GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: Paradise Rules by Jimmy Gleacher

Description

TRUE OR F A L S E ?  
It’s only a week into summer break and already seventeen-year-old Gates has . . .
a) Hustled millionaires on the golf course
b) Tried to stop his mother from having a(nother) nervous breakdown
c) Promised to lose his virginity with his girlfriend, Mel . . . which would be great if he hadn’t already lost it to his forty-year-old godmother
d) Almost killed a man
Yeah, Gates has a lot of secrets, but he’s determined to keep his heart true. When he’s not swinging golf clubs like a pro, he reads pulp fiction to old folks at the retirement home. And despite his occasional slip-ups—drinking before noon and sneaking glimpses through his sexy godmother’s open negligees—Gates only has eyes for Mel. But she knows he’s hiding something, and she’s beginning to lose her patience.
Just as Gates is about to spill his shameful secrets, he gets tangled up in a golf club scandal that jeopardizes his dreams of a normal life. He’s never been a fighter, but this time he finally pushes back at the world—which could have been a breakthrough but turns into an epic fail. Probably because Gates fights back dirty. Now his life is on the verge of ruin, and he’s got no one to turn to for help.
Or so he thinks. Because what Gates is about to discover might hit him with the most amazing shock of his life.

Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Gallery; Original edition (July 12, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1451608454
• ISBN-13: 978-1451608458

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

Gates loves his girlfriend Mel, he earns extra money by hustling golf players at a country club as a caddy, his mother is just about to have a breakdown and he stumbles on something that may just change his "normal" life.  Mel knows something is wrong but just can't put her finger on it and when Gates finally decides to open up, he has what can only be described as an "epic fail".  Just when he thinks he can no longer deal, he finds a strength that was there all along.

This book has everything to make me happy!  I loved the tone and humor that really worked with the very believable characters.  Gates' friend Timmy,an OCD afflicted teen that must repeat the last word he says three times and thus becomes Timmy, Timmy, Timmy or 3T,  quickly became my favorite.  Lu, Gates' boss at the golf club, has more misguided plans that you can imagine and when he wants to make a point, he spouts Confucius like statements and his Amazing Adventure which is really quite far from reality in a bid to save his house.  The story reminded me a bit of Christopher Buckley, so if you like off the wall humor, you will love this as much as I did.  I recommend this one for older teens since there are sexual situations and alcohol/drugs mentioned.

GO HERE TO WIN COPIES OF JIMMY'S OTHER BOOKS!

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a US mailing address

Contest ends on 8.5.11 Winner will be chosen by Random.org on 8.6.11

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway is sponsored by Gallery Book and ONE copy is available.
There is another copy over at BookHounds HERE

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GIVEAWAY & 10 Questions with JIMMY GLEACHER author of Paradise Rules

About the Author

Jimmy Gleacher is the author of "It's How You Play the Game" and the screenwriter of "He's Such a Girl," and lives in Boulder, Colorado. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from the trippy and groovy Naropa Institute, where he was awarded the Jack Kerouac Scholarship. His short stories have appeared in The Sun, 2wice, The Lullwater Review, Damaged Goods, and other lit journals no one has ever heard of.

I would like to thank Jimmy for stopping by BookHounds today and answering my silly questions. 
Check out his other books at the end and enter to win copies of both his previous releases!

1.     

1. Bookmarks or dog ears?
Bookmarks

2. Dust jacket on or off when reading a hard back?
Off

3. What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?
Old Yeller

4. What are you reading right now?
IMPERIAL BEDROOMS by Bret Easton Ellis

5. Do you have a favorite author?
Tim O’Brien

6. Was there a book that inspired you to write?
AMERICAN PSYCHO

7. Do you have a favorite place to write?
Boulder, Colorado

8. How does your garden grow?
Definitely not with cockle shells.

9. What is the last thing you Googled?
Old Yeller

10. What makes you cringe?
All the mistakes I have made. 

Description

Liza Davis is looking for something. Looking for hope, for meaning. For her sister, or her best friend. Maybe she's even looking for herself. In Silly Little Rich Girl, Jimmy Gleacher introduces a fascinating and contradictory heroine. Privileged, famous, beautiful...Liza seems destined for a successful career on Wall Street until a series of events loosens her grip on reality and sends her on a cross-country quest. From New York to Florida to Seattle, she visits the fringes of the underworld, gets an hour's worth of fifteen minutes of fame, falls in love for the first time, and believes her obsession with finding her sibling is sisterly love. Liza's journey is a classic road trip with a postmodern spin. Through Liza, Gleacher takes on American popular culture, from the sacred to the profane. Reality television, politicians, and evangelical Christians are just a few of Gleacher's targets in this incisive sophomore novel.

Description

With a cinematic wit and some emotional insight (rare from the male perspective), Jimmy Gleacher delivers his debut novel, a clever and heartfelt tale of a twentysomething guy's trip through love and relationships.
Jack Wilson's got a few problems. First, there's his ex-girlfriend, Breach -- their relationship was too perfect for any twentysomething guy in his right mind. Unable to commit, he quickly ran the other way. Since then, the dating games have spun out of control.
Now there's his new girlfriend, Hope -- she's gorgeous, exciting, smart, and quite possibly crazy. Hope's rich friends? Even crazier. Jack's life is suddenly cluttered with young, beautiful people who have a strange definition of love. Relying on fate, Jack decides to ride the situation out with little or no regard for the consequences.
A no-good gambling father, the new girlfriend's psychotic mother, and a seductive older woman aren't making things any easier. Jack's getting plenty of advice, though. If he isn't seeking the counsel of the local Mafioso deli owner, then his mom and her "Friday Night Drinking Club" are more than willing to butt in. Through it all, Jack learns that finding love and living with it depends on a set of rules, a few good moves, and a dose of luck.

WANT TO WIN A SET OF THESE TWO BOOKS?

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a US mailing address

Contest ends on 8.5.11 Winner will be chosen by Random.org on 8.6.11

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway is sponsored by the authorand ONE SET is available.


Complete the below form
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Waiting on Wednesday: If I Die by Rachel Vincent

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

 Description
 
No one wants to be this teacher’s pet . . .

Everyone else is talking about Eastlake High’s gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck, but Kaylee Cavanaugh has bigger things on her mind. Kaylee’s a banshee—her scream is a portent of death.

But the next scream might hit too close to home. Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline has almost run out.

Yeah—it’s a shock to her, too. So to distract herself from her own problems, Kaylee is determined to defend her school against the latest supernatural threat. That hot new teacher is really an incubus, who feeds from the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend’s delinquent ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren’t quite human either.

But Kaylee’s running out of time, and those who love her will do anything to save her life.

Anything.

Soul Screamers: The last thing you hear before you die.

 

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (September 27, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373210329
• ISBN-13: 978-0373210329

BOOK TRAILER TUESDAY: Author Lauren DeStefano discusses Goodreads

AND THE WINNER IS: BlogFest 2011

Zee - A Voracious Readeriwitt33

An email has been sent to the lucky people named above (first part of their email address in case my note ends up in spam).  The winner(s)  has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to all who entered.

PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOR THE EMAIL FROM BOOKHOUNDS @ HOTMAIL REQUESTING YOUR MAILING ADDRESS!

GIVEAWAY! The Ghost and The Goth & Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

 (new hardback)

Description

After a close encounter with the front end of a school bus, Alona Dare goes from Homecoming Queen to Queen of the Dead. Now she’s stuck as a spirit in the land of the living with no sign of the big, bright light to take her away. To make matters worse, the only person who might be able to help her is Will Killian, a total loser outcast. He alone can see and hear (turns out he’s been “blessed” with the ability to communicate with the dead), but he wants nothing to do with the former mean girl of Groundsboro High.

Alona has never needed anyone for anything, and now she’s supposed to expose her deepest, darkest secrets to this pseudo-goth boy? Right. She’s not telling anyone what really happened the day she died, not even to save her eternal soul. And Will’s not filling out any volunteer forms to help her cross to the other side. He only has a few more weeks until his graduation, when he can strike out on his own and find a place with less spiritual interference. But he has to survive and stay out of the psych ward until then. Can they get over their mutual distrust—and the weird attraction between them—to work together before Alona vanishes for good and Will is locked up for seeing things that don’t exist? 

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (May 10, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423124871
• ISBN-13: 978-1423124870

(ARC paperback)

Description

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (May 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423134672
• ISBN-13: 978-1423134671

 About the Author

Stacey Kade is an award-winning corporate copywriter. The Ghost and the Goth is her first YA novel. You can find her on Facebook and Twitter as well as at her Web site. She lives in the Chicago suburbs.

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?

Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a reliable mailing address
(International & PO Boxes OK!)

Contest ends on 7.29.11 Winner will be chosen by Random.org on 7.30.11

Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.

This giveaway is sponsored by the publisher and ME.

Complete the below form
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REVIEW: Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade

Description

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (May 31, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423134672
• ISBN-13: 978-1423134671

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

**slight spoilers**

The story picks right up where The Ghost and the Goth left off.  Told in alternating viewpoints between Alona and Will, the story takes us through Will's search to learn more about his mysterious father, his unusual gift of seeing dead people and his relationship with Alona, a girl who wouldn't normally give him the time of day in real life.  Alona has figured out a few things about being dead now, she knows she must help people and remain positive to earn karma points and possibly move on to a new level of death. That is if she doesn't become too overly attached to Will and when Mina shows up while they are helping a spirit cross over, Alona's jealously flares!  Mina is a member of the secret, ghost-busting Order and starts to shed light on Will's father. While Alona tries to distract Will from Mina and contact him through his best friend Lily (who is really dead and moved into the light, but her body still works) and winds up in possession of her body.  This is when the fun really starts!  And where I need to stop giving away plot points. 

Stacey Kade is going straight to my list of authors I force people to read.  Her fun style of writing mixed with a healthy dose of snark is just the perfect thing to get anyone out of a reading slump.  Reluctant readers will find the plot easy to follow and with enough twists to keep their attention.  The characters are truly believable and even the ghostly situations don't seem at all far fetched.  Alona is straight out of a teenage dream and to watch her grow and change is a pleasure.  Will is very complicated and it is wonderful to see him come out of his shell.  It will be interesting to see where the story goes next.  If you like Marley Gibson, Marlene Perez or Kelly McClymer, you are going to love this series.