My Giveaway + Announcements

*My first foray into an Author Interview with Andrew Xia Fukuda is up! (Should I do more?)
*My first manga review for Natsume Yuujinchou V.1 - please let me know what you think

Saturday, May 22, 2010

100 Followers Contest for Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy Giveaway! + Your Thoughts on Series/Trilogies/Standalones


I haz 100 followers! Triple digits!! I'm a bit awed and super happy that people out there like this book blog enough to follow it. I was thinking what paperback book I'd be willing to giveaway, and you know, with the talk of Richelle Mead's Spirit Bound floating around everywhere, I was like, hey, I own a used copy of the first book, maybe people would like it??

I think Vampire Academy is a most excellent book. I just read it recently as I heard so much about it and thought I'd dish out a couple dollars for a copy as I found it lying in a used bookstore. I did enjoy it, but I think hearing too much about a book can kind of skew your perception? Because like, I was led on to believe that Dmitri was going to be the hottest thing that came around the block since Casanova, but I was honestly skeeved out by Dmitri/Rose in general. Now, before Team Dmitri goes off and kills me, I'm sure that he has excellent traits! Just that whenever I see these mentor/mentee relationships they kind of make me shrivel up and die inside. It's one of my squicks, and I can't get over this bias of mine. But I think Rose is a cool narrator, and I'm totally in love with the strong friendship between her and Lissa, and I so dig Christian/Lissa like hotcakes. If the spin-off series was from their point of view I'd probably be all over it. Mmmmmm Christian.

But the whole Dmitri thing isn't the reason why I'm willing to let go of my copy of Vampire Academy. As much as I enjoyed the book (no, really, I was dying for a vampire novel with girl BFF stuff and no boyfriend stealing backstabbing crap but a REAL friendship and oh how this novel delivered. ♥), the idea of following a series is making me die a little inside. It's going to be six books! SIX! With a possibility of a spinoff! I'm a fan of standalones, and tolerate trilogies only because of its profusion in the YA market. I almost sighed with relief when I got to the end of the book and found myself satisfied and not in the least bit curious about following the rest of the series. I mean, I do enjoy a select few long series, but as much as I love them, sometimes they leave me feeling so drained. Does anyone else get this feeling? What is your preference/thoughts on series/trilogies/standalones? Feel free to discuss this with me in the comments. Or, you know, talk to me about Christian FOREVAR the Vampire Academy series. Do refrain from spoilers though. While I don't personally mind being spoiled, having no intention of keeping up with the series, I don't want to risk spoiling others who may wander into the comments section here. Or talk to me about your favourite vampire book! (Everyone into YA has a favourite vampire book! Everyone!) Talk to me about anything! I'm all ears. 8D

ANYHOW, to the part people actually care about: Want to win a copy of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy? Please fill out the form:



Yes it's open internationally. Go wild, folks~ *waves* Ends June 22th, 11:59 PM ESt

11 comments:

Doret said...

Much congrats on hitting 100

Standalone, series or trilogies - I like to do them all. I try not to read too many series or trilogies at once. Because I'll always be waiting for the next book.

As long as the book in a series doesn't end in a crazy unnecessary cliffhanger I am cool. I hate endings like that, I am like dude just write a good story and I'll be back.

Standalones are great because sometimes nothing more is needed.

Favorite Vampire book - Night Road by A.M. Jenkins

Donna (Bites) said...

I have to really love a series to keep reading it. Sometimes stand alones leave me feigning for more but sometimes its best to just let them lie. Overall, I don't mind short series, like with three books. But the ones with 6, 7, 8, books, like I said, unless they're really good I'm not going to be keeping up with it. That's a huge commitment that I'm, for the most part, not willing to make right now.

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

Awesome contest and congrats on 100 followers!! As for series, I like them but I definitely can't read them all in a row, I start wanting to read about new characters by a new author after one book.

Ruth (Book Focus) said...

It really depends on a series for me. While sometimes I do really like a character and want to find out "what happens next", I don't like series where each book ends on a cliffhanger so you *have* to read the next book - I prefer to read a series because of the author's good writing and because I like the characters, not because I need to find out what happens next! I hate having to wait for months or years for the next book to come out - it's so unsatisfying. For a while, I wasn't even reading Book 1 of any series unless the whole series was published, because it just annoyed me too much.

So yeah - don't mind *small* series, but I do like the books to be stand-alone ones - or at least not end on cliffhangers so you NEED to read the next one straightaway! :)

Jenn (Books At Midnight) said...

NEW LAYOUT!!! Or maybe it's just me not noticing it because I haven't been on... lol.

As for this series, it's definitely enjoyable, though I'm starting to get depressed because I need a definite ending. IS DIMITRI GOING TO DIE OR NOT???!! And I am a Adrian forever fan, haha. :P

Unknown said...

I've heard good things about this book. Congrats on the followers!

Llehn said...

I have no preference about series or stand alone. The book just needs to be well written.

Congrats on the milestone!

Josette said...

Hi there,

I don't have a preference for either series or stand-alones. Series are great if the story's really good and can hook me in completely.

So far, the only vampire books I've read are the Twilight books. I have LJ Smith's Vampire Diaries but haven't read them yet!

Anyway, thanks for the giveaway!

Fi-chan said...

congrats on 100 followers! and thanks for this international giveaway!

Unknown said...

Congratulations on your 100+ followers, and cheers to 100 more!

I enjoy series books IF they move forward with each intstallment. I don't want to name names, but I've given up on a series, because it wasn't going anywhere. I do like a solid stand alone though too. Sometimes it's nice to just reach the happy ending when you turn the last page - satisfying!

I've read a lot of vampire books, but not any of the Vampire Academy books (*hiding head in shame*)

Ladytink_534 said...

I prefer a series because it's like your favorite TV series where you can get watch the characters grow, learn, love, and lose. Stand alone books are like movies to me.

I haven't read any of these books yet.