What makes YOU read a book review?

When I was going through my blog reader this past week I started to notice that there were many different reasons for why I would or wouldn't read a book review. I know what most of you are probably thinking right now:

"What are you talking about Julia? People will read a book review to find out if the book is any good or not! THAT'S why they read reviews!"

Don't worry guys! I know that. But that isn't the only reason I read book reviews. In fact there are a TON of different reason I read book reviews! Here (in no particular order) are the ones that come to mind:

1. The book cover catches my eye.

                                         Thumbs Up!              Thumbs Down.

I have a confession to make: I judge books by their covers. If a book has a bad cover I will probably try to avoid it like the plague unless some really great book review comes along and convinces me otherwise. I know, I'm a terrible bookish person. This is probably why I overlooked Where Things Come Back by Corey Whaley which recently won the Printz award AND the William C. Morris Debut Award. The cover of that book just looked dead boring so I never read any reviews for it. Ever. In fact for some strange reason I thought it was about zombies. Probably because it mentions things coming back in the title and I thought it was referring to "back from the dead". Yep, this is embarrassing.... But on the other side of the spectrum is books like Entwined by Heather Dixon where the gorgeous (albiet overly romanticized) cover got me to read review after review. Even so I still haven't read the book nor do I think I ever will. The whole 12 dancing princesses thing just doesn't appeal to me... but at least I know what this book is about as compared to me throwing Where Things Come Back to the wayside just because of it's unfortunate woodpecker cover. :/

2. I really like the book reviewer

There are some book bloggers that write reviews that I always love to read. Even if it's a book I know I probably won't be interested in I will still read their review. Also, I've noticed that I tend to overlook reviews for books I've never heard of before (unless of course the cover is gorgeous :P) but I will click into these types of reviews if their from my favorite reviewers. I of course will read reviews from any blog I follow not just my favorites but I am more likely to read the ones from my favorite blogs.

3. BOOK HYPE

This is probably the biggest reason of all. If a book has a lot of hype in the blogosphere you can bet I'll be reading a lot of reviews for it. Probably any review I can find. Like Shatter Me? I read at least a dozen reviews for that book. Same with The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. Another thing about book hype is I always like to read a good objective negative review before I actually read the book. This always helps me realize that the book isn't perfect and I shouldn't have unattainable ideals about it. But yeah, book hype will get me to read a review every time.

4. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the book!

If I really love a book I will read a ton of reviews for it just so I can gush in the comments about how amazing it was and how glad I am that the reviewer loved it too. Reading the reviews also reminds me of all the reasons I loved the book, and sometimes it will even open my eyes to new reasons to love the book even more! The most recent book to win my heart like this is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Haven't read it yet? DO IT. NOW.

5. I didn't enjoy the book.

If there's a book I didn't really like oftentimes I will read other reviews of it so I can understand why people loved it. Like The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith. I didn't care for that book but other people adored it so after I finished reading it I was sure to go around and look for people's reviews. I love to compare and contrast my views with other peoples views, especially when it comes to literature.

And last but certainly not least I read book reviews because:

6. I want to find out if I should read a book or not.

I'm one of those types of people who always likes to finish what they start. Because of that I never really give up on a book. That being said I don't like to read a book on a whim. If I'm on the fence about a book I will normally go search out some reviews by people who tend to have the same interests as me and that helps me decide on whether or not I should read the book. An example for this is The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. A romance? Normally not my thing. But at the same time it looked and sounded intriguing. I've read a few reviews and I have now decided that I will definitely be reading this book! A few other books that I've decided to read because of reviews are Amy and Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson and Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman. Notice how they're all contemporary romance types? Yeah, I definitely need some extra convincing in that department. :P

So those are my main reasons for why I will read a book review. Not so straight forward ehhh? There definitely isn't a simple cut and dry formula, at least not for me!

Now comes the fun part. You get to tell me why YOU read book reviews! Is it for some of the same reasons as me? Or reasons that are entirely different? I'm super curious to read all your answers!

Julia :)

Bookish Questions: Do you lend out your books?

About a week ago I lent my copy of Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker to one of my very good friends. I didn't think much of it until I actually got to giving him the book. As I was handing it to him my mind started going crazy thinking up all sorts of "worst possible scenarios" for what could happen to the book. What if he accidentally rips the pages? What if he bends the spine? What if he spills food or water on it? And worst of all: What if he actually manages to LOSE MY PRECIOUS BOOK?!?!?!

This silly little situation made me realize something awful: I am a selfish book owner. I'm the kind of book owner who guards their books like a hawk and doesn't let anyone touch them for fear of water damage or fingerprints. Sound ridiculous? Yes, it is. I do realize I'm a bit paranoid..... >.<

So my question to you guys is: Do you lend out your books to friends? Or do you have a book lending phobia like I do?

Julia :)

Bookish Questions: Is there such thing as being too edgy in YA?

YA has kind of been given a bad rap lately. Why? Well, a lot of people seem to think its "too edgy." That there's just too much "tough stuff" in YA lit, and teenagers can't handle it. So I've decided to pose the question: Is there such a thing as being too edgy in YA? 

Personally, I like a lot of edgy YA books. Growing up homeschooled for my entire life has caused me to be fairly sheltered from a lot of things in the world. Drugs, eating disorders, suicide, they all seemed like a mystery to me. Sure I knew they existed but reading books about them actually made the issues become real. Drugs? Ellen Hopkins. Eating Disorders? Laurie Halse Anderson. Suicide? Jay Asher. The list goes on and on. Yes, a lot of these books are dark and fairly mature, but never for a moment have I regretted reading any of them.

Of course there are always some edgy YA books that I'm not going to read. For example I never read The DUFF by Kody Keplinger. I've heard its an amazing book, and I'm sure that it is, but I'm not really into books with a lot of sexual themes, so I just decided not to read this one.


Basically what I'm trying to say here is that I think it doesn't matter how "edgy" a YA book is. What does matter is that people use discernment when choosing the books they read.  Not all books are going to suitable for all people. But that doesn't mean that you stamp a label on a book stating that its "too edgy" for all readers.

So those are my thoughts on edgy YA. I'm super curious to know your guyses opinions on the subject. Do you agree with me? Or do you think that some YA books are just too edgy for teen readers? What are some of your favorite "edgy" YA reads?

Julia :)

Bookish Questions: Do you have book OCD?

In my everyday life I am not OCD at all. Farthest thing from it. But when it comes to books? All sorts of strange things start to surface.... Which comes to my bookish question. Do you have book OCD? Some sort of OCD tendency that only comes to light when you read? Or is only related to books? Allow me to confess my book OCD for all to read. (this is starting to sound like an AA meeting or something..... >.<)

Confession #1

I can't speed read. Or skim. At all. Well unless the book is REALLY boring (aka: text books) and even that's questionable. I'm going to have to take a speed reading class for college and I'm not gonna lie, I'm scared of it. The basis of these speed reading classes is that not everything in the book/essay/article is of equal importance so you only need to read what IS important. This is where my brain starts to yell "THAT'S NOT TRUE! ITS ALL EQUALLY IMPORTANT!!!!" D: I can't even skip words or mess up a sentence while I'm reading. If I do, I have to go back and read it over correctly. OCD much? I know, I'm a closet crazy pants. >.<


Confession #2

Once I start reading something I can't stop. I discussed this in another bookish questions post awhile back. Basically I must finish a book. Its as simple as that. This probably has less to do with OCDness and more to do with the fact that I hate thinking of myself as a quitter, but still its fairly odd.

Confession #3

I don't think I could ever seriously own a Kindle or another eReader. Why? Because if I own a book, then I have to own the physical copy. If I just had a digital copy I wouldn't feel like I really owned it because it wouldn't be palpable. I would have to own the digital copy AND the physical copy.

So those are my 3 OCD book confessions. Do you guys have any? Are you unable to skim like me? Or maybe once you start a series you can't read anything else until you finish the whole series? I'd love to know I'm not alone in my book reading craziness!!! We could all form a club or something. Haha.

Julia :)

Bookish Questions: Series or Stand-Alones?

Nowadays it seems like every single book I read is part of a series. Its kind of insane. And to be honest I don't know how I feel about it.

This seems to be most prevalent in the dystopian/fantasy/adventure genres. Lately it seems like there are hardly any stand-alone novels coming out of these genres.

Now don't get me wrong. I love a good series like any other person. The Hunger Games? LOVE. Harry Potter? LOVE. But does every single book that comes out that isn't a contemporary HAVE to be apart of a series?

I guess my biggest gripe with series is that sometimes they just go on and on. Like Manga. I mean there are 48 volumes of Naruto in Part 1. And that's only Part 1!!!! I honestly don't know how people can just keep reading them. Don't they get boring after awhile? :P

Another thing for me is that sometimes I'll read a book thinking its a stand-alone novel, and then I get to the end and I realize its the first in a series and it feels like I then have to  read the rest of the books. Especially if there is a cliff hanger. I don't have any problem with this if the book is great! But if the book is only so so? Then its like "gosh now I HAVE to read the sequel." (I know, I know, I don't really HAVE to read it but my bookish OCD starts to kick in.....)

I have now come to discover that if I realize I a new book is part of a series, then that factors into whether or not I decide to read it. I have to think: Do I really want to get sucked into another series? Does this really seem like a series I would enjoy reading, or will I possibly regret reading this?

So what are your guys' thoughts on this? Do you wish there were more stand-alone novels or do you like how popular series are these days? And does the fact that a book is the first in a series play a part in whether or not you decide to read it?

(oh and sorry if this post sounds a little like a rant. I mean no offense to any authors who are writing a series or anyone else for that matter. Really, I don't!!!)

Julia :)

Bookish Questions: To buy or to borrow?

I'm a HUGE fan of the Library. Ever since I was little it has been my favorite place to be. I've really been blessed to have great local Libraries and Librarians. And because of this I've just always used the Library. I will gladly admit it: I am a Library addict. If there's a new book coming out, I put it on hold at the Library, if a book is already out, I'll put it on hold, and just about everything I read has a Library sticker on it. I'm one of those people who doesn't buy a book unless I've read it first and LOVED it. Either that or I just got it for a really, REALLY good deal. And even the books that I do buy and love, I have to get them on discount. I can't remember the last time I bought a book for full price and I just can't imagine doing it. I know, I'm such a cheapskate. :P

After starting my blog I've realized how truly unusual I am. I've noticed that a lot of other bloggers just buy all their books. They buy the new releases as soon as they come out, they buy an older book that catches their eye, they buy stuff people recommend, they buy tons, and tons of books and sometimes those same books will sit on a shelf and not get read for another 6 months. I know how that is. I've done it before too. :P

So which kind of reader are you? Do you like to borrow books? Buy the books? Or are you a little bit of both? And do you buy books at full price or do you buy them on discount?

Julia :)

Bookish Questions: Do you judge a book by its cover?

Just about everyone has heard the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover." Well what I'm asking today is: Do you follow this rule or do you (even accidentally!) judge a book by its cover?

I know I tend to judge books by their covers. I try not to but being that its the first thing I notice about a book (other than the title) its just so hard not to notice whether or not the cover is intriguing or cringe-worthy. Sometimes my cover judging can lead me to almost miss out on an amazing book. For example:

Across the Universe. Okay so I think its pretty much impossible NOT to think this cover is gorgeous so thats not what turned me off. The problem was that the cover makes Across the Universe look like a romance. The cover models are almost kissing and it sort of.... well freaked me out. I was so close to not giving this book a chance just because I thought it was gonna be all about romance and cheese sauce. And nothing could be farther from the truth! Across the Universe has now become one of my favorite books of 2011. Good thing I gave it a chance and didn't just blow it off because I thought it was all about romance!

Another book I nearly missed out on because I thought it was a romance is Holly Cupala's Tell Me a Secret.

This book is not about romance at all! Instead its a moving story about teen pregnancy and its pretty awesome to boot! But I would never have read it if one of my friends hadn't suggested it to me and assured me it wasn't a romance. The kick ass book trailer also helped convince me I needed to read this book. And I'm so glad I did!

Clearly my big problem with book covers is that if I think they look to romantic I won't pick them up. This is something I need to cure.....

On the other end of the spectrum is awesome book covers that make me want to read the book, but the summary is holding me back.

Take Unearthly for instance:

This cover photo does not even describe the actual amazingness of the real cover. Its shiny. And silver. And I'm pretty sure its kind of pearlescent too. Lets just say its the prettiest, shiniest thing you can imagine. I saw it at Borders one day and was overwhelmed with the gorgeousness of the cover. But then I read the summary and was like "Hmmm a paranormal? I don't know if I'll like this book...." The thing is I want to like it so bad just because the cover is so darn shiny and pretty. :P So here I go wanting to read a book because the cover is gorgeous but not being able to decide whether or not I'll actually enjoy it because the subject matter isn't necessarily to my reading tastes. By the way if anyone HAS read Unearthly and wants to tell me if its any good let me know in a comment! I still haven't decided if I'm gonna give it a read or not. >.<

So do you guys judge a book by its cover? Have there ever been any books you almost missed out on just because the cover wasn't that great? How about a book that you read because of the cover, but didn't end up enjoying after all?

Julia :)

Bookish Questions: Favorite Childhood Reads

Today we're talking about our favorite childhood reads! Those books that we read and LOVED when we were kids. I don't know about you guys but I've always been a huge reader ever since I was really little. Not only did I read a lot but I also read way above the average reading level for my age. I totally skipped over the Dr. Seuss reading stage. I think I only read like 2 of his books when I was little. Crazy but true. Anyway these were my favorite books when I was a kid starting from when I was in Kindergarten all the way up to 5th grade. :)

Kindergarten - 1st Grade

The first actual book I remember reading as a kid was Go, Dog, Go by P.D. Eastman. Its the book my Mom had all us kids read first! Because of that it definitely holds a special place in my heart. Which sounds so sappy, but its true. :P I love this book.

After I got better at reading I became OBSESSED with the Fox books by Edward Marshall. I thought Fox was awesome because he was such a sassy pants and in my little kindergarten mind he was such a badass. Hilarious right? I especially liked that Fox would always say "Rats!" I tried to adopt it for myself and lets just say my Mom wouldn't have it! Haha.

2nd-3rd Grade

I don't remember exactly how old I was when first heard the The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner on tape but I loved it immediately. I've read this book so many times and countless books in the series too. I totally used to fantasize about living out on my own with my siblings when I was younger because of this book series. I can't tell you how many times we pretended to be the Boxcar Children. I always was forced to be Henry because my older sister didn't want to be the boy. :P But if you really think about it the story is so unrealistic because honestly a 14, 12, 10 and 6 year old living on their own? Yeah not really gonna work. Haha. But still its such an awesome idea and an awesome story. :)

 Nancy Drew Mysteries by Carolyn Keene. Just about every girl has read one of these books. I've read nearly all of them. I was really into mysteries when I was little and these were my favorites! My sister thought they were too scary but I thought they were just right.

4th Grade - 5th Grade 

In 4th Grade I went through this mouse crazy stage. Which sounds really weird but its true. I read any book I could find that had mice in it. I would even search by subject through the Library system and put in mice. No joke! So these are some of my favorite mouse related books: The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban, Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus, and Poppy by Avi. 

Finally the last of my favorite books I read as a kid is Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I went through a fantasy stage and this was by far my favorite. I really like the idea of being able to read things out of stories or getting read into stories!

So those are my favorite books that I read as kid! What about you guys? What are some of your favorite childhood reads?

Julia :)

Bookish Questions: So what do you think of movie adaptions?

This past week the YA world was hit with Hunger Games casting news. Josh Hutcherson is officially cast as Peeta and Liam Hemsworth is officially cast as Gale. *cue sad music and angry fan outbursts*

I know. I can't believe it either. This was me on the morning the casting news hit:

-Log in to Facebook
-Start reading my news feed
-See the official casting announcement
-FREAK OUT! (And not in a good way.)
-Start throwing a mini temper tantrum inside my head ala "OH MY GOSH MILEY CYRUS' EX BOYFRIEND IS SO NOT GALE!!!!"
-Torture my family with casting complaints for the remainder of the day
-Console myself by painting my toenails to look like dinosaur eggs (no joke!)

So yeah to say that I was disappointed about the casting announcement would be the understatement of the year. Unlike most people it isn't Josh Hutcherson that I'm sad about. On the contrary I like Josh Hutcherson for Peeta! (if you still need convincing just watch this interview of him on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He's totally channeling a Peeta vibe!) No the casting decision I'm peeved about is Liam Hemsworth as Gale. If you've been reading my blog for awhile then you should know that Gale is at the top of my favorite literary guys list. Yep, even after reading Mockingjay I still like him. Don't judge me!!! So the fact that Miley Cyrus' ex is going to be playing him on the big screen? Yeah I'm sad beyond all compare. Everytime I see a picture of him my first reaction is to scream (and NOT in a good way) and then to gag. I just don't find him attractive..... At all.... Plus I don't trust his acting skills. I mean Nicholas Sparks? *gag reflex*

So after experiencing my own reaction to this casting (this is the first time I've ever been this emotionally invested in the casting of a movie) and reading the reactions of others I was inspired to ask the question: What is it that makes a book to movie adaption great? Is it the actors and the quality of their acting? Or is it keeping close to the source material? And should we think of books and their adaptions as the same entity or two separate things entirely?

My all time favorite book to movie adaption is the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. (oh and I totally have this movie poster on my wall. I'm such a nerd.... XD)

In my mind these movies are what book to movie adaptions should be. Its like the book is coming to life before your eyes. The world is vibrant, the essence of each character is intact, and the story is preserved.

But sometimes movie adaptions just don't turn out that way. We read the book, and they make a movie and gosh they BUTCHER IT. Kind of like what happened with the Percy Jackson movie that came out last year.

I love Logan Lerman and all but even he couldn't save this movie. It wasn't that the acting was bad (though I really did not enjoy Annabeths performance) but more that the script was TERRIBLE.

I think its better to separate the book and the movie, at least until the movie actually comes out, that way there isn't as much disappointed when the movie pales in comparison to the original source material. Like for the Hunger Games movie: I'm totally looking forward to it (even with Liam playing Gale) but I don't want to build it up to be something in my mind that it just can't measure up to. That way when I actually see it instead of being marginally disappointed, I might be pleasantly surprised, or totally blown away in awesome!

So my lovely blog readers, what is your stance on book to movie adaptions? Love them? Hate them? Do you think its better to separate the movie and the book? Or do you think we should expect them to both be equally amazing? And what do you think is the most important element of a movie adaption? (personally I think its preserving the essence of the characters!)

Ohhh and I also would love to hear your thoughts on the Hunger Games casting news! Are you as devastated about certain members of the cast as I am? Or are you relatively happy about who they have chosen to play Katniss, Peeta, and Gale?

Julia :)

Bookish Questions: To abandon or not to abandon?

I've decided to now call all my discussion posts "Bookish Questions" posts. What do you guys think? I like it! Anyway on to what this post is really about.

So the Bookish Question I'm asking today is: Do you abandon books?

My little brother is always abandoning books. He reads half (or less) and then just decides its not "fast enough" for him and he puts it down. He does this so often that I often question if he ever finishes a book! Well I'm the opposite side of the spectrum. My problem isn't abandoning books. Its that I NEVER abandone books. Its pretty much impossible for me to stop a book once I start reading it.
Its a mixture of book reading guilt and my undeniable need to finish what I start. I think that I can count the number of books I've never finished on one hand. In fact the only one that I can think of right now is Walden by Henry David Thoreau. I was supposed to read it for school and goodness gracious that is one BORING book. I guess you could say that's the only thing that could cause me to put a book down. If it's unbelievably boring. Otherwise I'll finish every time. So what about you guys? Are you chronic book abandoners like my brother? Or can you not stop reading a book once you start it like me? Or are you inbetween? What factors into why you abandon a book? What are some of the books you've abandoned in the past? Have you ever stopped a book only to pick it up and finish it later?

Julia :)

My Literary Crushes :)

So Valentines Day came and went and I honestly didn't even think about it. Not surprising since I'm like the least romantic person in the world. Its funny because my sister actually asked me for advice on what she should do to celebrate Valentines Day for her and her boyfriend. She must have been really desperate because I am THE WORST person to ask advice for when it comes to Valentines Day. I thought it was hilarious. XD

Anyway I've never had a boyfriend (not that I've been actively searching for one) and that's probably a good thing because books have spoiled me when it comes to guys. I mean seriously guys are never half as perfect in real life as they are in books. This is probably due to the fact that most of these books are written by female authors who just write their perfect idea of a guy. Hehe. Talk about unrealistic. But they're great to read about right? So in honor of Valentines Day (even though it was like 2 weeks ago. :P) I will now give you the list of my favorite literary guys!

1. Gale Hawthorne from The Hunger Games

That's right. All you other girls can go swoon over Peeta and watch him paint pictures and ice cakes. Gale and I will be off in the woods hunting for our dinner together because that's just how we roll. I love Gale. Even after Mockingjay I still love him. Everything about him. His tall, dark, and handsomeness. His outdoormenness. His broody toughness. EVERYTHING. And I just hate what Suzanne Collins did to his storyline. GALE DESERVED BETTER!!! :P No I'm not one of those girls who thought that Gale should have ended up with Katniss. I think Katniss and Peeta are perfect together. Why? SO I CAN HAVE GALE!!!! XD


2. Hale from The Heist Society

Hale is awesome. He's Kats best friend, he's cute, AND he's not afraid of taking some risks. He's kind of got that bad boy vibe without actually being a bad boy! I also love that Hale isn't too overprotective of Kat. Sure, he likes her and doesn't want her to get hurt, but he also knows that Katarina can take care of herself. Hale is always there when Kat needs him. I wish I had a guy friend like him! Can I steal him? Please?




3. Cam from The Summer I Turned Pretty

This one is a bit unusual because Cam isn't one of the main characters of the book. In fact he's only in like a third of it. But he's part Asian. And he's straight edge. And he's just total awesome sauce. Lets just say that when Belly breaks up with him to go off with Conrad I was totally yelling in my head "NO!!! STAY WITH THE HALFIE!!! HES WAYYYY BETTER!!!" Haha. What can I say, I'm a sucker for cute Asian guys. :)


4. Theo from Dramarama

Another slightly random guy most other people wouldn't really think twice about. But Theo is Asian. And he does musical theatre. AND he plays the piano like no ones business. Yep. Like I said I'm a sucker for Asians. And guys who play musical instruments are just all around awesome am I right?





5. Jacob from North of Beautiful

Jacob from North of Beautiful is pretty much one of the most perfect guys ever. He's Asian, sort of artsy/goth (he goes geocaching, how cool is that?), and the best thing is that when he looks at Terra he doesn't see her port wine stain but instead sees her. Just her. For who she is. And he encourages her to be herself. That she's beautiful even with her imperfections. I love that. Jacob is AMAZING. And just talking about his amazingness makes me want to read this book again. Yep, Jacob is just that awesome.


6. Cameron Quick from Sweethearts

 Cameron is so sweet. He's just adorably awkward and cute. Sure he's got his problems but he's so stinking loveable!!! I love that when they were kids he would always stick up for Jenna. And he made her that doll house for her birthday. TO CUTE. I wish I had a friend like that when I was younger. One who could magically reappear into my life and be cute and wonderful and then we could live happily ever after. But I unfortunately I did not possess such friends. Oh well. I can always read this book and dream right? :P



So those are my top 6 literary crushes. Writing this post made me realize that you can put all my favorite literary guys into one of two categories. 1. Asian Guys or 2. The Best Guy Friend. Funny right?

So who are your literary crushes? Do they all fall into clear categories like mine? Or are they all pretty unique?

Julia :)

Whose your fictional doppelganger/twin? + Giveaway!

I don't know about you but when I read books I'm constantly on the look out for a character that is similar to me and whenever I find one it makes the book like three times as good! It really helps me connect with the characters when I can relate to them easily. Not to mention the fun aspect of putting myself in their shoes. Of course you can do that with any book character, but when they are similar to you its just that much easier.

So my question to you is: Whose your fictional doppelganger/twin? The character doesn't have to be from a book, it can be from a movie, a TV Show, whatever as long as the character is fictional. I'll start with mine!

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games
When I started reading The Hunger Games I immediately connected with Katniss. We have so many similarities its actually pretty crazy. Both of us are naturally tough, and have a bit of a rough exterior. How many times has my mother told me I need to stop scowling and smile more? Too many to count. We also both tend to hide our true emotions and, while I have not had to provide for my family like Katniss, I would definitely consider myself a wilderness/tomboy girl. We even slightly resemble each other according to the books description. I've got the whole small for my age, dark hair, olive skin thing going on too. I think part of the reason why I love The Hunger Games Trilogy so much is because I could relate to Katniss so easily. There just aren't enough strong female protagonists in books these days.

Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender
So Toph and I are pretty much exactly the same person. Only I can't earthbend nor do I possess any type of martial arts skills. Oh and I'm not blind. But other than that we're exactly the same. Both Asian, both small, both tough, and both brutally honest. Although I'm happy to say that I am a bit better in the manners/hygiene department then Toph is.

Princess Jasmine from Aladdin
I'm not as much like Princess Jasmine as I'm like Katniss and Toph, But I did play her in my theatre's musical of Aladdin so I can't NOT say that I'm like her. We are both feisty and somewhat rebellious. Then there's that whole "I am not a prize to be won" line she says in the movie which is pretty much my favorite quote ever. When I was younger I used to go around and yell that line at all the little boys I knew. Not even kidding. And I guess we do sort of look alike, even though I'm not Arabian, nor is my hair even remotely that long. I had to get hair extensions when played Jasmine in the show.



So now that I've told you my fictional doppelgangers/twins its time for you to tell me yours! What characters do you connect with? Which are most similar to you? Let me know in a comment! At the end of the week I will pick one random commenter to win a blue Read Bracelet!

Be sure to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win! This giveaway is open internationally. Oh and in order for your comment to get chosen IT HAS to be about your doppelganger/twin! Don't just leave a comment with your email. It won't be entered.

I can't wait to read all of your answers!!!

Julia :)