Monday, February 11, 2013

Word of the Day: Modicum

Modicum (mod`ə-kəm), n. A moderate or small quantity.

In the middle of an argument I was having, I flung my hands in the air and said, "You don't even have a mordicum... modicrum... whatever-that-word-is of sense!" Embarrassed, I immediately turned to my dictionary, and it turns out the 'R' I was sure was in 'modicum' was nowhere to be had, thus giving us our first Word of the Day!
     
In a sentence:
 ~ The hungry man wished he had just a modicum of food to put in his belly, so that it might stop grumbling at him.
 ~ Every city goer must have a modicum of change in their pocket, just enough to last the parking meter a few hours.

How would you use 'modicum' in a sentence?

Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons

This is a book series I've seen around the blogosphere that I cannot ignore. I've read reviews that rave, the covers look fab, and OH MY the giveaways! The series starts with Article 5:



New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.

The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.
After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.


With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?

Here are some awesome giveaways for the book, if you're interested!
Enjoy!!!

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Holy smokes, Batman! 100 books?!


I feel like I might be writing this into the atmos, but if you've stumbled across this barely there blog, have I got news for you! Live to Read is hosting a brilliant 100+ Book Giveaway. Check it out!

book promotion


And if you feel so inclined, drop me a line to let me know you stopped by!