In My Mailbox #7

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they've borrowed, received in the mail or bought in the past week.

This week is my biggest book haul yet! I was so excited when all these goodies started arriving in the mail and here it all is:

Miscellaneous:

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick – Not only am I beyond looking forward to reading this, but this is my first ever ARC I’ve received which adds to the excitement! I swoon at romance, so I can’t wait to dive in. Plus in the blurb it mentions a twist and I’ve heard it’s pretty big! Thank you so much Huntley for sending me a copy, your too lovely!

Illuminate Bookmarks – For the Illuminate Swag Giveaway I held, Aimee sent me the goodies and along with the winners prize, sent me a few signed bookmark.

The Disenchantments Tattoos – 

Won:

After winning an amazing prize pack from Brodie and Lisa’s Valentine Blog Event, here’s a few of the things I won:

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer – This book looks amazing! And I’ve only heard wonderful things from, especially from a certain someone *cough* Brodie* cough*. I’m currently reading this and even though I haven’t read much it’s going great. Very much enjoying all the brothers - there’s four in total! :D

Forgotten by Cat Patrick – I read this book last year after and really enjoyed it, so I’m happy I now have a copy for my shelf.

Swag – A cover of Storm, Perception bookmark and a Kim Harrington bookplate, Under The Never Sky bookmarks and last but not least, Forgotten red heart-shaped notepads with the words ‘Things that shouldn’t be Forgotten’.

Gifted:

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger – The lovely Amy from Following the Reader gifted me this for my birthday! I’ve heard wonderful things about the author, so I cannot wait to jump in and finally experience one of her books!

Purchased:

Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig – Yay! The book looks amazing and I can’t wait to read more about Willa, as what I’ve read about her so far through interviews has been awesome!

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard – I just love books where traveling is involved and the things I’ve heard about this book make me want to just sit down and read it pronto! Plus, I’ve heard there are beautiful illustrations throughout the book, drawn by the author herself!

(A huge thanks to Huntley, Aimee, Nina, Brodie, Lisa and Amy! I cannot thank you guys enough!)

Phew! Now that that’s over, what did you get this week? What was the best bookish thing that completely made your week?

The Hunger Games: Trailers, Video's and Interviews

Can you believe it! The Hunger Games is finally here, were so close! It comes out tomorrow, but unfortunately I won’t be seeing it until Saturday. I’ll be attending it with my best friend (who I got addicted!) and I cannot wait!  

* I do not own the rights to these videos, I am just excited for the movie and wanted to share the love and excitement *

TRAILERS/CLIPS:

Trailer #2: Full Theatrical Trailer



Roast Pig Scene



Clip: Here To Help – Katniss/Cinna Scene



INTERVIEWS:

Jennifer Lawrence on the Late Show with David Letterman



Hunger Games Cast – Funny Moments



Hope you enjoyed all those! Do you have a favourite? How excited are you on a scale of 1 to a billion!? Leave me comments in the section below! :D

In My Mailbox #6

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they've borrowed, received in the mail or bought in the past week.

Immortal City by Scott Speer – This book looks amazing! I’m even more excited since the lovely Anna from Literary Exploration went crazy on Twitter about just how awesome it is! Hopefully I’ll be reading this super soon! Also, quick mention to the amazing Penguin BTL, who (somehow) scheduled the package to arrive on my birthday!

The Hunger Games: Official Illustrated Movie Companion by Kate Egan – I was at the shops yesterday when mum spotted a beautiful Hunger Games display in a bookshop.  As soon as my eyes saw the Movie Companion, I rushed in to have a look and knew I had to have it! Will be reading this very soon along with a reread of The Hunger Games, in preparation for the film! So excited! :D

(A huge thanks to Penguin!)

Review: The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols

The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols

February 7th, 2012 ∙ Simon Pulse
Source: Author (Thank You!)
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 320

Gemma can't believe her luck when the star football player starts flirting with her. Max is totally swoon-worthy, and even gets her quirky sense of humor. So when he asks out her so-called best friend Addison, Gemma's heartbroken.

Then Addison pressures Gemma to join the date with one of Max's friends. But the more time they all spend together, the harder Gemma falls for Max. She can't help thinking that Max likes her back--it's just too bad he's already dating Addison. How can Gemma get the guy she wants without going after her best friend's boyfriend?

Review:

Whenever Jennifer Echols has a new book coming out, I always add it to my list because her books are so enjoyable to read. And this one was no different!

All the characters are a great, unique bunch who I found totally relatable! Apart from Addison, the “so called best friend”, I loved the characters and enjoyed that they weren’t stereotypical. I especially liked Gemma, as she reminded me a bit of myself.

I’d classify this book as YA but it also had a pinch of Middle grade-ness to it, with first dates, first kisses and cute crushes.

The banter between Gemma and Max was gorgeous and will definitely conjure up smiles!

Whether you’re a long-time fan or you’ve yet to discover the awesome-ness that is Jennifer Echols, this book is a great place to start! If you’ve got this book on your ever growing pile of books, move it to the top and read it soon or if you don’t yet have yourself a copy run to the shops and get one immediately!!

So darn cute and totally addictive, once I started I couldn’t put it down!

4.5/5

Birthday Fun: Excerpt - A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont

A Breath of Eyre (Unbound #1) by Eve Marie Mont
Releases: March 27, 2012

Emma Townsend has always believed in stories—the ones she reads voraciously, and the ones she creates in her head. Perhaps it’s because she feels like an outsider at her exclusive prep school, or because her stepmother doesn’t come close to filling the void left by her mother’s death. And her only romantic prospect—apart from a crush on her English teacher—is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma’s confusion. But escape soon arrives in an old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre…

Reading of Jane’s isolation sparks a deep sense of kinship. Then fate takes things a leap further when a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane’s body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma has a sense of belonging she’s never known—and an attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between her two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane’s story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own…
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First, I want to wish Rebecca a very happy birthday! When she asked me if I’d like to participate in her bookish birthday celebration, I said I’d be honored and then scrambled to figure out what to send her. To be perfectly honest, I’m tired of writing blog posts and while I’ve done several interviews, I’m just not all that interesting. Since this event is, in part, to celebrate Rebecca’s birthday, I thought I’d share a scene from A Breath of Eyre that takes place on my main character’s birthday. Her 16^th birthday. Yes, that’s right, her Sweet Sixteen. Girls dream about this day, somehow imagining that it will transform their ordinary life into something magical and special. Not so for poor Emma.

Not only is the day a scorching ninety degrees with the air conditioner on the fritz, but the party is sadly lacking in anything that might show up on a teenager’s birthday wishlist. The only thing it does have is a particular guy, a guy Emma’s known for most of her life but who’s suddenly gotten a whole lot hotter. But as you’ll see, he’s not exactly whisking Emma away for a motorcycle ride under the stars.

Excerpt from A Breath of Eyre:

When I got back downstairs, I saw that Aunt Trish, my cousins, and Grandma Mackie had all arrived together. Next came the neighbors, Bill and Rita, followed by Cassie, a woman I’d made friends with at the real estate office this summer. And yep, that was it. Saddest sweet sixteen party in history.

I went around saying hellos and collecting presents and cards, beginning to hold out hope that the Newmans weren’t going to make it. But around 12:30, their oatmeal-colored Subaru pulled up in front of our house, and my stomach fell. I watched Gray get out of the car, pick up his little sister Anna, and give her a piggyback ride to the door. Mr. Newman came in carrying an organically grown zucchini the size of a small infant, and Simona held out my present, which appeared to be wrapped in tree bark. They both hugged me, Simona clutching me for so long it was uncomfortable.

“Happy Birthday, Emma,” she said, tears welling up in her eyes. “You look more like Laura every day.” I never knew what to say to this.

Gray squatted down so Anna could dismount then gave me a slow uncomfortable perusal, glancing briefly down at my chest, I suppose to see if anything interesting was happening there. It wasn’t. Despite nightly pleas to a God I only half-believed in, I remained a disappointing five foot three with barely any curves. Gray was even taller than the last time I’d seen him, and he’d definitely filled out. With his close-cropped hair and slightly broken-looking nose, he looked hard and proud, but also sort of haunted—like a medieval saint trapped in the body of a Marine.

Anna ran into me, hugging my legs so I was staring down at her long red hair. “Hey, beautiful!” I said. “You’re getting so big.”

“I just turned seven,” she said.

“And I just turned sixteen.”

“I know,” she said. “Gray told me, like, a million times.”

“So give Emma her present,” Gray reminded her.

His voice was deeper than I remembered. A few years at a private school had chipped away at his Boston accent, but a hint of it remained. I found it irritatingly sexy.

Anna handed me a small package and demanded that I open it immediately. “Okay, okay,” I said, laughing and making a small tear in one corner. When I pulled off the last of the wrapping paper, I was holding a turquoise leather journal inscribed with my initials. “Wow,” I said.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it!”

She broke into an embarrassed smile, and then, mission accomplished, went running off to see if there was anyone to play with. I must have looked a little stunned because Gray felt it necessary to add, “Before you go getting all touched, it was my mom’s idea. She remembered you used to write.”

“Oh,” I said, wanting to slam him into something sharp and hard.

And there you have it. A little taste of Emma’s not-so-sweet sixteen. Thanks so much for having me, Rebecca, and I truly hope your birthday is sweet, magical, and everything you dreamed it would be. Happy Birthday!!!

Book Depository - Website - Blog - Twitter - Facebook

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How great was that! I already want to read this book so much and after reading that outta-this-world excerpt, it only deepens that fact that this story sounds amazing!

Illuminate Swag Giveaway!

It was my birthday yesterday and since I didn’t save you any cake (sorry!) here’s a fun Illuminate swag giveaway to make up for it! What can you win? How about some bookmarks and adorable little plastic cards that look like hotel key cards with the ILLUMINATE cover on them! Interested? I bet you are! Enter away! :)

Rules:
- International
- Ends 21st of March
- The winner will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting On Wednesday #2

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine where you spotlight an upcoming book release your eagerly anticipating!

Speechless by Hannah Harrington 

Releases: September, 2012

The story of a girl named Chelsea Knot who takes a voluntary oath of silence after her gossip-mongering ways yield unexpected consequences…

After reading Saving June and falling in love as soon as I heard she had a new book coming I was excited! The story sounds quite mysterious as there’s not much of a blurb, but despite that I can’t wait to dig in! Not really digging the cover…but it sure will stand out!

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Releases: June 19th, 2012

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

Oooh! I’ve heard fantastic things and the premise sounds great! Plus, it’s from a guys POV, which is rare in YA and when done well it’s amazing! :D

Birthday Fun Video: Featuring Meredith Zeitlin

FreshmanYear & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

Releases: March 1st, 2012

Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny.

Things start out great - her arch-nemesis has moved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out on the soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soon enough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and a series of other catastrophes make it clear that just because KELSEY has a plan for greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it.

Kelsey’s hilarious commentary throughout her disastrous freshman year will have you laughing out loud—while being thankful that you’re not in her shoes, of course…
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I cannot thank Meredith enough! How awesome/cute/fun/hilarious was that video! ♥ I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did! :)

Review: The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
February 2nd, 2012 ∙ Penguin
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Page Count: 400

Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

Review:

Beginnings are very important to me. They can either make or break a book, so I love it when I am able to open up a story and a warm welcome greets me at the door and invites me in.

There are SO many reasons why I loved this book, but here are a few:

The characters

I loved each and every single character! Brie was a relatable character, who’s voice instantly hooked me. I only wished the best for her. Patrick, oh wow. Funny, sweet, kind and totally cool, I loved everything about him. I didn’t like a few of the characters in the beginning but in the end when things became clearer, my opinion of them changed. Special mentions to Jack who made my heart go all fuzzy and Hamloaf who always put a smile on my face.

The Writing

I am in love. Jess writes amazingly, she had me addicted. Fresh, fun, and oh so lovely.

Plot

Jess structured this book extremely well, always keeping me interested and intrigued. I just couldn’t get enough!

The References

As if I already wasn’t in love, the references started and that was it, I was head over heels in love. Friends, Disney Princesses, The Wizard of Oz and more!

Another thing I liked was that even though school has been hectic and I haven’t had the chance to read as much as I would of liked, with this book I could open up from where I left off and be transported straight back into the story like I’d never left.

The emotions in this book were crazy. One minute I was smiling and the next tears were welling.

The ending was exhausting but amazing. A little mind boggling, as in woah, what just happened, but eventually everything became clear. I did have to slow down and re-read a few things, but as one thing after another fell into place, it all made perfect sense.

In case it wasn’t clearer enough, I ADORED this book! I can easily say that whatever Jess decides to write next I’ll be her first customer.

5/5

In My Mailbox #5

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they've borrowed, received in the mail or bought in the past week.

A Touch Mortal (A Touch Trilogy #1) by Leah Clifford – This book sounds amazing! I’ve heard great things about it, so hopefully I’ll be able to read it soon!

Choker by Elizabeth Woods – This one was a total surprise in the mail. I’ve heard it’s creepy though… *hides under the covers*

Everneath(Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton – For participating in the Everneath Book Review Competition all the winners received a giant massive poster! I absolutely loved this book, and if you haven’t already you can read my review here!

(A huge thanks to Simon & Schuster!)

Birthday Fun: Pretty Crooked Character Interview and Giveaway

Pretty Crooked (Pretty Crooked #1) by Elisa Ludwig
Releases: March 13th, 2012
High school sophomore Willa and her artist mother move to Arizona where Willa starts attending an elite prep school after her mother finally sells some paintings, and Willa attempts to even things out by stealing from the rich students and giving to the poor ones.
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When does your birthday fall?
It's in May. That makes me a Taurus: Mess with the bull you get the horns!

Top 5 party essentials?

- Cake (see below)

- Great music

- A supercute dress (like this one on the left:

- Party attitude

- Party people

How do you choose to celebrate your special day?

I usually just do something with my mom (we were moving so much I never had a chance to make too many friends), but this year, I'm hoping to have Aidan, Cherise and Tre around. I don't know if I'm up for a big party, considering all that has happened to me, but I would love to be surrounded by the people I care about, for a nice dinner or something.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
The fab fuzzy seat for my bicycle. Thanks, mom!

What about the worst present you’ve ever gotten?
I don't think I've ever gotten a bad gift. Usually my mom seems to know exactly what I want/need.

It’s cake time! What are we stuffing our faces with?
Oooh. Let's say (in honor of Aidan) chocolate cake with salted caramel icing! Yumz.

You can invite ANY 3 people (alive, dead, celebrity, your secret crush, ect!) to your birthday bash, who are your selected picks?
Well, I mentioned the real people above so here goes my fantasy list (in addition to the others, of course!):
- Emma Stone (love her fashion sense)
- Robin Hood (maybe he could give me some tips)
- Thoreau (he could help me with my Comp homework)

Thanks so much for sharing your birthday with me, Rebecca! I hope it's an extra-special day!

And now onto the giveaway!!!

Waiting On Wednesday #1

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine where you spotlight an upcoming book release your eagerly anticipating!

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Releases: June 14^th, 2012

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them… until one summer evening Jase Garrett climbs her trellis and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love and stumble through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first romance, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own - even as she keeps him a secret from her disapproving mother and critical best friend. Then the unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A debut novel about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.(

As soon as I heard about My Life Next Door I straight away added it to my wish list! I love romance and this sounds like my type of read! Though I have to admit, I’m kinda scared about what this unthinkable event might be! Eek

Storm (Elemental #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Releases: April 24th, 2012

Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her, Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys—all the ones she doesn't want. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water—just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They’re powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life’s at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who’s hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming . . .

This book sounds crazy good and all I’ve heard is praise! Plus, four hot brothers! What more could you want! Also, the girls name in the story is Becca. Ahem, mwah! :D

Birthday Letter: Ann Stampler author of Where It Began

Where It Began by Ann Redisch Stampler
Releases: March 6th, 2012

Sometimes the end is just the beginning.

Gabby lived under the radar until her makeover. Way under. But when she started her senior year as a blonder, better-dressed version of herself, she struck gold: Billy Nash believed she was a the flawless girl she was pretending to be. The next eight months with Billy were bliss...Until the night Gabby woke up on the ground next to the remains of his BMW without a single memory of how she got there.

And Billy's nowhere to be found.

All Gabby wants is to make everything perfect again. But getting her life back isn't difficult, it's impossible. Because nothing is the same, and Gabby's beginning to realize she's missed more than a few danger signs along the way.

It's time for Gabby to face the truth, even if it means everything changes.

Especially if it means everything changes.
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Dear Rebecca,

When you invited me to participate in a joint celebration of your birthday and the birthday of my first novel, Where It Began, I was very excited. At first, I thought that a video comment would be a fun change, but then I realized that my medium really is the written word, so I’m sticking to it.

The first thing I want to say is, happy birthday! Teenage birthdays are particularly exciting because each one represents such a significant milestone. There is a real, discernible difference between the years, with so many firsts, and so much intensity as people figure out who they are and who they hope to become.

And I must say that for me, the birthday of this novel, Where It Began, represents one of those big, teenaged birthday magnitude milestones, because it represents the fulfilment of a long-cherished dream to be more of the self I had always hoped to be, someone who could create books that capture some of the intensity, pain, longing, and triumphs of people passing through their teenage years.

This implies that I always thought to myself, hey, I want to write YA novels. I didn’t. But most of my writing, beyond the picture books I’ve published so far, involved characters during their early adulthood. That was what engaged me. And I’m so glad that I finally got it figured out.

Figuring out is, to my mind, a lot of what making it from one birthday to another as a teenager is all about. Learning to know yourself better and better, to read your feelings, to separate out your own values and beliefs from all of the ideas and pressures and expectations that keep coming at you, to find your own strengths and talents and joys and self-respect as the person you want to be.

And, if you’re lucky, this gets you to a place that allows you to continue the process of discovery throughout your whole life.

I wanted to write books about that, and I feel extraordinary lucky that Where It Began has made it out of my den and into the world, a book with a birthday.

Happy birthday, Rebecca! Happy beginnings, happy figuring out, happy struggles, and happy discoveries! Happy finding a way to keep this wonderful process of growth and changing more intensely into the person you want to be going for many decades to come!

Ann
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Aww, thank you so much for the beatiful letter Ann, I simply love it! And I'm so happy for you that your dream has finally come true and Where It Began can be read, experienced and loved by everyone in the world!

Random Acts of Kindness: March

Random Acts of Kindness is hosted by Book Soulmates. In case you haven’t heard of it go and check it out and join in the fun!

Giving books as presents is the best, so I’m looking forward to gifting someone this month.

You can view my wish list here and in case you didn’t know it’s my birthday this month! :D

Open to everyone! Remember there’s always the Book Depository and they offer free shipping worldwide!

Happy Giving!

In My Mailbox #4

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they've borrowed, received in the mail or bought in the past week.

The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols – The books I’ve read by Jennifer Echols so far have all been fabulous, so I can’t wait to sit down and dig into her newest book!

Fracture by Megan Miranda – Sounds completely eerie and intriguing – can’t wait to pick this up!

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg - This book sounds amazing! A mix of contemporary and paranormal…what more could you want!

(A huge thanks to Hachette and the lovely Jennifer Echols!!)

Hope you’ve had a great week and got some awesome goodies in your mailbox!