Sizzling Summer Reads at THE ROMANCE REVIEWS

 

Prepare to Sizzle!

Over $5,000 prizes up for grabs!

Total of 8 pairs of tickets to RomCon 2011 to be won!!!

(each pair worth $490)

Sizzling Summer Reads (Romance)

From June 1 to 28, 2011

at http://www.theromancereviews.com

(Look for the Sizzling Summer Reads event button)

Play the games. Explore new books.

Chat with authors. Rack up your points!

CAN YOU UNLOCK THE PUZZLE?

Visit everyday to increase your chances to win awesome prizes!

PRIZES

Weekly Prizes

2 tickets to RomCon 2011 worth $490

$10 Gift Cards – 4 winners

Over 100 Book Giveaways in total

(paperback, ebook)

Main Sponsors

RomCon 2011

eTreasures Publishing

Astraea Press

 

Participating authors

(in no particular order)

Barbara White Daille      Elisabeth Naughton       

JL Oilder                         Autumn Jordon

Marie Treanor                  Teresa Bohannon           

Anne Patrick                   Edie Ramer

Caroline Clemmons         Missy Jane                      

Sibel Hodge                    Jenny Schwartz

Mary Eason                     Sarah Grimm                  

Louise Crawford             Jess Mountifield

Toni C. LoTempio           Ann Tracy Marr             

Suzanne Barrett              Brynna Curry

Jennifer Wells                 Stacy Juba                      

Gini Rifkin                      CJ Archer

Staci Brush                      Lisa Beth Darling           

Christianne Charles         Sheri Lewis Wohl

Natasha Deen                  Nadia Lee                      

Roni Adams                    Raquel Byrnes

Samantha Hunter            Joely Sue Burkhart         

Rebecca L. Frencl           Dianne Duvall

Rae Renzi                        Greta van der Rol          

Sharon Buchbinder         Dora Hiers

Dana Stevenson              Anna Small                    

Terry Campbell               Tiphanie Thomas

Lisa Kumar                     Myne Whitman              

Phillip Thomas Duck       Laura Kaye

Cherie Le Clare               Elizabeth Lang               

Robin DeJarnett              Tarah Scott

Ednah Walters

In my mailbox (19)

 

It’s Sunday again and I am joining another week of In My Mailbox, hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.  In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received or bought that week.

I was lucky enough to be a winner in a giveaway from
Penguin Books (South Africa) and HEAT magazine.  I won this zombie book called DEADLANDS by Lily Herne. (and you know I love zombie books!!)  I think this is the first zombie book that I have heard of that is set in Cape Town – I am sooooo excited to read it!

I am one of the people that absolutely LOVED the Twilight Saga.  I will always be grateful to Stephanie Meyer for giving me back my reading mojo!  I read all four books in four days.  I also LOVE parodies!  I have seen a lot of spoof movies but I have to admit that I have never read one.  So I was very excited when my sister-in-law bought this book.  She loved it and have lent it to me to read – can’t wait.  It is called New Moan: The First Book in The Twishite Saga: A Parodyby Stephfordy Mayo (lol) .

What did you get in your mailbox?

Book Review: Awaken

 

Title: Awaken
Author: Katie Kacvinsky
Genre: YA Dystopian Novel
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication date: 23 May 2011
Source:  NetGalley

 

 

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

- from Goodreads

My thoughts:
The world Maddie lives in didn’t seem that scary to me.  I think we are not such a long way from being IN that world already.  It might be a bit unnerving to someone that isn’t real comfortable with the online world but to the rest of us, it seems pretty easy to believe.

Maddie goes to school online, watches movies online, meets her friends online.  There is really no reason to ever leave her home.  Because of a hacking incident a few years back, her online life is totally controlled and monitored by her father, the founder of Digital School.  And for the most part, Maddie is okay with this.

When she meets Justin and he convinces her to meet him face-to-face at a study group, her whole outlook on life changes . . .  because Justin likes to live IRL and Maddie wants to be with Justin more and more. 
This is where our story really begins, when Maddie steps into the real world.  Justin draws Maddie into the underworld of people trying to oppose the Digital School system.  And soon the mutual attraction (and danger) grows.

From the beginning the love story between Maddie and Justin were very real and had me willing their story on.  I was grinning like a mad person when they shared their first kiss. 

I loved this book and read it in one sitting (with lots of refills of the hot water in the tub – lol).   The ending was a bit unsatisfying but only because I am such a romantic.  I am hoping that we will get to read a sequel pretty soon.

Only 8 more days . . .

Are you as excited as I am?

Book Review: Memento Nora

 

Title: Memento Nora 
Author: Angie Smibert
Series: (not sure of series name but a sequel will be coming in 2012)
Genre: YA Dystopian Novel
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books
Publication date: 01 April 2011
Next in series: Forgetting Curve
Author’s website: http://www.angiesmibert.com/blog/
Source:  ARC from Publisher in exchange for a review

Nora, the popular girl and happy consumer, witnesses a horrific bombing on a shopping trip with her mother. In Nora’s near-future world, terrorism is so commonplace that she can pop one little white pill to forget and go on like nothing ever happened. However, when Nora makes her first trip to a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic, she learns what her mother, a frequent forgetter, has been frequently forgetting. Nora secretly spits out the pill and holds on to her memories. The memory of the bombing as well as her mother’s secret and her budding awareness of the world outside her little clique make it increasingly difficult for Nora to cope. She turns to two new friends, each with their own reasons to remember, and together they share their experiences with their classmates through an underground comic. They soon learn, though, they can’t get away with remembering.

- from Goodreads

I really enjoyed this little book that is told from the point of view of the three main characters. 

Nora has a perfect life – she is the spoiled princess of her mother and father.  Her life is “glossy”.  While on a shopping trip, Nora and her mother witness a terrorist attach and a dead body shatters Nora’s happy existence.  There is no question – Nora needs to visit the TFC immediately.

Micah has a hard life.  He lives with his mother in a little community set up in the back of a scrap yard.  When Micah gets run over by a black van, his mom takes him to the TFC.  Here he meets his schoolmate, Nora and messes with her by showing her that he did not shallow the little white pill.

Winter is the third character in this little trio.  She is an artist and best friend of Micah. 

Together these three characters take it upon themselves to publish a little comic book that questions the world they live in.  Is it really right to wipe your memory of all unpleasantness or does those specific memories shape your life? 

I loved the author’s easy writing style and they way the narrative switches between the three main characters.  A few issues were left out in the open but I assume that will be dealt with in the second book in the series.  At least there were no cliff hangers (which I always hate).   The characters were as well developed as the 192 pages allowed and I felt that their actions were very real.  It was a quick read and would be a great book to get young people reading. 

I would recommend this book to all lovers of dystopian novels.

Congratulations to the winner!!

Congratulations to Mary, the winner of the book from The Book Depository.

Mary has already replied to my email, so watch for the mailman Mary - your book is on it's way.

Book Review: FAIL Harder (failblog.org community)

 

FAIL Harder follows the hilarious best-seller Fail Nation to showcase 200 original full-color photos of world-wide FAILS based on the popular website failblog.org, the most visited member of the Cheezburger Network.

So what qualifies as a FAIL? How about a nursery outfitted with a gun rack hanging over the baby's crib? Perhaps the equation, "E=MC3" written on a classroom's write/erase board. What about a trifecta of beauty parlor, chain saw repair, and nightclub housed inside an all-in-one-stop shop?

Classic FAILs like these are presented in more than 15 different categories, including At Home, In A Relationship, On the Job, and With Your Pets.

If you must FAIL, FAIL Harder.

- from the publisher

Well the above really says it all!  I have loved the Cheezburger Network since I found it, so this book just screamed out to me to take a look.  And I was not disappointed and neither will you be. 

I laughed, I giggled – I had a wonderful time.  I loved this book!  I think it will make a wonderful gift for the guy that has it all :) Get it for Father's Day, your gift will be a big hit.

-

Today is my Blogoversary . . . how about a giveaway?

Happy second birthday bloggy!   

I can hardly believe it – two years have gone by in an eye blink.  For the last month or two, things have been quiet around here but I am slowly but surely getting back to reading and reviewing and pretty soon things should be back to their normal self. 

So what a great way to celebrate getting back to my blogging by having a giveaway for my blog’s birthday.  Here is how this will work.

I'm giving away an order from The Book Depository up to the value of $15.  You can give me three choices of books and I will pick (one) for you.  I love surprise gifts, don’t you!

This is open internationally to where The Book Depository ships.

You must be a Google Friend Connect friend (I will check).

You must be 13 or older to enter.

That is all – just leave me a comment below.  Please be sure to also leave your email address so that I can give you the good news.

Ends May 11th at midnight – my time :) 

In my mailbox (18)

 

 

It’s Sunday again and I am joining another week of In My Mailbox, hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.  In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received or bought that week.

This week, I did not receive or buy any books as I have been away for a few days in the holiday town of Mossel Bay.  We had a WONDERFUL time.  Well okay, I admit I couldn’t resist not buying ANYTHING . . . I got few beading books.  I am having such a wonderful time with my new beading hobby.  :)

                    

What is in your mailbox?