La Toya, Literally.

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Hop! (Intl)

2013-03-28T23:59:00.001-04:00

OMG, hello. And thank you for checking my blog out. Can I just bore you for one second and say that I haven't posted in so long and this is my first post in like 6 months AHHHHH I MISSED YOUUU.

Ahem...k...so here's what I'm offering today:

$10 toward a book of your choice at The Book Depository.

***All you gotta do is like my poor little FB page!! www.facebook.com/LaToyaLiterally ***

If you'd like to make my day even further, also like my professional opera page! (Not a requirement, but hey, figured I'd ask!) www.facebook.com/LaToyaLewisSoprano

Drop me a line letting me know that you like one or both of my pages so I can choose a winner!

with love xoxoxoxoxo,

La Toya

Playing catch up and checkin' in

2012-09-11T07:33:00.001-04:00

::mobile post ACTIVATE!!::

Hey bloggy friends :)

Man, it is so tough keeping up a fabulous book blog while working and pursuing a music career in my spare time!! Not to mention other exciting projects along the way.

Luckily, I've been reading like mad and have been having a quarterly book club. We've already read "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness and "The Fault in our stars" by John Green. Two fabulous choices, don't you guys agree?? Well, I will keep you all posted on what we read in the future so maybe you can join us or chime in of you've read already.

I also went back to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter this past June (insert gratuitous pic of Butterbeer truck here)! It has inspired me to take part an any and all Harry Potter re-reads. Let me know if any of you guys are doing that!

Lastly, and super awesomely, there's a huge Book Festival going on in my hometown next week. My hometown happens to be Brooklyn NY ;) I will make a longer post about that hopefully before it starts, fingers crossed.

Thanks for reading!
Xo,
La Toya

Tuesday Tuesday: The Mysterious Benedict Society

2012-08-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a fun and exciting meme hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. The cool button is from Once Upon a Twilight!

The rules are that you take a teaser from the book you're reading but make sure there are no spoilers!! Check out mine from "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart

My Teaser:

"The next question read: 'Do you like to listen to the radio?' And again, Reynie realized that he did not, although he was sure everyone else did. With a growing sense of isolation, he answered the question: NO."

Thanks for stopping by! Leave me a comment and link me to your Teaser if you have one!

It's Monday! What are you reading?? {13}

2012-08-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey! It's a great way to plan out your reading week and get ideas from other bloggers as well! Thanks for visiting!

Currently Reading:

Amazon or Goodreads

Loving this book right now you guys!!! And I'm so busy that I'm not sure WHAT I'm going to read next!!
What are you guys reading??

Thanks for stopping by! Check me out on FB and Twitter!

Follow my blog Friday!

2012-08-24T09:20:00.002-04:00

So excited that one of my old buddies Awesomesauce Bookclub is being featured this week!! Although she might not remember me (I used to be LazyGirl Reads!!)

Here's this week's question:

Q: Worst cover? What is the worst cover of a book that you've read and loved?

Okay, like no offense Margaret Peterson Haddix buuuuuuuuut I really think this cover sucks. And most of the covers of books I've read by this author but HOLEY MACKERAL if these books aren't superb! Love love LOVE The Shadow Children series!!

Thanks for stopping by. Drop me a comment and I will be sure to visit your blog as well!

Check me out on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/latoyaliterally

Check me out on FB: http://www.facebook.com/latoyaliterally

It's Monday! What are you reading? {12}

2012-08-13T16:38:00.004-04:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey! It's a great way to plan out your reading week and get ideas from other bloggers as well! Thanks for visiting!

Currently Reading:

This book is randomly in my Kindle Fire and I'm all like, where did this cool book even come from?!

Next:

As per one of my many beautiful friends, Tanira, I'm going to jump into this book as soon as I finish Burden of the Soul!!

What are you reading??

Book Club from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (no spoilers)

2012-08-12T16:30:00.001-04:00

Okay I'm just going to pretend I've been blogging all along with everyone. La la la, I've been here, what are you talking about??

But seriously...HI!! Remember me?? Missed you guys and blogging so much! Like this much:
---------------------------------------------------- !

I've been reading profusely and have even mentally prepared a review for all the books I've read but alas, bloggy friends, I've written NIL.

What brings me back to the blog beside general longing for reading my words and the words of others in computer form? None other than an extremely successful and eye-opening book club meeting that I had yesterday with some of m'ladies.

We all decided upon "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green. I was vaguely familiar with the subject matter and sort of familiar with the buzz surrounding John Green's books in general. At first, I wasn't entirely into the novel. Like to be two million percent honest with you. I couldn't relate to the characters, I wasn't into the way they dealt with their fates, I didn't entirely like the ending.

Well I made a point to tell the book club members this and, unlike the internet, my voice of dissent was actually a positive thing. They got to give me their opposing opinions with life experiences, examples in the book and all around thought processes. The more we delved into the heart of the book, the more I realized I wasn't giving this novel enough credit!!! I mean holey moley what a freaking masterpiece!

Anyway, I'll give this book a proper review some time in the future when all my thoughts finally settle.

How are all of you??

Book News!

2012-05-07T13:58:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday fellow bookworms!! I've been busy with my day job, being a little under the weather and my burgeoning opera career!! So sorry about the lack of posts!

Check out some of these cool bookish things I've found around the interwebs :-D

Some books I've been eyeing that are coming out the Week of May 14th.

Click images for more info:

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Click the link to get some SUPER deals on awesome books! I'm talking 1.99 for some of them!

BookCloseOuts.com

It's Monday, What are you Reading?! {11}

2012-04-30T13:22:00.002-04:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey! It's a great way to plan out your reading week and get ideas from other bloggers as well! Thanks for visiting!

Currently Reading:

Amazon or Goodreads

Next:

Amazon or Goodreads

Thanks for stopping by! What are you reading??

In My Mailbox {2}

2012-04-15T11:22:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. I don't always get to purchase books but when I'm lucky, I participate in this awesome hop. Check me out!

Purchased:

The Magic by Rhonda Byrne

Eat Right 4 Your Type by Dr. Peter J. D'Adamo

Library:

Six Weeks to Skinny Jeans by Amy Cotta

Among the Imposters by Margaret Peterson Haddix (#2 in The Shadow Children Series)

Fever by Lauren DeStefano (#2 in the Chemical Garden Series)

Lily Dale: Awakening by Wendy Corsi Staub

Thanks for stopping by! Link me up to your Mailbox or just drop me a note!!

TGIF: Musical Stories

2012-04-13T00:00:00.000-04:00

Hosted by Ginger @ Greads!

Friday, April 13th - Musical Stories: If you could read a book about any song, which song would you love to see written down in story form?

This is literally the best question ever. Seriously, I'm crying in delight and about to explode into pink glitter. So many songs come to mind. Do I choose Who's Gonna Save My Soul by Cee-lo Green, because, really? What's that song about?! Do I choose It's Only Love that Gets You Through by Sade? A song that makes me cry every time I hear it??

Sheesh, with so many songs to choose from, I've narrowed it down to three:

1. Something in the Way by Nirvana

Yes, this song was featured in If I Stay by Gayle Forman because of the cello. But it was out of context for the most part. It is so incredibly ominous that I would just LOVE to read about a brooding MC talking about "it's okay to eat fish cuz they, don't have any feelings".

2. What the Water Gave Me by Florence + The Machine

Okay so I heard this song randomly a couple times before I really listened to it and holy cannoli this is an intriguing little ditty. But really, what Florence + The Machine song isn't! I imagine some bad ass heroine in some dystopia walking along a desolate street.

3. Exit Music (for a film) by Radiohead

EEK. I love Radiohead ok? This isn't a secret. So it was really hard for me to choose which of their mysterious and hauntingly beautiful numbers I'd want to see in book form. Love this one because of it's darkness and the drama. "We hope, that you choke, that you choke"...what does it mean!!!

Thanks Ginger for this amazing question!!

Drop me line whether you participated in this hop or not. Would love to see some of your choices!

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway @ La Toya Literally!

2012-04-05T23:44:00.000-04:00

Welcome new and old followers to La Toya, Literally!! So excited to take part in this giveaway hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Once Upon a Twilight. Be sure to check out their giveaways and all the other blogs on the hop.
You know all the general formalities so let's get to the goodies!

$10 toward the book of your choice on the Book Depository!

(This giveaway is open internationally)

WOOOOOOOOOT!!!!

How to enter:

**Must be a follower

**Leave a comment with your favorite ice cream flavor (and email address)

Simple enough right?? Good luck and "Hoppy" Easter to those who celebrate :)

Super Duper funny video from the Jimmy Fallon show

2012-04-05T00:09:00.000-04:00

Omg, so I tried to embed this for your convenience but they don't let you do it!!! I love LOVE the Jimmy Fallon Show and I love books so for him to have a segment where he talks about books with funny titles and covers is like a happiness explosion.

Check the video out!! You will LOL for reals!!

More Books for the Do Not Read List - Do Not Read List - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Let me know which title you thought was the funniest! I'd say mine but I don't wanna spoil it haha!!

Book Soundtrack {3} : The Bad Beginning and Ravel

2012-04-02T16:53:00.002-04:00

I started my own Music Monday last year. I was inspired by all the bloggers out there putting books to music. Since these are two of my loves, I kinda ran with it. Still trying to figure out if I want to give myself the option to do posts like these any time of the week!

Here is an retro-post I did for The Bad Beginning.

About the Book

"Make no mistake. The Bad Beginning begins badly for the three Baudelaire children, and then gets worse."

I read this book by Lemony Snicket years ago (as well as the other 12) and I loved the ridiculously dark humor. The story didn't seem to be set during modern times so I thought of a classical piece for this week. Please enjoy Ravel's String Quartet in F Major.

About the Artist

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was a French composer known for his innovative, virtuosic orchestral pieces whose tonality couldn't exactly be put in any certain category (somewhere between Impressionist and Modernist). In other words, he was like, super awesome and didn't want to confine himself to one specific way of creating music around the turn of the 19th century like all the other French composers. If you dig classical music as much as I do, check out some other pieces by Ravel or hit up this cool website with more info!

www.maurice-ravel.net

It's Monday! What are you Reading?! {11}

2012-04-02T15:38:00.000-04:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey! It's a great way to plan out your reading week and get ideas from other bloggers as well! Thanks for visiting!

Currently Reading:

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

Amazon or Goodreads

Still reading this, but will probably be done with this tonight! Eeeek review to follow!

Next:

The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket
Amazon or Goodreads
Yes, this is a re-read but an oldie but goodie!

Anyone read these?!

Waiting on Wednesday {22} : The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

2012-03-28T00:58:00.000-04:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a super meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Warning: this description has not been authorized by Pseudonymous Bosch. As much as he'd love to sing the praises of his book (he is very vain), he wouldn't want you to hear about his brave 11-year old heroes, Cass and Max-Ernest. Or about how a mysterious box of vials, the Symphony of Smells, sends them on the trail of a magician who has vanished under strange (and stinky) circumstances. And he certainly wouldn't want you to know about the hair-raising adventures that follow and the nefarious villains they face. You see, not only is the name of this book secret, the story inside is, too. For it concerns a secret. A Big Secret.

Okay so, no this book isn't new or anything, but it looks like such a fun read! I put it on hold at the library and am patiently waiting to check it out! Pun intended!

Anyone read this one yet?? Drop me line either way!

2012 Picture Book Reading Challenge

2012-03-26T18:49:00.002-04:00

Oh hey! An illustrated book challenge? Well yes, count me in, friend! Here are the deets:

Timeline: January 1, 2012- December 31, 2012
Select your level:

Level 1 - Read 12 picture books

Level 2 - Read 16 picture books

Level 3 - Read 24 picture books

You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. If you do list your books in the beginning, you can always change them later on.
Crossovers with other challenges count.
Digital books count
Re-reads count as long as you read them in 2012 and you post a new review for the book.
You can join anytime

I've decided to do 16 books! I will list them as I go along! Also, click on the above button to check out the super cute site hosting this super cute challenge :)

It's Monday! What are you reading?! {10}

2012-03-26T18:34:00.003-04:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Shelia at Book Journey! It's a great way to plan out your reading week and get ideas from other bloggers as well! Thanks for visiting!

Currently Reading:

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

Amazon or Goodreads

OMG! Please read this book right now! I'm only on page 76 and I'm salivating. OMG.

Rap parody about Books! (Viewer Discretion Advised)

2012-03-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

Okay so if you like rap and you like books then this post is for you. If not, it's still kinda funny.

One of my friends posted this on Facebook and I was all like "MY WORLDS COLLIDE!" Check it out heheh :)

B*tches in Bookshops (based on Jay Z and Kanye West's "N*ggas in Paris"

Teaser Tuesdays: Old Man's War by John Scalzi

2012-03-20T13:13:00.000-04:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a fun and exciting meme hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. The cool button is from Once Upon a Twilight!

The rules are that you take a teaser from the book you're reading but make sure there are no spoilers!! Check out mine from John Scalzi's Old Man's War!

My Teaser:

Page 9: "I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army."

I'm re-reading this one because I've been reading such sucktastic books lately!! Suggestions are welcome!

Thanks for stopping by! Leave me a comment and link me to your Teaser if you have one!

Book Review: Phillip Hall Likes Me. I Reckon Maybe.

2012-03-15T15:11:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Open Road
Format: eARC
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Pages: 144
Where I Got It: Netgalley from the publisher
Check it out on: Amazon | Goodreads

Philip Hall is the cutest, smartest boy in the sixth grade, and Beth Lambert loves him. The fact that he beats her in classwork, sports, and almost everything else doesn't bother Beth at first. Then she realizes that Philip might be best because she's letting him beat her. Beth knows that she deserves to be Number One--and she's going to prove it! This funny, universal story of a girl learning that she matters in the world has delighted readers for over twenty years.

A wonderfully endearing book told in short stories from chapter to chapter, "Phillip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe." was a great quick read. The dialogue is written in Southern dialect which is both charming and hard to understand all the time. Even so, I still really enjoyed these little tales.

It made me think of those Carolyn Harwood Betsy books, also short adventures from chapter to chapter. The only major difference is that this book seemed to gel it all together somehow and keep you interested even as an adult.

I look forward to checking out other books in the series!

Black History Month Hop: Urban Interest

2012-02-29T12:15:00.002-05:00

The lovely ladies at Reflections of a Bookaholic and Mocha Girls Read are hosting a month long event spotlighting people, events, websites, and books concerning people of color.

Black interest or Urban Interest

I never really liked the name of the genre "Black Interest". I don't maybe I felt like we were being put in some sort of category and that no one else beside us would be interested in these books. I always liked the idea of being called Urban Fiction or something. Upon further investigation, I see that the genre is called Urban Fiction these days or African American fiction.

While I haven't read the genre in ages, there are some amazing novels that I read in my teenage years that are worth highlighting.

The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah
Amazon | Goodreads

This book right here is the creme de la creme of this genre. It was my first in the genre and I hold it as the standard for what Black interest should be. If you're even remotely entertained by books like these, this must be at the top of you TBR list. The follow up "Midnight", however, I do not recommend.

Addicted by Zane
Amazon | Goodreads

Um. Yeah. If you like steamy romance novels, you have GOT to read this particular Zane book. Like, right now.

Eric Jerome Dickey books circa 2000s

I may or may not have read all of these books that Dickey wrote. We passed around a few books when I was in high school. We were intensely intellectual but wanted to give our brains a break from dense textbooks and formulas with some entertaining romance books. Click on the images to check them out on Amazon.

Pimp by Iceberg Slim

Amazon | Goodreads

Now, I never read this, but always saw this sitting on my Dad's nightstand. It looked like a book I wasn't supposed to read so I never did! But now that I'm an adult, I think I'm going to read all of the books he wrote.

Glad I got to participate in this hop finally! Just made it by the skin of my teeth. Be sure to check out the other blogs who have contributed posts to this awesome hop :)

Tuesday Tuesdays {7} : The Lovely Bones

2012-02-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a fun and exciting meme hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading. The cool button is from Once Upon a Twilight!

The rules are that you take a teaser from the book you're reading but make sure there are no spoilers!! Check out mine from Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones!

My Teaser:

Page 47: "He nodded seriously and kissed my father's cheek. Something so divine that no one up in heaven could have made it up; the care a child took with an adult."

My God, this book is...incredible. Why have I waited this long to read it? Absolutely breathtaking.

Thanks for stopping by! Leave me a comment and link me to your Teaser if you have one!

Libraries!

2012-02-27T10:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday guys! I just read THE most AMAZING article on Huff post that showed 10 breathtaking libraries from around the world.

Adel Zakout writes:

"...our libraries are being replaced by the internet as a primary research tool by students and book-reading is on the decline. In my opinion we mustn't let libraries slowly disappear from our cultural landscapes; we need to redefine their roles to ensure that they are relevant in providing that kind of entertainment and food for the mind that the digital world never can. So what can we do, from an architectural point of view, to keep libraries alive and most importantly, meaningful?"

Here are some of the fantastic photos:

Liyuan Library {source}

New Stuttgart Library {source}

Vennesla Library {source}

Check out the entire article here.

What do you guys think of these pictures? And do you believe your local library is making strides to stay current?

Follow Friday!

2012-02-24T09:47:00.000-05:00

Hosted by Ginger @ GReads!

Required Reading: Which book from your school days &

do you remember reading & enjoying?

Is there a book published now

that you'd like to see in today's curriculum for kids?

There are two books I remember reading that have stuck with me. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett and A Gathering of Old Men by Ernest J. Gaines. Both of these were tremendous books that made a great impact on me. Click on either for more info.

I think The Giver by Lois Lowry would make a great addition to Middle School curriculum or even the beginning of High School.

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Hosted by Alison @ Alison Can Read
Parajunkee @ Parajunkee.com

Q: Take a picture or describe where you love to read the most...

This is a sunset that I was lucky enough to catch while I was in Santa Monica a few months ago. I find this picture (that I took myself, btw) to be awesome. I would imagine myself on a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (which that was btw) reading into the night.

How about you guys??