giveaway! dreamland by alyson noel

Riley's finding that the afterlife can be a lonely place when all you do is focus on work. So she goes to the place where dreams happen, hoping to find a way to contact her sister, Ever. She meets the director, who tells her about the two ways to send dreams. As a Dream Jumper, a person can jump into a dreamer's dream, share a message, and participate. As a Dreamweaver, an entire dream can be created in a studio and sent to the dreamer. But Dreamweaving was outlawed decades ago, and the studio was boarded up. Thinking it's her only way to reach out to her sister, Riley goes in search of the old studio. There she finds a ghost boy, who's been creating and sending nightmares to people for years. In order to stop him and reach out to Ever, Riley is going to have to confront and overcome her own fears.

CHA CHA CHA. Here I am today with another giveaway! Yeahhhh guys, that rhymed. In celebration of Alyson Noël’s new book Dreamland. Yes, It is out in stores. But...c’mon..it’s a free book! I’ll also be reviewing this soon, so watch out for that. Can I just say that I love the cover? I don’t know, I suppose I just have a ‘thing’ for purple sundresses and fields. Anyways, without further ado…

The Rules (dun dun dunnn)

Sorry, this giveaway is only available to those who live in the US or Canada.

Comment with, “MARSHMELLOWS” if you are entering.

Leave your e-mail address in the comments so that I can contact you if you win.

I’ll announce the winner on the 25th of September.

PLEASE enter before the 25th.

This book will be sent to your from the Macmillan Publishing company and if you have any questions concerning the giveaway, I’m all ears (or..rather eyes)! Just simply e-mail me at emily8emily@hotmail.com 

I just wanted to thank you all for reading my blog. I’m a terrible blogger and I don’t update very frequently, and I’m so sorry. I really appreciate you all for staying with me all this time. Thank you!

Good luck!

the tomorrow code -review

Title: The Tomorrow Code

Author: Brian Falkner

Details: Hardcover, 432

Summary:

THE END OF THE WORLD started quietly enough for Tane Williams and Rebecca Richards. . . .
Tane and Rebecca aren’t sure what to make of it—a sequence of 1s and 0s, the message looks like nothing more than a random collection of alternating digits. Working to decode it, however, Tane and Rebecca discover that the message contains lottery numbers . . . lottery numbers that win the next random draw! Suddenly Tane and Rebecca are rich, but who sent the numbers? And why? More messages follow, and slowly it becomes clear—the messages are being sent back in time from Tane and Rebecca’s future. Something there has gone horribly wrong, and it’s up to them to prevent it from happening. As they follow the messages’ cryptic instructions, Tane and Rebecca begin to suspect the worst—that the very survival of the human race may be at stake.

Review:

I’m not a super avid science fiction reader. And the cover of this book didn’t exactly strike as appealing to me. However, putting those aside (because they don’t matter) I found this book to be intriguing, suspenseful and brilliant. It kept me up until the AMs every night. Suffice to say, I didn’t get much sleep during the process of reading this book.

Strait off the bat, I loved Tane. He is one of those characters that you can automatically connect to. He’s charming, thoughtful, and very open minded. Rebecca was a wonderful character as well. She is absolutely brilliant, caring, and she perseveres until the very end. What made this book special was that the characters were all very unique. Just take Tane’s brother for example. With a nickname like Fatboy and an obsession with his Maori heritage (as with all the other phases he went through). The minor characters and secondary characters all provided a wonderful pastry for the pie of this book. In which the main characters and plot were the filling. And then, you know, the pie gets baked and it sells millions. What I’m trying to say (obviously unsuccessful with my stupid pie comparison) is that the other characters fill in the gaps and complete the book. The characters were all molded to near flawless. But, the one thing I would have wanted to see in the characters, was how their past affects the person they are. Rebecca’s father died and her mother is not coping well. And Tane’s father wasn’t there for much of his childhood, because his job requires him to leave home all the time. It would have made the characters so much more believable and realistic, if these things leaked through a bit in their personalities. There was plenty of back story for the characters, but there was almost never any connection between the character in the past, and the present. Their pasts should have defined them a bit more, or the author should have made it more apparent.

I loved the fact that the setting is New Zealand. Especially since it’s not a place that is mentioned too frequently. The author had a way of making it vivid and very interesting to read about. It brought a very interesting cultural aspect to the story. This book also had a clever way of weaving advanced physics into it, while remaining a fantastic YA novel that can actually be understood. This book doesn’t have a age range. I think it would be a good read for anyone of any age. (my dad was reading it the other day, he thought it was great!) This book has a little bit of everything. Gamma rays, binary codes/Morse code/time traveling/biology theories/and it goes on. Sometimes it even hits you how believable this whole story is.

The plot becomes less exhilarating by the end. This is probably because what makes this story so exciting is the uncovering of the mysteries and the surprises. When I got to the 2nd half of the book, it became even sort of boring because suddenly the surprises seem to stop. The plot was wonderfully crafted, leaving little or no plot holes. It was suspenseful throughout the entire novel. The quality of the author’s writing was amazing. This book will definitely leave you breathless.

****and a half

 

the girl who circumnavigated fairyland in a ship of her own making – review

Title: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making

Author: Catherynne M. Valente

Details: Hardcover, 247

Summary:

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

My thoughts:

I’ve actually finished this book quite a while ago. However, it was incredibly difficult to write a review on it. For a very simple reason…it was just too good. My head was practically spinning with the awesomeness of this book. It was frankly unendurable. I would never think of comparing this story to any other fairytale. The art in this book is absolutely incredible, and enchanting. The colour scheme of the cover art and the black and white illustrations at the beginnings of each chapter were perfection. Every so often, you get your hands on a book, that from the very first pages, you doubtfully know that you will treasure it for the rest of your life. This was one of them.

The characters were perfectly crafted. Each with it’s own set of unique  character traits. The character development in this book, not only of September (the protagonist) but of all the other supporting characters, was beautifully done. September is a revolutionizing character. She is not perfect, by any means. She's a deeply thoughtful girl who is craving adventure and who turns out to be much kinder and braver than she thought. She is impatient, a bit self centered and felt very so guilty about not saying goodbye to her mother before she left for her trip to fairyland. And that guilt, stays with her.One of the many things I loved about this book is that it ties up all the loose ends. It doesn’t just bring up something, and never mention it again. You meet that guilt, quite a lot of times throughout the book, especially in times of darkness. September has a fantastic background story. Which defines who she is. I can, without a doubt tell you that you can relate to her in many ways. Not for one minute did I ever see September as that perfect ‘Dorothy’. She isn’t the character that you would want to be. She also isn’t the character who you want to see yourself be with. However, she is very much the character who you know yourself to be. Which is a very intriguing thing. One of the things that I love about the characters in this book is that they are all supremely relatable (and not in the cliché way). The author somehow manages to make the characters, almost eerily, reflect our greatest pains and most inner desires. There are plenty of antagonists in this story. The main one is the Marquess. I adored her character. She was, in my mind, one of the most interesting. With her being the ‘bad guy’, I found it hard to judge her. The author has a amusing way of making you understand the characters, even before their reasons and stories are explained. Understanding is very important. This book teaches the universal lesson, that everything we do is with some sort of reasoning behind it. And to never judge before you know what that reason is.

The plot was enticing and non-stop, filled with action with plenty of twists and turns that will leave you gasping for air. The dialogue whimsical and comedic. The descriptions and writing style was absolutely heavenly and delightful. And the ways that I connected with the book can be only described as magical. I really do hope that you will pick up this book. And I hope it will never leave you. I was left absolutely wonderstruck.

((Some of the lines were just fantastic, I couldn’t help but add them in here))

"We all live inside the terrible engine of authority, and it grinds and shrieks and burns so that no one will say: lines on maps are silly."

"One ought not to judge her: all children are Heartless. They have not grown a heart yet, which is why they can climb high trees and say shocking things and leap so very high grown-up hearts flutter in terror. Hearts weigh quite a lot. That is why it takes so long to grow one. But, as in their reading and arithmetic and drawing, different children proceed at different speeds. (It is well known that reading quickens the growth of a heart like nothing else.) Some small ones are terrible and fey, Utterly Heartless. Some are dear and sweet and Hardly Heartless At All. September stood very generally in the middle on the day the Green Wind took her, Somewhat Heartless, and Somewhat Grown."

"When one is traveling, everything looks brighter and lovelier. That does not mean it IS brighter and lovelier; it just means that sweet, kindly home suffers in comparison to tarted-up foreign places with all their jewels on."

ruby red review

Title: Ruby Red

Author: Kerstin Gier

Details: Hardcover, 324 pages

Summary:

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era! Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon, the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

My thoughts:

It turned out, 4000 times better than I thought it would be. The summary really doesn’t do it justice. When I first picked up the book, I thought it to be just another flimsy young adult time traveling typical romance. It wasn’t. I thought that Gwen was just another giggling girl who didn’t possess much originality. Boy, was I wrong. I thought that it would just be another one of those books who think that the plot can depend only on the romance. This book had plot alright. I’d admit, I was being rather cynical.

Character

Gwyneth (let’s just call her Gwen) is the typical girl, but not the typical romance novel girl. She isn’t graceful or sophisticated. She’s normal, really. She likes to watch movies, and talk about them with her best friend Lesley. She is talking on the phone all the time and giggles quite a lot. There’s this idea that follows young adult literature that the main female character must be unique. That, by one glance you can tell that she is something special. And that only someone like that, deserves to fall in love with the male counterpart. When in reality, who really is like that. Gwen is, in a way, in all of us. She shows that everyone is ‘special’, you just need to get to know them. Gwen is, like I said, ordinary outwards. She isn’t the girl that you are suppose to want to be. She isn’t the girl that you are suppose to want to be with. However, she is the girl that we all know ourselves to be. Which is far more interesting. I was a bit hesitant about reading this book. The first few pages really weighed the potential of the book down. Gwen, a girl who is going on 17 sounds like she’s 13. There were just a lot of little things that bugged me throughout the book.

Gideon. He’s your typical YA romance male love interest. Dark burly hair, gorgeous eyes, without a fault..except his arrogance. I really did hate him in the beginning. To be honest, I would have punched him in the face. But, as the story progresses, he becomes..less..insufferable, and actually quite likable. The side characters, I found, were the most interesting. Sometimes I found myself more intrigued by their story, rather than the main characters’. This book has a way of making the characters gradually more interesting.

I would usually talk about the villain at this point. But, the antagonist isn’t clear in this novel. This book is very much a introduction to a greater story. I guess I’ll just have to read the rest of the series (Sapphire Blue and Emerald Green). 

Plot and Writing style

I can’t tell you much about the plot without spoiling the book. I found that the author did a fantastic job keeping the reading intrigued and the action really never stops. That’s an important thing in books. Never lose the reader. And I’m really glad that this book didn’t try to float on it’s romance alone. This, plot wise, is one of the best YA romance books I’ve read so far these few years.

One thing that I want to add is that the beginning really confused me. First of all, for the first couple of chapters, I was completely confused about what time era they were in. The way the characters spoke, their usage of words, the terms, and the setting made the story seem like it was set decades ago. Then, a couple of pages later they start talking about cell phones and the internet. The way the characters acted wasn’t very realistic considering the time period.

Conclusion

It’s a nice light story that will make you laugh, become frustrated and get angry. Well, you’re angry 76% of the time. Definitely a fun book to pick up if you are in between heavy reads.

that little old book shop around the curb.

There’s this little old second-hand book shop down the street. It’s owned by this little old man named Ben. It has a sign that’s painted grass green, but you can hardly tell anymore. It’s scratched and worn by time. It looks like something out of a novel set in the 1950’s. I’m almost certain it’s been there since the 1950’s. Once you step foot, it’s like you can never pull yourself away anyways. Rows and rows of delicious smelling old books. Worn bindings, highlighted sentences, little jot notes. I went there today.

Ben’s is one of my favourite book shops. But, I don’t go too often because it’s not in walking distance and i’ll have to bus a few minutes to get there. Needless to say, I got some books today.

via mail.

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era! Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon, the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

The publishing company sent this for review. I’m half way through it already.

via Ben's

It was in fairly good condition. I got it for only 2 dollars! I think I’m going to really like this one. I googled it, and not one bad review showed up. Also, I’ve been huge on philosophy at the momento. ME SO FANCY –in a russian accent-

The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever!

I’ve been meaning to read this forever. Ever since the fourth grade…forever. Somehow, I never got around to reading it. I saw it at the shop today and I just had to pick it up. It was only a dollar too!

 Crime runs rampant in the streets, and the man who was Batman is still tortured by the memories of his parents' murders. As civil society crumbles around him, Bruce Wayne's long-suppressed vigilante side finally breaks free of its self-imposed shackles.

I am a comic book type of girl, definitely. I own millions of Flash, X-men, and especially Batman T-shirts. Batman is my favourite super hero. Always has been, always will be. I think he is one of the most interesting, and one of the bravest. (I can watch the Tim Burton’s Batman movie a billion times and not get bored of it) I love his back story, and the fact that he doesn’t have any super powers. That he wasn’t born a super hero, but became one. I don’t think superheroes like Superman are brave. Superman is indestructible. You can’t be brave if you have nothing to lose.

and the winner is…

 

Thank you all for entering to win The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making! If you didn’t win this giveaway, that’s okay. There’s going to be a lot more giveaways on this blog C:

CONGRATULATIONS JESSICA!

I’ll e-mail you right away.

 

book giveaway!

Hey, I hope you guys are having a great summer so far. This is just a little giveaway to add some awesome to your bookshelf.

 The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

“Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn?t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.”

 

Giveaway guidelines

Please comment with your e-mail by the last day of June.

US or Canadian mailing address only.

Please check your e-mail on the last day of June, and message me back with your address.

If you are under 13, ask your parents before entering the giveaway.

This seems like a very awesome, whimsical and quirky book; I hope you guys pick it up anyways. I’ll probably have a review of this up soon.

Macmillan page for the book & author:

http://us.macmillan.com/thegirlwhocircumnavigatedfairylandinashipofherownmaking

Author's website & blog:

http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/

http://blog.catherynnemvalente.com/

my sister’s keeper

Title: My Sister’s Keeper

Author: Jodi Picoult

Details: Paperback, 448 pages

Summary:

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

My thoughts:

When I first started this book, I was a bit hesitant. It seemed like such a long book and such a heavy topic, and I wanted something that I could finish fast. As I started getting into the book, wow, it was as if my fingers were glued (not normal non-toxic school glue, I’m talking Superglue) to the pages. It was long. The topic was pretty heavy. However, the author dealt with it in such a graceful and flowing way that I even felt that it was too short of a story.

The story constantly changes perspectives. This gives a sort of added depth to the book, enhances the themes she portrays, and eliminates certain prejudices against some characters. If it had been Sara (the mother) who had narrated the entire story, the outcome would have been completely different and so would the reception of the readers. From Sara’s perspective, what Anna is doing might seem wrong. But, as you hear her thoughts on the matter, you see a different picture. The point of views don’t stop at Anna and Sara. The brother, the father, the judge, Kate and the guardian ad litem all have their plots, storylines and thoughts weaved into the narrative as well. This helps the reader understand the situation, where everyone is coming from, and it helps us sympathize with them. The characters are a huge part of what the book is. What I really admire of Jodi Picoult is her ability to have so many storylines going on but still keep the story together. My favourite perspective is torn between the judge, Campbell’s and Jesse’s, Anna and Kate’s older brother. I found Jesse’s story very intriguing . His voice really stood out. I think it was because there was this sort of pain coming from his character that drew me to him.  Neglect at times does far more damage than outright dislike.

This book grabs your emotions and tears them to shreds. It has a remarkable way of making you feel for the characters. The dynamics of the family, the ‘burning’ and just the subtle moving of the plot has the ability to capture your attention from the first few pages. I also really liked the ‘law’ part of this book. I really enjoyed seeing the court process. But, maybe it’s only because I’m interested in this sort of thing. There was also this romance that appeared in the book (don’t read this if you don’t want to know) between Julia and Campbell. It was just a really odd relationship. And I didn’t like, at all, how it turned out. I found the entire thing a bit tacky and cliché. Though, I did like Kate’s short romance.

La Conclusion (so fancy, mademoiselle)

The plot was suspenseful and intricate, and the characters will stay with you long after you’ve put down the book. Really amazing. I ending was…I don’t know how to describe it. There was no lead up, and it was just really sudden. I don’t know why it turned out the way it did, but nonetheless, this book was amazing.

****.7

congratulations.

tanya904

for winning

RUBY RED!

Please comment with your e-mail or address (I will delete the comment immediately).