Features Room

Welcome to the Features Room.

Try my memes and join my literary ramblings.

Here is a list of the memes/challenges/events I take/took part in and my own features. If you're curious about Offbeat YA's history, check them out...or (in case of ongoing memes/features), if you like what you read, jump in yourself!

DISCUSSION POSTS (single posts in chronological order):

A Picnic in the Twilight Zone (10/11/12)

LGBT Month Think Piece: What Does the Genre Need? (04/11/14)

What Happened to Comment Love? (05/10/14)

Are Social Media Relevant for Bloggers? (11/29/14)

Are Bloggers Getting the Respect They Deserve? (04/07/15)

Confessions of a Senior Blogger: My Take on Ageism in the Book Blogging Community (09/02/15)

Bloggers to Authors: Where Do You Cross the Line? (01/31/16)

Why I Don't Suffer from ARC Envy (I Swear I Don't) (07/07/16)

Why Ratings Give Me a Headache (Sometimes) (09/09/16)

Tell Me Again How a Hyped Book Is Born (03/23/17)

From Comment-Ça-Va to No-Comment: When Does a Post Make You Talk? (02/06/18)

Five Things I've Never Said in My Reviews (And Probably Never Will) (03/10/18)

The Craft of Reviewing: Or How I Amended My Evil Ways Over the Years (06/06/18)

Offbeat YA's Most Embar(r)assing Moments! (08/13/18)
Giving It Our (He)art and Soul: Why Each and Every Blogger Is an Artist in Their Own Way (01/16/19)
It's a Tough Job: Tales about Your Dream Career and More (03/27/19)

ORIGINAL FEATURES (single posts in chronological order):

A READER'S QUIRKS (extremely random)

ARQ 1: Are You Attached to Authors? (05/25/13)

ARQ 2: Five Steps to Reading a Novel (08/23/13)

ARQ 3: Tips for Slimming Your TBR List Down (10/07/14)

ARQ 4: You, Irresistible Afterlife Novel (01/23/15)

ARQ 5: Why I'm Not Reading Your "Sexy" YA Book (02/07/15)
ARQ 6: The Peter Pan Syndrome (09/16/18)

REVIEW MORSELS (extremely random)

RM 1: Nova Ren Suma, Dawn Kurtagich, Ilsa J. Bick (03/20/16)

   (The Walls Around Us / The Dead House / Dark Passages duology)

RM 2: Matthew S. Cox, Alison Goodman, Jeri Smith-Ready (06/25/16)

   (Nine Candles of Deepest Black / Singing the Dogstar Blues / This Side Of Salvation)

RM 3: Patrick Ness, Robin Wasserman, E.S. Wesley (01/02/17)

   (More Than This / The Waking Dark / The Outs)

RM 4: Janet McNally, Seanan McGuire, Janet Tashjian (01/29/17)

   (Girls in the Moon / Every Heart a Doorway / For What It's Worth)

RM 5: B.C. Johnson, A.S. King, Dawn Kurtagich (05/20/17)

   (Deadgirl: Goneward / Glory O'Brien's History of the Future / The Creeper Man)

RM 6: Parker Peevyhouse, Nova Ren Suma, A.S. King (02/15/18)

   (Where Futures End / Imaginary Girls / Still Life with Tornado)

RM 7: Seanan McGuire, Karen Healey, Barbara Stewart (04/28/18)

   (Down Among the Sticks and Bones / When We Wake / The In-Between)

RM 8: Neal Shusterman, Karen Healey, Nova Ren Suma (05/14/18)

   (Challenger Deep / While We Run / 17 & Gone)

RM 9: Kali Wallace, Karen Foxlee, A.S. King (07/14/18)

   (Shallow Graves / The Midnight Dress / I Crawl Through It)
RM 10: Ilsa J. Bick, Han Nolan, J.R. Rain et al. (09/09/18)
   (Draw the Dark / Dancing on the Edge / Chronology)
RM 11: Nova Ren Suma, Seanan McGuire, Parker Peevyhouse (03/04/19)
   (A Room Away from the Wolves / Sparrow Hill Road / The Echo Room)
RM 12: Lauren Karcz, Rin Chupeco, Amelinda Bérubé (05/01/19)
   (The Gallery of Unfinished Girls / The Girl from the Well / The Dark Beneath the Ice)
RM 13: Seanan McGuire, Matthew Green, T.E. Carter (07/02/19)
   (Beneath the Sugar Sky / Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend / I Stop Somewhere)
RM 14: Rin Chupeco, Charles Yu, 'Nathan Burgoine (09/04/19)
   (The Suffering / How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe / Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks)
RM 15: Seanan McGuire, Naomi Hughes, M.E. Kerr (11/07/19)
   (The Girl in the Green Silk Gown / Afterimage / Deliver Us from Evie)
RM 16: Ryan La Sala, Parker Peevyhouse, Rob Rufus (11/10/19)
   (Reverie / Strange Exit / The Vinyl Underground)

RM 17: The Seanan McGuire Edition (03/25/20)
   (In an Absent Dream / Come Tumbling Down / Middlegame)
RM 18: Sean Ferrell, Nathalie Lund, Andrea Contos (06/24/20)
   (Man in the Empty Suit / We Speak in Storms / Throwaway Girls)

RM 19: Kali Wallace, A.S. King, Fox Benwell (09/29/20)

   (Salvation Day / Dig / Kaleidoscope Song)

RM 20: Danielle Stinson, Kate A. Boorman, Seanan McGuire (12/11/21)

   (Before I Disappear / What We Buried / Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day)

RM 21: Kali Wallace, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Gene Doucette (01/31/21)

   (Dead Space / One Day All This Will Be Yours / The Apocalypse Seven)

RM 22: Colleen Nelson, Kali Wallace, Sean McGinty (03/28/21)

   (The Life and Death of Frankie D. / The Memory Trees / Rainbow in the Dark)

RM 23: The Seanan McGuire by Any Other Name Edition (05/30/21)

   (Across the Green Grass Fields / Over the Woodward Wall / Into the Drowning Deep)

RM 24: Andrea K. Höst, Samantha Mabry, Rory Power (07/25/21)

   (And All the Stars / Tigers, Not Daughters / Burn Our Bodies Down)

RM 25: Anna Reith, Jonathan Friesen, M.R. Carey (09/26/21)

   (Dead in Time, Mayday, The Girl with All the Gifts)

RM 26: Malcolm Devlin, Jennifer Brozek et al., Elliot Arthur Cross & Joshua Winning (10/16/21)

   (Unexpected Places to Fall From, Unexpected Places to Land / Human Tales / Camp Carnage)
RM 27: Krystal Sutherland, Rebecca Mahoney, April Genevieve Tucholke et al. (11/25/21)

   (House of Hollow / The Valley and the Flood / Slasher Girls & Monster Boys)

RM 28: Mira Grant's Novella Quartet 2015-2019 (01/30/22)

   (Rolling in the Deep / Final Girls / Kingdom of Needle and Bone / In the Shadow of Spindrift

   House)

RM 29: The Seanan McGuire by Any Other Name Edition (Part 2) (02/16/22)

   (Where the Drowned Girls Go / Along the Saltwise Sea / Square³)

RM 30: Katherine Webber, Ilsa J. Bick, Mira Grant (03/28/22)

   (The Revelry / Ashes trilogy / Alien: Echo)

RM 31: Jonathan Strahan et al., Seanan McGuire, A.S. King (05/08/22)

   (Someone in Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance / Laughter at the Academy / Switch)

RM 32: James Aquilone et al., Joshua Palmatier et al., Steven L. Peck (07/10/22)

   (Classic Monsters Unleashed / Temporally Out of Order / A Short Stay in Hell)

RM 33: Alan White, S.A. Barnes, Nova Ren Suma (07/15/22)

   (August Kitko and the Mechas from Space / Dead Silence / Fade Out)

RM 34: Seanan McGuire: Velveteen vs. Series (08/26/22)

   (Velveteen vs. The Junior Super Patriots / Velveteen vs. the Multiverse / Velveteen vs. The

   Seasons)

RM 35: Lamar Giles, Andrew J. Brandt, Scotto Moore (09/13/22)

   (The Getaway / Picture Unavailable / Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You)

RM 36: Rin Chupeco, Kate A. Boorman, Rob Hart (09/23/22)

   (The Sacrifice / Into the Sublime / The Paradox Hotel)

RM 37: Sim Kern, Susan Vaught, Seanan McGuire (12/10/22)

   (Seeds for the Swarm / Freaks Like Us / Boneyard)

RM 38: Seanan McGuire: "InCryptid" Series #1-4 (02/22/23)

   (Discount Armageddon / Midnight Blue-Light Special / Half-Off Ragnarok / Pocket Apocalypse)

RM 39: Naomi Salman, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Courtney Gould (03/09/23)

   (Nothing but the Rain / And Put Away Childish Things / The Dead and the Dark)

RM 40: Chelsea Sedoti, Vincent Tirado, M.R. Carey (03/23/23)

   (Tell Me What Really Happened / We Don't Swim Here / Infinity Gate)

RM 41: Seanan McGuire: "InCryptid" Series #5-8 (04/10/23)

   (Chaos Choreography / Magic for Nothing / Tricks for Free / That Ain't Witchcraft)

RM 42: Jen Wilde, Laura Ruby, T. Kingfisher (04/29/23)

   (This Is the Way the World Ends / Bone Gap / What Moves the Dead)

RM 43: Britney S. Lewis, Marie Hoy-Kenny, Seanan McGuire (07/28/23)

   (The Dark Place / The Girls from Hush Cabin / Lost in the Moment and Found)

RM 44: A. Deborah Baker, Kate Alice Marshall, Kelsey Sutton (08/14/23)

   (Into the Windwracked Wilds / The Narrow / Smoke and Key)

RM 45: The Seanan McGuire by Any Other Name Edition (Part 3) (10/13/23)

   (Mislaid in Parts Half-Known / Under the Smokestrewn Sky / Unbreakable)

RM 46: Kosoko Jackson, Jay Bonansinga, Adrian Tchaikovsky (11/08/23)

   (The Forest Demands Its Due / Lucid / Walking to Aldebaran)

RM 47: Seanan McGuire: "InCryptid" Series #9-12 (11/22/23)

   (Imaginary Numbers / Calculated Risks / Spelunking Through Hell / Backpacking Through Bedlam)

RM 48: Seanan McGuire, Aliya Whiteley, Paul De Filippo (02/14/24)

   (Aftermarket Afterlife / Three Eight One / Vangie's Ghosts)

RM 49: Grace Curtis, Rebecca Rook, Ai Jiang (03/18/24)

   (Floating Hotel / The Penance of Valentine Cash / Linghun)

RM 50: Quinn Diacon-Furtado, Henry Herz et al., Carlie St. George (05/23/24)

   (The Lilies / Wink / You Fed Us to the Roses)

RM 51: Steven Dos Santos, Leon Kemp, Holly Rae Garcia (06/20/24)

   (Malicia / Trespass Against Us / Parachute)

RM 52: Emet North, Cheryl Isaacs, Sofia Ajram (09/14/24)

   (In Universes / The Unfinished / Coup de Grâce)

RM 53: Charlene Thomas, Marisha Pessl, Jennifer Brozek et al. (11/13/24)

   (Streetlight People / Darkly / Coins of Chaos)

SCREEN TIME (a look at my favourite TV series, past and present...and the occasional rant. Again, extremely random)

ST 1: "Fame" (1982) (09/21/14)

ST 2: "Under the Dome" (2013) - Pt. 1 (11/16/14)

ST 3: "Heroes" (2006) (09/22/15)

ST 4: Dear Screenwriters, You Have No Right (06/09/16)

ST 5: In Which I'm Hitchhiking for the TARDIS (02/19/17)

ST 6: 3+7 All Time Favourite TV Series (Pt.1) (01/27/18)

ST 7: 3+7 All Time Favourite TV Series (Pt.2) (02/02/18)

MEMES (newest to oldest - single posts in chronological order):

TELL ME SOMETHING TUESDAY

TMST 1: Favourite UF Books (09/26/17)

TMST 2: Would You Rather Time-Travel or Teleport? (10/24/17)

TMST 3: Best Books of 2017 (12/19/17)

TMST 4: Goals for 2018 (01/09/18)

TMST 5: How Do You Find Time to Read? (02/20/18)

TMST 6: How Do You Feel about the Whole Mean Girl/Boy Theme? (03/27/18)

TMST 7: Do You Prefer Series or Standalone? (04/17/18)

TMST 8: Do You Still Accept Review Requests? Why or Why Not? (04/24/18)

TMST 9: What Are Things That Annoy You Right Now in the Book Market? (05/01/18)

TMST 10: Are You More Inclined/Less Inclined to Read Books That Are Compared to Other Popular Books or Authors? (05/22/18)

TMST 11: Debut Authors/New to Me Authors. What Books Have You Read Lately by New Authors That You Want to Read More From? (05/29/18)

TMST 12: Midyear Update: Favourite Reads, Goal Progress, Etc. (06/12/18)

TMST 13: Cliffhangers: Do They Compel You to Read More or Steer You Away? (06/19/18)

TMST 14: What Is Worse: Cliffhanger, Abrupt Ending or Open Ending? (06/26/18)

TMST 15: How Have Your Reading Habits Changed Since You Started Blogging? (07/24/18)

TMST 16: What Are Some Popular Series You Haven't Tried or Liked? (07/31/18)
TMST 17: What Things Are You Drawn to When Choosing Your Next Read? (08/21/18)
TMST 18: Does It Bother You When a Book Cover Doesn't Fit the Characters in the Book? (08/28/18)
TMST 19: Why Should You Comment? (11/13/18)
TMST 20: Do You Procrastinate Writing Reviews? (11/27/18)
TMST 21: What Things Turn You Off in a Book Blurb? (01/29/19)
TMST 22: What Are Some Big Misconceptions You Had about Blogging When You Started? (02/05/19)
TMST 23: How Have You Learned to Keep Your TBR Pile in Check, or How Would You Like to Control Your Pile? (02/26/19)

TMST 24: To Tour or Not to Tour? (03/12/19)
TMST 25: What Personality Traits Do You Love/Hate in a Character? (03/19/19)
TMST 26: How Do You Feel about Authors Throwing Big, Obscure Words into Their Books? (04/02/19)
TMST 27: Why Do You Like to Read Book Reviews? (05/07/19)
TMST 28: Do You Prefer Action-Driven Books or Quiet Books? (05/14/19)
TMST 29:Who Are Some of Your Favourite Authors? (05/28/19)
TMST 30: How Do You Keep Going When Sometimes Blogging Feels Like Too Much? (06/25/19)
TMST 31: Fun Post: Share Interesting Things about Yourself (07/23/19)
TMST 32: Let’s Make New Friends: Share Some of Your Favourite Blogs (07/30/19)
TMST 33: Why Do You Read Blog Posts? (08/27/19)
TMST 34: Are There Authors/Books that Everyone Seems to Love but You Don’t? (09/10/19)
TMST 35: How Do You Handle Writing Reviews for Books that You Didn’t Love? (09/17/19)
TMST 36: Would You Spend a Full Night Inside of a Haunted House if Someone Paid You? (10/22/19)
TMST 37: What Are Your Favourite Book Genres? (11/05/19)
TMST 38: Do You Read/Listen to More Than One Book at a Time, or Do You Give Every Book Your Undivided Attention? (01/21/20)
TMST 39: Do You Take Advantage of Free Chapter Previews? (02/04/20)
TMST 40: What's Your Favourite Underrated Book/Series? (02/25/20)
TMST 41: Do You Enjoy Anthologies? (03/10/20)
TMST 42: Are You an Impulsive Book Buyer? (03/31/20)
TMST 43: What Time Periods Are You Drawn to in Books? (04/21/20)
TMST 44: Goodreads Reviews: Do Your Round Your Ratings Up or Down? Do You Think It Matters? (05/05/20)
TMST 45: What Do You Love About Summer? (06/09/20)
TMST 46: Do You Tag Authors in Your (Overall) Positive Reviews? How Do You Feel About Authors Not Acknowledging Them or Opting Out? (06/16/20)
TMST 47: Does Your Reviewing Style Change Depending on the Book? (07/14/20)

TMST 48: What Things Make a Good Book for You? (07/28/20)
TMST 49: What's the Biggest Mistake You Made as a Newbie Blogger? (09/01/20)

TMST 50: What Is TMST? Old Meme, New (Temporary?) Team and a Small Tweak! (10/06/20)

TMST 51: How Do You Like to Be Scared? Horror or Thriller? (10/27/20)

TMST 52: What Do You Do for Fun When You Aren't Blogging? (11/03/20)

TMST 53: Gratitude. What Books/Authors/Narrators/Bloggers Are You Most Thankful for This Year? (11/24/20)

TMST 54: How Do You Organise Your Goodreads Shelves? (12/08/20)

TMST 55: What Are Your Favourite Posts to Write? (12/15/20)

TMST 56: What's Your Blogging Routine? (12/22/20)

TMST 57: What Are Your Blogging Goals for the New Year? (01/05/21)

TMST 58: Bookish Jobs: If You Could Do Something in the Bookish World for Employment, What Would You Choose and Why?  (01/19/21)

TMST 59: Do You Reread? And Are You Ever Tempted to Change Your Ratings When You Do? (01/26/21)

TMST 60: What Are Your Favorite Tips and/or Tools to Help Keep Your Blogging (or Real Life) Organized? (03/02/21)

TMST 61: Social Media: Love Them or Hate Them? (03/09/21)

TMST 62: Have You Ever Dreamed of Becoming an Author? (04/20/21)

TMST 63: Are You an Introvert or an Extrovert? (05/18/21)

TMST 64: What’s Your Favourite Form of Media (Apart from Literature, That Is)? (06/22/21)

TMST 65: Halfway Through: A Midyear Recap (2021 Edition) (06/29/21)

TMST 66: How Do You Approach Writing Reviews? (07/06/21)

TMST 67: Do You Like to Read with Others (Buddy Reads, Readalongs, Bookclubs, etc.)? (08/03/21)

TMST 68: Do You Ever Buy Physical Copies of Your NetGalley/Edelweiss Approvals? (08/17/21)

TMST 69: When Does It Become Too Late to Comment on a Blog Post? (09/14/21)

TMST 70: What's Your Real-Life Superpower? (10/26/21)

TMST 71: Sci-Fi Stories: Do You Read Them? Futuristic? Machine? Space Opera? Sci-Fi Romance? (10/02/21)

TMST 72: Do Authors/Narrators' Actions, Political Beliefs, Etc. Impact Your View of Their Work? (11/16/21)

TMST 73: What’s the Hardest Part About Blogging for You? (12/14/21)

TMST 74: What Have Been Your Most Fulfilling Blogger/Author Interactions So Far? (01/18/22)

TMST 75: What Do You Do When That Pesky Review Makes You Work for It? (01/25/22)

TMST 76: What’s the Chore You Resent Having to Do the Most? (02/08/22)

TMST 77: Has a Book by Your Favourite Author Ever Disappointed You Badly? (02/22/22)

TMST 78: If You Could Have Any Job in the World, What Would It Be and Why? (03/01/22)

TMST 79: Would You Like to Be Paid to Blog/Write Reviews? (03/15/22)

TMST 80: Do You Still Own Any Books/Comics/Toys/Memorabilia From When You Were a Kid? (04/26/22)

TMST 81: How Long Have You Been Blogging? And Has Your Blog Changed Over Time? (05/17/22)

TMST 82: Do You Review Every Book You Read? Why or Why Not? (05/24/22)

TMST 83: Do You Prefer Movies or TV Series? (07/26/22)

TMST 84: Do You Follow Your Favourite Authors on Social Media? Do You Interact With Them? (09/27/22)

TMST 85: Would You Read a Book by Your Favourite Author if It Was in a Genre You Don’t Normally Enjoy? (+ Life Snippet) (02/07/23)

TMST 86: Which Books Are You Looking Forward to Reading This Spring? (March-May) (02/28/23)

TMST 87: How Do You Measure Blogging Success? Followers, Page Views, Interactions, Etc. (03/14/23)

TMST 88: What Is Your Ideal Book/Audiobook Length? (03/28/23)

TMST 89: What Are Some of Your Favourite Indie/Small Pub Authors/Books? (04/04/23)

TMST 90: What Were Your Expectations When You Started Blogging? (04/18/23)

TMST 91: If You Could Go Back and Change One Thing About Your Life, What Would It Be? (04/25/23)

TMST 92: Have You Looked at Twitter Alternatives After It Changed Hands? Are You Using Any? (05/02/23)

TMST 93: Which Books Are You Looking Forward to Reading This Summer? (June-August) (05/30/23)

TMST 94: Which Books Are You Looking Forward to Reading This Fall? (September-November) (08/29/23)

TMST 95: What's Your Favourite Supernatural Creature? (10/24/23)

TMST 96: Which Books Are You Looking Forward to Reading This Winter? (December-February) (11/28/23)

TMST 97: Which Books Are You Looking Forward to Reading This Spring? (March-May) (02/27/24)

TMST 98: Tell Me Something Tuesday Round-Up (March-April 2024) (04/30/24)

TMST 99: Which Books Are You Looking Forward to Reading This Summer? (June-August) (05/28/24)

TMST 100: Who’s Your Favourite Celebrity (Alive and/or Dead)? (07/02/24)

TMST 101: Which Books Are You Looking Forward to Reading This Fall? (September-November) (08/27/24)

TMST 102: What Day in Your Life Would You Like to Relive? (09/10/24)

THE SUNDAY POST (my own Monthly Edition!) (I stopped participating in it for personal reasons stated here)

TSP 1 (03/02/14)
TSP 2 (04/06/14)
TSP 3 (05/04/14)

BOOK BLOGGER CONFESSIONS (departed and heartily missed!)

BBC: Reading Habits Edition (02/18/13)

BBC: Blog Design Edition (03/18/13)

BBC: Real Life Edition (04/01/13)

BBC: Blogging in Time Edition (04/15/13)

BBC: Hot Topics Edition (04/29/13)

BBC: Blog Events Edition (06/03/13)

BBC: Author Interactions Edition (07/01/13)

CHALLENGES/EVENTS (newest to oldest - single posts in chronological order):

ARMCHAIR BEA 2014 (from May 26 to May 31)

Day 1: Introducing Offbeat YA (05/26/14)

Day 4: Beyond the Borders (05/30/14)

Day 5: Middle Grade/Young Adult (05/31/14)

BOOK BLOGGER NEW YEAR'S CHALLENGE 2014 (from January 1 to January 14)

Day 1: Blogger Resolutions (01/01/14)

Day 2: Blogging Pros and Cons (01/02/14)

Day 3: Missed Books of 2013 (01/03/14)

Day 4: Not-to-Miss Books of 2014 (01/04/14)

Day 7: Blogging Pet Peeves (01/07/14)

Day 11: TBR Shelf (01/11/14)

Day 12: Getting More Followers (01/12/14)

Day 14: Blogging Wish List 2014 (01/14/14)