Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Books that need MORE Attention Giveaway HOP

Books that need MORE Attention
Giveaway Hop

October 1-14, 2014
hosted by Stuck In Books

~*~

After I Do
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
-chick-lit, romance
Amazon | Goodreads
my review

Moral Order:
The Rise of Luca C. Mariner
by Phil Pauley
-sci-fi, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
my review

The Revealed
by Jessica Hickam
-dystopia, mystery, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
my review

~*~

For 3 winners.

WIN a copy of one of the books above!

Open to all.

Offer ends: October 14, 2014

TO DO: (3 parts)

1. GO to my sidebar and do at least ONE of the following:

FOLLOW me on BlogLovin.

FOLLOW me on Twitter.

FOLLOW me on GFC.

FRIEND me on Goodreads.

SUBSCRIBE via email to my blog.

2. TELL me what you did in comments.

3. TELL me which book you want.

AND, leave your email OR make sure I have a way to contact you (twitter link, clickable profile, etc).

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Contest has ended - winner is here

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

~*~

NOW, hop-along to these other sites for more goodies…

complete HOP list here


Monday, September 29, 2014

Queen of Hearts: The Crown vol. 1 by Colleen Oaks

Queen of Hearts
The Crown vol. 1
by Colleen Oaks

Visit Colleen:
Amazon
Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter @ColleenBlooms

Published: 2014
Publisher: SparkPress
Genre: Fairy Tales, YA
Paperback: 222 pages
Rating: 4

Queen of Hearts series:
The Crown
The Wonder

Not every fairytale has a happy ending.
This is the story of a princess who became a villain.

***

A Father’s Betrayal. A Kingdom with a Black Secret. A Princess Slowly Unraveling.

As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah’s days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts — and the love of her life.

When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she’s ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It’s up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.

Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinahs furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath.

Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.


My two-bits:

I have mixed feelings for this. Being that this is an origin story for the Queen of Hearts, Dinah, from Alice in Wonderland, it was hard to like her character. She does not come across as a love-to-hate characters either. But then, this could be because she really is a baddie which we will see her transform into in book 2.

A bit of Dinah's rocky relationship with her father, the King of Hearts, brewing hatred for half-sister, Vittiore, and affection for brother, Mad Hatter are explored to explain some of her background. Ack! she even has a love interest.

The story ends in a kind of cliffhanger as a mysterious person comes into play with helping Dinah along her path to being Queen.

As this is a dark story of Wonderland, I missed the light-hearted whimsical Wonderland point-of-view. But again, this is about the Queen of Hearts, the crazy loon who wanted to off everyone's heads.

See, me and my mixed feelings.

About the author:

Colleen Oakes is the author of the Elly in Bloom series and the YA fantasy Queen of Hearts Saga, both published via SparkPress, a BookSparks imprint.

She lives in North Denver with her husband and son.

When not writing, Colleen enjoys swimming, traveling, and immersing herself in nerdy pop culture.

She is currently at work on the last Elly novel and her second YA fantasy series, Wendy Darling.

--~ Blog Tour Giveaway ~--

signup to win:
iPad mini
Kate Spade case
Queen of Hearts (2nd book in series)
here


Dreaming of France - 9.29.14


Dreaming of France
meme created by An Accidental Blog
join this week's round and add your link here

Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to my blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it. Maybe we can all satisfy our yearnings for France, until we get there again.

~*~

Today I would like to share a book that I have on my wish list...

100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go
by Marcia DeSanctis
release date: November 4, 2014
Amazon | Goodreads

Told in a series of stylish, original essays, 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go is for the serious Francophile, for the woman dreaming of a trip to Paris, and for those who love crisp stories well-told. Like all great travel writing, this volume goes beyond the guidebook and offers insight not only about where to go but why to go there. Combining advice, memoir and meditations on the glories of traveling through France, this book is the must-have in your carry-on when flying to Paris.

Award-winning writer Marcia DeSanctis draws on years of travels and living in France to lead you through vineyards, architectural treasures, fabled gardens and contemplative hikes from Biarritz to Deauville, Antibes to the French Alps. These 100 entries capture art, history, food, fresh air and style and along the way, she tells the stories of fascinating women who changed the country’s destiny. Ride a white horse in the Camargue, find Paris’s hidden museums, try thalassotherapy in St. Malo, and buy raspberries at Nice’s Cour Saleya market. From sexy to literary, spiritual to simply gorgeous, 100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go is an indispensable companion for the smart and curious traveler to France.


~*~

* looks like a fun one and one for ideas for the travel bucket list



Sunday, September 28, 2014

Winners for September pt3


Here are the winners for giveaways that
ended September 25, 2014

Thanks to all contestants!

~*~

The Fever by Megan Abbott
Winner: Steph of A Dream Within A Dream

Rock Angel by Jeanne Bogino
Winner: Holly of of Confessions of a Female Bookaholic

Mating for Life by Marissa Stapley
Winner: Becca of Becca's Backyard

Ghosting by Edith Patou
Winner: Stacy of A Place to Imagine

~*~

* to see the original giveaway offer, click on the signup link

* I will email winners for mailing addresses within two weeks.
Winners, feel free to contact me with your info if you don't get my email
or if you are just too darn excited and want to let me know -- like NOW ;-D

* contest policy

* keep in touch with my giveaways and learn about other book giveaways by subscribing via email on my sidebar (you may want to go digest mode)

* if not this time, maybe next time

--> check out the current giveaways and upcoming events on my sidebar

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

The Adventures of Captain Underpants
book 1
by Dav Pilkey

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
Website

Published: 1997
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Children's
Paperback: 121 pages
Rating: 5

Captain Underpants series:
The Adventures of Captain Underpants (1997)
Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (1998)
Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (1999)
Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants (2000)
The Captain Underpants Extra-Crunchy Book o' Fun (2001)
Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman (2001)
The All New Extra Crunchy Captain Underpants Book O' Fun 2 (2002)
Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets (2003)
Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 2: The Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers (2003)
Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People (2006)
Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Re-Turn of Tippy Tinkletrousers (2012)
Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers (2013)
Captain Underpants and the Tyrannical Retaliation of the Turbo Toilet 2000 (August 2014)[7]
Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot (August 2015)

Pilkey plays with words and pictures, providing great entertainment. The story is immediately engaging - two fourth-grade boys who write comic books and love to pull pranks find themselves in big trouble. Mean Mr. Krupp, their principal, videotapes George and Harold setting up their stunts and threatens to expose them. The boys' luck changes when they send for a 3-D Hypno-Ring and hypnotize Krupp, turning him into Captain Underpants, their own superhero creation. Later, Pilkey includes several pages of flip-o-ramas that animate the action. The simple black-and-white illustrations on every page furnish comic-strip appeal. The cover features Captain Underpants, resplendent in white briefs, on top of a tall building. This book will fly off the shelves.

PeekAbook: here's a preview of another book in the series, but you can get an idea of the basic storyline and illustrations



My two-bits:

Based on the cover, the hero doesn't look appealing like the supermen we are accustomed to which is part of the reason why I never thought to pick up this book. However, the reviews and hype over this got me curious enough to give it a try.

Fantastic!

I found this to be a hilarious and fun super-hero story.

The three main characters are endearing and ones I want to continue to follow in their adventures.

This series will be one of those secret guilty pleasure reads on my nightstand ;-)

~*~

AND, check out the 4th Annual Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop, September 21st to 27th, here


~*~

* part of the Top Ten Challenged Books Lists for 2013

Bone prequel: Rose by Jeff Smith

Bone prequel: Rose
by Jeff Smith
illustrated by Charles Vess

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Website
Facebook
Twitter @jeffsmithsbone

Published: 2009
Publisher: Graphix
Genre: Graphic Novel, MG
Paperback: 138 pages
Rating: 5

Bone series:
Rose (Bone, #0)
Bone, Vol. 1: Out from Boneville (Bone, #1)
Bone, Vol. 2: The Great Cow Race (Bone, #2)
Bone, Vol. 3: Eyes of the Storm (Bone, #3)
Bone, Vol. 4: The Dragonslayer (Bone, #4)
Bone, Vol. 5: Rock Jaw, Master of the Eastern Border (Bone, #5)
Bone, Vol. 6: Old Man's Cave (Bone, #6)
Bone, Vol. 7: Ghost Circles (Bone, #7)
Bone, Vol. 8: Treasure Hunters (Bone, #8)
Bone, Vol. 9: Crown of Horns (Bone #9)

The hit comic book mini-series Rose now comes to you in a single handsome package with a brand-new cover! Released over a yearlong period to rave reviews (and an Eisner nomination for best painter), the Bone prequel by Jeff Smith and Charles Vess can now be read as it was originally intended - as one massive epic. In the old days, when BONE'S Gran'ma Ben was a teenager, a terrifying dragon laid siege to the small towns of the Northern Valley. Unknown to Princess Rose (young Gran'ma Ben), the strange dragon is actually the minion of the Ancient Enemy called the Lord of the Locust. Unable to defeat the monster, Rose seeks the advice of her advisor, who tells the young princess how to destroy the dragon - - - but at a terrible cost.

My two-bits:

Good intro to the series in regards to its historical background.

The story is in keeping with a fairy tale and folktale vibe - with dragons. The illustrations are wonderfully colored - although I may be a bit biased as I love Charles Vess artwork.

~*~

AND, check out the 4th Annual Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop, September 21st to 27th, here


~*~

* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge - A Middle Grade Novel

* part of the Top Ten Challenged Books Lists for 2013


Saturday, September 27, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - 9.27.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

Bought:

The Bone Clocks
by David Mitchell
-fantasy, scifi
Amazon | Goodreads

For Review:

Deadly Odds
by Allen Wyler
-mystery, thriller
courtesy of publisher
Thanks !
Amazon | Goodreads

Library:

Early Decision
Based on a True Frenzy
by Lacy Crawford
Amazon | Goodreads

A delightful and salacious debut novel about the frightful world of high school, SATs, the college essay, and the Common Application—and how getting in is getting in the way of growing up.

Tiger mothers, eat your hearts out. Anne the "application whisperer" is the golden ticket to success. Working one-on-one with burned-out, helicopter-parented kids, she can make Harvard a reality. Her phone number is a national secret. Her students end up at the best of the best.

But sometimes acceptance comes at an enormous cost. In a world of cheating scandals, huge alumni donations, and lots of inside pull, some parents know no bounds when it comes to ensuring that their children get in. It's Anne's job to guide students to their own destinies, beginning with their essays. Early Decision follows five students—four privileged, one without a penny to her name—as they make their applications and wrestle with fate.

To write the perfect personal statement, they must tell the truth. And the stories they tell are of greed, excess, jealousy, deceit, money, ego, and pressure, as well as of endurance, tenacity, victory, and the hope of surviving their parents' wildest dreams so they can begin to live their own lives.

Early Decision captures the most ferocious season in a modern family's life. Parents only want the best for their children, and students are fighting for college seats that will give them a head start into work and adulthood. Is it possible to face the fall semester of senior year without losing your mind?

Told in part through the students' essays, unsparingly revealing the secrets of college advisors at the highest levels, Early Decision is an explosive insider's guide to college admissions in our day. It's also a sharp commentary on modern parenting. The truth is, the kids are all right. Their essays are fabulous. But the system is broken. With humor and hard-earned wisdom, Early Decision illuminates the madness of the college race.


Dreaming about getting soon:

Illusions of Fate
by Kiersten White
-paranormal, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.”

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray.


~*~

* some of these may be offered as giveaways within the next two months

* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

* per usual, check out the sidebar for my current giveaways offers

Thursday, September 25, 2014

The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco

The Girl from the Well
by Rin Chupeco

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Website
Blog
Pinterest
Tumblr
Twitter @RinChupeco

Just released: August 5, 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Ghosts, Horror, Japan, YA
Hardback: 272 pages
Rating: 5

You may think me biased, being murdered myself. But my state of being has nothing to do with the curiosity toward my own species, if we can be called such. We do not go gentle, as your poet encourages, into that good night.

A dead girl walks the streets.

She hunts murderers. Child killers, much like the man who threw her body down a well three hundred years ago.

And when a strange boy bearing stranger tattoos moves into the neighborhood so, she discovers, does something else. And soon both will be drawn into the world of eerie doll rituals and dark Shinto exorcisms that will take them from American suburbia to the remote valleys and shrines of Aomori, Japan.

Because the boy has a terrifying secret - one that would just kill to get out.

The Girl from the Well is A YA Horror novel pitched as "Dexter" meets "The Grudge", based on a well-loved Japanese ghost story.


PeekAbook:



My two-bits:

Awesome spooky creepy story to start off the Halloween season!

The character perspectives of the living and non-living played off each other well. Loved learning of the folklore of ghosts and in particular Japanese ghosts. Certain ghosts didn't seem so scary after learning about their history. Also, tidbits about Japanese dolls was eye-opening.

Although the story is primarily about the girl in the well, it also is one that revolves around a boy with a tattoo - an unusual one with interesting meaning and movement (yeah, huh?). The air of dark mystery that surrounds the boy kept me turning the pages which reached a satisfying reveal.

--~ Book Giveaway ~--
signup to win this book
here
here -expires Sep 25
here -expires Sep 27

~*~

* added this to my Bookish Bingo challenge - MC Asian

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Ghosting by Edith Pattou (with giveaway)


~*~

Ghosting
by Edith Pattou

Visit Edith:
Amazon
Website
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter @epattou

Just released: August 19, 2014
Publisher: Skyscape
Genre: Poetry, YA
Hardback: 392 pages
Rating: 5

On a hot summer night in a midwestern town, a high school teenage prank goes horrifically awry. Alcohol, guns, and a dare. Within minutes, as events collide, innocents becomes victims—with tragic outcomes altering lives forever, a grisly and unfortunate scenario all too familiar from current real-life headlines. But victims can also become survivors, and as we come to know each character through his/her own distinctive voice and their interactions with one another, we see how, despite pain and guilt, they can reach out to one another, find a new equilibrium, and survive.

Told through multiple points of view in naturalistic free verse and stream of consciousness, this is an unforgettable, haunting tale.


My two-bits:

Being written as poetry (not the rhyming kind), this reading experience had a staccato rhythm that worked really well. Certain word groupings were effective in creating a fast or slow pace.

I loved how each chapter/character had their own style of writing and visual presentation which made them distinct. The personalities and essence of each character shone through despite minimal words and descriptions.

About the author:

Edith Pattou has found acclaim as a writer in middle-grade fantasy with such award-winning books as East, which received starred reviews in Booklist and School Library Journal; was selected as a Top Ten Book for YA, an American Library Association Notable Book, a School Library Journal Top Ten YA Book, one of the 100 Best of the Best YA Books for the 21st Century by the Young Adult Library Services Association; and was nominated for numerous state awards. It’s a nominee for NPR’s all-time Best YA Novels list.

--~ Book Giveaway ~--

signup to win this book

~*~

* added to my Poetry challenge

* review copy courtesy of Fall Reading Challenge 2014. @booksparks #FRC2014


Monday, September 22, 2014

Cover reveal: Hunting in Bruges by E.J. Stevens (with giveaway)

Hunting in Bruges
(Hunters' Guild #1)
by E.J. Stevens
November 11, 2014
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Amazon | Goodreads | Website

The only thing worse than being a Hunter in the fae-ridden city of Harborsmouth, is hunting vamps in Bruges.

Being shipped off to Belgium sucks. The medieval city of Bruges is quaint, but the local Hunters' Guild is understaffed, the canals are choked with dead bodies, and there's no shortage of supernatural predators as likely suspects.

On second thought, maybe Bruges isn't so bad after all.

With a desire to prove herself, protect the innocent, and advance within the ranks of the Hunters' Guild, Jenna Lehane hits the cobbled streets of Bruges with blades at the ready. Someone, or something, is murdering tourists and dumping their bodies in the city's scenic canals. With the help of a mysterious stranger, Jenna begins to piece together clues that are dotted throughout the city like blood spatter.

Determined to stop the killings, Jenna delves into a bloody local history that only raises more questions--but some secrets are best left buried. Jenna must put her combat training to the test as she struggles to unearth the truth about an ancient enemy.

Hunting in Bruges is the first novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series set in the world of Ivy Granger.


About the Hunters' Guild series:
The Hunters' Guild series is an urban fantasy series written by E.J. Stevens and set in the world of Ivy Granger. The series is told in the first-person point-of-view of Jenna Lehane, a Hunter with a troubled past, a proficiency with weapons, and an intolerance for monsters who target the innocent.

About the Author:
E.J. Stevens is the author of the Spirit Guide young adult series, the bestselling Ivy Granger urban fantasy series, and the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series. When E.J. isn't at her writing desk she enjoys dancing along seaside cliffs, singing in graveyards, and sleeping in faerie circles. E.J. currently resides in a magical forest on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.

Connect with E.J. on Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, Pinterest, and on her Blog.

--~ Cover Reveal Tour Giveaway ~--

WIN a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner.

Giveaway begins Tuesday, September 23rd and ends Tuesday, October 7th.

This giveaway is open to anyone who may receive an electronic Amazon Gift Card.

Giveaway winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter.

---> Contest is done.

~*~

* cover reveal sponsored by author

* What do you think of the cover?

Dreaming of France - 9.22.14


Dreaming of France
meme created by An Accidental Blog
join this week's round and add your link here

Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to my blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it. Maybe we can all satisfy our yearnings for France, until we get there again.

~*~

Here's a book that looks like a good one for the upcoming Halloween season that I picked up from the library...

Babayaga
by Toby Barlow
-fantasy, historical, France
Amazon | Goodreads

The year is 1959, and strange events are brewing in Paris, a city where nothing (and no one) is as it seems.

We meet Will, who hails from Detroit and works at an international advertising agency, which is also a front for the CIA. Then there’s the enchanting Zoya, who could cast a spell with her looks—and, as a witch, she often does (she also recently impaled her ex on a spike).

Inspector Vidot, on the other hand, is a hardworking police detective who cherishes a quiet evening at home. Until he follows a lead on a particularly gruesome murder—and finds himself turned into a flea. And the adventure wouldn’t be complete without Oliver, a fun-loving American patrician who has come to Paris to launch a literary journal with the support of certain secretive friends.

Add a few chance encounters, a chorus of angry witches, and a weaponized LSD program, and you have Toby Barlow’s Babayaga: a wickedly sharp tale of the City of Light that’s part love story, part thriller, and pure brilliance.


~*~

* fyi: French word for witch is sorcière

Here's a cute etsy paper doll created by Altered Artifacts of Marie Antoinette dressed as a witch


Sunday, September 21, 2014

Banned Books Week 2014

Banned Books Week
Celebrating the Freedom to Read
Sept. 21-27, 2014

CHECK out this cool trailer created by Books Inc. for Banned Books Week:



Top Ten Challenged Books Lists for 2013

Out of 307 challenges as reported by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Captain Underpants (series)
by Dav Pilkey
Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence

The Bluest Eye *
by Toni Morrison
Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Fifty Shades of Grey *
by E.L. James
Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

The Hunger Games *
by Suzanne Collins
Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl
by Tanya Lee Stone
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit

Looking for Alaska *
by John Green
Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
by Stephen Chbosky
Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group

Bless Me Ultima
by Rudolfo Anaya
Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit

Bone (series)
by Jeff Smith
Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence

~*~

* books I read in the past

What's the difference between a challenge and a banning?

A challenge is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group. A banning is the removal of those materials. Challenges do not simply involve a person expressing a point of view; rather, they are an attempt to remove material from the curriculum or library, thereby restricting the access of others. Due to the commitment of librarians, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens, most challenges are unsuccessful and most materials are retained in the school curriculum or library collection.


I plan to read a couple from the challenged books list above. One from the Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey and one from the Bone series by Jeff Smith for this event.

How about you?

~*~

AND, check out the 4th Annual Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop, September 21st to 27th, here


Saturday, September 20, 2014

Stacking the Shelves - 9.20.14

Stacking the Shelves
hosted by Tynga's Reviews (details)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

~*~

Bought:

Frozen
by Meljean Brook
-paranormal, romance
Amazon | Goodreads

Dead Over Heels
by Alison Kemper
-zombies, YA
Amazon | Goodreads

FREE kindle version:

The Curious Case Of The Clockwork Menace
(London Steampunk) novella
by Bec McMaster
-romance, steampunk
thanks for the heads up: Sophia Rose of Delighted Reader
(see her review here)
Amazon | Goodreads

Raker
by Christopher A. Gray
-sci-fi, robots
thanks for the heads up: Laura of fuonlyknew
Amazon | Goodreads

For Review:

Destined for Doon
by Carey Corp
-fantasy, YA
courtesy of BookSparks Fall Reading Challenge 2014
Thanks Janay!
Amazon | Goodreads

Library:

Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life:
Because You Can't Go Naked
by George Brescia
-fashion, how-to
Amazon | Goodreads

Open the door to harmonious, powerful, and positive dressing with a guide that’s like The Secret—for your wardrobe. In this groundbreaking how-to book, style expert George Brescia shows you how to transform yourself from the inside out.

More than a style guide, this revolutionary book by a seasoned stylist teaches a method of conscious dressing that begins with a powerful internal change. Instead of just grabbing for whatever’s on hand, you’ll learn to set your goals for the day, determining how you want to be perceived, and then dress in a way that helps manifest those intentions. Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life reveals the true power your clothing has to affect your life, showing how this second skin impacts your job prospects, your romantic life, your income, and even your deepest sense of self. Translating his styling methods into a philosophy anyone can apply on her own, Brescia also delivers tips and tricks of the trade to help convert even the most hapless dresser into a happy and educated shopper. Because the goal is to have you not only looking great, but feeling more confident, too. From major closet overhauls to a whole new philosophy on color, this is a comprehensive manual for anyone who’s ever looked at her closet in despair.

Accessible, direct, honest, and thought-provoking, Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life takes an eye-opening look at the intersection between our clothing and our emotions, hopes, and dreams, showing us how improving our external appearance can have life-changing effects on how we’re perceived by others—and more importantly, on how we perceive ourselves.


-----> wanting to add more style and fashion to my life

Dreaming about getting soon:

The Jewel
by Amy Ewing
-dystopia, romance
Amazon | Goodreads

The Selection meets The Handmaid's Tale in this darkly riveting debut filled with twists and turns, where all that glitters may not be gold.

The Jewel means wealth, the Jewel means beauty—but for Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Born and raised in the Marsh, Violet finds herself living in the Jewel as a servant at the estate of the Duchess of the Lake. Addressed only by her number—#197—Violet is quickly thrown into the royal way of life. But behind its opulent and glittering facade, the Jewel hides its cruel and brutal truth, filled with violence, manipulation, and death.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her life . . . all while trying to stay alive. But before she can accept her fate, Violet meets a handsome boy who is also under the Duchess's control, and a forbidden love erupts. But their illicit affair has consequences, which will cost them both more than they bargained for. And toeing the line between being calculating and rebellious, Violet must decide what, and who, she is willing to risk for her own freedom.


-----> can't resist the cover every time i see it

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