Eclipse Contest WINNER!

Thank you to everyone that participated in the Eclipse contest! I had a great time at the midnight showing of Eclipse last night and it is my favorite movie of the 3 so far! I will be posting pictures later. 

Now, for the winner and the vote for best Twilight series book. 

Twilight = 17

New Moon = 10

Eclipse = 27

Breaking Dawn = 14

So ECLIPSE won!! I absolutely agree BTW! It was my favorite book too :) 

The winner of the Eclipse contest is......

Samantha LeAnne

You can pick what the bottle of your choice, Team Edward, Team Jacob, or Team Bella. I will be shipping out the other prizes soon!

Random Happenings

Hey everyone! Tonight is the big midnight showing of Eclipse. I am so excited for this. I went with my husband to the midnight showing of Twilight and he actually didn't mind going. :) Then last year I went with my aunt and cousin to a larger theater in Knoxville and we had a blast. So many fans, news cameras everywhere, and the entire theater was split by sides- Team Edward or Team Jacob. It was great!! So we are doing that again this year.

The ECLIPSE giveaway ends tomorrow!! 
Giveaway has ended. I should be announcing the winner soon!

Now for some other contests going on now.

Parajunkee's View is giving away a signed copy of Shiver and Linger!
This giveaway ends 7/12!

The First Novels Club is giving away a signed copy of A Blue So Dark.
Ends 7/9.

An Avid Reader's Musings is having several prize pack giveaways. Ends 7/3.

Win Aimee Friedman's Summer Reads Prize Pack at The Hiding Spot.
Ends 7/14

Lauren Barnholdt is giving away a ton of stuff in her contest.

I made this little button for it!

Here is a list of some of the things that can be won. 

(1) iPad
(1) Two hundred dollar Visa gift card
(1) Fifty dollar Best Buy gift card
(1) Signed ARC of Aces Up
(5) Copies of Two-Way Street
(10) Copies of Devon Delaney Should Totally Know Better
(10) Copies of Hailey Twitch Is Not A Snitch

My Thoughts on the book sneak peaks!

In One Night That Changes Everthing Eliza's notebook is stolen by her ex-boyfriend Cooper. Now she is being blackmailed. They are forcing her to complete humiliating tasks in order to get it back. 

The book starts with a frantic search for the notebook that contains so many of Eliza's secrets. The things she wants but is too afraid to go after. Then she receives a letter and finds out that something she wrote online about Cooper, may have halted his dream to attend Brown. Cooper calls telling her to meet him at a certain location and drops the bomb..he has her notebook.

I will be honest, I am dying to know what happens next! Just from reading this chapter I see the humor Lauren has incorporated into the book and how funny I'm sure the rest of it will be. I want to see what Cooper and his friends have planned for Eliza and how she reacts to each challenge.

In Aces Up Shannon is desperate for some money. Her dad recently lost his job and she now needs money for tuition. She has a job but it isn't bringing in near as much money as she needs. Then she receives an invitation to join Aces Up, a secret network of college poker players. She doesn't want to do it at first but then decides to take a chance, mostly due to the Aces Up leader, Cole.

This book starts out with Shannon in a full panic mode at work. She has ripped her uniform and her boss is not pleased! After a horrible day on the job she finds out that she did not make close to what she needs to bring home. Then when she goes to her locker a note with the invitation for a meeting at the casino falls out. She fears it could be something important so she decides to go to the meeting and see what's up. 

This sounds like a really interesting book. I've never read a book about playing poker and I think that the romance that is sure to follow will make a great addition to the book. Plus it's easy to understand Shannon's point of view. She is struggling to find ways to pay for college, textbooks, and everything else she will need. I really want to find out what happens next, if she gets in trouble, and finds love on her quest to earn money.

In Watch Me, Ally is moving into a house full of strangers to have her life constantly taped and broadcast to the world. She thinks that nothing will go wrong, especially with her long distance boyfriend, Corey. But soon Ally starts spending more time with one of the housemates Drew. She doesn't know what to do or who to trust and it's hard to figure that out, when everyone is watching.

This book starts out with Ally thinking of the questions people have asked her after having her life broadcast on tv. Then it takes us back to the beginning with Ally first auditioning for the show, In the House. Her and her friend Grant sit at a table with a few other people to fill out the application and do a little interview. Then before she can leave, the guy who interviewed their group asked Ally to stay behind to talk to him.

Obviously this is a story that will be an inside look at "Real World" that we are all used to seeing on real-life tv. I've never read a book with this type of plot before. I think it will be great to see what happens behind the scenes in Ally's life and she is taped every second. I really want to read the rest of this book and see what that experience is like for Ally and how she handles the stress and pressure, as well as her changing relationship with long-time boyfriend Corey. 

Lauren Barnholdt really writes about topics that I have not read in other books. After reading the first chapter of each book I want to finish them all!! They each already have humor, great characters, and great introductions to the main plot. I will be adding each of these books to my reading list! :)

More contests may be added throughout the day.

Hope you all have a nice day and leave me comments if you have big Eclipse movie plans for tonight!! :)

In My Mailbox (4)

This was a great book week! I bought a few, got a few from contests, and a few from friends, authors, and publishers. Plus a huge pack of goodies came today that I just have to show you all :) Thank you Kimberly Derting, Wendy Toliver, Confessions of a Book Addict,  Parajunkee, and my blogging friend Lisa from A Life Bound by Books

Purchased
If I Stay by Gayle Forman- purchased
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles- purchased

Won

Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr (signed)- won from Confessions of a Book Addict
Lifted by Wendy Toliver (signed)- won from Wendy Toliver
Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti- won from Parajunkee


Review
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting- from publisher


Gift
She Thief by Daniel Finn- from A Life Bound by Books

Swag

Radiant Shadows bookmark (signed)- From Confessions of a Book Addict
Chasing Brooklyn bookmark (signed)- From A Life Bound By Books
I Heart You, You Haunt Me bookmark (signed)- From A Life Bound By Books
Lifted bookmark (signed)- From Wendy Toliver

 Huge Swag Pack - The Body Finder
2 Tote bags, 3 signed posters, 4 bracelets, 2 types of stickers, signed bookmarks- From Kimberly Derting

Kimberly was kind enough to send this to me and I am so excited!! I plan to give some of it away in the Summer contest beginning in early July so look out for that! :) 

So, what did you get in your mailbox this week?

*IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristie at The Story Siren 

and it was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

Review: Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols

Publisher: Simon Pulse (May 25th, 2010)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Paperback: 624 pages

Buy: Amazon

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Two irresistible boys. One unforgettable summer.
Lori can’t wait for her summer at the lake. She loves wakeboarding and hanging with her friends--including the two hotties next door. With the Vader brothers, she's always been just one of the guys. Now that she’s turning sixteen, she wants to be seen as one of the girls, especially in the eyes of Sean, the older brother. But that’s not going to happen--not if the younger brother, Adam, can help it.
Lori plans to make Sean jealous by spending time with Adam. Adam has plans of his own for Lori. As the air heats up, so does this love triangle. Will Lori’s romantic summer melt into one hot mess?

Review:  This book contains 2 stories; The Boys Next Door and Endless Summer. It is the perfect summer read. Lori has just turned 16 and she wants to get away from her tomboy ways and be more girly. This proves to be a little difficult for her because she has spent her life hanging around the Vader boys next door and her brother. But she has her eyes on Sean and won't stop until he gives in and gives her a chance. She comes up with plans to try to make him interested in her but younger brother Adam may have a plan of his own.

The first story, The Boys Next Door was very cute, funny, and full of teenage drama. Lori was adventurous in her plot to win Sean's heart and her interactions with Adam were heartwarming. The book is through Lori's point of view and it's easy to relate to a little of what she goes through with the boys, trying to figure out what they are thinking and why they do the things they do.  I've always been a huge fan of how Jennifer describes her characters, uses humor, and describes various settings in her books.

The part of the story, Endless Summer was a little less likable for me. The story alternates from Lori to Adam. I liked having the opportunity to see Adam's side of the story but I felt it could be a little more in depth. I never really got a good grasp of why Adam was so drawn to Lori besides the fact that they knew each other for so long. I wish it could have had a little more of the background story from Adam's point of view. Also, Lori seemed a little more clueless in this book. I didn't like her as well and most of the time her decisions drove me insane.

Characters: Lori is cute, funny, and adventurous. I thought she made silly choices sometimes but it provided a lot of funny parts of the book. Adam is adorable and very easy to like. He has issues keeping his temper under control which leads him to get into trouble a lot.

Overall I would definitely recommend this book. It's perfect for the summer but it is very long!
It's a funny story of a teenager finding out more about herself, her feelings, and the mystery of boys!

Cover- 5 stars! This is the perfect cover for this book. That is exactly how I would describe Lori and Adam.

To read a sneak peak of Endless Summer:
Endless Summer

Check out my other posts about Jennifer Echols:
Top 5 Favorite YA Books- Going too Far by Jennifer Echols
Waiting for: Endless Summer
Information on the release party for Forget You

For more information on Jennifer or any of her books:
Jennifer Echols /  LiveJournal  / Twitter  / Facebook / Goodreads

Buy from:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

*If you purchase from Amazon or The Book Depository through the links provided a small percentage of the sales will go to me. Any money from this is used for shipping costs during giveaways.

Book Blogger Hop (4)

Hey everyone! Happy Friday! It's time for the Book Blogger Hop. This is hosted by the fabulous Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. If you would like to participate click on the link and sign up on her blog.

Hello everyone and welcome to my blog! Please make yourself at home :)

Be sure to check out my ECLIPSE CONTEST! It ends Wednesday, June 30th!
Click here to see the contest page. Prizes include a Twilight movie book, 2 bookmarks, the Eclipse soundtrack and an Eclipse aluminum bottle (winner gets to pick Team Edward, Team Jacob, or Team Bella).

While you are here I will give you some updates on things I have planned for the blog and my upcoming...

SUPER MEGA SUMMER BOOK BLOWOUT EXTRAVAGANZA!! 

Okay, so we will call it the Summer Contest for now. 

I will be having at least 5 WINNERS! I am keeping the other prizes a secret for now but I did show one of the first place prizes here IMM a few weeks ago. It is a box set of Sarah Dessen books! That will not be all :) I have 6 other books to give out so far and a lot of awesome swag. Plus more could be added soon! The date could change but I have it scheduled to begin July 5th and it should end around July 26th but it depends on when I get the swag that some amazing authors have been kind enough to donate.

During the summer contest I will be featuring a lot of authors on the blog. This will be Spotlight posts. It could be an interview, 10 facts about the author, guest post, or some other random event. I will be adding a list soon showing just who will be popping up. 

BUT I will say that Holly Cupala, author of Tell Me A Secret, may have one of the best surprises in store for us. Wow!! I am so excited for this and I can't wait to share it but...I must wait. It's a secret..haha :( Holly is so sweet and generous and I am honored to get the chance to have her on the blog. TRUST ME you will want to see what she has up her sleeve for her spotlight here and what she has donated for the giveaway! :)

So in summary....

BOOKS+SWAG+AUTHORS+SUMMER= 

SUPER MEGA SUMMER BOOK BLOWOUT EXTRAVAGANZA!!

NO WAIT...there's more! As you can see from my button on the sidebar----> The FORGET YOU release party is coming soon. I am so excited for this I could burst..I swear! 

Jennifer Echols is being very kind and offering up prizes that you won't believe!  

4 WINNERS for this giveaway! This will be so much fun! I plan to start that contest July 9th-July 20th (release day for FORGET YOU).

If you are a blogger who has a review up of any Jennifer Echols book, you can leave a comment with the link or email me and I will link to it during the Release Party. Also, feel free to grab the Release Party button on the sidebar and put it on your blog. 

I have some other giveaways planned - all starting in July. It will be such a fun summer and I look forward to getting to know new followers along the way. If you have any questions about any of the events email me or leave a comment (with email address please) and I will get in touch soon. 

Thank you for stopping by!

Eclipse Contest Update! New Prize added!

Original contest post can be found HERE

You can read over the guidelines.. 

The form must be filled out!
CONTEST HAS ENDED!

The Prizes: 

One lucky winner will receive Twilight: The Complete Movie Companion, 

A Edward New Moon bookmark, 

and an Eclipse bookmark.

Eclipse Soundtrack (added at 200 followers)

Eclipse Aluminum Water Bottle (added at 250 followers)

*The bottle will come from Eclipse Bottles

The winner will get to choose Team Jacob, Team Edward, or Team Bella! I will then order the bottle and send it to the winner.  

Contest Ends  11:59 a.m. (Central standard time) on Wednesday, June 30th.

Today is the book birthday for a lot of great books!
Holly Cupala is having a huge birthday celebration on her blog. 

Go there to check out all the great prizes and what you can do to WIN!

2010 Debut Author Challenge List

I am super late on signing up for the Debut Author Challenge but since I planned on reading a lot of these books this year, I figured I would go ahead and sign up now.

Here are a few details of the challenge: 

What is the 2010 Debut Author Challenge?

• The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year.* I'm going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels! I’m hoping to read at least 30! You don’t have to list your choices right away, but if you do feel free to change them throughout the year. I will also be focusing on mostly Young Adult novels.
• Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate.  If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site.  
• The challenge will run from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010. You can join at anytime!

For more information the challenge is hosted by The Story Siren and you can click HERE for details.

Here is my book list! My goal is to read and review at least 15 of these by the end of the year..hopefully more!

Bolded entries mean I currently own the book.

Striked entries mean I have read the book (reviews will be linked)

1. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting     Review

2. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

3. The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

4. The Mark by Jen Nadol

5. Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopkus      Review

6. Sea by Heidi R. Kling         Review

7. 13 to Life by Shannon Delany       Review

8. Dirty Little Secrets by CJ Omololu     Review

9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

10. The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride

11. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

12. Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala    Review

13. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger        Review

14. Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

15. Firespell by Chloe Neill

16. A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

17. The Beautiful Between by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

18. Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White

19. Nevermore by Kelly Creagh       Review

20. Everlasting by Angie Frazier     Review

21. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready    Review

22. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White     Review

23. Nice and Mean by Jessica Leader

24. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

25. Matched by Ally Condie         Review

26. Deception by Lee Nichols    Review

27. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson  Review

28. Firelight by Sophie Jordan 

29. Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

30. The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

31. Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

31. The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

32. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

33. The Replacement by Brenna Yovaoff

34. The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos     Review

35. Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers      Review

36. The Candidates by Inara Scott

37. Stork by Wendy Delsol
38. The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
39. The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
40. Freefall by Mindi Scott
41. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson     Review

42. Losing Faith by Denise Jaden
43. Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

Progress: Own-36      Read- 18

Review: Sea by Heidi R. Kling

Sea by Heidi R. Kling

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (June 10, 2010)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Hardback: 336 pages

Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Haunted by recurring nightmares since her mother’s disappearance over the Indian ocean three years before, fifteen-year old California girl Sienna Jones reluctantly travels with her psychiatrist father’s volunteer team to six-months post-tsunami Indonesia where she meets the scarred and soulful orphaned boy, Deni, who is more like Sea than anyone she has ever met.

She knows they can’t be together, so why can’t she stay away from him? And what about her old best friend-turned-suddenly-hot Spider who may or may not be waiting for her back home? And why won’t her dad tell her the truth about her mother’s plane crash? The farther she gets from home, the closer she comes to finding answers.

And Sea’s real adventure begins.

Review: This story takes Sienna on a journey she never expected to take. At first she isn't thrilled with the idea of going to Indonesia, but she decides to take a chance. When she arrives, it's nothing like she expected. She meets Deni, a young boy who has been through more than Sienna could ever imagine. Their immediate bond shocks them both and leads them on a journey of learning and discovery that will last a lifetime. From the surface they couldn't be more different. However, their connection ran deeper than cultural backgrounds.

The way Heidi describes the settings in this book are astounding! You can feel the water and visualize the scared children through the detailed accounts Heidi presents to us in this book. Your heart will break because Heidi has painted an amazing visual masterpiece, that just happens to be real in the lives of so many children. The characters Sienna meets help her get past the issues and fears she has carried with her for so long. Deni helps her learn to take risks and to live her life to the fullest. Through everything, he has hope.

Sea takes us on a adventure to a place so many people are unaware of, and into the lives in a culture we may not understand. Heidi's words bring us closer to a story that is real in an area of the world that still needs so much help. This story will stay with me a long time. I found myself in tears during many parts. To know this catastrophe took place and that people are living in these situations, it's hard to not be impacted by that. 

Parts will leave you breathless..waiting for what may happen on the next page. 

Characters: I immediately loved Spider, Sienna's longtime friend, and Sienna's father. The children from Indonesia broke my heart. They were so young but so full of hope considering what they had been through. They looked up to Sienna and needed the kindness she provided. Deni was full of adventure and never afraid to take a risk, or hope for the best no matter the circumstance. Sienna was very mature for her age and showed a level of understanding well beyond her years. The way she was able to reach out to the children and react in bad situations, would be a trait I think most adults wish they possessed. 

This will be a book that you will never forget!

Beautifully written, wonderfully told, this story is a light shining on a dark place.  

Check out my other posts about Sea: 
Waiting For: Sea by Heidi R. Kling
Sea book trailer and cuteness

For more information on Heidi or Sea go to:

Heidi R. Kling / Livejournal / Twitter / Goodreads 

Buy from:  

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Indie Bound / Kepler's

You can get a signed edition from Kepler's 

Book Trailer:

 

Sea Review Coming Soon!

I just finished Sea by Heidi R. Kling and I will just say that I don't think I have ever been so moved while reading a book. I'm posting my review tomorrow but I wanted to do a post today with the book trailer and some random cuteness :) First, here is the book trailer for Sea. I love the trailer. I watched it quite a few times before reading the book, then after finishing it. I think it fits the book perfectly!








Now it's time for the cuteness. My daughter loves this book. She's only 2 so obviously she has not read it..haha..but she loves the cover. She is obsessed with water so when she saw this book she immediately fell in love. She says "look mommy, a princess is in the water" when she sees the book. I've had a hard time getting her to leave the book alone so I could finish reading it lol. 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for my review of Sea! And if you haven't already, you must buy this book! You will not regret it. It's honestly one of the best YA books out there. 

For more information on Heidi or Sea go to:

Heidi R. Kling / Livejournal / Twitter / Goodreads 

Buy from:  

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository / Indie Bound / Kepler's

You can get a signed edition from Kepler's

In My Mailbox (3)

I was so lucky this week! I got some amazing books and swag. I gotta thank the authors/bloggers who sent me this great stuff! Thank you Jackson Pearce and Kristie Cook for sending me your books, and Mundie Moms and Market My Words for hosting the giveaways! AND Briana The Book Pixie for sending me so much great swag!! Thank you Thank you!

Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson- won from Mundie Moms
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (signed)- won from a twitter contest from Jackson Pearce
Promise by Kristie Cook (signed) and bookmark- sent from Kristie Cook for review
Tell Me a Secret (preview booklet) by Holly Cupala (signed) and bookmark- won from Market My Words

 Sisters Red swag- (signed poster and fortune cookies..that unfortunately didn't like the journey to my house lol) sent from Jackson Pearce

Other awesome swag from my blogging buddy The Book Pixie!
Sleepless by Cyn Balog- 2 bookmarks
White Cat by Holly Black- postcard
Betraying Season by Marissa Doyle- bookmark and doorhanger
Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell- signed bookmark
Mackenzie, Lost and Found by Deborah Kerbel- signed bookmark
Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroader- signed bookmark


So, what did you get in your mailbox this week?

*IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristie at The Story Siren 

and it was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.