Literary Giveaway Hop Winners - Follow-up

I want to announce the books selected by the winners of the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop. When I previously announced the winners, I was waiting for their confirmation of book selections. All four original winners followed-up and these are the books they chose:

 

#17 pixie13 -  Lolita

    #34 Flora - The Joy Luck Club

#44 Juana E - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 

#11 Amy S. - Jazz 

 

Again, congratulations to all!

Funniest Comment Ever

AKA We All Have a Past

So I'm checking the comments for this week's posts and about died when I read this one. It was in response to my Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Just Had to Have But Haven't Read Yet.

Chuck DiRico said...
So I was at the local Borders and picked up “When I Was a Loser: True Stories of (Barely) Surviving High School.” It was such an impulse buy, but I just knew I had to have it. I too enjoy confessional writing because it makes it so much easier to relate to the authors. Whatever the style, I knew I would relate to this book because my high school yrs. were troubling for me as well. For instance, one year these crazy girls ripped the buttons off of my shirt and cut pieces of hair off of my head. To beat it all, the teacher got mad at me and sent me to the office for making a mess with my own hair. Another time, these two particularly mean girls, Nickee5? and JW? or something, came up from behind me and knocked all of my books out of my hands. To make it worse, they proceeded to step on all of my homework with their muddy shoes before I could even pick it up. Anyhow, after years of therapy, anti-depressant cocktails, and reading When I Was a Loser, I finally feel “whole” again.

Nice message board, BTW.

He couldn't be talking about me because I don't remember it happening like this at all. I just remember some creative tattoos with highlighters in English class. Thanks Chuck D for making me laugh. I'm glad the book helped and you feel "whole" again. I had no idea you were following my blog. That's love.

 

Disclaimer: I was not a mean girl and remain friends with Chuck D to this day. I just wanted to share a little bit about where the "Actin' Up" comes from. :)

Random Acts of Kindness - Sign Up

Last month, I came across Book Soulmates Random Acts of Kindness. I thought that it was a fabulous idea and considered signing up. I was hesitant due to the number of books that I already own, but I, like most people, like fun surprises so I've decided to sign up.

 Here are the details (from Book Soulmates)

Rules:

• Sign up each month you'd like to participate in.

• Show off your participation! Grab one of the buttons available :)

• Create a wishlist and post it in the Google Doc located in each R.A.K post for the month.

{Post on your blog, Amazon, where ever as long as there's a link to it.}

• If you choose to do a R.A.K for someone, check out their wishlist and contact that blogger for their address.

• At the end of the month, SHOW US YOUR R.A.K!

Make a post saying 'Thank You' to whoever granted one of your wishes and share it with us :)

OPEN TO EVERYONE!

Let's keep our International bloggers in mind and in our hearts.

Remember, there's always the Book Depository and they offer FREE shipping!

Easy peasy!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Vanessa at

Twerd413 [at] gmail DOT com

or through twitter: @booksoulmates

 

 My Wish List can be found at

http://actinupwithbooks.blogspot.com/2011/03/my-wishlist.html

 

 

My Wishlist

My wish list is always changing and always growing. I find new books that I am interested in all of the time. I've finally started keeping a list here so stay organized - I was making lists in different notebooks, on scraps of paper, on my phone. This is my most updated list as of June 26, 2011.

6 by Karen Tayleur
13 to Life by Shannon Delaney
Accomplice by Eireann Corrigan
And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky (July 26, 2011)
Beige by Cecil Castellucci
Boy Proof by Cecil Castellucci
Breathless by Jessica Warman
Brother/Sister by Sean Olin
Carry Me Down by M.J. Hyland
Dead End by Jason Myers (June 2011)
Family by Micol Ostow
Funny How Things Change by Melissa Wyatt
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Hold Still by Nina LaCour
I Am J by Cris Beam
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Love Drugged by James Klise
Model Home by Eric Puchner
Perfect by Ellen Hopkins
Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler
Playing with Matches by Brian Katcher
Plus by Veronica Chambers
Random by Lesley Choyce
Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas
Rich and Mad by William Nicholson
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
Saltwater Moons by Julie Gottus
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker
So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

The Day I Killed James by Catherine Ryan Hyde
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch (September 1, 2011)
The Hole We're In by Gabrielle Zevin
The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst
The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer (April 5, 2011)
Thief by Brian James
Trapped by Michael Northrop
What Comes After by Steve Watkins
When Jeff Comes Home by Catherine Atkins
You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Cover Reveal: Ordinary Beauty by Laura Wiess

Such a Pretty Girl author Laura Wiess has just revealed the cover of her upcoming novel Ordinary Beauty. I have been dying to know what the cover was going to look like and have been checking her site daily. Finally, here it is!

Ordinary Beauty is Laura's fourth novel and it will be released on June 14, 2011. 

Laura's website: http://www.laurawiess.com/
Laura's blog: http://blog.laurawiess.com/

Waiting on Wednesday - Displacement

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

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





Displacement 
by Thalia Chaltas
Published by Viking Childrens Books
on June 9, 2011









Home is supposed to be a place you belong. It's supposed to be parents who are there and siblings who bug you and a life that feels comfortable. It’s not supposed to be an absentee mother or a drowned sister. But that's Vera's reality, and she can’t stand it anymore. So she runs. She ends up in an old mining town in the middle of the California desert. It's hot, it's dusty, and it's as isolated as Vera feels. As she goes about setting up her life, she also unwittingly starts the process of healing and–eventually– figuring out what home might really mean for her. (from Goodreads)


This just one more book that I am anticipating reading. I read Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas and knew that I would continue to follow her work. This one sounds like it will be another heartbreaker.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Just Had to Have . . .But are Still Sitting on My Bookshelves

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 Just HAD To Buy...But Are Still Sitting On My Bookshelf

1. Psych Major Syndrome by Alicia Thompson

I obsessed about getting this book. I wanted to wait until it came out in paperback. I would check the availability - there was always a 4 week wait, it was never in stock or available for pre-order. I finally had a coupon that made it worth my while to buy the hard cover. I did. I finally have it, marked it off my wish list and it is still on the shelf.

2. Fallout by Ellen Hopkins

I'm waiting for Perfect to come out. It's a long story - I'll blog about that later.

3. The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

I was seeing this one everywhere. Authors were loving it. Bloggers were loving it. I didn't want to miss out, but I am because I still haven't read it.

4. Wicked by Gregory Maguire

  

I wanted Wicked and received it along with several other books by Gregory Maguire. I read a different one first (which took forever) and it kind of put my off from reading Wicked or the others for a while. I have resolved to read it in 2011, but I haven't even thought of picking it up yet.

5. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Waiting for Sarah's next book to come out - again, a long story which I'll blog about later.

6. Dreamland by Sarah Dessen 

I don't know what I'm waiting for. I have no reason, no excuse, I just haven't read it yet.

7. Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

See above. Enough said.

8. Fallen by Lauren Kate

I got this on vacation last year for my birthday (I got to go on a big book buying spree). I think got 11 books in 4 days (in addition to all of the other books I purchased in August) and it kind of just got lost in the mix. I haven't bought Torment yet and I won't, not until I read this one first.

9. When I Was a Loser: True Stories of (Barely) Surviving High School Ed. by John McNally

I love confessional writing. I love confessional writing about being a teenager. It's usually the best time of your life or the worst. And there is nothing better of making fun of yourself, so I wanted this book. I have read one story, but that is it. This is another one that I obsessed about for months before I finally bought it.

10. Cupcake by Rachel Cohn

This is the final book of a series and I don't want it to end. I guess I have convinced myself that by don't reading it, it won't end.