The Bookish Type: A Cornucopia of Dystopia

The Bookish Type is giving away an ARC of Veronica Roth's DIVERGENT!!!

The giveaway ends April 19th.

Go here for details.

Check out this contest...

Wicked Awesome Books is giving away ALL FOUR BOOKS in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare! And each book will be SIGNED!!

That includes City of Fallen Angels! Check out the blog for all the details.

YA Highway is giving away LOTS OF ARCs!!

Check out YA Highway's "Super Shiny ALA ARC Giveaway"!!

It is indeed "super shiny!"


Here's a list of the lovely ARCs available:

The Princess of Las Pulgas (signed!) by C. Lee McKenzie

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Teenie by Christopher Grant

Afterlife by Claudia Gray

My Life, The Theater, and Other Tragedies by Allen Zadoff

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Drought by Pam Bachorz

Super shiny, huh?

The giveaway ends January 31st.
Go HERE to enter.

Check out this contest...

Extreme Reader Book Reviews is hosting a BIG BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Check out these awesome prize packs:

Prize Pack 1: Matched, Prophecy of the Sisters, Restoring Harmony and more!
Prize Pack 2: Mockingjay, Swoon, Wintergirls and more!
Prize Pack 3: Going Bovine, Blood Promise, The Demon's Lexicon and more!
Prize Pack 4: Extraordinary, Goddess Bootcamp, Graceling and more!
Prize Pack 5: Intrinsical, Yara's necklace and more!

For more details, and to enter the contest, go HERE.

Contest ends February 28th.

Bookanista's Book Giveaway: XVI by Julia Karr

Carol of Bookanista is giving away a SIGNED copy of XVI by Julia Karr!!

To read her review of XVI and enter the contest, go here.

Contest ends January 27th.

Once Upon A Quote's First Giveaway

Once Upon A Quote just hit 50 followers--congratulations!--and to celebrate, she's giving away a copy of MATCHED by Ally Condie and a copy of RULES OF ATTRACTION by Simone Elkeles!!

Two lucky winners will be drawn:
The first will get his/her choice of book, and second will get what's left!

The contest ends January 24th. Go HERE to enter.

Truth Be Told's Countdown to the Blessed Event Giveaway!

Truth Be Told is giving away 2 hardcover copies of BLESSED by Cynthia Leitich Smith!! Winners will also receive a signed bookplate and a Sanguini's Magnetic Memo Board! To enter, go to their blog. Contest ends January 24th.

With a wink and a nod to Bram Stoker, bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith unites the casts of TANTALIZE and ETERNAL in a delicious dark fantasy her fans will devour.

Quincie Morris, teen restaurateur and neophyte vampire, is in the fight of her life — or undeath.

Even as she adjusts to her new appetites, she must clear her best friend and true love — the hybrid-werewolf Kieren — of murder charges; thwart the apocalyptic ambitions of Bradley Sanguini, the seductive vampire-chef who “blessed” her; and keep her dead parents’ restaurant up and running.

She hires a more homespun chef and adds the preternaturally beautiful Zachary to her wait staff. But with hundreds of new vampires on the rise and Bradley off assuming the powers of Dracula Prime, Zachary soon reveals his true nature — and his flaming sword — and they hit the road to staunch the bloodshed before it’s too late.

Even if they save the world, will there be time left to salvage Quincie’s soul?

HERE'S THE BOOK TRAILER!!

I absolutely loved TANTALIZE and ETERNAL--the first two books in Smith's "trilogy"--and I can't wait for BLESSED! I'm excited to read more about Quincey's story, and to revisit some of my favorite characters! (Hello, Zachary!) There are so many vampire and angel books out there, but Smith's really stand out for the way they play with the vampire/angel lore! And the vampire-themed restaurant--hilarious!! Looking forward to a Quincey & Zachary roadtrip of awesomeness! (And maybe...we'll see Miranda again? I really hope so.)

Lauren Oliver's DELIRIUM Giveaway!

Lauren Oliver is giving away FIVE SIGNED COPIES of Delirium!


And a very pretty book thong!

Go to her blog for all the details, and while you're there...

...you might want to check out her awesome countdown widget!

YA Historical Fiction Challenge

YA Bliss is hosting a YA Historical Fiction Challenge!

This is my first ever reading challenge, and I'm really excited! Tons of blogs are hosting reading challenges, including a 2011 debut authors challenge, a 2011 YA contemporary challenge, classics and "off the shelves" challenges, a book blogger recommendation challenge, and many more.

But I've always loved historical fiction--Jennifer Donnelly's The Tea Rose and The Winter Rose are two of my favorites--and I'm currently obsessed with young adult fiction, so it only makes sense to combine the two!

Last year, I read Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle series and Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel--both of which I loved--so I thought I'd give this YA Historical Fiction Challenge a try. It helps that there are so many wonderful books out there, and many more coming out this year!

Check out YA Bliss' blog for all the details.

And as for me...I'm going to attempt a Level 3 challenge: reading 15 YA HF novels in 2011!

Here's my list:

1. Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson

2. The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

3. The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

4. Vixen by Jillian Larkin

5. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

6. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

7. Invisible Things by Jenny Davidson

8. The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson

9. Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

10. The Season by Sarah MacLean

11. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

12. A Spy in the House (The Agency #1) by Y.S. Lee

13. The Body at the Tower (The Agency #2) by Y.S. Lee

14. Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

15. Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

Some of these titles I've wanted to read for ages, and some I've only just heard about. I'm looking forward to stepping outside of my historical fiction comfort zone (trying books with a more "serious" theme) and stepping into periods that I'm not normally drawn to (like Philadelphia in the late 18th century). I'm hoping to find some great reads from authors I already know and love, and hopefully discover a few new favorites from among the list. And, of course, complete the challenge before the start of the next new year!

Wish me luck!

Help Stiletto Storytime clean out her bookshelves!

Stiletto Storytime is cleaning out her bookshelves and giving away a box of books!

That's right: a BOX of books!

We're talking 15-20 books in the genre of your choice...maybe more.

She's hosting this giveaway as part of The New Year's Reading Resolutions Giveaway Hop!

Which ends January 9th.

Go here to enter.

Want to win a $100 Amazon gift card?

Well, it's really easy!

Just go to From the Trees and enter The Cool People Contest!

Right now the gift card stands at $20.00.

But with every additional 50 followers Rhiannon will add $5.00 to the prize.

She'll stop at $100!

Think about how many shiny books you could buy with that!!

So be cool and go enter!

Say goodbye to 2010 with Bloody Bookaholic

Bloody Bookaholic is saying goodbye to 2010 with a MAJOR GIVEAWAY!

We're talking TONS of books! Here's the list...

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

The Ivy by Lauren Kunze & Rina Onur

Changeless by Gail Carriger

Hero by Mike Lupica

Very Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

Brava, Valentine by Adriana Trigiani

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

The Season of Risks by Susan Hubbard

Splendor by Anna Godbersen

The Gift, Witch & Wizard by James Patterson

You by Charles Benoit

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Vordak the Incomprehensible: How to Grow Up and Rule the World

The Steps Across the Water by Adam Copnik

Vampires: The Occult Truth

Ask Amy Green Boy Trouble by Sarah Webb

I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip by John Donovan

Virgin Territory by James Lecesne

Dangerous Neighbors by Beth Kephart

Plain Kate by Erin Bow

Murder Afloat by Jane Leslie Conly

Scumble by Ingrid Law

In case you lost count, that's 30 books. THIRTY BOOKS!

There will be 3 winners:

The first will get their choice of ten books from the list.

The second will get their choice of ten from the remaining twenty.

And the third will get what's left.

Sounds pretty good to me!

The contest ends Feb. 1st. Go here to enter.

Check out this contest...

Bookalicio.us is celebrating its Two Year Blogging Anniversary--congratulations!--and giving away some AMAZING prizes!  There are some awesome books up for grabs, including eight YA and MG prize packs--that means EIGHT LUCKY WINNERS!

And the Grand Prize...

...drumroll please...

   
NookColor!  

 

That is pretty darn cool.  Go here to enter. 

A Touch Anemic

So, a few days ago I discovered that I was a touch anemic.  My roommate's sister pointed it out, after I told her about my last month's exhaustion, over-sleeping, lack of appetite, brain fog, and overall disinterest in everything except sleeping. 

Then I went to Japan and felt wonderful!  I woke up early in the mornings, had breakfast, walked around all day (with chronic pain between my shoulder blades from those damn boots!), ate lots of fish and veggies, slept all night, and generally felt good for the duration of the trip.  But when I got home, it wasn't just jet lag that had me so tired.  I'd reverted to my old diet of drinking black tea and eating nothing.  My brain shut down.  I lost interest in reading and writing.  No care for anything except my bed.

Insert roommate's sister, who is very astute!  She pointed out that I was probably anemic, considering my heavy flows and excessive lethargy.  She suggested that I eat some MEAT.  My iron-deficiency was a serious problem, and for someone like me a little protein goes a long way.

Thus began the quest to EAT BETTER.  And OH MY GOD do I feel better!  It's amazing what even a little protein can do in your daily diet.  I started buying ground beef and making patties and meatballs, eating frozen mixed veggies, and spreading peanut butter on whole grain bread for breakfast.  That's not a lot, and I have yet to eat fish (which is loaded with good stuff), but that little bit made a HUGE difference. 

I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER!

And here's the most amazing thing: the better I feel, the better I want to eat.  I love this feeling so much that I want it to continue, and grow, and get stronger.  Hell, I'm even willing to choke down a tin of sardines if it means feeling this good all the time!    

I mean, this isn't some great revelation for most people.  It wasn't even that shocking of a news flash to me.  But the problem is, the further you fall down that hole of listlessness and disinterest, the harder it is to pull yourself back up.  On an intellectual level you know that you need to eat right and exercise in order to feel good.  But you feel so bad that you can't bring yourself to care.  How do you start the process of feeling better, when you feel bad all the time?  How do you get to the point where you're ready to do something about it?

If it wasn't for my recent trip to Japan, and my roomie's sister talking some sense into me, I probably would have continued as I was.  Weak, tired, listless...

I needed something to open my eyes.  I needed a period of well-being to awaken me to all the advantages of eating right, to have those two feelings for comparison, so I could look back on how good I felt and wonder why the hell I wasn't feeling that good all the time.

Anyway, I'm doing much better now.  Slept well, woke up early, ate breakfast, wrote a little (as last night's story and this morning's blog post can attest) and seriously considering a walk outside.  Such a lovely day!

I may not be the most productive person, and there are times when low feelings wash over me that no amount of protein or exercise can prevent, but for today it's enough.  The real challenge is seeing whether I can keep this up.  For the sake of my mental and physical well-being, let's hope I do!

MY SOUL TO STEAL is almost here!

2011 is looking to be another great year in YA books!

So many awesome releases, including the next or *sob* last installments in some already well-known and very popular series, sequels to some wonderful 2010 debuts, and a slew of new 2011 debuts that are sure to knock our socks off! 

To start the New Year with a bang, check out Rachel Vincent's MY SOUL TO STEAL 

(Soul Screamers Book #4)

MY SOUL TO STEAL officially releases on January 1, 2011!

Official blurb:

YOU WANT MY SOUL AND MY BOYFRIEND?

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can’t just pretend nothing happened. But “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn’t just an ordinary girl. She’s a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people’s fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn’t above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

I DON'T THINK SO.

And check out the book trailer below!

 

Go get your copy today and start the New Year with a scream!

(I'm sorry...I couldn't resist.)

Bree Despain's THE LOST SAINT: 10 more days...

Bree Despain's THE LOST SAINT, the sequel to THE DARK DIVINE, releases in 10 days!

It officially comes out on December 28th!  Yay!

I love the covers in The Dark Divine series!
I am such a sucker for a pretty cover!

And to celebrate the upcoming release, Bree is hosting a Countdown Contest on her blog!

THE PRIZES:

1st Place
6" Kindle with WiFi
$10 Amazon gift card
$20 gift card to iTunes
Signed first edition of MATCHED by Ally Condie

2nd Place
Signed first editions of:

MATCHED by Ally Condie

THE SCORCH TRIALS by James Dashner

BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

3rd Place
Signed first editions of:

THE SCORCH TRIALS by James Dashner

BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

The contest ends December 26th and the winner will be announced December 28th.

(Just in time for the release!)

And to tide you over until then...

Read the Prologue and First Chapter of THE LOST SAINT at RT Book Reviews!

Listen to THE LOST SAINT Soundtrack over at Bree's Blog!

And watch the Book Trailer!  It's awesome!

Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm Giveaway!!

Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm is giving away 3 YA books of 2011!

How awesome is that?

(very awesome!)

One winner will get to choose 3 books from among the following 2011 releases:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Angelfire (Book #1) by Courtney Allison Moulton

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Wither (Chemical Garden, #1) by Lauren DeStefano  

Small Town Sinners by Melissa C. Walker

Divergent by Veronica Roth

The Iron Queen (Iron Fey, #3) by Julie Kagawa

She's got all the details on her blog, so stop by and check it out:

2011 YA Giveaway



DESIRES OF THE DEAD Widget Contest!!!

To count down to the release of DESIRES OF THE DEAD

(60 days and counting!) 

Kimberly Derting, author of THE BODY FINDER, is hosting a...

...drumroll... 

"BIG FRICKIN' HUGE GINORMOUS DESIRES OF THE DEAD WIDGET CONTEST!!!"

Prizes include a signed ARC of DESIRES OF THE DEAD, ARCs of UNEARTHLY and THROUGH HER EYES, signed copies of THE BODY FINDER, swag packs and gift cards!!!

There are a TON of easy ways to earn points!

Contest ends December 31st.

Check out all the details at Kim's blog:

DESIRES OF THE DEAD CONTEST

Beth Revis' ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Contest!!!

Beth Revis is hosting an "Epic Contest Of Epic" on her blog in anticipation of her debut release 

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE!

She and Penguin/Razorbill are teaming up to offer 100 Prizes!!!

Yeah, you heard that right.  ONE HUNDRED PRIZES!

There will be swag and signed ARCs, watches and buttons, postcards and bookmarks,

and even a Signed Hardcover First Edition of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE! 

How amazing is that?

(Very amazing!)

The contest ends December 20th.  

For all the details, see Beth's blog:  Epic Contest of Epic

My Thoughts on ACROSS THE UNIVERSE:

Of the dozens of books coming out next year, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE is at the top of my Most Anticipated Books of 2011 list.  The first chapter is amazing, the cover is eye-catching, and the entire premise is just so fascinating that I cannot wait to read this book!  I'm not normally a big fan of science fiction in literature (time travel, advanced technology, space exploration, etc.) but this title caught my attention mainly due to its similarities to FIREFLY.  

Joss Whedon's FIREFLY was one of my favorite short-lived television shows: it revolves around a motley crew of disreputable space smugglers living aboard a small, cramped metal ship that is nevertheless very homey and familiar, traveling from planet to planet as they avoid the authorities and try to survive in an east-meets-west style universe.  

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE is also about a crew living aboard a ship, and that's what first caught my attention.  But the story is not so much about survival in the "running-from-the-law" sense (I'm assuming, since I haven't read the book yet) but about a very long journey--not unlike the Star Trek spin-off VOYAGER--and a murder mystery the must be solved by the two main protagonists.  

I also read something about a very strange social order that exists on the ship, different from what Earth-girl Amy is used to.  The whole thing sounds so interesting and so different from a lot of YA fare coming out right now, and I've heard so many good things about the book and been blown away by the first chapter, that I know it'll be good.  Definitely a must-read for 2011!          

Lisa Desrochers' ORIGINAL SIN Cover and December Debut Contest!!!

Here's the cover for Lisa Desrochers' ORIGINAL SIN

the sequel to 2010's PERSONAL DEMONS!

(which is awesome, by the way!)

Luc looks pissed, Gabe looks heavenly, and Frannie looks appropriately chesty!

And to celebrate her last debut contest for this year

she's giving away ANOTHER ARC of

ORIGINAL SIN!!!

How awesome is that?

(very awesome)

Contest ends Dec. 31st.  To enter: December Debut Contest