Hour 16 (And a Half)-- Read-A-Thon Update

So, as I said at Hour 9, I was reading City of Bones.... Well, I'm still reading City of Bones. As in, the first chapter. I took a break and made dinner for my very supportive and understanding husband and kiddos, got kids to bed, and then got sidetracked by Gone with the Wind. I wish I could say I was talking about the book, but alas, I am not. Really though?? Who could say no to Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh?? And does anyone else find it the tiniest bit humorous that Ashley (who is in fact a boy), also had a girly name in real life?

Oh, I digress....

Time to get serious. No dinking around (in the words of my 3-year-old). Back to City of Bones. Ready?? And....BREAK!

;D

Happy Reading!

Hour 9--Read-A-Thon Update

Well, here we are at hour nine (yes, already). I have finished book one and I am working on book two. This is what I've read:

• My friend's WIP-- 266 pages (in document form)
• City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (currently reading)

How are you doing so far? What are you reading? Have you had a lot of distractions? I have! But I'm already doing much better than last year. :D

More updates to come. Until then...

Happy Reading!

Hour 3 (And a Half)---Read-A-Thon Update

So, I'm three hours in, and I have to admit.... I haven't done a ton of reading yet. Some, but then I ate breakfast, took care of my kids, and now here I sit at the computer posting about my tiny bit of reading. Sad. According to my Kindle, I am 15% through my first book. I can't talk much about the first book I'm reading-- It's a WIP from my friend. She asked me to read through the final edit before it's sent to publishers, and I am loving it! I'll post more later when I finish reading it. Until then....

Happy Reading!

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-A-Thon

The Read-A-Thon is tomorrow!

I should have been more on top of things this week and posted about it sooner. You can still sign up for it though, and it is a fun twice-yearly extravaganza to participate in. I did it last April and failed miserably. I was 3 months pregnant and so exhausted. I had an empty, quiet house--which never happens-- and I ended up falling asleep at about 7PM. Pathetic, I know. I didn't even read much during the day because we had errands to run and a birthday party to go to. It was a really sad attempt. Then I didn't even sign up for the one in October because I was due with my son, and I didn't want to chance having him that day--I didn't, by the way. We did have another birthday party to go to that day too though. And if my memory serves, I was in a bit of a nesting frenzy in the form of sewing-- I made lots and lots of baby booties, blankets, and burp cloths.

Anyway, my chance to redeem myself has come! :D If you want to be official and sign up, you can do so by clicking HERE.

If you want more information about the Read-A-Thon, you can click HERE and browse through the frequently asked questions.

This is such a fun challenge, and I am excited to participate in it! Even if you don't do it "officially" it is still something that is worth a try. If you sign up for it, you can win prizes though, Definitely a plus!

So, do you plan to participate? Officially or unofficially?

Good luck

and

Happy Reading!

Stork by Wendy Delsol

Sixteen-year-old Katla LeBlanc has just moved from Los Angeles to Minnesota. As if it weren’t enough that her trendy fashion sense draws stares, Katla soon finds out that she’s a Stork, a member of a mysterious order of women tasked with a very unique duty. But Katla’s biggest challenge may be finding her flock at a new school. Between being ignored by Wade, the arrogant jock she stupidly fooled around with, and constantly arguing with gorgeous farm boy and editor-in-chief Jack, Katla is relieved when her assignment as the school paper’s fashion columnist brings with it some much-needed friendship. But as Homecoming approaches, Katla uncovers a shocking secret about her past — a secret that binds her fate to Jack’s in a way neither could have ever anticipated.

I really liked a lot of things about this book.

I liked the clever, original storyline. I probably say this too often, but how do people come up with these things?? This is exactly why I don't attempt to write. How could I compete with so many awesome ideas and books? Along with a great story, I think it's important that it flows well, and Stork does. I was hooked from page one!

The characters were great-- and there were quite a few of them. I mostly enjoyed Katla and Jack's interactions. Why do I love that they hate each other? I don't know. But it adds to the story, and it gets explained--the WHY they hate each other. I just like that there's some conflict. It makes everything less boring, don't you think?

There were one or two things that didn't quite make sense to me. I didn't get why they were in the book and how they connected, but nothing really took away from my positive opinion of this book. I think this is one worth reading, if only just to experince a different tale than all the fairly similar ones out there.

Don't forget about the giveaway going on! It runs through next Thursday, April 14th. For more information, click the link at the top-right side of the page (above my profile).

Happy Reading!

My VERY FIRST Giveaway!!

I've been at this blogging thing for over a year now, and I've decided that it's time for my first giveaway! I'm mostly doing this because I have the most amazing readers ever, and also because I think I've gotten too many blank stares when I talk about the Seven Realms series that I love so much. After some research of this series, I've found that it was planned to have four books total. So far, two have been released and the third one, The Gray Wolf Throne, is set to be released in September. The problem I'm having with this is that in all my findings, the author, Cinda Williams Chima, has said that this is the title of the FOURTH and final book--the third being The Sword of Hanalea. A bit of a problem since The Sword of Hanalea is non-existent. It is set to be a four-part series though, so I'm interested to see what the final book will be called.

Now-- the giveaway!!

This is the first book in the Seven Realms series....

AND IT IS AMAZING!!

Here's what it's about:

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can’t sell. For as long as Han can remember, he’s worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They’re clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he’s never been able to get them off.

While out hunting one day, Han and his Clan friend, Dancer catch three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. After a confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them. Han soon learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana’Marianna, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She’s just returned to court after three years of relative freedom with her father’s family at Demonai camp – riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy parties. 

Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her--plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

 

I am so excited to give it to someone I can hardly stand it. Aren't you so excited to read it?? It makes me want to read it all over again! So all you have to do now is ENTER. Here's how:

BECOME A FOLLOWER

-AND-

LEAVE ME A COMMENT telling me what book you are dying to read this year--any book, whether it's old or new, and also LEAVE ME YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS so I know how to reach you when you win!

And please tell your friends about this giveaway. The more the merrier!

This ends on Thursday, April 14th at MIDNIGHT, and the winner will be announced Friday, April 15th.

Happy Reading!

***Due to OUTRAGEOUS shipping costs, this contest is only open to those in the US. I'm sorry!! Please still leave me a comment about books you are wanting to read. I'd love to hear from you! And I promise I will do an international giveaway soon! :)

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix

"Princess, nobody can stop those rumors. People would rather believe in fairy godmothers...than think that you took charge of your own destiny."

Like every commoner in the land, Ella dreams of going to the ball and marrying Prince Charming. But after she is chosen to marry the prince, life with the royal family is not the "happily ever after" that Ella imagined. Pitiless and cold, the royals try to mold her into their vision of a princess. Ella's life becomes a meaningless schedule of protocol, which she fears she will never grasp. And Prince Charming's beautiful face hides a vacant soul.

Even as her life turns to misery, the stories persist that Ella's fairy godmother sent her to the ball: How else could the poor girl wear a beautiful gown, arrive in a coach, and dance in those glass slippers? But there is no fairy godmother to help Ella escape the deadening life of the castle. Can she do it on her own?

This is another one of those fairy tales that I look at differently now. Maybe Cinderella really didn't hit it off with Prince Charming and live happily ever after. Maybe Prince Charming was a jerk. Maybe no magic was involved in his and Cinderella's first meeting, but instead happened by Cinderella's own hard work. Maybe Cinderella just doesn't get enough credit.

I really liked this book. I thought it was such a great new take on a long treasured fairy tale. I thought it was empowering in that it encouraged women, young and old, to not sit around and wait for amazing things to happen, but instead to get out there and make them happen for themselves. Most times "happily ever after" won't just fall into your lap. If you want something, you have to work for it. I loved that about this book.

I thought this was such a fun, clever story. I really enjoyed Ella's interactions with the different characters in the book. I've never really thought much about castle life (I think I'm one out of a million girls that doesn't have a princess complex), but it sounds really boring. And frustrating. And....boring. I don't think I'd want to stick around and do nothing my whole life just to look at Prince Charming's pretty face all day. Not worth it.

This was a quick read--it's a pretty small book. It's definitely worth reading though! Put this on your "To Check Out From the Library" list.

Happy Reading!