Killing Two Birds with One Stone #23

On this editon of Killing Two Birds with One Stone, there are a lot of giveaways going on to blog about. Most of them are "book of your choice" giveaways.

And most of them are choices of upcoming YA books. Which makes it hard to choose just one!

So, I present a million giveaways and more!

#1 & #2: 300 Follwer Giveaway & 6 Months Anniversary Giveaway w/ Shatterbooks

Shatterbooks has reached 300 followers and 6 Months of blogging!. To celebrate these great events, she's giving away to one winner (maybe two!) their choice of book from a list she has one the giveaway site. One of them is Something Strange and Deadly and Such a Rush. :D

So, to enter, click here. It's pretty simple to enter her giveaway.

300 Follower Giveaway!

6 Months Anniversary!


#3: Page-turner's 1st Blogoversary!

Happy Blogoversary to Page-turner!

For her happy event, Blogoversary Girl is holding a giveaway for:

"The winner can choose 1 book out of all the book I have ever reviewed on my blog. :)"

And those books are:

Angel by L.A weatherly

Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer
Beauty by Robert Kinley
Crossed by Ally Condie

Cold Hands, Warm heart by Jill Wolfson

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Dear Bully (an anthology told by 70 different authors)

Dark Parties by Sara Grant

Entangled by Cat Clarke

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Fated by Sarah Alderson

Familiar Ties by Naya Nikki

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
My Sister Lives On The Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher
Paradcise by Joanna Nadin

Poison Heart by S.B Hayes

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Sister, Missing - By Sophie McKenzie

Seizure by Kathy Reichs

Starters by Lissa Price

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale

The truth about Celia Frost by Paula Rawsthorne

Thirteen (13) Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Torn by Cat Clarke

The Look by Sophia Bennett

The Hunger games - By Suzanne Collins

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

The Declaration - By Gemma Malley

The Resistance - By Gemma Malley

The Legacy by Gemma Malley 

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar  

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E.Smith

The List by Siobhan Vivian

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Virals by Kathy Reichs

There's a lot. But entering is simple.

Click here to enter.

Page-turner's 1st Blogoversary!

#4: Just Because Giveaway 2012 Release

Yep, it's another one. This time it's for a 2012 release. One winner can choose from:

as their prize. I personally want Onyx or A Million Suns.

This giveaway is just because she wants to do it. And because we are nice people, we enter.

So, to enter, go here:

Just Because 2012 Release Giveaway


#5: Fiction Freak: Breathless Reads Week Wrap Up Giveaway!

To wrap up her Breathless Reads Week, our Fiction Freak is holding a giveaway for:

Yeah, a lot of books. And you can only one winner can choose one. I know, it sucks.

But it's still awesome for her to hold this giveaway.

So, to enter, click here:

Fiction Freak: Breathless Reads Week Wrap Up Giveaway!


#6: 6 Months Blogging & 450 Followers w/ Read-A-Holicz

Dang, I know. I wish I had 450 Followers in under 6 months. Lucky.

Anyways, to celebrate, our friends are giving away:
"Pretty simple. I will have 2 winners and they will EACH pick out 2 books from what ever package they want! YES, it is INTERNATIONAL!! "

Awesome huh?

Well, to enter, click the button on the right side or click right here:

6 Months Blogging & 450 Followers w/ Read-A-Holicz


#7: 500 Follower Giveaway w/ The Revolving Bookcase

Isn't the button cute?! I think so. Anyway, for her giveaway, in celebration of 500 Followers, one lucky winner will choose one book out of these books:

I'm going for Onyx. :D

To enter, click here:

500 Follower Giveaway w/ The Revolving Bookcase


#8: 100 Follower Giveaway w/ Reading in Paradise!

Yeah, that's right. I REACHED 100 FOLLOWERS!!

I'm happy. Anyways, for this giveaway, I'm giving away a copy of Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey, $10 Amazon Giftcard, or a book from my Books For Trade page.

To find the link, look to the post previous to this one. :D

Wow, that was a lot. Hope you enter all of them, including mine! :D

I'd love to send you something.

Thank you! Until next time!

Keep On Reading!

<>

<>

 

<>

 

 

Read More

100 Followers Giveaway!!!

*button made by me. picture from google

YEAH BABY! I HIT 100 FOLLOWERS!!

First, I like to thank all of the commenters out there. I love comments, and thanks for commenting on my posts.

Second, thank yous go out too all the bloggers I've talked to and follow. You guys rock.

Thirdly, thank yous goes to you guys, for reading and following my blog. I am surprised that I made it this far. I didn't expect to do it for nearly a whole year.

THANK YOU!

So, to celebrate, I'm offering up a little thank you gift.

One person can win a copy of Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

or

$10 giftcard to Amazon.

or

A book from my Book for Trade page!

Rules:

1: US ONLY! Sorry, I'm not that rich.

2: I'm not responible for the book if it gets damaged or lost.

3: I own the book Cold Kiss. I won it two weeks ago and now have an extra copy. This giveaway isn't in exchange for a review of the book.

4: 13 years or older please.

5: The winner will be choosen at random from rafflecopter.
6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond, or I will have to pick a new winner.
7. Just use the rafflecopter to enter :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you all!

Keep On Reading!

Read More

A Shell Full of Books #14 + another announcement

Bring you books from across the Seven Seas.

No, not really, but close to it. :D

This week, my shell is pretty full.

Here we are!

Won:

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Thanks goes to Tara from Tater's Tall Tails (I absolutely love this blog)

Taken by Storm by Angela Morrison

A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

Thanks goes to Gretchen from My Life is a Notebook

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Thanks goes to HaperCollins

(due to a few mixups and my impatience, I accidently got two of these from them. Giving away one!)

Blessed by Cynthia Leitich Smith

On the Fringe by Courtney King Walker

Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw

All You Desire by Kirsten Miller

Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck

Thanks goes to Ashley from Ashley Suzanne

Because of Low by Abbi Glines

Thanks goes to Carol from The Life of Fiction

Bought:

Family Affair by Debbie Macomber

So, what did you get in your shell?

Annoucement!

Coming Monday!

I got time to finish the post and to create the Rafflecopter form. :D

It's going to be fun!

Until then.....

Keep On Reading!

Read More

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS

Goodreads:

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children. When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

Review:

This has been sitting on my shelf for quite a while now. I don't know how long I've had it, but I looked at it, and said, I need to read this. I have the second book, and I need to read this. I'm glad I did. Wither took me to the future and blasted me with the past. I felt I was reading the futuristic version of a life of a slave and a polygamy woman. I believe a marriage should only have two people in it. That stupid show on TLC, Sister Wives, is stupid. But this book wasn't. Wither exploits the complications of having multiple wives in a refreashing view point of a young girl, Rhine. If you are against polygamy or for it, it doesn't matter. This book is a read for anyone.

Plot: Rhine is sixteen. In four years, she'll die. One day, she gets taken by a Gatherer and is sold off to a weathly man to become his wife. She doesn't want to, but she's forced to. While married, she plots to escape and find her brother again. Along her journey, she falls in love with a servant, Gabriel, who could be killed if her father-in-law finds out. She plots to escapes with Gabriel, and live the rest of her life on her own terms.

In a way, this book is a futuristic version of slavery. Men taking girls and forcing them to do something they don't want to do: bare children to populate the dying world. I thought the plot and the world of Wither was creative. USA is the only surviving country, the rest are underwater. And the whole population is dying at 20 (females) and 25 (males) due to stupid scientists trying to perfect humans. The world of Wither is a very possible one. There are scientists trying to find ways for us to live longer and to get rid of mutations and disease. And if I was kidnapped to be a wife of some stranger, I would try to run away. And within this book, secrets of the father-in-law come out, and of the world his son lives in. This book was not predictable, except for the ending (which I read before I read the book. Yeah, don't yell at me). There were many twists to it, and many points where I wanted to scream because something bad happened or one of the characters (like Rhine or Cecily) were being stupid. I really like it. Had me guessing a lot.

Characters:
Rhine: stubborn, determined, thoughtful, and emotional. It doesn't take a reader long to like her. Despite when things looked up, things went bad, she got a little depressed, and then kept going. And despite being emotional about some things, she was well rounded, not being too emotional or too cold.

Gabriel: Even though he's the love interest, he did show up in the book as much as I wanted too. (But there's a reason for that, not telling though.) Anyway, he's a typical YA boy. Sweet, funny, thoughtful, wishes for more. In love with Rhine. And he's a boy you would find in high school. He does sweet things for Rhine, and tries to help her out when he can. *Sigh.

Cecily: too young. I didn't really like her, but that's because she was like a freshman in high school. Annoying, doesn't know what to do, and wants to please the upperclassmen. That was Cecily. But she's young, and after what happened to her, all her bratiness goes away and you can't help but feel sorry for her.

Jenna: there's not much to say about her except that she misses her old life like Rhine did hers. her relationship with her husband was just sexual, but she did wish she didn't have to be there. She was somewhat flat, nothing truly going on with her except wanting to escape or help Rhine. Oh, and hating Linden.

Linden: He's nice, a good husband, but he's so in the dark about from what his father tells him about the whole world. I felt sorry for him for most of the novel.

Romance: Rhine's and Gabriel's relationship developed slowly, thankfully. The way Rhine's and Linden's relationship developed, though, I think she could have fallen in love with Linden. It would have been an interesting love triangle, if Rhine returned Linden's feelings, but she didn't. But who knows what will happen in book 2.

Ending: Predictable, but not what actually happens. Of course people know she gets away with Gabriel. It's what they do after they leave is what's unpredictable and cute. I can't wait to read book 2.

Future: Fever, and then Sever in February 13th, 2013

Rating, Cover, & Ending:

For the cover: I wish there was more on it, and the dress different, but I like what the things in the circles represent. The girl, the wedding ring, and the bird in the cage. Rhine trapped in her marriage.

*Bought this book

Keep On Reading!

Up Next:

Haven't started it yet, two ebooks distracted me, but I can't wait to start!

Read More

Killing Two Birds With One Stone #22

KTBWOS brings you a million giveaways in one post. Finding giveaways made easier.

So today I have four giveaways from four amazing blogs that you have to enter. The only problem is that there are a million people also entered, so cross your fingers. :D

First up!

Now I know what you all are thinking. "This ended a few days ago." And you're right, it did, except on one blog:

Why she choice to use this button? I don't know. But what I do know is that she's decided to give two winners Your Choice of Book from Anything Previously Reviewed. There's quite a selection of her reviewed books. I've chosen one, but haven't chosen another. That's if I win.

Entering this giveaway is easy. Be a follower, blah blah blah.

Link is here: Summer Lovin' Giveaway

NEXT!

Yes, she's having another giveaway!

This is called Huge Book Giveaway.

Why?
Not sure on how many winners, but they will receive 3-5 ARCs that this awesome blogger has piled up in her room. I wish I was her.

Link: Huge Book Giveaway!

NEXT!

So this is a new blog I found thanks to another blogger I follow via email. A cute little blog that has over 800 entries for this giveaway. Why? Here's what four people can win:
Book of Choice from TBD up to $15

from the selection of:

Summer books

or

Fall books

Yeah. There's a lot.

So, the link is on the right or right here:

Welcome to Our Blog Giveaway!

LAST!

Our lovely blogger friend Jade is hosting a giveaway for $25 Amazon Giftcard.

The special occasion: She's almost at 300 Followers on her blog!

So, to say thank you, she's having a giveaway. :D
To enter her giveaway, click here: Almost 300 Followers Giveaway!

THE END! UNTIL NEXT TIME!

Keep On Reading!

Read More

A Shell Full of Books #13 + An Announcement

Another Sunday down. :D A million more to go.

Along with a million more books. My TBR pile is so big I'll probably have to read them all during the school year and have the finished by the end of next summer!

So, this week in my shell is:

Won:

Bleeding Hearts by Alyxandra Harvey

Thanks goes to Brenda from Crazy Four Books

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Fated by Alyson Noel

Awesome Time Between Us swag

Thanks goes to Cassie from Citrus Reads

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

Thanks goes to Lisa from Read. Breathe. Relax. and HaperCollins

Ebook:

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Thanks goes to Froggy from Froggarita's Bookcase

Silence by Beca Fitzpatrick swag postcard

Thanks goes to Alishia from Treasured Tales for Young Adults

Bought:

The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen

Up for trade:

I have two copies of Fated, Unearthly, and Cold Kiss. All of my ARCs of these three books (except Fated, I have two ARCs) are up for trade. No, they aren't on my Books For Trade page yet.

ANNOUNCEMENT!

TO COME SOON!

YEAH, I HIT 100 FOLLOWERS!!!

Giveaway to come soon.

Keep On Reading!

Read More

Review: Legend by Marie Lu

WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS
Goodreads:

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Review:

Legend isn't what most people might expect when you first read the summary. I expected a lot of action and fighting and death. Dystopia is chaos. Dystopian book is all about a currupt government, a rebellion, and the hero and heroine standing together at the end. I don't know. This book was good. Not extremely great, but not horribly bad. There were parts of the book that I wish that had more to it. But at the same time, I felt that all the thoughts of the characters and action of the novel balanced out each other to a point. To me, there was more of the thoughts than the action. But then Lu turns around and takes the action to a high level that has you turning the page to make sure Day survives or June finally realizes the system is wacked up. It was like a rollercoaster. It had its ups and downs, but overall was a good book.

Plot:
Day is a criminal wanted for a lot of crimes, and after "accidentally" killing June's brother, it becomes her job to track him down so they can take him in and kill him. Eventually, June does catch him by going undercover. Then Day says that he didn't mean to kill her brother, and June looks closer at the photos the other officials send her, and she sees that her brother was killed by someone else, a close friend of theirs.

Kind of a little summary in my part; not a full one, of course. Legend is broke into two parts. The first part is boring because it's just Metias getting killed "accidentally" and June trying to hunt down Day. And then the government taking his family and killing his mom. Yeah....... Sounds exciting, and it is, but other than those little bits of action, it's just their thoughts. (Forgot to mention, both Day's and June's POVs are featured!) And then part two! If you know dystopians like most book readers do, then you should know what happens. June finds out the system is a lie, she decides to help Day escape, they do, and then they join the rebellion. BAM! End of story. Honestly, because I've a lot of dystopians (or what I consider a lot), this story was somewhat predictable. System sucks, rebellion, blah blah blah. I will give Lu props for throwing this big twist into the story. We all knew June was going to join the rebellion (if you read the first chapter of Prodigy before Legend, then I bet you do), but how Lu made it happens makes it genius. See, in the future that is Legend, writing is outdated, kinda like it is in Matched's world, and the thing created from the way Lu made was funny.

The world of Legend is like Chicago. There's the rich sector, and then the poor sectors. And the "suburbs" of each city. And each city is a major city from present day, like Los Angeles. I don't know whether Lu visited Chicago or not, but the world of Legend is very close to it. I've only been in Chicago a handfull of times, but I know enough of the Windy City to know what it's like. It's not home, but I know enough that Lu created a world that is very much like Chicago. Go LU!

Characters:
June and Day. I find it both funny that in a time of betrayals and darkness and secrets, their names both have to do with a time of light. June is a summer month, and day is day. Full of light from the sun. Day is a criminal that is a Robin Hood. Stealing from the government and giving to the poor, and trying to give cures to those who need it. He's very thoughtful, and caring of others, never harming anyone. He's very devoted to his family, despite faking his death. When you read about him, the Robin Hood of the future, you wish you had a boy like that in your life.

June is your average girl prodigy, getting into trouble, graduating early from college, and hunting down a boy she starts to really like. She's smart, and she's determined not to give up on anything, and thinks through things before acting. Typical heroine. But at some times, I wanted to say to her "you're smarter than this, think right." When 15 people were killed, I would have started questioning the system right then and there. Not wait until four days until Day's suppose to die.

Romance:
It was insta-love, but at the same time, not. Day and June, over a period of several days, bond, and he kisses her. They start to really like each other, and slowly get to know each other while Day's in prison, but at the same time, June doesn't spend much time with him, just wonders about him all the time and feels herself "falling" for him. I say she's just really starts to like him a lot. I don't know. Day is the same way. It's like they fell into extreme Like mode. Not Love, Like.

Ending:
Predictable. But it made me wanting more. It also reminded me of Divergent's ending. Lovers together in the end.

Future: Prodigy comes out the 29th of January. That's too far away. Anyone got an ARC of Prodigy they don't want?

Quotes:

"I am no longer the Republic's only prodigy with a perfect score." pg. 187

"When I pull her into an embrace, she wipes a tear from my cheek and kisses me. Then she buries her head against my shoulder. And I let myself cry." pg. 299

Rating, Cover, & Ending:

In my opinion, the paperback cover is better than the hardback cover.

*Won this book

Keep On Reading!

Up Next:

Have started it. Pretty good so far.

Read More

Today's the day. VOTE FOR PERCY!

Okay guys, VOTE FOR PERCY!

No, seriously, vote for Percy.

Patch has nothing on this guy. Patch just has his looks and attitude. He's a jerk to Nora and everyone else. Come on, what boyfriend treats his girlfriend like trash? A crappy one.

Percy doesn't. He's kind and sweet towards Annabeth. The only time he's not nice to her is probably when they are competing against each other.

Patch can fly and has super strength and speed (i think)

Percy can create hurricanes, has super strength and speed, can control water, breath underwater, create a huge earthquake, and has kickass skills with a sword. COME ON PEOPLE! I LOVE THIS BOY!

And hello! Who has the hottie that plays him in a MOVIE! Patch? HELL NO!

PERCY DOES! And it's freaking LOGAN LERMAN!!

Patch has nothing on Percy. But currently, he's in the lead. LET'S CHANGE THAT PEOPLE!

VOTE FOR PERCY!

Do it here.

Keep On Reading & VOTE FOR PERCY!!!

Read More