Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Should Be in Your Beach Bag

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 Books that Should Be in Your Beach Bag

1. Perfect Fifths (or any book from The Jessica Darling Series) by Megan McCafferty - because what fun is summer without a fling with Marcus Flutie?
2. The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells - It made me happy, it made me cry. It made me want to spend all day at the beach and all night too.
3. Crush: Twenty Six Real-Life Tales of First Love ed. by Andrea Richesin - I don't have this one yet, but it will probably make it into my beach bag too!
4. Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols - it may just make you want to try wakeboarding. I did!
5. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz - it will knock your socks off and leave you with so much to think about.

 Top Books in my Beach Bag

6. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han - dying to read this but I'm waiting for my first day of vacation. Why can't it be June 19th already?
7. We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han - I know I won't want to wait to dig into the second of the series.
8. It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han - thank goodness, the last one has already come out. No waiting for me!
9. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Mattson - I bought this near the end of last summer but saved it for this summer. I have been avoiding all reviews because I didn't want to have any spoilers. I'm excited to read it and then go back to read everyone's posts to find out what they thought about it too.
10. Perfect Fifths by Megan McCafferty - because it's not summer without a fling with Marcus Flutie

In My Mailbox (33)

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:

Watch Me by Lauren Barnholdt

The Mortal Instruments Box Set:

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Won:

The Lucky Kind by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

Swapped:

Destroy All Cars by Blake Nelson

Sweet Valley High: Double Love (book 1)  by Francine Pascal

Paperback Swap

Gifted:

Random Act of Kindness from Emily at Red House Books

Aces Up by Lauren Barnholdt

Thank You!

Let me just say this first. I have my reasons. Yes, that is Sweet Valley High.There will be no laughing. None. Again I have my reasons. If you must know, check out the Sweet Valley High on Forever Young Adult  Ok, you can laugh, but only if it is with me.

I jumped at the chance to get my hands on a box set of The Mortal Instruments box set from the Green Valley Book Fair.A few weeks back during the Spring Blog Carnival, I hosted the Karaoke Booth and several people wrote in about the hotness of Jace - and he's been mentioned on many a blog. I didn't want to miss out on his swoon-worthiness and now I don't have to.

Emily from Red House Books gave me Aces Up as a Random Act of Kindness. This was such a great surprise because I didn't know which book from my wish list she was going to send. When I send my RAK books out, I like to keep them a surprise too. I think Random Acts of Kindness is just wonderful  and is hosted by Isalys and Vanessa at Book Soulmates 

All in all, an awesome week of books. I can't wait to see the books everyone got this week. I'm sure there will be some impressive IMMs for all of those who attended BEA.

Love My Indie with Author Karin Lefranc

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:

 

  Karin Lefranc, author of A Quest for Good Manners

Millrace Bookshop in Farmington, Connecticut is a much-loved treasure nestled on the the banks of the Farmington River. The store was formerly the Grist Mill, built in 1680! Part of it was converted to the Millrace Bookshop in 1968 and just a few years later current owner Jan Owens took over.
 

Tantalizing titles from biographies and mysteries to lush coffee table books and children's books line the shelves of this historic building. Readers can dip into a juicy memoir while sitting in the big bay window overlooking the flowing river. 

 

Millrace Book has expanded to offer classes and workshops in writing. In addition Jan supports local authors in many ways like featuring us in a special section, organizing book readings and fun special events.

http://www.millracebookshop.com 

Karin Lefranc is the author of the children's book A Quest for Good Manners
http://www.aquestforgoodmanners.com/

Thanks Karin for stopping by. I loved learning about your favorite independent 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!  

TGIF: Author Love

TGIF is hosted by Ginger over at GReads! Head on over and link up!

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This Friday's Question:

Author Love:

In 2011 which new/old authors have your discovered and loved?

 

In looking over my books read so far this year, I realized, with the exception of David Levithan, the authors are all new to me. I may have heard of them before and may even own a few of their books, but it is the first time I've read any if there books. For some reason, I am amazed by this. I have enjoyed all of them but the one that I am most impressed by and eager to read more of is Hannah Moskowitz. I loved her novel Invincible Summer. If you interested, you can read my review here. I was amazed by the complexity of her characters and the depth that she took them to. I was mesmerized by the story and thought about it for days after reading it. I know I'll read it again before the summer is over.

 Even though she is new to me, I'm excited to know that Invincible Summer is her second novel and I have her first novel Break to hunt down and read. Plus she has more books in the future! Gone, Gone, Gone is already on my wish list! I think she's an author to know about AND she's fun to follow on twitter @hannahmosk

Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop

I am so ready for summer! And what better way to kick it off than with a giveaway! The Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am a Reader Not a Writer and Pixie at Page Turners.

One of my favorite books last summer was actually two! Endless Summer is a bind-up of The Boys Next Door and Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols.  And I am giving away 2 copies. Yay!

To enter, fill out the form below and tell me one of your favorite summer reads. While I love comments, they will not be used as entries into this giveaway.

THE RULES

Must be 13 or older to enter

Open to US/Canada 

Contest is open 5/25 to 5/31

One entry per person

Two winners will be selected using random.org

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

Now that you've entered to win this fun summer read, hop over to these blogs and enter to win some more!

Love My Indie with Author Amalie Howard

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:

Amalie Howard, author of Bloodspell

I live in Larchmont NY, a picturesque and beautiful town in Southern Westchester nestled alongside the Long Island Sound, and bordered by Mamaroneck in the north and New Rochelle in the south. We are incredibly lucky in Larchmont to have two equally fabulous independent bookstores—Anderson’s Book Shop and The Voracious Reader.

Anderson's Book Shop

Located on a tree-lined block on the main street in the center of Larchmont, Anderson’s has been a Larchmont staple for years, almost sixty-five of them to be exact. In fact, Anderson’s will be celebrating its sixty-fifth birthday on May 7, so Happy Birthday in advance! Aside from the full range of fiction, nonfiction, and both adult as well as children’s titles, Anderson’s also carries miscellaneous gifts (which I’ve always found great in a pinch for the endless stream of kid birthday parties). 

Inside Anderson's Book Shop

The store is spacious, airy, and browsing-friendly. I’ve been known to lose an hour at a time perusing books in there! Anderson’s also hosts book signings and promotional events for many authors, both at their store and at other local venues. Annabelle and Jenny Siegel, who both run Anderson’s, are wonderful people and are always up for a chat or ready to recommend a good book. They are extremely supportive of local authors and even have a special wall at the front of the store where these authors are prominently displayed. Annabelle graciously offered to not only host a book signing for Bloodspell, which we will likely do in late summer/early fall, but also is very happy to include my book on the local author wall! It’s wonderful to feel so supported by a local bookstore. But this comes as no surprise – my two older boys have painted Halloween pictures on Anderson’s store windows (part of a local Halloween window-painting tradition) two years in a row! Anderson’s Book Shop loves their town, and it loves them back.

Just around the corner and also in the main village area, you will find The Voracious Reader with its charming red-brick exterior.
 

The inscription on the front store window reads “for young people with an appetite for books.” It’s a whimsical kind of place that just beckons for you to come in off the street and perhaps have a delicious mug of butter-beer while checking out all the fantastic books. 

Inside The Voracious Reader

When I walk into The Voracious Reader, it’s like walking into a fantasy world full of beautiful books. Geared toward children and teens, The Voracious Reader is run by Francine Lucidon who is just as charming as her store. Francine has always hit the spot for me with her young-adult book recommendations, and has been a particularly enthusiastic supporter of my own writing journey. Francine will be hosting the launch of my debut novel, Bloodspell, at The Voracious Reader in early June! This lady knows books like nobody’s business. And she also knows how to host fabulous author and book events that have people signing up weeks in advance on the Voracious Reader website. I’ve met both Jane Yolen and Justine Larbalestier at different events there! For any aspiring writer, this kind of exposure is invaluable. My two-year-old also attends story-time there every Monday at 11 (stories read by none other than the multi-talented Francine herself), so it’s definitely a family-oriented venue. Francine has been so successful here in a few short years that she is currently expanding into the space next door, which means more books, more great events, and much more to offer all the voracious readers who live nearby! Knowledgeable, compassionate, and kind, it’s no surprise at all that the residents of Larchmont have embraced her and her wonderful bookstore, The Voracious Reader, with wide-open arms.


Hurrah for indie bookstores!

Amalie Howard is the author of the young adult urban fantasy novel, Bloodspell which will be available June 1, 2011 from Langdon Street Press. You can visit her website at amaliehoward.com

In My Mailbox (32)

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.

Purchased:

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (e-book)

Library:

By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

The Summer I Turned Pretty was the first book I bought this week. I planned to buy it some time before my vacation this summer, but after seeing Kelsey's IMM last week at Reading or Breathing, I bought it immediately. And Ginger at GReads! recommendations swayed me too. Of course I had to get Sarah Dessen's newest novel too. I love her books!

I can't wait to see what everyone else got this week. Happy Reading!