Fury by Elizabeth Miles: Review

Fury
By: Elizabeth Miles

Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Published: August 30, 2011; Simon Pulse
Received: ARC from BEA
Challenges: 2011 Debut Author Challenge

author twitter | author website | author facebook

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Summary: Sometimes sorry isn't enough....

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

My Review: There is something wonderfully thrilling about reading a book where the main character shares your name. The idea of this book made me wildly excited with narcissistic with delight, what with the mysterious Furies and a sassy Emily. And of course the lovely cover.

But, truth be told, the Emily in this book has disgraced the name of Emily's around the world. She was oblivious, unfeeling, and icky. I was very disappointed. Throughout the book I found that I liked little about Emily, though I did not find her completely at fault and was even more disappointed that the furies chose to focus on her.

Now Chase, the point of view in this story, is more palatable. His crimes are a little more grievous. His story is more complicated. But, still, I felt him to be really shallow and couldn't connect.

The shining stars in the book were the Furies, during their very limited appearances. For me, they were the ones that brought the tension and excitement. I wanted to know more about who they were and where they came from. But, I was puzzled about why, with all the awful things in the world that people do, they chose to focus on a bully and a cheater? Well, maybe these were just Furies in training or something.

There was something about this book, that I don't want to give away, because it's a major plot point, that began as a seed of annoyance early in the book, and it grew until I was very perturbed. Even though the thing that I was annoyed about resolved itself on the last page, I am afraid that it was too late for me.

You will like this book if you like the following things: sexy scenes (there are several), backstabbing teenagers and gossip, and lots of tension. However, if these things aren't your cup of tea, I probably wouldn't recommend this book to you.

My Rating:

Profanity: Extreme
Sexuality: Heavy
Violence: Moderate/Mild
Drugs/Alcohol: Moderate

Blogger Confidential: Self-Published Books

Have you ever been faced with an issue while reading or blogging and thought: I wonder what other bloggers think about this? No matter what genre or audience you blog for, we all face the same problems. Are you a publisher or author wondering what goes on in a blogger's (and by extension a reader's) head?

Blogger confidential is a series of 10 questions asked to 13 bloggers about the nitty gritty details of blogging. Everything from what prompts a blogger to pick up a book, to what happens when a book doesn't live up to its hype. This series was inspired by Wastepaper Prose's Author Insight series. Learn more about the Blogger Confidential series on its main page.

Do you accept self-published books for review? Why or why not? If not, is the turn-off in the pitch or the product itself?

"I don't accept self-published books and it does have to do with the product itself. It's usually not been edited thoroughly and is riddled with errors, plus I talk with other bloggers who have accepted self-published books and they usually don't like them either, wondering why they agreed to it in the first place. It also just has to do with the fact that I have a ton of traditionally published books in my pile and don't have time to add on something that isn't and that may end up being a waste of my time." James from Book Chic

"We have in our review policy we will accept self-published titles for review. It all depends on the book. We’ve only ever accepted one and it was something we thought we would like and we noticed other bloggers/reviewers who had liked this particular book. I’m unaware as to why many bloggers won’t review self-published books, but we have no reason not to review them." Jacinda and Jasmine from The Reading Housewives of Indiana

"I used to accept self published books but I’ve been burnt every time as usually the writing/editing is not the highest quality which is a shame. I think self published books are a bit of a turn off because of the fact that anyone can go and publish something they have written but if it is published by one of the big publishing houses, you can expect a certain level of quality whereas with a self published book, it’s pot luck." Lynsey from Narratively Speaking

"I do accept them for review normally but I have become too swamped with other review books that I stopped accepting them for a while." Katie from Katie's Book Blog

"Yes! We are proud that we read self-published books - there’s gold in them thar hills." Stacy, Shannan, Nancy, and Sarah from Girls in the Stacks

We used to – but lately we have been swamped with main stream books and there has been a lot of drama surrounding self published book reviews and authors. We just thought it would be wiser not to review self published books. We will make exceptions, if there is a book we feel strongly about reading like Rosie by Mariam Maarouf (a teen Egyptian YA author that Stacey came across during the recent Egyptian revolution). Pixie and Stacey from Page Turners Blog

"As a general rule, I don’t – and this is mostly due to some bad experiences in the past. I hate making sweeping generalizations, but for the most part (in my experience), most self-pubbed books were self-published for a reason. That is, they just weren’t good enough for traditional publishing. Likewise, I’ve had some bad experiences with self-pubbed authors getting very cranky and rude when they disliked my honest review of their work. However, I will always consider a self-pubbed book if it’s recommended to me from a reliable source. For example, I just read Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby on a friend’s recommendation, and I’m so glad I did. Here’s an exception to my generalization about self-publishing. This was a GREAT book, and I’m really excited to share it with visitors to Novel Novice. And it’s because of books like Sleight that I don’t have a hard & fast rule about self-published books." Sara from Novel Novice

"I used to. But I don't anymore. It's mostly the product. Overall, and I hate to generalize because I know it's not to for every single self-pubbed book, but they are just lacking in the qualities that make a book a good read for me. There are other reasons that are more personal for me, but mostly it's a quality issue." Kristi from The Story Siren

"Yes I have before, I don't take as many now due to the fact that I have a larger amount of review books arrive from publishers, but when ever one of us on the blog has some spare time we try and help out a self-published author." Yara from Once Upon a Twilight

"I don’t. I get a lot of requests to review self-pubs (even though it says I don’t on my blog) and they come in two varieties:

1) A mass-email that was clearly sent to a hundred other people.
2) A very nice and personalized e-mail. This is where the author says they know my blog and love it (often citing specific things) and would I please give their book a chance?

I don’t even reply to the #1s. Pretty sure they don’t notice, anyway. I reply to the #2s, but always in the negative. This is a relatively new development. I used to take self-pubs from authors who sent me style #2 requests, but it just got too awkward. Self-pubs and indie-pubs usually don’t have an editor at all, or they don’t have the kind of editor that they need. I’ve never been able to honestly say that I loved a self-pub (most I don’t even finish), and then it breaks my heart. What do I do? Do I just not review it? Do I give it a negative review and risk the author seeing it? This just became too difficult, so I don’t do it anymore." Enna from Squeaky Books

"I don't. I'm going to sound really snotty right now, but I'll say it anyway. Most self-published books I've gotten are frankly not very good, so I don't take them anymore. I'm positive that there are plenty that are spectacular, but I have no desire to be a slush-pile reader. There are so many publishers (including small publishers) out there that I automatically wonder about books that have not been picked up by any sort of publishing company." Wallace from Unputdownables

"No, I do not. I find that the quality is lacking; If they can’t submit it to a professional for editing, why should I spend my time reading it for review? I don’t let it get past the pitch; If I see the book is self-published, I delete the pitch. My review policy clearly states that I do not review self-published books. It’s not up to interpretation." Jenn from Jenn's Bookshelves

"I absolutely accept self-published books for review on Reading Vacation. I do not think it matters whether a book was published by a big name or by the author. It is what is on the inside that counts. All stories deserve a chance. Oh, and some of those self-published books are really good too." Melina from Reading Vacation

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel: Audio Review

This Dark Endeavor
By: Kenneth Oppel

Format: Audiobook
Published: August 23, 2011, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing; Brilliance Audio
Received: ARC from BEA; Audio from publisher
Challenges: 2011 Historical Fiction Challenge

Summary (from Goodreads): The summary for this book is rather spoilery, so if you'd like to see it, click on over to goodreads and read it for yourself.

Audio Review: From the very first chapter, I was absolutely hooked by Luke Daniels' narration.Though Konrad and Victor are identical twins, Daniels gave each of them a distinct voice that very clearly matched their personalities. Victor was hasty, loud, and often immature. Konrad was deliberate, gentle, but sometimes haughty. I was even impressed with his narration of Elizabeth and Victor's mother. A good narrator should add to the story, and I felt like listening to the audio brought me a little closer to the characters and allowed me to drink in the darkness of it.

My Review: Billed as a prequel to Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein," This Dark Endeavor is a deliciously gothic tale that adds a new dimension to Victor Frankenstein that a new generation of readers will devour.

I'm sure many of you have seen the movie Frankenstein. My father, a genetics professor, shows it to his classes at the beginning of each semester to demonstrate Hollywood's depiction of science. Because scientists are mad, obsessed individuals that replace science with God in their quest to understand the world and life. But, unlike the movie's depiction, "This Dark Endeavor" shows Victor as a frustrated teenager who abandons both religion and science in an effort to heal his brother, Konrad.

One of the many things I liked about this book was the exploration of Victor's family and their progressive views. Set in the heat of the French Revolution, Victor's father believes in treating his servants as equals, and is a well-respected leader in the community. Victor's mother is a feminist that believes that women should be equal to men. The glimpse into Victor's childhood and his rivalry between himself and his (barely) older brother Konrad turns Victor from a crazed scientist into a man searching for an answer and a way to bring back life.

Even though I greatly enjoyed the book, I did not like Victor. He was whiny, impulsive, and aggressive. In many ways he reminded me of Edward from Twilight. He's passionate, but his passion came off to me as just full-forced aggression on anyone who didn't do what he wanted. He harasses and bullies Elizabeth. He forces Henry to do his bidding, and often gets into heated arguments with Konrad and his father. Luckily, there was plenty of great plot to distract me from Victor's sometimes annoying nature.

This is a great read by itself, but I think it would be a great opportunity to introduce younger readers to a piece of classic literature. My advice? Read this book right at the end of summer, just when the evenings begin to get cold. It will add to the whole mood.

My rating:

Blogger Confidential: First Reviews

Have you ever been faced with an issue while reading or blogging and thought: I wonder what other bloggers think about this? No matter what genre or audience you blog for, we all face the same problems. Are you a publisher or author wondering what goes on in a blogger's (and by extension a reader's) head?

Blogger confidential is a series of 10 questions asked to 13 bloggers about the nitty gritty details of blogging. Everything from what prompts a blogger to pick up a book, to what happens when a book doesn't live up to its hype. This series was inspired by Wastepaper Prose's Author Insight series. Learn more about the Blogger Confidential series on its main page.

What was the first book you ever reviewed on your blog? If you could rewrite that review today, how would you do it differently?

"My first review on my blog was on March 8, 2008. I reviewed THE YEAR OF THE FOG by Michelle Richmond. Since it’s two short paragraphs long, I’d definitely lengthen it quite a bit! Pre-blogging, I wrote (and continue to write) blurbs for book club web sites. My blurbs couldn’t be more than 250 words so it was a challenge to teach myself to write longer reviews!" Jenn from Jenn's Bookshelves

"The first book I ever reviewed on The Story Siren was Prey by Lurlene McDaniel. I had several other reviews on a different blog that is no longer in existence! Honestly I don't think I would do it differently. My style has evolved and I hope that it continues to do so. Every little step is crucial, and I wouldn't change that!" Kristi from The Story Siren

"The 1st book I reviewed Shades of Midnight by Lara Adrian back in March 2010. Its such a horrible comparison to how I write my reviews today. I plan to fix it at some point to add all the missing content." Yara from Once Upon a Twilight

"The first book I ever reviewed on my blog was the VERY FIRST ARC I ever received. In fact, when I got it I didn’t even know there was such a thing as ARCs. My grandma knew I was a HUGE Shannon Hale fan, so she got an ARC of Book of a Thousand Days from her friend (who is the director of a local library) and gave it to me.

Would I rewrite it? I don’t think so. There are definitely some of my early reviews that I look at and cringe, but they mark my progress as a book blogger. If I get rid of the bad ones, what makes the good ones “good”? And I’m rather proud of that review. It was the first review I’d EVER written, it’s what started me on my blogging journey, and it’s still my favorite book of all time." Enna from Squeaky Books

"Our first review was GRACELING by Kristin Cashore. Our formatting was a little scary, we gave away too much of the story, and it was way long but the heart of the review still fully represents us today." Stacy, Shannan, Nancy, and Sarah from Girls in the Stacks

"I can't seem to find the first actual book I reviewed on my blog because I originally started on Myspace and their blog system is very wonky. My first review was of the Avalon High manga by Meg Cabot. I don't know if I would change much- I like how I did the summary (I used to write my own for the first couple months) and there isn't much else to say. I may have tried to include more about how the translation to manga worked, in terms of story and characters and all that, but since the book itself was so short, I do feel like I said as much as I could." James from Book Chic

"Pixie: Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard – not sure what I would change. It’s a good review, maybe add some more content.
Stacey: Eon by Alison Goodman – and like Pixie I probably would just go back and add more content, it’s a really short review." Pixie and Stacey from Page Turners Blog

"Oh gosh. Don't make me go back to that. I don't even like looking at my very first reviews." Katie from Katie's Book Blog

"The first book I ever reviewed on Reading Vacation was Project Mulberry. For sure there are things I would change. I think I gave away too much of the story – too spoilery! I have learned to stay clear of spoilers. I also would elaborate more about what I actually thought of the book." Melina from Reading Vacation

"Wow, I don't even remember. Holly's Inbox was one of my first and it was the first time an author of a book I reviewed found me. It was very exciting. I don't think I would have changed much - I blog pretty similarly as I used to, only now I have a template for my reviews (and a bit of practice so I feel it's easier to write a review than it was when I first started)." Wallace from Unputdownables

"The first book I ever reviewed on the blog was Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and I can honestly say that I wouldn’t change a thing. Not because I thought it was perfect or anything but because it was an honest review that came from the heart." Lynsey from Narratively Speaking

"My first “official” review on Novel Novice was for Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder – which I think is pretty amazing, considering I’d never met Lisa at the time, and now we’re actually friends in real life. (Yay for local authors!) If I were to rewrite the review, I’d probably try to tighten it up. I blathered on a bit – which I am wont to do occasionally, but I try to curb it as best I can. I like to think I’m getting better at getting to the point." Sara from Novel Novice

"Choker by Elizabeth Woods I think my review for the book is just fine, actually I think it’s pretty well written for the first one we posted on the blog. I just don’t really like the formatting for the posts we used when we first started the blog like we before we knew how to block quote. Other than that, I think it looks pretty good." Jacinda and Jasmine from The Reading Housewives of Indiana

I've got stuff on my mind

And I want you to hear about it.

It's not too often that I use my blog to just lay out the things I'm thinking. But, I've had some things rolling around in my head for awhile, and I want to see if any of you would like to discuss them.

1. Clean YA literature
2. Love Triangles
3. Censorship

All kind of big topics, but I'll make each of them brief.

Clean Books Don't Have to be Boring Books

I'm having a rather intense discussion with people on Amazon about my review of Michael Vey. My review was not negative, only lukewarm. I honestly just felt like the book was nothing special. The plot was slow, the characters were predictable, and the conflict wasn't engaging. We knew who the villain was the entire time. We knew what he was doing was bad. But, people keep beating me with the stick of "BUT IT'S CLEAN! WE NEED MORE CLEAN BOOKS." I like clean books, really. I think there is a great market for them. I like to be able to recommend a book to anyone without worry that they are going to be offended by any of the content. But, just because a book is clean doesn't mean that I'm going to recommend it. Being devoid of content is not enough. I need a compelling plot. I need engaging, well-developed characters. These things exist in both edgy and clean YA fiction.

I'm changing my mind on love triangles

I've always been firmly in the hate camp as far as love triangles. But, last night, I was on my way home from work, and I got thinking about why I don't like them. In real life, they don't bother me. There were times in my life where I had a couple very good choices as far as dating, and they provided real conflict in my life. Not in a bad way either. I've decided that when a love triangle is done correctly, they are really quite compelling. 

If the protagonist is choosing between two very good choices, (like Katniss) then I'm riveted by the seemingly impossible choice. If the protagonist is choosing between one very good choice and one very bad choice, I can be engaged for a time, but only if the protagonist chooses the person that is best for them. None of this, "oh he's dangerous and I can change him stuff." Doesn't happen in real life folks. And while I can suspend disbelief to a degree, I'm not very forgiving when it comes to human nature.

Censorship takes many forms

I was talking with a very good friend that is an English teacher at a rather conservative charter school. She was telling me that the librarian was told by the person that handles the finances for the school that she would not pay to replace the copies of Twilight in the school library. Because of "questionable content." Now, I don't love Twilight, but I can't deny that it gets kids to read. She then made this librarian go through her shelves and remove all books that had any questionable content in them. Supposedly, in the school's charter agreement, it states that the library will not contain books with questionable material edited to add that it's not questionable material. It's sexual content in books. There seems to be less concern about violence or language. However, I read the charter, and couldn't see anything that said that in it.

Their argument for this is that they feel like parents send their children to this charter school to learn good values, and if their library contains books with questionable material, then they are not in line with their mission. But, what troubles me is that there are one or two people determining what is questionable and what is not. For instance, they teach The Scarlet Letter in their high school English classes. Umm... The book is about adultery. But Twilight isn't okay?

Anyway, I really want to hear your thoughts on any or all of these things. Help me sort out my thoughts here.

Vanish by Sophie Jordan: Review

Vanish
By: Sophie Jordan

Format: E-book, 304 Pages
Published: August 17, 2011; HarperTeen
Received: From publisher via NetGalley for review
Challenges: 2011 E-Book Challenge
Series: Firelight (review)

author twitter | author website

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Summary (From Goodreads): To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

My Review:  I had decided that I wouldn't finish this series after the horrible way that Firelight ended. But, when I saw it on Netgalley, I really just couldn't resist.


Immediately we learn some pretty significant things about Jacinda's sister, Tamra. I knew from about the middle of Firelight exactly where Tamra's storyline was going to go. It did take a little bit of the magic and mystery out of the story, but it was exciting all the same.


As I mentioned in my review of Firelight, I am still not sold on the Will/Jacinda relationship. There seems to be nothing more than an intense physical attraction between them. When they are together, it really just seems like they don't have anything else to talk about besides their attraction to one another. Therefore, it seems rather mystifying to me why Jacinda would risk everything for this boy. Though, I do realize that there are a myriad of other reasons for Jacinda to leave the pride. I guess I had just hoped that Jacinda would have some more substantial reasons for choosing another way of life.


The shining star in this story is Cassian. While he is kind of painted in Firelight as an arrogant jerk that only wants Jacinda because she is rare, he turns out to be the most complex and exciting character in Vanish. Part of the reason that I was endeared to Cassian was because he is the only one that stands up to Jacinda and tells her to find something to live for besides Will. I'm really hoping for good things for Cassian in the next book. (And please, not a romance with Tamra....)


Anyway, this book was rather like eating cotton candy. I read Vanish in a mere two hours, and while I enjoyed the book while reading it, I found that there just wasn't much substance. But, it is a fun read, and I'm sure that there will be many that will enjoy some of the more steamy kissing scenes.


My Rating:



Sexuality: Moderate
Drugs/Alcohol: Mild; Drinking by Jacinda's mother
Profanity: None
Violence: Mild

Blogger Confidential: Bad Blogging Behavior

Have you ever been faced with an issue while reading or blogging and thought: I wonder what other bloggers think about this? No matter what genre or audience you blog for, we all face the same problems. Are you a publisher or author wondering what goes on in a blogger's (and by extension a reader's) head?

Blogger confidential is a series of 10 questions asked to 13 bloggers about the nitty gritty details of blogging. Everything from what prompts a blogger to pick up a book, to what happens when a book doesn't live up to its hype. This series was inspired by Wastepaper Prose's Author Insight series. Learn more about the Blogger Confidential series on its main page.

What do you feel is the one thing or behavior most damaging to the blogging community? Why?

"Drama of the petty variety. My family and friends call me Switzerland. I avoid drama. I believe that we all lose credibility when we become involved in petty drama. It makes me a little sad when I see some of the drama unfold and someone’s feelings end up getting hurt." Melina from Reading Vacation

"Immaturity, gossip - and this spans all ages and blogs." Stacy, Shannan, Nancy, and Sarah from Girls in the Stacks

"To be blunt – the book blogger rudeness/pettiness towards other book bloggers. It just makes them look unprofessional, especially when it happens over social media – authors are publishers see this stuff.  I don’t understand it really – we love reading, we love talking about books, we should be joining together to promoting books, reading and awareness – not acting like we are back in Jr. High." Stacey and Pixie from Page Turners Blog

"Bloggers who are in it for the wrong reasons. For the most part, the blogging community is a GREAT community, and one I’m very proud to be part of. But we all know there are certain bloggers out there with the wrong intentions. They don’t want to share their love of books, or help promote authors and their work. They just want free stuff and/or site traffic to earn revenue. (Now, I’m not opposed to bloggers earning money from their work – but it shouldn’t be the primary focus of a blog, in my opinion.) It’s these few “negative nancies” who can sometimes give the rest of us a bad reputation. I hate having to defend myself as a blogger because of that." Sara from Novel Novice

"Pettiness & competitiveness. (I know those are two things!)
The pettiness: You don't have to agree with every blogger... or the way that they blog, you don't even have to like them! But sometimes I feel like people go out of their way to be rude to someone else because they feel that way. Get over it. Don't read their blog if you don't like, if their tweets annoy you, UNFOLLOW THEM! Read the blogs you want and forget about the ones you don't. Don't focus on the negative.

Competitiveness... blogging is so NOT a competition. Do it for fun, do it because you want to! Not because you feel like you need to be better than another person. Sure, I can understand aiming to be like another blogger, but you don't have to put other people down to get there. Work with other bloggers, not against them." Kristi from The Story Siren

"Honestly jealousy, which I don't understand why it even exists in the blog world. We all are here to serve the same purpose and we should celebrate one another's blogs." Yara from Once Upon a Twilight

"I think the most damaging thing would be the lack of responsibility people feel in regards to respect. The internet is very public, and yet many people use it as a shield. They can say anything they want, and it won’t matter because no one will know who they are. Because of this, bloggers have a tendency to be very cruel. Some book bloggers’ 'negative reviews' are so incredibly harsh and unkind, they make authors afraid of bloggers. These few bloggers make it easy for authors/publishers to make blanket statements such as 'bloggers are unprofessional' and so on. And while most of us aren’t strictly 'professionals' it’s important to remember that kindness is a must, even when you are criticizing something/someone." Enna Isilee from Squeaky Books

"The constant drama between bloggers is really off putting. I remember a couple of incidents on Twitter when I felt like I was in the middle of the movie Mean Girls and I had to come out of Twitter and away from the computer. I don’t get involved in drama and tend to keep my mouth shut which believe me can be hard at times but I would prefer to stay out of things like that. There have also been a few incidents of plagiarism which is never cool and the topic of negative reviews comes up quite a bit. I’m not against negative reviews but I am against author bashing or just people bashing in general." Lynsey from Narratively Speaking

"I would say entitlement. I hear stories from authors and publicists and even other bloggers about bloggers having a hissy fit over not getting an ARC or an interview with an author. We are here to promote books, not participate in a contest of who gets what first. Publishers don't have to send us ARCs or even finished review copies. I'm always grateful whenever a publicist or author says they're sending me a book and if they can't, I just say "Thank you for your time." and move on. I might ask a blogger friend if I can borrow their copy or just wait for the book to hit shelves. It's not like the ARCs are the only copies in the world of this book to ever be made; just wait a few months and it's out there for public consumption or maybe it'll show up as a surprise package. It's a problem because it gives bloggers a bad name and makes us look greedy and extremely unprofessional, which is not a good image to have when we want to be taken seriously." James from Book Chic

"Jealousy. It seems like so many bloggers care so much about what other bloggers are doing and not enough about what they are doing. Some bloggers seem to focus more on the books that they get for review and they also focus on the ones that they did not get for review. It is very obvious when you come upon a blog like that and readers can tell. It doesn’t look good for the rest of the blogging community." Katie from Katie's Book Blog

"Judgment. Either about what people are reviewing (regarding genres), or their goals with blogging (somehow there's gotten to be a bit of a stigma about trying to grow your blog and/or make money from it.)" Wallace from Unputdownables

"Jealousy. I think many of the problems in the blogging community initially stem from jealousy. That jealously can morph into many other things, but I think that is the initial cause of many problems around the blogoshere. Many bloggers can be jealous of blog followers, ARCs, and another blogger’s popularity. It’s a pity that we can let jealousy work itself into us so much that we say horrible things about one another. As a whole, we need to understand that we all are here to share our love for books with others." Jacinda and Jasmine from The Reading Housewives of Indiana

"Unprofessional blogging behavior is by far the most detrimental activity to the community. Pushing through crowds to snag several copies of a book at BEA or ALA, acting unprofessionally on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media venues. Those that are the most vocal get the most visibility, people then tend to think their actions are representative of the entire community." Jenn from Jenn's Bookshelves