Author Archives: brooke

About brooke

Hi! I'm Brooke, and I'm an author. I love writing; I always have, and I love anything that has to do with words and poems and reading. I also like to sing, act, swim, and laugh (a lot.)

Top 10 Tuesday: 2015 Bookish/Blogging Goals

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

BOOKISH

1. Read 55 books

This is the reading goal I’ll set through Goodreads. While I thought my goal of 50 books for 2014 would be a challenge, I blew past it! So we shall see what 2015 has in store for me, but I do believe 55 books is both challenging and attainable.

2. Write better book reviews

I am a huge procrastinator when it comes to writing reviews. I really need to be better at writing reviews as soon as I’ve finished reading, so I don’t move on to another book and forget the previous one!

3. Organize book club(s)

Last summer I created a book club for rising 6th grade girls. We read Cinder by Marissa Meyer and it was so, so fun. I’d like to do it again this summer, but I want to expand and host multiple book clubs. *Does anyone have suggestions for great middle grade books??

4. Attend BEA

This would be a dream come true. I’ll be out of school, and I have family in New York, so I really think it could work out this year. *Fingers crossed* And it looks as though many other bloggers have this same resolution, so I hope to see you all there!

BLOGGING

5. Posting consistently

I need to be consistent and stick to my Monday/Thursday schedule. If possible, I’d like to write posts in advance and have them scheduled on the blog so I’m not always scrambling to publish the posts at the last minute.

6. Using my own images

I’m excited to be getting better at photography and image editing, so I’d like to begin using my own images in posts. (This excludes the book cover images I use in my TTT posts, as I don’t always own the books I blog about).

7. Interviewing authors

As an avid reader AND writer, it’s always an incredible learning experience speaking to an author. I began contacting authors for interviews in 2013 but really slacked off in 2014 (authors are busy people!). So this year I’d like to interview an author at least once a month.

8. Guest posting

I think guest posting is a great way to put yourself out there and to connect with other bloggers. So not only would I like to guest post on other sites, but invite other bloggers to guest post here at Brooke Reviews.

9. Commenting

I follow many other book blogs but often forget to leave comments! I think it’s important to let other bloggers know they’re doing something right, so my goal is to get better at leaving positive/encouraging comments when I read posts I really like.

10. Social media

Again, I sort of fell off the bandwagon. At one point I was on Twitter at least once or twice a day, and then I abandoned it for several months. I miss all the bookish updates! I have felt so disconnected! Twitter, I shall return!

 

What are your bookish/blogging goals for the new year? What can I add to my list? Any suggestions for Brooke Reviews?

 

2014 Year in Review

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I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday. Can’t believe we are about to begin a new year! So rather than a December Rewind & Review, I’ve decided to recap my entire year. (2014 was rather fabulous, friends.)

STATS:

Posts – 91
Book reviews – 21
Movie reviews – 5
The Book Thief // Vampire Academy // Divergent // The Fault in Our Stars // The Giver
Author interviews – 3
Ned Stuckey-French // Elizabeth Stuckey-French // Marissa Meyer

I read 61 books this year, beating my goal of 50. (And last year I didn’t even make my 50-book goal, so this is especially exciting!)

Needless to say, it was a really great reading year.

And I think this is largely thanks to the fantastic book blogs I stumbled across this year, which reviewed/recommended several of my favorite 2014 reads. Also, the discovery of these blogs led to my participation in Top 10 Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) and Rewind & Review (hosted by Shae Has Left the Room).

I continued to participate in the blog chain hosted by Teens Can Write, Too.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:

  • New look! – In early January, I changed my blog design to the theme you see now, and I’m quite happy with it.
  • ARCs! – I became a member of Netgalley and received my first e-galleys to review.
  • Conference – For the second year, I attended the Tallahassee Writer’s Conference and blogged about my experience.
  • Sunshine Award – I was nominated for my first blogger award! Tara Therese nominated me for the Sunshine Award.
  • Syd’s letter – I introduced my sister to the blog via a letter she wrote to me for a school assignment.
  • Snippet series – I wrote a series of posts about creating a Snippet.

I also traveled to Italy this past summer and then started college, so I’d say it’s been a pretty big year. Thanks for sticking with me! I’m looking forward to an even better 2015.

Tell me about your year! Personal/professional accomplishments? When you look back, what stands out? And what suggestions do you have for Brooke Reviews? 

 

‘Bout This Blogger

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I’m excited to be participating in the ‘Bout This Blogger tag, hosted by Cait @ Paper Fury to celebrate her transition from the old site to the new site. (While I shall miss Notebook Sisters, I love the new design! Congrats Cait!)

Below are the 10 questions I’m supposed to answer giving you my backstory.

WHY DID YOU START BLOGGING?

I started blogging back in May 2006 because I wanted to have my own space on the Internet to share my poetry. (I wrote loads of poetry. It all rhymed. And it’s all still in the early archives of the blog, but by the time you’re reading this I’ll probably have taken it down because it would make excellent blackmail!) Now, however, I blog because I enjoy being a part of the online reading/writing community and reaching out to other teens who share my interests.

WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND YOUR BLOG’S NAME?

So the blog was originally titled “Brooke Harrison’s Blog,” which is super original, I know. When I changed the blog design and decided to become a book blogger, I titled the site “Brooke Reviews.” I think it’s clever, as “Brooke” rhymes with “book” and it’s been sort of a joke in my family because I love to read. It’s also a play-on-words. “Brooke Reviews” like “book reviews” but also because I review both books and movie adaptations.

HOW MANY DESIGNS HAVE YOU BEEN THROUGH SINCE YOU STARTED BLOGGING? (Pictures! We demand pictures!)

I originally used Blogger. That was way back in the beginning. It was a standard design with a green color scheme. Unfortunately I do not have pics of this original theme. I switched to WordPress maybe a year or so later and found a cool coffee-shop-esque theme. Last Christmas I installed a new theme called ‘Delightful.’ This is the theme you see now, and I’m quite fond of it.

HAVE YOU EVER SWITCHED BLOG PLATFORMS? WHAT MADE YOU MOVE? If you haven’t ever changed…why?

I switched from Blogger to WordPress fairly early on in my blogging career as I believe WordPress is more professional and more easily customizable. While I liked Blogger for its simplicity, it definitely had limitations. I love working with WordPress.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO WRITE A POST? WHAT’S YOUR POSTLY PROCESS LIKE?

I wish I had a better process – I wish I could say I write all my posts in advance and therefore spend time writing AND editing these posts before scheduling them in my dashboard. Alas, this is not the case. Sometimes I’m inspired and write a complete post in the heat of the moment. Other times I outline first and flesh it out later. Some posts take longer to write than others.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN SUPER NERVOUS ABOUT A POST? Why?! What was it?

I met a local author once who gave me a copy of her book and asked me to review it. I took forever to read it and then was super nervous to post the review. It’s a very different thing to post an honest review when you’ve met the author face-to-face!

DO YOU HAVE A BLOGGING SCHEDULE?

I implemented my Monday/Thursday schedule last year (it was a New Year resolution/goal for the blog) and I think it’s worked well. This past May, I also began participating in Top Ten Tuesday. For the most part I’ve really honored my schedule, but occasionally life just gets in the way and I either forget to post or don’t have anything to post. (For example, I’ve been on an unofficial hiatus for the past several weeks because school consumed my every waking hour.)

DO YOU TELL PEOPLE IN-REAL-LIFE ABOUT YOUR BLOG? THEIR REACTIONS?

I generally don’t go out of my way to tell people IRL about my blog because I just don’t think they’d be interested. I have more online friends who share my love of reading/writing than offline friends. But if people ask about my blog, I’m always happy to tell them about it. And I’ve had friends who’ve actually taken the time to check it out, and it always makes me feel really warm and fuzzy inside when they tell me they think it’s really cool or that they love my design or that they’ve subscribed.

TOP TEN BLOGS YOU READ/COMMENT ON THE MOST! Go! Go!

Here are the top 5 blogs I read most often. (I really need to be better at commenting! I’ll read really great posts and think to myself, “What a great post!” and then forget to leave a comment saying so.)

Emma @ Awkwordly Emma // Shae @ Shae Lit // Sunny @ Blue Sky Bookshelf // John @ Teens Can Write Too // Go Teen Writers

IF YOU COULD CHANGE/IMPROVE THINGS ABOUT YOUR BLOG, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?

I’d love to get better at using my own images. Also, as much as I love participating in blog hops and weekly memes (I really, really do!) I’d love to write more original posts. Maybe I could write something once a week about my writing process, or something I’ve learned that I’d like to share with other members of the online writing community (?). And as a blogger, I need to be better at supporting my favorite blogs by commenting more often to show my appreciation.

Thanks for reading! Check out Cait’s new site and be sure to participate in the tag and enter her giveaway. Please share your thoughts or the link to your ‘Bout This Blogger post!

 

Top 10 Tuesday: Best Books of 2014

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I’ve been very excited for this TTT, although it was extremely difficult to narrow my list down to only 10 books. (As you can see below, I’ve cheated a bit, counting each complete series I’ve read as only one entry.)

BEST SERIES

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1. Vampire Academy series / Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead

2. The Raven Boys series by Maggie Stiefvater

3. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

4. Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas

BEST CONCLUSION TO SERIES

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5. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

6. The One by Kiera Cass

Honorable mentions: The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan, City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

BEST FIRST IN SERIES

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7. Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

8. Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong

BEST STANDALONE

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9. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

10. Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

Honorable mentions: On the Fence by Kasie West, Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson, Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

 

What were your favorite books of 2014? Please share! I always love recommendations. 

Top 10 Tuesday: 2015 Releases I’m Excited About

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This TTT was a whole lot easier than I thought it would be – there are so many books to be excited about coming 2015! Books 1-5 on my list are books within a series. Books 6-10 are stand-alones or the first in a new series.

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1. Fairest (The Lunar Chronicles #3.5) by Marissa Meyer – Jan 27 2015

2. The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6) by Richelle Mead – Feb 10 2015

3. The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass – May 5 2015

4. Untitled (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J. Maas – Sep 10 2015

5. Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer – Nov 24 2015

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6. All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1) by Ally Carter – Jan 27 2015

7. The Fill In Boyfriend by Kasie West – May 5 2015

8. A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas – May 5 2015

9. Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare – Sep 2015

10. Six of Crows (The Dregs #1) by Leigh Bardugo – Oct 8 2015

 

What 2015 releases are you excited about? 

Top 10 Tuesday: Books I Want to Reread

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

So today’s TTT is about books we’d like to reread. I will admit: I am NOT a rereader. There are so many books and so little time, and so I read books once and that’s it. However, there are several exceptions.

The books I choose to read again (and again) are special to me in some way – I identified with one or more of the characters, the plot was spectacular, or the overall tone of the book struck me. So the ten books I’ve chosen are books that have made some sort of impression – books I can’t get out of my head.

So without further ado, I give you the top 10 books I’d like to reread (in no particular order):

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1. Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices Trilogy) by Cassandra Clare – I think Clare really knew what she was doing by the time she began writing this trilogy. Also I love the ties to the Mortal Instruments series.

2. The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle) by Maggie Stiefvater – Beautiful novel.

3. Graceling by Kristin Cashore – I like to curl up on Friday nights and reread my favorite passages of this book.

4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green – Maybe I won’t cry this time.

5. Cinder (Lunar Chronicles) by Melissa Meyer – I think it’d be fun to reread these books simply to catch all of Meyer’s foreshadowing.

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6. Gregor the Overlander (Underland Chronicles) by Suzanne Collins – I was a fan of Suzanne Collins before she was cool. This was pre-Hunger Games, my friends. I have fond memories of reading this series with my dad.

7. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart – Another book I read quite a long time ago. These characters are witty and intelligent (they’re geniuses) and I loved the mystery and the riddles.

8. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin – Required reading in 8th grade and one of my favorites. Definitely quirky and eccentric, but that’s why I like it.

9. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – No explanation necessary. I learn from Rowling’s books each time I reread them.

10. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – Such lovely writing. Such a haunting story. <3

 

Have you read these novels, and would you read them again? What books have you reread, or would like to reread? Share your thoughts!

Week 6 – Snippet – Multimedia

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Last week I wrote about the content and layout of my Snippet project. I’ve outlined my project in Scrivener and have already added several chapters via my online dashboard.

Today we’ll be getting into the multimedia part of Snippet – I’ll be sharing how I’ve edited the images for my project, including the cover and the headers.

First things first. Before you create a super-awesome cover image for your Snippet, you need to be sure you’re aware of the correct dimensions.

The dimensions for Snippet are as follows:

1536px x 2048px – cover image / chapter cover image
1536px x 520px – TOC header
1536px x 400px – chapter header

The photo-editing software I’m using is called Pixelmator. It’s basically Photoshop for Mac. I wrote about Pixelmator in an earlier post about the tools I’m using for this project.

When I open the application, I can create a new image and set my own dimensions.

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So for my cover image, I wanted something simple. I added background color and text with my title and my name. If you’re new to Pixelmator, you can find fantastic tutorials on a variety of topics at Pixelmator’s website. I thought the videos were extremely helpful.

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Upload your cover image and header image to your Snippet the same way you upload chapters. Uploading the chapter headers is similar. (Click into your chapter first.)

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Most importantly, have fun designing your cover image. Be creative. In my opinion, the multimedia features of Snippet are what truly make it great. It’s a visual experience that compliments the reading experience.

If you have any questions, I’d be happy to help. Write a comment or shoot me an email or contact me via social media. Thanks for reading!

 

Oh, and Happy Halloween *mwahaha* 

 

October Rewind & Review

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So I’m participating in “Rewind & Review,” a blog hop hosted by Shae Has Left the Room. Basically, we’ll be glancing back at what happened on the blog during the month of October, and also take a look at what I’ve been reading.

Books I Read

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On the Fence by Kasie West
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
Uninvited by Sophie Jordan
Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

Posts You Might Have Missed

Week 2 – Snippet – Getting Started
Brooke Reviews: Not in the Script, Blue Lily Lily Blue
Week 3 – Snippet – Brooke Reviews “Let Go”
TTT: Places I Want to Be
Week 4 – Snippet – Tools
TTT: Series I’d Like to Start
Week 5 – Snippet – Content & Layout
TTT: Books to Inspire Halloween Spirit

Upcoming on the blog:

Had more opportunity to read this month, but my reading has significantly slowed down due to my HW load and new school responsibilities. Again, looking forward to future TTTs (Top Ten Tuesdays), book reviews, and the completion of my Friday series.

By the way, I’d love feedback regarding the Friday series. I’m a huge fan of themed posts, or packaged posts, so share your thoughts and let me know if you’d like me to cover something in particular in a future series!

Top 10 Tuesday: Books to inspire Halloween spirit

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Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

So today’s topic is books to put you in the Halloween spirit – I’ve chosen 10 that gave me goosebumps, or featured demons/monsters/magic. And consequently, I think each of these novels could inspire a really cool costume, which was the other topic for today’s TTT. Enjoy!

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1. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare – Warriors fighting demons – definitely a series to put you in the Halloween spirit!

2. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo – If the Darkling doesn’t put you in the Halloween spirit, I don’t know what will.

3. Sea of Shadows by Kelley Armstrong – Monsters! *squeal*

4. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas – Book 1 in a series about magic and Fae and evil kings.

5. In the Shadows by Keirsten White – Several scenes seriously creeped me out. Totally appropriate for Halloween!

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6. Cinder by Marissa Meyer – This Cinderella requires a very different costume.

7. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – Vampires. The undead. Need I say more?

8. Vitro by Jessica Khoury – There are humans being bred on this island.

9. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge – Another darker/grittier fairy tale retelling!

10. Born of Illusion by Teri Brown – Magicians, mediums, mentalists, and seances. Read this on Halloween and shiver with delight. (That was cheesy. I apologize.)

 

What novels put you in the Halloween spirit? Please share!

Week 5 – Snippet – Content & Layout

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Last week I wrote about the tools I’m using to create my Snippet. 

I introduced Scrivener, a word-processing program for writers which allows them to organize documents and keep everything in one place.

Today I’ll be writing about the content and layout of my Snippet, and what I’ve accomplished thus far.

It can be difficult to get started on a project when you feel overwhelmed. The best way to break through your fear is to jump right in.

Break it down. Create an outline for the content of your Snippet.

I’m writing a How-To guide to assist teen writers in building a blog from scratch. Each chapter of my Snippet will be devoted to an individual topic (remember – each chapter in Snippet must be less than 1000 words!).

My outline consists of four sections: Intro, Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3. I’ve created folders in Scrivener for each of these sections. 

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Your “binder” is displayed in the sidebar on the left. Folders and documents are found in this sidebar. In the screenshot above, the notecards represent the documents within my Phase 1 folder. This is simply an overview – each document at a glance.

Now that I have a pretty solid outline, I’m ready to begin adding chapters to my Snippet in the Snippet dashboard. Check out this video tutorial about adding new chapters.

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I’ve decided which of my chapters need multi-media, and I’ll begin filming and editing images this week.

Next week I’ll touch on image editing and adding discoverables to your Snippet project. Thanks for reading!

 

Questions, comments? Share your thoughts!