Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Will She Ever Stop Giving Away ARCs Giveaway

Once again, Carol of Carol's Prints is holding an ARC Giveaway. On her list this time is Nightshade by Andrea Cremer, Pegasus by Robin McKinley, a pre-release HC of Nightshade City by Hilary Wagner, I Was Jane Austen's Best Friend by Cora Harrison, and The Witches' Kitchen by Allen Williams. The contest is shorter this time around, ending October 4th, so go here to enter!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Mini Challenge #1

This is for the first Mini Challenge of Princess Bookie's Contest Craze.

Rules from Cindy:
This Mini Challenge Consists Of:
Name Your Top 5 Books of 2011
-Make a blog post and tell me your top 5 most wanted books of 2011! And, why you want them!
-This should take some serious thought!
-You can include the book cover or just the title-author if you want!
-Leave The Link To Your Blog Post In The Comments Section
-US Only (unless you have someone to ship to you internationally)
-FYI: I will be glad to ship to you if you have paypal and can pay for shipping.

My Top 5 Books of 2011 would be...

5. The Iron Thorn - Caitlin Kittredge

In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.
Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.




As you'll see, all of these books are dystopian, and that makes sense due to the fact that my favorite genre is dystopian. I'm so glad that it's expanding and morphing and becoming even more amazing! Back to the book...the synopsis is so intriguing! I love the idea of every family member going mad on their 16th birthday. It's a great juxtaposition to the "Sweet Sixteens" of now. Looks amazing!

4. Razorland - Ann Aguirre

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.




Romance, action, dystopian future. All the makings of a great, GREAT novel. It reminds me of my beloved Hunger Games series mixed with Girl in the Arena by Lisa Haines. Another fantastic book to read in 2011.

3. Wither - Lauren DeStefano

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.




With all of the polygamy scandals occuring lately, this book is very relavent. Besides that, the cover is beautiful, the premise is so interesting, and it sounds like a super read. Can't wait to get my hands on a copy.

2. XVI - Julia Karr

"In the year 2150, being a girl isn’t necessarily a good thing, especially when your sixteenth (read sex-teenth) birthday is fast approaching. That in itself would be enough to make anyone more than a little nuts, what with the tattoo and all – but Nina Oberon’s life has taken a definite turn for the worse. Her mother is brutally stabbed and left for dead. Before dying, she entrusts a secret book to Nina, telling her to deliver it to Nina's father. But, first Nina has to find him; since for fifteen years he's been officially dead. Complications arise when she rescues Sal, a mysterious, and ultra hot guy. He seems to like Nina, but also seems to know more about her father than he’s letting on. Then there’s that murderous ex-government agent who’s stalking her, and just happens to be her little sister’s dad."



First off, Julia is one of the elevensies. These authors never disappoint. Also, there's mystery, action, and another recreation of the ever-loved 16th birthday, so you know it's going to be terrific. This book sounds so good!

1. Across the Universe - Beth Revis

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.




This is definitely my most coveted book of 2011. LOOK AT THAT COVER! GORGEOUS! Plus, the plot sounds divine! I sigh just thinking about it. Romance, romance, romance, space-travel (and I lurrrrve astronomy), mystery, action, dystopian...the list could go on forever. It's just about perfect.

So those are my top 5 reads of 2011, what are yours?

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Contest of Epic Proportions

Mom, of My Neurotic Book Affair, and daughter, of Shut Up! I'm Reading, have teamed up for a contest of epic proportions. Here are just some of the books up for grabs:

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (PB)
Z by Michael Thomas Ford (ARC)
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (ARC)
Almost To Die For by Tate Hallaway (PB)
Captivate by Carrie Jones (ARC)
Morpheus Road: The Light by D.J. MacHale (ARC)
Crossing by Andrew Xia Fukuda (ARC)
Prophecy of Days: The Daykeeper's Grimoire by Christy Raedeke (PB)
Thirst No. 1 by Christopher Pike (PB)
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (PB)
Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R.J. Anderson (HB)
The Society of S by Susan Hubbard (HB)
Marked by P.C. and Kristen Cast (PB)
Max by James Patterson (PB)
Birthmarked by Caragh M O'Brien (ARC with dust jacket)
Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon (PB)
Awakened by Ednah Walters (Manuscript)
Mieradome by Kate O' Hegarty (ARC)
Earth Is Not Alone by John Knapp ii (PB)
Nomansland by Lesley Hauge (ARC)
And more will be added!

The number of winners is as of yet, undecided, but every winner will receive two books of their choice. The contest runs through October 17th, with the winner being picked the next day. Go here to enter!

Firelight Giveaway

At Good Choice Reading, the bloggers are giving away a copy of Firelight. The contest is international and they supply a ton of ways to receive some extra entries. Enter here.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Re-Create a Cover Contest

Kirthi of Pages blog is holding one of the amazing re-create a cover contest. Hers is for Water Shaper by Laura Williams McCaffrey.

Prize:
An autographed copy of Water Shaper

About the book from Goodreads:

Margot is the daughter of a king, but she is beloved by neither his court nor his kingdom. She has "water in her blood," a trait associated with magic and looked upon with distaste and suspicion. When she meets Orrin, a foreign king who is respectful, not scornful, of her affinity for water, she flees with him to his castle by the sea, though she soon realizes he is not as benevolent as she first thought. Intertwined with Margot's story is that of Bird, a storyteller who must tell stories for Orrin, though he can barely stand him. When Orrin steals the Book of the Sea, a magical gift given to Margot by her mother, Margot knows she must run away once again, and the threads of the two stories begin to intertwine. A convincing and beautifully realized world, a strong-minded female protagonist, and elements of Celtic folklore mark this rich, multilayered fantasy

Rules:

Open To U.S and Canadian residents
One Entry Per Person
Open Until we hit 50 entries!
First 50 participates In Mr Linky
We will be voting in rounds!
Your Image Must be savable, meaning I can right click on it and save it

My cover:


Image credit: mehmeturgut

Second-hand Saturday

Second-hand saturday is happening every saturday over at Reading Teen. Every week, they update the available books and have a giveaway, with the winner being announced the next saturday. The selection is great and you have a ton of chances to win. Go here to enter for this week.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Trailer!!!

Oh. My. God. I'm speechless. And counting down the seconds until November 19th!!!!!!

Fall Giveaways


The Fall Giveaways are finally here! The contests run through 9/29 and you can get the full list of bloggers and contests here at Good Choice Reading, the homebase for this fantastic event.

The wonderful bloggers at Good Choice Reading are not only hosting the event, but they are also participating. Enter that here. And say a big thank you while you're there. :)

Monday, September 20, 2010

Contests

The author of Scars, Cheryl Rainfield, is giving away a copy of her new book at Confessions of a Bookoholic. Also in her post is some really cool artwork. Either way, it's worth it to check it out.

Also, another contest happening is for Girl Parts by John M. Cusick at the Cozy Reader. Go here to enter that one.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Re-create a Cover Contest

Princes Bookie is holding another epic re-create a cover contest! This time for Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss.


Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris — until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.

My cover:

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Nomansland Contest

Hafsah of Icey Books is giving away one signed hardcover and an audio version of Lesley Hauge's book, Nomansland.



Sometime in the future, a lonely, windswept island is populated solely by women. Among these women is a group of teenaged Trackers—expert equestrians and archers—whose job is to protect their shores from the enemy. The enemy, they’ve been told, is men. When these girls come upon a partially buried home from the distant past, they are fascinated by the strange objects—high-heeled shoes, teen magazines, make-up—found there. What are they to make of these mysterious things? And what does it mean for their strict society where friendship is forbidden and rules must be obeyed—at all costs?

The contest is open to US residents and will end on October 1st. Go here for more info and to enter!

Contest Craze 2010


Contest Craze 2010 is almost here! Cindy of Princess Bookie will be hosting her contest one week from monday (Sept. 27th), and it will last two weeks, with a huge blowout contest on October 9th. Everyday of the craze there will be a contest or challenge in which you can enter to win a prize! Now, since Cindy's amazing caring and kind, she's starting early with a sort of prequel contest. If you blog and/or tweet about the contest, you'll be entered to win a mystery ARC prize pack. Here are the rules:

-To Enter
-Link Your Blog Post or Tweet Into The Comments Section of Cindy's Blog Post
-Include a way to contact you
-Winner will be drawn randomly
-Blog Post= 5 entries
-Twitter=2 entries
-You may get 7 entries total

An advanced, huge thank you to all of the authors and publishers participating, and most of all, Cindy, for hosting such an awesome contest!


Also, a comment contest is happening in time with Contest Craze. Go here to enter!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Harper Teen Contest

The Undercover Book Lover is hosting a grand, huge, great contest via Harper Teen. There are 4 prize packs, and one person will win one pack of their choice. If she reaches 2000 followers, another winner will be added. The contest ends 10/15. Go here to enter.

Re-create a Cover Contest

YA Addict, since she enjoyed the last one so much, is throwing another Re-create a Cover Contest. The book is The Light of Asteria: Kailmeyra's Last Hope, by Elizabeth Isaacs.



If Nora Johnson hadn't been on campus that day she would have never known her true destiny. Helping her friends move into the dorm that she wanted to call home, Nora accidentally collides with mysterious stranger, Gavin Frey. His very first touch sends flames through her heart. The world seems different-something within her has changed.

Nora tries to resume her mundane life, but she is now consumed with the one whose very presence ignited her soul, the one with eyes of emerald. Nora soon learns that an energy buried deep within has been unleashed. She now wields unimaginable power and has become Gavin's source, his strength.

Her newfound joy is shaken when she discovers that Gavin is not who he appears to be and she has been thrust in the middle of a war of mythical proportions. Negativity has allowed all things evil to flourish, the earth is under siege. The fate of creation hinges on the power within her heart. Will she be strong enough to survive?

A gripping tale of unbounded love and ancient power, The Light of Asteria will take you on an epic adventure filled with war, treachery, and demons, as well as unimaginable delights.

Contest Rules:
Open to US addresses only.
One cover entry per person.
You CANNOT tell people to vote for your cover, you can only invite them to vote for their favorite.
Open to entries until September 18th.
Add the link to your cover in the Mr. Linky.
Covers will be voted on in rounds.
Good luck and have fun!

Prize:
The cover most voted for will receive a copy of The Light of Asteria + Swag!!!

My entry:


Photo credit: arhcamtIlnaad

Saturday, September 11, 2010

CSN Giveaway

These have been very popular lately, because obviously CSN is great. This time around, Flipping Pages For All Ages is hosting. She is giving away one gift certificate for $75, good at all CSN stores. The contest ends September 30th. Go here to enter.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Half Moon Cover Contest

For the release of her cover, Jordan Deen is throwing a huge giveaway, and to win, you get to participate in a scavenger hunt (very fun). Here are the rules from Jordan herself:

1) You must follow the ‘map’ of blogs listed below to get to the treasure. If you go out of order, your sentence will be wrong and you’ll be disqualified!

2) You must follow each of the bloggers and you must log into my website (from the home page click on Log in using Facebook or you can set up a new member profile)

3) You must comment each of the bloggers websites.

4) You must retrieve a word (or words) from the excerpt of ‘Half Moon’ that is posted on each of the websites.

5) After you have all your words, return to this post and leave me a comment telling me what you think about the second chapter of ‘Half Moon’ and the cover! That’s right! If you follow each of the blogs in order, you will get to read the entire second chapter of ‘Half Moon’ for free! (You can read chapter one by selecting the ‘Half Moon’ tab to your left)

6) Once you have commented this post, please send an email to: info@jordandeen.com giving me the sentence that your words form.

*******If you post the sentence in your comments on this post- YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED and your comment will be deleted.*******

Here’s what is in the Treasure Chest:
‘Half Moon’ Swag (sorry, no ARC’s yet!)
$25 B&N Gift Card
Journal
Sparkly Jewelry Box

And the biggest prize of all:
A awesome USB/Digital Video Camera!

One lucky person will win all of the above. Winner will be chosen by randomizer.org. If you want extra entries, please post about the Scavenger Hunt on your blog, twitter, facebook, etc. Make sure you leave the URL in your comment so I will credit you with the extra entry.

Here is your ‘Map':

1) www.NarrativelySpeaking.com
2) www.Totalbookaholic.blogspot.com
3) www.FireandIcePhoto.blogspot.com
4) www.ReadingTeen.net
5) www.FlippingPagesforAllAges.blogspot.com
6) www.Bibliophilicbookblog.com
7) www.Courtney-Reads.blogspot.com
8) www.AlexReadsBooks.blogspot.com
9) www.SimpleLoveofReading.blogspot.com
10) www.MyOverstuffedBookshelf.blogspot.com
11) www.Frenzyofnoise.blogspot.com
12) www.YAAddict.blogspot.com
13) www.Theleosden.blogspot.com
14) www.JASouders.blogspot.com

Go here to follow the scavenger blogger trail and to enter!

Blogoversary Giveaway

It's time for another blogoversary contest! This time it's the one year anniversary for The Bibliophilic Book Blog. There will be five winners for this contest, with prizes starting at a Kobo eReader and ending with some swag. She's switched the process up as well, and it includes a cute game. Here is all the info. Now enter!

Monday, September 6, 2010

ARCs Galore Update

The ARCs Galore contest's , happening at Carol's prints, end date has been moved back from today to September 8th. And adding to that, Carol is offering extra entries to those who want them. Go here to either enter the contest or gain those extra entries!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

September Debut Contest

At Personal Demons, the September Debut contest is occuring. A signed copy of both Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers and The Duff by Kody Keplinger are being given away. Enter here.