In Which I Talk About Books For The Holiday

You guys seemed to like the posts I did where I listed books and such, and I thought that since it was almost time for people to be buying holiday presents (you know you're already thinking about it) why not make a list of books that you might want to give to people!? And if you don't celebrate holidays then you can just pick them up as a thank you gift, or keep them for yourself. Maybe you'll find something you want on the list too. 

For the die-hard Vampire lover in your family;
*Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
*Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz
*Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
*Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast
*Glass House by Rachel Cain

Werewolf addicts;
*Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
*Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
*The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
*Raised By Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
*13 To Life by Shannon Delany

Crazy Witches;
*Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
*Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
*Possessions by Nancy Holder
*The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
*Always A Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

For the Angel (fallen or otherwise) lovers;
*Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
*Fallen by Lauren Kate
*Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
*A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
*Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

The Contemporary lovers;
*Anna and the French Kiss/Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
*Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
*Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
*Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
*The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Good Boy books;
*Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
*Thirteen Days To Midnight by Patrick Craman
*Zombies Vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier
*The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
*The Pull Of Gravity by Gae Polisner

Creep-Out reads;
*The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
*The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
*Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
*The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
*Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Dystopian nuts;
*Delirium by Lauren Oliver
*Matched by Ally Condie
*Across the Universe by Beth Revis
*Wither by Lauren DeStefano
*Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Action and Adventure;
*Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
*The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
*The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
*Possess by Elana Johnson
*Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Others to check out;
*Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
*Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist/Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
*A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
*Hourglass by Myra McEntire
*Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
*Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
*Forgotten by Cat Patrick
*The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
*Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
*Die For Me by Amy Plum

Review-Beautiful Chaos

It took me almost three weeks to read this book, which is pathetic, but I have good reasons.  I was busy watching TV and doing homework.  Okay, those are terrible reasons, but those are the reasons, not because the book was bad.  No, the book was good. I was pleased with where it went, even though I saw exactly where it was going from about half way through.  There were some things I didn't see coming, but the overall big ending was no shock to me.  I did end up crying even though I knew what was coming, which makes me say "bravo Kami and Margie, you truly are masters of your trade".  The ending did leave a huge cliffhanger though, so I can't wait to read the last book in the series.  Even through all of the awful things that happen during the book the tone is light overall, and all the characters we love (and the ones we love to hate) are back.  We dive deeper into the reason for Sarafine's madness, find some new powers we didn't know existed, and find more of those lovely songs I just can't get enough of.  I admit I was a little confused to begin with because it had been so long ago that I read the second book, but slowly it all began to come back to me, and what didn't come back to me was woven into the story just right so it wasn't repetitive and helped refresh my memory in just the right places.  Beautifully written with just the right pulls at the heart there were some parts that just hit me in all the best spots.  If you read and enjoyed the first two books I recommend you pick up this one, but don't read the end in a public place.  Also, be prepared for a cliff hanger, because that's what you're gonna get.  And no, don't read the end first, I know there are those of you who do it, but don't, cause it will ruin everything.  I'm watching you!

5/5 dust spirits

Secret Snowflake Book Swap

I'm still in high school, which means that I'm really fond of the holiday season because, hey, we get two weeks off, TWO WEEKS to do homework, eat good food, open presents (or just enjoy the weather, depending on your life style) and...READ BOOKS!  I know there are some of you out there who don't celebrate holidays but I'm sure you all are familiar with the idea that winter comes with snow (well, in most of the world) and here in good old Seattle it's beginning to look at lot like winter.  Years ago in 7th grade (yeah, okay, it was only 4 years ago) we did something along the same lines, and again in 9th grade, but because we need to respect all of the different religions out there we called it Secret Squirrel (7th grade) and Secret Snowflake (9th) and even though I love squirrels there aren't that many out in the winter, so we'll go with snowflakes.  So the way this is gonna work is easy, first, you have to sign up.  You have until November 21st to sign up.  That's two weeks.  After that I'll work a little magic and give everyone one person to get a book for and in return everyone will get a book from a different person.  If you sign up you will get a book and you will give a book!  If you won't be able to get a book to swap don't sign up because it's not fair to all of the people out there who did buy their people books but then didn't get one back in return.  Make sure to get your book out by January 1st, 2012.  There is going to be a $20.00 spending limit (that way if you buy the book in store it's still viable if it's a HB) so that people don't go overboard or feel that they aren't as good as someone who has money, because I love you all, and you all are amazing.  The one thing that might be a problem is that in the form you will have to give your address and someone else will get it so they can send you the book.  If you are under the age of 16 make sure you have your parents permission, but I promise not to share your address with anyone but the person who is going to be sending you a book, and if you want you can specify that you want me to pair you with someone who lives a good distance from you, but if you think about it this is really no different then when you input your address to enter a contest on a blog.  It's international but do let me know on the form if you are willing to do international or not.  If you're wondering you can send books from the book depository to a number of foreign countries for free.  You're going to pick five books that you want and someone will pick one to give to you (No books that come out in 2012 please).  You can order the book off of a website, get it signed if you want, buy it from a used bookstore (but if you do that make sure it's in good condition!), or just go to a regular old bookstore and pick it up off the shelf. Please don't deviate from the list your person gave you, and that way we won't have people ending up with duplicate copies of a book they already have.  If you're all set with the rules just fill out the form here to be part of the festivities!

Please note that if you buy the book from a bookstore you are responsible for paying the shipping to mail the package.

In Which I'm Thankful for Books

So I found this on Beth Revis' blog, and it's basically a blog post about books I'm thankful for.  Goodness there are so many books I'm thankful for, but let's stick to five, that sounds like a reasonable number, right? And it's nice and round.  These are in no particular order, but will all be very important for me until I'm old and can't even remember what book I last read.

1. Twilight by Stephenie meyer.
  Yeah, it's a cliche, but really, this is the book that got me reading again.  Some people bash it, but I think it really was what got the YA genre going.  And yes, I was one of those crazy fan girls who stood in line for a good hour and a half to meet Stephenie when she came to my local bookstore, and I was up till midnight on the release of Breaking Dawn, at my local Borders (I miss it so much!), and I was even there when the first movie came out on DVD!  I will admit, I'm not fangirling over it now, but it's still a good series, and I understand why people seem to dislike it, it's been overdone, but I think that deep down pretty much everyone who says they hate it read it at one point and was really excited about it.



2. Where The Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls.

  This book was read to me in either second or third grade, then I read it again in 5th grade, and again in 8th.  If this is the pattern I need to read it again this year!  Every time I read this book I cry but I still love it to death.  I think this is a book that all kids should read because it's such a touching story, especially if you're a dog lover.  This book is a classic and I know that before I graduate from high school I'll be reading it again.  I had always had a soft spot for dogs, but this book made my love of dogs even greater.  I would read this book to my little brothers, but I know I would just end up bawling my eyes out, even though I know how it all ends.

3. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo.

  Again, this book was read to me in either second or third grade and I just loved it.  I had tried to read Kate's other books, but had never actually succeeded in finishing one of them.  This is also a book I shared with my little brothers and they both loved it.  Whenever a middle grade reader asks about books I recommend this one because it's just so adorable.  Kate is such an amazing writer and I know that I should read some of her other books but I just haven't gotten around to it.  Everyone everyone everyone should read this book because, either for yourself, to your children, to your class, just read it because it's great.

4. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss.

  Yeah, this is a little kids book, but now I just seem to love it.  I read it to my little brother whenever I can because the idea is just amazing.  People seem to forget that some of Dr. Seuss' books are actually important, and this is one of them.  Yeah, it's colorful and has a character that isn't real, but it's all about saving the environment and endangered species.  Maybe if everyone read this book the planet would be in better condition?  If I ever have kids I'll read this to them! Dr. Seuss will never grow old!

5. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting.

  This book is what got me reading again in 9th grade, when I had no time to read because of all the homework I did and thought it was a lost cause.  Thanks to Kim though I found my great love for reading once again.  Kim was also the first author I got to meet up and personal who actually talked to me like I was a real person.  She had time to talk to me and was more then happy to meet me, even the fifth time I went to see her.  Her book was also deliciously spooky and might be the reason I started loving horror movies...or maybe it was the other way around? I'm not really sure, but this book is just amazing.

Review-Crossed

I was very excited when a friend of mine sent me an ARC of this book because I just loved the first one.  It was supposed to be the new Hunger Games, and although I've never finished those books I don't think it's anything like them.  I liked Crossed more then Matched but then I also liked Matched more then Crossed. Does that make sense? No, probably not, but I think that when you read it you will understand.  I loved the fact that we got to see half of the book from Ky's point of view.  I know there are some people who hate alternating points of view, but I think that Ky's point of view is such a huge part of this book it wouldn't have worked if it was all from Cassia's point of view.  We learn lots of new secrets, some bigger than others.  Thankfully the ending isn't a HUGE cliffhanger, I mean, yeah, there is some suspense as to what's going to happen next, but it's not one that will leave you tossing and turning in bed trying to figure out what's going to happen.  There was adventure, kissing, and some suspense and Ally wrapped it all up perfectly.  There were just a few things that bugged me, namely the fact that it took over 100 pages for Cassia and Ky to finally find each other.  Yeah, I know, that was a little spoilery, but I mean, really, how many of you seriously thought they wouldn't find each other again?  All of the secrets we learn the answers to in this book are definitely leading up to something bigger that better be explained in the last book.  Again Condie writes a beautiful novel that I think everyone who enjoys a good dystopia should read, and if you read and liked the first one this one won't disappoint.  I also have to comment on the covers, the first one was Green, this one is blue.  I love both covers and Ally has said that they are rather symbolic of the story, and I definitely get that.  I have a sneaking suspicion that the last one will be red, because of the tablet colors. Green to calm down (and calming down helps you figure everything out, which is what Cassia did in the first book), blue to survive (what Ky and Cassia both had to do in the second one), and red to forget (or maybe to prove how different Cassia really is).  But then again I would like it if it were purple.

4.5/5 dust spirits

Spooky Giveaway Winners

I thought I had a really great idea, but only about 40 of you entered the contest that required some thought, so maybe it wasn't such a good idea? Let me know in the comments if you liked this contest or not.  Anyways, first the answeres to the giveaway!

The ones in blod are the ones that needed to be right to get an entry.  The ones with stars by them are the ones that people seemed to find most difficult.

1. After Obsession
2. Bad Girls Don't Die
3. Beautiful Creatures
4. Shiver
5. Vampire Academy
6. Strange Angels **
7. Paranormalcy
8. The Forest of Hands and Teeth
9. The Body Finder
10. Shatter Me
11. The Monstrumologist **
12. Blue Bloods
13. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
14. The Scorpio Races
15. Eighth Grade Bites
16. Possessions **
17. Shade
18. The Replacement
19. Tiger's Voyage
20. The Dark Divine
21. Personal Demons
22. My Soul to Take
23. Nightshade
24. White Cat
25. Anna Dressed In Blood

1. Soulless
2. The Christopher Killer
3. The Missing Girl
4. I Know What You Did Last Summer
5. Killing Mr. Griffin

And now on with the winners!

• The ARC of After Obsession goes to Ellen Trieu
• The Signed copy of Shiver goes to Brittany Hiester
• The Signed copy of Paranormalcy goes to Alishia Ruly
• The ARC of Shatter Me goes to Hannah Jewett
• The finished copy of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer goes to Tristen Callnan
• The Signed copy of The Scorpio Races goes to jordyn rose
• The ARC of Tiger's Voyage goes to Ana Lucía
• The finished copy of Anna dressed in Blood goes to Cynthia Neilands
• A copy of one of the 17 other books pictured goes to Samantha Slager

• The Winner of the Extra Spooky Giveaway is Loony Linh

The three winners of the swag giveaway are

1. Bree who's favorite scary movie was The Shining
2. Tristen who's favorite scary movie was Hide and Seek
3. Misha Batac who's favorite scary movie is Coming Soon (it's Thai)

Congrats to all who won, thank you to all who entered, and I hope you at least had a little fun playing!  I'll probably do one of these again soon, maybe for the blog anniversery.  The winner of the October book giveaway is posted here and the monthly giveaway for November is posted here. (There's also a giveaway for a signed copy of Ally Condie's Matched here).  Check back on the blog for more giveaways shortly.

Signed Matched Giveaway

So you all know that I'm going to see Ally Condie on Friday, and I got my dad to buy me a PB copy of Matched for Ally to sign for one of YOU!  Basically this is an easy giveaway, just fill out the form here and then wait to see if you won.  No extra entries, but you MUST either follow the blog or like the facebook page (or both if you love me lots).  If you want the book personalized to someone let me know in that box, if not just leave it blank.  This contest is international, because, I mean, why not! This contest will run until right before I leave to go see Ally on Friday November 4th, so about 6:00 PM Pacific Coast Time. GO FOR IT!
The winner has been notified. Thank you all for entering.

Note; this is the cover for the hardcover version of the book, the version up for grabs is PB and is just slightly different, if not cooler!  It's also a little banged up, but there's nothing I can do about that. 

November Book Giveaway

So you all said that a monthly giveaway would be a good idea, so here's how it's going to work. There will be six books you can choose from that come out during the month the contest is for, so because it's November the book you choose will have come out in November, not in October, or December, or any other month, just November. The book will be shipped at the beginning of the next month, so if you're looking to get the book right when it comes out you're out of luck, because that's not going to happen. Winners will be announced on the first of the month and a new giveaway will be posted then as well. You can only enter ONCE, if you enter more than that you will be disqualified. The contest will be international as long as the Book Depository ships to your country for free (want to know if it does? Check here). All you have to do is fill out the form and press "send" or whatever it is at the end of the form, and then wait. You have until October 31st at 12:00 Midnight Pacific Standard Time to enter. Good luck.

October Book Winner

Again there were 6 books to choose from, and this time 107 people entered .  There were 353 entries, but again there can only be one winner.

That winner is Mendy Hensley who wanted Carrier of the Mark, which is supposed to be AMAZING!   Congrats Mendy Hensley and I hope you enjoy your book.  If you didn't win don't worry, there will be another giveaway up shortly for the month of November!!!