thank you to (the other) Amber and Sophie for helping with this list!

Each week, The Broke and Bookish inspires a Top 10 Tuesday list.

  Our responses are group member generated.

GATES OF THREAD AND STONE: Book Blast Giveaway

GATES OF THREAD AND STONE (Gates of Thread and Stone #1) by Lori M. Lee

In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

Amazon
IndieBound
Barnes & Noble
The Book Depository

PRAISE

“Lori M. Lee excels in building a world of intrigue, oppression, and magic amidst a Labyrinth setting as twisted and winding as the secrets hidden inside her characters’ hearts. Fans of strong heroines who don’t need a boy to hold their hands, action-packed fighting scenes, and whispers of steampunk and mythology, will find themselves wishing they, too, could manipulate the threads of time, if only to stay inside the story a little longer.”
A.G. Howard, the SPLINTERED series

“Inventive, romantic, and gripping. I was hooked from the first page!”
Amy Tintera, REBOOT and REBEL

“A fast-paced, heart-wrenching whirl of a story full of magic, immortals, and a romance that will leave readers gasping for more. I adored the tough, scrappy narrator and fell in love with the boy chasing after her heart. Lori M. Lee introduces us to a fantasy world unlike any other and gives us the first taste of an epic love story in the making. I can’t wait for more!”
Mindee Arnett, THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR series and AVALON series

AUTHOR

Lori is the author of young adult fantasy Gates of Thread and Stone, coming August 5, 2014 from Skyscape. She has a borderline obsessive fascination with unicorns, is fond of talking in capslock, and loves to write about magic, manipulation and family. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband, kids and a friendly pit bull.

Website • Goodreads • Twitter • Facebook • Tumblr • Pinterest

Giveaway is open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter
1 Winner will get (1) $25.00 Amazon Gift Card + a Swag Pack
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ACCESSION: Book Blast Giveaway

Accession (Sarath Web #1) by Terah Edun

Sixteen-year-old Katherine Thompson wasn’t trained to rule a coven. That was her sister – perfect, beautiful Rose. But when a mysterious plane crash kills off the heir presumptive of the Sandersville coven she has no choice. After stepping in to fill her sister’s shoes, Katherine realizes she didn’t have a clue – faery wars, depressed trolls and angry unicorns are just the beginning.

For centuries, her family has served the high Queens on both sides of the Atlantic but it is a well-known rule that mid-level witches stay away from high-level Queens. But when Katherine’s youngest cousin vanishes without a trace in the Atlanta court and no one wants to investigate, Katherine decides to step into the darkness on her own. She soon discovers that nothing, especially in the Atlanta High Queen’s court, is as it seems.

When she accidentally opens a rift in the search for her cousin, Richard LeCross, the Queen’s warlock, decides that Katherine is more trouble than she’s worth. He determines that this mortal, dangerously close to becoming a High Queen, needs to die. But killing Katherine is easier said than done. For a young woman who’s always believed in right versus wrong, she’s about to go head over heels into the dark side.

Goodreads • Amazon

EXCERPT

You know the old saying ‘If I tell you, I’ll have to kill you?’ Katherine thought wryly
while she waited for her sister and Derrick to do their worst. Well, I have the opposite problem. If
I show you my gifts, you’ll be dead. There’s no explaining, no second guessing. Which was why
even though she was furious with her older sister, she couldn’t defend herself. Not as a witch.
Katherine might not like her sister, but she loved her. Loved her in the way that siblings that
fought like cats and dogs, but still hung together against a common enemy did. Since they were
rarely on the same side of anything recently, Rose and Katherine had yet to face anything worse
than the schoolyard bully they had taken down together when Katherine was in kindergarten and
Rose was in second grade. That incident had proved that blood trumped friends, at least in the
all-out war over the marbles container, that is.

But now? Now, Rose and I never really see eye-to-eye at all, Katherine thought with a
shiver. She must have been desperate to invite me on this stupid escapade. I know I was pretty
stupid to accept the invitation. And now I’m going to pay for that. That hope that for once Rose
wanted me along for me, as her sister...as a friend.

AUTHOR

Terah Edun is a young adult fantasy writer born and raised in the Atlanta metropolitan area, who transplanted to the Northeast region for college, and has spent years living abroad in South Sudan and Morocco. She writes the stories that she always loved to read as a young girl.

She prefers tales of adventure, magic, fellowship and courtship – in other words fantasy of both the contemporary and high variety. Terah’s Courtlight series was featured on the USA Today Happily Ever After Blog and her Crown Service series hit the Amazon Top 500 on release of Book One. She has sold over 30,000 copies of her books and is proud to be a young adult author.

Her favorite writers include Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, Robin Hobb and Maria Snyder. Check out Terah's author website for more information about her books and subscribe to her newsletter to be notified of upcoming releases.

Website • Tumblr • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads • Pinterest

Courtlight Series
Book 1 - Sworn To Raise
Book 2 - Sworn To Transfer
Book 3 - Sworn To Conflict
Book 4 - Sworn To Secrecy
Book 5 - Sworn To Defiance

Crown Service Series
Book 1 - Blades of Magic

Book 2 - Blades of Illusion

GIVEAWAYS

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INTERNATIONAL / Must be 18+ to enter.

One (1) e-book copy (MOBI or EPUB only) & $25 Gift Card from Amazon or B&N.

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GUEST POST: What makes a book a classic?

Meet Pema Donyo.

Pema Donyo is the teen author of recently released YA romantic suspense The Innocent Assassins (Astraea Press, June '14) and forthcoming historical Western romance One Last Letter (Crimson Romance, Aug. '14). In other words, she's a coffee-fueled college student by day and a creative writer by night. As a rising sophomore at Claremont McKenna, she’s still working on mastering that delicate balance between finishing homework, meeting publisher deadlines, and… college. More of her musings on writing and reading can be found on her blog.

Blog • Goodreads • Twitter • Amazon

From Trashy Tales to Canon Critiques

"How a human being could have attempted such a book as the present without committing suicide before he had finished a dozen chapters, is a mystery. It is a compound of vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors."
- Graham's Lady Magazine (USA), July 1848, review of Wuthering Heights

It's no secret that public perception of a novel changes over time. When Lolita was released, reviewer John Gordon of Sunday Express deemed it "the filthiest book I ever read" and "sheer unrestrained pornography." Yet the novel also happens to be required reading for several of my college's literature courses. Today, Lolita has acquired "classic" status.

But what creates a classic? Is it immortal literary themes recurring time and again in every generation? Is it novels displaying sparkling wit and dialogue? Better yet - maybe it's just because (gasp!) readers just like them for some unexplained reason.

Jane Austen's novels are regarded as undeniable classics, but what's thrown the books into the waiting arms of Western canon is the ability of her novels to transcend time. They make great adaptations, and for good reason - they're classic situations which every generation of readers can relate to. They possess themes of love and loss and longing and (very properly hinted at) lust.

Yet what themes could be more lasting than sordid tales of sex or drinking or gambling? Erotica or "steamy romance" novels flood today's book industry in greater volumes than ever before. One of the early books to give a serious push of promotion to the popularity of erotica - whether you agree or not - is the infamous Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James.

The popularity of the Fifty Shades of Grey trailer had me thinking - "Wait, there are people that like these novels?!" (Also, how did they get Beyoncé to agree to that?!) So I did some research, thanks to Dr. Google. And yes, there are people who genuinely love E. L. James's books. They're not everyone's cup of tea, but all that matters is that they're someone's idea of a good read. They may be your favorite books!

But will it ever become required reading in college literature courses? It's impossible to tell. Cult classics cannot be defined and pointed to within our own time; canon status can only be reached a generation after the book has been published.

"Western canon" seems to be defined as the books which have proved the most influential in shaping Western society, yet most writers use "classics" and "canon" interchangeably. And rightly so. If a book has lasted the test of time and remained popular, there's gotta be some influencing-of-the-world going on in that span of time.

If we're going strictly by popularity (and ignoring the Fifty Shades craze for now), the Harry Potter novels are both generally well-liked and stand as candidates to last the test of time. They may not strictly "reflect our society" (though let's be real, who wouldn't want to go to Hogwarts and swap his or her life with a world reflected by the books?). Yet the same issue hasn't prevented sci-fi adventures or Gothic horrors from reaching canon. Last time I checked, there wasn't a ton in common between my life and Victor Frankenstein's, but that didn't stop my English teacher from assigning it to me.

Canon tends to hit at something deeper - human emotion. It's not so much about the exact experiences or settings that the reader relates to, it's (to use #fangirl speak): "THE FEELS." Readers can relate to Frankenstein's loneliness, regret, and anger. Readers understand Elizabeth's attraction toward Darcy. Canon literature forms from the reader's ability to relate to the character's emotions. If the reader can relate, the book remains popular.

Why do you think a book becomes a classic? (And do you think Fifty Shades could ever reach canon status?)

What do you think of Pema's take on this subject?

Visit her blog for more fangirl-ish yet insightful literary observations.

Comment for further discussion or continue the conversation via Twitter.

#SnarkWeek Book Blogger Challenge

Inspired by Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, Parajunkee is hosting Snark Week!

Snark Week Book Blogger Challenge, Aug 11-15th 

SNARK WEEK POST PROMPTS:

• MONDAY Snark Attack: Tell us how you really feel about a particular blogging subject, and get it off your chest. This is your chance to EXPLODE!
• TUESDAY Feeding Frenzy: Top 10 Worst Books Ever Read
• WEDNESDAY Snarknado: Cheesy tropes, eye-roll inspiring actions, plus words and phrases that you just wish were never used in novels.
• THURSDAY Snark Bite: Be creative – your own snarktastic topic.
• FRIDAY Snark Visual: Snark just isn’t the same without GIFs – review a book or post your own brand of snark with the use of animated GIFs.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

SHARE THIS POST TO GET MORE BOOK BLOGGERS ON BOARD.
Schedule your snarky posts for each day, Monday-Friday, during #SnarkWeek.

Head on over to Parajunkee every day to link up your post.
Visit participating blogs to read their snarkiness!

The Dog Days of Summer

Not sure what to read during the dog days of summer?

Here are a few obvious selections, books about dogs!

Have you read any of these? Would you recommend them to fellow readers? Why or why not?