Teaser Tuesday (30)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
• MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)

Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love, Football, and Other Contact Sports
by Alden R. Carter

Publication Date: March 28, 2006

 A Football Player's Guide to Love

By the Argyle West Football Team

"Love.  Well, you see it's, uh, sort of, you know, kinda like when...Hey, can we talk about this later?"

(Page 10)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Love, Football, and Other Contact Sports is another book that I discovered while making my reading list for my Books & Related Materials for Young Adults class.  It was one of the books listed under the Sports column that we could pick for our list.  Sports is not a genre I often read.  I suppose it's cliche to say it's because I'm a girl, but I've never had a lot of interest in sports.  But the title caught my interest with the world LOVE!  And so far it is very funny!  I'd suggest this book, if, like me, you don't read many Sports books; it will change your mind.

Tweet

Nook Bargins (10)

I have a nook color, which I love!  But whenever I see e-books on sale, they're always for the Kindle. 

So I thought I might start my own round-up of sales on e-books that are for the nook to help my fellow nookers (yes I've just made that word up).

The catch is that some of these books are on-sale for a limited time, so get 'em while they're hot!

All of these books are pretty awesome and cheap, but some are only on-sale for a limited time, so you better hurry and get them before it's to late:

THESE ARE ONLY ON SALE THROUGH JANUARY 31ST!  SO HOP TO IT!  

10 BOOKS FOR $10 IS A STEAL!

Bumped by Megan McCafferty - $0.99 

Entwined by Heather Dixon - $0.99

Hereafter by Tara Hudson - $0.99

Lucky by Rachel Vail - $0.99

Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have) 

by  Sarah Mlynowski - $0.99

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood - $0.99 

The Unidentified by Rae Mariz - $0.99

Vesper by Jeff Sampson - $0.99

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison - $0.99

Tweet

In My Mailbox: January Edition

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and inspired by one of her friends, Alea of Pop Culture Junkie where we get to post about the books we receive each week through publishers/authors, our own purchases, contests won, and libraries.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tweet

Elisquared's Epic Birthday Giveaway: The Book Depository

Here's the FOURTH giveaway!

This is the LAST giveaway of my Epic Birthday Giveaway!  I just want to thank everyone so much for celebrating with me!  My actual birthday was awesome, and I had so much fun!  I hope all of you have has much fun on your birthdays as I had on mine.  And thank you for leaving all the awesome comments; I've loved reading all your answers.

So what's up to win?
There are will be ONE winner this go around!  And that lucky person will have their pick of books from The Book Depository totaling $25!  This giveaway is open internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to your country!  Easy!

Some of my book suggestions:
Across the Universe or A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Anna and the French Kiss or Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
ANY John Green Book
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
ANY Tamora Pierce Book  

Just enter below, and GOOD LUCK!
(Runs from 1/28/12 - 2/4/12; International)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tweet

Trailer Thursday

Glitch

by Heather Anastasiu 

Release Date: 08/07/2012

Love the premise of the book!  I like when it all seems like a utopia until things turn bad!  The way that the tech controls people is cool, and I can't wait to dive in!

Tweet

My Book Wish List

I think I'm going to do this once a month or every couple weeks.  I'm going to list the books I'm most excited about and want to own!  They can be old or new or not even published yet, but they are all awesome!  You can join in the fun if you want as well!  By reading your lists, I'll get more ideas for mine.

Pink Smog by Francesca Lia Block

The girl in the mirror wasn’t who I wanted to be, and her life wasn’t the one I wanted to have.

Despite how much Louise insists, no one will call her Weetzie. It’s her dad’s nickname for her, but it won’t stay put. Neither will her dad. Charlie left Louise and her mom and he took everything with him: her family, her home—and her understanding of who she’s meant to be.

But Los Angeles is a city full of strange angels, and Louise embarks on a journey to sift through the smog of her heartbreak, to grow her own wings, to become Weetzie.

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

Keys to the Repository by Melissa De La Cruz

Lavish parties. Passionate meetings in the night. Bone-chilling murders. Midterms. The day-to-day life of Schuyler Van Alen and her Blue Bloods friends (and enemies) is never boring. But there's oh-so-much more to know about these beautiful and powerful teens. Below the streets of Manhattan, within the walls of the Repository, exists a wealth of revealing information about the vampire elite that dates back before the Mayflower. In a series of short stories, journal entries, and never-before-seen letters, New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz gives her hungry fans the keys to the Repository and an even more in-depth look into the secret world of the Blue Bloods. Won't you come inside?

Tweet

Waiting on Wednesday (30)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

 Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:

Dark Destiny

by M. J. Putney

Release date: July 3, 2012

Tory and her friends are celebrating the success of a second mission to aid WWII Britain when an urgent summons calls them back to their own time: Napoleon is on the brink of invading England. Can a handful of young mages stop an army? 

In desperation, Merlin’s Irregulars ask Rebecca Weiss, an untrained telepath from 1940, to come back to 1804 and change Napoleon’s mind before it’s too late. As Tory and Allarde make a commitment that will cost him his inheritance, Rebecca promises to do what she can to stop Napoleon even though she is unsure of her magical abilities. But Tory and her friends saved the Weiss family from Nazi imprisonment, and Rebecca will risk anything, even her life and her budding relationship with Nick Rainford, to repay them. 

A daring mission takes Tory and Rebecca and their friends into the heart of the Army of Boulogne, where Napoleon is plotting invasion. But while their success may save England, they must still face the bittersweet consequences of their decisions when they return home.

------------------------------------------

I absolutely loved the first two books, and I can't WAIT for the third.   This is the one series that really got me into historical fiction.  The richness of detail is there, all wrapped around this great magical subplot.  It's really amazing, and everyone should at least read through the first book.  You'll be hooked if you do!

Tweet

Top Ten Tuesday (9)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week they will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of their bloggers’ answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All they ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment.

The topic this week is: Top Ten TWELVE Re-mixes/Re-tellings/Re-interpretations

Trying out a video version of this, so let me know what you think!

I love re-mixes/re-tellings/re-interpretations so much.  I think it's fascinating how authors are able to craft their own story from another work with varied results.  I enjoy both close re-tellings with an updated plot or complete re-imagining with elements of the original story!  Let me know what books I missed that you absolutely love!

Tweet

Teaser Tuesday (29)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
• MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)

Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Romeo's Ex: Rosaline's Story by Lisa Fiedler

Publication Date: September 19, 2006

         As we walk, I roll the sleeves of my gown to my elbows, the soft linen creasing easily in the crook of my arm.  Then I unlace the cording at the neckline of my dress–one firm tug and my shoulders are bared!
         "Roz, that is scandalous!"
         "No more scandalous than this mischief we are about,"  I remind her.  "God's truth, it is so hot that I am a mere moment from removing my garters and hose!  These clothes are more constricting than the rules we ladies must abide!"

(Page 13)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Romeo's Ex: Rosaline's Story is a book I discovered while making my reading list for my Books & Related Materials for Young Adults class.  It was one of the books listed under the Historical Fiction column that we could pick from for our list.  I'm excited to read it, because if you checked out my Top Ten Tuesday for this week, you'd know that I LOVE re-tellings/re-mixes of stories.  The fact that Lisa has re-told the tale of Romeo & Juliet from Rosaline's perspective makes me really excited to finish the book! 

Tweet

Elisquared's Epic Birthday Giveaway: Finished Edition Packs

Here's the THIRD giveaway!

As this is the OFFICIAL day after my birthday giveaway, it's going to be the biggest!
 I had all these awesome signed and finished editions plus some cool swag that I've been stock piling, and so for this giveaway, I've put together TWO boxes of some great choices!

So what's up to win?
There are TWO prize packs which means there will be TWO winners!  Some books are signed, some are finished editions, either hardcover or paperback.  I tried to make the packs as even in awesome as possible!

Here is a picture of all the awesome books (each side will be one of the packs), and lists of titles are in the Rafflecopters.

Just enter below, and GOOD LUCK!
(Runs from 1/21/12 - 1/28/12; US only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tweet

Thank You All!

I've reached over 300 followers!!  That is really amazing, and I appreciate you all so very much!

Thank you for making my first year of book blogging so very awesome!!

I'd love to know your opinions on my blog - reviews, features, giveaways, design, anything.  What I should add, what I should do more of!  Just drop me a comment; I'd love to read them!

Again, WOW you are all amazing!  Thank you so much!

(Don't forget to enter my Epic Birthday Giveaway!  The first giveaway ends tonight!)

Tweet

Elisquared's Epic Birthday Giveaway: A Box of ARCs

Here's the SECOND giveaway!

I had all these awesome ARCs from NCTE that I want a lucky person to be the new owner of them!  They've never been read, & are just waiting to go to a good home!

So what's up to win?

Here is a picture of all the awesome books, and a list of titles is in the Rafflecopter.

(Picture missing Between Shades of Gray, The Letter Q, & Girl Meets Boy)

Just enter below, and GOOD LUCK!
(Runs from 1/14/12 - 1/21/12; US only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tweet

Follow Friday (15)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee at Parajunkee's View and Alison at Alison Can Read.  It is an awesome opportunity to network other book blogs.  

Welcome to Follow Friday! Let me tell you what is going on today.

• First Parajunkee & Alison will be featuring one blogger from this great community each Friday along with having the Follow My Book Blog feature. 

• Each week one blogger will be selected as a feature, so sign up for the Follow Feature. Future features are picked randomly.

This week's question is: Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

This is an awesome question, as I really love music. 

I'm going to try and pick things that I really enjoy and I hope that you will as well!

Drumming Song - Florence and the Machine

Saskia Hamilton - Ben Folds with Nick Hornby

Galaxies - Owl City

Safe & Sound - Taylor Swift with The Civil Wars

I hope you all enjoy the music!

Tweet

Trailer Thursday

Tempest 

by Julie Cross

Release Date: 1/17/12

This book looks really good!  It is the first in a 3-part series by author Julie Cross.  I think the premise is really interesting, and the trailer is totally gorgeous!  Love!

Tweet

The Goddess Test (Review)

Title: The Goddess Test

Author(s): Aimee Carter
Edition: Paperback, 293 pages

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: April 19, 2011

Source: Borrowed from library

Buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

The Summary

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

(Goodreads)

My Opinion
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter was a really sweet story.  I loved the change in mythology that Carter made within the book, and each character was different from each other, but still retained a part of the original mythos for that god or goddess.  The Greek Gods are some of my favorite mythological systems, and I love reading books that take the original stories and remix them!

I felt like Carter put a lot of heart into this book.  There was a focus on family and what you would do for a someone that you loved, that really added a layer of urgency and importance to each thing within the story.  I felt the way the plot was quiet with pops of action really made the story exciting.  I liked the focus on feelings because what Kate goes through is much more of an internal change, rather than an external.

Speaking of Kate, I felt she was a great protagonist.  She is a young women struggling to keep her mother alive, giving up a lot of things to do so.  I think this is what makes her so great.  She isn't some demi-god or superhero or a warrior; she is a scared girl fighting for the one person that means the world to her.  I thought Kate's reactions to everything happening to her were very realistic, and I love when authors manage to do this.  It makes the story, even though it's filled with crazy stuff, much more relatable.

Each character, as I mentioned, were interesting in their own way, but I have a huge crush on Henry!  He is just so intense, but in such a great way.  He cares so deeply, and you can see the struggle he has between caring for Kate and holding on to his love of Persephone.  The way that Carter re-imagined the myth of Hades into Henry was fantastic.  Yes, he is still dark and intimidating, but overall he is protective and so giving.  I love him so much!

Overall, I really loved The Goddess Test!  I thought it was a really original story, and used a mix of character development and action sequences really well.  I thought the writing was solid, and I loved the way Carter focused inward, letting the reader's feel the emotional struggle Kate was going through, rather than focusing on the physical things.  Very beautiful, and very romantic.  I think The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter is well worth a read, and the next book in the series, Goddess Interrupted (coming out March 27th 2012), is going to be just as good.

Extras

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some of my favorite quotes!

“No matter what happens, I will always be there for you, even if you do not remember who I am.” - Henry

“It has been a very long time since I've received a gift as extraordinary as you.” - Henry

I don't want to have too many as to not spoil anything, but come one!  Henry is one eloquent guy, right?  I am, literally, melting.

Final Rating

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Book Cover: 5/5

Book Title: 4/5

Plot: 9.5/10

Characters: 9/10

Writing: 9/10

Ending: 9/10

Overall: 45.5/50: A-

Tweet