AND THE WINNER IS: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Result: 62 

62

11/17/2010 13:08:11

latisha  -- tishajean

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.

Didn't win?  Order your copy from my Amazon link:

Book Trailer Tuesday: Author Veronica Roth on Divergent

I SOOO want to read this one.

Divergent

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (May 3, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062024027
• ISBN-13: 978-0062024022

Thirst No. 1 by Christopher Pike

Description

As to blood -- ah, blood, the whole subject fascinates me. I do like that as well, warm and dripping, when I am thirsty. And I am often thirsty....
Alisa has been in control of her urges for the five thousand years she has been a vampire. She feeds but does not kill, and she lives her life on the fringe to maintain her secret. But when her creator returns to hunt her, she must break her own rules in order to survive.
Her quest leads her to Ray. He is the only person who can help her; he also has every reason to fear her. Alisa must get closer to him to ensure her immortality. But as she begins to fall in love with Ray, suddenly there is more at stake than her own life....

About the Author

Christopher Pike is a best-selling author of young adult novels.  The Thirst series, The Secret of Ka, and the Remember Me and Alosha trilogies are some of his favorite titles.  He is also the author of several adult novels, including Sati and The Season of Passage.  Thirst and Alosha are slated to be released as feature films.  Pike currently lives in Santa Barbara, where it is rumored he never leaves his house.  But he can be found online at Christopherpikebooks.com.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; Original edition (August 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416983082
• ISBN-13: 978-1416983088

 This book needs a new home.  I tired 50 pages and it just didn't click with me.  New with price tag!

WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK?

Contest is open to anyone with reliable mail service (Worldwide and PO Boxes OK!)
Contest ends on 12.13.10 and the winner will be chosen by Random.org on 12.14.10
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is sponsored by ME and one book (once read!)  is available.


+1 Complete the below form
+1 Follow Me

+1 Be my friend on GoodReads HERE

+1 Follow me on Twitter HERE

+1 Like the SWAMPED Facebook Page HERE 

+1 Follow my other blog: BookHounds HERE

And now, for those extra entries you can do each day:

+1 Leave a comment!  I love comments! If you don't follow on GFC, be sure to leave an email address or your the name you used on the form, so I can contact you.

 +1 for each post on twitter, a social networking site, blog, sidebar, etc., just be sure to leave a link.

AND THE WINNER IS: Gratitude Giveaway

I Read Banned Books Jen Bigheart --  jenbigheart

Be Sure to visit I READ BANNED BOOKS at
http://jenbigheart.blogspot.com


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

I had almost 200 unique entries and over 450 extra entries!  WOW!!!

20 QUESTIONS WITH: Personal Demons author LISA DESROCHERS (Bookmark Giveaway!)

20 Questions with Lisa Desrochers, author of Personal Demons

1.      Bookmarks or dog ears?

Bookmarks. I have some cool ones with Frannie, Luc and Gabe on them. Do you want some? =)

  (I have two to give away!--Mary)

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

3.      Favorite author?

One? Seriously? Here’s the list: JRR Tolkien, Kristin Cashore, Melissa Marr and John Green.

4.      Favorite genre’?
YA, of course!

5.      What is the best book you have read in the last year?
One? Seriously? (Are you seeing the theme?) Here’s the list (and not all were published in 2010): GracelingFire by Kristin Cashore, Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan, The DUFF by Kody Keplinger and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. and

6.      What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
Can I say Personal Demons? ;p

7.      E books:  Friend or foe?
Friend. Anything that puts books in hands is a good thing.

8.      Was there a book that inspired you to write?
Twilight, actually. But that’s because my daughter was all into the series, and her reading obsession was what made me want to write her a book.

9.      What are you reading right now?
I just finished Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. It was pure genius. I also just finished Courtney Moulton’s awesome sequel to Angelfire, Wings of the Wicked, which doesn’t release until Feb. 2012. Right now I’m writing, so I won’t read anything else until I’m done. Christmas, maybe.

10.     What is the last book you bought just for the cover?
I’ve never done that. There are covers I love, but my reading time is so small and my to-be-read stack so big, that I really have to want a book to buy it. My favorite cover this year is The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff.

11.     What is the last book you received in the mail?
I got some ARCs from my editor back in August. The Replacement, The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney and Bloodthirsty by Flynn Meaney.

12.     What is the number of books you own?

Uncountable. I have an actual library, if that helps. My husband likes to call it “the office” but the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling built in bookshelves say otherwise.

13.     What is the first book you remember reading by yourself as a child?
Goodnight Moon.

14.     Do you have a favorite place to read?
Anywhere I have a good book.

15.     What is next for you, publishing-wise?
Original Sin, the second book in the Personal Demons trilogy, will be published in July. ARCs should be out next month =)

16.     Do you have a favorite place to write?
Anywhere an idea comes to me.

17.     Do you have any pets ?
No. Unless you count my kids. They are like herding cats sometimes.

18.        How does your garden grow?

Not very well.

19.        The last thing you Googled?

Chaucer. I needed dates.

20.     What makes you cringe?
Making mistakes. I’m a perfectionist.

I would like to thank Lisa for stopping by today -- I have two book marks I snagged when Lisa spoke at the Orange County Children's Book Fest this year.  Be sure to leave Lisa a comment and you will get an extra entry!


Open to anyone with reliable mail service, just fill out the form below and Random.org will pick a winner on  December 4, 2010

+1 Complete the below form
+1 Follow Me

+1 Be my friend on GoodReads HERE

+1 Follow me on Twitter HERE

+1 Follow my other blog: BookHounds HERE

+1 Visit Lisa Desrochers website HERE

+1 Fan Lisa Desrochers on Good Reads HERE

+1 Follow Personal Demons on Blogger HERE

+1 Follow Lisa on Twitter HERE 

+1 Like Personal Demons on Facebook HERE

AND THE WINNER IS: Academy 7 By Anne Osterlund

Lane --  moiraethefates
be sure to visit 

Moira (the fates) Book Reviews at

http://moiraethefatesbookreviews.blogspot.com/

 
An email has been sent to the lucky person named above (first part of their email address in case my note ends up in spam).  Lane has until Monday to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Thanks to all who entered.

Didn't win?  Order your copy from my Amazon link:

Amazon's Black Friday Deal: Kindle 2 For $89

OK -- too good to be true?

This is for the last generation Kindle....but at an amazing price

Amazon's Black Friday Deal: Kindle 2 For $89

Waiting on Wednesday: Dead Is Not An Option by Marlene Perez

"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

It’s springtime of senior year, and psychic sleuth Daisy Giordano is preparing to say goodbye to Nightshade High. But no college acceptance letters have arrived yet, and she’s beginning to worry about where she’ll end up come fall—and if it will be anywhere near her boyfriend, Ryan. But that’s not the only uncertainty Daisy’s dealing with. There’s a vamps-versus-shifters war going on in Nightshade, and things are so tense that there is talk of canceling the prom. The conflict is carrying over to the Giordano home, since Rose and Daisy are both dating werewolves and Poppy’s new boyfriend is a vampire.

Can the paranormal community in Nightshade finally find peace? And will Daisy and her friends survive graduation? All of these questions and more are answered in the latest explosive installment in the Dead Is series.

About the Author

Marlene Perez is the author of Dead Is the New Black, Dead Is a State of Mind, Dead Is So Last Year, Dead Is Just a Rumor, Love in the Corner Pocket, and The Comeback. She lives in Orange County, California.Visit her website at www.marleneperez.com.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Graphia (May 2, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0547345933
• ISBN-13: 978-0547345932

Another long wait for a series book.  May seems like forever....

Book Trailer Tuesday: Entice by Carrie Jones

AND THE WINNER IS: Worse Case Scenario Handbook Gross Junior Edition

Bethie -- lizzi0915
An email has been sent to the lucky person named above (first part of their email address in case my note ends up in spam). They have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to all who entered.



Didn't win? Order your copy from my Amazon link:

REVIEW: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Description

The first book in an exciting new series by first time author Lauren DeStefano. 

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

About the Author

Lauren DeStefano earned her BA in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing from Albertus Magnus College in Connecticut in 2007. Wither is her first novel.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1 edition (March 22, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442409053
• ISBN-13: 978-1442409057

SOURCE:  Around the World ARC Tours

 MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

All I can say after reading this, is when will the next one be released?  I just couldn't put this one down once I started and even now, I am still thinking about the characters. In this dystopian tale, Rhine is sixteen and forced into marriage after being stolen from her home.  She learns that her husband is more or less a pawn in his father's mad scientist games in which he is experimenting on corpses to stop the insidious virus that plagues mankind.  The virus causes women to die at twenty and men at twenty five.

Without going into to much plot detail, Rhine tries to escape and with the help of her sister-wives, she gain the courage to make the final attempt.  This is truly a page turner and it will leave you with many different feelings.  I do hope in the end, Rhine finds her contentment.  I guess I will have to wait for the installment to find this out.

REVIEW: Need by Carrie Jones

Description

Now fans of Stephenie Meyer and Melissa Marr have a new author to devour . . .

Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.

With suspense, romance, and paranormal themes, this exciting breakout novel has all the elements to keep teens rapidly turning the pages.

About the Author

CARRIE JONES is an award-winning author who recently graduated from Vermont College’s MFA program. She is the author of the YA novels Girl, Hero; Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape); and Tips on Having a Gay (ex)Boyfriend, which was nominated for a YALSA Quick Pick and won the Maine Literary Award. Carrie lives in Ellsworth, Maine. www.carriejonesbooks.com

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (December 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599903385
• ISBN-13: 978-1599903385

SOURCE: PURCHASED

MY THOUGHTS

LOVED IT

The story took awhile to get to, but then it was a page turner. I really think that this one needs a sequel! Nicely combines pixies/faries and werebeasts into a cute romance. If you enjoyed Tithe, you will like this, although not as dark. 

Since I just finished Entice, the third in the series I will give away my read - once copy!  

WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK?

Contest is open to anyone with reliable mail service (Worldwide and PO Boxes OK!)
Contest ends on 12.6.10 and the winner will be chosen by Random.org on 12.7.10
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is sponsored by ME and one book (once read!)  is available.


+1 Complete the below form
+1 Follow Me

+1 Be my friend on GoodReads HERE

+1 Follow me on Twitter HERE

+1 Like the SWAMPED Facebook Page HERE 

+1 Follow my other blog: BookHounds HERE

+1 Visit CarrieJonesbooks.com and leave me a comment about an interesting fact

+1 Fan Carrie Jones on Good Reads HERE

+1 Follow Carrie Jones' blog HERE

+1 Like Carrie Jones on  FaceBook HERE

And now, for those extra entries you can do each day:

+1 Leave a comment!  I love comments! If you don't follow on GFC, be sure to leave an email address or your the name you used on the form, so I can contact you.

 +1 for each post on twitter, a social networking site, blog, sidebar, etc., just be sure to leave a link.

REVIEW: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Description

“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have written a love story that will have readers perusing bookstore shelves, looking and longing for a love (and a red notebook) of their own.

About the Author

Rachel Cohn & David Levithan have written three books together. Their first, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, was made into a movie starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings, directed by Peter Sollett. Their second, Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List, was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age. For their third book, Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, David wrote Dash’s chapters and Rachel wrote Lily’s. Although they did not pass the chapters back and forth in a red Moleskine notebook, they did email them to each other without planning anything out beforehand. That’s the way they work.

Rachel’s previous books include Gingerbread, Shrimp, Cupcake, You Know Where to Find Me, and Very LeFreak. David’s previous books include Boy Meets Boy, The Realm of Possibility, Are We There Yet?, Wide Awake, Love Is the Higher Law, and How They Met, and Other Stories.

For more information about Rachel and David, you can find them at RachelCohn.com and DavidLevithan.com, respectively. You may also catch them in the aisles at the Strand.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (October 26, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375866590
• ISBN-13: 978-0375866593

SOURCE:  AROUND THE WORLD ARC TOURS

MY THOUGHTS:
LOVED IT

**SPOILER ALERT**  Don't read the second paragraph!

If you are looking for the holiday romance book of the season, this is it! I haven't read a more perfectly put together romance like this in a long time.  The story mostly takes place at the Strand, the famous NYC bookstore.  Lily's brother pretty much tells her she is a loser and when her parents and grandfather take off over the winter break, she finds herself truly alone.  Her brother hits on the idea that she should leave a book of dares stashed on the shelf at the Strand.  Dash discovers the book and he starts to communicate with Lily through the journal.

After several madcap adventures and quips traded back and forth in the journal, Lily finally meets Dash face to face.  There are several difficult moments with lots of character growth.  This one will make you go "awwww" quite a few times and there is enough action to keep the plot moving.  There is some alluded to sex mentioned and an instance of alcohol, but overall not much to worry about.

Fallout by Ellen Hopkins

Description

Hunter, Autumn, and Summer—three of Kristina Snow’s five children—live in different homes, with different guardians and different last names. They share only a predisposition for addiction and a host of troubled feelings toward the mother who barely knows them, a mother who has been riding with the monster, crank, for twenty years. Hunter is nineteen, angry, getting by in college with a job at a radio station, a girlfriend he loves in the only way he knows how, and the occasional party. He's struggling to understand why his mother left him, when he unexpectedly meets his rapist father, and things get even more complicated. Autumn lives with her single aunt and alcoholic grandfather. When her aunt gets married, and the only family she’s ever known crumbles, Autumn’s compulsive habits lead her to drink. And the consequences of her decisions suggest that there’s more of Kristina in her than she’d like to believe. Summer doesn’t know about Hunter, Autumn, or their two youngest brothers, Donald and David. To her, family is only abuse at the hands of her father’s girlfriends and a slew of foster parents. Doubt and loneliness overwhelm her, and she, too, teeters on the edge of her mother’s notorious legacy. As each searches for real love and true family, they find themselves pulled toward the one person who links them together—Kristina, Bree, mother, addict. But it is in each other, and in themselves, that they find the trust, the courage, the hope to break the cycle.
Told in three voices and punctuated by news articles chronicling the family’s story, FALLOUT is the stunning conclusion to the trilogy begun by CRANK and GLASS, and a testament to the harsh reality that addiction is never just one person’s problem.

About the Author

Ellen Hopkins is the New York Times bestselling author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, and Fallout. Her novels are praised by teens and adults alike, and she has been called the “bestselling living poet in the U.S.” by mediabistro.com. She lives with her family in Carson City, Nevada.  Be sure to visit Ellen Hopkins online at ellenhopkins.com; myspace/com/ellenhopkins; and twitter.com/ellenhopkinsYA.

WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK?

Contest is open to anyone with reliable mail service (Worldwide and PO Boxes OK!)
Contest ends on 12.2.10 and the winner will be chosen by Random.org on 12.3.10
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is sponsored by ME and Margaret K. McElderry Publishing, one book (ARC)  is available.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 672 pages
• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (September 14, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416950095
• ISBN-13: 978-1416950097

+1 Complete the below form
+1 Follow Me

+1 Be my friend on GoodReads HERE

+1 Follow me on Twitter HERE

+1 Like the SWAMPED Facebook Page HERE 

+1 Follow my other blog: BookHounds HERE

+1 Visit EllenHopkins.com and leave me a comment about an interesting fact

+1 Fan Ellen on Good Reads HERE

+1 Follow on Twitter HERE

+1 Like Fallout on FaceBook HERE

 

And now, for those extra entries you can do each day:

+1 Leave a comment!  I love comments! If you don't follow on GFC, be sure to leave an email address or your the name you used on the form, so I can contact you.

 +1 for each post on twitter, a social networking site, blog, sidebar, etc., just be sure to leave a link.

Waiting on Wednesday: Over the Moon by Jodi Picoult and Jake Van Leer

"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

Master storyteller and bestselling author Jodi Picoult teams up with Jake van Leer and Ellen Wilber to bring you an original musical, sure to breathe life into any middle-school and high school drama curriculum. Part Shakespearean comedy and part Fractured Fairy Tales, Over the Moon is all fun. Narrated by a cross-dressing Hairy Godmother (no, that’s not a typo), the story begins when Luna (the moon) descends to a small town on earth disguised as a boy, and sets out to help humans find love. But Luna herself falls in love with Prince Jack... who’s in love with Felicity... who has fallen for Luna. On the way to happily ever after are a steady stream of clever puns and topical jokes about American Idol, universal health care, Bernie Madoff, and just about every fairy tale creature you’ve ever heard of! With nineteen original hum-worthy songs and plenty of spots to tailor the play to any city or town, Over the Moon is the perfect choice for every school looking to perform an energetic show that’s fresh, funny, and timeless.

About the Author

JODI PICOULT is the author of seventeen novels, including Handle With Care, Change of Heart, Nineteen Minutes, and My Sister’s Keeper, now a major motion picture. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children. Visit her website at www.jodipicoult.com.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; Original edition (January 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1442421320
• ISBN-13: 978-144242132

GRATITUDE GIVEAWAY: 5 Novels!

I would like to thank all of my followers!  
This one is for you!

This one has a simple entry form.  It is open to everyone everywhere with reliable mail or delivery service.  You must be a Google Friend Connect or Email subscriber.  If you need help signing up, send me a note HERE.  New followers are welcome!

Be sure to visit my other blog BOOKHOUNDS for additional giveaways this week.


GIVEAWAY ENDS ON NOVEMBER 28 -- MIDNIGHT PST

Be sure to visit all of the blogs participating HERE --  there are over 175!


Winner will be chosen with the help of Random.org on November 30.

Here are the titles:

Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund (finished copy)

12 Finally by Wendy Mass (ARC)

Hollywood is Like High School With Money by Zoey Dean (ARC)

No Castle's Here by ACE Bauer (ARC)

To Come and Go Like Magic by Katie Pickard Fawcett (ARC)  

Book Trailer Tuesday: JANE by April Lindner

AND THE WINNER IS: Radiance by Alyson Noel

Result: 24 

24   10/31/2010 19:07:52  Andrea/ Purplg8r
Be sure to visit Andrea's blog: 
So Many Books, So Little Time




An email has been sent to the lucky perrson named above
They have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to all who entered.



Didn't win? Order your copy from my Amazon link:

REVIEW: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Description

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.
As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

About the Author

Rachel Hawkins is a high school English teacher. She lives with her family in Alabama, and is currently at work on the next book in the Hex Hall series.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion Book CH; 1 edition (March 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1423121309
• ISBN-13: 978-1423121305

SOURCE:  Purchased 

MY THOUGHTS
Check out my rating of this book HERE

**Slight Spoilers**

I have had this book sitting in a pile since it first came out and now I am wondering why it took me so long to read this.  It has all of the ingredients to make this one of my favorite books: snappy dialogue, snarky humor, and fast action.  This is a quick and easy read which I found immensely enjoyable.  Now, I just can't wait for Demonglass.  The end of the story left me with so many questions.

Sophie learns that she has been classified as a dark witch when she checks into her new school, Hecate Hall.  She ends up at this reform school after several of her spells go horribly wrong.  She finds more outcasts her that are like her, but not really like her.  She has her first head over heels crush on the wrong boy, the REALLY wrong boy named Archer Cross.  At least she does make one friend, a vamp named Jenna. These two will probably play an even more important role in the next book.  My fingers are crossed on that one.

Like most young adult books, the parents are non existent, but even more so in this one since Sophie has never even met her father.  I did expect him to make a grand entrance like Darth Vader, "Sophie, I am your father!", but that didn't really happen.  Again, I have high hopes for the next installment.  I am not going into the plot twists, but just be sure that there are a few that will have you pleasantly surprised.

Recommended:  To Everyone over 13 since there are a few sexual references.
Similar Authors: Lauren Kate, Marlene Perez



WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK?

Contest is open to anyone with reliable mail service (Worldwide and PO Boxes OK!)
Contest ends on 11.29.10 and the winner will be chosen by Random.org on 11.30.10
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is sponsored by ME one book is available. I bought this book used, but it is still in good condition.


+1 Complete the below form
+1 Follow Me

+1 Be my friend on GoodReads HERE

+1 Follow me on Twitter HERE

+1 Like the SWAMPED Facebook Page HERE 

+1 Follow my other blog: BookHounds HERE

+1 Follow Rachel Hawkins' blog HERE

+1 Follow Rachel Hawkins on Twitter HERE

+1 Like Hex Hall on Face Book HERE

+1 Fan on Good Reads HERE

And now, for those extra entries you can do each day:

+1 Leave a comment!  I love comments! If you don't follow on GFC, be sure to leave an email address or your the name you used on the form, so I can contact you.

 +1 for each post on twitter, a social networking site, blog, sidebar, etc., just be sure to leave a link.

Giveaway: The Complete Immortals Series by Alyson Noel at Dark Faerie Tales

I just saw this awesome giveaway over at Dark Faerie Tales...


Giveaway: The Complete Immortals Series by Alyson Noel | Dark Faerie Tales

AND THE WINNER IS: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

April X 
aprilxu2222



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). They have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.



Thanks to all who entered.


Didn't win? Order your copy from my Amazon link:

REVIEW! Academy 7 by Anne Osterlund (autographed!)

Description

With a past too terrible to speak of, and a bleak, lonely future ahead of her, Aerin Renning is shocked to find she has earned a place at the most exclusive school in the universe. Aerin excels at Academy 7 in all but debate, where Dane Madousin—son of one of the most powerful men in the Alliance— consistently outtalks her. Fortunately Aerin consistently outwits him at sparring. They are at the top of their class until Dane jeopardizes everything and Aerin is unintentionally dragged down with him. When the pair is given a joint punishment, an unexpected friendship—and romance—begins to form. But Dane and Aerin both harbor dangerous secrets, and the two are linked in ways neither of them could ever have imagined. . . .

About the Author

Anne Osterlund lives in Ione, Oregon.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Speak (May 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142414379
• ISBN-13: 978-0142414378

 MY THOUGHTS:
LIKED  IT

I thought this one was more science fiction with a little romance tucked in.  This one needs a new home!

WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK (ARC)?

Contest is open to anyone with reliable mail service (Worldwide and PO Boxes OK!)
Contest ends on 11.25.10 and the winner will be chosen by Random.org on 11.26.10
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is sponsored by ME, one book is available.


+1 Complete the below form
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And now, for those extra entries you can do each day:

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AND THE WINNER IS: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Raquel!  skyla11377

http://skyla11377.blogspot.com


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). They have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks to all who entered.



Didn't win? Order your copy from my Amazon link:

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

I am reading this for my next book and giveaway!  I need cheerleaders...tell me how great this book is!

Giveaways and statistics

So, you know how I have requested for people to let me know where they live -- I just found an easier way.  Google Stats!  It is so easy to use.  I just clicked on STATS on my blogger dashboard and it is right there under audience. 

Here are the countries that most visit the blog:

United States
Canada
Malaysia
India
United Kingdom
Costa Rica
Brazil

Waiting on Wednesday: Ten Miles Past Normal by Frances O'Roark Dowell

"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

Janie Gorman wants to be normal. The problem with that: she’s not. She’s smart and creative and a little bit funky. She’s also an unwilling player in her parents’ modern-hippy, let’s-live-on-a-goat-farm experiment (regretfully, instigated by a younger, much more enthusiastic Janie). This, to put it simply, is not helping Janie reach that “normal target.” She has to milk goats every day…and endure her mother’s pseudo celebrity in the homemade-life, crunchy mom blogosphere. Goodbye the days of frozen lasagna and suburban living, hello crazy long bus ride to high school and total isolation--and hovering embarrassments of all kinds. The fresh baked bread is good…the threat of homemade jeans, not so much. It would be nice to go back to that old suburban life…or some grown up, high school version of it, complete with nice, normal boyfriends who wear crew neck sweaters and like social studies. So, what’s wrong with normal? Well, kind of everything. She knows that, of course, why else would she learn bass and join Jam Band, how else would she know to idolize infamous wild-child and high school senior Emma (her best friend Sarah’s older sister), why else would she get arrested while doing a school project on a local freedom school (jail was not part of the assignment). And, why else would she kind of be falling in "like" with a boy named Monster—yes, that is his real name. Janie was going for normal, but she missed her mark by about ten miles…and we mean that as a compliment.
Frances O’Roark Dowell’s fierce humor and keen eye make her YA debut literary and wise. In the spirit of John Green and E. Lockhart, Dowell’s relatable, quirky characters and clever, fluid writing prove that growing up gets complicated…and normal is WAY overrated.

About the Author

Frances O'Roark Dowell is the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of Dovey Coe, which won the Edgar Award, Where I'd Like to Be, the bestselling The Secret Language of Girls, and its sequel The Kind of Friends We Used to Be, Chicken Boy, Shooting the Moon, which was awarded the Christopher Medal, the Phineas L. MacGuire series, and most recently Falling In.  She lives with her husband and two sons in Durham, North Carolina. Connect with Frances online at FrancesDowell.com.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (March 22, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416995854
• ISBN-13: 978-1416995852

I just read about kids of star mommy bloggers and I think this will be interesting!
 

Book Trailer Tuesday : My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

REVIEW: My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent

Description

YOU WANT MY SOUL AND MY BOYFRIEND?

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can’t just pretend nothing happened. But “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn’t just an ordinary girl. She’s a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people’s fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn’t above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

About the Author

Rachel Vincent's urban fantasy novels have been causing a buzz in the US, with her fresh, hip and compelling style. Rachel also runs an active blog at urbanfantasy.blogspot.com.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (January 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373210272
• ISBN-13: 978-0373210275

SOURCE:  Around the World ARC Tours

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

I finished My Soul to Keep right before I read this one and it is wonderful to see the continuity in the story.  Each chapter builds upon the next.  I sort of wish I had read the blurb above before I started the story since I was just as mystified as Kaylee about Sabine's identity.  Just one tiny spoiler here:  Sabine isn't really after Kaylee, nor is she as bad as you think she is.  Oh, how I wish I could spill the beans on this one.  This story will have you staying up late just to find out all of the details.  Seriously, you may have to stop everything in your life to finish it.

The story reminds my why I adored the first book in the series.  There was somewhat of a sophomore slump with the last two books, but this one rocks!  The main twist to this book is Sabine.  She is just the spark that sets everything in motion. All of your favorite evil bad guys are here as well.  If you keep up with this series, I won't have to name names.  There are of course a few sexual situations and substance abuse issues here, but they are dealt with in a mature and responsible fashion.  This series is best for those over 14 years old.

REVIEW: My Soul to Keep by Rachel Vincent

Description

Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.Until something does.
Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.
And so is someone else…

About the Author

Rachel Vincent's urban fantasy novels have been causing a buzz in the US, with her fresh, hip and compelling style. Rachel also runs an active blog at urbanfantasy.blogspot.com.

Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (June 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373210051
• ISBN-13: 978-0373210053

SOURCE:  Traded with another blogger!

MY THOUGHTS:
LOVED IT

Without spoiling the plot line here, this book in the Soul Screamers series really shakes up Kaylee's world.  There is much more drama and suspense than the last one, but it doesn't quite hit the high mark of the first book.  Kaylee is finally growing up and finding her backbone though.  She is learning how to deal with her gifts and even though she is at odds with Nash during this installment, I have hopes that things will get better.


The usual group of characters is present and mostly accounted for as well.  There are some page turning parts that will not let you put the book down.  This book deals with underage drinking and substance abuse in a responsible way.  There are a few points of sex that are discussed in a conscientious manner as well. I would recommend this series for anyone over 14.