In My Mailbox (42)

 In My Mailbox is a weekly meme run by Kristi at The Story Siren which explores the books that have been delivered to our mailbox or doorstep or directly into our hot little hands.


Books Received:

Purchased:

Talking to Girls about Duran Duran by Rob Sheffield

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Beautiful by Amy Reed

Gifted:

Gone by Lisa McMann

Random Act of Kindness from Jen D. at Not Now . . .I'm Reading
THANK YOU!!

Books Mentioned:

Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield

Clean by Amy Reed

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Waiting on Wednesday - Graffiti Moon

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Graffiti Moon
by Cath Crowley
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers
Published on February 14, 2012









Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes. (from Goodreads)


This book has been on my wish list ever since I finished Cath Crowley's A Little Wanting Song - a book that loved. See my review HERE. I'd hoped to get a copy before now but it was only available in Australia. I guess I'll have to wait just a little bit longer.

Book Tour and Giveaway: Galstanberry #2

Galstanberry #2
by Garen S. Wolff
Published June 11, 2011
WolffHouse Books and Publishing



 The second installment in the Galstanberry series, Book #2, follows the 5 characters--Lillian, Brandi, Fei, Tabitha, and Nisha-- as they navigate Galstanberry Girls Academy. Who rooms with whom? What traditions are followed? Readers and the 5 characters will discover the TRUE meaning of "Galstanberry Girl". (from Goodreads)





Galstanberry #2 picks up as the girls are spending their first night at Galstanberry Girls Academy in the chapter titled Rude Awakening. The girls are suddenly woken up from sleep in what seems to be a hazing ritual by the eight-graders, they begin to wonder "Is this the Galstanberry they signed up for?" 


I like how Galstanberry #2 moves right into the story line and doesn't go back and reintroduce all of the characters again. Each girl's personality becomes apparent as they interact with each other and it is clear that they are not all going to best friends. From the beginning, competition begins as the girls size each other up based on their education, money, their clothes and even their hobbies. While Galstanberry is a place of educational privilege, it definitely is not immune to cliques. 

A lot of new characters are introduced and if you don't pay enough attention it is easy to get confused. But I suppose it makes a lot of sense because the characters themselves are meeting a lot of people in a very short period of time, it would be difficult to remember too.
While this book is shorter than the first in the series, it is filled with a lot of drama.  So much happens in Galstanberry #2 - friendships are formed and rivalries are too. Roommates are already fed up with each other and classes haven't even started yet! 

What will the school year be like for Lillian, Brandi, Fei, Tabitha, and Nisha? Who will stay friends? Who will become enemies? What will they learn about Galstanberry and themselves? I can't wait for book three to find out.


Now for the  Twitter Giveaway (hosted by publisher and open to US only):

Readers can enter an win: The Girlz of Galstanberry (book 1), Galstanberry #2, stickers and bookmarks tweeting:

Follow @GalstanberryFan, and RT this for a chance to win the Galstanberry Grand Gift!http://t.co/vdVLz4v #giveaway #contest

Easy as that!

Next Tour Stop: readergirls.blogspot.com

Book Tour and Giveaway: The Girlz from Galstanberry (#1)

 
The Girlz of Galstanberry 
by Garen S. Wolff
Published October 10, 2010
WolffHouse Books and Publishing




From the boroughs of New York, to the beaches of San Francisco, girls hail from all walks of life, to sport the violet blazer, pink beret, and coveted ‘Galstanberry Girl’ title.





The Girlz of Galstanberry begins as the prominent Charles Galstanberry awaits the birth of this son, Andrew A son that he a has always wanted and intends to pass along the family legacy. Mr. Galstanberry is quite surprised that his newborn child is not a son, but a daughter, Aundrea. A daughter who will be educated and have every opportunity that a male child would have (which was not so common in 1926) as this is the dying wish of Mrs. Galstanberry who has come down with pneumonia shortly after childbirth.

Overcome with grief, it takes several years for Charles to begin to make his wife's wishes as a reality and finally constructs and organizes the Galstanberry Girls Academy.

The story moves along to the present and introduces five girls from all over the U.S. who will be attending Galstanberry Girls Academy. We meet Lillian, Brandi, Fei, Tabitha and Nisha - different in so many ways, but similar too. Each girl is excited to experience this new and exciting world of academia, but each is afraid in their own ways - fear of breaking family bonds, leaving friends and new relationships behind. And even a little bit of fear that they might not quite measure up.  

I was looking forward to this middle grade read because I wanted a story filled with characters that I could read with my nieces and something they could relate to. I think The Girlz of Galstanberry is just one such book. It is filled with interesting characters that have a variety of issues that readers can relate to whether that is familial expectations, peer pressure, or self-acceptance. This is a book that girls can share with their friends and sisters. I'm interested to see how the girls of Galstanberry will grow and evolve as the series continues.

Now for the  Twitter Giveaway (hosted by publisher and open to US only):

Readers can enter an win: The Girlz of Galstanberry (book 1), Galstanberry #2, stickers and bookmarks tweeting:

Follow @GalstanberryFan, and RT this for a chance to win the Galstanberry Grand Gift!http://t.co/vdVLz4v #giveaway #contest

Easy as that!

Next Stop: readergirls.blogspot.com

In My Mailbox (41)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme run by Kristi at The Story Siren which explores the books that have been delivered to our mailbox or doorstep or directly into our hot little hands.

Purchased:

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Too excited about both of these! They were on my Random Acts of Kindness wish list, but I didn't want to wait to see if I might get them.

I'll be checking out your mailboxes too. Hope you got some goodies!

Love My Indie with Yara from Once Upon a Twilight

Love My Indie is a feature where authors, bloggers, and readers tell me about their favorite independent bookstores. I love the feeling I get when I go into an independent bookstore - like it is filled with hidden treasures just waiting for me to find them. Maybe one day I will have the chance to visit these amazing bookstores.

Showing some Indie Love today is:

Yara from Once Upon a Twilight 

 

 

Yara's favorite independent bookstore is Blue Willow Bookshop located in Houston, TX.

When you walk in to Blue Willow, you feel that you are home. Its such a welcoming place. All the staff are just so nice and attentive. The layout of the store is just so cozy. It's probably not the largest but you never feel cramped inside. When they have author events, you have such a wonderful time. Nothing is rushed and you enjoy every second with the authors while they are there.

Lauren Oliver, author of Before I Fall and Delirium

The seating gets you up close and personal and when it comes time to get your books autographed, everyone has all the time in the world to meet and greet the authors. I can't speak for the authors, but when you notice those authors keep coming back to Blue Willow, they must be doing something right.  

Yara with Lauren Oliver

This year I was excited when I learned that the ladies from Blue Willow would be at BEA and they would be hosting a panel and interviewing some great authors. I was very happy to be able to attend the panel and show my support. 

Cathy Berner of Blue Willow Bookshop with Melissa Marr, Ellen Hopkins and Melissa de la Cruz

At Blue Willow you will find pretty much anything, the store has such a variety of books and knick knacks. You feel like your in candy land when you walk in. I can ever leave without buying something new there. They have a great selection in Young Adult books and even a wonderful section of Children's books. They have book clubs that you can sign up for. They offer programs for Girl Scouts. You can also attend Storytime every Thursday in the morning with your toddler or preschooler. You can usually find signed copies of some wonderful books, you can either call or stop by and pick up a copy in case you missed the author signing. 

So there you have a little bit of info on my favorite indie store. You can visit their website and check out all their great features online. You can also view pictures from past events. 

Visit Blue Willow Bookshop at: http://www.bluewillowbookshop.com/

I want to thank Yara for responding to my call for guest bloggers on Twitter and participating in this week's Love My Indie. I've heard of the name Blue Willow Bookshop on a few IMM vlogs and a few mentions of it on Twitter and am happy to learn more about it. I've checked out their site and love what I see. Oh to be in Houston would be such a treat. Blue Willow Bookshop looks like the happening place!

If you're interested in participating in this feature, please send me an email at actinupwb@gmail.com - I'd love to hear from you and discover your favorite indie bookstore!  

Waiting on Wednesday - Hunting Lila

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:







Hunting Lila
by Sarah Alderson
Published by Simon and Schuster Children's Books
Published on August 4, 2011







17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever. Or thereabouts.After a mugging on the streets of South London goes horribly wrong and exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. Trying to uncover the truth of why her mother was killed, and the real remit of The Unit, Lila becomes a pawn in a dangerous game. Struggling to keep her secrets in a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone - there are others out there just like her - people with special powers -and her mother's killer is one of them... (from Goodreads)


While checking out my Google Reader this weekend I found this book at Heaven is a Bookstore and I think this book sounds incredible. A bit of action, adventure, mystery and a love story. I'm sold.

In My Mailbox (40)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme run by Kristi at The Story Siren which explores the books that have been delivered to our mailbox or doorstep or directly into our hot little hands.

 

Purchased:

Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard (signed)

How To Be Bad by Lauren Myracle, Sarah Mlynowski, E. Lockhart (e-book)

For Review:

The Girlz of Galstanberry (book #1)

Galstanberry #2 (book #2)

I came home from vacation and had these lovely books waiting on me. I ordered Paper Covers Rock from Literary Bookpost after visiting them on another vacation (I know, I know, life's rough, what can I say?) Daphne was nice enough to set a signed copy aside for me knowing that I would be ordering it. That's just one of the things I love about indie booksellers.

I received The Girlz of Galstanberry books as part of the Galztanberry #2 Book Tour. I'm looking forward to reading these and hope that they are books I can share with my nieces.

AND How to Be Bad!! I love E. Lockhart and Sarah Mlynowski! I will probably love Lauren Myracle, I just haven't read any of her books yet (even though I have a few). I snagged this e-book for $1.99 right after E. Lockhart tweeted about the incredible sale (which is still going on, I just checked).

Great week for me! Can't wait see what you got!

Love My Indie with Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner

Love My Indie is a feature where fellow bloggers, readers, and authors tell me about their favorite independent bookstores. I love the feeling I get when I go into an independent bookstore - like it is filled with hidden treasures just waiting for me to find them. Maybe one day I will have the chance to visit these amazing bookstores.

If you're interested in participating in this feature, please send me an email at actinupwb@gmail.com - I'd love to hear from you and discover your favorite indie bookstore! 

 Showing some Indie Love today is:

Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner

Credit: Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC

When I think of my indie I just want to bust out singing the Cheers theme song....."WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAAAAME"

Seriously. The Doylestown Bookshop is my local indie here in the suburbs of Philadelphia and if they served cocktails and greasy bar food I'd probably be in there just as much as the Cheers gang. Minus the fact that I'd go broke. The Doylestown Bookshop sits in the cute downtown of Doylestown and is surrounded with awesome restaurants  and cute local shops along with your typical chain stuff - - Starbucks, Gap, Rita's, etc. It's a good blend and Doylestown Bookshop is in the heart of it all since opening its doors in 1998.

The bookshop is smaller but it doesn't feel that way when you are in it. I typically find what I'm looking for but sometimes I don't but I still love browsing. They have a really nice area for children's books and children's toys to entertain the little ones, the YA is a good size congruent to how big the shop is and the Adult section is quite wonderful with a mix of walls carrying local interest, travelogues (umm you KNOW I'm there a lot) and other interesting non-fiction.

I love the community that they have built at the store. There are such a variety of book clubs and book signings and they are all run so well and you never really feel awkward being there. I've attended quite a few events there and I've had such a wonderful experience in such an intimate setting...getting to rub shoulders with David Levithan was AWESOME at such a small signing because you really get to have some fun. It's also nice because for some of the larger events (ie RICHELLE MEAD!) there is a museum right across the street that will hold it in a larger room. I also really love their ARC program and have gotten quite a few books from it. Basically they have shelves set up and you can sign out 2 ARCS and review them on their website. It's so nice to get my hands on ARCS that I might not get sent. I'm always stopping in to see if they have added any new ones.

Jamie with David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

I love my indie so much that I'm in the process of partnering up with them to get some really great YA events (and some adult) in the store.  I just love that I am  always greeted with a friendly smile, that they don't seem annoyed or like it is inconvenient if I have a question or need a book recommendation and I love that I don't get dirty looks when I've browsed for an hour or so and walk out without buying anything. Sometimes I just love to browse and Doylestown Bookshop is my ultimate place to just explore the books on the shelf in peace and quiet and find something I eventually want to buy.

Thanks Jamie for telling me about your favorite indie bookstore. If I ever open my own bookstore, I would want everyone who enters to hear the Cheers theme-song and feel right at home like you do at The Doylestown Bookshop. The ARC program sounds really cool and it's great that they offer them to their patrons. I'm excited to learn more about your partnership with the store. Can't wait to hear more about it!

Jamie blogs at The Perpetual Page-Turner and The Broke and the Bookish.

Once Upon a Read-a-thon Wrap Up

I was really excited when I signed up with the read-a-thon. It would be during the final days of my vacation - three days of reading and bliss. Well that's not exactly what happened. I had one of the busiest vacations ever - grandmother's 80th birthday with easily 100 guests, 2 family gatherings with at least 35 people at the house and a wedding. There were a lot of fun times, but not a lot of time for reading. Oh and I barely had a chance to post my initial sign up because we were all sharing the same wireless connection, I would get kicked off whenever someone else used their laptop.

Once I realized this read-a-thon could be a potentially epic failure, I decided to remove any and all stress (reading is supposed to be fun, right?) and didn't make any declarations of which books I was going to read, how many books or pages, etc. (good thing 'cause I still wanted to feel good about myself). So this is what I did do:

finished reading After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy
read all of Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready (already added Shift to my wish list)
started reading Sister Mischief by Laura Goode (made it through 2 chapters) 
completed "fake synopsis" challenge hosted by The Bookish Type

Guess I could've read more, but I also could have read less. Gotta look on the bright side, right?! Oh yeah, and I lost 3 hours due to traveling and a time. But if I'm being honest I really don't think that made that much of  a difference. Ok, I still feel good about myself.

Once Upon a Read-a-thon Mini- Challenge

Once Upon a Read-a-thon Mini Challenge:

hosted by The Bookish Type

"Pick any book from your readathon pile and write a fake synopsis based solely on the cover. The synopsis does not have to be related to the actual book at all, just the pretty, pretty cover."

 After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy

 My faux synopsis:

When best friends Tyler and Kelly start their summer job at the local candy shop, they think it will be tons of fun. Easy money, free candy (well,when no one's looking) and frequent visits from friends passing through the mall. It's a great way to spend their hours if they have to work. One night after downing handfuls of candy hearts, Kelly decides it's finally time to kiss Tyler and tell him she has been crushing on him for years. When Tyler kisses her back, it isn't what she expected. No sparks. No fireworks. Nothing. Embarrassed and confused, Kelly wonders if her friendship with Tyler can last, After the Kiss.

Waiting on Wednesday - Between

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Between
by Jessica Warman
Published by Walker Children's
Publication Date: August 2, 2011








Elizabeth Valchar--pretty, popular, and rich--wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday on the yacht where she'd been celebrating with her closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, she finds her own drowned body is hitting the side of the boat. Liz is dead.

She has no memory of what happened to her, and can only observe in horror the fallout of her death. She's also soon joined by Alex Berg, a quiet boy from her high school who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. The two keep each other company, floating in and out of memories and trying to piece together the details of what happened to each of them.

In her regular life, Liz was a runner. It wasn't abnormal for her to run 8-10 miles per day. But as memories from closer to her death begin to surface, Liz finds that she'd been running much more than normal, and that she'd all but stopped eating. Liz's mother, who died when Liz was nine, had battled with anorexia as well, and those around her worried Liz was following in her mother's footsteps. But something more sinister was consuming Liz from the inside out. . . . (from Goodreads)


I didn't plan to do a Waiting on Wednesday this week, obviously if I am posting so late in the evening,  but I just found out about this book and want to share with everyone. I've been drawn to Warman's books. They all sound so good and yet I still have not read any of them.

Once Upon a Read-a-thon - Starting Post

After a week of family events and a wedding, not much blogging and just a little bit of reading, I am ready to start the Once Upon a Read-a-thon. I don't want to say how many books I will read or which books I will be reading before I start them because I don't want to set myself up for failure. Although, I do know I will be finishing After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy. But after that, who knows. Plus I will be traveling a good portion of the time and lose 3 hours of reading time due to a time change. Booo.  I'll be checking in periodically by Twitter at @ActinUpwb Ok enough babbling, let the reading begin!

In My Mailbox (39)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme run by Kristi at The Story Siren which explores the books that have been delivered to our mailbox or doorstep or directly into our hot little hands.

 

Purchased:

The End of Everything by Megan Abbott

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

But I Love Him by Amanda Grace (e-book)

More vacation souvenirs. I love visiting book stores on vacation. This week I visited Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego and picked up The End of Everything and Imaginary Girls. I can't wait to see what books everyone else got this week!

Love My Indie with author Ashley Hope Perez

Love My Indie is a feature where fellow bloggers, readers, and authors tell me about their favorite independent bookstores. I love the feeling I get when I go into an independent bookstore - like it is filled with hidden treasures just waiting for me to find them. Maybe one day I will have the chance to visit these amazing bookstores.

Showing some Indie Love today is:

Ashley Hope Perez, author of What Can't Wait

Bloomington, Indiana, is home to a number of lovely independent bookstores, but if I could shrink one down, hide it in my pocket, and then reconstitute wherever my family and I next settle, it would be Boxcar Books, hands down.

Boxcar is exceptional because it’s a volunteer-run, not-for-profit store that uses proceeds to fund community outreach and a Pages to Prisoners program. (Read their mission statement and history here.)  


I love cruising over to Boxcar for poetry readings, and I hear that their writing workshops are stellar. They even host a program that provides free writing consultation to senior citizens and community members interested in writing memoirs. But Boxcar won my heart forever by hosting the Bloomington book launch party for my debut YA novel, What Can’t Wait. (Psst! Read Joli’s review here .)

In addition to a sweet collection of books, Boxcar has all sorts of zines and other quirky finds. Even the bathroom is full of interesting reading material, but don’t even think about taking a dump in there! The bathroom is plastered with clever posters prohibiting that particular activity due to some delicate plumbing.

If you’re in Bloomington, don’t miss Boxcar Books. Your coolness quotient will go up the minute you step through the doors of this awesome store. 

Thanks Ashley for stopping by Actin' Up with Books for sharing your favorite independent bookstore and um, the interesting note about their plumbing.


If you're interested in participating in this feature, please send me an email at actinupwb@gmail.com - I'd love to hear from you and discover your favorite indie bookstore! 

Waiting on Wednesday: Small Town Sinners

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:







Small Town Sinners
by Melissa C. Walker
Published by Bloomsbury
Publish Date: July 19, 2011








Lacey Anne Byer is a perennial good girl and lifelong member of the House of Enlightenment, the Evangelical church in her small town. With her driver's license in hand and the chance to try out for a lead role in Hell House, her church's annual haunted house of sin, Lacey's junior year is looking promising. But when a cute new stranger comes to town, something begins to stir inside her. Ty Davis doesn't know the sweet, shy Lacey Anne Byer everyone else does. With Ty, Lacey could reinvent herself. As her feelings for Ty make Lacey test her boundaries, events surrounding Hell House make her question her religion. (from Amazon.com)

I've yet to read any of Melissa Walker's books, but this one sounds really good. Coming from a small town myself I'm sure that will be something about it I can relate too. I didn't realize Small Town Sinners was coming out soon. Just TWO weeks - I won't have to wait too long!

In My Mailbox (38)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme run by Kristi at The Story Siren which explores the books that have been delivered to our mailbox or doorstep or directly into our hot little hands.

 Purchased:

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (e-book)

Library:

The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer

Giveaways:

ttfl by Lauren Myracle

l8t, g8r by Lauren Myracle

Thanks Emily! (Red House Books)

Used (but in a Good Way):

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Purge by Sarah Darer Littman

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowen Boys by Kate Brian

I didn't plan to get this many books this week. Seriously. But last night my mom wanted to go to met a the local used book store before dinner, and I'm a sucker, so I did. Someone must've known I was coming because there was a huge selection of YA titles there (which is a rarity). Yay for me - I was able to pick up a few books for Random Acts of Kindness hosted by Book Soulmates and I got a few for myself. A couple weeks ago I bought the e-book of The Summer I Turned Pretty and I loved so much I regretted not having a copy to loan to friends. But NOW I DO!! Yay for me and it was only $1. 

I also got a couple of Lauren Myracle's books for Emily at Red House Books. She was cleaning off her shelves and giving away some books. The books sound fun (they may be a bit young but whatever) I'm just happy that she shared them. I plan to do something similar in the coming weeks.

I hope that I can get to all of these books soon. I'm trying to not let too many sit on my shelf for long. Happy Reading!

Love My Indie - Vacation Edition

Love My Indie is a feature where fellow bloggers, readers, and authors tell me about their favorite independent bookstores. I love the feeling I get when I go into an independent bookstore - like it is filled with hidden treasures just waiting for me to find them. 

This week I wanted to share a treasure of a bookstore that I found while on vacation:

Literary Bookpost

I found out about Literary Bookpost last week while vacationing with my family on Lake Norman in North Carolina. While taking a break from swimming and riding jet skis, I visited some of my favorite blogs and book sites. I was checking Random Buzzers and they had new listings of author events. When I saw the book launch in Salisbury, NC for Jenny Hubbard's Paper Covers Rock, I was thrilled because this was a book from on my wish list and thought it would be pretty cool to go. I wasn't sure how close we were to Salisbury but after a quick Map Quest search, I saw that we were less than 45 minutes away. Too cool. What wasn't so cool was realizing that the book launch was that day. We already had plans that night, so I would have to miss it, but I made sure to visit at some point during my vacation.

On Saturday, my husband and I headed out for a little book buying adventure. Literary Bookpost is perfectly located among other independently owned businesses on S. Main Street in downtown Salisbury.

As soon as we walked in we saw the display for the Paper Covers Rock book launch just a few days earlier. It had hoped to purchase a signed copy but wanted to take my time to look around and see all that Literary Bookpost had to offer.  I loved to see so many other readers checking out the shelves so early on a Saturday morning. Several people were milling about or talking with the book sellers like they were great friends. I immediately felt that this place was just as comfortable as being in their own home.

After scoping out the  offered, I headed to my favorite section of any bookstore - the young adult section. Located on the lower-level, the children and teen section was spacious and colorful. An inviting place, that would encourage any reader to pick up a book and stay and read for a while.

I was excited to see so many young adult books that I couldn't find at my local chain bookstores. It was easy to see that a lot of effort was put into selecting some lesser known titles that are deserving of readers attention. This is definitely my kind of bookstore.

While I was there, I met bookseller Daphne. We talked about books and a told her a little bit about my blog (I'm still a bit shy talking about it) and how I found out about Literary Bookpost and what initially brought me there - Jenny Hubbard's Paper Covers Rock. I didn't see any copies on the shelves and she told me that they completely sold out the night of the launch and that turnout was greater than they had ever imagined. I was a little bummed, but I was happy to know that it was a huge success.

I could have stayed and talked books all day with Daphne (she was just that nice), but I could tell my husband was ready to get back to the lake, so I picked out a couple of books Displacement by Thalia Chaltas (which was on my wish list) and Divergent by Veronica Roth. I hadn't considered reading this book before,  but I purchased it solely on Daphne's recommendation. 

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and will be going there again on my next vacation to Lake Norman and maybe even before then. You can check out Literary Bookpost online at http://www.literarybookpost.com/ They offer online shopping as well as Google e-books (another great way to support independent bookstores).
Please read their Mission Statement to learn more about this amazing bookstore.

If you're interested in participating in this feature, please send me an email at actinupwb@gmail.com - I'd love to hear from you and discover your favorite indie bookstore!