New Year's Contest! :)

I'm really enjoying myself and it has been a very relaxing winter break, so I've decided to hold a giveaway for you guys to show my appreciation and happiness for being readers of my blog. It is in celebration of the New Year! And what better way than to begin it with a contest? Hope you like it :) ~HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE~

I'm going to give away one book to two winners. The first winner will get to choose and the second will get to choose from the remaining books on the list. I have read them all and liked them tons. The winners can choose from this list:

-The Mark by Jen Nadol ARC complete with signed bookmark (review)

-ARC of the Prophecy Of the Sisters

-ARC of Girls Acting Catty (review)

-Hardcover of Wild Magic by Cat Weatherill (review)

-Paperback of Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney



You have to leave me an e-mail address in order for me to contact you. And also tell me what your first choice would be!Please try to put all your entries in one comment! :)

Extra Entries:

+ 2 for being a follower

+ 4 for adding me to your blogroll

+ 1 for linking here on your sidebar and/or post (leave link)

+ 2 for joining my Explorer X-Alpha Contest.
+1 for commenting on my reviews of one of the books on the list. (tell me what post)


It will end on the 30th of January. The end of the first month of 2010!! :D

It is only open to the United States and Canada sorry! :(

~HUGE contest Alert~

Go ENTER NOW for your chance to win a bunch of books from a huge pile! :)

There will be FIVE winners

Ends December 31st!

Girls Acting Catty

Author: Leslie Margolis

Summary: Annabelle is just starting to fit in at her new coed junior high school. She's made great friends, her teachers are nice, and she's learned a few tricks to taming those oh-so-annoying boys. But now she and her friends must confront a whole new brand of headache--the mean girl clique. Taylor and the Terrible T's are fake and annoying and out to get Annabelle and her friends. As if that weren't enough drama, Annabelle is about to encounter some of tweendom's most memorable "firsts," like buying her first bra! Each moment is perfectly rendered with Margolis' sensitivity and humor in a story that is both endearingly honest and deliciously entertaining.


Review: A definite mut read for middle grade girls and a good, cute read to add to the TBR pile for all other readers. I wish this book had been around when I was going through junior high because I sure could have learned a lot. The experiences Annabelle has with bad friends, clashing friends, boyfriends, frenemies and puberty are pretty close to the real thing that it can definitely help tweens understand lots.


Getting your first bra can be pretty embarassing to voice out loud and Annabelle's reaction is genuinely squeamish. :D Any girl can identify and that's whats best in a lovable main character.

Flawless writing and a super cute voice gives Annabelle and her friends a strong 3-dimensional feel. The dialogue is unique to each character keeping them seperate and true to their own personalities. Descriptions are light and there only to help the reader see the imagery.

My favorite character just happens to be the jerk that dumped one of Annabelle's friends. Boys will be boys and that guy is certainly a boy. LoL


The way Annabelle describes him and his friends is hilarious! She holds them in contempt and it is really funny. And it's funny cuz some of them are still like that in high school. :)


Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Explorer X-Alpha

Author: LM Preston

Release: February 2010

Summary: (back) After receiving a camp immunization needed for travel to Mars, Aadi finds that the immunization is the catalyst of an insidious experiment. Lucky for him, he was engineered to survive, thrive, and dominate. Without realizing he is being trained to conquer worlds, and manipulated under the guise of a camp, he unfolds the plot too late for a change of fate.

Aadie's world is shaken upon the revelation that life before camp was not what it appeared. This solidifies his plan to save them all from the company that seeks to control him, only for his rescue to end abruptly due to a freak accident on a field trip to Mars.

The full experiment is set in motion when he and his co-pilot, Eirena, crash in a distant galaxy called Shrenas, where they change and realize the full extent of their power. Holding onto his humanity, in the midst of turning into a god is Aadi's biggest battle yet. This turn of events causes him to put his childish thoughts away, forcing him to accept his change, and to decide to save a world, or to do what he was trained to do, dominate it. In the midst of his struggles with his changes, his power is coveted by the warring leaders of Shrena, and he is forced to choose sides to save a life, or to save himself, A Decision that proves just how much humanity he has left.

Review: Science Fiction can be really hard to write about because descriptions are vital. These stories include technology which can't be compared to what we have here today and to understand it, we need good imagery and diction that helps convey the sort of world the book takes place in. Explorer X-Alpha had those necessary descriptions. It wasn't overloaded with detail or boring, unnecessary words and the images were vivid and real. The important thing is not to drag out a description and the author did a good job there.

Aadi and his friends start out very childish and whiny which is expected of kids. It was pretty realistic how Aadi and Eirena changed after encountering some challenging obstacles. After they landed in Mars, they changed from simply children to adults really. The way the talked and their emotions stopped being those of a care-free kid, but instead those of a hardened and overworked adult. The emotional change makes it hard to point this book at a certain age group.

The story itself would probably have little appeal to YA lovers, but the lessons in it would serve anyone. Younger readers might not be able to understand the change and how Aadi went from cheery to full of hate. I would recommend it for kids between 11 and 13 since that is when children make the huge transition to teenagedom.

Overall, the writing was lovely for the narration part although I felt that the dialogue was a little weak. It was awkward that there were no conjunctions since I expected children to use a lot more slang. It could be indentified as a trait of that time frame, but it was a little vague. The story was creative and science fiction fans will probably find a it an enthralling tale. :)

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

The Mark

Author: Jen Nadol

Release Date: February 2010

Summary: (back) If you had the power to cheat death, would you?
Sixteen-year-old Cassie Renfield has always seen the mark--a light glow reminiscent of candlelight--but it's not until she follows a man to his death that she understands what it means. Cassie can see when a person is marked for death. She doesn't know how or where, only when: today.

When the mark appears on Cassie's grandmother, she tries and fails to change her fate. The mark seems utterly useless, but Cassie can't ignore it. Desperate for answers, she searches her memories, her summer philosophy course, even her new boyfriend, Lucas, for any clue that might explain her ability. When she convinces Lucas of her power, he encourages her to test fate each time the mark appears. Cassie's not entirely sure she should use the mark like this, but with each occurrence, she finds answers she needs--answers she never expected.

Exploring questions of fate, death, and free will, The Mark is a gripping and powerful debut.

Review: You have to read this one! Books about fate, choice and destiny are intruiging since there really isn't a way to know for sure which is it. The way Cassie's story evolves was completely believable. There weren't any gaps in between the events tying her life together and the writing felt effortless. It was relatively an easy read, but the theme is a pretty big and difficult one to comprehend. I loved the incorporation of her Philosophy class and it didn't seem too convenient or improbable which is one of my pet peeves of books.

A very interesting read on life and death as the subject. The author did an excellent job at making the reader believe that it was possible to know the day of someone's death. The fact that she compared the auras Cassie saw to the soft light of candles shows Jen Nadol's power to make the reader connect. The phenomenom isn't lost on the reader because it is explained and details let us into Cassie's world.

The main character, Cassie, goes through some very difficult moments that teens can also sympathize or even empathize with. She had lost her parents as a young child and her grandmother took her in. When Cassie loses the person she is closest to, she must learn from life how to deal with death. She is shipped off to some long lost aunt who is too busy with work to pay much attention to Cassie. Then Cassie gets an older boyfriend. These events lead into each other clearly and effectively. Cause and effect can be found in every move Cassie makes. That's how it is in real life. Usually. :)

Now Cassie has to make decisions on which path she wishes to take in her life and who or what matters most. Cassie is a very neutral character with a huge "gift" she doesn't know how to use. Her questions might not have clear cut answers, but riddles alone might help guide her life.

Who should read this book? Anyone. It is definately YA in the romance department. :) The theme reaches out to older readers who might end up agreeing or disagreeing with Cassie's decisions. After all, Cassie is probably one of the most mature teens you'll ever read about in the YA genre.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

(It does concentrate more on an idea then on action, so it lacked a little something.)

You Might Also Like:

1. Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

Contest Alert

What: A bunch of books for the 12 blogs of Christmas thing. This one is for day 8. Included are hush, hush; beautiful creatures, hex hall...There will be three winners, so chances are high! :)

Who: Princess Bookie

Ends: December 31st midnight

Open: Internationally!

Where: HERE

Guest Post and Giveaway

Guest: Today we have author of Explorer-X Alpha LM Preston!

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TRUSTING IN YOURSELF

Trusting your own gut feelings is one of the best gifts of being a human or an intelligent being. We all get that little ‘twinge’ when something just isn’t right. When that happens…LISTEN TO IT! Trust yourself or your ‘gut’ some call it... Trust it at all times, it will never steer you wrong. When I was young I lived in the inner-city of Washington , DC . The neighborhood I called home, had gangs, drugs, muggers, killers, and lots of kids and family nearby. However, with all of these things present, I didn’t realize that my gut instincts were strengthening with each day I played outside, walked to school, to the bus, or traveled the city alone. I never understood why my grandmother, affectionately named NaNa, didn’t want me to leave my block to go to the store alone. Or why, I wasn’t allowed to cut through the alleys to get to my cousin’s house, and the numerous list of things I was told to watch out for. My main character in EXPLORER X – Alpha realizes that something isn’t quite right with the immunization he is given. Aadi takes the initiative and asks the Doctor why it is being given to him. In addition to this finding, Aadi confirms his concerns with others. Here are some steps to take in trusting yourself in all things;

LISTEN TO THAT ‘TWINGE’ IN YOUR GUT

When you are in a situation with a friend or an adult, and you get that feeling that something isn’t quite right, then you are most likely correct. Learn yourself, and test this ability. If your friend tells you that you should sneak out to go to that great party that so-and-so is going to, then you feel this tickle in your tummy, and you hesitate. This is your gut talking to you. It’s telling you … hold on … don’t jump into this. Listen to it. Find out how your gut talks to you... Think of all those times you got into major trouble, and ponder over what you felt just before you did the deed that got you into that mess. That’s how you learn how your psyche talks to you.

TAKE A STEP BACK, AND ASK QUESTIONS

Never, ever, feel like you don’t have the right to ask a question. Asking a question only gets you in trouble when it hasn’t been asked, or the person of whom you are asking the question doesn’t want to give you an answer. Don’t think I’m right on this? Test it, and think back to times when the person of whom you asked a question reacted negatively. In most cases, it is because they don’t want to give you an answer. Asking the question is never, ever wrong. You have the right. So use it when you are in those situations where your gut is telling you that something is just not adding up.

IF IT DOESN’T ADD UP THEN IT DOESN’T ADD UP

When something doesn’t make sense, or the story just sounds down right disjointed, and your gut is telling you that something is off. Then trust your gut, something is off. This is a saying my NaNa used to tell me when I would give her a scenario of what a friend told me, or did to me. “Honey, if it don’t add up, it won’t add up. Something is definitely not right with that story.” Do you know in each instance she said this, she was absolutely correct.

TAKE ACTION

If you get that feeling something isn’t right take action. In EXPLORER X – Alpha, Aadi and Eirena, his co-pilot investigate their gut feeling that something is off about their camp with their team. They find that terrible things have been done to them. There are several ways to take action.

Here are some;

- Just tuck the knowledge away, and wait for the truth to reveal itself. Believe it or not this happens a lot in life. The truth has a way of coming out. Sometimes it happens quickly, and sometimes it takes a long, long time.

- Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in order to get the answers you want. You can ask anyone questions, and that may solve the mystery.

- Run away or stay away. If you are in a situation where an adult or a peer appears to be leading you in a direction that you feel is not safe - Run. There is no harm in running away from or staying away from someone or something that will hurt you.

YOUR HAVE THE POWER

Realize that you have control of your destiny. No matter what happens to you in your life, you can learn from it all and become a better person. Making the same mistakes will become harder the more you learn to trust your gut instincts, and yourself.

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Thanks LM Preston. This holds quite true for everyone. It is a cool sci-fi novel about a boy named Aadi traveling to outer space.


Did I tell you that you can win it? And it is international.

To Enter: Go to LM Preston's site and follow her. Comment here telling me you did and leave your e-mail address so I can contact you. Thanks to the author for providing the book! :)

Extras:

+2 for being a follower

Ends: (1/22)

Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss

Author: Richelle Mead

Summary: (site) Is Rose's fate to kill the person she loves most? It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since Mason's death, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She has dark flashbacks in the middle of practice, can't concentrate in class, and has terrifying dreams about Lissa. But Rose has an even bigger secret... She's in love with Dimitri. And this time, it's way more than a crush. Then Strigoi target the academy in the deadliest attack in Moroi history, and Dimitri is taken. Rose must protect Lissa at all costs, but keeping her best friend safe could mean losing Dimitri forever...

Review: Gah! I just finished it and now I'm slowly dying!!!!! I really need to read the next book. It ended at such a sad part and I really want to know what the heck is going to happen. *whimper*

Yeah! Amazing fight scenes in this one with such precision. Richelle is an expert on fighting. Those were my favorite passages. Again, amazing imagery and memsmerizing details.

Oh, and the hotness cranks up a bit. :)

The only thing that bothers me about the book, is that Richelle Mead needs to recap with a little more flow. When she talks about eventst that happened in the previous books or when she's describing a term, it's in a not so subtle way. It kinda cut into the writing, so it was obvious. I don't think that the explanations were unneccessary. I just thought that there were better ways of weaving them in.

Read these books because they really are a quite a piece.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 4.5 5

Other Books In The Series:

1. Vampire Academy

2. Vampire Academy: Frostbite

3. Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss (this one)

4. Vampire Academy: Blood Promise

Vampire Academy: Frostbite

Author: Richelle Mead

Summary: (site) Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose. It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians–including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks...This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory. But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

Review: I had read Vampire Academy a while back ago, and I gave it a so-so review. I was still fresh off Twilight, which I actually enjoyed, so that could have affected my feelings on it. In fact, I'm certain it did because I loved this one. Can't remember why I wasn't completly in favor of the first one.

That aside, it was great. All the action in this book was incredible and the imagery really came alive. Rose has an extreme personality, but that is who she is. The work the author did in giving Rose her own voice paid off, because everything Rose did fit her character. She had her own mind and did her own thing.

I really liked the action especially. It was so cool and well written. Descriptions weren't overloaded or sparse. Everything let you know what was happening and how it was happening as well as the sorroundings. It was like I could see Rose fighting.

Even at the end, Christian still ended up being my favorite character. Why? He's a fire-user. He's pretty morbid, but completely in love with Lissa. And he has a really cool last name. Ozera. If I could have any power in the world, I would choose to control fire, so I could fry Strigoi. ^.^

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Other Books In The Series:

1. Vampire Academy

2. Vampire Academy: Frostbite (this one)

3. Vampire Academy: Shadow Kiss

4. Vampire Academy: Blood Promise

Artist: Show Luo

Language: Mandarin

About: He's also known as Xiao Zhu or Mr. Pig or Alan Luo. He sings (well), dances (real swell) and hosts tv shows (smooth as a bell). Okey...

Anyway, he's pretty cool. I like him. I guess. Except when he acts like a freakin' two year old. :p I'm actually currently watching Shanghai Sweethearts and he plays the main guy. After episode 4, the rest is starting to look really, really awesome. :) Yey for t-dramas. His voice is so suave in this song! Eek! :) The lyrics are kinda playboy-ish, but he sounds so sweet and earnest. Wo shi zhen zhen zhen xi huan ni.

MUSIC VIDEO

It's catchy, isn't it? Maybe?

Contest Alert 4

Where: Go HERE

What: The Body Finder Prize Pack

Who: The wonderful author: Kimberly Derting

Ends: December 25 2009