And the Winner Is . . .

The Winner Is . . .

Aanchal at Book Flame

She has won my Letting Go Giveaway #3: YA Books

There were 26 entries and using random.org, number 26 was selected. Congratulations Aanchal! Thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog and entered.

In My Mailbox (25)

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

 

I didn't have an In My Mailbox last week, so this is 2 weeks worth of loot:

 

  

For Review:

Acting Up by Ted Staunton

Born Ugly by Beth Goobie

Victim Rights by Norah McClintock

Living Outside the Lines by Lesley Choyce

Ordinary Beauty by Laura Wiess

Purchased:

Recovery Road by Blake Nelson

Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (e-book)

XVI by Julia Karr (e-book)

Paperback Swap:

Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

I'd like to thank Fitzhenry &Whiteside, Red Deer Press, Simon and Schuster, and Laura Wiess for sending me these books for review.

About Me: Actin' Up

I wanted to talk a bit about my blog name Actin' Up with Books. How do you act up with books? Honestly, I'm not really sure. But what I do know is that I love to be silly. Have fun. And laugh. I get a little giddy. Let's just say I act up. I'm sassy and sarcastic and I don't always act my age. In these moments, I would tell you that I'm actin' up. Or I've been told on many occasions, by my husband, that I'm actin' up. (I drop the "g" because that's what we do in the south).

When starting this blog, I had no idea what I wanted to name it. I wanted it to be different but relate to books in some form. I did searches of other blogs because I didn't want it to get confused with other blogs, and I wanted it to be uniquely me. Finally, I had a major "duh" moment. Not to be confused with an "A-ha" moment.  Before blogging, I was on Twitter, mainly to stalk my favorite band, Maroon 5, but to follow some of my favorite authors too. My Twitter handle was @ActinUp. After a few weeks of deciding on a name, I literally said out loud, "Duh, I'll just add with books."

Here is just another example of me Actin' Up

This is me (left) and my friend Cathy on a trip at Disney in 2008. All week long I was talking about how huge the trunk of the rental car was and how before the trip was over I was going to get in it. Finally, the last night we were there, I did. And I convinced Cathy there was plenty of room for her to get in there with me. She likes to act up too!

Now that you know where my blog name comes from, I'd love to know about yours. Please leave a comment below.

Review: The Raising by Laura Kasischke

The Raising

by Laura Kasischke

Publication Date: March 15, 2011

Published by Harper Perennial

Pages: 461

Source: Netgalley

Purchase  Amazon /  Indiebound








(from Goodreads)
Last year Godwin Honors Hall was draped in black. The university was mourning the loss of one of its own: Nicole Werner, a blond, beautiful, straight-A sorority sister tragically killed in a car accident that left her boyfriend, who was driving, remarkably—some say suspiciously—unscathed.

Although a year has passed, as winter begins and the nights darken, obsession with Nicole and her death reignites: She was so pretty. So sweet-tempered. So innocent. Too young to die.

Unless she didn’t.

Because rumor has it that she’s back.


My Thoughts

 This book has left me all kinds of messed up. I was entranced by it  from the very beginning and I just couldn't read it fast enough and I even considered playing hooky from work just so I could finish it. I didn't do that, but any free moment I had, I spent reading this book.

The Raising intertwines the lives of Shelly, Perry, Mira and Craig as they try to uncover what happened the night Craig's girlfriend, Nicole, died. The story begins with Craig returning to college after being accused of murdering Nicole, but not formally charged without sufficient evidence. He can't remember the details of that night, and only feels the loss of his one true-love, the girl he thought he was going to marry.

He tries to assimilate back into his college life, moving in with his friend, Perry.  But it isn't that long until strange things begin happening. Mysterious phone calls,  postcards and then the sightings. Sightings of Nicole, or someone who looks like Nicole, blurred  in photographs and then in the flesh. Could she be alive?

I don't want to reveal too much more of the story because it is one that should be discovered by the reader. The writing was exquisite without one false note. I caught myself holding my breath in anticipation time and time again. I desperately wanted to know happened the night of the accident.  I often thought I had it all figured out and finally realized that I had no idea what was going on. With so many twists and turns and what ifs and what may have been, I felt like the characters in The Raising - astonished, bewildered, always seeking answers.

The Raising will be available on March 15, 2011 from Harper Perennial. I highly recommend this book (and that you clear your calendar so you have nothing else to do but read it).

Disclaimer: I requested this novel for review from NetGalley and this review is based on the Advance Reading Copy. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Spotlight on The House of Tomorrow

Sebastian Prendergast lives with his eccentric grandmother in a geodesic dome. His homeschooling has taught him much-but he's learned little about girls, junk food, or loud, angry music.

Then fate casts Sebastian out of the dome, and he finds a different kind of tutor in Jared Whitcomb: a chain-smoking sixteen-year-old heart transplant recipient who teaches him the ways of rebellion. Together they form a punk band and plan to take the local church talent show by storm. But when his grandmother calls him back to the futurist life she has planned for him, he must decide whether to answer the call-or start a future of his own. (from Goodreads)

The House of Tomorrow is the debut novel of author Peter Bognanni. It was first published in March 2010 and is now available in paperback. Bognanni also writes short stories and humor pieces. Links to his writing can be found on his website http://www.peterbognanni.com/

I will be reviewing this novel later this month, so check back for the review. 

The House of Tomorrow is available now!
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound

Book Quirks

We all have them. Well maybe not all of us, but some of us have them. Weird rituals or habits involving books. We never dog-ear our books and always use a book mark. We take off the dust jackets of our hardcovers before we read the book. I've even heard where some people read the ending of the book first. I can't imagine doing that, but hey that's their quirk. I just read a blog where someone said that they smell books. (I do that before I buy a used book)

My quirk is that I don't read the most recent published book by an author until I know when their next book is going to be published. Sometimes I don't even read the book until I have the newest book in my possesion. Strange, yes, but true. It's like I want to be able to savor the book for as long as possible. I've known that this is a pattern of mine, but I really didn't think about it too much until I started compiling my Top Ten Books I Just Had to Have but Still Haven't Read Yet.

I've noticed this mainly with books by Sarah Dessen and Ellen Hopkins. I had to buy Fallout by Ellen Hopkins because when it first came out. I still have not read it for two reasons: her next novel Perfect will not be published until September 2011 and Fallout is the final of the series (Crank and Glass are the previous titles).
And I have Dessen's Along for the Ride which came out last year, and her newest title, What Happened to Good-bye will be out in just a couple of months!

I know that I do this, but I don't know the exact reason why. Am I the only one? What are your book quirks?

Letting Go Giveaway #3: YA books

I've recently decided that it is time to let go of some books that I have been holding on to for a while. Simply put, I have too many books and not enough space for them all. If you want to know the whole story, you can read my Letting Go post.

This Letting Go Giveaway includes:

Love and Other Four-Letter Words by Carolyn Mackler*

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Knocked Out by my Nunga-Nungas: further, further confessions of Georgia Nicolson

by Louise Rennison

Again, the books I am giving away are from my personal library. I like to call them "Used but In a Good Way." If you would like a chance to win these books, just fill out the form below. CONTEST IS CLOSED

*this book was purchased from a used book store and is in fair condition.