Armchair BEA: A Little Help From My Friends Giveaway

As I mentioned in my introduction post, my favorite part of the book blogging community is sharing book recommendations. The community encourages me to read books that I probably wouldn't read if left to my own devices.

My reading goal for 2013 is to read 100 books. Thanks to my participation in The Seasonal Reading Challenge on Goodreads, I am going to reach this goal earlier than anticipated. <the crowd goes wild with cheers>

This Is Basically How it works...

Each season (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) a new challenge with a series of reading related tasks such as Reading a book written by a Goodreads Author or Reading a book and watching the film will be posted. Tasks are based on suggestions from members of the group and my own personal ideas [my = the group's moderator, not me]. Each task is assigned a point level and then it's up to you to decide which tasks you'll attempt (or if you want to try to finish them all) and then find the books that fit. - The Seasonal Reading Challenge

The Summer challenge starts on June 1, 2013. I hope to reach 100 books read and complete all of this season's tasks by August 31, 2013 at midnight EST (the end of the challenge). I think that I can do it With A Little Help From My Friends. I am feverishly working on my reading plan.

Reading friends, I need your help! I need book recommendations!

Please take a look at the Summer Challenge 2013: Tasks and suggest a book for a specific task.  Between my library, PaperBackSwap (US-Only), and BookMooch (international), I hope that I will be able to cover most of your recommendations. [I am on a book buying ban until September.]

As a way of thanks, I am running this A Little Help From My Friends Giveaway. Five winners will be randomly selected using entries from the Rafflecopter widget form below.

• One winner will be gifted one A Little Help From My Friends-themed Kindle ebook of his/her choice (via Amazon.com - US) from the Prize A pool.  
• In honor of the TSRC 5-point tasks (A Century of Music), four winners will be gifted one MP3 copy of a With A Little Help From My Friends song of their choice (via Amazon.com - US) from the Prize B pool.

Please leave your recommendation and its associated task (and why you suggested the book, if you are so inclined) in the comment box.*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Rules:

1. Must be at least 16 years old to enter.
2. Must be able to accept gifts via email from Amazon.com - US.
3. Must respond to winner notification within 48 hours or another winner will be selected.
4. To qualify, all giveaway entries must be made using this Rafflecopter widget. To qualify for a giveaway entry via a blog comment, you must confirm your comment entry using this Rafflecopter widget.

 

Prize A

One winning entrant will be gifted one of the following Kindle ebooks of his/her choice (via Amazon US).

Links to books on Goodreads:

1. A Little Help from My Friends by Anne Dayton
2. With a Little Help from My Friends by Elizabeth Fleming
3. Southern Reflections with a Little Help from My Friends by Madalyn McKnight Stanford
4. A Little Help From My Friends: ...and Other Hilarious Tales of Graying Graciously by Jean Carnahan
5. A Little Help from My Friends by Robert Larrison
6. With a Little Help From My Friends by J.P. Bowie

Prize B

Four winning entrants will be gifted one of the following MP3 songs of their choice (via Amazon US).

With A Little Help From My Friends - The Beatles version


With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Crocker version (don't let this image scare you)


With A Little Help From My Friends  - Carlos Santana version

Armchair BEA Discussion: Literary Fiction

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads

Armchair BEA Discussion: Genre Post: Literary Fiction

Armchair BEA (Emily) asked:

What books have you read this year that would fit into this category?

Sadly, I am not exactly sure what literary fiction is. Let me look it up.

Literary fiction is a term principally used for certain fictional works that are claimed to hold literary merit. Despite the fact that all genres have works that are well written, those works are generally not considered literary fiction. To be considered literary, a work usually must be "critically acclaimed" and "serious".^[1] In practice, works of literary fiction often are "complex, literate, multilayered novels that wrestle with universal dilemmas".^[2]  - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Even sadder, I am still not sure what literary fiction is.

What Is Literary Fiction? (Novel Writing Help)

What Makes Literary Fiction Literary? (Nathan Bransford)

Okay, those helped to clarify a bit. I guess... Moving on.


Is there anything coming up that you're particularly excited about?

Well, I am going to start reading Life After Life: A Novel by Kate Atkinson next week. Based on the explanations in the posts above and a few of the book reviewers' comments below, I am going to go out on a limb and claim this book as literary fiction.




"I cannot recommend this book enough. It's nothing short of a genre-bending masterpiece - thoughtful and compelling, convoluted in plot but clear in resolve. If I had many lifetimes, I would make sure to read Life After Life in each." (Kevin Nguyen, Grantland )      

"An exercise in narrative gutsiness; a meditation on history, contingency, and free will; and the best new novel I've read this year." (Kathryn Schulz, New York Magazine )

"An audacious, ambitious book that challenges notions of time, fate and free will, not to mention narrative plausibility...[Atkinson's] writing is funny and quirky and sharp and sad - calamity laced with humor - and full of quietly heroic characters who offer knowing Lorrie Moore-esque parenthetical asides...Atkinson's true genius is structure...Each version is entirely and equally credible." (Sarah Lyall, New York Times )

"A densely layered, century-sprawling work that is a formidable bid for the brass ring of the U.K.'s prestigious Man Booker Prize. Life After Life is a drama of failures and providential rebirths...High-concept premise...A deft and convincing portrayal of an English family's evolution across two world wars...Marvelous...Not only does she bring characters to life with enviable ease, she has an almost offhand knack for vivid scene-setting ...Her storytelling prowess is on fullest display in a gorgeous and nerve-racking novella-length chapter set during the Blitz ... It's spellbindingly done." (Sam Sacks, The Wall Street Journal )


What authors/novels would you recommend to someone new to the genre?

I'd recommend these, only to see what you'd say after reading them. I read them recently and I am not sure how I feel about them.

 An international best-seller with more than one million copies in print and a winner of France's Prix Goncourt, The Lover has been acclaimed by critics all over the world since its first publication in 1984. Was also adapted for film under same name, The Lover.


 Winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award For Fiction
National Book Award and Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
A New York Times Notable Book


Are there any misconceptions or things that you'd like to clear up for people unfamiliar with literary fiction?

I am one of the unfamiliar. Save yourself. Look elsewhere. I cannot help you with misconceptions.

If you are one of the familiar, please let me know how you describe literary fiction.

What got you started into this kind of book?

Dumb luck? I read from most genres (though I don't read much in the way of horror or poetry) so I am sure that I have read some literary fiction at some point.

Based on someone's definition. Somewhere.

Um, yeah.

Name a novel that hasn't received a lot of buzz that definitely deserves it
 

Just kidding. Checking to see if you are still reading.

PaperBackSwap Summer 2013 Referral Rewards Contest!

PaperBackSwap has announced its Summer 2013 Referral Rewards Contest. I LOVE CONTESTS! You can tell by my Twitter stream.

The rules are easy: the member who refers the most new active members wins! There will be multiple chances to win, all summer long. There will be weekly 5-Book Credit prizes, monthly 3, 5 or 10 Book Credit prizes, and if you are the top referrer for the whole summer (from now until Sept 1, 2013) you will get 25 Book Credits! See complete contest details here.

Don't let the name fool you. You can get paperback, audio, and hardback books on  PaperBackSwap. There are no membership fees. You get 2 startup book credits free (if you are the first account at your household) that you can use to order 2 books for yourself, right after you successfully complete registration.

I am currently on a book buying ban so I use PaperBackSwap a lot. If any of the following applies to you, please consider giving PaperBackSwap a try:

• I have thought about using a book exchange/swap service.
• I have too many books and need to thin out my bookshelves.
• I haven’t been able to borrow a book that I wanted (from the library, a friend, etc.).
• I have had difficulty finding a book that is no longer in print.
• I have been placed on a book-buying ban (self-imposed or otherwise).
• I have unwanted books (in good condition) but I don’t want to throw them out.

Please re-tweet the following to help me spread the word. Thanks!

Help @madhoydenish win @paperbackswap's Summer 2013 Referral Rewards Contest! ow.ly/lvvjp Please RT
— A. @ ALiteraryMafia (@literarymafia) May 29, 2013

Dear readers,

Tallulah wants you to know about PaperBackSwap, the biggest book-swapping site in America. If you're a reader, you know how books can accumulate after you have read them. They pile up and gather dust, and you know you won't read them again. You can try to sell them to used-book stores, but you won't get very much for them, even if they are in perfect condition. PaperBackSwap is a better way!

All you have to do is create an account for FREE, list your books that you are ready to share, and send them out to other members when they are requested. Yes, you pay the postage to send your books out (between 2 and 3 dollars for an average-sized book), BUT you get a Book Credit for sending each book (each Book Credit is good for one book - you can order from any member in the club), AND when you request books for yourself, the senders pay the postage to send those books to you.

Swap Books for Free - PaperBackSwap.com

It costs nothing to participate, except for postage - there are no membership fees. You even get 2 startup Book Credits free if you are the first account at your household - you can use those credits to order 2 books for yourself, right away!

Give your books a better life - no more languishing on dusty bookshelves! Find new readers for them and get new books for yourself. Send a book, get a book. It's easy and it's free!

You can even print the postage right onto the address label, and mail the book from your outgoing mailbox or any blue mailbox.

Tallulah is a good friend to let you in on this! If you do sign up, please use this link.

If you use the link above to join and you become an active member, Tallulah will get a free Book Credit for referring you to the club!

For more information about PaperBackSwap, you can visit our Help Center by clicking this link.

Best Regards,
The PaperBackSwap Team

Join the Club and Swap Books for Free! - PaperBackSwap.com

~~~

Check out Tallulah's swapping shelf at the bottom of this blog!

Armchair BEA Discussion: Genre Fiction

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads

Armchair BEA Discussion: Genre: Genre Fiction

 

My favorite genre is mystery. Any kind: <in my best Bubba Gump voice> traditional mystery, legal thriller, medical thriller, cozy mystery, police procedural, murder mystery, crime, detective story, gangster, hardboiled, young adult.

I also like to read science fiction, romance, and fantasy.


If you’re a reader of genre fiction do you have a favourite author or series?

I don't have a favorite author or series, even within the mystery genre.

I like that many mystery authors are now mixing other genres into their stories. For example, I finished up the Sookie Stackhouse - Southern Vampire Mystery series (by Charlaine Harris) this week. I started reading it because a friend insisted that I watch the television adaptation of the novels, True Blood. Normally, I would not have picked up this series because of the focus on vampires. I gave in since it was a mystery series. [I can thank True Blood for getting my head right to read Dracula.]

Dead Ever After, the thirteenth and final Sookie Stackhouse novel, was released earlier this month. The first day of reviews for DEA were harsh! Those readers felt robbed. I was pleased with the last book (more so than some of the previous books).

I "read" the entire series this year via audiobooks (narrated by Johanna Parker). I have to wonder if the briefness of my encounter with the series influenced my overall opinion as compared to those who have been reading each book, from year to year.

Do you like to savor the anticipation and read a series as each book is published? Or do you prefer to read the entire series at once?

@madhoydenish no, actually I like to read them all together. otherwise I easily forget what happens in between. #armchairbea
— Tanya (@momsvictories) May 31, 2013

And what keeps bringing you back for moremysteries?

I love trying to figure out "whodunit" and why.


And if you don’t read one (or more) of these genres what is it that deters you from those sections of the bookstore?

I am not a fan of horror, but I try to read two horror books each year - for good measure. I tend to reflect on books for a while after I read them. I don't like to reflect on scary things.

Gold star for me this year! I read three horror books during Bout of Books 7.0 this month. I have still have to read Dark Revelations to complete the Dark Origins trilogy. Hmm, can I count two of them towards my horror quota for next year?

Armchair BEA Discussion: Classic Literature Pt. 2 (Pride and Prejudice)

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads

Armchair BEA asked:

Why, reader, do you love classics?

Today, tell us all the reasons why you love classic literature. What are your favorite classics? If you could give a list of classics to someone who claims to hate them to make them change their mind, what would be on it? How would you convince them to give classics a try? And why do you keep coming back to those old favorites? - Genre: Classic Literature (Classics)

I like classics because they give me a picture of a time and place very different from my own.

I admittedly don't read a lot of classics. Therefore, I can't say that I am a lover of classic books. Unless I can count 84 Charing Cross Road, which is an epistolary novel about a woman who loves classic books. But I digress... With so many new books coming out each month, I find it hard to pick up classics on a consistent basis. There is just too much to read. On the other hand, I am not a hater of them either (they are in my TBR list).

For those who claim to hate the classics, I would suggest mixing it up. Read classics that have been adapted by radio, film and/or television and then listening to/watching the adaptations. I find the varying interpretations fascinating. They usually shed a different light on how I originally saw the classic. Two classics that I enjoyed but probably wouldn't have reached for at the bookstore are Dracula by Bram Stoker and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

PART 2 - Pride and Prejudice

I would recommend reading some of Jane Austen's novels. Although I came to my blog's name in a roundabout way due to Austen, I must confess that I am not the biggest Austen lover. I read Pride and Prejudice in high school and didn't feel compelled to read any of her other books.*  

As an adult, I decided to read all of her novels after watching the movie adaption of The Jane Austen Book Club and later reading the book. Her works are referenced numerous other books. They seem show up in my reading every few months, regardless of genre. Many movies and television shows have been based on Austen's novels.

Why should you read Pride and Prejudice?

• It's on Helene Hanff's list in 84, Charing Cross. If Helene says so, it must be good.
• P&P is #2 on the American Book Review's list of the 100 best first lines from novels.
• There are quite a few movie adaptations for you to judge and review. You can see how each portrayal of Elizabeth brings something different to the character in the movie adaptations. 
• You might have something a common with an Austen character. Take this quiz below. I am Elizabeth Bennet from Pride And Prejudice.

Read the book. Get your favorite snack. Watch the adaption(s). Let me know what you think.


Which Jane Austen Character Are YOU? [quiz]

What is you favorite book written by Jane Austen? [poll]

 

Ronnie Taheny's amazing Mr Darcy poem performed at The Gov in Adelaide, South Australia on Feb 3rd, 2008. - posted on YouTube by futzmasterpro

* I re-read Pride and Prejudice and changed my mind about it. See Dr. Darcy is my new literary boyfriend.

Armchair BEA Discussion: Classic Literature Pt. 1 (Dracula)

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads

Armchair BEA asked:

Why, reader, do you love classics?

Today, tell us all the reasons why you love classic literature. What are your favorite classics? If you could give a list of classics to someone who claims to hate them to make them change their mind, what would be on it? How would you convince them to give classics a try? And why do you keep coming back to those old favorites? - Genre: Classic Literature (Classics)

I like classics because they give me a picture of a time and place very different from my own.

I admittedly don't read a lot of classics. Therefore, I can't say that I am a lover of classic books. Unless I can count 84 Charing Cross Road, which is an epistolary novel about a woman who loves classic books. But I digress... With so many new books coming out each month, I find it hard to pick up classics on a consistent basis. There is just too much to read. On the other hand, I am not a hater of them either (they are in my TBR list).

For those who claim to hate the classics, I would suggest mixing it up. Read classics that have been adapted by radio, film and/or television and then listen to/watch the adaptations. I find the varying interpretations fascinating. They usually shed a different light on how I originally saw the classic. Two classics that I enjoyed but probably wouldn't have reached for at the bookstore are Dracula by Bram Stoker and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

 

Part 1 - Dracula

I would argue that Dracula, in one way or another, is the source of most of the vampire stories told since its publishing in 1897. In general, I am not a huge fan of vampire books or movies. Honestly, the only vampire that I love is the Count from Sesame Street. I am however, a Nosey Nelly. I like to be at least a little "in the know" about what other people are reading. Dracula is the granddaddy of all vampire books. Come on, classic hater. You gotta read it, if only for its staying power and influence.

While checking my Twitter timeline during Bout of Books 7.0 earlier this month, I realized that I had missed the start of Bite-Sized Dracula's Dracula read-along. So instead of starting Dark Origins - my pre-selected read - I started reading Dracula. [I already had the Dracula ebook pictured above.]

Do consider joining in the read-along. You can read at your own pace, at any time (don't worry that it has already started). It's a neat way to read this classic. The actual text of the novel is posted on the blog, so you don't need a copy. The BSD blog posts a new portion daily with tweets from the characters.

Have found some hope in the Szgany (no clue how to pronounce that) working for Dracula. Gave them letters (and a bribe) to send home.
— Jonathan Harker (@JHarkerEsq) May 28, 2011

Some days there is even an alternate steampunk version of a scene. Although I finished the ebook, I am still reading along with Bite-Sized Dracula. Jonathan Harker's entries are by far the best - both in the classic novel and on Twitter. Vampires are all the rage right now. After reading Dracula, I can kinda see why.



 

When you finish the book, move on to the adaptations. You should listen to the radio adaptation of Dracula by Orson Welles from Adventures in Old Time Radio (1938). You can listen to it for free using the bar below. It's less than an hour long. Don't cheat and only listen to the this version. You still need to read the book. SMH.



Then try a couple of Dracula-based movies, comic books, television shows (Dracula is coming Fridays this fall to NBC) and/or cartoons. OMG! How could you not give Dracula a try?


Your mission, classic hater, should you decide to accept it:

1. Read the book.
2. Get your favorite snack.
3. Check out the adaptions.
4. Swing back by my blog to check out my review (I'm currently working on it).
5. Let me know what you thought of the novel.
6. Let me know what adaptations you liked.

Are you still here? UGH! Go read Dracula! Bramsy and I are waiting...

[ah-hem] Hello #ArmchairBEA! Let Me Introduce Myself.

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads

My answers to Armchair BEA is Coming ... Prep Your Introductions! questions:

Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

Hi. My name is Tallulah. I have had a blog for about two years. I would not saying that I have been "blogging" though. I read a lot of books. I scribble lots of notes (and some reviews) about those books on paper. I started blogging because I thought that it would be cool to move my scribbles online. Sadly, I haven't been good about actually posting them. <sigh> I hope to correct that this summer.

Where in the world are you blogging from? Tell a random fact or something special about your current location. Feel free to share pictures.

I am blogging from Atlanta. Atlanta is the capital of and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. One of the most famous books set in this city is Gone with the Wind, a novel written by Margaret Mitchell.

 

The story is set in Clayton County, Georgia, and Atlanta during the American Civil War and Reconstruction. Mitchell received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the book in 1937. Gone with the Wind was adapted into an American film of the same name in 1939.

Although I have visited the Margaret Mitchell House numerous times for author readings, I have never read Gone with the Wind. After watching the American Masters/PBS documentary Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel it's moved up on my to-be-read list. Along with Margaret Mitchell & John Marsh: The Love Story Behind Gone with the Wind by Marianne Walker.

I think BEA should come to Atlanta. #armchairbea #armchairbea
— Amy (@ladyreaderstuff) May 31, 2013

Have you previously participated in Armchair BEA? What brought you back for another year? If you have not previously participated, what drew you to the event?

This is my first time participating. I was lurking on Lisa's Just Another Rabid Reader blog and came across her post about Armchair BEA.

What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013?

I am currently reading The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne.

Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.

I am allergic to grass. That's a bad problem to have living in Georgia.

Name your favorite blog(s) and explain why they are your favorite(s).

I don't have any yet. There are so many to see! I usually don't get back to visit more than once or twice. Hopefully, this will change. I recently signed up for GFC and bloglovin' to stay more connected. I am going to try and visit lots of #ArmchairBEA participants' blogs this week. See you soon!

All you people saying you don't have friends... You just gained a blog creeper. You. Will. Love. Me... #boutofbooks
— Amy Tesch (@MissNerdy) May 18, 2013

Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read?

I haven't written it yet. Swing by my blog at the end of the summer. I'll have something fabulous posted by then.

If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?

I would like to dine in a supper club with jazz singer Shug Avery from The Color Purple (by Alice Walker). Shug is a series of fascinating contradictions.

I loved Margaret Avery's musical performances as Shug in the movie adaptation. Check out the movie trailer.

After dessert, Shug and I would "jump up" with the house band and jam the night away. Of course, I would be lip syncing and wearing a shiny red dress.

What literary location would you most like to visit? Why?

I read Back of Beyond (Cody Hoyt #1) by C.J. Box earlier this year. Most of the action is set in Yellowstone National Park. Although it's a murder mystery, my take-away from the book was that Yellowstone is awesome. I felt like an arm chair traveler as I was reading it. I am definitely planning on visiting for real in the future.

What is your favorite part about the book blogging community?

Sharing book recommendations. The book blogging community encourages me to read books that I probably wouldn't read if left to my own devices.

Amen! RT @madhoydenish: A2. Surprised @ how much my TBR list has grown. Shame on you all. You shouldn't tempt an addict. #boutofbooks
— Katherine Nabity (@Katen) May 18, 2013

Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years?

Fewer participants per blog tour. I recently realized that I've started ignoring some featured blog tour books since I keep seeing the same tour on a bazillion sites. Okay, maybe not a bazillion. That's an exaggeration... but still. See Maureen Johnson's blog post BLOG TOURS, AND THE WORD NO from BEA last year.


Swap Books for Free - PaperBackSwap.com

Count me in! Armchair BEA 2013

#ArmchairBEA has been floating around in my Twitter timeline for the past couple of weeks. I didn't pay it much attention because I was not attending the Book Expo America (BEA) conference in New York. All my mind registerered was BEA - not Armchair (color me green with envy).

Thank goodness - I was lurking on Lisa's Just Another Rabid Reader blog and came across her post on Armchair BEA. My major takeaway? Armchair BEA. <DING!> <DING!> <DING!> I got it. Count me in!

Design credit: Nina of Nina Reads

Armchair BEA is the experience for book bloggers to participate in Book Expo America (BEA) from the comfort of their homes. This experience is created lovingly by book bloggers specifically for our peers who for whatever reason are not able to participate in the main conference in New York each year. We bring publishers, authors, and bloggers together in celebrating our love for all things literary by hosting celebrations such as sneak peeks, daily discussion topics, and sponsored giveaways. - Armchair BEA Mission Statement

Armchair BEA is scheduled for May 28-June 2, 2013. You can still register: it's not too late. Here are a few important links:

Armchair BEA FAQ
Announcing the 2013 Armchair BEA Agenda!!

Twitter Party Schedule!

Clearly, this is my first year participating. If you have participated before, what is your favorite part?

Great job! @armchairbea Luv reading all your updates and those of your tweeps. LOVE browsing all the great #ArmchairBEA blog posts!
— Word Hits (@WordHits) May 30, 2013

A Dark Origins Web Exclusive with Anthony E. Zuiker

The Dark Origins series centers around a rogue serial-killer hunter. Steve Dark is head of a highly secret and incredibly skilled black ops element within the U.S. government, which is tasked with finding and bringing to justice the most brutal and horrific murderers in the world. - The Book Depository

Dark Origins is a three-book digi-novel series that includes Dark Origins, Dark Prophecy, and Dark Revelations. It has video extras so you can read and watch the stories.

"About every twenty pages, you will have the option of logging in to experience a digital cyber-bridge—a three-minute motion picture scene with A-list actors you might’ve seen in blockbuster films and award winning TV shows. Before your eyes, the characters will spring to life, crime scene details will explode off the screen... "

Anthony introduces the world to Baby Sqweegel.

A Dark Origins Web Exclusive with Daniel Browning Smith (Sqweegel)

The Dark Origins series centers around a rogue serial-killer hunter. Steve Dark is head of a highly secret and incredibly skilled black ops element within the U.S. government, which is tasked with finding and bringing to justice the most brutal and horrific murderers in the world. - The Book Depository

Dark Origins is a three-book digi-novel series that includes Dark Origins, Dark Prophecy, and Dark Revelations. It has video extras so you can read and watch the stories.

"About every twenty pages, you will have the option of logging in to experience a digital cyber-bridge—a three-minute motion picture scene with A-list actors you might’ve seen in blockbuster films and award winning TV shows. Before your eyes, the characters will spring to life, crime scene details will explode off the screen... "

In this web exclusive, we get an inside look at the man behind Sqweegel's mask.

A contortionist serial killer... Need I say more?

A Dark Origins Web Exclusive with Jeff Errico (Storyboards)

The Dark Origins series centers around a rogue serial-killer hunter. Steve Dark is head of a highly secret and incredibly skilled black ops element within the U.S. government, which is tasked with finding and bringing to justice the most brutal and horrific murderers in the world. - The Book Depository

Dark Origins is a three-book digi-novel series that includes Dark Origins, Dark Prophecy, and Dark Revelations. It has video extras so you can read and watch the stories.

"About every twenty pages, you will have the option of logging in to experience a digital cyber-bridge—a three-minute motion picture scene with A-list actors you might’ve seen in blockbuster films and award winning TV shows. Before your eyes, the characters will spring to life, crime scene details will explode off the screen... "

In this web exclusive, we get an inside look at how the Level 26 storyboards were made.

A Dark Origins Web Exclusive with Jessica Cervantes (Snail-Wrangling)

The Dark Origins series centers around a rogue serial-killer hunter. Steve Dark is head of a highly secret and incredibly skilled black ops element within the U.S. government, which is tasked with finding and bringing to justice the most brutal and horrific murderers in the world. - The Book Depository

Dark Origins is a three-book digi-novel series that includes Dark Origins, Dark Prophecy, and Dark Revelations. It has video extras so you can read and watch the stories.

"About every twenty pages, you will have the option of logging in to experience a digital cyber-bridge—a three-minute motion picture scene with A-list actors you might’ve seen in blockbuster films and award winning TV shows. Before your eyes, the characters will spring to life, crime scene details will explode off the screen... "

In this web exclusive, we get an inside look at snail-wrangling on the set of the Level 26 Cyber-bridges. You can see the snails in action in cyber-bridge 12.

Who knew that there are companies that offer this type of service?

Dracula is coming Fridays this fall to NBC.

www.nbc.com/Dracula


Golden Globe winner Jonathan Rhys Myers is playing America's most famous vampire this fall. I loved him in The Tudors.

This trailer has me all excited... and I am not even into vampires.



UPDATE:

The third time is the charm! I have been meaning to read Bram Stoker's Dracula for years. I finally got it done during Bout of Books 7.0. Thanks to some prompting from Bite-Sized Dracula.

I am ready for the Dracula premier. Are you?

I am officially excited about @nbcdracula starting on Fridays this fall. I love Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Oliver Jackson-Cohen.
— Harper Montgomery (@MissHarper100) May 29, 2013

A Dark Origins Web Exclusive with Saif and Nate (Dark Agents)

The Dark Origins series centers around a rogue serial-killer hunter. Steve Dark is head of a highly secret and incredibly skilled black ops element within the U.S. government, which is tasked with finding and bringing to justice the most brutal and horrific murderers in the world. - The Book Depository

Dark Origins is a three-book digi-novel series that includes Dark Origins, Dark Prophecy, and Dark Revelations. It has video extras so you can read and watch the stories.

"About every twenty pages, you will have the option of logging in to experience a digital cyber-bridge—a three-minute motion picture scene with A-list actors you might’ve seen in blockbuster films and award winning TV shows. Before your eyes, the characters will spring to life, crime scene details will explode off the screen... "

In this web exclusive, we get an inside look at how the agents of the Dark Agents, Saif Rahman and Nate Russell Coleman, were assembled. You can see these Dark Arts agents in action in cyber-bridge 3.

Let's Dig In: Examining LEVEL 26 (Cyber-Bridges)

Level 26: Dark Origins by Anthony E. Zuiker (creator of the CSI television franchise) with Duane Swierczynski

The Dark Origins series centers around a rogue serial-killer hunter. Steve Dark is head of a highly secret and incredibly skilled black ops element within the U.S. government, which is tasked with finding and bringing to justice the most brutal and horrific murderers in the world. - The Book Depository

Dark Origins is a three book series that includes Dark Origins, Dark Prophecy, and Dark Revelations. It has video extras* so you can read and watch the stories.

"About every twenty pages, you will have the option of logging in to experience a digital cyber-bridge—a three-minute motion picture scene with A-list actors you might’ve seen in blockbuster films and award winning TV shows. Before your eyes, the characters will spring to life, crime scene details will explode off the screen... "

Check out the cyber-bridges for the book, Dark Origins:

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 1

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 2

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 3

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 4

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 5

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 6

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 7

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 8

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 11

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 10

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 9

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 12

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 13

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 14

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 15

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 16

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 17

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 18

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 19

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Cyber-Bridge 20

I am excited to be reading the Dark Origins digi-novel series during the Bout of Books 7.0 read-a-thon this week.

Be sure to follow my read-a-thon status updates here.

#iamreading | #level26 | #boutofbooks | #sqweegel


* To access various language subtitles, click the CC button the lower right corner of the player and choose your preferred language. Languages available: Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Slovenian, and Spanish (Spain).

Let the Games Begin! Bout of Books 7.0 & LEVEL 26

Let the read-a-thon begin! I am excited to be reading the digi-novel series Level 26 during the Bout of Books 7.0 read-a-thon this week. It is a three book series that begins with Dark Origins.

Be sure to follow my read-a-thon status updates here. I'll also be tweeting using #level26, #boutofbooks, and #sqweegel. Holla at me if you are on "the Twitter" this week.

What are you reading during the bout?

Level 26: Dark Origins

(by Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of the CSI television franchise, with Duane Swierczynski)

 

From the hardcover book jacket (back side):

Unlock a New Level of Fear 

It is well known among law enforcement personnel that murderers can be categorized on a scale of twenty- five levels of evil, from the naive opportunists starting out at Level 1 to the organized, premeditated torture- murderers who inhabit Level 25.

What almost no one knows—except for the elite unnamed investigations group assigned to hunt down the world’s most dangerous killers, a group of men and women accounted for in no official ledger, headed by the brilliant but reluctant operative Steve Dark—is that a new category of killer is in the process of being defined.

Only one man belongs to this group.

His targets: Anyone
His methods:Unlimited
His alias: Sqweegel
His classification: Level 26

Buy:

• Amazon
• The Book Deposoitory (free shipping to 90+ countries)
• PaperBackSwap (buy new)*

*By the way, there are also 20+ used copies (paperbacks + hardcovers) of Dark Origins available for swapping on PaperBackSwap.com right now (including a hardcover that I posted). The hardcover ISBN is 0525951253. Order a copy and read along with me!

#iamreading

The Official LEVEL 26 Book Trailer [VIDEO]

Dear Reader,*

Welcome to the Dark side.

The first television script I ever wrote was CSI. Almost overnight, the CSI franchise surpassed my wildest dreams and became a cultural phenomenon. And now, I am extremely pleased to announce my next project, Level 26: Dark Origins. Level 26 takes the best features of books, film, and interactive digital technologies and rolls them all into a unique storytelling experience we’re calling the world’s first “Digi-Novel™.”

Level 26: Dark Origins features Steve Dark, the ultimate crime scene tactician on the tail of a killer so brutal law enforcement has invented a new classification of evil to account for him. Dark Origins can be read on the beach or on an airplane without any digital access . . . but where the traditional story ends, a deeper level of immersion is available at www.level26.com, exclusively to readers of the book. About every twenty pages, you will have the option of logging in to experience a digital cyber-bridge—a three-minute motion picture scene with A-list actors you might’ve seen in blockbuster films and award winning TV shows. Before your eyes, the characters will spring to life, crime scene details will explode off the screen, and the Web site might even ask for a phone number—where the killer can reach you directly. You might call it CSI with an edge.

Level 26 is not just something you read. It’s an experience. Read, watch, log in. Enjoy!

Anthony E. Zuiker

* from the inside front book jacket

I will be reading the digi-novel series Level 26 during the Bout of Books 7.0 read-a-thon.

Check Out "First Saturday In May" via Hulu.

"Two minutes can last a lifetime."

 

 

  

First Saturday In May

 

- Follow six diverse trainers as they jockey for position along the 2006 Kentucky Derby trail.

 

• Release Date: April 2008
• Rating: PG-13
• Run Time: 1 hr. 40 min

LEVEL 26 Exclusive: Anthony E. Zuiker in Toronto [VIDEO]

Anthony E. Zuiker travels to Toronto, Canada to promote the world's first "digi-novel" Level 26: Dark Origins and brings you along for the ride.
 

Buy:

• Amazon
• The Book Deposoitory (free shipping to 90+ countries)
• PaperBackSwap (buy new)*

*By the way, there are also 20+ used copies (paperbacks + hardcovers) of Dark Origins available for swapping on PaperBackSwap.com right now (including a hardcover that I posted). The hardcover ISBN is 0525951253. Order a copy and read along with me!


I will be reading the digi-novel series Level 26 during the Bout of Books 7.0 read-a-thon from April 13 - 19, 2013. Drop by my update page to see how I am doing.

LEVEL 26: DARK ORIGINS Promo [15 Sec. Video]

Level 26: Dark Origins

(by Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of the CSI television franchise, with Duane Swierczynski)

 

From the back of the hardcover book jacket:

Unlock a New Level of Fear 

It is well known among law enforcement personnel that murderers can be categorized on a scale of twenty- five levels of evil, from the naive opportunists starting out at Level 1 to the organized, premeditated torture- murderers who inhabit Level 25.

What almost no one knows—except for the elite unnamed investigations group assigned to hunt down the world’s most dangerous killers, a group of men and women accounted for in no official ledger, headed by the brilliant but reluctant operative Steve Dark—is that a new category of killer is in the process of being defined.

Only one man belongs to this group.

His targets: Anyone
His methods:Unlimited
His alias: Sqweegel
His classification: Level 26

Buy:

• Amazon
• The Book Deposoitory (free shipping to 90+ countries)
• PaperBackSwap (buy new)*

I will be reading the digi-novel series Level 26 during the Bout of Books read-a-thon. Check out the Level 26: Dark Origins book trailer.

*By the way, there are also 20+ used copies (paperbacks + hardcovers) of Dark Origins available for swapping on PaperBackSwap.com right now (including a hardcover that I posted). The hardcover ISBN is 0525951253. Order a copy and read along with me!

#iamreading