Back to the Books Giveaway Hop

~ This giveaway is now CLOSED ~

This giveaway hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Buried in Books. Find the rest of the giveaways at the main hop site page.

Giveaways are really fun to host. Quite weird if you think about it, since I'm the one having to provide the prizes and shipping costs and whatnot. But there is this certain sense of satisfaction I feel after giving away a book that would otherwise have just sat on my bookshelf for the next decade or so.

For this hop, I'm giving away 4 books:

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep (review)

Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby (review)

The Dark City by Catherine Fisher (review)

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers (review)

I'm also giving away a set of 24" x 36" Twilight movie posters. I will even throw in that tiny Taylor Lautner poster if you want it, too.

Now, if are at least semi-familiar with my reading tastes, you would know that I abhor Twilight (no offense meant to Twihards). However, my history with Twilight is actually quite complicated. I was a tween Twihard back in my impressionable middle school days and have since grown out of my obsession and discovered how stupid Edward the glittery vampire really is. Well, my Twilight posters were purchased during my phase, so now I'm passing it on to others who are still in love with Twilight.

I apologize for the length of that story...

Anyway, onto the details of the giveaway:

• There will be 3 winners
• 2 people will receive 2 books each
• 1 person will receive the 2 posters
• Winners will be notified via email
• Open to US residents 13 years of age or older only

In My Lap (3)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. I'm calling mine In My Lap because 1) I do not have a mailbox, just a small cubby, 2) I do in fact have a lap, and most importantly, 3) clueless individuals will think this is really sketchy, and I like confusing people.

This week's pickings:

The Star Shard by Frederic S. Durbin (Pub: Feb 2012)
       A MG fantasy novel. The synopsis looks really interesting.
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
       Reading this next for my English class. Very excited, since I've always wanted to read Hamlet.

...And that is it for my physical copies. Of course, I also got 6 textbooks, but I'm sure you're not interested in those.

Some random eBooks:

The Folk Keeper by Franny Billingsley
       After I finished Billingsley's Chime, I immediately snatched this one up.
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card
       I'm ashamed to say that I've only read 1 Card novel: Ender's Game. Although I've read Ender's Game a grand total of 4 times, so you'll let me off the hook, right?
Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart
       The title is hilarious. And the reviews -- both good and bad -- are really piquing my interest.

What landed in your lap this week?

Bloodlines Winner!

First off, happy Bloodlines release day 2!

Thanks to all of you who joined my first giveaway. You have no idea how happy I was that it received almost 40 entries! Although, of course, that must be attributed to the fact that Richelle Mead writes awesome books.

So, without further ado. The winner of Bloodlines, according to Random.org is:

Comment #22. Congrats, Paige! I will email you soon.

It's Monday! What'cha Readin'? (3)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey as a way to share what we read this past week with the lovely people of the interwebs. This will also be my designated random life rant meme.

A snippet of life: Today I randomly decided to contact my counselor and add an AP Statistics course to my schedule. Now I have 4 AP's: 2 math and 2 science. See what I mean when I say I'm the ultimate nerd?
#PleaseLetMeSurviveJuniorYear

This week I filled my brain with:

[4★] 離不開 by 鄭梓靈

• I. Lurve. This. Author. Seriously, they should translate her romance novels so more people can read them. Tears are guaranteed. I have yet to read one of her books and not end up bawling like a baby.

[4.5★] Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

• The ending was just gorgeous. Would have gotten a 5★ if the beginning hadn't been so hard to get into...

[5★] Saving June by Hannah Harrington (my review)

• Compelling, emotional. You know the set of adjectives that go with this kind of YA contemporary. See my review for more details!

[5★] Chime by Franny Billingsley

• Give this one a try if you love eccentric fantasy novels (like me). I stayed up until 3:30 AM on Saturday night to finish this. So. Amazing. Words cannot describe my love.

Looking at this list of super high ratings, you'd think I was one of those people who just give 5★s to everything. Heh, I totally don't. Here's a handy-dandy screenshot of my rating frequency out of 1300 ratings from my Goodreads profile.

This week has just been filled with a selection of awesome books. Such a great way to end the summer.

Right now I'm reading:

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

• Hmm, I don't know. Haven't gotten very far, but the beginning isn't as grabby as, let's say, Chime's.

I'm going to miss this week. What an awesome reading week it was...

In My Lap (2)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. I'm calling mine In My Lap because 1) I do not have a mailbox, just a small cubby, 2) I do in fact have a lap, and most importantly, 3) clueless individuals will think this is really sketchy, and I like confusing people.

So on this lovely last week of summer vacation, I got:

I told you guys you'd be able to see a picture of my lap eventually.
...That was an awkward sentence, wasn't it?

Saving June by Hannah Harrington (Pub: Nov 2011)
       A YA contemporary that I loved. So much. You have no idea. See my review.
離不開 by 鄭梓靈
       My friend brought me this all the way from Hong Kong! I stayed up until 3:00 AM to finish this last Tuesday night. Cried myself to death, I tell you...

And from NetGalley and Galley Grab:

The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison (Feb 2012)
Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Dec 2011)
Lie by Caroline Bock (Aug 2011)

You Are My Only by Beth Kephart (Oct 2011)

Past Perfect by Leila Sales (Oct 2011)

The Hidden by Jessica Verday (Sep 2011)

Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez  (Oct 2011)
The Isle of Blood by Rick Yancey (Sep 2011)

Triangles by Ellen Hopkins (Oct 2011)

Also, some random eBooks I got:

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt

Dark Heart Forever by Lee Monroe
Dark Heart Rising by Lee Monroe
Passion by Lauren Kate
     I hated Fallen and Torment (sorry, I really did). So yes, I have no idea why I got this. Perhaps morbid curiosity?

Conclusion: I will never be able to read all of these, but I really cannot resist galleys. I need to get going on my review pile before it turns into Mt. Everest.

So, what landed in your lap this week?

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Publication: November 22nd 2011 by Harlequin
336 pages
Source: ARC via Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews

I feel really tired.

But it’s a good kind of tired. Like after you run a marathon. Or after you finally finish taking all your finals. You’re exhausted but content and your heart is just a teensy bit heavy.

Saving June details Harper’s life after her older sister June commits suicide. Unable to bear it all anymore -- the hurt, her mother’s tears, the unfamiliar pats on the back by random strangers -- Harper escapes to California with her best friend Laney, her sister’s apparent acquaintance Jake, and June’s urn. California was June’s dream, and fulfilling it for her seems like the only way Harper can come to terms with what happened. But a place is just a place. Mostly. And the journey there is only a road trip. Sort of.

Man, I cannot stop myself from pausing every once in a while, picking up Saving June again, and re-reading some of the standout passages. I’ll probably be willing to shout the title of this book from the rooftops, and it’s coming out in paperback. Seriously? Saving June deserves a hardcover edition and a few weeks in a comfy spot on the NYT Best Sellers List.

Why all the enthusiasm? Our protagonist Harper has backbone and doesn’t take crap from anyone. Puke on her, and she’ll puke on you. Jake is a sweetheart with a music obsession and a spiny exterior. Laney is fun and flirty and fiery and I’m running out of adjectives that start with “f” to describe her. This is what all fictional characters should strive to become. They should have a life and a heart and a soul and a personality. Physical attraction isn’t a bad trait, either.

Really, this book was about healing and maturity and dealing with death. I feel like reading it has made me a different person (that’s what all great novels should do, in my opinion). But it also made me chuckle and sigh. And this weight on my chest just won’t disappear.

I recommend Saving June to anyone looking for truly beautiful YA contemporary fiction. I was actually going to host a giveaway for my ARC but changed my mind after finishing the book. I love it too much; I’m not giving it away.

Rating: 5

incomprehensibly awesome

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop (1)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read as a way for bloggers to discover new blogs in the big, wide world that is the internet.

This week's question: If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?

A: Heh, I would want to be in a science fiction/dystopian novel with all the cool gadgets and whatnot. They might have concocted the elixir of life or something by then, too. Specific example would be something like Scott Westerfield's Uglies series or maybe even Mira Grant's Feed trilogy. I wouldn't mind living in a zombie-infested world, either.

Yes, I love zombies, in case you can't tell.

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Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books with the same purpose as Follow Friday.

Q: What’s the longest book you’ve ever read? (Note: I’m putting one caveat on this question. You aren’t allowed to say the Bible, Torah, Qur’an, or other religious/spiritual text.)

A: I would have said the Bible if that had been allowed... But hey, according to Goodreads, the longest book I've read is The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray at 819 pages. I think I read that book 2 years ago back in middle school; it brings back memories... The Gemma Doyle trilogy was pretty good. Worth the read.

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The purpose of this meme is to meet new bloggers. So if you comment and follow me, I will follow back (as long as your blog is primarily about YA novels, since those are the ones I read most frequently).

Have a lovely Friday.

ARC Giveaway: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

~ This giveaway is now CLOSED ~

The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy.

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

In honor of its August 23rd release date, I'm giving away an ARC of Bloodlines (see my review).

Giveaway:

• Must be a GFC follower; it's the "Join this site" button on the left
• I'm sorry, but a newbie blogger's got to eat, too...
• Open to US residents 13 years of age or older only
• Leave a comment below with your GFC name and email so I can contact you if you win
• Giveaway ends at midnight (PST) on August 23, 2011

I think that's it! This is my first giveaway, so hopefully it will be at least mildly successful...

May the odds be ever in your favor!

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Expected publication: March 13th 2012 by Delacorte Books
352 pages
Source: ARC from Random House via NetGalley

This novel should come with a free one-way ticket to Guatemala, a ragged backpack, and a male companion who just so happens to be a cute diving instructor afflicted with Wanderlove.

Umm hmm, where can I get me some o’ that?

Although in all seriousness, Wanderlove is a perfect story for your typical escapist. Those familiar with Central American geography will recognize the countries Bria (what a lovely name) and Rowan (what a lovely boy -- Do I sound pedophilic? He’s older than me, OK?) trek through on their eventful two week journey. The descriptions make me want to jump into my (nonexistent) car and drive down south. One particularly striking scene is the Río Dulce, or sweet river, which apparently resembles the white flower-filled sea in Lewis’s The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Visiting that river is now on my bucket list.

Our two main characters -- Bria and Rowan -- are beyond endearing. Both are trying to run away from their pasts, and their chemistry is undeniable. We are spared any sort of desperate pining from either of them, which is a relief, since no one enjoys pining characters anyway. The two argue, they exchange stories, they list taboo subjects, and they have a fair share of comfortable silences. The girl with the lovely name and the lovely boy with the ponytail make a lovely couple.

To add on to that all that loveliness are the drawings included in the book. Since Bria is an aspiring artist, Ms. Hubbard supplied some of her own sketches to supplement the novel; the pictures are gorgeous. She could probably draw her own Wanderlove graphic novel if she wants.

Anyway, I’ve obtained a copy of Ms. Hubbard’s debut novel Like Mandarin and can’t wait to read something by this author again.

Rating: 4

delightfully scrumptious

It's Monday! What'cha Readin'? (2)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey as a way to share what we read this past week with the lovely people of the interwebs. This will also be my designated random life rant meme.

So, school's starting in a week, and I'm finally an upperclassman (Although, still the younger upperclassman)! My mind cannot comprehend this.

Anyway, this past week I've read:

 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (review)

Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder

The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard (review)

I've been busily catching up on all my summer homework for AP Physics and AP Bio this past week, which explains the lack of reading going on.

But I'm currently reading:

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

I've tried Finnikin of the Rock before but for some reason couldn't get into it. After reading 3 other Marchetta novels (and loving those), I'm going to attempt again!

As a completely random side note: here are the two pieces I'm working on right now on flute and piano respectively. A little classical music to spice up your life, eh?