Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Book Review: Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr

Title: Darkest Mercy (Goodreads/Amazon)
Author: Melissa Marr
Series: Wicked Lovely #5
Release Date: Feb. 22 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
My Source: ARC Tour
Other Books in Series: Ink Exchange

Goodreads Summary:

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose everything.

The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

My Review:

Darkest Mercy, the last book of the Wicked Lovely series, begins with chaos. The courts are in disorder, people are missing, the regents in all the faery courts are all relatively new at their jobs. Most of the characters from the previous books in the series are back and we see all their stories tie together in the end as they fight the faery called War and struggle to find the neccesary balance between the courts.

I love the faery courts and the faery world Marr has invented. Aislinn, Keenan, Donia, Niall, Seth, Irial... they're all some of my favorite characters. I've gotten to know them over the course of listening to this series on audiobook (though I read an ARC copy of Darkest Mercy) and I like them a lot. It's sad to see their stories come to an end, but I enjoy the way it ended. It was perfect.

The plot of Darkest Mercy was very similar to the previous 2 books in the series, meaning it's slow and almost not really there. There's a couple of small battles and one big battle and that's the whole plot. This is easily my biggest complaint with the series- it's hard to keep reading at times when it's going slow. Still, I consider it worthwhile.

So while at times the series gets a little slow for me, it's very well written and worthwhile to read the Wicked Lovely series. Darkest Mercy (what a perfect title!) put a cap on all the stories and ended the series beautifully.

4 out of 5 Stars

Cover: 4.5/5 Beautiful! I love the covers and book titles in this series. The titles are some of my all-time favorite titles. Wicked Lovely, Fragile Eternity, Darkest Mercy... :)

Monday, March 28, 2011

ARC's for Trade

If you would like to recieve an ARC that I've already read, I'm very happy to offer it up for trade! I'm willing to trade any of the books below for other ARC copies or finished copies of YA books released around the same time period. (Last year or two.) Just send me an email with your proposition. I will be pretty accepting of anything I haven't read yet and I'll be happy to send you one of my ARC's from the list. This post will be constantly updated as I finish reading new ARC's and give away old ones. I'm going to add it on my sidebar, so feel free to check the list constantly! In my IMM posts I'll also let you know if I've added anything new to the list.

  • Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer (This is a fantastic book! See my review)


  • From the Dead by John Herrick (My Review)


  • Logic of Demons by H.A. Goodman


  • Manifest by Artist Arthur (My Review)


  • Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (My Review)


  • Cloaked by Alex Flinn


  • The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
  • Sunday, March 27, 2011

    Inheritance Series Book 4: News and Opinions

    I'm here to discuss a paticular book series that I've noticed most people either love or hate... the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini. Information about the last book, aptly titled Inheritance, was just released by Alfred A. Knopf Books For Young Readers.

    An excerpt from the press release:

    ALFRED A. KNOPF BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS REVEALS
    TITLE AND COVER FOR
    FINAL BOOK IN CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI’S
    #1 BESTSELLING INHERITANCE CYCLE

    BOOK FOUR IN THE INHERITANCE CYCLE WILL GO
    ON SALE NOVEMBER 8, 2011

    New York, NY (March 23, 2011)—Eagerly awaited by millions around the
    world, the triumphant conclusion to Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance cycle will
    arrive this fall, it was announced today by Nancy Hinkel, Vice President,
    Publishing Director of Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of
    Random House Children’s Books (www.randomhouse.com/teens). Following the #1
    bestselling novels Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr, the fourth and final book in
    the series will be titled INHERITANCE, a fitting designation for the concluding
    novel in Paolini’s epic fantasy.

    “The burning questions asked by fans
    around the world will finally be answered in this last installment,” said
    Christopher Paolini. “All will be revealed!”



    You might not agree with me, but I am very, very excited for this book! I happen to really enjoy this series. The first and second books were mostly so-so, with a few brilliant moments, but I really enjoyed the third book when I read it two years ago. I've been awaiting the 4th book ever since then. I love any kind of traditional fantasy and I've always thought the dragons were amazing.

    Secondly, I've met a lot of people that just seem to really, really hate this series. I understand it might seem like a copy of "Lord of the Rings" or any other traditional fantasy, but aren't they all pretty similar? Yeah, there's magic, dragons, elves, dwarves, and evil ruler... I think this is pretty awesome stuff!

    But I do see why people dislike the series. Fans of more contemporary YA books might find some of the length and excessiveness of plot boring (Which it is at times) and the romance shallow (Which it definitely is! It is irritating!). And if fantasy isn't your genre, I wouldn't recommend reading Eragon. I remember begging my sister to read them in junior high (and she's a pretty big reader as well) but she quit halfway through, bored, because she's never liked
    fantasy at all.

    But I still think the Eragon books present a really facinating world, with flaws in the characters but an interesting plot and as a fantasy lover, I can never get enough of that awesome genre.

    Oh, and for a sidenote: A few years ago, after I finished the second book I made a prediction on the color of the third book. I guess it seems pretty obvious that it should be green, but to have my prediction confirmed was pretty awesome. ;)

    Anyway, what are your thoughts? Are you a lover or a hater? Are you excited or could you care less?

    And while I'm waiting, do you have any good suggestions for other traditional fantasy series? I love to hear about new ones!

    Thursday, March 24, 2011

    Interview w/ Kate O'Hegarty (Mieradome)

    Today I have a special guest here to answer a few questions. Please welcome Kate O'Hegarty, the author of Mieradome for an interview as part of the Mieradome Blog Tour!



    Author Bio:
    Kate has a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Arts from Goddard College. She has been an international traveler since she was 7 years old which has helped shape Kate's active imagination and writing style. She currently lives in the Central Valley of California. Mieradome is her debut novel.

    ********

    Bold=Ava
    Regular=Kate

    Describe Mieradome in 10 words or less.

    Faeries. Good & evil with a twist. Dragons. Adventure. Mystery.

    What kind of reader do you want to target with your book (age group/preferred genre/etc.)?

    I’d like to target young teens 11+ who love fantasy books, but I think the book can also be interesting to older teens too. I think this story really does well in that younger market.

    There's a start of a love triangle between Amavia, Garin, and Caiden. Could you tell us the differences between the two and possible who you prefer?

    The differences between the two love interests is simple, one guy she is drawn to but doesn’t know much about (Caiden); the other guy she is also drawn to and knows much more about him, but possibly more than she really wants to know about him, as it may not all be good (Garin). Regarding my preference for Amavia, I haven’t one actually. I think things will fall in place for Amavia based on fate, and luck.

    I'll add that I'm rooting for Caiden in this scenario! I thought they had a real connection at the beginning and would love to see them end up together.

    It's mentioned in the book description, but how did "Alice in Wonderland" influence or relate to your story?

    I’ve always been inspired by Lewis Carroll’s story and I like that idea of a young girl going to a strange land and trying to make sense of it all. For Amavia it is about acceptance, ultimately, acceptance of who she really is, whether that is good or evil in the end.

    How did you come up with all the interesting and unique names used in the book?

    Most of the names are actually surnames that are in use today (people living currently use those names.) Some examples of surnames used in Mieradome are: Amavia (after actress Daniella Amavia), Thewlis (after actor David Thewlis.) Other surnames are Feig and Inocian. Some names I made up, like Naidrau, Ditto (which is based on an inside joke between my sister and I.) My sister is actually the dogsledder Shannon Moana Whetu Hine in my book.

    In most "faery tales", there is an underlying message. What do you want your readers to take away from reading Mieradome?

    I’d like people to take away from Mieradome a sense of mystery and how we perceive people. The essence of Mieradome is Amavia slowly seeing who she really is, and if it’s possible for her to change that. I want people to look closely and contemplate what they would do if they were in Amavia’s or Aselin’s shoes.

    Do you have a favorite character, or one whose scenes are just a lot of fun to write about?

    Ditto was one of my favorite characters to write because he’s very much a satire of myself. I grumble a lot when I don’t like something or don’t want to participate in something, and I’m very sarcastic. The scene where Ditto flies from the Twirling Twisted Tower to save Amavia and he’s talking to himself, yep…that’s me all right!

    What was the best part of the whole process of getting your book published?

    The best part is hearing that people really enjoyed my book. I worked very hard on it for myself, but also that everyone out there got swept away in the story. I hope the book takes people on a grand adventure.

    Why did you choose to write about faeries in a fantasy type of setting? (They're one of my favorite mythical creatures!)

    I actually didn’t set out to write about faeries. I honestly have never thought about faeries before. But one day I had a dream about an oak tree and a raven, a bright light disappears into the tree and a girl is watching the whole scenario play out in front of her. Ironically, ravens and an oak tree is on my family’s, The Hegarty’s, coat of arms. I thought about what the light was that disappeared into the tree, and being Irish I guessed it was a faerie, and the story just took off from there. It just felt right that faeries were the main characters.

    How long approximately did it take to write Mieradome?

    It took me about a year to get the bare bones of the story down. I actually started writing on Halloween of 2002. I spent the next years editing & writing more of the story (I have a sequel, The Saskatoon Balloon, planned.) And then ultimately it took 8 years until the book was finally published.

    Did you have to do a lot of research on faery myths to incorporate into the story?

    I’m Irish and I grew up with the faery myths, it’s part of my cultural tapestry, so I didn’t have to look far to be inspired. My parents actually have a gold horseshoe over our front door and it’s the first thing that goes up in the house when we move. We’re kinda superstitious, so things like the ravens come from the old myths, but also from real life.

    At the end of the book there are some very loose ends. Do you have plans for (or have you already written) a sequel? Or is it going to be a series?

    Yes, I do have plans for a sequel, which I am trying to finish as we speak! It is called The Saskatoon Balloon, and it will be an even darker book than the first one. The sequel will delve more into Amavia’s true inner self and show how her friends deal with that info once they know. I’m hoping to get it out in the fall of 2011.

    Just for fun: If you could spend a day in any place at any time in the past, where would you go and why?

    If I could go to any place for a day at any time, I would go to the 1920’s and visit my grandmother and her 3 sisters. I never knew any of them, so it would be cool to hang out with family and see myself through them.

    ********

    Thanks for the interview! If you haven't read my review of Mieradome, check it out! Also, over at Kate's website, you can find a cool video where she explains how she came up with the idea for the book in detail. (I didn't ask her because I'd seen the video!)

    Find Kate Online:
    Mieradome WebsiteBlog
    Twitter

    Wednesday, March 23, 2011

    Book Review: Mieradome by Kate O'Hegarty

    Title: Mieradome (Goodreads /Amazon)
    Author: Kate O'Hegarty
    Series: Mieradome #1
    Publisher: Author House
    Release Date: Nov. 20 2010
    My Source: Accepted from author

    Goodreads Summary

    Mieradome pulls the reader into a unique fantasy world of faeries and technology, a different take on the Alice in Wonderland concept. The story revolves around a young girl named Amavia who believes she is a human girl, but slowly comes to find she is a faery in the world of Mieradome. Slowly who Amavia was began to unravel to show the truth; the truth that she just may be the evil they need to destroy. This is the first novel in a series, and gives a glimpse of what is to come for the main character Amavia. Fans of the Harry Potter series and His Dark Materials will definitely enjoy this adventure.



    My Review:

    Mieradome is set in a facinating faery world. Seriously, this book made me want to be a faery much more than any other faery book I've ever read! The faery world of Mieradome is rich with detail and interesting creatures and places I want to go. Amavia is suddenly thrust into this world and realizes her mother was a faery who had dark history in Mieradome and pulled Amavia away from it.

    The plot ideas were great, much like traditional, high fantasy with a good vs. evil theme. I also enjoyed the wide assortment of characters. A lot of them weren't as fully fleshed out as I would've appreciated, though.

    The writing made this book a bit hard to get through. It could've used a lot of editing, I think, it was a bit hard to follow sometimes. It wasn't an easy read.

    Even so, it was worth it in the end. It's not for everyone (such as those looking for fluffy quick reads) but it's still a rich, enjoyable journey that I found myself getting really into. I recommend this book to fantasy fans, perhaps faery fans, though it was a lot more Lord of the Rings plot-wise than Wicked Lovely or The Iron King.

    3.5 out of 5 stars

    Cover: 4/5 Pretty Nice!

    Tuesday, March 22, 2011

    Book Review: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

    Title: 13 Little Blue Envelopes (Goodreads/Amazon)
    Author: Maureen Johnson
    Series: Little Blue Envelope #1
    Release Date: Oct. 1 2006
    Publisher: HarperTeen
    My Source: Library

    Goodreads Summary:

    When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes and instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn't know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel.

    My Review:

    Ginny is a teenage girl who has so far lived a boring life- the only excitement in her life provided by her unconventional aunt. So one day she recieves a mysterious package from her aunt that leads her on a scavenger hunt across Europe, where she learns new things about her aunt and has to take on tasks to challenge all of her fears.

    I loved the plot- the settings were facinating and Ginny's tasks seemed like they would be a lot of fun (they were certainly fun to read about!). Reading this book was never boring either- there was always another witty line and a few moments of laugh out loud humor for me. It was a quick read, I couldn't believe it was over when I'd barely started it.

    On the other hand, Ginny's character was pretty much nonexistant. By that, I mean it felt like she didn't have much of a personality. We got hardly any background on her life and I didn't feel any real connection to her. She was so shy that I found it difficult to imagine her actually going through with some of these tasks. The other characters though- Keith especially, along with even Ginny's Aunt and Richard, were a lot more well rounded and I enjoyed reading about them.
    I also have to add something else that really threw me. What happened to Ginny's parents and why were they letting her traverse Europe alone, without even communicating with them? And why did Ginny never even think about them? This relates to the missing info on Ginny's background as well. I feel like we never really saw Ginny's character grow throughout the course of the story because there wasn't much there in the first place.

    Even with the Ginny's character being dull, the book itself certainly wasn't. The plot was entertaining enough that I found myself really enjoying the book. It wasn't until the end that I looked back and realized it was anything less than perfect.

    There is a sequel, The Last Little Blue Envelope, which makes me excited because the ending was very open ended. And I wouldn't mind seeing more Keith.

    I would recommend this book to fans of fun contemporary stories. It's definitely a lighter read. It reminded me a bit of Dash and Lily's Book of Dares (but one-sided) or Amy and Roger's Epic Detour (but in Europe). If you liked either of those books, I recommend 13 Little Blue Envelopes.

    4 out of 5 stars

    Cover: 3.5 /5 This cover is the "updated" one, released along with the cover of the sequel. I happen to like this one a lot more than the original cover which is why I used it... but for some reason I still don't love it.

    Monday, March 21, 2011

    Cover Reveals to Die For (1)

    I love it when new book covers are released. They're always so interesting or beautiful! I don't usually share them on my blog, but I thought it would be something fun to post today and I might do it again in the future. Here are some covers I've seen around the blogosphere in the last week or so. Note: I started making this post a while ago, so some of these aren't that "new" (they're been out for awhile) but I still wanted to point them out!

    Also, read the summaries at your own risk. Most of these are sequels, so the summaries may contain spoilers for the first books in the series.

    *****

    Goliath by Scott Westerfeld (Leviathan #3)

    Release Date: September 20, 2011


    No Summary Yet

    My Thoughts: I don't really like or dislike it. The covers alone of this series probably wouldn't make me pick up the books. I still haven't read the second one Behemoth but I do want to finish the trilogy!

    *****

    Crossed by Ally Condie (Matched #2)

    Release Date: November 1 2011


    Goodreads Summary:

    In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky — taken by the Society to his certain death — only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

    Cassia’s quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander — who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia’s heart — change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

    My Thoughts: Awesome cover! Goes so well with the theme of the book and the first cover, even though Matched was a bit of a let down for me after all the hype. I still want to read Crossed though, and it comes out on my birthday!

    *****

    Supernaturally (Paranormalcy #2)

    Release Date: August 30 2011


    Goodreads Summary:
    A lot has changed in the six months since Evie escaped from the International Paranormal Containment Agency with her shape-shifter boyfriend, Lend. She finally has the blissfully normal life she’s always dreamed of, including:
    1) A real live high school
    2) A perfectly ordinary after-school job
    3) Her very own locker (and by the way, rusted metal is every bit as awesome as she imagined)

    But Evie’s not-so-normal past keeps creeping up on her...and things get pretty complicated when you factor in:
    1) A centuries-old, seriously decaying vampire stalker
    2) A crazy faerie ex-boyfriend who is the perpetual bearer of really bad news
    3) A major battle brewing between the faerie courts where the prize in question happens to be...Evie herself.

    So much for normal.

    My Thoughts: Another love! I can't wait, and I know it will be just as great as the first book. I love Lend so much...

    *****

    Beautiful Chaos (Beautiful Creatures #3)

    Release Date: Oct. 18 2011



    Goodreads Summary:
    Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What - or who - will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

    For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself - forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

    Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

    My Thoughts: I love the title of this book. The cover I don't like quite as much as the others in the series just because I don't really like yellow... I'm always talking about how I'm DYING to read this series because I love good long epic books, and I even own TWO copies of Beautiful Creatures, but I haven't gotten around to picking it up yet.

    *****

    Vanish by Sophie Jordan

    Release Date: Sept. 6 2011



    Goodreads Summary:
    To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

    Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

    In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever

    My Thoughts: I own Firelight and I'm excited to read it. I like this cover a lot, it matched the first book but is still unique!

    *****

    Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

    Release Date: Sept. 29 2011
    Goodreads Summary:
    In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think.

    For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.

    When the family returns and Cricket—a gifted inventor and engineer—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

    My Thoughts: I really like this cover! Awesome purple hair. And other than really disliking the name Lola, I have high hopes for this book! I haven't read Anna yet, but it's sitting on my shelf...


    *****

    Enshadowed (Nevermore #2)

    Release Date: Jan. 24 2012


    Goodreads Summary:
    While Varen remains a prisoner in the dream-world, Isobel is haunted by his memory. He appears to her in her dreams and soon, even in her waking life. But is she just imagining it? Isobel knows she must find a way back to Varen. She makes plans to go to Baltimore. There, she confronts the figure known throughout the world as the Poe Toaster—the same dark man who once appeared to Isobel in her dreams, calling himself "Reynolds."

    Isobel succeeds in interrupting the Toaster's ritual and, in doing so, discovers a way to return to the dream-world. Soon, she finds herself swept up in a realm which not only holds remnants of Poe's presence, but has also now taken on the characteristics of Varen's innermost self. It is a dark world comprised of fear, terror, and anger.

    When Isobel once more encounters Varen, she finds him changed. With his mind poisoned by the dream world, he becomes a malevolent force, bent on destroying all—even himself. Now Isobel must face a new adversary, one who also happens to be her greatest love

    My Thoughts: Well, once again I haven't read the first book, but I love this cover just as much as I love the first one! Hauntingly beautiful!

    *****

    Lost In Time by Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods #6)

    Release Date: Oct. 4 2011


    No Summary Yet

    My Thoughts: Out of all the covers on the list, this one is my least favorite. I'm a fan of this series, but this cover is just weird for me. I feel like I would get a lot of weird looks reading it! I'm still excited for the book, though.

    Sunday, March 20, 2011

    In My Mailbox (20)

    In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren where we share all the books we've gotten over the last week. Or in my case, last month or so...


    For Review:
    The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan (Goodreads/Amazon) (ARC)
    The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (Goodreads/Amazon) (Netgalley eARC)
    Die For Me by Amy Plum (Goodreads/Amazon)(Netgalley eARC)
    Starcrossed Josephine Angelini (Goodreads/Amazon) (Netgalley eARC)


    Bumped by Megan McCafferty (Goodreads/Amazon) (Netgalley eARC)
    Hereafter Tara Hudson (Goodreads/Amazon)(Netgalley eARC)
    The Atomic Weight of Secrets or The Arrival of the Mysterious Men in Black by Eden Unger Bowditch (Goodreads/Amazon) (Netgalley eARC)
    Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson (Goodreads/Amazon) (ARC)
    The Manufactured Identity by Heath Sommer (Goodreads/Amazon) (ARC)
    Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr (Goodreads/Amazon) (Publisher ARC Tour)


    Wow, that's quite a lot of books (mostly because a lot of Netgalley books, and the fact that I haven't done one of these post in awhile). I'm so excited about The Dark and Hollow Places! I love Carrie Ryan's zombie trilogy. The other books are all super exciting as well, but I'm sad because even though I got all these awesome books I can't download them to my kindle until Netgalley fixes the Kindle button... so I'm not sure if I'm up to reading them on my computer or not. We'll see...

    Won:
    Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang (Goodreads/Amazon)

    Thanks to:
    Kat @ A Myriad of Books
    Netgalley
    Delacorte Press (Random House)
    HarperTeen
    Harlequin Teen
    Bancroft Press

    Note: In the past month I've also checked out a variety of library books that I'm not posting because I've already returned most of them and I can't even remember all of them.

    Saturday, March 19, 2011

    Fixing Delilah Winner!

    I'm officially ready to get back into blogging. I've got so much stuff to post, I just can't wait! So to celebrate, I have one lucky winner of a hardback copy of Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler!

    This prize goes to...

    Rachel (entry #47)

    Congratulations! I've emailed you already. And thanks to everyone who entered and followed!

    For those of you who didn't win, I hope I can console you by promising reviews of a few surprise books in the next week or two. I've finished a lot of great reading recently!

    Sunday, March 13, 2011

    I Will Start Reviewing Books Again... I Pinky Promise

    I've never taken this long of a blog hiatus in my life as a blogger, but I've really needed the break. I've gathered a ton of awesome stuff to post though. I might be out of things for another week or so (even though I will be announcing the Fixing Delilah winner on Wednesday or Thursday). But don't worry, this isn't permanent! I've finished a couple of good books recently and can't wait to have reviews up for y'all, and a couple more blog tours I'll be participating in as well.




    (But I will return relatively soon- I promise!!!)

    Tuesday, March 1, 2011

    Giveaway! Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

    I'm not dead, I promise. I haven't even been too busy for blogging neccesarily... just too busy for reading. And I haven't wanted to post memes and such instead of book reviews. I hope I'll get back into the swing of reading though- I'm just in a little slump! (It doesn't help that track season started, so practice after school has been killing me...)

    Anyway, enough of my rambling. You're probably reading this post because of what the title says: Giveaway! So here it is: I've had this book for a month or two now, but I have two copies of it, so I've been intending to have a giveaway for the second copy. I've yet to actually read it (even though it's been on my sidebar as currently reading for a week or two) but I've heard great things about Sarah Ockler. And this giveaway is sort of an "apology" to my regular readers because I've been lacking in posts. So you must be a follower!

    Fixing Delilah (Goodreads/Amazon) by Sarah Ockler

    Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart.

    She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

    Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

    Rich with emotion, Sarah Ockler delivers a powerful story of family, love, and self-discovery.

    Giveaway Rules:
    • You must be at least 13 years old
    • You must follow this blog!
    • Please only fill out the form ONCE.
    • You can have a total of 5 entries (all on the one form).
    • US only (I really am sorry about this :( It's a money thing. I still love you international people!)
    • Contest deadline: March 15th

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