Giveaway: $60 giftcard

I was recently contacted by CSN stores and they have offered me a $60 giftcard to giveaway to my readers. I browsed around their 200+ online stores and found fantastic items that I would want for myself. As a book blogger, I can tell you they have great selections of lamps (because lighting is important when we stay up all night reading those awesome books), bookcases (just in case you're running out of room to put those books), book bags (because we all carry a few books with us when we go out) and lots of other cool stuff. Don't believe me? Here are a few things that I completely loved (all under $60!):

Feel free to browse around their stores. I'm telling you, they have great stuff.
Thanks CSN stores for this giveaway!

Rules:
+ There will be one winner
+ U.S. & Canada Residents only (sorry!)
+ Giveaway ends: July 23rd
+ Fill out this form

Pretty Little Liars: Secret #2

The Theory:
We are all a bunch of Pretty Little Liars, hiding little secrets that no one (or only a few) knows about.

The Objective:
Come clean about your little secrets. Besides, it's better to reveal them now, before "A" exposes you herself.

The Mission:
From today until the show's season finale, we will play "Pretty Little Liars Exposed" every Tuesday. Do your own "Pretty Little Liars Exposed" post and come clean about one of your little secrets.

The Prize:
One lucky participant will win a signed copy of Pretty Little Liars with the TV show cover and a $10 amazon gift card. The winner will be announced the night of the show's finale. You can join here!

Hosted by Jami from YA Addict

_________________________________________

My Secret #2 Exposed:

I blog in secret. There is one person on this planet that I know in real life that knows I blog. Other than him, no one else knows. I'd rather not let anyone find out about it either.

In My Mailbox and Weekly Recap (6.20 - 6.27)

A few days late on this post, but I had a sort of busy weekend and couldn't get to it sooner.

Here's what I got:

+ Forbidden Passion by Rita Herron [won in a giveaway]

+ Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Last week I read:

Nothing! Since summer classes started, everything has been a bit hectic. But I will definitely get more reading done this week :)

This week I plan to read/finish:

Last week I reviewed:
+ Island Sting by Bonnie J. Doerr [review]
+ In a Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth [review]

Although I had a slow reading week, I'm sure this week will be better. I joined in on two fun events: Pretty Little Liars Exposed and the Summer Break Reading Challenge. My two giveaways will be ending soon, so check them out here. Happy reading everyone :)

Review | In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth

When a small mistake costs sixteen-year-old Eagan her life during a figure-skating competition, she leaves many things unreconciled, including her troubled relationship with her mother. From her vantage point in the afterlife, Eagan reflects back on her memories, and what she could have done differently, through her still-beating heart.

When fourteen-year-old Amelia learns she will be getting a heart transplant, her fear and guilt battle with her joy at this new chance at life. And afterwards when she starts to feel different — dreaming about figure skating, craving grape candy —her need to learn about her donor leads her to discover and explore Eagan’s life,meeting her grieving loved ones and trying to bring the closure they all need to move on.

Thoughts: I'd heard really good things about this book when I signed up for it, so I was pretty sure I was going to like it. And I did.

From the beginning, I was able to connect with the characters, although at some points it felt like I was only getting to know Eagan and not Amelia. I wish there had been an even amount of both characters so that I could feel equally connected to both.

I'd never read a book about organ donors/transplants, but I have watched several movies about them and I know that's not the same thing, but I like those kinds of heart-wrenching movies and this book was pretty much like that. It was a sweet yet powerful story, and even though I wished it had been a bit longer, the story wraps up nicely.

I really enjoyed this book and I recommend it to everyone. It is a quick, intriguing story that many YA readers will enjoy :)

This book was provided by Around the World Tours for review.

New Blog Look!

Yay, I finally changed it and am loving it. It took me a while to get it just right, but I really like it :)
I had to make some changes but pretty much kept everything the same.

This blog and this blog were my inspiration to get it how it looks so I just wanted to give them a quick shout out too!

What do you think?

Book Blogger Hop (2)

About the Hop: This is a weekly event where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read. It's a great way to network with other bloggers and make new friends! Hosted by Crazy For Books.

I have been blogging for over a year now and even though I have had a few slow months, I am back in action! I read mostly YA, but I also love Mystery, Romance and Historical Fiction. Although most of my reviews are of YA, I try to add a few different ones every so often to the mix. I also do a few weekly meme's and have a few giveaways going on here. 

If you are participating or you found me through the Hop, please leave me a comment.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fun Book Blogger Hop Friday!

Review | Island Sting by Bonnie J. Doerr

Kenzie Ryan's New York know-how and private girls' academy education prove useless in the middle of an island wildlife refuge.

Upon arrival in the exotic Florida Keys, she is thrown into the midst of an ecological mystery involving the endangered Florida Key deer. How can she navigate this upside down world? A world deftly maneuvered by Angelo--island native and nerve-wracking hunk. The two team up to accomplish what perplexes law enforcement, but Angelo exposes Kenzie's insecurities, as well as her inexperience with nature and the opposite sex.

Danger and disagreement follow the pair wherever they go. Enamored with Angelo and his local savvy, Kenzie hopes to secure his loyal friendship. But how can she win Angelo's trust when what she must tell him will crush his ego?

Thoughts: I wasn't aware that this was a middle grade book when I signed up for the tour, but it just so happened to be and I am happy to say I enjoyed it. It was an quick read, full of mystery and adventure that had me turning page after page until I was done with it.

The characters were interesting and fun, I liked them a lot because of their unique personalities. The story was interesting and different to anything I'd ever read regarding the environment, poachers and animals in general.

Since it's such a short book, it is easy to get into it and finish it off quickly. The story is fast-paced, and with so many things happening, it really makes it hard to put down. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to any middle grade book lovers. This is a fun and light book to read and enjoy.

This book was provided for review by Other Shelf Tours.

Pretty Little Liars Exposed: Secret #1

The Theory:
We are all a bunch of Pretty Little Liars, hiding little secrets that no one (or only a few) knows about.

The Objective:
Come clean about your little secrets. Besides, it's better to reveal them now, before "A" exposes you herself.

The Mission:
From today until the show's season finale, we will play "Pretty Little Liars Exposed" every Tuesday. Do your own "Pretty Little Liars Exposed" post and come clean about one of your little secrets.

The Prize:
One lucky participant will win a signed copy of Pretty Little Liars with the TV show cover and a $10 amazon gift card. The winner will be announced the night of the show's finale. You can join here!

Hosted by Jami from YA Addict

_________________________________________

My Secret #1 Exposed:
When I was younger, I went on a study abroad trip to Spain and I saved money for the trip for about six months, working as many hours as I could. My parents and grandparents were also nice enough to help me with my expenses, and that was huge help.

I was to be in Madrid for a month, but spent pretty much all my savings within two and a half weeks, so my mom wired me some money. Towards the end of the last week, my favorite band in the entire planet was going to perform at a local venue and I needed to go. I called my mom and begged her to send me a few extra bucks so I could buy my ticket. She refused, because I was in fact going to see them in concert, here in the U.S. a month after I got back. Reasonable right? Not.

When the day of the concert was nearing, I called my parents, and told them my money had been stolen at a flea market...*bows head in shame* and they gave me more money...

Well I didn't even use it for the concert if you must know. I decided I needed a tattoo, and tried getting one...but they kicked me out of the tattoo store place thing (that's another story) so I gave my parents the money back (most of it...) when I got home and told them I'd had enough with what was still on my credit card.

Phew..."A" hasn't got anything on me now. Sort of.

Teaser Tuesday (2)

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 two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

+ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"'Lose the sob story, London. I don't want to hear it. Besides, I'd rather be friends with a thief than a liar.'"

--pg.66, Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen

In My Mailbox & Weekly Recap (06.13 - 06.19)

I haven't done one of these posts in quite some time, but now that I am back I am really excited to share what new books I got and a few other things :)

Here's what I got:

+ Candor by Pam Bachorz [Library]
+ Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater [Library]
+ White Cat (The Curseworkers #1) by Holly Black [Library]
+ Little Black Lies by Tish Cohen [ARC from tour]

+ Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins [bought]

+ How it Ends by Laura Wiess [bought]

Last week I read:

+ Two-way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

This week I plan to read:

Last week I reviewed:
+ The Knife that Killed Me by Anthony McGowen [review]
+ Lisa, Bright and Dark by John Neufeld [review]

I think considering that I've been gone for a while, I had a pretty good week. I participated for the first time in two meme's: Teaser Tuesday and Book Blogger Hop. I have also extended the Numbers by Rachel Ward giveaway and am giving out a copy of How it Ends by Laura Wiess.

Giveaway: How it Ends by Laura Wiess

To show some love to my followers, here's a quick giveaway:

Laura Wiess, the acclaimed author who once brought us "a girl to walk alongside Harper Lee's Scout and J. D. Salinger's Phoebe" (Luanne Rice), brings us another memorable young woman, this one at the center of an extraordinary novel of how love ends, how it begins, and what it's worth to protect it...

Summary:

All Hanna's wanted since sophomore year is Seth. She's gone out with other guys, even gained a rep for being a flirt, all the while hoping cool, guitar-playing Seth will choose her. Then she gets him -- but their relationship is hurtful, stormy and critical, not at all what Hanna thinks a perfect love should be. Bewildered by Seth's treatment of her and in need of understanding, Hanna decides to fulfill her school's community service requirement by spending time with Helen, her terminally ill neighbor, who she's turned to for comfort and wisdom throughout her life. But illness has changed Helen into someone Hanna hardly knows, and her home is not the refuge it once was. Feeling more alone than ever, Hanna gets drawn into an audiobook the older woman is listening to, a fierce, unsettling love story of passion, sacrifice, and devotion. Hanna's fascinated by the idea that such all-encompassing love can truly exist, and without her even realizing it, the story begins to change her.

Until the day when the story becomes all too real...and Hanna's world is spun off its axis by its shattering, irrevocable conclusion.

Rules:
+ There will be one winner
+ U.S. Residents only
+ Must be a follower!
+ Giveaway ends: July 15th
+ Fill out this form

Review | Lisa, Bright and Dark by John Neufeld

Lisa Shilling is 16, smart, attractive--and she is losing her mind. Some days are "light," and everything is normal; during her "dark" days, she hides deep within herself, and nothing can reach her. Her teachers ignore what is happening. Her parents deny it. Lisa's friends are the only ones who are listening--and they walk with her where adults fear to tread.

Thoughts: When I first picked up this book in Jr. High, it instantly became one of my favorites. So when I saw it at a used book store, I had to get it because I remembered loving it.

I enjoyed it again, but after reading it this time around I realized how outdated the story really is. I guess just didn't notice this when I first read it, but now it was something that constantly bothered me.

The characters were not really like teens today, and I am so accustomed to reading YA books that portray teens like they presently are, that reading this sort of threw me off a bit.

Other than that though, I really love the story. I think it would've been a bit more interesting if it was from Lisa's point of view, but I'm not sure how that could've worked. Instead, we see everything that happens to Lisa from an aquaintance who gets a bit more involved as the story unfolds.

Although I want to say I recommend this book to everyone, I'm not too sure if many YA readers will like it because it was written for teens in the late sixties. So, it makes it a bit harder to really connect with the characters and enjoy the story. In my opinion, it is still a great book.

Favorite Quote: "Elizabeth spoke first. 'The trouble with reasonable adult human beings is that they collapse when they meet other reasonable human beings. We don't.'"

This book was purchased by myself at a local bookstore.

Book Blogger Hop (1)

About the Hop: This is a weekly event where book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read. It's a great way to network with other bloggers and make new friends!

This is the first time I participate in the Book Blogger Hop hosted by

Crazy For Books. There are so many great blogs out there that I will be discovering through this and I think its a great way for me to get a little more involved in the blogging world again :)

I have been blogging for over a year now and even though I have had a few slow months, I am back in action! I read mostly YA, but I also love Mystery, Romance and Historical Fiction. Although most of my reviews are of YA, I try to add a few different ones every so often to the mix. I also do a few weekly meme's and have a few giveaways going on here. 

If you are participating or you found me through the Hop, please leave me a comment.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fun Book Blogger Hop Friday!

Review | The Knife That Killed Me by Anthony McGowan

Paul Vanderman could be at any normal high school where bullies, girls, and annoying teachers are just part of life. But “normal” doesn’t apply when it comes to the school’s biggest bully, Roth—a twisted and threatening thug with an evil agenda.

When Paul ends up delivering a message from Roth to the leader of a gang at a nearby school, it fuels a rivalry with immediate consequences. Paul attempts to distance himself from the feud, but somehow Roth keeps finding reasons for him to stick around. Then one day Roth hands him a knife. And even though Paul is scared, he has never felt so powerful.

Thoughts: This was a dark, gritty, and depressing book. I'm still a bit unsure on how exactly I felt about it, but I think I liked it. The story was a bit different to anything I've read before and that kept me interested in it, but there were a few things that bothered me about it that left me undecided about what I really think of it.

The characters were interesting, but could have used more development. I didn't think they were as good as they could've been and maybe that would have helped me get a bit more attached to them. I really felt no connection with Paul or any of the other characters throughout the book.

My biggest problem was the writing and at first I thought that maybe I was the only one who thought this, but I read a few other reviews in the past few weeks and they also made similar comments. The sentences are really short, sort of choppy and that was probably why I had such a difficult time really "getting into" the book at first.

The plot was the most unique thing about the entire book and I must admit I am a bit shocked that things like this actually happen in the world. Sure, there's always bullying, peer pressure and sometimes tragic outcomes from such things, but I am always a bit surprised when I read something like this because I have never been in such situations like the ones Paul goes through in this book.

I don't want to add more because this is a pretty easy book to spoil, and I am sure there are others who want to read this book without knowing how it ends. I think that my final decision is that I did like it. It was an interesting story of a boy who goes down the wrong path that eventually leads to an unforgettable outcome and ending.

This book was provided by Around the World Tours for review.

Teaser Tuesday (1)

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 two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

+ Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I let my eyes adjust to the darkness of the room. And then I realize Jordan's next to me, sleeping, his arms wrapped around me, our legs tangled together under the blanket."

--pg. 119, Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

trying to get back.

Okay, so I said I was back and then wasn't. I continously come back and browse around the blogs I follow, but don't really do much else. Well, I think I finally am really back. Summer is definitely here, and although I am taking summer classes, my children are off on vacation so work will be minimal for me and that means more free time for me to blog.

A few things I wanted to mention:

+ Yay, new look. the old one just wasn't working for me and this current one is temporary while I get a new, better look going.

+ I am still reading Two-Way Street and although I really like it, I just haven't taken the time to sit and read it. I plan to be done with it by the end of this week.

+ I have extended my Numbers giveaway. Click here to learn more.

+ Since I missed this month again for my TCMG, I have decided to announce the book that I will be giving for the end of July later this week and maybe have a few winners...

+ I will be having another giveaway soon. Look for that ;)

+ I have decided to participate in a few meme's again. I'm hoping it'll help me be active once again.

+ I have 12+ reviews that I should've had written in the past month, so if all of a sudden I drop two or three a day, I am just trying to catch up.

So yeah, that's all my news. Other than that, I am excited to be back and have missed blogging and reading and commenting. I think this time, I am really back :)

happy reading everyone.