Friday, February 26, 2010

Friday's Finest (07)


Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

Rules:

~Post a quote that really stuck to you after reading it in a book.
~Make sure it isn't a spoiler!
~If you'd like, expand on what you think it means and why you chose it.


See, guys freak out. They hit critical mass and blast nuclear, white-hot anger out over the world like walking flamethrowers.
But girls freak in. They absorb the pain and bitterness and keep right on sponging it up until they drown.
Maybe that’s why nobody’s real worried about girls going off and wreaking havoc. It’s not that the seething hatred and need for revenge isn’t there, hell no. It’s just that instead of erupting and annihilating our tormentors, we destroy ourselves instead.

Leftovers by Laura Weiss

(Someone had posted this one before...but it's worth putting it up again.)
:)




Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (19)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.


Dark Water
by Laura McNeal

Release Date:
September 14th, 2010

Description:
Fifteen-year-old Pearl DeWitt and her mother live in Fallbrook, California, where it’s sunny 340 days of the year, and where her uncle owns a grove of 900 avocado trees. Uncle Hoyt hires migrant workers regularly, but Pearl doesn’t pay much attention to them . . . until Amiel. From the moment she sees him, Pearl is drawn to this boy who keeps to himself, fears being caught by la migra, and is mysteriously unable to talk. And after coming across Amiel’s makeshift hut near Agua Prieta Creek, Pearl falls into a precarious friendship—and a forbidden romance.

Then the wildfires strike. Fallbrook—the town of marigolds and palms, blood oranges and sweet limes—is threatened by the Agua Prieta fire, and a mandatory evacuation order is issued. But Pearl knows that Amiel is in the direct path of the fire, with no one to warn him, no way to get out. Slipping away from safety and her family, Pearl moves toward the dark creek, where the smoke has become air, the air smoke.

Laura McNeal has crafted a beautiful and haunting novel full of peril, desperation, and love.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Justine's Thoughts: The Secret to Teen Power by Paul Harrington

The Secret to Teen Power
By Paul Harrington

Pages:

176

Book Description:

Do you want to know a secret?

Coveted, suppressed, stolen, and held to ransom, this great Secret was shared among the ancients -- pharaohs, emperors, philosophers, and kings -- and later discovered by scientists, inventors, and industrial entrepreneurs. Now it is known by our modern-day royalty -- movie stars, pop singers, famous writers, and sports idols.

This is The Secret that has swept the world and changed the face of humanity. The Secret that awakens your dreams and helps to make them come true. The Secret to living large and being strong. The Secret to the environment, high school, and life as a 21st century teenager. This is The Secret to YOU!

Any thoughts:

I’ve watched the movie, which is a documentary of The Secret, but immediately fell asleep after an hour.

I didn’t think much of it because I admit, it was a little boring. Then a couple of years later, my dad gives me an early Christmas present. And that’s how I got The Secret to Teen Power....

I thought reading the book is more inspirational than the movie. It seems to really cling to you after reading it. For me, it did. It changed the way I think from negative to positive. Even saying “I’m tired” is a negative thought, which will attract other negative things and you don’t want that. The Secret will explain it further in a thorough way that is easy to understand, given that it’s written for teens.

Personally, I think it will change my life as it has done so the second I started applying The Secret. And let me tell you that it works. Putting in a little bit of faith will not hurt you, but will actually help you.

(last review of 2009)


Monday, February 22, 2010

Daily Dose (14)


This new meme is hosted by Holly from Good Golly Miss Holly, where inspirational pictures are posted to enlighten your day. Please note that these pictures do not belong to me. The photographers, whoever they are, fully deserve this credit.


(Ooh, Wuthering Heights! It's a good book so far, by the way.)



Sunday, February 21, 2010

Winners of the Raptorrific Giveaway

Watch the video for the names of the two winners and our top 3 favourite dinosaur names!



We would also like to say thank you to those who participated! It was definitely a lot of fun. :)

Friday, February 19, 2010

Friday's Finest (06)


Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

Rules:

~Post a quote that really stuck to you after reading it in a book.
~Make sure it isn't a spoiler!
~If you'd like, expand on what you think it means and why you chose it.



You don’t forget the face of the person who was your last hope.

The Hunger Games

I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now and live in it forever.

Catching Fire



Thursday, February 18, 2010

A Reminder

JUST A REMINDER:

Tomorrow, our Raptoriffic Giveaway is ending! So if you haven't entered, be sure to check it out because there are many books up for grabs. What's more, there are two winners who will each get the chance to choose a book of their choice and in addition to that, the first place winner will get the chance to choose one of two earrings.

GOOD LUCK!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (18)


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.


Under My Skin
by Judith Graves

Release Date:
March 27th, 2010

Description:

All her parents wanted was for Eryn to live a normal life...

Redgrave had its share of monsters before Eryn moved to town. Mauled pets, missing children. The Delacroix family is taking the blame, but Eryn knows the truth. Something stalks the night. Wade, the police chief's son and Redgrave High's resident hottie, warns her the Delacroix are dangerous. But then so is Eryn--in fact, she's lethal.

But she can't help falling for one of the Delacroix boys, dark, brooding--human Alec. And then her world falls apart.

A normal life? Now that's the real fairytale.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Justine's Thoughts: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick


Hush, Hush
By Becca Fitzpatrick

Pages:

391

Book Description (from Goodreads):

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

A quote:

“Killer skirt, deadly legs.”

Any thoughts:

First of all, I’d like to thank Pixie from Page Turners for giving me a signed ARC of Hush, Hush. *applauds* This is the first I’ve ever gotten and it still feels so special! I shall treasure it always.

Second of all, I’d just like to do one thing. Insert a squeal here that lasts a full minute.

Now that that’s over, we can move on.

The book started out with a prologue and then it began to move fast. Our main guy, Patch (awesome name, yes?) is mentioned from the very beginning and our heroine, Nora, starts the first chapter. I have to admit that there are a few similarities to Twilight, especially in the beginning, but it’s all about how the author delivers it. My verdict? Hush, Hush is better, hotter, more intense than Twilight and I suggest it to all fans of the series who would love a steamy romance.

Anyway, let’s start with the idea of the book. Angels are interesting to write about and that’s what made me want to read this book. Then when I heard about the romance, boy did my desire to read it went increasingly high! The story behind it is interesting, too -- some unexpected turns pop up here and there and I just didn’t know what to guess anymore. I loved that mysterious aspect of it all.

Onto the characters: Nora. I think she’s a pretty good heroine though she is often out of her mind for making silly choices, such as lurking about by herself in an alley at night. She’s independent and I like that about her, actually. Her reactions were realistic, in my opinion, like when she calls the police during certain situations, which she does many times. She knew what to do even in times of panic, although sometimes Patch had the opposite effect on her. Patch is, um, how do I sum it up in a sentence? He is just so...amazing. Haha, what an attempt. Scratch that, please. Patch is mysteriously sexy and dangerous, even Nora can feel it. His smiles send shivers up Nora’s spine, his touch makes the hair on the back of her neck stand up, and his desire for her makes ME want to... Okay, I’ll just leave that sentence be. But beneath the dark, dangerous kind of guy, there’s a soft spot. Nora brings it out from him and it is why I’ve always been rooting for them all throughout the book!

I am now finished this half decent review. Gee, this is probably the first one that has made me berserk enough to insert a squeal in the beginning.

And one more thing. Goodbye Edward, hello Patch!


Enter to win an ARC of Linger

Linger Cover LargeIn Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.


Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Contesterrific ('Round the Blogosphere)


:) This is so much fun!

  • Win an ARC of WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John green & David Levithan at Hey! Teenager of the Year. Open internationally. Ends Feb 28. Enter here.
  • "My Favorite YA Books This Year Giveaway" at Laughing Stars. Ends March 1. Enter here.
  • "Lena's Birthday Contest" at Caster Girls. Win awesome goodies including a custom-designed pair of Chucks just like Lena's. Ends March 5. Enter here.
  • "Birthday Bash Contest" at The Undercover Book Lover (Not Really). Open internationally. For more details on what you can win, and to enter, click here.
  • "Contest to Celebrate 150+ Followers" at A Life Bound By Books. Open internationally. For more details, and to enter, click here.
  • "350 Followers Giveaway" at Welcome to Larissa's Life. You can win goodies such as Twilight journals, SOULLESS by Gail Carriger, and more. For more details, and to enter, click here.
  • Win YA trio - BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, SHIVER, and THE DARK DIVINE at Cherry Mischievous. Open internationally. Enter here.
Happy entering and good luck!

Daily Dose (13)


This new meme is hosted by Holly from Good Golly Miss Holly, where inspirational pictures are posted to enlighten your day. Please note that these pictures do not belong to me. The photographers, whoever they are, fully deserve this credit.






Elizabeth Scott's Contest for The Unwritten Rule

I want to give a heads up of both Elizabeth Scott's contest and her novel THE UNWRITTEN RULE, coming out March 16, 2010!

Description:
Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like your best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more...

---

Now for the contest...

One lucky US resident will get to win 15 ARCs, get his/her name mentioned in the acknowledgements of Elizabeth Scoitt's 2011 novel, 10 hardcover YA novels, and if he/she wants, a special phone call from Elizabeth Scott! That sounds awesome, yes?

And to those who live anywhere else in the world, she's giving 3 ARCs of THE UNWRITTEN RULE!

Is this enough to make you excited? If so, enter the contest now! :)

Sunday, February 14, 2010

In My Mailbox (13)

In My Mailbox is held weekly by Kristi at The Story Siren. Click here for details on how to participate.

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Justine:

City of Ashes
by Cassandra Clare

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.

---

I'm borrowing this from my friend, Stephanie the Tree, whose birthday was a couple of days ago. And remember the signed poster I won? I gave it to her as a present! Yes, I'm such a nice friend.

---


Shiver
by Maggie Stiefvater

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human ... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

---

I won this one at Books at Midnight. Thank you, Jenn!
I never realized how pretty the cover looks... but argh, it's dirty and a little ripped on the back! But anyway...am I the only one who hasn't read this one yet?



Awards-a-mania (huuuge post)

This post may be a tad too late...but you know what they say: "Better late than never!" Ha!

So the first one is from Melissa (I Swim For Oceans). Thank you! :)

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 10 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

We would like to pass this on to:
The next is from Melissa (I Swim For Oceans) and Pat (Yay! Reads)

Now to fully accept this award, we must reveal 10 truthful things. But here's how we will do it. We will say 5 each. Yay!

Justine:
  1. I can't live without chocolate.
  2. I'm always looking for adventure.
  3. I sometimes judge a book by its cover. Shame, I know. But, doesn't everybody? At least once?
  4. I like sunny days. As well as rainy days.
  5. *Deep breath* I keep a diary.
Steff:
  1. I have a tea addiction.
  2. Playing with my hair is a nervous habit.
  3. I enjoy the smell of sharpies.
  4. My fingers are double jointed.
  5. Boys sweaters = love.
Oh and we have to pass it on to other bloggers, who we appreciate for being so thoughtful and honest.
---

The next award is The Heartfelt Award, given by Jenn (Books at Midnight). Thanks, Jenn! :)

Rules:
Put the logo on your blog/post.
Nominate up to to 9 blogs which make you feel comfy or warm inside.
Be sure to link your nominees within your post.
Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog.
Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

We nominate:
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The Splash Award is from Melissa (I Swim For Oceans)! Hehe, thanks again!

Here are the rules: Put the logo on your blog/post. Nominate & link up to 9 blogs that you pick for this award. Let them know that they have been splashed. Remember to link the person that nominated and awarded you.


Now we must pass this award onto blogs who we think are alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive, and inspiring.
---

The Humane Award is from Melissa (I Swim For Oceans)! Thanks! :D


"Humane as being characterized by kindness, mercy, or compassion; marked by an emphasis on humanistic values and concerns."

The rules are:
  1. Accept and post the award on your blog.
  2. Link to the person from whom you received it.
  3. Pass the award to other blogs that are worthy of this acknowledgment.
  4. Let them know they’ve been chosen for this award.
So for this award, we nominate:
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Now the next award is called Bliss Happy 101 Award, and it was given by Raíla (Get the Books Out of the Bookshelves) and Cindy (Oodles of Books). Thank you bunches!

We must also list 10 things that make us happy. 5 from each of us:

Justine:
  1. The people I love (family, friends...)
  2. Books!!!
  3. Drinking hot chocolate
  4. Baking
  5. Watching my fave TV shows.
Steff:
  1. Watching the sunset
  2. Bursting out in a song
  3. Really good movies that make me cry
  4. Kissing in the rain
  5. Finding someone who you have no awkward silences with
We would like to share this award with:
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The next one is the Blogger Buddie Award from Cindy (Oodles of Books). So cute! And thank you!


We must pass this now onto the following bloggers:
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The last and final one is The Kreativ Award, which was given by Melissa (I Swim For Oceans)!

We're supposed to reveal 7 interesting things about us and pass it to 7 creative bloggers. But since we like shortcuts, we'll each give you 3 interesting things and pass the award to 6 bloggers. Teehee.

Justine:
  1. I'm in the process of learning how to play the guitar. It's been a few months and it's good so far! But I want to learn the piano too...if only it was so easy.
  2. I have a plot in my head, which I would like to put into words this summer. Yes, this summer because I never have the time to write anymore...*sigh*
  3. I was described as "poetic" by my English teacher a couple of years ago and I remember being ecstatic.
The 6 blogs who we choose to pass this award to are:
Yaaaaaaaaaay! Finally finished. Congrats to all of you! And we know maybe some of you already have the award(s) they have just received, but we just wanted to send our thanks through awards. Consider it a way of showing our appreciation for visiting and commenting. And we would also like to thank you all those who have given us awards!

Oh and we can't forget to say:
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Friday's Finest (05)


Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

Rules:

~Post a quote that really stuck to you after reading it in a book.
~Make sure it isn't a spoiler!
~If you'd like, expand on what you think it means and why you chose it.


The boy never cried again, and he never forgot what he'd learned: that to love is to destroy, and that to be loved is to be the one destroyed. - Jace Wayland

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones




Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Hunger Games Alert - Book 3's Cover and Title Revealed

How magnificently gorgeous is this?


This is The Hunger Games's Book 3 entitled Mockingjay, to be released on August 24th. And I absolutely adore its colour and everything else! Ah! The word that popped into my head the second I saw it was "gracious"...among other adjectives, but still.

Now let's see it beside the rest of the series...




Who's excited?! I know I am!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (17)


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.


Jekel Loves Hyde
by Beth Fantaskey

Release Date:
May 3rd, 2010

Description:

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.

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This is one I'm dying for!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Daily Dose (12)


This new meme is hosted by Holly from Good Golly Miss Holly, where inspirational pictures are posted to enlighten your day. Please note that these pictures do not belong to me. The photographers, whoever they are, fully deserve this credit.