Hey readers!! *waves* Your all probably saying, "You don't HAVE two hundred followers Lulu, what are you doing"... well, close enough right? I wanted to do a giveaway for a long time and I have books now! So, who wants to win? Since it is a follower appreciation giveaway IT IS mandatory TO FOLLOW. You all have stuck around even though I have been absent for a long long time, you deserve a reward :)
Rules/Conditions/Info
1. There will be three winners
2. There are three books to win (shown below) First winner will choose book, second winner will choose book from remaining two, and the third winner will get the remaining book
3. This will be CA and US only because I am paying from my own pocket (sorry international peeps!)
Wings of Hope By Hillary E. Peak
Published by CreateSpace
Review Copy from author (thanks!) 226 pages
"The bond of a father and daughter is special. When Jules father asks her to come be stay with him because he's terminally ill, she goes for the remarkable opportunity to really know her father. She never dreamed he had liberated a concentration camp, dealt cards to Bugsy Siegel or saved the life of a Black Panther. Wings of Hope takes you on a road trip through the memories of a man making peace with his life through his conversations with his daughter. Teaching her that death is sometimes the most heartbreakingly beautiful part of life. Hope is the last gift of a father to his daughter--the power to reach for her dreams."-Goodreads
A truly magical, heart-wrenching, and captivating story of a father and daughter. Wings of Hope is an emotional contemporary that touches the heart.
Jules's father is dying. From a brain tumor, the doctors say, only having three months to live. Jules is a young adult, I guess about college age, and since she is that age, I had a hard time connecting to the story. Her story. Her actions and thoughts were sometimes so random or confusing but in the end she was a great daughter. Jules really cared for her father and loved him. Her father, Solomon, he was awesome. His life stories were very interesting and pleasant to read about. He had led a very interesting life and it was heart-wrenching to have him face death.
The plot, I admit, was slow but I enjoyed reading about the places where they went. You see the Eiffel Tower on the cover? Yup, they went to Paris! The descriptions were awesome of the city and the sights. There was a nice amount of details to convey a picture in your mind. The message in this book was amazingly portrayed. For me that message was to follow your dreams; it is better to have failed then never try at all. That is what Jules father is always encouraging her to do throughout the novel, and she takes his advice in the end. There was one part of the plot that really - really - bugged me. That was the romance between Jules and her french-man. I won't try to explain it but it is the clearest definition of insta-love. Insta-insta-love. *cue eye-rolling* That whole relationship had eye-rolls. Anyways, the writing was ok, a bit choppy, but overall the details created great mental pictures.
I would suggest this to those who enjoy contemporary, relationship-based (specifically father-daughter), and a road trip style book! I whole-heartily appreciate the author for allowing me a copy to read - thank you! A beautiful story that matched the beautiful cover!
Excerpt:
Daughter, I've had some bad news - it seems I have an inoperable brain tumor. I've been seeing six specialists. They all had the same thing to say, "You're dying." So, it seems I'm dying. They are saying I have three months to live. This is hard for me to ask but I would like you to come and stay with me to the end. There are things I've always wanted to tell, but never got around to it. Seems if I don't do it now, I'm never going to have the chance. I've spent my lifetime trying to make my mark on the world, but as I look back now, I missed out on you. I know it is a lot to ask, but please, come. Love, Dad
The Project By Brian Falkner
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers
Gifted from Amanda 304 pages
"It begins with a book, the most boring book in the world, a book so boring no one could ever read it—the perfect place to hide a dangerous secret.
When best friends Luke and Tommy volunteer to help move books from their library's basement to higher ground during a quick rising flood, they discover the only surviving copy of the most boring book in the world: Leonardo's River, lost for over 100 years. The book is connected to Leonardo da Vinci and is worth millions, so they return that night to steal it. Unfortunately, they're not the only ones with that plan. . . ."-Goodreads
An entertaining, fun, easy read that has very likable main characters! The Project took me on an unexpected yet interesting adventure.
The biggest thing was that this book had no romance. "What?" your probably saying, but yes it did not. I actually really enjoyed it as it was: an adventure between two best friends. Luke and Tommy are very realistic in their attitudes, of course they are not average because one can talk fluent German and the other has photographic memory. Their relationship as best buds was refreshing and the POV being male was also a nice experience. Although the characters backgrounds and lives are not fully explained or delved into, I connected enough to enjoy the book. The side characters had unique personalities and the names those boys came up with for the bad guys were very funny! Luke and Tommy are a pair that can create a laugh easily with their comical speech and actions.
The plot was not what I was expecting. I knew it was going to be about the most boring book in the world but where that lead to.... I had not thought of that. It was genius in a way. The idea of the most "boring book in the world" was a great concept, one that hasn't been used much at all (if ever)! There was plenty of spyish action in here (because of course these two boys will go investigating) and some situations were a bit unbelievable. It's hard to imagine happening but isn't that what the point of a book is? To explore the unthinkable. The writing was simple and it was easy to read along without stopping.
I'd recommend this to those who enjoy male POV's, comedy, adventure, and the unexpected! Thank you so much to my blogger friend Amanda for gifting it to me!
Excerpt:
This is not the most boring book in the world. This is a book about the most boring book in the world, which is a different book altogether. This book is really interesting and exciting, and parts of it are quite funny. ***** Most of all, it is about me and Tommy, the ones who found the most boring book in the world, and the terrible things that took place after we found it.
Question of the Week: What is the best book you've read in the last month? What is the worst book you've read in the last month?.
The best book I've read this month is by far A Million Suns by Beth Revis. This book was amazing! You know how second books are generally "fillers" this one wasn't! It was even better than the first :)
The worst one was The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher. (I actually read this one the previous month but I haven't had any "worst" books this month so far). Anyways, this book was not my cup of tea. The chatacters were flat and boring, the plot was boring, and it just wasn't right for me.
Past Perfect By Leila Sales
Published by Simon Pulse
Read on Pulse It 306 pages
"All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated…even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new.
Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it…."-Goodreads
This is the cutest read, it will perk up your day and have you smiling all the way through! This is how I like my contemporaries: fresh out of the fun oven (lame but true).
I do admit that Chelsea wasn't my most popular pick for a MC but she was a good character. I loved her sarcasm, comical side, and how much she grew by the end of the story as a person. Although her viewpoints on love made me roll my eyes and how naive she was made me face-palm - she was a likable character. Plus, how can I not love a girl wearing a green leather jacket? (I want to own that jacket!) The biggest positive for me, was the interaction she had with the other characters, be it her best friend, crush, ex-boyfriend, dad, or the general (uh-huh). The conversations were witty and engaging. I won't go into too much detail regarding the love interest(s) because I don't want to spoil it but let me tell you, one of them is rocking!
I have never read about reenactment villages, and oh my gosh, I loved it! The setting of this story was unbelievable, it just gave me a positive, summery vibe. I could totally work at Essex! Now here is a bit of a spoiler, but not much since you learn about it off the geco - Essex is at War with Reenactment Land (the neighboring competition). You heard me people! They are at war. How much more awesome can that get?! It adds comic and laughs along the way since the parents/employers at both places don't know about it. I LOVED this aspect; it was actually my favourite part. There's pranks, kidnappings, parties, and cavorting with the enemies! The love story, well it was cute but gosh, I couldn't get over how Chelsea dealt with things. Gah! Is she really sixteen? Cause that's not how I think! Anyways, her and the boy she ends up with, well they have the cutest relationship - and I love them together. It was so cliche but in a way that it was lovable!
I'd recommend this to those who love a good laugh, history (cause there's lots to learn), romance, and, generally, a good time. It did have depth to it and will leave you contemplating. It was a great adventure (it got me hyped up for summer!)
Excerpt:
To help her adjust to life at the Colonial Essex Village, I made Fiona a list of the questions that visitors were most likely to ask her. I am, after all, an expert.
This was my list:
1. "Where's the bathroom?"
This is far and away the most common question. You don't actually need any sort of historical knowledge to work at Essex You just have to know where the nearest toilet is.
*******
2. "Don't you get hot in those clothes?"
True answer: yes. Of course you get freaking hot. It's the middle of a sunshiny day in summertime in Virginia, and you are decked out in lace-up boots, floor-length petticoats, a skirt over the petticoats, a long sleeved gown over the skirt, and a mobcap. You can't go swimming or eat ice cream or even carry around a modern water bottle. Of course you are hot.
Interesting video in which author talks about book (NO SPOILERS IN VIDEO!)
Question of the week: Have you ever looked at book's cover and thought, This is going to be horrible? But, was instead pleasantly surprised? Show us the cover and tell us about the book.
The first cover that comes to my mind is the cover for If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I didn't think in my head "this is going to be horrible" but I did think, "this cover is *meh*". Here it is:
Don't get me wrong - this is a very beautiful cover but it was a bit plain. Little did I know when I cracked it open, what an impact it would have on my life. This is one of those books that go down in history. EVERYONE should read it. It's emotionally heart-wrenching but is the most beautiful, special story ever. And after I finished, every time I see this cover now, I see how it fits and how amazing it is. So, yes it surprised me :)
A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) By Beth Revis
Published by Razorbill
Personal Copy
386 pages
"Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. It’s been three months. In that time, Amy has learned to hide who she is. Elder is trying to be the leader he’s always wanted to be. But as the ship gets more and more out of control, only one thing is certain: They have to get off the ship."-Goodreads
I remember falling in love with Across the Universe. I don't know how but A Million Suns was EVEN BETTER! Surpassed what I expected of it and left me almost in tears (I seriously have to wait till 2013??? That deserves tears!) A very mind blowing read that will leave you hanging on every word!
I had my qualms with Amy in the first book, she was very whiny and needed to get a backbone. I'm happy to report, Amy has a bit of a backbone now! She has changed in the past three months, she still hates it on the ship but she is taking control of her situation. Elder has grown also. He now has to be leader - without the Phydus - talk about difficult! I love Elder, he is the sweetest! He cares for Amy and all the people on the ship, personally, I think he is a great leader. I'm also happy to report that there is more romance in this book! The focus is still mostly on the problems/mysteries of the ship but Amy is starting to form feelings for my dear Elder! Old characters rise up and we get to see more of their backgrounds. We also get to see the true colors of some! (Yes, I'm hinting).
But come on. If you have read Across the Universe you KNOW how Beth Revis rolls. Yeah, I'm talking about the amazing plot. The mysteries that are woven in here, we are just uncovering. Lots of my questions did get answered but I have so much more! Ahh... so many. This book is packed with suspense, interest, edge-of-your-seat material. I was gasping, laughing, shocked, angry and at one point (at the big twist/revelation) I had to step back and just gawk (yes gawk!!). I even ran to mother and screamed, "GUESS WHAT HAPPENED??!! IT'S UNBELIEVABLE!" but sadly she did not share my enthusiasm. A very intense read! The writing flows great and it has a quality about it that you can just keep reading.
I strongly recommend this book/series to everyone. This is such an amazing story that everyone has to be a part of it. I mean, even if you don't like sci-fi, do you like suspense? Mystery? Romance? Evil plans? Seriously, its awesome. Beth Revis is a genius and trust me, once you finish A Million Suns - you will be begging for more, I was!
Excerpt:
{ELDER}
The Shipper's eyes go to Marae, but Marae's silently watching me.
"Why would Eldest lie to me about this?" I can feel myself losing control. I don't know what I expected --- that I'd figure out the big problem and the Shippers would jump up and fix it? I don't know. I never really thought past telling them that the laws of physics go against the explanations Eldest gave me. I never thought that I'd say what I came to say and they would look to the First Shipper, not me.
"Eldest lied to you," Marae says calmly, "because we lied to him."
I'm just your average girl, a bookworm naturally. Loving books, sports, and music! Click around, email me, follow, comment -- all is appreciated! Thanks for reading...
