Guest Post: Kelsey on Blogging

Hi guys, I got a very special guest over today. I had a call on Twitter a week ago to find some guest bloggers to stop by on Nyx Book Reviews, and fellow book blogger Kelsey decided to help me out! Kelsey is the mastermind behind Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf. Check out her blog too! (:

The Guest Post

What I've learned about myself from blogging

I've been blogging for almost a year now, and I feel like I've learned so much about it along the way, but here is a little list of the things blogging has taught me about myself.

I can't be forced to read anything. Back in high school they would give us books to read and write reports about, and I really sucked at it actually. I had trouble keeping interest and my book reports always had ok marks, because I had difficulty explaining anything, let alone remembering what I read. Not only were the books not what I enjoyed, but I've just never liked being forced to read anything. I didn't fully realized how much I liked reading and choosing my own books until I started blogging, and realized how many awesome books there are out there!

I need to write for myself. When I first started blogging, I was really worried about not sounding professional or not having anything well written, or people liking my content. But after visiting other blogs and keeping up with my own posts for almost a year now, I realized that it doesn't really matter. As long as I write what I care about, get my feelings out there and be as honest as I can, that's what's important. Otherwise it would get boring and be bland and I would most likely give up on it completely. After all, blogging isn't about impressing others, but sharing your experiences and having fun right?

I'm more confident and less shy than I thought I would be. All those book bloggers out there were the reason for this. When I first started out, of course I had a lot of questions, but I was a bit worried about bugging others constantly. But I did it anyway, and not only would I get many answers to help me out right away, all the comments on reviews and my posts cheering me on just made my day, and help me feel more a part of everything. I think this whole experience has changed me a bit, and I love all of it.

I think just being a part of something and doing what you love is a great thing, but if it can inspire you to change, adapt, or learn, then it's even more worthwhile to keep doing it. Sop hopefully I'm doing this for years to come! Have there been any ways in which blogging has changed you?

Bio

Hi! I’m Kelsey, and I’m a 24 year old Canadian girl.

I work in the printing industry with a small company, running digital machines, and doing a bit of design. I’m the manager of bindery, and shipping jobs to clients.

I originally started my blog because I wanted to test out WordPress so I could help with my work’s blog. I fell in love with the idea, played around with a few things, and eventually I decided to change it into a book blog August 2011, thanks to a read-a-thon.

Better Know a Blogger Guest

I am a guest at For What It's Worth where Karen has interviewed me! Hop over to the interview to see my answers to her questions on how I named my blog, how my reading has changed by blogging and other blog-related questions.

Hope to see you there! (:

PBB Review: Acadia, Book I: The Lost King and the Goddess of Time

Acadia, Book I: The Lost King and the Goddess of Time by Ali Naqvi
(The Second Great War #1)

Reviewer: Alastair from I can has books?
2 out of 5 stars

Published by Createspace
Review copy received from the author

My Mother always told me that if I didn’t have anything nice to say to people then I shouldn’t say anything at all – sadly that would make this review extremely short.

Damont is a young man who finds out around half way into the novel that he is the long lost descendent of the infamous Langorn line – the one who united Acadia. He travels to the nearby country for advice, where the Queen sends him on a quest of discovery in the forest (along with two companions) to prove he is worthy to be king. From there, there are run-ins with gods, people out to kill him and the heir to the neighbouring country planning Damont’s demise. Sadly by the time the story starts to kick in I had already decided that I had no real love for Damont, primarily down to his naive yet arrogant attitude. Instead I wanted to know more about Virden (a loner, or hunter as he’s titled in the book, who seems to like a drop or two of blood to drink) as he seems like much deeper characters.

One of the main things that I love about fantasy novels is how I can become completely and utterly lost in the World that the author has magically created for the reader to fall in to in their own way. The exploration chapters that some people find a little tiresome I absolutely adore. Sadly the first two real journeys that Damont faces are looked with incredibly rushed over with no real depth or feeling of travel or excitement, which in turn made Acadia have no real depth or meaning to me. As the novel continues Naqvi seems to find his footing and the World does start to flourish and open up, however for me it was to late.

Sadly I don’t think I’ll be reading the next book in the series.

Read this review on Alastair's blog

Blurb

It was only a nightmare at first, but Damont soon realizes that he can see into the future-a curse he has to live with for being the only son of a king dead for a thousand years, with a mother who is the goddess of time.

A man in black armor with a face as obscure as the shadows mantling him laughs wickedly. Who is he and why does he continue to haunt me, Damont wonders. Appearing only in his dreams, the man in the black armor stands alone and laughs high as if to mock him while the world around him burns to cinder. "They are not dreams, my son," a voice calls out to him in a vision after the many nightmares-claiming to be his mother whom abandoned him when he was but a child. "They are shards of a broken world to come if you so take the path of your father." If such a path does lie ahead beyond a throne that sits vacant for centuries, with an empire in the east growling for war, then Damont Langörn realizes he has but one choice: follow the visions and seek out the truth lost to both him and the world behind his lineage-but will he be strong enough to face such a malevolent foe of his nightmares?

With a vampire and a sorceress at his side, Damont begins his journey, but such a road is not an easy one to take if the gods themselves do not wish for his return as the king who would unite the world against their existence and bring demise to their very doorstep.

More links

• Author page
• Goodreads

Project Book Blogger Reviews

As some of you might have noticed, I had a call-out for reviewers last week here on my blog. I got some responses, but I would love to have some more reviewers for my little project. I'm especially looking for reviewers that like epic-fantasy, horror, mysteries and paranormal romance. If you don't sign up.. Well, Mister Creepy Cat here will find you.

The first Project Book Blogger reviews (as I like to call them) will get online in about two to three weeks, depending on how long the participants take to read and review their ARCs. I'm very excited, and hope that PBB will be a success!

In other news...

I love how the singer is being tortured by his band mates.

This is the band Royal Republic which is totally awesome. I'm going to see them for the second time next week Friday.

Hope you enjoy the musical intermezzo, and happy reading!

Books I Love: Sword & Sorcery Fantasy

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 

This week's Books I Love guest blogger:

Sabine about Sword & Sorcery!

Fantasy has many sub-genres, such as epic, high, low, sword and sorcery, urban, etc. Sword and Sorcery is one of my favorite genres in fantasy. If you have read Karl Edward Wagner’s Kane (1970) novels, then you know what I am talking about. I also think Terry Brooks’s The Sword of Shannara (1977) series is more of sword and sorcery than epic fantasy as it is normally classified.

The main difference between epic and sword and sorcery is the scale on which the story is set. Epic fantasy has a larger than life hero who fights for the survival of his world. There are grand battles and there are many other characters who play vital roles in order to bring about the victory for the hero. Since the story is set on a big scale, it usually becomes a trilogy or a series and in the end, the hero saves the world from destruction. Sword and Sorcery might have a hero who saves the world but the story usually starts with the hero’s quest for personal gain or motive. The overall scope of the story remains centered around the main character and the adventures he has.

Sword and Sorcery has two key elements: sword, that is a magical talisman or weapon and sorcery, that is magic.

Let’s talk about sorcery. The use of magic involves creating a magical system and rules. Without that, a writer will simply end up blundering in the dark. A good sword and sorcery fantasy book requires a well-developed magic system with limits. You cannot have a sorcerer doing everything possible with a simple shake of his hands. Magic needs to have boundaries so that sorcerers are not invincible. Instead, they are vulnerable and mortal. They can be injured or killed. They make mistakes and live ordinary lives but do extraordinary things.

Sword is the magical weapon. It doesn’t have to be a literal sword. It can be a stone, a dagger…or anything that grants its user special powers. Usually the hero (or heroine) will have to first acquire this sword, then learn to master it and finally wield in an epic battle that will decide the fate of humanity. In some cases, the hero actually makes or creates this magical weapon or it is created for him by his companions or some other person in the story.

I like the fact that Sword and sorcery fantasy does not always have to be about good versus evil. It can stem from the hero’s desire to avenge his family or for some other personal reason…but it does usually end up being about good versus evil and sometimes the hero is the reluctant protagonist dreading every step to the final battle. It does not make the hero weak. Instead it makes him stronger because he is doing something for others even though he personally does not want to do it.

My fondness for Sword and Sorcery stories stems from the fact that there is usually a lot of action, a fast-paced plot, characters who are forced to undergo intense changes in their lives and need to achieve extraordinary goals.

I would like to thank Sabine for her clear explanation of the Sword & Sorcery genre!

(don't forget to leave her a comment and to visit her blog)

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Books I Love: Crime Noir

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 

This week's Books I Love guest blogger:

Troy about Crime Noir!

“Do you ever notice you talk a lot, but never get to the point?” – Karen DiCilia, Gold Coast

Language spoken in crime noir is different than other novels. They have a rough cadence when they speak, rarely from the good district of town, and fewer still have had the opportunity to better themselves in any way possible rather than by the end of the gun. Crime noir is an alternative to detective/murder mysteries. Crime noir keeps to its roots as a base level of humanity, edgier in its style because the good guy has to fight to win and may never do so.

The way Elmore Leonard’s characters speak is remarkable because it keeps the education level at where you would guess a criminal would be at. That doesn’t mean all criminals are idiots, but few talk with the proper grammar that an academic would care for. Jim Thompson does everyone writing crime noir one better by making his characters depraved to the point of no return. He ended up taking a wide turn right when everyone else decided to go left.

In the 1950s, Thompson wrote several crime noir books, some in less than a month with little rewriting. That appeared to add to his style. His characters spoke in forms, cut off half way through sentences, and never with the proper inflection to their tone. Deputy Lou Ford who narrates The Killer Inside Me (1952) speaks in clichés, and talks of his addiction to “the sickness.” These types of characters showcase a base that society is typically unwilling to acknowledge but must admit is out there. Thompson continued this streak of character and language on in the 1957 book The Getaway. It is where no one person in the story is innocent, nor incapable of doing harm to another person for the benefit of greed.

When I select a book to read, I look for the honesty of the writer. Thompson and Leonard possess that honesty that their characters are as real as it gets. Most are mill workers or people without means. Those are the people I know. And few, if any of them, speak proper grammar. Mostly, they speak as themselves, which is the best type of writing, and character. Hopefully, Karen DiCilia would be relieved that I got to the point in this article.

Troy Kirby is a writer in the Pacific Northwest, author of the crime novel “Crunk” and horror novella “The Deity.” His blog www.troykirby.com touches on random topics, from writing, to the world in general.

I would like to thank Troy for his interesting choice!

(don't forget to leave him a comment and to visit his blog)

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Books I Love: Contemporary Young-Adult

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 

This week's Books I Love guest blogger:

Tracy about Contemporary Young-Adult!

My name is Tracy Marchini, and I love contemporary YA.

There are several reasons that I could give you for my love of contemporary YA – the ability to explore a tough situation that may have affected myself or a friend, the ability to go back to a cooler, most exciting version of high school, or even as a way to vicariously rebel like I wished I could as a teen! But in celebration of my new short story Effie At The Wedding, I thought I’d let my character Effie give us a few words about her love of contemporary YA.

7 Reasons Contemporary YA Is Better Than Being Trapped In A Bathroom Stall

  7.) Contemporary YA novels tend to smell better.
  6.) If I had a contemporary YA novel with me right now, I might be slightly less embarrassed about being trapped in the bathroom stall, because the character would be suffering something far more embarrassing. (It would also distract me from what’s happening in the stall next door. Just because a wedding is open bar, doesn’t mean you have to DRINK THE WHOLE BAR.)
  5.) It can be handy for new playlists. I mean, not that I live under a rock or anything, but I wouldn’t have heard of the Smiths if it wasn’t for David Leviathan.
  4.) Contemporary YA novels don’t have dragons in them. I don’t really like dragons, unless we’re describing my Uncle Leo who occasionally tries to breathe fire at family functions.
  3.) Number four is probably happening AS WE SPEAK, and I’m totally missing it.
  2.) I usually know EXACTLY how the protagonist of a contemporary novel feels. As you can probably guess by my stuck-in-the-bathroom-situation, I am a bit on the clumsy, unpopular and unlucky side. But the protagonists of contemp YA stories tend to win in the end because they are so clumsy and weird. Here’s hoping that I end up on the other side of that line (and the other side of the stall!)
  1.) Okay, okay, ANY book is better than being trapped in a stall. If you can’t get me out, could you please pass a book under the door?

I would like to thank Tracy for her amusing top 7!

(don't forget to leave them a comment and to visit her blog)

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Books I Love: Urban Fantasy

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 

This week's Books I Love guest blogger:

Jessica & Donna about Urban-Fantasy!

Hi all! Jessica and Donna here from Book Passion for Life blog.

Okay when we were asked to write a guest post about a genre that we loved, we spent ages trying to come up with which one we preferred. In the end we decided (by mutual agreement) that we both love the Urban Fantasy genre. Mostly for the same reasons.

Here’s what we love about the Urban Fantasy genre:

Urban Fantasy is a little grittier than Paranormal Romance, even though PNR is also one of our favourite genres. With Urban Fantasy, we enjoy the fact that there's always a lot more detail. In PNR there sometimes are books that don’t have much of a back story which in the end make it a little confusing for the reader, while we’ve read some Urban Fantasy books and they’ve had great back stories. We love that the Urban Fantasy genre tends not to stick to the same story line, love triangles for example. Love triangles can sometimes be the centre of a story (like Twilight) but with Urban Fantasy most authors tend to involve more characters, who have their own story lines. In the end they write books with characters who have their own personality with their own nitty gritty twist at the end.

So, I bet you’re wondering which Urban Fantasy series is our favourite? Well it happens to be The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.

Now the thing we love about TMI is that Cassandra Clare has made each book unique, imaginable, full of action, suspense, romance and of course Jace! We love Clare’s style of writing, how you can also feel that you’re there in the story & feeling what they feel as their journey unfolds. In all honesty we’ve never read another series quite like it and it’s a series that even after countless times, still manages to blow us away. TMI is an instant classic and an all time favourite and a series that we BOTH will continue to read and love. Forever.

The characters are well developed; even though they all have faults (but I guess that’s what makes them interesting?) they help each other out as much as possible. We love the fact that even though they’re not always the same species i.e. vampire, werewolf etc. there’s still a good combination with the right amount of tension. We love the fact that through books 1-4 all the characters manage to overcome their prejudices against one another and just simply, well, get along. TMI isn’t without its fair share of romance though; aside from the entire demon killing we still come to love the romance. Take the romance between Jace & Clary for example; this is a heartbreakingly good romance. The type of romance you find yourself wanting and praying will work out. The type of romance, you know deep down is wrong in the moral sense of the world, but still want it to work out. That right there is GOOD writing. Two people so devoted to one another that HOPEFULLY nothing can break them! The secondary characters like Maya, the new guys (what's his name?) oh Jordan, they’re really enjoyable characters to read about and we will look forward to seeing how Cassie Clare develops them.

Well I think that’s it from us, we hope this was fun to read and let you know a little more about why we love the Urban Fantasy genre, especially The Mortal Instruments.

I would like to thank Jessica and Donna for sharing their favourite books with us!

(don't forget to leave them a comment and to visit their blog)

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Books I Love: Science Fiction

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 

This week's Books I Love guest blogger:

Pavarti about Sci-fi!

I don’t like Star Wars.

I tolerate Star Trek (mostly because of my love of The Shat)

So when I say I am in love with science fiction few people understand how that’s possible. Well as much as those two iconic franchises’ happen in space there’s not much science in either of them; really they are more correctly classified as general fiction. Hey, stop throwing things at the screen and hear me out!

The fundamental issue is that so few people understand what sci-fi actually is. There have been thousands of books listed as sci-fi which under the true definition don't remotely resemble pure science fiction.

This confusion happens most commonly with the fantasy genre. Somehow fantasy and sci-fi have become interchangeable for so many that the differences are blurry; however, there is a clear and solid line separating them. Sci-fi is possible. Fantasy is not.

In the words of L. Ron Hubbard: “...science fiction, to be credible, has to be based on some degree of plausibility; fantasy gives you no limits at all.”

This is an incredibly important distinction. In sci-fi there are no wizards, no magic, no nymphs or elves or fairies. Fantasy is wonderful; this is not a rant against it. But let's let fantasy be fantasy, call a moose a moose, and give sci-fi its due.

The thing I find so thrilling about science fiction is exactly what Hubbard is referring to: it is possible. This doesn't mean that it's going to happen now or that it's going to happen at all, but the possibility of life on Mars or alien invasions or even the simplicity of space travel lifts my hope for the future. Sci-fi, when done well, is at its core inspirational.

Even Dystopian books within this genre possess that glimmer of hope. There is something about what human kind has or can create that propels a simple fiction tale into the ranks of pure sci-fi and gives the reader permission to dream, and dream big. Hey, we created a kind of energy that is consuming the Earth and we all have to find a new planet. WOW. My imagination is on fire with what that energy could be and where we could possibly go.

If done well a science fiction novel will include not only technology but psychology, anthropology and sociology; creating some of the most realistic and fleshed out cultures that have ever existed in fiction. The reason for this is the writer's commitment to describing the real and the possible. Once you've researched how a nuclear reactor works and figured out a way to make it propel a space craft, it's only natural to put the same effort and commitment into every aspect of the work.

The other door science fiction opens is for the author to explore issues of philosophy, religion and culture. Because technological advancement and cultural shifts are fundamentally tied - this is proven throughout history, but I think Celine will kill me if I start waxing poetical about that too - it is logical to think through the effects that the imagined technology will have on the people who live with it.

One of the most famous quotes from one of the best written sci-fi books is not about technology but about philosophy:

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when my fear is gone I will turn and face fear's path, and only I will remain. - Dune

To further my point I want to take a moment to discuss three of the classic sci-fi novels I think show how broad a genre it can be, without losing its purity: Battlefield Earth, Dune, and Lilith's Brood.

• Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard is by far one of the best books I've ever read. Go ahead, laugh, you know you want to. Yes, he invented Scientology. No, I'm not a Scientologist. But yes he did write one of the best pure Science Fiction novels ever written. Hubbard's look into the year 3000 includes science so detailed I almost believed I could build it from his descriptions. He showed us a culture so torn apart it had mutated into something recognizable as human, but fundamentally different. He also introduced aliens whose customs and language were so clearly depicted they rose out of the confines of fiction and into the realm of possible.
• Dune by Frank Herbert takes us out of our modern time but also out of the comforts of what we consider religiously/morally/biologically possible. His science does not stop at hover-copters or galactic space travel; by introducing the concept of "Spice," sand worms and the culture of the "Fremen," Herbert is able to explore some of the fundamental questions of human existence. Who am I? Why am I here? What is my purpose?
  
  Further in the series he explores questions of authority, government, multi-cultural conflicts and even addiction. Few books span across history and culture as completely as Dune. The science in many ways takes a back seat to the other issues discussed, but in spite of that, and I would propose because of it, Dune is a model of pure sci-fi.
  
  
• Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler is one of the very few sci-fi books of this caliber written by a woman. And not just a woman, but a black woman in the 1970s. Lets all take a moment to recognize the immense achievement of that: she stood against race, gender and genre and wrote what she loved. And what she wrote blew my mind.
  
  Lilith's Brood spans generations of humans from the first awoken from cryogenic sleep by aliens who rescued them from World War III to her youngest child, a hybrid between aliens and humans and the beginning of a whole new society. The science of the ship and biology of the alien race she introduces to her readers is unlike anything else I've read and so beautifully detailed it becomes real.

Three completely different books, with completely different approaches to science and culture but all three are examples of old school, pure sci-fi. The thread that connects them isn't only the science but the realism of the possibilities entailed. So when looking for a quality book, full of thought provoking issues and deeply affective stories, check out the sci-fi section. If you are interested in reading a contemporary Sci-Fi novel by an exciting Indie Author you can check out Gabriel's Redemption (Evan Gabriel) by Steve Umstead. I have reviewed it here and can say it’s one of the few pure sci-fi works being released today. What's your favorite sci-fi book? Do you believe there is a difference between fantasy and science fiction? Does realism of possibility appeal to you and does it add to the story?

To Infinity and Beyond! Pav

I would like to thank Pavarti for this wonderful post!

(don't forget to leave her a comment and to visit her blog)

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Books I Love: Urban Fantasy

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 

This week's Books I Love guest blogger:

Sharon about Urban Fantasy!

Thank-you kindly to Celine for giving me the opportunity to be a guest blogger for Nyx Reviews.

My name is Sharon, I am very new to book blogging, having recently started my first blog, Obsession With Books, which is perfectly named for me since reading is my obsession. It is an outlet for me to express my opinion on books and series I read since no-one in my personal life shares my love of reading.

I have been reading for as long as I can remember, my choice of genres have certainly changed over the years but now I am older, I have an appreciation for all words penned by authors no matter the genre. Their creativity is magical and a wonderful gift to have.

Of course, my tastes have certainly changed since my youth, there is so much variety available to us and I tend to go through phases of what I like and dislike; reading the same genre at a time for me generally leads to the books running into one another & I read so much it gets confusing! I am also a series addict.

I am an avid reader of Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance and Young Adult.

If I had to choose a favorite genre, it would be Urban Fantasy. It took me a while to distinguish the difference between Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance and while I thoroughly enjoy a clearly defined HEA (Happily Ever After), I also enjoy a more creative in-depth storyline with a great plot.

Urban Fantasy is commonly a world set in a contemporary setting where magic or paranormal events are accepted to exist but there is no defined HEA ending which is so necessary to the romance genre.

My love of UF is definitely influenced by my favorite authors; Karen Marie Moning is the author of the Fever series, my all time favorite set of books. They are a dark, gritty yet sexy UF which has twists and plot turns that constantly held my interest; the last book, Shadowfever, was an epic ending to a brilliantly written series. This is how I would also describe a few of my other ongoing series, Stacia Kane (Downside Ghosts), Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson), Chloe Neill (Chicagoland Vampires) & Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels). All of these series I cannot recommend highly enough.

I would like to thank Sharon for participating in my feature!

(don't forget to leave her a comment and to visit her blog)

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Books I Love: Paranormal Romance

Books I Love is a weekly feature hosted by Nyx Book Reviews where a guest blogger can gush about his or her favourite genre of choice. 

This week's Books I Love guest blogger:

Rebecca about Paranormal Romance!

Hi all! I’m Rebecca from kindle fever and I’m very excited to write a guest post for this new feature Books I Love! It was kind of tricky for me to decide what kind of genre I would talk about, since I can read most of them (as long as they have romance in them), but I decided to go with the one I’ve been mostly hooked on lately: Paranormal Romance.

I’ve often been asked why I read specifically paranormal books and what would be so special about vampires, and I have to say it’s a very difficult question to answer. Honestly I don’t know really, but I will try to see if I can get some of my thoughts out there to you all! I can start by mentioning though, that it’s not vampires specifically that draw me towards the paranormal elements; rather that there are so many different creatures that fascinate me. Sure, it was vampires that started it all (actually Young Adult ones at that—The Twilight Saga), but nowadays that’s not at all what I’m looking for. I’m not even a YA fan anymore.

You know, one of the major things that make me interested in PNR, is the fact that I love mythology. I’ve always done it, but I’ve never really thought of it too much before. Even when I was little I loved fantasy books; you all remember Harry Potter, right? When it comes to anything concerning mythology and world building, my brain is like a sponge. My friends even started calling me their mythology dictionary a while ago, since I basically know everything about most mythologies and all of the different takes on different creatures.

To me a great mythology and worldbuilding is almost as important as the story itself; as long as it’s a good one, it can raise the bar for the whole book. I love reading Contemporary Romances once in a while—and I really like doing so—but the thing is that PNR has much more to offer than only romance. That’s also the reason as to why I like Historical Romances second to the paranormal ones, since they don’t take place in our world, but takes us someplace else. This is also why I’m not really a fan of the Urban Fantasy books, since they have the mythologies and worldbuildings, but they lack the romance. Do you see where I’m going?

But why this fixation with romance? Well, I’ve always been a sucker for romance. I’m not sure why, but I have. It doesn’t matter if it’s a romantic comedy or a drama—I just love it. Perhaps you could say I love love. I love the fact that you can feel so strongly about a person that you would do anything for them. I’m not even asking them to do so, just the feeling that you could or knowing that you would. In books though, this is usually put up to test which usually always have my heart beating like crazy.

Another thing with my PNRs is that they usually have these old fashioned men, since they’re most often the ones having lived for hundreds of years. And let’s face it; those men appear to appreciate their women a whole lot more than the ones in our society, don’t they? Plus, they’re usually these darker and arrogant men as well who never think they’ll find love and then ends up doing every thing for this one woman who turns out to be the right one. What’s not to love with that?

PNRs also offer the idea of love for eternity; for you to live with your loved one forever. Can it be any more romantic? Sigh. Don’t take me the wrong way here though; I’m not saying I want eternal life. And I know that it’s no guarantee a relationship would even survive for that long. But that’s not really the point either. These are imaginary stories meant for us to be able and dream. To me, they kind of symbolize that our love can be eternal, we just have to make that choice. And if we do, we can be with each other always. With all of our loved ones. We just have to believe.

Yes, I’m a complete sucker for love. And yes, I love being drawn into a completely different world when I read. Nothing wrong with that, is it? ;)

I would like to thank Rebecca for being the first one to participate in my feature!

(don't forget to leave her a comment and to visit her blog)

If you want to be featured on Books I Love, feel free to send an email to nyxbookreviews(at)gmail.com with "Guest Blogger" in the subject line.

Looking For Guest Bloggers!

I'm still looking for some more bloggers that are willing to participate in a feature I'll be starting towards the end of this month.

In this feature, every Wednesday there will be one guest post from a book lover here on Nyx Book Reviews, talking about his or her favourite genre of books. This can range from anything like contemporary young-adults to urban fantasy. In this post he or she will talk about why they love this genre so much and maybe show a book as example.

Do you want to see your post featured on Nyx Book Reviews? Contact me at nyxbookreviews(at)gmail.com with "Guest Blogger" in the title. Feel free to ask any questions (: