Friday, August 30, 2013

GIVEAWAY! Win The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School by Fowler DeWitt

The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School
by Fowler DeWitt

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Official Book Website


About the Book

If there’s one important thing Wilmer Dooley’s dad always says, it’s this: “Where are my car keys?”

Okay, maybe not that. He also says: “Observe!”

Wilmer has always known that the greatest science comes from the keenest observations. So when he observes his classmates looking a little green…and orange...and chartreuse-fuchsia polka-dotted...he knows that it’s up to him to find the cause of this mysterious illness—and the cure.

But with his arch nemesis, Claudius Dill, hot on his heels; the eagle-eyed biology teacher, Mrs. Padgett, determined to thwart his plans; and a host of fluorescent classmates bouncing off the walls at increasingly dangerous speeds, can Wilmer prove he has what it takes to save the sixth grade from a colorful demise before it’s too late?



Does this book sound really cool, or what? My son and I are in the process of reading it together, and we are both really enjoying it! My 6th grader is anxiously waiting to get her hands on it next!

Want to win a copy of this awesome book??

Here is your chance!

One lucky winner will win the following Prize Pack!



Cure the Contagious Colors!

One (1) winner receives:

Custom-made Contagious Colors Band-Aids
AND
A copy of The Contagious Colors of Mumpley Middle School


Giveaway open to U.S. addresses only. 
Prizing & samples courtesy of Simon & Schuster.

Giveaway ends 9/14/13

Enter to win today!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Review: The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

The Chaos of Stars
by Kiersten White
Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: September 10th 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9780062135926
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Edelweiss

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.

Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.

Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all. (Goodreads)
I have read Kiersten White’s Paranormalcy series in the past, and really enjoyed the books! So of course, I was super excited to get my hands on The Chaos of Stars to see what journey Mrs. White would take me on next. I found the book to be quite an interesting read.

I had a bit of a hard time connecting with the character, Isadora, in the first half of the book. I do believe that it was for a reason, I think it was because she had hardened herself to… well… life, to keep herself from getting hurt even more than she already had been. However, we do see her start to become a different person, with the help of the absolutely adorable Ry, and I really like the person that she became. Ry, as I mentioned before, is completely adorable, and he totally made the book for me.

The secondary characters in the book were really great, particularly Tyler, who is, in fact, a girl. I found her completely relatable, and I love, love, love her character! Her boyfriend, Scott, was the perfect match for her as well.  Isadora’s brother and his wife were super sweet as well. I really enjoyed their parts of the story.  And of course, there are some bad guys that you are totally going to hate, but I’m not going to tell you who it is and spoil it for you. Did I mention that Ry was totally adorable? I did?  It bears repeating. And there is a twist in the story with Ry as well. Very interesting!

The book was based on Egyptian mythology, and I found it a bit confusing and hard to keep up with at times. I’m guessing it’s because I don’t know much about this particular form of mythology. It was interesting, nonetheless, and I would definitely love to read more.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were great, the storyline was engrossing; all of which made for a really great read. Enjoy!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #116 - Three by Kristen Simmons

Three
(Article 5, #3)
by Kristen Simmons

Publication Date: February 11th 2014
Publisher: Tor Teen



Ember Miller and Chase Jennings are ready to stop running. After weeks spent in hiding as two of the Bureau of Reformation’s most wanted criminals, they have finally arrived at the safe house, where they hope to live a peaceful and quiet existence—but all that’s left is smoking ruins.

Devastated by the demolition of their last hope, Ember and Chase follow the one thing left to them—tracks leading away from the wreckage. The only sign that there may have been survivors.

Because of their high profiles, they know they can’t stay out in the open for long. They take shelter in the wilderness and amid the ruins of abandoned cities as they follow the tracks down the coast, eventually finding refugees from the destroyed safe house. Among them is someone from Chase’s past—someone he thought he’d never see again.

Banding together, they search for a place to hide, aiming for a settlement a few of them have heard about… a settlement that is rumored to house the nebulous organization known as Three. The very group that has provided Ember with a tiny ray of hope ever since she was first forced on the run.

Three is responsible for the huge network of underground safe houses and resistance groups across the country. And they may offer Ember her only chance to tell the world her story—and to fight back.

YEAH!

I love this series, it's super great.
And I am SO excited for book number THREE to be released!
I can't wait to get back in to Chase and Ember's story.
If you haven't read this series yet, I definitely recommend that you do so!
And then come back and chat with me about it.

:)

What are you Waiting for this week???

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

Monday, August 26, 2013

The Truth About You and Me by Amanda Grace

The Truth about You and Me
by Amanda Grace
Blog | Twitter

Publication Date: September 8th 2013
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 264
ISBN: 9780738736242
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley

B&N | Amazon | Goodreads

Smart girls aren't supposed to do stupid things.

Madelyn Hawkins is super smart. At sixteen, she's so gifted that she can attend college through a special program at her high school. On her first day, she meets Bennett. He's cute, funny, and kind. He understands Madelyn and what she's endured - and missed out on - in order to excel academically and please her parents. Now, for the first time in her life, she's falling in love.

There's only one problem. Bennett is Madelyn's college professor, and he thinks she's eighteen - because she hasn't told him the truth.

The story of their forbidden romance is told in letters that Madelyn writes to Bennett - both a heart-searing ode to their ill-fated love and an apology. (Goodreads)
OK, I admit it… The first thing that drew me to The Truth about You and Me was its gorgeous cover, and that in itself made me request the book to review. Then I decided to actually check out the summary, and it sounded like it would be a pretty good read.

The book is about a young high school girl, Madelyn, who is taking advanced college classes, and who falls in love with her professor. You pretty much know where the story is going to go when you start reading the book.

Honestly, I probably shouldn’t have read this book right after reading Tampa by Alissa Nutting. Unfortunately because of this, I had a really hard time connecting with the main character. Yes, I know that teens just want love; and Madelyn didn’t get anything but pressure from her family. However, what she did was so wrong. She knew that she was lying the WHOLE time, and never really even tried to tell Bennett the truth about her real age. While I felt bad for her situation, I REALLY wanted her to just tell him, if not for herself, then for Bennett, who was such a great guy.

Overall: I am not saying that this is a bad book at all. The writing and the story was good otherwise, as I obviously finished the story. I’m sure I would have thought differently about it if I hadn’t JUST finished reading Tampa. Because of that, I just found it really hard to feel bad for Madelyn for not telling the truth. 

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Review: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
(Sisterhood #1)
by Ann Brashares
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: September 11th 2001
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 294
ISBN: 9780385729338
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Book Club

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Carmen got the jeans at a thrift shop. They didn't look all that great: they were worn, dirty, and speckled with bleach. On the night before she and her friends part for the summer, Carmen decides to toss them. But Tibby says they're great. She'd love to have them. Lena and Bridget also think they're fabulous. Lena decides that they should all try them on. Whoever they fit best will get them. Nobody knows why, but the pants fit everyone perfectly. Even Carmen (who never thinks she looks good in anything) thinks she looks good in the pants. Over a few bags of cheese puffs, they decide to form a sisterhood and take the vow of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants . . . the next morning, they say good-bye. And then the journey of the pants -- and the most memorable summer of their lives -- begins. (Goodreads)
I am probably the last person in the world to have read The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Believe it or not, I haven’t even seen the movie. I did, however, have it on my to-read list. When my dearest book friend, Kathy, come up with the wonderful idea for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Book club, I was excited to join. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was our first group read!  I know I would have eventually read the book, but I am so very glad that Kathy had me read it sooner. It was really wonderful!

Each of the girls in the story were each interesting in their own way. Lena is quiet and introverted, just like me. (I was actually able to relate to her the most because of this.) Carmen was full of sass and wanted everything to be just her way. Bridget was the super-star athlete, and Tibby... well, Tibby seemed to be mad at the world. (Someone else I was definitely able to relate to when I was her age.)  I really enjoyed reading each girls adventure with the traveling pants, and I was definitely able to sympathize with each girl’s story.  I was also envious of the girls relationships with each other. Friends like those don’t come around often.

There were a handful of secondary characters in the novel that I really cared for, maybe even more than the main characters in once case. That would be with Bailey, the girl that Tibby meets at her work. She was super snarky, and just flat out told you how things were. I loved her, and I loved her story. I will definitely admit, I cried for her. 

I don’t know what kind of magical jeans these are that fit each girl perfectly, but I definitely need to get me a pair of them. I love that the storyline revolves around the pants, and the girls sending them off to each other. It reminds me of a Flat Stanley project I did with my son a while back. It was so much fun sending our package to people all over! It would be something really cute to do with a group of friends.

Overall; I really didn’t know what to think before I started this book. I have heard about it a million times, and even had the book on my shelf. But I never read it. I don’t know why. I am really glad that I finally did. Now I’m going to pass along this book to my teenager, and share the experience with her. I’m really looking forward to reading the rest of the series, and watching the movie as well!

Happy Reading!



Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #115: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Ignite Me
(Shatter Me #3)
by Tahereh Mafi
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: February 4th 2014
Publisher: HarperCollins

Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble



The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

In Shatter Me, Tahereh Mafi created a captivating and original story that combined the best of dystopian and paranormal and was praised by Publishers Weekly as "a gripping read from an author who's not afraid to take risks." The sequel, Unravel Me, blew readers away with heart-racing twists and turns, and New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia said it was "dangerous, sexy, romantic, and intense." Now this final book brings the series to a shocking and climactic end. (Goodreads)


GAH!
I am DYING to get my hands on this book.
I need to know how it's going to end.
I need to know WHO Juliette is going to choose.

Is it February yet???

SO EXCITED!!

Ahem...

What are You Waiting on this week???

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

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Books With X Setting


Top Ten Favorite Books With X Setting
(ie: futuristic world, set mostly in schools, during World War II, books set in California  etc. etc. So many possibilities!)

I chose....
Dystopian Settings!





Divergent - Veronica Roth
The Immortal Rules - Julie Kagawa
Shatter Me - Tahereh Mafi
Delirium - Lauren Oliver

Article 5 - Kristen Simmons
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Under the Never Sky - Veronica Rossi
Eve - Anna Carey

Cinder - Marissa Meyer
Dearly, Departed - Lia Habel


Enough Said!

What setting did you use this week??

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish!

Monday, August 12, 2013

Review: The Deepest Night by Shana Abe

The Deepest Night
(The Sweetest Dark #2)
by Shana Abe 
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: August 13th 2013
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780345531735
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Goodreads

A rich portrait of post-Victorian England, The Deepest Night seamlessly blends thrilling romance with riveting history and adventure—perfect for fans of Libba Bray and Lauren Kate.

It’s 1915, and sixteen-year-old Lora Jones is finishing up her first year as a charity student at Iverson, a prestigious, gothic boarding school on England’s southern coast. While she’s always felt different from everyone around her, now she finally knows why: She is a drákon, a rare, enchanted being with astonishing magical abilities.

As war hits Britain’s shores, and Lora reels from an unimaginable loss, she finds that her powers come with grave and dangerous responsibilities. At the request of Armand Louis, the darkly mysterious boy whose father owns Iverson, Lora will spend her summer at his lavish estate. To help the war effort—and to keep Lora by his side—Armand turns his home into a military hospital, where Lora will serve as a nurse. For Armand is inescapably drawn to her—bound to her by heart-deep secrets and a supernatural connection that runs thicker than blood.

Yet while Lora tries to sort out her own feelings toward Armand, fate offers an unexpected surprise. Lora discovers there is another drákon, a prisoner of war being held in Germany. And that only she, with her newly honed Gifts, will be able to rescue him.

With Armand, Lora will cross enemy lines on an incredible mission—one that could bond her to Armand forever, or irrevocably tear them apart.

Beautifully written, deeply romantic, and filled with daring adventure and magic, The Deepest Night is a mesmerizing novel of the enduring pull of destiny, and the eternal strength of love. (Goodreads)
The Deepest Night is the wonderful follow up to Shana Abe’s The Sweetest Dark, which I read last summer.  Being that I haven’t read many books about dragons so far, I really enjoyed the story that Abe wove together for us to read. It has made for a really great series.

The Deepest Night picks up right after the previous book leaves off.  It is now Summer Break for the girls at Iverson, and Lora is spending her summer helping at Armand’s home, which has been turned into a military hospital. After discovering that there may be another of their kind, who is being held as a prisoner of war, Armand and Lora set out to rescue him.

This was such a great story. I love Lora. While she is different, and trust me she knows that she is different, she tries not to let other people get her down. She is such a very headstrong young lady. I have really enjoyed reading her stories. The one thing that I really missed in this story was Jesse. If you have read the previous book, you will know what happened to him. His presence was greatly missed. That being said, I really did enjoy seeing more of Armand. I thought that he was a great match for Lora; especially he is just like her.

I love the setting and descriptions in the story, the time during WWI in London. (I’ve been watching Downton Abbey a lot, so that could be why!) The ending of the book closed up really nicely, even though I hate to see it end. This is a series that I would enjoy reading more of. The characters were great, the storyline was intriguing… I could go on and on.  There was one little part in the book that didn’t get tied up nicely, the girl in the village that Armand sees, the girl with the red hair. I’m curious about this. Is this a character that we will see again someday? Or am I just getting my hopes up??

Overall, this series is a really great read! If you haven’t already done so, you should definitely check it out. Especially if you like Dragons!

Happy Reading!


Books in this series:



The Sweetest Dark | The Deepest Night