RAK - September Wrap Up

Random Acts of Kindness hosted by Book Soulmates lets bloggers and readers give the gift of reading and make someone's day.

This month I received:

Break by Hannah Moskowitz from Jen (Rain Maiden)

and

Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan by Diana @ Books by Their Story  

I was so happy to get both of these books. Hannah Moskowitz is quickly becomng one of my favorite YA authors. I freaking loved Invincible Summer and her upcoming release Gone, Gone, Gone is fantastic (thank you Simon and Schuster). As soon as I finished IS, Break went on my wish list. I'm kind of saving it to savor it because I know it's going to be just that good.  And Eireann Corrigan, her books haven't been around too many blogs (that I've noticed) but I love her books, You Remind Me of You is one of my favorites and I'd recommend Ordinary Ghosts too.

I want to say THANK YOU to Jen and Diana and I'd give you a HUGE hug if I could!!

Just as much as I love getting books, I love giving books to people who love getting books. So this month I sent these Random Acts of Kindness to:

Adam at Roof Beam Reader - Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

Brenna at Esther's Ever After - Ordinary Beauty by Laura Wiess

Amanda at On a Book Bender - Good Girls Don't by Victoria Dahl

Alyssa at The Book Blog Experience - The Boyfriend Thief by Shana Norris

Michelle at Michelle's Book Blog - The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

After reading Adam's wrap-up from last month, I found out that he didn't receive any books, so I wanted to make sure he got at least on this month. I selected Every You, Every Me because it was a book that I wanted too. I am going to take a lesson from Adam and limit how many RAKs I send out. Three is a good number, so I think I will go with that next month. I hope I stick to it.

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Want to Reread

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists. I am too so that is why I am participating this week.

Top Ten Books I Want to Reread

I don't reread very often, but it is known to happen. When I do pick up a book to reread, these will be at the top of the list.

1. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

I loved this book - a combination of music and New York City and fun times. I know it's not the same, but I have this movie on my i-Pod and I watch it over and over again.Now I think it's about time that I reread the book.

2. Not That Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

Another great one. This was one of my favorite books of 2010. Natalie, Spencer and Connor. Oh, Connor

3. Freefall by Mindi Scott
I absolutely loved this book. The story helped me sort out some events that happened in my life and for that reason it will always be important to me. I loved the characters - Seth and Rosetta - one of my all-time favorites.

4. Leftovers by Laura Wiess

I'm embarrassed to say that I can't remember what happened in this one. I'm pretty sure I read this one during a week when I was like 4 or 5 books and it got lost in the mix.

5. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

The first part of this book had me so confused with flashbacks and dream-like sequences (I think) and I had no idea what was going on. It was only when I was about a third of the way in that I was really drawn to the characters and the story. Now that I know what happens and what they flashbacks really were, I want to allow myself to be absorbed by the story.

6. As Simple as Snow by Gregory Galloway

This is another book that I read too quickly. I borrowed it from my husband's cousin and read it in a day. While it is a mystery that remains unsolved, it is filled with clues throughout and I want to see if there is something that I didn't pick up on. I was so intrigued by it that I even bought my own copy so I would have it to read, but I've loaned that out to a friend - I just realized that.

7. Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

This book was so much fun to read because of the many laugh-out-loud moments. It might just be an annual holiday read. (This and Dash and Lily's Book of Dares)

8. She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb

I've claimed time and time again that She's Come Undone is one of my favorite books. I own multiple copies just so I have one on hand to loan to friends. I've only read it twice and the last time was over 10 years ago.  I know that it meant a lot to me when I first read it but I'm curious if I would still call it one of my favorite books today.

9. Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Last month, I took my mom to an event where Ellen Hopkins was speaking and she was genuinely interested in what Ellen had to say. It made me so happy to share that experience with her because she isn't much of a reader and I never really thought she understood why I love to read so much and why it is a big part of my life. After going to the event, I think she began to understand my enthusiasm and now she wants to read Crank and Ellen's others books. I want to reread this now because it is something we can share and talk about.

10. The DUFF by Kody Keplinger

Another one that I read too fast. It was one of the first e-books that I read and it was awkward for me to read it on my nook that I was a bit distracted from the story. That is so lame, but true. I think it deserves another chance and my full attention.

Banned Books Week Giveaway Hop

Banned Books Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not a Writer and I Read Banned Books.  The giveaway begins September 24th and ends October 1st. I am giving away a signed copy of Crank by Ellen Hopkins.

Contest Rules:

Must be at least 13 yrs or older

Open to US Residents only
Following is NOT required

To Enter fill out the form below

Contest ends October 1st 2011 11:59 EST

Now see what other blogs are participating:

Love My Indie with Sarah from The Brazen Bookworm

Love My Indie is a feature where fellow bloggers, readers, and authors share 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:

Sarah from The Brazen Bookworm

(Photo courtesy of Anderson's Bookshop)

If I could spend a week living somewhere mysterious and special á la Claudia in From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, I’d spend my days and nights at Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois.  The best part?  I’d be sure to find some of my favorite authors seeking sanctuary there as well.

Anderson’s is an institution in the Chicago book world, with three locations throughout the western suburbs. The Naperville shop is the heart of the operation, though.  It’s not a huge space, but the inside is double-stuffed with books from every genre and the staff members seriously know and love books.  It’s been a family-run store for five generations and the family commitment to sharing good books is what makes the store a destination for book-lovers from around the Midwest.  

(Photo courtesy of Anderson's Bookshop)

The Anderson’s staff has built a flourishing community for book-lovers in their quaint storefront.  They run multiple book clubs for kids, adults, and adults who like to read kid books.  They host special conferences and workshops for teachers, and they operate book fairs throughout Chicagoland.  

What makes Anderson’s completely amazing, though, is its connection to authors and the publishing world.  The store hosts author events and signings on an almost daily basis, and over the years, everyone from J.K. Rowling to Laura Bush has stopped in.  In the next month alone, Anderson’s will host events with Caroline Kennedy, Roger Ebert, Bill Bryson, Philippa Gregory, and Dave Barry to name just a few.  This past summer, I attended the This Is Teen event featuring YA authors Libba Bray, Meg Cabot and Maggie Stiefvater one night and went back again the following day for a book signing by Doc author Mary Doria Russell.  And from what I have gathered, authors love to visit Anderson’s because they know it’s a way to connect with real readers.

If you’re ever near Chicago, Anderson’s is a must-visit.  You never know who else might be there!

Sarah, thank you for sharing your favorite independent bookstore. I have heard many wonderful things about Anderson's Bookshop. It must be exciting to get to attend all of the wonderful author events. I know that if I ever make it back to Chicago, it will be one of my first stops!

Readers, bloggers, authors - Want to share your favorite independent bookstore? Sign up HERE.

Sunset Bridge Winner

The Winner Is . . .

Wendy  @  wall-to-wall books

She has won a copy of Sunset Bridge by Emilie Richards

(winner has been contacted by email and accepted giveaway prize)

TV Made Me Do It - why I read Our Town

I just finished reading Our Town by Thornton Wilder (a book that has been on my shelf for I know over 8 years). A lot of people may have read this book in high school, but I didn't have to. I don't think it was ever on my class syllabus or summer reading list. And I didn't pick it because it is a Pulitzer Prize Winning classics (however I did take a class on just that -Pulitzer Prize Winning Plays). No, I wanted to read it because it was on My So-Called Life. You know the episode where Rayanne tries out for the school play (Our Town), mimics Angela in her audition to get the part and later betrays Angela in the worst way possible. (I tried not to be spoilery there, could you tell?).  Reading Our Town, I kind of knew what to expect have already watched the show, but some scenes read differently from how I expected having watched MSCL. I can still hear Rayanne's voice as Emily.

Our Town isn't the only book I've picked up because it was referenced in other media. I also started reading Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins after seeing Drew Barrymore's character Lucy reading it in 50 First Dates. I'm going to be honest and say I don't think I made it through the first chapter. I put it down when I couldn't get into it. I have it and may revisit it some day. I'm still trying to figure out why I bought it? Was it because I was going through a Drew Barrymore phase? Yes, I had one. Or was it because I wanted to know why the character Lucy, someone who loses her memory and must live the same day over and over again, would be reading that particular book? Maybe it was simply because there was a character in a movie reading a book that I had never read before. It was probably a combination of all of these things.

It's just funny to think about where my reading inspiration comes from or why I would even consider buying a certain book. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has drawn inspiration from television or movies. Or even from what characters in books are reading. I thought about reading some Albert Camus after reading the characters read quotes from his works aloud in Hannah Moskowitz's Invincible Summer. I'll hold off for now, but it did make me want to.

So am I the only one? Does anyone else choose to read books because they saw a character read it in a movie or television show? Or if a character in a book you are reading is reading a book that you had never read before, would that encourage you to check it out? I'd really like to know.

In My Mailbox (49)

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:

Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Gifted:

Break by Hannah Moskowitz

RAK from Jen! Thank you!!

Review:

Scarred Lions by Fanie Viljoen

Thrill Seekers by Edwina Shaw

Huge thank you to Ransom Publishing!

Thanks so much to Jen for the Random Act of Kindness! Jen and I met on Twitter through the recent Bout of Books Read-a-thon. I started following a lot of new people and blogs which was great. Amanda another read-a-thon in the works at On a Book Bender. Anyone who is interested should visit her blog and then sign-up on October 6th. I think I will save Perfect to read until then.

I also received Scarred Lions and Thrill Seekers from Ransom Publishing. These titles are from their Cutting Edge series - quick reads for reluctant readers. The stories sound incredible and I plan to feature them in the upcoming weeks on my blog. These titles are from the UK, so they may not be readily available to my US readers.

Now that I've shared my books for the week, I'll be stopping by other blogs to see what everyone else got.

Love My Indie - independent bookstore

Love My Indie is where authors, bloggers and readers share their favorite independent bookstores. Check out some past posts HERE.

I didn't have a guest blogger or author scheduled for this week's Love My Indie, but there are some great ones coming up in the next few weeks. If you like my Love My Indie feature and want to participate, you can!

I'm always looking for bloggers, authors, and readers who want to provide a guest post. If you are interested, just fill out the form below! I look forward to hearing from you and learning about your favorite independent bookstores.

Spotlight On: Sunset Bridge and Giveaway

Sunset Bridge Happiness Key#3

by Emilie Richards

Published by Mira

Available: June 21, 2011

Five very different women find friendship–and unexpected love–on the barrier island known as Happiness Key.

Former socialite Tracy Deloche has nothing to her name but five ramshackle beach cottages and the unlikely friendships she's formed with her tenants:  Wanda, the wise waitress turned popular pie-shop owner.  Janya, the young Indian wife whose arranged marriage surprises her every day.  Alice, a widow raising her complex tween-age granddaughter.  Maggie, Wanda's daughter, a former Miami cop with a love life as complicated as Tracy's own.

The new man in Tracy's life hasn't mentioned love or commitment–and suddenly Tracy needs a big dose of both.  Janya longs to be a mother–and inherits two young siblings to care for.  Alice may lose her beloved granddaughter to someone no one expected. Maggie helps out at Wanda's Wonderful Pies, but is the kitchen big enough for both Gray women when one of them is looking for a murderer?

As a tropical storm brews, the wind carries surprises and secrets over the bridge to Happiness Key.  Now, more than ever, five friends will discover just how much they need one another.

Emilie Ricards is a USA Today bestselling author and has penned over sixty novels. She has written a variety of series novels including romances, romantic suspense, futuristic fantasy, paranormal, and mysteries. Visit Emilie's website at http://emilierichards.com

One copy of Sunset Bridge is available to my blog readers. If you would like a chance to win Sunset Bridge, please read my contest rules and then fill out the form below.

Contest Rules:

Must be at least 13 yrs or older

Open to US/Canada addresses only
Following is NOT required

one entry per person

Contest ends September 21st 2011 11:59 EST

One winner will be selected using random.org

Good Luck!

In My Mailbox (48)

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:

Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories 

edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger (e-book)

Swapped:

Pure by Terra Elan McVoy

Crooked by Laura and Tom McNeal

Paperback Swap

Love My Indie with The Secretary from The Secretary Files

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:

The Secretary from The Secretary Files

 

 

 

Neighborhoods change. Some go co-op, some go corporate and some go extinct.

Especially in New York City’s outer boroughs change is the constant and in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Manhattan’s weekend alter-ego, change has come and come to stay.  In Williamsburg, everything is both fleeting and nostalgic; one can wax their handlebar mustache while tossing away their defunk iPhone 4, but strangely enough within all this flux there are a few locations that have resisted the infinite updates.

Established in 1999, Spoonbill & Sugartown Booksellers (http://www.spoonbillbooks.com) has proven that no matter an ever-changing main street or new version of hipster, people will always want to shop for books. (Yes, I believe, people will always want to shop for books). Open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Spoonbill & Sugartown carries a carefully curated collection of art/design books, indie publishers, ’zines and literature. Hardcover, paperback, new, used, rare and novelty, books line the shelves. The heart of the store is a large table, always offering up something new and undiscovered, the first destination for any knowing customer.

Spoonbill has outlasted the other local bookstores for two reasons. First, they buy or trade used books 363 days a year, perfect for voracious reading City-dwellers who don’t have the square footage for a hoarding habit. (Guilty!) Although, you may want to call ahead to make sure the owner or manager is on duty to make the purchase (ignore the surly female on the phone, she’s much nicer in person).  Secondly, the store keeps current with its changing clientele. For instance, when the original hipsters turned forty and started families (as did the owner) parenting and children’s books were added to the shelves. This kind of adaptability within a consistency is what makes Spoonbill & Sugartown a mainstay on Williamsburg main street, Bedford Avenue.

For events and readings (http://spoonbillevents.wordpress.com) at the store, which happened about once a month, you either have to be “in-the-know” or read their sidewalk sandwich board à la minute. But like all things in Williamsburg, the fewer people who know about it, the cooler it is.

So, if you’re visiting Williamsburg, don’t ask directions to the new hip clothing stores (those are still on the Lower East Side), instead pop into Spoonbill to peruse their collection, pet the cats and gaze at the soon-to-be-extinct hipster.

Spoonbill & Sugartown
218 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211-3234
(718) 387-7322

 

Many thanks to The Secretary for sharing this gem of a bookstore. It sounds like a really great place to shop for books and has a little bit of something for everyone. I couldn't imagine not having enough space to keep all of my books. But if I couldn't I would like to have a place like Spoonbill and Sugartown where I can sell back my books. 

 

Want to share your favorite independent bookstore? Sign up HERE.

And the Winner Is . . . .

The Winner Is . . .

Heather M. (PA)

She has won my Back to the Books Giveaway - $10.00 Barnes and Noble gift card

(winner has been contacted by email and accepted giveaway prize)

There were 396 entries and using random.org, number 391 was selected. Congratulations Heather! Thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog and entered.

Waiting on Wednesday - Crazy

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:

Crazy

Amy Reed

Published by Simon Pulse

Available: June 12, 2012

Connor knows that Izzy will never fall in love with him the way he’s fallen for her. But somehow he’s been let into her crazy, exhilarating world and become her closest confidante. But the closer they get, the more Connor realizes that Izzy’s highs are too high and her lows are too low. And the frenetic energy that makes her shine is starting to push her into a much darker place. As Izzy’s behavior gets increasingly erratic and self-destructive, Connor gets increasingly desperate to stop her from plummeting. He knows he can’t save her from her pain… but what if no one else can? (from Goodreads)

I am quickly becoming a fan of Amy Reed. Her novel Clean was filled with characters that you can't help but care about. Amy shared the cover of Crazy this week on her blog. She's excited about this news and so am I!

Top Ten Tuesday: Sequels I Am Dying to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists. I am too so that is why I am participating this week.

The Top Ten Sequels I am Dying to Read

While all of these are not sequels, they may be part of a trilogy or a companion novel. I even have some of them already, but I'm saving them. For what? I'm not too sure.

1. Dust and Decay by Jonathan Maberry - this is one of my most anticipated books of 2011! I loved Rot and Ruin so much and I want to know what happens to The Lost Girl. Oh and yes, I STILL want my own zombie card!

2. Perfect by Ellen Hopkins - companion novel to Impulse - Hopkins is one of my favorite authors and Impulse is my favorite book written by her, so its only natural that I am craving to read the companion novel Perfect which comes out next week.

3. Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready - I wasn't even going to read this series, but with all of the twitter chatter from Ginger at GReads! and Jen at Makeshift Bookmark saying how much they loved it, I just to read it. SO GLAD I DID!

4. Where She Went by Gayle Forman - I loved If I Stay and want to know what happens to Mia and Adam. Yes, this is one on my bookshelf that I am "saving".

5. Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles -  The Fuentes brothers are hot! Oh to be 16 again! After I finished Perfect Chemistry, this book immediately went on my wish list.  I waited for the paperback release (so all of my binding would match) and I just received it in the mail on Saturday, so I will be reading it very soon!

6. Cupcake by Rachel Cohn (book 3 of Cyd Charisse series) This book has been out for a while and it is sitting on my bookshelf right now. I just haven't read it yet because I don't want the story to end. I fell in love the characters and their story and I've convinced myself that by not reading it, their story won't end. This might not make a lot of sense to anyone else, but it does to me.

7. Arise by Tara Hudson (book 2) - so I'm starting to like books about ghosts. What's up with that?

8. Smoke by Ellen Hopkins - seriously this book doesn't even come out for 2 years, and who knows if it Hopkins had even finished writing it. But she spoke about a companion novel to Burned and so I will be waiting for it (for quite a while)

9. Underdog by Markus Zusak - I read Fighting Ruben Wolfe (book 2) and Getting the Girl (book 3), but I was unaware that there was a book 1 until I found out that these books were being re-released in a bind-up. So now I want to read how the story of the Wolfe brothers began.

And I can't believe I'm admitting this:

 10. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer - ok hold up,wait a minute, I am not seriously dying to re-read this one, but I think I may want to read it again. The last time I read this was back in 2008, while traveling and the day before I was starting a new job. I rushed through it like the wind because I had to finish it quickly before I came across any spoilers online. After reading it and thinking about it, I probably shouldn't have been so hasty because I just didn't love it. At all. It made me a bit mad, but I thought that I knew where Meyer was coming from and just accepted it. Probably just a bit too easily. So I want to re-read this - maybe not all at once (but before the movie comes out), to see if my opinion has changed.

In My Mailbox (47)

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:

Dust and Decay by Jonathan Maberry

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

The Boyfriend Thief by Shana Norris (e-book)

I Loved You First by Reena Jacobs (e-book)

Loaned:

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

Won:

Starstruck by Cyn Balog

Thanks Random House / Random Buzzers

Gifted:

Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan

RAK from Diana at Books by their Story

Thank you Diana!!

I cannot express just how excited I am about Dust and Decay. I loved, loved, loved Rot and Ruin and hoped that there would be a follow-up. I will not let this one sit on the shelf long at all. It just may be the next book I read. I highly recommend Rot and Ruin - here is my review 

I visited some friends last weekend they finally convinced me to read a book by Kristin Hannah. They both fell in love with Firefly Lane and hoped that I would too. And last week I also entered a Random Buzzers contest on Twitter and won a copy of Starstuck. Pretty Cool!

I missed out on checking everyone's IMMs last week and look forward to seeing what books everyone received this week!