Prompts

I have been behind the daily prompts. Here are four to make it up!

I've got another blog for you....

Hey! My sweet and adorable cousin asked me to help her set up a blog. She is getting into writing and loves animals. Her blog, The Writing Zoo, is focused in her current animal novel, writing, and more animals! Follow her blog here: thewritingzoo.blogspot.com. It's really cute  and fun. Check it out!

The Book Selph is no longer on Pinterest

There have been problems on my feed and links to inappropriate content on my Pinterest. Therefore for my personal safety I have decided to remove my account. Thanks for all of you who had followed me though!

Ashley

Follow by Email

Some people have asked how to follow me. It's doable but I have a WAY easier way to do it. On my sidebar you will see Follow by Email. Just type in your email, check your email, confirm, and you can see every post in your inbox! I do this for other blogs, it saves me time checking each one. Please follow me by email!

Ashley on Blogging Part 1

I've had several people ask me about blogging. Is blogger better than Wordpress or weebly? How do you get pageviews? How do you get an original blog title?

I really like blogging. If you're wondering, I did have two blogs before this. The first was a private blog about five years ago, where I just documented the silly things that were going on. The next was two years ago, when I started a blog for my uncle who was serving a mission for our church. After several months, it fell through. Starting at about age 6 or 7 I figured out how to operate word and began typing out my stories, so I have always been familiar with computers. This blog idea began in March when I logged into my email and there was a blogger notice. My dad and I began brainstorming name ideas. If you're curious, I had terrible names....like The idiosyncraticess. :) I get it. There are dozens of blogs for clean teen reads. But from what I found, they were mostly by moms and not by middle schoolers. I thought people might like that. 

1. Names

My friend from pinkcupcakesblog.wordpress.com, asked for name ideas.  One of the suggestions I gave her was to pick something that people will remember. I don't think people will remember the idiosyn-whatever. The Book Shelph, with a ph, though is easier. 

Anything straightforward  will already be taken. Be creative, google blog name creators. There are dozens. The Book Shelph was my own idea :) if you're curious. Alliterations are fun, pick something catchy. Dont choose a title that has nothing to do with your content. Pink Cupcakes in Pink Heels is the perfect example of what you SHOULD do. It's a fashion/food blog, it's catchy, creative, and not cliche. The Fashionista, The Daily Post, Handmade, are all way overly used. Be creative and be unique!



2. Publicity/Pageviews 

I have just seen that this blog has reached over 1000 pageviews! Thanks so much! One of the major aspects that plays into getting views is being unique. If I come across another craft blog that just has the typical t shirt scarf and macaroni necklace, I won't be bookmarking it. Now if I see a blog that has DIY wax vases and ten ways to reuse old markers-- that's pretty unique. Also, creating multiple accounts for your blog increases the number of ways to get publicity. For example, The Book Shelph has Pinterest and Google Plus. Hopefully in the next year, Facebook. Many of my views come from Google Plus, Pinterest, and other blogs. If you are starting a blog and know of somebody who also has one, ask for them to recommend you! If you are starting one, I would be more than happy to write about you :). Another way to get pageviews is to write about interesting things. If your craft blog wants to post tie-dye t shirts or sequined hats-nobody will be interested. Both are way out of the DIY world. Posts like Daily Prompts, Poetry Contest, and Movies, T.V shows, All Clean! Oh my, get the most views. Email your family and friends to post about you, and stay active on your blog, and get creative!

Over the next week I will cover which blog website to use, customizing, writing on your blog, do's and dont's, links, and more. Please comment if you have a blogging topic you would like me cover.

Ashley

Poetry Contest

Hey! Sorry I haven't been posting, I have been having WAY too much fun :)
 I also just requested about ten million books that I will be able
to read in a week, so more book reviews are coming. Remember this blog post: http://thebookshelph.blogspot.com/2014/05/poems.html about poems? Well for 
three years I 
have been 
entering a poetry contest, and all of my poems have been 
accepted to be published.
 While none have won, I still feel good about myself, knowing that 
at least someone 
recognized them. I would greatly recommend   
entering. It's open to kids in grades K-12 in the U.S and Canada. 

Go HERE for the contest web page. Have fun!

Ashley

Movies, T.V Shows, All Clean! Oh my!

Hi! As you might have seen at my "About me, the Blog, and my annoying Fandoms," page, I love movies. If there are any clean (by clean with movies I mean almost no sexual content or language) and fun PG13-PG movies you've seen recently, PLEASE comment! I just saw a really good one for ages 12 and Up about two missionaries from my church who were kidnapped in the 90's. Its a true story! Whether you are Mormon or not, you should watch it. It was clean, there was tension and violence though.

PG13

 Once again, if you have any good (CLEAN) thrillers for middle school kids (I really enjoyed Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit, Blackfish, Harry Potter, etc.) please let me know!

Also...if you're looking for an exciting T.V series, BYUTV does has a recent drama out called Granite Flats. They're pretty cool, especially for kids in Middle School.


I watch them online.

Let me know of any clean, fun, thrilling movies\t.v shows! If you leave them on the SUGGESTIONS page, I will most likely see them.

Ashley

Daily Prompt

Repin, share, and recommend my logo!

Hey Guys!

Hi! So I am back from my camp. It's something that my church (for more info, click on my button on the sidebar) does for girls ages 12-18 everywhere! It was an awesome experience. How was your week? What have you been doing all summer? I have had my share of horror stories the past two weeks, so I'm in a haunting writing mood. I'm also going to check out this book next week for my next read. So I have chosen two prompts for today:


1. Imagine if you were camping, stranded, or simply walking in this forest. Suddenly you see this, and you recognize her. Who is she? Who are you? Why is she running? Do you follow? Do you chase her? Does she recognize you? I would love to read your version of this. Comment below!

2. You love to climb on your roof and watch the sky at night. Your eyes freelance on this man. You scream in terror, knowing the myths are true. He turns. You are expecting the dead man who has escaped from prison. Instead--

Finish it for me!

If you are wondering where I get all of my prompts and reading ideas, its Pinterest. You can see my profile HERE. I won't post all of my pins, so if you are stuck or need inspiration for writing or for books, check me out! If you have any suggestions, please visit my suggestions page and comment.

Thanks! I love it when you comment or recommend my stuff on google plus, so please do!

Ashley

Daily Prompt and a Heads Up

Hey guys! Just so you know I will be at a camp for my church this week so the soonest I will post again will be Saturday.

Here is the prompt for today!

Daily Prompt

Daily Prompt

Daily Prompt

Check Out this Blog...

Hey! A friend of mine has set up a blog for beginning writers. At The Little Pink Press (its a link) you can submit your writing and see it posted on the blog! She has character inspiration, tips, do's and don'ts, and weekly writing prompts. Check it out!

Are you Right brained or Left brained? Test!

Hey! So I thought that it would be cool to see if I am right or left brained. I took three different tests:

1. 70% Right brained 30% Left brained

2.

You are a left brain dominant student!

You probably like some order in your life and in the classroom. You are comfortable listening to lectures and taking most test types, but you might be uncomfortable with open-ended essay assignments that require you to imagine scenarios. You want class directions to be clear. A disorganized teacher or unclear assignments will drive you crazy! You are good at analyzing problems to find the right answer. You may have considered pursuing a degree in science or math. You don't like mushy love movies. You might be a Jeopardy champ one day, not because you're smarter than right brain students, but because you are able to answer questions quickly.

3.  Congratulations
You use your brain equally.

Obviously no test can identify my brain 100% correctly. It is just a best guess based on my answers. From what I have seen I would agree most with test number 3. 

Here are the tests so you can take it yourself! I would love to see what you got.

1.  http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/questionnaire.cgi

2. http://homeworktips.about.com/library/brainquiz/bl_leftrightbrain_quiz.htm

3. http://en.sommer-sommer.com/braintest/

Book Review: Turtle in Paradise

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm


 Summary: (amazon)

In Jennifer L. Holm's New York Times bestselling, Newbery Honor winning middle grade historical fiction novel, life isn't like the movies. But then again, 11-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935 and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida to live with relatives she's never met. Florida's like nothing Turtle's ever seen before though. It's hot and strange, full of rag tag boy cousins, family secrets, scams, and even buried pirate treasure! Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she's spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways. Filled with adventure, humor and heart, Turtle in Paradise is an instant classic both boys and girls with love.

My Thoughts:

I really enjoy Jennifer L. Holm's spunky, strong, and funny writing. After reading "Penny from Heaven" I read this book which was just as sweet. Turtle is a character who you will love, as well as the Diaper Gang, and--well, all of the characters! Its funny too, and will keep you hooked. But, the plot wasn't terribly unique and sort of cliche`. Nonetheless, it was an adorable story and great for late Elementary school readers.

Content: None that I can remember!

My Rating: 4 stars (I really liked it)

G, 10 and Up

Daily Prompt

Suggestions

Hey guys! As I said before, I do not take suggestions to my email for spamming reasons. But now through August I will take suggestions. For the blog, for books, for writing, anything! I have put of an entirely separate page where you can comment. You can also comment on any of my posts on my Google Plus account (HERE). I REALLY appreciate it! Thanks so much.

Daily Prompt

Daily Prompt

Daily Prompt

The Book Shelph on Pinterest

Hey guys! The Book Shelph is now on Pinterest! Follow, repin, like, comment...I would really appreciate it! Here is the link to the blogs profile: http://www.pinterest.com/thebookshelph/ if you have any ideas or ways to improve the blog,  let me know!

Daily Prompt

Book Review: Legend

 
























 Legend by Marie Lu

Summary: (amazon)

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.



My Thoughts:

This was on my list for a long time. I'm glad I finally got to it! I love dystopian thrillers and this definitely one. The characters I loved, and the writing was awesome and unique. But some parts really were dragged out and boring. Also, the murder could have been more reacted by June, I felt like she was unaffected. There were also a few language slips that almost made me stop. On the other hand though, it was a really unique romance. I feel like most dystopian romances are cliche and follow the same plot. Not this one! This is great for older readers who want a fun read.

Content: Cautious--dramatic scenes, blood and gore, fist fights, violence, kissing, language

My Rating: 4 stars (I really liked it)

PG13, 12 and up

Daily Prompt

Check out this blog!

Hey guys! My best friend has created a fashion\food blog called "Pink Cupcakes in Pink Heels." Check it out, and follow her! It is adorable:  http://pinkcupcakesblog.wordpress.com/


Comment on her post, follow her, or bookmark her page! Thanks!

Ashley

Daily Prompt:

Book Review: Cascade

 Cascade by Lisa T. Bergren

Summary: (amazon)

Mom touched my underdress—a gown made six hundred years before—and her eyes widened as she rubbed the raw silk between thumb and forefinger. She turned and touched Lia’s gown. “Where did you get these clothes?”

 

In Cascade, the second book in the River of Time Series, Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.

 

But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.

 My thoughts:

As the second book to Waterfall which I LOVED, I was really excited. While this one was pretty awesome too, it wasn't as enthralling as the first book and got slow at some points. Unlike in Waterfall though, I fell in love with the characters as they grew and changed. The writing is simple, yet perfect for the book and--I wish I could tell you! The ending...and then you start the third book (which I will be posting in the next week, once I finish it) and you are just hooked. Great CLEAN books, which I would recommend in particular to middle school girls.

Content: Cautious--blood and gore, heavy violence, kissing, drama, torturing, gruesome descriptions

My Rating: 4 stars (I really liked it)

PG13, 12 and Up

Daily Prompt:

I have a lot of cool prompt pics that I will try to post every day, starting now. (look at it upside down)

Book Reveiw: Number the Stars

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

Summary: (amazon)

As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family.
Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.

My Thoughts:

I first read this when I was nine and loved it. This book was what started me on the cause and effect and all of the mysteries of the holocaust. The writing is perfectly awesome (Lowry has amazing writing style) and I really enjoyed the characters. But the summary outlined it to be more dramatic and enthralling than it turned out to be. Overall it was a fantastic book but I wouldn't recommend it for older reader. It's perfect for kids in 4\5th grade though.

Content: Cautious--violence, drama

My Rating: 5 stars (I loved it)

PG, 10 and Up