For those of you who celebrate, I hope your Easter is a joyous one filled with Christ's love.  For those of you who do not, I hope that your day is a joyous one filled with love.  

Happy Easter my lovely followers!

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WOAH! THANK YOU!! YOU ROCK!

I've hit the big

That's right I've got 800 followers!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!  It's because of all of you that I've kept going for the past 2 years!  Going into my 3rd year with 800 of you following me is not too shabby at all!

I'm hoping with the new year, I can get more awesome things for the blog.  And again, I can't thank you enough!

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500+ Followers Giveaway - Choice of 2012 Favorite (US/INT)

This giveaway is for BOTH my US and International followers!  There will be a US winner and a INT follower, so I need to know where you hail from!  

I really wanted to give away some of my favorite 2012 books!  These are all books that were published this year up through October (just due to crazy pre-order biz, I prefer not to have any listed).  So pretty much each winner will pick ONE book from the list to get in their hands!  The two winners can pick the same book, but no substitues.  

Books to Choose From:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Starters by Lissa Price

Immortal City by Scott Speer

The Difference Between You and Me by Madeleine George

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Revived by Cat Patrick

Mothership by Martin Leitch & Isla Neal

The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen

To enter just fill out the rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Rules:

Must be 13 years old to enter. 

Must be a blog/Youtube follower to enter.

There will be TWO winners.

One winner will be from US, the other winner INT.

Winners must be able to get books from The Book Depository.

Winners will be contacted by email. 

Winners have 48 hours to respond with mailing address. 

NO PO BOXES.

Each winner will pick ONE book from the provided list!

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500+ Followers Giveaway - $25 Worth of Books (INT)

This giveaway is for my amazing International followers!  I know that I have a lot of followers out there in the world outside of the US, and I can't thank you enough!  I also know a lot of times you are left out of giveaways because of shipping costs!  This is why I love the Book Depository; while it may not ship EVERYWHERE in the world, it comes pretty close, and let's me give books to others!

So here's the deal: I am giving ONE winner the chance to pick out $25 worth of books.  Now if the total ends up being $26-$27 don't freak out, that is perfectly alright.  Anything more than that, you'll have to pick different books.  I'd suggest checking the prices on Book Depository before you email me with your picks!

To enter just fill out the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules:

Open to International residents ONLY!

No US entries! 

Must be 13 years old to enter. 

Must be a blog/Youtube follower to enter.

There will be ONE winner.

Winner must be able to get books from The Book Depository.

Winner will be contacted by email. 

Winner has 48 hours to respond with mailing address.

NO PO BOXES!

All books chosen must total to $25!

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500+ Followers Giveaway - Box of Books (US)

This giveaway is for my awesome American followers!  I have all these extra books and ARCs lying around that I want to give to a good home!  Who better than one of my followers?

This giveaway is for a big box of ARCs, signed books, and finished editions plus some swag.  I'm not sure exactly what will be in it, but I can tell you there are some cool things!  I kind of want it to be a surprise, but I know how that annoys me sometimes, so I will post a partial list very soon!

A little teaser - SIGNED copy of Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

To enter just fill out the rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules:
Open only to US residents!
No INT entries! 

Must be 13 years old to enter. 

Must be a blog/Youtube follower to enter.

There will be ONE winner.

Winner must have a mailing address within the US.

NO PO BOXES!

Winner will be contacted by email. 

Winner has 48 hours to respond with mailing address. 

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500+ Followers Giveaway

I am so blown away that I have so many awesome followers!  In almost two years, this little blog and little Youtube page I started has grown into something that means so much to me.  That is all due to you!

While I do this for me, it's nice to know that there are people out there that read my reviews and my features, and watch my videos; I'm not alone!

So in order to give back, I wanted to hold a 500+ Followers Giveaway!  There will be THREE giveaways; one exclusively for US residents, one exclusively for International residents, and one for both!

US only - A box of signed books, finished copies, ARCs and swag will be mailed off to ONE lucky winner (I'm not sure which books yet, but there are some lovely signed ones!).
INT only - $25 worth of books from the Book Depository will be shipped off to ONE lucky winner (If the price ends up being a little over that may be negotiable.).
US/INT - TWO winners will get to pick ONE book each from my list of 2012 Favorites (These will be shipped from the Book Depository, so keep that in mind.).

That's just a little summary, more information will be available on each giveaway page.  These will be posted on September 6 and run through October 6, so you have a month to win!

I just want to say THANK YOU one more time!  Without you all it wouldn't be the same!  DFTBA!

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500 Followers Giveaway!

As soon as the giveaway goes up on September 1st, I'll post a link here and on the front page of my blog.  I really would love any suggestions you all have, and please know I appreciate you so much!! 

Thank you for sticking around, and always being awesome!

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Vote for Me in the IBBAs!!!

Remember, you can only vote once so definitely choose the blog you like!

If you like mine, click here -> Eli to the nth

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Elisquared's Epic Birthday Giveaway!!!

Hello followers!  If you haven't heard already, IT IS MY BIRTHDAY MONTH!!!

That's right, on January 20 I will be turning 24 years old!!  Which is very exciting!!

In order to celebrate I am hosting a HUGE, EPIC, CRAZY giveaway!

(This also commemorates my 1 year blogoversy from November which I wasn't able to celebrate)

So that means that there is going to be a prize each weekend of January, starting January 7th!
Each giveaway will be open a week, and a new giveaway will open up.
The whole giveaway will be running from January 7th thru February 4th (in order to give each giveaway a FULL week!)

Below you will find the links to all the giveaways!
You can also use the button below to advertise!!

Good luck, and I hope you win something awesome!!

January 7th-14th: Stephanie Perkins Pack OR Ransom Riggs Pack
January 14th-21st: A Box of ARCs
January 21st-28th: Finished Edition Packs
January 28th-February 4th: $25 from The Book Depository

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Follow Friday (16)

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: Define what characteristics your favorite books share. Do they all have a kick ass heroine or is the hot love interest the Alpha Male?

This is actually a really good question.  The biggest characteristic is good writing.  Now that may sound really vague, but you know when something is well written.  The curse of being an English Lit and a Creative Writing major is that you study good writing.  You annotate good writing.  You live good writing.  So no matter how fun the plot is or how interesting the characters, if the writing is mediocre it affects everything.

Other characteristics stick out too.  A strong female character.  I like when my girls reflect the vision I have for females in my own head, and that is one of strength, independence, and intelligence  I dislike simpering females immensely.  I also appreciate fast-paced plots.  I like to get sucked in and it just keeps going.  But I do try to open my horizons when I read, and I think every one should do that as well!

What are some of your book characteristics?

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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!)

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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!

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Elisquared's Epic Giveaway: Book Packs

Here's the FIRST giveaway!

I really really LOVED these three following books, and I wanted to share them with my followers!!

So what's up to win?

Well there are TWO packs of awesome books, so there will be TWO winners!!

Stephanie Perkins Pack:

SIGNED copy of Anna and the French Kiss

SIGNED copy of Lola and the Boy Next Door

(1 winner will win BOTH books!)

Ransom Riggs Pack:

Copy of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Book cover poster

Bookmark

(1 winner will win each item!)

See the rafflecopters below to enter, and good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

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A little late, but I sincerely wish each of my awesome followers a very happy New Year!!!

Thanks for being such an amazing bunch of people!

DFTBA!

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Follow Friday (14)

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: When you’ve read a book, what do you do with it? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, sell it, swap it..?)

Oh this is a scary question.  Scary because I am such a horder it is ridiculous!!!  I have been told that this Christmas I am not allowed to get ANY books as presents (which makes me very depressed).  BUT, in my defense, I do give away many of my books.  I do so through Nearly New Books, which is a giveaway feature I do almost every other week here on Eli to the nth, and though donations to my local used bookstore.  Oh and donations to my library (SUPPORT LIBRARIES!!)  This obsession with owning the books I read is a reason why I have a shaky relationship with the returns date on my library books.  :clutches books to chest: I WILL NEVER GIVE YOU BACK!!!!!!!

What about you guys? Any other hoarders out there?

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Follow Friday (12)

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 PJV & 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:

In light of 11.11.11 and Veteran's Day tell us about your favorite solider and how he or she is saving the world. Fictional or real life.

My favorite soldier is my father.  He was in the Navy for over 25 years, and retired just a few years ago before the war in Afganistan and Iraq broke out.  Which I am thankful for, but he was sorry not to be fighting, defending the country he so believes in.  If you want to see a real American, then I implore you to meet and speak with a soldier.  They believe in the core values of America so much: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.  

My father tells me so many stories (the ones he can anyway) about doing his duty for the country.  Serving during the Gulf War forced him to see death and destruction first hand, exactly what the amazing men and women fighting now are forced to see.  That can change people.  It isn't easy.  I hate the people who are so ignorant to call soldiers warmongers when what they do is nothing like that.  

So on this Veteran's Day, as I'm enjoying an awesome BBQ with my father and the rest of my family, I want you to go out and research the soldiers of this nation: what they do for you and what risks they take every day.  Remember, not all of them are as lucky as others, and they don't all come back home safe and sound; because of that, we need to give them all the support possible even if you don't believe in the cause they're fighting for.  It's not the cause we need to focus on, it's the people.

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Eli to the nth's Spooktacular Books Challenge

For October this year I've decided to do a Spooktacular Books Challenge.  I'm going through my shelves and picking out books which fall into the "spooky" category!  I really want to get my readers involved, so if you want to participate here's some things I ask that you do:

1. Take the header above and link back to this post
2. Pick 3 or more "spooky books" to review in October (Check this list or this list out if you need suggestions!)
3. Create a home post with the list of books
4. Link to your home post in the linky below
5. No using books you've read before October

Easy Peasy!  I'm really excited to start this, as Halloween is my favorite holiday, even at 23!  

My Picks for Spooktacular Books:

1. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children  by Ransom Riggs - How can I not include this book in a Spooktacular Books Challenge?  The creepy little girl on the cover is reason enough.  
2. Evernight by Claudia Gray -  I'm trying to get back into this sort of vampire story, and vamps are perfect for Halloween.  I think what really intrigues me is the mystery at the school! (MY REVIEW)
3. Fallen by Lauren Kate - I am a sucker for a good angel story.  This has a haunting quality to it that lends itself nicely to Halloween, after all November1st is All Saints' Day.
4. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce - I've had this book for a while (My TBR list is through the roof, don't give me any grief!), and I got to meet Jackson at Dragon*Con this September.  Hearing her talk about the book re-wetted my appetite just in time for Halloween!
5. Z for Zachariah by Robert O'Brien - A 16 year old girl all alone after a catastrophic nuclear disaster thinking she's all alone until she sees fire smoke....dun dun dun!  Definitely spooky!
6. Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantasky - I need some romance after all this darkness and heavy reading!  Love is in the fall air, and Halloween is perfect to fall in love with a vampire!
7. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry - You can't have a Spooktacular Books Challenge without zombies!  This book looks so awesome, love the cover, and I can't wait to read it! (MY REVIEW)

There's my list, an odd number for an odd month.  Ambitious for me, but I'm really excited to do it!  Let me know if you're participating or even if you're doing your own type of Spooktacular reading! Happy Halloween!

ENTER THE SPOOKTACULAR BOOKS CHALLENGE GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow Friday (11)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee at Parajunkee's View.  It is an awesome opportunity to network other book blogs.  Here's a blurb about it from her site!

Hi, welcome to Follow Friday! Let me tell you what is going on today.

• First PJV 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:

Q: ACK! Your favorite book/movie character (ex. Hermione Granger played by Emma Watson) just walked into the room!  Who is it and what would be your first reaction? You get extra points if you include visual stimulation.


Who would it be?

What is my reaction? Eric Northman...oh man.  I mean he is awesome in the Sookie Stackhouse books, but Alexander Skarsgard plays him so very very well.  If I met him in real life, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to talk at all!

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Follow Friday (09)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee at Parajunkee's View.  It is an awesome opportunity to network other book blogs.  Here's a blurb about it from her site!

Hi, welcome to Follow Friday! Let me tell you what is going on today.

• First PJV 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:

GENRE WARS!!! What's your favorite genre, and what book in that genre made it your favorite?


Oh this is a hard question!!  But even while I LOVE supernatural YA, my first love was contemporary YA.  I just love reading about characters who could have been my best friends in high school.  And the man who really made it my favorite was John Green with his book Looking for Alaska.  Such a good book!

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps. 

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RAK: The Best Idea Ever!!

Random Acts of Kindness is an awesome way to bless others by sending them something from the book wish list. It was started (and is hosted) by Book Soulmates.

RAK Rules: It’s pretty easy to participate. Sign-ups are monthly, and the rules are below. (June’s post is HERE.)

• Sign up each month you’d like to participate in.
• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available
• Create a wish list and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.
  {Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there’s a link to it.}
• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wish list and contact that blogger for their address.
• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!
  Make a post saying ‘Thank You’ to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us

My RAK List: Amazon (I only have it on Amazon since it's the easiest to create, but I'll take books from anywhere)

Please check it out guys, and let me know if any of you have a RAK List, so I can send some love out!

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