What's Next?

At this point, I think many people are sick to death of vampires. Personally, while my love of vampires will never die, the emasculated emo fairies that are out now really should sacrifice themselves for a greater cause. But as all areas of fiction are wont to do, genres trend, mainly because editors end up getting sick and tired of seeing certain things, the sales start to reflect that, and they need to move onto something new.

According to this Publisher's Weekly article, it would appear that post-apocalyptic dystopian fantasies are the new rage, or at least on the up and coming. It's undeniable just how popular The Hunger Games and Catching Fire are and both fit into that harried world nicely. And while I've never read any of the others mentioned in the article, that doesn't mean I haven't seen them around. Nearly everyone touts how good the Gone series is.

The article also indicates that it seems that the worse off the story is, the better it is to read. What do you think about that? Do you like reading about a total and utter breakdown of society? Do you like at least one ray of sunshine in all the gloom?

What about the trend in general? Do you think, with vampires on their way out, that the dystopian reading will be next to fill YA shelves?

As the World Falls Down

I apologize for the lack of bookish posts over the last few days but I haven't been doing much of anything except remaining tethered to a bathroom and sucking back 1000 milligrams of antibiotics a day in an attempt to kick the ass of a flu that's currently kicking mine. Nothing says virally spanked like ending up face down on the bathroom floor at 3:30 in the morning in a pool (literally) of your own sweat because you spiked a fever in a matter of 30 seconds. So have some more Labyrinth because I am on a serious bender for that movie. Dear god, Goblin King, take me away.

Fright Fest - Halloween

The original, not any of the crap sequels or remakes. God, Hollywood unoriginality makes me die on the inside lately.

This has to be one of the most moralistic horror movies ever created. You have sex, you die. Awesome message. But outside of that, what really makes this movie scary is the creep Michael Meyers does. A lot of the time, especially in the grainy scenes of the pre-remastered version, all you see hovering in the background is that white face mask and you know something's coming but you can't help but jump when it does.

It's also such a dark movie. I'm talking about lighting. You can't see in the shadows any better than the characters in the movie can so you're just as surprised as they are when Mikey pops out. At least you're not getting a large knife in the eye.

Of course, you end up having organizations like NAMI that boycotts the showing of the movie every year because they don't like its depiction of the mentally ill. And for which I scoff because they really need to lighten the hell up. Political correctness is such a buzz kill. I'm not sure why they don't boycott every horror movie with a murderous villain because they're all some level of crazy but I guess because it's such a prominent part of Halloween that they just don't like it the most here. Oh well.

One of the best parts of this movie, though, is how slow Michael Meyers walks yet how capable he is of pwning all of his victims. No matter how fast you run, he'll always catch you. It's like a bad dream. Or maybe all that craziness of his gives him super powers. Maybe that's what NAMI doesn't like about it. They're giving away secrets!

That or the theme songs tweaks them out just as much as everyone else and they want to kill it.

Sunday Contest Slurry

Ends 11/11

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - Chelsea at The Page Flipper

Ends 11/12

Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler - Elie at Ellz Readz

5 autographed copies of Shadowland by Alyson Noel - Free Book Friday Teens

Ends 11/13

4 copies of Cheating, Death by Teel McClanahan - Blog with Bite

Ends 11/15

Fade Out by Rachel Caine - Elie at Ellz Readz

Ends 11/16

Medina Hill by Trilby Kent - Alea at Pop Culture Junkie

Ends 11/19

Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney - Alea at Pop Culture Junkie

Ends 11/20

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Elizabeth Stohl and a signed copy of Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink - Becky at Libri Dilectio

Set of Blood Coven books by Mari Mancusi with 3 books - Kristi at The Story Siren

Ends 11/21

Immortal edited by PC Cast - Tales of a Ravenous Reader

Ends 11/22

Set of Gallagher Girls books by Ally Carter with 3 books - Lili at ChicaReader

Ends 11/23

2 copies of The Amanda Project: Invisible I by Stella Lennon/Melissa Kantor - Right here on Bites

Ends 11/24

4 copies of Medina Hill by Trilby Kent - Lauren at Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf

Ends 11/25

Looking for Alaska by John Green- Allison at Read Into This!

Ends 11/27

Signed copy of My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman - Lenore at Presenting Lenore

Wake by Lisa McMann - Meghan at Meghan's Book Blog

Ends 11/28

4 copies of Pollen and the Ring of Harmony by Francis T. Perry Williams - J Kaye at J Kaye's Book Blog

Ends 11/30

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater - Natalie at Mindful Musings

Three copies of The Encyclopedia of Immaturity, Volumes 1 and 2 by Klutz - Sophie at Mrs. Magoo Reads

Ends 12/2

Vampire by Joules Taylor and Werewolves by Jon Izzard - Neveen at Princess Neve Reviews

Ends 12/9

100 Follower Contest with your choice from 4 books and swag - Adrienne at An Addicted Book Reader

Bites Policy

Content

All reviews and various posts are of my own doing and creation. Credit is attributed where it is deserved in those posts. No, I will not remove a review for any reason except for impending legal action. And I'm not talking about threats, either, unless they come in the form of an official-looking cease and desist letter.

Honesty is my best policy. If you don't like what I'm saying, don't read it. But don't think there's anything short of said lawsuit to get me to change anything I say. This is what happens when you put yourself out there for the world to judge. Get a thicker skin, embrace Kevlar or become a hermit.

On that note, I work on the credo "don't say anything online you wouldn't say to someone's face." Just remember that.

For my review policy, read this. Learn from it. Adopt it as your own. Nurse it.

Comments

I reserve any and all right to shut you the fuck up if you're being a douche. Consider this blog my house. When you come in, treat it and me with respect, you know, like a normal human being. If you come in being a dick, don't be surprised when I dick you back. It's only fair.

As for trolls, they will be dealt with with public humiliation and shunning. They deserve it.

Everyone else, comment as you see fit. If you disagree with me on something, please do it with respect and intelligence. I love having insightful and reasonable conversations with people. That's how I'd like it to stay as my brass knuckles need a rest every once in a while.

Contests

All of my contests are open to everyone of all ages unless otherwise specified (because, you know, I need some smut every once in a while, and I'm sure you do too). The majority of contests are held for books I have in hand so when you send me your address, that's where it stops. I'm not about to sell it. I'm not that hard up for money.

There will be a few contests sponsored by various publishers and publicists where the books will be sent right from the source. While I won't sell your information, I can't vouch for them so enter at your own risk, although I doubt the risk is very high.

While I normally post the ending dates of my contests in the contest post, I reserve the right to end it whenever I want for any reason. I can't think of a reason why I would end it earlier than I stated but I'm sure the trolls can think of something.

As for winners, they are chosen at my discretion, usually utilizing a random number generator. Yes, it is possible to win more than one contest on this blog although I will do my best to stretch it out to give others a chance. This hasn't been an issue yet but the statistics are against me. So yes, that does mean I will alter the results of a contest (which usually means hitting the "give me a number" button one more time) in order to prevent the same person from winning on my blog multiple times in a short amount of time. Fairness can go either way here but I'm aiming for diversity. Don't like it, don't enter. I will not, under any other circumstances, alter the outcome of a contest otherwise.

Each individual contest will dictate who is eligible to enter, so check each contest to see if you can.

Anything Else?

Not that I can think of at the moment, but I'll let you know.

Added to the Pile + 18

More goodness! I think my TBR pile is starting to tip. From Llewellyn I received Field Guide to the Little People by Nancy Arrowsmith, from Little, Brown I received a copy of The Vampire's Assistant and Other Tales from the Cirque du Freak by Darren Shan (which I'm probably going to turn around in a contest since I already have these three books) and I received my copy of Ruined by Paula Morris from Nicole at WORD for Teens. Yay! *flop*

In high summer meadows, nestled in the moors, near old castles, or behind the kitchen stove - these are the places where the Little People may be found.

Make the acquaintance of White Ladies and Red Caps, Church Grims and Hobgoblins, English Fairies, Leprechauns, Sirens, Hey-Hey Men, and all of their strange and mythical kin. Become wise in the ways of these magical creatures, some beautiful and benevolent, others cunning, menacing, or morose. (book back blurb)

Do you love to be scared? Then don't miss the terrifying adventure that begins when Darren and his best friend, Steve, get tickets to the CIRQUE DU FREAK, a wonderfully bizarre and creepy freak show. Brace yourself for thrills and chills as the boys witness a parade of grotesque creatures and face their deepest fears by entering the darkest world of the vampire. (book back blurb)

Rebecca Brown couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to live while her dad is away on business. She's staying in a creepy house with her aunt Claudia, who reads tarot cards for a living. And at the snotty prep school, a pack of filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda.

Then one night, among the oak trees in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to show Rebecca the nooks and crannies of New Orleans. There's just one catch.

Lisette is a ghost.

A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle.

As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend - and she begins to trust Anton Grey - she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair? (book flap blurb)

Things I've Learned from Books + 27

Pining after your love in secret and having it eat away at your insides is a surefire way to get her to love you back. Not to mention it's sooooooooooooooooooo interesting for the readers to read over and over and over again.

Bonus Labyrinth!

Because I love you guys. And formulating any more coherent of a blog post in my fever-induced stupor is just not going to happen.

80s Awesomeness! ~ 36

Probably god's gift to movies right here. If you haven't seen Labyrinth, what the hell are you waiting for? Go Netflix it or whatever it is you do to get movies. For those of you that have, then you understand my love and adoration for this movie. The creatures, the Labyrinth itself, the bucket of sex that is David Bowie . . . what? Crap. I said that out loud, didn't I? Oh well.

One of Jennifer Connelly's first movies, there's a reason why people still love it today. Awesome much?

Freaky Friday :|: 36

Title: Crash Landing
Author: Nicole Davidson
Published: October 1996
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pages: 187
Summary:

A group of friends head to the mountains for a planned ski trip. But they didn't plan on murder. Starting with one girl's murder, followed by another's death, the friends are caught in a fatal cat-and-mouse game in which they all may end up as victims. (from bn.com)

Review:

This is a well written book! I am 17 and I don't like to read because I find it a drag but this book was very cool to read. I wasn't bored with it and it had a good plot. Different events occurred that made you wonder what was going to happen. I would recommend reading this book even if you don't like to read!! (Anonymous, from bn.com)

This is a sequel to Crash Course. Looks like it did better than its predecessor! How rare that is, huh? Sounds like the same premise, just a different purpose. I guess it was better written or something.

Parent/Child Disconnect

Judy Blume was recently honored by the National Coalition Against Censorship for the twenty-something years Blume has been fighting against not only the censorship of her books, but the censorship of others. One of the moments of the night was when various people stood up and read letters from irate parents shaming Blume for what she wrote, and then thankful letters from children, thanking her for what she wrote.

Now, that really caught me off guard. Sure, I'd heard it before. Ellen Hopkins has talked a lot about it. It's the adults she's banned by and the kids she's thanked by. But for whatever reason, this article really made it clear that parents just don't talk to their children anymore. Why? Do they not want to hear what they have to say? Do they not care? Would they rather someone else handle all of the awkwardness of adolescence and growing up?

Why do parents want to rip books like Blume's right out of their children's hands while those same children are forever thankful for those same books?

People, this is how we start out on the path of Parent Fail. You know, parents aren't supposed to "get" teenagers and teenagers aren't supposed to "get" parents but shouldn't you know what's going on in your child's life? If they're finding solace and answers and help in books, are they doing it because they're filling a void they're not otherwise getting? Why does that void even exist? Why don't you sit down with your kid and talk with them and tell them really, they're ok, you're there to help?

But parents don't anymore. They rely on someone, or something, else to do it. Parents don't raise their children anymore. Schools do. TV does. The computer does. But what a shock it is when the parents come to find out they know nothing about their own children and are affronted by what they find out. Such a double standard, I know.

Why talk to your child when you can just ignore them and bar them from finding information out? Why allow them to read and explore when you can readily deny them that form of entertainment and fact-seeking so they remain your version of children for as long as you can manage? Is that really the best option? Doubt it.

You know, maybe if parents actually sat down and talked with their kids, they could find solutions to problems together. Children wouldn't feel like they're so alone and have to go out and find answers by themselves. You were there once, remember? Why not help your kid out a little, huh? They're going to find it anyway. Might as well be the parent you're supposed to be and help them along the way.

So instead of shaming authors like Judy Blume for the work she does, why not thank her? She was comfort to your child when you were spouting off about the immortality of her books. While you were too busy telling Blume how wrong she was, how children don't need to be reading stuff like that, your child was reading it, learning from it, enjoying it and thanking it for existing. What's so bad about that? So a 13 year old boy learns that his wet dreams are actually normal. Is that so wrong? A 14 year old girl finds out that her want to masturbate is perfectly fine. What's so bad about that?

Be a parent to your children. It is your job to be teaching them about this stuff. Awkwardness came with the package when you decided to fuck and keep the spawn that sprung. Shutting them in a closet and closing out the world will only hurt them. Why would you want to hurt your child?