Paradoxical

In My Mailbox (October 4-11)

2009-10-11T21:07:00.000-07:00

The last week was another one of those weeks when I get a ridiculous amount of books (mostly because I went overboard at 2 library book sales on Saturday.)

In My Mailbox:

The Kindling of Greenfyr by Mark Freeman (Signed) - For Review
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - I have no idea why I got this. I didn't win it and got no e-mails from the publisher or author, so I'm confused.
Meri Strikes Back by M. Apostolina - Contest Win
The Black Sheep by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout - Contest Win
NurtureShock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman - Contest Win

Bought at Library Book Sales (It looks like someone got rid of all their Tamora Pierce books.):

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
The Doppleganger Chronicles: The First Escape by G. P. Taylor
Monster Blood Tattoo - Book One: Foundling by D. M. Cornish
Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Contact by Carl Sagan
Heartlight by T. A. Barron
The Final Warning by James Patterson
By the Light of the Moon by Dean Koontz
Odd Hours by Dean Koontz
Spindle's End by Robin McKinley
2 copies (different paperback editions) of Midnighters: Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld
Midnighters: Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld
Blasphemy by Douglas Preston
The First Horseman by John Case
Sorceress by Celia Rees
Thwonk by Joan Bauer
White is for Magic by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Warcraft - The Sunwell Trilogy: Dragon Hunt by Richard A. Knaak and Jae-Hwan Kim
Inuyasha Volume 20 by Rumiko Takahashi
Gilda Joyce - Psychic Investigator by Jennifer Allison
The Tenth City by Patrick Carman
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Jumper by Steven Gould
Dealing With Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Calling on Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle
A Swiftly Tilting Planet by Madeleine L'Engle
Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle
An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Circle of Magic - Sandry's Book by Tamora Pierce
Circle of Magic - Tris's Book by Tamora Pierce
Circle of Magic - Daja's Book by Tamora Pierce
Circle of Magic - Briar's Book by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small - First Test by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small - Page by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small - Squire by Tamora Pierce
Protector of the Small - Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce
The Circle Opens - Street Magic by Tamora Pierce
The Circle Opens - Cold Fire by Tamora Pierce
Lioness Quartet - In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce (SIGNED!)
Lioness Quartet - The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce
Lioness Quartet - Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce

Gifts from Family:

Midnighters: The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld
Midnighters: Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld (hardcover, and yes, I am collecting them)

If I counted right, that's 53 books!

*Paradox*

In My Mailbox (Last 3 Weeks)

2009-10-04T22:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted an IMM post in 3 weeks! Here are the books I got during that time (no pictures because of camera trouble, and finding all the covers online would take forever):

For Review:

- Defenders of the Scroll by Shiraz
- Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey
- Dreamhunter by Elizabeth Knox
- Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith (ARC)
- Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Contest Wins:

- Legacy by Cayla Kluver
- Immortal by Gillian Shields
- What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook
- Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper
- Haters by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
- 8th Grade Superzero by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovitch (ARC)
- Dark Harvest by Norman Partridge
- The Imposter's Daughter by Laurie Sandell
- The Blue Star by Tony Earley
- The Twilight Companion: The Unauthorized Guide to the Series by Lois H. Gresh
- Twilight Soundtrack (CD)
- Twilight Score (CD)
- 3 Twilight Bookmarks
- Signed Rampant Bookmark

*Paradox*

Awesome Contest I Found!

2009-09-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

Bloody Bookaholic is hosting a HUGE contest. In the Mega Palooza contest, there will be three winners. Winner 1 will win 7 books, winner 2 will win 3 books, and winner 3 will win 1 book off of a list of 20 books!

Here's the prize list (copied from the contest post):

- Signed copy of Dreaming Anastasia + Goodies

- Hardback Another Faust

- Hardback Prophecy of the Sisters

- ARC Eyes Like Stars + Backstage Pass Bracelet and some Theater-Theme Swag.

- ARC The Dark Divine

- ARC Hush Hush

- ARC Give Up The Ghost

- ARC Ash

- ARC Behind Every Illusion

- ARC Shiver

- ARC The Demon's Lexicon

- ARC Betraying Season

- ARC Any Given Doomsday

- Dead Until Dark

- Gossip Girl 1st Book

- The Black Tattoo + poster

- Vampire Academy

- Frost Bite, a Vampire Academy Novel.

- Shadow Kiss, a Vampire Academy Novel.

- Blood Promise, a Vampire Academy Novel.

If you want to enter the contest, hurry because it ends tomorrow on the 27th! - http://bloodybookaholic.blogspot.com/2009/08/mega-palooza-contest.html

*Paradox*

Winners of Michelle Moran Contest!

2009-09-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

I've picked the winners of my contest for Cleopatra's Daughter and The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran!

The winner of Cleopatra's Daughter is:

MUM (Marie)!

EDIT: throuthehaze, the previous winner of The Heretic Queen has already won a copy in another contest, so the new winner of The Heretic Queen is:

Donna!

Congratulations! I am going to contact the winners right now. If they do not respond in a week, I will pick new winners.

*Paradox*

In My Mailbox (Sept. 6th-13th)

2009-09-13T21:53:00.000-07:00

I got four books in my mailbox last week, and didn't buy or check out any from libraries.

Milestones by Samira Armin Hodges (Signed) - Contest

Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin (Signed ARC) - Contest

Violet Wings by Victoria Hanley (Signed) - Contest

Dewey by Vicki Myron - Contest

And thank you to The Story Siren for hosting the In My Mailbox meme!

*Paradox*

Contest for 1 of 9 YA Books!

2009-09-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

I found this awesome contest where nine winners will get to pick a book from a list of 9 YA and MG books. The winners will be the entrants who are able to get the most points (by linking to the contest, subscribing to the blog, etc.)

The List of Books:

1. Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
2. Immortal by Gillian Shields
3. Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz
4. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
5. Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
6. The House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo
7. My Bonny Light Horseman by L.A. Meyer
8. The Robe of Skulls by Vivian French
9. The Girls from Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow

The contest ends on September 9th.

Click here --> http://readnowsleeplater.wordpress.com/contests/

*Paradox*

How to Win Contests

2009-09-07T13:11:00.000-07:00

I just read the comments for my most recent In My Mailbox post, and noticed that many people commented on how many contests I win. Yes, I do tend to win a lot of contests. But it's not because I'm a lucky person. It's more about the sheer amount of contests I enter. I've decided that I'm going to give my readers a look at my personal method for finding and entering contests.

Step 1 - Be Prepared: Follow a lot of book blogs and/or subscribe to them on Google Reader or a similar feed reader. Also, follow bloggers on Twitter (and those people that link to a lot of contests.)

Step 2 - Find Contests: When you check the latest blog posts, open up all the contests you find. Set up a system (either a Word document, system of internet bookmarks, etc.) to organize the contests by the date they should be entered (usually the day of the deadline or before if you need more time to get extra entries.) I personally use a Word document where the contests are listed by month and day.

Step 3 - Enter Contests: Open up your Word document or other organizational system. Find the contests for the current day (and the next days if you want to get ahead.) Open the links and comment with your entries (try to get a lot of extra entries, which is easiest if you have a blog and Twitter account.)

Step 4 - Win Contests: Check back at your feed reader or Blogger dashboard every now and then to see if winners have been posted, and your e-mail you use for contest entries. If you entered a contest on a blog that you don't follow or subscribe to, check back to it using your list of contests. This step is largely based on chance, but if you enter enough contests with a lot of extra entries, you will win eventually.

Here is a sample of my list for this month (I update it all the time, so it will soon be outdated, but you may find these links helpful):

(September 7) http://www.eclecticbooklover.com/2009/08/interview-giveaway-janet-lee-carey.html
(September 7) http://www.kidsreads.com/funstuff/contests/0907-bedeviled.asp
(September 7) http://katiesbookshelf11.blogspot.com/2009/09/giveaway-give-up-ghost-swag-pack.html
(September 7) http://teralynnchilds.blogspot.com/2009/09/some-awful-title-ideas.html
(September 7) http://litbites.blogspot.com/2009/08/book-preview-black-is-for-beginnings.html
(September 7) http://litbites.blogspot.com/2009/08/school-of-fear-by-gitty-daneshvari.html
(September 8) http://lindagerber.blogspot.com/2009/09/freebe-friday-with-lauren-baratz.html
(September 8) http://www.kaycassidy.com/blog/2009/08/31/living-your-five-logo-contest-for-tac/
(September 8) http://angieville.blogspot.com/2009/09/interview-with-moira-j-moore-heroes-at.html
(September 8) http://www.revolutionsf.com/article.php?id=4625
(September 8) http://readnowsleeplater.wordpress.com/contests/
(September 9) http://bambookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/100-followers-contest.html
(September 9) http://theyabookblogger.blogspot.com/2009/08/upcoming-releases-contest.html
(September 9) http://libslibrary.blogspot.com/2009/08/imposters-daughter-giveaway.html
(September 9) http://reveriemedia.blogspot.com/2009/08/win-signed-shiver-by-maggie-stiefvater.html
(September 9) http://libslibrary.blogspot.com/2009/08/imposters-daughter-giveaway.html
(September 9) http://proudbookworm.blogspot.com/2009/08/author-interview-matthew-gasteier.html
(September 9) http://www.iheartmonster.com/2009/06/genre-irrelevant-summer-photo-contest.html
(September 9) http://travelingtoteenstours.weebly.com/1/post/2009/08/another-faust-contest.html
(September 9) http://shalondasblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/lipstick-apology-contest.html
(September 9) http://jessicaverday.blogspot.com/2009/08/r-u-haunted-by-hollow-contest.html
(September 9) http://melanies--musings.blogspot.com/2009/08/contest-time-again.html
(September 10) http://harmonybookreviews.wordpress.com/2009/08/22/prophecy-of-the-sisters-and-victorian-guys/
(September 10) http://readingrocks4me.blogspot.com/2009/08/james-patterson-prize-pack.html
(September 10) http://fantasyscifibookreview.blogspot.com/2009/08/giveaway-rosemary-and-rue-by-seanan.html
(September 10) http://www.luxuryreading.com/2009/08/review-giveaway-ravens-by-george-dawes.html
(September 10) http://yabookrealm.blogspot.com/2009/08/james-patterson-prize-pack.html
(September 10) http://stackedbooks.blogspot.com/2009/08/ripleys-seeing-is-believing-giveaway.html
(September 10) http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2009/08/snap-review-giveaway.html
(September 10) http://aleapopculture.blogspot.com/2009/08/giveaway-how-to-steal-car.html
(September 10) http://shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com/2009/08/interview-giveaway-with-carol-snow.html
(September 10) http://shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com/2009/09/timothy-carter-interview-giveaway.html
(September 10) http://shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com/2009/09/guest-post-with-timothy-carter-extra.html
(September 10) http://brodiashton.blogspot.com/2009/09/free-book-friday-new-blog-tradition.html
(September 10) http://fantasticbookreview.blogspot.com/2009/08/win-another-faust-by-daniel-dina-nayeri.html
(September 10) http://shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com/2009/09/shana-norris-troy-high-interview.html
(September 10) http://butterflybookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/win-t-shirt-from-hollow.html
(September 10) http://lainahastoomuchsparetime.blogspot.com/2009/08/bookcase-giveaway.html
(September 11) http://www.bookworminginthe21stcentury.com/2009/08/300-followers-contest.html
(September 11) http://cutelittlecindy.blogspot.com/2009/09/in-my-mailbox-95.html
(September 11) http://katiesbookshelf11.blogspot.com/2009/09/giveaway-prize-pack.html
(September 11) http://ellzreadz.blogspot.com/2009/09/announcing-my-first-contest.html
(September 11) http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2009/09/ultimate-zombies-giveaway.html
(September 11) http://diaryofareaderjunkie.blogspot.com/2009/08/arcs-interwined-or-hush-hush-giveaway.html
(September 11) http://fantasticbookreview.blogspot.com/2009/08/win-tear-collector-by-patrick-jones.html
(September 12) http://ultimatebookhound.blogspot.com/2009/09/interview-giveaway-with-author-lois.html
(September 12) http://onlythebestscifi.blogspot.com/2009/09/signed-giveaway-in-ashes-lie-by-marie.html
(September 12) http://booksbytheircover.blogspot.com/2009/09/comment-contest.html
(September 12) http://thatchickthatreads.blogspot.com/2009/08/crank-by-ellen-hopkins-giveaway.html
(September 13) http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/2009/09/next-giveaway-in-september-giveaway.html
(September 13) http://bookreviewsbyjess.blogspot.com/2009/09/contest-arc-of-dreaming-anastasia-by.html
(September 13) http://justyourtypicalbookblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/james-patterson-promotion-pack.html
(September 13) http://yathenaeum.blogspot.com/2009/08/james-patterson-max-promotion.html
(September 13) http://neverendingshelf.blogspot.com/2009/08/3-2-1-contest.html
(September 13) http://fantasticbookreview.blogspot.com/2009/08/vampires-werewolves-fairies-oh-my.html
(September 13) http://butterflybookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/contest-win-as-you-wish-signed.html
(September 14) http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/08/james-patterson-ya-book-promotion.html
(September 14) http://stephsureads.blogspot.com/2009/09/ash-celebration-week-giveaways.html
(September 14) http://www.greenbeanteenqueen.com/2009/09/win-catching-fire-prize-pack.html
(September 14) http://readingisthespiceoflife.blogspot.com/2009/08/alice-i-have-been-contest.html
(September 14) http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2009/09/catching-fire-prize-pack-contest.html
(September 14) http://thebooksmugglers.com/2009/09/catching-fire-giveaway.html
(September 14) http://thebookowl.blogspot.com/2009/09/black-sheep-by-yvonne-collins-and-sandy.html
(September 14) http://www.thestorysiren.com/2009/08/catching-fire-contest.html
(September 14) http://www.melissacwalker.com/blog/2009/09/win-it_wednesday_graceling_by.html
(September 14) http://kidlit.com/kidlit-contest/
(September 14) http://bookloverreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/max-promotional-prize-pack.html
(September 14) http://cornucopiaofreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/100th-follower-contest.html
(September 14) http://stephsureads.blogspot.com/2009/09/ash-celebration-week-giveaways.html
(September 14) http://www.books-for-sale.net/1732/catching-fire-giveaway/?wscr=1680x1050
(September 14) http://wickedlovely.com/forum1/index.php?PHPSESSID=23844b6292d4d9d2eda62c4344173ed0&topic=1572.0
(September 15) http://www.libraryloungelizard.com/2009/08/awesome-contest.html
(September 15) http://sharonlovesbooksandcats.blogspot.com/2009/08/contest-stupid-cupid-by-rhonda.html
(September 15) http://annavivian.blogspot.com/2009/09/catching-fire-giveaway.html
(September 15) http://fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com/2009/08/contest-new-blogger-layout.html
(September 15) http://www.5minutesforbooks.com/1752/catching-fire-giveaway/
(September 15) http://lushbudgetproduction.blogspot.com/2009/09/author-interview-and-giveaway-with-gena.html
(September 15) http://litbites.blogspot.com/2009/09/ban-this-win-this.html
(September 15) http://www.luxuryreading.com/2009/09/giveaway-catching-fire-by-suzanne.html
(September 15) http://butterflybookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/interview-with-jessica-packwood-of.html
(September 15) http://freneticreader.blogspot.com/2009/09/catching-fire-contest.html
(September 15) http://karinlibrarian.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/amazing-catching-fire-contest/
(September 15) http://omgbookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/contest-candor-and-15-amazon-gift-card.html
(September 15) http://www.luxuryreading.com/2009/09/giveaway-catching-fire-by-suzanne.html
(September 15) http://www.scifiguy.ca/2009/09/promotion-contest-catching-fire-by.html
(September 15) http://book-love-affair.blogspot.com/2009/09/giveaway-suzanne-collins.html
(September 15) http://aleapopculture.blogspot.com/2009/09/giveaway-catching-fire-swag.html
(September 15) http://scifichick.com/2009/09/01/giveaway-catching-fire-prize-pack/
(September 15) http://connected2christ.com/theblog/2009/08/daniel-x-watch-the-skies-by-james-patterson-givaway-3-winners/
(September 15) http://thebookbinge.com/2009/09/giveaway-catching-fire-by-suzanne.html
(September 15) http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2009/09/barely-bewitching.html
(September 15) http://www.thediscriminatingfangirl.com/2009/09/01/giveaway-catching-fire-by-suzanne-collins/
(September 15) http://notenoughbooks.blogspot.com/2009/09/catching-fire-by-suzanne-collins.html
(September 15) http://www.kidsreads.com/surveys/2009-reader-survey.asp
(September 15) http://booknerds.net/blood-promise-contest
(September 16) http://booksaregolden.blogspot.com/2009/09/james-patterson-book-promotion.html
(September 16) http://bookslovejessicamarie.blogspot.com/2009/09/giveaway-day-falls-stood-still.html
(September 16) http://mariah-readingadventure.blogspot.com/2009/09/maximum-ride-promotion.html
(September 17) http://book-mac13.blogspot.com/2009/08/100th-posts-contest.html
(September 17) http://tvandbookaddict.blogspot.com/2009/09/maximum-ride-by-james-patterson.html
(September 17) http://fantasticbookreview.blogspot.com/2009/09/win-ash-by-malinda-lo.html
(September 17) http://aparkavenueprincess.blogspot.com/2009/08/fatal-encryption-debra-purday-kong.html
(September 18) http://fantasticbookreview.blogspot.com/2009/09/win-devils-kiss-by-sarwat-chadda.html
(September 18) http://wantmyya.blogspot.com/2009/08/promotion-big-james-patterson-giveaway.html
(September 18) http://orientaldesires.blogspot.com/2009/09/swag-giveaway.html
(September 18) http://gofita.blogspot.com/2009/09/pirate-week-and-giveaway.html
(September 18) http://takemeaway-jennala9.blogspot.com/2009/09/blog-tour-and-giveaway-nurture-shock.html
(September 18) http://bookreader4.blogspot.com/2009/09/james-patterson-maximum-ride-book.html
(September 18) http://firstnovelsclub.blogspot.com/2009/09/maria-v-snyder-guest-post-on-avoiding.html
(September 18) http://meghansbookblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/ash-contest.html
(September 18) http://thebookpixie.blogspot.com/2009/08/100-followers-giveaway-1.html
(September 19) http://casey62588.blogspot.com/2009/09/dreaming-anastasia-giveaway.html
(September 19) http://litbites.blogspot.com/2009/09/bea-swag-grab-contest.html
(September 19) http://booksbytheircover.blogspot.com/2009/09/comment-contest.html
(September 19) http://taste-life-twice.blogspot.com/2009/09/review-defining-twilight_06.html
(September 19) http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2009/09/cover-interview-and-mega-prize-pack.html
(September 19) http://lizdoglover.blogspot.com/2009/09/just-like-that-by-marsha-qualey.html
(September 20) http://ibteens.blogspot.com/2009/09/win-devoured-by-amanda-marrone.html
(September 20) http://bibliophilesupportgroup.blogspot.com/2009/08/promotion-celebration-for-maximum-ride.html
(September 20) http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/2009/09/paperback-book-of-choice-contest.html
(September 20) http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/2009/08/james-patterson-ya-prize-pack.html
(September 20) http://heyteenager.blogspot.com/2009/09/win-100-voucher.html
(September 20) http://tickettoanywhere.blogspot.com/2009/09/happy-birthday-to-me-and-happy.html
(September 20) http://theelectricalbookcafe.blogspot.com/2009/08/giant-contest-happy-birthday-electrical.html
(September 21) http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/2009/09/signed-copy-of-vampire-academy-contest.html
(September 21) http://aflightofminds.blogspot.com/2009/09/interview-with-jess-c-scott-contest.html
(September 21) http://mustandlustforbooks.blogspot.com/2009/09/ruined-contest_04.html
(September 21) http://sarahbear9789.blogspot.com/2009/09/once-was-lost-by-sara-zarr-contest.html
(September 21) http://officiallymrs.blogspot.com/2009/08/contest-win-copy-of-girl-goddess-9.html
(September 22) http://laurenscrammedbookshelf.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-very-awesome-contest.html
(September 24) http://thebookcellarx.blogspot.com/2009/09/richelle-meads-signing-giveaway.html
(September 24) http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/2009/09/richelle-mead-book-signing-and-blood.html
(September 24) http://wickedgoodbooks.blogspot.com/2009/09/enter-to-win-set-of-james-patterson.html
(September 24) http://yabookrealm.blogspot.com/2009/09/catching-fire-book-giveaway.html
(September 24) http://www.alertnerd.com/?p=2546
(September 24) http://temppatt.blogspot.com/2009/09/james-patterson-prize-pack-promotion.html
(September 24) http://poppiesbloom.blogspot.com/
(September 25) http://katiesbookblog-katie.blogspot.com/2009/09/love-is-higher-law-giveaway.html
(September 25) http://the-book-vault.blogspot.com/2009/09/huge-max-promotion.html
(September 25) http://ceceliabedelia.blogspot.com/2009/09/dark-and-stormy-fairy-tale-giveaway.html
(September 25) http://tabwriter.blogspot.com/2009/09/september-book-giveaway.html
(September 25) http://readintothis.blogspot.com/2009/08/giving-away-nine-books.html
(September 26) http://booksbytheircover.blogspot.com/2009/09/comment-contest.html
(September 26) http://whatbrireads.blogspot.com/2009/09/giveaway-ruined-by-paula-morris.html
(September 26) http://bloodybookaholic.blogspot.com/2009/08/mega-palooza-contest.html
(September 27) http://bambookreviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/maximum-ride-prize-pack-promotion.html
(September 29) http://alainereading.blogspot.com/2009/09/win-fire-or-her-fearful-symmetry-or.html
(September 29) http://connected2christ.com/theblog/2009/09/chicken-soup-for-the-soul-extraordinary-teens-review-giveaway/
(September 29) http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2009/09/gift-card-giveaway.html
(September 29) http://windowpane-memoirs.com/2009/08/31/arcs-contest/
(September 29) http://www.bookworminginthe21stcentury.com/2009/08/september-comment-contest-august.html
(September 29) http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2009/09/random-contest-first-lines-contest.html
(September 29) http://themindfulmusingsbookblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/giveaways.html
(September 29) http://teddyree-theeclecticreader.blogspot.com/2009/09/win-hush-hush-or-fire-or-catching-fire.html
(September 30) http://sharonlovesbooksandcats.blogspot.com/2009/09/before-i-fall-contest.html
(September 30) http://thebookresort.blogspot.com/2009/09/win-6-pack-of-books.html
(September 30) http://lafemmereaders.blogspot.com/2009/08/my-200th-follower-giveaway.html
(September 30) http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2009/09/random-contest-cover-contest.html
(September 30) http://fallingofftheshelf.blogspot.com/2009/08/contest-new-blogger-layout.html
(September 30) http://www.greenfyr.com/
(September 30) http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2009/09/take-survey-win-prize.html
(September 30) http://www.yabookscentral.com/cfusion/index.cfm?fuseAction=home.ballads
(September 30) http://www.yabookscentral.com/cfusion/index.cfm?fuseAction=home.forest
(September 30) http://cherylrainfield.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/27/excited-author-videos-and-win-book-gift-certificates-and-books/
(September 30) http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2009/09/blogoversary-birthday-contest.html
(September 30) http://thehidingspot.blogspot.com/2009/08/contest-win-copy-of-snap-by-carol-snow.html
(September 30) http://confessionsofawanderingheart.blogspot.com/2009/09/september-giveaway-molly-harper.html
(September 30) http://www.mrsmagooreads.com/2009/09/giveaway-win-james-patterson-set.html
(September 30) http://alexia561.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-first-contest.html
(September 30) http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com/2009/08/win-signed-copy-of-blood-promise.html
(September 30) http://wordforteens.blogspot.com/2009/09/spiderwick-september.html
(September 30) http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2009/09/september-comment-contest-win-copy-of.html
(September 30) http://thebookresort.blogspot.com/2009/08/win-copy-of-rampant-diana-peterfreund.html
(September 30) http://thebookresort.blogspot.com/2009/08/win-copy-of-hollow-jessica-verday.html
(September 30) http://runningforfiction.blogspot.com/2009/08/books-books-and-then-some-kidding-its.html
(September 30) http://www.wherethemountainmeetsthemoon.com/2009/06/party-contest-enter-drawing.html

*Paradox*

In My Mailbox (Aug. 29th - Sept. 5th)

2009-09-06T22:00:00.001-07:00

I haven't done this in a long time, and it's already late to post an "In My Mailbox", but I got an insane amount of books since last Saturday (mostly from a library book sale), so I thought I'd share.

I can't get pictures from my camera right now, and it would take forever to find all the covers online, so I'm just going to list the books I got:

In My Mailbox:

Monster's Proof by Richard Lewis (Signed) - Contest
Meridian by Amber Kizer (Signed) - Contest
One Butt Cheek at a Time by Amber Kizer (Signed) - Contest
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran - For Review
Behold the Eye: Braumaru by Veronica Tabares - For Review
Behold the Eye: Cerulea by Veronica Tabares - For Review
Behold the Eye: Viridia by Veronica Tabares - For Review
Geektastic by Various Authors (ARC) - Contest
My Name is Will by Jess Winfield - Contest
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins (ARC) - Contest
The Sweet Life of Stella Madison by Lara M. Zeises (Signed) - Contest
Anyone But You by Lara M. Zeises (Signed) - Contest
The Sentinels: Fortunes of War by Gordon Zuckerman (ARC) - Contest
Refresh, Refresh by Danica Novgorodoff, Benjamin Percy, and James Ponsoldt - For Review

From a Library Book Sale:

Peace, Love & Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle (SIGNED!)
Prom Nights From Hell by Various Authors
The Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler
It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Zipped by Laura and Tom McNeal
Old Magic by Marianne Curley
Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
Tithe by Holly Black
Nightrise by Anthony Horowitz
Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
Flawless by Sara Shepard
Perfect by Sara Shepard
Kare Kano Vols 1-3 Collection by Masami Tsuda
The Hunt for the Seventh by Christine Morton-Shaw (ARC)
Dangerous Girls by R. L. Stine
Sovay by Celia Rees (ARC)
Children of Orion: Book One by Robert Ipcar (Signed)
Cirque Du Freak by Darren Shan
Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan
Cirque Du Freak: Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan
Cirque Du Freak: Vampire Mountain by Darren Shan
Charlie Bone and the Castle of Mirrors by Jenny Nimmo
Bone: The Great Cow Race by Jeff Smith
Bone: The Dragonslayer by Jeff Smith
Bone: Rock Jaw - Master of the Eastern Border by Jeff Smith
Bone: Old Man's Cave by Jeff Smith

Used Books from Elsewhere:

Spellfall by Katherine Roberts
The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau
Sunwing by Kenneth Oppel

If I counted right, that's 48 books!

And thank you to The Story Siren for hosting the In My Mailbox meme!

*Paradox*

The Circle of Friends Book III...James by L. Diane Wolfe

2009-08-28T19:08:00.000-07:00

Review of: The Circle of Friends Book III...James
Author – L. Diane Wolfe
Genre(s) – Realistic Fiction
Pages - 296
Publisher – Dancing Lemur Press
Publication Date - August 18, 2009

Rating -

Plot - 26/30
Writing – 16/20
Characters - 19/20
Creativity - 17/20
The *Wow* Factor - 7/10
Grand Total - 85/100

Grade – B

Summary (From Amazon) -

Haunted by a troubled past... The future appears bright for James Sheppard. Emerging from a troubled childhood, he is blessed with talent and a good work ethic. Excelling in his classes and at the campus newspaper, James's goal of editor appears within his grasp. However, years of abuse and loneliness have dampened his spirit. By the time Maria enters his world, James is nearing the breaking point. Her innocent love slowly fills the void in his life, boosting his confidence and giving him hope. When a crisis abruptly forces him into adulthood, James is saddled with more responsibility than expected. Struggling to cope with the situation, the past returns to haunt him. Will James find peace before the mistakes of his father destroy him completely?

Review -

Firstly, let me say that this is not they type of book I usually read. Even when I read realistic fiction, it tends to be more of the fast-paced, strange, multicultural, or highly-unlikely-yet-still-possible varieties. Reading this book was like looking in on the lives of real people as they go from being confused teenagers to adults. This had its downsides, yet still made for an interesting reading experience. I didn't give this book the best of ratings, but that's probably because I gravitate towards the epic and unusual. Even so, I enjoyed The Circle of Friends Book III...James.

My main problem with this book was the slow pace. Some readers enjoy this, but I found it to drag in places. This isn't to say it wasn't interesting, because I still appreciated the plot. James lived for a long time searching for meaning and happiness in his life, which he finds in Maria and their family and friends. He and Maria overcome obstacles in their lives and become independent. As others have, I found L. Diane Wolfe's writing to be very encouraging.

The characters were where this novel truly shone. There were a lot of characters, which I usually find hard to keep track of when I read a book, but this was barely a problem with this book. They seemed like real people, and as I read I felt a connection to their lives and emotions, which were vibrantly expressed. I felt warm and fuzzy inside at the parts where where the characters feel happy or in love, and even found myself crying at the end, when a heartbreaking revelation is made. None of the characters seemed like stereotypes, and none were perfect, not even the main character. There were times where I liked and disliked each of them, which contributed to the realism of the book.

Overall, this book was very well written and believable, but there were a few things that annoyed me about its writing style. There were a few words that seemed to be overused, particularly "bubble" and "youngster." This went along with a slight overuse of synonyms. Some of the dialog seemed a bit awkward, but for the most part it seemed natural and flowed well. Also, some of the transitions from one event to another at a totally different time weren't always clear, so I had to go back a few times and look for the point where the time and location changed.

In conclusion, while this was not my ideal book, it may be someone else's. I would recommend The Circle of Friends Book III...James to readers who enjoy realistic fiction, especially about real-life coming-of-age. Reading this book would probably help those who feel scared about growing up, or need to remember that there is love and friendship in the world.

Book From (Review Group, Bought, Library, Publisher, Author, Contest, Etc.) - Author

*Paradox*

Win Cleopatra's Daughter or The Heretic Queen!

2009-08-27T16:44:00.000-07:00

Author Michelle Moran has offered two signed books (one paperback of The Heretic Queen and one hardcover of Cleopatra's Daughter) for a giveaway on my blog! There will be two winners.

Here are the summaries for the books (from the Barnes & Noble site):

Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel -

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pullof friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.

The Heretic Queen: A Novel -

The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the Eighteenth Dynasty’s royal family–with the exception of Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen, Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But this changes when she is taken under the wing of the Pharaoh’s aunt, then brought to the Temple of Hathor, where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the Crown Prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful Pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history.

To learn more, here is the author's website: http://www.michellemoran.com/

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment with your e-mail address (see rules):

To get extra entries:

- Name your favorite historical fiction book. (+1)
- Become a follower. (+1)
- If you are already a follower... (+2)
- Follow me on Twitter (@ParadoxRevealed) and leave your Twitter name. (+1)
- If you already follow me on Twitter. (+2)
- Mention my contest (with a link) on your blog or Twitter. (+3)

EDIT: You can specify if you want to enter to win just one of the books. If you don't say which you want to win, you will be entered for both. All entrants who commented before this addition will be entered for both.

Rules:

1. Please mention everything you did in one comment. If you do more later, delete the old comment and leave a new one.
2. If you decide to enter by commenting here, you must leave your e-mail or blog address.
3. If you don't want to comment to enter, you can e-mail me your entries at paradoxicalblog (at) gmail (dot) com.

This contest is international!

I'm leaving the contest open until 11:59 PM on September 25th. The winner will be chosen in the next few days after that and contacted. I'll forward the winners' addresses to the author.

Webcomic Wednesday (1)

2009-08-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

I’ve been planning to create a webcomic feature on my blog since I started it, and I’ve just finally gotten to it. You wouldn’t believe how many great comics you can read online for free! I want to share my love of online comics with my readers, so I’ll try to post links to at least three webcomics every week. Feel free to have your own Webcomic Wednesday as long as you credit me. I’d also love to hear about your favorite webcomics in the comments!

Weekly Theme: My Favorites

Gunnerkrigg Court –

Gunnerkrigg Court is my absolute favorite webcomic. It is set in a mysterious boarding school (which is really part of a huge complex) and the forest across from it. It is a bizarre mixture of fantasy and science fiction that includes everything from robots and futuristic technology to gods, supernatural abilities, ghosts, and everything in between. The main characters are Antimony (Annie), a girl who is sensitive to spirits, and her inventor friend Kat. They discover some of the weirder things about their school and its history in a battle between magic and science. It’s a bit hard to explain Gunnerkrigg Court, but that’s part of the mystery. If you read any sf/fantasy webcomic, read this one.

20 Galaxies -

This one might sound a bit cheesy at first, but the art is gorgeous and there’s more to it than meets the eye. Basically, it’s one of those stories where a bunch of kids end up having to save the world. But it’s more of a science fiction story than fantasy. There’s definitely a pretty black and white sense of good versus evil, but it’s not actually the evil people that are threatening to destroy the Earth, but a galactic council who wants to destroy it for the greater good, unless the evil can be eradicated from it. If you like epics or stories where ordinary people end up with great responsibilities and supernatural powers, you’ll probably like 20 Galaxies. I’ll also venture to say that it’s a bit like Star Wars.

Angel Moxie -

This webcomic is so hilarious that I’ve read it through two times (It’s completed.) It’s a magical girl (a Japanese anime/manga genre – think Sailor Moon) parody with an actual plot! If you are an anime or manga fan, you will love this.

Earthsong -

Earthsong is a bit hard to describe. It revolves around the idea that stars and planets are sentient beings, but they become lazy and the creatures on the planets’ surfaces start to die, and planets with them. Earthsong is a planet that takes in other planets’ “children” so they can be saved. The plot involves a battle between good and evil, and a question over the identity of Willow, the main character. Even if this confuses you, check this one out if only for the gorgeous art!

*Paradox*

Contest for an ARC of Magic Under Glass!

2009-08-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

This is the only contest I've seen so far for Tenner Jaclyn Dolamore's book Magic Under Glass!

Coming 12/22/09 from Bloomsbury...

Nimira is a music-hall girl used to dancing for pennies. So when wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing accompaniment to a mysterious piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it will be the start of a better life. In Parry's world, long-buried secrets are about to stir. Unsettling rumors begin to swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry’s involvement in a group of corrupt sorcerers for whom the rules of the living and dead are meant to be broken for greater power. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing fairy gentleman is trapped within the automaton, she is determined to break the curse. But even as the two fall into a love that seems hopeless, breaking the curse becomes a perilous race against time. Because it's not just the future of these star-crossed lovers that's at stake, but the fate of the entire magical world.

Want to win an ARC with original sketches from the author inside? See http://fabulousfrock.livejournal.com for details!

*Paradox*

Intertwined Sweepstakes

2009-08-21T14:00:00.001-07:00

New Fan Cover for Prophecy of the Sisters

2009-08-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

I just got my copy of Prophecy of the Sisters, so I decided to make another fan cover with some pictures I found when I was making the first. I knew I had to use them eventually because they looked so perfect!

Here's the new fan cover (click to see it full size):

Here is the other fan cover:

Here is the real cover:

Pre-order the book at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316027421/

So, do you like the new one? Which of the fan covers do you think is better?

Here's a link to the post with four of my other fan covers: http://paradoxrevealed.blogspot.com/2009/01/my-fan-art-book-covers.html

*Paradox*

Notes:

I have to include some stuff because of copyrights. Some images used in making the covers were released under these licenses, and derivative works (like the cover) must be released with the same licenses. They are:

- GNU Free Documentation License (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License)
- Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

These works are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

Thank You!!!

2009-08-12T17:06:00.001-07:00

I was shocked at how many people commented and e-mailed me with links to help me add a second sidebar to my blog! With their help I was able to do it!

Thank you so much!

These are the people who responded:

WillowRaven from Red House Books

Count Rebula/Rebrebs from Count Rebula's Concepts and Comments

Kristen from Bookworming in the 21st Century

La Coccinelle from The Ladybug Reads

If you were interested in adding another sidebar to your blog, here are the links they recommended:

- http://bguide.blogspot.com/2008/02/3-columns-step-by-step-guides.html
- http://www.bloggerbuster.com/2007/07/create-three-column-blogger-template.html
- http://www.thecutestblogontheblock.com/blog-secrets/145-how-to-get-a-3-column-template.html
- Google search for blogger templates

*Paradox*

Help?

2009-08-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

My sidebar is getting a bit crowded, so I've been thinking about adding a second sidebar on the left, but I want to keep the style of the blog. Does anyone know how to do this?

If you can help, e-mail me at:

paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com

-or-

paradoxicalblog (at) gmail (dot) com

In return you'll recieve a public thank you on my blog and the knowledge that you've helped someone. Please?

*Paradox*

Awesome Movie Trailers

2009-08-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

I've been seeing a lot of great movie trailers on blogs lately, so I decided to collect my favorites and post them here. Out of 4, only 1 is not a book-to-movie. I'm especially excited about the Percy Jackson movie because I LOVED the series and have been waiting for SOMETHING about the movie to come out for months!

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

The Lovely Bones

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Is anyone else excited about these?

*Paradox*

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

2009-08-01T18:05:00.000-07:00

Review of: Far From You
Author – Lisa Schroeder
Genre(s) – Verse, Realistic Fiction
Pages - 368
Publisher – Simon Pulse
Publication Date - December 23, 2008

Rating -

Plot - 26/30
Writing – 19/20
Characters - 18/20
Creativity - 17/20
The *Wow* Factor - 9/10
Grand Total - 89/100

Grade – B+

Summary (From Amazon) -

Lost and alone...down the rabbit hole.

Years have passed since Alice lost her mother to cancer, but time hasn't quite healed the wound. Alice copes the best she can by writing her music, losing herself in her love for her boyfriend, and distancing herself from her father and his new wife.

But when a deadly snowstorm traps Alice with her stepmother and newborn half sister, she'll face issues she's been avoiding for too long. As Alice looks to the heavens for guidance, she discovers something wonderful.

Perhaps she's not so alone after all....

Review -

I read this book a while ago, so I don’t remember all the details, but I remember my general impression of it. Far From You isn’t a book with a deep plot, which you wouldn’t expect from a verse novel, but I found that the emotions expressed in the book ring true. As I read, I felt angry along with Alice, or sad, or forgiving. It’s the kind of book that makes you feel all fuzzy inside, and is definitely worth a read.

Far From You has a linear plot, but it has been written very well. But it almost seemed more like a short story than a full-length novel. Perhaps this is simply because it’s a verse novel, but I would have liked to see more. I believe that Far From You tells the story of Alice’s transformation well and I loved the slight hint at the supernatural.

Because Far From You is a verse novel, I never got to know the characters, even Alice, very deeply, but what I did see was more of a snapshot from the lives of realistic people, facing problems and emotions that could be real.

As with most verse novels I have read, I found the poetry to be expressive, and in this case both beautiful and real at the same time. Verse novels aren’t my favorite thing to read, but even I recognize the beauty in Far From You, so I think that many people will also enjoy it. I recommend it especially for those who enjoy realistic fiction, poetry, and inspirational stories.

Book From (Review Group, Bought, Library, Publisher, Author, Contest, Etc.) - Publisher

*Paradox*

Alternatives to "Once Upon a Time"

2009-08-01T00:16:00.000-07:00

I recently entered a contest where I had to come up with alternative ways to start a fairy tale (masterminded by Heather of The Secret Life of WriterGirl), other than "Once Upon a Time." I thought I'd share my creations with you, in the hope that I'll get a few laughs.

In the time of the flesh-eating fairies...

Once, when the world was younger than the dinosaurs...

When the rainbow still held a door...

When humans were still young and fae folk ruled the realm...

Once there was... oh, forget it.

Once upon a particular position in the space-time continuum...

It was a (insert adjective here) night and the the faerie eyes were glowing in the woods...

If I tell you this tale I'll have to kill you, or at least leave you badly dismembered...

These words are powerful, so listen well...

Beware the cunning people who live where humans dare not go...

Blood and guts. If this makes you feel squeamish, do not read on...

It was a beautiful summer day and the zombies sat quietly decaying....

If you're reading this now, it's probably too late...

When the naiads had forgotten how to swim and the metal towers scraped the sky...

If the fae folk touch you, call the priest and not the police...

Once, before the sparkly glitter faeries attacked...

To read other people's entries, go to one of these links:

- http://thesecretadventuresofwritergirl.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-contest-wings-by-aprilynne-pike.html

- You can vote for the winner here: http://thesecretadventuresofwritergirl.blogspot.com/2009/07/let-once-upon-time-voting-begin.html

*Paradox*

Candor Book Trailer

2009-07-25T16:53:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is related to the author's book trailer contest, but I've wanted to read the book ever since I first heard of it.

Here's the trailer:

Does it look good to any of you?

And does anyone here have an ARC? Is it any good?

I think Candor sounds really interesting, so I'll definitely read it when I get a chance.

*Paradox*

100 Followers!!!

2009-07-17T15:17:00.001-07:00

I've got 100 followers! Thank you everyone for following and reading my blog!

I'm planning a 100 Followers Contest, so expect it soon!

*Paradox*

Vamped by Lucienne Diver

2009-07-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

Review of: Vamped
Author – Lucienne Diver
Genre(s) – Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
Pages - 240
Publisher – Flux
Publication Date - May 1, 2009

Rating -

Plot - 24/30
Writing – 18/20
Characters - 19/20
Creativity - 18/20
The *Wow* Factor - 8/10
Grand Total - 87/100

Grade – B+

Summary (From Amazon) -

Gina Covello's Perks and Pitfalls of Vamp Life

1. Hello?! Eternal youth and beauty!

2. Free. Designer. Clothes.

3. My hot new boyfriend Bobby went from chess dud to vamp stud.

4. No reflection! First order of business: turn my own stylist to stop the downward spiral from chic to eek.

5. Vampire vixen Mellisande has taken an interest in my boyfriend, and is now transforming the entire high school into her own personal vampire army. If anyone's going to start their own undead entourage it should be me. I guess I'll just have to save everyone from fashion disasters and other fates worse than death.

Review -

First of all, Vamped was not what I expected it to be. I was expecting it to be set in a high school with a “mean girls” vs. protagonist plot, but with vampires. That has been done before, but Vamped definitely hasn’t. It mixes a lot of more traditional fantasy themes (such as prophecies) with the modern urban vampire story. This book and its upcoming sequel have a lot of potential to be a great vampire series, but there is some room for improvement.

The plot of Vamped where I had the most problems, but none were unforgivable, and loose ends can definitely be tied up in a future book. I was immediately drawn into Gina’s story and her emotions, but I also found myself feeling confused, especially since so many things about the different vampires and their motives were never fully explained. Everything seemed a bit rushed, and there was a distinct feeling that there was a lot going on in the background. My problem isn’t with the complicated world of vampires, which I actually found fascinating, but with the fact that, for the most part, Gina was cloistered away from it. I think Vamped could have been much better if Gina’s could have seen more than just a few locations in her town and Mellisande’s hideout, and if the book had been a bit longer than 240 pages. I would like to see more of the hidden vampire society in future books, as well as have some secrets revealed about Gina and Bobby’s fate. There is a prophecy and glowing stone involved, so this could get epic!

My favorite things about Vamped were the characters and writing style of the book. Gina narrated the novel, and I loved her voice and funny commentary. I often found myself laughing out loud at her thoughts and words. She was a lot of fun, and was a very original character. I also loved her habit of nicknaming people. And Mellisande was definitely a character I loved to hate. Besides being evil, she was also annoying because she was never generous when it came to revealing information about her plans, and those of other vampires. Bobby was also an interesting character; very kind, but somehow a part of Mellisande’s scheme. And the man-eating psychic completely creeped me out, and was definitely something I’d never seen before. Some minor characters seemed less developed and more disposable, but the main characters were very well done!

In conclusion, Vamped was a fun beginning to a promising series, and I can’t wait for the next book, which I believe will be called Revamped. I think that any lover of vampire stories or urban fantasy will love Vamped, as well as those who love reading about a snarky heroine. And isn’t the cover awesome?!

Book From (Review Group, Bought, Library, Publisher, Author, Contest, Etc.) - Author

*Paradox*

Recent Release: Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

2009-07-11T17:59:00.000-07:00

This is not a review, but an announcement about an awesome book that just came out on the 7th, Eyes Like Stars (1st book in the Théâtre Illuminata series) by Lisa Mantchev! Unfortunately, I haven't actually finished reading it yet (I have an ARC), but what I have read so far is incredible! Expect a real review soon. I couldn't find a book trailer for Eyes Like Stars, but I think the cover and blurb alone will speak for it well enough, because the cover of Eyes Like Stars is my favorite cover of 2009!

Soooo... Congratulations on your release, Lisa Mantchev!!!

In addition, a promise: I promise here to make a fan cover for Eyes Like Stars when I have completed it. If you want an example of what these look like, scroll down a few entries to see my Prophecy of the Sisters fan cover.

Here's the awesome cover of Eyes Like Stars:

Here's the blurb from Amazon:

All her world’s a stage.

Bertie Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.

She’s not an orphan, but she has no parents.

She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own.

That is, until now.

Enter Stage Right

NATE. Dashing pirate. Will do anything to protect Bertie.

COBWEB, MOTH, MUSTARD SEED, and PEASEBLOSSOM. Four tiny and incredibly annoying fairies. BERTIE’S sidekicks.

ARIEL. Seductive air spirit and Bertie’s weakness. The symbol of impending doom.

BERTIE. Our heroine.

Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the actors of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.

Lisa Mantchev has written a debut novel that is dramatic, romantic, and witty, with an irresistible and irreverent cast of characters who are sure to enchant the audience.

Open Curtain

Experience the awesomeness! Visit Lisa Mantchev's website for the series: http://www.theatre-illuminata.com/

*Paradox*

P.S. - If you are interested, yes, this is contest-related. But Eyes Like Stars is really a great book, from what I've read of it and the rave reviews I've seen. In fact, I haven't come across a single bad review for it.

Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede

2009-07-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

Review of: Thirteenth Child
Author - Patricia C. Wrede
Genre(s) – Fantasy, Alternate History
Pages - 320
Publisher – Scholastic Press
Publication Date - April 15, 2009

Rating -

Plot - 27/30
Writing - 19/20
Characters - 18/20
Creativity - 19/20
The *Wow* Factor - 9/10
Grand Total - 92/100

Grade – A-

Summary (From Amazon) -

Eff was born a thirteenth child. Her twin brother, Lan, is the seventh son of a seventh son. This means he's supposed to possess amazing talent -- and she's supposed to bring only bad things to her family and her town. Undeterred, her family moves to the frontier, where her father will be a professor of magic at a school perilously close to the magical divide that separates settlers from the beasts of the wild.

With wit and wonder, Patricia Wrede creates an alternate history of westward expansion that will delight fans of both J. K. Rowling and Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Review -

I’ve seen a lot of reviews with varying reactions to this book, but I really enjoyed Thirteenth Child! I found it to be original, and it appealed to my interest in parallel worlds and alternate histories. It may be a bit slow for some readers, but I think that it will appeal to those who like books with this pacing, as well as fantasy lovers.

The world building for Thirteenth Child was incredible, and I enjoyed learning about this alternate version of 19th century America and the many types of magic and creatures. There were mentions of many historical figures from our world, but many events and people in power were different due to the existence of magic, and many country names were different. North America (or at least the US) was known as Columbia, and Europe was Avrupa. Many of these changes were fairly small, but they were different enough to draw my interest. The setting of Thirteenth Child was one of my favorite parts of the book. Some things weren’t perfectly explained, but Thirteenth Child is only the first book in a series, so it is likely that more will be revealed later.

I enjoyed the characters, who were mostly three-dimensional and interesting to read about, but sometimes I felt that there were too many to keep track of. Eff, the main character, had such a huge family and met so many people that it became confusing at times. But I suppose this is due to the fact that the book takes place over many years, from the time Eff is 4 to when she turns 18. I especially liked reading about Eff’s struggles to accept herself despite her extended family’s prejudice against “unlucky/evil” thirteenth children. Some of Eff’s relatives were infuriating, but that was the point. They were the characters that readers love to hate.

The plot was a bit hard to pin down, which is why this book didn’t get an A. The first half of the book is mainly about Eff growing up, and is very episodic. This is the part that may be considered slow, especially since Eff does not cross the magical barrier until she is 18. It is after this that Eff is challenged to use all that she has learned growing up to solve a problem that is the climax of the book. Perhaps the next book will have a tighter plot.

There is some controversy over this book because it has no mention of Native Americans, and while this is a bit disturbing, I found some evidence in the book that they might be introduced later in some form or another. In one part of the book, a character who had gone west mentioned seeing smoke come from beyond the mountains (the Rockies.) And while there are three main systems of magic in the book (Avrupan, Aphrikan, and Hijero-Cathayan), it is mentioned that there are numerous other types, including some that are unknown to the Columbian settlers. SPOILER: Also, Eff is given a magical necklace by the same person who saw the smoke (a traveling magician), which supposedly has spells from unknown magic systems woven into it. So it is likely that this world’s version of Native Americans will show up in the next books, and if they do, they probably have their own systems of magic.

This book has been compared to Harry Potter, the Little House books (it did have a similar feel to them,) and the Monster Blood Tattoo books, but I’m going to add another comparison. I see lots of similarities to the Worldweavers books by Alma Alexander, which is set in the present time, but in a world that has always had magic. I’d recommend Thirteenth Child to anyone who likes these books.

Book From (Review Group, Bought, Library, Publisher, Author, Contest, Etc.) - Library

*Paradox*

Watch This Awesome Trailer for Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater!

2009-07-06T18:06:00.000-07:00

Isn't this incredible?! The author made it herself, and it's stop motion!

What do you think?

*Paradox*

Prophecy of the Sisters Fan Cover!

2009-07-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

I finally got around to making another fan art book cover! But I broke my rule that says I have to actually read the book before I make a fan cover... Of course, I can easily make an exception for a book that is sure to be a favorite: Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink!

Here is the fan cover (click the cover to see it full size; it's worth it):

Here is the real cover:

Pre-order the book at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316027421/

So, do you like it?

EDIT: I just realized I forgot to remove a street light that was in one of the photos I used. Oops. :s

*Paradox*

Notes:

I have to include some stuff because of copyrights. Some images used in making the cover were released under these licenses, and derivative works (like the cover) must be released with the same licenses. They are:

- GNU Free Documentation License (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Free_Documentation_License)
- Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

You Would Not Believe What I Found in My Local Library...

2009-06-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

I am still in shock. I'm nothing but a minor blogger, and I had no chance of going to BEA, but apparently a librarian at my local library did! I walked into the library today and walked over to the YA section... and I saw the spine of a Beautiful Creatures ARC staring out at me. I freaked out and I think the other people in the library were staring at me. But when I started babbling to the librarians they pointed me towards MORE ARCs that I had missed. Forest Born by Shannon Hale and Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines!!!!!

I am so excited to read them!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Forest Born (The Fourth Book of Bayern) by Shannon Hale

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

I am also determined to improve my blog this Summer, so expect something better than the suckiness I've been giving you.

*Paradox*

Some Short Fae Stories

2009-06-12T00:48:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I should be posting more important things, but I've been ridiculously busy in the last few weeks. I feel guilty. So I'm posting some really short stories I wrote for contests.

The rules for the first one limited me to 100 words or less, and it had to be about faeries. The second had to be 200 words or shorter, and had to include mentions of Sarah Dessen, bicycles, and birthdays. Somehow it ended up being inspired by Holly Black's Modern Tales of Faerie and The Good Neighbors (<3).

I'm also writing a longer short story called Starry Messenger that was inspired by a bizarre/morbid dream I had a few weeks ago, but I'm not sure if I should post it. It is best described as a surreal futuristic zombie fairy tale. It's set in a parallel world where humans have evolved in a different and sort of scary way (they live in an illusion created by a hive mind and die twice before losing consciousness), and humans from our universe have begun to take over the galaxy. In among all this is a Curious (yes, it's capitalized) girl who is plucked from the hive mind to become a planet-hopping messenger. Unfortunately, after a life of lies she is not quite ready for reality. If anyone is interested in this, comment, and I'll try to finish writing the story (I rarely finish anything but the shorter stories) and post it.

The Faerie Mirror

Claire flipped through the pages of faerie artwork, before shoving the book aside. Reality was never perfect and beautiful. She pushed herself into her wheelchair, wheeling herself out to the gardens as she did daily. But this time she found the faerie mirror, a shimmering film in between spider silk through which other worlds can be seen, and the heart’s truest desire, which can be had if she could break through. Claire touched it, and her dream shattered, as did the world around her. Changing. Merging. She opened her eyes, not knowing she had shut them tight, and stood up.

Here's the original, unshortened-to-100-words version:

Faerie mirrors were only a story, or so the others would say… Claire flipped through the pages of fairy artwork in her book, full of dragonfly-like wings and perfection, before shutting it and shoving it aside. The real world was never perfect and beautiful. She pushed herself up from bed and into her wheelchair, wheeling herself out to the backyard gardens, as was her daily ritual. But this time she found it, a shimmering film in between spider silk, through which other worlds can be seen, and the heart’s truest desire, which can be had if the viewer can figure out how to reach it. Claire touched it, and her dream shattered, as did the world around her. Changing. Merging. She opened her eyes, not knowing she had shut them tight, and stood up.

“Fantasy”

She called herself Laura, but she was not a normal girl. She was not even human, but fae. Laura had never fit in with the other faelings. They were content to upset human lives with their magics, but Laura envied the humans. She even attempted to imitate them. It was an odd sight to anyone who saw faerie girl with too many joints in her limbs attempting to ride a bicycle in the moonlight. She spied on the curious rituals called birthday parties, and felt ashamed because she had already seen 67 years, though she was as youthful as the 15 and 16 year old girls at the parties. She even crept into one of their rooms and stole a Sarah Dessen novel, reveling in its humanity until the other faelings had plucked it from her hands and never returned it. The next day, Laura was chosen to become a changeling.

So, what do you think? Were they awful?

*Paradox*

Make Your Own Superhero!

2009-05-24T23:03:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been there already, The Hero Factory is located here: http://www.cpbintegrated.com/theherofactory/

It's a site where you can build your own superhero. It's slightly limited, and you can't choose the names, but it's a lot of fun!

Diana Peterfreund is having a contest for 3 copies of Dull Boy by Sarah Cross, and making heroes on the site gets you extra entries. The winners will be chosen later today (Monday)! - http://www.dianapeterfreund.com/dull-boy-giveaway/

EDIT: There's also another contest for Dull Boy here (deadline 6/6 at midnight PST): http://vvb32reads.blogspot.com/2009/05/dull-boy-giveaway.html

Here are some I made:

Here are some links to other superhero builders:

http://marvel.com/create_your_own_superhero
http://www.ugo.com/channels/comics/heroMachine2/heromachine2.asp

*Paradox*

Story - Broken Fey

2009-05-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is actually related to a contest, but I decided not to enter... I guess I chickened out. But I still wanted someone to read it, so here it is. And I need to do more in the writing part of my blog, which has taken a back seat to books and contests.

This story takes place in a parallel universe I invented for a book I'm writing, where the Earth has an intelligent "mind/spirit/etc." Each individual part/being of this spirit is a sort of mixture between a god, nature spirit, and a mythical or paranormal creature. This is my first attempt at the fey.

I probably should have edited this more, but I don't think it's completely awful... Opinions?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

B r o k e n F e y

Cade was crying, and the rain clouds cried with her. The willow trees were thick around her pond, and the moonlight illuminated her skin of pale sea foam green and hair like the purest white blossoms, until the rain clouds of her sadness obscured it. It was fitting that she lay half in and half out of her home, her prison. Divided. Torn.

If only it could have been another way…

Cade’s pond was isolated, but if one of the visitors ever happened upon it, they would find themselves both entranced and repulsed at her partly human appearance. But this convoluted beauty was nothing in comparison to that ethereal, immortal gift of her mother’s people, the nymphs of fresh water; Naiads of Greek myth. But the water fey are more than myth, or else she herself would be but a shadow of a being, half in body, not just in soul like the visitors.
Her father was one of them, the visitors who swarmed in the cleared lands. She never had met him, the man her mother charmed, but sometimes she wondered what life would be like with just half a soul. Other times she speculated about her own spiritual condition. She was no immortal, not a full spirit of the earth, but an unnatural mixture of two seemingly incompatible souls. Yet here she was.

Cade saw her mother’s face in her deep memory, the sneer as she bestowed her with her name, an old wind word that means “curse.” She was not supposed to exist. If her mother had not wanted her, why not prevent the accident with her powers of changing? Instead, she had been brought to her exile as a young girl, this isolated pond where her only companions were the creatures of the water, and they never had much to say. It had been carefully selected so she could not survive an escape, during which she would drown in the air from lack of water, from which her skin absorbed most of her oxygen. But even if she could breathe solely from the air, her limbs made her a cripple by being half feet and half fin. Curse. It was so true.

Broken. They called beings like her the broken fey, because their bodies and souls did not work as they should. Cade had some simple powers over water and weather, but not the changing that all full beings of energy could perform. It allowed them to shift their bodies and the world around them, making them both eternally young and dangerous, filled with violent beauty. This and other differences set them apart from the visitors. The beings of energy were the thinking manifestations of the life of Earth. Visitors were thinkers too, but their souls were divided, half visiting on Earth for a short period of time, and the other half in an elsewhere of which the beings of energy have no knowledge. Presumably the halves merged after death, but it is unclear where this occurs, and what they become. Perhaps gods. But in their divided state, visitors were prone to acts that went against their survival. Murder, ignorance, hating and making war with their own kind, biting the hand that feeds them with their pollution. They were like parasites to the host; Earth.

But somehow half of Cade belonged to these beings, and it was especially evident in her death wish of a desire… She desired their companionship, their cities, though they would be poison in her veins, would kill her in an instant, or imprison her as a curiosity. And exposing the fey would only make them hate her more, the abomination. Broken fey.

She also shared their divided mind, the visitor separation of conscious and subconscious. Her fey side feared at this lack of knowledge even about herself, and screamed out at the possibility that one day she would die. She had no clue as to whether she would return to the earth to be part of one whole or leave for the unknown visitor place, or perhaps even be permanently divided in two. How could one self be ripped apart, when she was one girl, one mind? She feared this death with both sides of her self. Cade sighed and sunk down to her bed among the fish and plants of the pond, sick of the same lonely thoughts of air’s domain, which dwarfed her own small world.

She must have let herself float up among the lily pads in her sleep, because Cade woke to a whisper that was not the wind in her ear. “Cade. I think I can help you.” Immediately she opened her eyes and turned upright in the water. A seemingly teenage girl with dusty blonde hair, brown eyes, and what she thought was visitor coverings was kneeling by the side of her pond. But she was obviously not visitor… Her form made subtle changes like an otherworldly breeze was teasing her. She glowed.

“What kind of being are you? And what is your name?” Cade asked her.

“Vampire. And my name is Ailenn,” the girl answered.

Cade shrunk back. She had heard of vampires before her exile. Their energy was tainted, so they needed to leech energy from the blood of visitors. She did not know what this act would do to the broken fey.

The girl looked sad at this reaction. “I’m not like that. I don’t want to hurt you. I used to be like you, half and half, but vampires can’t stay in the middle for very long. There are so many others like us out there, torn between two worlds… But don’t believe what they say. You aren’t broken. Just whole in a different way.”

“You scanned my mind,” Cade replied.

The girl blushed. “I’m sorry for that. But I needed to know something if I’m going to help you. You want to leave this place? I can give you what you need, bring you to a place where there are others like you. A school. Do you want to go?”

The hunger in Cade’s eyes and her attempt to grip the sand as she came closer to Ailenn answered the question. She willingly took the girl’s offered hand and immediately felt the change. It was like the liquid elements were coursing through her veins as her body shifted. Ailenn took her hand away, and when Cade looked down she saw the reflection of a visitor. Could it be?

“You are still half nymph, Cade, but now you have a body that can thrive in the environment of both your halves.”

“Why?” was all Cade could say.

“I don’t want others to feel lost, torn apart over something they can’t control. And if we join together, maybe then we’ll be that much happier, and always have someone around who understands.” Cade could see genuine emotion in Ailenn, and for once she felt hope.

“Shall we leave this place?” Ailenn offered her hand again. Cade nodded.

Perhaps one day she would meet her mother again, or her unknown father, or perhaps not. But a new part of her life had begun with a whisper, and she hoped it would open up to a roar of excitement. The cities, the visitors, others like her; she would see sights yet unknown to her inexperienced eyes. There was danger, but Cade gladly stepped out of her pond and took the hand of the girl, happy to leave it behind her and never look back.

(c) Paradox 2009

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Paradox*

Yes, I Know I'm Being Lazy...

2009-05-11T13:59:00.001-07:00

I'd rather not take the time to clean out and update my contest list, so I'm linking to some contests here. Fortunately, I will be posting some actual content soon. I'm going to be posting a short story I wrote called "Broken Fey" and reviews of Vamped, Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter, Shine Coconut Moon, Camileon, and others. Unfortunately, I still haven't gotten rid of the virus on my computer... :(

I also just found a copy of The Last Olympian... so my absence will probably be even longer now.

Contest Links (Edited May 25th):

Excuse Me, Does This Blog Make My Butt Look Big is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card! The last day to enter is May 26th. - http://splattawayoflife.blogspot.com/2009/05/contest-for-my-peeps-who-said-that.html

Bookluver-Carol's Reviews' blogoversary contests are up until the 15th! Enter while you can! (Some are ARCs.)

- Evermore by Alyson Noel. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-evermore.html

- The Season by Sarah MacLean. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-season.html

- The September Sisters by Jillian Cantor. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/september-sisters-giveaway.html

- Swoon by Nina Malkin. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-swoon.html

- Mackenzie, Lost and Found by Deborah Kerbel. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/mackenzie-lost-and-found-contest.html

- Love You, Hate You, Miss You by Elizabeth Scott. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/love-you-hate-you-miss-you-giveaway.html
- Win a book in the Seer series by Linda Joy Singleton. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-seer-book.html
- Lament by Maggie Stiefvater, and an iron key. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-lament-iron-key.html
- Hottie by Jonathan Bernstein. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-how-to-hook-hottie.html
- Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R. J. Anderson. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-faery-rebels.html

- I Know It's Over by C. K. Kelly Martin. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-i-know-its-over.html
- Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty and Triple Shot Betties in Love by Jody Gehrman. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-bettys-pack.html
- Death by Denim by Linda Gerber. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-death-by-denim.html
- Major Crush, The Boys Next Door, and Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-books-by-jenn-echols.html
- You Had Me at Halo by Amanda Ashby. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-you-had-me-at-halo.html

- Generation Dead and Kiss of Life by Daniel Waters. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/generation-dead-prize.html
- Graceling by Kristin Cashore. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/04/win-graceling.html

Because of a late post, The Shady Glade has two Contest Monday posts up right now!

- An ARC of Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison. Ends next Monday (18th). - http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2009/05/contest-monday-win-copy-of-once-dead.html

- An ARC of Wings by Aprilynne Pike. Ends the 14th. - http://theshadyglade.blogspot.com/2009/05/contest-monday-win-copy-of-wings.html

Steph Su's huge Support Teen Literature giveaway has been extended to the 13th! The system for awarding books is hard to explain, but there are four new books, and lots of oldies-but-goodies. - http://stephsureads.blogspot.com/2009/04/support-teen-literature-giveaway.html

Fantastic Book Review is giving away three books (to 3 people) as a part of their Treasure Chest Tuesday.
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
- Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz
- Graceling by Kristin Cashore
http://fantasticbookreview.blogspot.com/2009/04/treasure-chest-tuesday.html

Beth Revis of Writing it Out is having a HUGE contest for two prize packs. It ends on the 16th.

1.) Faerie-ish prize pack
- The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones
- The Tail of Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
- Emily Windsnap and the Monster of the Deep by Liz Kessler
- Peril at King's Creek by ???
- Gossamer by Lois Lowry
- Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

2.) Adventurey prize pack
- Genius Squad by Catherine Jinks
- The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
- Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner
- The Graduation of Jake Moon by Barbara Park
- The Barcode Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
- The Barcode Rebellion by Suzanne Weyn

http://bethrevis.blogspot.com/2009/04/massive-book-give-away.html

Reviewer X has loads of contests running right now.

- 50 copies of The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams! Open until May 1st. - http://reviewerx.blogspot.com/2009/05/epic-contest-chosen-one.html

-Here's a link to Reviewer X's review of The Chosen One: http://reviewerx.blogspot.com/2009/05/chosen-one-by-carol-lynch-williams.html

- 2 copies of Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti. Open until May 16th. - http://reviewerx.blogspot.com/2009/05/contest-waiting-for-you.html

- 1 signed copy of Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell. Open until May 13th. - http://reviewerx.blogspot.com/2009/05/contest-shadowed-summer.html
- Here's a link to Saundra Mitchell's Pub Story: http://reviewerx.blogspot.com/2009/05/pub-story-saundra-mitchell.html

Susane Colasanti Sampler Susane Colasanti Sampler PenguinYoungReaders

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Fiction Books when it happens take me there

*Paradox*

Winner of Hottie Contest!

2009-05-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

I finally got a chance to pick the winner of my first contest!

I decided that I would us the Random.org Integer Generator to pick the winner, because writing names down on pieces of paper and picking one out of a hat would take too long. So I typed up a list that numbered each entry (each person's entries mentioned on the entry post in order, except entries earned by posting on my review, which were added to the end of the list) and had the generator pick a number.

Entrants: 16
Total Entries: 57
Winner: #29

Yes, I am stalling just to annoy you.

The lucky winner of the copy of Hottie (and some random bookmarks) is:

I Heart Monster!

I'm contacting the winner as soon as I post this. You will have a week after I send it to respond, or I'll pick a new winner.

Sorry to those who didn't win... I'll try to have more contests later.

My friend Willowe at Readings of a Teenage Tree (http://readingsofateenagetree.blogspot.com/) is going to be having a contest soon for a bunch of copies of Airhead by Meg Cabot.

*Paradox*

My Computer Has a Virus :(

2009-04-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, but I haven't been able to use my computer for almost a week. It has a nasty virus that I've discovered is likely a polymorphic virus (Wikipedia for definition) that cannot be completely purged unless I delete all my .exe files, which would render my computer useless. It also has infected a lot of my personal files. The only thing for me to do is to back up my personal files, and completely reformat my computer and reinstall Windows. Then I'll have to do rigorous scans on my backups that could take days, and then re-install all my programs and re-download old updates, so I may not be back to normal for a while.

I have a lot of reviews that I should be posting, but I get so little time on library computers that I don't have time. When my computer works again (or if I can find time over the weekend), I'll be posting reviews for such books as Camileon by Shykia Bell and Faery Rebels: Spellhunter by R. J. Anderson, which were both awesome!

*Paradox*

P.S. - Unfortunately, this may delay my announcement of the contest winner. I'll try to post the winner tomorrow, but I may not be able to. You still have the rest of today to enter!

Operation Teen Book Drop!

2009-04-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

---------------------------------------------------------------

Here's the press release for TBD:

Operation Teen Book Drop, TBD '09

For more information contact:
Sara Easterly, Publicist for readergirlz
Sara Easterly & Friends
sara@saraeasterly.com
206-632-8588

READING STIMULUS PLAN FOR HOSPITALIZED TEEN PATIENTS LAUNCHES JUST IN TIME FOR “SUPPORT TEEN LIT DAY” APRIL 16

Despite economic downturn, generous publishers have donated thousands of young-adult books for readergirlz, Guys Lit Wire, and YALSA to deliver to teens in America’s top pediatric hospitals
March 17, 2009 (Seattle, Wash.) – Teen patients in pediatric hospitals across the United States will receive 8,000 young-adult novels, audiobooks, and graphic novels next week as readergirlz, Guys Lit Wire, and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) celebrate the third annual Support Teen Lit Day on April 16.

In its second year, “Operation TBD” (short for Teen Book Drop), puts free books donated by 18 book publishers into the hands of many teens most in need of escape, inspiration and a sense of personal accomplishment. Books with exceptional characters and fabulous stories can provide just that for teens and their families dealing with difficult, long-term hospital stays.

At a time when philanthropic giving is down, readergirlz co-founders have been inspired by overwhelming industry support for Operation TBD. “readergirlz is always looking for innovative ways to connect teens with literature, “ said Dia Calhoun, co-founder of readergirlz and acclaimed young-adult author. “We’re honored that publishers have supported this goal by giving so liberally this year.”

Operation TBD also aims to encourage all teens to choose reading for pleasure as a leisure activity, over other entertainment options. Inciting the broader teen community to participate in Operation TBD in its drive to spur reading on a national scale, readergirlz has launched a trailer on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/readergirlz) inviting teens and YA authors to leave a book in a public place on April 16. When visiting www.readergirlz.com, participants can download bookplates to insert into the books they’ll leave behind, which explain the surprise to the recipient and tell them to read and enjoy.

“This event is such a special one because it not only raises awareness about teen literature, but it also truly helps those teens most in need. Teens facing illnesses will be able to find an age- appropriate new book to read while in the hospital — teen books matter and not just any old book will do,” said Sarah Cornish Debraski, YALSA president. “Our thanks to the publishers, readergirlz, and Guys Lit Wire. It’s wonderful to unite with these organizations to forward this cause.”

Participating book publishers who have donated books or audiobooks include Abrams Books, Bloomsbury/Walker Books, Candlewick Press, Full Cast Audio, Hachette Book Group, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Hyperion, Milkweed, Mirrorstone Books, Orca Book Publishers, Peachtree Books, Perseus Book Group/Running Press, Random House, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, Soft Skull Press & Red Rattle Books, TOKYOPOP and Tor/Forge/Starscape/Tor Teen.

“Putting the right book into the hands of a teen can turn that teen into a reader for life, “ said Suzanne Murphy, VP and Group Publisher, Scholastic Trade Book Publishing. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to help Operation TBD show teens firsthand just how much fun reading can be.”

Pediatric hospitals that have signed up to receive books include Phoenix Children's Hospital (Phoenix, Ariz.), Rady's Children's Hospital (San Diego, Calif.), Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Children's Hospital and Research Center (Oakland, Calif.), All Children's Hospital (St. Petersburg, FL), Children's Memorial Hospital (Chicago, Ill.), UM C.S. Mott Children's Hospital (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics (Kansas City, MO), The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Children's Medical Center in Dallas, Mary Bridge Children's Hospital & Health Center (Tacoma, Wash.) and Seattle Children's Hospital.

“Our teen patients here at Seattle Children’s loved the books donated through the Operation Teen Book Drop last year,” said Kim Korte, Child Life Manager, Seattle Children’s Hospital. “Books are a wonderful avenue for our patients to be distracted from the pain and stress of hospitalization. We are always in need of books and greatly appreciate the generosity of the publishers who donated.”

Everyone who participates in Operation TBD is invited to celebrate at the TBD Post-Op Party on April 16 at 6 p.m. Pacific Time on the readergirlz blog: http://readergirlz.blogspot.com.

About Support Teen Literature Day

For the third consecutive year, Support Teen Literature Day will be celebrated April 16, 2009 in conjunction with ALA’s National Library Week. Librarians all across the country are encouraged to participate in Support Teen Literature Day by hosting events in their library. The purpose of this new celebration is to raise awareness among the general public that young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to offer today’s teens. Support Teen Literature Day also seeks to showcase award-winning authors and books in the genre as well as highlight librarians’ expertise in connecting teens with books and other reading materials.

About the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)

For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos, and audiobooks for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, visit www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists or contact the YALSA office by phone, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390, or email, yalsa@ala.org.

About readergirlz

readergirlz is the foremost online book community for teen girls, led by five critically acclaimed YA authors—Dia Calhoun (Avielle of Rhia), Holly Cupala (A Light That Never Goes Out) Lorie Ann Grover (Hold Me Tight), Justina Chen Headley (North of Beautiful), and Melissa Walker (the Violet series). readergirlz is the recipient of a 2007 James Patterson PageTurner Award.
To promote teen literacy and leadership in girls, readergirlz features a different YA novel and corresponding community service project every month. For more information about readergirlz, please visit www.readergirlz.com and http://readergirlz.blogspot.com, or contact divas@readergirlz.com.

About Guys Lit Wire

Guys Lit Wire brings literary news and reviews to the attention of teenage boys and the people who care about them. Working to combat the perception that teen boys aren’t as well read as teen girls, the organization seeks out literature uniquely targeted toward teen male readers in hopes of bringing attention of good books to guys who might have missed them.

---------------------------------------------------------------

*Paradox*

Win a Copy of Hottie by Jonathan Bernstein!

2009-04-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Wooo! My first contest! I wasn't expecting it, but I got two copies of Hottie in the mail (must have been an accident.) So I'm going to give the extra copy to one of my readers (if there are any left... I have been neglecting my blog.) Anyone there?

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment answering this question, along with an e-mail address (see rules):

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

To get extra entries:

- Become a follower. (+1)
- If you are already a follower... (+2)
- Mention my contest (with a link) on your blog or Twitter. (+3)
- Comment on my review of Hottie. (+1)
- Comment on my (to be posted) Hottie cover comparison (+1)

Rules:

1. Before getting extra entries, you first have to answer the question here.
2. Please mention everything you did in one comment. If you do more later, delete the old comment and leave a new one.
3. I'm sorry, but this contest is US only.
4. If you decide to enter by commenting here, you must leave your e-mail or blog address.
5. If you don't want to comment, you can e-mail me your entries at paradoxicalblog (at) gmail (dot) com.

I'm leaving the contest open until 11:59 PM on April 30th. The winner will be chosen in the next few days after that and contacted.

*Paradox*

Hottie by Jonathan Bernstein

2009-04-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

I know this is a bit overdue, but I've been having some computer trouble (it's slow, and if I open too many windows it crashes.)

I accidentally got two copies of Hottie, so I will be running a contest for the second (details to be posted soon.) Comment on this review to get an extra entry.

Review of: Hottie
Author - Jonathan Bernstein
Genre(s) - Realistic, Superhero (is that a genre?)
Pages - 320
Publisher - Razorbill
Publication Date - April 2, 2009

Rating -

Plot - 23/30
Writing - 16/20
Characters - 15/20
Creativity - 15/20
The *Wow* Factor - 8/10
Grand Total - 77/100

Grade - C+

Summary (From Amazon) -

Alison Cole’s got it all: She’s gorgeous, dating a steamy surfer boy, and has just been crowned Beverly Hills High Freshman Class President. Then during a special “symmetry” surgery, a lightning bolt zaps her, and Alison instantly transforms into Hottie—that is, a totally sizzling superhero with the power to shoot fire from her fingers!

Shunned as a Pyro-Freak, Alison must adopt dorky David Eels as her crime-fighting sidekick. Worse, she’s falling for the one guy who wants to “extinguish” her forever, Junior Class President of Cuteness— and wannabe firefighter—T. Hull. But she doesn’t realize that a supervillain’s lurking. . . .

Has Hottie met her match?

Review -

I have a weakness for superhero stories. Hottie wasn’t my favorite of the genre, but I still had a lot of fun reading it. Don’t take the C+ as a bad thing, because the points off were not for lack of fun, but more for a few problems I had with the characters and the tendency to follow the superhero stereotype (less creativity and plot points), which was the author’s intention. Oh, and I have to comment about the cover. I don’t like the new cover. Its colors clash and the photo of the girl doesn’t go well with the graphics. I preferred the cover that was completely graphical and had colors that actually went together. (I will post a comparison later.) Unfortunately, neither of them actually show the costume described in the book, so don’t use the cover to judge the book. Overall, this book was fun, so remember that as you read this review.

Hottie was set in LA, mostly Beverly Hills. I’ve never been there, but the book’s version of LA seemed very cartoonish, which I think was the point. It was used well as a backdrop for the story. But I wish the school had been described in a bit more detail. Some of my favorite scenes were when Alison was fighting crime as Hottie, which is where the book really shines.

The characters were where I found most of my problems with the book. They were all a bit too stereotypical for my liking (dumb blonde, mean popular girls, clueless loser nerd, evil stepmother, etc.) None of the characters seemed to have much life or originality, though I did see a bit with Alison. Alison was the dumb blonde of the story. I personally don’t like reading about main characters that aren’t very intelligent, but she made up for it with cuteness/fun/kindness. David was a pretty stereotypical nerd, though he had his moments. T. was pretty lifeless, but there were some funny scenes with him. It was all a bit too much like a cartoon or sitcom (stupid clueless adults, kids that are still sort-of stupid… but smarter than the adults, who are completely oblivious of the danger.) But that doesn't stop most of us from watching sitcoms, because that's what makes them funny.

I won’t give too much of the plot away, but if you read Hottie, expect a plot that follows the traditional superhero story, with a few amusing differences. Also expect a love triangle. If that sounds good to you, this will be one fun read. But I will warn you, it can get a bit cheesy at times, especially the superhero/supervillain showdown.

Hottie is not the sort of book to read if you want something serious or intellectual, but if you want something unchallenging and fun, or if you just like superhero stories, Hottie is the book for you!

Book From (Review Group, Bought, Library, Publisher, Author, Contest, Etc.) - Publisher

Don’t forget to comment on this review to get an extra entry in the contest!

*Paradox*

This. Is. Epic.

2009-04-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

I know I should have waited for an In My Mailbox post, but I haven't done one for over 2 months (oops?... I have the pictures... do you think I should post them? that's about 10 weeks of books...) Plus, this is just too epic to keep to myself.

I was completely shocked this afternoon when a Fed-Ex truck pulled up to my house and dropped off a package from Random House that I had no idea was coming. I immediately opened it and found FIVE ARCS! But that's not the best thing... One of them was:

GOING BOVINE BY LIBBA BRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's about when I freaked out. It's not coming out until September 22nd, and I haven't heard of any bloggers that have gotten it yet. Please comment here if you get it, or any of the books on this list. I'd like to know so I have someone else to celebrate with.

Here are the other books I got:

- The Treasure Map of Boys by E. Lockhart (July 28th) I have to read the others in this series first.
- (Re) Cycler by Lauren McLaughlin (August 25th) - I need to read Cycler first.
- Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner (May 26th) ... No, it's not what you think.
- Fat Cat by Robin Brande (October 13th) - Never heard of it, but it looks good.

I'll try to post pictures later, but my computer can be infuriating (partly why I never got to posting those In My Mailbox posts), so don't count on it.

I'll be posting a review today or tomorrow for a book that I just read and enjoyed. It's being released tomorrow, if that's a clue. It also has a hot pink cover.

And I'll also be having my first contest!!! So keep watching for it!

*Paradox*

Teen Book Meme... Of Doom (I Couldn't Resist)

2009-03-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

Everyone else is doing it, so I figured I should too.

The following list of books teens love, books teens should read, and books adults who serve teens should know about was compiled IN ABSOLUTELY NO SCIENTIFIC MANNER and should be taken with a very large grain of salt.

Instructions:
Put an "X" next to the books you've read
Put a "+" next to the books you LOVE
Put a "#" next to the books you plan on reading
Tally your "X"s at the bottom
Share with your friends!

1. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy / Douglas Adams #
2. Kit's Wilderness / David Almond
3. Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian / Sherman Alexie X
4. Speak / Laurie Halse Anderson #
5. Feed / M.T. Anderson #
6. Flowers in the Attic / V.C. Andrews
7. 13 Reasons Why / Jay Asher #
8. Am I Blue? / Marion Dane Bauer (editor)
9. Audrey Wait! / Robin Benway #
10. Weetzie Bat / Francesca Lia Block
11. Tangerine / Edward Bloor X
12. Forever / Judy Blume
13. What I Saw and How I Lied / Judy Blundell #
14. Tyrell / Coe Booth
15. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants / Ann Brashares #
16. A Great and Terrible Beauty / Libba Bray X+
17. The Princess Diaries / Meg Cabot #
18. The Stranger / Albert Camus
19. Ender's Game / Orson Scott Card #
20. Postcards from No Man's Land / Aidan Chambers
21. Perks of Being a Wallflower / Stephen Chbosky
22. And Then There Were None / Agatha Christie
23. Gingerbread / Rachel Cohn #
24. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist / Rachel Cohn and David Levithan #
25. Artemis Fowl (series) / Eoin Colfer X#
26. The Hunger Games / Suzanne Collins #
27. The Midwife's Apprentice / Karen Cushman
28. The Truth About Forever / Sarah Dessen
29. Little Brother / Cory Doctorow X+
30. A Northern Light / Jennifer Donnelly X
31. Tears of a Tiger / Sharon Draper
32. The House of the Scorpion / Nancy Farmer #
33. Breathing Underwater / Alex Flinn
34. Stardust / Neil Gaiman #
35. Annie on My Mind / Nancy Garden
36. What Happened to Cass McBride / Gail Giles
37. Fat Kid Rules the World / K.L. Going
38. Lord of the Flies / William Golding #
39. Looking for Alaska / John Green #
40. Bronx Masquerade / Nikki Grimes
41. Out of the Dust / Karen Hesse X
42. Hoot / Carl Hiaasen X
43. The Outsiders / S.E. Hinton #
44. Crank / Ellen Hopkins
45 The First Part Last / Angela Johnson
46. Blood and Chocolate / Annette Curtis Klause X
47. Arrow's Flight / Mercedes Lackey
48. Hattie Big Sky / Kirby Larson X
49. To Kill a Mockingbird / Harper Lee #
50. Boy Meets Boy / David Levithan
51. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks / E. Lockhart X+
52. The Giver / Lois Lowry X
53. Number the Stars / Lois Lowry X
54. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie / David Lubar
55. Inexcusable / Chris Lynch
56. The Earth, My Butt and Other Big, Round Things / Carolyn Mackler #
57. Dragonsong / Anne McCaffrey #
58. White Darkness / Geraldine McCaughrean #
59. Sold / Patricia McCormick
60. Jellicoe Road / Melina Marchetta #
61. Wicked Lovely / Melissa Marr #
62. Twilight / Stephenie Meyer X
63. Dairy Queen / Catherine Murdock
64. Fallen Angels / Walter Dean Myers
65. Monster / Walter Dean Myers
66. Step From Heaven / An Na
67. Mama Day / Gloria Naylor
68. The Keys to the Kingdom (series) / Garth Nix #
69. Sabriel / Garth Nix #
70. Airborn / Kenneth Oppel X+
71. Eragon / Christopher Paolini #
72. Hatchet / Gary Paulsen X
73. Life As We Knew It / Susan Beth Pfeffer X+
74. The Golden Compass / Phillip Pullman #
75. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging / Louise Rennison #
76. The Lightning Thief / Rick Riordan X+
77. Always Running: La Vida Loca / Luis Rodriguez
78. how i live now / Meg Rosoff #
79. Harry Potter (series) / J.K. Rowling X+
80. Holes / Louis Sachar X+
81. Catcher in the Rye / J. D. Salinger #
82. Push / Sapphire
83. Persepolis / Marjane Satrapi X+
84. Unwind / Neil Shusterman X+
85. Coldest Winter Ever / Sister Souljah
86. Stargirl / Jerry Spinelli X+
87. Chanda's Secrets / Allan Stratton X
88. Tale of One Bad Rat / Brian Talbot
89. Rats Saw God / Rob Thomas
90. Lord of the Rings / J.R.R. Tolkien # (I know, I know)
91. Stuck in Neutral / Terry Trueman
92. Gossip Girl / Cecily Von Ziegesar
93. Uglies / Scott Westerfeld X+
94. Every Time a Rainbow Dies / Rita Williams-Garcia
95. Pedro and Me / Judd Winick
96. Hard Love / Ellen Wittlinger
97. American Born Chinese / Gene Luen Yang X
98. Elsewhere / Gabrielle Zevin X
99. I am the Messenger / Markus Zusak #
100. The Book Thief / Markus Zusak X

X - 28
X+ - 12
# - 31

Read: 28/100
On To Read List: 31/100

I'm pathetic. :(

*Paradox*

How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

2009-02-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

Yes! It's my first real review! I'm sorry that it's so long, but I went a bit overboard.

Genre(s) - Fantasy, a little science fiction
Pages - 320
Publisher - Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Publication Date - September 16, 2008

Rating -

Plot - 25/30
Writing - 18/20
Characters - 16/20
Creativity - 18/20
The *Wow* Factor - 7/10

Grand Total - 84/100

Grade - B

Summary (From Amazon) -

Welcome to New Avalon, where everyone has a personal fairy. Though invisible to the naked eye, a personal fairy, like a specialized good luck charm, is vital to success. And in the case of the students at New Avalon Sports High, it might just determine whether you make the team, pass a class, or find that perfect outfit. But for 14-year-old Charlie, having a Parking Fairy is worse than having nothing at all—especially when the school bully carts her around like his own personal parking pass. Enter: The Plan. At first, teaming up with arch-enemy Fiorenze (who has an All-The-Boys-Like-You Fairy) seems like a great idea. But when Charlie unexpectedly gets her heart’s desire, it isn’t at all what she thought it would be like, and she’ll have resort to extraordinary measures to ditch her fairy. The question is: will Charlie herself survive the fairy ditching experiment? From the author of the acclaimed Magic or Madness trilogy, this is a delightful story of fairies, friendships, and figuring out how to make your own magic.

Review -

Even though HTDYF got a B in my rating system (largely because of loose ends in the plot and characters), I absolutely loved the idea of this book! It’s unlike anything I’ve seen in the fantasy genre. I am constantly looking for original books like this, and I wasn’t let down by the creative setting of the story. The Amazon summary doesn’t go into this much, so let me explain a little. The story takes place in the city of New Avalon, which is fairly modern and a little futuristic and located in a country that is a mixture of the USA and Australia and in a world similar to ours. But the country is never named and there is almost no information given about the world outside of New Avalon. This might be to demonstrate the extreme self-centeredness of the city’s inhabitants. The people of the city don’t really care about anything happening elsewhere and idolize their celebrities (called “Ours.”) One of the major differences between their world and ours are the fairies. They aren’t little people with wings in HTDYF, but invisible beings that give a specific form of good luck to their owner. It is impossible to detect them and little is known about fairies, so some even doubt their existence. The belief in fairies almost seemed like a religion at times, and a person who did not believe was considered an agnostic.

I liked the characters in HTDYF, and they were fairly original, but there were a few things about them that bothered me. It isn’t necessarily the character development, but at times they could be quite annoying. I found it hard to sympathize with Charlie (a girl), the main character, at times. Since the book was written in first person, it also seemed that there wasn’t enough attention on many of the characters. I would have liked to learn more about Charlie’s sister, her friends, and Steffi/Stefan (a new boy who ends up as her boyfriend.) My favorite character was probably Steffi, who had just moved to New Avalon and pointed out many of the city’s flaws.

There were a few things about Charlie’s world that were almost disturbing. One thing was the lack of interest in places outside of New Avalon that the people seemed to show, or even the thought that they were superior to everyone else. Another thing was the school system. There were different schools for things such as sports, arts, etc., which seemed to be set up just to groom students for certain jobs and to pick out future Ours. Anyone in a general school was considered untalented. Also, the amount of privileges the Ours had was scary. A famous person in New Avalon was almost above the law. Even students who were destined to be famous would never get into trouble, even for something like forcing someone to get in their car (like one character did to Charlie.) Even going to court against an Our was useless. Charlie tended to believe that these things were normal. I had hoped she would end up more open-minded in the end, which she did, but it was often more of the opposite. Steffi began to accept some of these things when I was mentally yelling at both of them to do something. This didn’t really fit with the “cute” novel HTDYF seemed like it was supposed to be.

Charlie’s quest to get a new fairy and her trouble on the way to this was the main plot, and it was well done. The story only ran into some trouble with side plots and undeveloped ideas that got to be fairly annoying. The few bits of information about the world outside of New Avalon were like money on a string that gets pulled away as you grab for it. If the book were part of a series, I would understand this. But as far as I know, HTDYF is standalone. Another thing that was never explained was what happened to Fiorenze’s mother’s fairy research and book, which had the potential to enlighten the world about fairies. A few other things were hinted at but never explained in depth, such as the fact that people outside of New Avalon hated the city, or that outside of the city there were many who held different beliefs about fairies.

For the most part, I enjoyed the way that HTDYF was written. It was in first person, so I really got to know Charlie and her unique and funny voice. One thing about the book that other reviewers seemed to have trouble with was New Avalon’s invented slang (for which there is a glossary at the back of the book), which they seemed to find distracting. I didn’t have any problem with it. In fact, I thought it was fun and added character to the world it was set in.

Though I didn’t find HTDYF to be perfect, it was still a lot of fun. But I hope that the author writes more books set in this world so some of the more annoying loose ends can be tied up.

Book From (Review Group, Bought, Library, Publisher, Author, Contest, Etc.) - Library

*Paradox*

A Call To Action... Or Something Like That

2009-02-10T17:50:00.000-08:00

Did I get your attention? Well, if you haven't heard already, Laura of Laura's Review Bookshelf (http://laurasreviewbookshelf.blogspot.com/) is recruiting new followers for her blog. Really, go look at it! She has a lot of reviews, especially for upcoming books, and has a lot of contests... and yes, this post is contest related. Two people who promote her blog and two people sent there will get the book of their choice!

So go over to the blog and say that Paradox referred you! ---> http://laurasreviewbookshelf.blogspot.com/2009/02/plea-and-you-get-prize.html

And to make this sound even better... If you go to Laura's blog and leave a message saying I referred you, and then come back here and say you did it, you will get an entry in a sort of contest. This is completely unrelated to the book of choice contest. But after you leave a message at her blog and come back to say you did it, you can also leave the title of a book you'd like me to use in my next fan art book cover! It can be any book I didn't already post in my fan art book cover post. When Laura posts her winners I will use a randomizer to pick a "winner" from among the comments here and make a fan art book cover for the book suggested.

I hope I didn't confuse you.

*Paradox*

Books Read in January 2009

2009-02-04T12:57:00.000-08:00

Everyone else is doing it, so here's my list of books read in January:

(I didn't read as much as I wanted to, but I read some great books, which I have starred on the list.)

The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
*Welcome to the Ark by Stephanie S. Tolan
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling
The Wandering Schoolgirl Book 01 by Gary L. Gallegos and Louis C. Gallegos
100 Girls by Adam Gallardo and Todd Demong
*Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra
*Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley
Chalice by Robin McKinley
*The Good Neighbors: Kin by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh
Gem X by Nicky Singer
Runemarks by Joanne Harris

Did anyone else read some of these books? What did you think of them?

I also plan on reviewing some of these (but not all of them, because I'm just too busy to review all the books I read.)

*Paradox*

My Fan Art Book Covers!

2009-01-31T09:55:00.000-08:00

I've promised to post these since I started this blog, so here they are! I made these fan art book covers originally as an activity on RandomBuzzers.com, and I picked books that I liked that also could have a fan cover made easily (no fancy photomanipulations or vector graphics).

To anyone who skipped the first paragraph, this is FAN ART, not the actual covers. I'm not trying to steal anything either. I made these myself from public domain photos and the very fact that I spent hours making them means that I am a fan of the books. So go read them!

First I'll put the fan art cover, then I'll show the real cover and a link to Amazon to find out more about the book.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Fan Cover:

Real Cover:

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Adoration-Jenna-Fox-Mary-Pearson/dp/0805076689/

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Fan Cover (This one is inspired by the movie.):

Real Cover (not the movie cover):

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/City-Ember-First-Book/dp/0375822747/

Airborn by Kenneth Oppel

Fan Cover:

Real Cover (paperback):

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Airborn-Kenneth-Oppel/dp/0060531827/

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (I'm no big Twilight fan, but I thought I could make a good cover for it.)

Fan Cover:

Real Cover:

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Twilight-Saga-Book-1/dp/0316015849/

So.... What did you think?

*Paradox*

In My Mailbox (1)

2009-01-25T17:53:00.000-08:00

I'm finally starting In My Mailbox! Credit for this idea goes to The Story Siren (http://www.thestorysiren.com/).

I've been trying to get this first edition up for the last month, but I've been busy, have slept through the time when I should have posted it, and lost my camera for a week and was unable to take pictures of the latest books. I finally got the camera back and I will be posting the pictures of every book that's come in the mail for the past four weeks. I won't post pictures of the books I've bought myself (not counting online purchases) because that would take forever, but I will list them. But I won't even be going into the library books I've checked out...

Week 1 - 12/28-1/3:

- 3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows by Anne Brashares - From Random Buzzers. It was a prize.

- The Eyes of a King by Catherine Banner - From Random Buzzers. This one has a story behind it. The whole reason I joined Random Buzzers was to earn enough points to get an ARC of this book. I got the last copy they had, and then I waited... for three months. And I never got it. I e-mailed them and they said that it must have gotten lost in the mail, because they sent it out. So they refunded my points. But then they sent me a hardcover copy for free!

Week 2 - 1/4-1/10:

- Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra - Contest prize.

- Top 8 by Katie Finn - From Book Divas.

- The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan - Contest prize.

- Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison - Contest prize.

- The Wandering Schoolgirl by Gary L. Gallegos and Louis C. Gallegos - Contest prize.

- 100 Girls by Adam Gallardo and Todd Demong - Contest prize.

- The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling - Contest prize.

- Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley - Contest prize.

Week 3 - 1/11-1/17:

- Sam's Quest for the Crimson Crystal by Ben Furman - Contest prize.

- Far from You by Lisa Scroeder - For review.

- Chicken Soup for the Soul: Teens Talk Growing Up by Various Authors - Contest prize.

- Revelations (Blue Bloods) by Melissa de la Cruz - Contest prize.

- Need by Carrie Jones - Contest prize.

- Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston - Contest prize.

Week 4 - 1/18-1/24:

- I So Don't Do Mysteries by Barrie Summy - Contest prize.

- Rogelia's House of Magic by Jamie Martinez Wood - From Amazon.

- Daylight Runner by Oisin McGann - From Amazon.

- Far World: Water Keep by J. Scott Savage - Contest prize.

And here are all the books I've gotten at used book sales and a few other random places over the last month:

- Mondays Are Red by Nicola Morgan

- Princess Nevermore by Dian Curtis Regan

- Gregor and the Marks of Secret by Suzanne Collins

- The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty

- The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp by Rick Yancey

- Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison

- Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
- The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
- The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Anne Brashares
- The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

- The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- Sk8er Boy by Mari Mancusi
- The Juniper Game by Sherryl Jordan
- The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
- Lionboy by Zizou Corder

- Charlie Bone and the Time Twister by Jenny Nimmo
- The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer
- The Supernaturalist by Eoin Colfer
- Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
- Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer

- Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer
- Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony by Eoin Colfer
- Switched (Fear Street) by R. L. Stine
- The Babysitter III by R. L. Stine
- Everworld #1: Search for Senna by K. A. Applegate

- Everworld #2: Land of Loss by K. A. Applegate

- Everworld #3: Enter the Enchanted by K. A. Applegate

- Everworld #5: Discover the Destroyer by K. A. Applegate

- Everworld #6: Fear the Fantastic by K. A. Applegate

- Everworld #7: Gateway to the Gods by K. A. Applegate

- Everworld #8: Brave the Betrayal by K. A. Applegate

*Paradox*

Inkheart Movie!!!

2009-01-23T16:04:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to see the Inkheart movie! It comes out today! Guess how long I've been waiting for it... 4 months? 6? A year? No, I've been waiting (im)patiently for the movie since September 2007 (about). The movie was originally supposed to come out in March 2008, so I was so disappointed when I found out I had to wait until January 2009 to see it. I'll probably go to it tomorrow with my best friend. I just hope the movie version of the story isn't completely messed up... Ella Enchanted movie? FAIL.

I read the book about five years ago, so I don't remember everything, but I remember that it was GOOD.

I'm too lazy to write out a blurb for the book, but I have provided the trailer (an early one which I like better than the new one, which is trying too hard to appeal to young children), which will give you the general idea:

If you are interested in the new trailer, go to the official movie website: http://inkheartmovie.com/

Here's the IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0494238/
And the Amazon page (not for the movie tie-in, I hate those): http://www.amazon.com/Inkheart-Cornelia-Funke/dp/0439709105/

Is anyone else going to see it?

*Paradox*

Happy Birthday Alexa Young!

2009-01-15T16:34:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Yes, it's Alexa Young's birthday! If you didn't know, she is the author of Frenemies and the recently released Faketastic.

Her blog is here: http://alexayoung.blogspot.com/

You must go out and read them:

Frenemies (http://www.amazon.com/Frenemies-Alexa-Young/dp/0061175617/):

Description from Amazon:

What happens when two besties become full-blown worsties?

Avalon Greene rules the fashion scene at her sunny SoCal middle school with a diamond-clad fist, calling out classmates for their fashion-do's and most unfortunate clothes-pas. She's determined to host the social event of the season—a soiree in honor of her forever-friendship with Halley! Unfortunately, Halley's new look is one thing Avalon just can't celebrate. . . .

Halley Brandon is just back from art camp and can't wait to share her funky new style with her best friend, Avalon. But when Avalon cries fashion foul, Halley realizes her best friend's true colors may clash with her own. Has their ultra-fabulous friendship finally gone out of style?

From sharing custody of their puppy, Pucci, to drawing up a list of who gets which friends, Avalon and Halley discover what happens when you battle the person who knows everything about you—and isn't afraid to use your secrets to get what she wants.

Best friends. Worst enemies. Frenemies.

Faketastic (http://www.amazon.com/Frenemies-2-Faketastic-Alexa-Young/dp/0061175706/):

Description from Amazon:

From besties to worsties and back again . . .

Team Avalon:

For Avalon, staying on top of trends has never been a problem—until her fellow cheerleaders decide that her BFF Halley is definitely out this season. Now Avalon must choose between the frenemy who embarrassed her in front of everyone or the new friends who stood by her.

vs.

Team Halley:

Halley thinks she's got it all: her forever-friend Avalon, her new bestie Sofee, and the hottest fall wardrobe at Seaview Middle School. Her life is a total YES. But when Sofee spies Avalon flirting with Halley's crush, will it be World War Halvalon all over again?

*Paradox*

What is to Come

2009-01-11T21:18:00.000-08:00

I have been neglecting my blog... with the exception of the contest list. Well, I've been very busy with non-blog stuff, and getting ready to start a lot of new things here. I've been reading a lot, and I still have a lot of reviews to write. And before I even post a review there are a few things that have to be done first:

- I have to have a post explaining my rating system.
- I have to have a post explaining the mystery add-on I will have on some of my reviews (I'll explain later).
- I'll post those fan-made book covers and my cover idea for the book I'm writing, which I have been putting off doing.
- I will join some reading challenges.
- I will make changes to my blog, like adding links on the sidebar.
- I have to update my countdown widgets.
- I would like 3 columns, but I have no idea how to do this...
- I am going to start doing In My Mailbox and possibly Waiting on Wednesday!
- I'm starting my own feature where I compare book covers from the USA and foreign countries. Anyone have an idea what I should name this, besides my lame "Cover vs. Cover"?
- I have to have a post about awards I've been given, which I've been putting off.

Reviews Coming Soon:

- Skinned by Robin Wasserman
- The Devouring by Simon Holt
- The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman
- The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
- Welcome to the Ark by Stephanie S. Tolan
- Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra
- Sucks to Be Me by Kimberly Pauley
- Graceling by Kristin Cashore
- Gone by Michael Grant (read this a long time ago, but it was so awesome I must review it)
- Unwind by Neal Schusterman (ditto)
- Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (ditto)
- The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (ditto)

Oh, and I hit a milestone yesterday, 1-11-09! For the first time, an author (Jonathan Bernstein) contacted me with an offer of a book to review (Hottie)! It just so happens that I have been wanting to read that book!

*Paradox*

Favorite Books of 2008

2008-12-31T17:56:00.001-08:00

Everyone else is doing it, so here is my list of my favorite books of 2008. They aren't in any particular order, but #1-3 are the best of the best.

- Gone by Michael Grant - This is pure awesomeness! It has earned a place in my list of favorite books, which is very small compared to the hundreds (even thousands) of books I've read.

- Unwind by Neal Schusterman - This was sci-fi that was chilling, well written, and made me think at the same time.

- Little Brother by Cory Doctorow - This also goes on my favorites list! Geeky, but in a cool way!

- The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson - Ditto what I said for Unwind, but it wasn't quite as horrific (as in good horror).

- Kaimira: The Sky Village by Monk Ashland and Nigel Ashland - This is Middle Grade, but I still loved it!

- Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs - I loved this book! It reminded me of the Percy Jackson series (<3)>

- Simon Bloom, The Gravity Keeper by Michael Reisman - Another Middle Grade book. This one had a really unique premise.

- Ever by Gail Carson Levine - This one is usually categorized as Middle Grade, and got some not-so-great reviews, but I loved it.

- Wake by Lisa McMann - It was hard to get used to the way the book was written, but once I was used to it I was hooked.

- The Devouring by Simon Holt - I read this on Sorry Night... and it freaked me out so much that I nearly fell over when a small noise startled me.

- The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart - One of the few realistic fiction books on my list. That means it's very, very good!

And some that weren't published in 2008, but I read in 2008:

- The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray - This took me forever to finish (800 pages), but it was a great conclusion to the Gemma Doyle Trilogy! ... *cry*

- Specials and Extras by Scott Westerfeld - Yes! I finished the incredible Uglies series!

- Hero by Perry Moore - It's about superheroes!

- Interworld by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reeves - It has parallel worlds (!!!) and multiple versions of the main character... who have the power to travel between worlds! And it's a mixture of sf and fantasy. This one would only be better if the book was longer, and a series.

- Mortal Engines and Predator's Gold (The Hungry City Chronicles) by Philip Reeve - Incredible! Especially Mortal Engines.

- Larklight by Philip Reeve - This was set in an alternate 1800's where the British Empire extends into outer space. I loved it!

- Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier - This one was near perfect. Need I say more?

- The Plain Janes by Cecil Castellucci - One of my favorite graphic novels. Ever.

- The entire Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan - Middle Grade, but some of the best MG books out there!

- The Hollow People (Promises of Doctor Sigmundus) by Brian Keaney - It was short and ended on a cliffhanger, but it was good!

I'm sure I'm forgetting some, but this is all I can think of now.

There are some books I'm sure would be on here (The Hunger Games, Sleepless, Undone, The Otherworldlies, Skinned, Graceling, The Summoning, and others), but I haven't had a chance to read them yet.

*Paradox*

Books for Christmas!

2008-12-27T22:45:00.000-08:00

I know I'm posting this a bit late, but I've just been too busy (...err... with Christmas gifts) to post this until now. I'm also planning on starting my own "In My Mailbox" feature next week. Soo... here are the books I either got on Christmas, or bought with Christmas money and gift cards:

EDIT: Grr... I've been trying to get this post straightened out for almost an hour! Is there an easy way to get all the pictures and titles in without the post getting all messed up?

Received On Christmas:

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
Paraworld Zero by Matthew Peterson

First Light by Rebecca Stead

From Gift Cards and Christmas Money:

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Revealers by Amanda Marrone

Betwixt by Tara Bray Smith

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

Ruler of the Realm (Book 3 in Faerie Wars Quartet) by Herbie Brennan

Blue Noon (Midnighters #3) by Scott Westerfeld
The Hound of Rowan (The Tapestry #1) by Henry H. Neff

I can't wait to start reading all of these!

Happy Holidays/New Year/Etc. !!!

*Paradox*

The Official Contest List

2008-12-17T16:35:00.000-08:00

...I was so tempted to continue the title with "Of Doom."

Soo... I'm thinking that too much of my blog space is being taken up by contest links, so from now on I'll post them all here and put a link to the list on the sidebar. But I probably won't put up all the contests I find, because that would take forever, but usually the best ones and the ones that will give me extra entries if I post about them. This list will be updated frequently. The contests won't be in any particuar order, but the ones that are giving away large amounts of books or are complicated to understand will be put first on the list.

THE LIST - Latest update at about 12:45 AM April 9th:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lenore of Presenting Lenore is hosting a contest for a prize pack of 11 or more books! They are:

- If I Stay by Gayle Forman

- The Reluctant Heiress by Eva Ibbotson

- Peace Love & Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle

- Chasing the Bear by Robert Parker

- Prada & Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

- Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes

- Plus by Veronica Chambers

- Three Cups of Tea Young Readers Edition by Greg Mortenson

- Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

The contest ends at 11:59 PM CST on the 5th. - http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-giveaway-penguin-prize-pack-11-ya.html

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The Story Siren is giving away a prize pack of 10 ARCs!!! They are:

- The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

- Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith

- Nothing But Ghosts by Beth Kephart

- Warrior Princess by Frewin Jones

- Sea Change by Aimee Friedman

- Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

- Sloane Sisters by Anna Carey

- Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman

- A Map of the Known World by Lisa Anne Sandell

- Something Maybe by Elizabeth Scott

The contest ends at midnight EST on the 7th. - http://www.thestorysiren.com/2009/03/contest-ten-pack-arc.html

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For the Love of Books is giving away three books (either to one or three people). They are:

- Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne

- Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison

- Speak (10th Anniversary Edition) by Laurie Halse Anderson

The contest ends at midnight on the 21st. - http://fortheloveofbooksblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/march-giveaway.html

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Book-luver Carol is giving away a bunch of books! There will be three winners. The first prize winner gets three books off of the list, the second prize winner gets two, and the third prize winner gets one. Here's the list (taken from contest post):

Privilege by Kate Brian

Rumors by Anna Godbersen (Paperback)

The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferraro (ARC)

You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay (ARC)

Ever by Gail Carson Levine (Hardback)

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Catherine Hapka

Skin Hunger: A Resurrection of Magic by Kathleen Duey (Paperback)

Rehab by Randi Reisfeld

Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley (ARC)

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (ARC)

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison (ARC)

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Raven by Allison Van Driepen (ARC)

The Diamonds by Ted Michael (ARC)

The winners will be picked on the 1st of April. - http://bookluver-carol.blogspot.com/2009/03/im-so-happy-that-im-going-to-florida.html

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Carrie of Carrie's YA Bookshelf is giving away a prize pack of three YA supernatural books! The books are:

- You Are So Undead to Me by Stacy Jay

- Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne

- An ARC of Haunted by Meg Cabot

The contest ends on the 31st. - http://carriesyabookshelf.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-contest.html

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Cupcake Witch is giving away an ARC of The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han. The contest ends on the 10th. - http://cupcakewitch.blogspot.com/2009/04/contest-to-win-summer-i-turned-pretty.html

LitMuse is giving away an ARC of If I Stay by Gayle Forman! The contest ends on the 31st. - http://litmuse.wordpress.com/2009/03/21/if-i-stay-arc-contest/

Reverie Media is giving away a copy of Hunted by P.C Cast and Kristin Cast. The contest ends on the first of April. - http://reveriemedia.blogspot.com/2009/03/monthaversay-giveaway.html

Genevieve of Genevieve's Blog is giving away a copy of What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook. The contest ends at midnight PST on the 31st. - http://caprubia.blogspot.com/2009/03/what-would-emma-do-contest.html

One Reader's Trash is Another Reader's Treasure is giving away a copy of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher! The contest ends at midnight on the 27th. - http://ya-bookaholic.blogspot.com/2009/02/100-posts-contest.html

Kelsey of Reading Keeps You Sane is giving away two signed (personalized!!!) copies of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey! The contest ends at midnight CST on the 27th. - http://readingkeepsyousane.blogspot.com/2009/03/contest.html

The Epic Rat is giving away 6 copies (3 to commenters, 2 to followers, 1 international) of My Little Red Book (anthology.) The contest ends on the 27th. - http://epicrat.blogspot.com/2009/03/would-you-tell-me-please.html

The Page Flipper is giving away an ARC of 20 Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler. The winner will be chosen on Monday the 16th. - http://thepageflipper.blogspot.com/2009/03/weekly-contest.html

Harmony Book Reviews is giving away three copies of Wish You Were Here by Catherine Clark! No deadline is given... - http://harmonybookreviews.wordpress.com/2009/03/04/its-contest-time-again/

WORD for Teens is having a March Giveaway for multiple books. They are: Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols, The Marine by Rudy Josephs, Hollywood Nobody and Finding Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson, and Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott. The contest ends at the end of the month. - http://wordforteens.blogspot.com/2009/03/march-09-giveaway-out-like-lamb.html

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*Paradox*

Free Bookmarks... and Contest Links

2008-12-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

I found more contest links to post, but I felt that I couldn't just post another list of links with nothing else... So I took some bookmarks I made and uploaded them to Blogger. Now you can print them out and use them (click on them to see them full size)! Just don't post them anywhere else, modify them, or say you made them. (If you tweak them just to print for yourself, I don't mind.) Grr... I can't get the second bookmark to upload... let me see if I can get it...

So...

A Book Review? Um... No. It's Another List of Contests:

Melissa Walker is giving away Losers by Matthue Roth. The winner is announced tomorrow, so hurry if you want to enter. - http://www.melissacwalker.com/blog/2008/12/winit_wednesday_losers_by_matt.html

Bookish Ruth is giving away a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling! The contest ends at midnight on the 18th. - http://www.bookishruth.com/2008/12/book-giveaway-tales-of-beedle-bard-by.html

Reviewer X and The Story Siren's YA Connection is giving away She's So Money by Cherry Cheva this week! The winner will be chosen on Saturday. - http://reviewerx.blogspot.com/2008/12/ya-connection.html

And Another Book Read is giving away a copy of The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman! The contest ends at 12 PM EST on Saturday. - http://andanotherbookread.blogspot.com/2008/12/and-simple-question.html

Mrs. Magoo Reads is giving away four books! They are: Indie Girl, Fashion 101: A Crash Course in Clothing, "Been There, Survived That", and The Dictionary of High School B.S. The winner will be chosen on January 1st. - http://www.mrsmagooreads.com/2008/12/my-300th-post.html

The Symposium is giving away The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J. K. Rowling! The contest ends at midnight MST on the 13th. - http://review.nanashi-inc.net/2008/12/giveaway-the-tales-of-beedle-the-bard/

Sharon Loves Books and Cats is giving away The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan! The contest ends on the 18th. - http://sharonlovesbooksandcats.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-holiday-giveaway.html

Oh. My. God. I just found a huge contest where 28 books, including Farworld: Water Keep and Creepers are being given away!!! The contest ends on the 12th. - http://thebluestockings.com/2008/12/holiday-giveaway-extravaganza/

*Paradox*

Yes... MORE Contest Links

2008-12-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

I know, it's December and I should be putting more on the blog than just a bunch of contest links, but I have a lot of stuff I have to catch up on that I put off because of NaNoWriMo. And the holidays are coming! I'll try to get up the book covers I made soon. And I'm also going to (finally) see the Twilight movie. So look for more stuff soon. The first real review I'll post will most likely be for Unwind by Neal Schusterman, which is one of the best books I've read in months.

Okay, here's the list of contest links:

Just Listen is giving away two packs of books by Melina Marchetta. One pack has an ARC of Finnikin of the Rock and Looking for Alibrandi. The other has On the Jellicoe Road and Saving Francesca. The contest ends at about midnight on the 9th. - http://justlistenbookreviews.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-first-competition.html

Author Keri Mikulski is having a holiday giveaway for Let it Snow: Three Holiday Stories by Lauren Myracle, Maureen Johnson, and John Green, I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert and a Twilight movie poster! The contest ends at midnight on the 14th. - http://kerimikulski.blogspot.com/2008/11/yay-for-ya-holiday-giveaway.html

The Page Flipper is giving away a prize pack of five books! They are: Read my Lips by Teri Brown, Likely Story by David Van Etten, Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood, The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti, and The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson. The contest ends at midnight on the 31st. - http://thepageflipper.blogspot.com/2008/12/december-prize-pack.html

Mrs. Magoo Reads is giving away Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by Jody Gehrman. The contest ends on the 31st and a winner is picked on January 1st. - http://www.mrsmagooreads.com/2008/12/contest-win-confessions-of-triple-shot.html

Harmony Book Reviews is giving away a surprise pack of at least two books, bookmarks, and other mystery items. Entries must be in by the 29th. - http://harmonybookreviews.wordpress.com/2008/12/02/december-monthly-surprise-pack-contest/

And Another Book Read... is giving away an ARC of Paper Towns by John Green! The contest ends at noon on the 6th. - http://andanotherbookread.blogspot.com/2008/12/return-of-long-lost-blogger.html

La Petite Chic is giving away a Wii and Wii Fit!!! The contest is only open until midnight on Friday, so if you want to win this, you have to enter the contest now. - http://www.lapetitechic.com/lapetitechic/2008/11/wii-and-wii-fit-giveaway.html

Author A. S. King is giving away her last ARC of The Dust of 100 Dogs and some surprise gift! And it's a writing contest! Well, 10 words. Exactly. And it has to be about the life of a pirate or a dog. The contest ends at midnight on the 18th. - http://dogfact9.blogspot.com/2008/11/merry-life-and-short-one-contest.html

Presenting Lenore is giving away a prize pack of at least 6 books from Penguin, and one will probably be the winner's choice. The others are a surprise! Entries must be in by the 5th. - http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2008/11/book-giveaway-penguin-publicists-choice.html

The bloggers at Maelstrom are giving away a huge prize! The winner will get their choice of one book from each blogger's list of favorites, a UK edition of Artemis Fowl, a mix of music, and an Irish bookmark. The contest will be open until the 20th. - http://maelstrombooks.blogspot.com/2008/11/fiercely-fawesome-first-contest.html

Amberkatze's Book Blog is giving away your choice of any book by Kelley Armstrong. And it will be signed! It ends at 4 pm CET on the 7th. - http://amberkatze-amberkatze.blogspot.com/2008/11/author-interview-contest-with-kelley.html

*Paradox*

Wake by Lisa McMann!!!

2008-11-24T19:58:00.001-08:00

This is my official post about Wake by Lisa McMann. (Yes, a contest is involved.) It won't really be a review, because I read it too long ago to write a good one, so this will just be a post to tell you a little about the book, and some of my thoughts about it. I'll have a detailed rating system with my real reviews. (I'm really new to this so I got the picture to the left off of Google Images (I believe from the Barnes & Noble site.) Am I breaking any copyright laws? I saved it to my computer and uploaded it to my blog.)

Amazon Summary:

Not all dreams are sweet.

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

My Thoughts:

I was so excited when I found Wake at a local library because I'd heard so much about it and immediately began to read it, despite the fact I had about twenty other books from other libraries left to read that were due soon. I had a bit of trouble getting into the book at first because of the present tense style of writing and shifting between times, but once I was in I was hooked. I absolutely love paranormal books, and until that point I hadn't encountered much dreamwalking in teen books, but what I had read before was nothing like this. Janie couldn't helped getting sucked into other people's often nasty dreams, which was a really original idea that I wished I had thought of. It was a power that was more of a curse. Then came the part that really got me interested. Janie wasn't the only dreamwalker... and then there's Cabel, the boy she ends up sharing her secret with (who is also sort of mysterious.) Overall, the style the book was written in, the darkness of the story, and the frequent switching of scenes sort of gave me the feeling of being lost and confused, but curious, which I suspect is the author's intent. But so many questions went unanswered... Now I really want to read Fade (see countdown on sidebar)!!! (Sorry if you thought this was so disorganized, but I didn't intend for it to be a real review.)

Wake Book Trailer:

In case you were wondering, here is the contest (it ends in less than an hour, so I doubt posting this will do much good): http://lisamcmann.blogspot.com/2008/10/freaking-huge-contest-o-thanks.html

More Contests (You saw this coming, didn't you?):

Terri Clark (author of Sleepless!) is giving away a bunch of books, too many to list here! The winner will be chosen on November 28th (Black Friday). - http://terriclark.livejournal.com/60952.html

Presenting Lenore is giving away the entire Gemma Doyle Trilogy (signed!!!) The contest ends at 9 PM on December 5th. - http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2008/11/book-giveaway-signed-gemma-doyle.html

*Paradox*

Book Trailer for Bliss by Lauren Myracle

2008-11-21T16:24:00.000-08:00

I want to read this book really badly, so I'm posting the trailer for a contest. It's pretty cool, right? It looks so good!

Paradox Says Hi

2008-11-16T17:05:00.000-08:00

Hello, I'm Paradox, and I must be crazy for attempting to start a blog. Don't expect there to be much here until at the very soonest December (NaNoWriMo is eating my soul). But when I do finally start posting things, besides contest links, this will be a blog for book reviews, things that amuse me, interesting stuff I find on the internet, updates about my writing and possibly short stories, graphics and drawings of mine, and randomness. I'll try to stress the book reviews, though, because I am love reading. I'm pretty new to writing book reviews, so at first they probably won't be that good.

My favorite genres of books to read are science fiction, fantasy, supernatural, mythological, or anything with a touch of the metaphysical. Anything with parallel universes too. Most of this is YA. I do not like fluff cliquish high/middle school stories, so don't expect me to review them. I will read realistic fiction, but I prefer for it to be something special or unusual.

I like to write about the things I like to read, and that influences what I draw, because I usually draw my characters. Right now I am attempting to write two books (more about that in later posts). Besides reading, writing, and drawing, I like to find amusing sites on the internet, design websites, attempt to teach myself 3D animation and other digital art, and take pictures of things with my digital camera.

Oh, the picture on the left is not me, it's one of my characters that I drew.

I doubt anyone is actually reading this, but here are some links to contests that I am posting to get extra entries:

Reading Keeps You Sane is having a Halloween/Birthday contest where the winner gets to choose from a selection of books, including a signed copy of Wake by Lisa McMann. It ends tomorrow at midnight. - http://readingkeepsyousane.blogspot.com/2008/10/halloweenbirthday-contest.html

Reading Mania is having a huge contest to win any book she reviews from when the contest began to today. It ends at midnight, so I don't know if anyone will find this in time, but there'll be another contest soon. - http://elainareads.blogspot.com/2008/11/contest.html

Reviewer X's YA Connection Giveaway is for Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen this week. It ends on Saturday, the 22nd. - http://reviewerx.blogspot.com/2008/11/ya-connection-contest_15.html

Book Chatter is having a giveaway for Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link. It ends on November 30th. - http://bookchatterandotherstuff.blogspot.com/2008/11/giveaway-pretty-monsters-by-kelly-link.html

Mrs. Magoo Reads is having a contest to win How Not to be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler. It ends at the end of November. - http://www.mrsmagooreads.com/2008/11/contest-win-copy-of-how-not-to-be.html

Presenting Lenore is giving away 5 copies of Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway. It ends on the 25th. - http://presentinglenore.blogspot.com/2008/11/book-giveaway-audrey-wait-by-robin.html

My Favorite Author is giving away an ARC of The Season by Sarah MacLean. It's not even coming out until next March! The contest ends on the 30th. - http://myfavoriteauthor.blogspot.com/2008/11/chapter-35-debut-author-month-giveaway.html

Chick Lit Teens is having a giveaway for three books: The Debs by Susan McBride, Bad Kitty by Michelle Jaffe, or The Squad: Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It ends on the 21st. - http://chicklitteens.blogspot.com/2008/11/book-blowout.html

My next post on this blog will probably be either contest links or about some fan book covers I made. And the layout is temporary. I'll customize it when I have time.

*Paradox*

Paradoxical

In My Mailbox (October 4-11)

In My Mailbox (Last 3 Weeks)

Awesome Contest I Found!

Winners of Michelle Moran Contest!

In My Mailbox (Sept. 6th-13th)

Contest for 1 of 9 YA Books!

How to Win Contests

In My Mailbox (Aug. 29th - Sept. 5th)

The Circle of Friends Book III...James by L. Diane Wolfe

Win Cleopatra's Daughter or The Heretic Queen!

Webcomic Wednesday (1)

Contest for an ARC of Magic Under Glass!

Intertwined Sweepstakes

New Fan Cover for Prophecy of the Sisters

Thank You!!!

Help?

Awesome Movie Trailers

Far From You by Lisa Schroeder

Alternatives to "Once Upon a Time"

Candor Book Trailer

100 Followers!!!

Vamped by Lucienne Diver

Recent Release: Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede

Watch This Awesome Trailer for Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater!

Prophecy of the Sisters Fan Cover!

You Would Not Believe What I Found in My Local Library...

Some Short Fae Stories

Make Your Own Superhero!

Story - Broken Fey

Yes, I Know I'm Being Lazy...

Winner of Hottie Contest!

My Computer Has a Virus :(

Operation Teen Book Drop!

Win a Copy of Hottie by Jonathan Bernstein!

Hottie by Jonathan Bernstein

This. Is. Epic.

Teen Book Meme... Of Doom (I Couldn't Resist)

How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier

A Call To Action... Or Something Like That

Books Read in January 2009

My Fan Art Book Covers!

In My Mailbox (1)

Inkheart Movie!!!

Happy Birthday Alexa Young!

What is to Come

Favorite Books of 2008

Books for Christmas!

The Official Contest List

Free Bookmarks... and Contest Links

Yes... MORE Contest Links

More Contest Links

Wake by Lisa McMann!!!

Book Trailer for Bliss by Lauren Myracle

Paradox Says *Hi*

Paradox Says Hi