Kawaii Monday: Adorable Laptop and E-Reader Skins

I was watching one of Felicia Day's vlogs the other day (if you're an avid YouTube watcher you should definitely check out her channel!) and I noticed that she had a super cute case on her laptop. Of course I had to see if I could find it for sale somewhere online. Luckily, I have not been the only person to look for this case because when I typed "Felicia Day's laptop case" into Google voila! I found it! The thing is it turned out to be a laptop skin, not a case. Who knew laptops had skins? Anyway, along with finding the original skin I was looking for I also found a ton of other super cute designs. Behold, a plethora of adorable laptop skins!

This is the original skin that I saw on Felicia Day's laptop. Super cute right? I love the brightness and the colors of this design! It puts a smile on my face everytime I see it. :D

Isn't this just one of the most whimsical things you've ever seen? I JUST LOVE IT! Especially the little underwater house. Too cute.

This is another one by the same designer only it's like a camping theme. I just love the way this artists draws her trees! I just want to jump inside these pictures and live in their world.

My darker quirky side is showing with this one. I love whales and this one is super cute, plus I am totally digging the color scheme.

This cover is just plain awesome. It's a map of the world plus it has pictures of the animals in their regions of the world. What's not to like? For an animal lover like me, THIS IS PERFECTION.

I've seen this art before and I fell in love with it so now seeing it on this laptop skin is awesome! I don't know about you guys but this is one of my favorite depictions of books and how they make me feel. All the colors and cute little worlds inside of the shelf. It's just perfect.

Unfortunately I already have a laptop case with a skin on it (Hunger Games for the win!) so I really can't rationalize spending $30 on another laptop skin I don't need. However, this company makes cases for just about any sort of electronic device including e-readers and tablets! I AM SO BUYING ONE FOR MY NOOK GUYS!!!! Now the question is, which design do I buy? I know most of you would be thinking "Duhhh Julia get the book shelf design for your e-reader!" but honestly all the images are so darn awesome I'm having trouble picking. So far I'm waffling between the under the sea design:

 the sea garden one:

Or the whimsical bookshelves:

I cannot wait till I decide which one I want because honestly, having a cute case on my Nook will make me want to use it more as shallow as that sounds. :P

So, if you were searching for a super cute skin for your laptop or e-reader look no further! Gelaskins totally has you covered. Get it, COVERED?!?! Hahaha. Okay, sorry bad pun. :P

Oh and on top of all the super adorable designs Gelaskins already offers you can even upload your own artwork or photos for a customized case! It just keeps getting better doesn't it? I'm starting to sound like an infomercial...

If you were to get one of these laptop/e-reader skins which design would you pick?

Julia :)

Cover Comparison: The Immortal Rules

This week quite a bit of news has been floating around the blogosphere involving the cover redesign for Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden series. The first book in the series is The Immortal Rules and if you've read the book then you probably know that the protagonist is part Japanese. AWESOME AM I RIGHT??? But if you take a good long look at the original cover for The Immortal Rules you'll notice that the model for Allison is clearly not Asian. There was a fairly big outcry from fans saying that the cover had been white washed and that a new cover model should be chosen. On top of that, there was also the feeling that the old cover for The Immortal Instruments was just too paranormal looking and didn't embrace the more dystopian nature of the book series as a whole. So HarlequinTeen being the awesome imprint that it is decided to listen to the readers and redesign the cover for The Immortal Rules, and in doing so revamped (no pun intended) the book series covers as a whole! Let's go ahead and compare the change.

                                                                  Original Cover

                                                                    New Covers

Original Cover: All those fans that complained that the cover model wasn't Asian? Yep, they were right. WHITE WASHING. I mean, how hard can it be to find an Asian model? Asian models don't get enough representation as it is! Publishers should be taking advantage of every opportunity they can to highlight diversity. Other than the lack of an Asian model, this cover is WAY too paranormal romance-esque to me. I honestly felt awkward reading this in public because the cover made this book look like a cheap Twilight knock-off instead of the badass vampire centered dystopian it is. I do like that the cover shows a lot of important aspects to the story (like the blood tear) but other than that I'm not really a fan.

New Covers:  Now here's the thing. I like these new covers, I really do, but you'd think that if they bothered to go to all the trouble to redesign the look for the series they'd come up with something a little more, I don't know, eye-catching? One of the problems with the first cover was that it just faded away into a sea of paranormal books. It seems to me that the same thing will happen with these covers, except they'll just be fading away altogether. There's nothing that really makes them stand-out, except that they're super simplistic if you can call that standing out. On top of that WHY CHANGE THE COVER BECAUSE OF WHITE WASHING COMPLAINTS AND THEN NOT FIX THE PROBLEM?!?! Okay, so I know that Julie Kagawa said on her blog that they've gotten a new Asian model and that she'll be featured on the cover either on the inside flap or on the back, but seriously you couldn't put her on the front cover of the book? How hard would that have been?

So who wins? I'm giving it to the new designs. The old cover gave off way too much of a paranormal vibe, and even though it did have some good tie-ins to the story, it totally white washed the main character. The new covers may be a tad on the bland side, but they have a nice classic simplicity to them and they definitely feel more dystopian. The white washing problem is still a bit iffy to me since the Asian model isn't being featured very prominently, but I do think it's a step in the right direction!

Which cover for the The Immortal Rules do you like best? Be sure to vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments about why you made your decision!

Have a suggestion for a future cover comparison? Leave it in this form!

Julia :)

Author Interview: Anna Jarzab

Today I have the privilege of sharing an author interview with the wonderful Anna Jarzab who has written All Unquiet Things, The Opposite of Hallelujah, and the soon to be published first in a sci-fi trilogy Tandem! Read on for more about Anna's books, her inspirations, and her strategy for surviving the zombie apocalypse.

THC: Describe your newest novel, The Opposite of Hallelujah, in 5 words.

AJ: Sisters, faith, love, friendship, possibility.


THC: In The Opposite of Hallelujah, Pawel is obsessed with Rube Goldberg machines. Did you make any in preparation for the book or were they just something that fascinated you?

AJ: To tell the truth, I can't remember exactly why I decided to have Pawel build Rube Goldberg machines for a hobby--I think it traces all the way back to this X-Files episode, "The Goldberg Variation", which is all about a guy who creates Goldberg machines whose life ends up basically becoming a Goldberg machine--but I didn't actually make one, no. I don't think I have the skills for that! I just looked at a lot of them on Google images and watched videos on YouTube to get a sense of how they were built and how to describe the machines in the book. The game Mousetrap is basically a Rube Goldberg machine, though, and I played that as a kid. Everything is research!

THC: What five books do you think we would find on Caro's bookshelf?

AJ: Oooooooooh, this is a very, very good question. Caro and I are similar in a lot of ways, so we'd probably read a lot of the same books. I'm going to say: Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, and Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh.

THC: What are the biggest things you hope a reader will take away from The Opposite of Hallelujah?

AJ: That people are complex (and imperfect!!!) and relationships are hard and take work and that the world is not done being created, that we're creating it with every choice we make, so we ought to respect that process, try to contribute to it positively, and also take the time to wonder at the results.

THC: What influenced you to become a writer?

AJ: Lots of things, but chief among them was a love of books and a dreamy disposition.

THC: Have you ever based some of the characters you've written off of yourself or off of people you know/have known? Have any events in your stories happened in real life but have been tweaked for the page?

AJ: All my characters have elements of me in them, and kernels of other people, but the character who's probably the most like anybody is Caro, who's a self-portrait of myself as a teenager (give or take some details, like I'm really terrible at math and math-y science, like physics, but Caro's really good at those things). Some things in the stories did happen in real life--I'm constantly using small details from my own life and the lives of the people I know in my books, it adds authenticity--but I try to be careful to make sure that my books are works of fiction in a pretty strict sense of the word.

THC: You have a new book called Tandem coming out in October 2013. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

AJ: Yes! First of all, I'm really super excited about it. Second of all, it's about a girl named Sasha who gets pulled into a universe parallel to her own and has to pose as her double. It's soft sci-fi, by which I mean you don't need to love sci-fi to like it, although I think (I hope) sci-fi lovers will also enjoy it, but the "science" in the book is more like mythology (by which I mean invented rules of the world, like how magic works in Harry Potter) than real physics. It's got romance and chase scenes and puzzles and twists and I really love it. It's also the first in a trilogy, so the story goes beyond the scope of just one book. I'm really nervous about how people will react to it, but I'm looking forward to it coming out in 2013.

THC: All Unquiet Things is a mystery, The Opposite of Hallelujah is a contemporary, and Tandem sounds like an adventure/fantasy. Have you always wanted to write in a lot of different genres or is that just something that sort of happened?

AJ: It was kind of an accident? After AUT came out I tried to write a book that was similar and it was a crash and burn, so I turned away from the mystery thing to give my brain a rest (writing mysteries is hard; how Agatha Christie wrote like 70 of them I will never know) and since I'd already written a huge chunk of Hallelujah as a side project the year before, I felt it was a good place to start. Before I knew it, I'd finished the book and submitted it to my editor, although I would argue that it is also a mystery in some ways (the difference is that it's not a crime novel like AUT). Then Tandem blew in and took over my life, but I didn't consciously move into a sci-fi/fantasy realm. Ultimately, I think of Tandem as a love story with science fictional elements, and it's also got a mystery in it.
Now, however, I am trying to be more strategic about future projects and am consciously mixing it up. I'm working on an adult "paranormal" mystery thing (a bit genre bend-y but not too much) and another contemporary and a really high-concept contemporary and a high-fantasy and another crime novel. I keep trying to challenge myself; writing the same book over and over is not for me.

THC: If you could marry one fictional character, who would it be and why?

AJ: This is a really hard question to answer. My first thought is, of course, Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, but I could probably find it in my heart to turn him down if Etienne St. Clair from Stephanie Perkins' ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS came calling.

THC: You are caught in the zombie apocalypse. What is your strategy for survival?

AJ: Find a baseball bat and just keep swinging. Although, I'd probably be one of the first men down in a zombie apocalypse. I can't run very fast.

A HUGE thanks to Anna Jarzab for being kind enough to let me interview her! If you want to find out even more about Anna be sure to head on over to her awesome website and follow her on Twitter. Also, head on down to Goodreads and add Tandem to your want to read shelf! YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO! 

Julia :)

Book Review: The Opposite of Hallelujah

The Opposite of Hallelujah
by Anna Jarzab
449 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 9th 2012
Source: Library
Add it on Goodreads

Caro Mitchell considers herself an only child - and she likes it that way. After all her much-older sister Hannah, left home eight years ago, and Caro barely remembers her. So when Caro's parents drop the bombshell news that Hannah is returning to live with them, Caro feels as if an interloper is crashing her family. To her, Hannah's a total stranger, someone who haunts their home with her meek and withdrawn presence, and who refuses to talk about her life and why she went away. Caro can't understand why her parents cut her sister so much slack, and why they're not pushing for answers.

Unable to understand Hannah, Caro resorts to telling lies about her mysterious reappearance. But when those lies alienate Caro's new boyfriend and put her on the outs with her friends and her parents, she seeks solace from an unexpected source. And when she unearths a clue about Hannah's past - one that could save Hannah from the dark secret that possesses her - Caro begins to see her sister in a whole new light.

I am a huge fan of Anna Jarzab's first novel All Unquiet Things so when I saw The Opposite of Hallelujah on the new YA books shelf at the Library I had to check it out. I had no clue whatsoever what it was about I just new I had to read it because of how much I enjoyed AUT.

The Opposite of Hallelujah surprised me. I didn't know what I was expecting, but it definitely threw me for a loop in the best of ways and even now I'm finding it hard to explain what The Opposite of Hallelujah is about because, well, it has a lot of themes and a lot is going on in it. A LOT.

First you've got Caro, a protagonist that is both relatable, hateable, and by the end a completely changed character. She's unusual because she's one of the first protagonists I've run across where she's not particularly likeable but she's meant to be that way. Caro is selfish, lies easily, and you spend half the book banging your head against the wall thinking "WHY CARO WHY?!?!" But the thing is, she changes, and she grows, and by the end of the book you're thinking "Dang girl, you've come so far. HECK YES YOU DESERVE YOU'RE ADORABLE BOYFRIEND."

Speaking of the said boyfriend he is totally adorbs. Pawel (pronounced Pavel) is Swedish, has an awesome family, and on top of just being a really nice guy (seriously, he's really nice) he has this quirky love for Rube Goldberg machines that I found totally endearing. In case you don't know what Rube Goldberg machines are the game Mouse Trap is the perfect example of a very simple one. When I was a kid I happened to really like Rube Goldberg machines (though I didn't know what they were at the time) so I thought Pawel's obsession with them was really cute. I also just really liked that this book talked about Rube Goldberg machines. Seriously. RUBE GOLDBERG MACHINES.


On top of those two characters (and the awesomeness of Rube Goldberg machines) another main one is Hannah, Caro's long lost nun turned non-nun sister. She's an equally fascinating and multi-faceted character and the way Anna Jarzab deals with her story and struggle is great.

Besides all these characters to work out there's also the plot which is full of a ton of different themes ranging from religion and science, to sisterhood and friendship, to self-discovery and forgiveness. A lot goes on in The Opposite of Hallelujah but Anna Jarzab manages to wrap it all together brilliantly and it works. It really works. I was particularly impressed with the way Anna Jarzab dealt with religion. When authors write about religion there are countless ways they can go wrong and very few in which they can go right. The Opposite of Hallelujah is the perfect example of religion done correctly. It isn't preachy, but it does bring up excellent points about religion and it will make a reader think. Not since Melissa Walker's book Small Town Sinner's have I read something that dealt with the subject of religion so well.

So in conclusion The Opposite of Hallelujah is a lot of things.

It's a story of sisters and self-discovery.

It's about faith and forgiveness.

It's mysterious, beautiful, and full of hope and possibilities.

Ultimately if you're a fan of contemporaries you should definitely pick this one up. You won't be disappointed! I award it 4 out of 5 ice cream cones!

If you want to know a little bit more about The Opposite of Hallelujah, the author Anna Jarzab, and her upcoming Many-Worlds trilogy, be sure to check back tomorrow for an exclusive interview!

Julia :)

Stacking the Shelves: The Hobbit Edition

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews! It's a chance to share all of our bookish goodness with the blogging world. Yay! :D

So these past few weeks have been kinda crazy. Between finals (okay, I only had one final but it was intense so cut me some slack!) and work I haven't had much time to blog, but now I am free for two whole weeks so YAY!!!! You should be seeing a lot more of me this coming semester. Good news right?

Anyways, I titled this one The Hobbit edition because I spend most of the vlog fangirling about The Hobbit and Tolkien in general. In fact, I edited out almost 10 minutes of extra fangirling. It was getting a bit much but I just love The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings so much that once you get me started, it's hard to get me to stop. Be sure to watch the vlog to see all my awesome Hobbit swag (POSTERS YES!) but if you're just here for the books I got you can just scroll down to the list. :)


Library
Feedback by Robison Wells
The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Gifted
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (UK softcover!)
Myth and Magic: The Art of John Howe
Lord of the Rings Bookmarks

Purchased
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Chronicles: Art and Design
The Hunger Games Daily Desk Calendar
Magnetic Bookmarks

Random Hobbit Swag
Hobbit Pen
LOTR Marathon Lanyard
The Hobbit Dog Tag and Tattoos
4 Special IMAX Hobbit Posters

Have any of you guys seen The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey yet? DID YOU LOVE IT?!?! If you have seen it let me know what you thought and be sure to say who your favorite dwarf was! In case it wasn't obvious in the vlog mine is Kili. Bofur is a close second but Kili is just such an adorable badass I cannot help but love him. BEST. DWARF. EVER. Peter Jackson and Aidan Turner win all the awards  for bringing such an awesome character to life.

Be sure to leave a link to your own Stacking the Shelves/Book Haul post in the comments below and I'll check it out! Have a fabulous week and a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Julia :)