Coffeehouse Angel

Book: Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Rating: 5 Stars

Release Date: July 21, 2009

Summary:

From the author of Saving Juliet comes a romantic comedy that is good to the last drop. When Katrina spots a homeless guy sleeping in the alley behind her grandmother’s coffee shop, she decides to leave him a cup of coffee, a bag of chocolate-covered coffee beans, and some pastries to tide him over. Little does she know that this random act of kindness is about to turn her life upside down. Because this adorable vagrant, Malcolm, is really a guardian angel on a break between missions. And he won’t leave until he can reward Katrina’s selflessness by fulfilling her deepest desire. Now if only she could decide what that might be . . .

Overall:

Katrina Svensen is a relatively normal teenage girl until she wakes up one morning to an angel sleeping in her alley. Katrina doesn't know that he is an angel, though. She thinks he is just some homeless guy and she decides to do a good deed and leave him some hot coffee and some food.

Little did she know, this angel, Malcolm, believes that he must reward Katrina for her good deed. Katrina still doesn't know that Malcolm is an angel. She has a feeling that he might be a little loony but she decides to trust him.

Katrina isn't the most popular girl, though, and Malcolm isn't exactly helping things. He goes around dressed in a kilt and sandals, carrying a messenger bag. He tells Katrina that the reason he was really there was to deliver a message to someone but doesn't elaborate further.

Malcolm's idea of a reward is to grant Katrina her greatest desire. But Katrina doesn't know what that might be. So she goes with the first thing Malcolm offers, fortune. She doesn't really want fortune, she just wants him to go away. But things get all messed up and somebody else ends up eating the magic coffee bean. Same with her second wish, fame.

Now things are getting even worse. There are problems with Katrina's best friend and a lot of the people in Nordby are acting very strange. And Katrina starts to think that maybe she is falling for an angel all in the midst of possibly losing her home.

Anna's Old World Scandinavian Coffeehouse might have to close. Ever since the new Java Heaven moved in next door, they have lost all their customers. Katrina just knows that she can find a way to fix things and make enough money to pay the bills. But how?

Will Katrina ever find out what she most desires? Will she finally find something she is good at, in saving the coffeehouse? What message is Malcolm trying to deliver and once he does, will he be gone forever?

I went into this book kind of expecting a sappy romance with no real meaning. I was so wrong. I was amazed at the depth with which Suzanne Selfors created her characters. Not one character seemed under-developed or lacking in personality. I was blown away. I have to say that this book definitely contained more than one surprise but I won't give those away.

Coffeehouse Angel can be pre-ordered here.

Teaser Tuesdays

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall to a random page.
* Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* Share the title of the book that you're getting your teaser from... That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!
* Please avoid spoilers!

From page 167-168 of Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

That's when I saw it. Right behind his left ankle. It appeared for just a moment and then disappeared. It had nothing to do with the fact that my eyes were still blurry with tears. I saw it. A tiny white wing.

And that's the moment when I truly let myself believe.

So far, Coffeehouse Angel is a very cute book. It's a light read with some deeper meaning to it, which is always nice. It was definitely a good book and more than I expected when I started it. I thought it was just going to be another easy romance novel but surprisingly it had some different underlying messages. I will probably finish it sometime tonight so expect my final thoughts by tomorrow night!

Contest Roundup!!! (4)

I know this was supposed to be done yesterday but I was trying to write my creative writing story and that just took forever. It's only a day late, thankfully!

Here are the contests that I have found recently.

Amy is having a Sweet Sixteen contest. The winner will receive Raven by Alison van Diepen, Purge by Sarah Littman, Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison, and Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols. This contest ends on April 29.

In Bed With Books is having a huge blogoversary celebration. There are too many contests to list so go to her blog to find out more!

Presenting Lenore is giving away a huge Penguin Prize Pack. So far there are 11 books included and they all look amazing. This contest ends April 5.

I think that might be all that is new so I won't post repeats but there are still some in my sidebar that aren't listed here.

In My Mailbox 9

In my mailbox was started by The Story Siren and is a list of what you received in books over the past week either through the mail, library, or a bookstore.

The Received:



SIGNED!!!

Summary from Barnes and Noble:
About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have room in the palace--and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust--and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...



Summary from Amazon:
Rosemary Watson lives in the small town of Clarksbury, where news travels fast and gossip sticks around. Years before, her brother Theo suffered a nervous breakdown, and Rosemary, now entering junior high, is constantly teased about it. She wonders if she might go crazy like her brother, and she feels guilty for not being able to save him. She tries to hide in books, but even there she's uneasy: she can't stand to see characters suffer. She's happiest in the cool world of fact and figures.

Rosemary and Peter - the new kid in school with issues of his own - are thrown together, and soon find themselves on a life-or-death quest to rescue Rosemary's brother, who has lost himself in a book. With the help of Peter and her guide, faerie shape-shifter Puck, Rosemary must face the storybook perils of the Land of Fiction and learn to open her heart, before it is too late.




Summary from Amazon:
On the surface, Peter McAllister has a good life: a good school, good friends, good times. So what if his best friend is a girl -- and sort of a geek? And so what if she might be more than a friend.

Underneath, it's a different story. It's been years since the death of his parents landed him in this small town with his hardly-there uncle, but he still feels as if his life in Clarksbury is just an inch deep. Does he really belong? Only Rosemary seems real. But that reality comes crashing down the first time he kisses her -- and she rejects him.

Then a mysterious woman named Fiona appears. She tells him he's a changeling -- a fairy child left to live in the human world -- and that it's time to come home. Can Rosemary convince him that Fiona is lying? Or is it possible that Fiona is telling the truth?




Summary from Amazon:
Rosemary Watson and Peter McAllister think their future is clear: they're finally heading off for university. They're thinking about finding apartments, picking courses, living like adults.

But what happens when the future becomes the past? While helping Rosemary's brother move into an apartment in Toronto, Peter and Rosemary fall into an underground river and are swept back in time, to Toronto in 1884. It's a struggle to survive and adapt to the alien culture of the late nineteenth century. Peter and Rosemary are forced to work together, to live together, and to become the adults they've only been pretending to be.

As the days stranded turn to weeks, then months, Rosemary and Peter begin to wonder if they're really ready for a future together - and what they will do if they can't get back.

Then someone brings them a watch, powered by a battery, made in Taiwan.



Summary from Amazon:
Paige, Spencer, and Madison have it all: the looks, the connections, the money, the boys. As the daughters of three of the most prestigious families on Philadelphia's Main Line (read: old money, and lots of it) and the ruling juniors at Bradford Prep, nothing can stand in their way....except, perhaps, their own dark secrets. When an old frenemy from Paige's hidden past shows up at Bradford and plays nice--too nice--Paige is desperate to smother the threat. How far will she go to silence the truth?

The Won(from contests):



I won this from The Epic Rat!












I won this from Presenting Lenore!









The Bought:

From Frugal Muse:
Raven by Alison Van Diepen
Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald
Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn
Hush by Donna Jo Napoli
Fate by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Shimmer by Dallas Reed
Kisses and Lies by Lauren Henderson
The One by Ed Decter

From Barnes and Noble:
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

So, I definitely had another good week. What about you guys?

Betwixt

Book: Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith
Rating: 4 Stars
Summary:
For three teenagers, dark mystery has always lurked at the corner of the eyes and the edge of sleep. Beautiful Morgan D'Amici wakes in her trailerpark home with dirt and blood under her fingernails. Paintings come alive under Ondine Mason's violet-eyed gaze. Haunted runaway Nix Saint-Michael sees halos of light around people about to die.

At a secret summer rave in the woods, the three teenagers learn of their true, changeling nature and their uncertain, intertwined destinies. Riveting, unflinching, beautiful, Betwixt shows a magic as complex and challenging as any ordinary reality.

Overall:
Ondine, Nix, and Morgan are not normal teenagers. They have always known that they were different than the ones they called family but none of them knew why. At a summer rave called the Ring of Fire, these three teenagers find out exactly why they never felt like they belonged: they are fay.

Fairies to be exact. Nix has always been able to see a halo of light around people about to die. Ondine makes paintings come alive before her eyes. Morgan has a tendency to sleepwalk in the forest by her house and wake up with dirt under her nails and not remember anything from the night before.

To truly be able to join the other fay in another realm called Novala, Ondine, Nix, and Morgan must learn how to use and control their different powers. But like in every story there are others out to get to them before they can complete their task.

Cutters are fay gone wrong. They believe that the fay are better than the humans and that they should control all humans, making them into pets for their use. They also believe that they should stay forever on earth, never entering into Novala. And unfortunately for Nix, Ondine, and Morgan there is a Cutter out to stop any of them from entering into Novala.

Will Nix, Ondine, and Morgan learn how to control their powers? Will they be able to enter Novala before the Cutters get to them? Who is the Cutter that is after them and will they ever defeat him?

In her very first Young Adult novel, Tara Bray Smith has created a new type of fairy tale, one that may not have a happy ending. The end of this book was a little confusing and definitely open for a sequel but currently I don't know if there are plans for one.

Betwixt is a nearly 500 page book but do not let that intimidate you. I had trouble getting into it but once I really was able to understand what was going on, I was completely entranced by the story. I definitely recommend this book for any fan of the paranormal.

Betwixt is now available in paperback here. Keep checking back and I will try to find out about any sequel information.

Win a signed ARC of Ballads of Suburbia!!!

Stephanie Kuehnert is giving away a signed copy of her upcoming novel, Ballads of Suburbia, to one lucky winner. All you have to do is go here and vote for Tipping Points, an organization created to help tutor underprivileged youth to give them more opportunities for college and higher education.

After voting go to her website and leave a comment saying that you voted and you will get one entry. If you blog about the contest you will get two extra entries. Also, don't forget to mention where you heard about it!!!

Don't forget, THIS IS FOR CHARITY!!!

Operation: Teen Book Drop Press Release

For more information contact:
Sara Easterly, Publicist for readergirlz
Sara Easterly & Friends
sara@saraeasterly.com
206-632-8588


READING STIMULUS PLAN FOR HOSPITALIZED TEEN PATIENTS
LAUNCHES JUST IN TIME FOR “SUPPORT TEEN LIT DAY” APRIL 16
Despite economic downturn, generous publishers have donated
thousands of young-adult books for readergirlz, Guys Lit Wire, and YALSA
to deliver to teens in America’s top pediatric hospitals

March 17, 2009 (Seattle, Wash.) – Teen patients in pediatric hospitals across the United States will receive 8,000 young-adult novels, audiobooks, and graphic novels next week as readergirlz, Guys Lit Wire, and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) celebrate the third annual Support Teen Lit Day on April 16.
In its second year, “Operation TBD” (short for Teen Book Drop), puts free books donated by 18 book publishers into the hands of many teens most in need of escape, inspiration and a sense of personal accomplishment. Books with exceptional characters and fabulous stories can provide just that for teens and their families dealing with difficult, long-term hospital stays.
At a time when philanthropic giving is down, readergirlz co-founders have been inspired by overwhelming industry support for Operation TBD. “readergirlz is always looking for innovative ways to connect teens with literature, “ said Dia Calhoun, co-founder of readergirlz and acclaimed young-adult author. “We’re honored that publishers have supported this goal by giving so liberally this year.”
Operation TBD also aims to encourage all teens to choose reading for pleasure as a leisure activity, over other entertainment options. Inciting the broader teen community to participate in Operation TBD in its drive to spur reading on a national scale, readergirlz has launched a trailer on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/readergirlz) inviting teens and YA authors to leave a book in a public place on April 16. When visiting www.readergirlz.com, participants can download bookplates to insert into the books they’ll leave behind, which explain the surprise to the recipient and tell them to read and enjoy.
“This event is such a special one because it not only raises awareness about teen literature, but it also truly helps those teens most in need. Teens facing illnesses will be able to find an age- appropriate new book to read while in the hospital — teen books matter and not just any old book will do,” said Sarah Cornish Debraski, YALSA president. “Our thanks to the publishers, readergirlz, and Guys Lit Wire. It’s wonderful to unite with these organizations to forward this cause.”
Participating book publishers who have donated books or audiobooks include Abrams Books, Bloomsbury/Walker Books, Candlewick Press, Full Cast Audio, Hachette Book Group, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Hyperion, Milkweed, Mirrorstone Books, Orca Book Publishers, Peachtree Books, Perseus Book Group/Running Press, Random House, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Soft Skull Press & Red Rattle Books, TOKYOPOP and Tor/Forge/Starscape/Tor Teen.
“Putting the right book into the hands of a teen can turn that teen into a reader for life, “ said Suzanne Murphy, VP and Group Publisher, Scholastic Trade Book Publishing. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to help Operation TBD show teens firsthand just how much fun reading can be.”
Pediatric hospitals that have signed up to receive books include Phoenix Children's Hospital (Phoenix, Ariz.), Rady's Children's Hospital (San Diego, Calif.), Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Children's Hospital and Research Center (Oakland, Calif.), All Children's Hospital (St. Petersburg, FL), Children's Memorial Hospital (Chicago, Ill.), UM C.S. Mott Children's Hospital (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics (Kansas City, MO), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital & Health Center (Tacoma, Wash.) and Seattle Children's Hospital.
“Our teen patients here at Seattle Children’s loved the books donated through the Operation Teen Book Drop last year,” said Kim Korte, Child Life Manager, Seattle Children’s Hospital. “Books are a wonderful avenue for our patients to be distracted from the pain and stress of hospitalization. We are always in need of books and greatly appreciate the generosity of the publishers who donated.”
Everyone who participates in Operation TBD is invited to celebrate at the TBD Post-Op Party on April 16 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time on the readergirlz blog: http://readergirlz.blogspot.com.

About Support Teen Literature Day
For the third consecutive year, Support Teen Literature Day will be celebrated April 16, 2009 in conjunction with ALA’s National Library Week. Librarians all across the country are encouraged to participate in Support Teen Literature Day by hosting events in their library. The purpose of this new celebration is to raise awareness among the general public that young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to offer today’s teens. Support Teen Literature Day also seeks to showcase award-winning authors and books in the genre as well as highlight librarians’ expertise in connecting teens with books and other reading materials.

About the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos, and audiobooks for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, visit www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists or contact the YALSA office by phone, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390, or email, yalsa@ala.org.

About readergirlz
readergirlz is the foremost online book community for teen girls, led by five critically acclaimed YA authors—Dia Calhoun (Avielle of Rhia), Holly Cupala (A Light That Never Goes Out) Lorie Ann Grover (Hold Me Tight), Justina Chen Headley (North of Beautiful), and Melissa Walker (the Violet series). readergirlz is the recipient of a 2007 James Patterson PageTurner Award.
To promote teen literacy and leadership in girls, readergirlz features a different YA novel and corresponding community service project every month. For more information about readergirlz, please visit www.readergirlz.com and http://readergirlz.blogspot.com, or contact divas@readergirlz.com.

About Guys Lit Wire
Guys Lit Wire brings literary news and reviews to the attention of teenage boys and the people who care about them. Working to combat the perception that teen boys aren’t as well read as teen girls, the organization seeks out literature uniquely targeted toward teen male readers in hopes of bringing attention of good books to guys who might have missed them.

Ó2009 readergirlz
###

Waiting on Wednesday: Shiver

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Summary from Amazon:
For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

This story seems like it might be really cute. It's a little different then the normal werewolf story which is always nice. I also really like the cover even thought it says it is not final. This book will be available in August of this year!

Teaser Tuesdays

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall to a random page.
* Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* Share the title of the book that you're getting your teaser from... That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!
* Please avoid spoilers!

From page 292 of Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith

He swiveled his head back to her and said one more thing as she was closing the door. She managed to do it--close the door--but not before she heard Moth's last words, the words that now had her breathing hard, crying, losing the strength in her legs, letting herself slowly sink to the ground with her back against the door, where she sat rocking herself, not knowing what to do next.

"Call your father, Ondine. He'll tell you where it started. Ask him if he remembers Viv. Your father knows."

I am absolutely entranced by this book. It is definitely a different type of fairy tale, one that seems more dark than light, but I cannot put it down. There is a little bit of everything in it, from romance to murder, and I should have it finished around tomorrow or the next day. Keep checking back for another review but I can safely say already that if you haven't read it you should try to get your hands on a copy!

Another Award!!!

Okay, so right after I posted about receiving my second award I got an email from Jill at Reading Is Bliss. She is new at blogging, just like me and so far her blog is amazing. She has some great reviews and is currently holding her first contest so go check her out!



The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken - excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all...

My nominees are:
-Robin_Titan(not her real name) at TV and Book Addict.
-Mss Joss at Reviews of Young Adult Literature.
-Emily Ruth of AyeCaptain Reviews!
-Emily of Bookgirl's Bookshelf!
-Lisa May of Look At That Book!

I'm so amazed to see how many people actually like what I am doing here and I thank everyone who has viewed my blog and shown their support!

Kiss of Life

Book: Kiss of Life(Generation Dead book 2) by Daniel Waters
Rating: 4 Stars
Summary:
The phenomenon that's been sweeping the country seems to be here to stay. Not only are the teenagers who have come back from their graves still here, but newlydeads are being unearthed all the time. While scientists look for answers and politicians take their stands, the undead population of Oakvale have banded together in a group they're calling the Sons of Romero, hoping to find solidarity in segregation.

Phoebe Kendall may be alive, but she feels just as lost and alone as her dead friends. Just when she reconciled herself to having feelings for a zombie -- her Homecoming date Tommy Williams -- her friend Adam is murdered taking a bullet that was meant for her. Things get even more confusing when Adam comes back from the grave. Now she has romantic interest in two dead boys; one who saved her life, and one she can't seem to live without.

Overall:

WARNING: If you have not read Generation Dead, this review will contain SPOILERS. DO NOT CONTINUE if you haven't read it!

Welcome back to the world of zombies. Teenagers in America are continuing to rise from the dead and return to a semblance of life. Not everyone returns as a zombie and not everyone is happy about all the people that do return as zombies.

At the end of Generation Dead, Adam took a bullet to save Phoebe's life. As a result, he died and returned as a zombie, but without most of his regular functions. He can barely walk, talk, or do anything without the help of somebody. Surprisingly, his family has taken him in more than they did when he was alive.

Phoebe has also started to take more of an interest in Adam now that she realizes his feelings for her. Adam had always loved Phoebe, but always from afar, and it seemed like his chance was gone when Tommy and Phoebe started dating but when Adam saved her life, she saw how much he truly meant to her.

Since he has been back, Phoebe has been spending all her time with Adam but things don't seem to be going anywhere. She knows that it is all her fault that he is now dead but she still can't seem to decide whether or not she loves him or Tommy. Tommy never really seemed to love her, but the idea of her, and Adam doesn't seem to love her at all anymore.

Meanwhile, some a group of renegade zombies has decided that they need to take action against the crimes that are being committed against zombies all over the nation. Most of their actions are just stupid pranks but when things go wrong and people start going missing, the zombies are always the first to blame. And there group has only made them seem more like the guilty party.

Will Adam and Phoebe ever truly be together or will Tommy always stand in their way? Will the nation ever find out the truth about the crimes committed to frame the zombies? Who will live and who will die, for good?

Kiss of Life was a fantastic sequel to Generation Dead. Daniel Waters continues to do an amazing job of revealing the true nature of the zombies' thoughts and feelings, along with showing the continuing discrimination against them. These are definitely not the flesh-eating zombies of the past, but a new kind, one that only wants to live in peace with the living.

To find out more, you can actually visit the main character, Tommy's, blog at mysocalledundeath.com.

Kiss of Life will be released on May 12 and you can pre-order it here.

Another Award!!!

Yay! I just got my second award! This time I was nominated by Laina. She has an amazing blog with some great book reviews so go check it out, if you haven't already.

Well, I'm not quite sure what this award is called but here were the rules:
1. Say five things you are addicted to.
2. Nominate 5 other bloggers/people with this award.

- Reading
- Skittles
- My ipod
- My laptop(I think i have become addicted to blogging!)
- Contests(I enter pretty much every contest I come across! So far I have had some pretty good luck, though.)

My five nominees:
- Vania from Reverie Book Reviews!
- Nancy from Tales of a Ravenous Reader!
- Brooke from Brooke Reviews!
- Em from Em's Bookshelf!
- Sarah from GreenBeanTeenQueen!

So, there you have it! Thanks for my second award. I'm glad to see that people are reading and liking my blog!

My First Giveaway!

In honor of my first award, I have decided that today is the perfect day to hold my first giveaway. I will be giving away a copy of A Countess Below Stairs by Eva Ibbotson.



How to enter:

Just leave a comment telling me your favorite book and your email address!

For extra entries:
+1 become a follower
+2 if you are already a follower
+3 if you blog about this contest or put a link in your sidebar

Please state everything that you have done in your comment! This giveaway will end on April 19 so you have about a month to enter.

My First Award!

YAY, my first award!!!!

Thanks so much to Vania from Reverie Book Reviews! I'm so excited. I'm so excited that people are coming to my blog and actually reading what I write and commenting! It's also kind of funny that I just won a copy of The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants today. =]

Rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog or post.
2. Nominate up to 10 blogs which show great attitude and/or gratitude!
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award.
5. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

And the award goes to:
1. Amber, for all the lovely comments on my reviews and random posts!
2. Lauren, for helping me out when I was first getting started blogging.
3. Shalonda, for being so kind when I was getting started and just being such an amazing person with an awesome YA book blog!
4. Bella Aire, for starting such a cool blog and having such great interviews and giveaways!
5. Taylor, for having an amazing blog and being such a kind person.

Thanks again for the award!!!

Contest Roundup!!! (3)

So, for my first of many posts for the day I am going to start with a couple of contests that I have found over the past week!

Elusive Sanity is giving away three SIGNED copies of Say The Word by Jeannine Garsee. Contest ends on March 28.

The Novel Bookworm is giving away three copies of Kitty Raises Hell by Carrie Vaughn and one lucky winner will win all six books in the series. Contest ends March 27.

Just Your Typical Book Blog is giving away one copy of Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott. Contest ends March 30.

Reverie is giving away one copy of Hunted by Kristin and PC Cast. Contest ends April 1.

Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf is giving away one copy of This Is What I Want To Tell You by Heather Duffy Stone. Contest ends April 3.

The Shady Glade is giving away one copy of Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin. Contests ends March 23.

Bookluver Carol is having a going-to-Florida giveaway with a huge list of prizes. Contest ends April 1.

Well, that is all for this week. I have decided to make this into a weekly post if I can find enough contests but so far that hasn't been a problem. =]

In My Mailbox 8

In my mailbox was started by The Story Siren and is a list of what you received in books over the past week either through the mail, library, or a bookstore.

The Received:



Summary from Amazon:
She's been chosen to fight the elusive enemy among us....

Phoenix Germaine has been trying to earn back her mother's trust after going into rehab and kicking Onadyn -- the drug of choice for New Chicago teens. But when a party in the woods turns into an all-out battle with the most ferocious aliens Phoenix has never seen, she's brought home in what appears to be an Onadyn-induced state. Hello, reform school.

Except, what her mother doesn't know is that Phoenix has just been recruited to join the elite Alien Investigation and Removal agency, where she'll learn to fight dirty, track hard, and destroy the enemy. Her professional training will be rigorous and dangerous, and the fact that one of her instructors is Ryan Stone -- the drop-dead gorgeous, nineteen-year-old agent she met in the woods that night -- doesn't make things any easier. Especially when dating him is totally against the rules....

Wildly imaginative, action-packed, and thrilling, Red Handed launches Gena Showalter's stunning new alien huntress series.




Summary from Amazon:
Alien hunting can get a girl killed. It can also get her a date.

High school senior Camille Robins and her best friend are determined to snag the attention of their crushes before graduation next month. Armed with red-hot outfits and killer hair, they sneak into the hottest nightclub in town -- which caters to the rich and famous, both human and alien. They end up following Erik (who is human) and Silver (who isn't) through a guarded door and are soon separated and under attack...and not the good kind. Bad boy Erik spares Camille's life, but the two are soon being chased by gun-toting Alien Investigation and Removal agents. Camille's more confused than ever because Erik's finally showing real interest in her, but the agents are accusing him of dealing Onadyn -- a drug that ruins human lives. Suddenly, with the heat of his kiss lingering on her lips, Camille has to decide whose side she's on...and whether she's willing to put her life on the line to save Erik's.



Summary from Amazon:
While juggling friendship issues (her best friend isn't speaking to her), a love triangle-turned-square (okay, maybe she shouldn't have kissed her best friend's boyfriend...but it was totally an accident!...sort of), and escalating mayhem in her small religious town (uh-oh...what would Jesus do?), Emma realizes she has to stop trying to please everyone around her and figure out what she wants for herself. It's time to start asking, "What would Emma do?"



Summary from Amazon:
Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.

Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?

Signed Copy!!!

Summary from Barnes And Noble:
The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.



Summary from Barnes And Noble:
Blair and Ardith are best friends who have committed an unforgivable act in the name of love and justice. But in order to understand what could drive two young women to such extreme measures, first you'll have to understand why. You'll have to listen as they describe parents who are alternately absent and smothering, classmates who mock and shun anyone different, and young men who are allowed to hurt and dominate without consequence. You will have to learn what it's like to be a teenage girl who locks her bedroom door at night, who has been written off by the adults around her as damaged goods. A girl who has no one to trust except the one person she's forbidden to see. You'll have to understand what it's really like to be forgotten and abandoned in America today.

Are you ready?



Now fans of Stephenie Meyer and Melissa Marr have a new author to devour . . . Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal. Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.

With suspense, romance, and paranormal themes, this exciting breakout novel has all the elements to keep teens rapidly turning the pages.

Two copies! Maybe time for a contest!

Summary from Barnes And Noble:
Five stranded teenagers must battle for their lives against a group of escaped convicts, and each other, in this shocking survival thriller from the author of Bad Girls and Lost Summer.

Courtney Stanton thinks she's on just another ski trip with her friends — until a horrific car accident strands them all on an isolated Colorado road during a blizzard. Frightened but alive, Courtney and her companions discover an abandoned vehicle nearby, and seek help. But the vehicle turns out to be a prison van, with the inmates missing, and the guard's dead body in the front seat.

Soon after, a stumbling figure emerges from the snow, a handcuffed refugee from the van. He says he's been in prison for selling meth, but that he once served in the army. Dare they trust him? He pleads innocence about the guard's murder, warns them about the other fugitives, and promises he will help guide them out of the wilderness. But as the group begins a nightmare trek across the frozen landscape, they start to get the feeling he hasn't told them the entire truth, and someone — or something — is secretly watching their every move.



Summary from Barnes and Noble:
They promised Meredith nine years of safety, but only gave her three.

Her father was supposed to be locked up until Meredith turned eighteen. She thought she had time to grow up, get out, and start a new life. But Meredith is only fifteen, and today her father is coming home from prison.

Today her time has run out.

Two signed copies!

Summary from Barnes and Noble:
LAURA DELACROIX BELL—this dazzling trust fund girl’s size 14 figure doesn’t stop her from attracting the sexiest scoundrel in town, or the admiring eye of the Glass Slipper Club. However, a salacious secret could take her out of the running.

Michelle “Mac” Mackenzie—brainy, cynical, and maybe a tad judgmental, Mac would rather bury her nose in a good book than embrace her deb destiny. But being a debutante was her late mother’s dream.

Ginger Fore—this adorable tree-hugger wants to wear her grandmother’s vintage ball gown instead of splurging on an expensive dress. Yet when she gets tangled up with an older guy, Ginger will have plenty more to think about.

Jo-Lynn Bidwill—a former child beauty queen, Jo-Lynn is a bitchy vamp who makes it her mission in life to take out the debu-trash. And Jo-Lynn’s sights are set on Laura Bell.



Summary from Barnes and Noble:
"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in ZanzibarBay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.



Summary from Barnes and Noble:
Kelly Ruland's world fell apart when her brother Jasper walked away the sole survivor of a car accident...and kept walking right out of town. She doesn't want to believe that Jasper was at fault - but then why did he run away? How could he abandon Kelly and her parents? Now, former star student and athlete Kelly struggles to care about anything anymore, sleepwalking through school and experimenting with dangerous behavior as she tries to fill the void inside her.

Then one night, Jaspers returns...but he's not alone. Someone has followed him home. Someone who hides in the space behind the truth, who hovers in the shadows between the known and the unknown. His name is Archie, and he is the stranger they never asked to know, the guest they never invited . And he's about to challenge Kelly and Jasper to a game that demands a price they may not be willing to pay...



Summary from Barnes and Noble:
We were going to see the world together, Lindsay and I. We were going to eat it up, whole. But it didn't happen that way. It didn't happen that way at all....

When Chloe's parents decide to take her to Europe the summer before senior year of high school, she's ecstatic...she only wishes her best friend, Lindsay, could come too. Living in Las Vegas, they have long imagined the world through the casinos inspired by great cities and have vowed to travel the globe together someday. Unfortunately, Lindsay's parents won't agree to send her along.

So Chloe goes to Europe and sends postcards to Lindsay every day. But when she comes home, she must cope with shocking news that rips her family — and Lindsay's — apart. And as she tries to uncover the truth about what happened, Chloe soon begins to feel that Lindsay's brother, Noah, is the one person alive for whom she'd go to the ends of the earth....



Summary from Barnes And Noble:
po·seur (noun): a person who pretends to be what he or she is not.

Charlotte Beverwil, Janie Farrish, Melissa Moon, and Petra Greene attend exclusive Winston Prep in the Hollywood Hills. And that's all they have in common. But hang out together? They'd rather be hanged. Borrow one another's clothes? They'd sooner borrow a zit. So when these four sophomores are forced into a class to create their own fashion label, they Clash with a capital C. Janie thinks Melissa and Charlotte are Beverly Hills brats. They dismiss Janie as a Valley rat in sheep's clothing. And Petra, well . . . Petra couldn't care less. Can a cool coquette, a shy punk, a hippie goddess, and a ghettoglam egomaniac make beautiful couture together? At Winston Prep, survival of the fittest comes down to who fits in-and what fits.



Summary from Barnes And Noble:
Fashion isn't everything.
It's the only thing.

Halloween comes to Winston Prep and the newly named teen fashion label POSEUR introduces this season's must-have accessory: a red-hot handbag called the Trick-or-Treater. But whose design is sweetest? Janie, Petra, Melissa, and Charlotte all insist: Mine. You see the problem?

Good thing, then, for the sweetness of revenge. Time to dust off that costume and put your best mask forward. 'Tis the season for candy, conflict, and couture.



Summary from Amazon:
"If Kate were Lady Brett Ashley, the devastating heroine of Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises, she'd spend her summers careering around the Riviera in her coupe, breaking hearts by the dozen--because why not? In reality, Kate's never even had a boyfriend, and she'll be spending the summer abetting her mom's lame ploy to make her dad jealous: running off to Cape Cod and crashing at the seaside home of her wealthy friends, the Cooper-Melnicks. To add to the shame, the Cooper-Melnicks' gorgeous daughter Sarah is a bit like Lady Brett, and she seems less than thrilled to hang out with her new houseguest. Any dreams Kate once had of a perfect summer are ruined.

That is, until Sarah's cute, witty friend Adam starts drawing Kate into the fold--and seems intrigued. With Adam around, Kate feels like she just might have a bit of heartbreaker potential after all. But when a breezy summer romance quickly grows more complicated can Kate keep pretending her relationship with Adam is just a carefree fling? Or will she take the risk and tell him her real feelings? Suddenly Kate is asking herself a question she never thought she'd stoop to: Is she girlfriend material?"


The Bought:
Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Hunted by PC and Kristin Cast
Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
Candy by Kevin Brooks


So that was my week. I can think of a couple of great contest ideas but I haven't quite decided when to hold them yet so keep checking back. What was your week like?

Ballads Of Suburbia Cover

So, the other day my Waiting On Wednesday was Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert. I also mentioned that the cover had not been released yet. Well, if you are a follower of the MTV Book Blog then you have probably already seen this, but if not, the cover was posted today.


So, there it is. I love it! I cannot wait to read this book and hopefully I will get a chance to read Stephanie's first book, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, sometime before this one.

Generation Dead

Book: Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
Rating: 5 Stars
Summary:
All over the country, a strange phenomenon is occuring. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. Termed "living impaired" or "differently biotic," they are doing their best to fit into a society that doesn't want them.

Fitting in is hard enough when you don't have the look or attitude, but when almost everyone else is alive and you're not, it's close to impossible. The kids at Oakdale High don't want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn't breathing. And there are no laws to protect the differently biotic from the people who want them to disappear - for good.

With her pale skin and goth wardrobe, Phoebe has never run with the popular crowd. But on one can believe it when she falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids. Not her best friend, Margi, whose fear of the differently biotic is deeply rooted in guilt over the past. And especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Recently, Adam has realized that his feelings for Phoebe run much deeper than just friendship. He would do anything for her; but what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

Overall:

Oakvale High has got a new type of student: dead. Well, actually, "living impaired" or "differently biotic" are the technical terms.

The phenomenon of the living impaired is sweeping the nation and nobody can quite explain why it is happening. Teenage Americans are rising from the dead just like nothing happened. Except for the fact that none of their organs are functioning any more.

Technically, the teenagers are still dead. They all have death certificates and the government refuses to issue rebirth certificates. Because of this, none of the living impaired teens have any rights and aren't even considered citizens anymore.

As with any group of people who vary from the typical, the living impaired are targets of many hate crimes including violent acts such as burning at the stake and being re-terminated. And the worst part is, they can't do anything about it.

Most people at Oakvale are terrified of the living impaired. All except Phoebe Kendall. Phoebe doesn't know why but she is inexplicably drawn to the leader of the living impaired, Tommy Williams. Even her best friends don't understand what is going on with her. Her best friend, Margi, has her own personal issues involving the living impaired and doesn't know why Phoebe would want to be with one of them. Her other best friend, Adam, has only just realized his true feelings for Phoebe but only wants her to be happy.

When the Hunter Foundation creates a living impaired class for both live and dead students, all three decide to sign up and face their myriad of fears. Little did they know, they had much more to fear than the dead, they had to fear the living. Because someone doesn't want the living impaired to be acclimated into society and they are willing to kill anyone who stands in their way.

Will Phoebe and Tommy be able to overcome the prejudices of others and have a true relationship? Will Margi get over her fear of the dead? Will Adam ever admit his true feelings to Phoebe? And most important, will they be able to catch the killer before he catches them?

As soon as I started reading, I knew this book would become one of my favorites. Daniel Waters manged to tell an age-old story about prejudices while incorporating a very new subject, zombies. With so many vampire and werewolf books out there now, it was nice to read a book about a different paranormal subject.

The second book in the series, Kiss Of Life, will be available May 12. Also, you can expect a review for it coming soon, as I am currently reading it.

Waiting On Wednesday: Ballads of Suburbia

Summary from MTV Books blog
BALLADS OF SUBURBIA
by Stephanie Kuehnert

There are so many ballads. Achy breaky country songs. Mournful pop songs. Then there’s the rare punk ballad, the ballad of suburbia: louder, faster, angrier . . . till it drowns out the silence.

Kara hasn’t been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park. . . .

Amidst the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

So far, the cover for this book has not been released but the summary has. I was just looking to see what books were coming out this year and I found this one which will be released in July. I cannot wait. I absolutely love all the MTV books. :]

Save the Whales and Contest at Book Junkie Reviews!

So, the Save the Whales petition has nothing to do with books except that if you post it on your blog and leave a link on Book Junkie Reviews you could win 1 book from a list ten and there will be five winners.

If you have more questions just visit Book Junkie Reviews.

Teaser Tuesdays

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall to a random page.
* Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* Share the title of the book that you're getting your teaser from... That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!
* Please avoid spoilers!

From page 88 of Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

She didn't get to hear what else he had to say, because at that moment two figures moving low ran at Tommy. One swung a baseball bat and hit Tommy in the chest, knocking him off his feet and onto a rotting log. His helmet bounced twice and landed near Phoebe, who shrieked as a third figure came from behind her and leveled a bat at her throat.

So far, I absolutely love this book. Normally it's a little hard to tell until you really get into a book but I knew at the very beginning that this would be one of those books you just can't put down. I should have a review up within a day or two so be on the lookout.

Operation: Teen Book Drop

Readergirlz is once again hosting the Teen Book Drop and as an added bonus they are holding contests for the next five weeks. So visit Readergirlz and spread the word about Operation Teen Book Drop!

Last chance to win 1 of 3 books from Read This Book!

Okay so this is really late but I just found this contest on Read This Book! and you still have two hours to enter. You can win either Violet on The Runway, Oh.My.Gods, or Spring Breakup. So go there and enter before it is too late!

Fairest Of Them All

Book: Fairest Of Them All
Rating: 4 Stars
Summary:
If life were a fairy tale, Oribella Bettencourt would have a "happily ever after" kind of future ahead of her. A Hollywood producer has come to Des Moines in search of a perfectly modern Princess Rapunzel, and Ori -- a model, dancer, and star of the beauty pageant circuit -- lands the part. And why shouldn't she? With her hardworking, self-sacrificing mother guiding her career, Ori is stunning, dedicated, poised...and then there's her hair. Breathtakingly lustrous blond hair that sets her apart from all the other girls at school. So what if she doesn't have any friends her age, or anyone to talk to other than her mother? She's on the verge of having everything she's ever dreamed of.

But in this fairy tale, the beautiful princess wakes up to her worst nightmare -- when almost overnight, Ori begins to lose her hair....

Overall:

Oribella Bettencourt is going to be famous. She just knows that her modeling and dancing careers are going to land her the role in an upcoming movie and her acting career will just take off after that.

All her life she has prepared for this. Her mom has spent so much time and money on all her pageants and recitals. Now it's finally Oribella's turn to pay her back for all her support.

But what happens when Oribella starts to lose her hair? There is no need for bald actresses or models. And how is she supposed to hide it until it starts to grow back?

When Oribella finally confesses to her mom that her hair is falling out, everything seems like it will just get better from there. That is, until the doctor tells them that Ori has Alopecia Areata, a condition that will cause her hair to stop growing and continue to fall out.

When Ori finally realizes that there is nothing she can do she decides to change her attitude. She begins to make friends and focus on her schoolwork. But no matter what she does her mom won't even speak to her.

Will Ori find a way to reconnect with her mom? Will she finally find a place she belongs with a new group of friends?

Fairest Of Them All was a great story about finding yourself and what really matters in life. I admit that I really didn't like Oribella's character at the beginning of the book and almost gave up. DO NOT GIVE UP. It does get better. I was so glad that I decided to stick it out because it had a great ending.

This book will be released on April 21 or you can pre-order it here.

In My Mailbox 7

In my mailbox was started by The Story Siren and is a list of what you received in books over the past week either through the mail, library, or a bookstore.

The received:



Summary from Amazon:
Cora Bradley dreams of escape. Ever since her reckless older brother, Nate, died in a car crash, Cora has felt suffocated by her small town and high school. She seeks solace in drawing beautiful maps, envisioning herself in exotic locales. When Cora begins to fall for Damian, the handsome, brooding boy who was in the car with Nate the night he died, she uncovers her brother's secret artistic life and realizes she had more in common with him than she ever imagined. With stunning lyricism, Sandell weaves a tale of one girl's journey through the redemptive powers of art, friendship, and love.

They say no land remains to be discovered, no continent is left unexplored. But the whole world is out there, waiting, just waiting for me. I want to do things-I want to walk the rain-soaked streets of London, and drink mint tea in Casablanca. I want to wander the wastelands of the Gobi desert and see a yak. I think my life's ambition is to see a yak. I want to bargain for trinkets in an Arab market in some distant, dusty land. There's so much. But, most of all, I want to do things that will mean something.

-- From A MAP OF THE KNOWN WORLD.

I actually received two copies of this so be on the lookout for a contest!



Summary from Amazon:
Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude.

When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.

Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

This book looks amazing and I cannot wait to read it!



Summary from Amazon:
James Hoff likes to rant against America's consumerist culture. He also likes to rant against his ex-girlfriend, Sadie, who he feels isn't doing enough to change the world. But just like he can't avoid buying things, he also can't avoid Sadie for long. This is a fantastic, funny, sexy, cool masterpiece from one of the best YA writers at work today, an anti-consumerist love story that's all about idealism, in both James's relationship with the world and his relationships with the people around him.

I had never heard of this book before I got it but it looks like it might be cute.



Summary from Goodreads:
All her world's a stage.
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.
She is not an orphan, but she has no parents.
She knows every part, but has no lines of her own.
Until now.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every place ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

Lisa Mantchev has written a debut novel that is dramatic, romantic, and witty, with an irresistible and irreverent cast of characters who are sure to enchant the audience.

Sadly the ARC doesn't have the pretty cover but it still sounds like it is going to be a great debut novel!



Summary from Goodreads:
Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear – part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo's differences, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer…to join "the real world."

There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it's a picture he finds in a file – a picture of a girl with half a face – that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

Once again I hadn't heard of this book before I got it but I read an excerpt and it sounds really interesting. I like reading books with some different subject matter.



Summary from Goodreads:
Emily is ready for a change. She's been in the same town with the same friends for a long time...and none of them really understand her art. But when she goes to Philadelphia for a summer art institute, she suddenly finds like-minded people. One in particular, Fiona, intrigues and challenges her. But there are some things Emily is going to have to find out for herself -- like what the balance is between life and art, and which is more important when push comes to shove.

This is actually a signed ARC and I was amazed when I got it. I had no clue it was even coming.



Summary from Amazon:
Twisted Sisters’s Aspen Brooks can’t catch a break—even during spring break…

Aspen Brooks trades in sand between her toes for shopping on The Strip when she agrees to go to Las Vegas for spring break with her boyfriend, Rand, her bff, Angel, and Angel’s bf, Lucas. Their hotel is hosting the Miss Teen Queen Pageant and surgically enhanced beauty contestants are everywhere. But when Miss Illinois goes AWOL, it’s up to Aspen to represent her home state and find out what’s really going on. Even if it means putting down the suntan lotion and ignoring Angel’s meltdown over breaking up with Lucas…

I haven't actually read the first two in the series so I am gonna have to read those before I read this one but they all sound really good.



Summary from Amazon:
Eff was born a thirteenth child. Her twin brother, Lan, is the seventh son of a seventh son. This means he's supposed to possess amazing talent -- and she's supposed to bring only bad things to her family and her town. Undeterred, her family moves to the frontier, where her father will be a professor of magic at a school perilously close to the magical divide that separates settlers from the beasts of the wild.

With wit and wonder, Patricia Wrede creates an alternate history of westward expansion that will delight fans of both J. K. Rowling and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Sounds like a very interesting story. I love any books about magic so hopefully this one won't disappoint me.



Summary from L. Diane Wolfe's website:
No awards for second best…

A student at Georgia Tech, Sarah Martin is bold, intelligent, and appears destined for a career in biochemistry. But her poor self-image has been masked by behavior unbecoming to a young lady brought up in an affluent Southern family. Estranged from her father, envious of her best friend’s perfect life, Sarah feels inadequate and unable to measure up to expectations.

When a friendship suddenly turns romantic, Sarah questions herself even more. A future NFL receiver, Matt’s joyful spirit and social status appear beyond her reach. Yet beneath his eager smile and playboy antics lies a young man hiding in shadows and desperate to trust again.

Faced with challenges, they must help each other come to terms with past disappointments before insecurities and doubt threaten to sabotage their future.

I think I am really going to like this one. I just love inspirational romance type stories.

Contest Books:
The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott
Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott
Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones
Shadow Web by N.M. Browne
The Other Wind by Ursula LeGuin

So, there are the books I got this week. What do you think I should read first?

Contest Roundup!!! (2)

Okay so over the past week I have seen tons more contests and I thought that I should share them with others. So here is my second list and I think I will probably continue to do this randomly when I see a lot of new contests!

-Sarah's Random Musings is giving away a signed copy of Mackenzie, Lost and Found. Contest ends April 4.

-AyeCaptain Reviews is giving away Bonechiller by Graham Mcnamee and Ice by Edward Myers to one winner. Contest ends April 13.

-GreenBeanTeenQueen is having a blogiversary contest. There will be three winners. Contest ends April 1.

-The Not So Closet Geeks is giving away Kiss Me, Kill Me and Kisses and Lies by Lauren Henderson. Contest ends March 19.

-Booluver Carol is having a contest celebrating her trip to Florida. There will be three winners who get to choose from a list of books. Contest ends April 1.

-Bookin' With Bingo is giving away copies of all the Maximum Ride books to one grand prize winner and three first prize winners will win the fifth book Max. Contest ends March 20.

So, there are the new contests that I have seen recently and most of the contests in my other post are still open for entries.

Also, I am planning on holding my first contest soon so keep checking back!

Breathing

Book: Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman
Rating: 5 Stars
Summary:

Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town working at the library and lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she’s convinced he’s the one—her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama’s strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he’s called away to help his family—and seems uncertain about returning—Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.

Overall:

Savannah and Jackson's story is a new type of love story. Unlike most stories about long distance relationships, this one inspires hope.

As soon as I started reading this book, I fell in love with Savannah's character. She embodies the typical teenage girl, full of insecurities and hopes. Unlike most girls, though, Savannah has severe asthma.

Savannah was content to be by herself for the summer: working, reading romance novels, and watching out for her little brother. Then she met Jackson Channing.

Jackson isn't like the other guys around town. He's 18-years-old and staying with his cousins, the Channings. His father died recently and his mom didn't want him around because he reminded her too much of his father. Jackson didn't mind, though, because it gave him time to work on his paintings, his hidden secret. Jackson couldn't be more perfect: respectful, kind, and caring.

When Savannah collapses after an asthma attack, Jackson stays by her side the whole time she is in the hospital. And when her mom gives them a manifesto of rules they must follow, he doesn't even blink. He seems like the perfect boyfriend, and he is. That is, until he is called away to help out with his family back home. She knows that if he goes back he is going to be trapped in a life that he doesn't want, with a job all day and no more free time for his paintings. But it's not only that that has Savannah worried. Ever since Jackson arrived her breathing seems to be doing better. What happens if he leaves and she can't breathe without him?

Will Jackson and Savannah's relationship be able to survive the long distance? Will Savannah help Jackson realize that he should go after his dream, no matter what it takes? Will Savannah finally learn to breathe on her own?

Breathing is the perfect debut novel by Cheryl Renee Herbsman. Not only is it told in witty Southern dialect but it is full of lovable characters that embody the traits of the South.

Breathing will be available on April 16 or you can pre-order it here.

Waiting On Wednesday: Twenty Boy Summer

Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Summary from Amazon:

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."
"Okay."
"Promise me? Promise you won't say anything?"
"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret, right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy ever day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie---she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

Beautifully written and emotionally honest, this is a debut novel that explores what it truly means to love someone and what it means to grieve, and ultimately, how to make the most of every single moment this world has to offer.

I have seen this book on tons of different blogs and I can't wait to read it. I have heard nothing but good things about it and I can't wait for it to be released on June 1. I guess that means I will have another great book to read this summer. :]

Yikes!

So I thought that maybe I would try to make my blog a little more unique and pretty and I don't think I will ever try that again. I just wanted a simple 3 column blog layout but when I created it some of my widgets got deleted and it looked completely wrong. I had to go back and find all the stuff that I had changed and change it back and it was a nightmare. I finally got my blog relatively back to normal and I don't think I will try to change it again anytime soon. I really would like a 3 column blog, though, so if anyone knows an easy way to get one please let me know. :]

Teaser Tuesdays

* Grab your current read.
* Let the book fall to a random page.
* Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
* Share the title of the book that you're getting your teaser from... That way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you've given!
* Please avoid spoilers!

From page 22 of Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman

But then all the sudden I get a feeling that something just ain't right. I haven't a clue what it's about. I just feel edgy is all. I'm thinking real hard on what it might could mean, when, holy swear word, there is an honest-to-God train coming up behind him. I swear there ain't been a train on these tracks my entire life, and there is one racing up behind him faster than hell on wheels.

I only started this book today but so far it looks like it is going to be a really cute romance. I should have a review posted within a day or two so keep checking back.