2011 July

In My Mailbox!!

July 30, 2011 By Lori 25 Comments

In My Mailbox was inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie and created by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Review:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
(I read this months ago and you probably know that I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it…)

Bought:

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller (My review…)

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Other Stuff:
Harry Potter Years 1-5 on Blu-ray

Filed Under: In my Mailbox

Saturday Situation -45- Link up you reviews & giveaways!

July 30, 2011 By Lori 3 Comments

Happy Saturday everyone! It’s time for a new Saturday Situation, hosted by Candace at Candace’s Book Blog and myself. So, here’s the scoop: I’m going to set up two Mister Linky’s. One for Giveaways that you want to promote and one for Posts that you want to promote. The posts can be reviews, discussions, rants, events you are planning, anything that you want people to read! I know there’s so many great posts out there that often go unread. Here’s your chance to tell the world! Feel free to link up to other bloggers posts as well! Let’s spread the love!

Reviews/Posts Linky!

In this Linky please link directly to any posts you want to share with the world! Example: Name: Fallout Review URL: http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/2010/09/review-fallout-by-ellen-hopkins.html

Please do not post giveaways in this Linky! They go in the bottom one!

Book Related Giveaways Linky!

In this Linky please link directly to any book related giveaways you have! Example: Name: Middle Grade Giveaway-It’s Raining Cupcakes and other Ends 9/30 URL:http://www.pureimaginationblog.com/2010/09/middle-grade-giveaway.html

Filed Under: Saturday Situation

Blogger Tips and Tricks -2-

July 29, 2011 By Lori 11 Comments

Blogger Tips and Tricks is a new semi regular feature where I will try to shine some light on some little known blogger things and maybe give you a few how to’s.

Last week I talked about mobile templates a bit and this week I want to add just a little more to that. If you are not using mobile templates and/or do not tweet from your phone then just disregard all of this (or go set up your mobile template with that link up there…).
If you’re like me, you tweet from your phone…a lot. Sometimes…well maybe everyday I tweet my links to my blog posts from my phone. Now that I have the mobile set up my blog loads super quick on my phone, but when I want to copy and paste my link to twitter there is a tiny problem. The mobile template adds ?m=1 to the end of every link. This means that if you copy that link and then paste it into Twitter or Facebook etc. everyone that follows the link will see your mobile template and not your regular blog, whether they are on a phone or computer it will still link to mobile.
That’s not cool, right? Because the mobile template is kind of plain and it doesn’t have any of your sidebar stuff. But there is a super easy way to remedy this!

If you copy a link from a mobile template it will look like this: http://southernbookbloggers.blogspot.com/2012/01/sbb-arc-tour-last-echo.html?m=1

All you have to do to insure that the link will go to your regular template and not the mobile is delete the ?m=1 so that the link looks like this:http://southernbookbloggers.blogspot.com/2012/01/sbb-arc-tour-last-echo.html

Super easy, right? And if the link without the ?m=1 is followed on a phone it will still load the mobile template. It’s like magic!

The second thing I want to talk about is commenting! We can all agree that Blogger’s commenting system isn’t the best. I’m still in hopes that one day they might implement a better system, maybe more like WordPress. Until then we must make do or use Intense Debate, but there is something you may not realize about commenting. I didn’t for a very long time. (or maybe everyone knew about this but me….) You can reply directly to someone!
I’m going to assume that most of you get your comments delivered to your inbox. Now lets say someone says something particularly interesting in a comment or they ask you a question. It’s not enough to go to your blog and leave another comment answering it because the other might never see it. So here’s what you do:
When that email/comment pops up in your inbox hit reply, write your reply and send. That’s it..really! It will send your reply directly to the other person’s inbox.

Update on commenting: Since I’m still a little new to this one some other blogger brought it to my attention that the person has to have ‘show my email address’ checked in their profile for you to be able to reply to their comments. So if you email says it comes from no-replycomment@blogger.com you cannot reply. (obviously)

That’s it for this time around. I hope that was helpful!

Is there anything you would like me to talk about on Blogger Tips & Tricks? Let me know and I might feature it!

Filed Under: Blogger Tips and Tricks, blogging, New Book Blogger Tips

Review & Giveaway: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

July 28, 2011 By Lori 21 Comments

Release Date: August 30, 2011
Age Group: Young Adult
Received From: Publisher
IBSN: 9781442422247
Blurb:
The first book in a paranormal teen trilogy featuring three beautiful, mysterious girls wreaking havoc on a small New England town.

Sometimes sorry isn’t enough….

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems…

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better–the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel…something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect going into Fury. The premise sounded promising and the cover is gorgeous. Other than that I had no expectations, so I am happy to report that Fury was very captivating and original. I loved it!

While I was reading I couldn’t help but think that it kind of reads like a good 80′s horror move (I’m a big 80′s horror fan!) just not as scary. It does have some creepy parts, faces in windows never cease to give me goosebumps. The reason I say that it was horror-esque is because it has the whole ‘do something bad and something bad will happen to you’ that is very prevalent in horror. I also loved that you knew who the bad ~~guys~~ girls were from the very beginning, but the characters did not.

Both main characters were very interesting. They were in no way perfect. That was kind of the point, but I did like them for their flaws. I think I actually enjoyed reading from Chase’s point of view more. That’s different for me because I usually like reading from a girl’s perspective slightly better. I just found Chase with his weird habits and anxiety more interesting, plus Ty–his villainous love interest– made every scene she was in come alive. She might have been my most favorite character. I found her very likeable even though I maybe wasn’t supposed to…

Fury really does have a lot of things going for it. It’s a very fresh idea with edge of your seat creepiness thrown in. I do wish that Em and Chase could have teamed up just a bit more, but I was still very happy with the book. There were so many twists and turns…and completely unexpected events that made it almost impossible to put down. This was a fantastic debut and I am anxious for the sequel.

Now you are ready to win this fantastic book, right?

Details:

One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Fury

Giveaway open to US only

Ends 8/4

Must be 13 or older to enter

Fill out the form:

Don’t forget to check out: http://thefuryseries.com/

Filed Under: Elizabeth Miles, Fury trilogy, Giveaways, Young Adult

Waiting on Wednesday -90-

July 27, 2011 By Lori 16 Comments

February 14, 2012 Bloomsbury

Jocelyn’s twin brother Jack was the only family she had growing up in a world of foster homes-and now he’s dead, and she has nothing. Then she gets a cryptic letter from “Jason December”-the code name her brother used to use when they were children at Seale House, a terrifying foster home that they believed had dark powers. Only one other person knows about Jason December: Noah, Jocelyn’s childhood crush and their only real friend among the troubled children at Seale House.

But when Jocelyn returns to Seale House and the city where she last saw Noah, she gets more than she bargained for. Turns out the house’s powers weren’t just a figment of a childish imagination. And someone is following Jocelyn. Is Jack still alive? And if he is, what kind of trouble is he in? The answer is revealed in a shocking twist that turns this story on its head and will send readers straight back to page 1 to read the book in a whole new light.
Add it on Goodreads

April 24, 2012 Walker

Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.
When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.
Add it on Goodreads

Both of these sounds fantastic in completely different ways. I can’t wait for them! Plus both covers are gorgeous!

Filed Under: Waiting on Wednesday

Forever Giveaway!

July 26, 2011 By Lori 13 Comments

This is one of my top 5 favorites series ever. Forever was completely incredible and now two lucky readers are going to win their very own copy along with a Forever key chain. Here’s some more info on Forever and This is Teen:

About the book: In Maggie Stiefvater’s SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

If you haven’t watched the book trailers that Maggie made herself (there is no end to her talent) then you must watch them now.

Do you know about This is Teen? Scholastic recently launched an online community called This Is Teen to connect readers with their favorite YA authors and books. Visit their page on Facebook for all the latest news on Maggie Stiefvater and Forever: www.facebook.com/thisisteen.

Now for the giveaway!

Details:

2 winners will receive:

A copy of Forever and a Forever keychain!

Open to US only

Ends 8/9

Must be 13 or older to enter

Fill out the form:

Filed Under: Giveaways, Maggie Stiefvater, Wolves of Mercy Falls series

Review & Giveaway: Love Story by Jennifer Echols

July 25, 2011 By Lori 23 Comments

Release Date: July 19, 2011
Age Group: Young Adult
Received From: Publisher
IBSN: 9781439178324
Blurb:
She’s writing about him. he’s writing about her. And everybody is reading between the lines..

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions–it’s her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family’s racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin’s college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she’s sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He’s joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin’s heart with longing. Now she’s not just imagining what might have been. She’s writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter . . . except this story could come true.
Learn more: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Love-Story/Jennifer-Echols/9781439178324

I really, really loved Going Too Far. I read it back when reading YA contemporaries was still new for me, and I absolutely fell in love. I might even go so far as to say that Jennifer Echols is one of the reasons I love contemporary YA fiction so much. Love Story made me fall in love with it all over again.

This book really had it all. Erin, the main character was from Kentucky. I love books that have some sort of southern element, being from the south myself. It does take place mostly in NYC,but I love when books take place in NYC! The thing I loved most about Love Story was the whole writing element.. Erin and Hunter are both students in a creative writing class and as you can see from the blurb this plays a huge role in their relationship. I loved that the advice they would give each other was really things they needs to apply to their real life relationship. It made the story even more layered and fun.

I very much enjoyed all the characters. Erin and Hunter were of course very stubborn and bad at communicating, but you wouldn’t have a very long romance book without those factors. I liked that Erin did have a very valid reason for not pushing things further with Hunter when they were both in Kentucky. I really liked Hunter, too. I wish he could have been more assertive, but he was still a great male lead, and he was pretty dreamy. I also really enjoyed the side characters. Echols did a great job of fleshing them out even though they weren’t a huge part of the story.

Overall, Love Story was very fun read. It was one of those books that had me thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it. I was very invested in the outcome of Erin and Hunter’s story and I loved the journey they had to take to get to the end of their love story…or maybe it was just the beginning for them.