Flashback Friday (6)

Flashback Friday was started by Jacki over at Lovely Little Shelf and is a chance to share with others books that you loved as a kid or teenager.

I thought this week I would pay homage to the first book I really remember reading. Towards the end of my 1st grade year, my teacher, Ms. Esparza, had a parent/teacher conference with my parents and I remember her telling my parents that this book was one of the harder books in the class and I read it no problem. I guess this is proof that my love of reading came at an early age.

So to Ms. Esparza, wherever she may be, thank you for encouraging me to read and for recognizing it and sharing it with my parents.

What's the first book you remember reading?

Drumroll please...

I was just so excited about finding out who won these awesome books by my favorite Alabama authors that I prepped this entry as much as I could so that all I had to do at 12:00AM is put the names in Random.Org and then post them to my blog.

To make it a little more fun, the fabulous Irene Latham gave me a few extra bookmarks for Leaving Gee's Bend to giveaway so if you said you'd like to win that book, I'll be doing another drawing for the bookmarks. Thanks Irene!

Winner of Hex Hall is

Ashley T.!

 Winner of Leaving Gee's Bend is

Lindsey P.!

 Winner of Princess for Hire is

Jessica K.!

and the two winners of Leaving Gee's Bend bookmarks are

Christine and Mel B.!

Winners were chosen by Random.Org using the List Randomizer and the Number generator. 

To the winners, you will have 48 hours from the timestamp on the email I send you to reply with your mailing address. Failure to do so will result in forfeit of your prize and I will pick another winner.

Thanks to everyone who entered, I really wish I had enough books for everyone but sadly I don't..but please check back soon for another giveaway.

Happy Reading!

Waiting on Wednesday - The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that you're eagerly anticipating.

Released September 7, 2010

Part of the reason I want to read this book is just for the title alone. The DUFF is the Designated Ugly Fat Friend and I cannot tell you how many times I was always that girl. It seems like it could be a fun read and falling for the person you hate is always fun especially when there's lots of tension and chemistry.

From Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her "Duffy," she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now. Desperate for a distraction, Bianca ends up kissing Wesley. And likes it. Eager for escape, she throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with Wesley.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out that Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Some Girls Are - Courtney Summers

After hearing many good things about Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers, I made this my first "I just got a new library card and am going to use it" book.

Regina is part of the Fearsome Fivesome and the social standing in Hallowell High cannot get any better. After nasty rumors start circulating, Regina finds herself frozen out of her group and everyone hates her and wants revenge. She then finds herself in a complicated relationship with Michael Hayden, one of the many people she tormented on behalf of her ex-best friend, Anna. Will Regina have the strength and courage to stand up to the people now making her life a living hell or will she roll over and take what she thinks she deserves for being one of the mean girls?

This book was INCREDIBLE and I must add this to my collection. I loved the characters because they seemed to really pop off the page and it showed just how cruel high school kids can really be. Even though Regina was originally as bad as the rest, there were parts that unexpectedly made my eyes sting and I felt a lump rising in my throat because I just felt SO bad for her and I just wanted to hug her.

The only down side to this book was I think it could have been a little bit longer. There was all this stuff going on toward the end and then all of a sudden it's done and over and the ending just seemed easy.

I'm really looking forward to reading more books by Courtney Summers so please excuse me while I go add Cracked Up To Be to my library holds list..

Contest

I just wanted to remind all of you that the contest to win signed copies of Hex Hall, Princess for Hire, and Leaving Gee's Bend ends this Wednesday at 11:59 PM so make sure to get your entries in!

I decided to spread the love so there will be one winner per title. Please check back Thursday to see if you've won and please remember that you must respond to my "you've won" e-mail within 48 hours from the timestamp to claim your prize.

Happy Reading!

In My Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren and all you have to do is post about what books you received that week by mail, library, or store.

This week I bought Jim Beaver's Life's That Way: A Memoir. If you don't know who Jim Beaver is, he currently plays Bobby Singer on my favorite TV show Supernatural.

I've been wanting to read this book since I first heard of it but have avoided it due to the subject matter. This book is actually a compilation of e-mails that Jim wrote after finding out his daughter was autistic and that his wife, Cecily, had stage-four lung cancer.

I know this book is going to make me cry like a baby but I cannot seem to stop thinking about this book.

What is your favorite memoir?

In My Mailbox (8) and Alabama Book Festival

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren and all you have to do is post about what books you received that week by mail, library, or store.

This weekend was the Alabama Book Festival and I had the pleasure of spending the day with some of my friends from my online book club and getting some fantastic books signed.

First up was Hex Hall. I'm starting to think I should be the official Hex Hall pimp or something because it feels like this book has been mentioned so much on my blog. The copy I bought this weekend was for my Super-Awesome-Alabama-Authors-Rock giveaway. I love what she wrote in it and I know you will too. By the way, if you have a chance to hear Rachel speak, go do it. She is freakin' HILARIOUS and her personality ended up selling a few extra copies of her books to my book nerd friends.

I also bought another copy of Irene Latham's book Leaving Gee's Bend for the giveaway. She was a great speaker and all I wanted to do was give her a hug because she seemed really nervous. When I was in line to get my books signed she said "I recognize you" so thanks Twitter :-D

The last book I bought at the festival was a copy of Daniel Wallace's Big Fish. Now I've seen the movie but haven't had a chance to read this book yet (even though it's been on my TBR list for years) but after hearing him speak, I want to start reading it ASAP. He also read us a story about his shittiest job ever as a Vet Tech. I was totally going to tell him at the signing that I had been thinking about being a Vet Tech but by this time I was starting to feel a little light headed and really wanted something to eat.

The next two books I acquired from Julie's bag of duplicate books. I've head a lot of things about The Historian and have kind of been wanting to read it so I now have a chance. I also snagged Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster. I can't wait to read this especially because I'll be going to her book signing in two weeks and I'm really excited.

Looking back, I really should've gone back and got that Book Slut t-shirt they had for sale at the festival.


I picked up John Green's An Abundance of Katherines at the library. Since Will Grayson, Will Grayson is on its way to California to get signed, I figured I could ease the want to read it by reading something else by John Green. I'm giddy to start reading this. This was a nice surprise because I didn't know it had come in because I originally went to the library to pick up Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers. I have heard such fantastic things about this book so here's to hoping I'll be jumping on the Some Girls Are bandwagon!

What books did you get this past week?

Do you have an opinion on any of the books I got?

Flashback Friday (5)

Flashback Friday was started by Jacki over at Lovely Little Shelf and is a chance to share with others books that you loved as a kid or teenager.

I absolutely love Flashback Friday because it reminds me of all these fantastic books I read as a youngster and it makes me happy that reading was such a big part of my childhood. This week I am spotlighting Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School and Wayside School is Falling Down.

I loved these two books because they were just so silly. Kids licking each other to determine what ice cream they would be, swapping names, a missing 19th floor, and so much more. 

I know there's a third book in this series, Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger but for some reason I never took to it like I did with the 1st two.

Cut - Patricia McCormick

Back in February I won Patricia McCormick's Cut from Angel at An Everyday Angel and have just now gotten around to reading it.

Cut is about Callie, a fifteen year who has landed herself in a treatment facility for cutting. She refuses to speak to anyone, including her therapist, until she realizes that she wants to get better.

From the description on the back of the book it seemed like it would be interesting but I struggled to finish it, and to be honest, I probably wouldn't have finished so soon after starting except that I wanted to finish this for my online book club's book challenge.

I never felt invested in any of the characters and the story itself came off as flat. All this book seemed to be, in my opinion, was more about Callie's observations of the people around her than her actual problem. This book could have been so much better than it was and I have to wonder how much of the three years McCormick spent on this book, was dedicated to research. Anybody who has any idea what cutting is, could tell you what she does in this book.

I also didn't care for the second person point of view or the fact that this book was 138 pages and only three chapters.

Princess for Hire - Lindsey Leavitt

After last week's book signing, I wanted to read Lindsey Leavitt's Princess for Hire as soon as possible. This was definitely a quick read but took me a while to finish because I didn't get much reading time in with all the chaos of last week.

Desi is a girl who feels like vapor. Her ex-best friend, Celeste, is bent on making her life miserable and what's worse, Desi's crush Hayden is dating Celeste.

After a bad day at work, Desi goes home and wishes for help and out of a bubble comes Meredith. Meredith is an agent for Facade, a princess substitute agency that allows princesses to take a break from their lives while their stand-in goes about their everyday routine.

Desi has longed for something like this and immediately signs up. She soon learns that royalty is not all it's cracked up to be and her heart leads her to make decisions while subbing that the agency is not too fond of. Will Desi be able to continue being a sub or will her desire for impact cause her to go back to her regular life feeling like vapor?

I thought this book was absolutely adorable! Yes, it was more for the younger side of YA readers but that didn't matter to me. This book was just fun and I think any girl who ever had a wish to be a princess when she was younger (or even now) will really enjoy it.

I really understood Desi's desire to make an impact. She wanted to make things better for the princesses she was subbing for and ended up doing for them, what they could never do for themselves. She also gained something for herself that she lacked in her normal life: confidence.

I can totally see this book becoming a Disney movie in the future and since they're the publishing company, I have faith that they would do it justice and I would watch it in a heartbeat.

This was a great debut novel from Lindsey and I cannot wait to read more from her. I see tons of success in her future, not only because she is talented but because she is such a sweet person and deserves it.

This was book #4 in the 2010 Debut Author's Challenge

In My Mailbox (7)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren and all you have to do is post about what books you received that week by mail, library, or store.

The wait is over. I can finally read Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. I went out and bought this book on release day and and I can't wait to start reading it tomorrow. What's even more exciting is that Jessica at Forever Young  said that if I mail her my copy, she'll get it signed for me at the events she's going to. Thanks SO much Jessica!!


While I was at the bookstore getting Will Grayson, Will Grayson I had a chance to browse the discounted books and came across The Luxe and Rumors. I already had a paperback copy of The Luxe but when I came across these hardbacks for $7, I couldn't pass them up. So since the previously mentioned Jessica has a classroom library, I'll be sending her the paperback copy.

What books did you get your hands on this week? Have you read any of the books I got? What did you think?

Have a great week everyone!

Flashback Friday (4)

Flashback Friday was started by Jacki over at Lovely Little Shelf and is a chance to share with others books that you loved as a kid or teenager.

Oh, The BFG by Roald Dahl was such a favorite of mine. I don't know what it was about this book, maybe it was the use of words like, scrumdiddlyumptious, whizzpoppers, snozzcumber, and frobscottle, or it was the idea of happy dream jars, but whatever it was, it deserves a place on my list.

This is one of those books that I always remember and when something I'm eating is so good there are no words, there is always the use of scrumdiddlyumtious.

Have you ever read The BFG?

Award

Julie over at Book Hooked gave me this award so I get to list seven things about me and then pass this on to seven bloggers I enjoy. Since Julie gave me this, I will say that I love her blog but will refrain from passing it back to her.

1. I love odd numbers but I eat things such as tic-tacs in even numbers.

2. Holding a Golden Eagle while not wearing gloves is one of my most memorable experiences.

3. I clean when I'm really mad.

4. I love hanging out with my nestie friends because it's easy to be myself around them.

5. My cat is spoiled rotten and I wouldn't have it any other way.

6. I've lived in 5 different states and moved 15 times by the time I turned 14. There are two places I would live again in a heartbeat: Tucson, Arizona and Auburn, Alabama.

7. I would love to live in Alaska for at least a year.

I'm passing this on to the following ladies:

Jessica (Forever Young: YA Lit)
Jenny (What the Blog?)
Leah (My Life: Uncensored)
Melissa (The Kitchen Canister)
Tameka (Because Perfection is Boring)
Heather (See Heather Write)
Angel (An Everyday Angel)

Contest Entry Form

Here are the official contest rules and entry form.

1. You must be a follower of this blog to win
2. All entries must be received by 11:59 PM on Wednesday, April 28th
3. You will have 48 hours to respond to my email if you've won, otherwise you will forfeit your prize and I will pick another winner
4. Winner will be picked by Random.Org by using the List Randomizer followed by the Number Generator

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or email me.

Edit: Since I have had a few people interested, I will accept international entries. Thanks!

Signed books giveaway

I was going to wait until I reached 50 followers but since that doesn't seem like it's going to happen soon, I decided that I'm going to do my contest early. Why you ask? Well, I'm currently sitting on two fun books that are signed by the authors.

During the previously mentioned book signing with Lindsey Leavitt and Rachel Hawkins, I got extras with the intention of giving them away to a lucky follower of my blog. That's not all though, in the upcoming weeks, I'll be attending the Alabama Book Festival and I will be adding Irene Latham's book, Leaving Gee's Bend to the mix. Nothing is more fun than winning signed books, am I right?

So here's the deal. Starting Thursday, April 8th, I'll be posting the entry form and I'll be accepting entries until Wednesday, April 28th. I haven't decided if this is going to be US only, so if you're international and would like to enter, leave a comment and let me know.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that you're eagerly anticipating.

Released May 25, 2010

The Tension of Opposites seems like it might be a pretty interesting read and the cover grabbed me. This will also be included in the 2010 Debut Author Challenge.

From Goodreads

It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear. 

For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?

And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.

A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian

Well it's official. I am done reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and it makes me sad. I loved The Last Olympian but I am not ready to say goodbye to these characters.

The Titan Kronos is planning an attack to take over Olympus and the time is almost near. With the gods off fighting monster Typhon, Olympus is left unprotected and Kronos's army advances on New York City, and ultimately, Olympus.

Percy and the rest of the campers at Camp Half-Blood must protect the city when the gods do not take Percy's claim seriously and with his sixteenth birthday only days away, Percy knows the Great Prophecy is about to come true. Is he really the one whose decision will decide the fate of the gods? Will Kronos be able to be stopped before it's too late?

There is just something about this series that just makes me want more and after talking to Leah, I found out that I'm not the only one that feels this way. We both agreed that while waiting to read The Last Olympian, we couldn't think about anything other than reading this book. Currently, I am reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon, Leaving Gee's Bend by Irene Latham, and Cut by Patricia McCormick but all I could think about while reading these was that I needed to know what happened to Percy and friends and I couldn't wait any longer.

I really hope Riordan decides to publish more books that follow Percy into the next stage of his life. The ending did wrap the series up, but it also left a perfect in to another series. In the meantime, I plan on getting my hands on a copy of The Demigod Files so the fun, action-packed, mythological ride won't be over just yet.

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren and all you have to do is post about what books you received that week by mail, library, or store.

I picked up the last book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, The Last Olympian, a few days ago. I've been on a Percy Jackson kick and it was really bothering me that I was reading other stuff instead of finishing this series. I started reading it last night and will probably finish it tonight so look for the review soon.

I'm going to be going to a Lindsey Leavitt and Rachel Hawkins book signing tomorrow, so I picked up an extra copy of Hex Hall and two copies of Princess for Hire. The extra copies may or may not be for an awesome upcoming contest I want to have to share the awesomeness that is Rachel and Lindsey. Plus, doesn't the cover for Princess for Hire just make you happy?

Not much this week but I'm pretty excited about these and going to the signing is going to be so much fun.

What did you get this week?

Happy Easter everyone!